Display control device, display control method, and display control program

Abstract

To better match the timing of service demand and supply. [Solution] The processing unit displays multiple candidate times for customers who desire the first service in calendar format on the display means. The processing unit displays the time for the provision of the second service by a second supplier, which is different from the first supplier that provides the first service, so as to correspond to the multiple candidate times displayed in calendar format.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to display control technology.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding services such as live distribution, an information processing apparatus capable of making communication between users smoother is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, it is generally difficult to appropriately match the timing when the service provider supplies the service and the timing desired by the service consumer. In one aspect, the present invention aims to more appropriately match the timing of the service consumer and the provider.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In one approach, the display control device includes a processing unit. The processing unit causes the display means to display, in a calendar format, a plurality of candidate times of consumers who desire the first service. The processing unit causes the display to correspond to the time of providing the second service by a second provider different from the first provider who provides the first service, among the plurality of candidate times displayed in the calendar format.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to one aspect, it is possible to more appropriately match the timing of the service consumer and the provider.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of a distribution system configuration. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a distribution server. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the first time slot registration screen. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the second time slot registration screen. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the first time zone display screen. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the second time zone display screen. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the first transmission method. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of the third time zone display screen. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the second transmission method. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of the distribution control process. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The distribution system in Figure 1 includes a distribution server 101, viewer terminal devices 102-1 to 102-N (where N is an integer of 2 or more), and a distributor terminal device 103. Viewer terminal devices 102-i (i=1 to N) are information processing devices (computers) for viewer Ai, and distributor terminal device 103 is an information processing device for distributor L. Viewer terminal devices 102-i and distributor terminal device 103 may be mobile terminal devices or personal computers. Mobile terminal devices may be smartphones, tablets, or notebook personal computers. The distribution server 101 communicates with viewer terminal devices 102-1 to 102-N and distributor terminal device 103 via a communication network 104. The communication network 104 is, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network). The communication network 104 may also be the Internet.

[0009] The broadcaster L inputs the content to be broadcast into the broadcaster terminal device 103, and the broadcaster terminal device 103 transmits the input content to the broadcast server 101. The content to be broadcast can be video, images, audio, text, or a combination of these. The content to be broadcast may also be live broadcast content that is broadcast in real time. The live broadcast content may be video and audio of broadcaster L's talk, performance, singing, playing musical instruments, etc., or it may be video and audio of a game broadcast. Broadcaster L determines the time period for broadcasting the content and inputs it into the broadcaster terminal device 103, and the broadcaster terminal device 103 transmits the input time period to the broadcast server 101. Broadcaster L is an example of a decision-maker who determines the time period for broadcasting the content. The broadcast server 101 broadcasts the content to the viewer terminal devices 102-i of viewers Ai who wish to view the content at the received time period. As a result, each viewer Ai can view the content output from the viewer terminal device 102-i. Generally, if the timing of content distribution does not match the timing desired by viewers, it becomes difficult for them to watch the content. This can occur not only with live video streaming but also when distributing various types of content to multiple viewers.

[0010] The distribution server 101 in Figure 2 includes a processing unit 200, a communication unit 211, and a storage unit 215. The processing unit 200 has an acquisition unit 212, a display control unit 213, and a distribution control unit 214. The processing unit 200 may consist of a single CPU (Central Processing Unit) or multiple CPUs that perform processing together. The distribution server 101 is an example of a display control device. The communication unit 211 communicates with viewer terminal devices 102-1 to 102-N and the distributor terminal device 103 via the communication network 104. Each viewer terminal device 102-i displays a time slot registration screen that includes multiple candidate time slots. Each candidate time slot represents a candidate time slot for the content to be distributed. Viewer Ai selects one or more candidate time slots from the multiple candidate time slots included in the time slot registration screen as the desired time slot for viewing the content. The viewer terminal device 102-i transmits the desired time slot information Bi, which indicates the desired time slot selected by viewer Ai, to the distribution server 101.

