Program, information processing device, and method

Abstract

To enable easy viewing of contents likely to be referenced by users in an e-book service.SOLUTION: A program for operating a computer includes a processor and a memory. The computer provides a service enabling users to view multiple accumulated contents through periodic fee payments. The program causes the processor to perform the steps of: providing a user with access to view contents specified by the user without limiting the number of views, when periodic fee payments are being made; accepting attribute settings from the user for each content item; providing the user with a list of content items with attributes set; and setting attributes for additional contents when new additional contents become available for viewing by the user under the service according to conditions set for each user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A technology for promoting the distribution of e-book data while improving user convenience is described in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 states that "conventionally, e-book data has generally been used by users by downloading it from specialized stores that handle such data or by receiving it via streaming distribution," and describes a technology that focuses on the problem that "in such a distribution format, users have no choice but to select and purchase books mainly based on information from the store. As a result, it is difficult to grasp the current situation, such as what books are accepted and popular among what users, and each user tends to select books based on their own personal preferences, which leads to a loss of desire to purchase."

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which an electronic book shelf sharing system makes an electronic content shelf viewable from each user's device, makes electronic content data available to the user who applied for it, and performs processing to restrict use by users who had usage rights, allows other users to play the data in a download or non-download format, and outputs the electronic book data that the user has usage rights to a book server other than the one where it is stored. According to the technology in Patent Document 1, "it is possible to promote the distribution of electronic book data and easily realize a distribution environment." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-146359 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The above technology registers electronic books purchased by a user in a bookshelf, so that the user can easily browse electronic books that the user wants to use for reading or the like from the electronic bookshelf.

[0006] However, there is a risk that some electronic content, such as legal and technical books, will become less popular as circumstances change and technology advances, making it difficult for users to find the electronic content they want to view (or that is suitable for viewing) on ​​their electronic bookshelves.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that makes it easy for users to manage electronic content that they want to view and that is suitable for viewing, and that allows them to view the content they want to view even more easily. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The technology disclosed herein is a program for operating a computer having a processor and a memory, the computer being for providing a service that allows a user to view multiple stored contents in exchange for the payment of a regular fee, and the program causes the processor to execute the following steps: when the regular fee has been paid, providing the user with content designated by the user that can be viewed without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed; accepting attribute settings from the user for each piece of content; providing the user with a list of content with attributes set; and when additional content that can be viewed by users is newly added to the above service, setting attributes for the additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, in an electronic book viewing service, it is possible to allow a user to easily view content that is likely to be referenced by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the user terminal 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the data structure of the database. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of the database. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of the database. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the data structure of the database. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the data structure of the database. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing in the system 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing in the system 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing in the system 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing in the system 1. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example screen of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example screen of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of processing in the system 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of the components are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0012] <Summary> In an electronic book service, the system according to this embodiment presents bookshelf information of a second user (an acquaintance of the first user, a colleague of the first user, a prominent lawyer or legal scholar, etc.) to a first user (a user searching for a book) in response to a request from the first user. Here, a bookshelf in the system 1 refers to electronic content for which a user has set attributes such as bookmarks, and is a virtual bookshelf that can be viewed by the user or other users.

[0013] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the information processing device 10 provides an e-book viewing service to users of a specific department (for example, a department that handles legal work) as users of the user terminal 20. In this embodiment, the information processing device 10 provides a subscription-based service that allows users to view multiple stored contents by paying a fee on a regular basis. When the regular fee has been paid, the content designated by the user is provided so that the user can view the content without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed. <1. Embodiment> <1.1. Overall system configuration> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the system 1 includes an information processing device 10, a user terminal 20, and a network 80. The information processing device 10, the user terminal 20, and the network 80 are communicatively connected via the network 80.

[0014] The information processing device 10 is a device that exhibits functions such as presenting bookshelf information of other users to a user, etc. The information processing device 10 is realized by a desktop personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, or the like.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 10 includes a communication IF 12, an input / output IF 13, a memory 15, a storage 16, and a processor 19.

