Content provision device, content provision method, and program

Abstract

To appropriately reflect the individual preferences of each user. [Solution] The content provision device 10 includes a preference acquisition unit that acquires preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users U present in a target space SP; a location acquisition unit that acquires location information of multiple users U within the target space SP; a content setting unit that sets the output content of multiple content PAs to be provided to the target space SP based on the preferences of the multiple users U indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users U; and an output control unit that outputs the output content.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a content providing apparatus, a content providing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In a space where a plurality of users gather, a system for providing content to those users is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system that selects content to be provided based on the collective tendency of the preference information of a plurality of users existing in a hotspot space, and provides the selected content to the users.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, since a common single content is provided, there is a possibility that the individual preferences of each user cannot be appropriately reflected.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a content providing apparatus, a content providing method, and a program capable of appropriately reflecting the preferences of each user and providing content.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The content provision device relating to this disclosure includes: a preference acquisition unit that acquires preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users present in a target space; a location acquisition unit that acquires location information of the multiple users within the target space; a content setting unit that sets the output content of multiple contents to be provided to the target space based on the preferences of the multiple users indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users; and an output control unit that outputs the output content.

[0007] The content provision method relating to this disclosure includes the steps of: acquiring preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users present in a target space; acquiring location information of the multiple users within the target space; setting the output content of multiple contents to be provided to the target space based on the preferences of the multiple users indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users; and outputting the output content.

[0008] The program relating to this disclosure causes a computer to perform the following steps: acquire preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users present in a target space; acquire location information of the multiple users within the target space; set the output content of multiple contents to be provided to the target space based on the preferences of the multiple users indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users; and output the output content. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, content can be provided in a way that appropriately reflects the preferences of each user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of a terminal according to this embodiment. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of a content provisioning device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the content output set by the content provider. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the content output set by the content provider. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the content provisioning device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system related to Modification Example 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system related to Modification Example 2. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the content provisioning device according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below will not limit this disclosure.

[0012] (First Embodiment) (Content delivery system) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the content provision system 1 according to the first embodiment includes a content provision device 10 and a display device 12. The content provision system 1 is a system that provides content P to a user U located within a target space SP. In this embodiment, the content provision system 1 sets the content P to be provided to the user U using the content provision device 10, and provides the content P using the display device 12. The target space SP may be any space where content P is provided, and may be indoors or outdoors.

[0013] (content) In this embodiment, content P is an image, but the display device 12 may also provide audio as content P in addition to the image. The content of content P can be arbitrary; for example, performances such as music concerts, plays, sporting events, debates, and movies may be provided as content P. Furthermore, content P may be, for example, real-time video or recorded past video.

[0014] The display device 12 provides a plurality of contents PA as the content P within the target space SP. The contents PA are contents related to the content P, and can be said to be contents that reflect the preferences of the user U, with the output content being set by the content providing device 10. The display device 12 causes the plurality of contents PA to be displayed at different locations within the target space SP. Here, the plurality of contents PA do not refer to contents of different types such as audio and images, but rather refer to contents of the same type (in this example, images) with different contents. Also, the number of contents PA provided to the target space SP may be any plurality. For example, in this embodiment, the number of contents PA provided is the same as the number of users U who receive the content P within the target space SP. That is, in this embodiment, the display device 12 provides the content PA for each user U. However, it is not limited thereto, and the display device 12 may provide a number of contents PA less than the number of users U, or may provide a number of contents PA greater than the number of users U.

[0015] Also, in this embodiment, the content providing system 1 provides, as the content P, content PB whose content is different from that of the content PA to the target space SP. The content PB is the same type of content as the content PA, and in this embodiment, is an image (or an image and audio). The content PB does not reflect the individual preferences of the user U, and its content is not determined according to the preferences of the user U. That is, the content PB is common content for all users U. For example, the content PB may be an overall image of the performance, and the content PA may be an image related to the members or groups that the user U likes.

[0016] (Display device) The display device 12 is a device that displays the content P as an image provided within the target space SP. In the present embodiment, the display device 12 is a projection device that projects the content P as an image within the target space SP. The display device 12 may project the content P onto a wall surface, a ceiling surface, or a floor surface within the target space SP, or may project the content P onto a screen provided in the target space SP. However, the display device 12 is not limited to being a projection device and may be a display that displays an image.

