Information processing equipment, methods, programs and systems

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing device, method, program, and system that enhances the desire of users to gift items when viewing events held in a virtual space. [Solution] A program executed by a computer having a processor and memory, wherein the memory stores first information about a user viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space, and information about gifts available in the ongoing event, and the program causes the processor to perform the following steps: receiving an operation from the user to offer a gift; in response to the received operation, extracting recommended gift information from the gift information stored in memory based on the first information and second information about the ongoing event, regarding a gift that should be recommended to the user; and presenting the extracted recommended gift information to the user.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, method, program and system. [Background Art]

[0002] For events held in a virtual space or the like, there is a technology for displaying, as a list on a viewing user's terminal device, gifts that the viewing user of the event provides to performers appearing in the event.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that, for an event held in a virtual space or the like, a gift list is displayed on the viewing user's terminal device based on history information of either a distribution user who appears as a performer in the event or the viewing user. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 7421738 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, a gift list is displayed based on history information of the distribution user and the viewing user. Such past history information alone does not consider the content of the event that the user is currently viewing, and there is a possibility that gift information unsuitable for the content of the event or the performance performed at the event may be presented. In such a case, there has been a risk that the user's willingness to give gifts may rather be reduced.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to present a gift suitable for an event being viewed to a user who views an event held in a virtual space, thereby increasing the user's willingness to give gifts. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program executed by a computer having a processor and memory, wherein the memory stores first information about a user viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space and information about gifts available in the ongoing event, and the program causes the processor to perform the steps of: receiving an operation from the user to provide a gift; extracting recommended gift information from the gift information stored in memory based on the first information and the second information about the ongoing event in response to the received operation, and presenting the extracted recommended gift information to the user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to present gifts suitable for the event being viewed to users who are watching an event held in a virtual space, thereby increasing the users' willingness to give gifts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Block diagram showing the overall configuration of System 1. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the functional configuration of terminal device 10. [Figure 3] This figure shows the functional configuration of server 20. [Figure 4] This is the data structure of the user information database stored in the memory unit of server 20. [Figure 5] This is another data structure of the user information database stored in the memory of server 20. [Figure 6] This is the data structure of the gift information database stored in the memory of server 20. [Figure 7] This flowchart illustrates a series of processes that present recommended gift information to a user in response to their request to provide a gift. [Figure 8] This flowchart illustrates a series of processes that involve referencing information about gifts offered in ongoing events, extracting recommended gift information, and presenting that information to the user. [Figure 9] This flowchart illustrates a series of processes that involve extracting recommended gift information based on user preferences and then presenting that information to the user. [Figure 10] This is an example screen showing how a user selects performers for an event to which they will provide gifts. [Figure 11] This is an example screen for presenting users with gift-related information, including recommended gifts. [Figure 12] This is another example of a screen used to present users with gift-related information, including recommended gifts. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the basic hardware configuration of computer 90. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings illustrating the embodiments, common components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted. The following embodiments are not intended to unduly limit the content of this disclosure as described in the claims. Not all components shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential components of this disclosure. Also, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a strict illustration.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following description, "processor" refers to one or more processors. At least one processor is typically a microprocessor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may be another type of processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). At least one processor may be single-core or multi-core.

[0012] Furthermore, the at least one processor may be a processor in a broad sense, such as a hardware circuit that performs part or all of processing (e.g., FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0013] Furthermore, in the following description, expressions such as "xxx table" may be used to describe information from which an output can be obtained for an input, but this information may be data of any structure, or may be a learning model such as a neural network that generates an output corresponding to an input. Accordingly, "xxx table" may also be referred to as "xxx information".

[0014] Furthermore, in the following description, the configuration of each table is an example; one table may be divided into two or more tables, or all or part of two or more tables may be combined into one table.

[0015] Furthermore, in the following description, processing may be described with "program" as the subject. Since a program is executed by a processor to perform predetermined processing while appropriately using a storage unit and / or an interface unit or the like, the subject of the processing may be the processor (or a device such as a controller including the processor).

[0016] The program may be installed in a device such as a computer, or may be stored in, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable (e.g., non-transitory) recording medium. Furthermore, in the following description, two or more programs may be implemented as a single program, or one program may be implemented as two or more programs.

[0017] Furthermore, in the following description, identification numbers are used as identification information for various objects, but other types of identification information (e.g., identifiers including letters and codes) may be employed instead.

[0018] Furthermore, in the following explanations, when describing similar elements without distinction, a reference code (or a common code among reference codes) may be used, and when describing similar elements with distinction, the element's identification number (or reference code) may be used.

[0019] Furthermore, in the following explanation, only control lines and information lines deemed necessary for the explanation are shown, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. All components may be interconnected.

[0020] Each information processing device consists of a computer equipped with an arithmetic unit and a memory device. The basic hardware configuration of the computer and the basic functional configuration of the computer realized by said hardware configuration will be described later. For each of the terminal device 10 and the server 20, explanations that overlap with the basic hardware configuration and basic functional configuration of the computer described later will be omitted.

[0021] (First Embodiment) <Overview> The following embodiments describe a technology in which a user participating as a viewer in an event held in a virtual space can provide gifts to performers and other participants in the event. The devices used in implementing the technology described herein are not limited to those described here, and various devices can be used, including terminal devices such as smartphones and tablet devices owned by the user, as well as stationary PCs (Personal Computers), head-mounted displays (HMDs), and other devices.

[0022] System 1 according to this embodiment provides a technology that enables users to provide gifts that are highly satisfying to users when they participate as viewers in an event held in a virtual space and offer gifts in response to the performances of the performers at the event.

[0023] <1 System Configuration Diagram> Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of System 1 in the first embodiment.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, System 1 includes a terminal device 10 and a server 20. The terminal device 10 and the server 20 communicate with each other via a network 80.

[0025] Terminal device 10 is a device used by users to view events held in a virtual space. Terminal device 10 is implemented by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet that supports a mobile communication system. Alternatively, terminal device 10 may be a stationary PC (Personal Computer), laptop PC, etc. Terminal device 10 includes a communication interface 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, memory 15, a storage unit 16, and a processor 19. Server 20 includes a communication interface 22, an input / output interface 23, memory 25, storage 26, and a processor 29.

[0026] Terminal device 10 is connected to server 20 via network 80 in a way that allows communication. Terminal device 10 is connected to network 80 by communicating with communication equipment such as a wireless base station 81 that supports communication standards such as 5G and LTE (Long Term Evolution), and a wireless LAN router 82 that supports wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standards such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11.

[0027] The communication interface 12 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the terminal device 10 can communicate with external devices. The input device 13 is an input device (e.g., a touch panel, touchpad, mouse or other pointing device, keyboard, etc.) for receiving input operations from the user. The output device 14 is an output device (display, speaker, etc.) for presenting information to the user. The memory 15 is for temporarily storing programs and data processed by programs, etc., and is a volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The storage unit 16 is a storage device for saving data, such as flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The processor 19 is hardware for executing the instruction set written in the program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0028] Server 20 is a device that manages a series of processes related to System 1. For example, Server 20 stores information about users, information about gifts, etc. Also, for example, in response to an operation by a user to provide a gift while viewing an event held in a virtual space, Server 20 extracts recommended gift information to recommend to the user and presents the extracted recommended gift information to the user.

[0029] Communication IF22 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the server 20 can communicate with external devices. Input / Output IF23 functions as an interface to an input device for receiving input operations from the user and an output device for presenting information to the user. Memory 25 is for temporarily storing programs and data processed by programs, etc., and is a volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Storage 26 is a storage device for saving data, such as flash memory or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Processor 29 is hardware for executing the instruction set written in the program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0030] In this embodiment, each device (terminal device, server, etc.) can also be considered as an information processing device. That is, the collection of each device can be considered as a single "information processing device," and System 1 may be formed as a collection of multiple devices. The way in which the multiple functions required to realize System 1 according to this embodiment are distributed to one or more hardware can be appropriately determined in view of the processing capacity of each hardware and / or the specifications required for System 1.

[0031] <1.1 Configuration of terminal device 10> Figure 2 is a block diagram of the terminal device 10 that constitutes System 1 of Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 10 includes a plurality of antennas (antenna 111, antenna 112), wireless communication units corresponding to each antenna (first wireless communication unit 121, second wireless communication unit 122), an operation reception unit 130 (including a touch-sensitive device 1301 and a display 1302), an audio processing unit 140, a microphone 141, a speaker 142, a position information sensor 150, a camera 160, a motion sensor 170, a storage unit 180, and a control unit 190. The terminal device 10 also has functions and configurations not specifically shown in Figure 2 (for example, a battery for maintaining power, a power supply circuit for controlling the supply of power from the battery to each circuit, etc.). As shown in Figure 2, each block included in the terminal device 10 is electrically connected by a bus or the like.

[0032] Antenna 111 radiates signals emitted by terminal device 10 as radio waves. Antenna 111 also receives radio waves from space and provides the received signals to first wireless communication unit 121.

[0033] Antenna 112 radiates signals emitted by terminal device 10 as radio waves. Antenna 112 also receives radio waves from space and provides the received signals to second wireless communication unit 122.

[0034] The first wireless communication unit 121 performs modulation and demodulation processing, etc., for the terminal device 10 to transmit and receive signals via the antenna 111 in order to communicate with other wireless devices. The second wireless communication unit 122 performs modulation and demodulation processing, etc., for the terminal device 10 to transmit and receive signals via the antenna 112 in order to communicate with other wireless devices. The first wireless communication unit 121 and the second wireless communication unit 122 are a communication module that includes a tuner, an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) calculation circuit, a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) calculation circuit, a high-frequency circuit, etc. The first wireless communication unit 121 and the second wireless communication unit 122 perform modulation and demodulation, and frequency conversion, of the wireless signals transmitted and received by the terminal device 10, and provide the received signal to the control unit 190.

