Processing apparatus, processing program, and processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a processing device, a processing program, and a processing method for appropriately handling user access to web pages. [Solution] In the processing system 1, the management device 300, which is a processing device, acquires user attribute information associated with the contact information in response to user input on the contact information in a web page containing contact information for contacting a provider of a service or product, in order to identify the user's access to the web page, and provides the attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal device 100-1 that can be used by the provider and the distributor terminal device 200 that can be used by the distributor who distributes the web page, in accordance with the determination result based on the action information that indicates the action taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the operation input is made.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing device, a processing program, and a processing method for processing contacts from a web page by a user.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, so-called tracking technologies have been known for tracking and analyzing the route until a user accesses a predetermined web page and the user's browsing history on the web page. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a management system that associates an access log and an incoming call history by collating a contact phone number and a destination phone number. However, there has been room for improvement in how to utilize the information obtained by such a method.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure has been made from the above-described background, and provides a processing device, a processing program, and a processing method capable of appropriately processing access to a web page by a user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a processing device is provided comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform processing to provide the attribute information of a user to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider and the distributor terminal devices available to the distributor distributing the web page, in response to a user's operational input to the contact information on a web page containing contact information for contacting a provider of a service or product, and to provide the attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider and the distributor terminal devices available to the distributor distributing the web page, in response to a determination result based on an action information indicating an action taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the operational input is made.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, "a computer comprising at least one processor, a processing method performed by the at least one processor, comprising the steps of: obtaining user attribute information associated with contact information that can identify the user's access to a web page, in response to a user's operation input to the contact information on a web page containing contact information for contacting a provider of services or goods; and providing the attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider, in response to a determination result based on behavior information indicating actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the operation input is made."

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a processing program is provided which enables a computer having at least one processor to function to obtain user attribute information associated with contact information that can identify the user's access to a web page in response to user input on the contact information, and to provide the attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider, in response to a determination result based on behavioral information indicating actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the operation input is made. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a processing device, a processing program, and a processing method that can appropriately handle user access to web pages.

[0009] The effects described above are merely illustrative for the sake of explanation and are not limiting. In addition to, or in lieu of, any other effects described herein or that would be obvious to those skilled in the art may be achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the processing performed by the processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the configuration of the processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management device 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a conceptual diagram showing a tracking management table stored in the management device 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4B]Figure 4B is a conceptual diagram showing a user management table stored in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a diagram showing the processing sequence executed in the processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a diagram showing the processing sequence executed in the processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process performed in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process performed in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 6C] Figure 6C is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process performed in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the processing flow of the processes performed to generate a trained estimation model according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of behavioral information used in the processing according to the embodiments of this disclosure. [Figure 9A] Figure 9A shows an example of a web page displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 in an implementation of this disclosure. [Figure 9B] Figure 9B shows an example of a web page displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 in an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 9C] Figure 9C shows an example of a web page displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 in an implementation of this disclosure. [Figure 9D] Figure 9D shows an example of a web page displayed on user terminal device 100-2 in an implementation of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are assigned to common components in the drawings.

[0012] 1. Overview of Processing System 1 related to this disclosure As an example, when the processing system 1 according to the present disclosure receives a contact using, for example, a call from a user who has viewed a web page, it is used to provide the provider of the service or product introduced on the web page and the distributor of the web page with the user's attribute information and the like.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overview of the processing by the processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user terminal device included in the processing system 1 is a terminal device available to the user. The user terminal device, for example, receives a user's operation input, starts an application program (for example, a browser application), and executes a search process for a web page. When the user terminal device receives a selection of a desired access destination web page from the search web page on which the result is displayed, it transmits a distribution request for the selected web page to the distribution device. The distribution device transmits display information and the like for displaying the web page to the user terminal device.

[0014] The user terminal device outputs the web page to a display or the like to make it viewable to the user. Thereafter, when the user terminal device, for example, detects that the user shows an interest in a service or product in the web page, it receives a user's operation input for the contact information displayed in the web page and starts a contact (for example, a call) with the provider of the service or product, and extracts action information such as an access history related to the web page.

[0015] When the management device receives a contact (e.g., a phone call) from a user terminal device, it forwards the contact (e.g., a phone call) to a provider terminal device available to the service or product provider. The management device provides the provider terminal device with the user's attribute information. The provider terminal device to which the contact (e.g., a phone call) is forwarded and the provider terminal device to which the attribute information is provided may be the same device or different devices.

[0016] Furthermore, the management device provides user attribute information to distributor terminal devices that can be used by distributors who distribute web pages introducing services or products.

[0017] Typically, unique contact information is assigned each time a user accesses a webpage to collect user behavior information and provide attribute information. However, such contact information, often using phone numbers, is limited in number and cannot always be used exclusively for that user's access. By estimating the usage status of this contact information based on user behavior information, the management system can efficiently manage this limited amount of contact information.

[0018] Furthermore, as mentioned above, there are qualitative differences in web page access and input regarding contact information. For example, the fees that providers pay to distributors and administrators may be determined by the frequency of input regarding contact information, but contact information may be manipulated fraudulently to increase this frequency. In other words, there are differences in the quality of input, such as differences in the degree of interest in the services or products introduced on the web page, or differences in the degree of actual purchase intent even if there is interest in the service or product. By estimating such quality based on behavioral information, the management device can make the attribute information provided more appropriate.

[0019] In this disclosure, "processing device" means a device that performs any of the processing related to this disclosure, and may be a management device, distribution device, user terminal device, provider terminal device, distributor terminal device, or any other device. In the following, the case in which a management device functions as a processing device will be described, but it is not limited to just the management device.

[0020] Furthermore, in this disclosure, "web page" refers to information output from the accessing device to each terminal device via a browser. Specific examples of web pages include a first web page accessed through a search using a browser application, or via a link in an displayed advertisement, and a second web page that displays advertisements and is accessed via a web page used when accessing the first web page.

[0021] A first webpage is a webpage created by a specific organization or individual to post information related to that organization or individual. While a webpage's destination is identified by its URL, a first webpage typically includes the domain (top-level domain, second-level domain, third-level domain, etc.) acquired by the organization or individual following the protocol. An example of a first webpage is a landing page. Such a first webpage (e.g., a landing page) includes introductory information introducing a specific service or product, an application page for the service or product or a link to access the application page, and contact information such as a telephone number. Preferably, the purpose of such a first webpage (e.g., a landing page) is to increase conversions such as purchase, inquiry, or request for information regarding the product or service viewed by the user. In this disclosure, "first webpage" is described as being accessible to an unspecified number of people via a browser application, etc., but it may also be a webpage prepared on a so-called intranet that is only accessible to specific individuals.

[0022] A second webpage is any other webpage accessed before reaching the first webpage. Typically, a second webpage includes a domain (top-level domain, second-level domain, and third-level domain, etc.) acquired by the search engine provider (e.g., the distributor) following the protocol. An example of a second webpage is a search webpage that displays the results of a search using specific keywords in the search engine. Such a second webpage (e.g., a search webpage) may include advertisements that include the first webpage to pique the user's interest, as well as link information (e.g., URLs) to the webpage hit by the search.

[0023] In this disclosure, the second webpage is any other webpage accessed via the path leading to the first webpage. Therefore, if access to webpage A is accessed via webpage B, webpage A becomes the first webpage and webpage B becomes the second webpage. Similarly, if access to webpage C is accessed via webpage A, webpage C becomes the first webpage and webpage A becomes the second webpage. In other words, the same webpage may sometimes be the first webpage and sometimes the second webpage.

[0024] Furthermore, in this disclosure, "contact" simply means making contact with another person (e.g., a provider) in order to transmit information. Therefore, the means of contact may be telephone, email, chat, or a combination thereof. Moreover, the recipient of such contact does not need to be a human being; it may be a chatbot, for example.

[0025] Furthermore, in this disclosure, "provider" means a person who provides a service or product. Therefore, a provider may be not only a specific individual, but also a group or organization (e.g., a company). Also, provider terminal equipment does not mean equipment that can be used by a specific individual, but broadly includes equipment that can be operated or used by a group or organization. In addition, provider terminal equipment is used to receive transfers of contacts (e.g., phone calls) and to receive attribute information, but the provider terminal equipment that receives transfers and the provider terminal equipment that receives attribute information do not always have to be the same device, and may be different devices.

