Information processing method and information processing system

Abstract

To provide an information processing method and an information processing system for transmitting and displaying advertising information on electronic paper.SOLUTION: An information processing method acquires advertising information to be posted on electronic paper distributed and placed at public transportation facilities, displays the advertising information on first electronic paper by connecting a mobile terminal device that stores the acquired advertising information to the first electronic paper, and displays the advertising information on second electronic paper by distributing the advertising information from an information processing device that stores the acquired advertising information to the second electronic paper via a communication network.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing method and an information processing system for transmitting and displaying advertisement information on an electronic paper disposed in a public transportation facility.

Background Art

[0002] Electronic paper is becoming popular. Different from a liquid crystal display, electronic paper has high visibility and the feature that it can maintain the display state even when the power is turned off.

[0003] In public transportation facilities, especially at stations in railway facilities, a large number of advertising billboards are arranged. As one form of advertising billboards, electronic billboards using liquid crystal displays are used. However, as described above, since power supply is required for a liquid crystal display to perform its display function, there are restrictions on the installation location. In view of such a situation, it has been proposed to use electronic paper as an advertisement display device (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Although the display content of advertisements is updated periodically, the distribution of advertisement information to an advertisement display device using electronic paper has not been studied in Patent Document 1. The present invention has been made in view of such a situation. Its object is to provide an information processing method and an information processing system for transmitting and displaying advertisement information on electronic paper.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present application acquires advertisement information posted on electronic paper distributed in public transportation facilities, and connects a mobile terminal device that stores the acquired advertisement information to a first electronic paper, thereby displaying the advertisement information on the first electronic paper, and distributes the advertisement information to a second electronic paper via a communication network from an information processing device that stores the acquired advertisement information, thereby displaying the advertisement information on the second electronic paper.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] In one aspect of the present application, it becomes possible to transmit advertisement information to electronic paper and display it.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] The following embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an advertisement management system. The advertisement management system 100 mainly manages traffic advertisements. In this specification, among the functions that the advertisement management system 100 should have, the distribution and posting of advertisement images to advertisement boards composed of electronic paper will be mainly described. The advertisement management system 100 may have various functions such as setting of advertisement frames, selling of advertisement frames, receiving submissions of advertisement contents, reviewing of advertisement contents, and management of distribution and posting of advertisement contents.

[0010] The advertisement management system 100 includes a management server 1 (information processing device), a type 1 electronic paper 2 (first electronic paper), a control device 3, a type 2 electronic paper 4 (second electronic paper), and a work terminal 5 (mobile terminal device). The management server 1, the control device 3, and the work terminal 5 are communicably connected to each other via a network N. In the following description, the type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 are collectively referred to simply as "electronic paper".

[0011] The management server 1 manages advertising frames using electronic paper and stores advertising images to be distributed or disseminated to the electronic paper. The management server 1 is composed of a server computer, a workstation, a PC (Personal Computer), etc. Further, the management server 1 may be composed of a multi-computer consisting of a plurality of computers, a virtual machine virtually constructed by software, or a quantum computer. Furthermore, the functions of the management server 1 may be realized by a cloud service. The processing performed by the management server 1 may be distributed and processed by a plurality of computers.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the management server. The management server 1 includes a control unit 11, a main memory unit 12, an auxiliary storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, and a reading unit 15. Each configuration is connected by a bus B.

[0013] The control unit 11 has an arithmetic processing device such as one or more CPUs (Central Processing Unit), MPUs (Micro-Processing Unit), GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 11 reads and executes the control program 1P (program, program product) stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 to perform various information processing, control processing, etc. related to the management server 1 and realize various functional units.

[0014] The main memory unit 12 is an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), flash memory, etc. The main memory unit 12 mainly stores temporarily the data necessary for the control unit 11 to execute arithmetic processing.

[0015] The auxiliary storage unit 13 is a hard disk or an SSD (Solid State Drive), etc., and stores a control program 1P and various DBs (Databases) necessary for the control unit 11 to execute processing. The auxiliary storage unit 13 stores a paper DB 131, a worker DB 132, a frame DB 133, an update history DB 134, and a content DB 135. The auxiliary storage unit 13 may be an external storage device that is separate from the management server 1 and externally connected. The various DBs, etc., stored in the auxiliary storage unit 13 may be stored in a database server or cloud storage different from the management server 1.

