Processing device, management device and program

Abstract

To provide a mechanism for introducing a reaction function into a service in which the reaction function is not implemented. [Solution] When the processing device receives an operation to add a reaction to content, it generates content identification information based on information about the content, and sends the correspondence information to the management device so that the management device can store correspondence information that associates the generated content identification information with reaction information including the content of the reaction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a processing device, a management device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A reaction function is implemented in certain services such as SNS (Social Networking Service) and business support systems. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a specific example of a system that allows users to add reactions to content. By using such a reaction function, users can easily respond to content. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-177858 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Some services do not have a reaction function. In such services, users cannot use the reaction function. Therefore, even if a user wants to respond to a content simply, the user must perform an operation such as writing a sentence. For some users, it is difficult to respond to content casually.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a mechanism for introducing a reaction function to a service that does not have a reaction function implemented. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, if the content is an email message, the information about the content includes a message identification (ID) and a sender's email address.When a processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure receives an operation to add a reaction to content, Message ID and sender email address and generates content identification information based on the content identification information, and transmits the correspondence information to the management device so that the management device stores correspondence information that associates the generated content identification information with reaction information that includes the details of the reaction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a mechanism is provided for introducing a reaction function into a service that does not have a reaction function implemented therein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed in a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a reaction result to content displayed on a screen of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed in a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow of processing executed in a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by a management server in an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a terminal device and a management server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a terminal device and a management server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following description relates to a processing device, a management device, and a program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Common or corresponding elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] The system 1 includes a plurality of terminal devices 10 and a management server 20. The terminal devices 10 and the management server 20 are connected to each other via a network so that they can communicate with each other. For convenience, only terminal device 10A and terminal device 10B are shown in FIG. 1 as the terminal devices 10. In reality, a large number of terminal devices 10 are connected to the network. The management server 20 may be configured by one computer or may be configured by multiple computers.

[0012] The terminal device 10 is an example of a processing device and an example of a first device communicatively connected to a second device via a network. The management server 20 is an example of a management device and an example of a second device communicatively connected to a first device via a network. Any reference to elements using designations such as "first" and "second" used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations are used for convenience to distinguish between two or more elements. Therefore, reference to first and second elements does not imply, for example, that only two elements are employed, that the first element must precede the second element, etc.

[0013] The terminal device 10 is, for example, a smartphone. The terminal device 10 is not limited to a smartphone, and may be other types of devices such as a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), or a game console.

[0014] Devices such as servers for implementing various services (email services, SMS, web services, etc.) provided by each operator are connected to the network shown in Fig. 1. As an example, Fig. 1 shows mail server 100, mail server 200, SMS system 300, SMS system 400, web server 500, and web server 600.

[0015] For example, mail server 100 and mail server 200 are separate mail servers provided on different platforms. SMS system 300 and SMS system 400 are also separate SMS systems provided on different platforms. Web server 500 and Web server 600 are also different platforms and provide separate Web services. None of these services implements a reaction function.

[0016] Reactions are standard responses that viewers of content can make to the content. Viewers can easily express their opinions about the content by simply selecting a standard response (image, video, audio, or a combination of two or more of these) prepared in advance.

[0017] Images are, for example, stamps, icons, photographs, text, etc. that express emotions or impressions. Examples of images include smiley face stamps and heart stamps. Images also include, for example, stamps and icons that move frame by frame. Videos are, for example, very short videos that express emotions or impressions. An example of a video is a clip of a scene from a movie. Audio is, for example, audio that expresses emotions or impressions in short words (for example, one word). Examples of audio are, for example, "I like it" and "I read it."

[0018] The canned responses may be user-created (photos or videos taken by the user, illustrations drawn by the user using an image editing app, or audio recordings by the user, etc.) The canned responses may also be images, videos, audio, or a combination of two or more of these generated by generative AI (Artificial Intelligence).

[0019] In this embodiment, content is an object to which a viewer can add a reaction. Illustrative examples of content include messages, web content, and streaming content. Messages include, for example, email messages, SMS messages, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) messages, and chat messages. Web content is information published on the web, and includes text, images, video, audio, or a combination of two or more of these. Streaming content is images, video, audio, or a combination of two or more of these. An example of streaming content is live streaming video.

