Game record generation device, game record generation method, and computer program

Abstract

To express good points of a side losing a game when automatically generating an article relating to a match-type game based on game data.SOLUTION: A game description generation device 10 when receiving game data representing a content of a match-type game from a game data distribution system 2, compares scores of one side and of the other side to play based on the received game data and determines whether the one wins or loses the game. When the one loses the game, the game description generation device 10 determines whether or not there is a period when the score of the one is more than the score of the other during the game based on the game data, and when there is the period when the score of the one is more than the score of the other, automatically generates a fight-review article containing such a description that although the one loses the game, there is a period when the one has been leading during the match.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention automatically generates descriptions related to a game in a battle format. In particular, even when one of the players loses or is losing during the game, it automatically generates descriptions related to the game from the perspective focusing on that player. The present invention relates to a game description generation device, a game description generation method, and a computer program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are multiple technologies for automatically generating articles related to games in a battle format. As a specific example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology related to generating sentences that explain the game results and intermediate states of a sport that competes for scores, such as baseball, in an easy-to-understand manner for people. Also, Patent Document 2 below discloses a technology for acquiring event information such as the actions of players during a game from video content related to a sport (for example, tennis), and generating a summary sentence of the content based on the acquired event information. Technologies for generating descriptions related to a game (for example, baseball) from such video are also disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 below.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 5 below discloses a technology for automatically creating sports commentary based on result data indicating the content of a sport (for example, soccer) provided in real time. Additionally, Non-Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology for automatically creating a progress game evaluation based on the quick report of one at-bat in high school baseball. The automatic generation of a game evaluation for high school baseball is also disclosed in Non-Patent Document 2 below. Regarding baseball, a technology for generating an inning quick report is disclosed in Patent Document 6 below.

[0004] Also, in professional baseball, Non-Patent Document 3 below discloses a technology for evaluating the performance of a specific player's batting, etc. with index values and outputting a game evaluation with high objectivity regarding the description of the batting. Similarly, Non-Patent Document 4 below discloses a technology for scoring each at-bat in a baseball game and creating a summary sentence regarding the at-bat with a high score.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Document 3

Non-Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] As described above, there are conventionally multiple techniques for generating descriptions of the content related to games in a competitive format, but all of them are in the form of descriptions that mainly deal with the winning side or the side that is winning in the game, and there is no mention of a technique that can generate a description of the content related to the game from the perspective of focusing on the losing side or the side that is losing during the game.

[0007] For example, in Patent Document 1 described above, there are descriptions such as "For setting extraction conditions, there are two methods: (A) a method of sequentially specifying conditions and (B) a method of using what has already been prepared. Also, there are two types of extraction conditions: (a) a part for specifying the length of the generated sentence, the user's favorite team, and players, and (b) a part for specifying the situation to be extracted." in paragraph 0052, and "Through the above sentence generation process, an explanatory text focusing on the interesting parts of the game, favorite plays, and favorite players is provided so that it can be easily understood by the reader or listener." in paragraph 0084. From these descriptions, it is disclosed that if a favorite team or player is specified, an explanatory text focusing on the favorite team or player will be provided, but it is not described that an explanatory text focusing on the losing side (the side that is losing) will be provided.

[0008] Similarly, on the 3rd line from the bottom of page 6 to the 2nd line of page 7 of the re-publication gazette related to Patent Document 2 described above, it is stated that "The surface text information generation unit 105 generates surface text information expressed as a sentence summarizing the content based on the summary text element and the user information. Also, when generating the surface text information, based on the user input information, an expression centered on the target player is used. As a result, the surface text information is formed by being expressed from the perspective of the specified player or team." From this description, it is disclosed that a sentence expressed from the perspective of the specified player or team is formed, but it is not described that a sentence is formed so as to surely express the matters worthy of note during the game of the losing side (the side that is losing).

[0009] As described above, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if a team or player is specified, an explanatory text focusing on the specified team or player or a sentence expressed from the perspective of the specified team or player is formed. However, if there is no such specification of a team or player, there is a problem that it only remains at generating a sentence from a normal perspective. Therefore, for example, among users who enjoy reading descriptions related to a game in a confrontation format, there is a certain number of users who emotionally support the losing side (the side that is losing). Such users are interested in the content related to the losing side (the side that is losing), but in the technologies disclosed in the above-mentioned patent documents and non-patent documents, there is a problem that the needs of such users cannot be met.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and even without specifying a user or the like, it focuses on the side that lost the game or the side that is losing during the game. If there was a period when the side that lost the game or the side that is losing during the game was leading during the game, as a matter worthy of note for the side that lost or the side that is losing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game description generation device, a game description generation method, and a computer program that can automatically generate a description including content related to having been leading. Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a game description generation device, a game description generation method, and a computer program that can automatically generate a description including content related to the fact that the losing side or the side that is losing during the game had the majority of the game in its favor if there was such a situation where the losing side or the side that is losing during the game led the majority of the game.

[0011] Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a game description generation device, a game description generation method, and a computer program that can automatically generate a description including content related to the fact that the losing side or the side that is losing during the game had a seesaw game-like development if there was such a situation where the losing side or the side that is losing during the game reversed several times during the game. Furthermore, when the game to be described includes rules that allow multiple scores to be obtained in one play, an object of the present invention is to provide a game description generation device, a game description generation method, and a computer program that can automatically generate a description including content related to the fact that the losing side or the side that is losing during the game once led by a large margin during the game if there was such a situation where the losing side or the side that is losing during the game led by such a large margin that it was impossible to reverse in one play during the game.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a game description generation device that acquires game data indicating content related to a game in which one party and the other party play against each other in a scoring format from the outside, and generates a description related to the game result based on the acquired game data. The game description generation device includes means for determining the victory or defeat of the game based on the game data acquired from the outside, means for determining whether there was a time during the game when the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party based on the game data acquired from the outside when, as a result of the determination, one party loses the game, and means for generating a description including content related to the fact that one party led the other party during the game when there was a time during the game when the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party as a result of the determination.

[0013] Further, when, as a result of the determination, there is a period during the game when one team's score exceeded the other team's score, the present invention includes means for determining whether or not that period exceeded half of the entire game period from the start to the end of the game, and means for generating a description including the content that one team led the other team for most of the game when, as a result of the determination, the period when one team's score exceeded the other team's score exceeded half of the entire game period.

[0014] The present invention relates to a game description generation device that acquires game data indicating the content of a game in which one team and the other team compete in a scoring format from the outside, and generates a description related to the middle of the game based on the acquired game data. The device includes means for determining the magnitude of one team's score and the other team's score at a point in the middle of the game based on the game data acquired from the outside, means for determining whether or not there was a period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score up to the point in the middle of the game based on the game data acquired from the outside when, as a result of the determination, one team's score is lower than the other team's score, and means for generating a description including the content that one team led the other team during the game when, as a result of the determination, there was a period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score.

[0015] Further, when, as a result of the determination, there is a period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score, the present invention includes means for determining whether or not that period exceeded half of the game elapsed period up to the point in the middle of the game, and means for generating a description including the content that one team led the other team for most of the period up to the point in the middle of the game when, as a result of the determination, the period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score exceeded half of the game elapsed period.

[0016] Furthermore, when, as a result of the above determination, there was a time when one score exceeded the other score, the present invention includes means for determining whether or not that time was interrupted and existed multiple times, and means for generating a description including content related to a re-reversal or re-exceeding by one party during the game when, as a result of the above determination, there were multiple interrupted times when one score exceeded the other score.

[0017] Furthermore, in the present invention, the game includes a rule that allows multiple scores to be obtained in one play. When, as a result of the above determination, there was a time when one score exceeded the other score, the present invention includes means for determining whether or not the score difference at that time is greater than the maximum score that can be obtained in one play, and means for generating a description including content related to one party leading the other party by a score difference that cannot be reversed in one play during the game when, as a result of the above determination, the score difference is greater than the maximum score that can be obtained in one play.

[0018] In addition, in a game description generation device that acquires game data indicating content related to a game in which one party and the other party play against each other in a scoring format, and generates a description related to the game result based on the acquired game data, when one party loses the game but had a lead during the game, when one party loses the game but had a lead during the game and the period of that lead exceeded half of the entire game period from the start to the end of the game, or when one party loses the game but had a lead during the game and that lead was interrupted and existed multiple times, the present invention includes means for determining whether or not it corresponds to any of these cases based on the game data acquired from the outside, and means for generating a description including content related to the corresponding case when it is determined that it corresponds to any of the cases.

[0019] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a game description generation device that acquires, from the outside, game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party play against each other in a point system, and generates a description related to the game during the game based on the acquired game data. When one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game, when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game and the period of that lead exceeds half of the game elapsed period up to that point in the middle of the game, or when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game and the lead has been interrupted and exists multiple times, means for determining whether any of these cases apply based on the game data acquired from the outside, and means for generating a description including the content related to the applicable case when it is determined that any of the cases apply.

[0020] The present invention relates to a game description generation method in which a game description generation device acquires, from the outside, game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party play against each other in a point system, and generates a description related to the game result based on the acquired game data. The game description generation device includes a step of determining the win or loss of the game based on the game data acquired from the outside, a step of determining, as a result of the determination, whether there was a period during the game when one party's score exceeded the other party's score when one party lost the game based on the game data acquired from the outside, and a step of generating a description including the content related to the fact that one party led the other party during the game when there was a period during the game when one party's score exceeded the other party's score as a result of the determination.

[0021] The present invention relates to a game description generation method in which a game description generation device acquires game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party compete in a scoring format from the outside, and generates a description related to the game in progress based on the acquired game data. The game description generation device includes: a step of determining, based on the game data acquired from the outside, the magnitude relationship between the score of one party and the score of the other party at a point in the middle of the game; a step of determining, based on the game data acquired from the outside, whether there was a period during which the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party up to the point in the middle of the game when, as a result of the determination, the score of one party is lower than the score of the other party; and a step of generating a description including content related to the fact that one party led the other party during the game when, as a result of the determination, there was a period during which the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party.

[0022] Further, the present invention relates to a game description generation method in which a game description generation device acquires game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party compete in a scoring format from the outside, and generates a description related to the game result based on the acquired game data. The game description generation device includes: a step of determining, based on the game data acquired from the outside, whether any of the following cases apply: when one party lost the game but had a lead during the game; when one party lost the game but had a lead during the game and the period of the lead exceeded half of the entire game period from the start to the end of the game; or when one party lost the game but had a lead during the game and the lead was interrupted and existed multiple times; and a step of generating a description including content related to the applicable case when it is determined that any of the cases apply.

[0023] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a game description generation method in which a game description generation device acquires game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party compete in a scoring format from the outside, and generates a description related to the game in progress based on the acquired game data. The game description generation device, when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party has had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game, when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party has had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game and the timing of that lead exceeds half of the game elapsed period up to that point in the middle of the game, or when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party has had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game and that lead has been interrupted and exists multiple times, determines whether it corresponds to any of these cases based on the game data acquired from the outside; and when it is determined that it corresponds to any of the cases, generates a description including the content related to the corresponding case.

[0024] The present invention relates to a computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party compete in a scoring format from the outside, and generating a description related to the game result based on the acquired game data. The computer is caused to execute a step of determining the win or loss of the game based on the game data acquired from the outside; a step of determining, as a result of the determination, whether there is a period during the game when one party's score exceeded the other party's score when one party lost the game based on the game data acquired from the outside; and a step of generating a description including the content related to the fact that one party led the other party during the game when there is a period during the game when one party's score exceeded the other party's score as a result of the determination.

[0025] In addition, the present invention relates to a computer program for causing a computer to acquire from the outside match data indicating the content related to a match in which one party and the other party play against each other in a scoring format, and execute a process of generating a description related to the middle of the match based on the acquired match data. The computer is caused to perform a step of determining the magnitude of the score of one party and the score of the other party at the time during the match based on the match data acquired from the outside, and if, as a result of the determination, the score of one party is lower than the score of the other party, based on the match data acquired from the outside, perform a step of determining whether there was a period during which the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party up to the time during the match, and if, as a result of the determination, there was a period during which the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party, perform a step of generating a description including the content related to one party leading the other party during the match.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a computer program for causing a computer to acquire from the outside match data indicating the content related to a match in which one party and the other party play against each other in a scoring format, and execute a process of generating a description related to the match result based on the acquired match data. The computer is caused to determine, based on the match data acquired from the outside, whether any of the following cases apply: one party lost the match but had a lead during the match, one party lost the match but had a lead during the match and the period of that lead exceeded half of the entire match period from the start to the end of the match, or one party lost the match but had a lead during the match and that lead was interrupted and existed multiple times. When it is determined that any of the cases apply, a step of generating a description including the content related to the applicable case is executed.

[0027] Furthermore, the present invention is a computer program for causing a computer to acquire, from the outside, game data indicating the content of a game in which one party and the other party play against each other in a scoring format, and to execute a process of generating a description related to the middle of the game based on the acquired game data. In the computer program, when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game, or when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game and the period of that lead exceeds half of the game elapsed period up to that point in the middle of the game, or when one party is led by the other party at a point in the middle of the game but one party had a lead up to that point in the middle of the game and the lead has been interrupted and exists multiple times, the computer determines whether any of these cases apply based on the game data acquired from the outside. When it is determined that any of the cases apply, the computer executes a step of generating a description including the content related to the applicable case.

[0028] In the present invention, based on the game data acquired from the outside, it is possible to determine which of the two parties playing against each other lost the game, and to determine whether there was a period during the game when the score of the party that lost the game exceeded the score of the other party. If there is such a period, a description including the content related to the period when the score of one party exceeded the score of the other party is automatically generated, so that it becomes possible to provide content that informs the user that the party that lost the game had a lead during the game. Note that the game in which the parties play against each other in a scoring format according to the present invention is applicable to games related to one-on-one battles between individuals or battles between multiple people (for example, battles between pairs, battles between teams, etc.).

[0029] In the present invention, when there is a time during the game when the score of the losing party exceeds the score of the other party, it is determined whether such a time exceeds half of the entire game period. If it is detected that the time exceeds half of the entire game period, a description including the content that the time when one party's score exceeds the other party's score exceeds half of the entire game period is automatically generated. Thus, it becomes possible to provide content that notifies the user that the losing party led for most of the game. In the present invention, the game period means the game time when the progress and end time of the game are determined by time. In cases where the progress and end time of the game are determined by concepts other than time, such as innings in baseball, games or sets in tennis, etc., such concepts (innings, games, sets, etc.) mean the game period. Therefore, for example, in the case of baseball, when the game ends in 9 innings, if the number of innings in which one party led exceeds 5, it is considered in the present invention that the time exceeds half of the entire game period.

[0030] In the present invention, based on the game data acquired from the outside, it is determined which one of the two competing parties is losing at a point during the game, and it is determined whether there is a time during which the score of that one party exceeds the score of the other party from the start of the game to that point. If there is such a time, a description including the content related to the time when one party's score exceeded the other party's score is automatically generated. Thus, it becomes possible to provide content that notifies the user that the party that was losing during the game had led until then. The description related to the game is provided at any time even during the game. In the present invention, when providing such a description during the game, it is suitable for providing content that focuses on the party that is losing at a point during the game.

[0031] In the present invention, when there is a period during the game when the score of one side that is losing is higher than the score of the other side up to that point, it is determined whether such a period exceeds half of the game elapsed time. If it exceeds half of the game elapsed time, a description including the content that the period when one side's score exceeded the other side's score exceeds half of the game elapsed time is automatically generated. Thus, the side that is losing during the game can provide content to inform the user that it has led most of the game so far.

[0032] In the present invention, when there is a period during the game when the score of one side that has lost or is losing during the game exceeds the score of the other side, it is determined whether there are multiple discontinuous periods when the score exceeds the other side's score. If there are multiple discontinuous periods when the score exceeds the other side's score, a description including the content that there are multiple discontinuous periods when one side's score exceeds the other side's score is automatically generated. Thus, content can be provided to inform the user that one side has reversed or exceeded the score several times during the game.

[0033] In the present invention, when the target game includes rules that allow multiple scores to be obtained in one play, when there is a period during the game when the score of one side that has lost or is losing during the game exceeds the score of the other side, it is determined whether the score difference during such a period exceeds the maximum score that can be obtained in one play. If the above score difference exceeds the maximum score that can be obtained in one play, a description including the content that the score difference when one side was leading during the game exceeds the maximum score that can be obtained in one play is automatically generated. Thus, content can be provided to inform the user that one side led the other by a score difference that was impossible to reverse in one play for a while.

[0034] In the present invention, in the case of a plurality of situations regarding the fact that one side had a lead during a game although one side lost to the other side, it is determined in parallel which of the situations applies, and a description including the content related to any of the situations found to apply is automatically generated. Therefore, even if a user who supports the losing side does not perform settings such as setting the losing side in advance, a description of the game result focusing on the losing side can be smoothly provided. Also, in the present invention, similarly, when one side is losing to the other side during the game, it is determined in parallel which of the situations regarding the fact that one side had a lead during the game applies, and a description including the content related to any of the situations found to apply is automatically generated. Therefore, even when providing a description during the game, a description during the game focusing on the losing side can be smoothly provided. As a result, a user who supports the losing side can easily grasp the progress of the game when the side being supported is losing without particularly performing operations such as setting the side to be supported in advance.

Advantages of the Invention

[0035] In the present invention, based on game data acquired from the outside, a description including the content related to the time when the score of the side that lost the game exceeded the score of the side that won the game during the game is automatically generated. Therefore, even without performing an operation such as specifying one side in advance, a description that conveys what was good for the losing side during the game can be provided. Also, in the present invention, a description including the content related to the fact that the period when the score of the side that lost the game exceeded the score of the other side that won the game exceeds half of the entire game period is automatically generated. Therefore, a description including the content related to the fact that although the side lost the game, it led most of the game can be provided, and a nuance can be conveyed that although one side lost the game, it was dominant for a long time throughout the game.

[0036] In the present invention, based on the game data acquired from the outside, a description including the content related to the time when the score of one side that is losing during the game exceeds the score of the other side (the other side) during the game is automatically generated. Therefore, even without performing an operation such as designating one side in advance, a description of the content that conveys the good points of one side that is losing at a midpoint in time during the game can be provided. Further, in the present invention, a description including the content related to the fact that the period when the score of one side that is losing the game exceeds the score of the other side (the other side) during the game exceeds half of the elapsed period from the start of the game to a midpoint in the game is automatically generated. Therefore, a description including the content related to the fact that although one is losing now, one led in the majority of the previous period can be provided, and a nuance that one side that is losing during the game had many dominant periods up to that point can be conveyed.

