Information processing device and information processing method

Abstract

To improve a technique that provides recommendation information to a Web site that a user has visited.SOLUTION: An information processing device 20 includes a control unit 23 that acquires behavioral data of a user 3 who browses a predetermined Web site disclosed on a Web server 30 by using a terminal device 10 that communicates with the Web server 30, and generates recommendation information to be provided to the user 3 by using an algorithm selected according to an amount of behavior calculated from the acquired behavioral data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known techniques for displaying recommended information on a website. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for selecting recommended information based on user attribute data. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7283865 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if a user's attribute data is insufficient, the accuracy of recommended information selection decreases, and the recommended information generated may not be what the user wants. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the technology for displaying recommended information on websites.

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure, made in consideration of the above circumstances, is to improve the technology for displaying recommended information on websites. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that communicates with a web server, and includes a control unit that acquires behavioral data of a user who browses a specified website published on the web server using a terminal device that communicates with the web server, and generates recommended information to be provided to the user using an algorithm selected according to the amount of behavior calculated from the acquired behavioral data.

[0007] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure performs the following steps: by using an information processing device that communicates with a web server, acquiring behavioral data of a user who browses a specified website published on the web server using a terminal device that communicates with the web server; calculating a behavioral amount from the acquired behavioral data; and generating recommended information to be provided to the user using an algorithm selected according to the calculated behavioral amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, techniques for displaying recommended information on a website are improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of selecting an algorithm according to the amount of user activity. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of display of recommended information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0011] (Outline of the embodiment) An overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1. The system 1 includes a terminal device 10 owned by a user 3, an information processing device 20, and a web server 30. The terminal device 10, the information processing device 20, and the web server 30 are communicably connected to a network 2 including, for example, the Internet and a mobile communication network.

[0012] The terminal device 10 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer (PC), but is not limited to these and may be any information processing terminal. The terminal device 10 is connected to the web server 30 via the network 2 so as to be able to communicate with the web server 30.

[0013] The information processing device 20 is, for example, a computer such as a server device, etc. The information processing device 20 is connected to a web server 30 via a network 2 so as to be able to communicate with the web server 30.

[0014] The web server 30 is a computer dedicated to publishing homepages, which is scattered across the Internet, for example. The web server 30 is connected to the terminal device 10 and the information processing device 20 via the network 2 so as to be able to communicate with them.

[0015] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be described later. An information processing device 20 acquires behavioral data of a user 3 who browses a predetermined website published on a web server 30 using a terminal device 10 that communicates with the web server 30, and generates recommended information to be provided to the user 3 using an algorithm selected according to the amount of behavior calculated from the acquired behavioral data.

[0016] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to generate recommended information to be provided to user 3 according to the amount of activity of user 3 who has viewed a specific website. Therefore, even if user 3 has a low amount of activity, it is possible to prevent the same recommended information from being repeatedly displayed or recommended information that user 3 does not want being displayed. Therefore, the technology for displaying recommended information on a website is improved in that the probability that information desired by user 3 will be displayed is increased.

[0017] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0018] (Terminal Device Configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a positioning unit 12, an input unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 16.

[0019] The communication unit 11 is configured to include at least one communication module connectable to the network 2. The communication module is, for example, a communication module compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, or 5G. However, the communication module is not limited to these. The communication module may be compatible with any communication standard. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 communicates with the web server 30 via the communication unit 11 and the network 2.

[0020] The positioning unit 12 includes one or more devices that acquire location information of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 12 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to this and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system.

[0021] The input unit 13 is configured to include at least one input interface capable of accepting input from a user of the terminal device 10. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitance key, a pointing device, a camera, a touch screen provided integrally with the display of the output unit 14 described later, or a microphone that picks up the user's voice. However, the input interface is not limited to these.

[0022] The output unit 14 includes at least one audio output interface capable of outputting audio, and at least one display interface capable of displaying text or video. The audio output interface is, for example, a speaker. The display interface is, for example, a display screen such as an LCD or an organic EL display. However, the audio output interface and the display interface are not limited to these.

