Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

This system can provide an information management system that increases the flexibility of content distribution, such as in IP distribution. [Solution] The first ID acquisition unit 100 acquires information about the first ID transmitted from the broadcasting device 2. The regional information assignment unit 110 assigns the regional code to which the target channel belongs to each IP broadcasting channel corresponding to each piece of information about the first ID acquired by the first ID acquisition unit 100. The second ID assignment unit 120 assigns a second ID to each IP broadcasting channel corresponding to each piece of information about the first ID acquired by the first ID acquisition unit 100. The ID and other information management unit 130 collects the information about the first ID, regional code, and second ID and transmits it as ID and other information to the broadcasting device 2 or the distribution service server 4, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an IP (Internet Protocol) broadcast system, there are a broadcasting station that provides IP broadcasts and a provider of a distribution service that distributes each IP broadcast in each region, and each operator provides services separately. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention related to a channel management system that can easily manage channels while ensuring freedom of channel setting in an IP distribution service.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 above merely manages channels using a temporarily issued ID called a key ID, which is insufficient.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide an information management system for increasing the degree of freedom of content distribution in IP distribution and the like.

[0006] To achieve the above object, an information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires a first ID, which is unique information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting, A first assignment unit that assigns to each of the first IDs information about the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment unit assigns to each of the first IDs a second ID related to the IP distribution service, which is different from the first ID, It is an information processing system equipped with [the following features].

[0007] An information processing method and program according to one aspect of this disclosure are also provided as an information processing method or program corresponding to an information processing system according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide an information management system that enhances the freedom of content distribution in IP distribution and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a distribution management server that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of a distribution management server and other components that constitute an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the content of information managed by a distribution management server that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the flow of various processes executed by the distribution management server that constitutes the information processing system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Embodiment] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "the System").

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, this system is composed of, for example, a distribution management server 1, a broadcasting device 2, a receiving device 3, and distribution service servers 4-1 to 4-n (where n is any integer value of 1 or more). The distribution management server 1, the broadcasting device 2, the receiving device 3, and the distribution service servers 4-1 to 4-n (where n is any integer value of 1 or more) are connected via a predetermined network such as the Internet. However, the network is not an essential component, and for example, NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), LAN (Local Area Network), etc. may be used. Furthermore, when it is not necessary to distinguish between distribution service servers 4-1 through 4-n individually, they will be collectively referred to as "distribution service server 4." In addition, in the following explanation, the term "content" includes various types of content such as television programs, internet programs, and various advertisements.

[0012] Distribution management server 1 is an information processing device that manages various information related to IP broadcast channels in an associated manner. Specifically, distribution management server 1 manages the first ID, second ID, and regional code in association with each target channel. The first ID is an identifier used in the broadcasting device 2 to uniquely identify each channel that primarily corresponds to broadcasting services using the television communication system. The second type of ID is an identifier used to uniquely identify each IP broadcast channel, primarily in streaming services. A regional code is information used to identify the region to which each IP broadcast channel belongs.

[0013] Furthermore, the distribution management server 1 acquires information regarding various content broadcast by the broadcasting device 2 (hereinafter referred to as "content information") via the communication unit 19. Here, content information may include, for example, the name of the content broadcast by the broadcasting device 2, a summary of the content (e.g., cast, year of production, country of production, producer, language, etc.), the type of content (hereinafter also referred to as "genre"), an identifier, the broadcast time of the content (start time, end time), channel information, the viewing period (e.g., limited-time distribution, etc.), viewing attributes (e.g., not viewable by those under 15 years of age, etc.), a program guide, a content list, a thumbnail, billing information including the amount, rights information, and viewing area information.