[0037] In the present invention, a description including the content related to the fact that there were a plurality of discontinuous periods when the score of one side that lost the game or is losing during the game exceeded the score of the other side (the other side) during the game is automatically generated. Therefore, a description including the content related to the fact that one side that lost the game or is losing during the game reversed or overtook again during the game can be provided, and a nuance presenting the aspect of a seesaw game including scenes where one leads several times can be conveyed even if one has lost the game or is losing the game.

[0038] Further, in the present invention, a description including the content related to the fact that one side that lost the game or is losing during the game snatched a point difference that cannot be reversed in one play during the game is automatically generated. Therefore, a description including the content related to the fact that one side that lost the game or is losing during the game once built a lead within a range that can be said to be a safe zone during the game can be provided, and a nuance that one side that lost the game or is losing during the game was advancing the game in an advantageous manner for a while can be conveyed.

[0039] Furthermore, in the present invention, the losing side of the game simultaneously determines at the same stage whether it falls under any of a plurality of situations when it had a lead during the game, and automatically generates a description including the content related to the case where it is found to be applicable. Therefore, a description of the game content corresponding to the needs of users who support the losing side can be smoothly generated. Also, in the present invention, for the side that is losing during the game, in the same manner as above, it is simultaneously determined at the same stage whether it falls under any of a plurality of situations when it had a lead during the game, and a description including the content related to the case where it is found to be applicable is automatically generated. Therefore, even when providing a description during the game, a description corresponding to the needs of users who support the losing side can be smoothly provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0040]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Examples

[0041] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a game description generation system 1 including a game description generation device 10 according to a first embodiment (Example 1) of the present invention. The game description generation system 1 according to the present invention is configured such that a game data distribution system 2 that distributes (transmits) game data and a game description generation device 10 that automatically generates a description related to a game result are communicably connected via a network. Further, the data of the description generated by the game description generation device 10 can be provided to user terminals T1, T2, T3, T4, etc. via a communication network.

[0042] In this first embodiment (Example 1), as a game in which one side and the other side play against each other in a scoring format, a description related to a baseball game (for example, professional baseball, high school baseball, etc.) is set as the generation target. When the baseball game ends, the game data distribution system 2 transmits the game data related to the game to the game description generation device 10, and the game description generation device 10 automatically generates a battle evaluation article including a description related to the result of the game based on the received game data.

[0043] The game data distribution system 2 includes a server device 2a and a DB (database) device 2b, and performs processing for distributing game data related to baseball games (for example, professional baseball in Japan or overseas, high school baseball in Japan, etc.). Note that the game data distribution system 2 is an external system (device) for the game description generation device 10.

[0044] The game data distributed by the game data distribution system 2 includes electronic scorebook data that electronically represents the contents recorded in a baseball scorebook, as well as data related to the play of the game (movements of each player, movement trajectory of the ball, etc.) acquired by a tracking system or the like, and data related to records. The electronic scorebook data included in the game data has information indicating the result of each ball, the score situation of each inning in baseball, the situation of strikes and balls against the pitcher's pitch, the batting result of the batter against the pitch (foul, hit, etc.), the win or loss of the game, and the like.

[0045] In addition, the data related to the play of the game included in the game data includes pitching data and batting data. The pitching data includes data indicating the rotation speed of the pitched ball, the magnitude of the change, the position of the ball relative to the strike zone, the position where the ball was thrown (release point), etc. The batting data includes data indicating the speed, angle, flying distance, etc. of the hit ball. Also, the data related to records is data related to records that may occur in that game (for example, in the case of professional baseball, achieving 2000 hits, the 100th win, etc.) and data related to the continuation of records (consecutive game appearances, consecutive base hits, etc.) from the past electronic scorebook data stored in the DB device 2b. The server device 2a reads from the DB device 2b and includes it in the game data to be distributed. Since the game data distributed in this way is basically well-known (for example, see Patent Document 5, Non-Patent Document 4, etc. described above), further details are omitted.

[0046] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main internal configuration of the game description generation device 10, which is the central device of the present invention. The game description generation device 10 of Example 1 is constructed using a general server computer (corresponding to the computer according to the present invention), but it is of course possible to construct the game description generation device 10 by combining a plurality of server devices, etc. through distributed processing or the like. The game description generation device 10 automatically generates descriptions related to battle evaluation articles based on the game data distributed from the above-described game data distribution system 2 using a unique program (AI: artificial intelligence).

[0047] The game description generation device 10 has various devices etc. internally connected to the MPU 10a that performs overall control and various processes by the internal connection line 10h. Among the various devices etc., there are a communication module 10b, a RAM 10c, a ROM 10d, an input interface 10e, an output interface 10f, and a storage unit 10g etc.

[0048] The communication module 10b is a communication device corresponding to a connection module with a network and is according to the required communication standard (for example, a LAN module). The communication module 10b is connected to a network (including internal, external, or other communication networks etc.) via the required communication equipment (not shown in the figure. For example, a router etc. is applicable), enabling communication with the external game data distribution system 2 (for the game description generation device 10, the game data distribution system 2 corresponds to an external system), and user terminals T1, T2, T3, etc. Note that when a baseball game ends, game data related to that game is distributed from the game data distribution system 2, and thus that game data is received by the communication module 10b and acquired by the game description generation device 10, and the acquired game data is stored in the RAM 10c or the storage unit 10g etc.

[0049] The RAM 10c temporarily stores the content associated with the processing of the MPU 10a, files, etc., and the ROM 10d stores in advance programs, etc. that define the basic processing content of the MPU 10a. The input interface 10e has a keyboard 11, a mouse, etc. connected thereto for receiving operation instructions, etc. from the administrator, etc. of the game description generation device 10. The output interface 10f has a display 12 (display output device) connected thereto, and outputs the content associated with the processing of the MPU 10a to the display 12 so that the administrator, etc. of the game description generation device 10 can check the current processing content, etc.

[0050] The storage unit 10g stores programs, tables, databases, etc. As programs, it stores the OS program P1 and the description generation program P2. As tables, it stores the determination table 13, the point table 16, the template table 17, etc. As a database, it stores the description DB 18 (a DB for storing data of the generated game evaluation articles). In order to install the description generation program P2 in the storage unit 10g, it is conceivable to store the description generation program P2 in a storage medium such as an optical disk and install it in the storage unit 10g through that storage medium.

[0051] The OS program P1 among the programs stored in the storage unit 10g defines various processes according to the operating system for the server computer. By the MPU 10a performing the processes based on this defined content, the game description generation device 10 performs each function as a server computer (server device).

[0052] Figure 3 shows an overview (example) of the determination table 13 stored in the storage unit 10g. As will be described later, the determination table 13 is a table used when the MPU 10a determines how to include the content to be included in the description when generating a description of a game evaluation article of a baseball (professional baseball, etc.) game. In particular, in the present invention, it is characterized in that the description of the game evaluation article is generated by focusing on the losing side of the game, so that it is possible to pick up and describe what should be noted during the game by the losing side and the achievements of the players on the losing side. Therefore, the determination table 13 includes the conditions (cases applicable) for determining those cases and the patterns of the content to be described when each condition is met.

[0053] In the determination table 13, conditions 1 to 7 for determination are arranged in the leftmost vertical column 13a, patterns A to K indicating the types of content to be described are arranged in the bottommost row 13b, and the grid portion 13c surrounded by the leftmost vertical column 13a and the bottommost row 13b has circles (○) arranged at the grid locations corresponding to the conditions. In the grid portion 13c, when the condition is not met, or when it has no relation to the presence or absence of the condition and does not affect the determination (for example, the grid locations in the row of condition 7 excluding pattern J), the grid location is left blank.

[0054] Figure 4 shows a list of condition details 14 that describes the specific content of each case from condition 1 to condition 7 arranged in the leftmost vertical column 13a in the above-described determination table 13. In the determination table 13, one of the two teams competing in a baseball (for example, professional baseball) game is determined as one team, and the remaining opposing team is determined as the other team. Then, the content of each condition (each case) is defined based on the content centered on that one team.

[0055] Specifically, Condition 1 stipulates "when one team wins the game", Condition 2 stipulates "when one team loses the game and has zero points or no lead during the game". Hereinafter, Condition 3 stipulates "when one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team", Condition 4 stipulates "when one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team and the point difference at that time is greater than 4 points", Condition 5 stipulates "when one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team and that period exceeds half of the number of innings of the game", Condition 6 stipulates "when one team loses the game but there are multiple discontinuous periods during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team", and Condition 7 stipulates "when there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points calculated based on the point table exceed the threshold".

[0056] "When one team wins the game" in Condition 1 corresponds to a condition for generating content equivalent to a conventional general game review article, and is a condition corresponding to generating a game review article centered on the team that won the game. "When one team loses the game and has zero points or no lead during the game" in Condition 2 corresponds to a condition when one team loses the game and there is nothing worthy of note in terms of score (no good points) for the losing team.

[0057] "When one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team" in Condition 3 corresponds to a condition corresponding to the highlight in the game of the team that lost the game, that is, there was a period (a leading period) when the score of that team exceeded the score of the other team.

[0058] The condition of "when one team lost the game, but there was a period during the game when the score of one team exceeded that of the other team, and the point difference at that time was greater than 4 points" in Condition 4 corresponds to the situation where, as a highlight during the game of the team that lost the game, the point difference was greater than the maximum multiple points (4 points by a grand slam home run) that can be obtained in one play in baseball, indicating that one team led the other team for a certain period.

[0059] The condition of "when one team lost the game, but there was a period during the game when the score of one team exceeded that of the other team, and that period exceeded half of the number of innings of the game" in Condition 5 corresponds to the situation where, as a highlight in the game of the team that lost the game, assuming the baseball game ended in 9 innings (corresponding to the entire period from the start to the end of the game), this condition is met when the number of innings in which one team led was more than 5 innings (one team led the other team for most of the game).

[0060] When the baseball game goes into extra innings, all innings including the extended innings are considered the entire game period. For example, if the game goes up to 13 innings due to extra innings, Condition 5 is satisfied when the number of innings in which one team led is more than 7 innings. Also, when the baseball game could not proceed up to 9 innings due to rain, cold weather, etc. (the game ended in less than 9 innings), the innings from the start to the progress of the game are considered the entire game period. For example, if the game ends in 7 innings due to rain and cold weather, Condition 5 is satisfied when the number of innings in which one team led is more than 4 innings.

[0061] The condition of "when one team lost the game, but there was a period during the game when the score of one team exceeded that of the other team, and there were multiple such discontinuous periods" in Condition 6 corresponds to the situation where, as a highlight during the game of the team that lost the game, it indicates that one team reversed several times during the game (reversed from a losing state multiple times), or one team overtook several times (from a winning state, tied or reversed, but then returned to a winning state again more than once).

[0062] When there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points exceed the threshold in Condition 7, if there is a player (batter or pitcher) who has performed above a certain level in the game, such a player (batter or pitcher) is selected and this is a condition for introducing the content of their performance. Note that the determination of performance above a certain level is based on the cumulative points given based on the specified content (point addition calculation formula) stored in the point table 16 (details will be described later).

[0063] Figure 5 shows a list of pattern contents 15 that describes the specific content of Patterns A to K arranged in the bottom row 13b of the above-described determination table 13. The content of these Patterns A to K defines the guidelines for the content to be included in the generated game review article. Specifically, Pattern A defines the guideline of "content related to one team winning the game". Since this Pattern A is a guideline for including content related to winning the game, it basically defines content equivalent to that of a conventional general game review article.

[0064] Pattern B defines the guideline of "content related to one team losing the game but having a lead during the game". This Pattern B is a guideline for generating a description that includes, as something good about the losing team, the content related to one team leading the other team during the game. From the perspective of the losing team, it is content that specifically lists the notable matters in the game of the losing team.

[0065] Pattern C specifies in more detail the situation where one team was leading compared to the above Pattern B, and provides guidelines for "the content related to the fact that one team lost the game but led during the game by a score difference that was not easily catchable for a while". This Pattern C also, although losing the game, as a good point of the losing team, even if a grand slam was hit, includes a description related to the fact that one team led the other team during the game by a score difference (a score difference greater than 4 points, the maximum score that can be obtained by one play in a baseball game) such that the opponent could not reverse the situation. It is a guideline for generating a description that specifically explains the leading situation during the game of the losing team in terms of the score difference from the perspective of focusing on the losing team.

[0066] Pattern D also specifies the leading situation in more detail than Pattern B, and provides guidelines for "the content related to the fact that one team lost the game but led the other team for most of the game". This Pattern D also, although losing the game, as a good point of the losing team, is a guideline for including in the game review article the content related to the fact that one team led the other team during the game for more than half of the 9 innings that make up a baseball game (more than 5 innings) (for most of the game), and is content that explains the leading situation during the game of the losing team based on the length of the lead from the perspective of focusing on the losing team.

[0067] Pattern E also defines the lead situation in more detail than Pattern B, and defines the guideline of "although one team lost the game, it involves the content that there were many reversals or comebacks during the game". This Pattern E also, although losing the game, as a good point of the losing team, for one team, it includes the content that there were multiple reversals from the leading state during the game (there were re-reversals), or that although leading and then tied or reversed, there was at least one instance of winning again (there was a re-comeback). It is a guideline for generating descriptions that specifically explains the situation where the losing side fought in a seesaw game from the perspective of focusing on the losing side.

[0068] Pattern F designates the situation of combining Pattern C and Pattern D described above, and defines the guideline of "although one team lost the game, it led during the game with a point difference that was not easily caught up with, and that lead covered most of the game". Also, Pattern G designates the situation of combining Pattern C and Pattern E described above, and defines the guideline of "although one team lost the game, it led during the game with a point difference that was not easily caught up with, and there were many reversals or comebacks during the game".

[0069] Furthermore, Pattern H designates the situation of combining Pattern D and Pattern E described above, and defines the guideline of "although one team lost the game, it led for most of the game, and there were many reversals or comebacks during the game". Additionally, Pattern I designates the situation of combining the three patterns of Pattern C, Pattern D, and Pattern E described above, and defines the guideline of "although one team lost the game, it had a lead during the game with a point difference that was not easily caught up with, and that lead covered most of the game, and there were many reversals or comebacks during the game".

[0070] Pattern J defines the guideline for "the content related to the fact that one team lost the game but there was a player (batter or pitcher) who performed well on one team during the game". This Pattern J is a guideline for generating a description that includes the fact that although one team lost, there was a player (batter or pitcher) who performed better than other players in the losing team. From the perspective of the losing team, it focuses on the active batter or pitcher in the losing team and describes their performance.

[0071] Pattern K defines the guideline for "the content related to the fact that one team lost the game and praised the opponent team (the other team)". This Pattern K is a guideline for including in the game review article that the opponent team (the other team) was excellent because when one team lost the game and there was no particular matter worthy of note for that team in the game or there was no player who performed well among the players of that team, it is difficult to mention the losing team even from the perspective of the losing team.

[0072] Figure 6 shows an overview (an example) of the point table 16 stored in the storage unit 10g. The point table 16 is a table used when determining condition 7 (when there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points exceed the threshold) in the above-described determination table 13, includes a batter table section 15a and a pitcher table section 15b, and defines the value of the points to be added according to the content of the play (play content) of the batter or pitcher.

[0073] Examples of point conditions included in the batter's table part 15a shown in FIG. 6 include "100 points added (plus 100 points) when hitting a decisive point (the player who batted to obtain a decisive point)", "50 points added (plus 50 points) in the case of a comeback batting (the player who batted to obtain a comeback point)", "30 points added (plus 30 points) in the case of a tie batting (the player who batted to achieve a tie)", "50 points added (plus 50 points) in the case of an overtaking point batting (the player who batted to obtain an overtaking point)", "30 points added (plus 30 points) in the case of a home run (the player who hit a home run)", "20 points added (plus 20 points) in the case of a triple", "10 points added (plus 10 points) in the case of a double", "5 points added (plus 5 points) in the case of a hit", etc.

[0074] Also, examples of additional points included in the pitcher's table part 15b shown in FIG. 6 include "points added by multiplying the number of innings in which no runs were conceded by 20", "points added by multiplying the number of strikeouts by 5", etc.

[0075] The template table 17 stored in the storage unit 10g stores templates corresponding to the descriptions of various expressions used when generating a game evaluation article, and includes various parts of speech such as nouns, auxiliary words, conjunctions, adverbs, and verbs used in expressing a game evaluation article of a baseball game, as well as various expression descriptions related to stereotypical contents according to units such as phrases and clauses. These templates corresponding to various expression descriptions are appropriately extracted from the expressions frequently used in a large number of game evaluation articles of baseball created by humans in the past.

[0076] Examples of templates for nouns include "game", "team", "score", "lead", "batter", "pitcher", "substitution", "pinch hitter", "home run", "double", "left - front hit", "ground ball to first base", "center field fly", "strikeout", "fast ball", "stolen base", "timely hit", etc. Examples of templates for auxiliary words include "··· is", "··· has", "··· from", "··· of", "··· even", "··· and", "··· while", etc.

[0077] Also, examples of templates for conjunctions include "here", "and", "also", etc. Examples of templates for adverbs include "very", "intense", "lofty", "eye - opening", etc. Examples of templates for verbs include "won", "lost", "reversed", "overcame", "led", "could not defend", "covered", "suppressed", etc. These various templates are stored in a sorted state in template table 17 in association with the conditions under which they should be used, and are appropriately read out by MPU10a according to the provisions of description generation program P2 and used for generating descriptions.

[0078] The description generation program P2 stored in the storage unit 10g corresponds to the computer program according to the present invention, and defines various processes for MPU10a to generate a description related to a baseball game evaluation article based on the game data distributed from the game data distribution system 2. MPU10a functions as various means according to the provisions of this description generation program P2. The description generation program P2 of the present embodiment defines various processes for MPU10a to automatically generate an article as an artificial intelligence, and includes a text creation engine corresponding to various processes for automatically generating an article by this artificial intelligence. By this text creation engine, MPU10a also functions as an AI (artificial intelligence) for creating articles, and automatically generates a description based on a specified pattern while using the template table 17.

[0079] Furthermore, this description generation program P2 stipulates that for one baseball game, the MPU10a generates descriptions of multiple types (at least three types in this embodiment) of game evaluation articles. First, it is to generate a description corresponding to a game evaluation article focusing on the winning team as in the prior art (when generating a description assuming that the winning team corresponds to one of the teams). Second, it is to generate a description corresponding to a game evaluation article including content focusing on the losing team, which is a feature of the present invention (when generating a description assuming that the losing team corresponds to one of the teams). Third, it is to generate a description corresponding to a game evaluation article including content focusing on players (batters and pitchers) who made remarkable plays or achieved records in the game (if there is a player who has obtained points exceeding the threshold, regardless of the win or loss of the team to which the player belongs, generate a description including content related to the player's performance according to the points obtained by the player).

