Content providing device, content providing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a content providing device, a content providing method, and a program capable of effectively presenting content that a user wants to continuously browse.SOLUTION: The content providing device 100 includes a generating unit 130 that generates an interest list for each user, an adding unit 131 that adds content whose usable portion has been used to the interest list of the user, a specifying unit 140 that specifies content included in the interest list and whose unused portion has changed to a usable portion, a presenting unit 150 that presents the specified content in a selectable manner, a providing unit 120 that provides, when any content is selected from the presented content, the unused portion of the selected content that has changed to a usable portion, and a deleting unit 132 that deletes, from the interest list, content for which a predetermined period has elapsed without providing the unused portion that has changed to a usable portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a content providing device, a content providing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known technologies for providing electronic content via a network. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic content providing device that provides electronic content, such as an electronic book in which multiple constituent contents are developed in a predetermined order, in an appropriate manner according to the preferences of the user.

[0003] In this electronic content providing device, each constituent content of an electronic book is classified into always free, limited free, or always paid, and when a request to view a constituent content classified as limited free is received, it determines whether the current time is within a limited free period, and if it is determined that it is within the limited free period, it outputs the constituent content, and if it is determined that it is not within the limited free period, it outputs the constituent content only if it is determined that a predetermined approval process has been executed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-197484 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an electronic content provision service provided using such technology, for example, episodes 1 to 3 of an electronic book may be set to be always free, episodes 4 to the fifth episode before the latest episode may be set to be limited free, and episodes thereafter up to the latest episode may be always paid.

[0006] In addition, in order to view the constituent contents, a subscription right for one episode may be repeatedly granted by a so-called free charge. In such a case, it is expected that users will access the electronic content providing service every day.

[0007] In such electronic content providing services, a browsing history list, which is a list of summary information of content previously viewed, is presented to the user. When a free charge is completed or a subsequent content following a previously viewed constituent content becomes available for viewing in the browsing history list, a label or mark indicating this is attached to the summary information. When the user selects the summary information, the subsequent content is provided.

[0008] However, in the viewing history list, for example, the user clicks on an advertisement banner to view the first constituent content, but the content that the user does not want to view further, and the content that the user wants to view further, are presented together.

[0009] Therefore, even if content subsequent to a content the user wishes to view in succession becomes available for viewing, the content may be buried under content the user does not wish to view in succession and the user may not notice this, which may require the user to go through the trouble of searching for whether the content is available for viewing or deleting the content the user does not wish to view in succession from the list. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of effectively presenting content the user wishes to continue viewing.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a content providing device, a content providing method, and a program that can effectively present content that a user wants to continue viewing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, a content providing device according to the present invention comprises: a generating unit that generates, for each user, a list of interest indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; an adding unit that adds content whose available portion that is available to the user has been used to the attention list of the user; an identifying unit that identifies content included in the attention list, the content having an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user changed to the available portion; a presentation unit that presents the content identified by the identification unit in a selectable manner; a providing unit that, when any of the contents presented by the presenting unit is selected, provides the unused portion of the selected content that has been changed to the usable portion; a deletion unit that deletes, from the attention list of the user, content that has been presented by the presentation unit and for which the unused portion that has been changed to the usable portion has not been provided to the user for a predetermined period of time; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a content providing device, a content providing method, and a program that can effectively present content that a user wants to continue viewing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a content providing system according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home screen displayed on the terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a details screen of an electronic book displayed on a terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a usage confirmation screen displayed on the terminal. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a usage confirmation screen displayed on the terminal. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a details screen of an electronic book displayed on the terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a focus list displayed on a terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the functional configuration of a content providing device. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of content management information stored in an information storage unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a focus list displayed on the terminal. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of an update list displayed on the terminal. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart of an addition process performed by the content providing device. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of a specification process performed by the content providing device. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart of a deletion process performed by the content providing device. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a focus list according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, a content providing system that provides electronic books will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to electronic books and can also be applied to content providing systems that provide other content, such as videos and games. In other words, this embodiment is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art can employ embodiments in which each or all of these elements are replaced with equivalents, and these embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, a content providing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a content providing device 100 that provides an electronic book service and a terminal 200 used by a user who uses the electronic book service, and the content providing device 100 and the terminal 200 are connected via a communication network 300 such as the Internet. Note that, although Fig. 1 shows one terminal 200, the number of terminals 200 applicable to the content providing system 1 is not limited to this, and a plurality of terminals 200 may be applied.

[0016] The content providing device 100 is configured with one or more server computers. The content providing device 100 manages various electronic books (for example, comics, novels, how-to books, photo books, etc.) and provides free electronic books and electronic books purchased by users to the terminal 200.

