Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

This feature allows users to search past articles and trace back through the timeline to identify the cause of an issue. [Solution] The information processing device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires content relating to a target event; a collection unit that collects past content relating to events identical to or related to the target event, going back in time; an arrangement unit that arranges the content and each event of the past content in chronological order; an arrangement unit that identifies the oldest starting event among the events arranged in chronological order as the cause; and a provision unit that provides a reverse timeline, arranging the events in order from the event that caused the event to the target event in timeline format.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] A technique for distributing image information related to the content of an electronic article to a user terminal has been disclosed (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, in the above prior art, although it is possible to create a summary sentence consisting of a plurality of lines that summarizes the content of an article from the main text of the article included in the electronic article, it is not possible to know what events have occurred until the content of the article, and what is the fundamental cause. Therefore, it is necessary to realize a cause tracing function that searches past articles and traces back in time series.

[0005] The present application has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to realize a cause tracing function that searches past articles and traces back in time series.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing device according to the present application is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires content relating to a target event; a collection unit that collects past content relating to events identical to or related to the target event, going back in time; an arrangement unit that arranges the events of the content and past content in chronological order; an arrangement unit that identifies the oldest starting event among the events arranged in chronological order as the cause; and a provision unit that provides a reverse timeline, arranging the events in order from the event that caused the event to the target event in timeline format. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment, a cause tracing function can be realized that searches past articles and traces back the timeline in reverse. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of a server device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a hardware configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail, with reference to the drawings, embodiments for implementing the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). Note that these embodiments do not limit the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application. Furthermore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the following embodiments, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] [1. Overview of the Information Processing System] First, with reference to Figure 1, an overview of the information processing system according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the information processing system according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes a terminal device 10 and a server device 100. The terminal device 10 and the server device 100 are connected to each other via a network N, either by wired or wireless means, enabling communication between them. This allows the terminal device 10 to cooperate with the server device 100. The network N is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet.

[0011] Terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by user U. For example, terminal device 10 may be a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet, or a PC (Personal Computer) such as a desktop or notebook (laptop). Alternatively, terminal device 10 may be a mobile phone such as a feature phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a game console or AV equipment with communication functions, an information appliance or digital appliance, a car navigation system, a smartwatch or head-mounted display (HDD), a wearable device such as smart glasses, or an IoT (Internet of Things) compatible house or building, car, home appliance, electronic device, etc.

[0012] In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet used by user U, and is a mobile terminal device that can communicate with any server device via wireless communication networks such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), 5G (5th Generation), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or wireless LAN. The terminal device 10 also has a screen such as a liquid crystal display with touch panel functionality, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content from user U using a finger or stylus, such as tapping, sliding, and scrolling. Operations performed on the area of ​​the screen where content is displayed may also be considered as operations on the content. Furthermore, the terminal device 10 may be an information processing device such as a desktop PC or notebook PC, not just a smart device.

[0013] The server device 100 is, for example, a computer such as a PC or blade server, or a mainframe or workstation. The server device 100 may also be implemented through cloud computing.

[0014] In this embodiment, the server device 100 is an information processing device that works in conjunction with each user U's terminal device 10 and provides each user U's terminal device 10 with API (Application Programming Interface) services for various applications (hereinafter referred to as "apps") and various data, and is implemented by a computer or cloud system.

[0015] Furthermore, the server device 100 may be an information processing device that provides some kind of online service to each user U's terminal device 10. For example, the server device 100 may provide services such as internet connection, search service, advertising distribution service, chat service, conversational service using voice, images, video, etc., SNS (Social Networking Service), e-commerce (EC), electronic payment, online games, online banking, online trading, accommodation / ticket reservations, video / music distribution, news, maps, route search, route guidance, route information, service information, and weather forecasts as online services. In practice, the server device 100 may cooperate with various servers that provide the above-mentioned online services and act as an intermediary for online services, or it may be responsible for processing online services.

[0016] The server device 100 can acquire user information about user U. For example, the server device 100 can acquire information about user U's attributes (attribute information), such as gender, age, and residential area. The server device 100 can also acquire information about user U's demographics, psychographics, geographics, behavioral attributes, etc. The server device 100 may also acquire information about the segment or persona to which user U belongs in the field of marketing, as user information. The server device 100 stores and manages information about user U's attributes (attribute information) along with identification information (user ID, etc.) that identifies user U.

