Display control system, display control method, and program

Abstract

To increase user convenience.SOLUTION: An instruction screen control unit (101) of a display control system (1) causes a user terminal (20) storing an application which provides a user with a plurality of functions to display an instruction screen including an instruction component for instructing the display of a list screen related to a list of the plurality of functions. When the instruction component is selected, a list screen control unit (102) causes the user terminal (20) to display the list screen. If there is a function with which a message for the user is associated among the plurality of functions, the list-screen control unit (102) causes the user terminal (20) to display a list screen in which the message is associated with the function. If there is a function with which a message is associated among the plurality of functions, the instruction screen control unit (101) causes the user terminal to display an instruction screen in which a notification related to the message is associated with the instruction component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display control system, a display control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, apps that provide users with multiple functions have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a payment service providing device that displays icons for the user to select each of the multiple functions, along with code images used in payments, on the top screen of a payment app that provides users with multiple functions related to payment services. Non-Patent Document 1 also describes a device that displays a list screen of all functions when a user selects the "all" icon displayed on the top screen of the payment app described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-120038 [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Icon not appearing on home screen", Internet, searched March 26, 2024, online, https: / / paypay.ne.jp / help / c0149 / Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the technologies of Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1, even if a function associated with a message for the user is displayed on a list screen, the user cannot notice the presence of the message from the top screen, and therefore user convenience cannot be sufficiently improved. This point is not limited to payment apps such as those in Patent Document 1, but is similar to other apps. For this reason, conventional technologies have not been able to sufficiently improve user convenience.

[0006] One of the purposes of the present disclosure is to improve user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The display control system of the present disclosure includes an instruction screen control unit that causes a user terminal that stores an app that provides a user with multiple functions to display an instruction screen including instruction parts that the user uses to instruct the display of a list screen related to a list of the multiple functions, and a list screen control unit that causes the user terminal to display the list screen when the instruction part is selected, wherein if there is a function among the multiple functions that has a message associated with it for the user, the list screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message is associated with the function, and if there is a function among the multiple functions that has the message associated with it, the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which a notification related to the message is associated with the instruction part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present disclosure can improve convenience for users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a display control system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application screen. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen when there is a function associated with a message. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of functions realized by the display control system. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a database. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing executed by the display control system. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a function realized in a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 7. [Figure 11] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 7. [Figure 12] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 8. [Figure 13] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 9. [Figure 14] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 10. [Figure 15] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 13. [Figure 16] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of an application screen in Modification 15. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [1. Hardware configuration of the display control system] An example of an embodiment of a display control system, a display control method, and a program according to the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a display control system. For example, the display control system 1 includes a server 10 and a user terminal 20. Each of the server 10 and the user terminal 20 is connected to a network N such as the Internet or a LAN. Although FIG. 1 illustrates one server 10 and one user terminal 20, there may be multiple servers 10 and multiple user terminals 20 at least.

[0011] The server 10 is a server computer that provides predetermined services to users. In this embodiment, a payment service corresponds to the predetermined service as an example. Therefore, the phrase "payment service" can be read as "predetermined service." The predetermined service may be any service. The predetermined service is not limited to a payment service. For example, the predetermined service may be an e-commerce service, a travel reservation service, a financial service, a communication service, a video distribution service, a social networking service, or other services.

[0012] For example, the server 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13. The control unit 11 includes at least one processor. The storage unit 12 includes at least one of a volatile memory such as a RAM and a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The communication unit 13 includes at least one of a communication interface for wired communication and a communication interface for wireless communication.

[0013] The user terminal 20 is a user's computer. For example, the user terminal 20 is a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer, or a wearable terminal. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, an operation unit 24, and a display unit 25. The hardware configurations of the control unit 21, the memory unit 22, and the communication unit 23 may be similar to those of the control unit 11, the memory unit 12, and the communication unit 13, respectively. The operation unit 24 is an input device such as a touch panel or a mouse. The display unit 25 is a display such as a liquid crystal or organic EL display.

[0014] The program stored in the storage units 12, 22 may be supplied to the server 10 or the user terminal 20 via the network N. Also, at least one of a reading unit (e.g., a memory card slot) that reads a computer-readable information storage medium and an input / output unit (e.g., a USB port) that inputs and outputs data to and from an external device may be included in the server 10 or the user terminal 20. For example, a program stored in an information storage medium may be supplied to the server 10 or the user terminal 20 via at least one of the reading unit and the input / output unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the display control system 1 may include at least one computer. The computer included in the display control system 1 is not limited to the example of FIG. 1. For example, the display control system 1 may include only the server 10. In this case, the user terminal 20 exists outside the display control system 1. For example, the display control system 1 may include the server 10 and another computer not shown in FIG. 1. The display control system 1 may include only the user terminal 20. In this case, the server 10 exists outside the display control system 1. For example, the display control system 1 may include the user terminal 20 and another computer not shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] [2. Display control system overview] In this embodiment, a user uses a predetermined service, such as a payment service, from an app stored in the user terminal 20. The app is an abbreviation for application. The app is a type of program. For example, if the user terminal 20 is a smartphone, the app may be called a smartphone app. The app may be classified as a so-called super app, or may not be classified as a super app. When the user operates the user terminal 20 to select an app, the user terminal 20 displays various screens of the app on the display unit 25.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example screen of the app. As shown on the left side of FIG. 2, when the app is launched, the user terminal 20 displays an instruction screen SC1, which corresponds to the top page of the app, on the display unit 25. For example, the instruction screen SC1 includes a code C10 generated based on a code ID that can temporarily identify the user. The code C10 is at least one of a barcode and a two-dimensional code. When the code C10 is read by a terminal in the store, payment is executed based on the code ID obtained from the code C10. The payment process may be a known process.

[0018] The payment is not limited to the type in which the code C10 is read by a terminal in the store. The payment may be of any type. For example, the payment may be of the type in which a code displayed on a terminal in the store is read by the user terminal 20, the type in which a code posted in the store is read by the user terminal 20, the type in which the payment is completed by only operating the user terminal 20, the type in which an IC chip in the user terminal 20 is used, online payment (for example, account payment using the user's account or ID payment using the user's ID), carrier payment which is payment by the carrier used by the user terminal 20, or any other type.

[0019] In this embodiment, the app provides multiple functions to the user. A function is information processing executed by the app or another program. A function can also be called a service. For example, a function may be processing by a mini app called from a super app, processing by an app not classified as a mini app, processing for displaying a screen indicated by a link, processing for displaying by a web view, or processing for displaying a screen on a browser. If the app itself has some function (in this embodiment, a function for payment, charging, etc.), each of the multiple functions provided by the app may be a function related to the function of the app itself, or may be a function unrelated to the function of the app itself.

[0020] For example, the instruction screen SC1 includes a display area A11 in which icons are arranged to allow the user to use some of the functions provided by the app. The icon for each function may have any appearance. The icon for each function may display a string of characters indicating the name of the function, or may display a graphic corresponding to the function. The user can use a function by selecting the icon for that function. In this embodiment, the instruction screen SC1 includes an area other than the display area A11 (for example, an area where the code C10 is displayed), but the instruction screen SC1 may also include only the display area A11.

[0021] In the example on the left side of Figure 2, icons for a check-in function that allows a user to check in at a designated location, a bill payment function that allows a user to pay a bill, a rock-paper-scissors function that allows a user to win rewards by playing rock-paper-scissors, a campaign function that allows a user to enter a campaign, a coupon function that allows a user to win coupons, a cash advance function that allows a user to make a cash advance, an installment payment function that allows a user to apply for installment payments, a receipt function that allows a user to manage receipts, a points management function that allows a user to manage points, a card statement function that allows a user to check credit card statements, and a store confirmation function that allows a user to check stores are displayed in display area A11.

[0022] In this embodiment, there are also functions for which icons are not displayed in the display area A11. For example, the user can check all functions by selecting the instruction part P110 in the display area A11. The instruction part P110 is a part that serves as a user interface. The instruction part P110 accepts instructions for displaying the list screen SC2, which will be described later. The instruction part P110 may be any part. For example, the instruction part P110 may be a button, an icon, a slide bar, a tab, another image, a shape not classified as an image, text, a symbol, or another part.

[0023] For example, when a user selects instruction part P110, the user terminal 20 displays a list screen SC2 showing a list of all functions provided by the app on the display unit 25, as shown on the right side of Fig. 2. In the example on the right side of Fig. 2, not only the icons of each function displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1, but also icons for a travel reservation function that allows the user to use a travel reservation service, a news article function that allows the user to read news articles, and an advertisement viewing function that allows the user to view advertisements are displayed on the list screen SC2. The user can scroll through the list screen SC2 to check all the functions.

[0024] The list screen SC2 may be a screen displayed superimposed on the instruction screen SC1, or may be a screen displayed without being superimposed on the instruction screen SC1. For example, the list screen SC2 may be a modal, window, pop-up, banner, or other type of screen superimposed on the instruction screen SC1. The list screen SC2 may be a screen realized by a web view, or may be a screen of an app other than the app displaying the instruction screen SC1. When a browser capable of supporting multiple tabs is used, the list screen SC2 may be a screen displayed in a tab separate from the instruction screen SC1.

[0025] In this embodiment, a message is associated with at least some of the multiple functions. The message can also be referred to as a notification to the user. The message includes a character string. For example, the message indicates content related to the function with which the message is associated. The message is associated with the function for any purpose. For example, a message is associated with a function to announce a campaign, an event, another schedule, a benefit such as a point increase, a notification that does not fall into these categories, a new function release, a version upgrade, a function renewal, or for other purposes. FIG. 2 is an example of an app screen when there is no function with an associated message.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an app screen when there is a function with an associated message. In the example on the left side of FIG. 3, the message "Points Up" is associated with the check-in function. The message "Entry Possible" is associated with the campaign function. The message "Save Fees" is associated with the cash advance function. If the message is associated with another function that cannot be displayed in the display area A11, the message "New Information Available" is associated with the instruction part P110. The message "New Information Available" allows the user to recognize that there is a new message for some function on the list screen SC2 ahead.

