server

Abstract

To enhance attraction of live distribution through opening of an event allowing competition among teams.SOLUTION: A server includes: means for relaying moving image data transmission to a user terminal of a reproduction side from a user terminal of a moving image data generation side; means for changing a first index of a first team associated with a first item to a first direction, when acquiring a signal indicating use of the first item by the user of the reproduction side during the moving image data reproduction; means for changing a second index of a second team associated with a second item to a second direction opposite to the first direction, when acquiring a signal indicating use of the second item by the user of the reproduction side during the moving image data reproduction; and means for determining victory or defeat when any one of the first index of the first team and the second index of the second team satisfies a predetermined condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server and a method. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of IT technology, the way information is exchanged has also changed. In the Showa era, one-way information transmission such as newspapers and television was the norm. In the Heisei era, mobile phones and personal computers became widespread and Internet communication speeds improved significantly, leading to the rise of instant two-way communication services such as chat services, and on-demand video distribution services became more popular as storage costs decreased. Now, in the Reiwa era, with the increasing functionality of smartphones and further improvements in network speeds such as 5G, services that enable real-time communication through video, especially live streaming services, are rapidly gaining recognition. Live streaming services are seeing an increase in users, especially among young people, as they allow everyone to share the same fun time even when they are far apart.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for setting up a team competition event in which broadcasters belonging to a team compete for points earned in order to stimulate interaction between broadcast users who broadcast videos in live broadcasting. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-027455 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in a simple team competition event as described in Patent Document 1, viewers have no way to contribute to the victory of a team other than by continuing to throw gifts at the live broadcast of their favorite broadcaster. This may cause both viewers and broadcasters to quickly become bored with such events.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide technology that can increase the appeal of live streaming by holding team-based competitive events. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a server, which includes: a means for relaying transmission of video data from a user terminal that generates video data to a user terminal that plays back the video data; a means for changing a first indicator of a first team associated with a first item to a first direction when a signal indicating use of a first item by a user on the playing side during playback of the video data is received; a means for changing a second indicator of a second team associated with the second item to a second direction opposite to the first direction when a signal indicating use of a second item by a user on the playing side during playback of the video data is received; and a means for determining a winner when either the first indicator of the first team or the second indicator of the second team satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0008] Another embodiment of the present invention is also a server, which includes: a means for relaying transmission of video data from a user terminal generating the video data to a user terminal reproducing the video data; a means for changing a first index of a first team to a first direction and a second index of a second team to a second direction opposite to the first direction when a signal indicating use of an item by a user reproducing the video data is acquired; and a means for determining a winner when either the first index of the first team or the second index of the second team satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0009] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a computer program, which causes a user terminal on the playback side to realize a function of playing video data transmitted from a user terminal on the video data generation side, a function of enabling use of a first item for changing a first indicator of a first team to a first orientation during playback of the video data, and a function of enabling use of a second item for changing a second indicator of a second team to a second orientation opposite to the first orientation during playback of the video data.

[0010] Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a server comprising: means for relaying transmission of video data from a user terminal generating the video data to a user terminal playing the video data; means for changing a first indicator of a first team to a first direction or a second indicator of a second team to a second direction opposite to the first direction in accordance with a setting made by the user generating the video data when a signal indicating use of an item by a user playing the video data is acquired; and means for determining a winner when either the first indicator of the first team or the second indicator of the second team satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0011] In addition, any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between an apparatus, a method, a system, a computer program, a recording medium storing a computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the appeal of live distribution by holding team-based events. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a live distribution system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of live distribution realized in the live distribution system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3]2 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the user terminal of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the server in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 5 is a data structure diagram showing an example of a stream DB in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 5 is a data structure diagram showing an example of an event DB in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 5 is a data structure diagram showing an example of a distributor DB in FIG. 4. [Figure 8] 5 is a data structure diagram showing an example of an item DB of FIG. 4. [Figure 9] 2 is a chart showing the flow of a series of processes in the live distribution system of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of a series of event processing in the server of FIG. 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a representative screen diagram of a live streaming selection screen displayed on the display of a viewer's user terminal. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a representative screen diagram of a live streaming room screen displayed on the display of a viewer's user terminal. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a representative screen diagram of an event effect screen displayed on the display of a viewer's user terminal. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a representative screen diagram of a life confirmation screen displayed on the display of a viewer's user terminal. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a representative screen diagram of a ranking screen displayed on the display of a viewer's user terminal. [Figure 16] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] A representative screen diagram of a siege battle event screen displayed on the display of a viewer's user terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, the same or equivalent components, members, processes, and signals shown in each drawing will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Also, some of the members that are not important for the explanation will be omitted in each drawing.

[0015] In a live distribution system according to an embodiment, an event is held in which multiple teams compete against each other. In the live video, the distributor encourages his / her viewers to help the team he / she belongs to or supports win, and the viewers respond by giving gifts or the like. Two types of gifts are available for viewers to choose from: one is a gift that has the effect of moving the distributor's team closer to victory or further from defeat, and the other is a gift that moves a team other than the distributor's team further from victory or closer to defeat. In one example, recovery gifts that increase the life of the distributor's team and attack gifts that decrease the life of the opponent's team are available.

[0016] By giving gifts a negative effect in this way, it is possible to provide strategy to the gifts thrown by viewers. Compared to a simple mode in which one simply throws gifts to make one's team's score reach a predetermined value as quickly as possible, in this embodiment, it is possible to gain an advantage by appropriately selecting the type, timing, amount, etc. of the gift, and it is also possible for teams to read each other's moves, making it possible to realize a more attractive live distribution event.

[0017] [Live streaming system configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a live distribution system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The live distribution system 1 provides an interactive live distribution service in which a distributor (also called a live streamer) LV and a viewer (also called an audience) AU (AU1, AU2, ...) can communicate with each other in real time. As shown in FIG. 1, the live distribution system 1 includes a server 10, a user terminal 20 on the distributor side, and a user terminal 30 (30a, 30b, ...) on the viewer side. The distributor and the viewer may be collectively referred to as users. The server 10 may be configured by one or more information processing devices connected to a network NW. The user terminals 20 and 30 may be, for example, mobile terminals such as smartphones, tablet terminals, laptop PCs, recorders, portable game consoles, and wearable devices, or may be stationary devices such as desktop PCs. The server 10, the user terminals 20, and the user terminals 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via various wired or wireless networks NW.