[0017] E-books are preset with chapters that are always available for free (e.g., chapters 1 through 5 are always available for free viewing) (hereinafter also referred to as "always free chapters"); chapters that are available for free upon fulfilling certain conditions, such as a free charge (hereinafter also referred to as "conditionally free chapters"); and chapters that become available upon purchase (hereinafter also referred to as "paid chapters"). A free charge refers to the granting of viewing rights after a certain period of time has elapsed, with a usage limit set for each e-book, such as a certain amount (e.g., one chapter) available for free use within a certain period of time (e.g., one day). The condition for viewing a conditionally free chapter may be the fulfillment of any condition other than a free charge, such as when the number of points available in the content providing service exceeds the number of points required to view the conditionally free chapter of each e-book, or when a ticket for viewing the conditionally free chapter is distributed. Always free chapters and conditionally free chapters that become available by a free charge or the like are examples of available portions.

[0018] When providing an electronic book, the content providing device 100 appropriately manages each episode and manages the provision of conditionally free episodes so that each user can use up to a predetermined amount for free within a predetermined period. For example, when a user views the content of episode 6, which is a conditionally free episode, the content providing device 100 grants the user a right to view one episode by free charge 24 hours after the content of episode 6 is viewed, and controls so that other unread conditionally free episodes can be used for free.

[0019] 2 to 5 show examples of screens on the terminal 200 related to the provision of electronic books. FIG. 2 shows an example of a home screen 210 that is displayed when an electronic book application pre-installed on the terminal 200 for using an electronic book service is launched. As shown in the figure, the home screen 210 displays a list of objects 20 that represent summaries of each electronic book. The objects 20 include a thumbnail 20a, the name of the electronic book 20b, and character strings 20c indicating the number of always-free chapters. The user searches for an electronic book to view by entering a predetermined keyword, such as the author's name or the title of a work, into a search tab 21 located at the top of the home screen 210 to narrow down the electronic books displayed in the list. When the user selects one of the electronic books, the content providing device 100 displays a details screen 220 of the electronic book, as shown in FIG. 3, on the display screen of the terminal 200.

[0020] FIG. 3 is an example of a details screen 220 for content A that is displayed when content A is selected on the home screen 210. As shown, the details screen 220 displays objects 30, each representing an overview of each episode that makes up content A, arranged vertically. The objects 30 include a thumbnail 31 for each episode, a character string 32 indicating the episode number for each episode, a viewing status icon 33 indicating whether each episode has been read or not, a free icon 34 indicating that the episode is always available for free viewing, a timer icon 35 indicating that the episode is available for free charging, and a cart icon 36 indicating that the episode is available for purchase. In the example shown, the first episode of the e-book "content A" is always free, the sixth episode is conditionally free, and the twentieth episode is a paid episode.

[0021] When the user selects any of the objects 30 on the details screen 220, the content providing device 100 causes the terminal 200 to display a usage confirmation screen 230, as shown in FIG. 4 or 5. FIG. 4 shows an example of the usage confirmation screen 230 when the object 30 of episode 6, which is a conditionally free episode, is selected and free charging has been completed. As shown in the figure, the usage confirmation screen 230 is arranged with a free charge object 41 for selecting viewing by free charging, a purchase selection object 42 for selecting viewing by purchase, and a cancel object 43 for canceling viewing. When the user selects the free charge object 41 or the purchase selection object 42 and completes the purchase procedure, the content providing device 100 provides the selected content of episode 6 to the terminal 200 and displays it on the display screen.

[0022] 5 shows an example of the usage confirmation screen 230 when the object 30 for the sixth episode of content A, which is a conditionally free episode, is selected and free charging has not been completed. As shown in the figure, the free charge object 41a displays the time remaining until charging is completed. When the purchase selection object 42 is selected and the purchase procedure is completed, the content providing device 100 provides the content of the sixth episode to the terminal 200 and displays it on the display screen.

[0023] When the content providing device 100 provides the content of the selected story, or when it detects that the last page of the provided content has been displayed on the display screen of the terminal 200, it records that the content has been viewed.

[0024] Furthermore, the number of conditionally free stories in each e-book may be increased. For example, the oldest paid story may be changed to a conditionally free story by several stories every time a predetermined period of time passes. Or, if an e-book is being serialized, the oldest paid story may be changed to a conditionally free story in response to the addition of the latest story. Here, FIG. 6 shows an example of the details screen 220 shown in FIG. 3 when a new story is added and the paid story, story 20, is updated to a conditional story. As shown in the figure, a timer icon 35 is added to the object 30 for story 20, indicating that it is available for use by free charging, and an update icon 37 indicating that it has been updated is displayed above it. Furthermore, story 31, the latest story, is added as a paid story and is displayed together with the update icon 37. These displays allow the user to know that the number of conditionally free stories has increased and that the latest story has been added.