[0026] Furthermore, in this disclosure, "contact information" refers to information that can identify a user's access to a webpage. Examples of such contact information include telephone numbers, email addresses, social networking service (SNS) accounts, management numbers used when responding to user inquiries in a chat format, links for online meetings, arbitrary identification information generated for tracking purposes, user ID information, terminal identification numbers of user terminal devices, telephone numbers of user terminal devices, or combinations thereof. Among these, telephone numbers, email addresses, SNS accounts, management numbers used when responding to user inquiries in a chat format, links for online meetings, arbitrary identification information generated for tracking purposes, or combinations thereof are preferred from the viewpoint of effectively processing attribute information such as the user's website access history. Typically, telephone numbers used for such tracking are assigned to a specific user's access when a user requests access to a webpage, and are set to be displayed in a predetermined location on the webpage. When the user's input to the telephone number is detected, a call application program different from the application program that displays the webpage is launched, and contact (e.g., making a call) is initiated.

[0027] Furthermore, in this disclosure, "attribute information" refers to information that indicates attributes related to a user. Examples of such attribute information include the user's age, gender, address, occupation, marital status, annual income, whether or not they have children, interests, life events, purchase history, accounts in browser applications, accounts in communication tools such as social networking services (SNS), telephone number of the user's terminal device, email address, terminal identification number, timing of device changes, IP address, display resolution, web page search history, browsing history, landing page access history, online game history via the internet, or behavioral information. Attribute information is not limited to text data; it may also be features based on the user's facial image and voice information. In addition, attribute information may include not only the specific information exemplified above, but also classification information that categorizes the user based on the specific information exemplified above (for example, if the user's age is "20 years old," the classification information that categorizes the user would be "20 to 24 years old").

[0028] Furthermore, in this disclosure, “behavioral information” refers to information indicating actions taken by a user in relation to a webpage containing contact information. Such behavioral information includes the time until a predetermined action is taken, the status of access to other webpages related to the webpage, other inputs made after an input to contact information has been made, or a combination thereof. Specifically, behavioral information includes the time until the user leaves the webpage (for example, “leaving” is detected by launching another application program in the foreground that is different from the browser application program that displays the webpage, accessing a webpage in a domain different from the domain of the webpage, terminating the application program that outputs the webpage, or inputting an “back” button), the time from leaving the webpage until returning to the webpage or another webpage in the same domain as the webpage (for example, “returning” is detected by launching the browser application that displays the webpage in the foreground, or accessing the webpage or another webpage in the same domain as the webpage), the history of accessing other webpages in the same domain as the webpage, or inputs indicating that the user consents to the provision of attribute information. The time until leaving the webpage can be any time related to the departure, such as the actual time until the user leaves the page, or the time until the user inputs an action to leave.

[0029] Furthermore, even if the disclosure includes terms such as "First" or "Second," it does not mean that it is limited to only those two elements. Naturally, it may also include "Third," "Fourth," and more elements.

[0030] 2. Configuration of Processing System 1 Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram schematically showing the configuration of the processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the processing system 1 includes a user terminal device 100-2 that can be used by the user, a distribution device 200 that distributes information related to web pages, and a management device 300 that manages attribute information, which will be described later.

[0031] Normally, a distribution device is provided for each domain name and hostname in the URL that identifies the destination of a web page. However, in Figure 2, for the sake of explanation, multiple distribution devices are grouped together and referred to as distribution device 200. In other words, distribution device 200 only needs to include at least one of the different distribution devices provided for each domain name and hostname.

[0032] Furthermore, the processing system 1 may include a provider terminal device 100-1 that can be used by the provider of a service or product. This allows the processing system 1 to receive contacts from the user terminal device 100-2 via the provider terminal device 100-1. In addition, although not specifically shown, it may also include a distributor terminal device that can be used by the distributor.

[0033] The provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, and distributor terminal device are typically wireless communication terminal devices such as smartphones, but are not limited to such devices. For example, any device capable of executing the program related to this disclosure can be suitably applied as a terminal device, such as a feature phone, personal digital assistant, PDA, laptop computer, or desktop computer. Furthermore, in processing system 1, the provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, and distributor do not need to be the same type of terminal device; they may be different types of terminal devices. Also, although Figure 2 shows a single device each for provider terminal device 100-1 and user terminal device 100-2, it is natural that multiple devices may be included depending on the number of users, providers, and distributors.

[0034] Each of the devices described above in processing system 1 is connected to communicate via network 400. Network 400 consists of a public network such as LTE or ISDN, an internet network, or a combination thereof. Therefore, the provider terminal device 100-1, the user terminal device 100-2, the distribution device 200, the management device 300, and the distributor terminal device are connected to each other via a public network or internet connection, and transmit and receive various types of information. Network 400 may be a network different from the internet, or it may be an intranet.

[0035] Furthermore, although the distribution device 200 and the management device 300 are described as single units, it is also possible to distribute each component and processing of the distribution device 200 and the management device 300 to multiple server devices or cloud server devices.

[0036] Furthermore, although a management device 300 is described as an example of a processing device, the processing device may be other than the management device 300. For example, the processing device may be at least one of the provider terminal device 100-1, the user terminal device 100-2, and the distribution device 200, and each of these devices can perform some of the processing that the management device 300 performs.

[0037] 3. Configuration of each device <Management device 300> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a management device 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The management device 300 does not need to include all of the components shown in Figure 3; it is possible to omit some components or add other components. Furthermore, while the management device 300 is typically configured as a server device, it is not necessary to house everything shown in Figure 3 in a single enclosure; the components and processing of the management device 300 can be distributed to multiple server devices or cloud server devices. In this embodiment, a database 315 for storing various information may be connected via a communication interface 314. In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified, the memory included in the server device may refer to a device including only memory 313, a device including only database 315, or a device including both memory 313 and database 315.

[0038] According to Figure 3, the management device 300 includes a processor 312 consisting of a CPU, RAM, ROM, and memory 313 including non-volatile memory and HDD, and a communication interface 314. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines.

[0039] The processor 312 functions as a control unit for controlling other connected components based on various programs stored in the memory 313. Specifically, the processor 312 reads and executes programs from the memory 313 for running the application related to this disclosure and programs for running the OS. The processor 312 performs, in particular, "processing to acquire user attribute information associated with contact information in order to identify the user's access to a web page in response to user input on the contact information in a web page containing contact information for contacting a provider of services or goods," and "processing to provide attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider and the distributor terminal devices available to the distributor that distributes the web page, in response to a determination result based on behavioral information indicating actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the operation input is made." The processor 312 is mainly composed of one or more CPUs, but may be combined with a GPU or FPGA as appropriate.

[0040] Memory 313 includes RAM, ROM, non-volatile memory, and HDD, and functions as a storage unit. ROM stores instruction commands as programs for executing applications and operating systems related to this disclosure. Such programs are loaded and executed by processor 312. RAM is used to write and read data while the programs stored in ROM are being processed by processor 312. Non-volatile memory is memory on which data is written and read by the execution of the program, and data written thereto is retained even after the execution of the program has finished. Memory 313 stores programs that cause processor 312 to execute, in particular, "a process to acquire user attribute information associated with contact information in response to user input on a web page containing contact information for contacting a provider of services or goods, in order to identify the user's access to the web page," and "a process to provide attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider and the distributor terminal devices available to the distributor distributing the web page, in response to a determination result based on behavioral information indicating actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the operation input is made." Furthermore, the memory 313 stores various information stored in the tracking management table and user management table, together with the database 315, as needed.

[0041] The communication interface 314 functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives information between the remotely installed provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, distribution device 200, and other devices via a communication processing circuit and antenna. The communication processing circuit processes the programs and various information used in the processing system 1 to transmit and receive information from the provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, distribution device 200, distributor terminal device, and other devices as processing progresses. The communication processing circuit processes based on a wideband wireless communication method such as the 5G method, but it can also process based on a narrowband wireless communication method such as wireless LAN such as IEEE802.11 or Bluetooth®, or a contactless wireless communication method. In addition, it is possible to use wired communication instead of or in addition to wireless communication.

[0042] Preferably, the communication interface 314 may perform communication with the provider terminal device 100-1 via at least an Internet network, which is a computer network using the Internet Protocol (IP), and communication with the user terminal device 100-2 via at least the above-mentioned Internet network or a public telephone network using a so-called telephone number.

