Information processing apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To easily grasp the attribute of a user who acts online, especially a department to which the user belongs.SOLUTION: In the first acquiring step (S1041), the controller of the department estimation device acquires first distribution information including first addresses, which are IP addresses corresponding to the distribution terminals, and first advertising client information. The distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group. The first advertiser information is information on a first advertiser who is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is scheduled to be distributed to the distribution terminal. In the first estimation step (S1042 to S1043), the processor estimates, as a candidate group, a group that is likely to be interested in a commercial material related to the first advertiser in the group, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, and generates candidate group information in which the estimated candidate group and the first address are associated with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Systems that estimate the attributes of users who behave online are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that estimates user attributes by integrating IP address attribute information, which associates an IP address with attribute information that can be identified based on the IP address, and user identifier attribute information, which associates an IP address and browsing-related information acquired through access to a website. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6484767 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, if the IP address does not contain organizational information, the organizational information cannot be acquired from the IP address, and furthermore, lower-level attributes such as departments cannot be identified.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can easily grasp the attributes of users who behave online, particularly the departments to which they belong. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit. The control unit executes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step. In the first acquisition step, the control unit acquires first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to a distribution terminal, and first advertiser information. The distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group. The first advertiser information is information regarding a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal. In the first estimation step, the control unit estimates, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, categories in the group that may be interested in products related to the first advertiser as category candidates, and outputs category candidate information that is information associating the estimated category candidates with the first addresses.

[0007] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an information processing device having a control unit and a distribution terminal provided corresponding to a known group. The control unit executes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step. In the first acquisition step, the control unit acquires first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information. The first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is the advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal. In the first estimation step, the control unit estimates, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, departments in the group that may be interested in products related to the first advertiser as department candidate information, and outputs department candidate information that is information correlating the estimated department candidate with the first address.

[0008] An information processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is executed by an information processing device. The information processing method includes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step. In the first acquisition step, the information processing device acquires first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to a distribution terminal, and first advertiser information. The distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group. The first advertiser information is information regarding a first advertiser that is the advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal. In the first estimation step, the control unit estimates, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, categories in the group that may be interested in products related to the first advertiser as category candidates, and outputs category candidate information that is information associating the estimated category candidates with the first addresses.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes an information processing device to execute a first acquisition step and a first estimation step. In the first acquisition step, the information processing device acquires first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to a distribution terminal, and first advertiser information. The distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group. The first advertiser information is information regarding a first advertiser that is the advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is scheduled to be distributed to the distribution terminal. In the first estimation step, the control unit estimates, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, categories in the group that may be interested in products related to the first advertiser as category candidates, and outputs category candidate information that is information associating the estimated category candidates with the first addresses. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that can easily grasp the attributes of users who behave online, in particular the departments to which they belong. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a signage according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a department estimation device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a user terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an access analysis device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing by the system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of first distribution information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a candidate category estimation process performed by the category estimation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of section candidate information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a department identification process performed by the department estimation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of access information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of department information according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of pre-processing by the department estimation device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing by the system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and for clarity of explanation, duplicate explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0013] <Embodiment 1> First, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 1. Hardware Configuration In this section, a hardware configuration of the system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0014] 1.1 System 1 System 1 is an example of an information processing system for identifying user attributes using information related to signage 3, which will be described later. In this embodiment 1, system 1 analyzes the online behavior of users based on the identified user attributes. System 1 includes a department estimation device 2, signage 3, a user terminal 4, an access analysis device 5, and a site management device 6. Each device or terminal included in system 1 is connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network NW such as the Internet.

[0015] 1.2 Signage 3 The signage 3 is an example of a distribution terminal provided in correspondence with a specific group. In this diagram, Company A is an example of a specific group. The signage 3 being provided in correspondence with a group means that the signage 3 is installed in a location where the information provided by the signage 3 can be recognized by multiple employees belonging to the group. As an example, the signage 3 is installed in a place used by the group, such as an employee's room. Note that an employee is an example of a member belonging to a group.

[0016] A group is a collection of employees who share a purpose or space. Examples of groups include a company, a government office, a club, a group of tenants in a building that houses multiple companies, or other voluntary organizations. A group has multiple departments. A department is an example of a sub-attribute of a group, and is determined according to the business content, job content, or business partner. For example, if the group is a company or a government office, the department may be a department. If the group is a group of tenants in a building, the department may be a company. In this case, the members of the group may be employees of each company.

[0017] For example, the signage 3 is an image forming device such as a multifunction peripheral, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a wireless LAN router.

[0018] In response to receiving the advertising content from the department estimation device 2, the signage 3 provides the advertising content to employees in the vicinity of where it is installed. The signage 3 provides the advertising content to multiple employees by displaying the advertising content on a display unit, which will be described later. However, the means of providing the advertising content from the signage 3 to employees is not limited to this, as long as it can be transmitted to employees in a specific space based on the installation location without using a network NW. For example, the signage 3 may have a speaker and transmit the advertising content by voice. Hereinafter, the advertising content may be simply referred to as an advertisement.