[0016] The communication unit 14 communicates with the control device 3 and the work terminal 5 via the network N. The control unit 11 may use the communication unit 14 to download the control program 1P from another computer via the network N or the like and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 13.

[0017] The reading unit 15 reads a portable storage medium 1a including a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM. The control unit 11 may read the control program 1P from the portable storage medium 1a via the reading unit 15 and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 13. Also, the control unit 11 may read the control program 1P from the semiconductor memory 1b.

[0018] The type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 are advertising tools that can replace advertising billboards and posters installed in facilities such as the stations and platforms of public transportation (public transportation facilities). Also, in railway and bus vehicles, the type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 may be used for advertisements displayed on the upper part of windows, on doors, or beside doors. The type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper are configured as one electronic paper device by combining a plurality of electronic paper units in order to ensure a display area equivalent to that of conventional advertising billboards and posters. If a sufficient display area can be ensured, the type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 may be configured by a single electronic paper unit. The functions of the type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 are equivalent, and the major difference lies in the means for updating the displayed advertising images. The type 1 electronic paper 2 is updated by the control device 3. The type 2 electronic paper 4 is updated by the work terminal 5.

[0019] The control device 3 and the type 1 electronic paper 2 are paired and arranged in public transportation facilities. The control device 3 acquires advertising images online from the management server 1 and causes the acquired images to be displayed on the type 1 electronic paper 2. Note that the control device 3 and the type 1 electronic paper 2 do not necessarily have a one-to-one correspondence, and the control device 3 may be paired with a plurality of type 1 electronic papers 2.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device. The control device 3 is configured using a board computer, a one-chip microcomputer, a PC, or the like. The control device 3 includes a control unit 31, a main storage unit 32, an auxiliary storage unit 33, a long-distance communication unit 34, a short-distance communication unit 35, a serial communication unit 36, a video output unit 37, a control communication unit 38, and a timing unit 39. Each component is connected by a bus B. Since the control unit 31, the main storage unit 32, and the auxiliary storage unit 33 have the same configurations as the control unit 11, the main storage unit 12, and the auxiliary storage unit 13 of the management server 1, respectively, the description thereof is omitted. The control device 3 operates by receiving power supply from an AC power source via an AC cord. The control device 3 may receive power supply from a DC power source.

[0021] The long-distance communication unit 34 is connected to the network N via a mobile phone communication network and communicates with the management server 1. The mobile phone communication network is, for example, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) network.

[0022] The short-distance communication unit 35 performs communication according to a communication standard such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The short-distance communication unit 35 is connected to the network N via a wireless access point, a wireless router installed in a public transportation facility, and a LAN (Local Area Network) constructed in the facility, and communicates with the management server 1.

[0023] The serial communication unit 36 performs communication according to, for example, the USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard or the so-called PS / 2 standard. It is assumed that when an operator performs maintenance of the control device 3, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. are connected to the serial communication unit 36.

[0024] The video output unit 37 outputs video according to the HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) standard or the VGA (Video Graphics Array) standard. It is assumed that when an operator performs maintenance of the control device 3, a display, etc. are connected to the video output unit 37.

[0025] The control communication unit 38 performs communication for controlling the type 1 electronic paper 2. In order to ensure communication stability, it is desirable that the connection between the control communication unit 38 and the type 1 electronic paper 2 is wired. The control communication unit 38 performs communication with the type 1 electronic paper 2 according to the SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) standard, the USB standard, or the HDMI standard. Also, the control communication unit 38 may be provided with a function of supplying power to the type 1 electronic paper 2.

[0026] The timing unit 39 measures time such as the current time or the elapsed time since the control device 3 was started. The timing unit 39 provides the timing result to the control unit 31 according to the request from the control unit 31. The timing unit 39 is configured using an RTC (Real Time Clock) module or the like. In order to accurately hold the current time, the timing unit 39 may communicate with an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server via the long-distance communication unit 34 or the short-distance communication unit 35 and the network N.

[0027] The work terminal 5 is a terminal mainly used by workers responsible for the work on the type 2 electronic paper 4. The work terminal 5 is composed of a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a smartphone, or the like. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the work terminal. The work terminal 5 includes a control unit 51, a main memory unit 52, an auxiliary storage unit 53, a communication unit 54, a display panel 55, an operation unit 56, and a control communication unit 57. Each component is connected by a bus B. Since the control unit 51, the main memory unit 52, and the auxiliary storage unit 53 have the same configurations as the control unit 31, the main memory unit 32, and the auxiliary storage unit 33 of the control device 3, respectively, the description thereof is omitted. The work terminal 5 operates by a built-in battery.

