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

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus for facilitating communication, an information processing method, and an information processing program.SOLUTION: In an information processing system 1 including a server and one or more user terminals connected to the server over a network, a CPU 200C of an information processing apparatus (server) includes: a receiving unit which receives messages transmitted from the user terminals; a determination unit which determines whether the message received by the receiving unit is a response to a message posted to a first talk room; a room generation unit which generates a second talk room different from the first talk room, as a talk room branched from the first talk room, in accordance with a result determined by the determination unit; and a posting unit which posts the message received by the receiving unit to the first talk room or the second talk room.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There has long been a desire to interact with others who share similar hobbies and enjoy events such as live performances. In recent years, with the development of the Internet, it has become easier than ever to find others who share similar hobbies or common topics. For example, a communication support technology that extracts common topics to promote and stimulate communication between users has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2009-122745 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional communication support technologies only extract and present common topics, making it difficult to join a conversation when multiple users are already in the middle of one another, and they cannot accommodate requests to talk about specific topics, so it is difficult to say that they adequately promote communication.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can promote communication. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing device according to the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives a message transmitted from a user terminal, a determining unit that determines whether the message received by the receiving unit is a response to a message posted in a first conversation room, a room generating unit that generates a second conversation room different from the first conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the first conversation room according to the determination result of the determining unit, and a posting unit that posts the message received by the receiving unit to the first conversation room or the second conversation room. When the room generation unit generates the second conversation room, the posting unit notifies users who are in the first conversation room, which is the branching point of the second conversation room, that the second conversation room has been generated. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can promote communication. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a server according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is an example of a database stored in a storage device of a server according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is an example of information stored in a database of a server according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a server according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 2A and 2B are a configuration diagram and a functional block diagram of a user terminal according to the embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a user registration process performed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an event registration process performed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a posting process performed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a conversation room movement process performed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of integration processing by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a reply solicitation process performed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an entrant notification process performed by the information processing system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the user who registers the event will also be referred to as the first user, and the user who enters (accesses) the created conversation room and posts a message will also be referred to as the second user. In the following embodiment, the terminal used by the first user will be referred to as user terminal 3, and the terminal used by the second user will be referred to as user terminal 4, but the first user may also be the second user, and the second user may also be the first user.

[0010] [Embodiment] First, the configuration of an information processing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The information processing system 1 includes a server 2 (information processing device) and one or more user terminals 3 and 4 connected to the server 2 via a network 5. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 1 includes one server 2 and one user terminal 3 and one user terminal 4, but the information processing system 1 may include any number of servers 2 and any number of user terminals 3 and 4. The user terminals 3 and 4 may be desktop personal computers (PCs), tablet PCs, smartphones, etc.

[0011] (Server 2) Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of the server 2. Fig. 2 shows the main hardware configuration of the server 2, and the server 2 has a configuration in which a communication IF 200A, a storage device 200B, and a CPU 200C are connected via a bus. Although not shown in Fig. 2, the server 2 may also include an input device (for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc.) and a display device (CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc.).

[0012] The communication IF 200A is an interface for communicating with other devices (user terminals 3 and 4 in this embodiment).

[0013] The storage device 200B is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a semiconductor storage device (solid state drive (SSD)). The storage device 200B stores various types of information and information processing programs.

[0014] 3 is an example of a database (hereinafter also referred to as DB) stored in the storage device of the server 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage device 200B stores databases such as a user DB1, a user DB2, an event DB3, and a post DB4, as well as information processing programs.

[0015] (user DB1) In the user DB1, information about the first user, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(a), information such as the company name (business name) or name (if the user is an individual), address, and contact information (for example, main telephone number, email address, etc.) (hereinafter also referred to as user attributes) is stored (registered) in association with the user ID. Also, although not shown in FIG. 4(a), the login ID and login password of the first user are stored (registered) in association with the user ID in the user DB1. Note that the information stored in association with the user ID shown in FIG. 4(a) is just an example, and any information can be stored in association with the user ID in the user DB1.

[0016] (user DB2) In the user DB2, information on users (hereinafter also referred to as second users) who view content such as events, for example, as shown in FIG. 4(b), such information as the user's name, gender, age, contact information (telephone number, email address, etc.), comments on hobbies, etc., icon image, etc. (hereinafter also referred to as user attributes) is stored (registered) in association with the user ID. Also, although not shown in FIG. 4(b), the login ID and login password of the second user are stored (registered) in association with the user ID in the user DB2. Note that the information stored in association with the user ID shown in FIG. 4(b) is just an example, and any information can be stored in association with the user ID in the user DB2.

[0017] (Event DB3) As shown in FIG. 4(c), the event DB 3 stores (registers) the details of the event sent from the user terminal 3 (for example, information that can identify the event, such as the event name, the date and time (such as the year, month, day, and time), the venue, the organizer, the participating athletes and performers, and the genre), as well as the publication date and time (such as the year, month, day, and time) of the chat room described below, in association with the event ID. The publication date and time is usually set to coincide with the date and time of the corresponding event (the same date and time as the event), but the publication date and time may be set to be earlier than the date and time of the corresponding event in order to build excitement for the event in advance. Note that the information stored in association with the event ID shown in FIG. 4(c) is an example, and any information that can identify the event can be stored in the event DB 3.