[0027] For example, when the user selects the instruction part P110, the user terminal 20 causes the display unit 25 to display a list screen SC2 that includes messages that are not displayed on the instruction screen SC1, as shown on the right side of Fig. 3. In the example on the right side of Fig. 3, in addition to the messages that the user can check in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1, the message "Sale Now On" associated with the travel booking function and the message "Available for Viewing Today" associated with the advertising function are displayed on the list screen SC2. If a message is associated with a function at the destination of the scroll on the list screen SC2, that message is displayed on the list screen SC2.

[0028] As described above, when there is a function associated with a message, the display control system 1 of this embodiment displays the instruction screen SC1, in which the message "New information has arrived" is associated with the instruction part P110, on the display unit 25. The message "New information has arrived" associated with the instruction part P110 allows the user to notice the existence of a message before the list screen SC2 is displayed, so the display control system 1 can improve user convenience. Details of the display control system 1 will be described below.

[0029] [3. Functions realized by the display control system] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of functions realized by the display control system 1. In this embodiment, an example is given in which the main functions related to the screen display of an app are realized by the server 10. The units realized by the display control system 1 can be configured by consolidating them into one device or by distributing them into smaller devices. Therefore, the functions realized by the display control system 1 are not limited to the example of this embodiment.

[0030] [3-1. Functions realized by the server] For example, the server 10 includes a data storage unit 100, an instruction screen control unit 101, and a list screen control unit 102. The data storage unit 100 is realized by the storage unit 12. The instruction screen control unit 101 and the list screen control unit 102 are each realized by the control unit 11.

[0031] [Data storage section] The data storage unit 100 stores data necessary for providing a predetermined service, such as a payment service, etc. For example, the data storage unit 100 stores a database DB.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a database DB. The database DB is a database that stores various information related to users. For example, the database DB stores user IDs, passwords, and message information. The database DB may also store other information. For example, the database DB may also store other information such as user attribute information, which will be described in a modified example below. The database DB may also store information on payment methods that users can use in the payment service.

[0033] The user ID of the payment service is an example of user identification information that can identify a user in the payment service. A login account may exist in addition to the user ID. The login account may be freely changeable by the user. The password is information that is confirmed when logging in. The code ID is also an ID that can identify a user in the payment service. The code ID is updated each time the code C10 is displayed. The code ID may be stored in a database DB.

[0034] The message information is information about messages associated with functions provided by the app. For example, the message information indicates the relationship between function identification information that can identify each of multiple functions and the messages associated with the functions. The function identification information is expressed by letters, numbers, symbols, or a combination thereof. For example, the function identification function may be a function ID that is an ID assigned to the function, or the name of the function. The message is the specific content of the message. For example, the message is expressed by letters, numbers, symbols, images, or a combination thereof. The message information may include information about whether the message is read or unread, the date and time the message was created, a flag indicating whether it is a new message, or other information.

[0035] The message information may be stored in the database DB by any person. For example, a business operator operating a payment service may input the content of the message, thereby storing the message information in the database DB. The message information may be stored in the database DB by a business operator operating a service for each function, rather than the business operator operating the payment service, inputting the content of the message. At least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of the number of characters may be set for the message. The message information may indicate not only the specific content of the message, but also other information such as the design of the message.

[0036] In the present embodiment, an example is given in which message information is stored in the database DB for each user. However, if a message common to all users is to be displayed, message information common to all users may be stored in the data storage unit 100, rather than message information being stored in the database DB for each user. The message information may indicate only whether or not a message is present, rather than the specific content of the message. If a predetermined fixed phrase is used as the message, the message information may be information that can identify the fixed phrase. The message information may also be stored in a database other than the database DB.

[0037] The data stored in the data storage unit 100 is not limited to the above example. The data storage unit 100 may store any data necessary for the payment service. For example, the data storage unit 100 may store data for various screens displayed on the payment app (e.g., data for icons of each function, and layout data for the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2). The data storage unit 100 may store data for APIs that accept requests from apps stored in the user terminal 20. The data storage unit 100 may store data for notifications, which will be described later. For example, the data storage unit 100 may store data for speech bubbles surrounding messages, or data indicating a standard message such as "New information has arrived." The display of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2 may be controlled based on this data. The standard message may be editable by an administrator or a user of the display control system 1. The standard message may be any wording and is not limited to the example of this embodiment.

[0038] [Instruction screen control section] The instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20, which stores an application that provides the user with multiple functions, to display an instruction screen SC1 including an instruction part P110 that allows the user to instruct the display of a list screen SC2 relating to a list of the multiple functions. In this embodiment, since the instruction screen control unit 101 is realized by the server 10, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display the instruction screen SC1 by transmitting display data of the instruction screen SC1 to the user terminal 20.

[0039] An app that provides a user with multiple functions is an app that can display parts as a user interface for the user to select each of the multiple functions. In this embodiment, the icons of the functions shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 correspond to the parts, but the parts may be any parts. The parts are not limited to icons. For example, the parts may be buttons, slide bars, tabs, other images, shapes not classified as images, text, symbols, or other parts. The app includes program code for displaying the parts.

[0040] The display data of the instruction screen SC1 is data necessary for displaying the instruction screen SC1. The display data of the instruction screen SC1 may be data of the entire instruction screen SC1, or may be data of a portion of the instruction screen SC1 (for example, image data showing an image included in the instruction screen SC1). The display data of the instruction screen SC1 may be in any format. For example, the display data of the instruction screen SC1 may be data in a markup language such as HTML or XML, image data, text data, document data, or a combination of these.

[0041] The data storage unit 100 may store the display data of the instruction screen SC1 itself, or may store data necessary for generating the display data of the instruction screen SC1. The instruction screen control unit 101 may acquire the display data of the instruction screen SC1 based on either of these pieces of data. The instruction screen control unit 101 may transmit the display data of the instruction screen SC1 directly to the user terminal 20, or may transmit the display data of the instruction screen SC1 indirectly via another computer.

[0042] In this embodiment, if there is a function with an associated message among the multiple functions, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification regarding the message is associated with the instruction part P110. In the example of FIG. 3, the message "New Information Available" associated with the instruction part P110 corresponds to a message as an example of a notification. As will be described later, notifications are not limited to messages. For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 determines whether there is a function with an associated message based on message information stored in the database DB. If the association between a message and a function is defined in another database, the instruction screen control unit 101 may determine whether there is a function with an associated message based on the other database. The instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display the instruction screen SC1 based on the determination result of whether there is a function with an associated message.

[0043] A message-associated function is a function for which a message related to it exists. In other words, a message-associated function is a function for which a message should be displayed. For example, in message information, a function for which a message is associated with function identification information corresponds to a message-associated function. In the examples of Figures 2 and 3, a function for which a message is displayed near the function's icon (for example, above, below, left, right, upper left, upper right, lower left, or lower right of the function's icon) corresponds to a message-associated function.

[0044] A notification is an element constituting the instruction screen SC1. In the example on the left side of FIG. 3, the message "New Information Available" corresponds to the notification. A notification is not limited to a speech bubble image like the one on the left side of FIG. 3. A notification may be an image other than a speech bubble (e.g., an icon), text indicating a message (e.g., text written in CSS), a notification using a circular symbol or the like (e.g., a so-called notification dot or notification badge), a banner notification, a pop-up notification, or another type of notification. A notification may have the same content as all or part of the message to be notified, or may have content different from the message to be notified. A notification may be a fixed phrase regardless of the message to be notified. Note that the content of the fixed phrase may vary depending on the message to be notified. A notification may be included in the instruction part P110 for "View All." A notification may have a predetermined effect, such as a vibration.

[0045] An instruction screen SC1 in which a notification is associated with an instruction part P110 is an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification is placed near the instruction part P110 (for example, above, below, left, right, upper left, upper right, lower left, or lower right of the icon of the instruction part P110) or inside the instruction part P110. The notification may be a part of a user interface, or it may be an element that does not particularly accept user operation. In other words, some information processing may be executed when the user selects the notification, or nothing may happen even when the user selects the notification. Data required to display the notification (for example, image data) is stored in the data storage unit 100. The instruction screen control unit 101 generates a notification based on the data.

[0046] For example, if it is determined that there is no function associated with the message, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 (for example, the instruction screen SC1 on the left side of FIG. 2) in which the notification is not associated with the instruction part P110. If it is determined that there is a function associated with the message, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 (for example, the instruction screen SC1 on the left side of FIG. 3) in which the notification is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0047] In this embodiment, as an example, if there is at least one function associated with a message, the instruction screen control unit 101 displays the instruction screen SC1 in which the notification is associated with the instruction part P110 on the user terminal 20. Therefore, even if the only function associated with a message is a function whose icon is displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1, the instruction screen control unit 101 displays the instruction screen SC1 in which the notification is associated with the instruction part P110 on the user terminal 20.

[0048] If the only function associated with the message is one whose icon is displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1, the instruction screen control unit 101 may display the instruction screen SC1 in which the notification is not associated with the instruction part P110. That is, the instruction screen control unit 101 may display the instruction screen SC1 in which the notification is not associated with the instruction part P110, provided that the message is associated with a function whose icon is displayed on the list screen SC2 but no icon is displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1.

[0049] Furthermore, the instruction screen control unit 101 may determine whether there are a predetermined number (for example, three) or more of functions associated with messages. If it is determined that there are not the predetermined number or more of functions associated with messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the notification is not associated with the instruction part P110. If it is determined that there are the predetermined number or more of functions associated with messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the notification is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0050] The instruction screen SC1 may also be a screen that is displayed superimposed on another screen. For example, the instruction screen SC1 may be a modal, window, pop-up, banner, or other type of screen that is superimposed on another screen. The instruction screen SC1 may be a screen realized by a web view, or may be a screen of an app other than the app that displays the list screen SC2.