[0017] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of display devices 12A that display the content PA as an image are provided as the display device 12, and each display device 12A displays a different content PA. That is, in the present embodiment, a display device 12A is provided for each content PA to be provided. However, it is not limited thereto, and a plurality of content PAs may be displayed by one display device 12A.

[0018] The display device 12A may be configured to change the display position (projection position) of the content PA within the target space SP. For example, in the present embodiment, the display device 12A may change the display position of the content PA according to the position of the user U within the target space SP. That is, for example, the display device 12A may change the display position of the content PA so that the display position of the content PA remains within a predetermined distance range with respect to the position of the user U who is the target of providing the content PA. However, it is not limited thereto, and the display device 12A may be configured such that the display position of the content PA is fixed.

[0019] The audio included in the content PA may be output by a speaker included in the display device 12A, or by a speaker provided separately in the target space SP. In this case, the speaker is preferably a directional speaker that outputs sound to only a portion of the space within the target space SP, and it is also preferable that the position of sound output can be changed. However, the audio included in the content PA may also be output by the user U's terminal 14 or by a speaker (earphones or headphones) worn by the user U.

[0020] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display device 12 is provided with a display device 12B that displays content PB, which has different content from content PA. The audio contained in content PB may be output by a speaker included in the display device 12B, or it may be output by a speaker provided separately from the display device 12B in the target space SP.

[0021] (terminal) As shown in Figure 1, user U in the target space SP is carrying a terminal 14. Terminal 14 may be any device capable of transmitting user U's preference information and location information to the content provider 10, as will be described later, and may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet.

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the terminal according to this embodiment. The terminal 14 according to this embodiment is a portable computer and, as shown in Figure 2, has an input unit 20, an output unit 22, a storage unit 24, a communication unit 26, and a control unit 28.

[0023] The input unit 20 is a mechanism that accepts operations from user U, and may be, for example, a touch panel or a keyboard. The output unit 22 is a mechanism that outputs information, and may be a display that shows images. The output unit 22 may also include a speaker that outputs sound. The storage unit 24 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 28, and includes at least one of the following: RAM (Random Access Memory), main memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory), and external storage device such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The program for the control unit 28 stored in the storage unit 24 may be stored on a recording medium that the terminal 14 can read. The communication unit 26 is a communication module that communicates with external devices such as the content provision device 10, and may be, for example, an antenna or a communication module. The communication unit 26 communicates with external devices by wireless communication, but the communication method may be arbitrary.

[0024] The control unit 28 is an arithmetic unit and includes arithmetic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The control unit 28 executes processing by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 24.

[0025] The control unit 28 includes a preference acquisition unit 30 and a position detection unit 32. The control unit 28 reads a program (software) from the storage unit 24 and executes it to realize the preference acquisition unit 30 and the position detection unit 32 and perform their respective processes. The control unit 28 may perform these processes using a single arithmetic circuit, or it may have multiple arithmetic circuits and perform the processes using those multiple arithmetic circuits. Furthermore, at least a portion of the processing of the preference acquisition unit 30 and the position detection unit 32 may be realized by hardware circuits.

[0026] The processing performed by terminal 14 will be described later.

[0027] (Content delivery device) The content providing device 10 is a device that sets the output content of the content P. In this embodiment, the content providing device 10 is provided within the target space SP, but its location is arbitrary and it may be provided outside the target space SP.

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of a content provisioning device according to this embodiment. The content provisioning device 10 according to this embodiment is, for example, a computer and, as shown in Figure 3, has an input unit 40, an output unit 42, a storage unit 44, a communication unit 46, and a control unit 48. The content provisioning device 10 may be a standalone device, may be integrated with other devices, or may be configured as a system combining various devices such as a computing unit and a data server, and is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the content provisioning device 10 may be a control device for the display device 12 incorporated into the display device 12, or it may be a separate device from the display device 12.

[0029] The input unit 40 is a mechanism that accepts user input, and may be, for example, a touch panel or a keyboard. The output unit 42 is a mechanism that outputs information, and if it is incorporated into a display device 12, for example, the display device 12 corresponds to the output unit 42. The storage unit 44 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 48, and includes at least one of the following: RAM, main memory such as ROM, and external storage device such as HDD. The program for the control unit 48 stored in the storage unit 44 may be stored on a recording medium that the content providing device 10 can read. The communication unit 46 is a communication module that communicates with external devices such as the display device 12 and the terminal 14, and may be, for example, an antenna or a communication module. The communication unit 46 communicates with external devices by wireless communication, but the communication method may be arbitrary.