[0035] The operation reception unit 130 has a mechanism for receiving user input operations. Specifically, the operation reception unit 130 is configured as a touchscreen and includes a touch-sensitive device 1301 and a display 1302. The touch-sensitive device 1301 receives user input operations of the terminal device 10. The touch-sensitive device 1301 detects the user's contact position with the touch panel, for example, by using a capacitive touch panel. The touch-sensitive device 1301 outputs a signal indicating the user's contact position detected by the touch panel to the control unit 190 as an input operation. The terminal device 10 may also be equipped with a physically usable keyboard (not shown) and may receive user input operations via the keyboard.

[0036] The display 1302 displays data such as images, videos, and text in accordance with the control of the control unit 190. The display 1302 is implemented by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0037] The audio processing unit 140 modulates and demodulates the audio signal. The audio processing unit 140 modulates the signal received from the microphone 141 and provides the modulated signal to the control unit 190. The audio processing unit 140 also provides the audio signal to the speaker 142. The audio processing unit 140 is implemented, for example, by an audio processing processor. The microphone 141 receives an audio input and provides the audio signal corresponding to that audio input to the audio processing unit 140. The speaker 142 converts the audio signal received from the audio processing unit 140 into sound and outputs the sound to the outside of the terminal device 10.

[0038] The location information sensor 150 is a sensor that detects the position of the terminal device 10, and is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) module. A GPS module is a receiving device used in a satellite positioning system. In a satellite positioning system, signals are received from at least three or four satellites, and the current position of the terminal device 10, which is equipped with a GPS module, is detected based on the received signals. The location information sensor 150 may also be a transmitting and receiving device based on a communication standard used in short-range communication systems between information devices. Specifically, the location information sensor 150 uses the 2.4GHz band, such as a Bluetooth® module, to receive beacon signals from other information devices equipped with a Bluetooth® module.

[0039] Camera 160 is a device that receives light using a photodetector and outputs it as an image. Camera 160 is, for example, a depth camera that can detect the distance from camera 160 to the object being photographed. Furthermore, camera 160 acquires the body movements of users, performers, etc., using the terminal device 10. Specifically, for example, camera 160 acquires the user's mouth movements and the movements of various parts of the face (eyes, eyebrows, etc.). Any existing technology may be used to acquire these movements.

[0040] The motion sensor 170 is composed of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and the like, and detects the tilt of the terminal device 10.

[0041] The storage unit 180 is composed of, for example, flash memory and stores data and programs used by the terminal device 10. In certain situations, the storage unit 180 stores user information 1801, etc. This information is held in the storage unit 180 of the terminal device 10, or it may be stored as a database in the storage unit 202 of the server (described later) and retrieved via the network 80.

[0042] User information 1801 includes user-related information such as an ID that identifies the user, username, age, and gender. Details of the information included in user information 1801 will be described later. An event is a variety of activities held in a virtual space, and can include, for example, live music events, talk events, merchandise sales events, game events, fashion shows, conferences, and exhibitions held in a virtual space.

[0043] The control unit 190 controls the operation of the terminal device 10 by reading the program stored in the memory unit 180 and executing the instructions contained in the program. The control unit 190 is, for example, an application processor. By operating according to the program, the control unit 190 performs the functions of an input operation receiving unit 1901, a transmitting / receiving unit 1902, a data processing unit 1903, and a notification control unit 1904.

[0044] The input operation receiving unit 1901 processes input operations from the user to an input device such as a touch-sensitive device 1301. Based on the coordinate information of the touch-sensitive device 1301 where the user's finger or the like has made contact, the input operation receiving unit 1901 determines the type of operation, such as whether the user's operation is a flick operation, a tap operation, or a drag (swipe) operation.

[0045] The transmitting / receiving unit 1902 performs processing to enable the terminal device 10 to send and receive data with an external device such as a server 20 in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0046] The data processing unit 1903 performs calculations on the data received as input by the terminal device 10 according to the program and outputs the calculation results to memory or the like.

[0047] The data processing unit 1903 receives input operations related to an event from the user and controls the processing to execute various processes related to the event. For example, the data processing unit 1903 executes the process of sending various information related to the execution of the event received from the user to the server or the terminal device of the virtual space administrator.

[0048] The notification control unit 1904 performs the following processes: displaying the image on the display 1302, outputting sound to the speaker 142, and generating vibrations in the camera 160.

[0049] <1.2 Functional Configuration of Server 20> Figure 3 shows the functional configuration of server 20. As shown in Figure 3, server 20 functions as a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203.

[0050] The communications unit 201 performs processing to enable the server 20 to communicate with external devices.

[0051] The storage unit 202 stores data and programs used by the server 20. The storage unit 202 stores the user information database 2021, the gift information database 2022, the recommended gift information 2023, the desired gift information 2024, etc.

[0052] User Information Database 2021 is a database for storing various information about users who view events held in the virtual space. User Information Database 2021 stores information about users (user information or primary information) 20211, such as information about the identification ID, information about the user's name, information about the user's age, information about the user's gender, information about the user's contact information, information about favorite performers, information about the total amount of gifts given in the past, gift provision history information regarding gifts given in past events held in the virtual space, and log information representing the user's activity history in or outside of events held in the virtual space. Thus, User Information (First Information) 20211 includes information necessary to identify an individual user (information regarding the identification ID, information regarding the user's name, information regarding the user's age, information regarding the user's gender, information regarding the user's contact information, etc.), as well as information regarding the user's preferences and tastes (information regarding favorite performers, information regarding the total amount of gifts provided in the past, gift provision history information regarding gifts provided in past events held in the virtual space, log information representing the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and / or outside the virtual space, etc.). Details of each record held in the database will be described later, but below we will explain in detail the gift provision history information (Gift Provision History Information) 20211A, which concerns gifts provided in past events held in the virtual space, and the log information (Log Information) 20211B, which represents the user's activity history in events held in the virtual space or outside of such events, as included in User Information 20211.

[0053] Gift Provision History Information 20211A is information included in User Information 20211 that concerns a user's history of providing gifts in past events held in the virtual space. Gift Provision History Information 20211A includes information related to the user's act of providing gifts (including the operation of providing gifts) in past events, such as information about gifts provided by the user in past events, information about performers in events to whom the user provided gifts in past events, information about the amount paid by the user when providing gifts (purchasing paid gifts) in past events (including payment amounts in the form of money or points or other means equivalent to money, including payment amounts for each past event and the total amount of payments for all events the user has participated in in the past), and information about the amount charged in advance by the user to provide gifts (purchase paid gifts) in past events (including payment amounts in the form of money or points or other means equivalent to money, including payment amounts for each past event and the total amount of payments for all events the user has participated in in the past).

[0054] Gift Provision History Information 20211A also includes, for example, information about the content that was in progress when a user provided a gift at a past event (first content information). Users can provide gifts at any time during an event they are participating in, unless there are specific restrictions, such as before the start of performances at the event (the period during which users can view the event, including the waiting period before performances begin), during the event while performers are performing (singing, dancing, talking, etc.), during the event while performers are performing (intervals), or after the end of performances at the event (the period during which users can view the event, including the period after all performances have finished). The first content information is information about the content that was in progress when a user provided a gift at a past event (the timing of the gift provision), and includes, for example, information about the type of content performed by performers participating in the event. Information regarding the type of content includes, for example, information regarding performances by performers (singing, dancing, talking, etc.) (first performance information), and information regarding non-performance activities (such as the timing of breaks (intervals) between performances by performers during the event). If the information regarding the type of content is first performance information and the type of performance is singing, then the first content information may also include information regarding the type of singing (singing an up-tempo song, singing a slow-tempo song, singing in a group with multiple performers, singing solo, etc.). Similarly, if the information regarding the type of content is first performance information and the type of performance is dancing, then the first content information may also include information regarding the type of dancing (dancing to an up-tempo song, dancing to a slow-tempo song, dancing in a group with multiple performers, dancing solo, etc.).Furthermore, if the content type information is the first performance information, and the performance type is a talk, then information regarding the type of talk (such as a group talk by multiple performers, a solo talk, or a talk that includes communication with the event's audience) may also be included. The first content information can be stored in the storage unit 202 in association with information about gifts provided by users in past events. For example, if a user provided a gift to a performer at a past event while the performer was performing some kind of performance (singing, dancing, talking, etc.), the first content information will include information about the specific gift provided by the user and information about the content at the time the gift was provided. In this case, the content information includes information indicating that the type of content is a performance. The first performance information can also be stored in the storage unit 202 in association with information about gifts provided by the user in past events. For example, if in a past event the user provided a gift to a performer when that performer was singing an up-tempo song, the first content information would include information about the specific gift provided by the user and information about the performance at the time the gift was provided (in this case, information indicating that the type of performance was singing an up-tempo song).