[0018] (Post DB4) As shown in FIG. 4(d), the post DB 4 stores posts sent from the user terminal 4. Specifically, the posted message (information such as comments, stamps, emoticons, etc.), the user ID of the second user who posted it, the posting date and time (year, month, hour, minute, and second), the event ID at which the post was published, the room ID, the number of likes, and other information are stored in association with each other. Here, the room ID is an ID associated with a conversation room generated for each event. Conversation rooms include a large room (hereinafter also referred to as a first conversation room) generated for each event, and small rooms (hereinafter also referred to as second conversation rooms) that are generated by branching off from the large room (first conversation room). Note that two or more second conversation rooms may be generated by branching off from one first conversation room. The room ID is assigned so that, for example, a hyphen (-) indicates that the second conversation room was created by branching off from the first conversation room. For example, in the example shown in Figure 4(d), it can be seen that the second conversation rooms with room ID "R001-1" and room ID "R001-2" are different second conversation rooms that were created by branching off from the first conversation room with room ID "R001". The number of likes is the number of times that "like" has been pressed on a post. Note that in this embodiment, "like" is counted only once for the same post by the same user.

[0019] Note that some or all of the various information stored in storage device 200B (for example, information stored in event DB3, user DB2, and post DB4) may be stored in an external storage device such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an external HDD, or in a storage device of another information processing device connected via network 5. In this case, server 2 refers to or acquires the various information stored in the external storage device or the storage device of another information processing device.

[0020] The CPU 200C controls the server 2 according to this embodiment, and includes a ROM and a RAM (not shown).

[0021] (Server 2 function) Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram of server 2. As shown in Fig. 5, server 2 includes functions such as a receiving unit 201, a transmitting unit 202, a storage device control unit 203, a registration unit 204, an authentication unit 205, a display data generation unit 206, a posting unit 207, a determination unit 208, a recommendation unit 209, a similarity calculation unit 210 (first and second similarity calculation units), a room generation unit 211, an integration unit 212 (first integration unit), a name (title) setting unit 213, and a search unit 214. The functions shown in Fig. 5 are realized by CPU 200C executing an information processing program stored in storage device 200B.

[0022] The receiving unit 201 receives information transmitted from the user terminals 3 and 4 via the network 5 . Receiving unit 201 receives, for example, from user terminal 4, an instruction to move from a second conversation room to another second conversation room. Furthermore, the receiving unit 201 receives, for example, an instruction to repost a previously posted message in the first conversation room or the second conversation room.

[0023] The transmitting unit 202 transmits information to the user terminals 3 and 4 via the network 5 .

[0024] The storage device control unit 203 controls the storage device 200B. For example, the storage device control unit 203 writes and reads information to and from the storage device 200B.

[0025] The registration unit 204 registers information transmitted from the user terminals 3 and 4 in the databases (user DB1, user DB2, event DB3, and post DB4) of the storage device 200B.

[0026] The authentication unit 205 authenticates the login IDs and login passwords of the first and second users. Specifically, it verifies whether the combination of login ID and login password sent from the user terminals 3 and 4 is correct, and if correct, allows the user terminals 3 and 4 to access the server 2.

[0027] The display data generating unit 206 generates information (display data) for displaying screens (see FIGS. 7 and 8) described later.

[0028] For example, in accordance with the determination result of determination unit 208, posting unit 207 posts the message received by receiving unit 201 from user terminal 4 to the second conversation room. In addition, for example, when the room generation unit 211 generates a second conversation room, the posting unit 207 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room from which the second conversation room branches off that the second conversation room has been generated. Furthermore, posting section 207 reposts a previously posted message to the first conversation room or the second conversation room, depending on the determination result of determination section 208, for example. In addition, the posting unit 207 notifies the user terminal 4 of a second user who is in two or more second conversation rooms that there are other second conversation rooms that are similar to the two or more second conversation rooms whose similarity has been calculated, for example, depending on the similarity between the two or more conversation rooms. In addition, for example, when the receiving unit 201 receives an instruction to repost a previously posted message in the first conversation room or the second conversation room, the posting unit 207 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room or the second conversation room that responses to the previously posted message are being solicited. In addition, the posting unit 207 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in a second conversation room that has been branched off from the first conversation room that the first conversation room has been entered, for example, depending on the judgment result of the judgment unit 208. In addition, for example, when the receiving unit 201 receives a message to the first conversation room sent from a user terminal 4 that has entered the first conversation room, the posting unit 207 notifies the user terminal 4 of a second user who is participating in a second conversation room that has been branched off from the first conversation room that the user has entered the first conversation room.

[0029] The determining unit 208 determines, for example, whether or not the message received by the receiving unit 201 is a response to another message posted in the first conversation room. Furthermore, the determining unit 208 determines, for example, whether or not a message posted in the past has been the subject of a response from another user. Furthermore, determination unit 208 determines, for example, whether or not user terminal 4 has entered the first conversation room.

[0030] The recommendation unit 209 recommends merging two or more of the second conversation rooms into one conversation room, for example, in accordance with the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit 210.

[0031] The similarity calculation unit 210 calculates the similarity between two or more second conversation rooms, for example, according to the number of keywords that appear in messages posted to the two or more second conversation rooms or the names of the second conversation rooms.

[0032] For example, when an event is registered, the room generation unit 211 generates a first conversation room associated with the event and makes it publicly available at the set publication date and time (enabling users to access the first conversation room and post). Furthermore, room generating section 211 generates a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room, for example, in accordance with the determination result of determining section 208.

[0033] For example, when the receiving unit 201 receives an integration instruction from the user terminal 4 to integrate two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room, the integration unit 212 integrates the instructed two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room.

[0034] Name setting section 213 sets, for example, the name of the second conversation room.

[0035] The search unit 214 refers to the event DB 3 and searches for an event according to the search conditions input in FIG. 7(a), which will be described later.

[0036] (User terminals 3 and 4) User terminal 3 is a terminal for a first user of the information processing system 1 to register user attributes and events. User terminal 4 is a terminal for a second user of the information processing system 1 to register user attributes and make posts. User terminals 3 and 4 will be described below, but because user terminals 3 and 4 have substantially the same configuration and function, the configuration and function of user terminal 3 will be described and a description of the configuration and function of user terminal 4 will be omitted.

