Information processing device, computer program, and method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a computer program, and a method for grasping the state of a competition and the contents of votes of other users and sharing a sense of unity with other users.SOLUTION: In a moving image distribution system, a user terminal device 10 which is an information processing device for controlling the display of a moving image of a competition includes a display control unit for causing a display unit to display one or more icons indicating one or more users who are voting on the result of the competition along with the moving image, and changing a display mode of the one or more icons based on the situation of the competition and the contents of the votes of the one or more users.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a computer program, and a method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an online game system in which a plurality of players can gather in one place and play the same voting type racing game. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-224841 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a racing game based on game-related data is executed, and the running status of the race and the overall betting odds are presented to players around the game device. However, in the online game system described in Patent Document 1, each player only plays and watches the race independently.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a computer program and an information processing device that enable a user to grasp the status of a competition and the voting details of other users, and to share a sense of unity with other users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided an information processing device that controls the display of a video of a competition, in which a display control unit displays on a display unit, together with the video, one or more icons indicating one or more users who have voted for the outcome of the competition, and changes the display mode of the one or more icons based on the status of the competition and the content of each of the votes of the one or more users.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to grasp the status of the competition and the voting details of other users, and to share a sense of unity with other users. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a video distribution system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the user terminal device 10. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 20. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a video distribution system 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing the flow of processing in the video distribution system 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating voting by users. [Figure 7] 13 is an example showing an example of a competition video 7 displayed on the display unit 33. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a change in the display mode of the icon I2. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a change in the display mode of the icon I1. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display at the time when the competition result is finalized. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between competition results and rewards. [Figure 12] 13 is an example showing a display mode of a display unit 33 in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Also, each feature can be an invention independently.

[0010] <1. First embodiment> (1-1. Overview of Video Distribution System 1) An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention constitutes a part of a video distribution system 1 as shown in Fig. 1. The video distribution system 1 includes a plurality of user terminal devices 10 and a server 20. The information processing device is realized by either the user terminal devices 10 or the server 20.

[0011] The user terminal device 10 is configured to be able to communicate with the server 20 via a communication line 5. Each user of the user terminal device 10 can watch videos of the competition (hereinafter referred to as competition videos 7) distributed from the server 20. Furthermore, the users can predict and vote for the results of the competition by operating the user terminal device 10. The user terminal device 10 displays icons indicating other users who are watching the competition video together with the competition video, and changes the display mode of the icons according to the status of the competition. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0012] (1-2. Hardware configuration of video distribution system 1) The hardware configuration of the video distribution system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] (1-2-1. Hardware Configuration of User Terminal Device 10) 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a user terminal device 10 according to this embodiment. The user terminal device 10 is an information processing terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and includes a touch panel display 14 capable of displaying images and receiving operations, a speaker 15 for outputting sound, a microphone 16 for inputting sound, and a camera 17 for capturing an image of a subject, as well as a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, and an operation button 18.

[0014] The control unit 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like, and controls the overall operation of the user terminal device 10.

[0015] A part of the storage unit 12 is composed of, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and is used as a work area when the control unit 11 executes processes based on various programs. In addition, a part of the storage unit 12 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various data such as images and programs used in the processing of the control unit 11.

[0016] The programs stored in the memory unit 12 include, for example, an OS (Operating System) for realizing the basic functions of the user terminal device 10, drivers for controlling various hardware, programs for realizing e-mail, web browsing, video playback, and various other functions, and include the computer program related to this embodiment.

[0017] The communication unit 13 is, for example, a network interface controller (NIC), and has a function of connecting to the communication line 5. Note that the communication unit 13 may have, instead of or together with the NIC, a function of connecting to a wireless local area network (LAN), a function of connecting to a wireless wide area network (WAN), and a function of enabling short-distance wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, and the like.

[0018] The operation buttons 18 are provided on the side of the user terminal device 10, and include a power button for starting and stopping the user terminal device 10, a volume adjustment button for the sound output by the speaker 15, and the like.

[0019] The control unit 11, memory unit 12, communication unit 13, touch panel display 14, speaker 15, microphone 16, camera 17, and operation buttons 18 are electrically connected to one another via a system bus 19. Therefore, the control unit 11 can access the memory unit 12, display images on the touch panel display 14, grasp the operation state of the touch panel display 14 and the operation buttons 18 by the user, input sound to the microphone 16, output sound from the speaker 15, control the camera 17, and access various communication networks and other information processing devices via the communication unit 13.

[0020] (1-2-2. Hardware configuration of server 20) 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the server 20 according to this embodiment. The server 20 includes a control unit 21 that controls the overall operation of the server 20, and a storage unit 22 that is used as a work area when the control unit 21 executes various programs and in which various programs and various data are stored in advance. The following description will focus on the differences from the user terminal device 10.

[0021] The server 20 is connected to other information processing devices such as the user terminal device 10 via the communication line 5, and includes a communication unit 24 for transmitting and receiving various data to and from the other information processing devices. The server 20 may also include an operation input unit 25 configured with a keyboard, mouse, etc., for receiving input for various operations, and a monitor 26 such as a liquid crystal display device for displaying various images.