[0030] The control unit 48 is an arithmetic unit and includes arithmetic circuits such as a CPU or GPU. The control unit 48 executes processing by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 44.

[0031] The control unit 48 includes a preference acquisition unit 50, a position acquisition unit 52, a content setting unit 54, and an output control unit 56. The control unit 48 reads a program (software) from the storage unit 44 and executes it to realize the preference acquisition unit 50, the position acquisition unit 52, the content setting unit 54, and the output control unit 56, and then performs their processing. The control unit 48 may perform these processing using one arithmetic circuit, or it may have multiple arithmetic circuits and perform the processing using those multiple arithmetic circuits. Furthermore, at least a portion of the processing of the preference acquisition unit 50, the position acquisition unit 52, the content setting unit 54, and the output control unit 56 may be realized by hardware circuits.

[0032] (Processing details) Next, we will explain the processing details of the content provision device 10.

[0033] (Acquisition of preference information) The preference acquisition unit 50 of the content provision device 10 acquires preference information for multiple users U present in the target space SP. Preference information is information that indicates the preferences of user U. Preferably, the preference information here is information that indicates the preferences of user U regarding objects related to content P provided by the content provision system 1, or in other words, information that indicates the objects that user U likes among the objects that appear in content P. For example, if a performance is provided as content P, the preference information may indicate the member that user U likes among the members appearing in the performance, or it may indicate the group that user U likes among the multiple groups appearing in the performance. Alternatively, the preference information may indicate the objects that user U likes among objects that are related to the performance but do not appear in it. Note that the preference information may include one object that user U likes, or it may include multiple objects that user U likes.

[0034] The preference acquisition unit 50 acquires preference information for each user U present in the target space SP. The preference acquisition unit 50 may acquire preference information when the user U is located within the target space SP, or it may acquire preference information in advance before the user U arrives in the target space SP.

[0035] The preference acquisition unit 50 may acquire preference information by any method, but in this embodiment, it acquires preference information from the terminal 14. In this case, the terminal 14 acquires the preference information of its user U via the preference acquisition unit 30 and transmits the preference information to the content provision device 10 via the communication unit 26. The preference acquisition unit 50 acquires preference information from each user U's terminal 14.

[0036] The preference acquisition unit 30 of terminal 14 may acquire user U's preference information by any method. For example, user U may input information indicating user U's preferences into terminal 14, and the preference acquisition unit 30 may acquire that input information as preference information. Alternatively, for example, the preference acquisition unit 30 may infer user U's preferences from information stored in the memory unit 24 of terminal 14 and acquire the inferred preferences as preference information. For example, in this case, the preference acquisition unit 30 may infer user U's preferences from content (e.g., music, photos, videos, etc.) stored in terminal 14. For example, the preference acquisition unit 30 may consider performers of content that has been stored in a predetermined number or more as preferred by user U, or performers of content that has been played a predetermined number of times or more as preferred by user U.

[0037] However, the preference acquisition unit 50 of the content provision device 10 is not limited to acquiring preference information from the terminal 14. For example, user U may pre-input information indicating user U's preferences into a device other than the terminal 14, and the preference acquisition unit 50 may acquire the information input by user U from that device as preference information. Alternatively, for example, the preference acquisition unit 50 may acquire information stored in a device other than the terminal 14, infer user U's preferences from that information, and acquire the inferred preferences as preference information. In this case, for example, the preference acquisition unit 50 of the content provision device 10 may infer user U's preferences from the content (e.g., music, photos, videos, etc.) stored in that device. That is, for example, the preference acquisition unit 50 may consider performers of content stored in that device in quantities exceeding a predetermined number as preferred by user U, or performers of content played more than a predetermined number of times as preferred by user U.

[0038] (Acquiring location information) The location acquisition unit 52 of the content provision device 10 acquires location information of user U within the target space SP (information indicating where user U is located within the target space SP). The location acquisition unit 52 acquires location information for each user U located within the target space SP. The location acquisition unit 52 acquires the location information of each user U sequentially.

[0039] The location acquisition unit 52 may acquire user U's location information by any method, but in this embodiment, it acquires user U's location information from terminal 14. In this case, terminal 14 acquires user U's location information from location detection unit 32 and transmits the location information to content provider 10 via communication unit 26. The preference acquisition unit 50 acquires location information from each user U's terminal 14.