[0055] Gift Provision History Information 20211A also includes information (reaction information) regarding the reactions of performers to gifts provided by users in past events. When a user provides a gift to a performer at an event, the performer who receives the gift may respond in some way (reaction). Such reactions can serve as an evaluation of the gift provided by the user. For example, if a performer who receives a gift from a user responds (a reaction expressing gratitude to the user who provided the gift), it can be expected that providing the same gift in the future will elicit a similar level of reaction. Reaction information includes, for example, information on whether or not a performer responded to a gift provided by a user, information on the type of reaction from the performer to the gift provided by the user (motion of the avatar corresponding to the performer, voice, message, etc.), and the number of times a performer has responded to a gift provided by a user. Information regarding the type of reaction a performer has to a gift provided by a user includes, for example, motions of the performer waving, bowing, jumping, dancing, smiling, and closing one eye. Furthermore, reaction information may include reaction evaluation information that represents a measure of the reaction of performers appearing at the event to gifts provided by users. Even if a performer who receives a gift from a user reacts to the gift, the measure of that reaction may vary, and if a special gift is provided to a performer, the performer may give a more grateful reaction to the user who provided the gift compared to when other gifts are provided. Reaction evaluation information may include, for example, numerical evaluation information. In this case, the reaction evaluation information is set so that a higher number indicates a larger scale of reaction (expressing greater gratitude to the user). For example, a motion in which the performer dances is set to "10", a motion in which the performer jumps is set to "8", a motion in which the performer bows is set to "7", a motion in which the performer waves is set to "6", a motion in which the performer makes a smiling face is set to "5", a motion in which the performer closes one eye is set to "4", a reaction with sound (for example, a voice saying "thank you") is set to "3", a reaction with a message (for example, a message that says "thank you") is set to "2", and so on. Reaction information can be stored in the memory unit 202 in association with information about gifts provided by users in past events. For example, if a performer who received a gift from a user in a past event performed a jumping motion as a reaction, the reaction information would include information about the specific gift provided by the user and information about the reaction to that gift (in this case, information indicating that the reaction was a jumping motion). Furthermore, in this case, the reaction information can also include reaction evaluation information (in this case, numerical information such as "8" as reaction evaluation information regarding the jumping motion).

[0056] Log Information 20211B is information included in User Information 20211 and concerns the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and / or outside the virtual space. The user's activity history in or outside the virtual space can serve as an indicator of the user's preferences and tastes, and can be used as reference information for extracting Recommended Gift Information 2023 to present to the user. In particular, Log Information 20211B includes information included in Gift Provision History Information 20211A that concerns the user's activity history in past events that did not involve providing gifts (including the operation of providing gifts). When log information 20211B is information about a user's activity history in a virtual space, log information 20211B may include, for example, information about past events held in the virtual space that the user participated in; information about the user's reactions to performances by performers at past events (reactions different from providing gifts); information about the purchase history of content, goods, services, etc., that are different from gifts provided to performers at past events; information about access history to websites etc. set up at past events held in the virtual space; and information about the sending and receiving history of messages etc. made by the user at past events held in the virtual space. When log information 20211B contains information about a user's activity history outside of the virtual space, log information 20211B may include, for example, information about access history to websites and related sites related to events held in the virtual space (including past events), information about access history to websites and related sites related to performers appearing in events held in the virtual space (including past events), information about purchase history of content, goods, services, etc. related to events held in the virtual space (including past events), and information about the sending and receiving history of messages and other information made by the user on community sites related to events held in the virtual space (including past events).

[0057] The Gift Information Database 2022 is a database for storing information about gifts that users participating as viewers in events held in virtual space can provide at those events (ongoing events). Gifts are provided to performers and others in response to user requests, for example, to support performers in the ongoing event or to liven up the event. Information about gifts includes, for example, information about the gift ID that identifies the gift, information about the gift name, information about the gift category, information about the gift data type, information about the gift content that is placed in the virtual space as an object that visually represents the gift, and information about the charge price required to provide the gift (including the amount charged in cash or by means of means other than money, such as points). Here, gift content mainly consists of video data and image data (including images that move within the virtual space), and is placed in the virtual space in a display manner that represents the characteristics of the gift. Gift content (objects representing the gift) can be placed at any position in the virtual space, but can also be placed at a specific position or on a specific target. Specific positions include, for example, a specific position in the virtual space where the event the user is watching takes place, or a position corresponding to the head of an avatar object corresponding to a performer appearing in the event the user is watching. Specific targets also include, for example, positions corresponding to parts of an avatar object (wrist, head, legs, back, etc.) corresponding to a performer appearing in the event the user is watching, or positions corresponding to objects placed in the virtual space where the event the user is watching takes place. For example, if the gift content (object representing the gift) is placed at a position corresponding to a part of an avatar object, and the object represents a wristwatch (gift), the object can be placed by attaching it to the position corresponding to the wrist of the avatar object. For example, when gift content (objects representing gifts) is placed at a location corresponding to a part of an avatar object, if the object represents a hat (gift), it can be placed by attaching it to the position corresponding to the head of the avatar object. Similarly, when gift content (objects representing gifts) is placed at a location corresponding to a part of an avatar object, if the object represents a backpack (gift), it can be placed by attaching it to the position corresponding to the back of the avatar object. Gift content can also include text data and music / audio data in addition to objects. Gifts can also include money or means equivalent to money, often referred to as "tips."In this case, the tip may be provided to the event performers, etc., along with gift content placed in the virtual space as an object, or it may be provided to the event performers, etc., independently without such gift content. Gifts are primarily provided by users, who are viewers of the event, through payment of money or equivalent means (such as points). Payment refers to the act of paying a set purchase price for a gift (including an indicator such as points equivalent to the purchase price) using money or equivalent means in order to provide the gift. When a user makes a payment, the purchase of the gift is confirmed and the gift is provided to the performer or other person to whom it is intended. Payment is not limited to this act; it can also include, for example, purchasing a special currency usable in the event in advance using money or equivalent means, and then paying using the purchased special currency. Details of each record held in the database will be described later.

[0058] Recommended gift information 2023 is information about gifts recommended to the user, extracted from the gift information stored in the memory unit 202 by the extraction module 2035 described later. Information about gifts recommended to the user includes, for example, information about the name of the gift, information about the gift content that visually represents the gift, information about the amount of money required to provide the gift (including the amount of money or money equivalent such as points), information indicating that the gift is a recommended gift for the user, and information about the degree of recommendation. Here, information indicating that a gift is a recommended gift is information necessary for the user to visually recognize that a gift is a recommended gift when recommended gift information 2023 is presented to the user, and includes, for example, information about text, objects, etc. that visually indicate that a gift is a recommended gift. Information about the degree of recommendation is information that represents the scale on which the extracted recommended gift information is recommended to the user, and includes, for example, information represented by numbers such as 1, 2, 3, etc., information represented by symbols such as A, B, C, etc., and information represented by qualitative scales such as large, medium, small, etc. The recommended gift information 2023 is temporarily stored in the storage unit 202 as information to be presented to the user by the presentation module 2036, which will be described later.

[0059] Desired Gift Information 2024 is information regarding the provision of gifts that the user wishes to receive as recommended gifts. Desired Gift Information 2024 is stored in the storage unit 202 when the user preference information receiving module 2038, described later, receives the user preference information regarding the provision of gifts. Desired Gift Information 2024 includes, for example, information about a specific gift (information about the gift ID, gift name, etc.), information about the gift category, information about the gift data type, information about the charge price required to provide the gift (including the charge amount in cash or by means of means other than cash, such as points), and information about gifts related to a specific performer appearing in an event that the user supports.

[0060] The control unit 203 is composed of, for example, a processor 29, and by performing processing according to the program, this processor 29 performs functions such as the reception control module 2031, transmission control module 2032, user information acquisition module 2033, gift provision operation reception module 2034, extraction module 2035, presentation module 2036, provided gift information acquisition module 2037, and user request information reception module 2038, as various modules.

[0061] The receive control module 2031 controls the process by which the server 20 receives signals from external devices according to a communication protocol.

[0062] The transmission control module 2032 controls the process by which the server 20 transmits signals to external devices according to a communication protocol.

[0063] The user information acquisition module 2033 controls a series of processes for acquiring information about users who view events held in the virtual space. User information includes, for example, information about an identification ID, the user's name, the user's age, the user's gender, the user's contact information, information about favorite performers, information about the total amount of gifts given in the past, gift provision history information regarding gifts given in past events held in the virtual space, and log information representing the user's activity history at events held in the virtual space or outside of such events. Specifically, for example, the user information acquisition module 2033 may acquire this information by receiving user information 1801 stored in the storage unit 180 from the terminal device 10 used by the user. Alternatively, the user information acquisition module 2033 may acquire this information by referring to the user information database 2021 held in the storage unit 202 of the server 20. In addition, the user information acquisition module 2033 may acquire this information by directly receiving various information about the user from the user.

[0064] The gift provision operation reception module 2034 controls a series of processes for receiving requests to provide gifts from users watching the event. Specifically, the gift provision operation reception module 2034 receives requests to provide gifts to the event performers via a terminal device 10 used by the user watching the event. In this case, the terminal device 10 sends information about the gift provision request received from the user to the server 20. The gift provision operation reception module 2034 on the server 20 receives this information from the terminal device 10. For example, when the server 20 receives this information from the terminal device 10, it sends information about gifts that can be provided at the event the user is watching to the terminal device 10. Here, the operation of providing a gift is an operation performed by a user watching the event, and can include any operation a user performs to provide a gift to the event's performers, etc. For example, the operation of providing a gift can include an operation that requests the user to present information about the gifts available at the event the user is watching (information about the gift list). In this case, for example, the gift provision operation reception module 2034 receives an operation from the user requesting that the user present information about the gifts available at the event the user is watching (information about the gift list). The server 20 transmits the gift information (information about the gift list) to the terminal device 10 used by the user in response to the operation from the user. The terminal device 10 displays the received confirmation information on the display 1302. Also, for example, the operation of providing a gift can include an operation that specifies at least one gift from among the gifts available at the event. In this case, for example, the user is presented with information about the gifts available at the event (information about the gift list), and the gift provision operation reception module 2034 receives an operation from the user to specify at least one gift from among the presented gift information (information about the gift list).

