Display system, and display program

Abstract

To provide a display system and a display program which can grasp both a causal order and causal relationship.SOLUTION: A display system includes acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationship among a plurality of object elements, specification means for specifying a causal order indicating an order relating to a cause of each of the plurality of object elements and the causal relationship among the plurality of object elements, on the basis of the causal structure information acquired by the acquisition means, and display control means for displaying both the causal order and the causal relationship specified by the specification means on the same screen. The display control means displays the causal order specified by the specification means, in a display mode of a plurality of pieces of object element relevant display information corresponding to each of the plurality of object elements, displays the plurality of pieces of object element relevant display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined on the basis of the causal order specified by the specification means, and thereby displays the causal order specified by the specification means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a display system and a display program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for generating a causal relationship graph that displays the causal relationships of target elements has been known (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-184125 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, there has been a demand for a technique for grasping both the causal order, which indicates the order of causality of multiple target elements, and the causal relationships.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and has an object to provide a display system and a display program that enable a user to grasp both the causal sequence and the causal relationship. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the display system described in claim 1 comprises an acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationships between a plurality of target elements, an identification means for identifying a causal order indicating a causal order of each of the plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquisition means, and a display control means for displaying both the causal order and the causal relationships identified by the identification means on the same screen.

[0007] The display system according to claim 2 is the display system according to claim 1, wherein the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means in a display mode of a plurality of target element related display information corresponding to each of the plurality of target elements.

[0008] The display system of claim 3 is the display system of claim 2, wherein the display control means displays the plurality of target element related display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined based on the causal sequence identified by the identification means, the plurality of display positions being along a predetermined reference line, thereby displaying the causal sequence identified by the identification means.

[0009] The display system of claim 4 is the display system of claim 3, wherein the specified reference line is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, and the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by displaying display information related to the plurality of target elements, with the plurality of display positions being at least positions where the curve is divided by a number of divisions corresponding to the number of the plurality of target elements.

[0010] The display system of claim 5 is the display system of claim 3 or 4, in which the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by arranging and displaying the multiple target element related display information at the multiple display positions in an order corresponding to the causal sequence identified by the identification means.

[0011] The display system of claim 6 is the display system of claim 1, wherein the display control means displays the causal relationships between the multiple target elements by a display mode of interrelationship display information indicating that multiple target element related display information corresponding to each of the multiple target elements is related to each other.

[0012] The display system of claim 7 is the display system of claim 6, wherein the multiple target element related display information includes first target element related display information corresponding to a first target element that is relatively on the cause side among the multiple target elements, and second target element related display information corresponding to a second target element that is relatively on the result side among the multiple target elements and is influenced by the first target element, and the interrelated display information includes a linear image starting from the first target element side and ending at the second target element side.

[0013] The display system of claim 8 is the display system of claim 1, wherein the identification means calculates numerical information for identifying a causal order, the numerical information being determined based on a first degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has on other target elements included in the plurality of target elements, and a second degree indicating the degree of influence that other target elements included in the plurality of target elements have on each target element included in the plurality of target elements, the numerical information being used to identify the causal order, and the causal order is identified based on the calculated numerical information for identifying a causal order.

[0014] The display program described in claim 9 causes a computer to function as an acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationships between a plurality of target elements, an identification means for identifying a causal order indicating a causal order of each of the plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquisition means, and a display control means for displaying both the causal order and the causal relationships identified by the identification means on the same screen. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the display system of claim 1 and the display program of claim 9, by displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationship on the same screen, it becomes possible to grasp, for example, both the causal sequence and the causal relationship.

[0016] According to the display system of claim 2, by displaying the causal order in the display mode of a plurality of target element related display information corresponding to each of a plurality of target elements, it becomes possible, for example, to reliably grasp the causal order.

[0017] According to the display system described in claim 3, by displaying a plurality of pieces of target element related display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined based on a causal sequence and aligned along a predetermined reference line, for example, it is possible to improve the visibility of a plurality of pieces of target element related display information, thereby enabling the user to reliably grasp the causal sequence.

[0018] According to the display system of claim 4, the predetermined reference line is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, and by displaying a plurality of pieces of target element related display information at a plurality of display positions that are positions where the curve is divided by at least a number of divisions corresponding to the number of target elements, it is possible to prevent, for example, a plurality of pieces of target element related display information from overlapping with each other, thereby improving the visibility of the plurality of pieces of target element related display information and enabling the user to reliably grasp the causal hierarchy.

[0019] According to the display system described in claim 5, by displaying a plurality of target element related display information at a plurality of display positions in an order corresponding to the causal order, it is possible to grasp the causal order based on the order in which the plurality of target element related display information is arranged, for example, thereby making it possible to reliably grasp the causal order.

[0020] According to the display system of claim 6, by displaying the causal relationship in the display mode of the interrelation display information, it becomes possible to make the user grasp the causal relationship reliably, for example.

[0021] According to the display system described in claim 7, the interrelationship display information includes a linear image starting from the first target element side and ending at the second target element side, making it possible to reliably grasp causal relationships, for example.

[0022] According to the display system described in claim 8, by calculating numerical information for identifying a causal order and identifying a causal order based on the calculated numerical information for identifying a causal order, it becomes possible to appropriately identify a causal order, for example, using the numerical information for identifying a causal order. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of target element related information. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a causal graph showing a structure of causal relationships between target elements. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart of a causal association process. [Diagram 5] 13 is a display example of a causal association display screen. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a causal association display screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a causal association display screen, etc. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an IF value. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of an IF value. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of a causal association display screen display process. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a process for identifying a display position. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a process for identifying a display position. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a process for specifying a display color. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, a display system and a display program according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0025] (Basic concept) First, a basic concept will be described. The display system according to the present invention is a system that displays information on causality between a plurality of target elements, and the concept includes, for example, a dedicated system that displays information on causality, or a system that is used for general purposes (for example, a general-purpose computer, a server computer, or a plurality of computers distributed on a network (i.e., a so-called cloud computer), etc.), which is realized by installing a display program and implementing a function for displaying information on causality.

[0026] A "target element" is an element that is the subject of a causal relationship (the relationship between a cause and the result that results from it), and more specifically, an element that is the subject of causal information displayed using a display system. A "target element" may be interpreted as indicating a concept corresponding to a so-called variable in the techniques of causal inference or causal discovery. The type and content of the "target element" are arbitrary, and the concept may include, for example, elements related to various product measures, elements related to sales, elements related to various system failures, elements related to various indicators (economy-related indicators, environment-related indicators, physical indicators, etc.), or any other arbitrary elements.

[0027] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the "target element" is an economy-related index.

[0028] (composition) First, an information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to the present embodiment.

[0029] The information processing system 100 is a system including a display system, and includes, for example, a terminal device 1 and a server device 2 that are capable of communicating with each other. Note that, although the number of each element included in the information processing system 100 is arbitrary, the present embodiment will be described focusing on the elements illustrated in FIG.

[0030] (Configuration - Terminal Device) The terminal device 1 is a device used by a user, and is, for example, a tablet terminal or a smartphone.

[0031] As a variation, the terminal device 1 can be, for example, other terminal devices including a personal computer or the like.

[0032] (Configuration - Terminal Device - Communication Unit) The communication unit 11 is a communication means for communicating with an external device (for example, the server device 2). The specific type and configuration of the communication unit 11 are arbitrary, but it can be configured, for example, using a known communication circuit or the like.

[0033] (Configuration-Terminal Device-Touchpad) The touch pad 12 is an operation means that receives various operation inputs from a user by being pressed by the user's finger, etc. The specific configuration of this touch pad 12 is arbitrary, but for example, a known one equipped with an operation position detection means using a resistive film method, a capacitive method, or the like can be used.

[0034] (Configuration - Terminal Equipment - Display) The display 13 is a display means for displaying various images under the control of the control unit 15. The specific configuration of the display 13 is arbitrary, and for example, a known flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display can be used. The touch pad 12 and the display 13 may be superimposed on each other to be integrally formed as a touch panel.

[0035] (Configuration - Terminal Device - Recording Unit) The recording unit 14 is a recording means for recording programs and various data necessary for the operation of the terminal device 1, and is configured, for example, using a flash memory (not shown) as an external recording device. However, instead of or together with the flash memory, any other recording medium including a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk or a magnetic disk, or an optical recording medium such as a DVD or a Blu-ray disk can be used (the same applies to the recording units of other devices).

[0036] (Configuration - Terminal Device - Control Unit) The control unit 15 is a control means for controlling the terminal device 1, and specifically, is a computer including a CPU, various programs interpreted and executed on the CPU (including basic control programs such as an OS, and application programs that are started on the OS and realize specific functions), and an internal memory such as a RAM for storing programs and various data (this also applies to the control units of other devices). In particular, the program according to the embodiment is installed in the terminal device 1 via an arbitrary recording medium or a network, thereby substantially configuring each unit of the control unit 15 (this also applies to the control units of other devices).

