Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To promote the expansion of the scope of activities of experts active on news sites.SOLUTION: An information processing device for performing processing related to a news site comprises an identification unit and a provision unit. The identification unit identifies an article content satisfying predetermined conditions from among the article contents preselected by experts in a specific industry on the news site. The provision unit provides the article content identified by the identification unit as featured content attracting attention in a specific industry.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] With the rapid spread of the Internet, news sites have become well known, providing content that can be freely viewed by service users, such as news and topics from various fields, both domestic and international. In relation to such news sites, a technology has been proposed for displaying distributed content and each piece of posted content for the distributed content (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-197422 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional technologies have room for improvement in terms of expanding the scope of activities of experts working on news sites. For example, experts have no other opportunities to work than writing articles to be published on news sites and posting comments, and there is a demand for improving services by expanding the scope of experts' activities.

[0005] The present application has been made in view of the above, and aims to expand the scope of activities of experts working on news sites. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device according to the present application executes processing related to a news site and includes an identifying unit and a providing unit. The identifying unit identifies article content that satisfies predetermined conditions from article content pre-selected by experts in a specific industry on the news site. The providing unit provides the article content identified by the identifying unit as a featured article that is attracting attention in the specific industry. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to expand the scope of activities of experts active on news sites. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of information processing according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the system configuration of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of article information stored in the article information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an outline of attention level information stored in the attention level information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an overview of expert information stored in the expert information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of information processing executed by the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, modes for implementing an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, the information processing method, and the information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the respective embodiments can be appropriately combined within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content. Furthermore, the same components in the following embodiments will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] [Embodiment] [1. An example of information processing] An example of information processing according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of information processing according to the embodiment.

[0011] The information processing according to the embodiment is realized by an information processing system SYS (see, for example, FIG. 3) including a plurality of terminal devices 10, such as the terminal device 10A and the terminal device 10B shown in FIG. 1, and the information processing device 100 shown in FIG. 1. The terminal devices 10 and the information processing devices 100 are each connected to a network N (see, for example, FIG. 3) by wire or wirelessly. Furthermore, the terminal devices 10 and the information processing devices 100 can communicate with other devices through the network N.

[0012] The information processing device 100 is operated and managed by a service provider that provides various online services. For example, the service provider operates a news site, as one of the various online services, where service users can freely browse topics such as news and current events in various fields, both domestic and international. The information processing device 100 executes information processing according to the embodiment described below in relation to the provision of article content to be posted on the news site. The article content may be news articles, columns, essays, interviews, product reviews, feature articles, articles about people, or other content. The information processing device 100 is realized, for example, by one or more servers or cloud systems.

[0013] The terminal device 10A is used by a special user UA, who is a service user of various online services and who acts as an expert in a specific industry on a news site. A service provider that provides various online services conducts a registration screening in response to a request from a service user who wishes to act as an expert on the news site, and registers the service user who passes the screening as a special user UA who is permitted to act as an expert.

[0014] The terminal device 10B is used by a general user UB who is a service user of various online services other than the special user UA. The information processing device 100 may process information by regarding the special user UA, who is in a different industry from the industry of the article content, as a general user.

[0015] A special user UA who works as an expert on a news site causes the terminal device 10A to display a news site screen W shown in display example EX-1. The news site screen W has, for example, a focus button OB-1 that allows the special user UA to select article content that the special user UA has determined to be noteworthy from among the article content posted on the news site screen W.

[0016] The attention button OB-1 is assigned a function of transmitting attention information, which will be described later, to the information processing device 100 in response to the special user UA pressing it. For example, when the service user viewing the news site screen W is a special user, the information processing device 100 can display the attention button OB-1 in association with article content posted on the news site.

[0017] When the terminal device 10A detects the pressing of the attention button OB-1, it transmits attention information to the information processing device 100 (step S01). The attention information includes an article ID for identifying the article content, industry information indicating the industry corresponding to the article content, and a user ID for identifying the special user UA who pressed the attention button OB-1.

[0018] When the information processing device 100 receives attention information from the terminal device 10A, it manages the attention level of the article content that the special user UA is paying attention to based on the received attention information (step S02). For example, the information processing device 100 manages information related to the attention level of the article content by storing the attention level associated with the article ID included in the attention information in a storage unit. Every time the information processing device 100 receives attention information, it increments the attention level associated with the article ID included in the attention information.