[0025] Returning to FIG. 1, the content providing device 100 generates a focus list for each user, which lists electronic books that the user is currently viewing and is presumed to want to view subsequent chapters of, and presents the focus list to the user. The content providing device 100 generates and updates the focus list by adding or deleting electronic books that satisfy preset conditions based on the user's browsing behavior. FIG. 7 shows an example of the focus list 50 displayed on the display screen of the terminal 200. As shown in the figure, the focus list 50 has objects 51 that show summaries of electronic books arranged so that they can be scrolled vertically. The objects 51 include a recharge icon 52 that indicates the status of free recharge, and display, for each electronic book, whether the free recharge has been completed or the time remaining until the free recharge is completed.

[0026] Returning to FIG. 1 , the terminal 200 is an information terminal (so-called computer) such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer) used by a user who uses an e-book service, and is capable of communicating with the content providing device 100 via a communication network 300. For example, an e-book application for using the e-book service is installed in the terminal 200. The user launches the e-book application to access the content providing device 100. The user then browses e-books that are available for free or by purchase, etc. The user may also launch a browser (browser application) installed in the terminal 200 to access the content providing device 100 and use the e-books.

[0027] Communications network 300 may include various types of networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wireless network, a public switched network, a satellite network, a cellular network, a public land mobile network (PLMN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a private network, an ad-hoc network, an intranet, an optical fiber-based network, or any combination of these or other types of networks.

[0028] (Functional configuration of content providing device) Next, the functional configuration of the content providing device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The content providing device 100 includes an information storage unit 110, a providing unit 120, a generating unit 130, an identifying unit 140, and a presenting unit 150.

[0029] The information storage unit 110 stores content management information for managing e-books that are currently or will be available to each user. An example of the content management information is shown in FIG. 9. As shown in the figure, the content management information includes the following information: a "user ID" that uniquely identifies a user; a "content ID" that uniquely identifies an e-book; a "content name" that indicates the name of the e-book; a "chapter number" that identifies each chapter in the e-book; a "content category" that indicates whether each chapter in the e-book is always free, conditionally free, or paid; a "usage category" that indicates whether each chapter in the e-book has been read or not; and a "usage date and time" that indicates the date and time each chapter in the e-book was read or provided to the user. The content management information is managed by an administrator user, who can, for example, add new e-books, add the latest chapters, and change the content category.

[0030] In addition to content management information, the information storage unit 110 stores user information about each user (user ID, password, address, age, payment card information, etc.), management information about each e-book (content ID, book title, author name, genre, number of chapters, etc.), a focus list 50 for each user generated by the generation unit 130, and actual data for each e-book.

[0031] The providing unit 120 provides the electronic book available to the user to the terminal 200. Specifically, the providing unit 120 provides the available story available to the user to the terminal 200 based on a selection operation by the user from among the stories in the electronic book. The providing unit 120 records the date and time when the available story is provided to the user or the date and time when it detects that the last page of the available story provided to the terminal 200 has been displayed in the "usage date and time" of the content management information, and changes the "usage classification" from "unread" to "read."

[0032] The generating unit 130 generates, for each user, a focus list 50 as shown in FIG.

[0033] Based on the user's viewing status, the adding unit 131 adds electronic books that satisfy a preset addition condition to the focus list 50. For example, when the adding unit 131 determines that the user has viewed at least a predetermined amount (threshold amount) or at least a predetermined percentage (threshold percentage) of the number of free-to-use chapters of a certain electronic book, the adding unit 131 adds the electronic book to the user's focus list 50.

[0034] The deletion unit 132 deletes electronic books that satisfy a preset deletion condition based on the user's viewing status from the focused list 50. For example, the deletion unit 132 deletes from the focused list 50 electronic books that are included in the focused list 50 and that have been identified by the identification unit 140 as having free charge and unread stories available, and for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unread stories being viewed.

[0035] The generation unit 130 assigns a display order to each electronic book based on a setting rule that sets the display order of each electronic book in the focus list 50 after the addition or deletion by the adding unit 131 and the deleting unit 132, and rearranges the electronic books in the assigned display order to generate the focus list 50. The setting rule may be any rule that sets a high display order in the order of the latest time unread stories became available, the order of the fewest number of unread stories, the order of the update date when conditional free stories were added, the order of the addition date when the latest story was added, or the order of the addition date when the electronic books were added to the focus list 50.