[0017] In addition, the server device 100 acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the actions of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U or from various servers etc. based on the user ID etc. For example, the server device 100 acquires a location history, which is a history of the location and time of the user U, from the terminal device 10. Also, the server device 100 acquires a search history, which is a history of the search queries input by the user U, from a search server (search engine). Also, the server device 100 acquires a browsing history, which is a history of the content browsed by the user U, from a content server. Also, the server device 100 acquires a purchase history (settlement history), which is a history of the user U's product purchases and settlement processing, from an e-commerce server or a settlement processing server. Also, the server device 100 may acquire a listing history or a sales history, which is a history of the user U's listings on the marketplace, from an e-commerce server or a settlement processing server. Also, the server device 100 acquires a posting history, which is a history of the user U's posts, from a posting server or an SNS server that provides a word-of-mouth posting service. Note that each of the above various servers etc. may be the server device 100 itself. That is, the server device 100 may function as each of the above various servers etc.

[0018] Also, the number of each device included in the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is not limited to that shown. For example, in FIG. 1, for the sake of simplification of the illustration, only one terminal device 10 is shown, but this is merely an example and is not limited, and there may be two or more.

[0019] [2. Cause tracing function (Reverse Chronicle)] In the present embodiment, the cause tracing function (Reverse Chronicle) in the news app / site will be described. The cause tracing function (Reverse Chronicle) is a function that develops a story in a form that traces back from the result of an event to its cause. With this approach, readers can understand the causal relationship of an event from a new perspective and can delve deeper into the background of complex events. Reverse Chronicle is particularly effective for news topics with historical events or chain effects. The main functions are as follows.

[0020] (1) Reverse Time - line Function Function Overview: Integrate a reverse - chronological time - line into the article, allowing readers to trace the story from the result back to the cause. Also, click to display detailed background information and related events at each point.

[0021] (2) Interactive Navigation Function Overview: Provide an interactive navigation that allows readers to freely move back and forth on the time - line. It is possible to select related events and dig deeper.

[0022] (3) Causality Mapping Function Overview: Visually map the causal relationships between events so that readers can understand how events affect each other. Also, use diagrams and charts to visualize complex relationships.

[0023] (4) Multimedia Integration Function Overview: Integrate video clips, audio, and images related to each time - line point to provide information visually and aurally. Also, utilize multimedia elements to enhance the immersive feeling of the story.

[0024] (5) Integration of User - Generated Content Function Overview:​​​​​​​​​​​For example, as shown in Figure 1, the server device 100 searches for news sources related to the content of the event (step S1). For example, when the server device 100 receives an inquiry about a specific event from user U's terminal device 10 via the network N, it searches for news sources related to the content of that event.

[0027] Next, the server device 100 determines whether there are identical or related events in past news sources prior to the current news source (step S2). For example, the server device 100 determines whether there are past news sources prior to the news source concerning the content of the event in question that concern the content of the event itself. In this case, the server device 100 may search for past news sources concerning the content of the same or related event in question, and if such past news sources are found, it may determine that there are identical or related events.

[0028] Next, the server device 100 determines that there is a sequence of events if the same or related events are found in past news sources (step S3). For example, the server device 100 determines that there is a relationship (causal relationship) between the news source concerning the content of the event and the past news source.

[0029] The server device 100 then determines whether there are identical or related events in news sources even further back than the current news source. If there are identical or related events in the even further back news sources, it determines that there is a sequence of events. In other words, the processes in steps S2 and S3 are repeated until there are no more past news sources related to the content of the same or related events. This allows the news sources to be traced back in time in order to investigate the cause of the event.

[0030] Next, the server device 100 arranges the key points of an event in chronological order based on the article content and article timestamps within the same event (step S4). For example, the server device 100 extracts the key points of an event from each news source and arranges them in chronological order based on the article content and article timestamps.

[0031] Next, the server device 100 determines the oldest starting point as the cause (step S5). For example, the server device 100 determines the content of the oldest news source among the searched news sources that has no similar or related events in the past to date as the cause.

[0032] Next, the server device 100 displays the reverse timeline, arranged in chronological order from the past cause (step S6). For example, the server device 100 displays the reverse timeline, arranged in chronological order from the past cause, to the user U's terminal device 10 via the network N.

[0033] [2-2. Specific Examples] Next, I will explain a specific example of the cause tracing function (reverse chronicle).