[0016] The communication IF 12 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the information processing device 10 can communicate with external devices. The input / output IF 13 functions as an interface with an input device for receiving input operations from a user and an output device for presenting information to the user. The memory 15 is for temporarily storing programs and data processed by the programs, etc., and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The storage 16 is a storage device for saving data, such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive). The processor 19 is hardware for executing an instruction set written in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

[0017] The user terminal 20 is an information processing device operated by a user who uses the system 1. The user terminal 20 is realized by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet compatible with a mobile communication system, a stationary personal computer (PC), a laptop PC, or the like.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the user terminal 20 includes a communication IF 22, an input / output IF 23, a memory 25, a storage 26, and a processor 29.

[0019] The communication IF 22 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals so that the user terminal 20 can communicate with external devices. The input / output IF 23 functions as an interface with an input device for receiving input operations from a user and an output device for presenting information to the user. The memory 25 is for temporarily storing programs and data processed by the programs, etc., and is a volatile memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The storage 26 is a storage device for saving data, such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive). The processor 29 is hardware for executing an instruction set written in a program, and is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc. <1.2. Functional configuration of information processing device 10> 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 10 functions as a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit .

[0020] The communication unit 110 performs processing for communicating with external devices.

[0021] The storage unit 120 stores data and programs to be used. The storage unit 120 stores, for example, an account DB (database) 121, a publication DB 122, a bookshelf registration DB 123, a bookshelf status DB 124, and a follow management DB 125. Each DB will be described later.

[0022] The account DB 121 is a database for storing information about the accounts held by each user and information linked to the accounts, as will be described in detail later.

[0023] The publication DB 122 is a database for storing information about each book, as will be described in detail later.

[0024] The bookshelf registration DB 123 is a database for storing information on books registered in the bookshelf of each user, as will be described in detail later.

[0025] The bookshelf status DB 124 is a database for storing information about the status of each user's bookshelf, as will be described in detail later.

[0026] The follow management DB 125 is a database for storing information on the targets that each user is following, as will be described in detail later.

[0027] The control unit 130 performs functions shown as various modules by the processor 19 performing processes according to the programs.

[0028] The reception control unit 131 controls the process in which the information processing device 10 transmits and receives signals to and from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0029] The transmission control unit 132 controls the process in which the information processing device 10 transmits a signal to an external device in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0030] The calculation unit 133 calculates values ​​related to the e-book service. Specifically, the calculation unit 133 ranks the published bookshelves. Details will be described later.

[0031] The search unit 134 receives keywords etc. from the user and performs a search. Specifically, the search unit 134 searches for information related to electronic book services recorded in the storage unit 120.

[0032] The presentation unit 135 presents images and text related to the electronic book service to the user, as will be described in detail later. <1.3. Functional Configuration of User Terminal 20> 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the user terminal 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the user terminal 20 functions as a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a control unit 230.

[0033] The communication unit 210 performs processing for communicating with external devices.

[0034] The storage unit 220 stores data and programs to be used.

[0035] The control unit 230 performs functions shown as various modules by the processor 29 performing processes according to the programs.

[0036] The reception control unit 231 controls the processing by which the user terminal 20 transmits and receives signals from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0037] The transmission control unit 232 controls the process in which the user terminal 20 transmits a signal to an external device in accordance with a communication protocol.

[0038] The input unit 233 receives input of an operation from the user. Specifically, the input unit 233 receives predetermined operations such as text input and screen operations from the user. The input unit 233 transmits the received operation to the information processing device 10.

[0039] The display unit 234 displays a predetermined screen to the user. Specifically, the display unit 234 displays a screen received from the information processing device 10 to the user. <1.4.Database> 4 to 8 are diagrams showing the data structures of databases stored in the information processing device 10. Note that FIGS. 4 to 8 are merely examples, and do not exclude data not shown.

[0040] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the data structure of account DB 121. As shown in Fig. 4, account DB 121 includes an item "user ID," an item "name," an item "age," an item "gender," an item "occupation," an item "credit card," an item "membership status," and an item "usage start date."

[0041] The item "User ID" indicates identification information for identifying a user of the e-book service. The user ID is a unique number assigned to the user.

[0042] The item "Name" indicates the name of the user.

[0043] The item "age" indicates the age of the user.

[0044] The item "gender" indicates the gender of the user.

[0045] The item "occupation" indicates the user's occupation. For example, the user selects his / her occupation from a selection of occupations presented by the e-book service. The item "occupation" may also hold information about the organization to which the user belongs (such as a company or academic institution) and the affiliation (such as a department) within that organization.