[0065] The extraction module 2035 controls a series of processes to extract recommended gift information 2023, which is information about a gift recommended to a user, from the gift information stored in the storage unit 202, based on first information and second information about the ongoing event, in response to an operation received by the gift provision operation reception module 2034. Specifically, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information 2023 from the gift information stored in the user information database 2021, based on user information (first information) 20211, which is information about the user stored in the user information database 2021, and second information about the ongoing event, in response to an operation to provide a gift received from a user who is viewing an ongoing event being held in a virtual space. Here, extraction module 2035 refers to user information (first information) 20211, which is information about the user, in order to extract recommended gift information 2023. User information (first information) 20211 includes information about the user's preferences and tastes (information about favorite performers, information about the total amount of gifts given in the past, gift provision history information regarding gifts given in past events held in the virtual space, log information representing the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and non-virtual space, etc.). By referring to this information, extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information that takes into account the user's preferences and tastes. Extraction module 2035 also refers to second information about ongoing events in order to extract recommended gift information 2023.The second type of information includes various information about the ongoing event that the user is viewing, such as: information about the type of event (information representing the type of event, such as a live music event held in a virtual space, a talk event held in a virtual space, a merchandise sales event held in a virtual space, a game event held in a virtual space, a fashion show event held in a virtual space, a conference event held in a virtual space, an exhibition event held in a virtual space, etc.); information about the form of participation in the ongoing event (information about the form in which the user participates in the event, such as entering the virtual space as a user avatar representing the user and participating in the event from the perspective of that user avatar, or participating in the event by viewing it through a terminal device 10 used by the user without a user avatar); information about the performers appearing in the ongoing event (information for identifying the performers (name of the performer, name of the group to which the performer belongs, avatar object representing the performer, information about the performer's popularity, etc.); and information about the relationship between the performers and the user (performers are the user's favorites (iwa This includes information indicating whether or not the user is a casual fan (or a favorite), information about gifts such as the type and amount of gifts received by the performers from users, and information about the content of the ongoing event (information about performances such as singing, dancing, and talking, and information about the cost of participating in the ongoing event (including the cost in the form of money or points in the case of free participation or paid participation)). By referring to this information, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information that takes into account the content of the ongoing event and the content being performed at the time the user provides a gift. The extraction module 2035 then refers to two pieces of information, user information (first information) 20211 and second information, in order to extract the recommended gift information 2023. As a result, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information that is suitable for the ongoing event that the user is watching, while taking into account the user's preferences and tastes. As a result, the user will be presented with recommended gift information that will be highly satisfying, and the user's desire to gift will be increased. In this case, if user information (first information) 20211 includes gift provision history information 20211A regarding the user's history of providing gifts in past events held in the virtual space, and second information includes ongoing content information regarding content progressing in an ongoing event, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information 2023 corresponding to the ongoing content information based on the gift provision history information 20211A and the ongoing content information, in other words, by referring to the gift provision history information 20211A. Furthermore, in this case, if the gift provision history information 20211A includes first content information relating to the content that was in progress when a user provided a gift in a past event, and the ongoing content information includes second content information relating to the content that will be in progress when a user provides a gift in the ongoing event, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information 2023 corresponding to the second content information based on the first content information and the second content information, in other words, by referring to the first content information. The second content information is content information that occurs in the ongoing event, and may include, for example, pre-set content information that occurs in accordance with the progress of the ongoing event. In this case, for example, the second content information may represent one type of content information. One type of content information may include, for example, content information relating to the birthday of at least one performer appearing in the event, content information relating to singing performed by the performers at the event, content information relating to talk such as casual conversation performed by the performers at the event, etc., which roughly represent the content. Also in this case, for example, the second content information may consist of multiple pieces of content information. Multiple content information can include, for example, detailed time slots such as the time for the MC, the time for pop songs, and the ending, which can be set on the timetable of an ongoing event, and content information can be included for each time slot. Secondary content information can also include content information other than the content information set in advance as described above. For example, secondary content information can include content information that can be set or switched in real time by operations performed by users corresponding to performers in an ongoing event (including the broadcaster who is hosting the event).Such content information could include, for example, content information related to a birthday event celebrating the birthday of a performer in an ongoing event (including the streamer hosting the event), and could include information about content involving blowing out candles on a cake (an object representing a cake placed in a virtual space). In this case, if content involving blowing out candles on a cake (an object representing a cake placed in a virtual space) occurs in an ongoing event due to an action performed by a user corresponding to a performer in the event (including the streamer hosting the event), the extraction module 2035 can extract an object related to a cracker for celebrating the birthday as recommended gift information. Furthermore, in this case, if the first content information is stored in the storage unit 202 in association with information about gifts provided by the user, the extraction module 2035 can extract information about gifts associated with the first content information that has a high degree of relevance to the second content information as recommended gift information 2023. In this case, the degree of relevance may be set, for example, based on information about the types included in the first content information and the second content information. Furthermore, in this case, if the first content information includes first performance information relating to the performance performed by users when providing gifts in past events, and the second content information includes second performance information relating to the performance performed by users when providing gifts in ongoing events, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information 2023 corresponding to the second performance information based on the first performance information and the second performance information, in other words, by referring to the first performance information. Furthermore, in this case, if the first performance information is stored in the storage unit 202 in association with information about gifts provided by the user, the extraction module 2035 can extract information about gifts associated with the first performance information that has a high degree of relevance to the second performance information as recommended gift information 2023. In this case, the degree of relevance may be set, for example, based on information about the types included in the first performance information and the second performance information. Furthermore, when the provided gift information acquisition module 2037, described later, acquires information about provided gifts that represent gifts provided in an ongoing event, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information based on the information about provided gifts acquired by the provided gift information acquisition module 2037, the first information, and the second information. Furthermore, if the gift information stored in the memory unit 202 includes information about priority gifts that should be presented to the user preferentially, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information 2023 from the priority gift information to recommend gifts to the user.

[0066] The presentation module 2036 controls a series of processes for presenting the recommended gift information 2023 extracted by the extraction module 2035 to the user. Specifically, the presentation module 2036 presents the recommended gift information 2023 extracted by the extraction module 2035 to the user who has performed the operation to provide a gift. In this case, the presentation module 2036 presents the gift corresponding to the recommended gift information 2023 to the user in a way that makes it visually clear that it is a recommended gift. For example, the presentation module 2036 can present the recommended gift information 2023 by adding information about the text that will be displayed as "Recommended Gift" to the gift corresponding to the recommended gift information 2023. Alternatively, the presentation module 2036 can present the gift corresponding to the recommended gift information 2023 in a screen position that is easy for the user to recognize as a recommended gift, such as the top of the display 1302 of the terminal device 10 used by the user. For example, the presentation module 2036 can present the recommended gift information 2023 in a display format in which the gifts corresponding to the recommended gift information 2023 are enclosed in a highlighting frame. Furthermore, if the Recommended Gift Information 2023 includes information regarding the degree of recommendation, the presentation module 2036 can present the Recommended Gift Information 2023, including the information regarding the degree of recommendation, to the user. In this case, the presentation module 2036 can present the Recommended Gift Information 2023 to the user, including information regarding the degree of recommendation, such as text displayed as "Our Top Pick." In this case, the presentation module 2036 can also present the Recommended Gift Information 2023 to the user, including information regarding the degree of recommendation, such as text displayed as "Highly Recommended." In this case, the presentation module 2036 can present the Recommended Gift Information 2023 to the user in a display manner in which the gifts corresponding to the Recommended Gift Information 2023 are surrounded by color-coded highlighting frames (in order of increasing degree of recommendation, such as red, blue, green, etc.).

[0067] The provided gift information acquisition module 2037 controls a series of processes for acquiring information about provided gifts, which represent gifts provided in ongoing events taking place in the virtual space. Specifically, the provided gift information acquisition module 2037 acquires information about provided gifts provided by viewer users (including users in this embodiment) participating in ongoing events taking place in the virtual space. Information regarding provided gifts includes information about the gift ID that identifies the provided gift, information about the name of the provided gift, information about the category of the provided gift, information about the data type of the provided gift, information about the billing price of the provided gift, information about the number of provided gifts given throughout the entire duration of the ongoing event or for a specific period (including the number of provided gifts per gift ID, per name, per category, per data type, per price range, etc., and including cases where these numbers are the number of gifts given per performer to whom they are provided), and information about the timing of provision of provided gifts (including the timing of provision per gift ID, per name, per category, per data type, per price range, etc., and including cases where these timings are the timing of provision per performer to whom they are provided). Provided gifts may be set to disappear from the virtual space viewed by the user under certain conditions. In this case, "provided gifts" may include all gifts provided during the entire duration of the ongoing event, or during a specific period, including any gifts that have disappeared. Alternatively, "provided gifts" may include all gifts provided in the virtual space, excluding any gifts that have disappeared. The information on provided gifts obtained by the Provided Gift Information Acquisition Module 2037 can be used as an indicator to understand trends in gifts provided during the ongoing event in question.For example, if the information on provided gifts includes information on the number of times a given gift was provided throughout the entire duration of the ongoing event or during a specific period, then gifts with a high number of provided gifts can be considered popular gifts in that ongoing event. Therefore, if the provided gift information acquisition module 2037 acquires information on the number of times a given gift was provided throughout the entire duration of the ongoing event or during a specific period, then based on the acquired information, popular gifts in that ongoing event can be presented to the user as recommended gifts. Information about provided gifts obtained by the provided gift information acquisition module 2037 is referenced by the extraction module 2035 when extracting recommended gift information 2023. Specifically, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information based on the information about provided gifts obtained by the provided gift information acquisition module 2037, the first piece of information, and the second piece of information. For example, the extraction module 2035 references information about the number of provided gifts for the provided gifts obtained by the provided gift information acquisition module 2037 during the entire period or a specific period of the ongoing event, and extracts recommended gift information based on this information about the number of provided gifts, the first piece of information, and the second piece of information. In this case, the extraction module 2035 can, for example, extract recommended gift information based on the first piece of information and the second piece of information, provided that the number of provided gifts for the provided gifts during the entire period or a specific period of the ongoing event is greater than or equal to a predetermined number. For example, the extraction module 2035 refers to information about the timing of the provision of a provided gift, obtained by the provided gift information acquisition module 2037, and extracts recommended gift information based on the information about the timing of the provision, the first piece of information, and the second piece of information. In this case, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information, for example, by setting the timing of the provision of a provided gift as a condition that a certain period of time has elapsed since the previous gift (including if it is a specific gift) was provided by any viewer user.