[0051] [List screen control section] When the instruction part P110 is selected, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display the list screen SC2. For example, the instruction part P110 includes a link to the list screen SC2. The link is information that can identify the destination screen. For example, the link may be a URL, an ID indicating the destination screen, or other information. For example, when the instruction part P110 is selected, the user terminal 20 transmits a display request for the list screen SC2 to the server 10 based on the link. The display request is data indicating that display of the list screen SC2 is requested. For example, the display request may be an HTTP request or a request in accordance with another communication standard. When the server 10 receives the display request for the list screen SC2, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display the list screen SC2.

[0052] In this embodiment, the instruction screen control unit 101 is realized by the server 10, and therefore the instruction screen control unit 101 transmits display data for the list screen SC2 to the user terminal 20, thereby causing the list screen SC2 to be displayed on the user terminal 20. The display data for the list screen SC2 is data necessary for displaying the list screen SC2. The display data for the list screen SC2 may be data for the entire list screen SC2, or may be data for part of the list screen SC2 (for example, image data showing images included in the list screen SC2). The display data for the list screen SC2 may be in any format. For example, the display data for the list screen SC2 may be data in a markup language such as HTML or XML, image data, text data, document data, or a combination of these.

[0053] The data storage unit 100 may store the display data of the list screen SC2 itself, or may store data necessary for generating the display data of the list screen SC2. The instruction screen control unit 101 may acquire the display data of the list screen SC2 based on any of these data. The instruction screen control unit 101 may transmit the display data of the list screen SC2 directly to the user terminal 20, or may transmit the display data of the list screen SC2 indirectly via another computer.

[0054] In this embodiment, if there is a function among the multiple functions to which a message for the user is associated, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which the message is associated with the function. For example, the list screen control unit 102 determines whether there is a function to which a message is associated based on message information stored in the database DB. If the association between messages and functions is defined in another database, the list screen control unit 102 may determine whether there is a function to which a message is associated based on the other database. The list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display the list screen SC2 based on the determination result of whether there is a function to which a message is associated.

[0055] A list screen SC2 in which a message is associated with a function is a list screen SC2 in which a message is placed near the icon of the function (for example, above, below, left, right, top left, top right, bottom left, or bottom right of the icon of the function) or inside the icon of the function. The message may be a part of the user interface, or it may be an element that does not particularly accept user operation. In other words, some information processing may be executed when the user selects the message, or nothing may happen when the user selects the message. It is assumed that data (for example, image data) necessary for displaying the message is stored in the data storage unit 100. The list screen control unit 102 generates a message based on the data.

[0056] For example, when it is determined that there is no function associated with a message, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which no message is associated with any function (for example, the list screen SC2 on the right side of FIG. 2). When it is determined that there is a function associated with a message, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which a message is associated with the function (for example, the list screen SC2 on the right side of FIG. 3).

[0057] [3-2. Functions implemented on user devices] For example, the user terminal 20 includes a data storage unit 200, an operation reception unit 201, and a display control unit 202. The data storage unit 200 is realized by the storage unit 22. The operation reception unit 201 and the display control unit 202 are realized by the control unit 21.

[0058] [Data storage section] The data storage unit 200 stores an app for providing a predetermined service, such as a payment service, to a user. The app is downloaded in advance and installed on the user terminal 20. The app may also be installed on the user terminal 20 from the beginning. For example, the data storage unit 200 may store various data referenced by the app.

[0059] [Operation reception section] The operation accepting unit 201 accepts various operations from the user. For example, the operation accepting unit 201 accepts an operation for an application. The operation accepting unit 201 transmits data indicating the content of the user's operation to the server 10.

[0060] [Display control section] The display control unit 202 displays various screens of the app on the display unit 25. For example, the display control unit 202 displays each of an instruction screen SC1 and a list screen SC2 on the display unit 25 based on the app. In the present embodiment, a case will be exemplified in which the main processing for displaying each of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2 is executed by the server 10. Therefore, the display control unit 202 displays each of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2 on the display unit 25 based on the app and the display data for each of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2 received from the server 10.

[0061] Note that the main processing for displaying each of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2 may be executed by the user terminal 20. In this case, the server 10 does not include each of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2, and the display control unit 202 includes the instruction screen control unit 101 and the list screen control unit 102. Each of the instruction screen control unit 101 and the list screen control unit 102 included in the display control unit 202 may communicate with the server 10 as necessary and cause each of the instruction screen SC1 and the list screen SC2 to be displayed on the display unit 25.

[0062] [4. Processing performed by the display control system] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of processing executed by the display control system 1. The control units 11 and 21 execute programs stored in the storage units 12 and 22, respectively, to thereby execute the processing of Fig. 6.

[0063] 6, when a user operates operation unit 24 to select an application, user terminal 20 launches the application stored in storage unit 22 and executes a login process with server 10 for the user to log in to the payment service (S1). If the login process is successful, server 10 determines whether a message is associated with each of the multiple functions based on database DB (S2). In S2, server 10 makes the determination based on message information associated with the user ID of the logged-in user.

[0064] If it is determined in S2 that no message is associated with any function (S2: N), the server 10 generates display data for an instruction screen SC1 in which no message is associated with the instruction part P110 (S3). This instruction screen SC1 is the instruction screen SC1 shown on the left side of FIG. 2. If it is determined in S2 that there is a function with an associated message (S2: Y), the server 10 generates display data for an instruction screen SC1 in which the message "New information has arrived" is associated with the instruction part P110 (S4). This instruction screen SC1 is the instruction screen SC1 shown on the left side of FIG. 3. In S4, if a message is associated with a function whose icon is displayed in the display area A11, the server 10 places the message near the icon.

[0065] The server 10 transmits display data for the instruction screen SC1 generated in S3 or S4 to the user terminal 20 (S5). The user terminal 20 receives the display data for the instruction screen SC1 from the server 10 (S6). The user terminal 20 displays the instruction screen SC1 indicated by the display data on the display unit 25 (S7). In S7, when the user terminal 20 receives the display data for the instruction screen SC1 generated in S3, it displays the instruction screen SC1 shown on the left side of FIG. 2 on the display unit 25. When the user terminal 20 receives the display data for the instruction screen SC1 generated in S4, it displays the instruction screen SC1 shown on the left side of FIG. 3 on the display unit 25.

[0066] The user terminal 20 determines whether or not the instruction part P110 has been selected based on a detection signal from the operation unit 24 (S8). If it is determined that the instruction part P110 has not been selected (S8: N), this process ends. If it is determined that the instruction part P110 has been selected (S8: Y), the user terminal 20 transmits a display request for the list screen SC2 to the server 10 (S9). Upon receiving the display request from the user terminal 20 (S10), the server 10 determines whether or not a message is associated with each of the multiple functions based on the database DB (S11). The determination in S11 may be the same as the determination in S2.

[0067] If it is determined in S11 that no message is associated with any function (S11: N), the server 10 generates display data for a list screen SC2 in which no message is associated with any function (S12). If it is determined that there is a function with an associated message (S11: Y), the server 10 generates display data for a list screen SC2 in which the message is associated with the function (S13). In S13, the server 10 places a message whose content is indicated by the message information stored in the database DB near the icon of the function indicated by the function identification information, and generates display data for the list screen SC2.

[0068] The server 10 transmits display data for the list screen SC2 generated in S12 or S13 to the user terminal 20 (S14). The user terminal 20 receives the display data for the list screen SC2 from the server 10 (S15). The user terminal 20 displays the list screen SC2 on the display unit 25 (S16), and this processing ends. In S16, when the user terminal 20 receives the display data for the list screen SC2 generated in S12, it displays the list screen SC2 as shown on the right side of FIG. 2 on the display unit 25. When the user terminal 20 receives the display data for the list screen SC2 generated in S13, it displays the list screen SC2 as shown on the right side of FIG. 3 on the display unit 25.

[0069] [5. Summary of embodiments] In the display control system 1 of this embodiment, if a function associated with a message for the user is included among a plurality of functions, the display control system 1 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which the message is associated with the function. If a function associated with a message is included among a plurality of functions, the display control system 1 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification related to the message is associated with an instruction part P110. This allows the user to notice the presence of a message through the notification associated with the instruction part P110 (in the example on the left side of FIG. 3, the message "New information has arrived") without having to display the list screen SC2, thereby improving user convenience. The display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function associated with the message. The display control system 1 can promote the use of the function associated with the message. For example, the more icons a function has, the more messages it will have, which can complicate the user's confirmation work. However, the display control system 1 can reduce the user's confirmation work by displaying the notification associated with the instruction part P110.

[0070] [6. Modifications] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0071] 7 is a diagram showing an example of functions realized in the modified example. For example, server 10 further includes a user attribute information acquisition unit 103, a user tendency information acquisition unit 104, a usage status information acquisition unit 105, and a payment information acquisition unit 106. Each of user attribute information acquisition unit 103, user tendency information acquisition unit 104, usage status information acquisition unit 105, and payment information acquisition unit 106 is realized by control unit 11.

[0072] [6-1. Variation 1] For example, in the embodiment, a case has been described in which a fixed phrase message "New information has arrived" is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification, but the notification associated with the instruction part P110 is not limited to the example of the embodiment. The instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with a certain function is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification. That is, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the instruction screen SC1 in which the same message as a message associated with a certain function is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification.

[0073] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 1. For example, suppose that a message "Available for viewing today" is associated with an advertising function that is not displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1 but is displayed on the list screen SC2. In this case, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the same message "Available for viewing today" is associated with the instruction part P110, based on message information indicating the message "Available for viewing today" associated with the advertising function. This modification differs from the embodiment in that the instruction screen control unit 101 associates the same message as a message associated with a certain function with the instruction part P110, rather than the fixed message "New information available," but is otherwise similar to the embodiment.