[0040] The location detection unit 32 of the terminal 14 may acquire the location information of user U by any method. For example, if the terminal 14 is equipped with a location detection sensor such as GPS (Global Positioning System), the location detection unit 32 may have the location detection sensor detect the location information of user U and acquire the detection result.

[0041] (Settings for content output) Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams illustrating the output content set by the content provider. The content setting unit 54 of the content provider 10 sets the output content of multiple content PAs to be provided to the target space SP based on the preferences of multiple users U indicated in the preference information and the location information of multiple users U. The content setting unit 54 sets the output content of all content PAs to be provided in the target space SP from the preference information and location information of all users U present in the target space SP. However, it is not limited to this, and the output content of some of the multiple content PAs to be provided in the target space SP may be set from the preference information and location information of some of the multiple users U present in the target space SP.

[0042] The content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA, which refers to how the content PA will be provided. For example, the content setting unit 54 sets at least one of the following as the output content of the content PA: the content of the images included in the content P, the display manner of the images included in the content P (e.g., image size, color, brightness, contrast, resolution, etc.), the content of the audio included in the content P, and the output manner of the audio included in the content P (e.g., volume of the audio, the number of tracks to be layered, the number of members or instruments to be output, etc.).

[0043] In this embodiment, the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA provided to user U based on the distance between user U and other users U whose preferences are similar to those of user U. More specifically, when the distance between users U whose preferences are similar falls below a predetermined distance, the content setting unit 54 changes the output content of the content PA provided to those users U from the output content when the distance between users U whose preferences are similar to those of user U is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance. Here, "similar preferences" refers to the same or similar preferences as indicated in the preference information. The content setting unit 54 may determine that the preferences of users U are similar if their preference information satisfies predetermined conditions set in advance. These predetermined conditions may be set as appropriate, but for example, they may refer to the same preferred objects as indicated in the preference information, or the preferred objects as indicated in the preference information having a predetermined relationship (for example, being members of the same group).

[0044] Specifically, the content setting unit 54 extracts other users U whose preferences match those of the target user U (the user whose preferences are to be set for the output content), based on each user's preference information. Then, based on each user's location information, the content setting unit 54 determines whether there are any users U (nearby users) among the extracted users U (users whose preferences match those of the target user) whose distance from the target user is within a predetermined distance. If no nearby users exist, the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to be provided to the target user to the standard content. On the other hand, if nearby users exist, the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to be provided to the target user to the corrected content. The content setting unit 54 also sets the output content of the content PA to be provided to the target user to the standard content even if there are no other users U whose preferences match those of the target user.

[0045] The standard content refers to pre-set output content that corresponds to the target user's preferences. The corrected content, on the other hand, refers to output content that corresponds to the target user's preferences but differs from the standard content. Preferably, the corrected content is output content that more strongly emphasizes the target user's preferences than the standard content.

[0046] The correction content may be any output content different from the reference content. For example, the correction content may show an image with content different from the reference content. In this case, for example, the reference content may be a still image of a subject preferred by the target user, and the correction content may be a moving image of a subject preferred by the target user. Also, for example, the correction content may show a display manner different from the reference content. In this case, for example, the correction content may enlarge the display area of ​​the content PA than the reference content, display the content PA brighter than the reference content, increase the contrast of the content PA than the reference content, or increase the resolution of the content PA than the reference content. Also, for example, the correction content may show audio with content different from the reference content. Also, for example, the correction content may show an audio output manner different from the reference content. In this case, for example, the correction content may be louder than the reference content, have more tracks layered than the reference content, or have more members or instruments outputting audio than the reference content.

[0047] Figures 1 and 4 show an example where user U1 is the target user. For example, in the example in Figure 1, the distance between user U1 and user U2, whose preferences are similar to user U1's, is greater than a predetermined distance, so user U1 is provided with content PA with standard content tailored to user U1's preferences. On the other hand, in the example in Figure 4, the distance between user U1 and user U2 is less than or equal to the predetermined distance, meaning that users with similar preferences are closer together, so user U1 is provided with content PA with a larger display area than in Figure 1. In the example in Figure 4, the content PA provided to user U1 and the content PA provided to user U2 are integrated, and a single common content PA with corrected content (with a larger display area in the example) is provided to both users U1 and U2. However, this is not limited to this, and corrected content PA may be provided individually to each user U with similar preferences.