[0068] The user request information receiving module 2038 controls a series of processes for receiving request information regarding gift provision from users who are viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space. Specifically, the user request information receiving module 2038 receives request information regarding gift provision via a terminal device 10 used by a user viewing the event. In this case, the terminal device 10 sends the request information regarding gift provision received from the user to the server 20. The user request information receiving module 2038 on the server 20 receives this information from the terminal device 10. Here, the gift preference information is the information referenced by the extraction module 2035 to extract gifts that the user wishes to receive as recommended gifts. The gift preference information includes, for example, information about a specific gift (gift ID, gift name, etc.), information about the gift category, information about the gift data type, information about the charge price required to provide the gift (including the charge amount in cash or by means of means other than money, such as points), and information about gifts associated with a specific performer appearing in the event that the user supports. In this case, the extraction module 2035 can extract recommended gift information 2023 based on the first information and the second information, such that the gift information included in the gift preference information received by the user preference information reception module 2038 is included in the extraction target.

[0069] <2 Data Structure> Figure 4 shows the data structure of the user information database 2021 stored by server 20.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4, the user information database 2021 includes items such as "User ID", "User Name", "Age", "Gender", "Contact Information", "Favorite Performer", "Total Amount Spent", "Gift Provision History", "Log Information", and "Remarks".

[0071] The "User ID" field is information that identifies the user viewing an event held in a virtual space.

[0072] The "User Name" field contains information indicating the user's name. In this case, the record may also hold information about the name (handle name) the user uses in the virtual space, in addition to the user's real name.

[0073] The "Age" field contains information indicating the user's age.

[0074] The "Gender" field indicates the user's gender.

[0075] The "Contact Information" field contains information that shows the user's contact details. This information includes the user's address, phone number, etc.

[0076] The item "Favorite Performers" is information indicating performers that the user has registered in advance. The performer information stored in this record is, for example, information about at least one performer selected by the user from among multiple performers that have been registered in advance (including performers who have appeared in events held in the virtual space in the past, as well as performers who may appear in the future). The performer information includes, for example, the performer's name and information about the performer's affiliation.

[0077] The item "Total Amount Spent" refers to the total amount of money a user has spent on past events held in the virtual space, including money spent on gifts to performers, money paid as participation fees for events, and money paid for purchasing items and goods related to events. The total gift amount may include not only money paid by the user but also means of payment that can be substituted for money (such as points).

[0078] The item "Gift Provision History Information" contains information about the user's history of providing gifts in past events held in the virtual space.

[0079] The "Log Information" item contains information about the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and / or outside the virtual space.

[0080] The "Remarks" field is used to store information if there are any special notes or other details in the user's information. Server 20 may, for example, record any other information that needs to be stored in the record.

[0081] Figure 5 shows another data structure of the user information database 2021 stored by server 20. Figure 5 shows the data structure related to the details of gift provision history information contained in the user information database 2021.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5, the User Information Database 2021 includes the item "User ID" and, within the item "Gift Provision History Information," the items "Content Information," "Performance Information," and "Reaction Information," etc. Note that in the User Information Database 2021 shown in Figure 5, the items other than the "User ID" item in the User Information Database 2021 shown in Figure 4 have been omitted.

[0083] The "User ID" field is information that identifies the user viewing an event held in a virtual space.

[0084] The "Content Information" item contains information about the content that was in progress when a user provided a gift during a past event (the first type of content information). This content information is stored in association with information about gifts provided by users during past events.

[0085] The "Performance Information" item is part of the content information and refers to information (first performance information) about performances (singing, dancing, talking, etc.) that were performed by performers when users provided gifts at past events. Performance information is stored in association with information about gifts provided by users at past events.

[0086] The "Reaction Information" field contains information about the reactions of performers to gifts provided by users in past events. This reaction information is stored in association with information about gifts provided by users in past events.

[0087] Figure 6 shows the data structure of the gift information database 2022 stored by server 20.

[0088] As shown in Figure 6, the gift information database 2022 includes items such as "Gift ID," "Gift Name," "Category," "Data Type," "Charging Price," and "Remarks."

[0089] The "Gift ID" field is information that identifies the gifts available for events held in the virtual space.

[0090] The item "Gift Name" contains information indicating the name of the gift.

[0091] The "Category" field contains information indicating the category of the gift. This information may include, for example, gifts applicable to all events, gifts limited to specific events, gifts limited to specific performers when a particular performer is performing, and user-exclusive gifts that can only be provided by specific users.

[0092] The "Data Type" field indicates the type of data related to the gift content representing the gift. This information includes, for example, data types such as video data, image data, music / audio data, and text data.

[0093] The "Charging Price" item contains information about the price charged to purchase the gifts necessary to provide them. This information includes not only the specific monetary amount charged, but also information corresponding to monetary amounts in the case of alternative means such as points. In the case of free gifts that do not require payment, this information includes indications such as "0 yen" or "free."

[0094] The "Remarks" field is used to store information if there are any special notes or other details in the gift information. Server 20 may, for example, record any other information that needs to be stored in the record.

[0095] <3 Example of Operation> The following describes a series of processes performed when System 1 extracts recommended gift information and presents the extracted recommended gift information to a user in response to an operation by a user who is viewing an event held in a virtual space to provide a gift.

[0096] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a series of processes that extract recommended gift information in response to an operation by a user who provides a gift while viewing an event held in a virtual space, and then present the extracted recommended gift information to the user. However, the operation flow in this disclosure is not limited to this. That is, the terminal device 10 may perform all of the processes, or the server 20 may perform all of the processes.

[0097] In step S701, the system receives an operation from the user to provide a gift. For example, the gift provision operation reception module 2034 receives an operation via the terminal device 10 used by the user watching the event to specify a gift for the performer to whom the gift is to be provided. Specifically, for example, the control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user receives an operation to specify a gift for the performer to whom the gift is to be provided on a predetermined operation screen displayed on the display 1302. In this case, the terminal device 10 transmits information regarding the gift provision operation received from the user to the server 20. The gift provision operation reception module 2034 receives this information from the terminal device 10.

[0098] In step S751, the control unit 203 of the server 20 extracts recommended gift information from the gift information stored in the storage unit 202, based on first information about the user and second information about the ongoing event, in response to the operation to provide a gift received from the user in step S701. For example, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information 2023 from the gift information stored in the storage unit 202, based on the gift provision record information 20211A, log information 20211B, etc. included in the first information about the user (user information 20211), and the ongoing content information regarding the content progressing in the ongoing event included in the second information about the ongoing event.

[0099] In step S752, the control unit 203 of the server 20 presents the recommended gift information extracted in step S751 to the user. For example, the presentation module 2036 presents the recommended gift information 2023 extracted by the extraction module 2035 to the user. In this case, the server 20 transmits the recommended gift information 2023 to the terminal device 10 used by the user. The terminal device 10 displays the received recommended gift information 2023 on the display 1302.

[0100] Through this process, in response to a user's action of offering a gift, recommended gift information can be extracted based on information about the user (first information) and information about the event (second information), and this recommended gift information can be presented to the user. As a result, recommended gift information that is suitable for the ongoing event the user is watching is extracted while taking into account the user's preferences and tastes, and the extracted recommended gift information is presented to the user, resulting in a more satisfying recommended gift information for the user and increasing the user's willingness to give gifts.

[0101] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a series of processes in which, in an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space, recommended gift information is extracted by referring to information about gifts provided in the event, and recommended gift information is presented to the user. However, the operation flow is not limited to this in this disclosure. That is, the terminal device 10 may perform all of the processes, or the server 20 may perform all of the processes.

[0102] In step S851, the control unit 203 of the server 20 obtains information about provided gifts, which represent the gifts being offered in the ongoing event. For example, the provided gift information acquisition module 2037 obtains information about provided gifts, which represent the gifts being offered in the ongoing event. Specifically, for example, the provided gift information acquisition module 2037 obtains information about the number of provided gifts that were offered during the entire duration of the ongoing event or a specific period, as information about provided gifts.

[0103] In step S852, the control unit 203 of the server 20 extracts recommended gift information based on the information about the provided gifts obtained in step S851, the first information, and the second information. For example, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information 2023 based on the information about the provided gifts obtained by the provided gift information acquisition module 2037, the first information about the user, and the second information about the event. Specifically, for example, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information based on the first information and the second information, on the condition that the number of provided gifts provided during the entire period of the ongoing event or a specific period is greater than or equal to a predetermined number.

[0104] In step S853, the control unit 203 of the server 20 presents the recommended gift information extracted in step S852 to the user. For example, the presentation module 2036 presents the recommended gift information 2023 extracted by the extraction module 2035 to the user. In this case, the server 20 transmits the recommended gift information 2023 to the terminal device 10 used by the user. The terminal device 10 displays the received recommended gift information 2023 on the display 1302.