[0028] The communication unit 54 communicates with the management server 1 via the network N. The control unit 51 may use the communication unit 54 to download the control program 5P from another computer via the network N or the like and store it in the auxiliary storage unit 53.

[0029] The display panel 55 can be composed of a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like. The operation unit 56 can be composed of, for example, a touch panel incorporated in the display panel 55, and can perform a predetermined operation performed by the worker on the display panel 55. Further, the operation unit 56 can perform an operation on the software keyboard displayed on the display panel 55. Note that the operation unit 56 may be a hardware keyboard, a mouse, or the like.

[0030] The control communication unit 57 conducts communication for controlling the type 2 electronic paper 4. To ensure communication stability, it is desirable that the connection between the control communication unit 57 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 is wired. The control communication unit 57 communicates with the type 2 electronic paper 4 according to the SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) standard, the USB standard, or the HDMI standard. Also, the control communication unit 57 may be provided with a function of supplying power to the type 2 electronic paper 4. When the work terminal 5 cannot supply power to the type 2 electronic paper 4 from the control communication unit 57 or the like, the worker connects a mobile battery or the like to the type 2 electronic paper 4 to supply power.

[0031] Next, the database used in the advertisement management system 100 will be described. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the paper DB. The paper DB 131 stores information related to the electronic paper. The paper DB 131 includes a paper ID column, a type column, an installation location column, a mobile phone number column, a zone column, and a display specification column. The paper ID column stores a paper ID that can identify the electronic paper. The type column stores the type of the control device paired with the electronic paper. The stationary type indicates that the control device 3 is installed permanently. That is, it indicates that the electronic paper is the type 1 electronic paper 2. The portable type indicates that the work terminal 5 is used. That is, it indicates that the electronic paper is the type 2 electronic paper 4. The installation location column stores information on the location (placement location) where the electronic paper is installed. The installation location column includes a route column, a station column, and a place column. The route column stores the route name. The station column stores the station name. The place column stores the installation location within the station building. The mobile phone number column stores the mobile phone number assigned to the control device 3 paired with the type 1 electronic paper 2. The zone column stores the zone where the electronic paper is installed. The display specification column stores the display specification of the electronic paper, such as the resolution. Although the place column shown in FIG. 5 assumes that the electronic paper is installed at a railway station, it is not limited thereto. When dealing with an electronic paper installed at a bus stop or the like, the configuration of the place column may be different from that in FIG. 5.

[0032] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operator DB. The operator DB 132 stores information of an operator who holds the work terminal 5 and goes to the installation location of the type 2 electronic paper 4 to perform operations such as updating the display content of the type 2 electronic paper 4. The operator DB 132 includes an operator ID column, a name column, a mobile phone number column, and an in-charge area column. The operator ID column stores an operator ID that can identify the operator. The name column stores the name of the operator. The mobile phone number column stores the number of the mobile phone or smartphone carried by the operator. The in-charge area column stores the area for which the operator is in charge. The area in charge may be plural. When the work terminal 5 carried by the operator is capable of performing LTE communication, the operator DB 132 may store the mobile phone number used when performing the communication.

[0033] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a frame DB. The frame DB 133 stores information about the advertisement frames set on the electronic paper. The frame DB 133 includes a paper ID column, a content ID column, and a posting period column. The paper ID column stores the paper ID of the associated electronic paper. The content ID column stores the content ID that identifies the still image to be displayed on the electronic paper. The posting period column stores the period for which the content is to be displayed on the electronic paper. For the advertisement frames of the type 1 electronic paper 2, a plurality of contents (still images) may be associated with one paper ID, and for example, the still image to be displayed may be switched every time zone or every day of the week.

[0034] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the update history DB. The update history DB 134 stores the history of updates to the display content of the electronic paper. The update history DB 134 includes a paper ID column, a content ID column, an update date / time column, and an operator ID column. The paper ID column stores the paper ID of the electronic paper that was the update target. The content ID column stores the content ID of the still image displayed by the update. The update date / time column stores the date and time when the display content was updated. The operator ID column stores the operator ID of the operator who performed the update work. A value is stored in the operator ID column usually when the type 2 electronic paper 4 is updated. This is because the update of the type 1 electronic paper 2 is performed by the control device 3 according to the schedule. When an operator performs the update of the type 1 electronic paper 2 due to the occurrence of an unexpected situation or the like, the operator ID of the operator may be stored in the operator ID column.