[0022] The control unit 21 , the storage unit 22 , the communication unit 24 , the operation input unit 25 , and the monitor 26 are electrically connected to one another via a system bus 27 .

[0023] (1-3. Functional configuration of video distribution system 1) The functions of the video distribution system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the user terminal device 10 includes a display control unit 31, a reward calculation unit 32, a display unit 33, and an operation reception unit . The server 20 includes a vote reception unit .

[0024] The display control unit 31 is realized as a function of the control unit 11, and causes the display unit to display icons indicating users who have voted on the results of the competition together with the competition video 7 distributed from the server 20. The display of the icons will be described in detail later. The reward calculation unit 32 determines the amount of reward for each user based on the contents of the user's vote and the results of the competition.

[0025] The display unit 33 is composed of the touch panel display 14 provided in the user terminal device 10, and displays various information such as the competition video 7 distributed from the server 20. The operation reception unit 34 is composed of the touch panel of the touch panel display 14, and is configured to allow the user to input operations such as selection of the competition video 7 and voting by operating it.

[0026] The vote acceptance unit 35 is realized as a function of the control unit 21, and accepts votes for the results of the competition from users of the user terminal devices 10. The vote acceptance unit 35 transmits the received vote content to the reward calculation unit 32 of the user terminal device 10.

[0027] The above-mentioned functional configuration may be realized by software (including so-called applications) appropriately installed in the user terminal device 10, or may be realized by hardware. When realized by software, various functions can be realized by the control unit 41 executing a program constituting the software.

[0028] When the function is realized by executing a program, the program may be stored in the storage unit 12 built into the user terminal device 10, or may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. The function may also be realized by reading out a program stored in an external storage device, so-called cloud computing. When the function is realized by hardware, it may be realized by various circuits such as ASIC, SOC, FPGA, or DRP. The above-mentioned functional configuration may be partially processed by the server 20 using software or hardware.

[0029] (1-4. Flow of watching videos using video distribution system 1) The flow of video viewing through the video distribution system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] In step S110, the user terminal device 10 receives the competition video 7 distributed from the server 20. The competition video 7 may be, for example, a competition in which participants compete for ranking using bicycles, cars, boats, or race horses, or a baseball or soccer game.

[0031] The method of distribution of the competition video 7 may be either live distribution or non-live distribution, but live distribution allows a higher sense of realism. Also, either streaming or downloading may be used, but streaming distribution may be selected for live distribution.

[0032] In step S120, the user terminal device 10 receives the contents of the votes of the users of the other user terminal devices 10 accepted by the vote acceptance unit 35 of the server 20. In the example shown in Fig. 6, users U1 to U3 of the other user terminal devices 10 have predicted and voted for the rankings of runners R1 to R6.

[0033] In step S130, the reward calculation unit 32 calculates the amount of reward that each user may receive, based on the voting details of users U1 to U3 received from the voting reception unit 35 of the server 20. The amount of reward is calculated based on the voting details of the users who voted for the race, taking into consideration odds (expected payout rate), etc.

[0034] In step S140, the display control unit 31 displays the received competition video 7 and icons of the users who voted for the result of the competition. In the example shown in Fig. 7, icons I1 to I3 representing users U1 to U3 are displayed together with the competition video 7.

[0035] In step S150, the user terminal device 10 shares information with the server 20. The shared information includes information about the status of the displayed competition. In step S160, the display control unit 31 causes the display unit 33 to display the icons of users whose votes match the status of the competition in a different manner from the icons of users whose votes do not match the status of the competition. Steps S150 and S160 are repeated at a predetermined timing (for example, once per second), and the display manner of the icons I1 to I3 changes according to the status of the competition.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 8, if the competition situation matches the voting details of user U2, icon I2 is displayed larger than the other icons in step S160. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, if the competition situation matches the voting details of user U1, icon I1 is displayed larger than the other icons in step S160.

[0037] Preferably, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the display control unit 31 displays on the display unit 33 the contents of votes received from users that match the status of the competition together with the icon of that user. In this way, it is possible to check the votes of each user that are likely to hit the mark.

[0038] The display control unit 31 may also adjust the size of the changed icon according to the amount of reward the user can receive if the bet is correct. In this way, the user's expectations are displayed by the size of the icon.

[0039] In step S165, it is determined whether the competition has ended. If the competition has ended (Yes in step S165), step S170 is performed. If the competition has not ended (No in step S165), steps S150 and S160 are repeated.

[0040] In step S170, the user terminal device 10 shares information with the server 20. The shared information includes information about the results of the displayed competition. In step S180, the display control unit 31 reflects the results of the competition in the display of the user icon on the display unit 33.

[0041] Fig. 10 shows the competition video 7 at the time when the competition result is finalized. As shown in Fig. 11, when the competition result is finalized, a reward is given to the users whose votes were correct. Therefore, the display control unit 31 displays the voting details of the user U3 whose vote was correct on the display unit 33 as shown in Fig. 10, so that other users can know whether their votes were correct or not, and can share the joy of the users whose votes were correct and the disappointment of the users whose votes were not correct.