[0037] Fig. 6 is a configuration diagram of the user terminal 3. Fig. 6(a) shows the main hardware configuration of the user terminal 3, and the user terminal 3 has a configuration in which a communication IF 300A, a storage device 300B, an input device 300C, a display device 300D, and a CPU 300E are connected via a bus.

[0038] The communication IF 300A is an interface for communicating with other devices (in this embodiment, the server 2).

[0039] The storage device 300B is, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a semiconductor storage device (SSD (Solid State Drive)). The storage device 300B stores a terminal identifier, an information processing program, etc. The terminal identifier is an identifier for identifying the user terminal 3. By assigning the terminal identifier to information transmitted from the user terminal 3, the server 2 can determine which user terminal 3 transmitted the received information. The terminal identifier may be an IP (Internet Protocol) address, a MAC (Media Access Control) address, etc., or may be assigned to the user terminal 3 by the server 2.

[0040] The input device 300C is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel, but may be any other device or equipment that allows input. It may also be a voice input device.

[0041] The display device 300D is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL display, or the like, but may be any other device or equipment (for example, a CRT: Cathode Ray Tube) as long as it is capable of displaying.

[0042] The CPU 300E controls the user terminal 3 according to this embodiment, and includes a ROM and a RAM (not shown).

[0043] Fig. 6(b) is a functional block diagram of the user terminal 3. As shown in Fig. 6(b), the user terminal 3 has functions such as a receiving unit 301, a transmitting unit 302, a storage device control unit 303, an input accepting unit 304, and a display device control unit 305. Note that the functions shown in Fig. 6(b) are realized by the CPU 300E executing an information processing program stored in the storage device 300B.

[0044] The receiving unit 301 receives, for example, information transmitted from each server 2.

[0045] The transmitting unit 302 transmits, for example, information corresponding to the input operation received by the input receiving unit 304 to the server 2.

[0046] The storage device control units 303 each control the storage device 300B. For example, the storage device control units 303 each control the storage device 300B to write and read information.

[0047] The input receiving unit 304 receives an input operation from the input device 300C.

[0048] The display device control unit 305 controls the display device 300D, and displays the information received by the receiving unit 301 on the display device 300D.

[0049] (display screen) 7 and 8 are diagrams showing examples of screens (display screens) displayed on the display device 400D of the user terminal 4 of the information processing system 1. The screens shown in Fig. 7 and 8 are generated by the display data generation unit 206 of the server 2, and transmitted to the user terminal 4 by the transmission unit 202, whereby they are displayed on the display device 400D of the user terminal 4.

[0050] 7 and 8, the screens displayed on the display device 400D of the user terminal 4 will be described below. Note that the display screens shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are examples of screens displayed on the display device 400D of the user terminal 4, and do not necessarily have to be the same screens.

[0051] 7(a) is an example of an event search screen G1. In the example of the search screen G1 shown in FIG. 7(a), the second user can search for events registered in the event DB3 by operating the input device 400C of the user terminal 4. The second user can search for events by genre 1001A, location 1001B, period 1001C, keyword 1001D, etc. The second user can search for events by specifying two or more of the genre 1001A, location 1001B, period 1001C, and keyword 1001D. When specifying two or more of the genre 1001A, location 1001B, period 1001C, and keyword 1001D, the second user can search for events by selecting either an AND search or an OR search.

[0052] In the genre 1001A, for example, "sports," "music," "entertainment," etc. can be selected (multiple selections are possible), and events in the selected genre can be searched for. The background color of the selected genre is reversed to black, making it clear that it has been selected. For example, "sports" may be further subdivided into "baseball," "tennis," etc. Similarly, "music" and "entertainment" may also be further subdivided.

[0053] In location 1001B, for example, a region of the country such as "Hokkaido," "Tohoku," "Kanto," or "Kansai" can be selected (multiple selections are possible), and events held at the selected location can be searched for. The background color of the selected location is reversed to black, making it clear that it has been selected. Note that, for example, when "Kanto" is selected, it may be possible to select even more specific locations such as "Tokyo" or "Kanagawa."

[0054] In period 1001C, a period can be selected, and events held within the selected period can be searched for.

[0055] In Keyword 1001D, a keyword can be entered and events containing that keyword can be searched for. For example, by entering the name of a participating athlete or performer as a keyword, events containing the entered name of the participating athlete or performer can be searched for.

[0056] Also, search results 1002 are displayed at the bottom of the search screen G1. Each search result displays the event name and the details of the event.

[0057] 7(b) is an example of a first conversation room screen G2 that is displayed when an event is selected. In the first conversation room screen G2 shown in FIG. 7(b), an event name 1011 is displayed, and a "Main" tab 1012A and a "My Talk" tab 1012B are displayed below the event name 1011. When the second user selects the "Main" tab 1012A, the first conversation room is displayed, and when the second user selects the "My Talk" tab 1012B, all of the user's posts posted to the information processing system 1 are displayed. Note that a specific first or second conversation room may be specified, and the user's posts posted to the specified first or second conversation room may be displayed.

[0058] Additionally, below the "Main" tab 1012A and the "My Talk" tab 1012B, tabs for second conversation rooms branching off from this first conversation room are displayed. In the example screen shown in FIG. 7(b), the names of the second conversation rooms are displayed as "X-Nami Support Room" tab 1013A, "Orihime" tab 1013B, "About X-Nami's Continued Role" tab 1013C, and "Thread 4" tab 1013D. The second user can move to (enter) the selected second conversation room by selecting either the "X-Nami Support Room" tab 1013A, the "Orihime" tab 1013B, "About X-Nami's Continued Role" tab 1013C, or the "Thread 4" tab 1013D.

[0059] Posts to the first conversation room are displayed below tabs 1013A-1013D for the second conversation room branched from the first conversation room. Posts 1015 to the first conversation room include icon images 1015A, posted messages (e.g., comments, emoticons, stamps, etc.) 1015C, "likes" 1015D, and "replies" 1015E. In this embodiment, posted messages are displayed in the conversation room in chronological order of posting (timeline display).