[0011] The time slot registration screen 301 in the viewer terminal device 102-i shown in Figure 3 is in a calendar display format and includes, for example, eight time slots for each day of the week from Sunday to Saturday. The eight time slots for each day of the week are: 17:00-18:00, 18:00-19:00, 19:00-20:00, 20:00-21:00, 21:00-22:00, 22:00-23:00, 23:00-24:00, and 24:00-25:00. Therefore, the time slot registration screen 301 includes 56 time slots. Of these time slots, 34 shaded time slots are selected as desired time slots. Viewer Ai can select these 34 shaded time slots as desired time slots by, for example, dragging them. The time slot registration screen 302 in the viewer terminal device 102-i shown in Figure 4 is in a calendar display format similar to the time slot registration screen 301 in Figure 3 and includes eight time slots for each day of the week from Sunday to Saturday. On the time slot registration screen 302, 36 time slots marked with either the symbol "〇" or the symbol "△" are selected as preferred time slots. Time slots marked with "〇" represent the viewer Ai's first preferred time slot, and time slots marked with "△" represent the viewer Ai's second preferred time slot. Here, time slot registration screens 301 and 302 display eight time slots for each day of the week, but are not limited to this; any time slot within the 24-hour period may be selected via scrolling or other means. In addition, time slot registration screens 301 and 302 display a calendar on a weekly basis, but it is also possible to display it on a monthly or daily basis.

[0012] The acquisition unit 212 acquires the desired time slot information Bi by receiving it from each viewer terminal device 102-i via the communication unit 211. The acquisition unit 212 then stores the received desired time slot information 221, including desired time slot information B1 to BN, in the storage unit 215. The display control unit 213 uses the desired time slot information 221 to determine the evaluation value for each time slot. For example, the display control unit 213 can determine the evaluation value for a time slot from the number of viewers Ai who wish to watch that time slot. In this case, the evaluation value may be the number of viewers Ai who wish to watch that time slot, or it may be the percentage of viewers Ai who wish to watch the content of the broadcaster L. The more viewers Ai who wish to watch a time slot, the higher the evaluation value. By determining the evaluation value for a time slot from the number of viewers Ai who wish to watch that time slot, it is possible to obtain an evaluation value that reflects the number of viewers Ai who wish to watch that time slot.

[0013] The display control unit 213 may calculate an evaluation value by weighted addition or the like, using the number of viewers Ai who desire each time slot and the weight Wi of each viewer Ai. In this case, the sum of the weight Wi of the viewers Ai who desire that time slot is used as the evaluation value. Therefore, the evaluation value will be higher for time slots with a large number of viewers Ai who have a large weight Wi. As a weight Wi, for example, the viewer Ai's level of interest in the broadcaster L can be used. The viewer Ai's level of interest may be the number of times or the amount of time that the viewer Ai has watched content previously broadcast by the broadcaster L. The viewer Ai's level of interest may also be the number of times or the amount of time that the broadcaster L's broadcast schedule has been displayed on the program guide where the broadcast schedule of content that the viewer Ai is interested in is displayed. By calculating the evaluation value using the number of viewers Ai who desire each time slot and the weight Wi of each viewer Ai, it is possible to obtain an evaluation value that reflects the different weight Wi for each viewer Ai.

[0014] The display control unit 213 generates display information for each time period from the evaluation value of that time period. For example, the display information for each time period may be a color or pattern corresponding to the evaluation value of that time period. In this case, the display control unit 213 divides the distribution range of the evaluation values ​​into multiple numerical ranges and uses the color or pattern corresponding to the numerical range to which the evaluation value belongs as the display information for the time period having that evaluation value. When color is used as display information, the color of each time period is changed according to the level of the evaluation value so that the evaluation value of each time period can be identified. For example, darker colors are used for higher evaluation values, and lighter colors are used for lower evaluation values. The display control unit 213 outputs the display information for each time period to the distributor terminal device 103 by transmitting the display information for each time period to the distributor terminal device 103 via the communication unit 211. The distributor terminal device 103 receives the display information for each time period from the distribution server 101 and displays the time period display screen. The time period display screen displays the time period using the display information for each time period. The time period display screen is an example of a screen viewed by the decision-maker who determines the distribution time period of the content. By transmitting display information corresponding to the evaluation value for each time slot to the broadcaster terminal device 103, the broadcaster terminal device 103 can display each time slot in a different form according to the evaluation value, thereby more appropriately supporting the broadcaster L in deciding on the broadcast time slot. Furthermore, by using colors or patterns as the display information, the broadcaster L can easily visually distinguish each time slot. By changing the color of each time slot according to the evaluation value level, the broadcaster L can identify the evaluation value for each time slot. As for the display information, any display format that makes it easy for the broadcaster L to see the time slots with high demand from viewers Ai may be used, such as a heatmap display or a gradient display.