[0042] As described above, the user terminal device 10 of the video distribution system 1 includes a display control unit 31 and a display unit 33. The display control unit 31 causes the display unit to display icons indicating users who have voted on the results of the competition together with the competition video, and changes the display mode of one or more icons based on the status of the competition and the content of the user's vote.

[0043] With this configuration, it is possible to know the voting details of other users who are watching, and to share a sense of unity with the other users.

[0044] (1-5. Modifications)

[0045] Fig. 12 shows a display mode on the display unit 33 as a modified example. In the example shown in Fig. 12, icons I1 to I3 are displayed in an area outside the competition video 7 on the display unit 33. In this way, it is possible to change the display mode of icons I1 to I3 without interfering with the viewing of the competition video 7.

[0046] <2. Other embodiments> Although the embodiment of the present invention and its modified examples have been described above, the application of the present disclosure is not limited to the above. For example, in the above embodiment, the icon of the user whose voting content matches the situation of the competition is displayed large, but the application is not limited to this form. For example, the icon of the user whose voting content matches the situation of the competition may be illuminated or flashed.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, icons of users of other user terminal devices 10 are displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this form, and an icon of a user of the user terminal device 10 may also be displayed.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the display mode of the icon is changed when the competition situation and the voting details match, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the display mode of the icon may be changed when the competition situation and the voting details match in part.

[0049] In this case, it is preferable that the display control unit 31 changes the state of the icon according to the degree of agreement between the contents of the vote and the situation of the competition. For example, in the situation of the competition, if the runner in first place at least matches the contents of the vote of the user, the size of the icon of the user may be changed, and if the second and third places also match, the size of the icon may be changed more greatly, or if the runner in first place at least matches the contents of the vote of the user, the icon of the user may be illuminated, and if the second and third places also match, the degree of illumination of the icon may be increased.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the votes of users whose votes were correct were displayed after the competition results were announced. However, the votes of all other users may be displayed on the display unit 33.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the user terminal device 10 and the like have been described as a terminal having a touch panel display 14 such as a smartphone, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The user terminal device 10 may be realized by installing software on a home PC or the like, and may be configured to accept operations such as a mouse.

[0052] In addition, the sharing of specific information via communication line 5 is mainly performed via a WAN such as the Internet, but between user terminal devices, the sharing may also be performed only via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and infrared communication without using a WAN.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the functions are mainly provided in the user terminal device 10, but the present invention is not limited to this form, and some of the functions may be provided in the server 20, or both the user terminal device 10 and the server 20. For example, the server 20 may be provided with the reward calculation unit 32.

[0054] Moreover, each step described in the above embodiment as being executed by the user terminal device 10 may also be executed by the server 20 .

[0055] Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the above-mentioned program.

[0056] <3. Features of the embodiment> The features of the embodiments of the present invention are summarized below.

[0057] The display control unit 31 displays, along with the video, on the display unit 33 one or more icons representing one or more users who have voted on the results of the competition, and changes the display mode of the one or more icons based on the status of the competition and the content of each vote of the one or more users.

[0058] With this configuration, it is possible to know the voting contents of other users who are watching the video, and it is possible to share a sense of unity with the other users.

[0059] The display control unit 31 causes the display unit to display icons of users whose voting contents at least partially match the competition situation in a different manner from icons of users whose voting contents do not match the competition situation.

[0060] With this configuration, it is possible to distinguish between users who are likely to win and those who are unlikely to win, and to understand the votes of other users.

[0061] The display control unit 31 changes the appearance of the icon depending on the degree of match between the contents of the vote and the situation of the competition.

[0062] With this configuration, it is possible to determine which user's vote is more likely to be correct.

[0063] The user terminal device 10 further includes a reward calculation unit 32 that calculates the amount of reward for each of one or more users based on the content of the votes of the one or more users and the results of the competition, and the display control unit 31 changes the appearance of the icon according to the reward.

[0064] By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to determine which users are likely to receive the most rewards.

[0065] The display control unit 31 causes the display unit to display, among the votes received from the users, those votes that match the status of the competition together with the icon of that user.

[0066] With this configuration, it is possible to check the votes of each user whose votes are likely to hit the mark.

[0067] After the competition, the display control unit 31 causes the display unit to display the results of the votes of other users.

[0068] With this configuration, users can know whether their votes have been successful or not, and can therefore share in the joy of users whose votes were successful and the disappointment of users whose votes were unsuccessful.

[0069] Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: Video distribution system 5: Communication lines 7: Competition video 10: User terminal device 11: Control section 12: Storage section 13: Communications Department 14: Touch panel display 15: Speaker 16:Mike 17: Camera 18: Operation buttons 19: System bus 20: Server 21: Control section 22: Storage section 24: Communications Department 25: Operation input section 26: Monitor 27: System bus 31: Display control section 32: Reward calculation unit 33: Display section 34: Operation reception section 35: Voting reception desk

Claims

[Claim 1] An information processing device for controlling display of video of a competition, The display control unit displaying, together with the video, one or more icons representing one or more users who have voted for the result of the competition on a display unit; An information processing device that changes a display mode of the one or more icons based on the status of the competition and the contents of the votes of each of the one or more users.

Images