[0035] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a content DB. The content DB 135 stores still images to be displayed on the electronic paper. The content DB 135 includes a content ID column, a review column, a status column, a submission data column, a display data column, an agency column, and an advertiser column. The content ID column stores a content ID that identifies a still image. The review column stores the status of the design review. The design review is to review whether the design and expression content of an advertisement (here, a still image) are not contrary to public interests and meet the regulations and standards of the media company (here, a railway company). The status column stores the status of the still image. For example, the status may be in preparation, being displayed, or completed. Being in preparation indicates that preparation for display on the electronic paper is in progress. The state of waiting for the arrival of the display period is also considered to be in preparation. Being displayed indicates that the still image is being displayed on the electronic paper. Completed indicates that the display period has elapsed and the still image is not being displayed on the electronic paper. The submission data column stores the still image (submitted image) submitted by the advertiser or advertising agency. The display data column stores the still image (display image) to be displayed on the electronic paper. The display image is an image obtained by converting the submitted image according to the specifications of the electronic paper to be displayed. When the submitted image can be used as it is, the submitted image and the display image are the same. Note that the actual entities of the submitted image and the display image may be stored as files in the auxiliary storage unit 13, and the file names may be stored in the submission data column and the display data column. The agency column stores information about the advertising agency. When the advertiser and the media company communicate directly without the involvement of an advertising agency, the agency column may not have a value. The advertiser column stores information about the advertiser.

[0036] Next, the information processing performed by the advertisement management system 100 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the submission data acquisition process. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 receives submission data from a submitter terminal (not shown) such as an advertising agency (step S1). The submission data is attached with a frame ID. The control unit 11 issues a content ID and stores the submission data in the content DB 135 in association with the issued content ID (step S2). The control unit 11 determines whether data conversion is necessary (step S3). The control unit 11 searches the frame DB 133 using the frame ID as a key and acquires the paper ID of the electronic paper for displaying an image. The control unit 11 searches the paper DB 131 using the acquired paper ID as a key and acquires the display specification of the electronic paper. The control unit 11 compares the resolution of the submission data with the display specification of the electronic paper and determines whether conversion of the submission data is necessary. If the control unit 11 determines that conversion is necessary (YES in step S3), it creates display data obtained by converting the submission data (step S4). The control unit 11 stores the display data in the content DB 135 (step S5) and ends the process. If the control unit 11 determines that conversion is not necessary (NO in step S3), it stores the submission data in the content DB 135 as display data (step S5) and ends the process.

[0037] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the main process. The main process is assumed to be repeatedly executed by a daily batch or the like. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 searches the frame DB 133 and extracts advertisement frame data whose posting start date is the current day or the next day (step S11). The control unit 11 selects one processing target from the extracted advertisement frame data (step S12). The control unit 11 determines whether the type of the control device of the electronic paper corresponding to the advertisement frame is a resident type (step S13). The control unit 11 searches the paper DB 131 using the paper ID included in the advertisement frame data as a key, and makes a determination based on the value of the type column of the hit data. When the control unit 11 determines that the type of the control device is a resident type (YES in step S13), it distributes the display image (step S14). When the control unit 11 determines that the type of the control device is not a resident type (NO in step S13), it stores the paper ID in a temporary storage area provided in the auxiliary storage unit 13 or the like (step S15). The control unit 11 determines whether there is any unprocessed advertisement frame data (step S16). When the control unit 11 determines that there is unprocessed advertisement frame data (YES in step S16), it returns the process to step S12 and performs the process on the unprocessed advertisement frame data. When the control unit 11 determines that there is no unprocessed advertisement frame data (NO in step S16), it ends the process.