[0023] The storage unit 15 includes one or more memories. The memories may be, for example, semiconductor memories, magnetic memories, or optical memories, but are not limited to these. Each memory included in the storage unit 15 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 15 stores any information used in the operation of the terminal device 10. For example, the storage unit 15 may store a system program, an application program including a web browser, and embedded software. The information stored in the storage unit 15 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 11, for example.

[0024] The control unit 16 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 16 controls the overall operation of the terminal device 10.

[0025] (Configuration of information processing device) As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 20 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit .

[0026] The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interfaces correspond to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN (Local Area Network) standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but are not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard. In this embodiment, the information processing device 20 communicates with the web server 30 via the communication unit 21 and the network 2.

[0027] The storage unit 22 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 22 may function as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores any information used in the operation of the information processing device 20. For example, the storage unit 22 may store system programs, application programs, databases, and various algorithms for generating recommended information. The information stored in the storage unit 22 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 21, for example.

[0028] The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 23 controls the operation of the information processing device 20 as a whole.

[0029] (Web server configuration) As shown in FIG. 1, the web server 30 includes a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a control unit 33.

[0030] The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces connected to the network 2. The communication interfaces correspond to, for example, a mobile communication standard, a wired LAN standard, or a wireless LAN standard, but are not limited to these and may correspond to any communication standard. In this embodiment, the web server 30 communicates with the terminal device 10 and the information processing device 20 via the communication unit 31 and the network 2.

[0031] The storage unit 32 includes one or more memories. Each memory included in the storage unit 32 may function, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 32 stores any information used in the operation of the Web server 30. For example, the storage unit 32 may store a system program, an application program, a database, and one or more websites each consisting of a set of Web pages published on the Internet. The information stored in the storage unit 32 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 2 via the communication unit 31, for example.

[0032] The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The control unit 33 controls the overall operation of the Web server 30.

[0033] (Operation flow of information processing device) The operation of the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This operation relates to the generation of recommended information to be provided to the user 3.

[0034] S101: The user 3 browses a predetermined website published on the web server 30 using the terminal device 10 that communicates with the web server 30.

[0035] A website consists of a collection of web pages with the same domain name that can be viewed on the Internet. A web page is an individual page that can be viewed on the Internet. In this disclosure, a specific website (hereinafter referred to as website W) is described as a website operated by, for example, a business that sells automobiles, but is not limited to this and may be a website operated by a business that provides any product or service. User 3 views website W by launching a web browser installed on terminal device 10 and specifying a URL with a domain name assigned to the business that sells automobiles.

[0036] S102: The control unit 23 acquires the behavior data of the user 3.

[0037] The behavioral data includes, for example, user 3's (i) visit history of visits to website W, (ii) browsing history of web pages viewed within website W during each visit, (iii) history of clicking links on web pages viewed during each visit to view content or other web pages, and (iv) car purchase history, but the behavioral data is not limited to these.

[0038] S103: The control unit 23 checks from the acquired behavioral data whether or not the purchase of the car by the user 3 has been concluded. If the purchase of the car has not been concluded, the process proceeds to S104; if the purchase has been concluded, the information processing ends.

[0039] The control unit 23 checks whether or not a purchase of a car has been concluded based on the car purchase history included in the behavioral data of the user 3.

[0040] S104: The control unit 23 calculates the amount of activity Q of the user 3 from the acquired activity data.

[0041] The amount of behavior Q is a numerical value calculated based on at least one of the following items included in the behavioral data of user 3: (i) the number of visits to website W, (ii) the number of web pages within website W viewed during each visit, and (iii) the number of clicks on links attached to the web pages viewed during each visit. For example, the amount of behavior Q may be calculated based only on (i) the number of visits to website W, with 1 visit to website W being 1, 2 visits being 2, and 10 visits being 10.