[0043] <Distribution device 200> Although the configuration of the distribution device 200 is not specifically shown in the diagram, it consists of a processor, memory, and communication interface, similar to the management device 300 shown in Figure 3. Such a distribution device 200 is typically configured as a server device, but it does not need to be housed in a single enclosure; the components and processing of the distribution device 200 can be distributed to multiple server devices or cloud server devices. The distribution device 200 executes the processing shown in Figures 5A and 5B, for example, by having the processor process the program stored in memory.

[0044] <Provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, and broadcaster terminal device> Although not specifically illustrated, the configurations of the provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, and broadcaster terminal device consist of a processor, memory, and communication interface, as well as input interfaces such as a touch panel and mouse, and output interfaces such as a display. The provider terminal device 100-1, user terminal device 100-2, and broadcaster terminal device execute the processes shown in Figures 5A and 5B, for example, by having the processor process programs stored in memory.

[0045] 4. Information stored in the memory 313 of the management device 300 Figure 4A is a conceptual diagram showing a tracking management table stored in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The information stored in the table is updated as the processing progresses.

[0046] According to Figure 4A, the tracking management table stores contact information, web page information, user ID information, attribute information, behavior information, and judgment result information, all associated with the contact ID information. "Contact ID information" is assigned to each tracking process and is used to identify each tracking process. Contact ID information is generated each time a new session occurs, for example, when a browsing request to access a web page is sent from the user terminal device 100-2 to the distribution device 200, and a certain period of time (for example, until 30 minutes have passed since the last access, or until the browser application is closed) is defined as one unit. For example, when a new session is started, processes are performed such as the management device 300 acquiring attribute information such as the access history of the user terminal device 100-2, the administrator using said attribute information, or the administrator providing said attribute information to a third party (for example, the distribution device 200), and the user's consent is sought. Such information is also managed in association with the contact ID information.

[0047] "Contact information" is information used to identify a user's access to a web page. Examples of such contact information include telephone numbers, email addresses, social media accounts, management numbers used when responding to user inquiries in a chat format, links for online meetings, arbitrary identification information generated for tracking, user ID information, terminal identification numbers of user terminal devices, telephone numbers of user terminal devices, or combinations thereof. Among these, telephone numbers, email addresses, social media accounts, management numbers used when responding to user inquiries in a chat format, links for online meetings, arbitrary identification information generated for tracking, or combinations thereof are preferred from the perspective of effectively processing attribute information such as the user's website access history. For example, when a user terminal device 100-2 sends a request to view a specific web page and a session to view that web page is started, different information is assigned to each session. Then, for example, this contact information is displayed as contact information in a predetermined location on the web page.

[0048] The arbitrary identification information used as contact information in the above context is, for example, information generated based on attribute information obtained from tag information provided to the user terminal device 100-2 along with the web page. By managing this identification information, it is possible to identify whether the user is accessing the web page for the first time or is accessing it again.

[0049] "Web page information" is information used to identify the web page to be tracked. In other words, web page information identifies the web page accessed by the user terminal device 100-2 during the session in which the contact ID information was generated. Typically, web page information stores information such as the URL.

[0050] "User ID information" is information used to identify a user. Examples of such user ID information include social networking service (SNS) accounts, email addresses, arbitrary strings specified by the user or service provider, names, or combinations thereof.

[0051] "Attribute information" refers to information that indicates attributes about a user. Examples of such attribute information include classification information generated based on the user's personal information (e.g., age range 20-24), and the user's browsing history on web pages. Browse history includes the user's web page search history, access history including the user's actions leading up to accessing a specific web page and their actions within the accessed domain, information stored in shopping carts on e-commerce sites, input information entered on web pages, user account information used on web pages, or combinations thereof. Such browse history can be collected as first-party data, such as cookies issued from the domain of a site the user accessed, or as third-party data, such as cookies issued from domains other than the site the user accessed.

[0052] "Behavioral information" refers to information that indicates actions taken by a user in relation to a webpage containing contact information. Examples of such behavioral information include the time until a predetermined action is performed, the status of access to other webpages related to the webpage in question, other inputs made after inputting information about contact information, or a combination of these. Specifically, behavioral information includes the time until the user leaves the webpage (for example, "leaving" is detected by launching another application program in the foreground that is different from the browser application program that displays the webpage, accessing a webpage on a different domain than the domain of the webpage in question, terminating the application program that outputs the webpage, or inputting an "back" button), the time from leaving the webpage until returning to the webpage or another webpage on the same domain as the webpage (for example, "returning" is detected by launching the browser application that displays the webpage in the foreground, or accessing the webpage or another webpage on the same domain as the webpage in question), the history of accessing other webpages on the same domain as the webpage in question, or inputs indicating that the user consents to the provision of attribute information.

[0053] "Judgment result information" is information that shows the result of a judgment based on user behavior information. Examples of such judgment information include information that shows the estimated result of the quality of the user's input regarding contact information. Specifically, judgment information may include the result of estimating the degree of interest in the service or product introduced on the web page, the result of estimating the degree of intent to actually purchase the service or product, the result of determining whether the input regarding contact information is fraudulent, or a combination of these.

[0054] Figure 4B is a conceptual diagram showing a user management table stored in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The information stored in this table is updated as processing progresses.

[0055] According to Figure 4B, the user management table stores personal information and attribute information associated with user ID information. In this disclosure, attribute information refers to information indicating attributes of the user, but such attribute information may include not only the information exemplified below and other attribute information, but also the behavioral information and judgment result information shown in Figure 4A.

[0056] As explained in Figure 4A, "User ID information" is information used to identify a user. Examples of such User ID information include SNS accounts, email addresses, arbitrary strings specified by the user or service provider, names, or combinations thereof.

[0057] "Personal information" includes the user's age, gender, address, occupation, marital status, annual income, whether they have children, interests, life events, purchase history, accounts in browser applications, accounts in communication tools such as social networking services (SNS), telephone number of user terminal device 100-2, email address, terminal identification number, timing of model changes, IP address, display resolution, or a combination thereof. This personal information may be updated and stored each time it is obtained in the course of processing by processing system 1, or it may be entered and stored in advance when the user is newly registered for a service provided by processing system 1.

[0058] "Attribute information" refers to information that indicates user attributes other than those exemplified above, and its details are explained in Figure 4A.

[0059] 5. Processing sequence executed by processing system 1 Figures 5A and 5B show processing sequences executed in processing system 1 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 5A shows a processing sequence mainly executed between the user terminal device 100-2, the distribution device 200, and the management device 300. Of these, S11 to S12 show setting processes for executing tracking processes on a web page, and S21 to S32 show tracking processes for providing attribute information to the provider terminal device and the distributor terminal device through tracking. Figure 5B shows a processing sequence mainly executed between the user terminal device 100-2 and the management device 300, related to estimating the quality of operation input for contact information.

[0060] <Configuration process for executing tracking> According to Figure 5A, the processor 312 of the management device 300 configures the web page to perform the tracking process (S11). Specifically, the processor 312 of the management device 300 collects attribute information such as operation history and configures tags (e.g., measurement tags) to acquire contact information when a session is started by accessing the website. These configurations are written in programming languages ​​such as JavaScript® or HTML. Once these configurations are made, the processor 312 of the management device 300 sends a registration request (T11) for these configurations to the web page stored in the distribution device 200 via the communication interface 314. This registration request includes information that identifies the website where the tags are configured.

[0061] When the processor of the distribution device 200 receives a registration request via the communication interface, it registers settings such as tags for the web page based on information that identifies the web page (S12). With this, the setting process for executing tracking processing is completed.

[0062] <Tracking process for providing attribute information> According to Figure 5A, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives user input via the input interface and launches a browser application. The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 then receives user input via the input interface and sends an access request to a website that provides a search engine for searching web pages. This starts a new session and the collection of attribute information and other data. When the processor of the distribution device 200 receives this access request via the communication interface, it sends information about the website that provides the search engine to the user terminal device 100-2.

[0063] The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives website information via the communication interface and outputs the website received by the browser application via the output interface. Subsequently, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 accepts user input via the input interface and inputs search terms into the search engine. Once the search terms are entered, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 transmits the entered search terms to the distribution device 200 via the communication interface. The processor of the distribution device 200 generates a second web page (search web page) containing the search results based on the received search terms and transmits it to the user terminal device 100-2 via the communication interface.