[0019] In the first embodiment, the department estimation device 2 has in advance information that the signage 3 is installed at company A, and is aware, even before the advertisement is distributed, that it is employees of company A who are likely to view the advertisement. In other words, the signage 3 is a distribution terminal provided corresponding to a group known to the department estimation device 2. However, the department estimation device 2 does not necessarily have in advance department information of employees who recognize the advertising content displayed on the signage 3. In other words, the department estimation device 2 does not necessarily know in advance the department of an employee who views an advertisement displayed on the signage 3.

[0020] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the signage 3 according to the first embodiment. The signage 3 includes a control unit 31, a communication unit 35, a storage unit 36, an input unit 37, and a display unit 38, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus inside the signage 3. The control unit 31 includes a processor 32, a ROM 33, and a RAM 34. The hardware configurations of the control unit 31, the communication unit 35, and the storage unit 36 ​​are substantially similar to those of the control unit 21, the communication unit 25, and the storage unit 26 in the department estimation device 2, which will be described later, and therefore will not be described here.

[0021] The input unit 37 may be included in the housing of the signage 3 or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 37 may be integrated with the display unit 38 and implemented as a touch panel. Of course, switch buttons, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, or the like may be used instead of a touch panel. That is, the input unit 37 accepts operation inputs made by a user of the signage 3. The inputs are transferred as command signals to the control unit 31 via a communication bus, and the control unit 31 can execute predetermined control or calculations as necessary.

[0022] The display unit 38 may be, for example, included in the housing of the signage 3 or may be externally attached. The display unit 38 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by selectively using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display depending on the type of signage 3.

[0023] 1.3 Department estimation device 2 The department estimation device 2 is an example of an information processing device. For example, the department estimation device 2 is a server. The department estimation device 2 manages distribution information related to the distribution of advertisements to the signage 3 and controls the distribution of the advertisements. Based on the distribution information, the department estimation device 2 estimates the department of an employee who may be interested in a product related to the advertisement. The estimated department is also referred to as a department candidate. A product is a product or service that is the subject of the advertisement, or a product or service handled by the advertiser of the advertisement. Here, even if the department to which a user belongs is unknown, it is possible to identify the department to which the user belongs if it is known that the user viewed an advertisement on signage 3 and accessed a website related to the advertisement. In this embodiment 1, the department estimation device 2 acquires access information from the access analysis device 5 when the user accesses a website using the user terminal 4, and identifies the department to which the user belongs by comparing the distribution information with the access information.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the department estimation device 2. The department estimation device 2 includes a control unit 21, a communication unit 25, a storage unit 26, and an input unit 27, and these components are electrically connected within the department estimation device 2 via a communication bus.

[0025] The control unit 21 includes a processor 22, a ROM 23, and a RAM 24. The processor 22 executes programs stored in the ROM 23 or the storage unit 26 to realize various functions. Each function will be described in detail in the next section. The ROM 23 is a non-transitory storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), and pre-stores various programs or data for the processor 22 to perform various controls or calculations. The RAM 24 is a volatile storage medium such as a random access memory (RAM), and is a storage area for temporarily holding information when the processor 22 is operating. Areas for performing various processes according to this embodiment can be secured in the RAM 24.

[0026] The communication unit 25 is a communication interface for connecting to the network NW. The storage unit 26 is a storage device including a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. The hardware configuration of the input unit 27 is substantially the same as that of the above-mentioned input unit 37. Note that the input unit 27 is not essential for the department estimation device 2.

[0027] 1.4 User terminal 4 The user terminal 4 is a computer terminal operated by a user. Here, the group to which the user operating the user terminal 4 belongs does not need to be known to the department estimation device 2. Therefore, the user may or may not be an employee of Company A. For example, the user terminal 4 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or any other communication terminal capable of input and output.

[0028] 4 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the user terminal 4 according to the first embodiment. The user terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a communication unit 45, a storage unit 46, an input unit 47, and a display unit 48, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus inside the user terminal 4. The hardware configurations of the control unit 41, the communication unit 45, and the storage unit 46 are substantially the same as the control unit 21, the communication unit 25, and the storage unit 26 in the above-described department estimation device 2, and the input unit 47 and the display unit 48 are substantially the same as the input unit 37 and the display unit 38 in the above-described signage 3.

[0029] 1.5 Site Management Device 6 The site management device 6 is a server that manages websites related to advertisements provided by the signage 3. In the first embodiment, the site management device 6 manages the websites of the advertisers of the advertisements. An analytical tag for acquiring access history information is installed in advance on the websites. This tag is a known program that enables collection of access information to the websites. The site management device 6 activates the access-related tag in response to a user terminal 4 accessing the website. In other words, the site management device 6 notifies the access analysis device 5 of the second address, which is the IP address of the user terminal 4 that has accessed the website, and that the website has been accessed from the user terminal 4.

[0030] The hardware configuration of the site management device 6 is substantially the same as the hardware configuration of the access analysis device 5 described below, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] 1.6 Access analysis device 5 The access analysis device 5 is a server that performs so-called access analysis, collecting access information for various websites and analyzing users' online behavior. For example, in response to a notification from the site management device 6, the access analysis device 5 generates access information when the user terminal 4 accesses a website related to an advertisement provided by the signage 3.

