Distribution information processing system, distribution information processing method, and distribution information processing program

Abstract

By adding supplementary information that aligns with the content of the main distribution, the effectiveness of the main distribution is enhanced. [Solution] The distribution information processing system 1 distributes advertisements to be distributed. The advertisement provision server 100 performs the following: S22 to acquire an advertisement image; an additional information database 132 that stores multiple types of additional information different from the advertisement image; S100 to create or acquire additional information of a type that satisfies the matching conditions to match the advertisement image acquired by S22, based on the multiple types of additional information stored in the additional information database 132; S25 to generate a distribution image by adding the additional information created or acquired by S100 to the advertisement image acquired by S22; and S30 to distribute the distribution image generated by S25. The printer 200 prints an image based on the distribution image upon receiving the distribution image distributed by S30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a distribution information processing system, a distribution information processing method, and a distribution information processing program that perform a process of distributing distribution information provided by a distribution information provider.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, a technique for distributing content is known. A service provider that has received a media purchase request from a user determines the number and size of advertisement information according to an electronic copy of the media received from a content provider, and solicits bids from advertisement information providers. The service provider determines the advertisement information to be inserted into the media in response to the bids from the advertisement information providers, and transmits the media with the inserted advertisement information to the purchaser.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when only an advertisement is printed as the main distribution information, the user may discard it immediately without viewing the content, and there is a possibility that the distribution information may not be sufficiently conveyed to the user. Further, for example, if a calendar is uniformly added as sub-distribution information in addition to the advertisement, the relevance to the content of the advertisement may be weak or the content may not be well-matched, so that it may not well meet the user's needs and may not contribute to improving the effect of the main distribution information.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a distribution information processing system, a distribution information processing method, and a distribution information processing program that can enhance the effectiveness of primary distribution information by adding secondary distribution information that is consistent with the content of primary distribution information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, this disclosure relates to the following technology. The distribution information processing system is a distribution information processing system that distributes distribution information to be distributed, and comprises: a main distribution information acquisition unit that acquires main distribution information; a storage unit that stores a plurality of types of sub-distribution information different from the main distribution information; a sub-distribution information acquisition unit that acquires from the plurality of types of sub-distribution information stored in the storage unit a type of sub-distribution information that satisfies conformity conditions to the main distribution information acquired by the main distribution information acquisition unit; a generation unit that generates output information by adding the sub-distribution information acquired by the sub-distribution information acquisition unit to the main distribution information acquired by the main distribution information acquisition unit; a distribution unit that distributes the output information generated by the generation unit; and an output unit that outputs information based on the output information in response to receiving the output information distributed by the distribution unit.

[0007] In the present disclosure, the generation unit generates output information by adding sub-distribution information acquired by the sub-distribution information acquisition unit to the main distribution information acquired by the main distribution information acquisition unit, and the distribution unit distributes this output information to the output unit. The sub-distribution information acquisition unit acquires from among multiple types of sub-distribution information stored in the storage unit the type that satisfies the conformance conditions that match the content of the main distribution information. According to the present disclosure, by generating and distributing output information that includes supplementary distribution information that is consistent with the main distribution information, it is possible to increase the likelihood that users will be interested in the main distribution information and enhance the effectiveness of conveying the main distribution information to users compared to distributing only the main distribution information. In particular, by adding supplementary distribution information that is consistent with the content of the main distribution information, the effectiveness of the main distribution information can be further enhanced.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objectives, this disclosure relates to the following technologies. The distribution information processing method is a distribution information processing method executed by a distribution information processing system that distributes distribution information to be distributed, and comprises: a main distribution information acquisition step of acquiring main distribution information; a storage step of storing a plurality of types of sub-distribution information different from the main distribution information; a sub-distribution information acquisition step of acquiring from the plurality of types of sub-distribution information stored in the storage step a type of sub-distribution information that satisfies conformity conditions to the main distribution information acquired in the main distribution information acquisition step; a generation step of generating output information by adding the sub-distribution information acquired in the sub-distribution information acquisition step to the main distribution information acquired in the main distribution information acquisition step; a distribution step of distributing the output information generated in the generation step to a distribution information output device; and an output step of outputting information based on the output information in response to receiving the output information distributed in the distribution step.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objectives, this disclosure relates to the following technologies. The distribution information processing program causes a computer to execute: a main distribution information acquisition process for acquiring main distribution information; a storage process for storing multiple types of sub-distribution information different from the main distribution information; a sub-distribution information acquisition process for acquiring sub-distribution information of a type that satisfies the conformance conditions to match the main distribution information acquired in the main distribution information acquisition process from among the multiple types of sub-distribution information stored in the storage process; a generation process for generating output information by adding the sub-distribution information acquired in the sub-distribution information acquisition process to the main distribution information acquired in the main distribution information acquisition process; and a distribution process for distributing the output information generated in the generation process to an output unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, the effectiveness of the primary distribution information can be enhanced by adding secondary distribution information that is consistent with the content of the primary distribution information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1]This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the distribution information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the collaborative process performed by the ad delivery server, ad management server, terminal device, and printer. [Figure 3] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the collaborative process performed by the ad delivery server, ad management server, terminal device, and printer. [Figure 4] This flowchart illustrates the processes performed by the advertising server during the creation of additional information. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating an example of an advertisement image and property information. [Figure 6] This flowchart illustrates the processes performed by the advertising server during the property information generation process. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates a specific example of property information generated by the advertising server through its property information generation process. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates a specific example of property information generated by the advertising server through its property information generation process. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates a specific example of property information generated by the advertising server through its property information generation process. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the contents of a product and service database. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the contents of the supplementary information database. [Figure 12] This diagram shows an example of a printed delivery image with additional information added to the advertisement image. [Figure 13] This diagram shows an example of a printed delivery image with additional information added to the advertisement image. [Figure 14] This diagram shows an example of a printed delivery image with additional information added to the advertisement image. [Figure 15] This diagram shows an example of a printed delivery image with additional information added to the advertisement image. [Figure 16] This diagram shows an example of a printed delivery image with additional information added to the advertisement image.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described while referring to the drawings. This embodiment relates to a distribution information processing system that distributes distribution information to be distributed.

[0013] <Overall Configuration of Distribution Information Processing System> FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a distribution information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution information processing system 1 includes an advertisement providing server (SSP: Supply Side Platform) 100, a printer 200, a terminal device 300, a user management server (DMP: Data Management Platform) 400, and an advertisement management server (DSP: Demand Side Platform) 500. The plurality of servers 100, 400, 500, the printer 200, and the terminal device 300 each include a communication unit and can communicate with each other via a network NT. The network NT includes one or more of the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), and a WAN (Wide Area Network). The communication unit may be configured to include a plurality of types of communication circuits for connecting to the network NT. In this case, a device connected to the network NT may communicate with other plurality of devices using different communication circuits. In the present embodiment, the general term for the plurality of types of communication circuits is described as a communication unit.