[0034] <Specific example> The 2008 global financial crisis overview This reverse chronicle uses the 2008 global financial crisis as its subject matter, tracing events from the results backward to the causes (reverse timeline). This method allows readers to understand the progression of the crisis and gain insight into the factors that led to this massive economic collapse.

[0035] Reverse Timeline Structure Results: Bankruptcies of financial institutions and market turmoil (September 2008)

[0036] Bankruptcies of financial institutions and market turmoil (September 2008) Events: The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers® and the bailout of AIG®. Multimedia: Provides news footage from the time and graphs illustrating market turmoil. Details: This section explains how the bankruptcies of these financial institutions affected the market. Starting point: Market panic and credit crunch (July-September 2008)

[0037] Market panic and credit crunch (July-September 2008) Events: Freezing of credit markets, suspension of interbank lending. Multimedia: Provides visuals showing bank queues and sharp declines in market data. Details: Explain how businesses and consumers were affected by the credit crunch. Starting point: The collapse of the housing bubble and the subprime mortgage crisis (2007-2008)

[0038] The collapse of the housing bubble and the subprime mortgage crisis (2007-2008) Events: A sharp drop in housing prices and subprime mortgage defaults. Multimedia: Provides graphs of housing price indices and videos of home foreclosures. Details: An analysis of how subprime mortgages spread and triggered the crisis. Starting point: Expansion of financial products and derivatives (2000-2007)

[0039] Expansion of financial products and derivatives (2000-2007) Event: The proliferation of complex financial products (CDOs, MBS). Multimedia: Provides animations illustrating the mechanisms of financial products. Details: This explains how these financial products have increased risk. Starting point: Deregulation and risk-taking by financial institutions (1999-2000)

[0040] Deregulation and Risk-Taking by Financial Institutions (1999-2000) Event: The repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act and its impact. Multimedia: Provides policy documents and news clips related to deregulation at the time. Details: Exploring how deregulation has affected financial institutions' risk-taking.

[0041] Cause: Deregulation and risk-taking by financial institutions (1999-2000)

[0042] Thus, the server device 100 according to this embodiment collects content related to the same event by going back in time, arranges the content chronologically, and generates content that explains the event in chronological order. This makes it possible to explain the event in reverse.

[0043] The server device 100 may implement the above mechanism using AI (Artificial Intelligence) such as GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer). GPT is a text generation AI and a language model capable of generating text using natural language processing.

[0044] [3. Example of terminal device configuration] Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described using Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a sensor unit 20, a control unit 30 (controller), and a storage unit 40.

[0045] (Communications Section 11) The communication unit 11 is connected to the network N by wire or wireless connection and transmits and receives information to and from the server device 100 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 11 is implemented by a NIC (Network Interface Card), an antenna, and a communication circuit according to the communication method.

[0046] (Display section 12) The display unit 12 is a display device that displays various information such as location information. For example, the display unit 12 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescent display (OLED). The display unit 12 may also be a touch panel display, but is not limited to this.

[0047] (Input section 13) The input unit 13 is an input device that receives various operations from the user U. For example, the input unit 13 has buttons for inputting characters, numbers, etc. The input unit 13 may also be an input / output port (I / O port) or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. If the display unit 12 is a touch panel display, a part of the display unit 12 functions as the input unit 13. The input unit 13 may also be a microphone that receives voice input from the user U. The microphone may be wireless.

[0048] (Positioning unit 14) The positioning unit 14 receives signals (radio waves) transmitted from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and, based on the received signals, acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) indicating the current position of the terminal device 10. In other words, the positioning unit 14 determines the position of the terminal device 10. Note that GPS is just one example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0049] Furthermore, the positioning unit 14 can determine its position using various methods other than GPS. For example, the positioning unit 14 may use various communication functions of the terminal device 10 to determine its position as an auxiliary positioning means for position correction, etc., as described below.

[0050] (Wi-Fi positioning) For example, the positioning unit 14 determines the location of the terminal device 10 by utilizing the Wi-Fi® communication function of the terminal device 10 and the communication network provided by each telecommunications company. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 determines the location of the terminal device 10 by performing Wi-Fi communication, etc., and determining the distance to nearby base stations and access points.

[0051] (Beacon positioning) Furthermore, the positioning unit 14 may determine the location using the Bluetooth® function of the terminal device 10. For example, the positioning unit 14 determines the location of the terminal device 10 by connecting to a beacon transmitter connected via the Bluetooth® function.