[0064] Typically, such a second webpage (search webpage) includes, in addition to search results, advertisements that the distribution device 200 has decided to display. In other words, the processor of the distribution device 200 assigns advertisements to be displayed in the search results output to the browser application based on user ID information, search words, attribute information, etc.

[0065] The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 outputs search results and advertisements via an output interface using a browser application, based on the information from the received second web page. The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 also stores the search history, including the search words and search results entered by the user, as attribute information in memory.

[0066] The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives user input via an input interface and selects an advertisement or webpage (e.g., an advertisement) desired by the user from the display screen of the second webpage (S21). When a predetermined advertisement webpage is selected in the browser application, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 sends a viewing request (T21) for the selected webpage to the distribution device 200 via the communication interface. This viewing request includes a request for the provision of webpage information to display the webpage and terminal type information that identifies the type of user terminal device 100-2. One example of terminal type information is information that identifies whether the user terminal device is a terminal capable of communication over a public telephone network, that is, whether it is capable of using an application program for making calls using a telephone number.

[0067] When the processor of the distribution device 200 receives a viewing request, it generates a contact information request according to the settings in S11 to S12 (S22). The processor of the distribution device 200 transmits the generated contact information request (T22) along with terminal type information to the management device 300 via the communication interface. When the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives the contact information request via the communication interface 314, it generates contact information (S23).

[0068] Here, Figure 6A is a diagram showing the processing flow of a process performed in the management device 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 6A is a diagram showing the processing flow related to the contact information generation process performed by the processor 312 of the management device 300 in S23 of Figure 5A. This processing flow is mainly performed by the processor 312 of the management device 300 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 313.

[0069] According to Figure 6A, the processor 312 receives a contact information request from the distribution device 200 via the communication interface 314, along with terminal type information (S111). Upon receiving the contact information request, the processor 312 generates contact ID information unique to the series of sessions browsing the web page and stores it in the tracking management table of the memory 313 (S112).

[0070] Here, the terminal type information received in S111 is information indicating the type of user terminal device, or information indicating whether or not the user terminal device is a terminal capable of communication over a public telephone network. In other words, terminal type information is typically used to determine whether or not an application program for making calls using a telephone number is available. Based on the terminal type information, the processor 312 determines whether or not the user terminal device 100-2 is a terminal device capable of communication over a public telephone network (S113). If the determination shows that communication over a public telephone network is possible, i.e., an application program for making calls is available, then contact information using a single telephone number assigned to the session is generated (S114).

[0071] For example, the management device 300's memory 313 may have several different telephone numbers pre-configured for tracking (e.g., 03-XXXX-XXX1, 03-XXXX-XXX2, 03-XXXX-XXX3, 03-XXXX-XXX4, etc.). When the processor 312 receives the contact information request, it selects one telephone number (e.g., 03-XXX-XXX1) from among the multiple telephone numbers. The processor 312 uses the selected telephone number (e.g., 03-XXX-XXX1) as contact information specific to that session. That is, for example, if a call (contact) is made from the selected telephone number (e.g., 03-XXX-XXX1) from the user terminal device 100-2, it can be identified as the telephone number assigned to that session, and it becomes possible to refer to the behavioral information etc. associated with that telephone number (contact information) in Figure 4A.

[0072] On the other hand, if the determination indicates that communication via the public telephone network is not possible, i.e., that the application program for making calls cannot be used, contact information is generated using arbitrary identification information generated for tracking purposes, which is different from the telephone number mentioned above (S115).

[0073] The arbitrary identification information generated for tracking, for example, is an identification information consisting of an arbitrary string generated by the processor 312 when the session is newly started. In this case, when the user terminal device 100-2 contacts the provider to obtain additional information or apply for a service or product, it will do so using an internet network using the Internet Protocol (IP). Such contact may be made by email, voice or text chat using SNS, online meeting, or a combination thereof. Therefore, by sending the arbitrary identification information generated at the start of these contacts to the management device 300, the user terminal device 100-2 can refer to the behavioral information etc. associated with the identification information (contact information) in Figure 4A.

[0074] Furthermore, if communication via the public network is not possible, it is possible to use other identification information in place of arbitrary identification information. For example, it is possible to generate new information specific to the online meeting link and use it as contact information. By accessing this link, the online meeting will start, making it possible to refer to the behavioral information associated with that link (contact information).

[0075] Furthermore, instead of arbitrary identification information, email addresses and social media accounts generated as session-specific information can also be used. By contacting the email address or social media account assigned as contact information, it becomes possible to access associated behavioral information and other data.

[0076] As described above, once contact information is generated by the processing in S114 or S115, the generated contact information is stored in the tracking management table in association with the contact ID information, and is transmitted to the distribution device 200 via the communication interface 314 (S116). This completes the processing flow.

[0077] Returning to Figure 5A, once contact information is generated, the processor 312 of the management device 300 transmits the contact ID information generated in S112 of Figure 6A and the contact information (T23) generated in S114 or S115 to the distribution device 200 via the communication interface.

[0078] The processor of the distribution device 200 generates webpage information (S24) that includes the contact information received for the webpage (e.g., advertisement A) requested in the browsing request (T21). This webpage information includes the various contents that make up the webpage of advertisement A, which is the first webpage, as well as the contact information received in T23 and the URL to be accessed. The processor of the distribution device 200 transmits the webpage information (T24) and the contact ID information to the user terminal device 100-2 via the communication interface as a browsing response to the browsing request.

[0079] The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 outputs the web page generated by the browser application to the display based on the web page information contained in the received browsing response (S25).

[0080] Here, Figures 9A and 9B show examples of web pages displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 in the embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figures 9A and 9B show examples of web page 10 displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 at S25 in Figure 5A. According to Figure 9A, web page 10 contains information related to advertisement A as content, and an icon 11 labeled "Start Contact" is displayed at the bottom as contact information.

[0081] Note that Figure 9A assumes that the user terminal device 100-2 is capable of communication via a public telephone network. Therefore, the icon 11 displayed as contact information shows a telephone number. However, the display method of this contact information differs depending on the terminal type information of the user terminal device. For example, if a telephone number assigned to a session accessing the web page is used as contact information, an icon directly displaying that telephone number may be displayed as contact information (see, for example, Figure 9). Also, as shown in Figure 9B, if arbitrary identification information generated for tracking is used as contact information, instead of directly displaying that identification information, an icon 12 for launching a contact application program may be displayed as contact information, as in web page 10 (in this case, contact is made, for example, by email, voice or text chat using SNS, online meeting, or a combination thereof). Furthermore, if a link for an online meeting assigned to a session accessing the web page is used as contact information, an icon for accessing that link may be displayed as contact information.

[0082] Furthermore, in Figures 9A and 9B, the display of contact information differs depending on whether a telephone number or identification information is used as contact information, depending on the type of user terminal device 100-2 or whether the user terminal device 100-2 is a terminal capable of communication over a public telephone network. However, instead of this, or in addition to this, the display of contact information may also differ depending on the type of browser application displaying the web page 10. For example, in the case of browser application A, the contact information (telephone number) may be directly displayed on the icon, while in the case of browser application B, the message "Call here" may be displayed on the icon.

[0083] Returning to Figure 5A, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives user input for contact information via the input interface (S26), and then outputs a consent screen via the output interface. The user terminal device 100-2 then receives user input for the consent button included in the consent screen via the input interface (S27), and extracts attribute information such as the operation history contained within the user terminal device 100-2 (S28). The operation input on the consent screen will be explained in detail in Figures 5B and 9C.

[0084] Here, the attribute information typically includes search history, which includes search terms and search results entered by the user. However, it can also include access history, which includes the user's actions leading up to accessing a specific webpage and their actions within the domain they accessed, information stored in the shopping cart on e-commerce sites, input information entered on a webpage, user account information used on a webpage, or a combination of these. In other words, although not specifically illustrated, if a user accesses another webpage within the domain that includes a website, that access history is stored as attribute information. Also, if a user clicks on a specific icon or watches a video on an accessed webpage, the access history indicating these actions is stored as attribute information. Furthermore, if a user adds a service or product to their cart or favorites on an accessed webpage, information such as the service name or product name is stored as attribute information. Additionally, personal information entered by the user on an accessed webpage is stored as attribute information. Finally, user account information used on an accessed webpage (for example, user ID information used as an account provided on the webpage, or user ID information used as an account with a browser application provider) is stored as attribute information. Therefore, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 extracts various types of information as attribute information, as exemplified above.