[0037] (Configuration - Server device) The server device 2 is a display system, and includes, for example, a communication unit 21, a recording unit 22, and a control unit .

[0038] (Configuration - Server device - Communication unit) The communication unit 21 is a communication means for communicating with an external device (for example, the terminal device 1). The specific type and configuration of the communication unit 21 are arbitrary, but it can be configured in the same way as the communication unit 11, for example.

[0039] (Configuration - Server Device - Recording Unit) The recording unit 22 is a recording means for recording programs and various data necessary for the operation of the server device 2, and includes, for example, a target element related information database (hereinafter, the database will be referred to as a “DB”) 221.

[0040] (Configuration - Server device - Recording unit - Target element related information DB) The target element related information DB221 is a target element related information storage means for storing the target element related information. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the target element related information, and Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a causal graph showing the structure of the causal relationship between the target elements. Note that the target element related information will be described after explaining the causal graph.

[0041] ===Causal Graph=== In Fig. 3, a causal graph showing the structure of the causal relationship regarding the economic indicators as the target elements is illustrated, that is, a causal graph when the variables are the economic indicators (daily values). In Fig. 3, for example, when "COPPER", an economic indicator showing the closing price of copper on each trading day, "NICKEL", an economic indicator showing the closing price of nickel on each trading day, "GOLD", an economic indicator showing the closing price of gold on each trading day, and "SPY", an economic indicator showing the closing price of a specified ETF or investment trust on each trading day, are used as the target elements (i.e., variables in causal inference), the structure of the causal relationship of each target element is illustrated.

[0042] In the causal graph of Figure 3, causes and effects are indicated with arrows, and arrows are shown pointing from a cause target element to a result target element.

[0043] In the causal graph of Figure 3, the coefficient information (positive or negative numerical information) indicates the degree of influence from the target element that is the cause to the target element that is the result, and the larger the numerical value, the greater the degree of influence. Note that "degree" or "level" may be interpreted as a concept indicating "degree."

[0044] Moreover, the positive / negative of the coefficient information indicates whether the influence is positive or negative. A positive influence is a concept indicating that, for example, when the value of a causative target element (in this embodiment, the value of an economically-related indicator) increases, it affects the value of a resulting target element (in this embodiment, the value of an economically-related indicator), that is, when the value of a causative target element decreases, it affects the value of a resulting target element in a decreasing direction. A negative influence is a concept opposite to a positive influence, and is a concept indicating, for example, when the value of a causative target element increases, it affects the value of a resulting target element in a decreasing direction, that is, when the value of a causative target element decreases, it affects the value of a resulting target element in a increasing direction.

[0045] ===Target element related information=== The "target element related information" stored in the target element related information DBB 221 in Fig. 1 is information related to the target element, specifically, information used to identify the structure of the causal relationship of the target element (for example, the causal graph in Fig. 3), that is, it is possible to identify the information indicated by the causal graph in Fig. 3 based on the target element related information and generate the causal graph. Also, the "target element related information" is stored in a state in which the information of each item in Fig. 2 is mutually associated, for example.

[0046] The information in the item “Target element identification information” in Figure 2 is target element identification information that indicates the target element (in Figure 2, it is “COPPER,” “NICKEL,” “GOLD,” and “SPY,” which indicate the economic-related indicators (i.e., target elements) illustrated in Figure 3).

[0047] The information in the item "closing price information" in FIG. 2 is information showing the change over time of the economic indicator, which is the target element, and specifically, information showing the value corresponding to the daily chart, that is, closing price information showing the closing price of each trading day. In FIG. 2, examples are shown such as "2023 / 4 / 1-4900 yen", which indicates that the closing price on April 1, 2023 was 4900 yen, and "2023 / 4 / 2-4850 yen", which indicates that the closing price on April 2, 2023 was 4850 yen. Note that although there is actually a large amount of information as this closing price information, only a portion of the information is shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of convenience of explanation.

[0048] For example, the top row of the target element related information in Figure 2 shows that for "COPPER," the closing prices on April 1, 2023 and April 2, 2023 were 4,900 yen and 4,850 yen, respectively.

[0049] The method for storing such target element-related information is arbitrary, but for example, a user such as an administrator may obtain information on each economically-related indicator for a specific period (a period specified by the user or any other period) using a specified method (e.g., a method of obtaining information via the Internet), and then input the information into the server device 2, where it is stored.

[0050] (Configuration - Server device - Control unit) The control unit 23 is a control means for controlling the server device 2. The control unit 23 conceptually includes, in terms of functions, for example, an acquisition means, a specification means, and a display control means.

[0051] ===Acquisition method=== The "acquisition means" is a means for acquiring causal structure information that indicates the structure of the causal relationships between a plurality of target elements.

[0052] “Causal structure information” is information indicating the structure of causal relationships between multiple target elements, and in this embodiment, for example, is information indicating the structure of causal relationships between multiple target elements corresponding to the causal graph of Figure 3.

[0053] ===Specific means=== The "identification means" is a means for identifying a causal order indicating the order of causality of each of a plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquisition means.

[0054] "Causal order" is a concept that indicates a hierarchy (order) regarding causation; specifically, it is a concept that indicates the relative hierarchy of each target element regarding causation based on whether each target element is the cause that affects other target elements, or the result that is affected by other target elements (the opposite side to the cause).

[0055] "Causal relationship" is a concept that indicates the causal relationship between multiple target elements, such as the relationship of whether each target element is relatively a cause or a result, the degree of influence of the causal target element on the resultant target element (i.e., the degree to which the resultant target element is influenced by the causal target element), and whether the influence is positive or negative.

[0056] The specific configuration of the specifying means is arbitrary, but may be configured as shown below, for example.

[0057] The "identification means" is, for example, numerical information for identifying a causal order that is determined based on a first degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has on other target elements included in the plurality of target elements, and a second degree indicating the degree of influence that other target elements included in the plurality of target elements have on each target element included in the plurality of target elements, and calculates numerical information for identifying a causal order that is used to identify a causal order, and identifies the causal order based on the calculated numerical information for identifying a causal order.

[0058] ===Display control methods=== The "display control means" is a means for displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationship identified by the identification means on the same screen.

[0059] "Displaying on the same screen" is the concept of displaying on a common screen, for example, the concept of displaying information (information indicating a causal sequence and information indicating a causal relationship) on a common screen that is displayed without performing an operation to display a separate screen, such as turning a page.

[0060] The specific configuration of the display control means is arbitrary, but may be configured as shown below, for example.

[0061] The 'display control means' displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means, for example, by a display mode of a plurality of pieces of target element related display information corresponding to the plurality of target elements, respectively.

[0062] "Target element related display information" is information corresponding to a target element, specifically, information for displaying various information related to the target element, and includes, for example, first target element related display information and second target element related display information. "First target element related display information" is, for example, information corresponding to a first target element that is relatively the cause among multiple target elements. Also, "second target element related display information" is, for example, information corresponding to a second target element that is relatively the result among multiple target elements, and that is influenced by the first target element.

[0063] "Display mode" is a concept that indicates the state or appearance of a display, and includes, for example, the display color, display position, display shape, display size (including thickness), or display state (flashing display, lit display, etc.).

[0064] The "display control means" displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means, for example, by displaying a plurality of target element related display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined based on the causal sequence identified by the identification means, the plurality of display positions being along a predetermined reference line.

[0065] The "predetermined reference line" is a line that is determined in advance and serves as a reference for displaying the target element related display information. This predetermined reference line is arbitrary, and is a concept that includes, for example, a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, any curve of other shape (a curve corresponding to the entire circumference of a circle, a curve corresponding to the entire circumference or semicircle of an ellipse, a curve of any curvature determined in advance by a user, etc.), a straight line corresponding to a part of the outer shape of a polygon (a polygon having vertices the number of which corresponds to the number of target elements (e.g., twice or three times the number)), a straight line corresponding to a line segment connecting two points, and a straight line or curve corresponding to the outer shape of a solid. In this embodiment, a case in which the "predetermined reference line" is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle will be described as an example.

[0066] The "display control means" displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means, for example, by displaying a plurality of target element related display information, with the positions at which the curve is divided by a number of divisions corresponding to the number of target elements being set as a plurality of display positions.

[0067] The "display control means" displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means, for example, by arranging and displaying multiple pieces of target element related display information at multiple display positions in an order corresponding to the causal sequence identified by the identification means.

[0068] The "display control means" displays, for example, the causal relationships between a plurality of target elements by displaying interrelationship display information in a manner that indicates that a plurality of target element related display information corresponding to each of the plurality of target elements is related to each other.