[0018] The live distribution system 1 involves a distributor LV, a viewer AU, and an administrator (not shown) who manages a server 10. The distributor LV is a person who transmits content in real time by recording and filming his / her own songs, talks, performances, fortune telling, game commentary, and the like on his / her own user terminal 20 and uploading the recorded content to the server 10 as is. The administrator provides a platform for live distribution of content on the server 10, and also mediates or manages real-time exchanges between the distributor LV and the viewer AU. The viewer AU accesses the platform with a user terminal 30, selects desired content, and views it. During the live distribution of this content, the viewer AU performs an operation to make comments or support via the user terminal 30, and the distributor LV providing the content responds to such comments or support, and the reaction is transmitted to the viewer AU by video and / or audio, thereby establishing two-way communication.

[0019] In this specification, "live distribution" may mean a data transmission mode that realizes a state in which content recorded on a user terminal 20 of a distributor LV is played back and made viewable on a user terminal 30 of a viewer AU in substantially real time, or may mean distribution itself realized by such a transmission mode. Live distribution may be realized using existing live streaming technologies such as HTTP Live Streaming, Common Media Application Format, Web Real-Time Communications, Real-Time Messaging Protocol, and MPEG DASH. Live distribution includes a transmission mode in which a viewer AU can view content with a predetermined delay while a distributor LV is recording the content. The amount of delay is at least as large as the amount of communication between the distributor LV and the viewer AU. However, live distribution is distinguished from so-called on-demand distribution in which the entire recorded data of the content is temporarily stored on a server and the data is provided to a user at any time thereafter in response to a request from the user.

[0020] In this specification, "moving image data" refers to data including image data (also called video data) generated by the imaging function of the user terminals 20 and 30, and voice data (also called audio data) generated by the voice input function of the user terminals 20 and 30. The moving image data is played back on the user terminals 20 and 30, allowing users to view content.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of live distribution realized by the live distribution system 1 of Fig. 1. In the example of Fig. 2, a broadcaster LV is live-distributing a talk. A user terminal 20 of the broadcaster LV generates video data by recording an image and sound of the broadcaster LV while he or she is talking, and transmits the video data to a server 10 (not shown in Fig. 2) via a network NW. In addition, the user terminal 20 displays the recorded video image VD of the broadcaster LV on the display of the user terminal 20, thereby enabling the user to check the content of the broadcast by the broadcaster LV.

[0022] The user terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c of the viewers AU1, AU2, and AU3 who have requested the platform to watch the live broadcast of the broadcaster LV each receive video data related to the live broadcast via the network NW, and play the received video data to display the videos VD1, VD2, and VD3 on the display and output audio from the speaker. The videos VD1, VD2, and VD3 displayed on the user terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c are substantially identical to the video VD captured by the user terminal 20 of the broadcaster LV, and the audio output from the user terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c is substantially identical to the audio recorded by the user terminal 20 of the broadcaster LV.

[0023] The recording and recording in the user terminal 20 of the distributor LV and the playback of the video data in the user terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c of the viewers AU1, AU2, and AU3 are performed substantially simultaneously. When one viewer AU1 inputs a comment on the content of the talk of the distributor LV to the user terminal 30a, the server 10 displays the comment in real time on the user terminal 20 of the distributor LV and also on the user terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c of each viewer AU1, AU2, and AU3. When the distributor LV reads the comment and develops a talk that overlaps the content, the video and audio of the talk are output on the user terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c of each viewer AU1, AU2, and AU3, and it is recognized that a conversation between the distributor LV and the viewer AU1 has been established. In this way, the live distribution system 1 realizes live distribution that enables two-way communication, not one-way.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the user terminal 20 in Fig. 1. The user terminal 30 has the same functions and configuration as the user terminal 20. Each block shown in Fig. 3 and the following block diagrams can be realized in hardware terms by elements and mechanical devices such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by a computer program, etc., but here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, those skilled in the art who have read this specification will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0025] The distributor LV and the viewer AU download and install a live distribution application program (hereinafter, referred to as a live distribution app) according to this embodiment from a download site to the user terminals 20 and 30 via the network NW. Alternatively, the live distribution app may be pre-installed in the user terminals 20 and 30. When the live distribution app is executed by the user terminals 20 and 30, the user terminals 20 and 30 communicate with the server 10 via the network NW to realize various functions. Hereinafter, functions realized by the user terminals 20 and 30 (processors such as CPUs) executing the live distribution app will be described as functions of the user terminals 20 and 30. These functions are actually functions that the live distribution app causes the user terminals 20 and 30 to realize. Note that in other embodiments, these functions may be realized by a computer program written in a programming language such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which is transmitted from the server 10 to a web browser of the user terminals 20 and 30 via the network NW and executed by the web browser.

[0026] The user terminal 20 comprises a distribution unit 100 that generates video data recording an image and voice of the user and provides the video data to the server 10, and a viewing unit 200 that acquires the video data from the server 10 and plays it. The user activates the distribution unit 100 when distributing, and the viewing unit 200 when viewing. A user terminal on which the distribution unit 100 is active is a user terminal on the distributor side, that is, a user terminal on the generating side of video data, and a user terminal on which the viewing unit 200 is active is a user terminal on the viewer side, that is, a user terminal on the playing side of video data.

[0027] The delivery unit 100 includes an imaging control unit 102, an audio control unit 104, and a video transmission unit 106. The imaging control unit 102 is connected to a camera (not shown in FIG. 3) and controls imaging by the camera. The imaging control unit 102 acquires image data from the camera. The audio control unit 104 is connected to a speaker and a microphone (not shown in FIG. 3) and controls audio output by the speaker and audio input by the microphone. The audio control unit 104 acquires audio data from the microphone. The video transmission unit 106 transmits video data including the image data acquired by the imaging control unit 102 and the audio data acquired by the audio control unit 104 to the server 10 via the network NW. The video transmission unit 106 transmits the video data in real time. That is, the generation of video data by the imaging control unit 102 and the audio control unit 104 and the transmission of the generated video data by the video transmission unit 106 are substantially performed simultaneously.