[0020] The content may be virtual space content such as a metaverse, or may be content that combines the real world and the virtual world. In this case, the user can react to the content using, for example, mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), or virtual reality (VR). An example of a reaction in this case is a trace of an action (such as waving) taken by a user wearing a VR device in relation to the content.

[0021] In this embodiment, a function for adding a reaction is introduced into the terminal device 10. In addition, a common management server 20 for managing the reactions is arranged on the network. The function for adding a reaction is provided by, for example, a plug-in for an email client or a web browser. The function for adding a reaction may be incorporated into content using an API (Application Programming Interface) or an inline frame (iframe).

[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a case where a reaction function is used in an email service that does not implement reaction information. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a processing flow executed by the system 1, along with a block diagram. The users of the terminal devices 10A and 10B are referred to as users UA and UB, respectively. Plugins for adding reactions are installed in the email clients of the terminal devices 10A and 10B. Hereinafter, these plug-ins will be referred to as "reaction plug-ins." For convenience, the reaction plug-in installed in the terminal device 10A will be referred to as "reaction plug-in PA." The reaction plug-in installed in the terminal device 10B will be referred to as "reaction plug-in PB."

[0023] The mail servers 100 and 200 include, for example, a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server, an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) server, and a Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3) server. In the example of FIG. 2, a user UA sends an email message to a user UB. Specifically, the user UA operates the email client of the terminal device 10A to create an email message and send it. The email client of the terminal device 10A requests the sending of the email message using SMTP. The mail server 100 receives the email message sent by the email client of the terminal device 10A. The mail server 100 checks the recipient's domain and identifies the recipient's mail server (Mail Exchanger (MX) record) using the Domain Name System (DNS). The mail server 100 performs routing and transfers the email message to the identified recipient's mail server 200.

[0024] The mail server 200 receives the email message from the mail server 100. The mail server 200 performs security checks such as spam checks and virus scans, and stores the email message in the recipient's mailbox.

[0025] The mail client of the terminal device 10B connects to the mail server 200 using IMAP or POP3. The mail client of the terminal device 10B sends the recipient's authentication information to the mail server 200. After successful authentication, the mail client of the terminal device 10B downloads the recipient's email message stored in the mailbox of the mail server 200. This allows the user UB to view the email message from the user UA.

[0026] 3 shows an example of a GUI (Graphical User Interface) 30 displayed on the terminal device 10A or 10B by a reaction plug-in. The GUI 30 is a user interface that allows a user to add a reaction to content. For example, the GUI 30 is displayed superimposed on the content. The GUI 30 displays a plurality of reaction buttons that indicate standard responses, such as smiley faces or heart stamps. The GUI 30 displays the number of times each reaction button has been added.

[0027] For example, when the user UB touches a reaction button (e.g., a heart stamp button) on the GUI 30 displayed on the screen of the terminal device 10B (see symbols A1 to A2 in Figure 2), the reaction plugin PB of the terminal device 10B generates a management ID (Identification) based on information about the content (see symbol A3 in Figure 2).

[0028] The management ID is an example of content identification information. The reaction plug-in PB generates the management ID based on multiple pieces of information about the content. In the example of FIG. 2, the content is an email message. In this case, the reaction plug-in PB generates the management ID based on the message ID of the email message and the email address of the sender.

[0029] As a more detailed example, the reaction plugin PB generates a management ID by inputting these two values ​​(message ID and sender's email address) into a specific function for ID generation. Since the combination of message ID and sender's email address is a unique pair, the management ID is generated as a unique key. The above function is, for example, a hash function.

[0030] In this way, when a processing device (e.g., a processing device with a reaction plug-in installed) receives an operation to add a reaction to content (e.g., a message) (e.g., an operation to press a reaction button), it generates identification information (e.g., an administrative ID) for the content based on information about the content (e.g., a message ID and the sender's email address).

[0031] The reaction plug-in PB uploads the correspondence information to the management server 20 (see symbol A4 in FIG. 2). The correspondence information associates a management ID with reaction information. The reaction information is information including the content of the reaction made by the user (for example, stamping a heart). In other words, the reaction plug-in PB transmits the correspondence information to the management server 20 so that the management server 20 can store the correspondence information that associates the identification information (for example, the management ID) of the generated content with the reaction information including the content of the reaction.

[0032] The management server 20 is connected to a database DB. The database DB may be provided in the management server 20 or in another computer. The database DB stores records in which management IDs and reaction information are associated with each other.