[0060] If a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room has been generated by room generation unit 211, the name (title) 1015B of the second conversation room will be included in post 1015. Also, if a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room has been generated by room generation unit 211, "Reply" button 1015E will not be displayed (because if a second conversation room has been generated, a reply will be posted to the second conversation room). Furthermore, when a second conversation room branched off from the first conversation room is generated by room generation unit 211, post 1015 is superimposed, and the second user can recognize that a second conversation room branched off from the first conversation room has been generated by superimposing second conversation room tab 1015B and post 1015. By selecting post 1015, which generated the second conversation room branched off from the first conversation room, the second user can move to the second conversation room and post a message to the second conversation room.

[0061] FIG. 8(a) is an example of the small room (second conversation room) screen G3 that is displayed when the "X-nami support room" tab 1013A is selected on the large room (first conversation room) screen G2. FIG. 8(b) is an example of a small room (second conversation room) screen G3 that is displayed when the "Orihime" tab 1013B is selected on the large room (first conversation room) screen G2. In the following description, the same components as those described in FIG. 7(b) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0062] As with the large room (first conversation room) screen G2, the small room (second conversation room) screen G3 or small room screen G4 displays the name of the second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room that is the branch source. In the example screens shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the names of the second conversation rooms are displayed as "X-Nami Support Room" tab 1013A, "Orihime" tab 1013B, "About X-Nami's Continued Role" tab 1013C, and "Thread 4" tab 1013D, and the background of the second conversation room selected by the user is inverted black, allowing the user to recognize which second conversation room the user is in. By selecting either the "X-Nami Support Room" tab 1013A, the "Orihime" tab 1013B, the "About X-Nami's Continued Role" tab 1013C, or the "Thread 4" tab 1013D, the second user can move to the selected second conversation room, and the second user's message will be posted in the second conversation room after moving.

[0063] (Information Processing) 9 to 15 are flowcharts showing an example of information processing of the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, the information processing of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 15. Note that the same components as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8 are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. Also, as already mentioned, the server 2 may be equipped with an input device (for example, a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc.) and a display device (CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), liquid crystal display, organic EL display, etc.), and information may be input from the input device of the server 2 and displayed on the display device of the server 2.

[0064] (User registration process) 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a user registration process in the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of a user registration process in the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0065] (Step S101) The first user operates the input device 300C of the user terminal 3 to input the information on the user attributes described with reference to FIG. 4(a). The second user operates the input device 400C of the user terminal 4 to input the information on the user attributes described with reference to FIG. 4(b). The information input by operating the input device 300C or the input device 400C is accepted by the input accepting unit 304 or the input accepting unit 404, and is transmitted from the transmitting unit 302 or the transmitting unit 402 to the server 2 via the network 5. The information from the user terminal 3 or the user terminal 4 is received by the receiving unit 201 of the server 2.

[0066] (Step S102) The user attribute information received by the receiving unit 201 of the server 2 and transmitted from the user terminal 3 or 4 is stored in the user DB1 or user DB2 by the storage device control unit 203 based on an instruction from the registration unit 204.

[0067] (Event registration process) 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the event registration process of the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of the event registration process of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0068] (Step S201) The first user operates the input device 300C of the user terminal 3 to input the details of the event described with reference to FIG. 4(c). The information input by operating the input device 300C is accepted by the input accepting unit 304 and transmitted from the transmitting unit 302 to the server 2 via the network 5. The information from the user terminal 3 is received by the receiving unit 201 of the server 2.

[0069] (Step S202) The information received by receiving unit 201 of server 2 is stored in event DB 3 by storage device control unit 203 based on instructions from registration unit 204. When an event is registered, room generation unit 211 generates a first conversation room associated with the event and makes it publicly available (enabling users to access the first conversation room and post) at the set publication date and time.

[0070] (Posting process) 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the posting process of the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of the posting process of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0071] (Step S301) The receiving unit 201 of the server 2 receives a message transmitted from the user terminal 4 via the network 5 .

[0072] (Step S302) The determination unit 208 of the server 2 determines whether the message received by the receiving unit 201 is a post to the first conversation room. If it is a post to the first conversation room (YES), the server 2 executes the process of step S303. If it is not a post to the first conversation room (NO), the server 2 executes the process of step S308.

[0073] (Step S303) The determination unit 208 of the server 2 determines whether the message received by the receiving unit 201 is the first response (e.g., a reply) to another post in the first conversation room. Specifically, the determination unit 208 determines whether the message received by the receiving unit 201 is from the "Reply" button 1015E (see FIGS. 7 and 8) and is the first response to another post in the first conversation room. If it is the first response to another post (YES), the server 2 executes the process of step S304. If it is not the first response to another post (NO), the server 2 executes the process of step S309.

[0074] (Step S304) If it is the first response to another post, the room generation unit 211 of the server 2 generates a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room, thereby enabling conversation in the second conversation room about a specific topic.

[0075] (Step S305) The receiving unit 201 of the server 2 receives the name (title) sent from the user terminal 4 of the user who made the first response to another post. The name setting unit 213 sets the name received by the receiving unit 201 as the name of the second conversation room.

[0076] (Step S306) Posting section 207 of server 2 posts the message received by receiving section 201 in step S301 to the second conversation room in which the message was generated.

[0077] (Step S307) The posting unit 207 of the server 2 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the first conversation room from which the second conversation room branched (including the second user who has entered the second conversation room that branched from the first conversation room) that a second conversation room has been created. This notification method may, for example, notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the first conversation room by posting in the first conversation room that the second conversation room has been created, or may notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the first conversation room by push notification. Alternatively, the notification of the creation of the second conversation room may be displayed in a partial area of the display screen of the display device 400D of the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the first conversation room from which the second conversation room branched. Alternatively, the user terminal 4 may be equipped with a speaker, and the notification of the creation of the second conversation room may be made by voice.