[0028] The viewing unit 200 includes a display control unit 202, an input management unit 204, a superimposition information generation unit 206, and an input information transmission unit 208. The display control unit 202 is connected to a display (not shown in FIG. 3) and displays a moving image or a screen on the display. The display control unit 202 and the audio control unit 104 play back the moving image data, so that an image is output on the display and audio is output from the speaker, and these are combined to say that the "moving image data is played back." The input management unit 204 is connected to input means such as a touch panel, a keyboard, and a display (not shown in FIG. 3) and acquires user input via these input means. The superimposition information generation unit 206 superimposes a predetermined frame image on the image of the moving image data acquired from the server 10. The frame image includes various user interface objects (hereinafter simply referred to as objects) for receiving input from the user, comments input by the viewer, and information acquired from the server 10. The input information transmitting unit 208 transmits the user input acquired by the input management unit 204 to the server 10 via the network NW.

[0029] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the server 10 in Fig. 1. The server 10 includes a distribution information providing unit 302, a relay unit 304, a point updating unit 306, a life updating unit 308, a ranking generating unit 310, a win / lose determining unit 312, an affiliation determining unit 314, a reward granting unit 316, a stream DB 318, an event DB 320, a distributor DB 322, and an item DB 324.

[0030] Fig. 5 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the stream DB 318 in Fig. 4. The stream DB 318 holds information on currently ongoing live streaming. The stream DB 318 holds a stream ID that identifies a live streaming on a live streaming platform provided by the live streaming system 1, a distributor ID that identifies a distributor of the live streaming, and a viewer ID that identifies a viewer of the live streaming, in association with each other.

[0031] Fig. 6 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the event DB 320 in Fig. 4. The event DB 320 holds information on events held on the live distribution platform. The event DB 320 holds, in association with each other, an event ID that identifies an event in which multiple teams compete against each other, life information for each team, the start time of the event, the end time of the event, and information on rewards to be awarded in the event of victory.

[0032] An event starts at a start time and ends at an end time. In an event, the victory or defeat of a team is determined by the number of event-specific items collected from viewers by a broadcaster who has registered to participate in the event within a predetermined period (the period determined by the start time and end time). Life is an example of an index associated with a team, and is increased or decreased by the event-specific items collected from viewers by a broadcaster who has registered to participate in the event. Other examples of the index include the number of stars, the number of stamps, and puzzle pieces. The index can also be said to be a parameter for determining the victory or defeat of a team. The reward given may be, for example, a predetermined amount of points, money, a digital item, or a digital decorative part specific to the event.

[0033] Various conditions for a team's victory or defeat can be set, for example: (1) The team that reaches the maximum life limit first wins. (2) When a team's lives reach the lower limit, they lose. The game continues until only one team remains. (3) A combination of (1) and (2). In this embodiment, the number of teams is two, and the conditions for winning or losing are as follows: (1) the team whose life reaches the lower limit of 0 within the event period loses (therefore the remaining team wins), (2) the team whose life reaches the upper limit of 20,000 within the event period wins, and (3) if the outcome is not decided by the end of the event, the team with the greater life at the end of the event wins.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the broadcaster DB322 of FIG. 4. The broadcaster DB322 holds information about broadcasters. The broadcaster DB322 holds a broadcaster ID that identifies a broadcaster, points owned by the broadcaster, an event ID of an event in which the broadcaster is registered, and a contribution score of the broadcaster in the event, in association with each other. Points are electronic values ​​circulated within a live distribution platform. When a broadcaster is given an item by a viewer in a live distribution, the broadcaster's points increase by a value corresponding to the item. Points are used, for example, to determine the amount of compensation or money that the broadcaster receives from the administrator of the live distribution platform. The contribution score is a value indicating the contribution of the broadcaster to each team. The contribution score is set corresponding to a combination of an event, a team, and a broadcaster. The contribution score is an index indicating the degree of contribution of a certain broadcaster to a certain team in a certain event.

[0035] A broadcaster's registration to participate in an event is performed by an appropriate means. For example, the broadcaster accesses the live distribution platform from the broadcaster's user terminal 20. The server 10 refers to the event DB 320 to identify events that the broadcaster can participate in, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an event introduction page including information on the identified event. When the broadcaster specifies an event in which the broadcaster is interested, an event participation page for the specified event is displayed on the display of the user terminal 20. The broadcaster may express an intention to participate in the event from the event participation page. In this case, the server 10 updates the broadcaster DB 322 so that the event ID of the event is registered in association with the broadcaster ID of the broadcaster who expressed an intention to participate in the event.

[0036] FIG. 8 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the item DB 324 in FIG. 4. The item DB 324 holds information on items that can be used by viewers in live streaming. The item DB 324 holds, in association with each other, an item ID that identifies an item, points that are given to a broadcaster when the item is sent to the broadcaster, an event ID of a corresponding event if the item is an event-specific item, and an effect that occurs on life when the item is used in a live streaming of a broadcaster who is registered to participate in the event. A viewer can give a desired item to a broadcaster (also called "throwing" an item) by paying a price corresponding to the points that are given for the item while watching the live streaming. This payment may be made by an appropriate electronic payment method, for example, by the viewer paying points equivalent to the points that are given to the administrator. Alternatively, payment by bank transfer or credit card may be used. The effect that occurs on life includes an effect that increases the life of the team corresponding to the item and an effect that decreases the life. The amount of increase or decrease is determined according to the price of the item.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 4, when the distribution information providing unit 302 receives a notification from the user terminal 20 on the distributor side via the network NW that live distribution will start, the distribution information providing unit 302 registers a stream ID that identifies the live distribution and a distributor ID of the distributor of the live distribution in the stream DB 318. When the distribution information providing unit 302 receives a request for providing information about live distribution from the viewing unit 200 of the user terminal 30 on the viewer side via the network NW, the distribution information providing unit 302 refers to the stream DB 318 and generates a list of live distributions that can be currently viewed. The distribution information providing unit 302 refers to the distributor DB 322 and the event DB 320 and generates event information that associates and holds the distributors of the live distributions in the list with the events in which the distributors participate. The distribution information providing unit 302 transmits the generated list and event information to the user terminal 30 that made the request via the network NW. The display control unit 202 of the user terminal 30 that made the request generates a live distribution selection screen based on the received list and event information, and displays it on the display of the user terminal 30.