[0080] The processing stipulated by such a description generation program P2 can be mainly divided into two stages in the processing flow. The first stage is the stage where the MPU10a analyzes (interprets) the received game data using the above-mentioned judgment table 13 (see FIG. 3) to specify the content (pattern) of the description to be generated. The second stage is the stage where the text creation engine actually generates a game evaluation article including a description corresponding to the content specified in the first stage by the MPU10a using various information included in the received game data and the template table 17.

[0081] The processing content of the description generation program P2 will be explained in more detail based on a specific example. Assume that the game data distribution system 2 distributes the game data of a baseball game in which Team XXX (the first team) and Team YYY (the second team) play against each other. When the game description generation device 10 receives (acquires by reception) the game data, the MPU 10a of the game description generation device 10 starts the processing of the first stage described above triggered by the reception of the game data. When starting the processing, in order to generate a game evaluation article including a description focusing on Team XXX, which is one of the opposing teams included in the game data, the MPU 10a first tentatively applies Team XXX as one of the teams to the determination table 13 and determines which of the conditions 1 to 7 defined in the determination table 13 Team XXX meets. Note that in this way, when the MPU 10a assumes that Team XXX corresponds to one of the teams, Team YYY, which is the opposing team, will be grasped as the other team.

[0082] For a certain game, if the game data shows that the score of Team XXX (the score of the game result) exceeds the score of Team YYY (the score of the game result) and Team XXX wins, the MPU 10a determines that in this game, Team XXX meets the case of condition 1 (determines that Team XXX wins). Also, if the game data shows that the score of Team XXX is lower than the score of Team YYY and Team XXX loses, the MPU 10a determines that Team XXX loses. In this case, the acquired game data is analyzed, and for each inning in this game, the MPU 10a compares the score situation of Team XXX and Team YYY and determines whether Team XXX meets any of conditions 2 to 6.

[0083] In the processing result of determining (detecting) the applicability of each condition, as shown in the vertical columns of the determination table 13 in FIG. 3, in addition to the case where it corresponds to only one condition, there are cases where it corresponds to a plurality of conditions.

[0084] Specifically, Condition 3 when one team loses the game is "when one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team". Therefore, the content of this Condition 3 is included in the content of Condition 4 (when one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team and the score difference at that time is greater than 4 points), Condition 5 (when one team loses the game but there is a period during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team and that period exceeds half of the number of turns of the game), and Condition 6 (when one team loses the game but there are multiple periods during the game when the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team and those periods are intermittent). So, when it corresponds to Condition 3 and Condition 4, when it corresponds to Condition 3 and Condition 5, when it corresponds to Condition 3 and Condition 6, when it corresponds to Conditions 3 to 5, etc., there will be cases where it corresponds to multiple conditions.

[0085] Therefore, in the process of determining whether it corresponds to any of the cases of each condition, when it is determined that it does not correspond to Condition 1 (when one team wins the game), that is, when it is determined that one team loses the game, the MPU10a determines which of the cases of Conditions 2 to 6 when losing the game it corresponds to. Furthermore, regarding Condition 3, as described above, since it is included in the content of Conditions 4 to 6, when it is determined that it corresponds to Condition 3, the MPU10a also determines which of the cases of Conditions 4 to 6 it corresponds to.

[0086] Next, in order to generate a battle evaluation article including a description focusing on Team YYY, which is the opposing team of Team XXX, conversely, Team YYY is set as one team and Team XXX is set as the other team, and the MPU10a determines which of the conditions defined in the determination table 13 it corresponds to. Here, as described above, when the MPU10a determines that Team XXX, which is the first attacking team, wins when tentatively assumed as one team first, it can be naturally judged that Team YYY has lost the game. Therefore, at this time, the MPU10a simultaneously determines (detects) which of the conditions 2 to 7 regarding the case of losing in the determination table 13 applies when Team YYY is one team.

[0087] Also, as described above, when the MPU10a determines that Team XXX, which is the first attacking team, loses when tentatively assumed as one team first, it can be naturally judged that Team YYY has won. Therefore, at this time, the MPU10a determines that Team YYY corresponds to condition 1 in the determination table 13 as one team. In the above description, the first attacking team XXX is tentatively assumed as one team first and applied to the determination table 13 to determine which condition it corresponds to. However, it is of course possible to proceed with the process by tentatively assuming the second attacking team YYY as one team first (in short, assume either one of the opposing teams as one team, apply it to the determination table 13, and determine and specify the applicable condition).

[0088] Furthermore, in order to generate descriptions of the players who were active in the game, in addition to the condition identification process of the determination table 13 based on the wins and losses of the above-described opposing teams, the MPU 10a uses the point table 16 shown in FIG. 6 to calculate the respective points of each player (batter) and each pitcher included in the game data, and performs a process of detecting whether there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose calculated points exceed the threshold value. In the present embodiment, two types of threshold values are prepared: a threshold value for the winning side and a threshold value for the losing side. The threshold value for the winning side is 80 points, and the threshold value for the losing side is 50 points, which is lower than the threshold value for the winning side. A player (batter or pitcher) who has obtained points equal to or higher than these threshold values is identified. Note that the point numbers of these threshold values are merely examples, and it is of course possible to apply other point numbers to the threshold values. For example, when it is desired to narrow down the players to be extracted, or when it is desired to widely extract players, it is of course possible to change the threshold value for the winning side to be larger or smaller than 80 points. Similarly, it is possible to make the threshold value for the losing side larger or smaller than 50 points. However, in order to make it easier to extract the players on the losing side, it is preferable to make the point number of the threshold value for the losing side smaller than the point number of the threshold value for the winning side. Also, when a plurality of players exceed the threshold value, a narrowing process is performed so that the top two players in terms of points or the player with the highest points are the detection targets.

[0089] Regarding the article including the description about the player whose above-mentioned points exceed the threshold value, there are two cases: when generating it when it meets condition 7 in association with the win or loss of the team, and when generating an article including the description related to the player who meets the condition regardless of the win or loss of the team, the game description generation device 10 performs the process.

[0090] Furthermore, the MPU 10a also detects from the received game data whether or not each player who has achieved any record exists. Note that as the types of records to be detected, there are records achieved within one game related to the received game data (for example, cycle hits, no-hit no-runs, etc.), and records achieved within a series of games including the games related to the received game data (for example, consecutive base hits in 20 at-bats, achieving 1,000 hits, consecutive scoreless innings in 20 innings, achieving 1,000 strikeouts, etc.). Regarding such content related to record achievements, regardless of the team win or loss, the game description generation device 10 performs a process of including it in the article to be generated.

[0091] In the above-described process, when the determination (detection) regarding the conditions (conditions 1 to 7) applicable to both teams of the opposing team and the determination (detection) of the presence or absence of applicable active players (batters or pitchers) and players (batters or pitchers) who have achieved records are completed, next, the MPU 10a performs a specific process of the content (pattern) applicable to the case of the applicable conditions. Also in this specific process, the determination table 13 shown in FIG. 3 is used, and the MPU 10a specifies a pattern (any one of patterns A to K) corresponding to the case of the applicable conditions for the first batting team XXX based on the provisions of the description generation program P2, and also for the opposing team YYY, which is the second batting team, specifies a pattern (any one of patterns A to K) corresponding to the case of the applicable conditions.

[0092] Note that the MPU 10a determines that a player (batter or pitcher) exceeding the threshold value corresponds to condition 7 in the above-described process, and when it corresponds to condition 7 and also corresponds to condition 2, specifies pattern J as the content of the description based on the provisions of the text creation engine included in the description generation program P2 (refer to the determination table in FIG. 3).

[0093] When the processing of the first stage for specifying the above-described description content is completed, next, as the second stage, the MPU 10a performs processing to automatically generate a description including the specified description content (patterns A to K) as a battle evaluation article related to the game result based on the provisions of the text creation engine included in the description generation program P2. The text creation engine of the description generation program P2 defines various processes for the MPU 10a to automatically generate an article as an AI (artificial intelligence) for text creation. Based on the specified pattern, the description is automatically generated using the template table 17 by this text creation engine.

[0094] Specifically, when generating a description according to the pattern specified for Team XXX, for the subject item, Team XXX is used, and numerical and word information (scores, innings with runs scored, etc.) and run situations (home runs by ○○ player, timely hits by ○△ player, etc.) according to the specified pattern are analyzed and extracted from the received game data by the text creation engine. The extracted items (information) are appropriately combined with various templates included in the template table 17 as the subject, object, verb, phrases, clauses, etc. to create an expression, thereby generating a description of the content that matches the specified pattern.

[0095] Note that the battle evaluation article generated in this embodiment is not composed only of descriptions according to the specified pattern, but has a configuration that partially includes descriptions according to the specified pattern. Therefore, assuming Team XXX as one team, the battle evaluation article generated by the MPU 10a includes a description focusing on Team XXX, which is one of the teams, and also includes the overall content other than that and the run situation of the opponent team. The battle evaluation article generated in this way conveys to the user (reader) what was good about Team XXX in the game and also enables the user to understand the overall game and its flow.

[0096] Also, regarding Team YYY, which is the opposing team of Team XXX, similar to the case of Team XXX described above, the MPU10a analyzes and extracts information such as numerical values, phrases, and point situations according to the specific patterns of Team YYY from the received game data in accordance with the regulations of the text creation engine, and uses the extracted information and each template included in the template table 17 to automatically generate a description as an article corresponding to Team YYY. Also, the MPU10a automatically generates descriptions related to the overall content other than Team YYY in parallel, and thereby, a battle evaluation article including the description focusing on Team YYY is automatically generated by the MPU10a.

[0097] Furthermore, for players who have reached a point threshold or more or players who have achieved a record, in order to generate a description with content corresponding to Pattern J, the MPU10a analyzes and extracts information on the target player (player name, play content according to the point threshold or more, achieved record content, etc.) from the received game data in accordance with the regulations of the text creation engine of the description generation program P2, and uses the extracted information and each template included in the template table 17 to automatically generate a description focusing on the player who has been active in the game or the player who has achieved a record. Also in this case, the MPU10a automatically generates descriptions related to the overall content other than the focused player in parallel, and thereby, a battle evaluation article including the description related to the focused player is automatically generated by the MPU10a.

[0098] The order of each description that constitutes the content of the game evaluation article automatically generated in this way is in chronological order, just like the content of a baseball game. The MPU10a combines each description automatically created based on the received game data in the order of the progress of the game in the game data to generate a game evaluation article. When the MPU10a generates a game evaluation article, it issues an (identification ID) indicating the game date and time, the opposing team, etc., and associates the issued identification code with the data of the generated game evaluation article, and stores it in the description DB18 of the storage unit 10g so that it can be quickly read out and provided in response to a request from the outside. Note that the issued identification code may include information indicating the opposing team and information indicating the game date and time, etc., or information indicating the opposing team and the game date and time, etc. is also stored in the description DB18 in association with the identification code to make it easier to search for the data of the generated game evaluation article.

[0099] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process in which the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) automatically generates a game evaluation article according to the above-described description generation program P2 (showing an example of the processing content of the game description generation method according to the present invention, and this processing content is what the description generation program P2 causes the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) to execute). Hereinafter, the processing content of the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) by the description generation program P2 will be organized and described according to this flowchart.

[0100] First, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) determines (S1) whether it has received and acquired the game data distributed from the external game data distribution system 2 upon the end of the game. If it has not acquired the game data (S1: NO), it enters a state of waiting for the game data to be distributed. If it has received the game data (S1: YES), the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) determines (detects) based on the game data acquired by reception whether each of the opposing teams corresponds to any of the conditions 1 to 7 defined in the determination table 13 (S2). For example, in the case of team XXX and team YYY in the above-described example, it is simultaneously determined at this stage (S2) whether team XXX, as one of the teams, corresponds to any of the conditions 1 to 7, and whether team YYY, the opposing team, as one of the teams, corresponds to any of the conditions 1 to 7.

[0101] Note that at this stage (S2), based on the game data, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) also calculates the points of each player, detects whether there is a player who exceeds the threshold value, and if there is a player who exceeds the threshold value, determines that it corresponds to condition 7. Also, at this stage (S2), based on the game data, it also detects whether there is a player who has achieved some record, and if there is a player who has achieved the record, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) also performs a process of determining (identifying) that it corresponds to condition 7. Also, as described above, in this determination process, it may occur that a plurality of conditions are met.

[0102] Next, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) performs a process of specifying from the determination table 13 a pattern of content corresponding to the applicable condition (S3). At this stage (S3), the pattern is specified for each of the opposing teams, and if there is a player who exceeds the threshold value or a player who has achieved a record, the pattern corresponding to condition 7 specified for those players is also specified.

[0103] Then, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) performs a process of automatically generating a description including the content related to the pattern specified in step S3 as a game evaluation article while using the template table 17 based on the acquired game data (S4). As described above, since the pattern is specified for each of the competing teams, at this stage (S4), at least two types of game evaluation articles are generated: a game evaluation article including a description focusing on the winning team and a game evaluation article including a description focusing on the losing team. Further, at this stage (S4), if there is a player who exceeded the threshold or achieved a record, and if it is the team that lost corresponding to condition 2, then, separately from the game evaluation article generated based on pattern J corresponding to condition 7, a game evaluation article including a description centered on the activity of such a player and the achievement of the record is also generated.

[0104] Finally, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10a) issues an identification code for each of the generated game evaluation articles, and performs a process of storing the data related to the generated game evaluation articles in the description DB 18 in association with the issued identification code (S5). By storing the game evaluation articles (data related to the game evaluation articles) in the description DB 18 in association with the identification codes in this way, the game evaluation articles can be provided promptly in response to requests from the outside.

[0105] Note that, as a specific method of providing the generated game evaluation articles, various situations can be assumed depending on the content of the service, business policies, and the like. For example, if the game description generation device 10 provides a game evaluation article including a description focusing on a specific baseball team to a website related to that specific baseball team (for example, the website of team XXX), then, even if the specific baseball team loses the game, the game evaluation article including a description focusing on the specific baseball team will be posted on the website related to the specific baseball team. Then, for the fans of the specific baseball team, by simply accessing the website related to the specific baseball team using a communication terminal (refer to the user terminals T1, T2, T3, T4, etc. shown in FIG. 1), they can enjoy a game evaluation article with a rewarding readability that allows them to understand the activity of the baseball team they support even in a losing game without performing any special operations.

[0106] In addition, if the game description generation device 10 provides a game evaluation article including a description focusing on a specific player for the website related to that player, for fans of that specific player, by using a communication terminal (see user terminals T1, T2, T3, T4, etc. shown in FIG. 1), even if they only access the website related to the baseball team of that specific player, they can enjoy a rewarding game evaluation article that allows them to understand the performance of the baseball team of the fan even in a losing game without performing any special operations.

[0107] Furthermore, for a website targeting a wide range of baseball fans, if the game description generation device 10 provides all the generated game evaluation articles and the website publishes multiple patterns of game evaluation articles for one game, the game evaluation articles corresponding to the preferences of each of the wide range of baseball fans will be included, and the demands of users who enjoy baseball from various perspectives can be met. Next, a specific example of a game evaluation article automatically generated by the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) based on the acquired game data (baseball game data in which the first team XXX and the second team YYY played against each other) using the present invention will be shown.

[0108] FIG. 8(a) shows the score 20 for each inning of an example 1 of the game result of a baseball game in which one team, team XXX, played against the other team, team YYY, and the information corresponding to this score 20 is included in the game data. FIG. 8(b) shows an example 30 of a game evaluation article automatically generated for this example of the game result of the score 20. As shown in the score 20 of FIG. 8(a), in this game, team XXX won against team YYY. Therefore, team XXX, which is one of the teams, corresponds to condition 1 (when one team wins the game) defined in the determination table 13, and the game evaluation article example 30 in FIG. 8(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on pattern A (content related to one team winning the game) for team XXX.

[0109] Specifically, among the game evaluation record examples 30 shown in FIG. 8(b), the description part 30a stating that "Team XXX defeated Team YYY easily" mainly corresponds to the description of Pattern A. The underlines in the game evaluation record example 30 are added for easy understanding of the main corresponding description parts related to the present invention and are not present in the original game evaluation record (similarly for other record examples). In the game evaluation record example 30, the description part 30b stating that "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a two-run home run from two outs and a runner on first base once", the description part 30c stating that "In the third inning, ○ well's double added one point and widened the lead to three points", and the description part 30d stating that "Team XXX added two points in the eighth inning, and in the ninth inning, Fujio suppressed Team YYY's batting line safely and won 5-0" also correspond to the descriptions related to Pattern A. Thus, the game evaluation record example 30 in FIG. 8(b) contains the content that describes the points where Team XXX won in the game everywhere, so it is a game evaluation record favored by fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0110] FIG. 9(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 21 (the score 21 is information included in the game data) of an example of the baseball game result in which Team XXX, one of the teams, played against Team YYY, the other team. FIG. 9(b) shows the game evaluation record example 31 automatically generated for this example of the game result of the score 21. As shown in the score 21 in FIG. 9(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but there was a situation where Team XXX took the lead during the game. Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, corresponds to Condition 3 defined in the determination table 13 (when one of the teams lost the game but there was a period during the game when the score of one of the teams exceeded the score of the other team). The game evaluation record example 31 in FIG. 9(b) is automatically generated to include the description based on Pattern B (when one of the teams lost the game but there was a lead of one of the teams during the game) for Team XXX.

[0111] Specifically, in the game evaluation record example 31 shown in FIG. 9(b), the description section 31a that states "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a two-run home run by ○○ from two outs and a runner on first base once, and in the third inning, ○○'s double added one point, expanding the lead to three points." and the description section 31b that states "In the ninth inning, Team XXX created a situation with one out and a runner on second base and the score tied, but ○○ hit a ground ball in the infield and ○○ struck out, and no more hits were made. It was a regrettable come-from-ahead loss." mainly correspond to the description for Pattern B. Thus, the game evaluation record example 31 in FIG. 9(b) contains descriptions explaining the good aspects of Team XXX during the game, such as the fact that Team XXX lost the game but led during the game, and the state of the attack when the lead was obtained. Therefore, it is a game evaluation record suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0112] FIG. 10(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 22 (the score 22 is information included in the game data) of Example 3 of the baseball game result in which Team XXX, one of the teams, faced Team YYY, the other team. FIG. 10(b) shows the game evaluation record example 32 automatically generated for this game result example of the score 22. As shown in the score 22 of FIG. 10(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but there was a situation where Team XXX led for a while with a score difference of 5 to 0 during the game. Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 4 defined in the judgment table 13 (when one of the teams lost the game but there was a period during the game when the score of one of the teams exceeded the score of the other team, and the score difference at that time was greater than 4 points). The game evaluation record example 32 in FIG. 10(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern C (content related to the fact that one of the teams lost the game but led during the game with a score difference that was not easily caught up with for a while) for Team XXX.

