Video distribution that controls display of comments posted during distribution

Abstract

To provide a server device, a display control method, and a program that provide video distribution that controls the display of comments posted during distribution.SOLUTION: In a distribution server 100 of a distribution system that distributes live video to a viewer terminal, a distribution control unit 141 distributes live video provided from a distributor terminal owned by a distributor to the viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed. A receiving unit 120 receives comments posted from the viewer terminal during distribution of the live video. A transmitting unit 110 transmits the comments received by the receiving unit 120 to the viewer terminal to add them to the comment area. An identifying unit 144 identifies a comment to which the distributor has reacted in the live video being distributed. Then, a display control unit 145 controls the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to video distribution that controls display of comments posted during distribution. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, distribution systems that distribute live videos provided by distributors to viewer terminals have become widespread. In such distribution systems, for example, viewers watching the live videos can post comments. In addition, the distributor may respond to the posted comments and mention (speak) the comments in the live video. This creates a sense of unity among the viewers as if they are participating in the live video, which is expected to encourage viewers to use the distribution system more frequently.

[0003] As an example of a prior art of such a distribution system, Patent Document 1 discloses a distribution system that appropriately processes posted comments. In this distribution system, the comments superimposed on the video are restricted according to the poster's attribute information, so that the video is displayed in an easy-to-view manner even when a large number of comments are posted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-24982 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the distribution system disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, posted comments are also displayed in a comment section. However, this comment section simply displays each comment in a list. Therefore, even if the comment section contains a comment to which the distributor has responded, the viewer cannot identify the comment.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide video distribution that controls the display of comments posted during distribution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A server device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: One or more processors; by at least one of the one or more processors, A live video provided from a distributor's terminal is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal, which is a terminal different from the distributor terminal. The processing is performed.

[0008] A server device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: One or more processors; by at least one of the one or more processors, A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the identified comment so as to display the comment area for a longer period than normal. The processing is performed.

[0009] A display control method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes: The computer A live video provided from a distributor's terminal is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal, which is a terminal different from the distributor terminal. It is characterized by:

[0010] A display control method according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure includes: The computer A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the identified comment so as to display the comment area for a longer period than normal. It is characterized by:

[0011] A program according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, On the computer, A live video provided from a distributor's terminal is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal, which is a terminal different from the distributor terminal. The present invention is characterized in that it causes the processing to be executed.

[0012] A program according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, On the computer, A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the identified comment so as to display the comment area for a longer period than normal. The present invention is characterized in that it causes the processing to be executed. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide video distribution that controls the display of comments posted during distribution. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a distribution system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a typical information processing device in which a distribution server or the like is realized. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a distribution server according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of comment management information. [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are schematic diagrams showing an example of controlling the display of comments in a comment area. [Figure 6] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a distributor terminal. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a viewer terminal. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a viewing screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a distribution process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a distribution system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a distribution server according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of chapter management information. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a viewing screen according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a distribution process according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are given the same reference numerals. In addition, the following describes a case where a distribution server (server device) identifies a comment (a comment to which a distributor responded), but as described later, the present disclosure can be similarly applied even when a distributor terminal identifies a comment. That is, the embodiment described below is for the purpose of explanation and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, a person skilled in the art can adopt an embodiment in which each or all of these elements are replaced with an equivalent, and these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a distribution system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In this distribution system 1, as an example, a distribution server 100 that distributes live videos, a distributor terminal 200 used by a distributor, and a viewer terminal 300 used by a viewer are communicatively connected via the Internet 900. Note that it is assumed that there are many distributor terminals 200 and many viewer terminals 300 depending on the number of distributors and viewers using the system.

[0017] The distribution server 100 is, for example, a server device (such as a server computer) and distributes live videos provided by a distributor to the viewer terminal 300. The distribution server 100 also transmits comments posted during distribution of the live videos to the distributor terminal 200 and the viewer terminal 300.

[0018] The distributor terminal 200 is, for example, a terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, or a tablet, and is used by a distributor who performs live distribution. For example, the distributor shoots a live video to introduce a product. The distributor terminal 200 provides the live video to the distribution server 100, and the distribution server 100 distributes the live video to the viewer terminal 300. During distribution of the live video, the distributor can view comments posted by viewers at the viewer terminal 300, and can respond to a certain comment and mention the comment in the live video.

[0019] The viewer terminal 300 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet, PC, or other terminal, and is used by a viewer who watches the live video distributed. For example, the viewer starts a video viewing application (or a browser application) on the viewer terminal 300, logs in to the distribution server 100, and then watches the live video distributed from the distribution server 100. The viewer can also post comments addressed to the distributor of the live video they are viewing. That is, on the screen of the video viewing application or the like, a video area for displaying the live video and a comment area for displaying the comments are provided, as described later. Note that the comment area can display only a predetermined number of the latest comments. That is, while the number of comments is not reached, each time a comment is posted, it is added to the comment area in sequence. After the number of comments reaches the predetermined number, when a comment is posted, the older comment is removed from the comment area and the newer comment is added to the comment area in a last-in, first-out manner.

[0020] (General configuration of information processing device 400) A typical information processing device 400 in which the distribution server 100, the distributor terminal 200, and the viewer terminal 300 according to the first embodiment are realized will be described.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 400 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 401, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 402, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 403, a NIC (Network Interface Card) 404, an image processing unit 405, an audio processing unit 406, an auxiliary memory unit 407, an interface 408, a photographing unit 409, an audio unit 410, an operation unit 411, and a display unit 412.