[0038] When the input information sending unit 208 of the user terminal 30 accepts the selection of live streaming by the viewer on the live streaming selection screen, it generates a delivery request including the stream ID of the selected live streaming and sends it to the server 10 via the network NW. The delivery information providing unit 302 starts providing the live streaming specified by the stream ID included in the received delivery request to the requesting user terminal 30. The delivery information providing unit 302 updates the stream DB 318 so that the viewer ID of the stream ID includes the viewer ID of the viewer of the requesting user terminal 30.

[0039] The relay unit 304 relays the transmission of video data from the user terminal 20 on the distributor side to the user terminal 30 on the viewer side in the live distribution started by the distribution information providing unit 302. The relay unit 304 receives a signal indicating a user input by the viewer during playback of the video data on the user terminal 30 on the viewer side from the input information transmitting unit 208. The signal indicating the user input may be an item use signal indicating the use of an item, and the item use signal includes the viewer ID of the viewer, the broadcaster ID of the broadcaster to whom the item is to be given (= the broadcaster ID of the broadcaster performing the live distribution being viewed by the viewer who gave the item), and the item ID of the item.

[0040] When the relay unit 304 receives an item use signal, the point update unit 306 updates the distributor DB 322 so as to increase the points of the distributor according to the granted points of the used item. The point update unit 306 refers to the item DB 324 and identifies the granted points corresponding to the item ID included in the received item use signal. The point update unit 306 updates the distributor DB 322 so as to add the identified granted points to the points corresponding to the distributor ID included in the item use signal.

[0041] When the relay unit 304 receives an item use signal related to an event-specific item, the life update unit 308 increases or decreases the life of the team associated with the event-specific item. The type of the event-specific item determines which team's life will increase or decrease. The life update unit 308 updates the broadcaster DB322 so that the contribution score of the corresponding broadcaster increases according to the amount of increase or decrease in life.

[0042] The life update unit 308 refers to the item DB 324 and identifies the event ID and the effect corresponding to the item ID included in the received item usage signal. If the event ID is not registered here, the item is not an event-specific item, so the life update unit 308 does not increase or decrease the life. If the identified effect indicates that the life of a certain team is to be increased by a certain amount, the life update unit 308 updates the event DB 320 so as to increase the life of the team by the said amount. In addition, the life update unit 308 updates the broadcaster DB 322 so as to increase the contribution score for the team by the said amount among the contribution scores corresponding to the broadcaster ID included in the received item usage signal. If the identified effect indicates that the life of a certain team is to be decreased by a certain amount, the life update unit 308 updates the event DB 320 so as to decrease the life of the team by the said amount. In addition, the life update unit 308 updates the broadcaster DB 322 so as to increase the contribution score for the opponent team other than the team by the said amount among the contribution scores corresponding to the broadcaster ID included in the received item usage signal. For example, if the broadcaster ID is "001A", the event ID is "EV34", and the specified effect is "reduce team B's life by 50", the life updating unit 308 subtracts 50 from the life of team B corresponding to the event ID "EV34" in the event DB 320. The life updating unit 308 adds 50 to the contribution score of broadcaster ID "001A" to team A (not team B) in the broadcaster DB 322. In this way, the direction of the effect of the event-specific item on life and the direction of the effect on the contribution score may be the same or opposite.

[0043] The ranking generation unit 310 refers to the broadcaster DB 322 and generates a ranking of contributions for each team of the event based on the contribution score. The ranking generation unit 310 refers to the broadcaster DB 322 and generates an overall ranking of broadcasters based on points.

[0044] The win / loss determination unit 312 determines whether a team wins or loses when either the life of one team or the life of the other team in the event meets a predetermined condition. If the life reaches the lower limit of 0 within the event period, the win / loss determination unit 312 determines that the team has lost, and the remaining team has won. If the life reaches the upper limit of 20,000 within the event period, the win / loss determination unit 312 determines that the team has won. If the outcome is not decided by the end of the event, the win / loss determination unit 312 determines that the team with the greater life at the end of the event has won.

[0045] The affiliation determination unit 314 determines which team of the event a broadcaster who has registered for participation in the event belongs to, based on the contribution score. The affiliation determination unit 314 refers to the broadcaster DB 322 and determines that each broadcaster who has registered for participation in the event belongs to the team with the larger contribution score. For example, in the example of the broadcaster DB 322 in FIG. 7, the affiliation determination unit 314 determines that a broadcaster with a broadcaster ID of "001A" belongs to team A of an event with an event ID of "EV34". In this embodiment, which team a broadcaster belongs to is not determined by a prior request from the broadcaster, but is automatically determined based on the contribution score obtained by the broadcaster. This makes it unnecessary to register a team when participating in an event, lowering the hurdle of participating in the event and promoting participation in the event. For example, mid-way participation in an event is promoted. If a broadcaster learns of the existence of an event after it has started and participates in it, "pre-registration of team affiliation" is not possible, but such registration is not necessary, so the broadcaster can participate in the event with peace of mind.

[0046] The reward granting unit 316 grants rewards to broadcasters who belong to the team determined by the win / loss determination unit 312 to have won. The reward granting unit 316 uses the determination result by the membership determination unit 314 to identify which broadcasters belong to the winning team. The reward granting unit 316 refers to the event DB 320 and identifies a reward corresponding to the event ID of the event for which the win / loss determination unit 312 determined the win / loss. The reward granting unit 316 performs a process to grant the identified reward to the identified broadcaster. If the reward is a predetermined amount of points, the reward granting unit 316 updates the broadcaster DB 322 to, for example, divide the points by the number of broadcasters and add the obtained points to the points of each broadcaster.