[0036] The identification unit 140 identifies electronic books in which unread stories have become available from among the electronic books included in the attention list 50. Specifically, the identification unit 140 refers to the content management information exemplified in FIG. 9 to identify electronic books that have unread stories that have become available due to the completion of free charging. The identification unit 140 notifies the presentation unit 150 of the identified electronic books. Details of the processing by the identification unit 140 will be described later.

[0037] The presentation unit 150 presents the e-books identified by the identification unit 140. For example, when it is identified that an unread story of content A has become available, the presentation unit 150 arranges a charge icon 52 indicating that charge has been completed and an update icon 37 indicating that a new update has been made on an object 51 of content A in the attention list 50, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , and displays the same on the terminal 200. Note that the presentation unit 150 may also display the objects 51 in the attention list 50 in order of the most recent date and time at which the free charge was completed. Furthermore, the presentation unit 150 is not limited to presenting the e-books identified by the identification unit 140 in the attention list 50. As illustrated in FIG. 11 , the presentation unit 150 may also generate an update list 60, which is a list of identified e-books, separately from the attention list 50 and display it on the display screen of the terminal 200. Furthermore, the presentation unit 150 may also display a pop-up on the terminal 200 that the unread story has become available, or may notify the user via email.

[0038] (Hardware configuration of information processing device) 12 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device 10 in which the content providing device 100 and the terminal 200 are realized. The information processing device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that executes processing according to a program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12 that is a volatile memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 13 that is a non-volatile memory, a storage unit 14 that stores data, an input unit 15 that accepts input of information, a display unit 16 that visualizes and displays information, and a communication unit 17 that transmits and receives information, all of which are connected via an internal bus 99.

[0039] The CPU 11 controls the overall operation of the information processing device 10, is connected to each component, and exchanges control signals and data. The CPU 11 executes various processes by reading programs stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12 and executing them. The CPU 11 executes each process by the providing unit 120, the generating unit 130, the identifying unit 140, and the presenting unit 150 as the main functions provided by the programs.

[0040] The RAM 12 is used to temporarily store data and programs, and stores programs and data read from the storage unit 14, as well as other data necessary for communication. The RAM 12 is used as a work area for the CPU 11.

[0041] The ROM 13 stores a control program executed by the CPU 11 for the basic operation of the information processing device 10, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System), and the like.

[0042] The storage unit 14 includes a hard disk drive, a flash memory, etc., and stores programs executed by the CPU 11 and various data used when the programs are executed. The storage unit 14 functions as an information storage unit 110.

[0043] The input unit 15 is a user interface including a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, a communication device, etc. The input unit 15 receives an operation input from a user of the information processing device 10 and outputs a signal corresponding to the received operation input to the CPU 11.

[0044] The display unit 16 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display that visualizes and displays information.

[0045] The communication unit 17 is a network termination device or a wireless communication device connected to the network, and a serial interface or a LAN (Local Area Network) interface connected to them. The information processing device 10 communicates with other information processing devices, etc. via the communication unit 17. The communication unit 17 functions as a providing unit 120 and a presenting unit 150.

[0046] (additional processing) Next, the operation of the content providing device 100 will be described. First, the adding process for adding a new electronic book to the focus list 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. When the user operates the terminal 200 to start an electronic book application pre-installed in the terminal 200, the adding process starts.

[0047] The providing unit 120 of the content providing device 100 waits for a content providing request (step S101). Specifically, on the home screen 210 illustrated in Fig. 2, the user searches for an e-book by inputting the author's name or the title of a work into the search tab 21, and selects an e-book object 20 to view, or selects an e-book object 20 displayed on the home screen 210 as a recommendation. When the user selects any one of the e-book objects 20, the providing unit 120 causes the terminal 200 to display a details screen 220 of the selected e-book, illustrated in Fig. 3.

[0048] When an object 30 of any story is selected on the details screen 220, the terminal 200 transmits a request for provision of the content of the selected story to the content providing device 100.

[0049] Next, upon receiving a provision request (step S102; Yes), the providing unit 120 reads the content management information illustrated in FIG. 9 and determines whether to provide the story related to the provision request to the user using the user ID, the content ID related to the provision request, and the number of stories as keys. Specifically, if the story related to the provision request is a free story at all times, the providing unit 120 determines to provide the story related to the provision request to the user. Furthermore, if the story related to the provision request is a conditionally free story, the providing unit 120 extracts the most recent date and time of use of the electronic book, and if a predetermined period has passed and free charging has been completed, determines to provide the story related to the provision request to the user. Furthermore, if the story related to the provision request is a paid story, the providing unit 120 determines to provide the story related to the provision request to the user upon completion of the purchase procedure. If the providing unit 120 determines to provide the story related to the provision request to the user, the providing unit 120 transmits content data of the story related to the provision request to the terminal 200, thereby providing it to the user (step S103).

