Content interest level determination system, content interest level determination method, and content interest level determination program

Abstract

To provide a technology for determining a user's level of interest in content distributed by a content distribution service, such as content including advertisements or specific languages, musical pieces or the like.SOLUTION: The system comprises: a content reproduction unit 1 that reproduces content composed of video and / or audio and the like; a language information extraction unit 2 that extracts language information, which is information related to the language included in the content; a music information extraction unit 3 that extracts music information, which is information related to a musical piece included in the content; a partial content selection unit 4 that selects, from the reproduced content, partial content that is a target for interest level determination; a playback mode information generation unit 5 that generates playback mode information, which is information related to the playback mode of the partial content; a behavior information generation unit 6 that generates behavior information, which is information related to user behavior during playback of the partial content; and an environment information generation unit 7 that generates environment information, which is information related to the environment in which the user is placed during playback of the partial content.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for determining a user's level of interest in content that includes advertisements, specific languages, music, etc., distributed by a content distribution service. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of the Internet and the widespread use of portable information terminals, video, music, and other content that was once viewed using large, dedicated receiving devices such as televisions and radios can now be enjoyed easily anytime, anywhere using portable information terminals. While people used to enthusiastically watch programs in their family rooms or in front of radios or televisions installed on the street, people now easily watch programs anywhere on their own small portable information terminals, even while doing other tasks. Regarding content viewing using portable information terminals, in addition to a fee-charging system that charges for viewing itself, many content distribution services also cover the costs of content creation and distribution by playing advertising content before, during, and after programs, similar to television and radio broadcasts.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that selects and plays an in-stream advertisement based on the viewing history of the content while the viewed video is being played, and displays a skip button after playing the in-stream advertisement for a predetermined time, thereby skipping the advertisement and playing the viewed video. Patent Document 2 also discloses a technology that, when a predetermined condition is met while providing electronic content, temporarily stops providing the electronic content and delivers advertising information determined based on user operations, and, if the answer to a question related to the advertising information is correct, terminates the delivery of the advertising information and resumes providing the electronic content. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-129375 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-073187 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In content distribution services that involve advertising, the costs of creating and distributing content are covered by advertising fees collected from advertisers, and when determining advertising fees, it is necessary to show advertisers the extent to which the advertising effect can be expected.

[0006] However, it is difficult to accurately estimate advertising effectiveness in content distribution using portable information terminals, and Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose any related technology. Portable information terminals have lightweight, highly durable housings, making them easy for users to carry around, allowing them to access content distribution services anytime, anywhere. However, due to their ease of use, the level of interest a user has in the distributed content varies depending on the viewing context. For example, when viewing content while doing housework or while performing work duties, users often only use the content as background music and are not particularly interested in the content itself. Furthermore, while users are likely to concentrate on the content while relaxing at home, they may be distracted by their surroundings and not be as focused on the content when they are out and about.

[0007] This also applies to content other than advertising. For example, when a public organization provides information through a content distribution service, it is important to understand how widely the information is disseminated. However, as with the above-mentioned advertising, it is difficult to understand how effectively the information has been disseminated. The same is true for the level of user interest in the content itself that is being distributed.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology for determining a user's level of interest in content that includes advertisements, specific languages, music, etc., distributed through content distribution services. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the content interest level determination system according to claim 1 is a content interest level determination system for determining a user's level of interest in played content, and comprises: a partial content selection means for selecting partial content to be the subject of interest level determination from content played by a content playback means; a playback mode information generation means for generating playback mode information, which is information about the playback mode of the partial content in the content playback means; a behavioral mode information generation means for generating behavioral mode information, which is information about the behavioral mode of the content user when the partial content is played by the content playback means; an interest information generation means for generating interest information, which is information about the content user's level of interest in the partial content, based on the playback mode information and the behavioral mode information; a comparison content selection means for selecting comparison content, which is partial content different from the partial content selected by the partial content selection means; and a comparison content playback determination means for determining whether the comparison content has been played in the content playback means, wherein the interest information generation means generates the interest information in association with the comparison content when the comparison content playback determination means determines that the comparison content has been played.

[0010] and a comparison content playback determination step of determining whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The comparison content playback determination step determines whether the comparison content has been played back by the content playback means. The interest information generation step generates the interest information in association with the comparison content.

