Information processing apparatus, electronic device, notification system, method for controlling information processing apparatus, and method for controlling electronic device

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus capable of proposing information of a recommended content even when a user is not present near a display device when proposing the recommended content.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether or not a user is present, and is communicably connected to a display device that displays content and an electronic device. An information processing device includes a control unit that determines a recommended content to be notified to a user on the basis of a viewing history of content by the user in a display device, and outputs recommended content information about the determined recommended content. On the basis of the user information detected by the first detector, the controller controls the display device to notify the recommended-content information when it is determined that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the determination of the recommended content, and controls the electronic device to notify the recommended-content information when it is determined that the user is not present.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an electronic device, a notification system, a control method for an information processing device, and a control method for an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] A video output device has been disclosed that uses keywords based on a viewing history to search program guide data for and suggest recommended programs similar to programs that a person has viewed in the past (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-138827 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, recommended programs can be suggested only while the user is watching a program on the video output device, and therefore recommended programs cannot be suggested except when the user is watching a program.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device, an electronic device, an alarm system, a control method for an information processing device, and a control method for an electronic device that can suggest information on recommended content even when the user is not present near the display device when suggesting recommended content to view. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an information processing device that includes a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether a user is present, and is communicatively connected to a display device that displays content and an electronic device, and includes a control unit that determines recommended content to be notified to the user based on the user's viewing history of the content on the display device, and outputs recommended content information regarding the determined recommended content.If the control unit determines, based on the user information detected by the first detection unit, that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended content is determined, the control unit controls the display device to notify the recommended content information, and if it determines that the user is not present, the control unit controls the electronic device to notify the recommended content information.

[0007] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is an electronic device communicatively connected to an information processing device that determines recommended content to be notified to a user based on the user's content viewing history on a display device and outputs recommended content information regarding the determined recommended content, and is equipped with a detection unit that detects user information indicating whether the user is present or not, a transmission unit that transmits the user information detected by the detection unit to the information processing device, and a notification unit that notifies the recommended content information when the recommended content information is received from the information processing device.

[0008] A notification system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a display device that displays content and has a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether a user is present, an electronic device, and an information processing device, wherein the information processing device includes a control unit that determines recommended content to be notified to the user based on the user's viewing history of the content on the display device and outputs recommended content information regarding the determined recommended content, and when the control unit determines, based on the user information detected by the first detection unit, that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended content is determined, it controls the display device to notify the recommended content information, and when it determines that the user is not present, it controls the electronic device to notify the recommended content information.

[0009] A control method for an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a control method for an information processing device that has a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether a user is present, and is communicatively connected to a display device that displays content and an electronic device, and includes the steps of: determining recommended content to be notified to the user based on the user's viewing history of the content on the display device; and, if it is determined that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended content is determined based on the user information detected by the first detection unit, causing the display device to notify recommended content information regarding the recommended content; and, if it is determined that the user is not present, causing the electronic device to notify the recommended content information.

[0010] A control method for an electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for an electronic device communicatively connected to an information processing device that determines recommended content to be notified to a user based on the user's content viewing history on a display device and outputs recommended content information regarding the determined recommended content, and includes a step of detecting user information indicating whether the user is present or not, a step of transmitting the detected user information to the information processing device, and a notification step of notifying the recommended content information when the recommended content information is received from the information processing device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a main part of a notification system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of the notification system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a main part of the notification system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a notification process in the notification system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a notification process in a notification system according to a modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, hereinafter, identical or corresponding components will be designated by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Various modifications other than these embodiments and modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure.

[0013] The configuration of an alarm system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a main part of the alarm system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figs. 2 and 3 are block diagrams illustrating an example of a configuration of a main part of the alarm system 100 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 illustrates in detail the configuration of an alarm processing device 1 (information processing device) included in the alarm system 100, and Fig. 3 illustrates in detail the configurations of a display device 2 and electronic devices 3a to 3d included in the alarm system 100.

[0014] The notification system 100 is a system that notifies a user of information related to programs that are recommended for viewing by the user, i.e., recommended program information 62 (recommended content information) (see FIG. 2), which is information related to broadcast content in television broadcasts. As shown in FIG. 1, the notification system 100 includes a notification processing device 1, a display device 2, and multiple electronic devices 3a to 3d. When there is no need to particularly distinguish between the electronic devices 3a to 3d, they may be simply referred to as electronic devices 3.

[0015] In this embodiment, the electronic devices 3 can be exemplified by home appliances installed in a home. For example, the electronic device 3a can be an air conditioner, the electronic device 3b can be an air purifier, the electronic device 3c can be a washing machine, and the electronic device 3d can be a refrigerator. Note that the electronic devices 3 included in the notification system 100 are not limited to the electronic devices 3a to 3d described above, and may include more other electronic devices. The types and number of electronic devices 3 included in the notification system 100 are arbitrary.