[0048] Furthermore, the content setting unit 54 may vary the output content (correction content) depending on the number of nearby users (other users U who share the same preferences as the target user and are located within a predetermined distance). In this case, it is preferable for the content setting unit 54 to set the output content (correction content) so that the more nearby users there are, the more emphasis is placed on the target user's preferences. For example, Figure 5 shows an example where the display area of ​​the content PA becomes larger as the number of nearby users increases. Also, for example, if there are no nearby users, the content setting unit 54 may set the output content of the content PA for the target user to be a still image, if there is one nearby user, the output content of the content PA for the target user to be a moving image, and if there are two or more nearby users, the output content of the content PA for the target user may be a moving image with a wider display area.

[0049] Furthermore, the content setting unit 54 may vary the output content (correction content) according to the ratio of the number of nearby users (other users U who share the same preferences as the target user and are located within a predetermined distance) to the total number of users U present in the target space SP. In this case, it is preferable for the content setting unit 54 to set the output content (correction content) so that the larger the ratio of nearby users, the more emphasis is placed on the target user's preferences. For example, Figure 5 shows an example where the display area of ​​the content PA becomes larger as the ratio of nearby users increases. Also, when the output content is varied according to the ratio in this way, the output content when the total number of users U is 100 and the number of nearby users is 30 will be more emphasis on the target user's preferences than the output content when the total number of users U is 500 and the number of nearby users is 30, because the ratio of nearby users is larger.

[0050] Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the preference information, there may be cases where multiple targets preferred by user U are set. In this case, the content setting unit 54 may set the standard content for the target user's content PA to provide multiple targets preferred by user U. The content setting unit 54 may then extract users U whose preferred targets partially overlap with those of the target user as users whose preferences match those of the target user. If there are nearby users (other users U who share the same preferences as the target user and are located within a predetermined distance), the content setting unit 54 may set the output content (correction content) for the target user's content PA to show targets whose preferences match those of the nearby users more strongly than the standard content. For example, if the target user's preferred targets are target TA and TB, the content setting unit 54 will set the output content (standard content) for the target user's content PA to show target TA and TB. If there are nearby users whose preferred targets are TA and TC, the content setting unit 54 will set the output content (correction content) for the target user's content PA to show target TA more strongly.

[0051] The content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA for each user U present in the target space SP by executing the process described above for each user U present in the target space SP. In addition, the content setting unit 54 sequentially sets the output content of the content PA based on the location information of the user U that is acquired sequentially.

[0052] (Output of output content) The output control unit 34 outputs the output content set by the content setting unit 54. Specifically, the output control unit 34 outputs the output content set by the content setting unit 54 to each display device 12A, causing each display device 12A to provide the content PA of the set output content. For example, the output control unit 34 may output image data indicating the output content set by the content setting unit 54 to the display device 12A, causing the display device 12A to output that image data as content PA.

[0053] Furthermore, the content setting unit 54 does not change the output content of the content PB according to the user U's preferences or the distance between users U with similar preferences, but keeps it as the pre-set output content. Therefore, the content PB continues to be provided with the pre-set output content.

[0054] (Processing flow) Next, we will explain the processing flow of the content provision device 10 described above. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the content provision device according to the first embodiment.

[0055] As shown in Figure 6, the content provision device 10 acquires preference information for each user U using the preference acquisition unit 50 (step S10), and acquires location information for each user U using the location acquisition unit 52 (step S12).

[0056] The content provider 10 then uses a content setting unit 54 to determine whether there are other users U (nearby users) whose preferences match those of the target user and who are located within a predetermined distance from the target user (step S14). If no nearby users exist (step S14; No), the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to be provided to the target user to the standard content (step S16). On the other hand, if nearby users exist (step S14; Yes), the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to be provided to the target user to the corrected content (step S18). The output content (corrected content) of the content PA provided to the target user may be different depending on the number of nearby users.

[0057] The content provider 10 then outputs the set output content to the display device 12A that provides content PA to the target user via the output control unit 56 (step S20). The content provider 10 treats each user U in the target space SP as a target user and performs the above process for each user U's content PA. If the process is to be terminated (step S22; Yes), the process is terminated; otherwise, the process is not terminated (step S22; No), and the process returns to step S12, where the location information of each user U is obtained and the subsequent processing continues.