[0052] (Geomagnetic positioning) Furthermore, the positioning unit 14 determines the position of the terminal device 10 based on the geomagnetic pattern of the structure, which has been measured in advance, and the geomagnetic sensor provided by the terminal device 10.

[0053] (RFID positioning) Furthermore, if, for example, the terminal device 10 is equipped with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag function equivalent to that of a contactless IC card used at a train station ticket gate or in a store, or if it is equipped with a function to read RFID tags, the location where it was used will be recorded along with the information on the payment or other transactions made by the terminal device 10. The positioning unit 14 may determine the location of the terminal device 10 by acquiring such information. Alternatively, the location may be determined by an optical sensor or infrared sensor equipped in the terminal device 10.

[0054] The positioning unit 14 may, if necessary, determine the position of the terminal device 10 using one or a combination of the positioning means described above.

[0055] (Sensor unit 20) The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10. The connection can be wired or wireless. For example, the sensors may be detection devices other than the terminal device 10, such as wearable devices or wireless devices. In the example shown in Figure 2, the sensor unit 20 includes an acceleration sensor 21, a gyro sensor 22, a barometric pressure sensor 23, a temperature sensor 24, a sound sensor 25, a light sensor 26, a magnetic sensor 27, and an image sensor (camera) 28.

[0056] The sensors 21-28 described above are merely examples and not limiting. In other words, the sensor unit 20 may be configured to include some of the sensors 21-28, or it may include other sensors such as humidity sensors in addition to or instead of the sensors 21-28.

[0057] The acceleration sensor 21 is, for example, a 3-axis acceleration sensor and detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as its direction of movement, velocity, and acceleration. The gyro sensor 22 detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as its tilt in the three axes, based on its angular velocity. The barometric pressure sensor 23 detects the atmospheric pressure around the terminal device 10, for example.

[0058] Since the terminal device 10 is equipped with the acceleration sensor 21, gyroscope 22, barometric pressure sensor 23, etc., it becomes possible to determine the position of the terminal device 10 using technologies such as pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR) that utilize these sensors 21 to 23. This makes it possible to obtain indoor location information that is difficult to obtain with positioning systems such as GPS.

[0059] For example, a pedometer using an accelerometer 21 can calculate the number of steps, walking speed, and distance walked. Additionally, a gyroscope 22 can be used to determine the user U's direction of movement, gaze direction, and body tilt. Furthermore, the barometric pressure detected by the barometric pressure sensor 23 can be used to determine the altitude and floor number of the user U's terminal device 10.

[0060] The temperature sensor 24 detects, for example, the ambient temperature around the terminal device 10. The sound sensor 25 detects, for example, the ambient sound around the terminal device 10. The light sensor 26 detects the ambient illumination around the terminal device 10. The magnetic sensor 27 detects, for example, the Earth's magnetic field around the terminal device 10. The image sensor 28 captures an image of the area around the terminal device 10.

[0061] The aforementioned pressure sensor 23, temperature sensor 24, sound sensor 25, light sensor 26, and image sensor 28 can detect the surrounding environment and conditions of the terminal device 10 by detecting atmospheric pressure, temperature, sound, and illuminance, respectively, and by capturing images of the surroundings. Furthermore, it becomes possible to improve the accuracy of the location information of the terminal device 10 based on the surrounding environment and conditions.

[0062] (Control Unit 30) The control unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input / output ports, and various circuits. Alternatively, the control unit 30 may be composed of hardware such as an integrated circuit (ASIC) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 30 includes a transmission unit 31, a reception unit 32, and a processing unit 33.

[0063] (Transmitter 31) The transmission unit 31 can transmit various information, such as information input by the user U using the input unit 13, various information detected by sensors 21-28 mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10, and location information of the terminal device 10 determined by the positioning unit 14, to the server device 100 via the communication unit 11.

[0064] (Receiving unit 32) The receiving unit 32 can receive various information provided by the server device 100, as well as requests for various information from the server device 100, via the communication unit 11.

[0065] (Processing 33) The processing unit 33 controls the entire terminal device 10, including the display unit 12. For example, the processing unit 33 can output and display various information transmitted by the transmission unit 31 and various information received from the server device 100 by the reception unit 32 to the display unit 12.