[0016] The notification processing device 1 is communicably connected to the display device 2. The notification processing device 1 and the display device 2 may be communicably connected by wire or wirelessly. Alternatively, the notification processing device 1 and the display device 2 may be provided integrally.

[0017] The notification processing device 1 is also communicably connected to each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d. The notification processing device 1 and each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d may be communicably connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0018] The notification processing device 1, the display device 2, and the electronic devices 3a to 3d form a home network via, for example, a router.

[0019] Although details will be described later, in the notification system 100, the display device 2 includes a user detection unit 24 that detects user information indicating the presence or absence of a user in order to determine whether or not a user is present near the display device 2. Furthermore, the electronic device 3 includes a user detection unit 33 that detects user information indicating the presence or absence of a user in order to determine whether or not a user is present near the electronic device 3. The notification system 100 is configured to output recommended program information 62 to the display device 2 or electronic device 3 that has transmitted user information indicating the presence of a user, and to notify the display device 2 or electronic device 3.

[0020] (Alarm processing device) The notification processing device 1 determines recommended programs (recommended content) to be notified to the user based on the user's viewing history on the display device 2, and outputs recommended program information 62 related to the determined recommended programs. If the notification processing device 1 determines that the user is present near the display device 2 at a predetermined notification timing after determining the recommended programs, it outputs the recommended program information 62 to the display device 2 and controls the display device 2 to notify the user of the recommended program information 62. Note that the case where the user is present near the display device 2 means that the user is watching a program on the display device 2, in other words, that the power of the display device 2 is ON and the user is present in the viewing area of ​​the display device 2. The viewing area is an area where the user is estimated to be present when watching the display device 2, and is located on the front side (screen side) of the display device 2 within a predetermined distance from the display device 2.

[0021] Furthermore, when it is determined that no user is present near the display device 2, the notification processing device 1 controls so that the recommended program information 62 is notified from any one of the electronic devices 3a to 3d.

[0022] 2, the notification processing device 1 includes a communication unit 10, a control unit 11, and a storage unit 12. The communication unit 10 establishes communication with the display device 2 and each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d. The control unit 11 performs various controls on each unit included in the notification processing device 1, and is configured by a processor such as a CPU, for example.

[0023] The control unit 11 includes, as functional blocks, a viewing history information acquisition unit 51, a recommended program determination unit 52, a user information acquisition unit 53, an output destination determination unit 54, and a recommended program information output unit 55. If the control unit 11 is, for example, a CPU, these functional blocks can be realized by the CPU reading out a program stored in the storage unit 12 into a memory (not shown) and executing it.

[0024] The storage unit 12 is a recording medium capable of storing various data, programs, etc. The storage unit 12 includes an area for storing various programs, an area for storing data used in the various programs, an area into which the various programs are loaded, and an area used when the various programs are executed. The storage unit 12 can be configured, for example, with semiconductor memory such as a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SDD), a programmable logic circuit, etc. The storage unit 12 stores viewing history information 61 and recommended program information 62.

[0025] The viewing history information acquisition unit 51 acquires the viewing history information 61 from the display device 2 via the communication unit 10 and stores it in the storage unit 12. The viewing history information acquisition unit 51 may be configured to acquire the viewing history information 61 from the display device 2 at a predetermined interval, or may be configured to acquire the viewing history information 61 every time the user views the display device 2.

[0026] The recommended program determination unit 52 determines programs to be recommended to the user based on the viewing history information 61 stored in the storage unit 12. For example, the recommended program determination unit 52 identifies the names of programs that the user has repeatedly viewed from the viewing history information 61 using the program name as a key. Then, the recommended program determination unit 52 determines, as the recommended program, a program that matches the identified program name from among programs scheduled to be broadcast in the future. In this way, when the recommended program determination unit 52 is configured to determine the recommended programs using the program name as a key, it is possible to prevent users from missing programs that are broadcast periodically with the same program name, such as a serial drama.

[0027] Furthermore, the recommended program determination unit 52, for example, refers to the viewing history information 61 to identify the genre to which the user's frequently viewed programs belong. Then, from among programs scheduled to be broadcast in the future, programs that fall into the identified genre are determined as recommended programs. In this way, when the recommended program determination unit 52 is configured to determine recommended programs using genre as a key, it is possible to prevent the user from missing programs that match their preferences.

[0028] Furthermore, when there are multiple programs that are to be recommended in the same scheduled broadcast time slot, the recommended program determination unit 52 determines the priority order among the multiple recommended programs by referring to the viewing history information 61. For example, the recommended program determination unit 52 may be configured to set the priority order of the recommended programs according to the number of times the user has viewed them in the past.