[0042] Furthermore, the amount of behavior Q may be calculated by focusing on (ii) and (iii) above. Here, depending on the number of times that user 3 has visited website W, the amount of behavior Q for the first visit is defined as Q1, the amount of behavior Q for the second visit as Q2, and the amount of behavior Q for the mth visit thereafter as Qm. For example, when user 3 visits website W for the first time, if the number of web pages viewed within website W is defined as N1a and the number of times links on the viewed web pages are clicked is defined as N1b, the amount of behavior Q is calculated as the sum of N1a and N1b using the following formulas (1) to (4). However, the calculation method for the amount of behavior Q is not limited to this. Q1=N1a+N1b (1) Q2=N2a+N2b (2) Qm = Nma + Nmb (3) Q = Q1 + Q2 + + Qm (4)

[0043] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of algorithm selection based on the amount of activity Q of user 3. In the example of FIG. 3, the amount of activity Q when user 3 visits website W once is 3, and the amount of activity Q when user 3 visits twice is 12. For example, if user 3 visits two web pages and clicks one link during the first visit, Q1 = 2 + 1 = 3. If user 3 visits three web pages and clicks six times during the second visit, Q2 = 3 + 6 = 9. Adding Q1 and Q2 together, the amount of activity Q for user 3 who visited twice is 12. According to this calculation method, the cumulative amount of activity Q increases with the number of visits. It is estimated that user 3 viewed one piece of content or another web page with each click. Thus, an increase in the amount of activity Q indicates that user 3 viewed more information posted on website W, i.e., improved user comprehension.

[0044] The storage unit 22 has an area (database) for storing the behavioral data of the user 3, the calculated behavior amount Q, and the estimated attribute information of the user 3, which will be described later. The control unit 23 stores the acquired behavioral data of the user 3, the calculated behavior amount Q of the user 3, and the estimated attribute information of the user 3 in the database. The stored behavioral data, behavior amount Q, and attribute information are successively updated based on the behavior of the user 3.

[0045] The control unit 23 uses an algorithm selected according to the calculated amount of behavior Q to generate recommended information to be displayed on the website W. Details of the generation method will be described in S105 to S115 below.

[0046] S105: The control unit 23 determines whether the calculated activity amount Q of the user 3 is less than the first threshold T1. If the activity amount Q is less than the first threshold T1, the process proceeds to S106, and if the activity amount Q is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1, the process proceeds to S108.

[0047] In the present disclosure, the first threshold T1 is set to 10, but is not limited to this and the first threshold T1 may be set to any arbitrary value.

[0048] S106: The control unit 23 sets the purpose of providing recommended information to the user 3 to discover potential needs.

[0049] S107: The control unit 23 generates recommended information using a first algorithm for generating information that is highly ranked on the Internet or a second algorithm for generating information searched by a generative AI.

[0050] If the amount of user 3's activity Q is less than the first threshold T1, it is necessary to uncover latent needs in order to prevent user 3 from initially leaving website W. For this reason, the control unit 23 generates recommended information (e.g., the latest information on industry trends related to the popular car models) from general information that is ranked highly on the Internet (e.g., the latest information on popular car models sold by the company that operates website W, new car sales information, etc.) or information searched by generative AI (e.g., CHATGPT, etc.). This makes it possible to uncover latent needs that interest user 3.

[0051] As shown in the example of Figure 3, the amount of activity Q when user 3 first visits website W is 3, so the control unit 23 sets the purpose of providing recommended information to user 3 to uncover latent needs, and generates the recommended information using the first algorithm or the second algorithm corresponding to that purpose.

[0052] S108: The control unit 23 determines whether the calculated activity amount Q of the user 3 is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1 and less than the second threshold T2, which is a value greater than the first threshold T1. If the activity amount Q is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1 and less than the second threshold T2, the process proceeds to S109. If the activity amount Q is equal to or greater than the second threshold T2, the process proceeds to S111.

[0053] In the present disclosure, the second threshold T2 is set to 20, but is not limited to this and may be set to any arbitrary value.

[0054] S109: The control unit 23 sets the expansion of options as a purpose for providing recommended information to the user 3.

[0055] S110: The control unit 23 generates recommendation information using a third algorithm that generates attribute information of the user 3 and information corresponding to a life stage estimated from the attribute information.

[0056] As shown in the example of Figure 3, since the activity level Q of user 3 who visited website W twice is 12, the control unit 23 sets the objective to expanding options and generates recommended information using the third algorithm corresponding to that objective. When user 3's activity level Q is 12, which is equal to or greater than the first threshold T1 and less than the second threshold T2, it is necessary to prevent user 3 from leaving website W due to a lack of understanding or information. For this reason, the control unit 23 estimates user 3's life stage from information viewed by user 3, and generates recommended information based on user 3's life stage using the third algorithm.