[0032] 5 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the access analysis device 5 according to the first embodiment. The access analysis device 5 includes a control unit 51, a communication unit 55, a storage unit 56, and an input unit 57, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus inside the access analysis device 5. The hardware configurations of the control unit 51, the communication unit 55, and the storage unit 56 are substantially the same as the control unit 21, the communication unit 25, and the storage unit 26 in the above-described department estimation device 2, and the hardware configuration of the input unit 57 is substantially the same as the input unit 37 in the above-described signage 3, so a description thereof will be omitted. Note that the input unit 57 is not essential to the access analysis device 5.

[0033] 2. Functional configuration In this section, the functional configuration of the department estimation device 2 will be described. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the control unit 21 according to the embodiment 1. The control unit 21 of the department estimation device 2 executes a program to realize the functions of a distribution management unit 211, an acquisition unit 212, an estimation unit 213, an identification unit 214, and an output control unit 215.

[0034] As a delivery management step, the delivery management unit 211 manages delivery information related to the delivery of advertisements to the signage 3 and performs control for delivering the advertisements. Here, an advertisement of a first advertiser that has already been delivered or is scheduled to be delivered to the signage 3 is referred to as a first advertisement, and delivery information related to the delivery of the first advertisement to the signage 3 is referred to as first delivery information. The first delivery information includes at least an IP address corresponding to the signage 3 and first advertiser information. The first advertiser information is information related to the first advertiser. The IP address corresponding to the signage 3 is the IP address of the location where the signage 3 is installed, and will be referred to as a first address hereinafter.

[0035] As a first acquisition step, the acquisition unit 212 acquires first distribution information from the distribution management unit 211. Furthermore, as a second acquisition step, the acquisition unit 212 acquires access information when the user terminal 4 accesses a website related to the merchandise of the first advertiser from the access analysis device 5 via the communication unit 25. The access information includes at least a second address, which is the IP address when the user terminal 4 accessed the website. Furthermore, the access information may include access time information indicating the time when the user terminal 4 accessed the website.

[0036] In a first estimation step, the estimation unit 213 estimates, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, departments of employees in the group who may be interested in merchandise related to the first advertiser as department candidates. Then, the estimation unit 213 generates department candidate information, which is information that associates the estimated department candidates with the first addresses.

[0037] In the identification step, the identification unit 214 determines whether the first address included in the department candidate information and the second address included in the access information correspond to each other. That is, it determines whether the user is an employee of Company A. In the first embodiment, a correspondence relationship means that the first address and the second address match. However, this is not limiting, and a correspondence relationship may be recognized even if the two addresses do not match in part. For example, if the domains of the two match, it may be determined that there is a correspondence relationship even if there is a partial mismatch. Then, if the identification unit 214 determines that there is a correspondence relationship between the two, that is, if it determines that the user is an employee of Company A, it identifies the department candidate associated with the first address in the department candidate information as a department in the user group (Company A).

[0038] The output control unit 215 outputs, as an output control step, information associating the department with the second address as department information. For example, in the output control step, the output control unit 215 transmits the department information to the access analysis device 5 via the communication unit 25.

[0039] 3. System 1 Operation In Section 3, the flow of information processing executed by the system 1 will be explained with reference to the diagram.

[0040] 3.1 Overview of Information Processing 7 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing by the system 1 according to the first embodiment. Unless otherwise specified, such as a later process being performed based on a previous process, the order of processes can be changed as appropriate, multiple processes can be performed simultaneously, and some processes can be omitted.

[0041] First, the distribution management unit 211 of the department estimation device 2 distributes a first advertisement of a first advertiser to signage 3 installed in a specific group "Company A" based on a distribution schedule (S100). The signage 3 that receives the first advertisement displays the first advertisement on the display unit 38 (S101). At this time, if the user is an employee of the group "Company A," there is a high possibility that the user is near the signage 3 and therefore a high possibility that the user will view the first advertisement.

[0042] Next, the distribution management unit 211 of the category estimation device 2 records a first distribution log, which is a log indicating that the first advertisement has been distributed to the signage 3 (S102). The first distribution log includes the first address, a distribution time indicating the time when the first advertisement was distributed, and first advertiser information. The distribution management unit 211 then generates first distribution information by adding information (ID) identifying the group (i.e., Company A) where the signage 3 is installed (e.g., the group name) to the first distribution log (S103). Note that the first distribution log, which is a record of the already distributed advertisements, is used to generate the first distribution information, but a distribution schedule for the planned distribution may also be used. In this case, the distribution schedule includes the first address, the scheduled time when the first advertisement is distributed, and the first advertiser information. The acquisition unit 212 of the category estimation device 2 then acquires the first distribution information from the distribution management unit 211 and supplies it to the estimation unit 213.

[0043] Next, the estimation unit 213 of the department estimation device 2 executes a department candidate estimation process to generate department candidate information, which is information associating the estimated department candidate with the first address (S104). The department candidate estimation process is a process of estimating, as department candidate, departments of employees in the group "Company A" who may be interested in merchandise related to the first advertiser, and will be described in detail later.

[0044] Meanwhile, the site management device 6 detects access from the user terminal 4 to the website of the first advertiser (S105), activates a tag related to the access, and sends a notification indicating that the website has been accessed from the user terminal 4 to the access analysis device 5 (S106). The notification includes the second address.