[0050] If the "usage category" of the provided story is "unread," the providing unit 120 changes the "usage category" to "read," enters the date and time when the content data was transmitted in the "usage date and time," and updates the content management information. Note that the providing unit 120 does not necessarily detect that the provided story has been read when the content data is provided; for example, the providing unit 120 may detect that the provided story has been read when it receives a notification from the terminal 200 indicating that the last page of the provided story has been displayed, and record the time when the notification was received in the "usage date and time."

[0051] On the other hand, if the providing unit 120 determines that it has not received a providing request (step S102; No), the process returns to step S101 and waits for a providing request.

[0052] Next, the adding unit 131 reads out the user's focus list 50 from the information storage unit 110, and determines whether the electronic book related to the content data of the story provided in step S103 has been added to the focus list (step S104). When the generating unit 130 determines that the electronic book has been added to the focus list 50 (step S104), the adding process ends.

[0053] On the other hand, when determining that the electronic book has not been added to the focus list 50 (step S104; No), the adding unit 131 determines whether or not the electronic book satisfies a preset addition condition (step S105).

[0054] For example, the adding unit 131 adds electronic books for which a predetermined number or a predetermined percentage of always-free stories and conditionally-free stories that are available for free have been read to the focus list 50. The same condition for adding may be set for all electronic books, or a threshold amount such as one or more stories, three or more stories, or five or more stories may be set for each electronic book depending on the number of always-free stories and conditionally-free stories.

[0055] If the adding unit 131 determines that the electronic book related to the provision request received in step S102 satisfies the addition condition (step S105; Yes), it adds the electronic book to the attention list 50 of the user (step S106) and terminates the addition process. Thereafter, the generating unit 130, for example, sets the highest sorting order to the electronic book newly determined to satisfy the addition condition and displays it at the top of the attention list 50. On the other hand, if the adding unit 131 determines that the electronic book related to the provision request received in step S102 does not satisfy the addition condition (step S105; No), it terminates the addition process without adding the electronic book to the attention list 50 of the user.

[0056] (Specific processing) Next, a process of identifying electronic books in which unread stories have become available from among the electronic books included in the focus list 50 and presenting the identified electronic books will be described with reference to Fig. 14. The process of identifying electronic books is executed at set intervals, for example, every minute, every five minutes, or every ten minutes.

[0057] The identifying unit 140 acquires content management information, such as the example shown in FIG. 9, from the information storage unit 110 (step S201).

[0058] Next, the identifying unit 140 repeatedly executes the processes from step S203 to step S205 for each user included in the content management information acquired in step S201 (step S202).

[0059] In step S203, the identification unit 140 determines whether or not there is any electronic book for which free recharge has been completed among the electronic books included in the focus list 50. Specifically, the identification unit 140 identifies the electronic books included in the focus list 50 from the content management information, extracts the most recent "usage date and time" of each electronic book, and identifies electronic books for which a predetermined time has passed since the extracted "usage date and time" as electronic books for which free recharge has been completed.

[0060] If the identification unit 140 determines that there is an electronic book for which free charging has been completed (step S203; Yes), it proceeds to step S204, and if it determines that there is no electronic book for which free charging has been completed (step S203; No), it proceeds to step S206.

[0061] In step S204, the identifying unit 140 determines whether there are any unread stories in the electronic books for which free recharge has been completed. Specifically, the identifying unit 140 determines from the content management information whether there are any electronic books whose "content category" is "2 (condition free)" and whose "usage category" is "unread."

[0062] If the identification unit 140 determines that there is an unread story (step S204; Yes), the process proceeds to step S205, and if it determines that there is no unread story (step S204; No), the process proceeds to step S206. The identification unit 140 stores in the information storage unit 110 the date and time when the electronic book that has the unread story available has been identified through the processes of steps S203 and S204.

[0063] In step S205, the presenting unit 150 presents to the user the electronic book for which it has been determined that an unread story has become available. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 10, the presenting unit 150 displays a charge icon 52 indicating that charging has been completed and an update icon 37 indicating that the electronic book has been newly updated on an object 51 of content A for which it has been determined that an unread story has become available in the focus list 50.