[0014] <Advertisement Providing Server> The advertising server 100 requests bids for advertisements, determines the winning advertisement based on the bid results in response to the bid requests, and acquires the advertisement image related to the winning advertisement. The advertising server 100 acquires additional information of a type that meets the matching conditions that match the acquired advertisement image, generates a distribution image with the additional information added to the advertisement image, and distributes it to the printer 200. The printer 200 prints an image based on the distribution image in response to receiving the distribution image distributed by the advertising server 100. The advertisement is an advertisement to promote the provision of a specified product or specified service. The specified service includes, for example, sales, rentals, purchases, etc. Note that the advertisement image is an example of main distribution information, the additional information is an example of sub-distribution information, the distribution image is an example of output information, the image based on the distribution image is an example of information based on output information, and printing is an example of output. In addition, the winning advertisement is an example of a specific bid, and the advertisement image related to the winning advertisement is an example of specific main distribution information related to a specific bid.

[0015] The advertising server 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 115, a communication unit 140, etc. A bus 105 connects the control unit 110, the storage unit 115, and the communication unit 140, etc. The storage unit 115 is, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, etc. The storage unit 115 stores various programs 120, various data 130, a product / service database 131, and an additional information database 132. The various programs 120 include a distribution information processing program executed by the advertising server 100 as shown in the flowcharts in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6. The various data 130 includes the printer ID of the printer 200, user ID, advertising images, etc. The product / service database 131 stores product or service names related to advertisements in association with the types of those products or services. The additional information database 132 stores multiple types of additional information different from advertisements. The additional information database 132 stores the product type and the associated additional information. The storage unit 115 that stores the additional information database 132 is an example of a storage unit. The process of storing additional information in the additional information database 132 is an example of a storage step and an example of a storage process.

[0016] The control unit 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 110 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 115. The control unit 110 performs various processes, including data communication with the printer 200, terminal device 300, user management server 400, and advertising management server 500, all connected to the network NT. The communication unit 140 includes hardware such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to Ethernet. The communication unit 140 is connected to the network NT and communicates with the printer 200, terminal device 300, user management server 400, and advertising management server 500. The control unit 110 is an example of a computer.

[0017] <Ad management server> The advertising management server 500 is a server managed and operated by, for example, an advertising company. The advertising management server 500 sends advertising images for printing on the printer 200 to the advertising provision server 100. The advertising management server 500 has a control unit, storage unit, and communication unit similar to those of the advertising provision server 100, and receives bid requests from the advertising provision server 100 via the communication unit. Network NT connects the advertising management server 500 to terminal devices or servers of multiple advertisers. The advertising management server 500 pre-acquires advertising images, bid prices indicating the desired purchase price of advertising space, target users to whom the advertising images should be distributed, etc., from the terminal devices of multiple advertisers. It then stores and manages the acquired information in the storage unit. The advertising management server 500 executes an advertising auction and solicits bids in response to bid requests from the advertising provision server 100. Based on the information acquired from the advertisers' terminals and pre-stored in the storage unit, the advertising management server 500 acquires bids from advertisers who have responded to the solicitation of bids. The advertising management server 500 transmits the acquired bids to the advertising provider server 100 as bidding results in response to the bidding request. At this time, the advertising management server 500 may transmit bids that meet the bidding conditions included in the bidding request as bidding results. The advertising provider server 100 receives the bidding results transmitted from the advertising management server 500 and selects the most suitable bid from among the bids included in the bidding results. For example, the advertising provider server 100 selects the bid with the highest price. The advertising provider server 100 then retrieves the advertising image of the bidder of the selected bid, i.e., the successful bidder advertiser, from among the multiple advertising images managed by the advertising management server 500. The advertising provider server 100 adds additional information to the acquired advertising image to generate a distribution image and transmits the generated distribution image to the printer 200. The printer 200 prints the image based on the received distribution image onto the printing paper S.

[0018] <Printer> The printer 200 prints an image based on a distributed image obtained from the advertising server 100 onto the paper S. The printer 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 260, a printing mechanism 270, etc. The bus 205 connects the control unit 210, the storage unit 215, the display unit 240, the operation unit 250, the communication unit 260, and the printing mechanism 270 to each other. The printer 200 is an example of an output unit.

[0019] The storage unit 215 is, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, etc. The storage unit 215 stores various programs 220 and various data 230. The various programs 220 include, for example, a program that causes the printer 200 to execute the processes shown in the flows in Figures 2 and 3. The various data 230 include the aforementioned printer ID, the distributed images received from the advertising server 100, etc. The advertising server 100 may store some or all of the above various data in the storage unit 115. Alternatively, one of the printer 200 and the advertising server 100 may store some or all of the original data of the various data, and the other of the printer 200 and the advertising server 100 may store a copy of that original data.

[0020] The control unit 210 is a data processing device, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 210 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 215. The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a touch panel, etc., and can display various information. The operation unit 250 is, for example, a keyboard, buttons, etc., and accepts user input. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication unit 260 is connected to the network NT and can communicate with servers 100, 400, 500 and terminal devices 300.

[0021] The printing mechanism 270 includes a carriage on which a print head is mounted, a motor and belts that drive the carriage, and a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism takes the printing paper S on which the advertising image is printed from the paper tray and transports it. The printing mechanism 270 forms and prints an image using an inkjet method, ejecting ink from the print head onto the printing paper S transported by the transport mechanism.

[0022] The printer 200 has multiple cartridge holders 280, each holding one cartridge 285. The cartridges 285 are cartridges containing multiple ink colors, such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

[0023] The printing mechanism 270 performs printing while consuming the ink in cartridge 285. The cartridge holder 280 is equipped with a reader / writer 290. The reader / writer 290 reads and writes cartridge information to an IC chip provided in the cartridge 285 housed in the cartridge holder 280. For example, the reader / writer 290 detects the type of cartridge 285 housed in the cartridge holder 280 by reading the cartridge information from the IC chip. The printer 200 may also obtain the amount of ink used or remaining ink stored in the IC chip in cartridge 285 by reading the above information by the reader / writer 290.

[0024] <Terminal device> The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by the user, and in this example connects to the network NT via wireless communication. The terminal device 300 can be any suitable terminal other than the printer 200, and may be, for example, a tablet PC, notebook PC, or desktop PC in addition to a smartphone. Alternatively, the terminal device 300 may be a portable terminal or a stationary terminal installed in karaoke boxes or various stores for song selection, menu selection, product browsing, etc. The terminal device 300 has a display unit, control unit, operation unit, memory unit, communication unit, etc. (not shown). The memory unit stores various programs. These programs include, for example, programs that cause the terminal device 300 to execute processes shown in the flows of Figures 2 and 3. The control unit executes the various programs stored in the memory unit. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 300 by operating the operation unit.