[0029] After determining the recommended programs, the recommended program determination unit 52 stores information about the determined recommended programs in the storage unit 12 as recommended program information 62.

[0030] The user information acquiring unit 53 acquires user information indicating the presence or absence of a user from each of the display device 2 or electronic devices 3a to 3d. That is, the user information acquiring unit 53 determines whether it is the timing to notify recommended program information 62 related to recommended programs. If it is determined that it is the timing to notify, the user information acquiring unit 53 acquires user information indicating the presence or absence of a user from the display device 2 or electronic devices 3a to 3d via the communication unit 10.

[0031] The notification timing may be a predetermined timing after the recommended program is determined by the recommended program determination unit 52. For example, if the purpose is to prevent the user from missing the recommended program, the notification timing may be a predetermined time before the broadcast of the recommended program starts. Furthermore, if the purpose is to inform the user that a program determined as a recommended program has been broadcast, the notification timing does not necessarily have to be before the broadcast of the recommended program starts, but may be after the broadcast of the recommended program ends. The notification timing may be set appropriately depending on the content of the recommended program information 62 and the purpose of notifying the user of the recommended program information 62. In this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the notification timing is set to a predetermined time before the broadcast of the recommended program starts, with the purpose of preventing the user from missing the recommended program.

[0032] The output destination determination unit 54 determines the output destination of the recommended program information 62 based on the user information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 53 from the display device 2 or each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d. That is, when the user information acquired from the display device 2 indicates that the user is present, that is, when the output destination determination unit 54 determines that the user is present near the display device 2, the output destination determination unit 54 determines the display device 2 as the output destination of the recommended program information 62. On the other hand, when the user information acquired from the display device 2 indicates that the user is not present near the display device 2, the output destination determination unit 54 determines the electronic device 3 as the output destination of the recommended program information 62.

[0033] The notification system 100 according to this embodiment is provided with a plurality of electronic devices 3a to 3d. The output destination determination unit 54 acquires user information from each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d. Based on the user information acquired from each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d, the output destination determination unit 54 identifies the electronic device 3 that has acquired user information indicating that the presence of the user has been detected, and determines the identified electronic device 3 as the output destination of the recommended program information 62.

[0034] In addition, if the output destination determination unit 54 determines that there is no electronic device 3a to 3d that has a user detection unit 33a to 33d that detected user information indicating that a user is present at the notification timing, the output destination of the recommended program information 62 is determined to be the electronic device 3 that has a user detection unit 33 that detected user information indicating that a user is present at the time closest to the notification timing.

[0035] The recommended program information output unit 55 outputs the recommended program information 62 via the communication unit 10 to the device determined by the output destination determination unit 54 as the output destination of the recommended program information 62, and controls the device to notify the user of the recommended program information 62.

[0036] As described above, in the notification processing device 1, if the control unit 11 determines that a user is not present near the display device 2 at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended program has been determined, the control unit 11 can notify the recommended program information 62 from an electronic device 3 other than the display device 2.

[0037] Furthermore, in the notification system 100, the control unit 11 can identify the electronic device 3 that has acquired user information indicating that the presence of the user has been detected, based on the user information acquired from each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d, and determine the identified electronic device 3 as the output destination of the recommended program information 62. Therefore, at the notification timing, the recommended program information 62 can be reliably notified to the user from the electronic device 3 that is located nearby.

[0038] Furthermore, in the notification system 100, even if there is no electronic device 3 nearby the user at the notification timing, the recommended program information 62 can be notified from the electronic device 3 that was nearby the user at the time closest to the notification timing. Therefore, at the notification timing, the recommended program information 62 can be notified from the electronic device 3 that is predicted to be closest to the user's location.

[0039] Furthermore, when the recommended program information 62 is to be notified from the electronic device 3 that was in the vicinity of the user at the time closest to the notification timing, the recommended program information output unit 55 may control the electronic device 3 as follows.

[0040] That is, the recommended program information output unit 55 controls the electronic device 3 to change the notification mode of the recommended program information 62 depending on the difference between the notification timing and the time when user information indicating the presence of a user is detected in the electronic device 3.

[0041] Changing the notification manner includes, for example, changing the volume of the audio when the recommended program information 62 is notified by audio from the electronic device 3. Also, for example, changing the display size of the recommended program information 62 when the recommended program information 62 is notified by display on the electronic device 3.

[0042] For example, if there is a large difference between the notification timing and the time when user information indicating the presence of a user is detected in the electronic device 3, the recommended program information output unit 55 controls the electronic device 3 to increase the volume of the sound notifying the recommended program information 62 or increase the display size. By having the control unit 11 of the notification processing device 1 control the electronic device 3 in this way, the electronic device 3 can notify the recommended program information 62 at an appropriate volume or display size according to the estimated distance the user will have moved away from the electronic device 3.