[0014] Furthermore, the distribution management server 1 acquires viewing information transmitted from the receiving device 3, analyzes that information, and sends the results to the distribution service server 4, etc. Here, viewing information may include, for example, the content the user viewed (episode, episode number, etc.), name, identifier, genre, channel information, distribution platform information, viewing position, date and time of viewing, viewing time, viewing speed (normal speed, 1.5x speed, etc.), audio channel (main audio, secondary audio, language), device type, playback quality, viewer identifier, viewer attributes (demographics, hobbies and preferences, content preference information set by the viewer, region, postal code), etc.

[0015] Broadcasting device 2 is a platform managed by operators and other entities that provide various IP (Internet Protocol) broadcasts. Broadcasting device 2 transmits information about various content, including programs and advertisements that are the subject of television broadcasting or IP broadcasting (hereinafter referred to as "content information"), to distribution management server 1. Television broadcasting is a method of broadcasting video, audio, and other content using, for example, television communication systems, and primarily employs a broadcast method. IP broadcasting is a method of broadcasting video, audio, etc. through a network such as the Internet in a unicast or multicast manner. In IP broadcasting, content is usually distributed in association with the viewer's ID information, etc., so it is particularly easy to manage the situation such as the viewer's viewing history and the usage status of other network-related services.

[0016] The receiving device 3 is a receiving device used by a user who watches broadcasts. The receiving device 3 is composed of, for example, a TV receiver having a network function. The receiving device 3 acquires information regarding the viewing status of the user, for example, and transmits the information to the distribution management server 1. The viewing information is managed by the distribution management server 1.

[0017] The distribution service server 4 is a server managed by a service provider that distributes various IP broadcasts. The distribution service server 4 acquires, for example, the second ID and the area code acquired from the distribution management server 1, and provides IP broadcasts by transmitting various IP streams to the receiving device 3. Note that different IDs are used for the first ID mainly used in the broadcasting device 2 and the second ID used in the IP distribution service of the distribution service server 4. There are various reasons for adopting such a specification. For example, the broadcasting device 2 has an advantage in that it only needs to unidirectionally distribute only the first ID and does not need to manage the second ID and the area code.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a distribution management server constituting an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the distribution management server 1 includes a control unit 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0020] The control unit 11 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU, GPU, and semiconductor memory. The control unit 11 executes various processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 12 or the program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. RAM13 also stores information necessary for the control unit 11 to perform various processes.

[0021] The control unit 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0022] The output unit 16 is composed of various displays, speakers, etc. The output unit 16 outputs various images, sounds, etc.

[0023] The input unit 17 is composed of, for example, a keyboard or mouse. The input unit 17 accepts input of various types of information.

[0024] The storage unit 18 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various types of information. The storage unit 18 stores various programs related to the provision of this service.

[0025] The communications unit 19 controls communications with other hardware, etc., via the network N, including the Internet.

[0026] A drive 20 is provided as needed. A removable media 31, consisting of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately mounted on the drive 20. Programs for executing various processes are stored on the removable media 31. Programs read from the removable media 31 by the drive 20 are installed on the storage unit 18 as needed. Furthermore, the removable media 31 can store various types of information stored in the memory unit 18, just as the memory unit 18 does.

[0027] The hardware configurations of the broadcasting device 2, the receiving device 3, and the distribution service server 4 can all be basically the same as the hardware configuration of the distribution management server 1, so their explanation is omitted here. However, for example, when the broadcasting device 2 is broadcasting television, the broadcasting device 2 may be equipped with various signal modulation functions in its communication section, etc. Similarly, when the receiving device 3 is receiving television broadcasts, the receiving device 3 may be equipped with various signal demodulation functions. In addition, the various hardware components (especially the broadcasting device 2 and the receiving device 3) may be equipped with functions such as encryption.

[0028] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of a distribution management server and other components that constitute an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 11 of the distribution management server 1 functions as a first ID acquisition unit 100, a regional information assignment unit 110, a second ID assignment unit 120, an ID and other information management unit 130, and a log collection unit 140 by executing various programs.