[0019] Meanwhile, the general user UB causes the terminal device 10B to display the news site screen W shown in display example EX-2. Then, the general user UB operates the industry tab OB-2 provided on the news site screen W. When the terminal device 10B detects the operation of the industry tab OB-2, it transmits an industry article display request to the information processing device 100 (step S11).

[0020] When the information processing device 100 receives the industry article display request from the terminal device 10B, it identifies the article content of the industry article to be displayed on the news site screen W from among the plurality of article contents (step S12).

[0021] The information processing device 100 identifies article content that satisfies a predetermined condition from article content that is selected in advance by a special user UA who acts as an expert on a news site, that is, from article content that attracts attention from the special user UA. Specifically, the information processing device 100 refers to information related to the attention level of the article content and identifies article content with a high degree of attention.

[0022] Then, the information processing device 100 provides the article content of the identified industry article to the general user UB who is the sender of the industry article display request as a featured article in a specific industry (step S13).

[0023] For example, the information processing device 100 transmits information about the identified article content to the terminal device 10B that is the sender of the industry article display request. The information about the article content includes control information for controlling the display position of the article content on the news site screen W.

[0024] When the terminal device 10B receives the information on the article content from the information processing device 100, it displays the article content on the news site screen W in accordance with the control information included in the information on the article content. As shown in display example EX-2, the article content C-1 to C-6 displayed on the news site screen W includes thumbnails corresponding to the content of the article content, icons corresponding to the contributors who posted the article content, and information indicating the name of the industry corresponding to the contributors.

[0025] Furthermore, the information processing device 100 may identify article content corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories set in advance based on information indicating the volume of the article content. The volume of the article content is typically the number of pages constituting the article content, but may also be the number of characters, capacity, etc.

[0026] First, the information processing device 100 selects a number of article contents corresponding to a preset selection number based on the attention degree corresponding to the article content. For example, when the selection number is "6", the information processing device 100 selects the article content C-1 ranked first with the highest attention degree, the article content C-2 ranked second with the second highest attention degree, the article content C-3 ranked third with the third highest attention degree, the article content C-4 ranked fourth with the fourth highest attention degree, the article content C-5 ranked fifth with the fifth highest attention degree, and the article content C-6 ranked sixth with the sixth highest attention degree.

[0027] Next, the information processing device 100 sorts the selected multiple article contents into corresponding categories from among a first category with high volume, a second category with medium volume, and a third category with low volume. For example, if the selection number is "6" and the sorting numbers are equal among the categories, the information processing device 100 sorts the article content C-1 with the highest attention level and the article content C-2 with the second highest attention level into the first category, sorts the article content C-3 with the third highest attention level and the article content C-4 with the fourth highest attention level into the second category, and sorts the article content C-5 with the fifth highest attention level and the article content C-6 with the sixth highest attention level into the third category. In this way, the information processing device 100 can identify article contents corresponding to each of multiple predetermined categories based on information indicating the volume of the article contents.

[0028] When article content corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories is identified, the information processing device 100 provides the article content by controlling the display of the news site screen W so that the article content corresponding to each of the predetermined categories is displayed in a display area on the news site screen W that is pre-associated with the predetermined category.

[0029] For example, as shown in display example EX-2, the information processing device 100 transmits control information to the terminal device 10B along with information about the article content to control the terminal device 10B so that the display area A-1 corresponding to the first category displays the article content C-1 with the highest level of attention and the article content C-2 with the second highest level of attention, the display area A-2 corresponding to the second category displays the article content C-3 with the third highest level of attention and the article content C-4 with the fourth highest level of attention, and the display area A-3 corresponding to the third category displays the article content C-5 with the fifth highest level of attention and the article content C-6 with the sixth highest level of attention.

[0030] In addition, when multiple article contents corresponding to a specified category are identified, the information processing device 100 may determine a display order corresponding to each of the article contents in the display area based on evaluation information given to each of the article contents by service users who viewed the article contents, and control the display of the news site screen W so that the article contents are displayed in the determined display order.