[0113] Specifically, in the game evaluation example 32 shown in Fig. 10(b), the description section 32a that states "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a two-run home run from two outs and a runner on first base once, and in the third inning, a three-run home run came out with two consecutive at-bats of the big circle, advancing the game with a 5-0 lead in the early stage." and the description section 32b that states "In the sixth inning of Team XXX, the second batter, Fujio, allowed a solo home run to △ and allowed a reversal. The pitchers from the third batter onwards also conceded runs and lost the game 5-10. It was a regrettable loss as they couldn't capitalize on the early lead." mainly correspond to the description of Pattern C. Thus, the game evaluation example 32 in Fig. 10(b) contains descriptions that explain the good aspects of Team XXX during the game, such as the fact that although Team XXX lost the game, they once took a large lead with a score difference that the opposing team couldn't catch up with even if they hit a grand slam home run during the game, and the situation when such a large lead was taken. Therefore, it is a game evaluation article suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0114] Fig. 11(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 23 (the score 23 is information included in the game data) of Example 4 of the baseball game result in which Team XXX, one of the teams, played against Team YYY, the other team. Fig. 11(b) shows the game evaluation example 33 automatically generated for this game result example of the score 23. As shown in the score 23 in Fig. 11(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but there was a lead for Team XXX during the game, and the period of the lead exceeded half of the total game period (all innings) (Team XXX led from the top of the first inning to the top of the ninth inning). Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 5 defined in the judgment table 13 (one of the teams lost the game, but there was a period during the game when the score of one of the teams exceeded the score of the other team, and that period exceeded half of the number of innings of the game). The game evaluation example 33 in Fig. 11(b) is automatically generated to include descriptions based on Pattern D (the content related to the fact that one of the teams lost the game but led the other team for most of the game) for Team XXX.

[0115] Specifically, in the game review example 33 shown in Fig. 11(b), the description section 33a that reads "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a two-run home run by ○○○ with two outs and a runner on first base once. In the third inning, a two-run home run that was ○○○'s consecutive second at-bat flew out, and the game advanced advantageously with a score of 4-0 in the early innings." and the description section 33b that reads "In the ninth inning when a complete game win seemed certain, ○○○ lost control of the pitch, walked three batters to load the bases, and ○○○ was forced into a one-point deficit by a two-run double that cleared the bases by ○○○ and then left the mound. However, ○○○, who was entrusted with the rest of the game, also could not stop the momentum of Team YYY's batting line, was hit by a two-run double by ○○○, and was hit by a timely hit by ○○○, and the game was reversed at the last moment, and finally, although leading for most of the game, suffered an unexpected comeback loss." mainly correspond to the description of Pattern D. Thus, the game review example 33 in Fig. 11(b) includes descriptions that explain the good aspects of Team XXX during the game, such as the fact that Team XXX lost the game but led for most of it, and the situation during the attack regarding that lead. Therefore, it is a game review article suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0116] Fig. 12(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 24 (the score 24 is information included in the game data) of Example 5 of the baseball game result in which Team XXX, one team, played against Team YYY, the other team. Fig. 12(b) shows the game review example 34 automatically generated for this game result example of the score 24. As shown in the score 24 in Fig. 12(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but there were two reversals during the game (reversals in the second inning and the seventh inning). Therefore, Team XXX, one team, meets the condition 6 defined in the judgment table 13 (where one team lost the game, but there was a period during the game when the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team, and there were multiple such discontinuous periods). The game review example 34 in Fig. 12(b) is automatically generated to include descriptions based on Pattern E (content related to the fact that one team lost the game but there were multiple reversals or score surpasses during the game) for Team XXX.

[0117] Specifically, among the game evaluation record examples 34 shown in FIG. 12(b), the description section 34a stating that "Although pitcher IwXX of team XXX allowed two runs in a row against the batting line of team YYY once in the starting lineup, immediately afterwards in the second inning, batter OoXX hit a three-run home run and succeeded in a comeback." The description section 34b stating that "Team XXX, which was trying to catch up somehow, succeeded in a comeback again with a score of 6-5 in the seventh inning with consecutive hits by batter ItoXX and batter OoXX." And the description section 34c stating that "However, in the ninth inning of team XXX, pitcher FujXX, who was sent to the mound to try to escape, gave four balls to batter SakaXX with two outs, and then allowed a two-run home run in the following inning XX, resulting in an unexpected walk-off loss. They could not hold the lead twice and suffered a bitter defeat." mainly correspond to the description of pattern E. Thus, the game evaluation record example 34 in FIG. 12(b) contains descriptions explaining the good points of team XXX during the game, such as losing the game but making multiple comebacks during the game and the state of the attack during the comebacks. Therefore, it is a game evaluation record suitable for fans of team XXX. In this example, it corresponds to the case of two comebacks, but even if there are multiple comebacks, the game evaluation record will be automatically generated in the same way as above.

[0118] FIG. 13(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 25 (score 25 is information included in the game data) of example 6 of the baseball game result in which team XXX, one of the teams, played against team YYY, the other team. FIG. 13(b) shows the game evaluation record example 35 automatically generated for this game result example of score 25. As shown in the score 25 of FIG. 13(a), in this game, team XXX lost to team YYY, but there was a period during the game when team XXX was leading, and the period of that lead exceeded half of the entire game period (all innings) (leading from the first inning to the ninth inning), and there was a situation where the maximum score difference of team XXX during that lead was 5 points (leading 5-0).

[0119] Therefore, one of the teams, Team XXX, meets the conditions 4 (one team loses the game, but the score difference is so large that even if the team hits a grand slam home run (a play that can get the maximum score) during the game, the team cannot catch up) and 5 (one team loses the game, but the number of times of leading during the game exceeds half of the total number of innings of the game) defined in the judgment table 13. The game evaluation record example 35 in FIG. 13(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern F (one team loses the game, but leads during the game with a score difference that is not easily caught up, and the lead covers most of the game) for Team XXX.

[0120] Specifically, in the game evaluation record example 35 shown in FIG. 13(b), the description section 35a that says "Team XXX was fortunately the first to score with a two-run home run with two outs and a runner on first base in the 1st inning. In the 3rd inning, a three-run home run came out, resulting in a three-run homer in a row for the second batter, and the game advanced advantageously with a large lead of 5-0 in the early stage." and the description section 35b that says "In the 9th inning when a complete game win seemed certain, Iwa ○ lost control of the pitch, walked three batters to load the bases, and was forced to leave the mound when he was hit by a two-run double by Saka ○ to reduce the score difference to 2 runs. However, Fuj ○, who was entrusted with the rest of the game, also could not stop the momentum of Team YYY's batting line, was hit by a double by Hon ○ and a home run by Ki ○, and the game was reversed at the last moment. Despite leading overwhelmingly for most of the game, Team XXX suffered an unexpected reversal loss." mainly correspond to the description corresponding to Pattern F. Thus, the game evaluation record example 35 in FIG. 13(b) includes a description explaining the good points of Team XXX during the game, such as the fact that although Team XXX lost the game, it took a large lead with a score difference that could not be caught up even if the opposing team hit a grand slam home run during the game, led for most of the game, and the state of the attack regarding the lead. Therefore, it is a game evaluation record suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0121] Figure 14(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 26 of Example 7 of the baseball game result where Team XXX, one of the teams, played against Team YYY, the other team. Figure 14(b) shows the game evaluation case example 36 automatically generated for this game result example of score 26. As shown in the score 26 of Figure 14(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but during the game, Team XXX reversed twice (reversed in the 2nd inning and the 8th inning), and there was a situation where the maximum score difference at the time of the first lead of Team XXX was 5 points (leading 7 to 2).

[0122] Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets Condition 4 (where one team loses the game, but during the game, one team cannot catch up even if the other team hits a grand slam home run (one play to obtain the maximum score) and takes a large lead with a score difference) and Condition 6 (where one team loses the game, but there are multiple breaks in the lead during the game) defined in the judgment table 13. The game evaluation case example 36 in Figure 14(b) is automatically generated to include descriptions about Team XXX based on Pattern G (where one team loses the game, but leads during the game with a score difference that is not easily caught up, and there are multiple reversals or comebacks during the game).

[0123] Specifically, in the game evaluation case example 36 shown in Figure 14(b), the description section 36a that says "In the 1st inning, the starting pitcher Iwa ○ of Team XXX was hit hard by the batting line of Team YYY and allowed a 2-point lead. However, immediately in the 2nd inning, Oh ○ hit a 3-run home run and succeeded in reversing the situation.", the description section 36b that says "In the 3rd inning, a grand slam home run by ○ Kawakami flew out, and the game advanced advantageously with a large lead of 7 to 2 in the early stage." (content corresponding to Condition 4), the description section 36c that says "In the 8th inning, with one out and a runner on second base, Oh ○ hit the second home run of the day and tied the game again for Team XXX." (content corresponding to Condition 6), and the description section 36d that says "However, in the 9th inning, Fuj ○, who was sent to the mound to try to escape, gave a four-ball walk to Sak ○ with two outs, and then allowed a game-winning 2-run home run in the following ○ hit, resulting in an unexpected walk-off loss. Team XXX could not hold the lead twice and suffered a bitter defeat." mainly correspond to the descriptions corresponding to Pattern G.

[0124] Thus, the game evaluation record example 36 in FIG. 14(b) describes the good aspects of Team XXX during the game, such as the fact that Team XXX lost the game but had multiple comebacks during the game, that even though the opposing team hit a grand slam home run, Team XXX took a large lead with a score difference that was impossible to catch up with, and the state of the attack during the comebacks and large leads. Therefore, it is a game evaluation article suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0125]

[0124] FIG. 15(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 27 of Example 8 of the game result of a baseball game in which Team XXX, one of the teams, played against Team YYY, the other team. FIG. 15(b) shows the game evaluation record example 37 automatically generated for this game result example of score 27. As shown in the score 27 of FIG. 15(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but was in a situation where there were two comebacks during the game (comebacks in the 2nd inning and the 8th inning), and there was a situation where the total number of innings in the lead exceeded most of the innings of the game (in the lead from the 3rd inning to the 7th inning and from the 8th inning to the 9th inning).

[0126] Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets Condition 5 (where one team lost the game but the number of innings in the lead during the game exceeded half of the total number of innings of the game) and Condition 6 (where one team lost the game but there were multiple breaks in the innings in the lead during the game) defined in the judgment table 13. The game evaluation record example 37 in FIG. 15(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern H (where one team lost the game but led most of the game and there were multiple comebacks or overruns during the game) for Team XXX.

[0127] Specifically, in the game evaluation example 37 shown in Fig. 15(b), the description section 37a regarding "Team XXX allowed a 2-point lead after starting pitcher Iwa ○ was hit by consecutive pitches from the batting line of Team YYY once, but immediately after that, in the 2nd inning, Dai ○ hit a 3-run home run and successfully reversed the situation." (description regarding conditions 5 and 6), the description section 37b regarding "However, in the 7th inning when they had a long lead, No. 2 batter Fujio and No. 3 batter Nakao lost 3 points due to concentrated hitting and allowed a reversal." (description regarding conditions 5 and 6), the description section 37c regarding "However, in the 8th inning of Team XXX, with one out and a runner on second base, Dai ○ hit his second home run of the day and tied the game again." (description regarding conditions 5 and 6), and the description section 37d regarding "But in the 9th inning of Team XXX, Fujio who was sent to the mound to try to escape gave a four-ball walk to Saka ○ with two outs, and then allowed a 2-run walk-off home run in the following inning, resulting in an unexpected walk-off loss. They failed to maintain the lead twice and suffered a bitter defeat." (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) mainly correspond to the description for Pattern H.

[0128] Thus, the game evaluation example 37 in Fig. 15(b) includes descriptions explaining the good aspects of Team XXX during the game, such as losing the game but achieving multiple reversals during the game, leading for most of the game, and the offensive situations when reversing or leading. Therefore, it is a game evaluation article suitable for fans of Team XXX.

[0129] Fig. 16(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 28 of Example 9 of the baseball game result where one team, Team XXX, faced off against the other team, Team YYY. Fig. 16(b) shows the automatically generated game evaluation example 38 for this game result example of score 28. As shown in the score 28 in Fig. 16(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY, but during the game, Team XXX reversed the situation twice (reversed in the 2nd inning and the 8th inning), the maximum score difference when Team XXX had the lead at first was 5 points (leading 7 - 2), and there was a situation where the total number of innings that Team XXX led exceeded most of the game (leading from the 2nd inning to the 7th inning and from the 8th inning to the 9th inning).

[0130] Therefore, one of the teams, Team XXX, meets the requirements of Condition 4 (where one team loses the game, but the point difference is so large that even if one team hits a grand slam home run (a play that can score the maximum number of runs) during the game, it cannot catch up), Condition 5 (where one team loses the game, but the number of times of leading during the game exceeds half of the total number of innings of the game), and Condition 6 (where one team loses the game, but there are multiple breaks in the lead during the game) defined in the judgment table 13. The battle evaluation case 38 in FIG. 16(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern I (where one team loses the game, but has a lead during the game with a point difference that is not easily caught up, and the lead covers most of the game, and there are multiple reversals or overruns during the game) for Team XXX.

[0131] Specifically, in the battle evaluation case 38 shown in FIG. 16(b), the description section 38a (description related to Conditions 5 and 6), "Although the starting pitcher Iwa ○ of Team XXX was hit by consecutive hits by the batting line of Team YYY and allowed a two-point lead in the first inning, in the immediately following second inning, Oo ○ hit a three-run home run and succeeded in reversing the situation."; the description section 38b (description related to Condition 4), "In the fifth inning, Ito ○ hit a grand slam home run and expanded the lead to a one-sided point difference of 7-2."; the description section 38c (description related to Conditions 5 and 6), "However, in the seventh inning when they had a long lead, the second batter Fujii ○ and the third batter Nakao ○ lost 6 points due to concentrated hitting and allowed a reversal."; the description section 38d (description related to Conditions 5 and 6), "However, in the eighth inning, Team XXX, with one out and a runner on second base, Oo ○ hit his second home run of the day and tied the game again."; and the description section 38e (description related to Conditions 4, 5, and 6), "But in the ninth inning, Fujii ○, who was sent to the mound to try to escape, gave a four-ball walk to Saka ○ with two outs, and then allowed a two-run home run for a reversal and a last-out loss. They could not defend the lead twice and suffered a bitter defeat." mainly correspond to the description for Pattern I.

[0132] As described above, the game review example 38 in FIG. 16(b) is a game review article suitable for fans of Team XXX, etc., because it describes the situation of Team XXX in the game, including that although they lost the game, they had multiple comebacks during the game, that even though the opposing team hit a grand slam home run, they took a large lead with a score difference that could not be caught up, that they led for most of the game, and the good aspects of Team XXX's offense when they made comebacks or took the lead.

[0133] FIG. 17(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 29 of Example 10 of the baseball game result in which Team XXX, one of the teams, played against Team YYY, the other team. FIG. 17(b) shows the game review example 39 automatically generated for this game result example of score 29. As shown in the score 29 of FIG. 17(a), in this game, Team XXX lost to Team YYY. During the game, Team XXX scored points but never had a period of leading. All of Team XXX's scores were due to two home runs by the great ○ player.

[0134] Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets the conditions 2 (when one of the teams loses the game and the score is zero or there is no lead during the game) and 7 (when there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points obtained from a certain formula exceed the threshold) defined in the judgment table 13. The game review example 39 in FIG. 17(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern J (although one of the teams lost the game, there were players who performed well during the game for one of the teams) for Team XXX.

[0135] Specifically, in the game evaluation example 39 shown in FIG. 17(b), the description section 39a (description regarding condition 7), which states that "Player ○ No. 4 let out a sigh in a game with a difficult development. In the third batting position in the 6th inning, he hit a solo home run to start the counterattack, and then in the 8th inning, he put a four-ball runner on first base and hit consecutive home runs in two at-bats, showing an active performance of 3 RBIs on this day.", and the description section 39b (description regarding condition 2), which states that "Although the team lost 3 to 8 due to a large number of early-inning runs conceded, they showed perseverance that would lead to the next day.", mainly correspond to the description corresponding to pattern J. Thus, the game evaluation example 39 in FIG. 17(b) is content that, for team XXX, they lost the game and there were no particularly notable matters for the team as a whole, but there was a player who was active within team XXX, so it includes a description explaining the active situation of that player. Therefore, it is a game evaluation article suitable for fans who want to know the situation of the players who were active within team XXX even in a losing game.

[0136] FIG. 18(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 40 of example 11 of the baseball game result in which team XXX, one of the teams, played against team YYY, the other team. FIG. 18(b) shows the game evaluation example 41 automatically generated for this game result example of score 40. As shown in the score 40 in FIG. 18(a), in this game, team XXX lost to team YYY by a shutout, and the game content was such that it was not possible to particularly point out what was good about team XXX or the players who were active.

[0137] Therefore, team XXX, one of the teams, only corresponds to condition 2 (where one team loses the game and the score is zero or there is no lead during the game) defined in the judgment table 13, and the game evaluation example 41 in FIG. 18(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on pattern K (where one team loses the game and the content related to praising the opposing team (the other team)) for team XXX.

[0138] Specifically, in the game review example 41 shown in Fig. 18(b), the description section 41a (description regarding condition 2), which states "In the game review example 41 of team YYY that continued to pitch excellent pitches, a mountain of strikeouts was built in front of the ○ field of the starting pitcher of team YYY, and they lost by a shutout with 3 scattered singles without being able to reach second base.", and the description section 41b (description regarding condition 2), which states "Team XXX allowed a huge 0-10 victory to team YYY where the pitching and hitting were in sync.", mainly correspond to the description for pattern K. Thus, the game review example 41 in Fig. 18(b) is about team XXX suffering a major defeat in the game, having no remarkable matters in the game, and no players who were active within team XXX, so it contains descriptions that reluctantly praise the opposing team, and it is a game review article suitable for fans who prefer the spirit of fair play, etc.

[0139] As described above, in the present invention, even if a team loses, if there are circumstances such as the losing side leading during the game, the point difference due to that lead being so large that it cannot be caught up even by the maximum score in one play, that lead covering most of the game, or there being many instances of comebacks or overtaking during the game, etc., a game review article including descriptions of those contents will be automatically generated, so that it becomes possible to provide descriptions that can be enjoyed by the fans of the losing side.