[0105] This process allows us to extract recommended gift information by referring to information about gifts already provided in ongoing events, and then present recommended gift information to users. For example, if the information about gifts already provided is about the number of gifts provided in an ongoing event, gifts with a number of gifts exceeding a certain limit can be considered popular gifts in that event, and popular gifts can be presented to users as recommended gifts, thereby increasing users' desire to give gifts.

[0106] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a series of processes in which the system receives information from the user regarding their gift preferences, extracts recommended gift information based on the received information, and presents the recommended gift information to the user. However, the operation flow is not limited to this. That is, the terminal device 10 may perform all of the processes, or the server 20 may perform all of the processes.

[0107] In step S901, the control unit 203 of the server 20 receives information from the user regarding their preference for gift provision. For example, the user preference information receiving module 2038 receives information from the user regarding their preference for gift provision, which the user wishes to receive as a recommended gift, via the terminal device 10 used by the user viewing the event. In this case, the terminal device 10 transmits information regarding the operation of providing the gift received from the user to the server 20. The user preference information receiving module 2038 receives this information from the terminal device 10. Note that the process of receiving preference information regarding gift provision is not limited to when the user is participating in an ongoing event being held in the virtual space, but can be executed at any time.

[0108] In step S951, the control unit 203 of the server 20 extracts recommended gift information based on the request information received in step S901, the first information, and the second information. For example, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information 2023 based on the request information regarding the provision of gifts received by the user request information receiving module 2038, the first information regarding the user, and the second information regarding the event. Specifically, for example, the extraction module 2035 extracts recommended gift information 2023 based on the first information regarding the user and the second information regarding the event, so that the gift information included in the request information regarding the provision of gifts is included in the extraction target.

[0109] In step S952, the control unit 203 of the server 20 presents the recommended gift information extracted in step S951 to the user. For example, the presentation module 2036 presents the recommended gift information 2023 extracted by the extraction module 2035 to the user. In this case, the server 20 transmits the recommended gift information 2023 to the terminal device 10 used by the user. The terminal device 10 displays the received recommended gift information 2023 on the display 1302.

[0110] This process allows the system to receive gift preferences from users, extract recommended gifts based on those preferences, and present those gifts to the users. This allows users to have their own preferences reflected in the recommended gifts, thereby increasing their motivation to give gifts.

[0111] In a given scenario, the server 20 may include an event-related information generation module that generates second information and related information (event-related information) about an ongoing event from first information about the user stored in the memory unit 202, and the extraction module 2035 may perform a process to extract recommended gift information based on the event-related information generated by the event-related information generation module and the second information. Furthermore, in this case, the event-related information generation module may perform a process to generate event-related information via a learning model that performs natural language processing, commonly known as a Large Language Model (LLM) that has learned a large amount of text data. Through such processing, the first information that the extraction module 2035 refers to in order to extract recommended gift information is preferentially narrowed down to information related to the ongoing event, so that recommended gift information that matches the content and situation of the ongoing event is presented to the user. As a result, it is possible to present the user with more satisfying recommended gift information and increase the user's desire to give gifts.

[0112] In a certain scenario, the server 20 may include a content information determination module that determines the second content information when the second information regarding the ongoing event is ongoing content information regarding the content progressing in the ongoing event and includes information about the content progressing when the user provides a gift (second content information). The extraction module 2035 may perform a process to extract recommended gift information based on the first information and the second content information determined by the content information determination module. By performing such a process, information about the content progressing when the user provides a gift (second content information) can be accurately determined, so that more satisfying recommended gift information can be presented to the user, and the user's desire to give gifts can be increased.

[0113] In a given scenario, the server 20 may include a determination module that determines whether a user viewing an ongoing event in a virtual space meets predetermined conditions for providing a gift. If the determination module determines that the predetermined conditions are met, the extraction module 2035 may perform a process to extract recommended gift information based on the first information and the second information. In this case, the predetermined conditions could be, for example, that the user has not provided any gifts in the ongoing event, or that the number of times the user has provided gifts is less than a predetermined number. This process ensures that the presentation of recommended gift information to the user is limited to cases where the user provides gifts relatively infrequently in the ongoing event. This avoids the annoyance of the user being presented with recommended gift information every time they provide a gift, thus maintaining the user's desire to gift. Alternatively, the predetermined conditions could be, for example, that the amount of money (including money or points or other means equivalent to money) that the user has charged in advance to provide a gift (purchase a paid gift) in the ongoing event is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. This process prevents situations where, even if recommended gift information is presented to a user, the user cannot provide (purchase) the corresponding gift due to insufficient spending, thus maintaining the user's desire to gift. Furthermore, the predetermined conditions may include, for example, that the first information about the user includes information (log information) about the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and the non-virtual space, and that the log information does not contain information that would make the user unsuitable (such as information indicating inappropriate behavior towards event performers, or information indicating that the user mishandled purchased content, etc.). This process prevents recommended gift information from being presented to users deemed unsuitable, thus avoiding unnecessary troubles that may arise from gift provision by such users.

[0114] <4. Screen Example> Figures 10-12 show examples of various screens displayed during a series of processes that use System 1 disclosed in the present invention to provide gifts to performers of an event held in a virtual space, based on user input from a user watching the event.

[0115] Figure 10 shows an example screen for when a user watching an ongoing event in a virtual space selects an event participant to whom they will provide a gift.

[0116] In Figure 10, the control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays a list of performers 1001, a performer selection operation display area 1002, etc., on the display 1302. This screen does not need to be displayed across the entire surface of the display 1302. For example, it can be displayed on only a portion of the display 1302. Alternatively, the screen can be displayed on the display 1302 semi-transparently, allowing the live event or other event to be visible. In this way, the user can operate the screen while enjoying the live event or other event.

[0117] The performer list display area 1001 displays a list of performers for the event. The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays, for example, images 10011 and performer names 10012 of all performers appearing in the event in the performer list display area 1001. The information for each performer's image 10011 and performer name 10012 functions as a button that accepts user input, such as pressing it. When the control unit 190 receives user input, such as pressing the image, it executes a process to select the performer who will provide the gift.

[0118] The performer selection operation display area 1002 displays information for the user to select and confirm the performer to whom they will provide a gift. The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays the performer selection list 10021, the gift provision button 10022, etc., in the performer selection operation display area 1002.

[0119] The performer selection list 10021 displays information about the performers the user can select as recipients of gifts in a pull-down format. The method of displaying the performer information is not limited to this. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user to select a performer from the list, it executes a process to select the performer to whom the gift will be provided. The performer selection operation display area 1002 displays the text "You can also select by clicking on the image," and the process of selecting the performer to whom the gift will be provided can also be executed by inputting an operation such as clicking on the image 10011 and performer name 10012 of each performer as described above.

[0120] The gift provision button 10022 is a button used by the user to identify the performer to whom a gift will be provided and to perform the operation to provide the gift. When the control unit 190 receives an operation input from the user, such as pressing the button, it executes the operation to provide the gift.

[0121] Figure 11 shows an example screen for presenting gift information, including recommended gift information, to users viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space.

[0122] In Figure 11, the control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays an explanatory text display area 1101, a recommended gift list display area 1102, a general gift list display area 1103, a gift selection operation display area 1104, etc., on the display 1302. Note that this screen does not need to be displayed across the entire surface of the display 1302. For example, this screen can be displayed on only a portion of the display 1302. Alternatively, for example, this screen can be displayed on the display 1302 in a semi-transparent manner so that events such as live performances are visible. In this way, the user can operate the screen while enjoying events such as live performances.

[0123] The explanatory text display area 1101 displays explanatory text and other information that the user can refer to in order to confirm the results of the judgment. For example, the explanatory text display area 1101 displays information about the performer to whom the user has selected as the recipient of the gift.

[0124] The recommended gift list display area 1102 displays a list of recommended gifts presented to users viewing an ongoing event. The control unit 190 of the user's terminal device 10 displays, for example, an image (object representing the recommended gift) 11021 and the gift name 11022 of the recommended gift list display area 1102. In addition, the recommended gift list display area 1102 displays display information 11023 above the information of each object 11021 and gift name 11022 to indicate that the gift is a recommended gift. The display information 11023 is displayed as text information such as "recommended". The information of each object 11021 and gift name 11022, and the display information 11023 function as buttons that accept user input, such as pressing them. When the control unit 190 receives user input, such as pressing the image, it executes a process to select a gift.

[0125] The general gift list display area 1103 displays a list of gifts other than the recommended gifts (general gifts) presented to users viewing an ongoing event. The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays, for example, an image (object representing a general gift) 11031 and a gift name 11032 of a general gift in the general gift list display area 1103. The information for each object 11031 and gift name 11032 functions as a button that accepts user input such as pressing. When the control unit 190 receives user input such as pressing the image, it executes a process to select a gift.

[0126] The gift selection operation display area 1004 displays information for the user to confirm the gift they have selected. The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays the gift selection list 10041, the confirmation button 10042, etc., in the gift selection operation display area 1004.

[0127] The gift selection list 10041 displays information about gifts provided by the user in a pull-down format. The method of displaying the gift information is not limited to this. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user to select a gift from the list, it executes the process of selecting a gift. The gift selection operation display area 1004 displays the text "You can also select by clicking on the image," and the process of selecting a gift can also be executed by inputting information such as clicking on the images and gift names (gift name 11022 for recommended gifts, gift name 11032 for general gifts) of each of the above-mentioned objects (object 11021 representing recommended gifts, object 11031 representing general gifts).

[0128] The confirmation button 10042 is a button used to confirm the gift selected by the user. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user, such as pressing this button, it executes a process to confirm (specify) the selected gift.