[0064] Next, in step S206, the identification unit 140 determines whether or not loop 1 processing has been executed for all users included in the content management information. If the identification unit 140 determines that there are unprocessed users, it executes loop 1 processing for the unprocessed users. On the other hand, if the identification unit 140 determines in step S206 that loop 1 processing has been executed for all users included in the content management information, it returns to step S201, and upon detecting that the set time interval has elapsed, executes the processing of step S201.

[0065] (Deletion process) Next, a deletion process for deleting electronic books that satisfy the deletion conditions from the focus list 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. The deletion process is executed at set intervals, such as every minute, every five minutes, or every ten minutes. The deletion process may be executed simultaneously with the identification process, or may be executed at different timings. Furthermore, the deletion process may be executed at intervals longer or shorter than those of the identification process.

[0066] The deletion unit 132 acquires content management information, an example of which is shown in FIG. 9, from the information storage unit 110 (step S301).

[0067] Next, the deletion unit 132 repeatedly executes the processes from step S303 to step S305 for each user included in the content management information acquired in step S301 (step S302).

[0068] In step S303, the deletion unit 132 acquires the attention list 50 of the user to be processed from the information storage unit 110.

[0069] In step S304, the deletion unit 132 determines whether there is an e-book in the focused list 50 that satisfies a preset deletion condition. For example, the deletion unit 132 determines whether there is an e-book included in the focused list 50 that satisfies a deletion rule that deletes from the focused list 50 an e-book that has been identified as having unread stories available through the identification process illustrated in FIG. 14 and for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unread stories being viewed. The deletion unit 132 may also delete from the focused list 50 an e-book for which the number of conditionally free stories has increased due to a change from a paid story to a conditionally free story, but for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unread stories being viewed. For example, the deletion unit 132 may count the number of conditionally free stories in each e-book and store the count together with the date and time in the storage unit 14 each time the deletion process is performed. The deletion unit 132 may delete from the focused list 50 an e-book for which the number of conditionally free stories has increased since the date and time the e-book was identified as having unread stories available through the identification process, and for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unread stories being viewed.

[0070] The deletion unit 132 compares the date and time identified by the identification unit 140 with the current date and time for each electronic book in the focus list 50, and if there is an electronic book for which a predetermined period has elapsed, determines that there is an electronic book that satisfies the deletion condition (step S304; Yes), and proceeds to step S305. On the other hand, if the deletion unit 132 determines that there is no electronic book that satisfies the deletion condition (step S304; No), the deletion unit 132 proceeds to step S306.

[0071] In step S305, the deletion unit 132 deletes the electronic book determined to satisfy the deletion condition in step S304 from the focus list 50 of the user.

[0072] Next, in step S306, the deletion unit 132 determines whether or not the loop 2 process has been executed for all users included in the content management information. If the deletion unit 132 determines that there are unprocessed users, it executes the loop 2 process for the unprocessed users and deletes electronic books that satisfy the deletion conditions from the focus list 50. On the other hand, if the deletion unit 132 determines in step S205 that the loop 2 process has been executed for all users included in the content management information, it returns to step S301, and upon detecting that the set time interval has elapsed, executes the process of step S301.

[0073] As described above, the content providing device 100 generates the focus list 50 for each user by adding content that satisfies the addition condition based on the user's browsing behavior. The content providing device 100 deletes content that satisfies the deletion condition from the focus list 50 to update it, thereby deleting content that is presumed to be content that the user does not want to continue viewing from the focus list 50. Therefore, even if the focus list 50 includes content that the user does not want to continue viewing, the content is automatically deleted from the focus list 50 if the user leaves the content without performing any explicit operation on the content. Therefore, the user can effortlessly manage content that the user wants to continue viewing, without having to perform the burden of deleting content that the user does not want to continue viewing from the focus list 50.

[0074] Furthermore, the content providing device 100 presents electronic books whose unread portions are now available, so that the user can easily recognize the content whose continuation is now available.

[0075] (Variation) In the above embodiment, the deletion unit 132 may notify the user that an electronic book that satisfies the deletion condition will be deleted. Specifically, when it is determined in the processing of step S303 that there is an electronic book that satisfies the deletion condition, the deletion unit 132 displays a deletion icon 53 on the object 51 of the electronic book to be deleted, indicating that the electronic book will soon be deleted from the focused list 50, as illustrated in FIG. 16 . Thereafter, if the unread story of content C is not viewed until the user displays the object 51 of content C a predetermined number of times in the focused list 50, the deletion unit 132 may delete content C from the focused list 50. Note that the deletion unit 132 may display the remaining time until deletion on the focused list 50 instead of the deletion icon 53.