[0074] The instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with a function other than the advertising function is associated with the instruction part P110. The instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of a function displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1 is associated with the instruction part P110. When there are multiple functions with associated messages, a function may be selected based on predetermined conditions, as in Modification 2 described below. In this case, the instruction screen control unit 101 may associate a message associated with a randomly selected function with the instruction part P110.

[0075] For example, if only one function among the functions displayed on the list screen SC2 is associated with a message, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification, as shown on the left side of FIG. 8. Furthermore, if multiple functions among the functions displayed on the list screen SC2 are associated with messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a fixed phrase message "New information has arrived" is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification, as shown on the left side of FIG. 3. In this way, the instruction screen control unit 101 may use different notification contents depending on the number of functions associated with a message. Note that the notification contents may be used differently as described above depending on the number of functions associated with a message among the functions displayed on the list screen SC2 but not displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1.

[0076] The display control system 1 of the first modification causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with a certain function is associated with an instruction part P110 as a notification. This allows the user to know the specific content of the message from the message associated with the instruction part P110, so the display control system 1 can further improve user convenience. For example, if a message in which the user is interested is associated with the instruction part P110, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to select the instruction part P110. The display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function associated with the message.

[0077] [6-2. Variation 2] For example, in Modification Example 1, there may be a plurality of functions associated with a message. In the case where there are a plurality of functions associated with a message, the list screen control unit 102 in Modification Example 2 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which the message of each of the plurality of functions is associated with the corresponding function. In the case where only some of the messages can be associated with the instruction part P110, the function to be associated with the instruction part P110 may be selected based on a predetermined condition.

[0078] In the case where there are multiple functions associated with messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 of the second modification identifies a function from the multiple functions that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message of the function that satisfies the predetermined condition is associated with the instruction part P110. The predetermined condition is a condition for selecting a function from the multiple functions associated with messages whose message is to be associated with the instruction part P110. In the second modification, since there is only one message associated with the instruction part P110, the predetermined condition is a condition for selecting one function.

[0079] Note that, when there are multiple messages associated with the instruction part P110, the predetermined condition is a condition for selecting the multiple functions. The number of messages associated with the instruction part P110 may be limited to an upper limit of 2 or more. For example, when the number of functions associated with messages is greater than the upper limit, the instruction screen control unit 101 may narrow down the messages to be associated with the instruction part P110 based on the predetermined condition so that the number falls within the upper limit.

[0080] The condition data indicating the predetermined condition is assumed to be stored in the data storage unit 100. The condition may be in any format. For example, the condition data may be in a table format, a mathematical formula format, part of a program, a machine learning model, or any other format. In the second modification, an example is given in which the predetermined condition corresponds to an icon being placed at the top or left on the list screen SC2. Based on data indicating the layout of the list screen SC2 (for example, data indicating the placement of icons on the list screen SC2, assumed to be stored in the data storage unit 100), the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies, from among multiple functions associated with a message, a function located at a predetermined placement position on the list screen SC2 (for example, a function located at the top or left on the list screen SC2) as a function that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0081] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an app screen in Modification 2. In the example of FIG. 9, a message is associated with each of the travel reservation function, check-in function, advertising function, and campaign function on the list screen SC2. There is a possibility that an icon of the function associated with the message will be present at the destination of the list screen SC2 scroll. Of these functions, the function with the icon located at the top is the travel reservation function. Therefore, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies the travel reservation function, which is at the top of the functions associated with the message, as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0082] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message "Sale Now On" of the topmost travel booking function is associated with the instruction part P110, based on the message information stored in the database DB. In the second modification, the instruction screen control unit 101 takes as an example a case in which, among the functions for which no icon is displayed in the display area A11, the instruction screen control unit 101 narrows down the functions for which a message is associated with the instruction part P110 based on a predetermined condition, but it may also narrow down the functions for which a message is associated with the instruction part P110 from among all functions, regardless of whether an icon is displayed in the display area A11.

[0083] The predetermined condition is not limited to the example of Modification 2. The predetermined condition may be a condition other than the arrangement of icons on the list screen SC2. For example, the predetermined condition may be a condition described in Modifications 3 to 6 below, or a function registered in favorites described in Modification 13 below. Other examples of the predetermined condition may include the message being the most recent, being relatively high in the priority order of each function designated by the administrator of the display control system 1, being a message containing a predetermined keyword, being a function provided by a sponsor with a relatively high advertising fee, or other conditions.

[0084] In the display control system 1 of the second modification, when there are multiple functions associated with a message, the display control system 1 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which the message for each of the multiple functions is associated with that function. When there are multiple functions associated with a message, the display control system 1 identifies a function from the multiple functions that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message for the function that satisfies the predetermined condition is associated with an instruction part P110. In this way, even if there are multiple functions associated with a message, the display control system 1 can display an instruction screen SC1 in which an appropriate message is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0085] [6-3. Variation 3] For example, in Modification 2, the predetermined condition may be a condition according to user attribute information relating to the user's attributes. User attributes are information that allows users to be classified from some perspective. For example, user attributes may be gender, age, age group, place of residence, occupation, family structure, hobbies, annual income, or other information. In Modification 3, the user attribute information is associated with a user ID and stored in the database DB. For example, the user attribute information may be information called demographic information. Modification 3 takes as an example a case where a user registers his or her own user attribute information in the database DB, but the server 10 may also analyze the user's behavior from some perspective and store user attribute conditions in the database DB according to the results of the analysis.

[0086] The display control system 1 of the third modification includes a user attribute information acquisition unit 103. The user attribute information acquisition unit 103 acquires user attribute information. For example, the user attribute information acquisition unit 103 acquires user attribute information associated with the user ID of the currently logged-in user from the database DB. If the user attribute information is stored in a database other than the database DB, the user attribute information acquisition unit 103 may acquire the user attribute information from the other database. If the user attribute information is stored in a computer or an external information storage medium other than the server 10, the user attribute information acquisition unit 103 may acquire the user attribute information from the other computer or the external information storage medium.

[0087] The instruction screen control unit 101 of the third modification example identifies a function corresponding to the user attribute information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of the function corresponding to the user attribute information is associated with an instruction part P110. Attribute relationship data indicating the relationship between the user attribute information and at least one of the multiple functions is stored in the data storage unit 100. The attribute relationship data may be in any format. For example, the attribute relationship data may be in a table format, a mathematical formula format, part of a program, a machine learning model, or another format.

[0088] For example, the attribute relationship data associates a specific attribute with a specific function among multiple functions. If the user's gender corresponds to an attribute, the attribute relationship data associates a specific gender with a function that is estimated to interest users of that gender. If the user's age group corresponds to an attribute, the attribute relationship data associates a specific age group with a function that is estimated to interest users of that age group. Similarly, for other attributes, the attribute relationship data associates a specific attribute with a function that is estimated to interest users belonging to that attribute. The attribute relationship data may associate a combination of multiple attributes with a function that is estimated to interest users of that combination. The relationship in the attribute relationship data may be specified by an administrator of the display control system 1.

[0089] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies, from among multiple attributes, a function associated with an attribute indicated by the user attribute information as a function corresponding to the user attribute information, based on the attribute relationship data. If a message is associated with a function corresponding to the user attribute information, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with an instruction part P110. If a message is not associated with a function corresponding to the user attribute information, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with another function is associated with the instruction part P110, or may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which no message is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0090] The display control system 1 of the third modification example identifies a function corresponding to the user attribute information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message for the function corresponding to the user attribute information is associated with the instruction part P110. This allows the display control system 1 to alert the user to a message for an appropriate function corresponding to the user attribute information on the instruction screen SC1, thereby further improving user convenience. For example, if a message that the user is more interested in is associated with the instruction part P110, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to select the instruction part P110. As a result, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function associated with the message. For example, if the user attribute information indicates a woman in her 30s, the display control system 1 can provide a more appealing notification by associating a message that is estimated to be of interest to women in their 30s with the instruction part P110.

[0091] [6-4. Variation 4] For example, in variant 2 or variant 3, the predetermined condition may be a condition according to user trend information regarding user tendencies. User tendencies are trends according to the usage of payment services and the usage of services provided by individual functions. For example, a user who often makes small payments using payment services may be interested in points. A user who has used a service provided by the campaign function may be interested in campaigns. A user who has used a service provided by the point management function may be interested in points.

[0092] The user tendency may be the genre of functions in which the user is interested. For example, if the user tends to enter campaigns, the user tendency information indicates that the user is interested in campaigns. If the user frequently earns points, the user tendency information indicates that the user is interested in earning points. In the fourth modification, such user tendency information is associated with the user ID and stored in the database DB.

[0093] For example, the server 10 analyzes the usage of the payment service and the usage of services provided by each function, and stores user trend information indicating trends according to the analysis results in the database DB in association with the user ID of the user. The relationship between usage and trends is assumed to be defined in advance in an analysis program. Data indicating the user's usage is assumed to be stored in the database DB in association with the user ID. The server 10 identifies the user's trends by analyzing the user's usage with the analysis program. The server 10 stores the user trend information indicating the identified trends in the database DB in association with the user ID of the user.

[0094] The display control system 1 of the fourth modification includes a user tendency information acquisition unit 104. The user tendency information acquisition unit 104 acquires user tendency information related to user tendencies estimated from the user's usage of an estimated service. The estimated service is a service from which a user's tendency is estimated. The estimated service may be the same as the predetermined service described above, an example of which is a payment service, or may be another service different from the predetermined service. The other service may be a service provided by a function available from the predetermined service.