[0069] "Interrelationship display information" is information indicating that a plurality of target element-related display information corresponding to each of a plurality of target elements are interrelated, and is a concept including, for example, a linear image starting from a first target element (a target element that is relatively the cause among the plurality of target elements) and ending at a second target element (a target element that is relatively the result among the plurality of target elements and is influenced by the first target element). The "linear image" is arbitrary, and is a concept including, for example, an arrow-shaped image, a linear image of any shape other than an arrow (for example, a linear image with one end in a triangular shape and the other end in a circular shape, etc.). The processing performed by each part of the control unit 23 will be described later.

[0070] (process) Next, the causal related processing performed by the information processing system 100 configured as above will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the causal related processing (hereinafter, each step will be referred to as "S"). The causal related processing is processing performed by the server device 2, and is generally processing for displaying the causal sequence and causal relationships regarding a plurality of target elements, for example, processing for displaying a causal related display screen. The timing for executing this causal related processing is arbitrary, but it is assumed that it is started when, for example, various users perform an operation to start the processing via their own terminal device 1, and the description will begin from the point where this causal related processing is started.

[0071] Here, for example, a case will be described in which a causal relation display screen corresponding to the structure of the causal relations shown in the causal graph of Fig. 3 specified by the target element relation information of Fig. 2 is displayed. Note that the causal relation display screen will be described first, and then the causal relation processing will be described.

[0072] ===Causal correlation display screen=== Fig. 5 is a display example of the causal association display screen, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the causal association display screen, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the causal association display screen, etc. Fig. 5 illustrates the causal association display screen as it is displayed on the display 13 of the terminal device 1, and Fig. 6 illustrates a state in which each element included in the causal association display screen of Fig. 5 is given an explanatory symbol. Fig. 7 illustrates information (see the "Item" column in Fig. 7) indicated by the display mode (see the "Display Mode" column in Fig. 7) of each element displayed on the causal association display screen.

[0073] The "causal association display screen" is a screen that displays both the causal sequence and the causal relationship of target elements, and includes, for example, first display information 5 and second display information 6 as shown in FIGS.

[0074] ==1st display information== The first display information 5 in FIG. 6 is information that displays the causal sequence and causal relationship of the target elements, and includes, for example, a target element display node image 51, target element display character information 52, and an arrow image 53.

[0075] =Target element display node image= The target element display node image 51 in FIG. 6 is the target element related display information described above, and is, for example, information indicating the causal order of the corresponding economy-related indicator (i.e., target element) in a display manner (display position, display color) as shown in the column "Number" = "1" in FIG. 7. The target element display node image 51 is, for example, circular image information displayed at a position corresponding to the causal order along the reference line 50. Although the target element display node image 51 is illustrated as a white circle for convenience of explanation in each figure, it is image information displayed in a display color corresponding to the causal order. Note that the shape of the target element display node image 51 is arbitrary, and may be other shapes than a circle (for example, a rectangle, a star, etc.).

[0076] The reference line 50 is the above-mentioned predetermined reference line, and is, for example, a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle. The reference line 50 itself may be displayed or not displayed on the causal association display screen, but the present embodiment illustrates the case where the reference line 50 is displayed.

[0077] In this embodiment, the target element display node image 51 in Fig. 6 includes, for example, target element display node images 511 to 514. The target element display node image 511 is an image showing information on "COPPER" in Fig. 2, the target element display node image 512 is an image showing information on "NICKEL" in Fig. 2, the target element display node image 513 is an image showing information on "GOLD" in Fig. 2, and the target element display node image 514 is an image showing information on "SPY" in Fig. 2.

[0078] =Target element display character information= 6 is, for example, information that indicates in text an economic-related indicator indicated by the corresponding target element display node image 51. The display position of the target element display text information 52 is arbitrary, but for example, it may be displayed in a position near the corresponding target element display node image 51. The display color of the target element display text information 52 is also arbitrary, but for example, a predetermined display color (a specific color that stands out against the background color) may be used as the display color, or, as a variation, it may be the same display color as the corresponding target element display node image 51.

[0079] In this embodiment, the target element display character information 52 in Fig. 6 includes, for example, target element display character information 521 to 524. The target element display character information 521 is information indicating "COPPER" in Fig. 2 corresponding to the target element display node image 511, the target element display character information 522 is information indicating "NICKEL" in Fig. 2 corresponding to the target element display node image 512, the target element display character information 523 is information indicating "GOLD" in Fig. 2 corresponding to the target element display node image 513, and the target element display character information 524 is information indicating "SPY" in Fig. 2 corresponding to the target element display node image 514.

[0080] =Arrow image= The arrow image 53 in FIG. 6 is the above-mentioned interrelation display information, and is information showing the causal relationship between a plurality of economic-related indicators (i.e., target elements) by, for example, a display mode (display position, display color, and display size (specifically, thickness)). In detail, the arrow image 53 shows, for example, the relationship of each target element being a cause or a result relatively by the display position (the position of the starting point and the position of the end point) as shown in the column "Number" = "2" in FIG. 7. Also, the arrow image 53 shows, for example, the degree of influence of the target element that is the cause on the target element that is the result by the target element that is the cause, by the display size (thickness), as shown in the column "Number" = "3" in FIG. 7. Also, the arrow image 53 shows, for example, whether the influence is positive or negative by the display color, as shown in the column "Number" = "4" in FIG. 7. In addition, for ease of explanation, the arrow image 53 is illustrated in each figure as a white or hatched arrow, but the white and hatched arrows indicate different display colors, for example, the white arrow indicates a bluish color and the hatched arrow indicates a yellowish color.

[0081] As shown in the "Item" column of "Number" = "2" to "4" in Figure 7, the relationship in which each target element is relatively either a cause or a result is also referred to as the "individual causal relationship," the degree of influence from the target element that is the cause to the target element that is the result is also referred to as the "degree of influence," and whether the influence is positive or negative is also referred to as the "positive or negative influence."

[0082] Note that the causal target element (hereinafter also referred to as the "cause-side target element") and the resultant target element (hereinafter also referred to as the "result-side target element") are relative concepts, and one target element can be either a causal target element or a resultant target element in relation to each of the other target elements. Also, the causal target element can be interpreted as corresponding to the "first target element" that is relatively on the cause side among multiple target elements, and the resultant target element can be interpreted as corresponding to the "second target element" that is relatively on the result side among multiple target elements and is influenced by the first target element.

[0083] In the present embodiment, the arrow image 53 in FIG. 6 includes, for example, arrow images 531 to 535. The arrow image 531 is an arrow-shaped linear image indicating a causal relationship corresponding to the influence from "COPPER" to "NICKEL" in FIG. 3 (causal relationship with coefficient information of "0.10" in FIG. 3). The arrow image 532 is an arrow-shaped linear image indicating a causal relationship corresponding to the influence from "COPPER" to "GOLD" in FIG. 3 (causal relationship with coefficient information of "0.66" in FIG. 3). The arrow image 533 is an arrow-shaped linear image indicating a causal relationship corresponding to the influence from "COPPER" to "SPY" in FIG. 3 (causal relationship with coefficient information of "0.77" in FIG. 3). The arrow image 534 is an arrow-shaped linear image indicating a causal relationship corresponding to the influence from "NICKEL" to "GOLD" in FIG. 3 (causal relationship with coefficient information of "0.50" in FIG. 3). Also, the arrow image 535 is a linear image in the shape of an arrow indicating the causal relationship corresponding to the influence from "NICKEL" to "SPY" in FIG. 3 (the causal relationship with coefficient information "-0.53" in FIG. 3).

[0084] ==Second display information== The second display information 6 in FIG. 6 is information for improving the visibility of the first display information 5, and includes, for example, a gradation display bar 61.

[0085] =Gradient display bar= The gradation display bar 61 is information for improving the visibility of the information indicated by the target element display node image 51, and is, for example, an image that displays a gradation display color that corresponds to the display color of the target element display node image 51.

[0086] ===SA1=== In SA1 in Fig. 4, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 acquires causal structure information. Specifically, although there is any way to do so, for example, based on the target element related information in Fig. 2, the control unit 23 specifies the structure of causal relationships between the multiple target elements shown in the target element related information, and acquires causal structure information indicating the structure of the specified causal relationships.

[0087] The method for identifying the structure of causal relationships is arbitrary, but for example, a method using a predetermined algorithm for identifying the structure of causal relationships (i.e., information corresponding to the arrows of each variable in FIG. 3 and coefficient information, etc.) shown in a causal graph (a weighted acyclic directed graph, in this embodiment, the causal graph in FIG. 3) based on DirectLinGAM (Linear Non-Gaussian Acyclic Model) is used. As the predetermined algorithm, a known algorithm in the technical field of causal inference or causal discovery can be used, and therefore a detailed description is omitted. In addition, as the predetermined algorithm, for example, an algorithm for identifying coefficient information in a matrix representation corresponding to a so-called structural equation model can also be used.