[0025] <User Management Server> The user management server 400 manages user activity information, etc., via the terminal device 300. The user management server 400 is connected to the network NT. The user management server 400 includes a control unit (not shown), a storage unit, a communication unit, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, a single "server" may constitute each of the above servers 100, 400, and 500, or multiple "servers" may constitute each of the above servers 100, 400, and 500. Alternatively, a single "server" may possess two or more functions from among those servers 100, 400, and 500.

[0027] <Features of the Embodiment> As described above, the distribution information processing system 1 of this embodiment requests bids related to advertisements, determines the winning advertisement from the bidding results in response to the bid requests, and distributes the advertisement image related to the winning advertisement to the printer 200. In this case, if only the advertisement is printed as the main distribution information, there is a possibility that the user will immediately discard it without looking at the content, and the distribution information will not be sufficiently conveyed to the user. The feature of this embodiment is to enhance the effectiveness of the advertisement by adding supplementary information that is consistent with the content of the advertisement and distributing it to the printer 200. The details of this process will be described below.

[0028] <Processing by the distribution information processing system> Figures 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams showing the processes performed collaboratively by the advertising server 100, the advertising management server 500, the terminal device 300, and the printer 200. In Figures 2 and 3, the entities that execute each process are the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100, the control unit of the advertising management server 500, the control unit of the terminal device 300, and the control unit 210 of the printer 200.

[0029] In Figure 2, at S1, the terminal device 300 configures settings related to additional information based on user input received via the operation unit. These settings include, for example, information indicating whether the user wishes to add additional information to the delivered advertisements. If the user wishes to add additional information, they can specify the type of additional information. The settings include the type of additional information specified by the user. Examples of additional information include calendars, recipes, life hacks, weather, comparison tables, and memo fields. The terminal device 300 stores the additional information configuration information in its storage unit. Note that "life hacks" refer to information representing small ideas and tips useful in daily life and work.

[0030] In S2, the advertising server 100 sends a request for configuration information regarding additional information to the terminal device 300.

[0031] In S3, the terminal device 300 reads configuration information related to additional information from the storage unit in response to a request received from the advertising server 100 and transmits it to the advertising server 100. The advertising server 100 receives the configuration information related to additional information transmitted by the terminal device 300 and stores it in the storage unit 115.

[0032] In S5, the ad provider server 100 sends a bid request to the ad management server 500 to request bids related to the ad. The bid request includes the minimum bid price and bidding conditions. The minimum bid price includes the minimum bid price when additional information is added to the ad image and the minimum bid price when additional information is not added to the ad image. The minimum bid price when additional information is added to the ad image is set higher than the minimum bid price when additional information is not added to the ad image. The bidding conditions include the requirement that the bid price be equal to or greater than the minimum bid price. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S5 is an example of a bid request unit.

[0033] The ad management server 500 conducts an ad auction and solicits bids in response to a bid request from the ad provider server 100.

[0034] In S7, the ad provider server 100 receives the bid results from the ad management server 500 for the bids solicited in the auction in response to the bid request sent in S5. The bid results include bids from bidders that meet the bid conditions requested in the bid request, if any bids meet those conditions. The bid results also include information indicating that no bids meet the bid conditions requested in the bid request.

[0035] In S8, the ad provider server 100 determines the winning ad based on the bidding results in response to the bidding request. The ad provider server 100 determines the winning ad to be the bid that meets the winning criteria, for example, the bid with the highest price. If there are multiple bids that meet the winning criteria, the ad provider server 100 may determine multiple winning ads. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S8 is an example of a decision unit.

[0036] In S10, the ad provider server 100 sends a "hold notification" to the ad management server 500. The "hold notification" is a notification to the advertiser who has submitted a bid that meets the bidding conditions, i.e., the successful bidder, informing them that processing of their bid will be temporarily suspended until the bid is accepted and an invoice notification is sent. The ad management server 500 sends the received hold notification to the successful bidder's terminal device, etc. If there are multiple bids that meet the bidding conditions, the ad provider server 100 may send multiple hold notifications.

[0037] In S15, the ad provider server 100 sends a "defeat notification" to the ad management server 500. The "defeat notification" is a notification to advertisers who have submitted bids that do not meet the bidding conditions, i.e., non-winning bidders, informing them that their bids will not be accepted because there is another winning bidder. The ad management server 500 sends the received defeat notification to the terminal device of the non-winning bidder. If there are multiple bids that do not meet the bidding conditions, the ad provider server 100 may send multiple defeat notifications.

[0038] In S17, the ad provider server 100 sends an ad image request to the ad management server 500 requesting the ad image of the successful bidder who sent a hold notification in S10. If there are multiple successful bidders, the ad provider server 100 may send multiple ad image requests.

[0039] In S20, the advertising management server 500 responds to the above-mentioned request for an advertising image by sending the advertising image provided by the successful bidder to the advertising provider server 100. Furthermore, if the advertiser has provided property information related to the advertising image, the advertising management server 500 sends the property information along with the advertising image. Property information represents attributes of the product or service related to the advertising image.

[0040] In S22, the ad provider server 100 acquires the ad image sent by the ad management server 500. If the ad management server 500 sends property information along with the ad image, the ad provider server 100 acquires the property information along with the ad image. The ad provider server 100 stores the acquired ad image, etc., in a storage unit 115, for example. The ad image acquired in S22 is an example of main distribution information and an example of specific main distribution information. S22 is an example of a main distribution information acquisition step and an example of a main distribution information acquisition process. Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S22 is an example of a main distribution information acquisition unit.

[0041] In S23, the ad provider server 100 determines whether or not to add additional information to the ad image acquired in S22, based on the setting information regarding additional information stored in the memory unit 115. If the ad provider server 100 determines, based on the setting information regarding additional information, that the user does not wish to add additional information, it makes a No decision and proceeds to S25, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the ad provider server 100 determines, based on the setting information regarding additional information, that the user wishes to add additional information, it makes a Yes decision and proceeds to S100.

[0042] In S100, the advertising server 100 executes an additional information creation process to acquire or create additional information of a type that satisfies the matching conditions for the advertising image acquired in S22, based on multiple types of additional information stored in the additional information database 132 of the storage unit 115. For example, if the property information acquired together with the advertising image includes designation information that specifies the type of additional information, the advertising server 100 may acquire or create additional information with the matching condition being that it conforms to the type specified by the designation information. Alternatively, the advertising server 100 may acquire or create additional information with the matching condition being that it conforms to the type information of the product or service included in the property information. Alternatively, if the advertising server 100 acquires multiple advertising images, it may acquire or create additional information that satisfies common matching conditions for those multiple advertising images. In this case, the advertising server 100 may select additional information that conforms to a predetermined product or service related to the advertising image from among multiple additional information candidates stored in the additional information database 132. The type information is an example of category information. Furthermore, S100 is an example of a sub-distribution information acquisition step and an example of a sub-distribution information acquisition process. Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the advertising delivery server 100 that executes S100 is an example of a sub-distribution information acquisition unit.