[0038] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a distribution process. The distribution process corresponds to step S14 in FIG. 11. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 transmits a display image to the control device 3 (step S21). The display image includes a posting period as an attribute. The control unit 11 searches the paper DB 131 using the paper ID included in the advertisement frame data, and acquires data of the type 1 electronic paper 2 that displays the display image. The control device 3 is called by the mobile number included in the acquired data, and the display image is transmitted. When the control device 3 is always connected to a network such as the Internet, it may be transmitted by a notification method such as e-mail or ftp (File Transfer Protocol). When the control device 3 is in the sleep state, Wakeup On LAN (WOL) is used to resume the operation of the control device 3. The MAC address of the control device 3 is stored in the paper DB 131 or the like. The control device 3 may be resumed by making a call to the mobile number or the like. The control device 3 receives the display image (step S22). The control unit 31 of the control device 3 stores the display image in the auxiliary storage unit 33 (step S23). The control unit 31 sets a timer according to the start time of posting the display image (step S24). Note that the display image of the type 1 electronic paper 2 may be updated immediately without setting a timer. The control unit 31 transmits the completion of posting preparation to the management server 1 (step S25). The control unit 31 shifts to the sleep state (step S26). The control unit 11 of the management server 1 receives the completion (step S27) and ends the process. In the control device 3, after the set time of the timer has elapsed, the sleep state is released by the timer unit 39. The control unit 11 transmits the display image to the type 1 electronic paper 2 and updates the display image of the type 1 electronic paper 2. Note that if the control unit 11 does not receive the completion from the control device 3 for some reason, a work instruction may be given to the operator.

[0039] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of image acquisition processing. The image acquisition processing is a process of causing the work terminal 5 to acquire a display image to be stored in the type 2 electronic paper 4. It is assumed that the image acquisition processing is executed after the main processing is executed. The operator operates the work terminal 5 before starting work to activate the image acquisition processing. The control unit 51 of the work terminal 5 transmits an information request for the electronic paper that needs to be updated to the management server 1 (step S31). The control unit 11 of the management server 1 receives the request (step S32). The control unit 11 creates a list of electronic papers that need to be updated (step S33). In step S15 of the main processing, the control unit 11 searches the paper DB 131 using the paper ID stored in the temporary storage area as a search key, reads out the information of the electronic paper, and creates a list. Although the target electronic paper is assumed to be the type 2 electronic paper 4, if the type 1 electronic paper 2 is included, it is desirable to adopt a display mode that can be distinguished in the list. When there are a large number of electronic papers, a list of electronic papers that need to be updated is created for each operator's assigned area. The operator's assigned area is stored in the operator DB 132. The area where the electronic paper is installed is stored in the paper DB 131. The control unit 11 transmits the created list to the work terminal 5 (step S34). The control unit 51 of the work terminal 5 receives the list and displays it on the display panel 55 (step S35). The operator selects the electronic paper on which he / she works from the list. The control unit 51 accepts the selection (step S36). It is assumed that other operators are in charge of the electronic papers that are not selected. The control unit 51 transmits the paper ID of the selected electronic paper to the management server 1 (step S37). The control unit 11 of the management server 1 receives the paper ID (step S38). The control unit 11 acquires the image to be written on the electronic paper (step S39). The control unit 11 searches the frame DB 133 using the received paper ID as a key, and acquires the content ID of the display image to be written on the electronic paper. The control unit 11 searches the content DB 135 using the acquired content ID as a key and acquires the display image. The control unit 11 creates a new record in the update history DB 134 and stores it by associating the paper ID, the content ID, and the operator ID (step S40). Since the update is not completed, the update date and time are not set or are blank.The control unit 11 associates the acquired display image with the paper ID of the electronic paper on which it is to be displayed, and transmits it to the work terminal 5 (step S41). The control unit 51 of the work terminal 5 associates and stores the display image and the paper ID (step S42), and ends the process.

[0040] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the rewriting process. The rewriting process is a process executed when an operator uses the work terminal 5 to mainly rewrite the display content of the type 2 electronic paper 4. The operator goes to the installation location of the type 2 electronic paper 4 with the work terminal 5 that stores the display image to be written to the type 2 electronic paper 4 through the image acquisition process. The operator connects the work terminal 5 to the type 2 electronic paper 4 through a communication cable and starts the rewriting process. The control unit 51 of the work terminal 5 controls the control communication unit 38 to connect to the type 2 electronic paper 4 (step S51). The control unit 51 determines whether the communication path has been established (step S52). When the control unit 51 determines that the communication path has been established (YES in step S52), it transmits the display image to the type 2 electronic paper 4 (step S53). The control unit 51 determines whether the transmission has been completed normally (step S54). When the control unit 51 determines that the transmission has been completed normally (YES in step S54), it gives an update instruction for the display content to the type 2 electronic paper 4 (step S55). The operator visually checks whether the display content of the type 2 electronic paper 4 has been updated. The operator inputs the confirmation result. The control unit 51 receives the input (step S56). The control unit 51 determines whether the received input is a retry (step S57). When the control unit 51 determines that it is a retry (YES in step S57), it returns the process to step S53 and executes again from the transmission of the display image. When the control unit 51 determines that it is not a retry (NO in step S57), it transmits the update history (paper ID, content ID, update date and time, operator ID) to the management server 1 (step S58). The control unit 51 disconnects the connection with the type 2 electronic paper 4 (step S59) and ends the process. When the control unit 51 determines that the transmission has not been completed normally (NO in step S54), it determines whether to time out (step S60). The timeout time is set in advance considering the communication speed, the size of the display image, etc. When the control unit 51 determines that it does not time out (NO in step S60), it returns the process to step S54. When the control unit 51 determines that it times out (YES in step S60), it performs an error display (step S61) and moves the process to step S59.When the control unit 51 determines that the communication path has not been established (NO in step S52), it displays an error (step S62) and ends the process. In case of an error, the operator may, at their discretion, perform the work from the beginning again. When the work is completed, the operator disconnects the cable connected to the type 2 electronic paper 4 and heads to the next site. Note that the operator may photograph the type 2 electronic paper 4 with the updated display content using a digital camera or the like as a site photo.