[0088] In this embodiment, it has been described that the structure of causal relationships between target elements is identified using a method corresponding to DirectLinGAM, but as variations, for example, a method corresponding to ICA LiNGAM, a method corresponding to a Bayesian network, a method corresponding to SAM, a method corresponding to covariance structure analysis, or a method corresponding to Granger causal estimation may be used.

[0089] <Example> Here, for example, in the target element related information of Figure 2, by applying the economic-related indicators "COPPER", "NICKEL", "GOLD", and "SPY" as target elements indicated by the target element identification information and the closing price information associated with each economic indicator such as "2023 / 4 / 1-4900 yen, 2023 / 4 / 2-4850 yen, ...", "2023 / 4 / 1-2800 yen, 2023 / 4 / 2-3000 yen, ...", etc. to the method of identifying the causal relationship structure described above, the causal relationship structure between each economic-related indicator shown in the causal graph of Figure 3 is identified, and information indicating the causal relationship structure shown in the causal graph of Figure 3 is obtained as causal structure information indicating the identified causal relationship structure.

[0090] <Variations> In the present embodiment, the server device 2 identifies the structure of the causal relationships indicated by the causal graph of FIG. 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured as follows as a variation.

[0091] Specifically, the structure of the causal relationships shown in the causal graph of Figure 3 has been made clear in advance by any method, such as processing by another system or manual calculation by a user, and causal structure information showing the structure of the causal relationships shown in the causal graph of Figure 3 has been recorded in the recording unit 22 of the server device 2. The control unit 23 may be configured to acquire this recorded causal structure information in SA1 of Figure 4 and then execute each of the processes shown below.

[0092] ===SA2=== 4, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 identifies a causal sequence indicating a sequence related to the causality of each of the plurality of target elements and a causal relationship between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired in SA1. After explaining how to identify the causal relationship, we will explain how to identify the causal sequence.

[0093] ==Identifying causal relationships== The identification of causal relationships is performed by focusing on the fact that the causal structure information acquired in SA1 indicates the structure of the causal relationships of each target element shown, for example, in the causal graph of Fig. 3. The control unit 23 identifies the structure of the causal relationships of each target element indicated by the causal structure information acquired in SA1 (for example, the structure shown in the causal graph of Fig. 3), and identifies individual causal relationships, the degree of influence, and whether the influence is positive or negative based on the identified structure of the causal relationships (see the "Item" column of "Number" = "2" to "4" in Fig. 7).

[0094] <Example (individual causal relationships)> Here, as shown in Figure 3, for example, the following individual causal relationships are identified: relationship R1 in which "COPPER" is the cause target element and "NICKLE" is the result target element; relationship R2 in which "COPPER" is the cause target element and "GOLD" is the result target element; relationship R3 in which "COPPER" is the cause target element and "SPY" is the result target element; relationship R4 in which "NICKLE" is the cause target element and "GOLD" is the result target element; and relationship R5 in which "NICKLE" is the cause target element and "SPY" is the result target element.

[0095] <Example (impact level)> Also, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the influence levels are identified as the influence level for relationship R1 (i.e., the degree of influence from "COPPER" to "NICKLE") of "0.10" (absolute value of the coefficient information in FIG. 3), the influence level for relationship R2 (i.e., the degree of influence from "COPPER" to "GOLD") of "0.66", the influence level for relationship R3 of "0.77", the influence level for relationship R4 of "0.50", and the influence level for relationship R5 of "0.53".

[0096] <Example (positive or negative impact)> Also, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, the influence is determined to be positive or negative by specifying that the influence regarding relationship R1 (i.e., the influence from "COPPER" to "NICKLE") is positive, the influences regarding relationships R2 to R4 are positive, and the influence regarding relationship R5 is negative.

[0097] ==Identifying causal order== The causal sequence is identified by calculating numerical information for identifying the causal sequence based on the causal structure information acquired in SA1, and identifying the causal sequence is performed based on the calculated numerical information for identifying the causal sequence.

[0098] "Numerical information for identifying causal order" is numerical information used to identify a causal order, and specifically, is information determined based on a first degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has on other target elements included in the plurality of target elements, and a second degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has from the other target elements included in the plurality of target elements. The specific content of this influence order numerical information is arbitrary, but in this embodiment, for example, a case will be described where an IF (Influence Factor) value is used as the numerical information for identifying causal order.

[0099] Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the IF value. Note that Fig. 8 illustrates an arithmetic expression for calculating the IF value. The IF value is numerical information for identifying a causal order in this embodiment, and is information that can be calculated based on the causal structure information acquired by SA1, for example, and is numerical information calculated based on the arithmetic expression shown in Fig. 8. This IF value is calculated for each target element by the arithmetic expression in Fig. 8.

[0100] In addition, "S_out" in the calculation formula of Figure 8 indicates the degree of influence that the target element for which the IF value is calculated has on other target elements (i.e., the degree of influence from the target element for which the IF value is calculated on other target elements) (first degree), and in detail, for example, indicates the total value of the absolute values ​​of the coefficient information (i.e., the degree of influence) in a causal relationship in which the target element for which the IF value is calculated is the cause side target element.

[0101] Furthermore, "S_in" in the calculation formula of Figure 8 indicates the degree of influence exerted by other target elements on the target element for which the IF value is calculated (i.e., the degree of influence exerted by other target elements on the target element for which the IF value is calculated) (second degree), and in detail indicates, for example, the total value of the absolute values ​​of the coefficient information (i.e., the degree of influence) in the causal relationship in which the target element for which the IF value is calculated is the result side target element.

[0102] The process of identifying the causal sequence involves the following first and second steps.

[0103] =1st Step= In the first step, based on the causal structure information acquired in SA1, a process similar to that described in the above section "Identifying Causal Relationships" is performed to identify individual causal relationships and their degrees of impact, and the identified individual causal relationships and degrees of impact are applied to the formula for calculating the IF value in Figure 8 to calculate the IF value.

[0104] <Example> Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of calculation of an IF value. Here, for example, similarly to the above-mentioned "<Example (individual causal relationships)>" and "<Example (degree of influence)>", based on the causal structure information acquired by SA1, relationships R1 to R5 shown in Fig. 3 are specified as individual causal relationships, and "0.10", "0.66", "0.77", "0.50", and "0.53" are specified as the influence degrees related to the relationships R1 to R5, and these individual causal relationships and influence degrees are applied to the arithmetic formula for calculating the IF value in Fig. 8 to calculate the IF value.

[0105] In detail, for "COPPER", as shown in the "Target Element" = "COPPER" column in Figure 9, "S_out" and "S_in" are "1.53" and "0", and the IF value calculated is "1". For "NICKEL", "GOLD", and "SPY", as shown in the corresponding columns in Figure 9, "S_out" and "S_in" are the values ​​shown, and the IF values ​​calculated are "0.823", "-1", and "-1".

[0106] =Second Step= In the second step, a causal order is specified according to the magnitude relationship of the IF values ​​of each target element calculated in the first step. In this embodiment, a numerical value is used to indicate an order (order) that can specify whether the order is closer to the cause side (i.e., farther from the result side) or farther from the cause side (i.e., closer to the result side) based on the criteria of the cause side and the result side (opposite the cause side), and a case will be described in which an order closer to the cause side is indicated by a positive integer with a smaller value. That is, for example, a causal order corresponding to "1" indicates an order closer to the cause side (i.e., an order closer to the cause side) than a causal order corresponding to "2".

[0107] In addition, with regard to the causal order, an order closer to the cause may be interpreted as a relatively higher order, and an order farther from the cause may be interpreted as a relatively lower order.

[0108] For example, a target element in the causal order corresponding to "1" can be interpreted as being more likely to influence other target elements (less likely to be influenced by other target elements) (i.e., more likely to be a cause target element and less likely to be a result target element) than a target element in the causal order corresponding to a number greater than "1," such as "2" or "3."

[0109] Furthermore, for example, a target element in the causal order corresponding to "3" can be interpreted as being less likely to influence other target elements (more likely to be influenced by other target elements) (i.e., more likely to become a result-side target element and less likely to become a cause-side target element) than a target element in the causal order corresponding to a number smaller than "3", such as "1" or "2."

[0110] Specifically regarding the processing of the second step, the target element with a larger IF value among each of the target elements calculated in the first step has a sequence closer to the cause side (when the sequence is represented by a positive numerical value, it is the sequence corresponding to a smaller numerical value, i.e., the upper sequence), and the target element with a smaller IF value among each of the target elements calculated in the first step has a sequence closer to the result side (when the sequence is represented by a positive numerical value, it is the sequence corresponding to a larger numerical value, i.e., the lower sequence), and the causal sequence is specified accordingly.