[0078] (Step S308) Posting unit 207 of server 2 posts the message received in step S301 to the second conversation room in which the user is currently located.

[0079] (Step S309) Posting unit 207 of server 2 posts the message received in step S301 to the first conversation room in which the user is currently located.

[0080] (Conversation room transfer process) 12 is a flowchart showing an example of conversation room transfer processing in the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of conversation room transfer processing in the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0081] (Step S401) The second user operates the input device 400C of the user terminal 4 to select one of the tabs of the second conversation room described with reference to Figures 7(b), 8(a), and 8(b) (for example, the "X-nami Support Room" tab 1013A, the "Orihime" tab 1013B, the "Regarding X-no's Retention" tab 1013C, and the "Thread 4" tab 1013). Information input by operating the input device 400C is accepted by the input accepting unit 404 and transmitted from the transmitting unit 402 to the server 2 via the network 5. Information from the user terminal 4 is received by the receiving unit 201 of the server 2.

[0082] (Step S402) When the receiving unit 201 of the server 2 receives the selection of the tab for the second conversation room, the display data generating unit 206 generates screen data for the selected second conversation room. The transmitting unit 202 transmits the screen data for the second conversation room generated by the display data generating unit 206 to the user terminal 4. The receiving unit 401 of the user terminal 4 receives the screen data for the second conversation room transmitted from the server 2, and the screen for the second conversation room is displayed on the display device 400D of the user terminal 4. This allows the user to move to the second conversation room of the selected tab. Furthermore, the posting unit 207 posts a message transmitted from the user terminal 4 that received the notification of movement between second conversation rooms to the other second conversation room after the move.

[0083] (integration processing) 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the integration process of the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of the integration process of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0084] (Step S501) The similarity calculation unit 210 of the server 2 calculates the similarity between two or more second conversation rooms that branch off from the same first conversation room, for example, based on the number of keywords that appear in messages posted to two or more second conversation rooms that branch off from the same first conversation room or the names of the second conversation rooms that branch off from the same first conversation room.

[0085] (Step S502) The recommendation unit 209 of the server 2 determines whether the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit 210 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the similarity is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES), the server 2 executes the process of step S503. If the similarity is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value (NO), the server 2 ends the integration process.

[0086] (Step S503) Recommendation unit 209 of server 2 recommends merging two or more second conversation rooms that branch off from the same first conversation room and have a similarity equal to or greater than a predetermined value into one second conversation room.

[0087] (Step S504) Integration unit 212 of server 2 determines whether or not receiving unit 201 has received from user terminal 4 an integration instruction to integrate two or more second conversation rooms branching from the same first conversation room into one second conversation room. If an integration instruction has been received (YES), server 2 executes the process of step S505. If an integration instruction has not been received (NO), server 2 ends the integration process.

[0088] (Step S505) Server 2 integrates two or more second conversation rooms branching from the same designated first conversation room into one second conversation room.

[0089] (Reply request processing) 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of soliciting replies in the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of the process of soliciting replies in the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0090] (Step S601) The posting unit 207 of the server 2 determines whether the receiving unit 201 has received an instruction from the user terminal 4 to repost a previously posted message in the first conversation room or the second conversation room. If the instruction has been received (YES), the server 2 executes the process of step S602. If the instruction has not been received (NO), the server 2 ends the reply solicitation process.

[0091] (Step S602) The determination unit 208 of the server 2 determines whether a previously posted message has been the target of responses from other users, in other words, whether other users have responded (replies or likes). If the message has been the target of responses from other users (YES), the server 2 ends the reply solicitation process. If the message has not been the target of responses from other users (NO), the server 2 executes the process of step S603.

[0092] (Step S603) The posting unit 207 of the server 2 reposts a previously posted message to the first conversation room or the second conversation room.

[0093] (Step S604) The posting unit 207 of the server 2 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room or the second conversation room where the message was reposted (including the second user who is in the second conversation room created by branching off from the first conversation room, if the message was reposted in the first conversation room), that replies to a previously posted message are being solicited. This notification method may, for example, be to notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room or the second conversation room by posting in the first conversation room that replies to a previously posted message are being solicited, or may be to notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room or the second conversation room by push notification. Furthermore, the notification that replies to a previously posted message are being solicited may be displayed in a partial area of the display screen of the display device 400D of the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room or the second conversation room. Furthermore, the user terminal 4 may be equipped with a speaker, and the notification that a second conversation room has been created may be made by voice.

[0094] (Entry notification processing) 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for notifying a person entering the room by the information processing system 1. Hereinafter, an example of the process for notifying a person entering the room by the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0095] (Step S701) Determination unit 208 of server 2 determines whether or not there has been entry (access) to the first conversation room from user terminal 4. If there has been entry to the first conversation room (YES), server 2 executes the process of step S702. If there has not been entry to the first conversation room (NO), server 2 ends the entry user notification process.

[0096] (Step S702) Posting unit 207 of server 2 determines whether a second conversation room has been created branching off from the first conversation room that was entered. If a second conversation room has been created (YES), server 2 executes the process of step S703. If a second conversation room has not been created (NO), server 2 ends the entrant notification process.