[0015] The time zone display screen 303 on the distributor terminal device 103 in FIG. 5 has the same calendar display format as the time zone registration screen 301 in FIG. 3 and the time zone registration screen 302 in FIG. 4. For example, it includes 8 time zones for each day of the week from Sunday to Saturday. These time zones are distinguished using three types of shading. The shading for the 4 time zones from 21:00 to 25:00 on the 10th (Sunday), the 5 time zones from 19:00 to 24:00 on the 12th (Tuesday), the 2 time zones from 23:00 to 25:00 on the 13th (Wednesday), and the 3 time zones from 22:00 to 25:00 on the 15th (Friday) represents the darkest color. The shading for the 2 time zones from 23:00 to 25:00 on the 11th (Monday) and the 4 time zones from 20:00 to 24:00 on the 14th (Thursday) represents the second darkest color. The shading for the 4 time zones from 17:00 to 21:00 on the 10th (Sunday) and the 8 time zones from 17:00 to 25:00 on the 16th (Saturday) represents the lightest color. The evaluation value for blank time zones is 0 or less than a predetermined value. Thus, by distinguishing and displaying each time zone using display information corresponding to the evaluation value, it becomes easier to find the optimal distribution time zone. The distributor L, for example, selects the content distribution time zone from among the time zones displayed in the darkest color, inputs it into the distributor terminal device 103, and the distributor terminal device 103 transmits the input distribution time zone to the distribution server 101. Here, although the time zone display screen 303 displays 8 time zones for each day of the week, it is not limited to this, and any time zone within 24 hours may be selectable by scrolling display or the like. Also, the time zone display screen 303 in FIG. 5 displays a calendar on a weekly basis, but not only weekly display, but also monthly display and daily display are possible.

[0016] The distribution control unit 214 receives the distribution time slot from the broadcaster terminal device 103 via the communication unit 211, and distributes the content to the viewer terminal devices 102-i of viewers Ai who wish to view the content during the received distribution time slot. In the case of live streaming, the distribution control unit 214 receives the content transmitted in real time from the broadcaster terminal device 103 and distributes the received content to the viewer terminal devices 102-i. By distributing the content during one of the time slots displayed in the darkest color, distribution can be performed during times when viewer Ai demand for the broadcaster L's content is high, increasing the number of simultaneous connections.

[0017] On the time zone display screen 304 of the distributor terminal device 103 in FIG. 6, the distribution time zones of distributor H and distributor S, who are other distributors, are also displayed on the time zone display screen 303 of FIG. 5. Distributor L uses the search box 312 displayed in the screen area 311 to search for other distributors, and by clicking on the check boxes of the searched distributors H and S, as the time zone display screen 304, the distribution time zones of distributors H and S can be superimposed and displayed on the time zone display screen 303. The two time zones from 18:00 to 20:00 on the 10th (Sunday), the two time zones from 18:00 to 20:00 on the 11th (Monday), and the two time zones from 20:00 to 22:00 on the 12th (Tuesday) are the distribution time zones of distributor H. The two time zones from 18:00 to 20:00 on the 14th (Thursday) and the two time zones from 20:00 to 22:00 on the 15th (Friday) are also the distribution time zones of distributor H. The two time zones from 20:00 to 22:00 on the 13th (Wednesday) and the two time zones from 20:00 to 22:00 on the 16th (Saturday) are the distribution time zones of distributor S. For example, when the content of distributor H and distributor S conflicts with the content of distributor L, if the content of distributor L is distributed during the distribution time zone of distributor H or distributor S, some of viewers A1 to AN may watch the content of distributor H or distributor S. In this case, since the number of viewers Ai who watch the content of distributor L decreases, distributor L determines the content distribution time zone while avoiding the distribution time zones of distributor H and distributor S. By displaying the distribution time zones of other distributors together, it is possible to easily identify the time zones where the number of simultaneous connections may decrease. Note that the time zone display screen 304 is not limited to superimposing and displaying the distribution time zones of distributor H and distributor S on the time zone display screen 303, and the distribution time zones of distributor H and distributor S may be displayed beside the distribution time zone of distributor L. The time zone display screen 304 can have any display form as long as the association between the distribution time zone of distributor L and the distribution time zones of distributor H and distributor S is easily visible.