[0043] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processes that the advertising server 100 executes during the additional information creation process of S100. In Figure 4, at S105, the ad provider server 100 determines whether or not it received property information along with the ad image in S22. If the ad provider server 100 has received property information along with the ad image, it determines Yes and proceeds to S110.

[0044] Figure 5 shows an example of an ad image and property information provided by an advertiser. In the example shown in Figure 5, the ad image 10 includes a product image 11 of a shortcake, date information 12 indicating that it is a limited-time sale from December 18th to December 25th, and product information 13 including the product name and price. The property information shown in Figure 5 corresponds to the ad image 10 and includes date information, product information, and specification information that specifies the type of additional information. The date information is the sale period from December 18th to December 25th. The product information includes, for example, the product type, product name, and price. In the example shown in Figure 5, the product type is sweets, the product name is shortcake, and the price is 500 yen. The specification information specifies the type of additional information as a recipe.

[0045] Note that while the example shown in Figure 5 is an advertisement to promote the provision of a product, it could also be an advertisement to promote the provision of a service. In this case, the property information would include service information instead of product information. Service information would include, for example, the type of service, the service name, and the price.

[0046] Returning to Figure 4, in S105, if the ad provider server 100 has not received property information along with the ad image in S22, it determines it is No and proceeds to S200. In S200, it executes a property information generation process that analyzes the image information contained in the ad image and generates property information.

[0047] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processes executed by the advertising server 100 during the property information generation process of S200. In Figure 6, in S210, the ad provider server 100 analyzes the image information of the ad image and determines whether or not the ad image contains date information. Specifically, the ad provider server 100 performs character recognition processing on the image information of the ad image. If the string recognized by the character recognition processing contains a predetermined array or characters that represent a date, it is determined that the ad image contains date information. If the ad image does not contain date information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as No and proceeds to S230, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the ad image contains date information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as Yes and proceeds to S220.

[0048] In S220, the ad delivery server 100 retrieves the date information contained in the ad image and includes it in the property information.

[0049] In S230, the ad provider server 100 analyzes the image information of the ad image and determines whether the ad image contains product information or service information. Product information includes, for example, the product name and price, while service information includes, for example, the service name and price. The ad provider server 100 performs character recognition processing on the image information of the ad image. If the string recognized by the character recognition processing contains a predetermined sequence or characters that represent the product name or price, it is determined that the ad image contains product information. If the ad image does not contain product information or service information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as No and terminates this flowchart. On the other hand, if the ad image contains product information or service information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as Yes and proceeds to S240.

[0050] In S240, the ad provider server 100 retrieves product information or service information contained in the ad image and includes it in the property information.

[0051] In S250, the advertising server 100 refers to the product / service database 131 in the storage unit 115, retrieves the product type or service type corresponding to the product name or service name included in the product information or service information obtained in S240, and includes it in the property information. The product type or service type obtained in S250 is an example of category information, and the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100 that executes S250 is an example of a category information acquisition unit. Through the above processing, the advertising server 100 generates property information including date information, product information or service information, product type or service type, etc., and stores it in the storage unit 115.

[0052] Figure 7 shows an example of property information generated by the advertising server 100 through the property information generation process in S200. The advertising image 10 in Figure 7 is the same as the advertising image 10 in Figure 5. That is, the advertising image 10 includes a product image 11 of a shortcake, date information 12 indicating that it is a limited-time sale from December 18 to December 25, and product information 13 including the product name and price. In S200, the advertising server 100 uses image analysis and the product / service database 131 to obtain the date information and product information and generate property information. The date information is the sale period, from December 18 to December 25. The product information includes, for example, the product type, product name, and price. In the example shown in Figure 7, the product type is sweets, the product name is shortcake, and the price is 500 yen.

[0053] Figure 8 shows another example of property information generated by the advertising server 100 through the property information generation process in S200. The advertising image 20 in Figure 8 includes advertising information 21 for advertising a product, a product image 22 of chicken, product information 23 including the product name and price of the chicken, a product image 24 of eggplant, product information 25 including the product name and price of the eggplant, a product image 26 of strawberries, and product information 27 including the product name and price of the strawberries. In S200, the advertising server 100 obtains three pieces of product information using image analysis and the product / service database 131 and generates property information. The product information includes, for example, the product type, product name, and price. In the example shown in Figure 8, the first product type is food, the product name is chicken, and the price is 100 yen. The second product type is food, the product name is eggplant, and the price is 100 yen. The third product type is food, the product name is strawberries, and the price is 100 yen.

[0054] Figure 9 shows yet another example of property information generated by the advertising server 100 through the property information generation process in S200. The advertising image 30 in Figure 9 includes advertising information 31 for advertising a product, a product image 32 of a city bike, and product information 33 including the product name and price. In S200, the advertising server 100 obtains product information using image analysis and the product / service database 131 and generates property information. The product information includes, for example, the product type, product name, and price. In the example shown in Figure 9, the product type is a bicycle, the product name is a city bike, and the price is 10,000 yen.

[0055] Figure 10 shows an example of the contents of the product / service database 131. As shown in Figure 10, the product / service database 131 stores product or service names in association with product or service types. In the example shown in Figure 10, the product / service database 131 stores products with product names such as shortcake and macarons as sweets. It also stores products with product names such as chicken, pork, eggplant, cabbage, strawberries, and apples as food products. Furthermore, it stores products with product names such as city bikes and mountain bikes as bicycles. Although not shown in Figure 10, the product / service database 131 stores type information in association with various other products and services not mentioned above.

[0056] Figure 11 shows an example of the contents of the supplemental information database 132. As shown in Figure 11, the supplemental information database 132 stores supplemental information in association with the type of product or service. In the example shown in Figure 11, if the product type is a bicycle, the supplemental information database 132 stores the supplemental information as life hack information or weather. Also, if the product type is food or sweets, the supplemental information is stored as a recipe. Although not shown in Figure 11, the supplemental information database 132 stores supplemental information in association with various other types of products and services.

[0057] Returning to Figure 4, the ad delivery server 100 proceeds to process S110 after executing S200. In S110, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the user or advertiser has specified the type of additional information. Based on the setting information regarding the additional information stored in the storage unit 115, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the user has specified the type of additional information. The ad provider server 100 also determines whether the advertiser has specified the type of additional information based on whether the property information contains the specified information. As mentioned above, the types of additional information include, for example, calendars, recipes, life hacks, weather, comparison tables, memo fields, etc. If the ad provider server 100 determines that the type of additional information has been specified, it determines Yes and proceeds to S115.