[0066] (Storage unit 40) The storage unit 40 is implemented by, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and flash memory, or by storage devices such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), and optical discs. Various programs and various data are stored in this storage unit 40.

[0067] [4. Example of Server Device Configuration] Next, the configuration of the server device 100 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the server device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0068] (Communications Department 110) The communication unit 110 is implemented, for example, by a NIC (Network Interface Card). The communication unit 110 is connected to the network N by wire or wireless connection.

[0069] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 is implemented by, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and flash memory, or by storage devices such as HDDs, SSDs, and optical discs. For example, the storage unit 120 stores information transmitted and received via the communication unit 110. The storage unit 120 may also store user U's attribute information and history information (log data) along with identification information (user ID, etc.) indicating user U.

[0070] (Control unit 130) The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by executing various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in the internal storage device of the server device 100 using a storage area such as RAM as a working area, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In the example shown in Figure 3, the control unit 130 has an acquisition unit 131, an extraction unit 132, an estimation unit 133, a collection unit 134, a determination unit 135, an alignment unit 136, a specification unit 137, a generation unit 138, and a provision unit 139.

[0071] (Acquisition part 131) The acquisition unit 131 acquires the search query entered by the user U. For example, when the user U enters a search query into a search engine or the like and performs a keyword search, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the search query via the communication unit 110. In other words, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the keyword entered by the user U into the search box of a search engine, website, or application via the communication unit 110.

[0072] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires user information about user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires identification information (such as user ID), location information, and attribute information of user U from user U's terminal device 10. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire identification information and attribute information of user U when user U is registered. The acquisition unit 131 then stores the user information in the storage unit 120.

[0073] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various historical information (log data) indicating the user U's actions via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various historical information indicating the user U's actions from the user U's terminal device 10, or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. The acquisition unit 131 then stores the various historical information in the storage unit 120.

[0074] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires content related to the target event. For example, the acquisition unit 131 searches for content related to the target event that matches the search query based on the search query entered by user U via the communication unit 110. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 131 may automatically acquire content related to the event when it detects the occurrence of the event. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire content that user U has shown interest in. For example, content is a news source related to the event in question.

[0075] (Extraction part 132) The extraction unit 132 extracts events from the content. For example, the extraction unit 132 automatically extracts events from the content that user U is viewing.

[0076] (Estimation part 133) The estimation unit 133 estimates events that are identical to or related to the target event. For example, the estimation unit 133 inputs the target event to an AI or model that has learned pairs of the target event and identical or related events, and obtains identical or related events as output (estimation result). At this time, the control unit 130 may further include a prompt creation unit that creates prompts for the AI ​​to estimate identical or related events from the target event. The control unit 130 may also further include a learning data creation unit that creates learning data from pairs of the target event and identical or related events, and a learning unit that trains the AI ​​or model with that learning data.

[0077] Alternatively, the estimation unit 133 may embed the meanings of the words contained in the text into a vector space by embedding, represent each word as a vector, create a new vector by subtracting or adding the elements of each word's vector, and search for the word that has the vector closest to that vector (on a similarity scale).

[0078] (Collection Section 134) The collection unit 134 collects past content related to events that are the same as or related to the target event, going back in time. For example, the collection unit 134 searches for past content related to events that are the same as or related to the target event, going back in time based on events that are the same as or related to the target event. Note that the collection unit 134 may be part of the acquisition unit 131.

[0079] Furthermore, the collection unit 134 collects past content in stages for each event, going back in time until there is no more past content related to events that are the same as or related to the events of the previously collected past content.

[0080] (Judgment unit 135) The determination unit 135 determines that there is a flow of events between the current content and the past content if there is past content relating to the same or related events as the current event. In this case, the determination unit 135 may also determine that there is a flow of events by comparing the content of the current content and the past content and finding common words or events, or if there is a relationship (causal relationship) between the content.

[0081] (Alignment section 136) If the sorting unit 136 determines that there is a flow of events between the current content and past content, it sorts the events in the current content and past content in chronological order. For example, the sorting unit 136 sorts the events extracted from each piece of content in chronological order based on the content within the same event and the timestamp of the content. If the content is a news source, the sorting unit 136 sorts the events in chronological order based on the article content within the same event and the timestamp of the article.

[0082] (Specific Section 137) The identification unit 137 identifies the oldest starting event among the events arranged in chronological order as the cause.