[0018] Figure 6 illustrates the processing flow from receiving desired time slot information Bi from each viewer terminal device 102-i to distributing content to the viewer terminal devices 102-i. First, the acquisition unit 212 receives desired time slot information Bi from each viewer terminal device 102-i via the communication unit 211 (step 601). Next, the display control unit 213 uses the desired time slot information 221, including desired time slot information B1 to BN, to determine the evaluation value for each time slot (step 602), and generates display information from the evaluation value for each time slot (step 603). Then, the display control unit 213 transmits the display information for each time slot to the distributor terminal device 103 via the communication unit 211 (step 604). Next, the distribution control unit 214 receives the distribution time slot determined by the distributor L from the distributor terminal device 103 via the communication unit 211 (step 605), and distributes content to the viewer terminal devices 102-i during the received distribution time slot (step 606).

[0019] The above describes the processing flow from receiving the desired time slot information Bi from each viewer terminal device 102-i to delivering content to the viewer terminal devices 102-i. Below, we will describe the request function from the viewer to the distributor using either the first or second transmission method. A viewer Ai who wishes to change the delivery time slot determined by the distributor L can send a time request to the distributor L using either the first or second transmission method. In the case of the first transmission method shown in Figure 7, the viewer Ai displays the time request input screen 322 from the screen 321 of the viewer terminal device 102-i and enters the details of the request. This generates a time request. The time request includes, for example, the viewer Ai's name, the original delivery time slot, the new delivery time slot, a message to the distributor L, and the amount to be sent to the distributor L. The viewer Ai's name is their real name, display name in the distribution system, etc. Viewer Ai pays a predetermined fee to the operator of the distribution system and sends a time request to the distribution server 101 using the viewer terminal device 102-i. The display control unit 213 sends the received time request to the distributor terminal device 103, which displays the time request on its screen. Distributor L checks the changed distribution time slot, the message to distributor L, and the amount to be sent to distributor L included in the displayed time request and decides whether or not to change the distribution time slot. In the time slot display screen 305 of the distributor terminal device 103 in Figure 8, the amount to be sent included in the received time request is displayed together with the changed distribution time slot included in the time slot display screen 304 in Figure 6. On Tuesday the 12th, a transfer amount of 2,000 yen is displayed between 6 PM and 7 PM; on Thursday the 14th, a transfer amount of 1,000 yen is displayed between 8 PM and 9 PM; and on Friday the 15th, a transfer amount of 500 yen is displayed between 7 PM and 8 PM. By displaying the transfer amount during the changed delivery time slot, the benefits of changing the delivery time slot can be easily recognized, thus improving convenience for the sender L.