[0041] If the power supply from the work terminal 5 to the type 2 electronic paper 4 cannot be provided due to the specifications of the type 2 electronic paper 4 or the work terminal 5, then at the start of the work, a separately prepared mobile battery or the like is connected to the type 2 electronic paper 4, and the connection is released after the work is completed.

[0042] When an operator stores a plurality of display images in the work terminal 5 and is working around, there is a possibility that an image that should be sent to another type 2 electronic paper 4 may be accidentally sent. In that case, it is necessary to perform the update work again, which increases the man-hours, so a prevention function may be provided. Assume that the type 1 electronic paper 2 stores the paper ID attached to itself. In the rewriting process, when the control unit 11 determines that the communication path has been established (YES in step S52), it makes an inquiry about the paper ID to the type 1 electronic paper 2. The control unit 11 transmits the display image associated with the paper ID returned from the type 1 electronic paper 2 to the type 1 electronic paper 2 (step S53). Since it is not necessary for the operator to select the display image to be transmitted to the type 1 electronic paper 2, it is possible to prevent accidentally transmitting an incorrect display image.

[0043] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the history display process. The history display process is mainly a process executed to check the update work status of that day. The worker operates the work terminal 5 to start the history display process. The control unit 51 of the work terminal 5 sends a request for a history list to the management server 1 (step S71). The control unit 11 of the management server 1 receives the request (step S72). The control unit 11 reads out the update information and the update schedule information of the day, that is, the information for which the update date and time are not set, from the update history DB 134, and creates a history list (step S73). The control unit 11 sends the history list to the work terminal 5 (step S74). The control unit 51 of the work terminal 5 receives and displays the history list (step S75). The control unit 51 ends the process. Note that the history display process is not limited to the work terminal 5, and an administrator terminal (not shown) used by the administrator may be activated.

[0044] There may be multiple types of history lists created in the history display process. For example, for a worker, only the history of the work that the worker is in charge of or has been in charge of on that day is displayed. Or, the work history in the responsible area including the worker himself is displayed. When the administrator executes the history display process, the work history of the subordinate workers is displayed. The correspondence relationship between the administrator and the subordinate workers can be expressed by storing the administrator's ID in the worker DB 132.

[0045] Subsequently, an example of the screen displayed on the work terminal 5 or the like will be described. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a work list screen. The work list screen d01 is an example of the screen displayed on the display panel 55 of the work terminal 5 in step S35 of the image acquisition process. The work list screen d01 includes a list d011 and a send button d012. The list d011 is a list of the type 2 electronic papers 4 for which update work should be performed on that day. The list d011 includes a selection column and an installation location column. The selection column is a check box, and when checked, it represents an intention to be in charge of the update work of the corresponding type 2 electronic paper 4. The installation location column displays the installation location of the type 2 electronic paper 4. When the send button d012 is operated, the paper ID of the type 2 electronic paper 4 for which the check box is checked is sent to the management server 1.