[0033] The management server 20 registers the correspondence information received from the terminal device 10B in the database DB (see symbol A5 in FIG. 2). Specifically, the management server 20 searches for a record in which the same management ID as the management ID included in the correspondence information is registered. If a record in which the same management ID is registered is found, the management server 20 updates that record. More specifically, the management server 20 increases or decreases the number of reactions according to the reaction information included in the correspondence information.

[0034] For example, consider a case where "Smile 1, Heart 1" is registered as reaction information in a record. "Smile 1, Heart 1" indicates that a smile stamp and a heart stamp have been added once to the content. In this case, when user UB touches the heart stamp button, terminal device 10B transmits correspondence information to management server 20. This correspondence information includes, as reaction information, information indicating that the heart stamp button has been touched once. Therefore, upon receiving the correspondence information, management server 20 increments the number of heart stamps by 1 for the reaction information of the record found by the search (i.e., "Smile 1, Heart 1"). In other words, management server 20 updates this reaction information to "Smile 1, Heart 2."

[0035] If no record with the same management ID registered is found, the management server 20 registers a new record. For example, when the user UB touches the heart stamp button, the terminal device 10B transmits correspondence information to the management server 20. The management server 20 receives this correspondence information and creates a new record, registers the management ID in the created new record, and registers reaction information (for example, "smile 0, heart 1").

[0036] A case will be described in which an email message sent by user UA to user UB is displayed on the screen of terminal device 10A. When user UA operates a mail client to open the email message addressed to user UB, for example, at that timing, reaction plug-in PA of terminal device 10A generates a management ID based on information related to the content (see symbols A6 to A7 in FIG. 2).

[0037] The reaction plug-in PA generates the management ID in the same manner as described above. That is, the reaction plug-in PA generates the management ID by inputting two values ​​(the message ID and the sender's email address) into a predetermined function for ID generation. Using the generated management ID, the reaction plug-in PA queries the management server 20 for reaction information corresponding to the email message (see symbol A8 in FIG. 2).

[0038] In this way, in this embodiment, the reaction plug-in PA generates and queries the management ID when the email message is opened. The timing at which the management ID is generated and queries is not limited to this. The timing at which the management ID is generated and queries may be other timings, such as when the email message is received.

[0039] The management server 20 searches for a record in which the same management ID as the management ID included in the inquiry from the terminal device 10B is registered (see symbol A9 in FIG. 2). The management server 20 returns a response according to the search results to the terminal device 10A (see symbol A10 in FIG. 2). For example, if a matching record is found, the management server 20 transmits the reaction information registered in that record (e.g., "1 smile, 0 hearts") to the terminal device 10A. For example, if a matching record is not found, the management server 20 transmits reaction information indicating that there are no reactions (e.g., "0 smiles, 0 hearts") to the terminal device 10A.

[0040] The reaction plug-in PA displays, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, reaction information (such as "1 smile, 0 hearts" or "0 smiles, 0 hearts") included in the response from the management server 20 on the screen (see symbol A11 in FIG. 2).

[0041] The mail server executes authentication processes such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). This prevents sender spoofing. Furthermore, the message ID is information that can only be known by the sender and the sender of the email message. That is, the management ID is generated using the sender's email address, whose legitimacy is guaranteed, and a message ID that can only be known by the sender and the sender. Therefore, the management ID is information that is difficult for a third party to guess. Reaction information is exchanged between the management server 20 and the terminal device 10A using a management ID that is difficult for a third party to guess. Therefore, the security of the reaction information is ensured.

[0042] The message ID and the sender's email address are examples of common information that is acquired by both the sender and receiver of the content (here, an email message). Because the sender and receiver of an email message use the common information acquired by both, the same management ID can always be generated for the same email message, regardless of time or location.

[0043] When accessing content (e.g., a message), the reaction plugin generates content identification information (e.g., a management ID) based on information about the content (e.g., a message ID and a sender's email address). The reaction plugin queries the management server 20 for reaction information corresponding to the content based on the generated content identification information. In response to a query from a processing device (e.g., a reaction plugin) for reaction information corresponding to the content based on the content identification information, the management server 20 reads the corresponding reaction information from a storage unit (e.g., a database DB) and sends it to the processing device. The reaction plugin acquires the corresponding reaction information from the management server 20 and outputs the acquired reaction information (e.g., displaying it on a screen, playing it aloud, etc.).