[0097] (Step S703) The posting unit 207 of the server 2 posts to a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room that a user has entered the first conversation room. This notification method may, for example, be to notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the second conversation room by posting to the second conversation room that a user has entered the first conversation room, or to notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the second conversation room by push notification. The notification of the user entering the first conversation room may also be displayed in a partial area of the display screen of the display device 400D of the user terminal 4 of the second user who has entered the second conversation room. The user terminal 4 may also be equipped with a speaker, and the notification of the creation of the second conversation room may be made by voice. In addition, for example, when the receiving unit 201 receives a message to the first conversation room sent from a user terminal 4 that has entered the first conversation room, the posting unit 207 may notify the user terminal 4 of a second user who is in a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room that the user has entered the first conversation room. In addition, the posting unit 207 may refer to a user DB2 (first storage unit) in which the user of the user terminal 4 is stored in association with the user's attribute information, and notify the user terminal 4 of a second user who is in a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room of the stored attribute information associated with the user of the user terminal 4 who sent the message. Furthermore, the posting unit 207 may notify the user terminal 4 of a second user who has entered a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room that the user has entered the first conversation room, depending on the trustworthiness of the user of the user terminal 4 who has entered the first conversation room. Note that the trustworthiness of a user may be calculated, for example, depending on the number of "likes" and "replies" the user has received from other users.

[0098] As described above, the server 2 of this embodiment comprises a receiving unit 201 that receives messages sent from a user terminal, a judgment unit 208 that determines whether the message received by the receiving unit 201 is a response to a message posted in a first conversation room, a room generation unit 211 that generates a second conversation room different from the first conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the first conversation room depending on the judgment result of the judgment unit 208, and a posting unit 207 that posts the message received by the receiving unit 201 to the first conversation room or the second conversation room. In this way, if the message received by the receiving unit 201 is a response to a message posted in the first conversation room, a second conversation room different from the first conversation room that branches off from the first conversation room is generated, allowing conversations to be held in the second conversation room about specific topics. In addition, even if you found a community related to the same hobby, it was difficult to have a timely conversation with other users who were watching an event at the same time, and even if you found a community, there were problems such as it being difficult to join and join the conversation, or the topic you wanted to talk about not being covered.In addition, in the past, users only posted their emotions, not to communicate with others, and because a large number of posts were made on the same screen, it was difficult to find people or topics that matched yours, so two-way conversations rarely took place. However, as described above, the server 2 of this embodiment generates a second conversation room that is different from the first conversation room and branches off from the first conversation room, so that conversations can be held in the second conversation room about specific topics, thereby solving the above problem. In addition, since it is possible to generate a second conversation room that branches off from the first conversation room, a second user can simultaneously advance many conversations that are taking place within a single first conversation room by generating a second conversation room.

[0099] In addition, when the room generation unit 211 generates a second conversation room, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 in this embodiment notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room from which the second conversation room branches off that the second conversation room has been generated. Therefore, when a second user who is participating in the first conversation room from which the second conversation room branches off can be notified that a second conversation room has been created, the user can be made aware of the existence of other second conversation rooms in which conversations on topics of interest are taking place.

[0100] Furthermore, the server 2 according to this embodiment includes a recommendation unit 209 that recommends merging two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room in accordance with the similarity between the two or more second conversation rooms. In this way, it is recommended to combine two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room depending on the similarity of the second conversation rooms, which can prevent unnecessary creation of second conversation rooms on common topics and can prevent second users from being confused about which second conversation room to use for conversation.

[0101] The server 2 according to this embodiment also includes a similarity calculation unit 210 that calculates similarity based on the number of keywords appearing in messages posted to two or more second conversation rooms or the names of the second conversation rooms. The recommendation unit 209 of the server 2 then recommends merging two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room based on the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit 210. In this way, similarity is calculated based on the number of keywords that appear in the posted message or the name of the second conversation room, which prevents the second user from leaving the second conversation room after the merger due to a lack of similar topics.

[0102] In addition, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 in this embodiment notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in two or more second conversation rooms for which the similarity has been calculated, that there are other similar second conversation rooms. This allows the second user to know the existence of other second conversation rooms where conversations on similar topics are taking place, improving convenience. For example, if the second user does not like the second conversation room in which they are currently having a conversation, they can move to another second conversation room where conversations on similar topics are taking place.

[0103] In addition, the server 2 of this embodiment is equipped with an integration unit 212 (first integration unit) that, when the receiving unit 201 receives an integration instruction from the user terminal 4 to integrate two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room, integrates the instructed two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room. In this way, second conversation rooms branching from the same first conversation room can be integrated based on an instruction from the second user, thereby improving convenience.

[0104] Furthermore, the receiving unit 201 of the server 2 according to this embodiment receives an instruction to move from the second conversation room to another second conversation room from the user terminal 4. Then, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 posts the message sent from the user terminal 4 to the other second conversation room after the move. In this way, convenience is improved because the second user can move from one second conversation room to another second conversation room according to their wishes. Also, it is very convenient because they can move to another second conversation room simply by selecting a tab.

[0105] Furthermore, receiving unit 201 of server 2 according to this embodiment receives an instruction to repost a previously posted message to the first conversation room or the second conversation room. Then, determination unit 208 of server 2 determines whether the previously posted message has been the subject of a response from another user, and posting unit 207 reposts the previously posted message to the first conversation room or the second conversation room according to the determination result. In this way, it is highly convenient to be able to repost messages that were important to the second user but were ignored (without a "reply"). Also, since it is possible to repost only messages that did not receive any replies, it is possible to prevent unnecessary increases in reposts.

[0106] In addition, when the receiving unit 201 reposts a message that was previously posted in the first conversation room or the second conversation room, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 in this embodiment notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the first conversation room or the second conversation room that responses to the previously posted message are being solicited. In this way, other second users are notified that the ignored message has been reposted, so there is little risk that the reposted message will be ignored again. Furthermore, since users can request replies to their own comments from other second users, it is possible to create opportunities for conversation and to expect the conversation to become more lively.