[0043] (display device) Next, the configuration of the display device 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The display device 2 is a television receiver that receives programs from broadcast stations and plays back the program images. The display device 2 includes a communication unit 21, an audio output unit 22, a video output unit 23, a user detection unit 24, a display device control unit 25, and a storage unit 26.

[0044] The communication unit 21 establishes communication between the notification processing device 1 and the display device 2. The communication between the notification processing device 1 and the display device 2 may be wired or wireless.

[0045] The audio output unit 22 is a speaker that outputs the audio of the program being played back, and the video output unit 23 is a display unit that outputs the video of the program being played back.

[0046] In the display device 2, when the recommended program information 62 received from the notification processing device 1 is notified by voice, the voice output unit 22 functions as a notification unit, and when the recommended program information 62 is notified by video, the video output unit 23 functions as a notification unit. In addition, when the recommended program information 62 is notified by voice and video, the voice output unit 22 and the video output unit 23 function as notification units.

[0047] The user detection unit 24 detects user information indicating whether or not a user is present. The user detection unit 24 can be, for example, an imaging device. When the user detection unit 24 is an imaging device, it can detect whether or not a person is present near the display device 2 by analyzing an image captured by the imaging device. Furthermore, the image captured by the imaging device can be used not only to determine whether or not a person is present near the display device 2, but also as authentication information to determine whether or not the person present near the display device 2 is a pre-registered user.

[0048] The user detection unit 24 is not limited to an imaging device, and may be, for example, a human presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of a user. Examples of the human presence sensor include an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a microwave sensor, a photoelectric sensor, and a pressure sensor. When the user detection unit 24 is thus a human presence sensor, user information can be detected by the above-mentioned sensor, and therefore the configuration can be simpler than a configuration in which user information is detected using an imaging device.

[0049] The display device control unit 25 controls various parts of the display device 2, and is configured by a processor such as a CPU, for example.

[0050] In the display device 2, the display device control unit 25 acquires the viewing history information 61 of the program being viewed by the user, and transmits it to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit .

[0051] The display device control unit 25 can acquire the viewing history information 61 as follows: When the power of the display device 2 is ON and the user detection unit 24 detects user information indicating the presence of a user, the display device control unit 25 identifies a program being played on the display device 2 as a viewed program and stores information on the identified viewed program, thereby acquiring the viewing history information 61.

[0052] In response to a request from the notification processing device 1, the display device control unit 25 transmits the viewing history information 61 to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit 21.

[0053] Furthermore, in response to a request from the notification processing device 1, the display device control unit 25 transmits the user information detected by the user detection unit 24 to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit 21.

[0054] In addition, the display device control unit 25 controls the audio output unit 22 or the video output unit 23, or the audio output unit 22 and the video output unit 23, in response to an instruction from the notification processing device 1 to notify the recommended program information 62, to notify the recommended program information 62.

[0055] In addition, when there are multiple pieces of recommended program information 62 to be notified as described above and priorities are set, the notification mode may be controlled to change according to the priorities, such as by displaying the recommended program information 62 with the highest priority in a large size on the display screen of the video output unit 23 and displaying the recommended program information 62 with a lower priority in a small size at the edge of the display screen of the video output unit 23.

[0056] The storage unit 26 is a recording medium capable of storing various data, programs, etc. The storage unit 26 includes an area for storing various programs, an area for storing data used in the various programs, an area into which the various programs are loaded, and an area used when the various programs are executed. The storage unit 26 can be configured, for example, with semiconductor memory such as ROM or RAM, a HDD, an SDD, a programmable logic circuit, etc. The storage unit 26 stores authentication information 60 and viewing history information 61.

[0057] (electronic equipment) The configuration of the electronic device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The electronic device 3 is a household appliance such as an air conditioner, air purifier, washing machine, or refrigerator, as described above. The electronic device 3 is connected to the notification processing device 1 so as to be able to communicate with it.

[0058] 3, the electronic devices 3a to 3d include communication units 31a to 31d, notification units 32a to 32d, user detection units 33a to 33d, and electronic device control units 34a to 34d, respectively. When there is no need to particularly distinguish between the communication units 31a to 31d, notification units 32a to 32d, user detection units 33a to 33d, and electronic device control units 34a to 34d, they will be simply referred to as communication unit 31 (transmission unit), notification unit 32, user detection unit 33 (second detection unit, detection unit), and electronic device control unit 34.

[0059] The communication unit 31 establishes communication between the notification processing device 1 and the electronic device 3. The communication between the notification processing device 1 and the electronic device 3 may be wired or wireless.

[0060] The notification unit 32 notifies the user of the recommended program information 62 received from the notification processing device 1. When the notification unit 32 notifies the user of the recommended program information 62 by voice, an example of the notification unit 32 is an audio output unit such as a speaker.