[0022] A CPU 401 controls the overall operation of the information processing device 400, and is connected to each component to exchange control signals and data.

[0023] The ROM 402 stores an IPL (Initial Program Loader) that is executed immediately after power is turned on. When this IPL is executed, a program stored in the auxiliary memory unit 407 is read into the RAM 403 and execution of the program by the CPU 401 begins.

[0024] The RAM 403 is for temporarily storing data and programs, and holds programs and data read from the auxiliary storage unit 407, as well as other data necessary for communication.

[0025] The NIC 404 is used to connect the information processing device 400 to a computer communication network such as the Internet, and may be configured as a 10BASE-T / 100BASE-T standard used in constructing a LAN (Local Area Network), an analog modem for connecting to the Internet using a telephone line, an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) modem, an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) modem, a cable modem for connecting to the Internet using a cable television line, or the like.

[0026] The image processing unit 405 processes image data read from the auxiliary storage unit 407 or the like using an image calculation processor (not shown) provided in the CPU 401 or the image processing unit 405, and then records the processed image data in a frame memory (not shown) provided in the image processing unit 405. The image data recorded in the frame memory is converted into a video signal at a predetermined synchronous timing, and output to the display unit 412 via the interface 408 or the like. In other words, under the control of the CPU 401, the image processing unit 405 generates images required in the progress of processing performed by the information processing device 400, and causes the display unit 412 to display the images.

[0027] The audio processing unit 406 converts music data and audio data read from the auxiliary storage unit 407, etc., into audio signals and outputs them to the outside via the interface 408, etc. If the information processing device 400 has an internal speaker, the audio processing unit 406 outputs the converted audio signals to the speaker. In other words, under the control of the CPU 401, the audio processing unit 406 generates musical sounds and sounds to be generated during the progress of processing performed by the information processing device 400, and outputs the musical sounds, etc. from an internal or external speaker.

[0028] The auxiliary storage unit 407 is a hard disk, a solid state drive (SSD), or the like, and stores various programs and various data necessary for controlling the operation of the entire information processing device 400. For example, the auxiliary storage unit 407 stores a program for realizing the distribution server 100 according to the embodiment, etc. Then, under the control of the CPU 401, the auxiliary storage unit 407 appropriately reads out the stored programs and data, and temporarily stores them in the RAM 403, etc.

[0029] The interface 408 complies with standards such as HDMI (registered trademark), USB (Universal Serial Bus), and I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), and is connected to a photographing unit 409, an audio unit 410, an operation unit 411, and a display unit 412. The interface 408 may transmit and receive necessary information to and from other connected external devices.

[0030] The photographing unit 409 is, for example, a single-focus lens and an image sensor (CMOS: Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor or CCD: Charge Coupled Device) with a predetermined number of pixels, and captures still images or moving images.

[0031] The voice unit 410 is, for example, a microphone, and inputs the voice (utterance) of a worker or the like who uses the information processing device 400 .

[0032] The operation unit 411 accepts operation inputs from an operator or the like who uses the information processing device 400 .

[0033] The display unit 412 renders an image according to the image data output by the image processing unit 405 , and displays it to an operator or the like using the information processing device 400 .

[0034] Additionally, the information processing device 400 may include a drive unit such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM instead of the auxiliary storage unit 407. In this case, the information processing device 400 reads out programs and data from a DVD-ROM or the like that is loaded into the drive unit, and operates in the same manner as described above.

[0035] Hereinafter, functions of the distribution server 100, the distributor terminal 200, and the viewer terminal 300 realized in the above-mentioned information processing device 400 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 8. When the information processing device 400 is powered on, a program that causes it to function as the distribution server 100, the distributor terminal 200, and the viewer terminal 300 according to the first embodiment is executed, and the distribution server 100, the distributor terminal 200, and the viewer terminal 300 according to the first embodiment are realized.

[0036] (Functional configuration of distribution server 100) 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the distribution server 100 according to embodiment 1. As shown in the figure, the distribution server 100 includes a transmission unit 110, a reception unit 120, a storage unit 130, and a control unit 140.

[0037] The transmitting unit 110 transmits various information intended for the viewer terminal 300 and the like via the Internet 900. For example, the transmitting unit 110 distributes live video provided from the distributor terminal 200 to the viewer terminal 300. The transmitting unit 110 also transmits comments posted from the viewer terminal 300 to the distributor terminal 200 and the viewer terminal 300. Furthermore, the transmitting unit 110 transmits command information for changing the display mode of the comments to the viewer terminal 300 and the like. Note that the above-mentioned NIC 404 can function as such a transmitting unit 110.

[0038] The receiving unit 120 receives various information sent from the distributor terminal 200 and the viewer terminal 300 via the Internet 900. For example, the receiving unit 120 receives live video provided by the distributor terminal 200. The receiving unit 120 also receives comments posted from the viewer terminal 300. The above-mentioned NIC 404 can function as such a receiving unit 120.

[0039] The storage unit 130 stores various information necessary for processing in the distribution server 100. For example, the storage unit 130 stores comment management information 131.

[0040] The comment management information 131 is information for managing comments posted by viewers during distribution of a live video, and includes information as shown in FIG. 4 as an example. That is, the comment management information 131 includes information such as a comment ID 131a, a reception time 131b, a comment 131c, a display flag 131d, and a reaction flag 131e. The display flag 131d is a flag indicating whether the comment is currently displayed in a comment area for displaying a predetermined number of comments in the viewer terminal 300. That is, when the display flag 131d is "1", it indicates that the comment is to be displayed, whereas when the display flag 131d is "0", it indicates that the comment is not to be displayed. The reaction flag 131e is a flag indicating whether the distributor has reacted to the comment. That is, when the reaction flag 131e is "1", it indicates that the distributor has reacted to the comment, whereas when the reaction flag 131e is "0", it indicates that the distributor has not reacted to the comment (no reaction).