[0083] (Generation unit 138) The generation unit 138 generates data provided by the provision unit 139. For example, the generation unit 138 generates a reverse timeline in which events are arranged in chronological order from the causal event to the target event. The generation unit 138 also generates data that visually maps the causal relationships between events. Furthermore, the generation unit 138 uses AI to generate video clips, audio, and images related to each timeline point. The generation unit 138 collects the video clips, audio, and images if they already exist. In addition, the generation unit 138 provides a section in the reverse timeline where user U can post their own perspective and additional information.

[0084] (Providing Department 139) The provisioning unit 139 provides a reverse timeline, arranging events in chronological order from the event that caused the problem to the event in question. The provisioning unit 139 may also be a display control unit that controls the screen display of the user U's terminal device 10 via the communication unit 111.

[0085] For example, the service provider 139 provides an interactive navigation system as a reverse timeline, allowing user U to freely navigate between timelines.

[0086] Furthermore, the providing unit 139 visually maps the causal relationships between events and provides them in a display manner that allows user U to understand how each event influences the others.

[0087] Furthermore, the provisioning unit 139 integrates video clips, audio, and images related to each timeline point to provide information visually and aurally.

[0088] Furthermore, the service provider 139 provides a section in the reverse timeline where user U can post their own perspective and additional information, thereby incorporating and providing diverse viewpoints.

[0089] [5. Processing Procedure] Next, the processing procedure by the server device 100 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the processing procedure according to the embodiment. Note that the processing procedure shown below is repeatedly executed by the control unit 130 of the server device 100.

[0090] For example, as shown in Figure 4, the acquisition unit 131 of the server device 100 acquires content related to the target event (step S101).

[0091] Next, the extraction unit 132 of the server device 100 extracts the target event from the content (step S102).

[0092] Next, the estimation unit 133 of the server device 100 estimates an event that is the same as or related to the target event (step S103).

[0093] Next, the data collection unit 134 of the server device 100 collects past content related to events that are the same as or related to the target event, going back in time (step S104).

[0094] Next, the determination unit 135 of the server device 100 determines whether or not there is a flow of events between the current content and past content (step S105). If there is no flow of events between the current content and past content (step S105: No), the determination unit 135 terminates the series of processes.

[0095] If there is a sequence of events between the current content and past content (Step S105: Yes), the alignment unit 136 of the server device 100 aligns the events of the current content and past content in chronological order (Step S106).

[0096] Next, the identification unit 137 of the server device 100 identifies the oldest starting event among the events arranged in chronological order as the cause (step S107).

[0097] Next, the generation unit 138 of the server device 100 generates a reverse timeline in which the events that caused the problem are arranged in chronological order from the event that caused the problem to the event that caused the problem (step S108).

[0098] Next, the provision unit 139 of the server device 100 provides the reverse timeline to the user U's terminal device 10 via the communication unit 111 (step S109). That is, the provision unit 139 causes the user U's terminal device 10 to display the reverse timeline.

[0099] [6. Variant Example] The terminal device 10 and server device 100 described above may be implemented in various other forms besides those of the embodiment described above. Therefore, the following describes modifications of the embodiment.

[0100] In the above embodiment, some or all of the processing performed by the server device 100 may actually be performed by the terminal device 10 (or an application running on the terminal device 10). For example, the terminal device 10 may perform all processing in a standalone manner. In this case, the terminal device 10 is assumed to have the same functions as the server device 100 in the above embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, since the terminal device 10 is in cooperation with the server device 100, from the perspective of the user U, it appears as if the processing of the server device 100 is also being performed by the terminal device 10. In other words, from another perspective, it can be said that the terminal device 10 is equipped with the server device 100.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the server device 100 may be a container engine that constructs an execution environment (container) for virtually running applications on a host computer. For example, the server device 100 may construct a container for executing various functions on the user U's terminal device 10.