[0058] In S115, the ad provider server 100 creates additional information of the specified type regarding the product or service related to the ad image, based on the property information related to the ad image and the type of additional information specified by the user or advertiser. If the additional information is stored in the additional information database 132, the ad provider server 100 may retrieve it from the additional information database 132. After that, this flow ends.

[0059] On the other hand, in S110 above, if no type of additional information is specified, the advertising server 100 determines it to be No and proceeds to S120. In S120, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the property information related to the ad image includes date information. If the ad provider server 100 has determined multiple successful bids in S8 and acquired multiple ad images in S22, it determines whether the property information related to all ad images includes date information. If the property information related to all ad images includes date information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as Yes and proceeds to S125.

[0060] In S125, the ad provider server 100 creates calendar information as additional information that matches the period related to the advertisement, based on the date information included in the property information. If the calendar information is stored in the additional information database 132, the ad provider server 100 may retrieve it from the additional information database 132. In other words, in S125, the ad provider server 100 retrieves additional information that satisfies common matching conditions for multiple ad images. The period related to the advertisement is, for example, the period stated or specified in the advertisement, or a period suitable for the product or service even if not specifically stated in the advertisement. For example, if the product related to the advertisement is a summer food, it would be the period from June to August. The ad provider server 100 may also add information to the calendar information indicating the period shown in the advertisement. After that, this flow ends.

[0061] On the other hand, in S120 above, if the property information relating to one or more advertising images does not include date information, the advertising server 100 determines it to be No and proceeds to S130. In S130, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the property information related to the ad image includes product information or service information. If the ad provider server 100 has determined multiple successful bids in S8 and acquired multiple ad images in S22, it determines whether the property information related to all ad images includes product information or service information. If the property information related to one or more ad images does not include product information or service information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as No and proceeds to S165 described below. On the other hand, if the property information related to all ad images includes product information or service information, the ad provider server 100 determines it as Yes and proceeds to S135.

[0062] In S135, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the type information included in the property information related to the ad image is food or sweets. If the ad provider server 100 has determined multiple successful bids in S8 and acquired multiple ad images in S22, it determines whether the type information included in the property information related to all ad images is food or sweets. If the type information included in the property information related to all ad images is food or sweets, the ad provider server 100 determines Yes and proceeds to S140.

[0063] In S140, the ad provider server 100 creates a recipe suitable for the food or sweets related to the advertisement as additional information, based on the product information or service information included in the property information. If the additional information is stored in the additional information database 132, the ad provider server 100 may retrieve it from the additional information database 132. In other words, in S140, the ad provider server 100 retrieves additional information that satisfies common suitability conditions for multiple advertisement images. After that, this flow ends.

[0064] On the other hand, in S135 above, if the type information included in the property information relating to one or more advertising images is not food or sweets, the advertising server 100 determines it as No and proceeds to S145. In S145, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the type information of the product or service included in the property information related to the ad image is registered as type information in the additional information database 132 as either life hacks or weather information. For example, in the example shown in Figure 11, it determines whether the type information is a bicycle. In this case, if the ad provider server 100 has determined multiple successful bids in S8 and acquired multiple ad images in S22, it determines whether the type information of the product or service related to all ad images is registered as type information in the additional information database 132 as either life hacks or weather information. If the type information of the product or service related to all ad images is registered as type information in the additional information database 132 as either life hacks or weather information, the ad provider server 100 determines Yes and proceeds to S150.

[0065] In S150, the ad provider server 100 creates additional information, such as life hack information or weather information, that is suitable for the product or service related to the advertisement, based on the product information or service information included in the property information. Weather information may be created or acquired depending on the target area for the advertisement. If the additional information is stored in the additional information database 132, the ad provider server 100 may acquire it from the additional information database 132. In other words, in S150, the ad provider server 100 acquires additional information that satisfies common suitability conditions for multiple advertisement images. After that, this flow is terminated.

[0066] On the other hand, in S145 above, the advertising server 100 determines "No" if the type information of the product or service related to one or more advertising images is not type information registered in the additional information database 132 as life hacks or weather information, and proceeds to S155.

[0067] In S155, the ad provider server 100 determines whether there are multiple successful bids and whether the product or service type information included in the property information related to all ad images is the same. If there are multiple successful bids and the product or service type information included in the property information related to all ad images is the same, the ad provider server 100 determines Yes and proceeds to S160.

[0068] In S160, the ad provider server 100 creates a comparison table as additional information, based on the product or service information included in the property information, to compare the specified products or services related to each of the multiple advertisements. The comparison table is an example of comparison information. The comparison table is information that is compared using information extracted from each of the multiple advertisements regarding specific items to be compared. Specific items include, for example, the price, functions, specifications, manufacturer, and brand of the product or service. If the additional information is stored in the additional information database 132, the ad provider server 100 may retrieve it from the additional information database 132. In other words, in S160, the ad provider server 100 retrieves additional information that satisfies common compatibility conditions for multiple ad images. After that, this flow terminates.

[0069] On the other hand, in S155 above, if there is only one successful bid advertisement, or if there are multiple but the type of product or service information included in the property information related to all advertisement images is not the same, the ad provider server 100 determines No and proceeds to S165.

[0070] In S165, the ad delivery server 100 creates a memo field as additional information. The memo field is a predetermined area of ​​size where the user can enter notes. After that, this flow is terminated.

[0071] Returning to Figure 2, the advertising server 100 executes the additional information creation process in S100, and then proceeds to process S25 in Figure 3. In S25, the ad provider server 100 generates a distribution image by adding additional information created or acquired in S100 to the ad image acquired in S22. At this time, the ad provider server 100 selectively generates either a distribution image with additional information added to the ad image, or a distribution image without additional information added to the ad image, depending on the determination result in S23. The distribution image generated in S25 is an example of output information, the distribution image with additional information added to the ad image is an example of first output information, and the distribution image without additional information added to the ad image is an example of second output information. Furthermore, S25 is both an example of a generation step and an example of a generation process. Also, the control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S25 is an example of a generation unit.

[0072] In S30, the ad delivery server 100 sends the distribution image generated in S25 to the printer 200. The distribution image is an example of output information. S30 is an example of a distribution step and an example of a distribution process. The control unit 110 of the ad delivery server 100 that executes S30 is an example of a distribution unit. In S30, the ad delivery server 100 may distribute the distribution image to the printer 200 via another relay device. Alternatively, instead of sending the distribution image to the printer 200, the ad delivery server 100 may send the printer 200 a page description language for printing the distribution image or a link to the distribution image.

[0073] In S35, the printer 200 receives the distribution image sent by the advertising server 100 in S30 and stores it in the storage unit 215. Subsequently, the printer 200 prints an image based on the distribution image, in response to receiving the distribution image delivered in S30. If the advertising server 100 sends a link to the distribution image in S30, the printer 200 accesses that link in S35 to obtain the distribution image and executes printing. An image based on a distribution image is an example of information based on output information, and printing is an example of output. S35 is an example of an output step.