[0111] Note that since both positive and negative numerical values are assumed for the IF value, "the IF value is larger" and "the IF value is smaller" indicate the magnitude relationship in the numerical values including the positive and negative signs. That is, for example, regarding the IF values of "1" and "-1", "1" is considered larger and "-1" is considered smaller, and for "-0.5" and "-1", "-0.5" is considered larger and "-1" is considered smaller.

[0112] <When the IF values are the same> Also, it is assumed that the IF values of each target element may be the same as each other. In this case, when the IF value is "1", when the IF value is "-1", and when the IF value is a numerical value other than "1" or "-1", the following processing may be performed separately.

[0113] For example, when the IF values of each target element are "1" and are the same as each other, the causal sequence is specified such that the target element with a larger sum of related influence degrees (that is, the calculation result of "S_out" + "S_in") has a sequence closer to the cause side (when the sequence is represented by a positive numerical value, it is the sequence closer to "1", that is, the upper sequence).

[0114] For example, when the IF values of each target element are "-1" and are the same as each other, the causal sequence is specified such that the target element with a larger sum of related influence degrees (that is, the calculation result of "S_out" + "S_in") has a sequence closer to the result side (when the sequence is represented by a positive numerical value, it is the sequence farther from "1", that is, the lower sequence).

[0115] For example, when the IF values of each target element are numbers other than "1" or "-1" and are the same as each other, a temporary causal sequence may be preset for each target element by the user, and the causal sequence may be specified according to this temporary causal sequence, or the causal sequence may be specified such that the target element with a larger sum of related influence degrees becomes the cause-side sequence, or alternatively, the causal sequence may be specified such that the target element with a larger sum of related influence degrees becomes the result-side sequence.

[0116] <Example> Here, for example, in the first step, as shown in the "IF value" column of FIG. 9, the IF values of each target element are calculated as "1", "0.823", "-1", and "-1". Therefore, in the second step, based on the magnitude relationship of the calculated IF values, the causal sequence is specified.

[0117] Specifically, as the causal sequence of "COPPER" corresponding to the largest IF value of "1", the sequence corresponding to "1" closest to the cause side is specified. Also, as the causal sequence of "NICKEL" corresponding to the second largest IF value of "0.823", the sequence corresponding to "2" second closest to the cause side is specified.

[0118] In addition, there are two occurrences of the third largest IF value of "-1", that is, the IF values of "GOLD" and "SPY" are "-1" and are the same as each other. However, the sum of the influence degrees related to "GOLD" is "0.66 + 0.5 = 1.16", and the sum of the influence degrees related to "SPY" is "0.53 + 0.77 = 1.3". Therefore, since "SPY" with a larger sum of related influence degrees becomes the more result side (the sequence farther from "1" and the lower sequence), as the causal sequence of "GOLD", the sequence corresponding to "3" third closest to the cause side is specified, and as the causal sequence of "SPY", the sequence corresponding to "4" fourth closest to the cause side is specified.

[0119] <Case where IF values are the same value (variation)> As a variation of the process when the IF values ​​are the same, when the IF values ​​of the target elements are "1" and the same value, the causal order may be determined according to a tentative causal order, or the target element with a larger sum of the associated influence degrees may be determined to be on the result side. Also, when the IF values ​​of the target elements are "-1" and the same value, the causal order may be determined according to a tentative causal order, or the target element with a larger sum of the associated influence degrees may be determined to be on the cause side.

[0120] ===SA3=== In SA3 of Fig. 4, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 executes a causal association display screen display process based on the processing result of SA2. Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the causal association display screen display process. The causal association display screen display process is a process performed by the server device 2, and is generally a process for displaying a causal association display screen, and more specifically, is a process for displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationships identified in SA2 of Fig. 4 on the same screen.

[0121] ===SB1=== 10, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 specifies the display mode (display position and display color) of the target element display node image 51 in FIG. 6 based on the processing result of SA2. Specifically, although any display mode may be specified, for example, a display mode showing the causal sequence specified in SA2 may be specified as the display mode of the target element display node image 51.

[0122] ==Specifying the display position== In general, the display positions of the target element display node images 51 in Fig. 6 are specified so that the target element display node images 51 corresponding to the respective target elements are arranged in an order corresponding to the causal sequence specified in SA2 in Fig. 4. Specifically, the following first and second steps are executed. Note that these steps are merely examples, and the above-mentioned configuration may be achieved by performing other processing.

[0123] 11 and 12 are explanatory diagrams of the process of specifying the display position. Note that in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the display positions and the like on the causal association display screens in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are illustrated as examples.

[0124] =1st Step= In the first step, as shown in Fig. 11, display positions P511-P514 (Fig. 12) the number of which corresponds to the number of target elements are specified on a reference line 50, which is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle of a predetermined diameter centered on a reference point 50A (Fig. 11) on the causal association display screen of Fig. 5. Specifically, the number of target elements is specified by referring to the target element specification information in Fig. 2, and display positions the specified number of which are specified.

[0125] <Example> 2 indicates that there are four target elements, so display positions for all four must be identified, and the ends of reference line 50 (two ends, both ends) and positions on reference line 50 that divide reference line 50 into thirds (a number of equal divisions corresponding to the number of target elements, 4 minus 1) are identified, and the identified positions are set as display positions. In detail, display positions P511 to P514 in FIG. 12 are identified, which are positions corresponding to the ends of three sectorial arcs with central angles of 60 degrees, which are obtained by dividing 180 degrees, the central angle of a semicircle centered on reference point 50A, into thirds.

[0126] =Second Step= In the second step, it is specified at which display position among the multiple display positions specified in the first step the target element display node image 51 corresponding to each target element should be displayed. Specifically, the display positions are specified so that the target element display node images 51 corresponding to each target element are arranged in the order corresponding to the causal sequence specified in SA2 of FIG.

[0127] <Example> 5 and 6, for example, the left side of the screen indicates the upper causal order closer to the cause side, that is, the right side of the screen indicates the lower causal order farther from the cause side. In this case, with regard to the display positions P511 to P514 in Fig. 12, display position P511 is the position indicating the causal order closest to the cause side, display position P512 is the position indicating the causal order second closest to the cause side, display position P513 is the position indicating the causal order third closest to the cause side, and display position P514 is the position indicating the causal order fourth closest to the cause side (that is, the position indicating the causal order farthest from the cause side and closest to the effect side).

[0128] Then, in SA2 of FIG. 4, a causal order corresponding to "1" is identified as the causal order of "COPPER", a causal order corresponding to "2" is identified as the causal order of "NICKEL", a causal order corresponding to "3" is identified as the causal order of "GOLD", and a causal order corresponding to "4" is identified, and therefore display position P511 (FIG. 12) is identified as the display position of the target element display node image 511 (FIG. 6) indicating "COPPER", display position P512 (FIG. 12) is identified as the display position of the target element display node image 512 (FIG. 6) indicating "NICKEL", display position P513 (FIG. 12) is identified as the display position of the target element display node image 513 (FIG. 6) indicating "GOLD", and display position P514 (FIG. 12) is identified as the display position of the target element display node image 514 (FIG. 6) indicating "SPY".

[0129] ==Specifying display color== In regard to the specification of the display color of the target element display node image 51 in FIG. 6, the display color is specified so that the target element display node image 51 corresponding to each target element is displayed in a display color corresponding to the causal order specified in SA2 in FIG. 4. Specifically, the display color is specified so that the causal order can be grasped relatively from the shade of the display color of the multiple target element display node images 51 by specifying a display color determined by a gradation of a predetermined color (shades of purple as an example) that is regularly determined corresponding to the causal order. Specifically, the following first and second steps are executed. Note that these steps are merely examples, and the above-mentioned configuration may be achieved by performing other processing.

[0130] Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a process for specifying a display color. Note that Fig. 13 illustrates an example of the display position on the causal association display screen of Figs. 5 and 6.

[0131] =1st Step= In the first step, as shown in FIG. 13, in the width W direction (direction parallel to the diameter of the semicircle including the reference line 50 in FIG. 13) corresponding to the two ends of the reference line 50, which is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle of a predetermined diameter centered on the reference point 50A, a distance between position P911 (a position corresponding to the display position P511 closest to the cause side) and position P914 (a position corresponding to the display position P514 closest to the cause side) is equally divided into a predetermined number of sections (128 to 256, etc.), and a display color corresponding to a regularly determined gradation of predetermined colors is determined for each section.