[0011] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the content interest level determination program according to claim 3 is a content interest level determination program that causes a computer to determine a user's level of interest in played content, and causes the computer to execute a partial content selection function that selects partial content to be the subject of interest level determination from content played by a content playback means, a playback mode information generation function that generates playback mode information that is information about the playback mode of the partial content in the content playback means, a behavioral behavior information generation function that generates behavioral behavior information that is information about the behavioral behavior of the content user when the partial content is played by the content playback means, an interest information generation function that generates interest information that is information about the content user's level of interest in the partial content based on the playback mode information and the behavioral behavior information, a comparison content selection function that selects comparison content that is partial content different from the partial content selected by the partial content selection function, and a comparison content playback determination function that determines whether the comparison content has been played in the content playback means, and is characterized in that the interest information generation function executes a process of generating the interest information in association with the comparison content when the comparison content playback determination function determines that the comparison content has been played. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the degree of interest of a user in content that includes advertisements, specific languages, music, etc., distributed by a content distribution service. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a content interest level determination system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing a process of generating interest information in the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment; [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a content interest level determination system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, examples that are considered to be the most appropriate embodiments of the present invention will be described, and it goes without saying that the contents of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific examples shown in the present embodiments. Of course, any configuration that achieves similar functions and effects, even if it is a configuration other than the specific configuration shown in the embodiments, is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0015] (Embodiment 1) First, a description will be given of a content interest level determination system according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment includes a content playback unit 1 that plays content consisting of video and / or audio, a language information extraction unit 2 that extracts language information that is information about language included in the content, a music information extraction unit 3 that extracts music information that is information about music included in the content, a partial content selection unit 4 that selects partial content that is a target for determining the level of interest from the played content, a playback mode information generation unit 5 that generates playback mode information that is information about playback modes of the partial content, a behavior information generation unit 6 that generates behavior information that is information about behavior of a user when the partial content is played, an environment information generation unit 7 that generates environment information that is information about the environment in which the user was placed when the partial content was played, a behavior mode information generation unit 8 that generates behavior mode information that is information about behavioral modes of the user when the partial content was played based on the environment information and / or the behavior information, and a user-defined behavior mode information generation unit 9 that generates behavior mode information that is information about behavioral modes of the user when the partial content is played. The system comprises an interest information generation unit 9 that generates interest information, which is information regarding the user's level of interest; a token generation unit 10 that generates a user token, which is a non-fungible token corresponding to the user; a transaction generation unit 11 that generates a transaction to be stored in a block in a distributed ledger corresponding to the user token, as information including information regarding the holder of the user token and the interest information; an electronic signature generation unit 12 that generates an electronic signature, which is data that proves that the generation and output of the information included in the transaction is in accordance with the intentions of the holder of the user token; an output unit 13 that instructs the transaction and the electronic signature to be output to a distributed network associated with the user token; a token information storage unit 14 that stores token information, which is information regarding the user token; an interest information acquisition unit 15 that accesses the distributed network to acquire the interest information included in the transaction; and an interest information provision unit 16 that provides the acquired interest information to an external party.

[0016] The content playback unit 1 is for playing back content including partial content that is the subject of interest level determination. Specifically, the content playback unit 1 is configured by an application or the like installed in a portable information terminal such as a smartphone, and has a function of playing back content consisting of video data and / or audio data based on electronic data provided via an Internet connection. However, the content playback unit 1 may be configured to play back content recorded on a recording medium (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, USB memory, etc.) without going through an Internet connection, or may be configured to include receiving equipment for AM (Amplitude Modulation) broadcasting, FM (Frequency Modulation) broadcasting, terrestrial digital broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, etc., and play back content provided by such broadcasting.

[0017] The language information extraction unit 2 is for extracting language information, which is information related to the language contained in the content played back by the content playback unit 1. Specifically, the language information extraction unit 2 has a function of extracting language information from the spoken content using voice recognition technology for the audio portion of the content. The language information extraction unit 2 also has a function of extracting characters displayed as video for the video portion of the content using character recognition technology, and identifying the content of people, objects, etc. displayed in the video using image recognition technology, and extracting the names of the identified people, objects, etc. as language information. In the first embodiment, the language information extraction unit 2 also has a function of extracting information regarding when the language information was played back in specific content.

[0018] The music information extraction unit 3 is for extracting music information, which is information about music included in the content played by the content playback unit 1. Specifically, the music information extraction unit 3 has a function to extract music played in the audio portion of the content and output music information such as the title of the music. The content of the music information includes at least the title of the music, and preferably includes the music genre to which the music belongs, and the names of people involved in the music, such as the composer, singer, and performer.