[0046] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an update history list screen. The update history list screen d02 is a screen that displays a list of the update status for the current day. The update history list screen d02 is an example of a screen that is displayed on the display panel 55 of the work terminal 5 in step S75 of the history display process. The update history list screen d02 includes a list table d021. As described in the history display process, the list table d021 displayed on the update history list screen d02 is created by referring to the update history DB134. The list table d021 includes an installation location column, an operator column, a status column, and an image column. The installation location column displays the installation location of the type 2 electronic paper 4. The operator column displays the name of the operator in charge of the update work. The row in which the name is displayed in the operator column indicates that it is the history of the type 2 electronic paper 4. The row in which the value in the operator column is "-" indicates that it is the history of the type 1 electronic paper 2. The status column displays the work status. If the update work is not completed, the status column displays "waiting for work". If the update work is completed, the status column displays "completed". The image column displays a thumbnail of the display image that is displayed on the electronic paper after the update.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the following effects are achieved. For the type 1 electronic paper 2, by transmitting the display image, which is the advertisement information, from the management server 1 to the control device 3, it becomes possible to display the display image on the type 1 electronic paper 2. For the type 2 electronic paper 4, after transmitting the display image from the management server 1 to the work terminal 5, by transmitting the display image from the work terminal 5 to the type 2 electronic paper 4, it becomes possible to display the display image on the type 2 electronic paper 4.

[0048] The operator can check the type 2 electronic paper 4 for which the update work should be performed on the current day on the work list screen d01, and if necessary, it is possible to share the work among multiple operators. The operator or the administrator of the operator can check the work status on the update history list screen d02.

[0049] (Warning function) The type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 are advertising tools that can replace advertising billboards and posters installed in places such as railway stations and platforms of public transportation. In order to ensure a display area equivalent to that of conventional advertising billboards and posters, the type 1 electronic paper 2 and the type 2 electronic paper 4 are configured by combining a plurality of electronic paper units to form one electronic paper device. Therefore, due to gaps in the display surface that occur between adjacent electronic paper units (between multiple sheets), an area where no image is displayed (a seam) is generated. There is a risk that information obtained from the display content of the type 1 electronic paper 2 or the type 2 electronic paper 4 may be missing due to this area. For example, if this area overlaps with the display area of text and the text cannot be recognized, there is a possibility that words, phrases, and sentences containing the text cannot be understood. Also, when a face of a person is included in the display image, if the eyes of the person are on the seam, it may give a bad impression to the person who sees the face image. Therefore, the warning function detects that the area where the image cannot be displayed overlaps with the text area or the eye area of a person and issues a warning.

[0050] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the confirmation process. The confirmation process is executed after a display image for the 1-type electronic paper 2 or the 2-type electronic paper 4 is stored in the display data sequence of the content DB 135. The control unit 11 of the management server 1 acquires the display image (step S81). The control unit 11 acquires the display specification of the electronic paper on which the display image is to be displayed (step S82). The control unit 11 searches the frame DB 133 using the content ID associated with the display image as a key, and acquires the paper ID of the electronic paper on which the display image is to be displayed. Using the acquired paper ID as a key, the control unit 11 searches the paper DB 131 and acquires the display specification of the corresponding electronic paper. The display specification includes the number of electronic paper units, the size of each electronic paper unit, the number of pixels, and the size of the gap generated between the units. The display specification is stored in the paper DB 131 in advance. The control unit 11 sets a search window based on the display image and the display specification (step S83). The search window is an area of a size including a non-display area. The control unit 11 extracts an area (boundary image) of the display image corresponding to the non-display area based on the display image and the display specification of the electronic paper (step S84). The control unit 11 performs a search while moving the search window on the boundary image (step S85). The control unit 11 cuts out the image included in the search window and determines whether the image contains characters. When the control unit 11 determines that characters are included, the control unit 11 obtains the size of the characters, the position of the characters in the search window, and the area (number of pixels) occupied by the characters. Since the process of obtaining the size, position, and area occupied by the characters can be realized by well-known and commonly used techniques, the description thereof is omitted. The control unit 11 determines whether it is difficult to recognize the characters based on the position of the characters and the area occupied by the characters. For example, when the area occupied by the characters in the search window is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the character recognition is difficult. In addition, the control unit 11 determines whether the image includes a person's eyes. When the control unit 11 determines that a person's eyes are included, if the area where the eyes are included overlaps with the non-display area, an error is set. When the search for all non-display areas is completed, the control unit 11 outputs the result (step S86) and ends the process. The result is output to the terminal of the submitter if the submitter of the image is logged in to the advertisement management system 100.Also, an email is sent to the submitter, etc. If no characters determined to be difficult to recognize are found and it is not determined that the area including the person's eyes overlaps with the non-display area, the output result may simply display "no problem." If characters determined to be difficult to recognize are found or if it is determined that the area including the person's eyes overlaps with the non-display area, the output result may include, for example, a warning message (alert), an image showing the non-display area superimposed on the display image, and a partial image of the part determined to be difficult to recognize or the area including the person's eyes.