[0132] <Example> 13, the area between positions P911 and P914 is equally divided into a predetermined number of sections (128 to 256, etc.), and a color corresponding to a gradation in which the purple becomes darker from the position P911 side toward the position P914 side is set for each section. That is, for example, the section corresponding to position P911 is set to white, which is the lightest (pale) display color, and the section corresponding to position P914 is set to the darkest purple display color.

[0133] In this case, for the section at position P912 (i.e., the position in the width W direction at display position P512) corresponding to display position P512 in Fig. 13, a display color that is darker than the section at position P911 and lighter than the section at position P914 is set. Also, for the section at position P913 (i.e., the position in the width W direction at display position P513) corresponding to display position P513 in Fig. 13, a display color that is darker than the section at position P912 and lighter than the section at position P914 is set.

[0134] The display colors of the sections corresponding to the positions P911 to P914, respectively, will be described as a "first display color" to a "fourth display color" as shown in FIG.

[0135] =Second Step= In the second step, the display color of the target element display node image 51 is specified based on the display color of each section determined in the first step and the display position of the target element display node image 51 specified in the above-mentioned "specifying display position" process (that is, the display position determined based on the causal order specified in SA2 in Fig. 4). Specifically, a position in the width W direction corresponding to the display position of the target element display node image 51 is specified, and the display color corresponding to the specified position in the width W direction is specified as the display color of each target element display node image 51.

[0136] <Example> Here, for example, since the display position P511 (FIG. 13) is specified as the display position of the target element display node image 511 (FIG. 6) indicating "COPPER", the first display color corresponding to the position P911 in the width W direction corresponding to the display position P511 is specified as the display color of the target element display node image 511 (FIG. 6). Also, for example, since the display positions P512-P514 (FIG. 13) are specified as the display positions of the target element display node images 512-514 (FIG. 6) indicating "NICKEL", "GOLD", and "SPY", the second display color, the third display color, and the fourth display color corresponding to the positions P912-P914 in the width W direction corresponding to the display positions P512-P514 are specified as the display colors of the target element display node images 512, 513, and 514 (FIG. 6).

[0137] ===SB2=== 10, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 specifies the display mode (display position, display size, and display color) of the arrow image 53 in Fig. 6 based on the processing result of SA2. Specifically, although any display mode may be specified, for example, the display mode of the arrow image 53 may be specified to indicate the causal relationships specified in SA2 (individual causal relationships, degree of influence, and positive or negative influence).

[0138] ==Specifying the display position== 6 (identifying the start point position and end point position), roughly speaking, the display position of the target element display node image 51 indicating the cause side target element is identified as the start point position, and the display position of the target element display node image 51 indicating the result side target element affected by the cause side target element is identified as the end point position, thereby identifying the display position of the arrow image 53 pointing from the identified start point position to the identified end point position. Specifically, the following first step is executed. Note that this step is merely an example, and the above-mentioned configuration may be achieved by performing other processing.

[0139] =1st Step= In the first step, based on the individual causal relationships in the causal relationships identified in SA2 of Figure 4 and the display positions of the target element display node images 51 identified in SB1 of Figure 10, the display position of the target element display node image 51 indicating the cause side target element is identified as the starting position, and the display position of the target element display node image 51 indicating the result side target element that is influenced by the cause side target element is identified as the end position.

[0140] <Example> Here, for example, as described above, in SA2 of FIG. 4, relationships R1 to R5 of FIG. 3 are identified as individual causal relationships, and in SB1 of FIG. 10, display positions P511 to P514 (FIG. 12) are identified as the display positions of target element display node images 511 to 514 (FIG. 6) indicating "COPPER" to "SPY", so the following are identified as the display positions of arrow image 53.

[0141] For example, based on the individual causal relationships corresponding to relationship R1 in Figure 3, the display position P511 (Figure 12), which is the display position of the target element display node image 511 indicating "COPPER" corresponding to the cause side target element, is identified as the starting position, and the display position P512 (Figure 12), which is the display position of the target element display node image 512 indicating "NICKEL" corresponding to the result side target element, is identified as the ending position, thereby identifying the position of the arrow image 531 (Figure 6) corresponding to relationship R1.

[0142] In other words, with regard to the individual causal relationship corresponding to relationship R1 in Figure 3, the target element display node image 511 (first target element related display information) indicating "COPPER" corresponding to the cause side target element is identified as the starting point, and the target element display node image 512 (second target element related display information) indicating "NICKEL" corresponding to the result side target element is identified as the end point.

[0143] Similarly, for example, based on the individual causal relationships of the relationships R2 to R5 in FIG. 3, the positions of the arrow images 532 to 535 (FIG. 6) corresponding to the relationships R2 to R5 are identified.

[0144] ==Specifying the display size== 6, the display size (thickness) of the arrow image 53 is generally determined by determining a display thickness corresponding to the influence degree of the individual causal relationship corresponding to each arrow image 53. Specifically, the following first step is executed. Note that this step is merely an example, and the above-mentioned configuration may be achieved by performing other processing.

[0145] =1st Step= In the first step, a display thickness corresponding to the degree of influence in the causal relationship identified in SA2 of Fig. 4 is identified. A specific identification method is arbitrary, and for example, a case where the display thickness is identified so that it becomes thicker as the degree of influence increases will be described. For example, it is assumed that an arithmetic expression or algorithm or the like is recorded in the recording unit 22 of the server device 2, which outputs information indicating a display thickness corresponding to the inputted numerical information when numerical information indicating the degree of influence is inputted, and the display thickness may be identified using the arithmetic expression or algorithm.

[0146] <Example> Here, for example, as described above, in SA2 of FIG. 4, the influence degrees for the relationships R1 to R5 of FIG. 3 are specified as “0.10”, “0.66”, “0.77”, “0.50”, and “0.53”, so the following are specified as the display sizes of the arrow image 53.

[0147] For example, the thickest display thickness among them is specified as the display size of the arrow image 533 (FIG. 6) corresponding to the relationship R3 having the largest value of "0.77" among the influence degrees.

[0148] Similarly, the second, third, fourth and fifth thickest display thicknesses are specified as the display sizes of arrow image 532 (FIG. 6), arrow image 535, arrow image 534 and arrow image 531 corresponding to relationships R2, R5, R4 and R1 with "0.66", "0.53", "0.50" and "0.10". In other words, the thinnest display thickness is specified as the display size of arrow image 531 (FIG. 6) corresponding to relationship R1 with the smallest value of "0.10" among the influence degrees.

[0149] ==Specifying display color== 6, the display color of the arrow image 53 is generally determined to correspond to the positive or negative influence of the individual causal relationship corresponding to each arrow image 53. Specifically, the following first step is executed. Note that this step is merely an example, and the above-mentioned configuration may be adopted by performing other processing.

[0150] =1st Step= In the first step, a display color is specified that corresponds to the positive or negative influence in the causal relationship specified in SA2 of Fig. 4. The specific specification method is arbitrary, and for example, a rule may be established for the display color such that a "blue-based color" (blue as one example) is used when the influence is positive, and a "yellow-based color" (yellow as one example) is used when the influence is negative, and the display color may be specified according to the rule.

[0151] <Example> Here, for example, as described above, in SA2 of FIG. 4, the influence of the relationships R1 to R4 of FIG. 3 is identified as being positive, while the influence of the relationship R5 of FIG. 3 is identified as being negative. Therefore, in accordance with the display color rules described above, the following is identified as the display color of the arrow image 53.

[0152] For example, the display color of arrow images 531-534 (FIG. 6) corresponding to relationships R1-R4 in FIG. 3 is specified as "blue," which corresponds to a positive influence, while the display color of arrow image 535 (FIG. 6) corresponding to relationship R5 in FIG. 3 is specified as "yellow," which corresponds to a negative influence.

[0153] ===SB3=== 10, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 specifies the display mode (display position) of the target element display character information 52 in Fig. 6. Specifically, although any position may be specified, for example, a position in the vicinity of the display position of the target element display node image 51 specified in the process of SB1 is specified as the display position of the target element display character information 52 corresponding to each target element display node image 51.

[0154] <Example> Here, for example, in the above-mentioned SB1, the display positions P511 to P514 in Figure 12 are identified as the display positions of the target element display node images 511 to 514, and therefore positions in the vicinity of the display positions P511 to P514 are identified as the display positions of the target element display character information 521 to 524 corresponding to the target element display node images 511 to 514.

[0155] ===SB4=== In SB4 of Fig. 10, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 specifies the display mode (display shape, display size, display position, and display color) of the gradation display bar 61 of Fig. 6. Specifically, although any specific method is used, for example, a bar-like shape and size with positions P911 and P914 at both ends in the width W direction of Fig. 13 are specified, and a position at the bottom of the screen of a semicircle including the reference line 50 is specified as the display position, and a display color corresponding to the gradation described in "First Step" of the process of "Specifying Display Color" of SB1 of Fig. 10 is specified as the display color of the gradation display bar 61 (Fig. 6). In other words, the display color is specified so that the display color becomes from light (pale) to dark as it moves from the left side of the drawing to the right side of the gradation display bar 61 of Fig. 6.