[0031] For example, if the article content C-1 and the article content C-2 to be displayed in the first category are rated higher by the service user than the article content C-2, the information processing device 100 transmits control information for controlling the terminal device 10B together with information about the article content so that the article content C-1 is displayed above the article content C-2 in the display area A-1.

[0032] In addition, when multiple article contents are identified that exceed the number that can be displayed in the display area, for example, when the attention levels are the same, the information processing device 100 may control the display of the news site screen W so that the article contents that are not displayed in the display area are displayed in place of the article contents already displayed in the display area, provided that a predetermined time has passed.

[0033] As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment identifies article content that satisfies predetermined conditions from article content that is pre-selected by a special user UA who acts as an expert in a specific industry on a news site, and provides the identified article content to a general user UB as featured content that is attracting attention in the specific industry. In this way, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can provide a venue for the special user UA to act as an expert in enriching the information made public through the news site, thereby expanding the scope of activity of the expert who is active on the news site.

[0034] [2. System Configuration] The configuration of the information processing system SYS according to the embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the information processing system SYS according to the embodiment.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system SYS according to the embodiment includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 such as a terminal device 10A and a terminal device 10B, and an information processing device 100.

[0036] The terminal device 10 and the information processing device 100 are connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly. Each of the terminal device 10 and the information processing device 100 can communicate with other devices via the network N.

[0037] The network N includes, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet, and a mobile communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: fifth generation mobile communication system).

[0038] The terminal device 10 is connected to a network N by short-range wireless communication such as a mobile communication network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and can communicate with other devices such as the information processing device 100 through the network N. Each of the multiple terminal devices 10 is used by a different service user.

[0039] The terminal device 10A is used by a special user UA, who is a service user of various online services and who acts as an expert in a specific industry on a news site. A service provider that provides various online services conducts a registration screening in response to a request from a service user who wishes to act as an expert in the online service, and registers the service user who passes the screening as a special user UA who is permitted to act as an expert.

[0040] The terminal device 10B is used by a general user UB who is a service user of various online services and is a service user other than the special user UA who acts as an expert. Note that the information processing device 100 may perform information processing by regarding the special user UA, whose industry of expertise is different from the industry of the article content, as a general user UB.

[0041] In addition to news sites, online services provided to service users may include, for example, search services, travel information services, SNS (Social Networking Services), e-commerce services, electronic payment services, online games, online banking services, online trading services, hotel reservation services, ticket reservation services, video distribution services, music distribution services, map information services, route search services, route guidance services, line information services, operation information services, weather information services, question services, etc. Note that the various online services may also include API (Application Programming Interface) services corresponding to various applications.

[0042] For example, the terminal device 10 can display web content provided by the information processing device 100 using a user application. When the terminal device 10 receives control information for realizing information display processing from the information processing device 100, the terminal device 10 realizes the display processing in accordance with the control information.

[0043] Furthermore, when the terminal device 10 receives control information for realizing predetermined information processing from the information processing device 100, the terminal device 10 realizes the information processing in accordance with the control information. Here, the control information is described in, for example, a script language such as JavaScript (registered trademark), a style sheet language such as CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), a programming language such as Java (registered trademark), or a markup language such as HTML (HyperText Markup Language). Note that a predetermined application itself delivered from the information processing device 100 or the like may also be considered as control information.

[0044] 1 illustrates a case where the terminal device 10 is a smartphone, but the terminal device 10 may be, for example, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a desktop PC, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a wearable device, etc. Examples of wearable devices include, but are not limited to, smart glasses and smart watches.

[0045] The information processing device 100 is operated and managed by a service provider that provides various online services. For example, the service provider operates a news site, as one of the various online services, where service users can freely browse news and topics in various fields, both domestic and international. The information processing device 100 executes information processing according to the embodiment described below in relation to the provision of article content posted on the news site. The processing function units that the information processing device 100 has for realizing the information processing according to the embodiment will be described later.

[0046] The information processing device 100 is typically a server device, but may also be realized by a mainframe, a workstation, etc. Furthermore, when the information processing device 100 is realized by a server device, it may be realized by a single server device, or may be realized by a cloud system in which multiple server devices and multiple storage devices operate in cooperation with each other.