[0029] The first ID acquisition unit 100 acquires a first ID, which is unique information corresponding to each channel of the program broadcast. Specifically, the first ID acquisition unit 100 acquires information regarding the first ID transmitted from the broadcasting device 2 via the communication unit 19.

[0030] The regional information assignment unit 110 assigns to each of the first IDs information about the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast. The regional information assignment unit 110 assigns to each of the IP broadcast channels corresponding to each of the first IDs acquired by the first ID acquisition unit 100 the regional code to which the target channel belongs, and associates that information.

[0031] The second ID assignment unit 120 assigns a second ID to each of the first IDs, which is different from the first ID and pertains to the IP distribution service. The second ID assignment unit 120 assigns a second ID to each of the IP broadcast channels corresponding to each of the pieces of information about the first IDs acquired by the first ID acquisition unit 100, and associates that information.

[0032] The ID and other information management unit 130 performs various processes for content distribution based on the second ID assigned by the second assignment unit. Specifically, the ID and other information management unit 130 associates and manages the first ID acquired by the first ID acquisition unit 100, the regional code assigned by the regional information assignment unit 110, and the second ID assigned by the second ID assignment unit 120, and transmits this information together as ID and other information to the broadcasting device 2 or the distribution service server 4. An example of the information managed by the ID and other information management unit 130 will be described later with reference to Figure 4.

[0033] The log collection unit 140 acquires viewing information transmitted from the receiving device 3 and analyzes that information. The log collection unit 140 also transmits the acquired viewing information and its analysis results to the distribution management server 1. The log collection unit 140 also transmits the acquired viewing information and its analysis results to the broadcasting device 2 or the distribution service server 4.

[0034] Figure 4 shows an example of the content of information managed by a distribution management server that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the example in Figure 4, the name of the broadcasting station associated with each regional code, the first ID corresponding to each broadcasting station, and the second ID corresponding to each broadcasting station are displayed as a table. In the example in Figure 4, "Broadcasting Station A1", "Broadcasting Station A2", "Broadcasting Station A3", etc., are displayed as broadcasting stations assigned the regional code "Hokkaido". "Broadcasting Station A1" is associated with the information "10200" as its first ID and "1001" as its second ID. Similarly, "Broadcasting Station A2" is associated with the information "10208" as its first ID and "1002" as its second ID, and "Broadcasting Station A3" is associated with the information "4000" as its first ID and "1006" as its second ID. In this way, this system can contribute to the realization of IP distribution services by associating and managing a first ID, which is mainly used by the broadcasting device 2, with a regional code and a second ID, which is mainly used by the distribution service. Furthermore, this system can not only associate a second ID with a first ID, but also associate it with a regional code. This allows the system to process information for each region where a broadcasting station is located, and by matching it with the postal code of the location where the receiving device is installed, it becomes possible to prioritize the distribution of content for the region where the receiving device is installed, or to display a list of content for the region.

[0035] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of various processes performed by the distribution management server that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In step S1, the first ID acquisition unit 100 acquires information regarding the first ID transmitted from the broadcasting device 2 via the communication unit 19.

[0036] In step S2, the regional information assignment unit 110 assigns a regional code to each IP broadcast channel corresponding to each piece of information about the first ID obtained by the first ID acquisition unit 100, to which the target channel belongs.

[0037] In step S3, the second ID assignment unit 120 assigns a second ID to each IP broadcast channel corresponding to each piece of information about the first ID acquired by the first ID acquisition unit 100.

[0038] In step S4, the ID information management unit 130 manages the first ID obtained by the first ID acquisition unit 100, the regional code assigned by the regional information assignment unit 110, and the second ID assigned by the second ID assignment unit 120 by associating them with each other.

[0039] In step S5, the ID information management unit 130 combines the information of the first ID obtained by the first ID acquisition unit 100, the regional code assigned by the regional information assignment unit 110, and the second ID assigned by the second ID assignment unit 120, and transmits this information as ID information to each of the broadcasting devices 2. This completes the various processes performed by the distribution management server 1.