[0095] For example, the user tendency information acquisition unit 104 acquires user tendency information associated with the user ID of the currently logged-in user from the database DB. If the user tendency information is stored in a database other than the database DB, the user tendency information acquisition unit 104 may acquire the user tendency information from the other database. If the user tendency information is stored in a computer or an external information storage medium other than the server 10, the user tendency information acquisition unit 104 may acquire the user tendency information from the other computer or the external information storage medium.

[0096] The instruction screen control unit 101 of the fourth modification example identifies a function corresponding to the user tendency information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of the function corresponding to the user tendency information is associated with an instruction part P110. It is assumed that tendency relationship data indicating the relationship between the user tendency information and at least one of the multiple functions is stored in the data storage unit 100. The tendency relationship data may be in any format. For example, the tendency relationship data may be in a table format, a mathematical formula format, part of a program, a machine learning model, or another format.

[0097] For example, the trend relationship data associates a specific trend with a specific function among multiple functions. If interest in points corresponds to a trend, the trend relationship data associates a trend indicating interest in points with a function related to points. If entering a campaign corresponds to a trend, the trend relationship data associates a trend indicating entering the campaign with a function related to the campaign. Similarly, for other trends, the trend relationship data associates a specific trend with a function that is estimated to interest users belonging to that trend. The trend relationship data may also associate a combination of multiple trends with a function that is estimated to interest users of that combination. The relationship in the trend relationship data may be specified by an administrator of the display control system 1.

[0098] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies, from among multiple trends, a function associated with a trend indicated by the user trend information as a function corresponding to the user trend information, based on the trend relationship data. If a message is associated with a function corresponding to the user trend information, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the instruction part P110. If a message is not associated with a function corresponding to the user trend information, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with another function is associated with the instruction part P110, or may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which no message is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0099] The display control system 1 of the fourth modification example identifies a function corresponding to the user tendency information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of the function corresponding to the user tendency information is associated with an instruction part P110. This allows the display control system 1 to alert the user to a message of an appropriate function corresponding to the user tendency information on the instruction screen SC1, thereby further improving user convenience. For example, if a message that interests a user with a certain tendency is associated with the instruction part P110, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to select the instruction part P110. As a result, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function associated with the message.

[0100] [6-5. Variation 5] For example, in any of Modifications 2 to 4, the predetermined condition may be a condition according to usage status information regarding the usage status of each of a plurality of functions by the user. The usage status of a function by the user can also be at least one of a function selection history and a usage history. For example, the usage status of a function by the user may be the number of times the user selected the function (e.g., the number of times the user selected an icon representing the function), the number of times the user used the function, the frequency with which the user uses the function, the elapsed time since the user started using the function, the elapsed time since the user last used the function, the function most recently used by the user, or other conditions. In Modification 5, the usage status information is assumed to be stored in the database DB in association with a user ID. When the server 10 receives data regarding operations on the app from the user terminal 20, it updates the usage status information stored in the database DB.

[0101] The display control system 1 of the fifth modification includes a usage status information acquisition unit 105. The usage status information acquisition unit 105 acquires usage status information relating to the usage status of each of a plurality of functions by a user. For example, the usage status information acquisition unit 105 acquires usage status information associated with the user ID of the currently logged-in user from the database DB. If the usage status information is stored in a database other than the database DB, the usage status information acquisition unit 105 may acquire the usage status information from the other database. If the usage status information is stored in a computer or an external information storage medium other than the server 10, the usage status information acquisition unit 105 may acquire the usage status information from the other computer or the external information storage medium.

[0102] The instruction screen control unit 101 of the fifth modification example identifies a function according to the usage status information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of the function according to the usage status information is associated with an instruction part P110. Usage status relationship data indicating the relationship between the usage status information and at least one of the multiple functions is stored in the data storage unit 100. The usage status relationship data may be in any format. For example, the usage status relationship data may be in a table format, a mathematical formula format, part of a program, a machine learning model, or another format.

[0103] For example, the usage situation relationship data associates a specific usage situation with a specific function among a plurality of functions. The usage situation relationship data may indicate that the function with the highest number of selections, the highest number of uses, or the highest frequency of use is selected. The usage situation relationship data may indicate that the function with the longest or shortest elapsed time since the user started using the function is selected. The usage situation relationship data may indicate that the function most recently used by the user is selected. Similarly, for other usage situations, the usage situation relationship data may define a method for selecting a function according to the usage situation. The usage situation relationship data may be defined by an administrator of the display control system 1.

[0104] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies, from among multiple usage situations, a function associated with the usage situation indicated by the usage situation information as the function corresponding to the usage situation information, based on the usage situation relationship data. If a message is associated with the function corresponding to the usage situation information, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the instruction part P110. If a message is not associated with the function corresponding to the usage situation information, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with another function is associated with the instruction part P110, or may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which no message is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0105] The display control system 1 of the fifth modification example identifies a function according to the usage status information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of the function according to the usage status information is associated with an instruction part P110. This allows the display control system 1 to alert the user to an appropriate function message according to the usage status information on the instruction screen SC1, thereby further improving user convenience. For example, if a message that interests a user in a certain usage status is associated with the instruction part P110, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to select the instruction part P110. As a result, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function associated with the message.

[0106] As described above, the usage status information may indicate the number of times a user has selected a function. For example, if a user always selects a function for which a message is displayed in the payment app, the instruction screen control unit 101 may associate a fixed phrase with the instruction part P110 and display it, whereas if the user does not always select a function, the instruction screen control unit 101 may display the message itself in the instruction part P110. For example, the usage status information may indicate a message selected by the user from among messages associated with each of multiple functions. The usage status information may also indicate the number of times each message has been selected. If the message is not a part of the user interface, the usage status information may indicate the number of times the icon for each function has been selected.

[0107] For example, when a user performs an operation on an app, the user terminal 20 transmits data indicating the user's operation to the server 10. The server 10 receives the data from the user terminal 20 and updates the usage status information based on the data. For example, when the user selects a message, the server 10 updates the usage status information to indicate that the message has been selected. When the usage status information indicates the number of times an individual message or function has been selected, the server 10 increments the number of selections indicated by the usage status information. For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification according to the number of selections indicated by the usage status information is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0108] [6-6. Variation 6] For example, in any of Modifications 2 to 5, the predetermined condition may be a condition according to payment information related to a payment made by a user using a payment app, such as the app described in the embodiment. As in the embodiment, the app in Modification 6 is a payment app that allows a user to use a payment service. The payment information may also be a payment history. For example, the payment information may include the payment location, payment amount, payment time, the product or service for which the payment was made, whether or not points were applied, the type of payment method used for the payment, or other information.

[0109] In the sixth modification, payment information is stored in the database DB in association with a user ID. For example, when a user makes a payment using a payment app, the server 10 updates the payment information stored in the database DB based on the result of the payment. The payment information can also be considered information indicating the history of payments made by the user. The payment information may also be information used in known payment services.

[0110] The display control system 1 of the sixth modification includes a payment information acquisition unit 106. The payment information acquisition unit 106 acquires payment information related to a payment made by a user from a payment app. For example, the payment information acquisition unit 106 acquires payment information associated with the user ID of the currently logged-in user from database DB. If the payment information is stored in a database other than database DB, the payment information acquisition unit 106 may acquire the payment information from the other database. If the payment information is stored in a computer or external information storage medium other than server 10, the payment information acquisition unit 106 may acquire the payment information from the other computer or external information storage medium.

[0111] The instruction screen control unit 101 of the sixth modification example identifies a function corresponding to the payment information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of the function corresponding to the payment information is associated with the instruction part P110. It is assumed that payment-related data indicating the relationship between the payment information and at least one of the multiple functions is stored in the data storage unit 100. The payment-related data may be in any format. For example, the payment-related data may be in a table format, a mathematical formula format, part of a program, a machine learning model, or another format.

[0112] For example, the payment-related data may associate a specific payment with a specific function among a plurality of functions. The payment-related data may also associate a specific payment amount (e.g., a payment amount equal to or greater than a threshold) with a specific function (e.g., an installment payment function). The payment-related data may also associate a specific payment method (e.g., a credit card) with a specific function (e.g., a cash advance function). The payment-related data may also define the relationship between other payment conditions and functions that should notify the user of the presence of a message. The payment-related data may be defined by an administrator of the display control system 1.

[0113] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies, from among multiple payments, a function associated with the payment indicated by the payment information as the function corresponding to the payment information, based on the payment-related data. If a message is associated with the function corresponding to the payment information, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the instruction part P110. If a message is not associated with the function corresponding to the payment information, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message associated with another function is associated with the instruction part P110, or may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which no message is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0114] The display control system 1 of the sixth modification example identifies a function corresponding to the payment information as a function that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message for the function corresponding to the payment information is associated with the instruction part P110. This allows the display control system 1 to alert the user to a message for an appropriate function corresponding to the payment information on the instruction screen SC1, thereby further improving user convenience. For example, if a message that interests a user who has made a specific payment is associated with the instruction part P110, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to select the instruction part P110. As a result, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function associated with the message. For example, when a user makes a payment using a credit card using an app, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function for checking the payment amount by associating the message “Check payment amount,” associated with the card statement function, with the instruction part P110 on the user terminal 20.

[0115] [6-7. Variation 7] For example, in the embodiment, a case has been described in which information that can identify a specific function (for example, a name, part of a name, or an icon) is not associated with the instruction part P110, such as the message "New information has arrived" on the instruction screen SC1 on the left side of Fig. 3. In Modification 7, an example will be given in which the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the name of the function to which the message is associated is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification.

[0116] It should be noted that the information that can identify a function is assumed to be indicated in function identification information included in the message information stored in the database DB. The information that can identify a function may also be stored in a location other than the database DB. In the seventh modification, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies information about each function based on the function identification information. Based on the message information stored in the database DB, the instruction screen control unit 101 identifies which function the message is associated with, generates a notification including information about the function, and associates it with the instruction part P110.