[0047] [3. Equipment configuration] An example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 included in the information processing system SYS according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0048] (Communication unit 110) The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a communication module or a network interface card (NIC). The communication unit 110 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly. The information processing device 100 transmits and receives information to and from other devices such as the terminal device 10 via the network N.

[0049] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 stores, for example, programs and data used for control and calculation by the control unit 130. For example, the storage unit 120 is realized by a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. For example, the storage unit 120 has an article information DB 121, an attention level information DB 122, and an expert information DB 123. Note that the storage unit 120 is not particularly limited to the example shown in FIG. 4 and can store data necessary for executing the information processing according to the embodiment as appropriate.

[0050] (Article information DB121) The article information DB 121 stores article information about articles published on news sites. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the article information stored in the article information DB 121 according to the embodiment.

[0051] The article information stored in the article information DB 121 has multiple items such as an "article ID" item, an "associated industry" item, an "associated industry" item, and an "volume" item, as shown in Fig. 4. These items in the article information are associated with each other.

[0052] The "article ID" field stores an article ID, which is identification information unique to the article content and is assigned to the article content in order to identify the article content posted on the news site.

[0053] The "Covered Industry" field stores information indicating the industry that corresponds to the news, topics, and other topics covered in the article content. The covered industry is set in advance by the service provider based on the content of the news, etc., when classifying the article content.

[0054] The "related industry" field stores information indicating industries related to the industry corresponding to the article content. The related industry is set in advance by the service provider based on the content of the news when classifying the article content.

[0055] The "volume" item stores information indicating the volume of the article content. In Fig. 4, an example is shown in which the number of pages and the number of words are stored as the volume of the article content.

[0056] For example, information indicating the industry corresponding to the article content is referenced when determining whether the topics covered in the article content correspond to the industry of the special user UA who acts as an expert. Also, information indicating the volume of the article content is referenced when sorting the article content into predetermined categories.

[0057] Furthermore, the article information DB 121 may store, as article information, evaluation information given by service users to article content.

[0058] (Attention Information DB122) The attention level information DB 122 stores information indicating the level of attention of special users UA who act as experts in a specific industry to articles published on a news site. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an overview of the attention level information stored in the attention level information DB 122 according to the embodiment.

[0059] The attention level information stored in the attention level information DB 122 has multiple items such as an "article ID" item, an "associated industry" item, an "attention level" item, and an "expert level in related industry" item, as shown in Fig. 5. These items in the attention level information are associated with each other.

[0060] The "article ID" field stores an article ID, which is identification information unique to the article content and is assigned to the article content in order to identify the article content posted on the news site.

[0061] The "corresponding industry" item stores information indicating the industry corresponding to the topic such as news or a topic that is taken up in the article content.

[0062] The "degree of attention" field stores the degree of attention that indicates the degree of attention that the special user UA has paid to the article content. The degree of attention is a numerical value that corresponds to the number of pieces of attention information received from the special user UA, that is, the number of pieces of attention information received from the terminal device 10A, and this numerical value is stored in the "degree of attention" field.

[0063] The "related industry expert degree" field stores the degree of attention that indicates the degree of attention that the article content receives from special users UA who specialize in an industry related to the industry corresponding to the article content.

[0064] The attention level stored in the "attention level" field is referenced when identifying article content in response to an industry article display request. The attention level stored in the "related industry expert level" field is referenced, for example, when selecting multiple article contents that have the same value stored in the "attention level" field.

[0065] (Expert Information DB123) The expert information DB 123 stores, as expert information, information about service users who are special users UA who act as experts in specific industries on the news site. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the expert information stored in the expert information DB 123 according to the embodiment.

[0066] The expert information stored in the expert information DB 123 has the fields of "user ID" and "supported industry" as shown in Fig. 6. These fields of the expert information are associated with each other.

[0067] The "user ID" field stores a user ID, which is identification information unique to a service user that is assigned to the service user in order to identify the service user who is acting as an expert UA.

[0068] The "supported industry" field stores information indicating the industry in which the service user acting as an expert UA has expertise.

[0069] The expert information stored in the expert information DB123 is referenced when comparing the industry corresponding to the article content being viewed by the special user UA (i.e., the industry corresponding to the article displayed on the news site screen W on the terminal device 10A) with the industry corresponding to the special user UA.