[0085] Furthermore, attribute information includes, as described above, first-party data collected by measurement tags issued by the domain of the site accessed by the user and identifiers assigned by said measurement tags (e.g., cookies), and third-party data collected by measurement tags issued by third parties (i.e., domains other than the site accessed by the user) and identifiers assigned by said measurement tags (e.g., cookies). However, particularly regarding measurement tags issued by third parties used to collect third-party data and identifiers assigned by said measurement tags, from a security and personal information perspective, storage in the browser or local memory of the user terminal device 100-2 may be restricted, thereby regulating the collection of third-party data.

[0086] For example, in the case of the source code of a web page as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the HTML source code contains " <script>···ファーストパーティ計測タグ···< / script> As indicated, the measurement tags and attribute management information (e.g., identifiers) are written in JavaScript or VBScript. Therefore, when the HTML file shown in (a) is loaded, JavaScript etc. is executed within the HTML file, and attribute information is collected by linking it to the attribute management information via the measurement tags. In this way, measurement tags etc. written directly in the HTML source code are identified as being issued by a first party, and the collected attribute information is also treated as first-party data.

[0087] On the other hand, within the HTML source code: <script src=""https: / / サードパーティ計測タグ.js”">< / script>As described above, the tracking tags are written as link information to JavaScript. Therefore, when the HTML file is loaded, the JavaScript at the specified link destination, which is a domain other than the web page's domain, is accessed, and attribute information is collected by linking it to attribute management information via the tracking tag at the linked destination. In this way, tracking tags written at the link destination that specifies an external domain are identified as being issued by a third party, and the attribute information collected by them is also treated as third-party data. For this reason, as stated above, access to the link destination where such tracking tags and identifiers issued by third parties are written may be restricted, and the collection of attribute information may be regulated.

[0088] Therefore, in Figure 5A, the web page generated by S24 will not execute any measurement tags issued by third parties by accessing links on external domains, but will instead have them directly written into the HTML source code and executed within that HTML file. Specifically, within the HTML source code, <script>···サードパーティ計測タグ···< / script> This means that even if the measurement tag is issued by a third party, it will still be possible to collect attribute information using the measurement tag, even if access to links on external domains is restricted.

[0089] The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 reads the web page information represented by HTML as described above in a browser application, which executes the measurement tag and issues attribute management information (e.g., an identifier), and a series of attribute information is collected in association with said attribute management information. The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 then transmits the extracted attribute information (T25: including attribute management information (e.g., an identifier)) along with the contact ID information to the management device 300 via the communication interface (S28). When the management device 300 receives the attribute information, it associates it with the contact ID information received together and stores the received attribute information in the tracking management table (S29).

[0090] When the user terminal device 100-2 receives an input for contact information in S26, it starts the application program associated with the contact information and initiates contact (T26) with the management device 300. This contact ultimately transfers the information to a provider terminal device available to the service or product provider, where processing such as providing detailed information to the user or processing applications is carried out.

[0091] For example, in webpage 10 shown in Figure 9A, if a telephone number assigned to the session is included as contact information, and an icon for launching a calling application program is displayed along with the telephone number as contact information, the calling application program will be launched to initiate contact (making a call) using the public telephone network. Also, in webpage 10 shown in Figure 9B, if arbitrary identification information assigned to the session is set as contact information, and an icon 12 labeled "Send Email" is displayed as contact information, an application program such as email will be launched to initiate contact using the internet network (the arbitrary identification information will also be sent along with the contact). Another example is if, on a webpage, a link for an online meeting assigned to the session is set as contact information, and an icon labeled "Start Contact" is displayed as contact information, an application program for online meetings will be launched to initiate contact (online meeting) using the internet network. Furthermore, if, on a webpage, a social networking service (SNS) account assigned to the session is set as contact information, and an icon labeled "Start Contact" is displayed as contact information, an application program for voice or text chat using SNS will be launched to initiate contact (voice or text chat) using the internet network.

[0092] As described above, once a contact is initiated, the contact is received by the management device 300. When the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives the contact via the communication interface 314, it refers to the tracking management table based on the contact information and identifies the contact ID information (S30). At this time, if a telephone number is used as the contact information, the management device 300 identifies which contact ID information it is by matching the incoming telephone number with the contact information in the tracking management table. Similarly, if arbitrary identification information is used as the contact information, the management device 300 identifies which contact ID information it is by matching the arbitrary identification information received along with the contact with the contact information in the tracking management table. Furthermore, if an online meeting link, SNS account, or email address is used as the contact information, the management device 300 identifies which contact ID information it is by matching the online meeting link, SNS account, or email address received with the contact information in the tracking management table.

[0093] Once contact ID information is identified, the processor 312 of the management device 300 extracts attribute information associated with the contact ID information from the tracking management table (S31). At this time, the attribute information includes the user account information used on the accessed web page (for example, user ID information used as an account provided on the web page, or user ID information used as an account for a provider that provides a browser application). Therefore, the processor 312 of the management device 300 refers to the user management table to identify user ID information that matches the above account information, and stores the identified user ID information in the tracking management table. The processor 312 of the management device 300 also extracts personal information and other attribute information associated with the identified user ID information in the user management table, and prepares attribute information that can be provided to the provider terminal device 100-1. Once attribute information including personal information has been extracted, the processor 312 transmits the attribute information to the provider terminal device 100-1 via the communication interface 314.

[0094] Here, Figure 6B is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process performed in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 6B is a diagram showing the processing flow related to the storage of behavioral information extracted by the processor 312 of the management device 300 in S29 of Figure 5A. This processing flow is mainly performed by the processor 312 of the management device 300 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 313.

[0095] As explained in S11 and S28 of Figure 5A, the website is equipped with tags (e.g., measurement tags) for collecting attribute information such as access history. Therefore, when the user terminal device 100-2 first accesses the website due to the setting of these tags, the attribute information stored in memory up to that point is extracted. This attribute information includes, as described above, search history including search words and search results entered by the user, access history including the user's actions leading up to accessing a specific web page and the user's actions within the domain accessed by the user, information held in the shopping cart on e-commerce sites, input information entered on the web page, user account information used on the web page, or a combination of these. Once this attribute information is extracted, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 transmits the attribute information to the management device 300 via the communication interface due to the setting of the tags.

[0096] According to Figure 6B, the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives the attribute information and attribute management information (e.g., identifier) ​​from the user terminal device 100-2 via the communication interface 314 (S211). Upon receiving this information, the processor 312 refers to the attribute information in the tracking management table to determine whether or not the attribute management information (e.g., identifier) ​​is stored (S212). This attribute management information is unique identification information for a browser application that outputs a website with tags set, and is used to centrally manage attribute information when accessing the website from the same browser application program. This attribute management information may include, for example, an identifier such as the local IP address of the user terminal device 100-2.

[0097] As described above, when the user terminal device 100-2 is accessing the website for the first time, the attribute information in the tracking management table shown in Figure 4A does not contain any attribute management information. Therefore, in S212, the result is "No", and the user terminal device 100-2 newly stores the attribute management information (e.g., identifier) ​​issued by the measurement tag in the attribute information of the tracking management table (S213). Then, the processor 312 of the management device 300 transmits the generated attribute management information to the user terminal device 100-2 via the communication interface 314 (S214).

[0098] Although not specifically illustrated, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 that receives the attribute management information stores the received attribute management information in the memory for its browser application.

[0099] Next, the processor 312 of the management device 300 identifies user ID information based on attribute information and associates the attribute information and attribute management information (e.g., identifiers) with the user ID information (attribute management information is not shown in Figure 4B). Specifically, as described above, the attribute information includes user account information used on the accessed web page (e.g., user ID information used as an account provided on the web page, or user ID information used as an account of a provider that provides a browser application). Therefore, the processor 312 refers to the user management table and identifies user ID information that has information matching the account information included in the attribute information (S215). Then, once the user ID information is identified, the processor 312 associates the attribute information and attribute management information with that user ID information. In addition to user account information, information such as access history, IP address, access time, or the type of browser application or OS used by the user can also be used to identify user ID information.

[0100] On the other hand, when the user terminal device 100-2 accesses the website for the second time or later, the attribute information stored in memory up to that point is extracted in the same manner as described above. However, as described above, the user terminal device 100-2's memory stores the attribute management information received in S214. Therefore, when the user terminal device 100-2 accesses the website for the second time or later, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 transmits the attribute information along with the attribute management information to the management device 300.