[0046] The item "Credit Card" indicates credit card information as a payment method for the user. The item "Credit Card" may include information on two or more credit cards.

[0047] The "membership status" item indicates the status of the user's membership, including, for example, ongoing, suspended, and withdrawn.

[0048] The item "use start date" indicates the date on which the user started using the electronic book service.

[0049] 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of the publication DB 122. As shown in FIG. 5, the publication DB 122 includes the following items: "Book ID," "Document Data," "Book Title," "Author," "Publisher," "Series," "Publication Date," "Edition," "Review," and "Rating." The publication DB 122 may be registered by an e-book service provider. The e-book service provider may refer to, for example, the administrator of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment or the publisher of the book.

[0050] The item "Book ID" indicates identification information for identifying a book on an e-book service. The book ID is a unique number assigned to a book.

[0051] The item "Document Data" is document data for electronic books. Specifically, document data includes data created in accordance with a file format for electronic books, data laid out for printing and converted into electronic data, and a collection of scanned and electronically recorded pages of a book.

[0052] The item "Book Title" indicates the name of the book.

[0053] The "author" field indicates the author of a book. If a book is co-authored, the "author" field may include multiple authors.

[0054] The item "Publisher" indicates the publisher of the book.

[0055] The "series" item indicates a book series. For example, a series may have a common label such as "Introduction" or "Illustrated" as its name, and different authors may provide books in the same series. The "series" item may also indicate a periodical such as a monthly magazine. Series may also be determined automatically. For example, a book with a title that includes characters specific to periodicals, such as "December issue," is determined to belong to the same series as the book with a title that matches the book title except for those characters.

[0056] The item "Publication date" indicates the publication date of the book.

[0057] The item "edition" indicates an edition of a book. The item "edition" may also indicate an issue of a periodical. A first edition may be represented, for example, by "-".

[0058] The item "Review" indicates a user's review of a book. The item "Review" is written by the user in a free-form format.

[0059] The item "rating" indicates the user's rating of the book. The information processing device 10 sets the rating value of the book by taking the average of the ratings of each user as the rating value of the user's rating, weighting each user, or the like. The user rates the book, for example, on a 10-point scale.

[0060] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of bookshelf registration DB 123. As shown in Fig. 6, bookshelf registration DB 123 includes an item "user ID", an item "book ID", an item "registration time", an item "tag", an item "status", an item "deletion time", an item "series", and an item "version".

[0061] The item "User ID" indicates identification information for identifying a user of the e-book service. The user ID is a unique number assigned to a user. The item "User ID" indicates the user who owns the bookshelf.

[0062] The item "Book ID" indicates identification information for identifying a book on an e-book service. A book ID is a unique number assigned to a book. The item "Book ID" indicates a book registered on the bookshelf.

[0063] The item "Book Title" indicates the name of the book. The item "Book Title" is the same as the item "Book Title" in the publication DB 122 shown in FIG.

[0064] The item "registration time" indicates the time when the book was registered on the bookshelf.

[0065] The item "tag" indicates the classification of a book. For example, the item "tag" may indicate the genre of the book, such as "financial." Also, for example, the item "tag" may indicate the purpose of the book, such as "read later." The item "tag" may be determined, for example, by the e-book service provider or by the user.

[0066] The item "status" indicates the registration status of the book in the bookshelf. For example, the item "status" includes "registering" and "deleted."

[0067] The item "deletion time" indicates the time when the book was deleted from the bookshelf.

[0068] The item "series" indicates a book series. The item "series" is the same as the item "series" in the publication DB 122 shown in FIG.

[0069] The item "edition" indicates the edition of the book. The item "edition" is the same as the item "series" in the publication DB 122 shown in FIG.

[0070] 7 and 8 are diagrams showing data structures related to bookshelves. A bookshelves is assigned to each user ID.

[0071] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the data structure of the bookshelf state DB 124. As shown in Fig. 7, the bookshelf state DB 124 includes an item "user ID", an item "number of followers", an item "publicity state", and an item "rating".

[0072] The item "User ID" indicates identification information for identifying a user of the e-book service. The user ID is a unique number assigned to a user. The item "User ID" indicates the user who owns the bookshelf.

[0073] The item "number of followers" indicates the number of users who follow the bookshelf.