[0117] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 7. As shown on the left side of FIG. 10 , the instruction screen control unit 101 displays on the user terminal 20 an instruction screen SC1 associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification, showing a message "New Arrivals in Advertisement Functions" indicating information about the function associated with the message, "Advertisement Functions." In the message "New Arrivals in Advertisement Functions," the character string "Advertisement Functions" is function information. The character string "New Arrivals in" is a fixed phrase. The message associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification may show only function information. For example, when the user selects the instruction part P110, as shown on the right side of FIG. 10 , the list screen control unit 102 displays on the user terminal 20 a list screen SC2 in which a message is associated with the function whose information is associated with the instruction part P110. The display method of the list screen SC2 may be the same as in the embodiment.

[0118] The display control system 1 of the seventh modification causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which information about the function to which the message is associated is associated as a notification with the instruction part P110. This allows the user to easily understand which function the message is associated with from the notification associated with the instruction part P110, so the display control system 1 can improve user convenience. For example, if information about a function in which the user is interested is associated as a notification with the instruction part P110, the user can easily notice from the instruction screen SC1 that the message is associated with the function in which the user is interested. The display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function to which the message is associated.

[0119] In addition, in the seventh modification, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 associated with an instruction part P110, in which information about the function associated with the message and at least a part of the message are displayed as a notification. Although the notification associated with the instruction part P110 shows the information about the function and the entire message as an example, the notification associated with the instruction part P110 may show the information about the function and only part of the message content. In other words, part of the message content may be omitted from the notification associated with the instruction part P110.

[0120] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification Example 7. As shown on the left side of FIG. 11, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification indicating information about the function associated with the message, "advertising function," and all of the message, "viewable today," is associated with the instruction part P110. The instruction screen control unit 101 may acquire information about the function associated with the message in the same manner as in Modification Example 7. The instruction screen control unit 101 may acquire a message to be associated as a notification with the instruction part P110 in the same manner as in any of Modification Examples 1 to 6. The instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification indicating the acquired information and at least a part of the acquired message is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0121] The instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification indicating information about the function associated with the message, "advertising function," and part of the message, "viewable today," "today...," is associated with the instruction part P110. For example, if the number of characters that can be included in a notification is limited, the instruction screen control unit 101 may associate part of the message as a notification with the instruction part P110 within the number of characters.

[0122] The display control system 1 of the seventh modification causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which information about a function associated with a message and at least a portion of the message are associated with an instruction part P110 as a notification. This allows the user to easily understand not only which function the message is associated with but also the content of the message from the notification associated with the instruction part P110, thereby improving user convenience. For example, if a message with content that interests the user is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification, the user can easily notice from the instruction screen SC1 that the message is associated with a function that interests the user. The display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function with which the message is associated.

[0123] [6-8. Variation 8] For example, in the second to sixth modified examples, the case where one of a plurality of messages is selected and associated with the instruction part P110 has been described, but the notification of each of the plurality of messages may be associated with the instruction part P110. When there are a plurality of messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 of the eighth modified example causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the notification of each of the plurality of messages is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0124] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 8. As shown on the left side of FIG. 12, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message "Sale Now On" associated with the travel booking function and the message "Available for Viewing Today" associated with the advertising function are associated with the instruction part P110 as notifications of these functions. If the instruction screen control unit 101 determines, based on the message information stored in the database DB, that a message is associated with multiple functions, it associates each notification of the multiple functions with the instruction part P110. The method of associating each notification with the instruction part P110 may be the same as the method of the embodiment.

[0125] In the example on the left side of FIG. 12, two notifications are associated with the instruction part P110, but the number of notifications associated with the instruction part P110 is not limited to two. For example, three or more notifications may be associated with the instruction part P110. If an upper limit is set on the number of notifications associated with the instruction part P110, the instruction screen control unit 101 may associate each notification of a plurality of messages with the instruction part P110 within the upper limit. The method of selecting a message to be associated as a notification from all messages may be the same as in Modifications 2 to 6.

[0126] 3, when the instruction screen SC1 in which the message "New information has arrived" is associated with the instruction part P110 is displayed, the instruction screen control unit 101 may display the instruction screen SC1 in which the message "Sale is on" and the message "Available for viewing today" are associated with the instruction part P110, as shown on the left side of FIG. 12. In other words, the user may be able to check multiple messages on the instruction screen SC1 without transitioning to the list screen SC2. When combining the seventh and eighth modifications, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display the instruction screen SC1 in which information on each of multiple functions associated with the message and the message are associated with the instruction part P110.

[0127] When there are multiple messages, the display control system 1 of the eighth modification causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which notifications of each of the multiple messages are associated with an instruction part P110. This allows the user to notice the presence of more messages on the instruction screen SC1, and the display control system 1 can further improve user convenience. By notifying the user of the presence of more messages by associating them with the instruction part P110, the display control system 1 can motivate the user to use the function with which the message is associated.

[0128] [6-9. Variation 9] For example, as described in the embodiment, when a user selects an instruction part P110 associated with a notification, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 that is a list of functions associated with messages indicated by the notification. Because various messages may be displayed on the list screen SC2, it may be difficult for the user to find the message indicated by the notification associated with the instruction part P110 in the list screen SC2. Therefore, in the ninth modification, an example is given in which a list screen SC2 that makes it easy for the user to find the message is displayed.

[0129] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 9. When an instruction part P110 is selected, the list screen control unit 102 in Modification 9 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which the function for which notification was made on the instruction screen SC1 is highlighted. Highlighting a function means distinguishing the function from other functions in appearance on the list screen SC2. For example, highlighting a function may be achieved by changing the appearance (e.g., size, color, shape, or pattern) of a message, by changing the appearance (e.g., size, color, shape, or pattern) of an icon for the function, by moving the function to a relatively earlier position in the display order (e.g., on the top or left), by applying a screen effect, or by a combination of these.

[0130] For example, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 that distinguishes between functions for which a notification is associated with the instruction part P110 and functions for which a notification is not associated with the instruction part P110. The example on the left side of FIG. 13 shows an instruction screen SC1 in which there is a message for each of the travel booking function and the advertising function. This instruction screen SC1 may be the same as the left side of FIG. 3. When the user selects the instruction part P110, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2, as shown on the right side of FIG. 13, in which the appearance of the messages for the travel booking function and the advertising function (in the example of FIG. 13, the colors are represented schematically by halftone dots) is made different from the appearance of the messages for the other functions. The list screen control unit 102 may also highlight the advertising function on the user terminal 20 by other elements, such as the appearance of the icon for the advertising function.

[0131] When the instruction part P110 is selected, the display control system 1 of the ninth modification causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 in which the function for which the notification was made on the instruction screen SC1 is highlighted. This makes it easier for the user to find, on the list screen SC2, which message is indicated by the notification associated with the instruction part P110, so the display control system 1 can further improve user convenience.

[0132] [6-10. Variation 10] For example, in the eighth modification, a case was exemplified in which each of a plurality of messages is associated with an instruction part P110 as a notification. Depending on the instruction screen SC1, it may not be possible to display too many notifications. Therefore, in the tenth modification, when there are multiple messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification regarding the number of the multiple messages is associated with the instruction part P110. The instruction screen control unit 101 may obtain the number of messages associated with functions other than the function whose icon is displayed in the display area A11 of the instruction screen SC1 and associate the number of messages with the instruction part P110, or may obtain the number of messages for all functions, regardless of whether an icon is displayed in the display area A11, and associate the number of messages with the instruction part P110.

[0133] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 10. For example, as shown on the left side of FIG. 14, the instruction screen control unit 101 obtains the number of messages based on the message information in the database DB, and displays an instruction screen SC1 in which a badge notification indicating the number is associated with the instruction part P110. The number of messages may be the number of newly arrived messages or the number of messages that the user has not read. In the example on the left side of FIG. 14, the badge notification is a circular figure containing the number "4" displayed in the upper right corner of the instruction part P110. The badge notification may have a known design.

[0134] The instruction screen control unit 101 may notify the user of the number of messages by a method other than a badge notification. For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification such as the message "4 new messages" is associated with an instruction part P110. The instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 including an instruction part P110 indicating the number of messages. That is, the number of messages may be included in the instruction part P110. For example, when the user selects the instruction part P110, as shown on the right side of FIG. 14, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 including at least the number of messages indicated by the notification associated with the instruction part P110. The display method of the list screen SC2 may be the same as in the embodiment.

[0135] When there are multiple messages, the display control system 1 of the tenth modification causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification regarding the number of the multiple messages is associated with the instruction part P110. This allows the user to easily grasp the number of messages from the notification associated with the instruction part P110, and therefore the display control system 1 can improve user convenience.

[0136] [6-11. Variation 11] For example, in the embodiment, icons for the user to select some of the multiple functions are displayed in the display area A11, as in the instruction screen SC1 of FIGS. 2 and 3. Such icons function as parts of the user interface. In Modification 11, the icons displayed in the display area A11 (icons other than the instruction part P110) are called selection parts. The instruction screen control unit 101 of Modification 11 causes the user terminal 20 to display the instruction screen SC1, which further includes selection parts for the user to select some of the multiple functions. The selection parts are not limited to the icons in the display area A11 of FIGS. 2 and 3, but may be other parts exemplified in the embodiment.

[0137] For example, when a message is associated with some of the multiple functions, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with a selected part. The present embodiment differs from the embodiment in that the selected parts are not limited to icons, but the process for associating a message with a selected part may be as described in the embodiment. The instruction screen control unit 101 determines, based on the message information stored in the database DB, whether a message is associated with a function indicated by each selected part, and causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the selected part of the function with which the message is associated.

[0138] The display control system 1 of Modification 11 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 that further includes selection parts that allow the user to select some of the functions. When a message is associated with the some of the functions, the display control system 1 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the selection parts. This allows the user to check the message associated with the some of the functions from the instruction screen SC1, thereby enabling the display control system 1 to further improve user convenience.