[0101] When the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives attribute management information along with attribute information in S211, it proceeds to the "Yes" branch in S212 because the attribute management information is already stored, and proceeds to the process in S215. Specifically, the processor 312 refers to the user management table based on the attribute management information received along with the attribute information and identifies the user ID information associated with the attribute management information (S215). Then, the processor 312 stores the attribute information in the user management table in association with the identified user ID information (S216). With this, the processing flow is completed.

[0102] In other words, according to the history management process shown in Figure 6B, it is possible to accumulate not only attribute information from the first access to a web page, but also attribute information from subsequent accesses to the same web page. Therefore, for example, it is possible to check changes such as whether the user's behavior on the web page changed on the second access as a result of contact between the user and the provider during the first access.

[0103] Returning to Figure 5A, when the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives a contact from the user terminal device 100-2 as described above, it forwards the contact via the communication interface 314 to the provider terminal device 100-1, which is available to the provider that provides the web page related to the session (S32). Once forwarded to the provider terminal device 100-1, contact is initiated between the provider terminal device 100-1 and the user terminal device 100-2 (S33). Specifically, if a contact by telephone is received, the processor 312 of the management device 300 forwards the telephone call as is, and telephone contact is initiated between the provider terminal device 100-1 and the user terminal device 100-2. If a contact by online meeting is received, the processor 312 of the management device 300 sends an online meeting participation notification to the provider terminal device 100-1, and online meeting contact is initiated between the provider terminal device 100-1 and the user terminal device 100-2. When a voice or text contact is received using an SNS account, the processor 312 of the management device 300 forwards the voice or text chat, initiating a voice or text chat contact between the provider terminal device 100-1 and the user terminal device 100-2. When an email contact is received, the processor 312 of the management device 300 forwards the email, initiating an email contact between the provider terminal device 100-1 and the user terminal device 100-2.

[0104] At this time, the provider terminal device 100-1 receives the attribute information extracted in S31 from the management device 300. Therefore, providers using the provider terminal device 100-1 can contact users while referring to the received attribute information, enabling them to conduct business negotiations and other activities more efficiently.

[0105] This concludes the tracking process for providing attribute information.

[0106] <Estimation process for the quality of user input related to contact information> As shown in Figure 5A, contact with the provider terminal device 100-1 is initiated when an operation input is made to the contact information; however, there are differences in the quality of such contacts and operation inputs. Therefore, the quality of this contact or operation input is estimated by the estimation process shown in Figure 5B, and appropriate processing is performed according to the estimation result.

[0107] As shown in Figure 5B, as explained in Figure 5A, when the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives an operation input from the user to the contact information via the input interface (S26), a timer provided in the user terminal device 100-2 measures the time the operation input was received and stores this time as the time the operation input to the contact information was received (S51). Next, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 outputs a consent screen via the output interface. The user terminal device 100-2 then receives user operation input, such as the consent button included in the consent screen, via the input interface (S27).

[0108] Here, Figure 9C shows an example of a web page displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 in an implementation of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 9C shows an example of a consent screen 20 displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 at S27 in Figure 5A. According to Figure 9C, the consent screen 20 includes an explanatory text display area 23 requesting consent to provide the user's attribute information to a so-called first party or third party, such as a distributor terminal device or provider terminal device 100-1, a consent button 21 to start a call after consenting, and a disagreement button 22 to start a call without consenting. That is, when the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives user input to the consent button 21 at the input interface, it notifies the management device 300 of this. The management device 300 extracts the user's attribute information at timings such as S31 in Figure 5A and transmits the attribute information to the provider terminal device 100-1. On the other hand, when the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives user input to the disagree button 22 via the input interface, it notifies the management device 300 of this fact. However, in this case, the management device 300 does not extract the user's attribute information at timings such as S31 in Figure 5A and transmit the attribute information to the provider terminal device 100-1.

[0109] Note that inputting an action to the agree button 21 or the disagree button 22 is an example of other inputs made in relation to contact information (for example, icon 11 in Figure 9A or icon 12 in Figure 9B) before or after inputting an action to that contact information. Such other inputs include: • An input indicating permission to initiate contact, resulting from an input regarding contact information. • When contacting a contact identified in the contact information, prior user authentication and related input are required. • Inputting controls to display contact information to the user in a visible manner. • Inputting information to answer questionnaires related to services and products featured on the webpage displaying contact information. • Input fields to consent to or denial of saving attribute information in cookies on web pages where contact information is displayed. • Inputting commands to display upsell offer screens related to services and products featured on the webpage where contact information is displayed. This includes, among others.

[0110] Here, Figure 9D shows an example of a web page displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 in an embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 9D shows an example of "other operation inputs" displayed on the user terminal device 100-2 at S27 in Figure 5A. According to Figure 9D, a mask image 14 is displayed on the web page 10 so as to cover the icon 11. Therefore, when the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 detects a user operation input to the mask image 14 via the input interface, it displays the icon 11 in a visible manner. In other words, the user operation input to the mask image 14 falls under "an operation input for displaying contact information to the user in a visible manner" among the "other operation inputs".

[0111] Returning to Figure 5B, when the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 receives "other operation inputs made in relation to contact information before or after operation input to contact information" as exemplified in Figure 9C or Figure 9D via the input interface, it starts a contact application program (for example, an application program for making calls) in the foreground instead of the browser application program that displays the web page 10 or consent screen 20. As a result, when the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 detects that the user has left the web page 10 (S52), a timer provided in the user terminal device 100-2 measures the time of the departure and stores that time as the departure time (S51).

[0112] While the example given was detecting the departure from webpage 10 by launching a contact application program in the foreground, it is certainly possible to detect the departure from webpage 10 by other events. For example, the departure may be detected by events such as accessing a webpage in a different domain than webpage 10, termination of the application program that outputs webpage 10, or input to the "back" button on the user terminal device 100-2.

[0113] Next, when the contact shown in Figure 5A is completed, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 restarts the browser application in the foreground and displays the web page 10. As a result, the user terminal device 100-2 detects the return to the web page 10 (S54), measures the time of return using a timer provided in the user terminal device 100-2, and stores this time as the return time (S55).

[0114] While the example given was detecting a return to webpage 10 by launching a browser application program in the foreground, it is certainly possible to detect a return to webpage 10 using other events. For example, the return may be detected by events such as accessing webpage 10 or other webpages on the same domain.

[0115] Next, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 detects a move to a web page having the same domain as web page 10 (S56). The processor of the user terminal device 100-2 then stores the move history as an access history (S57). Examples of web pages having the same domain as web page 10 include web pages that describe detailed information about the service or product introduced on web page 10, web pages that show payment methods for purchasing the service or product, web pages that display surveys related to the service or product, web pages that display provider attribute information, or web pages that introduce other services or products related to the service or product.

[0116] Next, the processor of the user terminal device 100-2 transmits behavioral information (T51) to the management device 300 via the communication interface, along with the contact ID information. This information includes the time when an operation input to the contact information stored in memory was received (S26), whether or not there was any other operation input (S27), the time when the user left the web page 10 (S53), the time when the user returned to the web page 10 (S55), and the access history within the same domain as the web page 10 (S57).

[0117] When the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives behavioral information via the communication interface 314, it stores it in the tracking management table in association with the contact ID information. Then, the processor 312 uses the stored behavioral information to perform estimation processing to estimate the quality of the operation input or the quality of the contact for the contact information (S58).

[0118] Here, Figure 6C is a diagram showing the processing flow of the process performed in the management device 300 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 6C is a diagram showing the processing flow related to the estimation of contact quality, which is performed by the processor 312 of the management device 300 at S58 in Figure 5B. This processing flow is mainly performed by the processor 312 of the management device 300 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 313.

[0119] According to Figure 6C, the processor 312 reads the behavioral information stored in the tracking management table based on the tracking ID information (S211).