[0140] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described content, and various modifications can be assumed. First, the game for which descriptions are to be generated is not limited to baseball games. As long as it is a game in which one side and the other side compete in a scoring format, based on the game data indicating the content related to that game, descriptions related to that game can be generated. Specifically, games of various sports such as soccer, rugby, basketball, American football, volleyball, softball, ice hockey, tennis, table tennis, badminton, handball, beach volleyball, curling, futsal, hockey, polo, lacrosse, India hockey, cricket, water polo, etc. can also be the subject of the present invention. Note that in these games, as the competition between one side and the other side, there are those in which teams compete against each other (such as soccer and basketball), those in which multiple people form teams and compete against each other (such as doubles matches in tennis, table tennis, badminton, etc.), and those in which individuals compete against each other (such as singles matches in tennis, table tennis, badminton, etc.).

[0141] Also, when making the above-described various sports the subject of generating descriptions of the present invention, the numerical value of the point difference (a point difference larger than the maximum number of points that can be obtained in one play) in condition 4 (one team lost the game, but one team had a lead with a point difference greater than 4 points during the game) in the determination table 13 shown in FIG. 3 is different in the case of baseball (note that softball is the same as baseball).

[0142] For example, in the case of rugby, the maximum number of points that can be obtained in one play is 5 points for a try, so the point difference related to condition 4 in the case of rugby is when it is greater than 5 points. In the case of basketball, since the maximum number of points that can be obtained in one play is 3 points for a goal from outside the 3-point line, the point difference related to condition 4 in the case of basketball is when it is greater than 3 points. In the case of American football, since the maximum number of points that can be obtained in one play is 6 points for a touchdown, the point difference related to condition 4 in the case of American football is when it is greater than 6 points.

[0143] Furthermore, when making the above-mentioned various sports the objects of description generation of the present invention, the meaning related to the number of times in condition 5 (where one team lost the game but the number of times of leading during the game exceeded half of the number of times of the game) in the determination table 13 shown in FIG. 3 is different from that in the case of baseball (note that softball is the same as baseball). Since this condition 5 is intended to determine whether the majority of the game has been led, for sports that do not use the concept of "times", it will be appropriately determined based on the meaning corresponding to condition 5.

[0144] For example, in the case of sports where the game is decided by time, for condition 5, it will be determined whether the range of time (corresponding to the period) during which the lead was held during the game exceeded half of the total time of the game (corresponding to the entire period). Also, for sports that do not use "times" but use something with a similar meaning to "times" (for example, sets in tennis, ends in curling, etc.), a determination similar to that of "times" will be made as to whether it meets condition 5.

[0145] Furthermore, when making the above-mentioned various sports the objects of description generation of the present invention, the meaning related to the part "where there were multiple breaks in the number of times of leading" in condition 6 (where one team lost the game but there were multiple breaks in the number of times of leading during the game) in the determination table 13 shown in FIG. 3 is different from that in the case of baseball (note that softball is the same as baseball), especially the meaning related to "times". Since this condition 6 is intended to determine whether, although the game was lost, there were multiple reversals or comebacks, for sports that do not use the concept of "times", it will be appropriately determined based on the meaning corresponding to condition 6.

[0146] For example, in the case of sports where the game is decided by time, for condition 6, it will be determined whether the periods (periods when one team's score exceeded the other team's score) during which the lead was held during the game were temporally discontinuous and multiple. Also, for sports that do not use "times" but use something with a similar meaning to "times" (for example, sets in tennis, ends in curling, etc.), a determination similar to that of "times" in baseball will be made as to whether it meets condition 6.

[0147] Also, among Conditions 1 to 7 used in the determination table 13 shown in FIG. 3, for Conditions 2 to 6 regarding the case where one team loses the game, depending on the specifications of the provided service, etc., not all of them need to be used, and it is also possible to omit any one of them. That is, since Conditions 4 to 6 all define more detailed content regarding Condition 3 (one team loses the game but had a lead during the game), when performing automatic generation of descriptions with a simple specification, it is conceivable to omit any one or all of these Conditions 4 to 6.

[0148] Rather than omitting all of these Conditions 4 to 6, depending on the specifications of the provided service, the type of sports game to be automatically generated, etc., it is also conceivable to omit only Condition 4, to omit Conditions 4 and 5, to omit Conditions 4 and 6, to omit only Condition 5, to omit Conditions 5 and 6, to omit only Condition 6, etc. Also, when mainly dealing with teams, etc. and not emphasizing the performance at the individual player level, it is also possible to omit Condition 7.

[0149] Also, in the above-described process, at the stage of S2 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, using the determination table 13 shown in FIG. 3, it was determined (simultaneously) at the same stage which of Conditions 1 to 7 it corresponded to, but it is also possible to perform the determination of each condition step by step according to the provisions of the description generation program P2 of the modification example.

[0150] The flowcharts of the modification examples shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 show examples of the processing procedures when the determination of each condition is performed sequentially step by step (showing an example of the processing content of the game description generation method according to the present invention). Such processing of the modification example is defined in the description generation program P2 of the modification example and will be executed by the MPU10a based on the provisions.

[0151] As shown in the flowchart of the modified example in Fig. 19 (the first half of the flowchart), in this modified example as well, in the first step (S10), similar to step S1 in the flowchart of Fig. 7, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines whether it has received and acquired the game data distributed from the external game data distribution system 2 upon the end of the game (S10). If the game data has not been acquired (S10: NO), it enters a state of waiting for the game data to be distributed.

[0152] If the game data has been received (S10: YES), the MPU10a identifies one of the opposing teams in the game related to the game data as one team, and determines whether condition 1 applies to that one team, that is, whether that one team has won the game, based on the received game data (S11). In this modified example as well, similar to the case of the flowchart of Fig. 7 described above, it is targeted at a baseball game, and the visiting team in this baseball game is identified as one team.

[0153] If one team has not won the game, that is, if one team has lost the game (S11: NO), the MPU10a determines based on the received game data whether there was a time during the game when the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team, that is, whether one team had a lead during the game (S12). The processing in this step S12 is to determine whether it corresponds to condition 3 (see Fig. 4) in the determination table 13 of Fig. 3.

[0154] If one team had a lead during the game (S12: YES), the MPU10a determines based on the received game data whether the period of the lead exceeded half of the total game period (S13). The processing in this step S13 is to determine whether it corresponds to condition 5 (see Fig. 4) in the determination table 13 of Fig. 3.

[0155] When the period during which one team was in the lead exceeded half of the entire game period (the period from the start to the end of the game) (S13: YES), that is, when one team meets condition 5 (see Fig. 4), the MPU10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article including a description based on the fact that one team lost the game but led the other team for most of the game (S24). Note that the description of the above content included in the battle evaluation article generated in this way corresponds to pattern D (see Fig. 5) in the determination table 13 of Fig. 3. Also, the automatic generation at this time is also performed while using the template table 17 based on the acquired game data (the same applies hereinafter). When the battle evaluation article is automatically generated, it proceeds to step S17 of the flowchart in Fig. 20 (the latter half of the flowchart), and the MPU10a issues an identification code to the generated battle evaluation article and performs a process of storing the data related to the generated battle evaluation article in the description DB18 in association with the issued identification code.

[0156] Also, returning to step S13 of the flowchart in Fig. 19, when the period during which one team was in the lead did not exceed half of the entire game period (S13: NO), it proceeds to step S14 of the flowchart in Fig. 20, and the MPU10a determines whether the period during which one team was in the lead was interrupted multiple times, that is, whether there was a comeback or a re - victory by one team during the game. Note that the process in this step S14 is to determine whether it meets condition 6 (see Fig. 4) in the determination table 13 of Fig. 3.

[0157] When the period during which one team was in the lead was interrupted multiple times (S14: YES), the MPU10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article including a description based on the fact that one team lost the game but there was a comeback or a re - victory by one team during the game (S25). Note that the description of the above content included in the battle evaluation article generated in this way corresponds to pattern E (see Fig. 5) in the determination table 13 of Fig. 3. After the battle evaluation article is automatically generated, in the same way as in the case of step S24 described above, it proceeds to step S17, and a process of storing the data related to the generated battle evaluation article in the description DB18 is performed.

[0158] Also, at the stage of S14 described above, if there were no multiple breaks in the period when one team was leading (S14: NO), next, the MPU10a determines based on the received game data whether one team led by a point difference greater than 4 points (a point difference of 5 points or more) during the game (S15). Note that the process at this stage of S15 is to determine whether it corresponds to condition 4 (see FIG. 4) in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3.

[0159] If one team led by a point difference greater than 4 points (S15: YES), the MPU10a automatically generates a game evaluation article including a description based on the content that one team lost the game but led the other team during the game by a point difference that could not be easily caught up with for a while (a one-sided point difference that could not be reversed in one play) (S26). Note that the description of the above content included in the game evaluation article generated in this way corresponds to pattern C (see FIG. 5) in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3. After automatically generating the game evaluation article, similar to the cases at the above-described stages of S24 and 25, the process proceeds to the stage of S17, and the data related to the generated game evaluation article is stored in the description DB18.

[0160] Also, at the stage of S15 described above, if one team did not lead by a point difference greater than 4 points (S15: NO), since it has reached this stage of "S15: NO" through "S11: NO (when one team lost)", "S12: YES (when one team had a lead during the game)", "S13: NO (when the period when one team was leading did not exceed half of the entire game period)", and "S14: NO (when there were no multiple breaks in the period when one team was leading)", the MPU10a determines that it corresponds to the case according to the conditions of "S11: NO" and "S12: YES" (when one team lost the game but had a lead during the game), and the MPU10a automatically generates a game evaluation article including a description according to the content related to the determination (S16).

[0161] When the step S15 results in NO, considering the above process, ultimately, it corresponds only to condition 3 (see FIG. 4) in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3. Also, the description of the above content included in the battle evaluation article generated in the above-described step S16 conforms to pattern B (see FIG. 5) in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3. When automatically generating a battle evaluation article, similar to the cases of steps S24, 25, etc. described above, the process proceeds to step S17, and the data related to the generated battle evaluation article is stored in the description DB18.

[0162] Furthermore, returning to the above-described step S12 of FIG. 19, if there was no lead of one team during the game (S12: NO), next, the process proceeds to step S21. The MPU 10a calculates points for each player who participated in the game on one team using the point table 16 of FIG. 6 based on the received game data, and determines whether there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points exceed the threshold value (for example, 50 points of the threshold value of the losing team). The process of this step S21 determines whether it corresponds to condition 7 (see FIG. 4) in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3.

[0163] If there is a player whose calculated points exceed the threshold value (S21: YES), the MPU 10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article (S22) including a description representing the active content of the player who exceeded the threshold value (the details of the play corresponding to the calculated points) (a description related to the player who was active in the team that lost the game). The description of the above content included in the battle evaluation article generated in this way conforms to pattern J (see FIG. 5) in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3. After automatically generating the battle evaluation article, similar to the cases of steps S24, 25, etc. described above, the process proceeds to step S17, and the data related to the generated battle evaluation article is stored in the description DB18.

[0164] Also, at the stage of S21, if there is no player whose calculated points exceed the threshold (S21: NO), since this stage of "S21: NO" is reached through "S11: NO (when one team loses)" and "S12: NO (when there is no lead of one team during the game)", MPU10a determines that one team has lost without any good performance in the game and there is no player who has performed actively during the game for one team (it is determined that only condition 2 in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3 (see FIG. 4) is satisfied), and MPU10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article including a description according to the content of praising the other winning team (opponent team) (S23). Note that the description of the above content included in the battle evaluation article generated in this way corresponds to pattern K in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3 (see FIG. 5). After automatically generating the battle evaluation article, similar to the cases of the above-mentioned stages of S24, 25, etc., the process proceeds to the stage of S17, and the data related to the generated battle evaluation article is stored in the description DB18.

[0165] Finally, returning to the stage of S11 in the flowchart of FIG. 19, if one team wins (S11: YES), it corresponds to the case of meeting condition 1, and MPU10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article including a description representing the content that one team has won, as in the conventional case (S20). After automatically generating the battle evaluation article, similar to the cases of the above-mentioned stages of S24, 25, etc., the process proceeds to the stage of S17, and the data related to the generated battle evaluation article is stored in the description DB18.

[0166] The content of the modified examples described in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 above is only an example, and any paragraph related to the determination processes such as S12, 13, 14, 15, and 21 can be appropriately omitted according to the specifications of the provided service, etc., similar to the case of using the determination table 13 described above. Note that in the flowcharts of the modified examples shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, different from the case of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, a battle evaluation article with content corresponding to patterns F to I in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3 is not generated (because in the flowcharts of the modified examples shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, a determination satisfying three or more conditions is not performed).

[0167] In addition, when a sports game in which one side competes against the other in a scoring format is a tournament or knockout format, the game data distributed from the game data distribution system 2 shown in FIG. 1 also includes information indicating whether the game is in a tournament or knockout format. Therefore, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) can also determine whether the game is in a tournament or knockout format and perform the generation process of the description. That is, when the game is in a tournament or knockout format, since the outcome of the game is the most important in terms of the content of the game and the players who performed well, etc., condition 1 in the determination table 13 of FIG. 3 (see FIG. 4) or the determination at the stage of S11 in the flowchart of FIG. 19 (determination of whether one team lost the game) is also emphasized in the automatic generation process of the description.

[0168] Specifically, when the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines (detects) based on the game data acquired by reception that the target game is in a tournament or knockout format, it determines whether one of the competing sides won or lost based on the game data (processing according to condition 1 shown in FIG. 4 or the above-described stage of S11). When it is determined that one side (for example, one team) won the game, the MPU10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article including at the beginning a description to the effect that one side won the game (one side won against the other side) based on the game data. Also, when it is determined that one side lost the game, the MPU10a automatically generates a battle evaluation article including at the beginning a description to the effect that the other side won the game (the other side won against one side) based on the game data. By generating in such a way, it becomes possible to provide an easy-to-understand battle evaluation article regarding "which side won", which is important in a tournament or knockout game.

[0169] In addition, it is also possible to include descriptions about the players who achieved records in the game review articles. For example, in the point table 16 (see Fig. 6) corresponding to condition 7 shown in Fig. 4 (when there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points calculated from the regulations exceed the threshold), a regulation for associating points exceeding the threshold with the player (batter or pitcher) who achieved the record is added, so that a game review article including a description representing the content related to the player who achieved the record can be automatically generated.

[0170] The records to be achieved include records achieved in only one game (for example, cycle hit, no-hit no-run, perfect game, etc.) and records achieved in connection with past achievements (for example, 20 consecutive plate appearances with a hit, 1000 career hits, achieving the 100th win, etc.). All of these records can be determined from the game data being distributed.

[0171] Since the records achieved in only one game can be determined from the play content for each batter or each pitcher based on the game data being distributed, by using the point table 16 including the regulations for points related to the above-mentioned record achievement, the above-mentioned condition 7 (or the stage of S21 in the flowchart) is satisfied. For example, as the content based on pattern J (although one team lost the game, the content related to the player (batter or pitcher) who was active in one team during the game), the MPU10a automatically generates a game review article including a description related to record achievement (a description showing the player who achieved the record and the record achieved).

[0172] Similarly, for records achieved in connection with past achievements, since information indicating that such records are before achievement is included in the game data to be distributed, by combining the play content of the team and players (batter or pitcher) regarding such records before achievement with the above-described information before record achievement, the MPU 10a determines record achievement. When it is determined that the record has been achieved, it means that Condition 7 is satisfied. If the team to which the player who satisfied that Condition 7 belongs loses, as the content based on Pattern J, the MPU 10a automatically generates a game evaluation article including a description regarding past record achievement (description indicating the player who achieved the record and the record achieved).

[0173] Note that the description regarding records as described above (records achieved in only one game or records achieved in connection with past achievements) can of course be included in the game evaluation article regardless of the win or loss of the game, separately from Condition 7. In particular, records regarding the team (for example, the team achieving 1000 wins) may be included in the game evaluation article regardless of the win or loss of the game. Also, without using the point table 16, if any record is achieved, it is possible to adopt a specification in which a game evaluation article including a description indicating the record is automatically generated only on the condition of record achievement, regardless of the points and thresholds.

[0174] In addition, the description automatically generated according to the present invention can be included not only in the game evaluation article of the game but also in the summary, heading, short article, etc. of the game. When including it in the summary, the MPU 10a automatically generates a summary of the game including the description according to the present invention. Since the overall amount of description in the summary is less than that in the above-described game evaluation article, the description according to the present invention is also shorter in amount than when included in the game evaluation article, and a template that becomes a concise expression is extracted from the template table 17 (see FIG. 2) and automatically generated.

[0175] In addition, when including the description automatically generated by the present invention in the title of the game, since the title itself has less description than the above-mentioned summary and uses expressions unique to the title such as noun endings, the description related to the present invention is also shorter in amount than when included in the above summary, and a template with an impact as a title is extracted from the template table 17 (see Figure 2) and automatically generated.

[0176] Furthermore, when including the description automatically generated by the present invention in the short article of the game, the description related to the present invention will be automatically generated according to the amount of description of the short article. When the amount of description of the short article is within the range between the battle assessment article and the summary, the description will be in an amount within that range (shorter than the battle assessment article and longer than the summary), and the description related to the present invention will be automatically generated using a template suitable for it. Also, when the amount of description of the short article is within the range between the summary and the title, the description will be in an amount within that range (shorter than the summary and longer than the title), and the description related to the present invention will be automatically generated using a template suitable for it. In addition, the various modified examples of the above-mentioned Example 1 can also be used in appropriate combinations.

Example

[0177] The game description generation system including the game description generation device according to the second embodiment (Example 2) of the present invention automatically generates the description at the point in time during the game as a progress article related to the game in progress. In the above-mentioned first embodiment (Example 1), after the game ends, a battle assessment article conveying the result and content of the game is automatically generated based on the game data transmitted from the game data distribution system. However, in Example 2, the game description generation device receives and acquires the game data including the information during the game transmitted by the game data distribution system at the point in time during the game, and based on the acquired game data, the game description generation device automatically generates a description (description related to the game in progress) explaining the situation up to the point in time during the game.

[0178] Even in the second embodiment, as a game in which one side competes with the other side in a scoring format, for example, a baseball game is targeted. During a baseball game, at a well-separated point (for example, at the end of the third inning which is the point when one-third of the game has elapsed, at the end of the fourth inning which is the point when half of the game has elapsed, at the end of the seventh inning which is the point when two-thirds of the game has elapsed, etc., a point that can be expressed as a fraction during the game), based on the game data corresponding to that point, the game description generation device automatically generates an elapsed article up to that point. Note that the generation time (generation period) of the elapsed article at a well-separated point during the game is set and determined in advance on the side of the game description generation device, but this generation time of the elapsed article may be changed as appropriate according to the user's desires, specifications, etc.