[0057] The control unit 23 estimates one or more pieces of attribute information of the user 3 from the behavioral data of the user 3, and classifies the user 3 into attribute groups that share one or more pieces of estimated attribute information. An attribute group is a group into which multiple users who share multiple pieces of attribute information, such as age, hobbies and preferences, family structure, and residential area, are assigned. A life stage is a stage of a living environment that is divided by milestone events in life, and may be, for example, childhood (0 to 4 years old), childhood (5 to 14 years old), adolescence (15 to 24 years old), middle age (25 to 44 years old), middle age (45 to 64 years old), or elderly age (65 years old or older), but the method of division and age division are not limited to these.

[0058] For example, if the attribute information of user 3 is in their 30s, travels / camps, is a family raising children, and lives in the suburbs, then user 3's life stage would be middle-aged. Based on such attribute information and life stage, control unit 23 may generate recommendation information, such as the latest information on vehicle models convenient for family travel, such as SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles) or minivans. This allows the provision of information on recommended vehicle models from the extensive lineup of SUVs and minivans listed on website W, thereby expanding the options available to user 3.

[0059] S111: The control unit 23 determines whether the activity amount Q of the user 3 is equal to or greater than the second threshold T2 and less than a third threshold T3, which is a value greater than the second threshold T2. If the activity amount Q is equal to or greater than the second threshold T2 and less than the third threshold T3, the process proceeds to S112, and if the activity amount Q is equal to or greater than the third threshold T3, the process proceeds to S114.

[0060] In the present disclosure, the third threshold T3 is set to 30, but is not limited to this and may be set to any arbitrary value.

[0061] S112: The control unit 23 sets remarketing as the purpose of providing recommended information to the user 3.

[0062] Remarketing is a method of re-approaching potential customers (active customers) who have previously visited a website, leading to the purchase of a product or service.

[0063] S113: The control unit 23 generates recommended information using a fourth algorithm that generates information that has been viewed by the user 3 in the past and has been viewed a predetermined number of times or more.

[0064] As shown in the example of FIG. 3, since the activity level Q of user 3 who visited website W three times is 25, the control unit 23 sets remarketing as the objective and generates recommended information using a fourth algorithm corresponding to that objective. When user 3's activity level Q is 25, which is equal to or greater than the second threshold T2 and less than the third threshold T3, it is estimated that user 3 has a high level of user understanding and is likely to be interested in the information he or she has viewed. For this reason, it is necessary to prevent user 3 from leaving website W because he or she is unable to access content that he or she has already viewed. Therefore, it is determined that user 3 likes recommended information that he or she has viewed in the past, and recommended information that has been viewed a predetermined number of times or more is redisplayed.

[0065] S114: The control unit 23 sets the purpose of providing the user 3 with recommended information to solve the problem toward closing a deal.

[0066] S115: The control unit 23 generates recommendation information using a fifth algorithm that generates information suitable for the attribute group to which the user 3 belongs.

[0067] As shown in the example of FIG. 3, since user 3, who has visited website W four times, has a behavioral amount Q of 45, the control unit 23 sets the goal as solving problems toward a purchase and generates recommended information using a fifth algorithm corresponding to that goal. If user 3's behavioral amount is 45, which is greater than the third threshold, it is estimated that user 3 has an extremely high level of user understanding of the car information posted on website W. However, at this stage, it is necessary to prevent user 3 from abandoning the website W due to not being able to recognize how to purchase a car that suits them and their anxiety about making a purchase. For this reason, the control unit 23 estimates one or more attribute information of user 3 from user 3's behavioral data, classifies user 3 into attribute groups that share one or more estimated attribute information, and generates recommended information tailored to the classified attribute group. For example, a link to a web page offering detailed car model plans with payment methods that are reasonable for the attribute group to which user 3 belongs (e.g., people in their 30s and families with children) may be displayed.

[0068] S116: The control unit 23 displays the generated recommendation information on the predetermined website that the user 3 is browsing.