[0156] <Example> 6 as the display mode of the gradation display bar 61, and a position below the screen of a semicircle including the reference line 50 is specified as the display position, and the display color is specified to become lighter (pale) as it moves from the left side of the drawing to the right side. That is, as the display color of each position of the gradation display bar 61 corresponding to the position P911, the position P912, the position P913, and the position P914 in the width W direction of FIG. 13, the same display color as the display color of the target element display node images 511 to 514 (specifically, the first display color, the second display color, the third display color, and the fourth display color in FIG. 13) is specified.

[0157] ===SB5=== At SB5 in Fig. 10, the control unit 23 of the server device 2 displays a causal association display screen. Specifically, although it is arbitrary, for example, in the display mode specified at SB1 to SB4, the control unit 23 displays the first display information 5 in Fig. 6 (specifically, the target element display node image 51, the target element display character information 52, and the arrow image 53) and the second display information 6 in Fig. 6 (specifically, the gradation display bar 61) and generates screen information for displaying the reference line 50, and transmits the generated screen information to the terminal device 1, thereby displaying the causal association display screen on the display 13 of the terminal device 1.

[0158] <Example> Here, for example, screen information for displaying the causal relation display screen of Fig. 6 is generated and transmitted to the terminal device 1, thereby displaying the causal relation display screen of Fig. 6 on the display 13. Thereby, the causal relation display screen display process of Fig. 10 is returned, and the causal relation processing of Fig. 4 is terminated.

[0159] (Understanding information from the causal relationship display screen) The causal relationship display screen in Figure 6 is displayed by performing the various processes described above, so that the user can grasp various information regarding the causality of the target element by visually checking the causal relationship display screen.

[0160] ===Causal order=== For example, as shown in the column "Number" = "1" in Figure 7, the display position and display color of the target element display node image 51 in Figure 6 correspond to the causal order of the corresponding target element, so by visually checking the display position and display color of the target element display node image 51, it is possible to grasp the causal order of the target element.

[0161] <Example> As an example, in the case where a causal order is interpreted such that an order closer to the cause is a relatively higher order and an order farther from the cause is a relatively lower order, by visually checking the causal association display screen in Fig. 6, it can be understood that the further to the left the display position is on the screen, the higher the causal order of the target element corresponding to the target element display node image 51 is. Also, by visually checking the causal association display screen in Fig. 6, it can be understood that the lighter (lighter) the display color is, the higher the causal order of the target element corresponding to the target element display node image 51 is.

[0162] It can be seen that the order of causation from top to bottom is "COPPER," "NICKEL," "GOLD," and "SPY." In other words, it can be seen that, among the four target elements, "COPPER" is the most causal element, and "SPY" is the most consequential element.

[0163] ===Causal relationship (individual causal relationship)=== For example, as shown in the column "Number" = "2" in Figure 7, the display position (start and end points) of arrow image 53 in Figure 6 corresponds to the individual causal relationship of the corresponding target element, so by visually checking the display position of arrow image 53, it is possible to grasp the individual causal relationship of the target element.

[0164] <Example> As an example, by visually checking the causal relation display screen of FIG. 6, it is possible to grasp the individual causal relations of the relations R1 to R5 in FIG.

[0165] ===Causal relationship (impact)=== For example, as shown in the column "Number" = "3" in Figure 7, the display size (thickness) of arrow image 53 in Figure 6 corresponds to the influence degree in the individual causal relationship of the corresponding target element, so by visually checking the display size of arrow image 53, it is possible to grasp the relative magnitude relationship of the influence degree in the individual causal relationship of the target element.

[0166] <Example> As an example, by visually checking the causal association display screen of FIG. 6, it becomes possible to grasp the relative magnitude relationship of the influence degrees corresponding to the magnitude relationship of the absolute values ​​of the coefficient information of FIG.

[0167] ===Causal relationship (positive or negative influence)=== For example, as shown in the column "Number" = "4" in Figure 7, the display color of the arrow image 53 in Figure 6 corresponds to the positive or negative influence in the individual causal relationship of the corresponding target element, so that by visually checking the display color of the arrow image 53, it is possible to grasp the positive or negative influence in the individual causal relationship of the target element.

[0168] <Example> As an example, by visually examining the causal relationship display screen of FIG. 6, it is possible to grasp that the influence of relationships R1 to R4 (FIG. 3) corresponding to the "blue" arrow images 531 to 534 is positive, and that the influence of relationship R5 corresponding to the "yellow" arrow image 535 is negative.

[0169] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, according to this embodiment, by displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationships on the same screen, it becomes possible to make the user understand both the causal sequence and the causal relationships, for example.

[0170] Furthermore, by displaying the causal order in the display mode of a plurality of target element display node images 51 corresponding to a plurality of target elements, it becomes possible to reliably grasp the causal order, for example.

[0171] Furthermore, by displaying a plurality of target element display node images 51 at a plurality of mutually different display positions P511 to P514 that are determined based on the causal order and that are along the reference line 50 (a specified reference line), for example, the visibility of the plurality of target element display node images 51 can be improved, thereby making it possible to reliably grasp the causal order.

[0172] Furthermore, the reference line 50 is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, and by displaying a plurality of target element related display information with a plurality of display positions being positions where the curved reference line 50 is divided by at least a number of divisions corresponding to the number of target elements, it is possible to prevent, for example, a plurality of target element display node images 51 from overlapping each other, thereby improving the visibility of the plurality of target element display node images 51 and enabling the causal order to be reliably grasped.

[0173] Furthermore, by displaying a plurality of target element display node images 51 in an order corresponding to the causal order at a plurality of display positions P511 to P514, it is possible to grasp the causal order based on the order in which the plurality of display positions P511 to P514 are arranged, for example, thereby making it possible to reliably grasp the causal order.

[0174] Moreover, by displaying the causal relationship by the display mode of the arrow image 53, it becomes possible to reliably grasp the causal relationship, for example.

[0175] Furthermore, the arrow image 53 includes a line image starting from the first target element side and ending at the second target element side, thereby making it possible to reliably grasp, for example, a causal relationship.

[0176] Furthermore, by calculating an IF value as numerical information for identifying a causal order and identifying a causal order based on the calculated IF value, it becomes possible to appropriately identify a causal order using the IF value, for example.

[0177] [Modifications to the embodiment] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific configuration and means of the present invention can be modified and improved as desired within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention described in the claims. Such modifications will be described below.

[0178] (About the problem to be solved and the effects of the invention) First, the problems that the invention aims to solve and the effects of the invention are not limited to those described above, and may vary depending on the implementation environment of the invention and the details of the configuration, and may solve only some of the problems described above or achieve only some of the effects described above.

[0179] (Regarding decentralization and integration) In addition, each of the electrical components described above is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the drawings. In other words, the specific form of distribution or integration of each part is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc. In addition, the term "device" in this application is not limited to one configured by a single device, but includes one configured by multiple devices.

[0180] (shape, number, structure, time series) The components illustrated in the embodiments and drawings may be modified and improved as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention with respect to the shape, numerical values, or structure or chronological relationships of multiple components.

[0181] (About the display color of the target element display node image) In the above embodiment, in SB1 of Fig. 10, the display color of the target element display node image 51 of Fig. 6 is set to a display color corresponding to the causal order of the corresponding target element, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the display color of the target element display node image 51 may be set to a display color corresponding to the IF value of each corresponding target element. Specifically, for example, the display color of the target element display node image 51 may be specified so that the larger the IF value is, the lighter the display color is (i.e., the smaller the IF value is, the darker the purple display color is), and the target element display node image 51 may be displayed in the specified display color.

[0182] (Display position) 12 are positions on the reference line 50. However, this is not limiting. As long as the display positions P511-P514 are provided along the reference line 50, they do not have to be positions on the reference line 50; in other words, the display positions P511-P514 may be peripheral positions of the reference line 50 (positions near the reference line 50 at positions outside or inside a semicircle including the reference line 50).

[0183] In the above embodiment, in the process of "specifying the display position" of SB1 in FIG. 10, "the ends of the reference line 50 (two ends, both ends) and the positions on the reference line 50 that divide the reference line 50 into three equal parts (a division number corresponding to 4-1, which is the number of target elements) are specified, and the specified positions are set as the display positions", but some of the processes may be changed. Specifically, the reference line 50 may be divided into three equal parts (i.e., divided into three parts with the same length), so that the lengths are random or correspond to a predetermined ratio. Also, only the positions that divide the reference line 50 may be set as the display positions, without including the positions corresponding to the ends of the reference line 50. In this case, the positions on the reference line 50 that divide the reference line 50 into five parts (a division number corresponding to 4+1, which is the number of target elements) may be specified, and the specified positions may be set as the display positions.