[0041] In addition, the storage unit 130 stores various information necessary for the processing of the control unit 140. For example, the storage unit 130 stores the ID and password of the viewer who uses the viewer terminal 300. The storage unit 130 also stores a video management ID, a video title, a video summary, a distribution start time, and the like as information related to the live video. Note that the above-mentioned auxiliary storage unit 407, etc., can function as such a storage unit 130.

[0042] 3, the control unit 140 controls the entire distribution server 100. The control unit 140 includes, for example, a distribution control unit 141, a comment management unit 142, a voice recognition unit 143, a specification unit 144, and a display control unit 145.

[0043] The distribution control unit 141 distributes the live video received from the distributor terminal 200 to the viewer terminal 300. That is, when the receiving unit 120 receives the live video provided by the distributor terminal 200, the distribution control unit 141 controls the transmitting unit 110 to distribute the received live video to the viewer terminal 300.

[0044] The comment management unit 142 manages comments posted by viewers who are watching the live video. That is, when the receiving unit 120 receives a comment posted from the viewer terminal 300, the comment management unit 142 controls the transmitting unit 110 to transmit the received comment to the distributor terminal 200 and the viewer terminal 300. The comment management unit 142 also updates the comment management information 131 shown in FIG. 4 described above. That is, the comment management unit 142 adds a newly posted comment to the comment management information 131 (sets the display flag 131d to "1" and sets the reaction flag 131e to "0"), and changes the display flag 131d of the comment with the oldest reception time 131b among the comments with the display flag 131d of "1" to "0". Also, when the identifying unit 144 described later identifies a comment, the comment management unit 142 changes the reaction flag 131e of the comment to "1".

[0045] The voice recognition unit 143 recognizes the voice spoken by the distributor in real time in the live video and converts it into spoken text. For example, the voice recognition unit 143 divides the voice data into phoneme units each time the distributor speaks, identifies each phoneme while comparing it with the feature distribution of sample phonemes, and performs pattern matching with words, etc., and finally generates the spoken text spoken by the distributor.

[0046] Each time the voice of the distributor is converted into spoken text by the speech recognition unit 143, the identification unit 144 compares the converted spoken text with each comment currently displayed in the comment area of ​​the viewer terminal 300 to identify a comment to which the distributor has responded (a comment mentioned by the distributor in the live video). In more detail, the identification unit 144 first performs morphological analysis on the spoken text (natural sentences) to extract keywords (for example, nouns, noun phrases, etc.). Next, the identification unit 144 refers to the comment management information 131 shown in FIG. 4, performs morphological analysis on each comment whose display flag 131d is set to "1", and extracts each keyword. Then, the identification unit 144 compares the keywords extracted from the spoken text (keywords included in the spoken text) with the keywords extracted from each comment (keywords included in each comment), and identifies a comment containing a matching keyword as a comment to which the distributor has responded.

[0047] More specifically, a case where the distributor utters "The battery operating time was about 4 hours" will be described. It is assumed that at the time of this utterance, the comments (comments 131c) whose display flags 131d are "1" in the comment management information 131 are "Good at explaining", "I see", "I think I prefer the older model", "I was waiting for that feature", and "How long is the operating time?". In this case, the identification unit 144 extracts the keywords "battery", "operating time", and "4 hours" from the spoken text converted by the voice recognition unit 143, and also extracts the keywords "good at explaining", "- (no keyword)", "older model", "function", and "operating time" from each comment. Then, the identification unit 144 compares each keyword extracted from the spoken text with each keyword extracted from each comment. In this case, since the keyword "operating time" matches, the identification unit 144 identifies the comment "How long is the operating time?" containing the keyword "operating time" as the comment to which the distributor responded.

[0048] In addition, the identification unit 144 may use the keyword extracted from the spoken text as a key to perform a text search of each comment whose display flag 131d is set to "1", and identify the searched comment (i.e., a comment containing the keyword) as the comment to which the distributor responded.

[0049] The display control unit 145 controls the display of the comment identified by the identification unit 144 on the viewer terminal 300. For example, the display control unit 145 changes the display mode of the identified comment (i.e., the comment to which the distributor responded) in the comment area of ​​the viewer terminal 300 by transmitting command information for changing the display mode of the comment identified by the identification unit 144 to the viewer terminal 300.

[0050] More specifically, a case will be described where the identification unit 144 identifies the comment "How long does it take to run?". In this case, the display control unit 145 transmits, for example, command information for changing the text color and background color of this comment to the viewer terminal 300. In the viewer terminal 300 that receives this command information, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the display mode of the comment DC ("How long does it take to run?") is changed in the comment area CA. Note that the change in the display mode is not limited to changing the text color and background color, and may also be a change in font, text size, etc.

[0051] The above-mentioned CPU 401 and the like can function as the control unit 140 having the above-mentioned configuration.

[0052] (Functional configuration of distributor terminal 200) 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the distributor terminal 200. As shown in the figure, the distributor terminal 200 includes a shooting unit 210, a voice input unit 220, a transmission / reception unit 230, an operation reception unit 240, a storage unit 250, a control unit 260, and a display unit 270.