[0179] As the methods by which the game data distribution system transmits game data, mainly two methods can be assumed. The first method is a method in which the game data distribution system sequentially transmits, at intervals, game data including information that is the updated part (difference). The second method is a method in which the game data distribution system transmits at any time game data including information from the start of the game to a point during the game. Which of these two methods is used will be based on the specifications of the game data distribution system, etc., but in the present invention, it can support either method.

[0180] As an example of the above first method, when one inning (the first inning) of a baseball game ends, the game data distribution system transmits the game data of the first inning at the end of the first inning, and thereafter, similarly, transmits the game data of the second inning at the end of the second inning. It is assumed that the updated part (difference) of the game data is transmitted at any time in this way. Since each game data transmitted by the first method does not include overlapping content, as the game description generation device on the receiving side of the game data, when it receives the transmitted game data, it sequentially stores and accumulates it, and based on the accumulated multiple game data, generates an elapsed article at a predetermined point (a well-separated point during the game such as the end of the third inning described above).

[0181] Note that, as for the intervals of the game data transmitted in the first method, various patterns are conceivable. In addition to transmitting data every inning as described above, it is also conceivable to transmit data at intervals longer than one inning, such as every two innings or every three innings. Conversely, it is also conceivable to transmit data at intervals shorter than one inning, such as every out, every batter, or every pitch.

[0182] As the second method described above, game data including the content from the start of the game to the middle of the game is transmitted at multiple points during the game. For example, when transmitting game data every inning, the game data for one inning (the first inning) of a baseball game is transmitted at the end of that inning. The game data transmitted at the end of the second inning includes the content from the start of the game to the end of the second inning, the game data transmitted at the end of the third inning includes the content from the start of the game to the end of the third inning, and so on. Similarly, the game data transmitted at the end of innings 4 to 9 includes the content from the start of the game to the end of innings 4 to 9 (the same applies in the case of extra innings). In the case of this second method, at the time of receiving the game data, based on the game data obtained by the reception, the game description generation device can automatically generate a progress article of the game in progress at the time of reception.

[0183] In the second embodiment according to the present invention, a progress article can be generated based on any of the game data transmitted by the two methods described above. Note that, in the first embodiment according to the present invention as well, by accumulating and storing the game data according to the first method described above, a battle evaluation article can be generated based on the accumulated multiple game data. Also, in the case of game data according to the second method, a battle evaluation article will be generated based on the game data transmitted upon the end of the game.

[0184] The hardware configuration, processing content, etc. according to Example 2 of the present invention are basically the same as those of Example 1 described above. Therefore, for the same parts as those in Example 1, the same reference numerals as those in Example 1 shall be used in the following description of Example 2. Further, in Example 2, examples of the differences from Example 1 include the details of Conditions 1 to 7 in the determination table 13 (see FIG. 3) and the details of Patterns A to K. These details are suitable for generating descriptions at the time during the game. However, the configuration of the grid itself related to the determination table 13 (the configuration of the grid (matrix) shown in FIG. 3) is the same in Example 2 as well.

[0185] FIG. 21 shows a list of condition details 54 that describes the specific details of Conditions 1 to 7 of Example 2 arranged in the leftmost vertical column 13a of the determination table 13. Condition 1 of Example 2 defines the content as "when one team leads the other team at the time during the game". Also in Example 2, in the determination table 13, one of the two competing teams in a baseball game is determined as one team (for example, the first batting team is tentatively determined as one team), and after determining the remaining opponent team as the other team, the details of each condition are defined based on the content centered on that one team.

[0186] Condition 2 stipulates that "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team and, up to that point, the score of one team is zero or one team has no lead". Hereinafter, Condition 3 stipulates that "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team, but there was a period during which the score of one team exceeded that of the other team up to that point", Condition 4 stipulates that "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team, but there was a period during which the score of one team exceeded that of the other team up to that point and the point difference during that period was greater than 4 points", Condition 5 stipulates that "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team, but there was a period during which the score of one team exceeded that of the other team up to that point and that period exceeded half of the number of innings of the game up to that point", Condition 6 stipulates that "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team, but there were multiple discontinuous periods during which the score of one team exceeded that of the other team up to that point", and Condition 7 stipulates that "when, up to a certain point during the game, there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points calculated based on the point table exceed the threshold value".

[0187] In the case of "when one team is leading the other team at a certain point during the game" in Condition 1 of Example 2, it means that "the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team", and in an article reporting the game progress up to a certain point during the game, it also corresponds to the condition of a situation where one team is winning over the other team.

[0188] The phrase "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team and, up to that point, the score of one team is zero or one team has no lead" in Condition 2 of Example 2 means "when, during the game, one team is losing to the other team and, up to that point, one team has no score or one team has no lead", and when one team is losing during the game, it corresponds to the situation where, up to that point during the game, there is nothing particularly remarkable (no good points) for the losing team.

[0189] The phrase "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team but there was a period when the score of one team was higher than that of the other team up to that point" in Condition 3 of Example 2 means "when, during the game, one team is losing to the other team but there was a period when one team led the other team up to that point", and for the team that is being led during the game, it corresponds to the situation where, as a highlight during the game up to that point, there was a period (a leading period) when the score of one team was higher than that of the other team.

[0190] The phrase "when, during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team but there was a period when the score of one team was higher than that of the other team up to that point and the point difference during that period was greater than 4 points" in Condition 4 of Example 2 means "when, during the game, one team is losing to the other team but there was a period when the score of one team led the other team up to that point and the point difference during that period was greater than 4 points", and for the team that is being led during the game, it corresponds to the situation where, as a highlight during the game up to that point, the team led for a period with a point difference greater than the maximum score that can be obtained in one play in baseball (4 points by a grand slam home run).

[0191] In the case of "when, at a point during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team, but there was a period when the score of one team exceeded that of the other team up to that point, and that period exceeded half of the number of games up to that point" in Condition 5 of Example 2, it means "when, at a point during the game, one team is losing to the other team, but there was a period when the score of one team led the other team up to that point, and the number of times (number of innings) of that lead exceeded half of the game progress period (the period up to that point during the game)". For one team that is being led at a point during the game, as a highlight during the game up to that point, it corresponds to the content that one team led in a range exceeding most of the period up to that point.

[0192] In the case of "when, at a point during the game, the score of one team is lower than that of the other team, but there was a period when the score of one team exceeded that of the other team up to that point, and there were multiple such discontinuous periods" in Condition 6 of Example 2, it means "when, at a point during the game, one team is losing to the other team, but there was a period when the score of one team led the other team up to that point, and there were multiple such discontinuous periods". For one team that is being led at a point during the game, as a highlight during the game up to that point, it corresponds to the content that one team reversed multiple times during the game (there were multiple reversals from a losing state), or one team overtook multiple times (from a winning state, it was tied or reversed, but then returned to a state of overtaking again more than once).

[0193] In the case of "when, up to a point during the game, there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points calculated based on the point table exceed the threshold" in Condition 7, it means that if there is a player (batter or pitcher) who has been active to a certain extent up to a point during the game, such a player (batter or pitcher) is selected and it is a condition for introducing the content of their activity. Note that the determination of activity to a certain extent is the same as in Example 1 (the first embodiment).

[0194] FIG. 22 shows a pattern content list 55 that describes the specific contents of patterns A to K of Example 2 arranged in the bottom row 13b of the determination table 13. Similar to Example 1, each of the patterns A to K of Example 2 also defines guidelines for the content to be included in the generated progress article. However, since Example 2 automatically generates progress articles during the game, the contents of each of the patterns A to K of Example 2 are in accordance with the automatic generation of progress articles during the game. Specifically, pattern A of Example 2 defines a guideline of "content related to one team leading the game", and this pattern A is a guideline for including content related to one team winning over the other team at a point during the game in the progress article.

[0195] Pattern B of Example 2 defines a guideline of "content related to one team being losing at a point during the game but having led the other team at some time up to that point". This pattern B is a guideline for including in the progress article a description of the content related to one team having led the game up to that point as the good aspect of the team being led up to that point, and from the perspective of the team being led, it is content that specifically lists the notable matters of the team being led at a stage prior to that point.

[0196] Pattern C of Example 2 specifies in more detail the situation where one team had a lead up to a certain point during the game, compared to Pattern B of Example 2 above, and provides guidelines regarding "the content related to the fact that one team was losing at a certain point during the game but there was a period when it had a lead with a point difference that was not easily catchable for a while". This Pattern C of Example 2 also, although one team is currently losing the game (to the other team) at present, as something good about the losing team up to that point, even if a grand slam home run was hit by the other team (even if the maximum score obtainable in one play in baseball was scored), includes in the progress article a description of the content related to the fact that one team had a lead over the other team by a point difference (a point difference greater than 4 points) such that the other team could not reverse the situation, and is a guideline for including such content, from the perspective of focusing on the team that is losing during the game, to explain the situation of the period when the losing team had a lead before that, based on the length of the lead.

[0197] Pattern D of Example 2 also specifies the lead situation in more detail than Pattern B of Example 2 above, and provides guidelines regarding "the content related to the fact that one team was losing at a certain point during the game but there was a period when it had a lead over the other team for most of the period up to that point". This Pattern D of Example 2 also, although one team is currently losing the game (to the other team) at present, as something good about the losing team up to that point, for a number of innings exceeding half of the number of innings from the start of the game to the point during the game (for example, if the point during the game is the end of the 7th inning, it corresponds to a situation where it had a lead for more than 3 innings), includes in the progress article a description of the content related to the fact that one team had a lead in the game, and is a guideline for including such content, from the perspective of focusing on the team that is losing during the game, to specifically explain the length of the lead that the losing team had during the game.

[0198] Pattern E of Example 2 also defines the lead situation in more detail than Pattern B of Example 2 above, and defines the guideline of "although one team is losing during the game, there is content related to the fact that there was a comeback or a re - victory for one team during the game". This Pattern E of Example 2 also, although one team is currently losing the game (against the other team), as the good points of the losing team up to that point, there were multiple comebacks from the leading state up to the point during the game, or there was a tie or a comeback from the leading position but then there was at least one instance of winning over again up to the point during the game. It is a guideline for including such content in the progress article, and from the perspective of focusing on the team that is losing during the game, it specifically explains the situation where the losing team is struggling like a seesaw game.

[0199] Pattern F of Example 2 designates the situation combining Pattern C and Pattern D of Example 2 above, and defines the guideline of "although one team is losing at a point during the game, there was a lead of one team with a point difference that was not easily caught up to by that point, and the lead extended over most of the period up to the point during the game".

[0200] Also, Pattern G of Example 2 designates the situation combining Pattern C and Pattern E of Example 2 above, and defines the guideline of "although one team is losing at a point during the game, there was a lead of one team during the game with a point difference that was not easily caught up to by that point, and there were multiple comebacks or winning overs for one team up to that point".

[0201] Furthermore, Pattern H of Example 2 designates the situation combining Pattern D and Pattern E of Example 2 above, and defines the guideline of "although one team is losing at a point during the game, there was a lead of one team over most of the period from the start of the game to the point during the game, and there were multiple comebacks or winning overs for one team up to that point".

[0202] Furthermore, Pattern I of Example 2 specifies a situation in which the three patterns of Pattern C, Pattern D, and Pattern E of Example 2 described above are combined, and defines the guideline of "One team is losing during the game, but there is a lead of one team during the game with a point difference that cannot be easily caught up to by that time, and the lead has covered most of the period from the start of the game to that point during the game, and there have been multiple reversals or comebacks of one team by that time."

[0203] And Pattern J of Example 2 defines the guideline of "One team is losing during the game, but there was a player (batter or pitcher) who performed well on that team by that time." This Pattern J of Example 2 is a guideline for including in the progress article the fact that when one team is being led during the game, but there were players (batters or pitchers) who performed well above a certain level on that team as something good about that team up to that point. From the perspective of the losing team, it focuses on the notable batters and pitchers as the notable matters of the losing team.

[0204] Finally, Pattern K of Example 2 defines the guideline of "One team is losing during the game, and it relates to praising the opposing team (the other team)." This Pattern K of Example 2 is a guideline for including in the progress article the fact that the opposing team (the other team) was excellent when one team was being led up to that point during the game and there were no notable matters for one team or no players who performed well on one team by that time, because it is difficult to mention the leading team from the perspective of the losing team.

[0205] The description generation program P2 of Example 2 basically performs the same processing as that of Example 1. However, as for the timing of performing the processing, the points in time for generating progress articles during the game (for example, the end point of the 3rd inning, the end point of the 5th inning, the end point of the 7th inning, etc.) are preset by the operation of the administrator of the game description generation device 10 or the like. The processing related to setting the points in time for generating such progress articles is also made possible by the programming content of the description generation program P2, and once set, the points in time can also be appropriately changed by the operation of the administrator or the like.

[0206] Figure 23 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the game description generation method by the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) based on the description generation program P2 of Example 2 (showing an example of the processing content of the game description generation method according to the present invention, and this processing content is what the description generation program P2 causes the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) to execute). The flowchart of this Figure 23 is such that the content of each processing corresponds to the description generation at a point in time during the game. As for the flow of the processing, it is basically equivalent to the flowchart shown in Figure 7, but it is different from the flowchart shown in Figure 7 of Example 1 in that the processing at the stage of S31 is interposed.

[0207] Specifically, at the stage of S30, it is determined whether the game data distributed from the external game data distribution system 2 has been received and acquired (corresponding to the stage of S1 in the flowchart of Figure 7). If the game data is not received (S30: NO), the game description generation device 10 enters a state of waiting for the reception (acquisition) of the game data. Also, when the game data is received (S30: YES), the description generation program P2 of Example 2 stipulates that the MPU10a determines whether the most recent content of the game data acquired by the reception corresponds to the preset points in time for generating progress articles (for example, the end point of the 3rd inning, the end point of the 5th inning, or the end point of the 7th inning, etc., which are good demarcation points such as the end point of the front or back of an inning) (whether it includes information on the article generation time point) (S31).

[0208] If the game data acquired by reception is not in accordance with a preset good-segmentation point (the point in time when a progress article is generated) during the game as the most recent content (S31: NO), the process returns to the first stage of S30. If the transmission method of the game data is the above-described first method (the method in which the game data to be updated is sequentially transmitted), even if the stage of S31 is NO, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) stores and accumulates the acquired game data in the storage unit 10g or the RAM 10c or the like. Also, if the transmission method of the game data is the above-described second method (the method of transmitting the game data including the most recent content from the start of the game), when the stage of S31 is NO, it is not necessary to store the acquired game data, but it may be stored as a backup.

[0209] On the other hand, if the acquired game data is in accordance with a preset good-segmentation point (the point in time when a progress article is generated) during the game as the most recent content (S31: YES), thereafter, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 23, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) performs the processes of the stages from S32 to S35. When performing the processes of the stages from S32 to S35, when the game data is transmitted by the above-described first method, based on a plurality of game data obtained by combining the most recently acquired game data and the accumulated game data, the processes of each of the subsequent stages from S32 to S35 are performed. On the other hand, when the game data is transmitted by the second method, based on the most recently acquired game data, the processes of each subsequent stage are performed.

[0210] The processes of the stages from S32 to S35 are basically the same as the processes of the stages from S2 to S5 shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, but are the process contents for generating a description according to the point in time during the game. That is, in the stage of S32, based on the game data (game data during the game) acquired by reception, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines whether each of the opposing teams corresponds to any one of conditions 1 to 7 defined in the determination table 13. In this stage of S32, as conditions 1 to 7 defined in the determination table, the contents shown in the condition content list 54 of FIG. 21 described above are used.

[0211] If the specific content of the processing in the stage of S32 is explained in a baseball game where Team XXX (the first team) and Team YYY (the second team) play against each other, similar to the case of the first embodiment, the MPU 10a of the game description generation device 10 basically identifies the first team XXX, which is one of the opposing teams included in the game data, as one of the teams tentatively and applies it to the determination table 13, and determines whether Team XXX meets any of the conditions 1 to 7 defined in the determination table 13, and identifies Team YYY, the opposing team, as the other team.

[0212]

[0211] And at this stage of S32, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10) determines, based on the game data, the magnitude relationship between the score of Team XXX and the score of Team YYY at a point during the game. If the score of Team XXX exceeds the score of Team YYY, it is determined that Team XXX meets the condition 1 of the second embodiment. Also, if the score of Team XXX is lower than the score of Team YYY at a point during the game, since Team XXX is losing to Team YYY at that time, the game description generation device 10 (MPU 10) analyzes the game data, compares the score situations of both teams in each inning, and determines whether Team XXX meets any of the conditions 2 to 7.

[0213] Note that also at this stage of S32, similar to the case of the first embodiment, when it is determined that the condition 3 is met, the MPU 10a further determines whether any of the conditions 4 to 6 are met. And at this stage of S32, similar to the case of the first embodiment, the MPU 10a makes a condition determination when Team YYY is regarded as one of the teams in order to generate a battle evaluation article including a description focusing on Team YYY, calculates the points of each player up to that point and compares them with the threshold value, and also makes a determination regarding the fulfillment of the determination of meeting the condition 7 and recording, etc.

[0214] Then, at step S33, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) specifies from the determination table 13 a pattern (patterns A to K of Example 2 shown in the pattern content list 55 of FIG. 22) of the content corresponding to the conditions determined at step S32.

[0215] Then, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) automatically generates a progress article including a description corresponding to the pattern specified at step S33 while using the template table 17 (S34), issues an identification code for each of the automatically generated progress articles, and stores data related to the generated progress articles in the description DB18 in association with the issued identification codes (S35). As the progress articles generated and stored in this way, as in the case of Example 1, a plurality of types of progress articles such as those when Team XXX is specified as one team and those when Team YYY is specified as one team are generated. Also, it is preferable to include information indicating at what point during the game the progress article is, etc. in the identification code issued for the generated progress article, or to store in the description DB18 together with the identification code information indicating at what point during the game the progress article is, so as to facilitate the search for the data of the generated progress articles.

[0216] The progress articles generated in Example 2 as described above can be provided by various services as in Example 1. However, in Example 2, since progress articles at points during the game are generated, Example 2 is suitable for services that provide progress reports during the game. Even when providing a description (progress article) explaining the situation during the game, from the perspective of fans cheering for the losing side during the game, up to that point, the content mentioning the good points of the losing side can be conveyed. Hereinafter, specific examples (example of a description of a baseball game between Team XXX and Team YYY) of the progress articles automatically generated using the invention according to Example 2 will be shown.