[0129] Figure 12 shows another example screen for presenting gift information, including recommended gift information, to users viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space.

[0130] In Figure 12, the control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays an explanatory text display area 1201, a first recommended gift list display area 1202, a second recommended gift list display area 1203, a third recommended gift list display area 1204, a gift selection operation display area 1205, etc., on the display 1302. Note that this screen does not need to be displayed across the entire surface of the display 1302. For example, this screen can be displayed on only a portion of the display 1302. Alternatively, for example, this screen can be displayed on the display 1302 in a semi-transparent manner so that events such as live performances are visible. In this way, the user can operate the screen while enjoying events such as live performances.

[0131] The explanatory text display area 1201 displays explanatory text and other information that the user can refer to to confirm the judgment result. For example, the explanatory text display area 1201 displays information about the performer to whom the user has selected as the recipient of the gift.

[0132] The first recommended gift list display area 1202 displays a list of recommended gifts presented to users viewing an ongoing event, specifically the gifts with the highest recommendation level (first recommended gifts). The control unit 190 of the user's terminal device 10 displays, for example, an image (object representing the first recommended gift) 12021 and a gift name 12022 of the first recommended gift in the first recommended gift list display area 1202. In addition, to the left of the information of each object 12021 and gift name 12022 in the first recommended gift list display area 12022, display information 12023 indicating that the gift is the first recommended gift with the highest recommendation level. The display information 12023 is displayed as text information, for example, "Recommendation Level A". The information of each object 12021 and gift name 12022 functions as a button that accepts user input, such as pressing it. When the control unit 190 receives user input, such as pressing the image, it executes a process to select a gift.

[0133] The second recommended gift list display area 1203 is located below the first recommended gift list display area 1202 and displays a list of recommended gifts presented to users viewing the ongoing event, specifically the gifts with the second highest recommendation level (second recommended gifts). The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays, for example, an image (object representing the second recommended gift) 12031 and a gift name 12032 of the second recommended gift list display area 1203. In addition, to the left of the information of each object 12031 and gift name 12032 in the second recommended gift list display area 12033, display information 12033 is displayed to indicate that the gift is the second recommended gift with the second highest recommendation level. The display information 12033 is displayed as text information, for example, "Recommendation Level B". The information of each object 12031 and gift name 12032 functions as a button that accepts user input, such as pressing it. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user, such as pressing the image, it executes a process to select a gift.

[0134] The third recommended gift list display area 1204 is located below the second recommended gift list display area 1203 and displays a list of recommended gifts presented to users viewing the ongoing event, specifically the gifts with the third highest recommendation level (third recommended gifts). The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays, for example, an image (object representing the third recommended gift) 12041 and a gift name 12042 of the third recommended gift in the third recommended gift list display area 1204. In addition, to the left of the information of each object 12041 and gift name 12042 in the third recommended gift list display area 12044, display information 12043 indicating that the gift is the third recommended gift with the third highest recommendation level. The display information 12043 is displayed as text information, for example, "Recommendation Level C". The information of each object 12041 and gift name 12042 functions as a button that accepts user input, such as pressing it. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user, such as pressing the image, it executes a process to select a gift.

[0135] The gift selection operation display area 1205 displays information for the user to confirm the gift they have selected. The control unit 190 of the terminal device 10 used by the user displays the gift selection list 12051, the confirmation button 12052, etc., in the gift selection operation display area 1205.

[0136] The gift selection list 12051 displays information about gifts provided by the user in a pull-down format. The method of displaying the gift information is not limited to this. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user to select a gift from the list, it executes the process of selecting a gift. The gift selection operation display area 1205 displays the text "You can also select by clicking on the image," and the process of selecting a gift can also be executed by inputting information such as clicking on the images and gift names (gift name 12022 for the first recommended gift, gift name 12032 for the second recommended gift, gift name 12042 for the third recommended gift) of each of the above-mentioned objects (object 12021 representing the first recommended gift, object 12031 representing the second recommended gift, object 12041 representing the third recommended gift).

[0137] The confirmation button 12052 is a button used to confirm the gift selected by the user. When the control unit 190 receives an input from the user, such as pressing this button, it executes a process to confirm (specify) the selected gift.

[0138] In the example screen shown in Figure 12, the display configuration shows the first recommended gift list display area 1202, the second recommended gift list display area 1203, and the third recommended gift list display area 1204 in order from top to bottom, but the display order is not limited to this. Also, in the example screen shown in Figure 12, only the recommended gift information is displayed, but it is also possible to display gifts other than the recommended gift information (general gifts) in addition to the recommended gift information.

[0139] <5 Basic Hardware Configuration of a Computer> Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the basic hardware configuration of computer 90. Computer 90 comprises at least a processor 901, main memory 902, auxiliary memory 903, and a communication interface IF991. These are electrically connected to each other by a communication bus 921.

[0140] The processor 901 is hardware for executing the instruction set written in a program. The processor 901 consists of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0141] Main memory 902 is used to temporarily store programs and data processed by programs, etc. For example, it is a volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

[0142] Auxiliary storage device 903 refers to a storage device for saving data and programs. Examples include flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and semiconductor memory.

[0143] The IF991 communication interface is an interface for inputting and outputting signals for communication with other computers via a network using wired or wireless communication standards. A network consists of various mobile communication systems, such as the internet, LANs, and wireless base stations. For example, a network includes 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile communication systems, LTE (Long Term Evolution), and wireless networks that can connect to the internet via designated access points (e.g., Wi-Fi®). When connecting wirelessly, communication protocols include, for example, Z-Wave®, ZigBee®, and Bluetooth®. When connecting via a wired connection, the network also includes connections made directly via USB (Universal Serial Bus) cables, etc.

[0144] Furthermore, by distributing all or part of each hardware configuration across multiple computers 90 and connecting them to each other via a network, a computer 90 can be virtually realized. Thus, the concept of computer 90 includes not only a computer 90 housed in a single enclosure or case, but also a virtualized computer system.

[0145] <6. Basic Functional Configuration of Computer 90> The functional configuration of the computer realized by the basic hardware configuration of computer 90 (Figure 13) is described below. The computer comprises at least one functional unit: a control unit, a memory unit, and a communication unit.

[0146] Furthermore, the functional units of computer 90 can also be realized by distributing all or part of each functional unit across multiple computers 90 interconnected via a network. The concept of computer 90 includes not only a single computer 90 but also a virtualized computer system.

[0147] The control unit is realized when the processor 901 reads various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 903, loads them into the main memory device 902, and executes processing according to those programs. The control unit can realize various functional units that perform information processing depending on the type of program. In this way, the computer is realized as an information processing device that performs information processing.

[0148] The memory unit is implemented by the main memory 902 and the auxiliary memory 903. The memory unit stores data, various programs, and various databases. The processor 901 can also reserve memory areas corresponding to the memory unit in the main memory 902 or the auxiliary memory 903 according to the program. The control unit can also cause the processor 901 to perform operations such as adding, updating, and deleting data stored in the memory unit according to the various programs.

[0149] A database, specifically a relational database, is used to manage and link together tabular data sets called masters, which are structurally defined by rows and columns. In a database, tables are called tables, masters are called masters, the columns of tables are called columns, and the rows of tables are called records. In a relational database, relationships can be established and linked between tables and masters. Typically, each table and master has a primary key column to uniquely identify records, but setting a primary key column is not mandatory. The control unit can instruct the processor 901 to add, delete, or update records in specific tables and masters stored in the memory unit, according to various programs. Furthermore, by storing data, various programs, and various databases in the memory unit, the information processing device and information processing system related to this disclosure can be considered to have been manufactured.

[0150] Furthermore, the databases and masters in this disclosure may include any data structures (lists, dictionaries, associative arrays, objects, etc.) in which information is structurally defined. Data structures also include data that can be considered as data structures by combining data with functions, classes, methods, etc., written in any programming language.

[0151] The communication unit is implemented by the communication IF991. The communication unit provides the functionality to communicate with other computers 90 via the network. The communication unit can receive information transmitted from other computers 90 and input it to the control unit. The control unit can cause the processor 901 to perform information processing on the received information according to various programs. The communication unit can also transmit information output from the control unit to other computers 90.

[0152] Furthermore, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc., may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. The present invention can also be implemented by software program code that realizes the functions of the embodiment. In this case, a storage medium on which the program code is recorded is provided to a computer, and the processor of that computer reads the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself realizes the functions of the embodiment described above, and the program code itself and the storage medium on which it is stored constitute the present invention. Examples of storage media used to supply such program code include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disks, SSDs, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, and the like.

[0153] Furthermore, the program code that implements the functions described in this embodiment can be implemented in a wide range of programming or scripting languages, such as assembler, C / C++, Perl, Shell, PHP, and Java (registered trademark).

[0154] Furthermore, the program code for the software that implements the functions of the embodiment may be distributed via a network and stored in a storage means such as a computer's hard disk or memory, or in a storage medium such as a CD-RW or CD-R, and the computer's processor may read and execute the program code stored in the storage means or storage medium.

[0155] The functions realized by the components described herein may be implemented in a circuit or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPUs (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, programmed to realize the functions described herein. A processor is considered to be a circuit or processing circuitry, including transistors and other circuits. A processor may be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in memory. In this specification, circuitry, unit, and means are hardware programmed to perform or execute the functions described herein. Such hardware may be any hardware disclosed herein, or any hardware known to be programmed to perform or execute the functions described herein. If the hardware is a processor that is considered to be a type of circuitry, then the circuitry, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software used to constitute the hardware and / or processor.