[0061] Furthermore, when the recommended program information 62 is notified to the user by an alarm sound or the like, an example of the sound output unit is one that emits an alarm sound. For example, when the recommended program information 62 is notified by an alarm sound, it is preferable that the output mode of the alarm sound be different from the alarm sound that is emitted during normal operation of the electronic device 3. Note that a different output mode of the alarm sound may be, for example, different output cycles or output periods of the alarm sound.

[0062] Furthermore, when the notification unit 32 notifies the user of the recommended program information 62 by display, a display unit such as a display monitor can be exemplified as the notification unit 32 .

[0063] When there is a plurality of pieces of recommended program information 62 and a priority is set for each of the pieces of recommended program information 62, the notification unit 32 may be configured to control the notification mode of the recommended program information 62 to change depending on the priority, similar to the display device 2.

[0064] The user detection unit 33 acquires user information indicating whether or not a user is present. The range for determining whether or not a user is present is a range near the electronic device 3, which is a range in which the user can reliably recognize the recommended program information 62 notified by the electronic device 3. The user detection unit 33 can be, for example, an imaging device. When the user detection unit 33 is an imaging device, it can detect whether or not a person is present near the electronic device 3 by analyzing an image captured by the imaging device.

[0065] The user detection unit 33 is not limited to an imaging device, and may be, for example, a human presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of a user. Examples of the human presence sensor include an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a microwave sensor, a photoelectric sensor, and a pressure sensor. When the user detection unit 24 is thus a human presence sensor, user information can be detected by the above-mentioned sensor, and therefore the configuration can be simpler than a configuration in which user information is detected using an imaging device.

[0066] Furthermore, the user detection unit 33 may be a sensor that detects a signal indicating the operating status of the electronic device 3. Examples of the sensor that detects a signal indicating the operating status of the electronic device 3 include a sensor that detects a signal indicating that the electronic device 3 is in operation, a sensor that detects the opening and closing of a door or the like of the electronic device 3, and a sensor that detects an input operation by the user via an operation button or the like. That is, when the electronic device 3 detects that some operation has been performed on the electronic device 3, such as when the operation of the electronic device 3 has started, when a door has been opened or closed, or when an operation instruction has been input via an operation button or the like, it can be estimated that a user is present near the electronic device 3.

[0067] In this way, when the user detection unit 33 is a sensor that detects a signal indicating the operating status of the electronic device 3, it is possible to determine whether or not a user is present in the vicinity of the electronic device 3 even if the electronic device 3 is not provided with a detection unit that can directly detect the presence or absence of a user, such as an imaging device or a human presence sensor.

[0068] The electronic device control unit 34 controls various parts of the electronic device 3, and is configured by a processor such as a CPU, for example.

[0069] In response to a request from the notification processing device 1, the electronic device control unit 34 transmits the user information detected by the user detection unit 33 to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit 31.

[0070] Furthermore, the electronic device control unit 34 controls the notification unit 32 to notify the recommended program information 62 in response to a notification instruction from the notification processing device 1.

[0071] (Notification processing) The notification process in the notification system 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the notification process in the notification system 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] 4, for convenience of explanation, the electronic device 3 is shown as a single device, but there may be provided a plurality of electronic devices 3. In addition, in FIG. 4, the user detection unit 24 provided in the display device 2 is an imaging device, and the authentication information 60 stored in the storage unit 26 is image data that can identify the user, such as an image of the user's face.

[0073] First, when the display device 2 is powered on, the display device control unit 25 identifies the user watching the program on the display device 2 (step S11). The display device control unit 25 identifies the user by comparing the image of the user captured by the user detection unit 24 with the authentication information 60 stored in the storage unit 26 and determining whether the two match.

[0074] When the user watching the program on the display device 2 is identified, the display device control unit 25 generates viewing history information 61 by associating user identification information indicating the identified user with program information watched by the user, and stores the generated viewing history information in the storage unit 26 (step S12). Then, in the display device 2, the display device control unit 25 transmits the viewing history information 61 stored in the storage unit 26 to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit 21 (step S13).

[0075] The timing of transmission of the viewing history information 61 from the display device 2 to the notification processing device 1 may be every time the display device control unit 25 in the display device 2 generates the viewing history information 61 and stores it in the storage unit 26, or the display device 2 may be configured to transmit the viewing history information 61 from the display device 2 to the notification processing device 1 at a predetermined interval. Alternatively, the display device 2 may be configured to transmit the latest viewing history information 61 stored in the storage unit 26 to the notification processing device 1 upon receiving a transmission request for the viewing history information 61 from the notification processing device 1.

[0076] In the notification processing device 1, when the control unit 11 receives the viewing history information 61 from the display device 2, the control unit 11 stores it in the storage unit 12. Then, based on the viewing history information 61 stored in the storage unit 12, the control unit 11 generates recommended program information 62 to be proposed to the user identified on the display device 2 (step S21).