[0044] According to this embodiment, by introducing a reaction function into the terminal device 10, the user can react to various pieces of content and can view the reaction information. The exchange between the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 is performed independently of the exchange between the terminal device 10 and various services. Therefore, the user can use the reaction function with various services without depending on the service platform. For example, the user can react to email messages exchanged between email systems with different platforms and can view the reaction information. In this way, according to this embodiment, the reaction function can be introduced into services of various platforms that do not have a reaction function implemented.

[0045] Fig. 4 is a diagram similar to Fig. 2, illustrating an example in which a reaction function is used in an SMS system 300 in which reaction information is not implemented. In the example of Fig. 4, as a specific implementation form of the reaction function, a reaction plug-in is installed in the SMS application of each of terminal devices 10A and 10B. In the example of Fig. 4, user UA sends an SMS message to user UB.

[0046] The terminal device 10B displays the GUI 30 superimposed on the screen displaying the SMS message from the user UA. For example, when the user UB touches a reaction button (e.g., a heart stamp button) on the GUI 30 displayed on the screen of the terminal device 10B (see symbols B1 and B2 in FIG. 4), the reaction plug-in PB of the terminal device 10B generates a management ID based on information related to the content (see symbol B3 in FIG. 4).

[0047] In the example of Fig. 2, the content is an SMS message. In this case, the reaction plug-in PB generates a management ID by inputting the sending date and time of the SMS message, the phone number of the user UA (an example of a sender), and the phone number of the user UB (an example of a receiver) into a predetermined function for ID generation. Because the sending date and time of the SMS message, the phone number of the sender, and the phone number of the receiver are a unique combination, the management ID is generated as a unique key.

[0048] The reaction plug-in PB uploads the correspondence information to the management server 20 (see symbol B4 in FIG. 4). The management server 20 registers the correspondence information received from the terminal device 10B in the database DB (see symbol B5 in FIG. 4).

[0049] A case will be described in which an SMS message sent by user UA to user UB is displayed on the screen of terminal device 10A. When user UA operates the SMS application to open the SMS message addressed to user UB, for example, at that timing, reaction plug-in PA of terminal device 10A generates a management ID based on information about the content (see symbols B6 to B7 in FIG. 4). That is, reaction plug-in PA inputs three values ​​(the sending date and time of the SMS message, the phone number of the sender, and the phone number of the recipient) into a predetermined function for ID generation to generate the management ID. Using the generated management ID, reaction plug-in PA queries the management server 20 for reaction information corresponding to the SMS message (see symbol B8 in FIG. 4).

[0050] The management server 20 searches for a record in which the same management ID as the management ID included in the inquiry from the terminal device 10A is registered (see symbol B9 in FIG. 4). The management server 20 returns a response according to the search result to the terminal device 10A (see symbol B10 in FIG. 4). The reaction plug-in PA displays reaction information included in the response from the management server 20 on the screen, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 (see symbol B11 in FIG. 4).

[0051] FIG. 5 is a diagram similar to FIG. 2, illustrating an example in which the reaction function is used on a Web server 500 that does not implement reaction information. In the example of FIG. 5, GUI 30 is embedded in an inline frame (iframe) in Web content provided by Web server 500. For convenience, the Web browser of terminal device 10A is referred to as "Web browser WA." The Web browser of terminal device 10B is referred to as "Web browser WB."

[0052] 5 illustrates a case where the user UB touches a reaction button (e.g., a heart stamp button) on the GUI 30 embedded in the Web content while the Web content is being displayed on the screen of the terminal device 10B by the Web server 500 (see symbols C1 and C2 in FIG. 5). In this case, the Web browser WB of the terminal device 10B generates a management ID based on information about the content in accordance with a command written in an embedded tag (e.g., an iframe tag) (see symbol C3 in FIG. 5).

[0053] In the example shown in Figure 5, the content is Web content. Even if the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of Web content is the same, the content may have been updated. Therefore, the Web browser WB follows the command written in the iframe tag and inputs the text in the body tag of the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) of the Web content into a specified function for ID generation to generate a management ID. It is extremely unlikely that multiple pieces of Web content exist with exactly matching text in the body tag. Therefore, collisions of management IDs (e.g., hash values) do not actually occur. In other words, in this case too, the management ID is generated as a unique key.