[0058] As described above, the content setting unit 54 individually sets the output content of the content PA provided to user U based on the user U's preferences. This makes it possible to provide content PA that appropriately reflects the individual preferences of each user U. Furthermore, since the output content of the content PA is set according to the distance between users U with similar preferences, it becomes easier to discover other users with similar preferences, enabling appropriate communication with users with similar preferences and allowing users to enjoy content together with other users with similar preferences.

[0059] (modified version) Next, a modified example of the first embodiment will be described. In the modified example, parts that have the same configuration as the first embodiment described above will not be explained.

[0060] (Variation 1) Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system according to Modification 1. In the first embodiment described above, the content provision system 1 also provided content PB, which has different content from content PA, to the target space SP. However, as shown in Modification 1, it is possible to provide content PA but not content PB. In this case, the content provision system 1 does not need to have a display device 12B for displaying content PB.

[0061] (Modification 2) Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the content provision system according to Modification 2. In the first embodiment described above, the content provision system 1 displayed the content PA using a display device 12A (projection device or display) installed in the target space SP. However, as shown in Modification 2, the content PA may be displayed on a terminal 14 carried by the user U. In other words, in Modification 2, the terminal 14 becomes the display device 12A that displays the content PA.

[0062] As shown in Modification Example 2, when displaying content PA on terminal 14, it is preferable to store the image data of the content PA regarding the correction content (image data of the content PA to be displayed when a nearby user is present) in the storage unit 24 of terminal 14 (or the storage unit 44 of the content provision device 10). This allows a special image indicating the correction content to be stored, enabling user U to relive the content. Furthermore, since the image data of the content PA indicating the correction content is a special image that can only be obtained at spatial SP, it can also serve as an incentive for user U to visit spatial SP. In addition, terminal 14 (or content provision device 10) may store the image data of the content PA regarding the correction content (image data of the content PA to be displayed when a nearby user is present) as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token).

[0063] Furthermore, Variation 2 can be combined with Variation 1. In other words, in Variation 2, it is not necessary to provide content PB.

[0064] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that content PA is not provided to each user U. In the second embodiment, parts that have the same configuration as the first embodiment will not be described. Furthermore, the above-described modifications 1 and 2 can also be applied to the second embodiment.

[0065] Figures 9 and 10 are schematic diagrams showing an overview of the content provision system according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, in the second embodiment, the content provision system 1 displays multiple content PAs at different locations in the target space SP using the display device 12A, similar to the first embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, content PAs are not provided for each user U, and a predetermined number of content PAs, regardless of the number of users U, are displayed in the target space SP. Note that in Figure 9, a common content PB for users U is not displayed, but in the second embodiment, content PBs may also be displayed along with the content PAs, similar to the first embodiment.

[0066] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the content PA reflected the target user's preferences (for example, an image of a subject the target user likes), but in the second embodiment, the content PA is an image displaying a subject related to content P (for example, a performance provided by content P). In the second embodiment, the displayed subject differs for each content PA. That is, for example, in the first embodiment, an image of a member preferred by the target user was displayed as the content PA, but in the second embodiment, regardless of the target user's preferences, an image of each member appearing in the performance is displayed as the respective content PA.

[0067] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the position where the content PA is displayed does not change according to the position of the user U. The position where the content PA is displayed may be fixed, or it may move along a predetermined trajectory independent of the position of the user U.

[0068] (Acquisition of preference information and location information) The content provision device 10 of the second embodiment acquires preference information and location information of each user U, similar to the first embodiment.

[0069] (Output settings) In the second embodiment, the content setting unit 54 of the content providing device 10 sets the output content of the content PA according to the number of users U (proximity users) who have preferences that match the content PA and whose distance from the location where the content PA is provided is less than a predetermined distance. The output control unit 56 of the content providing device 10 outputs the output content set by the content setting unit 54, similar to the first embodiment.

[0070] A user U whose preferences match those of content PA refers to a user U whose preferences are the same as or similar to those of content PA displayed in content PA and those of user U indicated in their preference information. The content setting unit 54 may determine that user U has preferences that match those of content PA if their preference information satisfies predetermined conditions set in advance. These predetermined conditions may be set as appropriate, but for example, they may refer to the fact that the objects indicated in the preference information are the same as those displayed in content PA, or that there is a predetermined relationship between the objects indicated in the preference information and those displayed in content PA (for example, being members of the same group). That is, for example, if target TA is displayed in content PA, a user U whose preferences match those of content PA refers to a user U who likes target TA.