[0217] Figure 24(a) shows the score 60 for each inning, which is an example of the score situation at the end of the 7th inning in a baseball game where Team XXX, one of the teams, plays against Team YYY, the other team. Figure 24(b) shows the progress record example 70 automatically generated for Example 1 of the score situation at the end of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 60 of Figure 24(a), at the end of the 7th inning of this game, Team XXX leads Team YYY 3 to 0. Team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 1 of Example 2 defined in the judgment table 13 (see Figure 21, when one team has won the game during the game). The game evaluation record example 70 in Figure 8(b) is automatically generated to include a description of Team XXX based on Pattern A of Example 2 (see Figure 22, content related to one team winning during the game).

[0218] Specifically, in the progress record example 70 shown in Figure 24(b), the description part 70a that says "Team XXX leads Team YYY at the end of the 7th inning." mainly corresponds to the description of Pattern A of Example 2. Also, in the progress record example 70, the description part 70b that says "In the 1st inning, with two outs and a runner on first base, a big ○'s two-run home run gave an early lead." and the description part 70c that says "In the 3rd inning, ○i's double added one point and widened the lead to 3 points." also correspond to the descriptions related to Pattern A of Example 2. In this way, the game evaluation record example 70 in Figure 24(b) includes content that describes points related to leading during the game for Team XXX everywhere, so it is a progress record during the game suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0219] Figure 25(a) shows the score 61 for each inning, which is an example of the score situation at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning in a baseball game where team XXX, one of the teams, plays against team YYY, the other team. Figure 25(b) shows the progress record example 71 automatically generated for the score situation example 2 at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 61 of Figure 25(a), at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning in this game, team XXX lost to team YYY 3 to 4, but there was a situation where team XXX led until the end of the bottom of the 7th inning (team XXX led the game until the top of the 3rd inning).

[0220] Therefore, team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 3 of Example 2 defined in the judgment table 13 (see Figure 21, when one of the teams is losing during the game but there was a period when one of the teams led until that point). The progress record example 71 in Figure 25(b) is automatically generated to include a description for team XXX based on pattern B of Example 2 (see Figure 22, showing the content related to the fact that one of the teams was led during the game but there was a lead by one of the teams until that point).

[0221] Specifically, in the game evaluation record example 71 shown in Figure 25(b), the description section 71a that says "Team XXX got off to a lucky start with a two-run home run from two outs and a runner on first base in the 1st inning, and added one point with a double by ○ well in the 3rd inning, expanding the lead to 3 points." and the description section 71b that says "In the 7th inning, team XXX created a situation with one out and a runner on second base and a tie score, but ○ well hit a ground ball to the infield and big ○ struck out, and one more hit couldn't be made and they couldn't catch up." mainly correspond to the description of pattern B of Example 2. In this way, the progress record example 71 in Figure 25(b) includes a description explaining the good points of team XXX during the game, such as the fact that team XXX was led during the game but there was a lead by one of the teams until that point in the game and the state of the attack related to that lead. Therefore, it is a progress record during the game suitable for fans of team XXX and the like.

[0222] FIG. 26(a) is a per-inning score 62 showing an example 3 of the score situation at the end of the 7th inning in a baseball game where team XXX, one of the teams, plays against team YYY, the other team. FIG. 26(b) shows an event log example 72 automatically generated for the score situation example 3 at the end of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 62 of FIG. 26(a), in this game, at the end of the 7th inning, team XXX is trailing team YYY 5 to 8. However, there was a situation where team XXX led by a score difference of 5 to 0 for a while (until the end of the 4th inning).

[0223] Therefore, team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 4 of Example 2 defined in the determination table 13 (see FIG. 21. When one of the teams is losing during the game, but has led by a score difference greater than 4 points up to that point). The game evaluation event log 72 in FIG. 26(b) is automatically generated to include a description for team XXX based on pattern C of Example 2 (see FIG. 22. Regarding the content that one of the teams is being led during the game, but has led by a score difference that is not easily caught up for a while).

[0224] Specifically, in the progress record example 72 shown in FIG. 26(b), the description section 72a stating that "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a 2-run home run by ○○○ with two outs and a runner on first base once, and in the 3rd inning, a 3-run home run came out with ○○○ hitting two consecutive at-bats, advancing the game with a 5-0 lead in the early stage." and the description section 72b stating that "In the 6th inning, the second batter, ○○○, allowed a solo home run to △ and allowed a reversal. In the 7th inning, 2 points were also taken away and the lead was 5-8, but we are looking forward to the comeback of Team XXX in the late stage." mainly correspond to the description of Pattern C. Thus, the game evaluation record example 72 in FIG. 26(b) shows, regarding Team XXX, that although it was leading during the game, until then, even if the opposing team hit a grand slam home run, one team had taken a large lead with a point difference that the other team could not catch up with, the state of taking such a large lead, and the description including the good points of Team XXX during the game and the expected future developments such as the expectation of Team XXX's comeback in the late stage of the game. Therefore, it is a progress article suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0225] FIG. 27(a) is the inning-by-inning score 63 showing the score situation example 4 at the end of the 7th inning in a baseball game where Team XXX, one team, plays against Team YYY, the other team, and FIG. 27(b) shows the progress record example 73 automatically generated for the score situation example 4 at the end of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 63 in FIG. 27(a), in this game, at the end of the 7th inning, Team XXX is leading Team YYY 3-4, but from the top of the 1st inning to the end of the top of the 6th inning, Team XXX has been leading Team YYY, and the period (number of innings) during which it was leading has exceeded half of the entire period (7 innings of the game progress period) until the midpoint of the game.

[0226] Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 5 of Example 2 defined in the judgment table 13 (see Fig. 21. When one of the teams is losing during the game, but the number of times Team XXX leads during the game exceeds half of the total number of times from the start of the game to the middle of the game). The progress record case 73 in Fig. 27(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern D of Example 2 for Team XXX (see Fig. 22. When one of the teams is being led during the game, but has led most of the time up to that point).

[0227] Specifically, in the progress record case 73 shown in Fig. 27(b), the description section 73a that says "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a two-run home run from two outs and first base in the 1st inning, and in the 3rd inning, a solo home run came out in succession with two at-bats of the big circle, and advanced the game advantageously with a score of 3 to 0 in the early stage." and the description section 73b that says "However, in the 6th inning, Iwa ○ disrupted the pitching, and with 3 walks, the bases were loaded. When Sak ○ was hit with a two-run double to clear the runners and was pressured to a one-point deficit, he left the mound. However, Fuj ○, who was entrusted with the rest, also could not stop the momentum of Team YYY's batting line, was hit with a double by Hon ○ and a timely hit by Ki ○, and the game was turned around. But from here, a comeback from Team XXX is awaited." mainly correspond to the description corresponding to Pattern D of Example 2. In this way, the progress record case 73 in Fig. 27(b) includes descriptions showing the good points of Team XXX during the game and the expected future developments, such as Team XXX being led during the game but leading most of the time up to the middle of the game, the state of having that lead taken away, and the expectation of Team XXX's comeback in the late stage of the game. Therefore, it is a suitable progress record for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0228] Figure 28(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 64 of Example 5 of the score situation at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning in a baseball game where Team XXX, one of the teams, plays against Team YYY, the other team. Figure 28(b) shows the progress record example 74 automatically generated for Example 5 of the score situation at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 64 of Figure 28(a), in this game, at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning, Team XXX lost to Team YYY 6 to 7. However, up to that point, Team XXX had been in a situation of reversing twice (reversing in the top of the 2nd inning and the top of the 6th inning).

[0229] Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 6 of Example 2 defined in the judgment table 13 (see Figure 21. When one of the teams is losing during the game, but there are multiple breaks in the lead during the game up to that point). The progress record example 74 in Figure 28(b) is automatically generated to include a description of Team XXX based on Pattern E of Example 2 (see Figure 22. Regarding the content that one of the teams is being led during the game, but there have been multiple reversals or overrides up to that point).

[0230] Specifically, in the progress record example 74 shown in Figure 28(b), the description section 74a that says "In the first inning, the starting pitcher Iwa ○ of Team XXX was hit in succession by the batting line of Team YYY and allowed a 2-point lead, but immediately after that, in the second inning, Dai ○ hit a 3-run home run and succeeded in reversing." The description section 34b that says "Team XXX, which is trying to catch up somehow, succeeds in reversing again 6 to 5 with the consecutive hits of Ito ○ and Dai ○ in the 6th inning." And the description section 74c that says "In the 7th inning, Fuj ○, who quickly took the mound, gave four balls to Sak ○ with two outs and allowed a reverse 2-run home run to the following ○, and once again allowed Team YYY to win, but there is an expectation for Team XXX to reverse again after the 8th inning." mainly correspond to the description corresponding to Pattern E of Example 2. In this way, the progress record example 74 in Figure 28(b) includes a description of Team XXX that is being led during the game, but up to the point during the game, there have been multiple reversals during the game, the situation at the time of those reversals, etc., and the expected future development. Therefore, it is a progress record suitable for fans of Team XXX.

[0231] FIG. 29(a) is the inning-by-inning score 65 showing an example 6 of the score situation at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning in a baseball game where team XXX, one team, plays against team YYY, the other team, and FIG. 29(b) shows the progress record example 75 automatically generated for the score situation example 6 at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 65 of FIG. 29(a), in this game, at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning, team XXX lost to team YYY 5 to 6, but there was a time when team XXX was leading up to that point, and the period when it was leading (the number of innings from the top of the 1st to the top of the 7th) exceeded half of the entire period up to that point in the game (all innings from the start of the game to the 7th inning), and there was a situation where the maximum score difference when team XXX was leading was 5 points (leading 5 to 0).

[0232] Therefore, team XXX, one of the teams, meets the condition 4 of Example 2 (see FIG. 21, where one team is losing at a point during the game, but up to that point, one team had a lead with a score difference greater than 4 points) and the condition 5 of Example 2 (where one team is losing at a point during the game, but the number of times team XXX, one of the teams, led during the game exceeded half of the total number of innings up to that point) defined in the determination table 13, and the progress record example 75 in FIG. 29(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on pattern F of Example 2 (see FIG. 22. Regarding the situation where one team was leading during the game but was unable to easily catch up with a score difference, and the period when it was leading covered most of the period up to that point) for team XXX.

[0233] Specifically, in the progress record example 75 shown in FIG. 29(b), in the description section 75a that states, "Team XXX took the lead fortunately with a two-run home run by ○○ with two outs and a runner on first base once, and in the third inning, a three-run home run that was ○○'s consecutive at-bats for two times popped out, and the game advanced advantageously with a large lead of 5-0 in the early innings." and the description section 75b that states, "However, in the seventh inning, ○○ of Team XXX disrupted the ball control, and with three walks, the bases were loaded. ○○ of Team XXX was forced into a two-run deficit by giving up a two-run double to clear the runners. However, ○○, who was entrusted with the rest of the game, was unable to stop the momentum of Team YYY's batting line, gave up a double to ○○ and a home run to ○○, and the game was reversed. However, there is still hope for Team XXX to reverse in the late innings." mainly correspond to the description of Pattern D of Example 2. Thus, the progress record example 75 in FIG. 29(b) shows, regarding Team XXX, that although they were leading during the game, at one point, even if the opposing team hit a grand slam home run, the large lead was not caught up, and they had a large lead with a score difference that was impossible to catch up to. They had led for most of the time until that point, and it includes descriptions representing the hoped-for development of Team XXX in the future, such as the situation of the attack regarding the lead. Therefore, it is a progress record suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0234] FIG. 30(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 66 of the score situation example 7 at the end of the bottom of the seventh inning in a baseball game where Team XXX, one of the teams, plays against Team YYY, the other team. FIG. 30(b) shows the progress record example 76 automatically generated for the score situation example 7 at the end of the bottom of the seventh inning of that game. As shown in the score 66 in FIG. 30(a), at the end of the bottom of the seventh inning, Team XXX lost to Team YYY 9-10, but until that point, Team XXX had reversed twice (in the top of the second inning and the top of the sixth inning), and there was a situation where the maximum score difference when Team XXX led for the first time was 5 points (leading 7-2).

[0235] Therefore, one of the teams, Team XXX, meets the conditions of Example 2, Condition 4 (see Figure 21. When one team is losing during the game, but has led by a score difference greater than 4 points up to that point) and Condition 6 of Example 2 (see Figure 21. When one team is losing during the game, but there have been multiple breaks in the lead during the game). The progress record case 76 in Figure 30(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern G of Example 2 (see Figure 22. One team is being led during the game, but up to that point, Team XXX has led by a score difference that is not easily caught up with, and there have been multiple reversals or overrides).

[0236] Specifically, in the progress record case 76 shown in Figure 30(b), the description section 76a that says "Team XXX allowed a 2-point lead when the starting pitcher, Iwa ○, was hit by consecutive hits by the batting line of Team YYY once, but immediately after that, in the second inning, Dai ○ hit a 3-run home run and succeeded in reversing the situation.", the description section 76b that says "In the third inning, ○ Kawa hit a grand slam home run, and the game advanced advantageously with a large lead of 7-2 in the early innings." (content corresponding to Condition 4), the description section 76c that says "However, in the sixth inning of Team XXX, with one out and runners on second base, Dai ○ hit his second home run of the day and repeated the game again." (content corresponding to Condition 6), and the description section 76d that says "However, in the seventh inning of Team XXX, the relief pitcher, Fuji ○, gave a four-ball walk to Sak ○ with two outs, and then allowed a 2-run home run for a reversal to Team YYY. Further reversals of Team XXX are expected in the final innings of the eighth and ninth innings." mainly correspond to the description of Pattern G.

[0237] As described above, the game evaluation case 76 in FIG. 30(b) shows, for team XXX, that although it was trailing the opposing team (team YYY) during the game, team XXX had reversed the lead multiple times up to that point, that even though the opposing team hit a grand slam, team XXX had taken a large lead with a point difference that the opposing team could not catch up with, descriptions of how the attack was conducted during the reversals and large leads, and expectations for future reversals by team XXX. Therefore, it is a progress article suitable for fans of team XXX and the like.

[0238] FIG. 31(a) shows the inning-by-inning score 67 of the score situation example 8 at the end of the 7th inning in a baseball game where team XXX, one of the teams, plays against team YYY, the other team. FIG. 31(b) shows the progress article example 77 automatically generated for the score situation example 8 at the end of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 67 in FIG. 31(a), in this game, at the end of the 7th inning, team XXX is trailing team YYY 6 to 8, but up to that point, team XXX has reversed the lead twice (in the 2nd and 5th innings), and there is a situation where the total number of innings in which team XXX was leading exceeded the majority up to that point (leading from the 2nd inning to the 4th inning and from the 5th inning to the 7th inning).

[0239] Therefore, team XXX, one of the teams, meets the conditions of condition 5 of Example 2 (see FIG. 21, where one team is losing during the game, but the number of innings in which team XXX, one of the teams, was leading exceeded half of the total number of innings up to that point during the game) and condition 6 of Example 2 (see FIG. 21, where one team is losing during the game, but there are multiple breaks in the innings in which the team was leading during the game up to that point) defined in the judgment table 13. The progress article example 77 in FIG. 31(b) is automatically generated to include descriptions based on pattern H of Example 2 (see FIG. 22. One team was trailing during the game, but team XXX was leading for the majority up to that point (from the 2nd inning to the 4th inning and from the 5th inning to the 7th inning), and there were multiple reversals or comebacks during the game (reversals in the 2nd and 5th innings)).

[0240] Specifically, among the game evaluation record cases 77 shown in FIG. 31(b), the description part 77a (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) that "Team XXX allowed a 2-point lead when starting pitcher Iwa ○ was hit in succession by the batting line of Team YYY once, but immediately afterwards in the 2nd inning, Dai ○ hit a 3-run home run and succeeded in reversing the lead."; the description part 77b (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) that "However, in the 4th inning, Iwa ○ lost 3 points due to concentrated hitting and allowed the lead to be reversed."; the description part 77c (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) that "However, immediately afterwards in the 5th inning of Team XXX, with one out and a runner on second base, Dai ○ hit the second home run of the day and repeated the game again."; and the description part 77d (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) that "But in the 7th inning of Team XXX, relief pitcher Fuj ○ gave a base on balls to Sak ○ with two outs, and then allowed a 2-run home run for a reversal and lost the lead again. Further reversal of Team XXX towards the endgame is expected." mainly correspond to the description of Pattern H of Example 2.

[0241] Thus, the game evaluation record case 77 in FIG. 31(b) contains descriptions regarding Team XXX, such as being led by the opposing team (Team YYY) during the game, but having reversed several times until that point, having led for the majority of the period until that point, the state of the attack when reversing or leading, and the expectation of future reversal of Team XXX. Therefore, it is a game evaluation article suitable for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0242] FIG. 32(a) is the score 68 for each inning showing an example 9 of the score situation at the end of the 7th inning in a baseball game where team XXX, one team, plays against team YYY, the other team, and FIG. 32(b) shows the progress record example 78 automatically generated for the score situation example 9 at the end of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 68 of FIG. 32(a), at the end of the 7th inning, team XXX is losing to team YYY 9 to 10, but up to that point, team XXX has come from behind twice (in the 2nd and 6th innings), and the maximum score difference when team XXX had the lead for the first time was 5 points (team XXX led 7 to 2 from the 4th inning to the 5th inning), and there was a situation where the total number of innings in which team XXX had the lead exceeded most of the range from the start of the game to the end of the 7th inning (from the 2nd inning to the 5th inning, and from the 6th inning to the 7th inning).

[0243] Therefore, team XXX, one team, meets the condition 4 of Example 2 (see FIG. 21. One team is losing during the game, but up to that point, one team had a lead with a score difference of more than 4 points), the condition 5 of Example 2 (see FIG. 21. One team is losing during the game, but the number of innings in which team XXX, one team, had the lead during the game exceeded half of the total number of innings up to that point), and the condition 6 of Example 2 (see FIG. 21. One team is losing during the game, but there were multiple breaks in the lead during the game up to that point) defined in the determination table 13. The progress record example 78 in FIG. 32(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on Pattern I of Example 2 for team XXX (see FIG. 22. One team is being led during the game, but up to that point, team XXX had a lead with a score difference that was not easily caught up with, and that lead covered most of the period from the start of the game to that point, and there were multiple comebacks or overrides).