[0053] The photographing section 210 is, for example, a camera arranged in the broadcaster terminal 200, and photographs the broadcaster during broadcast. In other words, the photographing section 210 outputs a video including the broadcaster during broadcast. The above-mentioned photographing unit 409 can function as such a photographing section 210.

[0054] The voice input unit 220 inputs the voice of the distributor. For example, the voice input unit 220 inputs the voice spoken by the distributor during distribution. Note that the above-mentioned voice unit 410 can function as such a voice input unit 220.

[0055] The transmitting / receiving unit 230 transmits and receives various information to and from the distribution server 100 via the Internet 900. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 230 is controlled by the control unit 260 (the distribution unit 262 described later) and transmits a video obtained by combining an object with a video captured by the imaging unit 210 (more specifically, a moving image including audio input by the audio input unit 220) to the distribution server 100 (distributes the video to the viewer terminal 300 via the distribution server 100). The transmitting / receiving unit 230 also receives comments sent from the distribution server 100 (comments posted from the viewer terminal 300). The above-mentioned NIC 404 can function as such a transmitting / receiving unit 230.

[0056] The operation reception unit 240 is a touch panel or a pointing device, and receives various operations from the distributor. For example, the operation reception unit 240 receives an operation for an object to be combined with the video captured by the imaging unit 210. The above-mentioned operation unit 411 can function as such an operation reception unit 240.

[0057] The storage unit 250 stores various information necessary for processing in the distributor terminal 200. For example, the storage unit 250 stores information about an object to be composited into a captured video, a composite position of the object, and the like. As an example, the object is a subtitle (banner) that includes text information for informing viewers in a live video. Also, the composite position is a position where the object is composited in the video. The above-mentioned auxiliary storage unit 407, etc., can function as such a storage unit 250.

[0058] The control unit 260 controls the entire distributor terminal 200. The control unit 260 includes, for example, a synthesis unit 261 and a distribution unit 262.

[0059] The synthesis unit 261 synthesizes an object into the video captured by the imaging unit 210. For example, the synthesis unit 261 synthesizes text information for notifying the viewer into the captured video according to the information of the object and the synthesis position stored in the storage unit 250.

[0060] The distribution unit 262 transmits the video with the object composited by the composition unit 261 to the distribution server 100 for distribution to the viewer terminal 300. That is, the distribution unit 262 controls the transmission / reception unit 230 to transmit the video with the object composited to the distribution server 100, and distributes the video to the viewer terminal 300 via the distribution server 100.

[0061] The above-mentioned CPU 401 and the like can function as the control unit 260 having such a configuration.

[0062] The display section 270 displays the video with the object composited by the above-mentioned composite section 261. Similarly to the display section 350 (described later) of the viewer terminal 300, the display section 270 has a comment area and displays the comments received by the transmission / reception section 230. The above-mentioned display unit 412 can function as such a display section 270.

[0063] (Functional configuration of viewer terminal 300) 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the viewer terminal 300. As shown in the figure, the viewer terminal 300 includes a transmitting / receiving unit 310, an operation receiving unit 320, a storage unit 330, a control unit 340, and a display unit 350.

[0064] The transmitting / receiving unit 310 transmits and receives various information to and from the distribution server 100 via the Internet 900. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 310 is controlled by the control unit 340 and receives live video distributed from the distribution server 100. The transmitting / receiving unit 310 also transmits comments accepted from the operation accepting unit 320 to the distribution server 100, and also receives comments and command information (command information for changing the display mode of the comments) sent from the distribution server 100. The above-mentioned NIC 404 can function as such a transmitting / receiving unit 310.

[0065] The operation reception unit 320 is a touch panel or a pointing device, and receives various operations from the viewer. For example, the operation reception unit 320 receives comments input by the viewer. The above-mentioned operation unit 411 can function as such an operation reception unit 320.

[0066] The storage unit 330 stores various information necessary for processing in the viewer terminal 300. For example, the storage unit 330 stores various applications including a video viewing application and a browser application. More specifically, various applications are installed in the storage unit 330. The video viewing application is, for example, an application for viewing videos distributed from the distribution server 100. The browser application may also be capable of viewing videos distributed from the distribution server 100. The above-mentioned auxiliary storage unit 407 or the like may function as such a storage unit 330.

[0067] The control unit 340 controls the entire viewer terminal 300. For example, the control unit 340 executes a video viewing application stored in the storage unit 330, and displays live videos and the like distributed from the distribution server 100 on the display unit 350. As described later, the display unit 350 is provided with a video area for displaying live videos and a comment area for displaying comments, so the control unit 340 displays the live videos received by the transmission / reception unit 310 in the video area, and also displays the comments received by the transmission / reception unit 310 in the comment area. This comment area can display only a predetermined number of the latest comments. Therefore, while the number of comments is less than the predetermined number, the control unit 340 sequentially adds the received comments to the comment area every time the transmission / reception unit 310 receives a comment. Then, after the number of comments reaches the predetermined number, the control unit 340 erases the old comments from the comment area and adds the new comments to the comment area every time the transmission / reception unit 310 receives a comment, in a last-in, first-out manner. Furthermore, when the transmitting / receiving unit 310 receives command information, the control unit 340 changes the display mode of the target comment in the comment area in accordance with the command information. Note that the above-mentioned CPU 401 and the like can function as the control unit 340 having such a configuration.