[0045] Next, in response to receiving the notification, the access analysis device 5 generates access information when the user terminal 4 accesses the website of the first advertiser (S107). The access information includes the second address and access time information. The access analysis device 5 transmits the access information to the category estimation device 2 (S108).

[0046] Then, the identification unit 214 of the department estimation device 2 executes a department identification process to identify the department of the user who accessed the website using the first distribution information generated in S103 and the access information received in S108 (S109). The identification unit 214 then generates department information. The department identification process will be described in detail later. The identification unit 214 transmits the department information to the access analysis device 5 (S110).

[0047] The access analysis device 5 that has received the department information performs access analysis using the department information (S111).

[0048] 3.2 Details of information processing Next, the above-mentioned information processing will be described in detail.

[0049] [First distribution information] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of the first distribution information according to the first embodiment. For example, the first distribution information may include a first address, which is an IP address of the installation destination of the signage 3, an ID of the installation destination group, a distribution time, and an ID of the first advertiser as first advertiser information. The ID of the installation destination group is, for example, "Company A," the name of the company where the signage 3 is installed. The first address is an IP address used by the signage 3 and is also an IP address used by employees of "Company A," the installation destination, when connecting their terminals to the network NW. The ID of the first advertiser is, for example, "Company C," the name of the company that is the first advertiser. The distribution time may be a specific time when the first advertisement is distributed to the signage 3, or may be a time period. Note that the distribution time is not essential in the first distribution information. Also, the first distribution information may include attributes of the product indicated by the first advertisement.

[0050] The delivery management unit 211 is in a state where it can acquire the ID of the group where the signage 3 is installed even before the first delivery log is recorded. For example, the delivery management unit 211 may be able to acquire registration information that is newly registered in the registration database when a signage 3 is newly installed even before the first delivery log is recorded, and may use this registration information to acquire the ID of the group where the signage 3 is installed. This registration information may include information that associates the terminal ID of the signage 3 with the ID of the group where the signage 3 is installed.

[0051] The registration information may further include information about the first address. The first address may be acquired by the distribution management unit 211 receiving a measurement log transmitted from the signage 3 periodically or irregularly. The measurement log may include the first address, the terminal ID of the signage 3, and the measurement date and time. Then, the distribution management unit 211 may add the first address to the corresponding registration information record using the terminal ID of the signage 3 as a key.

[0052] Here, if the first address of the installation destination is a variable IP address, the distribution management unit 211 may determine the first address to be included in the registration information by either of the following methods (1) or (2). (1) The primary address of the installation location included in the measurement log received within the most recent period is determined as the primary address to be included in the registration information. This allows the latest primary address to be reflected, improving the accuracy of the correspondence between the primary address and the department candidate. (2) Based on the regularity of fluctuations of the first address during the past measurement period, the first address for the future target period is estimated and determined as the first address to be included in the registration information. At this time, the distribution management unit 211 may determine whether there is regularity in fluctuations based on at least one of the number of times the same IP address appears during the measurement period, the periodicity of the IP address appearance, and the fluctuation range of the IP address. Furthermore, the distribution management unit 211 may add information about the target period along with the estimated first address to the registration information. While it is difficult to identify a first address if it is a variable IP address, the above-described process makes it easy to identify the first address. This further improves the accuracy of the correspondence between the first address and the department candidate.

[0053] The signage 3 may be installed in a fixed location, or may be movable within the same group's activity area. If the signage 3 is movable, the distribution management unit 211 may identify the first address using a method similar to (1) or (2) above. This increases the degree of freedom in the installation location of the signage 3, while ensuring accuracy in the correspondence between the first address and the department candidates.

[0054] [Candidate department estimation process: S104] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the candidate department estimation process (S104) performed by the department estimation device 2 according to the first embodiment. First, the acquisition unit 212 of the department estimation device 2 acquires the first distribution information from the distribution management unit 211 (S1041). Note that the source of the first distribution information is not limited to the distribution management unit 211. For example, when the first distribution information is held by an external device, the acquisition unit 212 may acquire the first distribution information from the external device.

[0055] Next, the estimation unit 213 estimates, as department candidate candidates, departments of employees who may be interested in the merchandise of the first advertiser, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information (S1042). For example, the estimation unit 213 predicts attributes of merchandise handled by the first advertiser from the first advertiser information, and estimates departments related to the attributes of the merchandise as department candidate candidates. Specifically, the estimation unit 213 may previously store reference data that associates merchandise attributes with departments correlated with that type of merchandise, and may use the reference data to estimate department candidate candidates using the attributes of the merchandise of the first advertiser as a key. The reference data may be generated based on purchase history. Alternatively, the estimation unit 213 may estimate department candidate candidates using a machine learning model that, when inputting merchandise attributes, outputs departments related to that type of merchandise as department candidate candidates. The machine learning model may have been trained using training data including merchandise attributes and experience data of departments related to that type of merchandise.