[0074] The item "publication status" indicates the publicity status of the bookshelf. For example, a bookshelf can be public or private, depending on the selection of the user who owns the bookshelf.

[0075] The item "rating" indicates the average rating of other users for the bookshelf. Other users rate the bookshelf on a scale of 1 to 10, for example.

[0076] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the data structure of the follow management DB 125. As shown in Fig. 8, the follow management DB 125 includes an item "user ID", an item "followed book", an item "followed publisher", an item "followed series", an item "followed bookshelf", an item "follow start time", and an item "follow unfollow time".

[0077] The item "User ID" indicates identification information for identifying a user of the e-book service. The user ID is a unique number assigned to the user.

[0078] The item "followed author" indicates books that the user is following.

[0079] The item "followed publisher" indicates publishers that the user is following.

[0080] The item "Following Series" indicates a series that the user is following. The user may follow periodicals such as monthly magazines.

[0081] The item "Following Bookshelf" indicates the user ID of another user who owns a bookshelf that the user is following.

[0082] The item "following start time" indicates the time when the user started following.

[0083] The item "follow unfollow time" indicates the time when the user unfollowed. <1.5. Operation> FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation when a user follows someone.

[0084] In step S901, the user terminal 20 accepts a search operation from the user regarding the bookshelves made public by author, publisher, series, or other users.

[0085] In step S902, the information processing device 10 executes a search from the user. Specifically, the search unit 134 receives keywords from the user and searches for bookshelves made public by authors, publishers, series, or other users. The search unit 134 may also receive a user ID from the user and search for bookshelves made public by other users. The search unit 134 may use a fuzzy search or an exact match search.

[0086] The information processing device 10 transmits information about the search results to the user terminal 20.

[0087] In step S903, the user terminal 20 accepts an operation from the user to select a target to follow from the search results.

[0088] In step S904, the information processing device 10 stores the followed target in the follow management DB 125. Specifically, the control unit 130 adds information about the new following to the follow management DB 125 line by line.

[0089] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation when a user manually registers electronic content in a bookshelf by his or her own operation.

[0090] In step S1001, the user terminal 20 accepts an operation to register a book in the bookshelf from the user.

[0091] In step S1002, the information processing device 10 records the registered books in the bookshelf registration DB 123. Specifically, the control unit 130 adds information about the books registered in the bookshelf to the bookshelf registration DB 123 line by line.

[0092] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device 10 when it automatically registers other electronic content in the user's bookshelf based on the user's following status.

[0093] In step S1101, the information processing device 10 registers information on new electronic content (such as a newly published electronic book) in the publication DB 122. For example, information on new books may be registered by an electronic book service provider.

[0094] In step S1102, the information processing device 10 collates the information of the new book with the follow management DB 125. Specifically, the control unit 203 collates whether or not the "author" of the information newly registered in the publishing DB 122 is in the "followed book" of the follow management DB 125, whether or not the "publisher" of the information newly registered in the publishing DB 122 is in the "followed publisher" of the follow management DB 125, and whether or not the "series" of the information newly registered in the publishing DB 122 is in the "followed series" of the follow management DB 125. If the above information is in the follow management DB 125, the process proceeds to step S1103. If the above information is not in the follow management DB 125, the process ends.

[0095] In step S1103, the information processing device 10 records information about the new book in the bookshelf registration DB 123. Specifically, the control unit 130 identifies the user ID of the row in which the above information was confirmed in the follow management DB 125. Next, the control unit 130 adds the information about the new book to the row of the user ID in the bookshelf registration DB 123, row by row. If a book in the same "series" and with the same "user ID" as the new book added to the bookshelf registration DB 123 is already registered in the publication DB 122, the process proceeds to S1104. Otherwise, the process ends.

[0096] In step S1104, the information processing device 10 presents the user with an interface for deciding whether to delete from the bookshelf the old version of the book in the same series as the new version of the book added in step S1103. Specifically, for example, the presentation unit 135 presents a dialog box containing a button for deleting the old version of the book from the bookshelf and a button for leaving the old version of the book on the bookshelf to the user who accesses the bookshelf screen of FIG. 14 for the first time after step S1103. The dialog box, for example, clearly shows the name of the new version of the book added in step S1103 and includes the message "The new version has been registered on the bookshelf. Do you want to delete the old version from the bookshelf?" The button for deleting is, for example, marked "Yes" and is pressable. The button for leaving is, for example, marked "No" and is pressable.