[0020] In the second transmission method described in Figure 9, the time request includes, for example, the name of viewer Ai, the original delivery time slot, the changed delivery time slot, and a message to the broadcaster L. Viewer Ai purchases virtual coins 411 from the broadcasting system operator and uses the virtual coins 411 to purchase a time request 412. Viewer Ai then uses the viewer terminal device 102-i to send the time request 412 to the broadcasting server 101. The display control unit 213 sends the time requests 412 received from one or more viewer terminal devices 102-i to the broadcaster terminal device 103. The broadcaster terminal device 103 displays each time request 412 and the total points earned on the screen. The total points earned represent the sum of the points assigned to each time request 412. The points assigned to each time request 412 are not notified to the broadcaster L. The broadcaster L can exchange the total points earned for cash by presenting the total points earned to the operator. The operator takes the difference as a fee between the amount corresponding to the total amount of virtual coins 411 that viewer Ai paid to purchase time request 412 and the amount corresponding to the total points earned as presented by streamer L. Streamer L checks the modified broadcast time slots and messages to streamer L included in each displayed time request 412, as well as the displayed total points earned, and decides whether or not to change the broadcast time slot.

[0021] Viewer Ai can select one of several types of time requests 412 with different prices and send it to broadcaster L. The higher the price of the time request 412, the more points are allocated to that time request 412. In the example in Figure 9, the gold ribbon time request 412 is selected from among the four types of time requests 412: gold ribbon, silver ribbon, bronze ribbon, and regular ribbon. The price of the gold ribbon time request 412 is 1500 virtual coins, with 411 as the unit. The price of the silver ribbon time request 412 is 500 coins, the price of the bronze ribbon time request 412 is 250 coins, and the price of the regular ribbon time request 412 is 50 coins. Viewer Ai purchases 1 unit of virtual coin 411 from the operator for 2 yen. The points allocated to the gold ribbon time request 412 are 1500 points. The points allocated to Time Request 412 with a silver ribbon are 500 points, the points allocated to Time Request 412 with a bronze ribbon are 250 points, and the points allocated to Time Request 412 with a regular ribbon are 50 points.

[0022] This disclosure concerns content distribution, but is not limited to that; for example, it can also be applied to matching time slots between delivery service users and delivery service providers. In other words, it can be generally applied to matching time slots between service users and providers. Furthermore, the configuration of the distribution system in Figure 1 is merely an example, and some components may be omitted or modified depending on the use or conditions of the distribution system. For example, the display control device may be implemented as a separate device from the distribution server 101. If the display control device is implemented as a separate device from the distribution server 101, the display control device includes the communication unit 211, acquisition unit 212, display control unit 213, and storage unit 215 shown in Figure 2. The configuration of the distribution server 101 in Figure 2 is merely an example, and some components may be omitted or modified depending on the configuration or conditions of the distribution system. For example, if the display control device is implemented as a separate device from the distribution server 101, the communication unit 211, acquisition unit 212, display control unit 213, and storage unit 215 can be omitted. The flowchart in Figure 6 is merely an example, and some processes may be omitted or modified depending on the configuration or conditions of the distribution system. The time slot registration screens shown in Figures 3 and 4, and the time slot display screens shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, are merely examples, and the time slot registration screens and time slot display screens will vary depending on the use or conditions of the distribution system. The transmission methods shown in Figures 7 and 9 are merely examples, and the viewer Ai may send time requests using other transmission methods.

[0023] The information processing device in Figure 7 is used as the distribution server 101 in Figure 2 and includes a CPU 701, memory 702, input device 703, output device 704, auxiliary storage device 705, media drive device 706, and network connection device 707. These components are hardware and are connected to each other by a bus 708. The memory 702 is a semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory) and stores the program and data used for processing. The memory 702 may also operate as the storage unit 215 in Figure 2. The CPU 701 (processor) operates as the processing unit 200 in Figure 2 by executing a program using the memory 702, for example. The CPU 701 also operates as the acquisition unit 212, display control unit 213, and distribution control unit 214 in Figure 2 by executing a program using the memory 702, for example. The input device 703 is such as a keyboard or pointing device and is used for inputting instructions or information from an operator or user. The output device 704 is, for example, a display device, printer, speaker, etc., and is used for inquiries or instructions to the operator or user, and for outputting processing results. The processing results may be displayed on a time display screen. The auxiliary storage device 705 is, for example, a magnetic disk drive, optical disk drive, magneto-optical disk drive, tape drive, flash memory, etc. The auxiliary storage device 705 may be a hard disk drive or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The information processing device can store programs and data in the auxiliary storage device 705 and load them into the memory 702 for use. The auxiliary storage device 705 may operate as the storage unit 215 in Figure 2. The media drive device 706 drives the portable recording medium 709 and accesses its recorded contents. The portable recording medium 709 is a memory device, flexible disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, etc. The portable recording medium 709 may be a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, etc.The operator or user can store programs and data on the portable recording medium 709 and load them into the memory 702 for use. Thus, the computer-readable recording medium for storing programs and data used in processing is a physical (non-temporary) recording medium such as the memory 702, auxiliary storage device 705, or portable recording medium 709. The network connection device 707 is a communication device connected to the communication network 104 and performs data conversion associated with communication. The information processing device can receive programs and data from external devices via the network connection device 707 and load them into the memory 702 for use. The network connection device 707 may also operate as the communication unit 211 in Figure 2.