[0068] The display unit 350 displays a screen according to an application executed by the control unit 340. For example, when a video viewing application is executed by the control unit 340, the display unit 350 displays a viewing screen VG1 as shown in Fig. 8. This viewing screen VG1 includes a video area VA for displaying live video, and a comment area CA for displaying a predetermined number of posted comments. In the comment area CA, a comment DC to which the distributor has responded is displayed in a different display mode from other comments.

[0069] (Operation of distribution server 100) Hereinafter, the operation of the distribution server 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining a distribution process according to the first embodiment. This distribution process is executed by the distribution server 100 when, for example, the distributor terminal 200 starts providing a live video.

[0070] First, the distribution server 100 starts distribution of the live video (step S11). That is, when the control unit 140 (distribution control unit 141) receives the live video provided from the distributor terminal 200 at the receiving unit 120, the control unit 140 controls the transmitting unit 110 to distribute the received live video to the viewer terminal 300.

[0071] The distribution server 100 determines whether or not a new comment has been received (step S12). That is, the control unit 140 (comment management unit 142) determines whether or not a comment posted from the viewer terminal 300 has been received by the receiving unit 120.

[0072] If the distribution server 100 determines that a new comment has not been received (step S12; No), the process proceeds to step S14, which will be described later.

[0073] On the other hand, when it is determined that a new comment has been received (step S12; Yes), the distribution server 100 updates the comment management information and transmits the received comment to each terminal (step S13). That is, the control unit 140 (comment management unit 142) updates the comment management information 131 shown in FIG. 4 described above. That is, the comment management unit 142 adds the new comment to the comment management information 131 (sets the display flag 131d to "1" and sets the reaction flag 131e to "0"), and changes the display flag 131d of the comment with the oldest reception time 131b among the comments with the display flag 131d set to "1" to "0". Then, the control unit 140 transmits the new comment to the distributor terminal 200 and the viewer terminal 300.

[0074] The distribution server 100 determines whether or not the distributor has spoken (step S14). That is, the control unit 140 (the voice recognition unit 143) determines whether or not the distributor has spoken in the live video.

[0075] If distribution server 100 determines that there has been no speech from the distributor (step S14; No), the process proceeds to step S19, which will be described later.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is determined that the distributor has spoken (step S14; Yes), the distribution server 100 recognizes the voice of the distributor and converts it into a spoken text (step S15). That is, the control unit 140 (voice recognition unit 143) divides the voice data uttered by the distributor into phoneme units, identifies each phoneme while comparing it with the feature distribution of sample phonemes, and performs pattern matching with words, etc., and finally generates the spoken text uttered by the distributor.

[0077] The distribution server 100 compares the spoken text with each comment to be displayed (step S16). That is, the control unit 140 (identification unit 144) compares the spoken text converted in step S15 above with each comment currently displayed in the comment area of ​​the viewer terminal 300. In more detail, the control unit 140 first performs a morphological analysis of the spoken text to extract keywords (for example, nouns, noun phrases, etc.). Next, the control unit 140 refers to the comment management information 131 shown in FIG. 4, performs a morphological analysis of each comment whose display flag 131d is set to "1", and extracts each keyword. Then, the control unit 140 compares the keywords extracted from the spoken text with the keywords extracted from each comment.

[0078] The distribution server 100 determines whether or not there is a matching comment (step S17). For example, the control unit 140 (identification unit 144) determines whether or not there is a comment containing a keyword that matches the keyword contained in the utterance text, based on the comparison in step S16.

[0079] If the distribution server 100 determines that there is no matching comment (step S17; No), the process proceeds to step S19, which will be described later.

[0080] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a matching comment (step S17; Yes), distribution server 100 commands each terminal to change the display of the matching comment (step S18). That is, control unit 140 (display control unit 145) transmits command information for changing the display mode of the matching comment to viewer terminal 300, etc., thereby changing the display mode of the comment to which the distributor responded in the comment area of ​​viewer terminal 300. For example, viewer terminal 300 that has received the command information changes and displays the display mode of comment DC ("How long will it take to drive?") in comment area CA of viewing screen VG1 shown in FIG. 8 described above.

[0081] The distribution server 100 determines whether or not the distribution of the live video has ended (step S19). That is, the control unit 140 (distribution control unit 141) determines whether or not the live video provided from the distributor terminal 200 has ended.

[0082] If distribution server 100 determines that distribution of the live video has not ended (step S19; No), it returns the process to step S12 described above.

[0083] On the other hand, if it is determined that the distribution of the live video has ended (step S19; Yes), the distribution server 100 ends the distribution process.

[0084] This type of distribution process makes it possible to identifiably display comments posted by viewers to which the distributor has responded. Furthermore, when identifying comments to which the distributor has responded, only comments displayed in the comment area are considered, which increases the matching accuracy with the speech test and enables faster matching processing. As a result, it is possible to determine with high accuracy and low computational load whether the distributor has responded to a posted comment.

[0085] In the above embodiment 1, the case where the display mode of the comment to which the distributor responded is changed has been described, but the display of the comment may be controlled from another perspective. For example, the display control unit 145 may display the comment identified by the identification unit 144 (the comment to which the distributor responded) in the comment area for a longer period of time than normal.

[0086] More specifically, the display control unit 145 transmits to the viewer terminal 300 command information for delaying (newening) the reception time of the comment identified by the identification unit 144 by a certain amount from the original time, thereby causing the identified comment to be displayed for a longer period in the comment area of ​​the viewer terminal 300. This command information may also include first command information for changing the display mode of the comment and second command information for delaying the reception time of the comment by a certain amount from the original time, so that the comment with the changed display mode is displayed in the comment area for a longer period than normal. In these cases, the comment to which the distributor responded can be displayed preferentially.