[0019] The partial content selection unit 4 is configured to select partial content to be used for determining the interest level from among the content played by the content playback unit 1. The partial content refers to at least a part of the content played by the content playback unit 1. It is possible to specify a period from t1 seconds to t2 seconds after the start of playback of a particular piece of content, with 0 seconds being the start time, or to select a partial content based on its content (such as an advertising video). Furthermore, the partial content selection unit 4 in the first embodiment is capable of selecting a portion of a certain duration from the entire content where a particular language extracted by the linguistic information extraction unit 2 is spoken or displayed, and also of selecting a portion of a certain duration where a piece of music extracted by the music information extraction unit 3 is played, as a partial content. Furthermore, the partial content selection unit 4 is also capable of selecting, as a single partial content, portions of the same content in multiple pieces of content (for example, multiple types of advertisements for a specific product, or multiple pieces of content where a language related to the same linguistic information is spoken).

[0020] The playback mode information generator 5 is for generating playback mode information, which is information related to the playback mode of the partial content selected by the partial content selector 4. The playback mode information preferably includes at least the number of times the partial content has been played, the time at which playback started for each playback, the duration of playback, and, if the partial content has been played multiple times, the time required from the end of the previous playback to the start of the next playback. The playback mode information may also include information regarding the volume level, image brightness level, and playback speed (normal speed, double speed, etc.) during playback.

[0021] The behavior information generation unit 6 generates behavior information, which is information about the behavior of the user when the partial content selected by the partial content selection unit 4 is played back, and outputs the information to the behavior pattern information generation unit 8. Specifically, the behavior information generation unit 6 generates behavior information indicating what the user is doing when playing back content on the content playback unit 1. In the first embodiment, the behavior information generation unit 6 is configured to detect the user's posture and behavior and / or changes therein when the partial content is played back using a three-axis acceleration sensor provided in the portable information terminal held by the user, and to infer the user's behavior from the detection results. It is desirable that the behavior information generation unit 6 has a function to infer the user's posture and behavior, such as standing still, walking, doing manual work, or vibrating violently.

[0022] It is preferable that the behavior information generation unit 6 acquires information about accelerations occurring during user movements when the content playback unit 1 plays back a partial content by using a triaxial acceleration sensor provided in a portable information terminal including other components such as the content playback unit 1. To achieve this function, the behavior information generation unit 6 may use a triaxial acceleration sensor configured separately from the portable information terminal, or a biaxial or single-axis acceleration sensor instead of a triaxial one. Furthermore, instead of predicting user behavior based on the measurement results of the acceleration sensor, the behavior information generation unit 6 may be configured to, for example, install a surveillance camera and analyze user behavior from video footage captured by the camera. Furthermore, in a configuration using an acceleration sensor, the measurement results of the acceleration sensor may be generated as behavior information without predicting specific behaviors.

[0023] The environmental information generation unit 7 generates environmental information, which is information about the environment in which the user is placed when the partial content selected by the partial content selection unit 4 is played back, and outputs the environmental information to the behavioral pattern information generation unit 8. Specifically, the environmental information generation unit 7 has a function of detecting the user's position and / or changes in position when the partial content is played back, determining the location of the position, and then grasping the environment in which the user is placed when the partial content is played back. More specifically, the environmental information generation unit 7 detects the user's position and changes in position using a positioning system that uses a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving function, Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication function, or the like provided in the portable information terminal held by the user, and grasps the environment in which the user is placed based on map information corresponding to the location, etc. As a result, the environmental information generation unit 7 grasps whether the user is staying at home, work, hospital, shop, restaurant, or training gym, or traveling on the street or by train, etc., when the partial content is played back, and generates environmental information about the grasped user environment.

[0024] The environmental information generating unit 7 may be specifically configured to use a GPS receiving function or the like of a portable information terminal, or may generate environmental information by capturing images of the user's surroundings using a camera function and analyzing the captured images using image recognition technology. Even when using a GPS receiving function or the like, the GPS receiving function may be provided in an information terminal such as a wearable device or a dedicated device separate from the portable information terminal equipped with the content playback unit 1. The specific content of the environmental information may be simply composed of location information, or may be simplified information such as an environment suitable for content playback (e.g., home) or an environment unsuitable for content playback (e.g., workplace) without specifying a specific location.