[0056] As an example, if the first advertiser "Company C" is a company that sells generators, the estimation unit 213 may estimate the general affairs department, which may use generators as part of its business, as a candidate department. Also, as another example, if the first advertiser is a company that sells pharmaceuticals, the estimation unit 213 may estimate the research and development department, which may use pharmaceuticals as part of its business, as a candidate department. In addition, if there are multiple departments that are related to the attributes of the product, the estimation unit 213 may estimate multiple departments as candidate departments, or may estimate the one department that has the highest degree of relevance to the attributes of the product as the candidate department.

[0057] Furthermore, for example, the estimation unit 213 may predict multiple departments constituting the group "Company A" from the first advertiser information along with the attributes of the merchandise handled by the first advertiser, and select, from the multiple departments, a department related to the attributes of the merchandise. For example, the estimation unit 213 may estimate, from the multiple departments, a department that has the highest degree of relevance to the attributes of the merchandise as a department candidate.

[0058] Furthermore, if the first distribution information includes attributes of the merchandise indicated by the first advertisement, the estimation unit 213 may use the attributes of the merchandise indicated by the first advertisement as a basis for estimating the candidate department in addition to or instead of the first advertiser information. As an example, if the first advertisement is an advertisement about a generator, the estimation unit 213 may estimate the general affairs department, which may use generators for business purposes, as a candidate department.

[0059] Next, the estimation unit 213 generates candidate department information that associates the first address with the candidate department estimated in S1042 (S1043).

[0060] [Category Candidate Information] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of the department candidate information according to the first embodiment. The department candidate information may include the first address, the ID of the group where the signage 3 is installed, the distribution time, and the ID of the department candidate indicating the department of employees who may be interested in the product of the first advertisement. As an example, the ID of the department candidate is the name of the candidate department. Note that the distribution time is not required in the department candidate information.

[0061] [effect] In this way, the department estimation device 2 estimates candidate departments for employees who may view an advertisement distributed by the signage 3 and be interested in the product, based on the advertiser of the advertisement. The department estimation device 2 then identifies the correspondence between the candidate departments and the IP addresses used by employees belonging to those candidate departments. Therefore, by matching the candidate department information with online user access information in subsequent processing, it becomes easy to understand the attributes of users who behave online, particularly their departments. In particular, even if the IP address used by the user does not contain group information, if the user is an employee of a group where the signage 3 is installed, the user's department can be easily estimated. This makes it easier to analyze the user's online behavior history.

[0062] [Department specific processing: S109] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the department identification process performed by the department estimation device 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0063] First, the identification unit 214 acquires access information from the user terminal 4 to the website of the first advertiser "Company C" from the access analysis device 5 (S1091). The access information includes at least the second address, which is the IP address of the user terminal 4.

[0064] Next, the identification unit 214 determines whether the first address included in the department candidate information matches the second address included in the access information (S1092). If the first address and the second address do not match (NO in S1092), the identification unit 214 terminates the process. On the other hand, if the first address and the second address match (YES in S1092), the identification unit 214 determines that the user corresponding to the second address is an employee of the group "Company A" where the signage 3 is installed, and is interested in the merchandise of the first advertiser (S1093). The match between the first address and the second address indicates that the user is an employee of the group "Company A" where the signage 3 is installed. Therefore, the fact that a user belonging to that group has accessed the website of the first advertiser indicates that it is highly likely that the user became interested in the merchandise after seeing the advertisement on the signage 3.

[0065] The identification unit 214 then identifies the department candidate included in the department candidate information as the department of the group "Company A" of the user corresponding to the second address (S1094). If the user belongs to the group where the signage 3 is installed and has become interested in the product after seeing the advertisement on the signage 3, it is highly likely that the user belongs to a department candidate that is presumed to be interested in the product of the first advertiser within the group.

[0066] Then, the identifying unit 214 generates department information that associates the second address with the department (S1095), and proceeds to S110 in FIG.

[0067] [Access Information] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of access information according to the first embodiment. The access information may include the URL (URL = Uniform Resource Locator) of the website of the first advertiser, the second address, the access time, and a web indicator. The website URL is an example of website identification information. The access time indicates the time when the user terminal 4 accessed the website. The web indicator is at least one of the duration of stay on the website, information on the viewed pages, and referrer information, which is information on the page the user visited immediately before visiting the website.

[0068] Although the access time is not essential in the access information, it is desirable that the access time be included. For example, when the identification unit 214 determines in S1092 that the first address and the second address match, if the identification unit 214 determines that the user access occurred after the advertisement was delivered in chronological order, the identification unit 214 can more clearly determine the causal relationship of the user accessing the advertisement after seeing it. This improves the identification accuracy. It also facilitates verification of the advertising effectiveness. Specifically, the identification unit 214 may affirm the causal relationship if the access time is within a predetermined range based on the delivery time, and may deny the causal relationship if the access time is outside that range. Furthermore, the identification unit 214 may not identify the category candidate as a category in the user group if the access time is outside the predetermined range based on the delivery time. This improves the identification accuracy.