[0097] For example, new and old editions of books in the same series are books with the "Edition" item "January 2020 issue" and "December 2019 issue."

[0098] In step S1105, the user terminal 20 accepts an operation from the user to decide whether to delete the old edition of the book from the bookshelf. Specifically, a user who wishes to delete the old edition of the book presses a delete button via the user terminal 20. A user who wishes to keep the old edition of the book presses a keep button via the user terminal 20. The transmission control unit 232 transmits a notification that the button has been pressed to the information processing device 10. If the reception control unit 131 receives a notification that the keep button has been pressed, the processing ends. If the reception control unit 131 receives a notification that the delete button has been pressed, the processing proceeds to step S1106.

[0099] In step S1106, the information processing device 10 deletes the old edition of the book from the bookshelf of the user. Specifically, the control unit 130 sets the item "status" of the old edition of the book recorded in the ID row of the user in the bookshelf registration DB 123 to "deleted." This causes the old edition of the book to be deleted from the bookshelf.

[0100] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing device 10 when it automatically registers other electronic content in the user's bookshelf based on electronic content that has already been registered in the user's bookshelf.

[0101] In step S1501, the information processing device 10 registers information on new electronic content (such as a newly published electronic book) in the publication DB 122. For example, information on a new book may be registered by an electronic book service provider.

[0102] In step S1502, the information processing device 10 checks whether an older version of the new book is in the user's bookshelf. Specifically, the control unit 130 checks whether a book with the same book title as the new book registered in the publication DB 122 and an older version than the new book is in the bookshelf registration DB 123. That is, the control unit 130 searches for books with the same book title that are in the relationship between the new and older versions. If the older version of the book is in the bookshelf registration DB 123, the process proceeds to step S1503. If the older version of the book is not in the bookshelf registration DB 123, the process ends.

[0103] A new edition and an old edition of a book with the same book title are, for example, a book whose item "edition" is "third edition" and a book whose item is "second edition."

[0104] In step S1503, the information processing device 10 records information about the new edition of the book in the bookshelf registration DB 123. Specifically, the control unit 130 identifies the user ID of a row in which the old edition of the book is confirmed in the bookshelf registration DB 123. Next, the control unit 130 adds information about the new book to the row of the user ID in the bookshelf registration DB 123, row by row.

[0105] In step S1504, the information processing device 10 presents the user with an interface for deciding whether to delete from the bookshelf the old version of the book that has the same book title as the new version of the book added in step S1503. Specifically, for example, the presentation unit 135 presents a dialog box containing a button for deleting the old version of the book from the bookshelf and a button for leaving the old version of the book on the bookshelf to the user who accesses the bookshelf screen of FIG. 14 for the first time after step S1503. The dialog box, for example, clearly displays the name of the new version of the book added in step S1503 and includes the message "The new version has been registered on the bookshelf. Do you want to delete the old version from the bookshelf?" The button for deleting is marked, for example, "Yes" and is pressable. The button for leaving is marked, for example, "No" and is pressable.

[0106] In step S1505, the user terminal 20 accepts an operation from the user to decide whether to delete the old edition of the book from the bookshelf. Specifically, a user who wishes to delete the old edition of the book presses a delete button via the user terminal 20. A user who wishes to keep the old edition of the book presses a keep button via the user terminal 20. The transmission control unit 232 transmits a notification that the button has been pressed to the information processing device 10. If the reception control unit 131 receives a notification that the keep button has been pressed, the processing ends. If the reception control unit 131 receives a notification that the delete button has been pressed, the processing proceeds to step S1506.

[0107] In step S1506, the information processing device 10 deletes the old edition of the book from the bookshelf of the user. Specifically, the control unit 130 sets the item "status" of the old edition of the book recorded in the ID row of the user in the bookshelf registration DB 123 to "deleted." This causes the old edition of the book to be deleted from the bookshelf.

[0108] 12 is a flowchart showing the operation when user B views a bookshelf made public by user A. The user terminal 20A and the user terminal 20B have the same functional configuration as the user terminal 20.

[0109] In step S1201, the user terminal 20A receives from the user A an operation to make the bookshelf public.