[0025] The behavioral pattern information generation unit 8 generates behavioral pattern information, which is the behavioral pattern of the user when the partial content is being played, based on the user behavior information generated by the behavior information generation unit 6 and / or the user environment information generated by the environment information generation unit 7. Specifically, the behavioral pattern information generation unit 8 has a function of grasping the user's actions based on the behavior information, determining what kind of behavior the user is performing when the partial content is being played back, taking into consideration the actions and the user's location or changes in location, and generating behavioral pattern information. Note that the behavioral pattern information generated by the behavioral pattern information generation unit 8 may include specific behavioral content such as relaxing at home, performing work at work, training or taking a break at a gym, or more simply, may include only information regarding whether the behavior allows the user to concentrate on watching the partial content.

[0026] Furthermore, as a simple configuration, when generating the user's behavioral pattern information, the behavioral pattern information generation unit 8 may generate information from only the behavior information as a general rule, and generate information taking into account environmental information only when the position or change in position is characteristic. Since the generation of the user's behavioral pattern information is performed from the perspective of whether or not the situation allows for concentrated viewing of the partial content, for example, if it is determined from the behavior information that the user is hardly moving, it may generate behavioral pattern information (which may be text information itself, but is preferably numerical information corresponding to the meaning of the text information; the same applies below) containing the content "behavior that allows concentrated viewing of the partial content," as a general rule, and if the user's location is a workplace, there is a possibility that the user will be participating in a meeting, etc., so it is effective to exceptionally generate behavioral pattern information containing the content "behavior that does not allow concentrated viewing of the partial content." Similarly, if the absolute value of acceleration in the behavior information is large, it is generally the case that some large-scale work is being performed and behavioral pattern information is generated that describes "behavior that does not allow for concentrated viewing of the partial content," whereas if the position change is rapid, it may be that the person is traveling while in a taxi, bus, train, airplane, etc. and the large absolute value of acceleration may be due to vibrations from the taxi, etc. In such cases, it is appropriate to exceptionally generate behavioral pattern information that describes "behavior that allows for concentrated viewing of the partial content."

[0027] The interest information generation unit 9 generates interest information that indicates the user's level of interest in the partial content, based on the playback behavior information generated by the playback behavior information generation unit 5 and behavior behavior information regarding the user's behavior during playback of the partial content determined by the behavior behavior information generation unit 8. Specifically, the interest information generation unit 9 generates interest information based on the playback behavior information such that the user's level of interest increases / decreases the more / fewer times the partial content is played, the longer / shorter the total playback time, and the shorter / longer the time elapsed from the end of the previous playback to the start of the next playback, the higher / lower the user's level of interest.

[0028] Furthermore, the interest information generation unit 9 generates interest information so that the user's level of interest is high when the user's behavior during playback of the partial content is determined to be "behavior that allows for concentrated viewing of the partial content," and generates interest information so that the user's level of interest is low when the user's behavior is determined to be "behavior that does not allow for concentrated viewing of the partial content." Regarding the behavioral pattern information, more preferably, when the absolute value (scalar quantity) of acceleration in the behavior information is small, the behavior is generally treated as "behavior that allows for concentrated viewing of the partial content," and, depending on the environment of the user's location, is exceptionally treated as "behavior that does not allow for concentrated viewing of the partial content." Conversely, when the absolute value (scalar quantity) of acceleration in the behavior information is large, the behavior is generally treated as "behavior that does not allow for concentrated viewing of the partial content," and, for example, when the user's positional fluctuation is greater than a certain speed (when the user is presumed to be riding in a taxi, bus, etc.), it is exceptionally treated as "behavior that allows for concentrated viewing of the partial content." When generating such interest information, it is preferable to generate information after quantifying each of "behavior that allows for concentrated viewing of the partial content" and "behavior that does not allow for concentrated viewing of the partial content." Of course, interest information may not only be generated by simple binarization, but may also be quantified by classifying the behavioral pattern information into three or more stages according to the specific content of the information.