[0069] Furthermore, while web indicators are not required in the access information, it is desirable for them to be included. For example, when the identification unit 214 determines whether the first address and the second address match in S1092, if the time spent on the website, information on the viewed pages, or referrer information meets a predetermined condition, the identification unit 214 can more clearly determine that the user accessed the website out of interest in the first advertiser's product. This improves the identification accuracy. Specifically, the predetermined condition may be that the time spent on the website is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, that the viewed page has a degree of relevance to the advertised product greater than or equal to a predetermined value, that the referrer is a specific page, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, if the time spent on the website, information on the viewed pages, or referrer information do not meet the predetermined condition, the identification unit 214 may not identify the category candidate as a category in the user group. This improves the identification accuracy.

[0070] [Department information] 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of department information according to the first embodiment. The department information may include a second address, and, as user attribute information, an ID of a group to which the user belongs and an ID of a department within the group. As an example, the ID of a department is a specified department name.

[0071] [effect] In this way, when a user who has viewed an advertisement of a first advertiser on signage 3 accesses the website of the first advertiser, the category estimation device 2 identifies the category of the user based on the category candidate information. Specifically, the category estimation device 2 compares the first distribution information distributed to signage 3 with online access information to identify the category of the user who accessed the website online. The generated category information is more accurate than the category candidate information in that it is based on the causal relationship between advertisement distribution and online access history. This makes it even easier to analyze a user's online behavior history.

[0072] The first embodiment can also be modified as follows. [First Modification: Identifying a department using distribution information corresponding to similar advertisers] In the department identification process shown in FIG. 11 , the identification unit 214 generates department information by comparing department candidate information corresponding to the first advertiser "Company C" with access information to the website of the first advertiser. However, in the first modified example, the identification unit 214 uses department candidate information corresponding to the second advertiser "Company D," which is a company similar to the first advertiser, instead of the first advertiser. In other words, when a user who has viewed an advertisement for the second advertiser on the signage 3 accesses the website of the first advertiser that is similar to the second advertiser, the user's department may be identified based on the department candidate information. Whether or not the two companies are similar may be determined based on at least one of the business content, the attributes of the products they handle, and whether or not they are in competition with each other. For example, companies that handle the same attributes of the products may be determined to be similar companies.

[0073] The category candidate information corresponding to the second advertiser is generated by executing the category candidate estimation process shown in Figure 9 using the second distribution information corresponding to the second advertiser instead of the first distribution information for the first advertisement of the first advertiser.

[0074] Specifically, the acquisition unit 212 acquires the second distribution information in the same manner as in S1041 of FIG. 9 (fourth acquisition step). The second distribution information includes a first address and second advertiser information. The second advertiser information is information relating to a second advertiser that is the advertiser of a second advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the signage 3. Then, the estimation unit 213 estimates category candidates based on the second advertiser information included in the second distribution information in the same manner as in S1042 (second estimation step). Furthermore, the estimation unit 213 generates category candidate information that is information that associates the estimated category candidates with the first addresses in the same manner as in S1043.

[0075] The above process of generating department candidate information using the second distribution information may be executed when, at S1092 shown in FIG. 11, the first address and the second address included in the access information do not correspond to each other (NO at S1092). The case where the first address and the second address do not correspond to each other means that the user who accessed the first advertiser's website is not an employee who saw the company's advertisement on signage 3; that is, this access is not due to the effect of the first advertisement. However, since the user may be an employee who saw an advertisement for a similar company on signage 3, if a causal relationship between the access and the second advertisement is recognized, the user's department can be identified. The above process may also be executed when, at S1091 shown in FIG. 11, access information to the first advertiser cannot be obtained, for example, when there is no access.

[0076] In this way, it is possible to identify the user's department not only from the department candidate information corresponding to the target advertiser, but also from the department candidate information corresponding to similar advertisers. Therefore, even if the first advertiser does not provide advertisements on the signage 3 or has few opportunities to provide advertisements, or even if the amount of access information that can be obtained is small, it is possible to identify the user's department.

[0077] [Second Modification: Pre-processing] In the first embodiment described above, the group has multiple departments. However, if the group is made up of one department, or if the delivery management unit 211 can identify the department before recording the first delivery log, there is no need to execute the candidate department estimation process and the department identification process. Therefore, in the second modified example, before executing the candidate department estimation process, for example, before executing S104 in FIG. 7, the delivery management unit 211 determines whether it is possible to identify one department corresponding to the group (pre-processing). For example, the delivery management unit 211 may use the registration information of the signage 3 described above in the pre-processing.

[0078] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of pre-processing by the department estimation device 2 according to the first embodiment. First, the distribution management unit 211 acquires the registration information of the signage 3 (S201). The registration information of the signage 3 is information that associates at least the first address of the installation location with the ID of the group where the signage 3 is installed.

[0079] Next, the distribution management unit 211 determines whether or not the registration information includes a department (S202). If the registration information does not include a department (NO in S202), the distribution management unit 211 proceeds to S104 because it is not possible to identify a single department before executing the department candidate estimation process.

[0080] On the other hand, if the registration information includes a department (YES in S202), the distribution management unit 211 determines whether there are multiple departments associated with the first address in the registration information (S203). If there are not multiple departments, i.e., if there is only one department (NO in S203), the distribution management unit 211 generates department information that associates the first address included in the registration information with the department included in the registration information (S204), and outputs the department information (S110). As a result, the department candidate estimation process is executed only when it is not possible to identify a single department. This makes the process more efficient.