[0047] The operation of the live distribution system 1 configured as above will now be described. Fig. 9 is a chart showing the flow of a series of processes in the live streaming system 1. It is assumed that a viewer accesses the live streaming platform from the user terminal 30, selects a desired live streaming from the live streaming selection screen, and starts watching. It is assumed that the broadcaster of the live streaming is participating in the event. While the viewer is watching the live streaming, video data is continuously transmitted from the broadcaster's user terminal 20 to the viewer's user terminal 30 via the server 10 (relay unit 304).

[0048] During playback of this video data, the viewer performs a user input to request the display of an item via the input means of the user terminal 30. When the input information transmission unit 208 of the user terminal 30 receives this user input, it generates an item information request including the distributor ID of the distributor of the live broadcast being played back, and transmits it to the server 10. When the relay unit 304 of the server 10 receives the item information request, it refers to the distributor DB 322 and identifies an event ID corresponding to the distributor ID included in the item information request. The relay unit 304 refers to the item DB 324 and identifies an item ID of an item that has no event ID registered, and an item ID corresponding to the identified event ID (i.e., an item ID of an item dedicated to the identified event). The relay unit 304 generates an item information response including the identified item ID, and transmits it to the user terminal 30. The superimposition information generation unit 206 of the user terminal 30 includes in the frame image a usable item list image that lists images of items identified by the item ID included in the item information response. The display control unit 202 causes the display to display the video on which the frame image is superimposed (S502). The item images include images of event-exclusive items.

[0049] In this example, if the distributor does not participate in the event, the item ID of the event-specific item is not sent to the viewer's user terminal 30. In other words, the relay unit 304 is configured to enable the viewer to use the event-specific item during playback of the video data when the distributor participates in the event.

[0050] When the input management unit 204 receives the viewer's selection of an item, i.e., the designation of an image of the item (S504), the input information transmission unit 208 generates an item use signal including the item ID of the designated item, the viewer ID, and the distributor ID, and transmits it to the server 10 via the network NW (S506). The relay unit 304 of the server 10 performs processing to reduce the points of the viewer identified by the viewer ID included in the received item use signal by the amount of the granted points of the item identified by the item ID included in the item use signal. This means that the price of the item has been paid.

[0051] The point update unit 306 of the server 10 accesses the distributor DB 322 and updates the points of the distributor specified by the distributor ID included in the item usage signal (S508). The point update unit 306 performs processing to increase the points of the distributor by the amount of the granted points of the item specified by the item ID included in the item usage signal.

[0052] The life update unit 308 determines whether the item specified by the item ID included in the item use signal is an event-specific item (S510). The life update unit 308 refers to the item DB 324, and if an event ID is registered in association with the item ID, it determines that the item specified by the item ID is an item dedicated to the event specified by the event ID. If no event ID is registered, the life update unit 308 determines that the item is not an event-specific item, and proceeds to step S522 described below.

[0053] If it is determined that the item is an event-exclusive item (YES in S510), the life update unit 308 identifies the team whose life is to be updated (S512). The life update unit 308 refers to the item DB 324 and identifies the effect stored in association with the item ID. The life update unit 308 identifies the team whose life is to be increased or decreased based on the identified effect.

[0054] The life update unit 308 determines whether to increase or decrease the life (S514). The life update unit 308 refers to the item DB 324 and identifies an effect stored in association with the item ID. The life update unit 308 identifies whether to increase or decrease the life from the identified effect, and identifies the amount of change.

[0055] The life update unit 308 updates the team's life based on the specific result in step S512 and the specific result in step S514 (S516). The life update unit 308 accesses the event DB 320 and changes the team's life specified in step S512 by the amount and direction specified in step S514.

[0056] The life update unit 308 updates the contribution score of the distributor based on the specific result in step S512 and the specific result in step S514 (S518). The life update unit 308 accesses the distributor DB 322 and updates the contribution score of the distributor identified by the distributor ID included in the item usage signal as follows. (1) If the amount and direction identified in step S514 is a predetermined amount of life increase. The life update unit 308 increases the contribution score of the distributor to the team identified in step S512 by a predetermined amount. (2) If the amount and direction identified in step S514 is a predetermined amount of life reduction. The life update unit 308 increases the contribution score of the distributor to the opposing team of the team identified in step S512 by a predetermined amount.

[0057] The ranking generation unit 310 updates the ranking of the contribution degree based on the result of the update in step S518 (S520).

[0058] The relay unit 304 generates a response signal including the item ID of the item used to update the points and life, life information of all teams defined in the event including the life information updated in step S516, and contribution ranking information updated in step S520, and transmits the response signal to the viewer's user terminal 30 and the distributor's user terminal 20 via the network NW (S522).

[0059] The display control unit 202 of the user terminal 30 of the viewer generates an effect corresponding to the item ID included in the response signal and displays it on the display (S524). The display control unit 202 may also display other information included in the response signal on the display.

[0060] 10 is a flowchart showing a series of event processing steps in the server 10. Before the event starts, the server 10 accepts registration for participation in the event from the distributor (S602). The server 10 determines whether the start time of the event has arrived (S604), and if it has not arrived (NO in S604), returns the process to the participation registration acceptance step S602, and if it has arrived (YES in S604), starts the event.

[0061] During the event period, the server 10 receives a signal from a viewer or a distributor (S606). If the signal is a registration to participate in the event from the distributor, the server 10 performs the same registration process for the event as in step S602 (S608), and returns the process to step S606. If the signal received in step S606 indicates the use of an attack item (an item that has the effect of reducing the life of the target team) by the viewer, the server 10 reduces the life of the attacking team (S610), and increases the contribution score of the distributor (the distributor of the live stream to which the viewer threw the attacking item) to the opposing team of the attacking team (S612). If the signal received in step S606 indicates the use of a recovery item (an item that has the effect of increasing the life of the target team) by the viewer, the server 10 increases the life of the recovery target team (S614), and increases the contribution score of the distributor (the distributor of the live stream to which the viewer threw the recovery item) to the recovery target team (S616).