[0074] Figures 12 to 16 show examples of printing distribution images with additional information added to the advertising image, as performed by the printer 200 in step S35 above. In the example shown in Figure 12, a distribution image 600 containing three advertising images 610, 620, and 630, and additional information, namely calendar information 640, is printed on a sheet of paper S. The advertising images 610, 620, and 630, and the calendar information 640, are printed in areas that divide the sheet of paper S into four equal parts. The calendar information 640 is printed, for example, in the lower right area of ​​the sheet of paper S.

[0075] Advertisement image 610 includes a product image 611 of a stuffed animal, date information 612 indicating a limited-time sale from December 1st to December 10th, and product information 613 including the product name and price. Property information 610I corresponds to advertisement image 610. Property information 610I includes date information and product information including product type, product name, and price. The date information is the sale period from December 1st to December 10th. The product type is a toy, the product name is a stuffed animal, and the price is 1000 yen.

[0076] Advertisement image 620 includes a product image 621 of a shortcake, date information 622 indicating a limited-time sale from December 18 to December 25, and product information 623 including the product name and price. Property information 620I corresponds to advertisement image 620. Property information 620I includes date information and product information including product type, product name, and price. The date information is the sale period from December 18 to December 25. The product type is sweets, the product name is shortcake, and the price is 500 yen.

[0077] Advertisement image 630 includes a product image 631 of a Christmas tree, date information 632 indicating a limited-time sale until December 12, and product information 633 including the product name and price. Property information 630I corresponds to advertisement image 630. Property information 630I includes date information and product information including product type, product name, and price. The date information is the sale period until December 12. The product type is interior decor, the product name is Christmas tree, and the price is 2000 yen.

[0078] In the example shown in Figure 12, since the property information 610I, 620I, and 630I related to all advertising images 610, 620, and 630 includes date information, the additional information is calendar information 640. The calendar information 640 is a December calendar so as to encompass all the date information of the property information 610I, 620I, and 630I. The calendar information 640 also includes period display sections 641, 642, and 643 that indicate the period corresponding to each of the advertising images 610, 620, and 630. Period display section 641 shows the date information 612 for advertising image 610, period display section 642 shows the date information 622 for advertising image 620, and period display section 643 shows the date information 632 for advertising image 630. The period display sections 641, 642, and 643 may differ in color, design, etc., to distinguish which advertising image they correspond to. Furthermore, the calendar information 640 may also include event information 645. In the example shown in Figure 12, the event information 645 indicates that December 25th is Christmas.

[0079] In the example shown in Figure 13, a distribution image 700 containing three advertising images 710, 720, and 730, and additional information, a recipe 740, is printed on a sheet of paper S. The advertising images 710, 720, and 730, and the recipe 740, are printed in areas that divide the sheet of paper S into four equal parts. The recipe 740 is printed, for example, in the lower right area of ​​the sheet of paper S.

[0080] The advertisement image 710 includes a product image 711 of saury, promotional information 712 indicating that it is on sale, and product information 713 including the product name and price. Property information 710I corresponds to the advertisement image 710. Property information 710I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. The product type is food, the product name is saury, and the price is 100 yen.

[0081] The advertisement image 720 includes product images 721, 722, and 723 of chicken, eggplant, and strawberries, promotional information 724 indicating that it is a sale, and product information 725, 726, and 727 including the product name and price. Property information 720I corresponds to the advertisement image 720. Property information 720I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. Product information 725 is food, product name is chicken, and price is 100 yen; product information 726 is food, product name is eggplant, and price is 100 yen; and product information 727 is food, product name is strawberries, and price is 100 yen.

[0082] The advertisement image 730 includes a product image 731 of bread, promotional information 732 indicating that it is on sale, and product information 733 including the product name and price. Property information 730I corresponds to the advertisement image 730. Property information 730I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. The product type is food, the product name is bread, and the price is 100 yen.

[0083] In the example shown in Figure 13, the property information 710I, 720I, and 730I related to all advertising images 710, 720, and 730 does not include date information but includes product information, and since the product type is food, the additional information is recipe 740. Recipe 740 includes recipe 741 for "stir-fried eggplant and saury," which is a dish using the eggplant product related to advertising image 720 and the saury product related to advertising image 710, and recipe 742 for "strawberry sandwich," a dessert using the strawberries product related to advertising image 720 and the bread product related to advertising image 730.

[0084] In the example shown in Figure 14, a distribution image 800 containing one advertisement image 810 and additional information, namely life hacks and weather information 820, is printed on a sheet of paper S. The advertisement image 810 and the life hacks and weather information 820 are printed in areas that divide the sheet of paper S into four equal parts. For example, the advertisement image 810 is printed in the upper left area of ​​the sheet of paper S, and the life hacks and weather information 820 is printed in the lower right area of ​​the sheet of paper S. The remaining areas of the sheet of paper S are blank.

[0085] The advertisement image 810 includes a product image 811 of a city bike, advertising information 812 for promoting the product, and product information 813 including the product name and price. Property information 810I corresponds to the advertisement image 810. Property information 810I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. The product type is a bicycle, the product name is a city bike, and the price is 10,000 yen.

[0086] In the example shown in Figure 14, the property information 810I related to the advertisement image 810 does not include date information, but it does include product information, and the product type is not food / sweets but bicycles, so the additional information is life hacks / weather information 820. The life hacks / weather information 820 includes life hack information 821 and weather information 822 related to bicycles.

[0087] In the example shown in Figure 15, a distribution image 900 containing three advertising images 910, 920, and 930, and a comparison table 940, is printed on a sheet of paper S. The advertising images 910, 920, and 930, and the comparison table 940 are printed in areas that divide the sheet of paper S into four equal parts. The comparison table 940 is printed, for example, in the lower right area of ​​the sheet of paper S.

[0088] The advertisement image 910 includes a product image 911 of a white duck, advertising information 912 for promoting the product, and product information 913 including the product name and price. Property information 910I corresponds to the advertisement image 910. Property information 910I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. The product type is a toy, the product name is a white duck, and the price is 1500 yen.

[0089] The advertisement image 920 includes a product image 921 of the black duck, advertising information 922 for promoting the product, and product information 923 including the product name and price. Property information 920I corresponds to the advertisement image 920. Property information 920I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. The product type is a toy, the product name is black duck, and the price is 1000 yen.

[0090] The advertisement image 930 includes a product image 931 of a toy locomotive, advertising information 932 for promoting the product, and product information 933 including the product name and price. Property information 930I corresponds to the advertisement image 930. Property information 930I includes product information including the product type, product name, and price. The product type is a toy, the product name is a locomotive, and the price is 2000 yen.