[0120] Here, Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of behavioral information used in the processing according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, it is a diagram showing an example of behavioral information transmitted in T51 in Figure 5B. According to Figure 8, one of the behavioral pieces of information is whether or not an operation input has been made to the consent button or the disagree button on the consent screen. Whether or not an operation input has been made on this consent screen is used as an example of other operation inputs made in relation to the contact information before or after an operation input to the contact information. Such other operation inputs are additionally required in addition to the operation inputs made by the user to contact the contact information. Therefore, these operation inputs can be an additional burden for the user. However, the fact that the user is making such an additional operation input to contact the contact information indicates a stronger intention to contact the contact information. Therefore, by using the presence or absence of such other operation inputs as behavioral information, it is possible to estimate the quality of the operation input to the contact information or the quality of the contact.

[0121] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the departure time is indicated as one of the behavioral information items. This departure time is, for example, the time from when the operation input to the contact information, measured in S26 of Figure 5B, is received, until the user leaves the web page 10, measured in S53 of Figure 5B. Normally, it takes a considerable amount of time from when a user performs an operation input to the contact information until the contact is actually initiated by the contact application program, as it requires various operations inputs such as other operations inputs on the consent screen or pressing the contact button, as well as the time the user spends thinking. However, if someone is attempting to make a fraudulent contact using a system or processing device, for example, these processes are carried out automatically, so it is expected that the time required will be short. Therefore, by determining whether the departure time is shorter than a predetermined time as behavioral information, it is possible to estimate the quality of the operation input to the contact information or the quality of the contact.

[0122] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the return time is indicated as one of the behavioral information items. This return time is, for example, the time from when the user leaves webpage 10, as measured in S53 of Figure 5B, until they return to webpage 10. Normally, when a user leaves webpage 10 to contact provider terminal device 100-1, a considerable amount of time should elapse because contact (for example, a conversation between the provider and the user) takes place between provider terminal device 100-1 and user terminal device 100-2. However, if someone is attempting to make an unauthorized contact using a system or processing device, for example, it is expected that the attempt will be terminated immediately upon contact with provider terminal device 100-1. In such a case, the user will immediately return to webpage 10. Therefore, by determining whether the return time is shorter than a predetermined time as behavioral information, it is possible to estimate the quality of the operation input or the quality of the contact regarding the contact information.

[0123] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, access history within the same domain as webpage 10 is presented as one piece of behavioral information. After contact between the provider terminal device 100-1 and the user terminal device 100-2 is completed, users often access other webpages within the same domain to gather information on related services or products. In other words, such users are expected to have a higher interest in the services or products on the webpage containing the contact information. Therefore, by using access history within the domain as behavioral information, it is possible to estimate the quality of the user's input regarding the contact information or the quality of the contact itself.

[0124] Returning to Figure 6C, the processor 312 uses the behavioral information illustrated in Figure 8 to estimate the quality of the operation input or the quality of the contact for the contact information (S312).

[0125] <Estimation by logic processing> For example, the processor 312 estimates quality by calculating a score based on behavioral information such as the presence or absence of other user inputs, the time spent away from the user, the time spent returning to the user, and the access history within the same domain as the webpage 10. For example, the score is calculated based on the following conditions: • 10 points if other inputs are made, 0 points if none are made. • If the withdrawal time is shorter than the specified time, 0 points are awarded; if it is longer, 5 points are awarded. • If the recovery time is shorter than the specified time, you will receive 0 points; if it is longer, you will receive 20 points. • If there is no access history, you will receive 0 points. If there is an access history to the web page of a related service or product, you will receive 5 points. If there is an access history to the payment page, you will receive 15 points.

[0126] The above method for calculating the score is merely an example, and other methods are certainly acceptable. Furthermore, while four behavioral information points are given as an example, other behavioral information points may be used, as may five or more, or even three or fewer.

[0127] <Estimation using a pre-trained estimation model> As another example, the processor 312 estimates by inputting behavioral information such as the presence or absence of other inputs, exit time, return time, and access history within the same domain as the web page 10 into a trained estimation model and outputting a quality score.

[0128] Figure 7 is a diagram showing the processing flow for the process performed to generate a trained estimation model according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Specifically, Figure 7 is a diagram showing the processing flow for generating a trained estimation model used in the estimation process of S312 in Figure 6C. This processing flow may be executed by the processor 312 of the management device 300, or by the processor of another device such as a model generation device.

[0129] As shown in Figure 7, the processor 312 performs a step of acquiring information about actions taken by a user in relation to any web page in which a service or product is introduced as learning behavior information (S411). Next, the processor 312 estimates the quality of the operation input and the quality of the contact for the contact information of the said web page, for example, by logic processing, and performs a processing step of assigning the estimated quality as the correct label to each learning behavior information acquired in S411 (S412). Note that although the correct label was assigned by logic processing, for example, the results of evaluations by the provider or distributor may also be assigned as the correct label.

[0130] Then, the processor 311 performs the step of associating each assigned correct label information with each learning behavior information and storing it as learning estimation result information (S413). Once the learning behavior information and the corresponding correct label information are obtained, the processor 311 performs the step of performing machine learning to estimate the quality of the operation input for contact information and the quality of the contact using these (S414). This machine learning is performed, for example, by providing these sets of information to a neural network made up of neurons and repeating the learning process while adjusting the parameters of each neuron so that the output from the neural network is the same as the correct label information. Then, the step of obtaining a trained estimation model is performed (S415). The obtained trained estimation model may be stored in the memory 313 of the management device 300 or in another device connected to the management device 100 via a wired or wireless network.

[0131] In addition to the methods mentioned above, pre-trained estimation models can also be generated using other methods such as deep neural networks (DNN), neural networks, convolutional neural networks, multilayer herceptons (MLP), LSTM (Long Short-Term Memory), GRU (Gated Recurrent Unit), GNN (Graph Neural Network), and Transformers; gradient boosting decision trees (GBDT) such as LightGBM (Light Gradient Boosting Machine), XGBoost, and CatBoost; and machine learning methods such as ridge regression, logistic regression, support vector regression (SVR), nearest neighbor, decision trees, regression trees, and random forests. It is also possible to use pre-trained models known as generative AI, which utilize these learning methods.

[0132] Returning to FIG. 6C again, when the processor 312 estimates a score indicating the quality of the contact through logic processing or processing by a learned estimation model, the processor 312 determines whether the quality meets a predetermined threshold (S313). As an example, the processor 312 makes a determination as follows and stores the result as determination result information in association with the contact ID information in the tracking management table. · If the score < S1, then "Suspicious of fraud" · If S1 ≤ score < S2, then "Low interest" · If S2 ≤ score < S3, then "Average interest" · If S3 ≤ score, then "High interest"

[0133] The processor 312 transmits attribute information including action information and determination result information to the provider terminal device or the distributor terminal device according to the determination result information (S314). As an example, when the determination result information is "Suspicious of fraud", the processor 312 transmits only the determination result information and does not transmit other attribute information. Also, when the determination result information is "Low interest", the processor 312 transmits only the determination result information and some of the attribute information. Also, when the determination result information is "Average interest", the processor 312 transmits only the determination result information and some other attribute information. Also, when the determination result information is "High interest", the processor 312 transmits only the determination result information and all the attribute information.

[0134] In this way, by changing the attribute information transmitted according to the determination result information, it is possible to avoid providing unnecessary information and enable more efficient operation.

[0135] Returning to FIG. 5B again, as described in FIG. 6C, the processor 312 transmits attribute information including action information to at least one of the provider terminal device and the distributor terminal device via the communication interface 314 according to the determination result information.

[0136] For example, when the distributor terminal device receives attribute information, including behavioral information and judgment result information, from the management device 300, it performs processing according to that information. For example, if the judgment result information is "suspected fraud" or "low interest," the likelihood of the user purchasing a service or product on the web page again is low. If contact information, which is limited in number, is left assigned to such users, the management of contact information is inefficient. Therefore, if the processor of the distributor terminal device receives judgment result information that is "suspected fraud" or "low interest," it sends an instruction to the distribution device 200 to cancel the assignment of contact information to the web page 10. Also, for example, if the judgment result information is "suspected fraud," it is suspected that the user is attempting to artificially inflate advertising fees by falsely increasing the frequency of operation inputs related to contact information. Therefore, if the processor of the distributor terminal device receives judgment result information that is "suspected fraud," it calculates advertising fees without counting such operation inputs. Also, for example, if the judgment result information is "high interest," the user is an important customer who is likely to purchase a service or product on the web page again. Therefore, if the received judgment result information indicates "high interest," the processor of the broadcaster terminal device adds information indicating that the customer is an important customer to the associated user ID information and proactively sends promotional information to that customer.