[0062] Following step S612 and step S616, the server 10 determines whether or not the outcome has been decided (S618). Specifically, the server 10 determines whether the life of any team has become 0 or has reached 20,000. If the outcome has been decided (YES in S618), the process proceeds to step S624 described below. If the outcome has not been decided (NO in S618), the server 10 determines whether or not the end time of the event has arrived (S620). If it has not arrived (NO in S620), the process returns to step S606. If it has arrived (YES in S620), the server 10 determines whether or not the outcome has been decided (S622). Specifically, the server 10 determines that the team with the most life has won. The server 10 determines the team to which each broadcaster belongs based on the contribution score of that broadcaster (S624). The server 10 performs a process to give a predetermined reward to the broadcaster belonging to the winning team (S626).

[0063] 11 is a representative screen diagram of a live stream selection screen 602 displayed on the display of the viewer's user terminal 30. The live stream selection screen 602 includes thumbnails 604, 606 indicating each live stream in a list of live streams that are currently viewable. The display control unit 202 references the event information and displays thumbnails 604 of live streams of streamers participating in the event and thumbnails 606 of live streams of streamers not participating in the event in different formats. An object 608 indicating that the streamer is participating in the event is added to the thumbnail 604 of the live stream of a streamer participating in the event.

[0064] FIG. 12 is a representative screen diagram of a live streaming room screen 610 displayed on the display of the viewer's user terminal 30. When a viewer taps a thumbnail of a live streaming of a broadcaster participating in an event on the live streaming selection screen 602 of FIG. 11, the live streaming room screen 610 of FIG. 12 is displayed on the display. The live streaming room screen 610 has an image 612 of the broadcaster obtained by playing video data, an event participation mark 614 which is an object indicating that the broadcaster is participating in a specific event, and a usable item list image. The usable item list image has a normal item 616, an event-specific recovery item 618 and an event-specific attack item 620 of team A, and an event-specific recovery item 622 and an event-specific attack item 624 of team B.

[0065] The event participation mark 614 indicates that the distributor has registered to participate in a specific event. In this embodiment, team affiliation is not determined in advance, so the event participation mark 614 does not reflect the team to which the distributor belongs. In other words, the same event participation mark 614 is displayed for all distributors who have registered to participate in the event. The display control unit 202 displays various items 616, 618, 620, 622, and 624 based on the item information response received from the server 10 in response to a tap on the thumbnail. The display control unit 202 displays the event-specific attacks and recovery items 618, 620, 622, and 624, thereby enabling the use of those items. If the distributor has not registered to participate in the event, these event-specific attacks and recovery items are not displayed and cannot be used.

[0066] A broadcaster informs viewers of the team he or she belongs to or wants to belong to through live broadcasting, and asks viewers to use the event-specific recovery item and event-specific attack item of the team. For example, when a broadcaster informs viewers that he or she wants to belong to team A and a viewer taps on team A's event-specific recovery item 618, points equivalent to the value of the event-specific recovery item 618 are subtracted from the viewer's points, points granted by the event-specific recovery item 618 are added to the broadcaster's points, team A's life increases by a predetermined amount, and the broadcaster's contribution score to team A increases by a predetermined amount. When a viewer taps on team A's event-specific attack item 620, points equivalent to the value of the event-specific attack item 620 are subtracted from the viewer's points, points granted by the event-specific attack item 620 are added to the broadcaster's points, team B's life decreases by a predetermined amount, and the broadcaster's contribution score to team A increases by a predetermined amount.

[0067] Fig. 13 is a representative screen diagram of an event effect screen 626 displayed on the display of the viewer's user terminal 30. When a viewer taps on the event-specific attack item 620 of team A on the live distribution room screen 610 of Fig. 12, an item use signal is generated and transmitted from the user terminal 30 to the server 10. The user terminal 30 receives a response signal corresponding to this item use signal from the server 10, generates the event effect screen 626 of Fig. 13 based on the received response signal, and displays it on the display.

[0068] The event effect screen 626 has an image 612 of the distributor, an event participation mark 614, and an object 628 showing the effect of the event-specific attack item 620. The object 628 includes team A's life 630, team B's life 632, and an image 634 showing that the attack item has been used. The display control unit 202 generates the image 634 based on the item ID included in the response signal. The display control unit 202 generates team A's life 630 and team B's life 632 based on the updated life information of all teams included in the response signal. The viewer can check the effect of the attack item used by the viewer by looking at the effect on the event effect screen 626. For example, the distributor's reaction to the use of the attack item further fosters a sense of unity between the distributor and the viewer.

[0069] 14 is a representative screen diagram of a life check screen 636 displayed on the display of the viewer's user terminal 30. A screen showing information similar to that of the life check screen 636 may be displayed on the display of the distributor's user terminal 20 during live distribution. The life check screen 636 has a status display area 638 showing the life status of team A, and a status display area 640 showing the life status of team B. The display control unit 202 may generate the life check screen 636 by referring to the event DB 320 of the server 10.

[0070] FIG. 15 is a representative screen diagram of a ranking screen 642 displayed on the display of the viewer's user terminal 30. A screen showing information similar to that of the ranking screen 642 may be displayed on the display of the distributor's user terminal 20 during live distribution. The ranking screen 642 has a button 644 for displaying the ranking of the contribution degree to team A, a button 646 for displaying the ranking of the contribution degree to team B, and a ranking display area 648. In FIG. 15, the ranking of the contribution degree to team A is displayed in the ranking display area 648, and therefore the button 644 is displayed in an active state and the button 646 is displayed in an inactive state. If the viewer wants to see the ranking of the contribution degree to team B, the viewer taps the button 646. Then, the display of the ranking display area 648 switches to display the ranking of the contribution degree to team B.

[0071] The ranking display area 648 displays the user names and the contribution scores in descending order of the contribution scores. The display control unit 202 generates information to be displayed in the ranking display area 648 based on the ranking information generated by the ranking generation unit 310 of the server 10 or the updated ranking information included in the response signal.