[0110] In step S1202, the information processing device 10 makes the bookshelf of user A public. Specifically, the control unit 130 sets the item "publication state" in the row indicating the user ID of user A in the bookshelf state DB 124 to "public."

[0111] This allows user A's bookshelf to be viewed by users other than user A. Also, information about user A and information about user A's bookshelf may be made public. For example, user A's self-introduction, the number of books in user A's bookshelf, authors that user A follows, etc. may be made public.

[0112] In step S1203, the information processing device 10 ranks the publicly available bookshelves. Specifically, the calculation unit 133 ranks the bookshelves based on information about the characteristics of users who own publicly available bookshelves, specifically, user information managed in the account DB 121, follow management DB 125, etc., in the information processing device 10. The user's characteristics, for example, refer to the popularity of the user's bookshelves. Specifically, the calculation unit 133 may rank the bookshelves of users with a large number of followers higher than the bookshelves of users with a small number of followers in the bookshelf status DB 124. The user's characteristics, for example, refer to the user's occupation. Specifically, the calculation unit 133 may rank the bookshelves of experts higher than the bookshelves of users with an occupation of university professor or license holder in the account DB 121. This can improve convenience for users who want to view the bookshelves of experts.

[0113] The calculation unit 133 may rank the bookshelves by comprehensively considering various characteristics of the users. For example, when the calculation unit 133 evaluates the bookshelves to rank them, the calculation unit 133 may base 60% of the evaluation on the number of followers of the bookshelf and 40% on the user's occupation.

[0114] In step S1204, user terminal 20B receives from user B an operation to view the bookshelf ranking and the publicly available bookshelf. User B may perform an operation to view the bookshelf directly without going through the bookshelf ranking. For example, user B may perform an operation to view user A's bookshelf by searching for the user ID of user A whose bookshelf is publicly available.

[0115] In step S1205, the information processing device 10 presents the ranking of the bookshelves and the bookshelves that have been made public to user B. Specifically, the presentation unit 135 presents the ranking of the bookshelves and the bookshelves that have been made public to user B in accordance with the display unit 234 of the user terminal 20B. For example, the presentation unit 135 may present thumbnails of the bookshelves or users of the bookshelves in descending order of ranking. <1.6. Screen Examples> 13 is an example of a follow list screen. Upon receiving access from the user terminal 20, the information processing device 10 refers to the follow management DB 125 and the publication DB 122, and presents the screen shown in FIG.

[0116] List 1301 lists the targets that the user is following. For example, presentation unit 135 presents to the user information for each item of "Followed Author," "Followed Publisher," "Followed Series," and "Followed Bookshelf" for each user in follow management DB 125. When presenting information for the "Followed Bookshelf" item, presentation unit 135 may present the user's name instead of the user ID.

[0117] The text 1302 adds information after the followed target. For example, the presentation unit 135 may add information about the publication date of a series being followed after the series. Specifically, the presentation unit 135 may add information about upcoming or new releases in the series. Furthermore, for example, the presentation unit 135 may add information about a user being followed after the bookshelf of the user. Specifically, the presentation unit 135 may add the number of followers on the bookshelf of the user, their occupation, a self-introduction, or the like. The presentation unit 135 may add only a portion of the information to fit the size of the display unit 234 of the user terminal 20.

[0118] The text box 1303 is a text box for accepting input of a search word. The user searches for a new target to follow via the text box 1303. For example, the search unit 134 accepts keywords from the user in the text box 1303 and searches, for example, the author, publisher, series, or public bookshelves of other users.

[0119] Fig. 14 is an example of a bookshelf screen. Upon receiving access from the user terminal 20, the information processing device 10 refers to the bookshelf registration DB 123 and presents the screen shown in Fig. 14 to the user.

[0120] The display area 1401 is an area simulating a bookshelf for displaying books. The presentation unit 135 arranges books on the display area 1401 after referring to information regarding operations on the books by the user. For example, the presentation unit 135 arranges thumbnails 1402 of books recorded in the bookshelf registration DB 123 whose item "status" is "registering" on each shelf of the bookshelf. The presentation unit 135 may arrange thumbnails 1402 on each shelf of the bookshelf for each item "tag" recorded in the bookshelf registration DB 123. Alternatively, the presentation unit 135 may arrange thumbnails 1402 of all books whose item "status" is "registering" on the top shelf of the bookshelf, regardless of the item "tag." The presentation unit 135 may arrange only thumbnails 1402 of some of the books to fit the size of the display unit 234 of the user terminal 20.