[0077] As described above, the recommended program information 62 may be generated by the control unit 11, for example, by referring to the viewing history information 61 and determining recommended programs using program names as a key, or by determining recommended programs using genres as a key, and generating the recommended program information 62.

[0078] Next, in the notification processing device 1, the control unit 11 determines whether it is time to notify the recommended program information 62 related to the recommended program (step S22). If the control unit 11 determines that it is not time to notify the recommended program information 62 ("No" in step S22), it returns to the determination in step S22. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that it is time to notify the recommended program information 62 ("Yes" in step S22), it requests user information from the display device 2 (step S23).

[0079] When the request for user information is received from the notification processing device 1, the display device control unit 25 of the display device 2 controls the user detection unit 24 to acquire the user information (step S14). Then, the display device control unit 25 transmits the acquired user information to the notification processing device 1 (step S15).

[0080] The notification processing device 1 determines whether or not the user is present near the display device 2 based on the user information acquired from the display device 2 (step S24). If the user is present near the display device 2 ("No" in step S24), the control unit 11 in the notification processing device 1 transmits recommended program information 62 to the display device 2 via the communication unit 10 (step S25).

[0081] In the display device 2, when the recommended program information 62 is received from the notification processing device 1, the display device control unit 25 controls the audio output unit 22 to notify the recommended program information 62 by audio. Alternatively, the display device control unit 25 controls the video output unit 23 to notify the recommended program information 62 by displaying it. Alternatively, the display device control unit 25 controls the audio output unit 22 and the video output unit 23 to notify the recommended program information 62 by audio and display (step S16).

[0082] On the other hand, if the answer is "Yes" in step S24, the control unit 11 in the notification processing device 1 requests user information from the electronic device 3 (step S26). Note that, for convenience of explanation, one electronic device 3 is shown in Fig. 4, but the notification system 100 includes four electronic devices 3a to 3d, and the notification processing device 1 requests user information from each of the electronic devices 3a to 3d.

[0083] In the electronic device 3, when the request for user information is received from the notification processing device 1, the electronic device control unit 34 controls the user detection unit 33 to acquire the user information (step S31). Then, the electronic device control unit 34 transmits the acquired user information to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit 31 (step S32).

[0084] When the notification processing device 1 receives the user information from the electronic device 3, the control unit 11 determines whether or not there is an electronic device 3 in the vicinity of the user based on the received user information (step S27).

[0085] If the control unit 11 determines that there is an electronic device 3 in the vicinity of the user ("Yes" in step S27), the control unit 11 transmits recommended program information 62 to the electronic device 3 determined to be in the vicinity of the user via the communication unit 10 (step S28).

[0086] When the electronic device 3 receives the recommended program information 62 from the notification processing device 1, the notification unit 32 notifies the received recommended program information 62 (step S33).

[0087] On the other hand, if the result of step S27 is "No", the notification processing device 1 executes a notification termination process to terminate the notification process (step S28). Note that in the notification termination process, the notification processing device 1 may be configured to transmit the recommended program information 62 generated in step S21 to a mobile terminal device (not shown) carried by the user, rather than simply terminating the notification process.

[0088] Furthermore, the electronic devices 3a to 3d do not necessarily have the same notification units 32a to 32d. For example, the electronic device 3a may have an audio output unit as the notification unit 32a, while the electronic device 3b may have an audio output unit that outputs only an alarm sound. Here, if the recommended program information 62 is information that only indicates the existence of a recommended program, the user can be notified by outputting an alarm sound. However, if the content of the recommended program information 62 needs to be notified to the user verbally, an audio output unit that outputs only an alarm sound cannot properly notify the user of the recommended program information 62.

[0089] Therefore, in the notification processing device 1, the control unit 11 further determines whether the electronic device 3 determined in step S27 to be near the user is an electronic device 3 equipped with a notification unit 32 capable of notifying the contents of the recommended program information 62. If the control unit 11 determines that the electronic device 3 is equipped with a notification unit 32 capable of notifying the contents of the recommended program information 62, it transmits the recommended program information 62 to this electronic device 3.

[0090] On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the electronic device 3 is not equipped with a notification unit 32 capable of notifying the user of the contents of the recommended program information 62, the control unit 11 transmits the recommended program information 62 to the electronic device 3 determined in step S27 to be in the vicinity of the user, as well as to another electronic device 3 that is pre-associated with the electronic device 3 and is equipped with a notification unit 32 capable of notifying the user of the contents of the recommended program information 62. The other electronic device 3 may be the electronic device 3 that is located physically closest to the electronic device 3 equipped with a notification unit 32 that is not capable of notifying the user of the contents of the recommended program information 62.