[0072] In the above-mentioned embodiment, examples of the storage unit are a hard disk and a semiconductor memory. Furthermore, based on the description in this specification, it will be understood by those skilled in the art who have read this specification that each unit can be realized by a CPU (not shown), an installed application program module, a system program module, a semiconductor memory that temporarily stores the contents of data read from a hard disk, or the like.

[0073] According to the live distribution system 1 of the present embodiment, in a live distribution battle event, it becomes possible to use an item that affects the life of the opposing team. This broadens the range of strategies in the battle event, making it possible to create a more attractive battle event. In addition, in terms of communication between the distributor and the viewer, the distributor does not simply ask the viewer to throw an event-specific item, but the distributor and the viewer can together consider the life status of the own team and the opposing team and the victory conditions, and make a strategy such as which item to throw and when. Through such communication, the bond between the distributor and the viewer is further strengthened.

[0074] Furthermore, in the live distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment, a contribution score for each broadcaster is prepared in addition to the increase or decrease in the team's life, and a ranking of contributions is generated for each team according to the contribution score. Therefore, while winning or losing between teams is decided by offense and defense between the teams, it is possible to show the honor of broadcasters with high contributions for each team.

[0075] [Hardware configuration example] The hardware configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment. The illustrated information processing device 900 can realize, for example, each of the server 10 and the user terminals 20 and 30 in this embodiment.

[0076] The information processing device 900 includes a CPU 901, a read only memory (ROM) 903, and a random access memory (RAM) 905. The information processing device 900 may also include a host bus 907, a bridge 909, an external bus 911, an interface 913, an input device 915, an output device 917, a storage device 919, a drive 921, a connection port 925, and a communication device 929. The information processing device 900 further includes an imaging device (not shown) such as a camera. The information processing device 900 may also have a processing circuit such as a digital signal processor (DSP) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) instead of or in addition to the CPU 901.

[0077] The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the overall operation or a part of the operation in the information processing device 900 according to various programs recorded in the ROM 903, the RAM 905, the storage device 919, or the removable recording medium 923. For example, the CPU 901 controls the overall operation of each functional unit included in the server 10 and the user terminals 20 and 30 in this embodiment. The ROM 903 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 905 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901 and parameters that change appropriately during the execution. The CPU 901, the ROM 903, and the RAM 905 are mutually connected by a host bus 907 constituted by an internal bus such as a CPU bus. Furthermore, the host bus 907 is connected to an external bus 911 such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus via a bridge 909.

[0078] The input device 915 may be, for example, a device operated by a user, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, or a lever, or may be a device that converts a physical quantity into an electric signal, such as a sound sensor such as a microphone, an acceleration sensor, a tilt sensor, an infrared sensor, a depth sensor, a temperature sensor, or a humidity sensor. The input device 915 may be, for example, a remote control device that uses infrared or other radio waves, or an external connection device 927 such as a mobile phone that supports the operation of the information processing device 900. The input device 915 includes an input control circuit that generates an input signal based on information input by the user or a sensed physical quantity and outputs the input signal to the CPU 901. The user operates the input device 915 to input various data to the information processing device 900 or to instruct a processing operation.

[0079] The output device 917 is configured with a device capable of visually or audibly notifying the user of acquired information. The output device 917 can be, for example, a display such as an LCD, a PDP, or an OELD, an audio output device such as a speaker or a headphone, or a printer device. The output device 917 outputs the results obtained by the processing of the information processing device 900 as a video such as text or an image, or as a sound such as audio.

[0080] The storage device 919 is a data storage device configured as an example of a storage unit of the information processing device 900. The storage device 919 is configured, for example, with a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, or a magneto-optical storage device. The storage device 919 stores programs and various data executed by the CPU 901, and various data acquired from the outside.

[0081] The drive 921 is a reader / writer for a removable recording medium 923 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, and is built into or externally attached to the information processing device 900. The drive 921 reads out information recorded on the attached removable recording medium 923 and outputs the information to the RAM 905. The drive 921 also writes information onto the attached removable recording medium 923.

[0082] The connection port 925 is a port for directly connecting a device to the information processing device 900. The connection port 925 can be, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, an IEEE 1394 port, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) port, or the like. The connection port 925 can also be an RS-232C port, an optical audio terminal, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (registered trademark) port, or the like. By connecting an external connection device 927 to the connection port 925, various types of data can be exchanged between the information processing device 900 and the external connection device 927.

[0083] The communication device 929 is, for example, a communication interface configured with a communication device for connecting to a network NW. The communication device 929 can be, for example, a communication card for a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or WUSB (Wireless USB). The communication device 929 may also be a router for optical communication, a router for ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), or a modem for various communications. The communication device 929 transmits and receives signals, for example, between the Internet and other communication devices using a predetermined protocol such as TCP / IP. The communication network NW connected to the communication device 929 is a network connected by wire or wirelessly, for example, the Internet, a home LAN, infrared communication, radio wave communication, or satellite communication. The communication device 929 realizes a function as a communication unit.

[0084] An imaging device (not shown) such as a camera is a device that captures real space and generates a captured image using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and various members such as a lens for controlling the formation of a subject image on the imaging element. The imaging device may capture a still image or a moving image.

[0085] The above describes the configuration and operation of the live streaming system 1 according to the embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0086] The conversion rate from the value of an item to item points, the conversion rate from the value of an item to life, and the conversion rate from the value of an item to a contribution score in the embodiment are merely examples, and may be set appropriately by, for example, an administrator of the live streaming system 1.

[0087] In the embodiment, the case where the life of the opponent's team is reduced by the amount corresponding to the event-only attack item has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a special move item that inflicts great damage on the opponent's team may be set. In this case, the amount by which the special move item reduces the life of the opponent's team may be a fixed amount, or may be a randomly selected amount. Alternatively, a fever period may be set for each team or each distributor, and the effect of the attack item used during that period may be increased more than usual. In this case, an object indicating that it is a fever period may be displayed on the live distribution room screen, or an object for the fever period may be displayed only on the distributor's screen. Alternatively, the effect of the attack item may be changed according to the remaining period of the event. For example, the effect of the attack item may be increased as the remaining period decreases. Alternatively, the server 10 may be configured to arbitrarily vary the effects of the event-only attack and recovery items, and then notify only the distributor of the effect. In this case, a new type of interaction occurs in which the distributor guides viewers not to use the item while the effect is low, and to use the item all at once when the effect becomes high, thereby enhancing the sense of unity between the distributor and the viewers.