[0051] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a search. FIG. 19A is an example of a search for small characters. Two parallel vertical lines 191 indicate the non-display area due to the gap between the electronic paper units. A dotted square 192 indicates the search window. In the case of Example 1, "の" is included in the search window. From the position and the area occupied by "の", the control unit 11 judges that the character is below a predetermined size and is difficult to recognize. In the case of Example 2, from the position and the area occupied by "の" in the search window, the control unit 11 judges that recognition is not difficult or may be difficult. In the case of Example 3, three characters "話", "ました" and "の" are included in the search window, but from the size and position, the control unit 11 judges that "話" and "の" are also acceptable, and judges that "ました" is difficult to recognize. FIG. 19B is an example of a search for a person's eyes. In Example 1, the display area 193 of the eyes overlaps the non-display area, so the control unit 11 judges that an error has occurred. In Example 2, eye display area 193 does not overlap with the non-display area, so control unit 11 determines that there is no problem.

[0052] When there is a possibility that characters included in the display image will be difficult to recognize due to overlapping with a non-display area caused by a gap between electronic paper units, a warning function is used to inform the submitter, so that the image can be adjusted or changed before the display image is posted.

[0053] The technical features (constituent elements) described in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and by combining them, new technical features can be formed. The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are included. In addition, the claims use a format (multi-claim format) in which claims that cite two or more other claims are described, but it is not limited to this. A format in which multi-claims (multi-multi-claims) that cite at least one multi-claim may be described.

Explanation of Signs

[0054] 100: Advertising management system 1: Management server 11: Control unit 12: Main memory unit 13: Auxiliary storage unit 131: Paper DB 132: Worker DB 133: Frame DB 134: Update history DB 135: Content DB 14: Communication unit 15: Reading unit 1P: Control program 1a: Portable storage medium 1b: Semiconductor memory 2: Type 1 electronic paper 3: Control device 31: Control unit 32: Main memory unit 33: Auxiliary storage unit 34: Long-distance communication unit 35: Short-distance communication unit 36: Serial communication unit 37: Video output unit 38: Control communication unit 39: Timing unit 4: Type 2 electronic paper 5: Work terminal 51: Control unit 52: Main memory unit 53: Auxiliary memory unit 54: Communication unit 55: Display panel 56: Operation unit 57: Control communication unit 5P: Control program B: Bus N: Network

Claims

1. Obtaining advertisement information posted on electronic papers distributed and arranged in public transportation facilities, By connecting a mobile terminal device storing the obtained advertisement information to a first electronic paper, displaying the advertisement information on the first electronic paper, By distributing the advertisement information to a second electronic paper via a communication network from an information processing device storing the obtained advertisement information, displaying the advertisement information on the second electronic paper An information processing method for performing the process.

2. While supplying power to the first electronic paper connected to the mobile terminal device, and for the purpose of updating the advertisement information stored in the mobile terminal device, outputting the advertisement information to the first electronic paper The information processing method according to Claim 1.

3. Obtaining information on the location and time of day where the advertisement information is posted, Displaying the obtained advertisement information, location, and time of day on the mobile terminal device The information processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

4. After the update on the mobile terminal device, notifying that the update has been made The information processing method according to Claim 2.

5. Receiving the location and time of day of the second electronic paper, Distributing the advertisement information to the second electronic paper corresponding to the location at the time of day The information processing method according to Claim 1.

6. Outputting a list display of the update date and time of the first electronic paper or the second electronic paper, and the advertisement information The information processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 5.

7. When the advertisement information is displayed on the first electronic paper or the second electronic paper, if characters smaller than a predetermined size are written in the joint area between a plurality of sheets constituting the first electronic paper or the second electronic paper and it is determined that character recognition is difficult, or if the joint area overlaps with the eye area of a person included in the advertisement information, outputting an alert The information processing method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

8. A server for obtaining advertisement information posted on electronic papers distributed and arranged in public transportation facilities, A first electronic paper for displaying the advertisement information by transmitting the obtained advertisement information from a control device that has received and stored the advertisement information from the server via a communication network A second electronic paper for displaying the advertisement information by connecting a mobile terminal device storing the advertisement information obtained by the server, An information processing system comprising the above.

Images