[0087] (Embodiment 2) In the above embodiment 1, when a comment to which a distributor has responded is identified, the display of the comment is changed. However, the comment to which the distributor has responded may be used to set chapters. Hereinafter, a distribution system characterized in that the comment to which the distributor has responded is used to set chapters will be described.

[0088] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a distribution system 2 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. As an example, this distribution system 2 includes a distribution server 500 that distributes live videos, a distributor terminal 200 used by a distributor, and a viewer terminal 300 used by a viewer, which are communicatively connected via the Internet 900. Note that the distributor terminal 200 and the viewer terminal 300 have the same configuration as the distribution system 1 according to the first embodiment. In other words, only the distribution server 500 is different from the distribution system 1 of FIG. 1.

[0089] The distribution server 500 is also realized by the information processing device 400 in Fig. 2. That is, when the information processing device 400 is powered on, a program that causes the information processing device 400 to function as the distribution server 500 according to the second embodiment is executed, and the distribution server 500 according to the second embodiment is realized.

[0090] (Functional configuration of distribution server 500) Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a distribution server 500 according to embodiment 2. As shown in the figure, the distribution server 500 includes a transmission unit 110, a reception unit 120, a storage unit 530, and a control unit 540. The transmission unit 110 and the reception unit 120 have the same configuration as the transmission unit 110 and the reception unit 120 in the distribution server 100 in Fig. 3 described above.

[0091] The storage unit 530 stores various information necessary for processing in the distribution server 500. For example, the storage unit 530 stores comment management information 131 and chapter management information 531. The comment management information 131 is the same information as the comment management information 131 in FIG. 4 described above. The storage unit 530 also stores (records) the live video in parallel with the distribution of the live video. That is, the control unit 540 (distribution control unit 141) stores the live video in the storage unit 530 while distributing the live video. As a result, as described later, the control unit 540 can perform distribution using the live video stored in the storage unit 530 when a viewer who started watching late performs so-called catch-up playback to view from a scene that he or she missed even during distribution of the live video. In addition, when a viewer plays back the live video (past video) on demand after the distribution of the live video has ended, the control unit 540 can perform distribution using the live video stored in the storage unit 530.

[0092] The chapter management information 531 is information for managing chapters for dividing the live video, and includes information as shown in FIG. 12 as an example. That is, the chapter management information 531 includes information such as a chapter number 531a, a relative time 531b, a keyword 531c, and an address 531d. The relative time 531b is time information indicating the start position of a chapter in the live video, and is indicated by a relative time (elapsed time from the beginning) based on the start time of the live video. The keyword 531c is a phrase for identifying a chapter, and is also a phrase mentioned by the distributor in the chapter. The address 531d is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for viewing the live video by specifying the start position of the chapter. The "?t=103" added to the end of this URL is an example of an argument, and specifies that viewing should start from a position 103 seconds (the value of the relative time 531b converted into seconds) from the beginning of the live video.

[0093] The storage unit 530 also stores various information necessary for processing by the control unit 540. For example, the storage unit 530 stores the ID and password of the viewer who uses the viewer terminal 300. The storage unit 530 also stores information related to live video. Note that the above-mentioned auxiliary storage unit 407 or the like can function as such a storage unit 530.

[0094] Returning to Fig. 11, the control unit 540 controls the entire distribution server 500. This control unit 540 includes, for example, a distribution control unit 141, a comment management unit 142, a voice recognition unit 143, an identification unit 144, and a setting unit 541. Note that the comment management unit 142, the voice recognition unit 143, and the identification unit 144 have the same configurations as the comment management unit 142, the voice recognition unit 143, and the identification unit 144 in the distribution server 100 (control unit 140) in Fig. 3 described above. Also, the distribution control unit 141 has the following functions in addition to the functions of the distribution control unit 141 of the distribution server 100 described above.

[0095] The delivery control unit 141 stores the live video in the storage unit 530 while delivering the live video to the viewer terminal 300. After the setting unit 541 described below sets chapters in the live video, when a viewer plays back the live video in a catch-up or on-demand manner, the delivery control unit 141 displays the chapters on a seek bar indicating the playback position of the live video. This allows the viewer to view the live video from the start position of a chapter by moving the seek bar to the chapter, in addition to operating chapter information (chapter information CD displayed in the overview area SA) described below.

[0096] The setting unit 541 sets chapters for dividing the live video based on a relative time in the live video (i.e., a relative time based on the start time of the live video) corresponding to the time when the comment identified by the identification unit 144 was received. For example, the setting unit 541 creates chapter management information 531 as shown in Fig. 12 described above, and adds the created chapter management information 531 to summary information of the live video, thereby setting the chapters.

[0097] More specifically, a case will be described as an example in which the identification unit 144 extracts a keyword such as "operating time" from the spoken text, and identifies a comment "How long is the operating time?" from the comments currently displayed in the comment area. It is assumed that the start time of the live video is "20:20:00", and the address of the live video is "https: / / XXXX.com / AbCd1eFgH2IjK". In this case, the setting unit 541 first calculates the relative time in the live video by subtracting the start time of the live video from the reception time 131b of the corresponding comment (the comment "How long is the operating time?" in the comment 131c) in the comment management information 131 shown in FIG. 4. That is, the setting unit 541 subtracts "20:20:00" from "20:21:43" to obtain "0:01:43", and sets the result as the relative time 531b in the chapter management information 531 shown in FIG. 12. Next, the setting unit 541 sets the keyword used by the identification unit 144 when identifying the comment (i.e., the keyword "driving time") as keyword 531c in the chapter management information 531. Finally, the setting unit 541 adds an argument "?t=103" (viewing starts from the position 103 seconds after the beginning) to the address of the live video, and sets it as address 531d in the chapter management information 531.