[0156] <7 Variations> Modifications of this embodiment will now be described. That is, the following embodiments may be adopted. (1) An information processing device, which may have this program pre-installed, or may install it afterward, or may store such a program on an external non-temporary storage medium, or may run on cloud computing. (2) A method in which a computer is made to function as an information processing device, and the program may be pre-installed on the information processing device or installed thereafter, or such program may be stored on an external non-temporary storage medium or run on cloud computing.

[0157] While several embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, these embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications are permitted without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents.

[0158] <Note> The details described in each of the above embodiments are noted below.

[0159] (Note 1) A program executed by a computer comprising a processor 29 and memory 25, wherein memory 25 stores first information about a user viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space and information about gifts available in the ongoing event, and the program causes the processor to perform the following steps: receiving an operation from the user to provide a gift (S701); extracting recommended gift information from the gift information stored in memory 25 based on the first information and second information about the ongoing event in response to the received operation (S751); and presenting the extracted recommended gift information to the user (S752).

[0160] (Note 2) The program described in Appendix 1 includes, firstly, gift provision history information regarding a user's history of providing gifts in past events held in the virtual space, and secondly, ongoing content information regarding content progressing in an ongoing event, and in the extraction step, recommended gift information is extracted based on the gift provision history information and the ongoing content information.

[0161] (Note 3) The program described in Appendix 2 includes, in the extraction step, a first content information set out regarding the content that was in progress when a user provided a gift in a past event, and a second content information set out regarding the content that is in progress when a user provides a gift in an ongoing event, and extracts recommended gift information based on the first content information and the second content information.

[0162] (Note 4) The program described in Appendix 3 stores first content information in memory 25 in association with information about gifts provided by the user, and in the extraction step, extracts information about gifts associated with the first content information that is highly relevant to the second content information, as recommended gift information.

[0163] (Note 5) The program described in Appendix 4, wherein the relevance is set based on information about the types contained in the first content information and the second content information.

[0164] (Note 6) The program described in Appendix 3 includes, firstly, performance information relating to the performance of users when providing gifts in past events, and secondly, performance information relating to the performance of users when providing gifts in ongoing events, and in the extraction step, recommended gift information is extracted based on the first and second performance information.

[0165] (Note 7) The program described in Appendix 6 stores first performance information in memory in association with information about gifts provided by the user, and in the extraction step, extracts information about gifts associated with the first performance information that is highly relevant to the second performance information, as recommended gift information.

[0166] (Note 8) The program described in Appendix 7, wherein the degree of relevance is set based on the type information contained in the first performance information and the second performance information.

[0167] (Note 9) The program described in Appendix 2 includes gift provision record information, which includes reaction information regarding the reactions of performers appearing in the current event to gifts provided by users in past events.

[0168] (Note 10) The program described in Appendix 9 extracts recommended gift information for performers by referring to reaction information during the extraction step.

[0169] (Note 11) The program described in Appendix 9 contains reaction information, which is information regarding the number of reactions given by the performers.

[0170] (Note 12) The first information is a program described in Appendix 2, which includes log information relating to the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and the non-virtual space.

[0171] (Note 13) The program, as described in Appendix 1, causes the processor 29 to perform the step (S851) of obtaining information about provided gifts that represent gifts being offered in an ongoing event, and extracts recommended gift information based on the obtained information about provided gifts, the first information, and the second information.

[0172] (Note 14) The recommended gift information, including information on the recommendation level, is for the programs listed in Appendix 1.

[0173] (Note 15) The gift information stored in memory includes information about priority gifts that should be presented to the user preferentially. The program described in Appendix 1 extracts recommended gift information from the information regarding priority gifts during the extraction step.

[0174] (Note 16) The program, as described in Appendix 1, further causes the processor 29 to perform a step (S901) to receive information from the user regarding the provision of gifts, and extracts recommended gift information based on the received information, the first information, and the second information.

[0175] (Note 17) A method performed by a computer comprising a processor 29 and memory 25, wherein memory 25 stores first information relating to a user viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space, and information relating to gifts available in the ongoing event, and the processor 29, A method for performing the following steps: receiving an operation from a user to offer a gift (S701); extracting recommended gift information from the gift information stored in memory based on the first information and the second information regarding the ongoing event, in response to the received operation (S751); and presenting the extracted recommended gift information to the user (S752).

[0176] (Note 18) An information processing device comprising a control unit 203 and a storage unit 202, wherein the storage unit 202 stores first information relating to a user viewing an ongoing event being held in a virtual space and information relating to gifts available in the ongoing event, and the control unit 203 has a function to receive an operation from the user to provide a gift (S701), a function to extract recommended gift information relating to a gift recommended to the user from the gift information stored in the storage unit 202 based on the first information and the second information relating to the ongoing event in response to the received operation (S751), and a function to present the extracted recommended gift information to the user (S752). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0177] 10 Terminal device, 12 Communication interface, 13 Input device, 14 Output device, 15 Memory, 16 Storage unit, 19 Processor, 20 Server, 22 Communication interface, 23 Input / Output interface, 25 Memory, 26 Storage, 29 Processor, 80 Network, 1801 User information, 1901 Input operation reception unit, 1902 Transmit / receive unit, 1903 Data processing unit, 1904 Notification control unit, 1302 Display, 140 Audio processing unit, 141 Microphone, 142 Speaker, 150 Location information sensor, 160 Camera, 170 Motion sensor, 2021 User information database, 20211 User information (first information), 20211A Gift provision record information, 20211B Log information, 2022 Gift information database, 2023 Recommended gift information, 2024 Desired gift information, 2031 Receive control module, 2032; transmit control module, 2033; user information acquisition module, 2034; gift provision operation acceptance module, 2035; extraction module, 2036; presentation module, 2037; provided gift information acquisition module, 2038; user request information acceptance module.

Claims

1. A program that is executed by a computer having a processor and memory, The memory stores first information about users who are viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space, and information about gifts available in the ongoing event. The program is provided to the processor: The steps include receiving an operation from the user to provide the gift, In response to the received operation, the process involves extracting recommended gift information from the gift information stored in the memory, based on the first information and the second information relating to the ongoing event, to recommend a gift to the user. A program that performs the steps of presenting the extracted recommended gift information to the user.

2. The first information includes gift provision history information relating to the user's past experience of providing gifts in past events held in the virtual space, The second piece of information includes ongoing content information relating to the content being carried out in the event being held, The program according to claim 1, wherein in the extraction step, the program extracts the recommended gift information based on the gift provision history information and the ongoing content information.

3. The gift provision record information includes first content information relating to the content that the user was working on when providing the gift in the past event. The aforementioned ongoing content information includes second content information relating to the content that progresses when the user provides the gift in the ongoing event, The program according to claim 2, wherein in the extraction step, the recommended gift information is extracted based on the first content information and the second content information.

4. The first content information is stored in the memory in association with the information about the gift provided by the user. The program according to claim 3, wherein in the extraction step, information relating to the gift that is highly related to the second content information and associated with the first content information is extracted as the recommended gift information.

5. The program according to claim 4, wherein the degree of relevance is set based on information relating to the types contained in the first content information and the second content information.

6. The first content information includes first performance information relating to the performance performed by the user when providing the gift in the past event, The second content information includes second performance information relating to the performance performed when the user provides the gift during the ongoing event, The program according to claim 3, wherein in the extraction step, the recommended gift information is extracted based on the first performance information and the second performance information.

7. The first performance information is stored in the memory in association with the information about the gift provided by the user. The program according to claim 6, wherein in the extraction step, information relating to the gift that is highly related to the second performance information and associated with the first performance information is extracted as the recommended gift information.

8. The program according to claim 7, wherein the degree of relevance is set based on information relating to the types included in the first performance information and the second performance information.

9. The program according to claim 2, wherein the gift provision record information includes reaction information relating to the reactions of performers appearing in the ongoing event to the gifts provided by the user in the past event.

10. The program according to claim 9, wherein in the extraction step, the program extracts the recommended gift information for the performer by referring to the reaction information.

11. The program according to claim 9, wherein the reaction information is information relating to the number of reactions performed by the performer.

12. The program according to claim 1, wherein the first information includes log information relating to the user's activity history in at least one of the virtual space and outside the virtual space.

13. The program further provides the processor with: The process involves executing a step to obtain information about gifts that have been provided, which represent gifts offered in the ongoing event. The program according to claim 1, which extracts recommended gift information based on the acquired information regarding the provided gifts, the first information, and the second information.

14. The program according to claim 1, wherein the recommended gift information includes information regarding the degree of recommendation.

15. The gift information stored in the memory includes information about priority gifts to be presented to the user preferentially, The program according to claim 1, wherein in the extraction step, the recommended gift information is extracted from the information regarding the preferred gift.

16. The program further provides the processor with: The process further involves receiving information from the user regarding their preference for the gift, The program according to claim 1, which extracts recommended gift information based on the received request information, the first information, and the second information.

17. A method performed by a computer comprising a processor and memory, The memory stores first information about users who are viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space, and information about gifts available in the ongoing event. The aforementioned processor, The steps include receiving an operation from the user to provide the gift, In response to the received operation, the process involves extracting recommended gift information from the gift information stored in the memory, based on the first information and the second information relating to the ongoing event, to recommend a gift to the user. A method for performing the steps of presenting the extracted recommended gift information to the user.

18. An information processing device comprising a control unit and a storage unit, The memory unit stores first information about users who are viewing an ongoing event taking place in a virtual space, and information about gifts available in the ongoing event. The control unit, A function that accepts an operation from the user to provide the gift, A function that, in response to an accepted operation, extracts recommended gift information for the user from the gift information stored in the storage unit, based on the first information and the second information regarding the ongoing event, An information processing device having a function to present the extracted recommended gift information to the user.

Images