[0070] (control unit 130) The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc., executing various programs (examples of "information processing programs") stored in a storage device inside the information processing device 100 using RAM as a working area.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 130 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a general purpose graphic processing unit (GPGPU).

[0072] As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 130 has a management unit 131, an identification unit 132, and a provision unit 133, and these units realize or execute the functions and actions of information processing described below.

[0073] Note that control unit 130 may have an internal configuration divided into multiple processing units that realize or execute the information processing functions and actions described below. Also, control unit 130 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 3, and may have other configurations as long as they perform the information processing described below, and may have other functional units other than those shown in Fig. 3.

[0074] (Management Department 131) The management unit 131 manages the attention level of article content by a special user UA who acts as an expert on a news site. For example, when the management unit 131 acquires attention information from the terminal device 10A via the communication unit 110, the management unit 131 manages the attention level of the article content that the special user UA is paying attention to by storing the attention level associated with the article ID included in the acquired attention information in the attention level information DB 122. Every time attention information is received, the management unit 131 identifies the attention level associated with the article ID included in the received attention information in the attention level information DB 122 and updates the attention level by incrementing the identified attention level.

[0075] (Specific Section 132) The identification unit 132 identifies article content that satisfies a predetermined condition from article content that has been selected in advance by experts in a specific industry. For example, the identification unit 132 identifies article content that has been selected in advance by a plurality of experts. Specifically, the identification unit 132 refers to attention level information and identifies article content that has a high degree of attention.

[0076] Furthermore, the identification unit 132 can identify article content corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories set in advance based on information indicating the volume of the article content. The volume of the article content is typically the number of pages constituting the article content, but may also be the number of characters, capacity, etc.

[0077] First, the identification unit 132 selects a number of article contents corresponding to a preset selection number based on the attention degree corresponding to the article content. For example, if the selection number is "6", the identification unit 132 selects the first article content C-1 with the highest attention degree, the second article content C-2 with the second highest attention degree, the third article content C-3 with the third highest attention degree, the fourth article content C-4 with the fourth highest attention degree, the fifth article content C-5 with the fifth highest attention degree, and the sixth article content C-6 with the sixth highest attention degree.

[0078] Next, the identification unit 132 assigns the selected article contents to corresponding categories from among a first category with high volume, a second category with medium volume, and a third category with low volume. For example, if the selection number is "6" and the allocation numbers are equal among the categories, the identification unit 132 assigns the article content C-1 with the highest attention level and the article content C-2 with the second highest attention level to the first category, assigns the article content C-3 with the third highest attention level and the article content C-4 with the fourth highest attention level to the second category, and assigns the article content C-5 with the fifth highest attention level and the article content C-6 with the sixth highest attention level to the third category. In this way, the identification unit 132 can identify article contents corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories based on information indicating the volume of the article contents.

[0079] (Provider 133) The providing unit 133 provides the article content identified by the identifying unit 132 to the general user UB as an industry article that is attracting attention in a specific industry. For example, the providing unit 133 provides the general user UB with an industry article that is attracting attention in a specific industry by transmitting information about the article content to the terminal device 10B, which is the sender of the industry article display request, via the communication unit 110. Note that the providing unit 133 may perform information processing by regarding a special user UA, whose industry of expertise is different from the industry of the article content, as a general user.

[0080] In addition, the providing unit 133 provides content information (for example, see Figure 1) that includes, as information about the article content, a thumbnail corresponding to the content of the article content, an icon corresponding to the poster who posted the article content, and information indicating the name of the industry corresponding to the poster.

[0081] In addition, when the identification unit 132 identifies article content corresponding to each of a plurality of specified categories, the providing unit 133 can control the display of the news site so that the identified article content is displayed in a display area on the news site that is pre-associated with the specified category.

[0082] For example, the providing unit 133 transmits control information for controlling the display of a news site (for example, the news site screen W shown in Figure 1) on the terminal device 10B together with information about the article content via the communication unit 110 to the terminal device 10B so that the display area A-1 corresponding to the first category displays the article content C-1 with the highest level of attention and the article content C-2 with the second highest level of attention, the display area A-2 corresponding to the second category displays the article content C-3 with the third highest level of attention and the article content C-4 with the fourth highest level of attention, and the display area A-3 corresponding to the third category displays the article content C-5 with the fifth highest level of attention and the article content C-6 with the sixth highest level of attention.