[0076] In the above embodiment, a conditionally free story may be set with an availability period, which is a limited period during which the story can be viewed free of charge. For example, the content management information may be set so that the story can be viewed free of charge for one week with a free charge, and thereafter, the story can be viewed only for a fee. In this case, information indicating the availability period may be set in the content management information. Furthermore, the generation unit 130 may set availability periods for the e-books included in the focus list 50, and sort and display the e-books at the top of the focus list 50 in order of the shortest availability period.

[0077] In addition, although the identification unit 140 has been described as identifying an electronic book for which free recharge has been completed and unread stories are available, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the identification unit 140 may determine that unread stories are available when any condition is met, such as when the number of points that are granted to a user when a predetermined condition is met and that can be used in the content providing service is equal to or greater than the number of points required to view the conditional free stories of each electronic book, or when a ticket for viewing the conditional free stories is distributed.

[0078] Furthermore, in addition to the focus list 50, the generation unit 130 may generate a browsing history indicating the user's browsing history and display it on the terminal 200. In this case, the generation unit 130 may refer to the content management information exemplified in Fig. 9 and add to the browsing history any e-books that include stories for which "read" has been entered in the usage category. This allows the user to search for an e-book from the browsing history even if the e-book has been deleted from the focus list 50, because the e-book is retained in the browsing history.

[0079] The content providing device 100 according to the above embodiment can be realized using a normal computer, not a dedicated device. For example, the content providing device 100 that executes the above processes may be configured by installing a program for executing any of the above processes on a computer from a recording medium that stores the program. Furthermore, the content providing device 100 may be configured by multiple computers operating in cooperation with each other.

[0080] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned functions are realized by sharing the functions between an OS (Operating System) and an application, or by cooperation between the OS and the application, only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the medium.

[0081] It is also possible to superimpose the program on a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network. For example, the program may be distributed through an application store (App Store) or posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a communication network and distributed via the network. These programs may then be launched and run under the control of an operating system in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above-described processing to be performed.

[0082] Furthermore, the information stored in the content providing device 100 may be collectively managed by a cloud server on the network, and the content providing device 100 may access the cloud server as needed to read and write information. In this case, the content providing device 100 does not need to include the information storage unit 110. Furthermore, the addition process, identification process, and deletion process by the content providing device 100 may be performed on the cloud using information stored in the cloud server.

[0083] Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices.

[0084] (Appendix 1) a generating unit that generates, for each user, a list of interest indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; an adding unit that adds content whose available portion that is available to the user has been used to the attention list of the user; an identifying unit that identifies content included in the attention list, the content having an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user changed to the available portion; a presentation unit that presents the content identified by the identification unit in a selectable manner; a providing unit that, when any of the contents presented by the presenting unit is selected, provides the unused portion of the selected content that has been changed to the usable portion; a deletion unit that deletes, from the attention list of the user, content that has been presented by the presentation unit and for which the unused portion that has been changed to the usable portion has not been provided to the user for a predetermined period of time; A content providing device comprising:

[0085] (Appendix 2) the adding unit adds the content whose entire usable portion has been used to the attention list. 2. The content providing device according to claim 1.

[0086] (Appendix 3) the adding unit adds to the attention list content for which a predetermined amount or a predetermined ratio or more of the available portion has been used. 2. The content providing device according to claim 1.

[0087] (Appendix 4) the presenting unit generates an updated list showing a list of the content identified by the identifying unit. 4. A content providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0088] (Appendix 5) the presentation unit displays the content identified by the identification unit at the top of the attention list, and displays the remaining content included in the attention list that has not been identified by the identification unit following the identified content; 4. A content providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0089] (Appendix 6) the generation unit sets a display order of the content in the attention list in descending order of time when the unused portion changed to the available portion; 6. A content providing device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0090] (Appendix 7) A usable period is set for the usable portion, the generation unit sets the display order of the content in ascending order of the remaining available period; 6. A content providing device according to claim 1.

[0091] (Appendix 8) the deletion unit deletes the content for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unused portion being provided to the user, despite the fact that the unused portion that has been changed to the usable portion has increased. 8. A content providing device according to claim 1.

[0092] (Appendix 9) the deletion unit displays, in the focused list, information indicating that the content has been decided to be deleted from the focused list, and when the information is displayed a predetermined number of times, deletes the content from the focused list. 8. A content providing device according to claim 1.

[0093] (Appendix 10) The computer generating a list of interest for each user, the list indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; adding content whose available portion is available to the user to the interest list of the user; Identifying content included in the attention list, in which an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user has changed to the available portion; presenting the identified content in a selectable manner; When any of the presented contents is selected, providing the unused portion of the selected content that has been changed to the available portion; a step of deleting from the user's interest list any content among the presented content for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unused portion that has changed to the available portion being provided to the user; A content delivery method that performs the following.