[0102] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the server device 100 searches for news sources related to the content of an event, it may search for news sources related to the content of an event currently occurring (such as a trending event). For example, the server device 100 detects an increase in topics or comments related to a specific event on the news timeline, or a surge in activity on social media, and recognizes the occurrence of an event currently occurring. At this time, the server device 100 determines that an event has occurred if the increase in the number of topics or comments related to the same event within a unit of time exceeds a threshold. The server device 100 then searches for news sources related to the content of that event.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the server device 100 determines whether there are identical or related events from past news sources, it may search for news sources related to the content of the same or related events that exist at a predetermined time or more prior to the news source related to the content of the event (for example, at least one month prior), and if such news sources exist, it may determine that there are identical or related events. Alternatively, the server device 100 may extract news sources related to the content of the same or related events that exist from past news archives or log data.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, when the server device 100 displays the past causes in chronological order as a reverse timeline, if there are multiple causes instead of just one, it may display them in a tree structure that converges from the multiple causes toward the result. Formally, this structure branches out from the result toward multiple causes.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if the cause is the cause of not only the target event but also other events (results), the server device 100 may display another reverse timeline in which the causes and other events (results) are arranged in order in a timeline format, in response to the user U's operation (for example, by the user U operating the display of the cause).

[0106] [7. Effects] As described above, the information processing device (terminal device 10 and server device 100) according to the present application is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit 131 that acquires content relating to a target event; a collection unit 134 that collects past content relating to events identical to or related to the target event by going back in time; an arrangement unit 136 that arranges the content and each event of the past content in chronological order; an identification unit 137 that identifies the oldest starting event among the events arranged in chronological order as the cause; and a provision unit 139 that provides the information arranged in a timeline format from the event that caused the event to the target event in order as a reverse timeline.

[0107] This enables a reverse chronicle function, which allows users to search past articles and trace back through the timeline. For example, in a news app, a reverse chronological timeline can be incorporated into articles, allowing readers to follow the story by tracing back from the result to the cause.

[0108] The service provider 139 provides an interactive navigation system as a reverse timeline, allowing user U to freely navigate between timelines.

[0109] This enables interactive navigation functionality. It also allows users to select related events and delve deeper into them.

[0110] The providing unit 139 visually maps the causal relationships between events and provides them in a display manner that allows user U to understand how each event influences the others.

[0111] This allows readers to understand how different events influence each other. Furthermore, diagrams and charts can be used to visualize complex relationships.

[0112] The information provision unit 139 integrates video clips, audio, and images related to each timeline point to provide information visually and aurally.

[0113] This allows information to be provided both visually and aurally. Furthermore, multimedia elements can be used to enhance the sense of immersion in the story.

[0114] The service provider 139 provides a section in the reverse timeline where user U can post their own perspective and additional information, thereby incorporating and providing diverse viewpoints.

[0115] This allows for the incorporation of diverse perspectives into articles. Furthermore, it enables the reflection of community opinions, adding depth to the articles.

[0116] The collection unit 134 collects past content step by step for each event, going back in time until there is no further past content related to the same or related events as the previously collected past content.

[0117] This allows for the repeated collection of news sources from past events that seem relevant. Furthermore, it can automatically delve deeper into news sources related to the underlying cause.

[0118] The acquisition unit 131 searches for content related to the target event. The collection unit 134 searches for past content related to events that are the same as or related to the target event, going back in time.

[0119] This allows for the collection of news sources related to various events from across the network. Furthermore, by collecting news sources that match the search results, past content can be efficiently retrieved.

[0120] Furthermore, the information processing device according to the present application further includes a determination unit 135 that determines that there is a flow of events between the current content and the past content if past content exists that is the same as or related to the current event.

[0121] This allows us to determine whether there is a flow of events between current content and past content. Furthermore, if there is a flow of events, the events can be arranged in a timeline format. If there is no flow of events, processing can be stopped, avoiding unnecessary processing.

[0122] By any or a combination of the above-described processes, the information processing device according to the present invention can realize a cause tracing function that searches past articles and traces them back in chronological order.

[0123] [8. Hardware Configuration] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 and server device 100 according to the above-described embodiment are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration such as that shown in Figure 5. The following explanation will use the server device 100 as an example. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which an arithmetic unit 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output interface 1060, an input interface 1070, and a network interface 1080 are connected by a bus 1090.

[0124] The arithmetic unit 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and the secondary storage device 1050, as well as programs read from the input device 1020, and executes various processes. The arithmetic unit 1030 can be implemented using, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0125] The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device, such as RAM (Random Access Memory), that temporarily stores data used by the arithmetic unit 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device where data used by the arithmetic unit 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and can be implemented using ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc. The secondary storage device 1050 may be internal storage or external storage. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be a removable storage medium such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be cloud storage (online storage), NAS (Network Attached Storage), file server, etc.

[0126] The output I / F 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to output devices 1010, such as displays, projectors, and printers, and is implemented using connectors of standards such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). The input I / F 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as mice, keyboards, keypads, buttons, and scanners, and is implemented using, for example, USB.