[0139] [6-12. Variation 12] For example, as explained somewhat in the embodiment and variant example 11, if a message is associated with a function (for example, a function whose icon is not displayed unless the user transitions to the list screen SC2) other than some of the functions described in variant example 11 (for example, a function whose icon is displayed in the display area A11), the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification of the other function is associated with the instruction part P110.

[0140] For example, even if a message is associated with a function whose icon is displayed in the display area A11, the instruction screen control unit 101 does not associate a notification of the message with the instruction part P110. When a message is associated with another function whose icon is not displayed in the display area A11 (another function whose icon is not displayed unless the display screen SC2 is transitioned to), the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display the instruction part P110 associated with a notification for the message.

[0141] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 may display only notifications for other functions in the instruction part P110, and may not display notifications for some functions. When there are messages for both other functions and some functions, the instruction screen control unit 101 may prioritize the notifications for the other functions and display them in the instruction part P110. Furthermore, when there are no messages for other functions, the instruction screen control unit 101 may display notifications for some functions.

[0142] When a message is associated with a function other than the part of the functions described in Modification 11, the display control system 1 of Modification 12 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification of the other function is associated with the instruction part P110. This allows the user to check, on the instruction screen SC1, the notification of a message of the other function that cannot be checked on the instruction screen SC1, and therefore the display control system 1 can improve user convenience.

[0143] In addition, in variant example 12, if there are messages associated with some of the functions described in variant example 11 (for example, a function whose icon is displayed in the display area A11) and messages associated with other functions other than the some of the functions (for example, a function whose icon is not displayed unless the screen transitions to the list screen SC2), the instruction screen control unit 101 may prioritize notification of the message associated with the other function over notification of the message associated with the some of the functions.

[0144] In Modification 12, when there is no message for which an icon is not displayed in the display area A11, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification of a message for which an icon is displayed in the display area A11 is associated with the instruction part P110. For example, when there is a message for which an icon is not displayed in the display area A11, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification of a message for another function is associated with the instruction part P110, without associating the notification of the message for which an icon is displayed in the display area A11 with the instruction part P110.

[0145] Even if there is a message for which no icon is displayed in the display area A11, the instruction screen control unit 101 may associate a notification of the message for which an icon is displayed in the display area A11 with the instruction part P110 on the user terminal 20. The instruction screen control unit 101 may display the instruction screen SC1 associated with the instruction part P110 so that the notification of the message for another function is displayed earlier (for example, at the top) than the notification of the message for which an icon is displayed in the display area A11.

[0146] In the display control system 1 of Modification 12, when there are messages associated with some of the functions described in Modification 11 and messages associated with other functions other than the some of the functions, priority is given to notification of the messages associated with the other functions over notification of the messages associated with the some of the functions. This allows the user to check, on the instruction screen SC1, priority to notification of messages for other functions that cannot be checked on the instruction screen SC1, and therefore the display control system 1 can improve user convenience.

[0147] [6-13. Variation 13] For example, in the embodiment, the example was given in which the instruction part P110 is a part for displaying a list screen SC2 showing a list of all functions. The list screen control unit 102 may cause the user terminal 20 to display a list screen SC2 related to a list of some functions selected by the user from all functions provided by the app. In other words, the list screen SC2 may not show a list of all functions, but may show a list of some functions selected by the user from all functions. In Modification Example 13, the instruction part P110 described in the embodiment is referred to as a first instruction part P110A. Furthermore, the list screen SC2 described in the embodiment is referred to as a first list screen SC2A.

[0148] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 13. For example, the instruction screen SC1 displays a second instruction part P110B for displaying a second list screen SC2B showing a list of functions selected by the user from all functions, in addition to the first instruction part P110A for "View more." When the user selects the first instruction part P110A, the list screen control unit 102 displays the first list screen SC2A as described in the embodiment. Note that in Modification 13, the first instruction part P110A does not necessarily have to be included in the instruction screen SC1. The first instruction screen SC1 may include the second instruction part P110B without including the first instruction part P110A.

[0149] For example, selected function information regarding some functions selected by the user is stored in the database DB. When the user selects a function to register as a favorite from any screen, the server 10 generates selected function information indicating the function selected by the user, associates it with the user ID of the logged-in user, and stores it in the database DB. The selected function information may be stored in a database other than the database DB. The instruction screen control unit 101 identifies which function the user selected based on the selected function information. When a message is associated with a function displayed on the second list screen SC2B, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a notification of the message is associated with the second instruction part P110B.

[0150] Note that this embodiment differs from the embodiment and modified examples 1 to 12 in that the notification is associated with the second instruction part P110B instead of the first instruction part P110A, but the method of associating the notification is the same as the embodiment and modified examples 1 to 12. For example, when the user selects the second instruction part P110B, the list screen control unit 102 identifies the function selected by the user based on the selected function information, as shown on the right side of Fig. 15, and causes the user terminal 20 to display a second list screen SC2B including an icon for the function and a message associated with the function. The list screen control unit 102 may identify a message associated with each function based on the message information, in the same way as when the first list screen SC2A is displayed.

[0151] The display control system 1 of the modification 13 displays a second list screen SC2B related to a list of some functions selected by the user from among all functions provided by the app on the user terminal 20. This allows the user to notice the presence of a message associated with a function that the user did not select, by the notification associated with the instruction part P110B (in the example on the left side of FIG. 3, the message "New information has arrived"), without having to display the second list screen SC2B, and therefore the display control system 1 can improve user convenience.

[0152] [6-14. Variation 14] For example, as described in Modification 13, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 including a first instruction part P110A for the user to instruct the display of a first list screen SC2A related to a list of all functions, and a second instruction part P110B for the user to instruct the display of a second list screen SC2B related to a list of some of the functions. When the user selects the first instruction part P110A, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display the first list screen SC2A, and when the user selects the second instruction part P110B, the list screen control unit 102 causes the user terminal 20 to display the second list screen SC2B.

[0153] The instruction screen control unit 101 of the fourth modification may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the first notification, which is a notification associated with the first instruction part P110A, and the second notification, which is a notification associated with the second instruction part P110B, do not overlap. The first notification and the second notification not overlapping include both that the contents of the notifications do not overlap and that the functions corresponding to the displayed notifications do not overlap.

[0154] For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 first determines what to display as the second notification, and then determines what to display as the first notification so that the first notification is different from the second notification. Alternatively, for example, the instruction screen control unit 101 may determine what to display depending on the display position of each individual function. For example, the instruction screen control unit 101 may associate a function designated as a favorite by the user with the second instruction part P110B, and associate functions on the list screen SC2 other than the favorite functions with the first instruction part P110A. The instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the second notification is associated with the second instruction part P110B and the first notification, determined to display content different from that of the second notification, is associated with the first instruction part P110A.

[0155] The display control system 1 of the modification 14 displays an instruction screen SC1 on the user terminal 20, in which the first notification associated with the first instruction part P110A and the second notification associated with the second instruction part P110B do not overlap. This allows the user to check more notifications, and the display control system 1 can further improve user convenience.

[0156] [6-15. Variation 15] For example, in the embodiment, when an instruction part P110 is selected, a list screen SC2 separate from the instruction screen SC1 is displayed. The instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20, which stores an application that provides the user with multiple functions, to display an instruction screen SC1 that includes some of the multiple functions and an instruction part P110 that the user uses to instruct the user to display other functions. In Modification 15, the functions whose icons are displayed in the instruction screen SC1, which is a single screen, are switched by selecting the instruction part P110.

[0157] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example screen of an app in Modification 15. As shown on the left side of FIG. 16, before an instruction part P110 is selected, the instruction screen control unit 101 displays only icons for some of the multiple functions in the display area A11. The method of displaying the instruction screen SC1 in this state may be the same as the method described in the embodiment and Modifications 1 to 14. The left side of FIG. 16 shows an example in which the number of icons in the display area A11 is smaller than in the embodiment and Modifications 1 to 14. The number of icons in the display area A11 may be the same as in the embodiment and Modifications 1 to 14, or may be greater than in the embodiment and Modifications 1 to 14.

[0158] In Modification 15, the behavior after the user selects the instruction part P110 differs from that of the embodiment and Modifications 1 to 14. For example, when the instruction part P110 is selected, the instruction screen control unit 101 displays other functions (e.g., other functions whose icons were not displayed in the display area A11) on the instruction screen SC1, as shown on the right side of FIG. 16. That is, when the user selects the instruction part P110, the icon of the function that was not displayed until then is displayed so that the display area A11 opens. The character string included in the instruction part P110 may be changed from "See more" to "Close." When the user selects the instruction part P110 in the state shown on the right side of FIG. 16, the instruction screen control unit 101 may return the instruction screen SC1 to the state shown on the left side of FIG. 16.

[0159] For example, if there is a message related to another function, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with an instruction part P110, as shown on the left side of FIG. 16. The instruction screen control unit 101 determines whether there is a function associated with the message based on the message information stored in the database DB. If it is determined that there is no function associated with the message, the instruction screen control unit 101 does not associate the message with the instruction part P110. If it is determined that there is a function associated with the message, the instruction screen control unit 101 associates the message with the instruction part P110.

[0160] In the example on the left side of FIG. 16, the instruction screen control unit 101 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message "Great Fees" associated with the cash advance function is associated with the instruction part P110. In Modification 15, if there are multiple functions with associated messages, the instruction screen control unit 101 may cause the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which a message of a function that satisfies a predetermined condition is associated with the instruction part P110 as a notification, similar to Modifications 2 to 6. Alternatively, for example, Modification 15 may be combined with at least one of Modifications 7 to 14. Of Modifications 7 to 14, the display control of the instruction screen SC1 can also be applied to the display control of the instruction screen SC1 as in Modification 15.