[0024] It should be noted that the information processing device does not need to include all the components in Figure 7, and some components may be omitted depending on the application or conditions. For example, if an interface with an operator or user is not required, the input device 703 and output device 704 may be omitted. If the portable recording medium 709 is not used, the media drive device 706 may be omitted. The same information processing device as in Figure 7 can be used as the viewer terminal devices 102-1 to 102-N and the distributor terminal device 103 in Figure 1. If the display control device is implemented as a separate device from the distribution server 101, the same information processing device as in Figure 7 can be used as the display control device. Although embodiments and their advantages have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will be able to make various changes, additions, and omissions without departing from the scope of the present invention as clearly stated in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 101: Distribution server, 200: Processing unit, 221: Preferred time slot information

Claims

1. The display device displays multiple candidate times for customers who wish to use the first service in a calendar format. The time of provision of the second service by a second supplier, different from the first supplier that provides the first service, is displayed to correspond to a plurality of candidate times displayed in the calendar format. A display control device characterized by comprising a processing unit.

2. The aforementioned processing unit, The second supplier is designated from a group of candidates different from the first supplier. The time of provision of the second service by the second supplier is displayed in a manner corresponding to multiple candidate times shown in the calendar format. The display control device according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned processing unit, Obtain preferred time information indicating the preferred time for each of the multiple customers for the first service from among a plurality of candidate time slots for the provision of the first service. Based on the desired time information, an evaluation value is calculated for each of the multiple time slots, and display information corresponding to the evaluation value for each of the multiple time slots is displayed on the display means in calendar format. The display control device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a display control device.

4. The display control device according to claim 3, characterized in that the processing unit determines an evaluation value for each of the multiple time periods based on the number of consumers who desire each of the multiple time periods and the weight of the consumers who desire each of the multiple time periods.

5. The aforementioned processing unit, The display control device according to claim 1, characterized in that it displays the plurality of times and display information corresponding to the evaluation value of each of the plurality of times on a screen viewed by the first supplier who determines the time period for providing the first service.

6. The display control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the display information corresponding to the evaluation value of each of the multiple time periods represents a color or pattern corresponding to the evaluation value of each of the multiple time periods.

7. The aforementioned processing unit, The display control device according to claim 6, characterized in that it outputs display information with a color changed according to the evaluation value level so that the evaluation value for each of the multiple time periods can be identified.

8. The aforementioned processing unit, The time for providing the second service is superimposed on the multiple candidate times displayed in the aforementioned calendar format. The display control device according to feature 1.

9. The display device displays multiple candidate times for customers who wish to use the first service in a calendar format. The time of provision of the second service by a second supplier, different from the first supplier that provides the first service, is displayed to correspond to a plurality of candidate times displayed in the calendar format. A display control method characterized by having a computer perform the processing.

10. The display device displays multiple candidate times for customers who wish to use the first service in a calendar format. The time of provision of the second service by a second supplier, different from the first supplier that provides the first service, is displayed to correspond to a plurality of candidate times displayed in the calendar format. A display control program that causes a computer to execute a process.

Images