[0083] In addition, when the identification unit 132 identifies multiple article contents corresponding to a specified category, the providing unit 133 can determine the display order corresponding to each of the article contents in the display area based on evaluation information given to the article contents by service users of the news site, and control the display of the news site so that the article contents are displayed in the determined display order.

[0084] For example, if, of article content C-1 and article content C-2 to be displayed in the first category, the rating given by the service user to article content C-1 is higher than that of article content C-2, the providing unit 133 transmits control information for controlling the display of a news site (for example, the news site screen W shown in Figure 1) on terminal device 10B together with information about the article content via the communication unit 110 to terminal device 10B so that article content C-1 is displayed above article content C-2 in display area A-1.

[0085] Furthermore, when the identification unit 132 identifies a plurality of article contents exceeding the number that can be displayed in the display area, for example, when the article contents have the same attention level, the providing unit 133 can control the display of the news site so that the article contents not displayed in the display area are displayed in place of the article contents already displayed in the display area after a predetermined time has elapsed. In this case, the providing unit 133 transmits control information for controlling the display of the news site (for example, the news site screen W shown in FIG. 1) on the terminal device 10B to the terminal device 10B via the communication unit 110, together with information about the article contents.

[0086] 4. Processing Procedure According to the Embodiment The following describes the procedure of information processing executed by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of information processing executed by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. The procedure of processing shown in Fig. 7 is executed by the control unit 130 of the information processing device 100. The procedure of processing shown in Fig. 7 is repeatedly executed while the information processing device 100 is operating.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 7, the specifying unit 132 determines whether or not an industry article display request has been received from the terminal device 10B (step S101).

[0088] When the identification unit 132 determines that it has received an industry article display request from the terminal device 10B (step S101; Yes), it identifies article content that meets specified conditions from among article content pre-selected by experts in a specific industry (i.e., special user UA) (step S102).

[0089] In addition, the providing unit 133 transmits the article content identified by the identifying unit 132 to the terminal device 10B, which is the sender of the industry article display request, via the communication unit 110, and provides it to the general user UB as a featured article that is attracting attention in a specific industry (step S103), and then terminates the processing procedure shown in Figure 7.

[0090] In the above step S101, if the specifying unit 132 determines that an industry article display request has not been received from the terminal device 10B (step S101; No), the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7 ends.

[0091] [5. Modifications] In the above-described embodiment, when there are article contents with the same attention degree, the identification unit 132 may refer to the related industry expert degree associated with each of the relevant article contents and identify the article content with the high related industry expert degree.

[0092] [6. Hardware Configuration] The information processing device 100 according to the above-described embodiment and each of the modified examples is realized, for example, by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0093] The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which an arithmetic unit 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output IF (Interface) 1060, an input IF 1070, and a network IF 1080 are connected by a bus 1090.

[0094] The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device, such as a RAM, that temporarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD, flash memory, or the like.

[0095] The output IF 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a monitor or a printer, and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), etc. The input IF 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, keyboard, and scanner, and is realized by, for example, USB.

[0096] The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The input device 1020 may also be an external storage medium such as a USB memory.

[0097] The network IF 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the arithmetic device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the arithmetic device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

[0098] The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output IF 1060 and the input IF 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

[0099] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment, the arithmetic device 1030 of the computer 1000 executes a program (for example, an information processing program) loaded onto the primary storage device 1040, thereby realizing the same functions as the control unit 130. That is, the arithmetic device 1030 cooperates with the program (for example, an information processing program) loaded onto the primary storage device 1040 to realize the processing by the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0100] [7. Other] Of the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified.

[0101] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are conceptual functional components and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0102] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content.

[0103] The above describes in detail the embodiments of the present application based on several drawings, but these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms that include the embodiments described in the Disclosure of the Invention section and that have been modified and improved in various ways based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0104] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, a control section can be read as control means or a control circuit.