[0081] On the other hand, if there are multiple departments (YES in S203), the distribution management unit 211 cannot identify a single department before executing the department candidate estimation process, and therefore proceeds to S104. In this case, in the subsequent department candidate estimation process, the estimation unit 213 may use multiple departments included in the registered information in addition to the first advertiser information. For example, the estimation unit 213 may estimate, as the department candidate, the department that is most closely related to the attributes of the first advertiser's merchandise, among the multiple departments included in the registered information. This improves the accuracy of estimating the department candidates.

[0082] <Embodiment 2> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the department identification process is executed in the access analysis device 5, not in the department estimation device 2. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the access analysis device 5 uses the user's department to personalize the advertisements to be provided to the user when the user accesses the website of the first advertiser again.

[0083] Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing by the system 1 according to the embodiment 2. Fig. 15 includes S100 to S104 like Fig. 7, but differs from Fig. 7 in that it includes S301 to S310 instead of S105 to S111.

[0084] In S301, the estimation unit 213 of the category estimation device 2 transmits the category candidate information generated in S104 to the access analysis device 5.

[0085] Meanwhile, the site management device 6 detects access from the user terminal 4 to the website of the first advertiser (S302), activates a tag related to the access, and sends a notification indicating that the website has been accessed from the user terminal 4 to the access analysis device 5 (S303). The notification may include the user's browser ID in addition to the second address.

[0086] Next, in response to receiving the notification, the access analysis device 5 generates access information when the user terminal 4 accesses the website of the first advertiser (S304). The access information includes the second address and access time information.

[0087] Next, the access analysis device 5 executes a department identification process (S305) using the department candidate information received in S301 and the access information generated in S304. Details of the department identification process by the access analysis device 5 are omitted because they are the same as the process shown in FIG.

[0088] Specifically, in S306, the access analysis device 5 issues a user ID that identifies the department and the browser, using the department identified in S305 and the user's browser ID acquired in S303 (S306). The user ID may have basically the same function as an HTTP cookie. For example, the access analysis device 5 assigns a user ID to the user terminal 4 that has accessed the website (S307). The user terminal 4 that has received the user ID saves the user ID in its browser. Then, when the user terminal 4 accesses the website of the first advertiser again, it sends the user ID saved in the browser to the site management device 6 (S308). The site management device 6 then sends the received user ID to the access analysis device 5 (S309). The access analysis device 5 that has received the user ID identifies the user's department based on the user ID, and provides an advertisement corresponding to the department to the user terminal 4 online via the site management device 6 (S310).

[0089] [effect] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the department identification process is executed in the access analysis device 5. This also achieves the same effects as the first embodiment. That is, it becomes easier to grasp the attributes of users who behave online, particularly their departments. This makes it easier to analyze the user's online behavior history.

[0090] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the access analysis device 5 issues a user ID that identifies the user's browser and department using the user's department. This allows the access analysis device 5 to easily grasp information about the user who accessed the website when the user accesses the first advertiser's website again. The access analysis device 5 can then provide personalized advertisements to the user. In particular, when the use of HTTP cookies is restricted, the user ID can be used as a substitute for HTTP cookies, which can be particularly effective.

[0091] The user ID issued in S306 at least identifies the user's department. Therefore, the user ID does not necessarily identify the user's browser. The user ID may be shared not only with the access analysis device 5 that manages access to the first advertiser's website, but also with a device that manages access to the website of a second advertiser, a company similar to the first advertiser. For example, the access analysis device 5 may transmit the user ID issued in S306 to the department estimation device 2. Then, upon acquiring the user ID, the department estimation device 2 may transmit the user ID to a device that manages access to the second advertiser's website (sharing step). This allows the second advertiser to use the user's department information identified through access to the first advertiser's website. This has an advantageous effect, because the second advertiser can obtain the user's department information even if, for example, an advertisement for the second advertiser is distributed to the signage 3 but there is no access to the website or if the IP addresses do not correspond. Then, the device corresponding to the second advertiser may execute the same processes as S308 to S310 when the user accesses the website of the second advertiser.

[0092] In the first and second embodiments, the section estimation device 2 is described as a single device, but some or all of the components of the section estimation device 2 may be realized by a plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc. In this case, the plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally or decentralized. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, or the like, each connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the functions of the section estimation device 2 may be provided in a SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0093] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the invention.