[0244] Specifically, in the progress record example 78 shown in Fig. 32(b), the description section 78a (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) stating that "Although the starting pitcher Yan ○ of Team XXX was hit by consecutive hits from the batting line of Team YYY once and allowed a two-point lead, immediately afterwards, in the second inning, Dai ○ hit a three-run home run and succeeded in a comeback."; the description section 78b (description regarding condition 4) stating that "In the fourth inning, Ito ○ hit a grand slam home run and widened the lead to a one-sided score difference of 7 to 2."; the description section 78c (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) stating that "However, in the fifth inning, Team XXX allowed a comeback as the second batter ○ Na lost 6 points due to concentrated hitting."; the description section 78d (description regarding conditions 5 and 6) stating that "However, in the sixth inning, with one out and a runner on second base, Dai ○ hit his second home run of the day and tied the game again."; and the description section 78e (description regarding conditions 4, 5, and 6) stating that "However, in the seventh inning, the relief pitcher Fuj ○ of Team XXX gave a four-ball walk to Sak ○ with two outs, and then allowed a two-run home run for a comeback, and once again lost the lead. There is an expectation for Team XXX to make a comeback in the late innings." mainly correspond to the description for Pattern I.

[0245] In this way, the progress record example 78 in Fig. 32(b) shows that for Team XXX, although they were leading by the opponent team (Team YYY) during the game, until that point, Team XXX had made multiple comebacks, the opponent team took a large lead with a score difference that Team XXX could not catch up even though they hit a grand slam home run, Team XXX led for most of the period from the start of the game to the seventh inning, the state of the attack when making a comeback or leading, and the expectation for Team XXX to make a comeback in the future. Therefore, it is a suitable game evaluation article for fans of Team XXX and the like.

[0246] FIG. 33(a) is the score 69 for each inning showing an example 10 of the score situation at the end of the 7th inning in a baseball game where team XXX, one team, plays against team YYY, the other team, and FIG. 33(b) shows an example 79 of the progress record automatically generated for the score situation example 10 at the end of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 69 of FIG. 33(a), at the end of the 7th inning, team XXX lost to team YYY 3 to 8. Up to that point, team XXX scored points but never led. All of team XXX's scores were due to two home runs by the great ○ player.

[0247] Therefore, team XXX, one team, meets the condition 2 of Example 2 (see FIG. 22. When one team is being led and has had zero or no lead during the game) and the condition 7 of Example 2 (the same as the condition 7 of Example 1. When there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points obtained from a certain formula exceed the threshold) defined in the judgment table 13. The progress record example 79 in FIG. 33(b) is automatically generated to include a description based on pattern J of Example 2 (while one team is being led during the game, but up to that point, there was a player who was active for one team) for team XXX.

[0248] Specifically, in the progress record example 79 shown in FIG. 33(b), the description section 79a (description regarding condition 7), “Player ○ No. 4 is taking a breath during a tough game development. When he hits a solo home run in the third at-bat of the 6th inning to start the counterattack, he puts a four-ball runner on first base in the 7th inning and hits consecutive home runs in two at-bats, and is active with 3 RBIs on this day.”, and the description section 79b (description regarding condition 2), “Although the game is led 3-8 due to a large number of early-inning runs conceded, the batting line-up of Team XXX following Player ○ No. 4 is expected to be active in the late innings.” mainly correspond to the description of Pattern J of Example 2. Thus, the progress record example 79 in FIG. 33(b) shows that Team XXX was led by the opposing team (Team YYY) at a point during the game and there were no particular noteworthy events, but there was a player who was active within Team XXX. Therefore, it contains descriptions showing the active situation of that player and descriptions expecting the future counterattack of Team XXX. Even though they were losing, it is a suitable game review article for fans who want to know the situation of the players who were active within Team XXX.

[0249] FIG. 34(a) is the inning-by-inning score 80 showing the score situation example 11 at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning in a baseball game where Team XXX, one of the teams, plays against Team YYY, the other team. FIG. 34(b) shows the progress record example 81 automatically generated for the score situation example 11 at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning of that game. As shown in the score 80 of FIG. 34(a), at the end of the bottom of the 7th inning, Team XXX is being shut out 0-10 by Team YYY, and the game content is such that there is no particular point to be noted about what Team XXX did well or the players who were active.

[0250] Therefore, Team XXX, one of the teams, only corresponds to condition 2 of Example 2 defined in the judgment table 13 (see FIG. 22. When one team is being led and there are zero runs scored or no lead during the game), and the progress record example 81 in FIG. 34(b) is automatically generated to include descriptions based on Pattern K of Example 2 for Team XXX (see FIG. 22. When one team is being led at a point during the game and the content related to praising the opposing team (the other team)).

[0251] Specifically, in the progress record example 81 shown in FIG. 34(b), the description section 81a (description regarding condition 2), “At the 7th inning, in front of the ○ field of the starting pitcher of Team YYY, which continues to pitch excellently, Team XXX's batting line builds a mountain of strikeouts and is suppressed to 3 scattered safe hits without being able to step on second base.”, and the description section 81b (description regarding condition 2), “Looking forward to the late-game rally of Team XXX to somehow get revenge.” mainly correspond to the description of pattern K. Thus, the game evaluation record example 81 in FIG. 34(b) shows that Team XXX has suffered a major defeat during the game, there are no remarkable matters up to that point, and there are no players who have excelled within Team XXX. Therefore, it contains content that reluctantly praises the opposing team and is a progress article that includes descriptions such as looking forward to the future rally of Team XXX.

[0252] As described above, in the second embodiment (Example 2) according to the present invention, even if a team is losing during the game, if the losing side had a lead up to that point, the point difference due to that lead was so large that it could not be caught even by the maximum score in one play, the lead covered most of the period up to that point, or there were many reversals, etc., a progress article including a description explaining these contents will be automatically generated, so that a description that can be enjoyed by the fans of the losing side can be provided.

[0253] Note that in the second embodiment (Example 2) according to the present invention, the various modifications described in the above-described first embodiment (Example 1) can also be applied. For example, Example 2 can be applied to various sports in which one side and the other side compete in a point-scoring format other than baseball, and any one of conditions 2 to 6 of Example 2 can be omitted depending on the specifications of the service provided.

[0254] In addition, the content of the processing according to the flowchart of the modification example of Example 1 shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 can basically be applied to Example 2 as well. When applying, the processing at each stage changes to the content for generating a progress article at the time during the game. Similar to the flowchart shown in FIG. 23, between the stages of S10 and S11 shown in FIG. 19, a process equivalent to the stage of S31 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 23 (a determination process as to whether the acquired game data is in accordance with the time (a good timing for segmentation during the game) corresponding to the time of generating the progress article) is inserted. Hereinafter, the flow of the processing in one of the modification examples of Example 2 according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 19 and 20 will be described according to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 35 and 36.

[0255] First, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 35, in this modification example of Example 2, at the time during the game, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines whether it has received and acquired the game data transmitted from the external game data distribution system 2 (S40). If not acquired (S40: NO), it waits for reception. If acquired (S40: YES), it determines whether the latest information included in the acquired game data is in accordance with a good timing for segmentation (such as the end point of the 3rd inning or the end point of the 7th inning, etc.) corresponding to the time of generating the progress article (whether it includes the information at the article generation time) (S41).

[0256] If the latest information included in the acquired game data is not in accordance with the time of generating the progress article (S41: NO), the process returns to the first stage of S40. Note that the corresponding manner of the game description generation device 10 when the transmission method of the game data from the external game data distribution system 2 is the first method or the second method is the same as that described in the flowchart of FIG. 23.

[0257] On the one hand, when the latest information included in the acquired game data is corresponding to the time point of generating the progress article (S41: YES), the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) tentatively specifies one team as the first batting team, and compares the scores of one team and the other team at the mid-game time point based on the acquired game data to determine whether the score of the former exceeds the score of the latter (whether one team leads the other team) (S42). When it is determined that the score of one team exceeds the score of the other team at the mid-game time point (S42: YES), the game description generation device 10 determines that the one team meets the condition 1 of the second embodiment, and the MPU10a automatically generates a progress article including a description indicating that the one team has won (is leading) at that time point using a template based on the game data (S50). After that, it proceeds to the stage of S48 in the flowchart of FIG. 36, and performs a process of storing the data related to the generated progress article in the description DB18.

[0258] When the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines that the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team (one team is being led) (S42: NO), it determines based on the acquired game data whether there has been a time when the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team up to that time point (S43). When the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines that there has been a time when the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team up to the mid-game time point (S43: YES), it determines whether that time exceeded half of the game progress period (S44).

[0259] When the period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score exceeded half of the game elapsed time up to the point in the middle of the game (S44: YES), that is, when one team meets the condition 5 of Example 2, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) automatically generates a progress article including a description based on the content that one team was losing at the point in the middle of the game but led the other team for the majority up to the point in the middle of the game, using a template based on the game data (S54). After generating the progress article at the stage of S54, in the same manner as above, at the stage of S48 in the flowchart of FIG. 36, the storage process of the data related to the generated progress article is performed.

[0260] Also, when the period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score did not exceed half of the game elapsed time (S44: NO), as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 36, the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) determines based on the game data whether the period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score existed intermittently multiple times up to the point in the middle of the game (S45). When the period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score existed intermittently multiple times (S45: YES), the game description generation device 10 (MPU10a) automatically generates a progress article including a description based on the content related to the fact that there was a re-reversal or re-overcoming by one team up to the point in the middle of the game, using a template based on the game data (S55). After generating the progress article at this stage of S55, in the same manner as above, it proceeds to the stage of S48 and the storage process is performed.

[0261] Furthermore, if there were no multiple instances where the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team with breaks in between (S45: NO), the MPU10a determines based on the game data whether, up to the point in the game, one team had led the other team by a point difference greater than 4 points (the maximum number of points obtainable in one play), i.e., a point difference of 5 points or more (S46). If one team had led the other team by a point difference greater than 4 points (S46: YES), the MPU10a automatically generates a progress article containing a description based on the content related to having led the other team by a point difference that was not easily catchable for a while, using a template based on the game data (S56). Note that even after generating the progress article at this stage of S56, the process proceeds to step S48 for storage processing as described above.

[0262] Furthermore, if one team had not led by a point difference greater than 4 points (S46: NO), based on the course of each process up to that stage, although one team was being led by the other team at the point in the game, if there was a period when one team had led the other team up to that point, the MPU10a automatically generates a progress article containing a description according to the content related to such a case, using a template based on the game data (S47). Note that even after generating the progress article at this stage of S47, the process proceeds to step S48 for storage processing as described above.

[0263] Also, at the stage of S43 in the flowchart of FIG. 35, if one team had not had a lead up to the point in the game (S43: NO), the MPU10a calculates points for each participating player of one team based on the game data and determines whether there is a player (batter or pitcher) whose points exceed a threshold value (e.g., 50 points) (S51). If there is a player whose calculated points exceed the threshold value (S51: YES), the MPU10a automatically generates a progress article containing a description representing the active performance of the player who exceeded the threshold value (a description representing the content related to the player who was active in the team that was losing the game) (S52). Even after generating the progress article at this stage of S52, the process proceeds to step S48 for storage processing as described above.

[0264] Also, if there is no player who has exceeded the threshold value among the calculated points (S51: NO), and up to the point in the middle of the game, one team has no good points and is being led by the other team, and there is no player who has been active in one team, the MPU10a determines that this is the case, and the MPU10a automatically generates a progress article including a description according to the content of praising the other team that is leading (S53). Note that even after generating the progress article at the stage of S53, as in the above, the process proceeds to the stage of S48 and the storage process is performed.

[0265] As described above, as one of the modified examples of the second embodiment, there is a processing flow shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 35 and 36. Also, the determination processes at each stage of S43, 44, 45, 46, and 51 can be appropriately omitted according to the specifications of the service provided, etc., in the same manner as when using the above-described determination table 13. In the above description, the first attacking team is specified as one team and the processing is performed. However, if the first attacking team is winning at the point in the middle of the game, the second attacking team is specified as one team, and the processing according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 35 and 36 is performed. Note that if the first attacking team is losing at the point in the middle of the game, it means that the second attacking team is winning. In that case, for the second attacking team, the processing according to the stage of S50 is performed, and a progress article with the content that the second attacking team is winning at the point in the middle of the game is automatically generated.

[0266] Furthermore, as specific modifications of the second embodiment (Example 2), there are various ways to change the scope and generation time of the progress articles. For example, as the scope of the progress articles, in addition to targeting the range from the start of the game to a point during the game, depending on the content and specifications of the service provided, the invention of Example 2 may also be applied to the range from a certain point during the game to a subsequent point during the game. That is, not only create progress articles during the baseball game at the end of the 5th inning or the end of the 7th inning from the start of the game, but also generate the first progress article at the end of the 3rd inning from the start of the game, generate the second progress article at the end of the 6th inning from the 4th inning, and the invention of Example 2 can also be applied when generating the third progress article at the end of the 8th inning from the 7th inning and so on.

[0267] In the case of such a modification, the second progress article generated for the period (range) from the 4th inning to the end of the 6th inning and the third progress article generated for the period (range) from the 7th inning to the end of the 8th inning do not include the period from the start of the game. However, even in such a case where the period from the start of the game is not included, if it is the invention according to Example 2, a progress article including a description corresponding to the target period can be generated.

[0268] And in this modification, in the description generation program P2 of Example 2, the generation time of the progress article can be set multiple times. When the set time arrives, it is determined, for example, at the stage of S31 in the flowchart of FIG. 23 or the stage of S41 in the flowchart of FIG. 35 whether the acquired game data includes the content of such a set time. If it is determined in this judgment that the game data includes the content of the set time, for each generation target period (range), the processing after the stage of S32 in the flowchart of FIG. 23 or the processing after the stage of S42 in the flowchart of FIG. 35 is executed, and a progress article for the generation target range is automatically generated and saved (recorded).

[0269] Note that in this modification example, Condition 5 is determined by whether the lead period (number of times) of one team exceeds half of the period to be generated (for example, the range from the 4th inning to the 6th inning). Further, this modification example can also be applied to sports games decided by time. For example, it is also possible to generate progress articles for each range (period), such as the range (from the start of the game to the point when 20 minutes have elapsed) and the range (period) from the point when 20 minutes have elapsed to the point when 45 minutes have elapsed).

[0270] Furthermore, as in the above-described modification example, generating progress articles at multiple points during a game can be assumed to be set by the administrator of the game description generation device 10 or the like. However, instead of being set by the administrator or the like, the generation time can be default-specified in the description generation program P2 for a plurality of points in the programming content. In this case, as an example of a short interval, in the example of a baseball game, it is conceivable to program a rule to generate a progress article every time one inning (the back of the inning) ends. Also, in games other than baseball, when the game period is determined by time, it is conceivable to generate progress articles according to the rules of the description generation program P2 at intervals such as every 5 minutes, every 10 minutes, or every 15 minutes (note that in this case, game data will also be transmitted at the above time intervals). Also, in Example 2, the various modification examples of Example 2 described above may be used in appropriate combinations.

Industrial Applicability

[0271] Since the present invention automatically generates a battle evaluation article or a progress article including a description focused on the losing side or the side losing during the game, it can be suitably used for applications such as providing a service for conveying matters that fans of the losing side or the side losing during the game want to know.

Explanation of Signs

[0272] 1 Game description generation system 2 Game data distribution system 10 Game description generation device 13 Judgment Table 14, 54 List of Condition Contents 15, 55 List of Pattern Contents 16 Point Table 17 Template Table 18 Description DB (Database) 30 - 39, 41 Battle Evaluation Record Examples 70 - 79, 81 Progress Record Examples P1 OS Program P2 Description Generation Program

Claims

1. A game description generating device that externally acquires game data showing details of a game played in a scoring format and generates a description of the game in progress based on the acquired game data, A means for determining the magnitude of a score of one opponent at a midpoint in a game and a score of the other opponent at a midpoint in a game based on game data obtained from an external source; a means for generating two kinds of descriptions, a first description of the content that one team is trailing the other team at the midpoint of the game and a second description of the content that the other team is leading the one team at the midpoint of the game, when the result of the judgment is that the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team at the midpoint of the game; A game description generating device comprising:

2. a means for determining whether or not the score of one team at the midpoint of the game is zero based on game data obtained from an external source when the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team at the midpoint of the game as a result of the determination; a means for generating a first description including a content regarding praising the other team when the score of one team at the midpoint of the game is zero as a result of the judgment; 2. The match description generator of claim 1, comprising:

3. a means for determining, when the result of said determination is that the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team at the midpoint of said game, whether or not there was a period during which the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team up to said midpoint of the game, based on game data obtained from an external source; If the result of the determination is that there was no period in which one of the scores exceeded the other, a means for generating a first description including a content related to praising the other.

3. The match description generating device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. a means for determining, when the result of said determination is that the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team at the midpoint of said game, whether or not there was a period during which the score of one team exceeded the score of the other team up to said midpoint of the game, based on game data obtained from an external source; a means for judging, when it is determined that there was a period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score until the midpoint of the game as a result of the determination, whether or not that period exceeded half of the game's elapsed time until the midpoint of the game; a means for generating a first description including a content related to one team being ahead of the other team for most of the period up to the midpoint of the game, when the result of the determination is that the period during which one team's score exceeded the other team's score exceeded half of the period during which the game elapsed.

4. The match description generating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The match is one in which a plurality of players from each of the two teams participate, A points table that specifies the points according to the play content; A means for calculating points of players who have participated in a match up to a midpoint of the match from the point table based on match data acquired from an external source; means for detecting the presence or absence of a player whose calculated points exceed a threshold; When there is a player whose calculated points exceed a threshold, a means for extracting the player whose calculated points exceed the threshold; A means for generating a description including content related to the extracted player; Equipped with 5. The game record generating device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value for the team behind at the midpoint of the game is set lower than the threshold value for the team leading.

6. A game description generation method in which a game description generation device externally acquires game data indicating details of a game played in a scoring format, and generates a description of a game in progress based on the acquired game data, comprising: The match description generator comprises: A step of judging the magnitude of a score of one opponent at a midpoint in the game and a score of the other opponent at a midpoint in the game based on game data obtained from an external source; generating two kinds of descriptions, a first description of the content that one team is trailing the other team at the midpoint of the game and a second description of the content that the other team is leading the one team at the midpoint of the game, when the result of the judgment is that the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team at the midpoint of the game; A method for generating a match description, comprising:

7. A computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring game data indicating details of a game played in a scoring format from an external source and generating a description of the game in progress based on the acquired game data, comprising: The computer includes: A step of judging the magnitude of a score of one opponent at a midpoint in the game and a score of the other opponent at a midpoint in the game based on game data obtained from an external source; generating two kinds of descriptions, a first description of the content that one team is trailing the other team at the midpoint of the game and a second description of the content that the other team is leading the one team at the midpoint of the game, when the result of the judgment is that the score of one team is lower than the score of the other team at the midpoint of the game; A computer program characterized by:

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