[0091] The electronic device 3 that the user determines to be nearby may sound an alarm indicating that recommended program information 62 is present, and other electronic devices 3 may be configured to notify the user of the contents of the recommended program information 62.

[0092] In addition, when the other electronic device 3 notifies the user of the contents of the recommended program information 62, it is preferable to also notify the user that the source of the alarm sound is an electronic device 3 that the user has determined to be nearby, and the reason why the alarm sound was emitted by the electronic device 3.

[0093] (Variation) Next, notification processing in notification system 100 according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of notification processing in notification system 100 according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure. Notification system 100 according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure performs notification processing in a case where the users who will watch a program on display device 2 are specified in advance to one user.

[0094] In the notification system 100 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure described above, the display device 2 is equipped with an imaging device as the user detection unit 24, and is configured to identify the user using an image of the user captured by the imaging device and authentication information 60 stored in the memory unit 26, and generate viewing history information 61 regarding the identified user.

[0095] In contrast, in the alarm system 100 according to a modified example of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the display device 2 is equipped with a human presence sensor instead of an imaging device as the user detection unit 24, and the memory unit 26 does not store authentication information 60, which differs from the configuration of the alarm system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0096] First, when the display device 2 is powered on and the user detection unit 24 detects that a user is near the display device 2, the display device control unit 25 stores information about the program being viewed by the user at this time as viewing history information 61 in the storage unit 26 (step S41). Then, in the display device 2, the display device control unit 25 transmits the viewing history information 61 stored in the storage unit 26 to the notification processing device 1 via the communication unit 21 (step S42). Subsequent steps S43 to S45 executed by the display device 2, steps S51 to S58 executed by the notification processing device 1, and steps S61 to S63 executed by the electronic device 3 are similar to steps S14 to S16 executed by the display device 2, steps S21 to S28 executed by the notification processing device 1, and steps S31 to S33 executed by the electronic device 3, respectively, in the notification method according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] In the notification system 100 according to the embodiment and the modification of the embodiment, the electronic device 3 is a home appliance installed in the home, but is not limited to this. The electronic device 3 may be an imaging device that is communicably connected to the notification processing device 1 and can capture an image of a user in the vicinity.

[0098] If the electronic device 3 is an imaging device, it is possible to notify the notification processing device 1 that the user is near the imaging device, but it is not possible to notify the recommended program information 62 from the imaging device.

[0099] Therefore, when it is determined that the user is present near the imaging device at the notification timing, the notification processing device 1 may, for example, control another electronic device 3 or the display device 2 capable of notifying the recommended program information 62 to notify the recommended program information 62. When notifying the recommended program information 62 from another electronic device 3 or the display device 2 in this way, the notification processing device 1 may be configured to instruct the electronic device 3 or the display device 2 to make the notification at a louder volume or with a larger display size than usual.

[0100] When the electronic device 3 is an imaging device, the notification system 100 can be easily constructed by simply providing, in addition to the notification processing device 1 and the display device 2, an imaging device connected to the notification processing device 1 so as to be able to communicate with it.

[0101] In the notification system 100 described above, the display device 2 is a television receiver, and the system notifies the user of recommended program information 62, which is information about programs recommended for viewing by the user, i.e., information about broadcast content recommended for viewing. The content recommended for viewing by the user is not limited to broadcast content, but may also be video content distributed by a video distribution service (VOD; Video On Demand). Furthermore, when the content recommended for viewing by the user is video content, the display device 2 may be a display device communicably connected to a video content distribution server via the Internet, for example.

[0102] Furthermore, in the case of a configuration in which video content viewing is recommended to a user, the timing of notifying the user of information related to the recommended video content may be the timing of the start or end of distribution of the video content, or, if the video content is divided and distributed several times, the timing may be the timing of the start of distribution of new video content that is a continuation of the video content that has already been viewed. In this way, when the timing of the notification is the timing of the start or end of distribution of video content, it is useful for notifying the user of the start or end of distribution of the video content.

[0103] The notification timing may also be the timing when a third party's evaluation of video content that the user has already viewed or video content related to the already viewed video content becomes higher than a predetermined standard. Examples of video content related to the already viewed video content include video content from the same series as the already viewed video content. When configured to notify information about video content at such notification timing, the user can be notified of video content that the user has already viewed or video content related to the already viewed video content for which a third party's evaluation exceeds a predetermined standard when the third party's evaluation exceeds the predetermined standard. In other words, information about video content that the user is interested in can be notified to the user when the content attracts the attention of many people. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1. Notification processing device 2 Display device 3 Electronic equipment 3a Electronic equipment 3b Electronic equipment 3c electronic equipment 3d electronic equipment 10. Communications Department 11 Control section 12 Storage section 21 Communications Department 22 Audio output section 23 Video output section 24 User detection unit 25 Display device control unit 26 Memory section 31 Communications Department 31a Communications Department 31b Communication Department 31c Communication Department 31d Communication Department 32 Information Department 32a Notification Department 32b Notification Department 32c Notification Department 32d Information Department 33 User detection unit 33a User detection unit 33b User detection unit 33c User detection unit 33d User detection section 34 Electronic equipment control section 34a Electronic equipment control unit 34b Electronic equipment control unit 34c Electronic equipment control unit 34d Electronic equipment control unit 51 Viewing history information acquisition unit 52 Recommended Program Decision Department 53 User information acquisition unit 54 Output destination determination unit 55 Recommended program information output section 60 Credentials 61 Viewing history information 62 Recommended Program Information 100 Notification System