[0088] In the embodiment, the effect of the event-specific item used by the viewer in the live distribution of a broadcaster is reflected in the life, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if an event-specific item is used during playback of video data generated by a broadcaster other than the broadcasters in the top predetermined number of the contribution ranking generated by the ranking generation unit 310, the life may not be changed. For example, the life update unit 308 reflects the effect of the event-specific attack item used by the viewer in the live distribution of a broadcaster who is in the top 10 in the contribution ranking to team A to the life of team B, while not reflecting the effect of the event-specific attack item used by the viewer in the live distribution of the other broadcasters to the life of team B. In this case, the display of the event-specific attack item may be stopped in the live distribution of the other broadcasters. This enhances the sense of exclusivity of the broadcasters who have a high contribution to the team, and makes the event more exciting.

[0089] In the embodiment, the case where the event-specific attack item and the event-specific recovery item are provided separately has been described, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, the effect of the event-specific item may be specified or set by the distributor. The server 10 may receive a specification from the distributor's user terminal 20 as to whether the event-specific item is to be used for attack or recovery, and may reflect the effect of the event-specific item on life according to the specification. In this case, the event-specific item may be either an attack or a recovery item.

[0090] In the embodiment, the case where the scores of team A and team B are treated separately and independently has been described, but this is not limited thereto. When the server according to the first modified example acquires an item use signal indicating the use of an event-specific item by a viewer during live distribution, it may increase the life of one team and decrease the life of the other team. In the battle event according to the first modified example, team A and team B compete for 100% of the life. If team A's life is 45%, team B's life is 55%. If team A's life increases by 5%, team B's life is simultaneously decreased by the corresponding amount, that is, 5%. In the first modified example, therefore, increasing team A's life using team A's event-specific item is synonymous with simultaneously decreasing team B's life by the same amount using the same item. In the first modified example, the event-specific item does not distinguish between attack and recovery.

[0091] 17 is a representative screen diagram of a siege battle event screen 650 displayed on the display of the viewer's user terminal 30. The siege battle event screen 650 has a status display area 652 showing the life states of team A and team B, and a ranking display area 654 having a configuration similar to that of the ranking screen 642 of FIG. 15. In the bar showing the life in the status display area 652, the left side shows the life of team A, and the right side shows the life of team B. In the example of FIG. 17, the life of team A is displayed as "45%". Therefore, it can be seen that the life of team B is 55%.

[0092] In a first variant, Team A's life may be the sum of the effects of event-specific items used by viewers during live broadcasts by broadcasters who are in the top 10 in terms of contribution to Team A, and Team B's life may be the sum of the effects of event-specific items used by viewers during live broadcasts by broadcasters who are in the top 10 in terms of contribution to Team B.

[0093] The technical ideas of the embodiments may be applied to virtual live streaming and live commerce, in which an avatar that moves in sync with the streamer's movements is used instead of an image of the streamer.

[0094] In the embodiment, the event-specific item has been described as increasing or decreasing life, but this is not limited thereto, and the item may also change the indicator of the team associated with the item to a first orientation, or to a second orientation opposite to the first orientation.

[0095] In the embodiment, the case where the distributor belongs to a team is automatically determined based on the contribution score has been described, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the distributor may register the team to which the distributor belongs when registering to participate in an event. In this case, the distributor DB stores the team to which the distributor belongs in association with the distributor. The display control unit 202 displays only the event-specific attacks and recovery items of the team to which the distributor belongs on the live streaming room screen 610. This prevents viewers from erroneously selecting the event-specific attacks and recovery items. Alternatively, the event may be divided into two rounds, a ranking of items acquired in the first round may be generated, and the distributors may be divided into teams according to the ranking. For example, the server 10 may assign the distributors with odd-numbered rankings in the ranking of the first round to team A, and the distributors with even-numbered rankings to team B.

[0096] In the embodiment, a competitive event in which two teams compete against each other has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the technical ideas of the present embodiment can also be applied to a competitive event in which, for example, three or more teams compete against each other.

[0097] In the embodiment, the effect of the event-specific item may be different depending on the attributes of the distributor, the attributes of the viewer, and the relationship between the distributor and the viewer. For example, the effect of the event-specific item may be set so that the shorter the time that the viewer uses the live distribution service, the greater the influence of the event-specific item used by the viewer. Alternatively, the effect of the event-specific item may be set so that the longer the distribution time by the distributor, the greater the influence of the event-specific item. Alternatively, the effect of the event-specific item may be set so that the stronger the relationship between the distributor and the viewer, the greater the influence of the event-specific item used by the viewer in the live distribution by the distributor.

[0098] In the processing procedures described in this specification, particularly in the processing procedures described using flow diagrams and flowcharts, it is possible to omit some of the steps that make up the processing procedures, to add steps that are not explicitly stated as steps that make up the processing procedures, and / or to rearrange the order of the steps, and processing procedures in which such omissions, additions, or changes in order have been made are included within the scope of this disclosure as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0099] At least a part of the functions realized by the server 10 may be realized by a device other than the server 10, for example, the user terminals 20 and 30. At least a part of the functions realized by the user terminals 20 and 30 may be realized by a device other than the user terminals 20 and 30, for example, the server 10. For example, the superimposition of a predetermined frame image onto an image of video data performed at a user terminal on the playback side may be performed by the server 10 or may be performed at a user terminal on the generation side.

Claims

[Claim 1] A means for relaying transmission of video data relating to the live streaming from a user terminal of a live streaming distributor to a user terminal of a viewer; a means for realizing the effect of the event-exclusive item when a signal indicating the use of the event-exclusive item by the viewer during playback of the video data is acquired, The realizing means is a server that realizes different effects for the same event-specific item depending on the attributes of the viewer.

Images