[0107] Furthermore, the determination unit 208 of the server 2 according to this embodiment determines whether or not a user terminal 4 has entered the first conversation room. Then, depending on the determination result of the determination unit 208, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the second conversation room that has been branched off from the first conversation room that the first conversation room has been entered. In this way, the fact that a user has entered the first conversation room is posted to the second conversation room that branches off from the first conversation room, so a second user participating in the second conversation room can invite a second user who has joined the first conversation room by posting to the first conversation room, which is very convenient.

[0108] In addition, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 in this embodiment may be configured so that when the receiving unit 201 receives a message to the first conversation room sent from a user terminal that has entered the first conversation room, it notifies the user terminal 4 of a second user who is in a second conversation room that has been branched off from the first conversation room that the first conversation room has been entered. In this case, rather than targeting second users who have entered the first conversation room by mistake or second users who are unsure whether to join the first conversation room, it is possible to invite second users who are presumed to be interested in participating by posting a message to the first conversation room.

[0109] In addition, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 in this embodiment may be configured to refer to a user DB2 (first storage unit) in which users of user terminals 4 are stored in association with their attribute information, and notify the user terminal 4 of a second user who is in a second conversation room branched off from the first conversation room of the attribute information associated with the user of the user terminal 4 who sent the message. In this way, since the attributes (e.g., hobbies) of the second user who has entered the room can be known, it is easy to determine whether to invite the second user to the second conversation room. It is also expected that unnecessary invitations to the second user who has entered the room can be reduced.

[0110] Furthermore, the posting unit 207 of the server 2 according to this embodiment may be configured to notify the user terminal 4 of a second user who is in a second conversation room that is branched off from the first conversation room of the fact that the user has entered the first conversation room, depending on the user's trustworthiness. For example, the user's trustworthiness may be calculated depending on the number of "likes" and "replies" the user has received from other users. In this way, messages are posted to a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room depending on the user's trustworthiness, so it is expected that users will post messages more proactively in order to receive reactions (e.g., number of "likes" or "replies") from other second users.

[0111] Furthermore, the server 2 according to this embodiment includes a name setting unit 213 that sets the name of the second conversation room. The name setting unit 213 sets the name (title) sent from the user terminal 4 of the user who made the first response to another post as the name of the second conversation room. In this way, the name of the second conversation room can be set arbitrarily, for example, to a name that represents the topic of the second conversation room, which is highly convenient. Also, it is possible to prevent other second users who are considering joining the second conversation room from joining the second conversation room by mistake.

[0112] [First Modification of the Embodiment] In the above embodiment, the recommendation unit 209 recommends merging two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room according to the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit 210, and upon receiving an integration instruction, the integration unit 212 (first integration unit) integrates two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room.

[0113] However, the integrating unit 212 (second integrating unit) may be configured to integrate two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room without receiving an integration instruction, depending on the similarity between the two or more second conversation rooms, for example, the similarity calculated by the similarity calculation unit 210 (for example, when the similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value). In this case, it is preferable that the posting unit 207 notify the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the integrated conversation room that the second conversation rooms have been integrated by the integrating unit 212.

[0114] [Modification 2 of the embodiment] Furthermore, in the above embodiment and modification 1, it is not possible to generate a small room that branches off from the second conversation room, but it is also possible to generate a small room that branches off from another small room. In this case, the judgment unit 208 of the server 2 judges whether the message received by the receiving unit 201 is a response to a message posted in the second conversation room, and if the judgment result of the judgment unit 208 is that it is a response to a message posted in the second conversation room, the room generation unit 211 generates a third conversation room different from the second conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the second conversation room.

[0115] In addition, the judgment unit 208 may determine whether there has been a specified change in the message posted to the second conversation room, for example, whether there has been a change in the topic in the small room (it is possible that a change in the topic in the small room has made it impossible for a particular person to talk about the topic they want to talk about), or whether multiple topics have emerged in the small room (it is possible that multiple topics have emerged in the small room, making it difficult to hold a conversation), and if there is a specified change, the room generation unit 211 may generate a third conversation room different from the second conversation room.

[0116] In addition, when the room generation unit 211 generates the third conversation room, it is preferable that the posting unit 207 of the server 2 notifies the user terminal 4 of the second user who is in the second conversation room, which is the source of the third conversation room, that the third conversation room has been generated.

[0117] [Modification 3 of the embodiment] In the above embodiment and variants 1 and 2, the posting unit 207 may be configured, for example, so that after a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours) has passed since the first conversation room was made public, the message sent from the user terminal 4 is not posted to the first conversation room for which the predetermined time has passed or to a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room for which the predetermined time has passed. Furthermore, posting unit 207 may be configured to delete or make private messages posted to the first conversation room or a second conversation room branching off from the first conversation room after a predetermined time has elapsed since the first conversation room was made public, for example. The start time for measuring the predetermined time may be the start or end time of an event. For example, in the case of an event that is held over several days, improved convenience can be expected by starting to measure the predetermined time when the event ends.

[0118] When you have a continuous connection like with existing services, you tend to become too concerned about your future relationship with the other person and become less able to speak freely, but after a certain amount of time has passed, you will no longer be able to post messages and posted messages will be deleted, so second users can remain in a one-time relationship and be encouraged to speak freely within the conversation room.