[0098] The chapter management information 531 thus generated is added to the summary information about the live video, thereby setting the chapters. For example, after the chapter management information 531 as shown in FIG. 12 is added to the summary information about the live video, when the live video is viewed by the viewer terminal 300, the display unit 350 of the viewer terminal 300 displays a viewing screen VG2 as shown in FIG. 13. This viewing screen VG2 includes a video area VA for displaying the live video, a summary area SA for displaying a summary of the live video, and a comment area CA for displaying a predetermined number of comments posted. Note that chapter information CD is added to the summary area SA. An address 531d in the chapter management information 531 is linked to this chapter information CD, and the viewer can view the live video from the start position of the chapter by touching the chapter information CD.

[0099] (Operation of distribution server 500) Hereinafter, the operation of the distribution server 500 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a distribution process according to the second embodiment. This distribution process is executed by the distribution server 500, for example, when the distribution terminal 200 starts providing a live video. Note that steps S11 to S17 and step S19 in the distribution process in Fig. 14 are the same as steps S11 to S17 and step S19 in the distribution process in Fig. 9 described above. Therefore, the same process contents will be briefly described.

[0100] First, the distribution server 500 starts distribution of a live video (step S11), and determines whether or not a new comment has been received (step S12).

[0101] If the distribution server 500 determines that a new comment has not been received (step S12; No), the process proceeds to step S14, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the distribution server 500 determines that a new comment has been received (step S12; Yes), the distribution server 500 updates the comment management information and transmits the received comment to each terminal (step S13).

[0102] The distribution server 500 determines whether or not there has been an utterance from the distributor (step S14).

[0103] If the distribution server 500 determines that the distributor has not spoken (step S14; No), the process proceeds to step S19, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the distribution server 500 determines that the distributor has spoken (step S14; Yes), the distribution server 500 performs speech recognition on the voice of the distributor and converts it into spoken text (step S15).

[0104] The distribution server 500 compares the spoken text with each comment to be displayed (step S16), and determines whether or not there is a matching comment (step S17).

[0105] If distribution server 500 determines that there is no matching comment (step S17; No), it proceeds to step S19, which will be described later.

[0106] On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a matching comment (step S17; Yes), the distribution server 500 sets chapters for dividing the live video (step S21). That is, the control unit 540 (setting unit 541) sets chapters for dividing the live video based on the relative time in the live video corresponding to the time when the matching comment was received (that is, the relative time based on the start time of the live video). For example, the control unit 540 creates chapter management information 531 as shown in FIG. 12 described above, and adds the created chapter management information 531 to summary information of the live video to set the chapters.

[0107] The distribution server 500 determines whether or not the distribution of the live video has ended (step S19).

[0108] If the distribution server 500 determines that the distribution of the live video has not ended (step S19; No), the process returns to step S12. On the other hand, if the distribution server 500 determines that the distribution of the live video has ended (step S19; Yes), the distribution server 500 ends the distribution process.

[0109] This type of distribution process identifies the comment to which the distributor responded, and easily sets chapters to divide the live video based on the relative time of the live video corresponding to the reception time of the identified comment. In other words, since the time when the distributor received the comment to which the distributor responded is used instead of the time when the distributor responded, the chapters are set at positions where the topic before the reaction to the comment can be understood. As a result, chapters to divide the live video can be appropriately set. Furthermore, in the past, the distributor or the viewer manually set chapters, which was a heavy burden, but according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically set chapters, which eliminates such a human burden.

[0110] In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the case where the chapter information CD is added to the overview area SA as shown in Fig. 13 based on the generated chapter management information has been described, but a message including such chapter information CD may be posted to a social networking service (SNS). After the message including the chapter information CD is posted to the SNS, a user who has viewed the message can operate the chapter information CD to, for example, start a video viewing application, and can view the live video from the start position of the chapter in the same manner as described above.

[0111] (Other embodiments) In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the case where the comment to which the distributor responded is identified by comparing the speech text obtained by voice recognition of the voice of the distributor in the live video with each comment being displayed has been described, but the comment to which the distributor responded may be identified by other methods. For example, the distributor may be allowed to arbitrarily select the posted comments on the distributor terminal 200, and the comment selected by the distributor may be identified as the comment to which the distributor responded.

[0112] To explain in more detail, like the display unit 350 of the viewer terminal 300, the display unit 270 of the broadcaster terminal 200 also has a comment area, and displays comments (posted comments) received by the transmission / reception unit 230. Then, when a broadcaster selects any of the comments displayed in the comment area during broadcasting, the control unit 260 transmits selection information indicating the selected comment to the broadcasting server 100, 500 via the transmission / reception unit 230. In the broadcasting server 100, 500 that receives this selection information, the identification unit 144 identifies the comment to which the broadcaster responded based on the selection information. In this case, it is possible to identify the comment to which the broadcaster responded without error.

[0113] In the above embodiments 1 and 2, the control unit 140, 540 of the distribution server 100, 500 includes a voice recognition unit 143 and an identification unit 144, etc., and a case has been described in which the distribution server 100, 500 identifies a comment (a comment to which the distributor responded). However, by adding the configuration of the voice recognition unit 143 and the identification unit 144, etc. to the control unit 260 of the distributor terminal 200, the distributor terminal 200 may be configured to identify the comment.