[0184] (Regarding causal sequence and indication of causal relationships) In the above embodiment, the causal order and causal relationship identified by the identifying means are displayed in the display mode of the target element display node image 51 and the arrow image 53 as shown in Fig. 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the causal order and causal relationship may be displayed by displaying information (text information, illustrations, drawings, or other arbitrary information) indicating the causal order and causal relationship identified by the identifying means on the same screen. For example, in the causal graph of Fig. 3, the causal order and causal relationship may be displayed by displaying numerical information indicating the causal order of the target element near text information indicating each target element (variable) such as "COPPER".

[0185] (About combinations) Furthermore, the processes (including variations) described in the above embodiment and the processes described as modified examples may be combined in any manner, or some of the processes may be omitted.

[0186] (Additional Note) The display system of Appendix 1 comprises an acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationships between a plurality of target elements, an identification means for identifying a causal order indicating a causal order of each of the plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquisition means, and a display control means for displaying both the causal order and the causal relationships identified by the identification means on the same screen.

[0187] The display system of Appendix 2 is the display system described in Appendix 1, wherein the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by a display mode of a plurality of target element related display information corresponding to each of the plurality of target elements.

[0188] The display system of Appendix 3 is the display system described in Appendix 2, wherein the display control means displays the plurality of target element related display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined based on the causal sequence identified by the identification means, the plurality of display positions being along a predetermined reference line, thereby displaying the causal sequence identified by the identification means.

[0189] The display system of Appendix 4 is the display system described in Appendix 3, wherein the predetermined reference line is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, and the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by displaying display information related to the plurality of target elements, with the plurality of display positions being at least positions obtained by dividing the curve by a number of divisions corresponding to the number of the plurality of target elements.

[0190] The display system of Appendix 5 is a display system as described in Appendix 3 or 4, wherein the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by arranging and displaying the plurality of target element related display information at the plurality of display positions in an order corresponding to the causal sequence identified by the identification means.

[0191] The display system of Appendix 6 is the display system described in Appendix 1, wherein the display control means displays the causal relationships between the multiple target elements by a display mode of interrelationship display information indicating that multiple target element related display information corresponding to each of the multiple target elements is related to each other.

[0192] The display system of Appendix 7 is the display system described in Appendix 6, wherein the multiple target element related display information includes first target element related display information corresponding to a first target element that is relatively a cause among the multiple target elements, and second target element related display information corresponding to a second target element that is relatively a result among the multiple target elements and is influenced by the first target element, and the interrelated display information includes a linear image starting from the first target element side and ending at the second target element side.

[0193] The display system of Appendix 8 is the display system described in Appendix 1, wherein the identification means calculates numerical information for identifying a causal order, the numerical information being determined based on a first degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has on other target elements included in the plurality of target elements, and a second degree indicating the degree of influence that other target elements included in the plurality of target elements have on each target element included in the plurality of target elements, the numerical information being used to identify the causal order, and the causal order is identified based on the calculated numerical information for identifying a causal order.

[0194] The display program of Appendix 9 causes a computer to function as: an acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationships between a plurality of target elements; an identification means for identifying a causal order indicating a causal order of each of the plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquisition means; and a display control means for displaying both the causal order and the causal relationships identified by the identification means on the same screen.

[0195] (Effect of supplementary notes) According to the display system described in Appendix 1 and the display program described in Appendix 9, by displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationship on the same screen, it becomes possible to grasp, for example, both the causal sequence and the causal relationship.

[0196] According to the display system described in Appendix 2, by displaying the causal order in the display mode of a plurality of target element related display information corresponding to each of a plurality of target elements, it becomes possible to reliably grasp the causal order, for example.

[0197] According to the display system described in Appendix 3, by displaying a plurality of pieces of target element related display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined based on a causal sequence and aligned along a predetermined reference line, for example, it is possible to improve the visibility of the plurality of target element related display information, thereby enabling the user to reliably grasp the causal sequence.

[0198] According to the display system described in Appendix 4, the predetermined reference line is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, and by displaying a plurality of pieces of target element related display information at a plurality of display positions that are positions where the curve is divided by at least a number of divisions corresponding to the number of target elements, it is possible to prevent, for example, a plurality of pieces of target element related display information from overlapping with each other, thereby improving the visibility of the plurality of target element related display information and enabling the user to reliably grasp the causal hierarchy.

[0199] According to the display system described in Appendix 5, by displaying a plurality of target element related display information at a plurality of display positions in an order corresponding to the causal order, it is possible to grasp the causal order based on the order in which the plurality of target element related display information is arranged, for example, and therefore it is possible to reliably grasp the causal order.

[0200] According to the display system described in Supplementary Note 6, by displaying the causal relationship in the display mode of the interrelation display information, it becomes possible to make the user grasp the causal relationship reliably, for example.

[0201] According to the display system described in Appendix 7, the interrelationship display information includes a linear image starting from the first target element side and ending at the second target element side, making it possible to reliably grasp causal relationships, for example.

[0202] According to the display system described in Appendix 8, numerical information for identifying a causal order is calculated, and a causal order is identified based on the calculated numerical information for identifying a causal order, thereby making it possible, for example, to appropriately identify a causal order using the numerical information for identifying a causal order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0203] 1 Terminal equipment 2. Server equipment 5 1st display information 6 2nd display information 11 Communications Department 12 Touchpad 13. Display 14 Recording section 15 Control section 21 Communications Department 22 Recording Section 23 Control Unit 50 Reference Line 50A Reference Point 51 Target element display node image 52 Target element display text information 53 Arrow Images 61 Gradient display bar 100 Information Processing Systems 221 Target Element Related Information DB 511 Target element display node image 512 Target element display node image 513 Target element display node image 514 Target element display node image 521 Target element display text information 522 Target element display text information 523 Target element display text information 524 Target element display character information 531 Arrow Images 532 Arrow Images 533 Arrow Images 534 Arrow Images 535 Arrow Images P511 Display position P512 Display position P513 Display position P514 Display position P911 Position P912 position P913 position P914 position R1 Relationship R2 Relationship R3 Relationship R4 Relationship R5 Relationship W width

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationships between a plurality of target elements; a specifying means for specifying a causal order indicating an order regarding causality of each of the plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquiring means; a display control means for displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationship identified by the identification means on the same screen; A display system comprising:

2. the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means in a display mode of a plurality of target element related display information corresponding to each of the plurality of target elements. The display system of claim 1 .

3. the display control means displays the plurality of pieces of target element related display information at a plurality of mutually different display positions determined based on the causal sequence identified by the identification means, the plurality of display positions being along a predetermined reference line, thereby displaying the causal sequence identified by the identification means. The display system of claim 2 .

4. the predetermined reference line is a curve corresponding to the circumference of a semicircle, the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by displaying the plurality of target element related display information at least at positions where the curve is divided by a division number corresponding to the number of the plurality of target elements as the plurality of display positions. The display system of claim 3.

5. the display control means displays the causal sequence identified by the identification means by arranging and displaying the plurality of pieces of target element related display information at the plurality of display positions in an order corresponding to the causal sequence identified by the identification means. A display system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the display control means displays the causal relationship between the plurality of target elements by a display mode of interrelationship display information indicating that a plurality of target element relation display information corresponding to each of the plurality of target elements are interrelated. The display system of claim 1 .

7. The plurality of target element related display information first target element related display information corresponding to a first target element that is relatively a cause among the plurality of target elements; second target element related display information corresponding to the second target element which is a relatively result side among the plurality of target elements and is influenced by the first target element; the interrelationship display information includes a linear image having a start point on the first target element side and an end point on the second target element side; 7. The display system of claim 6.

8. The identification means is calculating numerical information for identifying a causal order determined based on a first degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has on other target elements included in the plurality of target elements and a second degree indicating the degree of influence that each target element included in the plurality of target elements has from the other target elements included in the plurality of target elements, the numerical information for identifying a causal order being used to identify the causal order; Identifying the causal sequence based on the calculated numerical information for identifying the causal sequence. The display system of claim 1 .

9. Computer, An acquisition means for acquiring causal structure information indicating a structure of causal relationships between a plurality of target elements; a specifying means for specifying a causal order indicating an order regarding causality of each of the plurality of target elements and the causal relationships between the plurality of target elements based on the causal structure information acquired by the acquiring means; a display control means for displaying both the causal sequence and the causal relationship identified by the identification means on the same screen; A display program that acts as a

Images