[0105] [8. Effects] The information processing device 100 according to the embodiment is an information processing device that executes processing related to a news site, and includes an identification unit 132 and a providing unit 133. The identification unit 132 identifies article content that satisfies predetermined conditions from article content selected in advance by experts in a specific industry. The providing unit 133 provides the article content identified by the identification unit 132 as featured content that is attracting attention in the specific industry.

[0106] Furthermore, the identifying unit 132 can identify article content that has been selected in advance by a plurality of experts.

[0107] In addition, the providing unit 133 provides content information including, as information about the article content, a thumbnail corresponding to the content of the article content, an icon corresponding to the poster who posted the article content, and information indicating the name of the industry corresponding to the poster.

[0108] Furthermore, the identification unit 132 can identify article content corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories set in advance, based on information indicating the volume of the article content. When the identification unit 132 identifies article content corresponding to each of the plurality of predetermined categories, the provision unit 133 controls the display of the news site so that the article content corresponding to each of the plurality of predetermined categories is displayed in a display area on the news site that is previously associated with each of the plurality of predetermined categories.

[0109] In addition, when the identification unit 132 identifies multiple article contents corresponding to a specified category, the providing unit 133 determines the display order of each article content in the display area based on evaluation information given to the article content by service users of the news site, and controls the display of the news site so that the article contents are displayed in the determined display order.

[0110] In addition, when the identification unit 132 identifies multiple article contents that exceed the number that can be displayed in the display area, the providing unit 133 controls the display of the news site so that article contents that are not displayed in the display area are replaced with article contents that are already displayed in the display area after a predetermined time has passed.

[0111] In this way, the information processing device 100 of the embodiment has the above-mentioned characteristic configuration, and therefore can provide a place for experts UA to work on news sites as experts who can enrich comments on article content, thereby expanding the range of activities of experts working on news sites.

[0112] Furthermore, the above-described effects can also be realized by the processing executed by each of the above-described units, or by any combination of the processing executed by each unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] SYS Information Processing System N Network 10 Terminal Equipment 100 Information processing device 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 121 Article Information DB 122 Popularity Information DB 123 Expert Information DB 130 control section 131 Management Department 132 Specific part 133 Provision Department

Claims

1. An information processing device that executes processing related to a news site, an identification unit that identifies article content that satisfies a predetermined condition from article content that is pre-selected by experts in a specific industry on the news site; a providing unit that provides the article content identified by the identifying unit as a featured article that is attracting attention in the specific industry; An information processing device comprising:

2. The identification unit Identifying the article content that has been pre-selected by a plurality of the experts 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The providing unit As information on the article content, content information including a thumbnail corresponding to the content of the article content, an icon corresponding to a contributor who posted the article content, and information indicating the name of the industry corresponding to the contributor is provided.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The identification unit Identifying the article content corresponding to each of a plurality of predetermined categories set in advance based on information indicating the volume of the article content; The providing unit When the specifying unit specifies the article content corresponding to each of the plurality of predetermined categories, the display of the news site is controlled so that the article content corresponding to each of the plurality of predetermined categories is displayed in a display area of ​​the news site that is pre-associated with each of the plurality of predetermined categories.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

5. The providing unit When the specifying unit specifies a plurality of the article contents corresponding to the predetermined category, the display order of each of the article contents in the display area is determined based on evaluation information given to the article contents by service users of the news site, and the display of the news site is controlled so that the article contents are displayed in the determined display order.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

6. The providing unit When the specifying unit specifies a plurality of the article contents exceeding the number that can be displayed in the display area, the display of the news site is controlled so that the article contents not displayed in the display area are displayed in place of the article contents already displayed in the display area after a predetermined time has elapsed.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4,

7. An information processing method performed by a computer that executes processing related to a news site, a specifying step of specifying article content that satisfies a predetermined condition from article content that is pre-selected by experts in a specific industry on the news site; a providing step of providing the article content identified by the identifying step as a featured article that is attracting attention in the specific industry; An information processing method comprising:

8. The computer that processes the news site a step of identifying article content that satisfies a predetermined condition from article content that is pre-selected by experts in a specific industry on the news site; a providing step of providing the article content identified by the identifying step as a featured article that is attracting attention in the specific industry; An information processing program characterized by causing the program to execute the above.

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