[0121] The thumbnail 1402 is a thumbnail showing a book recorded in the bookshelf registration DB 123. The thumbnail 1402 is, for example, the cover of the book. The presentation unit 135 accepts a user's operation on the book thumbnail 1402 and presents document data of the book recorded in the publication DB 122. For example, when the user clicks or taps on the book thumbnail 1402, the user can access the document data of the book.

[0122] Icon 1403 is an icon that indicates information regarding when a book was automatically registered in the bookshelf. For example, icon 1403 indicates that the information processing device 10 recently recorded information about the book in the bookshelf registration DB 123 in S1103. For example, after the information processing device 10 recorded information about the book in the bookshelf registration DB 123 in S1103, the presentation unit 135 continues to present icon 1403 next to the thumbnail of the book for 168 hours. Icon 1403 is not limited to the word "New." <1.7.Summary> As described above, the technology disclosed herein executes a step of setting attributes for new content that can be viewed by users in an e-book service according to conditions set for each user. This ensures that the e-book bookshelf is always up to date. In other words, the technology disclosed herein reduces the burden on users of manually registering books in the bookshelf.

[0123] As described above, the technology disclosed herein allows a user to perform a step of making the status of his / her content attributes public to other users and a step of allowing other users to view the status of the user's content attributes. This allows a user to easily find useful e-books from among the many e-books available. In other words, the technology disclosed herein allows a user to easily view content that is likely to be referenced by the user in an e-book viewing service. <2. Modifications> In the above embodiment, a service related to electronic books has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the above embodiment may be diverted to a service related to video distribution. That is, a user may register videos instead of books in a bookshelf and make the bookshelf available to other users.

[0124] 11 and 15, the above embodiment has described an example in which the information processing device 10 requires a user operation each time it deletes an old version of a book from the bookshelf after the information processing device 10 adds a new version of a book to the bookshelf, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the user may change the settings of the bookshelf so that no user operation is required to delete an old version of a book, that is, so that an old version of a book is automatically deleted from the bookshelf.

[0125] Additionally, the functions performed by the components described herein may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), a CPU (a Central Processing Unit), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, programmed to perform the described functions. A processor includes transistors and other circuits and is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0126] In this specification, a circuitry, unit, or means is hardware that is programmed to realize or performs the described functions, which may be any hardware disclosed herein or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or perform the described functions.

[0127] If the hardware is a processor considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit is a combination of the hardware and software used to configure the hardware and / or processor. <Additional Notes> The matters described in the above embodiments will be supplemented below.

[0128] (Appendix 1) A program for operating a computer having a processor 19 and a memory 15, the computer being for providing a service that allows a user to view multiple stored contents in exchange for the payment of a periodic fee, the program causing the processor to execute the following steps: when the periodic fee has been paid, providing the user with content designated by the user so that the content can be viewed without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed; accepting attribute settings from the user for each piece of content; providing the user with a list of content with attributes set; and when additional content that can be viewed by users is newly added to the above service, setting attributes for the additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user.

[0129] (Appendix 2) A program described in (Appendix 1), in which, in the setting step, an attribute is set for the additional content if the subject of the content for which the user has set an attribute and the subject of the additional content satisfy a specified condition as a condition set for each user.

[0130] (Appendix 3) A program as described in (Appendix 2), in which, in the setting step, an attribute is set for the additional content if, as a predetermined condition, the author of the content for which the user has set an attribute is the same as the author of the additional content, or if the author of the content for which the user has set an attribute is included in the group of authors of the additional content.

[0131] (Appendix 4) The program according to (Supplementary Note 2), wherein in the setting step, an attribute is set for the additional content if, as a predetermined condition, the publisher of the content for which the user has set an attribute is the same as the publisher of the additional content.

[0132] (Appendix 5) In the setting step, a condition is set for each user, and if the series of content for which the user has set an attribute and the series of additional content meet a specified condition, where the series is tagged as a series by a content manager or content provider, or is determined to be a periodical because the title is given in a way that is unique to periodicals, then an attribute is set for the additional content. (Appendix 1) A program.