[0094] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) An information processing device including a control unit, the control unit executes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step; The control unit In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is obtained; the distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group, the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. Information processing device. (Appendix 2) The control unit further executes a sharing step, In the sharing step, the control unit, in response to acquiring a user ID identifying a division in the group of users who accessed the website related to the first advertiser using a user terminal, transmits the user ID to a device that manages a website related to a second advertiser; The department is identified based on the department candidate information output in the first estimation step, The second advertiser is an advertiser similar to the first advertiser. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1. (Appendix 3) The control unit further executes a second acquisition step, a determination step, and an output control step, The control unit In the second obtaining step, a user terminal operated by a user obtains access information including at least a second address, which is an IP address used when accessing a website related to the first advertiser; In the identifying step, if the first address and the second address included in the access information correspond to each other, the department candidate associated with the first address in the department candidate information is identified as a department in the group of the user; In the output control step, information associating the department with the second address is output as department information. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) The control unit If the first address and the second address included in the access information do not correspond to each other in the identifying step, a third obtaining step and a second estimating step are performed; In the third obtaining step, second distribution information including the first address and second advertiser information is obtained; the second advertiser information is information about a second advertiser that is an advertiser of a second advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal and is similar to the first advertiser, In the second estimation step, the category candidate is estimated based on the second advertiser information included in the second distribution information, and category candidate information is generated as information associating the estimated category candidate with the first address. 4. The information processing device according to claim 3. (Appendix 5) the category candidate information further includes distribution time information indicating a time when the first advertisement was distributed or is scheduled to be distributed; the access information further includes access time information indicating the time when the user terminal accessed the website; When the time indicated by the access time information is outside a predetermined range based on the time indicated by the distribution time information, the control unit does not identify the department candidate as the department in the group of users. 5. The information processing device according to claim 3 or 4. (Appendix 6) The control unit further executes a fourth acquisition step and a determination step, The control unit In the fourth obtaining step, registration information is obtained that is information that associates the first address with information about a department that belongs to the group; In the determination step, if there are a plurality of departments associated with the first address in the registration information, the first estimation step is started. 6. An information processing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) When the department associated with the first address in the registration information is 1, the control unit outputs, as department information, information associating the first address with the department associated with the first address, instead of executing the first estimation step. 7. The information processing device according to claim 6. (Appendix 8) an information processing device including a control unit; A distribution terminal set up corresponding to a known group An information processing system comprising: the control unit executes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step; The control unit In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal and first advertiser information is obtained; the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. Information processing system. (Appendix 9) An information processing method executed in an information processing device, The information processing method includes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step, The information processing device includes: In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is obtained; the distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group, the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. Information processing methods. (Appendix 10) A program for causing an information processing device to execute a first acquisition step and a first estimation step, The information processing device includes: In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is obtained; the distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group, the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 System 2 Department estimation device 3. Signage 4. User terminal 5. Access analysis device 6 Site Management Device 21 Control section 22 processors 23 ROM 24 RAM 25 Communications Department 26 Memory section 27 Input section 31 Control Unit 32 processors 33 ROM 34 RAM 35 Communications Department 36 Memory section 37 Input section 38 Display section 41 Control Unit 42 processors 43 ROM 44 RAM 45 Communications Department 46 Memory section 47 Input section 48 Display section 51 Control section 52 processors 53 ROM 54 RAM 55 Communications Department 56 Memory section 57 Input section 211 Distribution Management Department 212 Acquisition Department 213 Estimation Department 214 Specific section 215 Output control section

Claims

1. An information processing device including a control unit, the control unit executes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step; The control unit In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is obtained; the distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group, the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. Information processing device.

2. The control unit further executes a sharing step, In the sharing step, the control unit, in response to acquiring a user ID identifying a division in the group of users who accessed the website related to the first advertiser using a user terminal, transmits the user ID to a device that manages a website related to a second advertiser; the department is identified based on the department candidate information output in the first estimation step, The second advertiser is an advertiser similar to the first advertiser. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit further executes a second acquisition step, a specification step, and an output control step; The control unit In the second obtaining step, a user terminal operated by a user obtains access information including at least a second address, which is an IP address when the user accesses a website related to the first advertiser; In the identifying step, if the first address and the second address included in the access information correspond to each other, the department candidate associated with the first address in the department candidate information is identified as a department in the group of the user; In the output control step, information associating the department with the second address is output as department information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the category candidate information further includes distribution time information indicating a time when the first advertisement was distributed or is scheduled to be distributed; the access information further includes access time information indicating the time when the user terminal accessed the website; When the time indicated by the access time information is outside a predetermined range based on the time indicated by the distribution time information, the control unit does not identify the department candidate as the department in the group of users. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit further executes a fourth obtaining step and a determining step, The control unit In the fourth obtaining step, registration information is obtained which is information associating the first address with information about a department belonging to the group; In the determination step, if there are a plurality of departments associated with the first address in the registration information, the first estimation step is started. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. When the department associated with the first address in the registration information is 1, the control unit outputs, as department information, information associating the first address with the department associated with the first address, instead of executing the first estimation step. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. an information processing device including a control unit; A distribution terminal set up corresponding to a known group An information processing system comprising: the control unit executes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step; The control unit In the first acquisition step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is acquired; the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. Information processing system.

8. An information processing method executed in an information processing device, The information processing method includes a first acquisition step and a first estimation step, The information processing device includes: In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is obtained; the distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group, the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. Information processing methods.

9. A program for causing an information processing device to execute a first acquisition step and a first estimation step, The information processing device includes: In the first obtaining step, first distribution information including a first address, which is an IP address corresponding to the distribution terminal, and first advertiser information is obtained; the distribution terminal is a terminal provided corresponding to a known group, the first advertiser information is information about a first advertiser that is an advertiser of a first advertisement that has been distributed or is to be distributed to the distribution terminal, In the first estimation step, based on the first advertiser information included in the first distribution information, a department in the group that may be interested in a product related to the first advertiser is estimated as a department candidate, and department candidate information that is information that associates the estimated department candidate with the first address is output. program.

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