[0091] In the example shown in Figure 15, the property information 910I, 920I, and 930I related to all advertising images 910, 920, and 930 do not include date information, but they do include product information, and the product type is not food / sweets, nor is it a product type that includes life hacks / weather information, and the product type is common to all. Therefore, the additional information is in the comparison table 940. The comparison table 940 is information that extracts and compares the prices from each of the multiple property information 910I, 920I, and 930I for the advertising images 910, 920, and 930 being compared. The price is just one example of a specific item.

[0092] In the example shown in Figure 16, a distribution image 1000 containing three advertising images 1010, 1020, and 1030, and a memo field 1040 containing additional information, is printed on a sheet of paper S. The advertising images 1010, 1020, and 1030, and the memo field 1040 are printed in areas that divide the sheet of paper S into four equal parts. The memo field 1040 is printed, for example, in the lower right area of ​​the sheet of paper S.

[0093] Advertisement image 1010 includes product images 1011, 1012, and 1013 of chicken, eggplant, and strawberries, promotional information 1014 indicating that it is on sale, and product information 1015, 1016, and 1017 including the product name and price. Property information 1010I corresponds to advertisement image 1010. Property information 1010I includes product information including product type, product name, and price. Product information 1015 is food, product name is chicken, and price is 100 yen; product information 1016 is food, product name is eggplant, and price is 100 yen; and product information 1017 is food, product name is strawberries, and price is 100 yen.

[0094] Advertisement image 1020 includes a product image 1021 of a shortcake, date information 1022 indicating a limited-time sale from December 18 to December 25, and product information 1023 including the product name and price. Property information 1020I corresponds to advertisement image 1020. Property information 1020I includes date information and product information including product type, product name, and price. The date information is the sale period from December 18 to December 25. The product type is sweets, the product name is shortcake, and the price is 500 yen.

[0095] Advertisement image 1030 includes a product image 1031 of a city bike, promotional information 1032 for advertising the product, and product information 1033 including the product name and price. Property information 1030I corresponds to advertisement image 1030. Property information 1030I includes product information including product type, product name, and price. The product type is bicycle, the product name is city bike, and the price is 10,000 yen.

[0096] In the example shown in Figure 16, the property information 1010I, 1020I, and 1030I related to all the advertising images 1010, 1020, and 1030 do not include date information, but they do include product information. The product type is not food / sweets, nor is it a product type that includes life hacks / weather information, and therefore the product types are not common. For this reason, the additional information is in the memo field 1040.

[0097] Returning to Figure 3, in S50, the printer 200 sends a print success / failure notification to the advertising server 100 indicating whether the print performed in S35 was successful or unsuccessful.

[0098] In S55, the advertising server 100 determines whether the print success / failure notification received from the printer 200 is a notification indicating "printing successful". If the advertising server 100 determines that the print success / failure notification indicates "printing successful", it determines Yes and proceeds to S60.

[0099] In S60, the ad delivery server 100 sends an invoice to the ad management server 500 to request payment for the advertising print from the advertiser, who is the successful bidder and provided the advertising image included in the distributed image sent to the printer 200 in S30. In other words, in S60, the advertising server 100 requests payment from the advertiser for printing the distributed image on the printer 200. In this case, if the advertising server 100 generated a distributed image with additional information added to the advertising image in S25, it requests a higher payment than if it generated a distributed image without additional information added to the advertising image. The advertiser is an example of a provider of distributed information, and the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100 that executes S60 is an example of a payment request unit.

[0100] In S65, the advertising management server 500 sends a billing notice to the terminal device of the relevant successful bidder based on the billing notice received from the advertising provision server 100.

[0101] In S70, the advertising server 100 stores the distributed image sent to the printer 200 in S30 in the storage unit 115 as a success history, linking it with the printer ID of the corresponding printer 200, the user ID of the corresponding user, the current time information, and the bidding conditions when the advertising image contained in the distributed image was successfully bid on, and then terminates processing.

[0102] On the other hand, in S55 above, if the advertisement server 100 determines it to be No if it is a print success / failure notification indicating "printing failure", it proceeds to S75.

[0103] In S75, the ad provider server 100 sends a bid cancellation notice to the ad management server 500, revoking the bid that was decided in S8 above. Based on the bid cancellation notice received from the ad provider server 100, the ad management server 500 notifies the advertiser, who was the successful bidder for the ad in question, of the cancellation of the bid.

[0104] In S80, the ad provider server 100 stores the distribution image whose bid was canceled in S75 as a failure history in the storage unit 115, linking it with historical information such as the bid conditions, reason for failure, and date and time of failure confirmation when the ad image contained in the distribution image was won, and then terminates processing.

[0105] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 generates a distribution image in S25 by adding additional information created or acquired in S100 to the advertising image acquired in S22, and distributes the distribution image to the printer 200 in S30. In S100, the advertising server 100 acquires or creates additional information that satisfies the matching conditions that match the content of the advertising image, based on a plurality of types of additional information stored in the additional information database 132. According to this embodiment, by generating and distributing distribution images with additional information that matches the advertisement image, it is possible to increase the likelihood that users will be interested in the advertisement and enhance the effectiveness of communicating the advertisement to users compared to distributing only the advertisement image. In particular, the effectiveness of the advertisement can be further enhanced by adding additional information that is consistent with the content of the advertisement.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the property information of the advertisement image includes specification information that specifies the type of additional information, i.e., a calendar, recipes, life hacks / weather, comparison table, memo field, etc. The advertisement server 100 creates or acquires additional information that matches the specification information in S100. This allows the advertiser to print the additional information they desire along with the advertisement image.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 obtains type information of the advertising image by performing image analysis of the image information of the advertising image in S200, and creates or obtains additional information that matches that type information in S100. As a result, advertisers can print the desired additional information along with the advertising image simply by providing the advertising image.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the printer 200 prints a distribution image containing multiple advertising images, the advertising server 100 creates or acquires additional information in S100 that is commonly applicable to the multiple advertising images. As a result, one piece of additional information is printed for multiple advertisements that are printed simultaneously, which reduces the amount of space the additional information occupies on the printed material or display.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the printer 200 prints a distribution image containing multiple advertising images, the advertising server 100 distributes additional information, including a comparison table of predetermined products or services in the multiple advertisements, along with the advertisements. This allows for comparison and examination of the content of multiple advertisements, thereby reliably enhancing the effectiveness of the advertising images.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the printer 200 prints a distributed image, the advertising server 100 distributes additional information along with the advertisement, including the period related to the advertisement, that is, the period stated or specified in the advertisement. This allows for the clear printing of periods that are particularly relevant to the content of the advertisement or when the advertisement is particularly effective, thereby reliably enhancing the effectiveness of the advertising image.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 can change the content of additional information, including its color and design, depending on the timing of provision and target region of the specified product or service related to the advertising image, when adding additional information such as weather information, recipe information, or life hack information. This further enhances the effectiveness of the advertising image.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ad delivery server 100 requests a higher fee in S60 if it delivers an ad image with added information than if it delivers an ad image without added information. This allows for the charging of a higher fee in accordance with the amount of additional information that is expected to enhance the effectiveness of the delivery.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an auction for the distribution of advertisements can be conducted, and the advertisement images of the winning bids based on the bidding results can be distributed along with additional information.