[0114] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the programs executed by the distribution servers 100, 500, etc. can be stored and distributed in computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVDs, MOs (Magneto-Optical Disks), USB memories, memory cards, etc. By installing such programs in a specific or general-purpose computer, the computer can be made to function as the distribution servers 100, 500 in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments.

[0115] The above-mentioned program may also be stored in a disk device of a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and downloaded to a computer by, for example, superimposing the program on a carrier wave. The above-mentioned processing can also be achieved by starting and executing the program while transferring it via the communication network. Furthermore, the above-mentioned processing can also be achieved by executing all or a part of the program on a server device, and executing the program while the computer transmits and receives information related to the processing via the communication network.

[0116] In addition, when the above-mentioned functions are shared and realized by the OS (Operating System) or by the OS working together with an application, etc., only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the above-mentioned recording medium and distributed, or may be downloaded to a computer.

[0117] [1] One or more processors; by at least one of the one or more processors, A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; transmitting the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area on a last-in, first-out basis; In the live video being distributed, each time the distributor speaks, a speech text obtained by performing speech recognition on the voice of the distributor is compared with each comment currently displayed in the comment area to identify the comment to which the distributor responded; Controlling the display of the identified comments. A server device in which processing is executed. [2] The display control is a control for changing a display mode of the specified comment so as to make the display mode different from a display mode of other comments. The server device according to [1], [3] The control of the display is a control of displaying the identified comment in the comment area for a longer period of time than a standard period of time. The server device according to [1] or [2], [4] In identifying the comment, a keyword included in the speech text is compared with a keyword included in each of the comments, and a comment including a matching keyword is identified as a comment to which the distributor responded. The server device according to any one of [1] to [3], [5] The computer A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; transmitting the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area on a last-in, first-out basis; In the live video being distributed, each time the distributor speaks, a speech text obtained by performing speech recognition on the voice of the distributor is compared with each comment currently displayed in the comment area to identify the comment to which the distributor responded; Controlling the display of the identified comments. A display control method comprising: [6] On the computer, A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; transmitting the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area on a last-in, first-out basis; In the live video being distributed, each time the distributor speaks, a speech text obtained by performing speech recognition on the voice of the distributor is compared with each comment currently displayed in the comment area to identify the comment to which the distributor responded; Controlling the display of the identified comments. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program for executing processing is recorded. [Industrial Applicability]

[0118] The present disclosure can be suitably adopted in video distribution that controls the display of comments posted during distribution. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1,2 Distribution system 100,500 distribution servers 110 Transmitter 120 Receiving unit 130,530 storage section 131 Comment Management Information 531 Chapter Management Information 140,540 Control section 141 Distribution control section 142 Comment Management Department 143 Voice Recognition Unit 144 Specific part 145 Display control unit 541 Settings 200 Distributor terminal 210 Photography Department 220 Audio input section 230 Transmitter / Receiver 240 Operation reception section 250 Storage section 260 Control Unit 261 Synthesis Section 262 Distribution Department 270 Display section 300 Viewer terminals 310 Transmitter / receiver 320 Operation reception section 330 Storage section 340 Control Unit 350 Display section 400 Information processing device 401 CPU 402 ROM 403 RAM 404 NIC 405 Image Processing Unit 406 Audio Processing Unit 407 Auxiliary storage 408 Interface 409 Photography Unit 410 Audio Unit 411 Operation Unit 412 Display unit 900 Internet

Claims

1. One or more processors; by at least one of the one or more processors, A live video provided from a distributor's terminal is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal, which is a terminal different from the distributor terminal. A server device in which processing is executed.

2. In the identification of the comment, a comment selected on the distributor terminal is identified as a comment to which the distributor responded.

2. The server device according to claim 1.

3. In the identification of the comment, the selected comment is identified as a comment to which the distributor responded based on selection information sent from the distributor terminal.

3. The server device according to claim 2.

4. In the sending of the comment, the received comment is added to the comment area in a last-in, first-out manner.

4. The server device according to claim 1, wherein the server device is a server that is connected to the server.

5. The display control is a control for changing a display mode of the specified comment so as to make the display mode different from a display mode of other comments.

4. The server device according to claim 1, wherein the server device is a server that is connected to the server.

6. The display control includes changing a character size of the identified comment.

6. The server device according to claim 5.

7. In the display control, the character size of the identified comment is increased.

7. The server device according to claim 6.

8. One or more processors; by at least one of the one or more processors, A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the identified comment so as to display the comment area for a longer period than normal. A server device in which processing is executed.

9. The computer A live video provided from a distributor's terminal is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal, which is a terminal different from the distributor terminal. A display control method comprising:

10. The computer A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the identified comment so as to display the comment area for a longer period than normal. A display control method comprising:

11. On the computer, A live video provided from a distributor's terminal is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the display of the identified comment on the viewer terminal, which is a terminal different from the distributor terminal. A program for executing a process.

12. On the computer, A live video provided by a distributor is distributed to a viewer terminal having a comment area in which a predetermined number of comments can be displayed; receiving comments posted from the viewer terminal during the distribution of the live video; Sending the received comments to the viewer terminal for addition to the comment area; Identifying a comment to which the broadcaster responded in the live video being broadcast; Controlling the identified comment so as to display the comment area for a longer period than normal. A program for executing a process.

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