[0119] In addition, events are registered in advance and a first conversation room is prepared for this event, so second users can join the conversation by searching for and entering (accessing) the first conversation room of the event they are attending or watching (an idol concert or a sports game), thereby reducing the effort required to search for communities on social media, etc. Furthermore, by registering in advance an event that the second user likes, the second user can enter (access) a first conversation room that is associated with an event that is being held in real time. [Industrial Applicability]

[0120] The information processing device, the information processing method, and the information processing program can be suitably used for communication between users on the Internet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1. Information Processing Systems 2. Server (information processing device) 200A communication interface 200B storage device 200C CPU 201 Receiving unit 202 Transmission Unit 203 Storage device control unit 204 Registration Department 205 Authentication Department 206 Display data generation unit 207 Submissions Department 208 Judgment section 209 Recommendation Section 210 Similarity calculation unit (first and second similarity calculation unit) 211 Room Generation Unit 212 Integrated Division (1st and 2nd Integrated Divisions) 213 Name setting section 214 Search Department 3,4 User terminal 300A,400A communication IF 300B,400B storage device 300C, 400C input device 300D,400D display device 300E, 400E CPU 301,401 Receiver 302,403 Transmission unit 303,403 Storage device control unit 304,404 Input reception section 305,405 Display device control unit 5. Network DB1 user database DB2 user database DB3 event database DB4 Post Database

Claims

1. a receiving unit that receives a message transmitted from a user terminal; a determination unit that determines whether the message received by the receiving unit is a response to a message posted in the first conversation room; a room generation unit that generates a second conversation room different from the first conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the first conversation room according to a determination result by the determination unit; a posting unit that posts the message received by the receiving unit to the first conversation room or the second conversation room; Equipped with The posting unit: When the room generation unit generates the second conversation room, it notifies the users currently in the first conversation room, which is the branch source of the second conversation room, of the fact that the second conversation room has been generated.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. a recommendation unit that recommends merging the two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room according to a similarity between the two or more second conversation rooms; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. a first similarity calculation unit that calculates the similarity according to the number of keywords appearing in messages posted to the two or more second conversation rooms or the names of the second conversation rooms, The recommendation unit recommending that the two or more second conversation rooms be integrated into one conversation room according to the similarity calculated by the first similarity calculation unit; 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

4. The posting unit: notifying users currently in the two or more second conversation rooms that there are other second conversation rooms similar to the two or more second conversation rooms for which the similarity is calculated, in accordance with the similarity; 4. The information processing device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. a first integration unit that, when the receiving unit receives an integration instruction to integrate the two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room from the user terminal, integrates the instructed two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room; 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

6. a second integration unit that integrates the two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room according to similarities between the two or more second conversation rooms; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. a second similarity calculation unit that calculates the similarity according to the number of keywords appearing in messages posted to the two or more second conversation rooms or the names of the second conversation rooms, The second integration unit Integrating the two or more second conversation rooms into one conversation room according to the similarity calculated by the second similarity calculation unit.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6,

8. The determination unit determining whether the message received by the receiving unit is a response to a message posted in the second conversation room; The room generation unit generating a third conversation room different from the second conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the second conversation room according to a determination result by the determination unit; 8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

9. The determination unit determining whether a predetermined change has occurred in a message posted to the second conversation room; The room generation unit generating a third conversation room different from the second conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the second conversation room according to a determination result by the determination unit; 9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

10. The posting unit: When the room generation unit generates the third conversation room, it notifies users who are currently in the second conversation room, which is the branch source of the second conversation room, of the fact that the third conversation room has been generated.

10. The information processing device according to claim 8 or claim 9.

11. The receiving unit receiving, from the user terminal, an instruction to move from the second conversation room to another second conversation room; The posting unit: Posting a message sent from the user terminal to the other second conversation room after the move; 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

12. The receiving unit Receive instructions to repost a previously posted message, The determination unit determining whether the previously posted message has been the subject of a response from another user; The posting unit: re-posting the previously posted message according to the determination result; 12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information processing apparatus is a computer.

13. The posting unit: When the receiving unit reposts the previously posted message, the receiving unit notifies the user that replies to the previously posted message are being solicited.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12.

14. The determination unit determining whether or not the user terminal has entered the first conversation room; The posting unit: In response to the determination result by the determination unit, notify the users who are in the second conversation room that they have entered the first conversation room.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

15. The posting unit: When the receiving unit receives a message to the first conversation room transmitted from a user terminal that has entered the first conversation room, the receiving unit notifies a user that has entered the second conversation room that has been branched off from the first conversation room of the fact that the user has entered the first conversation room.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14,

16. The posting unit: refer to a first storage unit in which the user of the user terminal and attribute information of the user are stored in association with each other, and notify the attribute information associated with the user of the user terminal who sent the message to a user who has entered the second conversation room that has been branched off from the first conversation room; 16. The information processing device according to claim 14 or 15.

17. The posting unit: notifying a user who has branched from the first conversation room and entered the second conversation room of the fact that the user has entered the first conversation room according to the trustworthiness of the user; 17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein:

18. The posting unit: When a predetermined time has elapsed since the first conversation room was made public, the message sent from the user terminal is not posted to the first conversation room or the second conversation room.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

19. The posting unit: When a predetermined time has elapsed since the first conversation room was made public, messages posted in the first conversation room or the second conversation room are deleted or made private.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

20. a name setting unit that sets a name of the second conversation room; 20. The information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

21. a receiving unit receiving a message transmitted from a user terminal; a step of determining whether or not the message received by the receiving unit is a response to a message posted in a first conversation room; a step in which a room generation unit generates a second conversation room different from the first conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the first conversation room in accordance with a determination result by the determination unit; a posting unit posting the message received by the receiving unit to the first conversation room or the second conversation room; and In the posting step, the posting unit: When the room generation unit generates the second conversation room, it notifies the users currently in the first conversation room, which is the branch source of the second conversation room, of the fact that the second conversation room has been generated. An information processing method comprising:

22. Computer, a receiving unit for receiving a message transmitted from a user terminal; a determination unit that determines whether the message received by the receiving unit is a response to a message posted in the first conversation room; a room generation unit that generates a second conversation room different from the first conversation room as a conversation room branching off from the first conversation room according to a determination result by the determination unit; a posting unit that posts the message received by the receiving unit to the first conversation room or the second conversation room; An information processing program that functions as The posting unit: When the room generation unit generates the second conversation room, it notifies the users currently in the first conversation room, which is the branch source of the second conversation room, of the fact that the second conversation room has been generated. An information processing program characterized by:

Images