[0114] <Variation> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical concept.

[0115] The above describes a method of conducting an auction to solicit bids from advertisers and delivering the winning advertisements, but it is not limited to this. For example, the contents of the above embodiment can also be applied when delivering predetermined advertisements without conducting an auction.

[0116] In the above examples, printing was given as an example of output, but it is not limited to printing; display is also acceptable. Also, while printing paper was given as an example of a sheet, any sheet-like printing medium such as cloth will work.

[0117] Furthermore, although the advertising server 100 was configured as a single device in the above description, multiple devices may work together to perform the function of the advertising server 100.

[0118] Furthermore, the sequence diagrams shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6 above do not limit this disclosure to the procedures shown in the above flow chart. Procedures may be added, deleted, or their order changed, as long as they do not deviate from the intent and technical concept of the disclosure.

[0119] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their variations may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0120] In addition, although not to be exemplified hereby, this disclosure may be implemented with various modifications, provided that it does not deviate from its intended purpose. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 1. Distribution Information Processing System 10. Advertisement image (Example of main distribution information) 20. Advertisement image (Example of main distribution information) 30 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 100 Ad Provider Servers 110 Control Unit (Example of a Computer) 131 Product and Service Database 132 Additional Information Database (Example of a Storage Unit) 200 Printer (Example of output unit) 210 Control Unit 300 terminal devices 400 User Management Server 500 Ad Management Servers 600 Streaming Images (Example of Output Information) 610 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 620 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 630 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 640 Calendar Information (Example of supplementary distribution information) 700 Streaming Images (Example of Output Information) 710 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 720 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 730 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 740 Recipes (Example of supplementary information) 800 Streaming Images (Example of Output Information) 810 Advertisement image (Example of main distribution information) 820 Life Hacks & Weather Information (Example of supplementary information) 900 Streaming image (Example of output information) 910 Advertisement image (Example of main distribution information) 920 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 930 Advertisement Images (Example of Main Distribution Information) 940 Comparison Table (Example of Comparison Information) 1000 Streaming Images (Example of Output Information) 1010 Advertisement image (Example of main distribution information) 1020 Advertisement Image (Example of Main Distribution Information) 1030 Advertisement image (Example of main distribution information) 1040 Memo field (Example of supplementary distribution information) S Printing Paper

Claims

1. A distribution information processing system that distributes distribution information to be distributed, A main distribution information acquisition unit that acquires main distribution information, A storage unit that stores multiple types of secondary distribution information different from the aforementioned primary distribution information, A sub-distribution information acquisition unit acquires, from among the multiple types of sub-distribution information stored in the memory unit, the type of sub-distribution information that satisfies the conformance conditions that conform to the main distribution information acquired by the main distribution information acquisition unit, A generation unit generates output information by adding the sub-distribution information acquired by the sub-distribution information acquisition unit to the main distribution information acquired by the main distribution information acquisition unit, A distribution unit that distributes the output information generated by the generation unit, An output unit that outputs information based on the output information in response to receiving the output information distributed by the distribution unit, A distribution information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The primary distribution information includes designation information that specifies the type of the secondary distribution information, The distribution information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-distribution information acquisition unit acquires the sub-distribution information with the conformance condition being that it conforms to the type specified by the designated information.

3. The aforementioned main distribution information includes image information. The aforementioned distribution information processing system further includes a category information acquisition unit that analyzes the image information and acquires category information indicated by the image information, The distribution information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-distribution information acquisition unit acquires the sub-distribution information with conformity to the category information as the conformity condition.

4. The main distribution information acquisition unit acquires a plurality of the main distribution information, The distribution information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-distribution information acquisition unit acquires sub-distribution information that satisfies the common conformance conditions for the plurality of main distribution information.

5. The aforementioned primary distribution information is an advertisement intended to promote the provision of a specified product or service. The aforementioned sub-distribution information includes comparative information for comparing the specified products or services related to each of the multiple advertisements, The distribution information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the comparison information is information that is compared using information extracted from each of the multiple advertisements with respect to a specific item to be compared.

6. The aforementioned primary distribution information is an advertisement. The distribution information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-distribution information includes calendar information that corresponds to the period related to the advertisement.

7. The aforementioned primary distribution information is an advertisement intended to promote the provision of a specified product or service. The distribution information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-distribution information acquisition unit selects from a plurality of sub-distribution information candidates the sub-distribution information that is suitable for the predetermined product or predetermined service related to the advertisement.

8. The system further includes a payment request unit that requests a fee from the information distribution provider for outputting the aforementioned output information using the output unit, The generating unit is It is possible to selectively generate either a first output information obtained by adding the sub-distribution information to the main distribution information, or a second output information obtained by not adding the sub-distribution information to the main distribution information. The aforementioned payment request unit is, The distribution information processing system according to claim 7, wherein when the generation unit generates the first output information, it requests a higher fee than when it generates the second output information.

9. Based on the consideration set by the consideration request unit, the bidding request unit requests bids related to the main distribution information, A decision unit that determines a specific bid that will be awarded for the main distribution information based on the bidding results in response to the aforementioned bidding request, It further possesses, The distribution information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the main distribution information acquisition unit acquires specific main distribution information relating to the specific bid determined by the determination unit.

10. A distribution information processing method executed by a distribution information processing system that distributes distribution information to be distributed, The main distribution information acquisition step involves obtaining the main distribution information, A storage step that stores multiple types of secondary distribution information different from the aforementioned primary distribution information, A sub-distribution information acquisition step, which acquires from among the multiple types of sub-distribution information stored in the storage step, a type of sub-distribution information that satisfies the matching conditions that match the main distribution information acquired in the main distribution information acquisition step, A generation step that generates output information by adding the sub-distribution information obtained in the sub-distribution information acquisition step to the main distribution information obtained in the main distribution information acquisition step, A distribution step which distributes the output information generated in the generation step to the output unit, An output step which outputs information based on the output information in response to receiving the output information distributed in the distribution step, A distribution information processing method having the following characteristics.

11. For computers, The process for obtaining the main distribution information, A storage process that stores multiple types of secondary distribution information different from the aforementioned primary distribution information, A sub-distribution information acquisition process that acquires, from among the multiple types of sub-distribution information stored in the storage process, the type of sub-distribution information that satisfies the matching conditions that match the main distribution information acquired in the main distribution information acquisition process, A generation process that generates output information by adding the sub-distribution information obtained in the sub-distribution information acquisition process to the main distribution information obtained in the main distribution information acquisition process, Distribution process for distributing the output information generated in the generation process to the output unit, A distribution information processing program to execute [the command / function].

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