[0069] The control unit 23 provides the recommended information to the user 3 by displaying the recommended information on a web page within the website W that the user 3 is viewing. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display of recommended information. The control unit 23 may display the generated recommended information (referred to as a recommendation component in FIG. 4) at any location on the screen of the web page. In the example of FIG. 4, the recommendation component displays, for example, a photo of the car model, the car model name, the monthly payment amount, and the delivery date using multiple lines of text, and is configured to transition to a web page that further explains the car model detailed plan if the user 3 is interested in the displayed car model, but the display of the recommended information is not limited to this.

[0070] The recommendation component may be configured to automatically switch the display content depending on the behavioral data, amount of behavior, etc. of the user 3. The same recommendation component may also be configured to be displayed on multiple web pages or multiple websites.

[0071] As described above, the information processing device 20 according to this embodiment acquires behavioral data of a user 3 who browses a specific website published on a web server 30 using a terminal device 10 that communicates with the web server 30, calculates the amount of behavior of the user 3 from the acquired behavioral data, and generates recommended information to be provided to the user 3 using an algorithm selected according to the calculated amount of behavior.

[0072] With this configuration, it is possible to generate recommended information to be provided to user 3 while user 3 is browsing a specific website, based on the amount of activity of user 3 who browsed the website. Therefore, even if user 3 has a low amount of activity, it is possible to prevent the same recommended information from being repeatedly displayed or recommended information that user 3 does not want being displayed. This improves the technology for displaying recommended information on websites, as it increases the likelihood that information desired by user 3 will be displayed.

[0073] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0074] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the information processing device 20 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the information processing device 20 are provided on the Web server 30 is possible.

[0075] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the information processing device 20 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure can also be realized as a program executable by a processor, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

[0076] In one example, the information processing device 20 may be used to provide MaaS (Mobility as a Service), which is a service that utilizes mobility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1 System 2 Network (Internet) 3 users 10 Terminal Equipment 11 Communications Department 12 Positioning unit 13 Input section 14 Output section 15 Storage section 16 Control Unit 20 Information processing equipment 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Control Unit 30 Web Server 31 Communications Department 32 Storage section 33 Control Unit

Claims

1. An information processing device that communicates with a web server, An information processing device comprising: a control unit that acquires behavioral data of a user who browses a specified website published on the web server using a terminal device that communicates with the web server, and generates recommended information to be provided to the user using an algorithm selected according to the amount of behavior calculated from the acquired behavioral data.

2. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The amount of behavior is a numerical value calculated based on at least one of the following items included in the behavioral data of the user: the number of visits to the specified website, the number of web pages within the specified website viewed during each visit, and the number of times links attached to the web pages were clicked during each visit.

3. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, The control unit further sets the purpose of providing recommended information to the user as follows: discovering latent needs when the amount of action is less than a first threshold; expanding options when the amount of action is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold; remarketing when the amount of action is equal to or greater than the second threshold and less than a third threshold that is greater than the second threshold; and solving problems toward closing a deal when the amount of action is equal to or greater than the third threshold.

4. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3, The algorithm is one of a first algorithm that generates information that is ranked highly on the Internet, a second algorithm that generates information searched by generative AI, a third algorithm that generates information corresponding to the life stage of the user, a fourth algorithm that generates information that has been viewed by the user in the past and has been viewed a predetermined number of times or more, and a fifth algorithm that generates information that is suitable for an attribute group to which the user belongs, The control unit generates recommended information to be provided to the user using the first algorithm or the second algorithm when the purpose is set to uncover latent needs, the third algorithm when the purpose is set to expand options, the fourth algorithm when the purpose is set to remarketing, and the fifth algorithm when the purpose is set to solve problems toward closing the deal.

5. An information processing device that communicates with a web server acquiring behavioral data of users who browse a predetermined website published on the web server using a terminal device that communicates with the web server; Calculating an amount of activity from the acquired activity data; generating recommendation information to be provided to the user using an algorithm selected according to the calculated amount of behavior; An information processing method that performs the above.

6. A method for providing MaaS (Mobility as a Service) using the information processing device according to claim 1.

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