[0040] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure.

[0041] [Other embodiments] Furthermore, although the above embodiment is only a simplified explanation, the content (programs) related to this system is not limited to television broadcasting or IP broadcasting. The content related to this system may broadly include, for example, content provided by television broadcasting or IP broadcasting, content provided by various video distribution services, and content provided by various SNS (Social Networking Services) and the Web.

[0042] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment assumes that user viewing history, etc., is managed and analyzed by the distribution management server 1, it is not limited to this. This system may also include a separate server, etc., for managing or analyzing viewing history, etc.

[0043] Furthermore, although not described in the above embodiment, this system may also acquire information such as the user's use of social networking services (SNS) and internet usage. In particular, the broadcasting device 2 and the distribution service server 4 may take this information into consideration when determining the content to be distributed to each user.

[0044] Furthermore, although not described in the above embodiment, this system may acquire attribute information such as the user's gender, age, place of residence, family structure, occupation, income, content preferences, favorite performers, and preferred viewing times. In particular, the broadcasting device 2 and the distribution service server 4 may take this information into consideration when determining the content to be distributed to each user.

[0045] Furthermore, although not described in the above embodiment, this system may also acquire information regarding the results of surveys or panel surveys conducted with users (including street surveys that do not utilize a network). In particular, the broadcasting device 2 and the distribution service server 4 may take this information into consideration when determining the content to be distributed to each user. The surveys and panel surveys mentioned here may be conducted on the users who are the target users of this system, or on other users who are not the target users of this system. When this system matches the results of such surveys and panel surveys conducted on a large number of other users with the target users of this system, it is difficult to simply match them if the user information consists only of ID information. In that case, this system may, for example, obtain information such as the viewing history of the target user ID, analyze viewing trends (so-called overlaps) such as what days and times of day the content is viewed, and determine the similarity with the viewing trend results from the surveys and panel surveys, thereby analyzing the hobbies, preferences and attributes of each user ID from the surveys and panel surveys.

[0046] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, the viewing history acquired by this system may include not only content information viewed in real time, but also content such as recordings, reruns, and various on-demand streaming services.

[0047] Furthermore, although not described in the above embodiment, each information processing device constituting this system (for example, broadcasting device 2, receiving device 3, distribution service server 4) may be equipped with applications for receiving and playing back IP broadcasts (IP streams). These applications may be separate for each information processing device (for example, broadcasting device 2, receiving device 3, distribution service server 4), or they may be common applications. In addition, various types of information (for example, viewing information) in the above embodiment may be acquired through these applications.

[0048] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, the system may change the display or hiding of content depending on the timing of the start of distribution. For example, the system can hide content that has not yet started distribution (or is scheduled to start distribution), or it can hide content that has been distributed more than a certain period of time in the past.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment (particularly step S5 in Figure 5), the distribution management server 1 was described as transmitting ID and other information to the broadcasting device 2, but it is not limited to this. The distribution management server 1 may also transmit the information to other information processing devices other than the broadcasting device 2 (for example, the receiving device 3).

[0050] Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configurations shown in Figure 3 are merely examples and are not particularly limiting. In other words, it is sufficient for the information processing system to have a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not limited to the examples shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the location of the functional block is not limited to the examples shown in Figure 3, and can be arbitrary. That is, for example, some or all of the processes executed by the distribution management server 1 in the above embodiment may be executed by another server or the like. Furthermore, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0051] Furthermore, in this specification, the step of describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium may be performed not only chronologically according to its order, but also in parallel or individually. In addition, some of the steps described in the above embodiments may be omitted.

[0052] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0053] Furthermore, the system configuration shown in the above-described embodiment is illustrative and not limited to it. The number and types of hardware constituting this system are arbitrary, and other arbitrary hardware may be adopted as part of the system, or some of the hardware described above may be omitted.