[0054] In accordance with the command written in the iframe tag, the web browser WB uploads the correspondence information to the management server 20 (see symbol C4 in FIG. 5). The management server 20 registers the correspondence information received from the terminal device 10B in the database DB (see symbol C5 in FIG. 5).

[0055] A case will be described in which the user UA causes Web content from the Web server 500 to be displayed on the screen of the terminal device 10A. When the user UA operates the Web browser WA to access the Web content, the Web browser WA generates a management ID based on information about the content in accordance with the command written in the iframe tag (see symbols C6 to C7 in FIG. 5). That is, the Web browser WA generates a management ID by inputting the text in the HTML body tag of the Web content into a predetermined function for ID generation. The Web browser WA uses the generated management ID in accordance with the command written in the iframe tag to query the management server 20 for reaction information corresponding to the Web content (see symbol C8 in FIG. 5).

[0056] The management server 20 searches for a record in which the same management ID as the management ID included in the query from the terminal device 10A is registered (see symbol C9 in FIG. 5). The management server 20 returns a response according to the search results to the terminal device 10A (see symbol C10 in FIG. 5). The web browser WA displays the reaction information included in the response from the management server 20 on the screen, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 (see symbol C11 in FIG. 5).

[0057] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the terminal device 10 (for example, a reaction plug-in). For example, when the terminal device 10 accesses content (opens a message, accesses Web content, starts streaming playback, etc.), execution of the processing shown in Fig. 6 begins. For example, when the terminal device 10 stops accessing content (closes a message, closes Web content, closes the streaming playback screen, etc.), the processing shown in Fig. 6 ends.

[0058] The order of the steps in the flowcharts shown in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed to the extent that it is consistent. For example, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processing of various steps is presented using an exemplary order, but the order is not limited to the presented order. Furthermore, the steps in the flowcharts shown in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed in parallel or in a concurrent manner to the extent that it is consistent.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal device 10 generates a management ID (step S101). The terminal device 10 uses the generated management ID to inquire of the management server 20 about reaction information corresponding to the content (step S102). The terminal device 10 receives a response from the management server 20 in response to the inquiry (step S103). The terminal device 10 displays the reaction information included in the response from the management server 20 (GUI 30 including information such as "1 smile, 0 hearts" or "0 smiles, 0 hearts") on the screen (step S104).

[0060] The terminal device 10 waits for an operation on the reaction button of the GUI 30 (step S105). When the reaction button is pressed (step S105: YES), the terminal device 10 generates a management ID (step S106). The terminal device 10 uploads correspondence information that associates the generated management ID with reaction information to the management server 20 (step S107).

[0061] Here, the processing executed by the management server 20 will be described using the flowchart shown in Fig. 7. For example, when the system of the management server 20 starts up, the execution of the processing shown in Fig. 7 begins. For example, when the system of the management server 20 stops, the processing shown in Fig. 7 ends.

[0062] The management server 20 determines whether or not it has received correspondence information (see step S107 in FIG. 6) from the terminal device 10 (step S201). If it has received correspondence information (step S201: YES), the management server 20 updates the database DB (creates a new record or updates an existing record) based on the correspondence information (step S202). The management server 20 transmits the update result (for example, "1 smile, 0 hearts") to the terminal device 10 (step S203).

[0063] If no correspondence information has been received (step S201: NO) or after transmitting the update result in step S203, the management server 20 determines whether or not a query has been received from the terminal device 10 (step S204). If no query has been received (step S204: NO), the management server 20 returns to the processing of step S201. If a query has been received (step S204: YES), the management server 20 searches for records in the database DB in accordance with the query (step S205). The management server 20 returns a response according to the search result to the terminal device 10 (step S206), and returns to the processing of step S201.

[0064] Returning to the description of the flowchart in Fig. 6, after uploading the correspondence information in step S107, the terminal device 10 receives the update result (see step S203 in Fig. 7) from the management server 20 (step S108). The terminal device 10 displays the reaction information (such as "1 smile, 0 hearts" or "0 smiles, 0 hearts") included in the received update result on the screen (step S109), and returns to the processing of step S105.

[0065] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 include a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, an input unit 140, and an output unit 150.

[0066] 8 shows only an example of the functional blocks of the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. The terminal device 10 and the management server 20 may include other functional blocks that are not shown in Fig. 8. Furthermore, the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 may be configured not to include some of the functional blocks.

[0067] The control unit 110 controls the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. The control unit 110 can be configured by a controller, a control circuit, or a control device that is described based on common understanding in the technical field to which the present disclosure relates.