[0127] Furthermore, the output interface 1060 and input interface 1070 may be wirelessly connected to the output device 1010 and input device 1020, respectively. In other words, the output device 1010 and input device 1020 may be wireless devices.

[0128] Furthermore, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be integrated as a touch panel. In this case, the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070 may also be integrated as an input / output I / F.

[0129] The input device 1020 may also be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0130] The network interface 1080 receives data from other devices via network N and sends it to the computing unit 1030, and also transmits data generated by the computing unit 1030 to other devices via network N.

[0131] The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output interface 1060 and the input interface 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

[0132] For example, when computer 1000 functions as a server device 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of computer 1000 realizes the functions of the control unit 130 by executing a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040. Alternatively, the arithmetic unit 1030 of computer 1000 may load a program obtained from another device via the network interface 1080 onto the primary storage device 1040 and execute the loaded program. Furthermore, the arithmetic unit 1030 of computer 1000 may cooperate with other devices via the network interface 1080 and call and use program functions, data, etc., from other programs on other devices.

[0133] [9. Other] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited by the content of these embodiments. Furthermore, the aforementioned components include those that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that fall within the so-called equivalent range. Moreover, the aforementioned components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the gist of the embodiments described above.

[0134] Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above document and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each figure is not limited to the information shown.

[0135] Furthermore, the components of each illustrated device are functionally conceptual and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions.

[0136] For example, the server device 100 described above may be implemented using multiple server computers, and the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling external platforms via APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) or network computing depending on the function.

[0137] Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications described above can be combined as appropriate, provided that the processing content is not inconsistent.

[0138] Furthermore, the terms "section, module, unit" mentioned above can be replaced with "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, the acquisition unit can be replaced with acquisition means or acquisition circuit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0139] 1. Information Processing System 10 Terminal devices 100 Server Devices 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 130 Control Unit 131 Acquisition Department 132 Extraction part 133 Estimation Department 134 Collection Department 135 Judgment section 136 Alignment section 137 Specific section 138 Generation part 139 Provision Department

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires content related to the target event, A collection unit that collects past content related to events identical to or related to the aforementioned target event, A sorting unit that arranges the events of the aforementioned content and the preceding and subsequent content in chronological order, A unit that identifies the oldest starting event among events arranged in chronological order as the cause, A provisioning unit provides a reverse timeline, arranging the events from the event that caused the event to the event in question in chronological order in a timeline format, An information processing device characterized by comprising:

2. The aforementioned provisioning unit provides an interactive navigation system as the reverse timeline, allowing users to freely navigate between timelines. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned provisioning unit visually maps the causal relationships between events and provides them in a display format that allows users to understand how each event influences the others. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The aforementioned provisioning unit integrates video clips, audio, and images related to each timeline point to provide information visually and aurally. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The aforementioned provision unit will provide a section in the reverse timeline where users can post their own perspectives and additional information, thereby incorporating and providing diverse viewpoints. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The collection unit collects past content step by step for each event, going back in time until there is no further past content related to events that are the same as or related to the events of the collected past content. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

7. The acquisition unit searches for content related to the target event, The collection unit searches for past content relating to events that are the same as or related to the target event, going back in time. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

8. If past content exists relating to the same or related event as the aforementioned event, the determination unit determines that there is a flow of events between the aforementioned content and the past content. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

9. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, The acquisition process involves obtaining content related to the target event, A collection process for collecting past content related to events that are the same as or related to the aforementioned target event, going back in time. A sorting step of arranging the events of the aforementioned content and the preceding and subsequent content in chronological order, The process of identifying the cause by identifying the oldest starting event among events arranged in chronological order, A provision process that provides a reverse timeline, arranging events from the event that caused the aforementioned event to the event in question in chronological order in a timeline format, An information processing method characterized by including

10. The procedure for obtaining content related to the target event, A collection procedure for collecting past content related to events identical to or related to the aforementioned target event, going back in time, A sorting procedure for arranging the events of the aforementioned content and the preceding and subsequent content in chronological order, A procedure for identifying the cause of events arranged in chronological order, specifically identifying the oldest starting event, A provision procedure that provides a reverse timeline, arranging events from the event that caused the aforementioned event to the event in question in chronological order in a timeline format, An information processing program characterized by causing a computer to execute it.

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