[0054] Furthermore, this system may, for example, have some or all of the above-mentioned processes executed by other servers managed in the cloud or similar.

[0055] Furthermore, when a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium.

[0056] Furthermore, the computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Also, the computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs. In other words, for example, any computer, any mobile terminal such as a smartphone may be freely used as the various hardware in the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, any combination of types and contents of various input and output units may be adopted.

[0057] Furthermore, such a recording medium containing a program may consist not only of a removable media (not shown) provided separately from the main unit of the device to provide the program to the user, but may also consist of a recording medium that is pre-installed in the main unit of the device and provided to the user.

[0058] The effects and advantages of this embodiment will also be achieved when these other embodiments are adopted. Furthermore, it is possible to combine this embodiment with other embodiments, and other embodiments with each other, as appropriate.

[0059] In summary, the information processing system to which this disclosure applies can take various forms having the following configurations. An acquisition unit (for example, a first ID acquisition unit 100) that acquires a first ID, which is unique information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting, A first assignment unit (for example, a regional information assignment unit 110) assigns to each of the first IDs information about the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment unit (for example, a second ID assignment unit 120) assigns to each of the first IDs a second ID related to the IP distribution service, which is different from the first ID, An information processing system equipped with these features would suffice.

[0060] Furthermore, the above-described information processing system may further include a distribution processing unit (for example, an ID and other information management unit 130) that performs various processes for distributing content based on the second ID assigned by the second assignment unit.

[0061] Furthermore, the acquisition unit may acquire the service ID corresponding to each channel in a program broadcast using a television communication method as the first ID.

[0062] Furthermore, the second assignment unit may assign a second ID to each of the first IDs that can be used for managing content or channels in the IP distribution service.

[0063] Furthermore, other aspects of this disclosure include, An information processing method performed by an information processing device, The acquisition step involves obtaining a first ID, which is unique information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting, A first assignment step of assigning information to each of the first IDs regarding the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment step involves assigning a second ID, different from the first ID, to each of the aforementioned first IDs, which relates to the IP distribution service. This may also be an information processing method that includes [something].

[0064] Furthermore, other aspects of this disclosure include, In an information processing device, The acquisition step involves obtaining a first ID, which is unique information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting, A first assignment step of assigning information to each of the first IDs regarding the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment step involves assigning a second ID, different from the first ID, to each of the aforementioned first IDs, which relates to the IP distribution service. It could also be a program that executes a process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Distribution Management Server 11 Control Unit 100 First ID acquisition unit 110 Regional Information Provision Department 120 Second ID assignment section 130 ID and other information management department 140 Log Collection Department 2. Broadcasting equipment 3. Receiving device 4-1 to 4-n Distribution Service Server

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires a first ID, which is unique information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting, A first assignment unit assigns to each of the first IDs information relating to the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment unit assigns to each of the first IDs a second ID related to the IP distribution service, which is different from the first ID, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes a distribution processing unit that performs various processes for distributing content based on the second ID assigned by the second assignment unit. The information processing system according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition unit acquires the service ID corresponding to each channel in a program broadcast using a television communication method as the first ID. The information processing system according to claim 1.

4. The second assignment unit assigns a second ID to each of the first IDs, which can be used for managing content or channels in the IP distribution service. The information processing system according to claim 1.

5. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, A first ID is a unique piece of information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting. A first assignment step involves assigning to each of the first IDs information relating to the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment step involves assigning a second ID, different from the first ID, to each of the first IDs, which relates to the IP distribution service. Information processing methods including

6. In an information processing device, A first ID is a unique piece of information corresponding to each channel of content broadcasting. A first assignment step involves assigning to each of the first IDs information relating to the region in which the channel corresponding to each of the first IDs is broadcast, A second assignment step involves assigning a second ID, different from the first ID, to each of the first IDs, which relates to the IP distribution service. A program that executes a process.

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