[0068] The storage unit 120 stores information used by the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. The storage unit 120 can be configured, for example, by a memory, storage, storage device, etc. that are described based on common understanding in the technical field to which the present disclosure relates.

[0069] The communication unit 130 performs communication between the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 (for example, mutual communication between the two). The communication unit 130 can be configured with a transmitter / receiver, a transmission / reception circuit, or a transmission / reception device that are explained based on common understanding in the technical field to which the present disclosure relates. Note that the communication unit 130 may be configured with a transmission unit and a reception unit.

[0070] The input unit 140 accepts input from the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. The input unit 140 may also be connected to a predetermined device, storage medium, etc., and may accept input of data. The input unit 140 may output the input result to the control unit 110, for example.

[0071] The input unit 140 can be configured with input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and buttons, input / output terminals, input / output circuits, etc., which are explained based on common understanding in the technical field to which the present disclosure relates. The input unit 140 may also be configured as an integrated unit with a display unit (for example, a touch panel).

[0072] The output unit 150 performs output on the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. The output unit 150 may be configured to include a display unit that displays images, an audio output unit that outputs audio, and the like.

[0073] The display unit may be configured with a display device such as a monitor or the like that is described based on common understanding in the technical field to which the present disclosure relates, and the audio output unit may be configured with an output device such as a speaker that is described based on common understanding in the technical field to which the present disclosure relates.

[0074] The block diagrams used in the description of the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the means for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized by a single physically coupled device, or may be realized by two or more physically separate devices connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0075] For example, the devices (the terminal device 10 and the management server 20) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs various processes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal device 10 and the management server 20. The terminal device 10 and the management server 20 may be physically configured as computer devices including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

[0077] In this embodiment, the terms apparatus, circuit, device, unit, server, etc. can be interchangeable. The hardware configuration of the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the figure, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

[0078] For example, although only one processor 1001 is shown, there may be multiple processors. Also, the processes may be performed by a single processor, or the processes may be performed by two or more processors simultaneously, serially, or otherwise. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips.

[0079] Each function of the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 is realized by loading specified software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001, memory 1002, etc., so that the processor 1001 performs calculations and controls communication via the communication device 1004, reading and / or writing of data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003, etc.

[0080] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. Each unit such as the control unit 110 may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0081] The processor 1001 reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above embodiments. For example, the control unit 110 may be realized by a control program running on the processor 1001. Similarly, the other functional blocks may be realized by control programs. The control program is stored in the memory 1002, for example.

[0082] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be composed of, for example, at least one of a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or other suitable storage medium.

[0083] The memory 1002 may also be referred to as a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 may store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0084] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by, for example, at least one of a flexible disk, a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk (CD-ROM, etc.), a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray disc), a removable disk, a hard disk drive, a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, stick, key drive), a magnetic stripe, a database, a server, or other suitable storage medium.

[0085] The storage 1003 may be called an auxiliary storage device. The storage unit 120 may be realized by the memory 1002 and / or the storage 1003.

[0086] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network. The communication device 1004 is also referred to as a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may include a SIM card. Note that the communication unit 130 may be realized by the communication device 1004.

[0087] The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, etc.) that outputs to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one unit (e.g., a touch panel). The input unit 140 and the output unit 150 may be realized by the input device 1005 and the output device 1006, respectively.

[0088] The processor 1001, memory 1002, and other devices are connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured as a single bus, or may be configured as different buses between the devices.

[0089] Furthermore, the terminal device 10 and the management server 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented by at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0090] In addition, terms explained in this disclosure and / or terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0091] The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. Furthermore, the names used for parameters, etc. in this disclosure are not limiting in any way.

[0092] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0093] Information, signals, etc. may be input / output via multiple network nodes. The input / output information, signals, etc. may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or may be managed using a table. The input / output information, signals, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or added. Output information, signals, etc. may be deleted. Input information, signals, etc. may be transmitted to another device.

[0094] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0095] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted and received via a transmission medium and / or signal waveform. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of a transmission medium.

[0096] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the functions performed in the above-described embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations as much as possible. The above-described embodiments include various steps, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements. For example, if the effect can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention.