[0029] In a more preferred embodiment, the interest information generator 9 sets, for the interest information I, the number of times a partial content is played back as N and the start time of the nth playback of the partial content as t bn , the end time is t en (However, e0 =t b1 -1), the absolute value (scalar quantity) of the user's acceleration at time t is a(t), the coefficient determined according to the user's position and position change speed at time t is b(t), and m is a positive real number, which is derived using the following formula. I = TIFF2025138544000002.tif1036 By deriving the interest information I according to this formula, the smaller / larger the absolute value a(t) of the acceleration is, the larger the interest information value (= high interest) / smaller the value (low interest), and the time taken from the end of the previous playback to the start of the next playback (t bn -t e(n-1) ) the smaller / larger the interest information is, the longer / shorter the total playback time is, the larger / smaller the interest information is, and the longer / shorter the playback time of each playback is, the larger / smaller the interest information is. Note that the real number m is a coefficient for preventing values ​​from diverging when the absolute value of acceleration becomes 0, and it is preferable to set b(t) to a large value (= a value that makes the interest information small) when the user is at work, for example, and to a small value (= a value that makes the interest information large) when the user is moving at high speed. Note that in the above formula, a(t)=a n (A constant value determined every nth playback. For example, t bn ≦t≦t en It may also be the average value of a(t) in

[0030] The token generation unit 10 is for generating user tokens, which are non-fungible tokens corresponding to users who view content using the content playback unit 1. "Non-fungible tokens" refer to so-called NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), that is, tokens that have unique data and therefore cannot be substituted for other tokens, and are issued, for example, based on ERC721, an Ethereum (registered trademark) standard. The user tokens in the first embodiment are issued based on ERC721 or other predetermined standards, and are configured such that information about the corresponding users and information about the users' interests in partial content are stored on the blockchain.

[0031] "Blockchain" is a technology that uses encryption technology to synchronize data between multiple computers that make up a distributed network. Specifically, each block is made up of a collection of information about tokens, such as agreed-upon transaction records, and information for connecting to other blocks (information from the previous block), and a blockchain is made up of multiple blocks linked together. Even if data is tampered with on one of the multiple computers, the correct data is selected by majority vote among the other computers, making it extremely difficult to destroy or tamper with data.

[0032] The correspondence between user tokens and users is a one-to-one association between the user token identifier and the user's identification information (the user's identification information may be the user's name or some other character string associated with the user). More directly, the user token identifier and the user's identification information may be the same, or a correspondence may be established between them composed of different character strings, etc. Alternatively, the user token identifier may be associated with URL information on the Internet where data related to the user is saved.

[0033] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the blocks constituting the distributed ledger corresponding to the generated user tokens record transaction records relating to the transfer of ownership of the user tokens, as well as information relating to the user's interest in partial content, etc. These pieces of information are converted by the transaction generation unit 11 into transactions, which are information output to the distributed network.

[0034] The user token may be generated by the token generation unit 10 itself, or may be generated by an external system that is directly or indirectly connected to the token generation unit 10 by issuing a predetermined command to the external system. The specific format of the user token is not limited to one that complies with ERC721, the standard of Ethereum (registered trademark), and may be any format as long as it is non-fungible and the transaction history is stored on the blockchain.

[0035] The transaction generation unit 11 has a function of generating transactions to be stored in blocks in the distributed ledger, and corresponds to an example of information generation means in the claims. Specifically, the transaction generation unit 11 generates, as the transaction content, information including the interest information of the corresponding user in each partial content generated by the interest information generation unit 9, in addition to information regarding a change in the holder name of the user token. More preferably, the transaction generation unit 11 may generate a transaction consisting of information including not only the interest information but also the behavioral pattern information and playback pattern information used to generate the interest information, or may further generate a transaction consisting of information including the attribute information of the corresponding user (gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, educational background, work history, etc.).

[0036] The electronic signature generation unit 12 has a function of generating an electronic signature, which is data that proves that the creation and output of information included in a transaction complies with the intent of the user token holder. Specifically, the electronic signature generation unit 12 has a function of generating a hash value of the transaction generated by the transaction generation unit 11 and encrypting the hash value with a private key held by the user token holder to generate an electronic signature. Note that a "hash value" is a fixed-length value obtained by applying a specific calculation procedure to original data. Because the calculation procedure is irreversible, it is considered impossible to restore the original data from the hash value. Furthermore, a "private key" is a number sequence used in encryption processing that can be decrypted using a corresponding "public key." Note that, in the first embodiment, the transaction generation unit 11 and the electronic signature generation unit 12 are configured to generate transactions and electronic signatures, which are one form of ownership change information, by themselves. However, this is not a limitation, and the transaction generation unit 11 and the electronic signature generation unit 12 may simply have a function of instructing an external device to generate transactions and electronic signatures.