[0137] In this way, the management device can efficiently manage limited contact information by estimating the usage status of contact information based on user behavior data. The management device can also make the attribute information it provides more appropriate by estimating its quality based on behavior data.

[0138] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a processing device, a processing program, and a processing method that can appropriately handle user access to web pages.

[0139] 6. Variations In the above embodiment, the presence or absence of other operation inputs, departure time, return time, and access history within the same domain as the web page 10 were used as behavioral information, and the case in which quality is estimated based on this behavioral information was described. However, in addition to these, for example, the presence or absence of contact (e.g., a call) made between the user terminal device 100-2 and the provider terminal device 100-1, i.e., between the user and the provider, as shown in S33 of Figure 5A, can also be used as evaluation information to estimate quality. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5A, when a contact (T26) is made from the user terminal device 100-2, the processor 312 of the management device 300 transfers the contact to the provider terminal device 100-1. Therefore, the processor 312 of the management device 300 can manage the presence or absence of contact.

[0140] When the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives evaluation information indicating whether or not contact has occurred, as described above, it weights a score indicating quality based on that evaluation information. Furthermore, when the processor 312 estimates quality using a trained estimation model, it inputs the evaluation information together with the behavioral information and obtains the estimation result from the trained estimation model. The trained estimation model is generated by acquiring training evaluation information indicating whether or not contact has occurred between the provider of a service or product introduced on an arbitrary web page and the user who has entered contact information on that web page, and then assigning correct labels based on that training evaluation information and training behavioral information to generate training estimation result information.

[0141] Please note that the above forwarding process may not be performed if the contact information is not provided by telephone number. In such cases, it is possible to obtain contact information from a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system or similar.

[0142] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 6B, for example, a case was described in which attribute information is stored in association with the same user ID information even on subsequent accesses, based on attribute management information (e.g., an identifier) ​​assigned by a tag for storing attribute information. However, it is also possible to store attribute information in association with the same user ID information even on subsequent accesses by other methods without relying on attribute management information. For example, the processor 312 of the management device 300 compares the attribute information stored when the website is accessed for the second time or later with the attribute information stored in the user management table in association with each user ID information.

[0143] Specifically, the processor 312 reads user identification information from the attribute information stored during the second and subsequent accesses, such as access history, IP address, access time, or the type of browser application or OS the user is using, which can be used to identify the user. The processor 312 then matches this user identification information with the attribute information stored in the user management table, which is associated with each user ID information. As a result of the matching, the processor 312 associates the attribute information stored during the second and subsequent accesses with the user ID information that has a high degree of similarity to the user identification information and stores it in storage.

[0144] The matching process may also be performed by the processor 312 comparing the user identification information with information already stored in the user management table, such as access history, IP address, access time, or the type of browser application or OS used by the user. Alternatively, the processor 312 may pre-label the similarity of training information, which includes combinations of training user identification information and training attribute information, as the correct answer, and then input the user identification information into a trained comparison model generated by machine learning or deep learning using this training information.

[0145] In this way, by matching attribute information that has been pre-stored in association with user ID information with newly acquired attribute information, it becomes possible to store newly acquired attribute information in association with the same user ID information without using attribute management information. In particular, attribute management information assigned by tags may only be stored for a certain period (for example, 7 days), but even if attribute management information is not stored, it is still possible to store newly acquired attribute information in association with the same user ID information.

[0146] In the above embodiment, behavioral information was described in which, as an example, the presence or absence of other operation inputs, departure time, return time, and access history within the same domain as the web page 10 were used, and quality was estimated based on this behavioral information. However, in addition to these, for example, the time of contact (e.g., a phone call) made between the user terminal device 100-2 and the provider terminal device 100-1, i.e., between the user and the provider, as shown in S33 of Figure 5A, can also be used as evaluation information to estimate quality. The longer the time required for contact, the higher the estimated interest in the service or product introduced on the web page. Therefore, by using the time required for contact as evaluation information, it is possible to estimate quality more accurately.

[0147] In addition, other evaluation information that can be used is the content of a conversation between the user terminal device 100-2 and the provider terminal device 100-1. For example, the processor 312 can analyze the content of the conversation using language analysis processing with a trained model, and estimate the degree of interest in the service or product based on the analysis results.

[0148] Specifically, when the processor 312 of the management device 300 receives evaluation information indicating the time required for contact from the user terminal device 100-2 or the provider terminal device 100-1, it weights a score indicating quality based on the evaluation information. Furthermore, when the processor 312 estimates quality using a trained estimation model, it inputs the evaluation information together with the behavioral information and obtains the estimation result from the trained estimation model. The trained estimation model is generated by acquiring training evaluation information indicating the time required for contact between a provider of a service or product introduced on an arbitrary web page and a user who has entered contact information on that web page, and then assigning correct labels based on the training evaluation information and training behavioral information to generate training estimation result information.

[0149] The processes and procedures described herein can be implemented not only by means of expressly described herein, but also by software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Specifically, the processes and procedures described herein can be implemented by implementing logic corresponding to the process on media such as integrated circuits, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, magnetic disks, and optical storage. Furthermore, the processes and procedures described herein can be implemented as computer programs and executed by various computers, including terminal devices and server devices.

[0150] Even if it is stated that the processes and procedures described herein are performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software programs, multiple components, and / or multiple modules. Similarly, even if it is stated that the various types of information described herein are stored in a single memory or storage unit, such information may be distributed and stored in multiple memories within a single device or in multiple memories distributed across multiple devices. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein may be implemented by integrating them into fewer components or by decomposing them into more components. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0151] 100-1 Provider terminal device 100-2 User terminal device 200 distribution devices 300 Management device

Claims

1. A processing unit comprising at least one processor, The at least one processor, In a webpage containing contact information for contacting a provider of services or goods, in response to user input regarding the contact information, the user's attribute information is obtained in association with the contact information in order to identify the user's access to the webpage. In accordance with the determination result based on the behavioral information indicating the actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the aforementioned operation input is performed, the attribute information is provided to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider and the distributor terminal devices available to the distributor who distributes the web page. A processing unit configured to perform a process for that purpose.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the action information includes at least one of the following: the time until the action is performed, access to other web pages related to the web page after the operation input is made, and other operation inputs made before or after the operation input in relation to the contact information.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the aforementioned time includes at least one of the time from when the operation input is made until the browsing of the web page is completed, and the time from when the browsing of the web page is completed until the web page is accessed again.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the other operation input includes at least one of at least one of the following: an operation input indicating that the user consents to the provision of the attribute information; an operation input indicating permission to initiate the contact; an operation input relating to authentication of the user; and an operation input for displaying the contact information in a visible manner to the user.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user's operation input for the contact information includes an operation input to instruct the start of a contact application for making the contact.

6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact information is displayed on the user terminal device in different display modes depending on the type of browser application used to display the web page, the type of user terminal device available to the user, or whether the user terminal device is capable of communication via a public network.

7. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination result is obtained using a trained estimation model generated based on training behavior information including at least one of the following: the elapsed time until an action is taken in relation to an arbitrary web page; access to other web pages related to the arbitrary web page after an operation input is made to the contact information of the arbitrary web page; and other operation inputs made before or after an operation input to the contact information of the arbitrary web page; and training estimation result information indicating the result estimated based on the training behavior information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the trained estimation model is generated based on training evaluation information including the time taken for contact between a provider of a service or product introduced on the arbitrary web page and a user who entered contact information on the arbitrary web page.

9. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the web page is a landing page introducing the service or product.

10. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attribute information includes the user's access history to the web page.

11. A computer comprising at least one processor, wherein a processing method is performed by the at least one processor, A web page containing contact information for contacting a provider of services or goods, comprising the steps of obtaining user attribute information associated with contact information that can identify the user's access to the web page in response to the user's input regarding the contact information, The steps include providing the attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider, in accordance with the determination result based on the behavioral information indicating the actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the aforementioned operation input is performed, A processing method that includes this.

12. In a computer comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor is: In a webpage containing contact information for contacting a provider of services or goods, the user's attribute information is acquired in association with the contact information that can identify the user's access to the webpage, in response to the user's input regarding the contact information. In accordance with the determination result based on the behavioral information indicating the actions taken by the user in relation to the web page before or after the aforementioned operation input is performed, the provider provides the attribute information to at least one of the provider terminal devices available to the provider. A processing program that is designed to perform a specific action.

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