[0161] The display control system 1 of the fifteenth modification causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 including some of a plurality of functions and an instruction part P110 for the user to instruct the display of other functions. When the instruction part P110 is selected, the display control system 1 causes the instruction screen SC1 to display the other functions. When there is a message related to the other functions, the display control system 1 causes the user terminal 20 to display an instruction screen SC1 in which the message is associated with the instruction part P110. In this way, the display control system 1 allows the user to notice the existence of the function associated with the message by the message associated with the instruction part P110 (in the example on the left side of FIG. 16, the message "Discounted handling fees") without displaying the list screen SC2, thereby enabling the display control system 1 to improve user convenience.

[0162] [6-16. Other variations] For example, the above modifications may be combined.

[0163] For example, a function described as being realized by the server 10 may be realized by the user terminal 20 or another computer. A function described as being realized by the server 10 may be shared among multiple computers. A function described as being realized by the user terminal 20 may be realized by the server 10 or another computer. A function described as being realized by the user terminal 20 may be shared among multiple computers.

[0164] [7. Notes] For example, the display control system can also be configured as follows. (1) an instruction screen control unit that causes a user terminal that stores an application that provides a user with a plurality of functions to display an instruction screen including instruction parts that allow the user to instruct the display of a list screen relating to a list of the plurality of functions; a list screen control unit that displays the list screen on the user terminal when the instruction part is selected; Including, the list screen control unit, when there is a function associated with a message for the user among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message is associated with the function; the instruction screen control unit, when there is a function associated with the message among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which a notification regarding the message is associated with the instruction part. Display control system. (2) the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message is associated with the instruction part as the notification. A display control system according to (1). (3) the list screen control unit, when there are a plurality of functions associated with the message, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message of each of the plurality of functions is associated with the function; the instruction screen control unit, when there are a plurality of functions associated with the message, identifies a function among the plurality of functions that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function that satisfies the predetermined condition is associated with the instruction part. (2) A display control system according to the present invention. (4) the display control system further includes a user attribute information acquisition unit that acquires user attribute information related to attributes of the user; the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the user attribute information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the user attribute information is associated with the instruction part. (3) A display control system according to the present invention. (5) the display control system further includes a user tendency information acquisition unit that acquires user tendency information regarding the user tendency estimated from a usage status of the estimation service by the user; the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the user tendency information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the user tendency information is associated with the instruction part. A display control system according to (3) or (4). (6) the display control system further includes a usage status information acquisition unit that acquires usage status information regarding usage statuses of each of the plurality of functions by the user; the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the usage status information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the usage status information is associated with the instruction part. A display control system according to any one of (3) to (5). (7) the app is a payment app for the user to use a payment service, The display control system further includes a payment information acquisition unit that acquires payment information regarding a payment made by the user through the payment app, the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the payment information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the payment information is associated with the instruction part. A display control system according to any one of (3) to (6). (8) the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which information capable of identifying the function associated with the message is associated with the instruction part as the notification. A display control system according to any one of (1) to (7). (9) When there are a plurality of messages, the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the notification of each of the plurality of messages is associated with the instruction part. A display control system according to any one of (1) to (8). (10) the list screen control unit, when the instruction part is selected, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the function for which the notification was made on the instruction screen is highlighted. A display control system according to any one of (1) to (9). (11) the instruction screen control unit, when there are a plurality of the messages, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the notification regarding the number of the plurality of messages is associated with the instruction part; A display control system according to any one of (1) to (10). (12) The instruction screen control unit displaying, on the user terminal, the instruction screen further including selection parts for the user to select some of the plurality of functions; If the message is associated with the part of the function, the instruction screen in which the message is associated with the selected part is displayed on the user terminal. A display control system according to any one of (1) to (11). (13) When the message is associated with a function other than the partial function, the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the notification of the other function is associated with the instruction part. (12) A display control system according to (12). (14) the list screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the list screen relating to a list of some of the functions selected by the user from among all of the functions provided by the app; A display control system according to any one of (1) to (13). (15) the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen including a first instruction part for the user to instruct display of a first list screen related to a list of all of the functions and a second instruction part for the user to instruct display of a second list screen related to a list of the some of the functions; the list screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the first list screen when the user selects the first instruction part, and causes the user terminal to display the second list screen when the user selects the second instruction part; the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen on which a first notification, which is the notification associated with the first instruction part, and a second notification, which is the notification associated with the second instruction part, do not overlap; (14) A display control system according to (14). [Explanation of symbols]

[0165] 1 Display control system, N Network, 10 Server, 11, 21 Control unit, 12, 22 Memory unit, 13, 23 Communication unit, 20 User terminal, 24 Operation unit, 25 Display unit, DB Database, 100 Data storage unit, 101 Instruction screen control unit, 102 List screen control unit, 103 User attribute information acquisition unit, 104 User trend information acquisition unit, 105 Usage status information acquisition unit, 106 Payment information acquisition unit, 200 Data storage unit, 201 Operation reception unit, 202 Display control unit, A11 Display area, C10 Code, SC1 Instruction screen, SC2 List screen, P110 Instruction part.

Claims

1. an instruction screen control unit that causes a user terminal that stores an application that provides a user with a plurality of functions to display an instruction screen including instruction parts that allow the user to instruct the display of a list screen relating to a list of the plurality of functions; a list screen control unit that displays the list screen on the user terminal when the instruction part is selected; Including, the list screen control unit, when there is a function associated with a message for the user among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message is associated with the function; the instruction screen control unit, when there is a function associated with the message among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen on which a notification regarding the message is associated with the instruction part. Display control system.

2. the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message is associated with the instruction part as the notification. The display control system according to claim 1 .

3. the list screen control unit, when there are a plurality of functions associated with the message, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message of each of the plurality of functions is associated with the function; the instruction screen control unit, when there are a plurality of functions associated with the message, identifies a function among the plurality of functions that satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function that satisfies the predetermined condition is associated with the instruction part. The display control system according to claim 2 .

4. the display control system further includes a user attribute information acquisition unit that acquires user attribute information related to attributes of the user; the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the user attribute information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the user attribute information is associated with the instruction part. The display control system according to claim 3 .

5. the display control system further includes a user tendency information acquisition unit that acquires user tendency information regarding the user tendency estimated from a usage status of the estimation service by the user; the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the user tendency information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the user tendency information is associated with the instruction part. The display control system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the display control system further includes a usage status information acquisition unit that acquires usage status information regarding usage statuses of each of the plurality of functions by the user; the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the usage status information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the usage status information is associated with the instruction part. The display control system according to claim 3 or 4.

7. the app is a payment app for the user to use a payment service, The display control system further includes a payment information acquisition unit that acquires payment information regarding a payment made by the user through the payment app, the instruction screen control unit identifies the function corresponding to the payment information as the function that satisfies the predetermined condition, and causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the message of the function corresponding to the payment information is associated with the instruction part. The display control system according to claim 3 or 4.

8. the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which information capable of identifying the function associated with the message is associated with the instruction part as the notification.

5. A display control system according to claim 1.

9. the instruction screen control unit, when there are a plurality of the messages, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the notification of each of the plurality of messages is associated with the instruction part; 5. A display control system according to claim 1.

10. the list screen control unit, when the instruction part is selected, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the function for which the notification was made on the instruction screen is highlighted.

5. A display control system according to claim 1.

11. the instruction screen control unit, when there are a plurality of the messages, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the notification regarding the number of the plurality of messages is associated with the instruction part.

5. A display control system according to claim 1.

12. The instruction screen control unit displaying, on the user terminal, the instruction screen further including selection parts for the user to select some of the plurality of functions; If the message is associated with the part of the function, the instruction screen in which the message is associated with the selected part is displayed on the user terminal.

5. A display control system according to claim 1.

13. When the message is associated with another function other than the partial function, the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen in which the notification of the other function is associated with the instruction part. The display control system according to claim 12.

14. the list screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the list screen relating to a list of some of the functions selected by the user from among all of the functions provided by the app; 5. A display control system according to claim 1.

15. the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen including a first instruction part for the user to instruct display of a first list screen related to a list of all of the functions and a second instruction part for the user to instruct display of a second list screen related to a list of the some of the functions; the list screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the first list screen when the user selects the first instruction part, and causes the user terminal to display the second list screen when the user selects the second instruction part; the instruction screen control unit causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen on which a first notification, which is the notification associated with the first instruction part, and a second notification, which is the notification associated with the second instruction part, do not overlap; The display control system according to claim 14.

16. an instruction screen control unit that causes a user terminal that stores an application that provides a user with a plurality of functions to display an instruction screen that includes some of the plurality of functions and instruction parts that the user uses to instruct the display of other of the functions; the instruction screen control unit, when the instruction part is selected, causes the instruction screen to display the other function; the instruction screen control unit, when there is a message related to the other function, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen on which the message is associated with the instruction part. Display control system.

17. an instruction screen control step of causing a user terminal storing an application that provides a user with a plurality of functions to display an instruction screen including instruction parts for the user to instruct the display of a list screen relating to a list of the plurality of functions; a list screen control step of displaying the list screen on the user terminal when the instruction part is selected; Including, the list screen control step, when there is a function associated with a message for the user among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message is associated with the function; the instruction screen control step, when the function associated with the message is among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen on which a notification regarding the message is associated with the instruction part; Display control method.

18. an instruction screen control unit that causes a user terminal that stores an application that provides a user with a plurality of functions to display an instruction screen including instruction parts that allow the user to instruct the display of a list screen relating to a list of the plurality of functions; a list screen control unit that displays the list screen on the user terminal when the instruction part is selected; Make the computer function as the list screen control unit, when there is a function associated with a message for the user among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the list screen in which the message is associated with the function; the instruction screen control unit, when there is a function associated with the message among the plurality of functions, causes the user terminal to display the instruction screen on which a notification regarding the message is associated with the instruction part. program.

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