[0037] The output unit 13 instructs the distributed network associated with the user token to output the transaction generated by the transaction generation unit 11 and the electronic signature generated by the electronic signature generation unit 12. The output unit 13 functions as one aspect of the output instruction means in the claims. In this embodiment, the output unit 13 is configured to directly output the transaction and the electronic signature. However, the output unit 13 may be configured to only instruct another component (which may be provided outside the content interest level assessment system) to output the transaction. In this embodiment, the output unit 13 is directly or indirectly connected to the distributed network and is configured to be able to output predetermined data to the distributed network. The distributed network generates a hash value of the output transaction and compares it with data obtained by decrypting the electronic signature using a public key (= the hash value of the transaction). If the two values ​​differ, the distributed network determines that the transaction is not legitimate by the token holder, etc., and rejects registration. If the two values ​​match, the distributed network determines that the transaction is legitimate, and stores the information composed of the transaction in a block constituting the distributed ledger. The transaction output by the output unit 13 includes information regarding the change of ownership, and by outputting the transaction to the distributed network, this information is stored in the blocks that make up the distributed ledger established on the distributed network.

[0038] The token information storage unit 14 is intended to store information necessary for accessing transactions related to user tokens stored in blocks in the distributed ledger. The specific configuration of the token information storage unit 14 is preferably similar to that of a wallet used for transactions of virtual currencies (crypto assets), such as Ethereum (registered trademark). When configured similarly to a wallet, the structure may be a so-called "hot wallet" that is always connected to the Internet, or a "cold wallet" that can connect to the Internet only when necessary. "Information necessary for accessing transactions related to user tokens" refers to, for example, account information for identifying the user token and information related to the public key corresponding to the user token.

[0039] The interest information acquisition unit 15 is for accessing the distributed network and acquiring interest information included in a transaction. Specifically, the interest information acquisition unit 15 has a function of using the information stored in the token information storage unit 14 to access a transaction corresponding to a user token stored in a block in the distributed ledger and acquire user interest information related to specific partial content included in the transaction. By managing the information necessary to access a transaction of a user token in the token information storage unit 14, unrelated third parties are prevented from accessing the transaction and acquiring information, thereby protecting the privacy of users, etc.

[0040] The interest information providing unit 16 is for providing the interest information acquired by the interest information acquiring unit 15 to an external party. Specifically, the interest information providing unit 16 has a function of outputting interest information about a corresponding partial content to, for example, a user who wants to know his or her own interests, or to a creator of a specific partial content such as an advertisement who is investigating the degree of interest in the corresponding partial content. The interest information provided by the interest information providing unit 16 may be the information acquired by the interest information acquiring unit 15 as is, or may be processed based on the information to indicate the degree of interest in three levels: high, medium, and low, for easier understanding.

[0041] Next, an interest information generation process in the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the partial content selection unit 4 selects a playback content to be the target of interest level determination (step S101). Next, the playback mode information generation unit 5 generates playback mode information according to the playback mode of the partial content played by the content playback unit 1 (step S102). The behavior information generation unit 6 generates behavior information according to the behavior of the content user when the partial content is played (step S103). The environmental information generation unit 7 generates environmental information according to the environment in which the content user was placed when the partial content was played (step S104). After that, the behavior mode information generation unit 8 generates behavior mode information relating to the behavior of the content user when the partial content was played using the behavior information and / or environmental information (step S105). Then, the environmental information generation unit 7 generates interest information indicating the content user's level of interest in the partial content based on the playback mode information and the behavior mode information (step S106).

[0042] Next, advantages of the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment will be described. First, the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment determines the level of interest in partial content, which is a part of various contents played back by the content playback unit 1. Partial content includes a specific entire content, a part of content (for example, a specific advertisement part), and a part of various contents that includes a specific character string and / or a specific song. Therefore, by using the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment, it is possible for a content creator to grasp the level of user interest in the content they create, for a company that has placed an advertisement to grasp the level of user interest in their company or their products or services, for a person involved in music to grasp the level of user interest in songs in which they are involved, and for a public institution to grasp the level of user interest in information sent out by the public institution.

[0043] Furthermore, the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment is configured to determine the level of interest in a partial content based on the user's behavior during content playback, in addition to the playback time and playback interval of the target partial content. This configuration makes it possible to determine the level of interest taking into account the user's level of concentration during playback of the partial content, which has the advantage of enabling more accurate generation of interest information.