[0071] Furthermore, the location where the content PA is provided refers to the location within the target space SP where the content PA is provided, for example, the position where the content PA is displayed (projected). Accordingly, the nearby user in the second embodiment refers to a user U who has preferences that match the target content PA and is located within a predetermined distance from the display position of the content PA.

[0072] Specifically, the content setting unit 54 extracts users U whose preferences match those of the content PA, based on each user's preference information and the information of the target displayed on the content PA for which the output content is to be set. Then, based on each user's location information, the content setting unit 54 determines whether there are any users U (nearby users) among the extracted users U (users U whose preferences match those of the content PA) whose distance from the display position of the content PA is within a predetermined distance. If no nearby users exist, the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to the standard content. On the other hand, if nearby users exist, the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to the corrected content. The content setting unit 54 also sets the output content of the content PA to the standard content if no users U whose preferences match those of the content PA exist.

[0073] The "reference content" refers to the output content that displays a pre-set target related to content P. The "correction content" refers to output content that differs from the reference content, and it is preferable that the correction content emphasizes the target more than the reference content.

[0074] The correction content may be any output content different from the reference content. For example, the correction content may show an image with content different from the reference content. In this case, for example, the reference content may be a still image of the subject, and the correction content may be a moving image of the subject. Also, for example, the correction content may show an image with a different display manner than the reference content. In this case, for example, the correction content may enlarge the display area of ​​the content PA than the reference content, display the content PA brighter than the reference content, increase the contrast of the content PA than the reference content, or increase the resolution of the content PA than the reference content. Also, for example, the correction content may show audio with content different from the reference content. Also, for example, the correction content may show audio with a different output manner than the reference content. In this case, for example, the correction content may be louder than the reference content, have more tracks layered than the reference content, or have more members or instruments outputting audio than the reference content.

[0075] Furthermore, the content setting unit 54 may vary the output content (correction content) depending on the number of nearby users (users U whose preferences match those of the content PA and who are located within a predetermined distance). In this case, it is preferable for the content setting unit 54 to set the output content (correction content) so that the more nearby users there are, the more emphasis is placed on the target users' preferences. For example, in the example in Figure 9, since there are no nearby users for each content PA, each content PA displays the image of the standard content. On the other hand, in the example in Figure 10, since there are nearby users for the two content PAs projected onto the wall, the image of the correction content is displayed, and since there are no nearby users for the content PA projected onto the floor, the image of the standard content is displayed. Also, in the example in Figure 10, the display area of ​​the content PA with three nearby users is larger than the display area of ​​the content PA with two nearby users.

[0076] Furthermore, the content setting unit 54 may vary the output content (correction content) according to the ratio of the number of nearby users to the total number of users U present in the target space SP. In this case, it is preferable for the content setting unit 54 to set the output content (correction content) so that the larger the ratio of nearby users, the more emphasis is placed on the target users' preferences. For example, Figure 10 shows an example where the display area of ​​the content PA becomes larger as the ratio of nearby users increases. Also, for example, the output content when the total number of users U is 100 and the number of nearby users is 30 will be output content that more emphasizes the target users' preferences than the output content when the total number of users U is 500 and the number of nearby users is 30.

[0077] (Processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the content provision device 10 in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the processing flow of the content provision device according to the second embodiment.

[0078] As shown in Figure 11, the content provision device 10 acquires preference information for each user U using the preference acquisition unit 50 (step S30), and acquires location information for each user U using the location acquisition unit 52 (step S32).

[0079] The content provider 10 then uses a content setting unit 54 to determine whether there is a user U (nearby user) whose preferences match those of the target content PA and who is within a predetermined distance from the display position of the content PA (step S34). If no nearby users exist (step S34; No), the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to the standard content (step S36). On the other hand, if nearby users exist (step S34; Yes), the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA to the corrected content (step S38). The output content (corrected content) of the content PA may be varied depending on the number of nearby users.

[0080] Then, the content provider 10 outputs the set output content to the display device 12A that provides the content PA via the output control unit 56 (step S40). The content provider 10 performs the above process for each content PA provided in the target space SP. If the process is to be terminated (step S42; Yes), this process is terminated; otherwise, the process is not terminated (step S42; No), and the process returns to step S32, the location information of each user U is acquired, and the subsequent processing continues.

[0081] In the second embodiment as well, since multiple content PAs are provided to the target space SP, content PAs that appropriately reflect the individual preferences of each user U can be provided. Furthermore, since the output content of the content PA is set according to the distance to the user U whose preferences match those of the content PA, it becomes possible to communicate appropriately with users whose preferences match, or to enjoy content together with other users whose preferences match.