[0094] (Appendix 11) On the computer, A process of generating a list of interest for each user, the list indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; adding content whose available portion is available to the user to the interest list of the user; A process of identifying content included in the attention list, in which an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user has changed to the available portion; presenting the identified content in a selectable manner; a process of providing the unused portion of the selected content, which has been changed to the usable portion, when any of the presented content is selected; a process of deleting from the user's attention list any content among the presented content for which the unused portion that has changed to the usable portion has not been provided to the user for a predetermined period of time; A program that executes the following.

[0095] The present disclosure allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. That is, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of equivalent disclosures are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0096] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a content providing device, a content providing method, and a program that can effectively present content that a user wants to continue viewing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 Content providing system, 100 Content providing device, 200 Terminal, 300 Communication network, 110 Information storage unit, 120 Providing unit, 130 Generating unit, 131 Adding unit, 132 Deleting unit, 140 Identifying unit, 150 Presenting unit, 210 Home screen, 220 Details screen, 230 Usage confirmation screen, 10 Information processing device, 11 CPU, 12 RAM, 13 ROM, 14 Storage unit, 15 Input unit, 16 Display unit, 17 Communication unit, 20, 30, 51 Object, 20a, 31 Thumbnail 20b Name, 20c, 32 Character string, 33 Viewing status icon, 35 Timer icon, 36 Cart icon, 37 Update icon, 41, 41a Free charge object, 42 Purchase selection object, 43 Cancel object, 50 Focus list, 52 Charge icon, 53 Delete icon, 60 Updated list, 99 internal buses

Claims

1. a generating unit that generates, for each user, a list of interest indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; an adding unit that adds content whose available portion that is available to the user has been used to the attention list of the user; an identifying unit that identifies content included in the attention list, the content having an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user changed to the available portion; a presentation unit that presents the content identified by the identification unit in a selectable manner; a providing unit that, when any of the contents presented by the presenting unit is selected, provides the unused portion of the selected content that has been changed to the usable portion; a deletion unit that deletes, from the attention list of the user, content that has been presented by the presentation unit and for which the unused portion that has been changed to the usable portion has not been provided to the user for a predetermined period of time; A content providing device comprising:

2. the adding unit adds the content whose entire usable portion has been used to the attention list. The content providing device according to claim 1 .

3. the adding unit adds to the attention list content for which a predetermined amount or a predetermined ratio or more of the available portion has been used. The content providing device according to claim 1 .

4. the presenting unit generates an updated list showing a list of the content identified by the identifying unit. The content providing device according to claim 1 .

5. the presentation unit displays the content identified by the identification unit at the top of the attention list, and displays the remaining content included in the attention list that has not been identified by the identification unit following the identified content; The content providing device according to claim 1 .

6. the generation unit sets a display order of the content in the attention list in descending order of time when the unused portion changed to the available portion; The content providing device according to claim 1 .

7. A usable period is set for the usable portion, the generation unit sets the display order of the content in ascending order of the remaining available period; The content providing device according to claim 1 .

8. the deletion unit deletes the content for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unused portion being provided to the user, despite the fact that the unused portion that has been changed to the usable portion has increased. The content providing device according to claim 1 .

9. the deletion unit displays, in the focused list, information indicating that the content has been decided to be deleted from the focused list, and when the information is displayed a predetermined number of times, deletes the content from the focused list. The content providing device according to claim 1 .

10. The computer generating a list of interest for each user, the list indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; adding content whose available portion is available to the user to the interest list of the user; Identifying content included in the attention list, in which an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user has changed to the available portion; presenting the identified content in a selectable manner; When any of the presented contents is selected, providing the unused portion of the selected content that has been changed to the available portion; a step of deleting from the user's interest list any content among the presented content for which a predetermined period of time has passed without the unused portion that has changed to the available portion being provided to the user; A content delivery method that performs the following.

11. On the computer, A process of generating a list of interest for each user, the list indicating a list of content that is estimated to be continuously used by the user; adding content whose available portion is available to the user to the interest list of the user; A process of identifying content included in the attention list, in which an unused portion that has not yet been used by the user has changed to the available portion; presenting the identified content in a selectable manner; a process of providing the unused portion of the selected content, which has been changed to the usable portion, when any of the presented content is selected; a process of deleting from the user's attention list any content among the presented content for which the unused portion that has changed to the usable portion has not been provided to the user for a predetermined period of time; A program that executes the following.

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