Claims

1. An information processing device comprising: a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether a user is present; and the information processing device being communicably connected to a display device that displays content and an electronic device, a control unit that determines recommended content to be notified to the user based on a viewing history of the content by the user on the display device, and outputs recommended content information regarding the determined recommended content; The control unit controls the display device to notify the recommended content information if it determines, based on the user information detected by the first detection unit, that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended content is determined, and controls the electronic device to notify the recommended content information if it determines that the user is not present.

2. a second detection unit configured to detect the user information, the second detection unit configured to be communicatively connected to each of the plurality of electronic devices, The information processing device described in claim 1, wherein the control unit identifies the electronic device equipped with the second detection unit that detected the user information indicating the presence of the user at the notification timing based on the user information detected by the second detection unit equipped in each of the multiple electronic devices, and controls the identified electronic device to notify the recommended content information.

3. The information processing device described in claim 2, wherein when the control unit determines, based on the user information detected by the second detection unit provided in each of the plurality of electronic devices, that there is no electronic device equipped with the second detection unit that detected the user information indicating the user's presence at the notification timing, the control unit identifies the electronic device equipped with the second detection unit that detected the user information indicating the user's presence at the time closest to the notification timing, and controls the identified electronic device to notify the recommended content information.

4. The information processing device described in claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the identified electronic device to change the notification mode of the recommended content information depending on the difference between the notification timing and the time when the user information indicating the presence of the user is detected by the second detection unit.

5. The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the first detector and the second detector are imaging devices.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first detection unit and the second detection unit are human sensors that detect the presence or absence of the user.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second detection unit is a sensor that detects a signal indicating an operating status of each of the plurality of electronic devices.

8. An information processing device described in any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the control unit, if the identified electronic device does not have a notification unit capable of notifying the contents of the recommended content information, causes another electronic device associated with the identified electronic device to notify the contents of the recommended content information.

9. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit determines a plurality of the recommended contents, the control unit sets priorities for the plurality of the recommended contents based on the user's viewing history of the contents, and controls the notification manner of the recommended content information to be changed according to the priorities.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing device is provided integrally with the display device.

11. An electronic device communicably connected to an information processing device that determines recommended content to be notified to a user based on a content viewing history of the user on a display device, and outputs recommended content information related to the determined recommended content, a detection unit that detects user information indicating whether the user is present; a transmitting unit that transmits the user information detected by the detecting unit to the information processing device; an annunciation unit that, when receiving the recommended content information from the information processing device, notifies the user of the recommended content information.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the notification unit is an audio output unit that notifies the content of the recommended content information by audio.

13. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the notification unit is a display unit that displays and notifies the contents of the recommended content information.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein the notification unit is a sound output unit that sounds an alarm to notify that the recommended content information is available.

15. a display device that displays content and that has a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether a user is present; Electronic devices and an information processing device, The information processing device includes: a control unit that determines recommended content to be notified to the user based on a viewing history of the content by the user on the display device, and outputs recommended content information regarding the determined recommended content; The control unit controls the display device to notify the recommended content information if it determines, based on the user information detected by the first detection unit, that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended content is determined, and controls the electronic device to notify the recommended content information if it determines that the user is not present.

16. A control method for an information processing device including a first detection unit that detects user information indicating whether a user is present, and that is communicably connected to a display device that displays content and an electronic device, the method comprising: determining recommended content to be notified to the user based on a viewing history of the content by the user on the display device; a step of causing the display device to notify recommended content information regarding the recommended content when it is determined based on the user information detected by the first detection unit that the user is present at a predetermined notification timing after the recommended content is determined, and causing the electronic device to notify the recommended content information when it is determined that the user is not present.

17. A control method for an electronic device communicably connected to an information processing device that determines recommended content to be notified to a user based on a content viewing history of the user on a display device, and outputs recommended content information related to the determined recommended content, comprising: detecting user information indicating whether the user is present; transmitting the detected user information to the information processing device; a notification step of notifying the recommended content information when the recommended content information is received from the information processing device.

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