[0133] (Appendix 6) A program for operating a computer having a processor 19 and a memory 15, the program causing the processor to execute the steps of allowing a user to make his or her attribution status for content public to other users, and allowing other users to view the attribution status for the user's content, as described in (Appendix 1).

[0134] (Appendix 7) The program according to (Supplementary Note 6), wherein in the setting step, the attributed state to be made public includes at least one of the number of attributed contents, the title of a book, and a thumbnail.

[0135] (Appendix 8) A method for operating a computer having a processor 19 and a memory 15, the method comprising the steps of: providing a user with content designated by the processor so that the user can view it without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed, if regular fees have been paid; accepting attribute settings from the user for each piece of content; providing the user with a list of content with attributes set; and, when additional content that can be viewed by users is newly added to the above service, setting attributes for the additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user.

[0136] (Appendix 9) An information processing device comprising a processor 19 and a memory 15, wherein the processor executes the steps of: providing a user with content designated by the user so that the user can view the content without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed, if regular fees have been paid; accepting attribute settings from the user for each piece of content; providing the user with a list of content with attributes set; and, when additional content that can be viewed by the user is newly added to the above service, setting attributes for the additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 1. System 10...Information processing device 12...Communication IF 13...Input / output interface 15...Memory 16…Storage 19...Processor 20...User terminal 22...Communication IF 23...Input / output interface 25…Memory 26…Storage 29...Processor 80…Network 110…Communications Department 120...Storage section 121...Account DB 122…Publishing DB 123...Bookshelf registration DB 124...Bookshelf status DB 125...Follow management DB 130...Control unit 131...Reception control unit 132...Transmission control unit 133...Calculation section 134...Search section 135…Presentation part 210…Communications Department 220...Storage section 230...Control unit 231...Reception control unit 232...Transmission control unit 233...input section 234...Display section

Claims

1. main A program for operating a computer having a processor and a memory, the computer being for providing a service that enables a user to view a plurality of stored contents in exchange for a periodic payment of a fee, the program causing the processor to: providing the user with content designated by the user so that the user can view the content without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed if the periodic fee has been paid; receiving attribute settings for each piece of content from a user; providing a list of attributed content to a user; a step of setting attributes for additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user when additional content that can be viewed by the user is newly added to the service; and, A program that executes the following.

2. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein in the setting step, the attribute is set for the additional content if a predetermined condition is satisfied between the subject of the content for which the user has set the attribute and the subject of the additional content, as a condition set for each user.

3. The program of claim 2, wherein in the setting step, the attribute is set for the additional content if, as a predetermined condition, the author of the content for which the user has set the attribute is the same as the author of the additional content, or if the author of the content for which the user has set the attribute is included in the group of authors of the additional content.

4. 3. The program according to claim 2, wherein in the setting step, the attribute is set for the additional content if a predetermined condition is met in which the publisher of the content for which the user has set the attribute is the same as the publisher of the additional content.

5. The program of claim 1, wherein in the setting step, the condition set for each user is that if the series of content for which the user has set the attribute and the series of the additional content satisfy a predetermined condition, where the series is tagged as a series by a content manager or content provider, or is determined to be a periodical because the book titles are given in a way that is unique to periodicals, the attribute is set for the additional content.

6. A program for operating a computer including a processor and a memory, the program causing the processor to: allowing a user to disclose to other users the state of his or her attribution of content; allowing other users to view the attribute status of the user's content; The program according to claim 1 ,

7. 7. The program according to claim 6, wherein in the setting step, the attributed state to be made public includes at least one of the number of attributed contents, the title of a book, and a thumbnail.

8. A method of operating a computer having a processor and a memory, comprising: The method further comprises the processor: providing the user with content designated by the user so that the user can view the content without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed if the periodic fee has been paid; receiving attribute settings for each piece of content from a user; providing a list of attributed content to a user; When additional content that can be viewed by a user is newly added to the service, setting attributes for the additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user; How to do it.

9. An information processing device including a processor and a memory, the processor: providing the user with content designated by the user so that the user can view the content without any limit on the number of times the content can be viewed if the periodic fee has been paid; receiving attribute settings for each piece of content from a user; providing a list of attributed content to a user; When additional content that can be viewed by a user is newly added to the service, setting attributes for the additional content in accordance with conditions set for each user; An information processing device that executes the above.

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