[0044] Furthermore, the system for determining the level of interest in content according to the first embodiment uses behavior information on the user's behavior during playback of a partial content and environmental information on the user's location and location fluctuations as indicators for determining the user's behavior. The use of measuring devices such as a triaxial acceleration sensor and a GPS receiver makes it possible to generate behavior information based on objective numerical values, which has the advantage of enabling the level of interest to be determined taking into account the user's concentration during playback of a partial content more accurately.

[0045] Furthermore, the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment records user interest information related to the generated partial content in a block in the distributed ledger in a manner that includes the information in the transaction. By using the blockchain technology, it is possible to prevent a third party from tampering with the recorded content, and therefore the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment has the advantage of being able to accurately record interest information.

[0046] Furthermore, the content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment has a token information storage unit configured with a wallet or the like for storing token information for accessing transactions, etc. related to user tokens. The content interest level determination system according to the first embodiment has the advantage that by centrally managing token information, it is possible to prevent third parties from accessing transactions, etc., and thereby protect the privacy, etc., of users.

[0047] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of a content interest level determination system according to embodiment 2. In embodiment 2, components with the same names and symbols as those in embodiment 1 will perform the same functions as those in embodiment 1 unless otherwise specified.

[0048] The content interest level determination system according to the second embodiment has a function of generating interest information indicating a user's level of interest in a partial content, similar to the first embodiment, and also employs a configuration for generating correlations of interest information between a plurality of partial content pieces. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the content interest level determination system according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the system includes a comparison content selection unit 21 that selects a partial content piece to be combined with a partial content piece for which interest information is to be generated, a comparison content playback determination unit 22 that determines whether the selected comparison content piece has actually been played back by the content playback unit 1, an interest information generation unit 23 that generates interest information for the partial content piece when the comparison content playback determination unit 22 determines that the comparison content piece has been evaluated to a certain extent, a transaction generation unit 24 that generates a transaction including information about the comparison content piece in association with the interest information for the partial content piece, an interest information acquisition unit 25 that acquires the interest information for the partial content piece included in the transaction and information about the comparison content piece associated with the partial content piece, and an interest information provision unit 26 that provides the user's interest information for the partial content piece in a format associated with the comparison content piece.

[0049] The comparison content selection unit 21 is for selecting comparison content, which is a partial content different from the partial content for which interest information is to be generated, from among the content played back by the content playback unit 1. The comparison content selection unit 21 may select the comparison content by using some input means to input information specifying the partial content to be used as the comparison content, or by displaying partial content that has been played back in the past or that may be played back in the future as candidates and allowing the user to select one, or by randomly and automatically selecting one.

[0050] The comparison content playback determination unit 22 is for determining whether the comparison content selected by the comparison content selection unit 21 has actually been played by the content playback unit 1. The criteria for the comparison content selection unit 21 may be to determine that the comparison content has been "actually played" even if it has been played once or even if only part of the comparison content has been played, but more preferably, to determine that the comparison content has been "actually played" only if the number of times it has been played exceeds a certain threshold (for example, played five or more times) or if the total playback time exceeds a certain threshold. This is because by limiting the determination to cases where the comparison content has been played at least once, the correlation between the comparison content and the information of interest can be derived more accurately.

[0051] When the comparison content playback determination unit 22 determines that the comparison content has actually been played, the interest information generation unit 23 generates interest information for the partial content in association with the comparison content. The interest information generation unit 23 outputs the interest information itself and information necessary to identify the comparison content to the transaction generation unit 24, and the transaction generation unit 24 generates, as the content of the transaction, information including the interest information for the partial content of the corresponding user generated by the interest information generation unit 23 and information associating the interest information with the comparison content, in addition to information regarding a change in the name holding the user token. The interest information acquisition unit 25 acquires the interest information regarding the partial content and the comparison content, and the interest information provision unit 26 provides this information to an external party.

[0052] Next, advantages of the system for determining a degree of interest in content according to the second embodiment will be described. The system for determining a degree of interest in content according to the second embodiment is configured to set a comparison content different from the partial content for which interest information is to be generated, and generate interest information when it is determined that the comparison content has actually been played back by the content playback unit 1. By adopting such a configuration, the system for determining a degree of interest in content according to the second embodiment has the advantage that it can clarify, in the content playback unit 1 (more precisely, for a user who has viewed the content on the content playback unit 1), comparison content that has a high / low correlation with the partial content.