[0082] (effect) As described above, the content provision device 10 of this disclosure includes a preference acquisition unit 50, a location acquisition unit 52, a content setting unit 54, and an output control unit 56. The preference acquisition unit 50 acquires preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users U present in the target space SP. The location acquisition unit 52 acquires location information of multiple users U within the target space SP. The content setting unit 54 sets the output content of multiple content PAs to be provided to the target space SP based on the preferences of the multiple users U indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users U. The output control unit 56 outputs the output content. According to this disclosure, since the output content of multiple content PAs is set according to the preferences and location of each user U, content PAs that appropriately reflect the preferences of each user U can be provided. Furthermore, since the output content of content PAs is set according to the location of each user U, content PAs that appropriately reflect the preferences of each user U can be provided according to the layout of the target space SP and the positional relationship of each user U.

[0083] Furthermore, the content PA is an image provided to each of several users U, and the content setting unit 54 changes the output content of the content PA provided to users U when the distance between users U with similar tastes falls below a predetermined distance, from the output content when the distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance. According to this disclosure, by setting the output content of the content PA provided to users U according to the distance between users U with similar tastes, it becomes possible to communicate appropriately with users with similar tastes and to enjoy content together with other users with similar tastes.

[0084] Furthermore, the content PA is an image provided at different locations within the target space SP, and the content setting unit 54 sets the output content of the content PA according to the number of users U who have a taste that matches the content PA and whose distance from the location where the content PA is provided is less than a predetermined distance. According to this disclosure, since the output content of the content PA is set according to the distance of users U whose tastes match the content PA, it becomes possible to communicate appropriately with users who have similar tastes, and to enjoy content together with other users who have similar tastes.

[0085] Furthermore, the content provision method of this disclosure includes the steps of: acquiring preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users U present in a target space SP; acquiring location information of multiple users U within the target space SP; setting the output content of multiple content PAs to be provided to the target space SP based on the preferences of the multiple users U indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users U; and outputting the output content. According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide content PAs that appropriately reflect the preferences of each user U.

[0086] Furthermore, the program of this disclosure causes a computer to perform the following steps: acquire preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users U present in a target space SP; acquire location information of multiple users U within the target space SP; set the output content of multiple content PAs to be provided to the target space SP based on the preferences of the multiple users U indicated in the preference information and the location information of the multiple users U; and output the output content. According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide content PAs that appropriately reflect the preferences of each user U.

[0087] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to those described herein. Furthermore, the aforementioned components include those that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that fall within the so-called equivalent range. Moreover, the aforementioned components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the gist of the embodiments described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 1. Content Delivery System 10. Content provision device 12 Display device 14 devices 50 Preference Acquisition Section 52 Position acquisition part 54 Content Setting Section 56 Output control unit PA Content SP Target Space U User

Claims

1. A preference acquisition unit that acquires preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users present in the target space, A location acquisition unit that acquires location information of multiple users within the target space, A content setting unit sets the output content of multiple pieces of content to be provided to the target space based on the preferences of multiple users indicated in the preference information and the location information of multiple users. An output control unit that outputs the aforementioned output content, including, Content delivery device.

2. The aforementioned content is an image provided to each of the multiple users, The content setting unit changes the output content provided to users when the distance between users with similar preferences falls below a predetermined distance, from the output content provided when the distance is greater than or equal to the predetermined distance. The content provision device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned content is an image provided at different locations within the aforementioned target space, The content setting unit sets the output content of the content according to the number of users who have preferences that match the content and who are located less than a predetermined distance from the location where the content is provided. The content provision device according to claim 1.

4. The steps include: obtaining preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users present in the target space; A step of obtaining location information of multiple users within the target space, The steps include setting the output content of multiple pieces of content to be provided to the target space based on the preferences of multiple users indicated in the preference information and the location information of multiple users, The steps include outputting the aforementioned output content, including, Content delivery methods.

5. The steps include: obtaining preference information, which is information indicating the preferences of multiple users present in the target space; A step of obtaining location information of multiple users within the target space, The steps include setting the output content of multiple pieces of content to be provided to the target space based on the preferences of multiple users indicated in the preference information and the location information of multiple users, The steps include outputting the aforementioned output content, Make the computer execute it. program.

Images