[0097] For example, in the case of streaming content such as live streaming video, the management server 20 may also record the time at which a reaction was made (e.g., 35 minutes after the start of the live broadcast). That is, the management server 20 may record the number of reactions as time-series data. For example, a time with a large number of reactions can be considered a time when the live broadcast was at its most exciting. The operator of the management server 20 can utilize such time-series data for various purposes, such as providing it to live broadcasters. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1: System 10: Terminal device 20: Management Server 100: Mail server 200: Mail server 300: SMS system 400: SMS system 500: Web server 600: Web server

Claims

1. When the content is an email message, the information about the content includes a message identification (ID) and a sender's email address; When an operation to add a reaction to the content is accepted, identification information of the content is generated based on the message ID and the email address of the sender; transmitting the generated correspondence information, which associates the identification information of the content with reaction information including the details of the reaction, to the management device so that the correspondence information is stored in the management device; Processing equipment.

2. If the content is an email message, the information about the content includes a message identification (ID) and a sender's email address; When accessing the content, generate identification information for the content based on the message ID and the sender's email address; Inquiring a management device about reaction information corresponding to the content based on the generated identification information of the content; Acquire the corresponding reaction information from the management device; outputting the acquired reaction information; Processing equipment.

3. If the content is an SMS (Short Message Service) message, the information about the content includes a sending date and time of the SMS message, a sender's telephone number, and a recipient's telephone number; When an operation to add a reaction to the content is accepted, identification information of the content is generated based on the sending date and time of the SMS message, the telephone number of the sender, and the telephone number of the recipient; transmitting the generated correspondence information, which associates the identification information of the content with reaction information including the details of the reaction, to the management device so that the correspondence information is stored in the management device; Processing equipment.

4. If the content is an SMS (Short Message Service) message, the information about the content includes a sending date and time of the SMS message, a sender's telephone number, and a recipient's telephone number; When accessing the content, generating an identification of the content based on the sending date and time of the SMS message, the telephone number of the sender, and the telephone number of the recipient; Inquiring a management device about reaction information corresponding to the content based on the generated identification information of the content; Acquire the corresponding reaction information from the management device; outputting the acquired reaction information; Processing equipment.

5. A management device capable of communicating with a first processing device that is the processing device according to claim 1 and a second processing device that is the processing device according to claim 2, storing the correspondence information received from the first processing device in a storage unit; In response to an inquiry from the second processing device, the inquiry being based on the identification information of the content, for reaction information corresponding to the content, the storage unit reads out the corresponding reaction information and transmits it to the second processing device. Management device.

6. A management device capable of communicating with a first processing device which is the processing device according to claim 3 and a second processing device which is the processing device according to claim 4, storing the correspondence information received from the first processing device in a storage unit; In response to an inquiry from the second processing device, the inquiry being based on the identification information of the content, for reaction information corresponding to the content, the storage unit reads out the corresponding reaction information and transmits it to the second processing device. Management device.

7. If the content is an email message, the information about the content includes a message identification (ID) and a sender's email address; When an operation to add a reaction to the content is accepted, identification information of the content is generated based on the message ID and the email address of the sender; transmitting the generated correspondence information, which associates the identification information of the content with reaction information including the details of the reaction, to the management device so that the correspondence information is stored in the management device; program.

8. If the content is an email message, the information about the content includes a message identification (ID) and a sender's email address; When accessing the content, generate identification information for the content based on the message ID and the sender's email address; Inquiring a management device about reaction information corresponding to the content based on the generated identification information of the content; Acquire the corresponding reaction information from the management device; outputting the acquired reaction information; program.

9. If the content is an SMS (Short Message Service) message, the information about the content includes a sending date and time of the SMS message, a sender's telephone number, and a recipient's telephone number; When an operation to add a reaction to the content is accepted, identification information of the content is generated based on the sending date and time of the SMS message, the telephone number of the sender, and the telephone number of the recipient; transmitting the generated correspondence information, which associates the identification information of the content with reaction information including the details of the reaction, to the management device so that the correspondence information is stored in the management device; program.

10. If the content is an SMS (Short Message Service) message, the information about the content includes a sending date and time of the SMS message, a sender's telephone number, and a recipient's telephone number; When accessing the content, generating an identification of the content based on the sending date and time of the SMS message, the telephone number of the sender, and the telephone number of the recipient; Inquiring a management device about reaction information corresponding to the content based on the generated identification information of the content; Acquire the corresponding reaction information from the management device; outputting the acquired reaction information; program.

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