[0053] For example, if a specific song is selected as the comparison content and specific advertising content is selected as the partial content, and interest information indicating a high level of interest in the advertising content is generated, it is effective to advertise the advertising content when the correlation between the song and the advertising content is high, i.e., when content that plays the song is played. Conversely, if a specific word is selected as the comparison content and specific advertising content is selected as the partial content, and interest information indicating a low level of interest in the advertising content is generated, it is ineffective to advertise the advertising content when content that uses the specific word is played. As such, the content interest determination system according to the second embodiment has the advantage of being able to provide information on the correlation between the comparison content and the partial content by determining the level of interest in the partial content of the content playback unit 1 on which the comparison content is played (or of the user who viewed the comparison content).

[0054] Although the present invention has been described above in connection with the first and second embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the specific configurations described in the embodiments. As long as the functions of the present invention can be realized, various modifications and applications of the above-described embodiments also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The present invention can be used as a technique for determining a user's level of interest in advertisements distributed by content distribution services, or content that includes a specific language, music, or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Content playback section 2. Linguistic Information Extraction Unit 3. Music information extraction section 4 Partial content selection section 5. Playback mode information generation unit 6. Behavior information generation unit 7 Environmental information generation section 8. Behavioral pattern information generation unit 9, 23 Interest information generation unit 10 Token Generation Unit 11, 24 Transaction Generation Unit 12 Electronic signature generation section 13 Output section 14 Token information storage unit 15, 25 Interest Information Acquisition Section 16, 26 Interest Information Section 21 Comparison content selection section 22 Comparison content playback determination unit

Claims

1. A content interest level determination system for determining a user's interest level in a played content, comprising: a content portion selection means for selecting a content portion to be a target of interest level determination from the content played back by the content playback means; a playback mode information generating means for generating playback mode information that is information about a playback mode of the partial content in the content playback means; a behavioral pattern information generating means for generating behavioral pattern information that is information about a behavioral pattern of a content user when the content playback means plays back the partial content; an interest information generating means for generating interest information, which is information regarding the content user's level of interest in the partial content, based on the playback behavior information and the behavior behavior information; a comparison content selection means for selecting a comparison content that is a partial content different from the partial content selected by the partial content selection means; a comparison content playback determination means for determining whether the comparison content has been played back in the content playback means; Equipped with A content interest level determination system characterized in that the interest information generation means generates the interest information in association with the comparison content when the comparison content playback determination means determines that the comparison content has been played.

2. A method for determining a user's level of interest in a content item, comprising: a partial content selection step of selecting partial content to be a target of interest level determination from the content reproduced by the content reproduction means; a playback mode information generating step of generating playback mode information that is information about a playback mode of the partial content in the content playback means; a behavioral pattern information generating step of generating behavioral pattern information that is information about a behavioral pattern of a content user when the content playback means plays back the partial content; an interest information generating step of generating interest information, which is information regarding the content user's level of interest in the content portion, based on the playback behavior information and the behavior behavior information; a comparison content selection step of selecting a comparison content that is a partial content different from the partial content selected in the partial content selection step; a comparison content playback determination step of determining whether the comparison content has been played back in the content playback means; Including, A content interest level determination method characterized in that, in the interest information generation step, if it is determined in the comparison content playback determination step that the comparison content has been played, the interest information is generated in association with the comparison content.

3. A content interest level determination program that causes a computer to determine a user's interest level in a played content, to the computer, a partial content selection function for selecting partial content to be a target of interest level determination from the content reproduced by the content reproduction means; a playback mode information generating function for generating playback mode information that is information about a playback mode of the partial content in the content playback means; a behavioral pattern information generating function for generating behavioral pattern information that is information about the behavioral pattern of the content user when the content playback means plays back the partial content; an interest information generation function that generates interest information, which is information regarding the content user's level of interest in the partial content, based on the playback behavior information and the behavior behavior information; a comparison content selection function for selecting a comparison content that is a partial content different from the partial content selected by the partial content selection function; a comparison content playback determination function that determines whether the comparison content has been played back in the content playback means; Execute A content interest level determination program characterized in that, in the interest information generation function, when the comparison content playback determination function determines that the comparison content has been played, the interest information generation process is executed in association with the comparison content.

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