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

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program capable of simplifying input of a search condition.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes at least one processor, the processor being configured to: receive a search objective target selected as a search objective from among a plurality of objective targets which are objective target subjects or objective target objects which may be a search objective for which attribute information indicating an attribute is set; receive a search condition designated by a searcher; and output a search result obtained by searching for a search target based on a plurality of keywords corresponding to the attribute information set for the search objective target and the search condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for searching for a search target based on keywords corresponding to search conditions specified by a user and presenting the search results to the user. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for obtaining search results appropriate for a user, in which the results of a search in a database that stores information about the search target based on input keywords are narrowed down according to classification items set by the user, and the search results are output for each classification item. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-172375 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, when multiple users each input the same keyword and perform a search, the search results for that keyword are the same. For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, when multiple users each input the same keyword and set the same classification items, the output search results are the same regardless of the user. However, the search results may be appropriate for one user but inappropriate for another user. In such cases, in order to obtain appropriate search results, it becomes necessary to perform a search by adding keywords appropriate for each user. Therefore, conventionally, appropriate search conditions must be input according to the user's search objective, which can make inputting search conditions cumbersome.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can simplify the input of search conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device of the present disclosure includes at least one processor, and the processor receives a search target selected as a search target from among a plurality of target targets that are target persons or objects that can be search targets and have attribute information indicating attributes set thereto, receives search conditions specified by a searcher, and outputs search results obtained by searching for the search target based on the attribute information set for the search target and a plurality of keywords corresponding to the search conditions. The set attribute information includes relationship information that indicates the relationship between multiple objects. .

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the information processing method of the present disclosure is an information processing method executed by a processor of an information processing device having at least one processor, and includes receiving a search target selected as the purpose of the search from among multiple target targets that are target persons or target objects that can be the purpose of the search and have attribute information indicating attributes set thereto, receiving search conditions specified by a searcher, and outputting search results obtained by searching for the search target based on the attribute information set for the search target and multiple keywords corresponding to the search conditions. The set attribute information includes relationship information that indicates the relationship between multiple objects. .

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing program disclosed herein is an information processing program to be executed by a processor of an information processing device having at least one processor, and receives a search target selected as the purpose of the search from among multiple target targets that are target persons or target objects that can be the purpose of the search and have attribute information indicating attributes set thereto, receives search conditions specified by a searcher, and outputs search results obtained by searching for the search target based on the attribute information set for the search target and multiple keywords corresponding to the search conditions. The set attribute information includes relationship information that indicates the relationship between multiple objects. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to simplify the input of search conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a search system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of functions of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an attribute information DB. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating relationship information included in attribute information. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a setting screen displayed on a display unit of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a search screen displayed on a display unit of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a search screen when a searcher selects one search purpose target in the embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search screen in the case where a searcher selects multiple search purpose targets in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of information processing by the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search history to be stored. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a search screen displayed on a display unit of an information processing device according to the first modification. [Figure 11A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search screen when a searcher selects one search purpose target person in Modification 1. [Figure 11B]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a search screen in the case where a searcher selects multiple search purpose targets in Modification 1. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of information processing by the information processing device of Modification 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosed technology will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0012] First, an example of the overall configuration of the search system of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the search system 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the search system 1 of this embodiment includes an information processing device 10 and a search server 12. The information processing device 10 and the search server 12 are connected via a network 19 by wired communication or wireless communication. The search system 1 is a search system that performs search processing using the search server 12 (search engine 13) provided on the network 19.

[0013] The search server 12 is a so-called server computer or personal computer, and includes a search engine 13. As the search engine 13, for example, an existing search engine such as Yahoo! (registered trademark) or Google (registered trademark) can be used. The search server 12 has a function of providing the information processing device 10 with search results obtained by the search engine 13 in response to a search request from the information processing device 10 via the network 19. Specifically, the search server 12 receives keywords from the information processing device 10 as a search request, and transmits information such as titles and URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) indicating websites that include the received keywords from among multiple websites (not shown) connected to the network 19 to the information processing device 10 as search results.

[0014] 1, the search system 1 is described as having one search engine 13, but the number of search engines 13 provided in the search system 1 is not limited to one, and the search system 1 may have a plurality of search engines 13. In this case, the search system 1 may have a plurality of search servers 12, each having a search engine 13. The search server 12 may also be restricted so that only specific parties can access and perform searches using a user ID (Identification), a terminal ID, or the like.

[0015] Meanwhile, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment has a function of performing a search using the search server 12 via the network 19 in response to an instruction from a searcher, and displaying the search results acquired from the search server 12. The information processing device 10 may be, for example, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, or a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone. The searcher is a person determined by the information processing device 10, such as a logged-in user, and the information processing device 10 may be determined using an ID and password at the time of startup.

[0016] In Figure 1, a form in which the search system 1 has one information processing device 10 is described, but the number of information processing devices 10 included in the search system 1 is not limited to one, and the search system 1 may have multiple information processing devices 10.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing device 10 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 22, a communication I / F unit 24, an operation unit 26, and a display unit 28. The control unit 20, the storage unit 22, the communication I / F unit 24, the operation unit 26, and the display unit 28 are connected via a bus 29 such as a system bus or a control bus so as to be able to exchange various information with each other.

[0018] The control unit 20 of this embodiment controls the overall operation of the information processing device 10. The control unit 20 is a processor and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20A. The control unit 20 is also connected to a storage unit 22, which will be described later.

[0019] The operation unit 26 is used by the searcher to input search-related instructions, various information, etc. The operation unit 26 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various switches, a touch panel, a touch pen, and a mouse. The operation unit 26 may be configured as a voice input device using a microphone, etc. The display unit 28 displays search results and various information, etc. The operation unit 26 and the display unit 28 may be integrated into a touch panel display.

[0020] The communication I / F unit 24 communicates various information including search requests and search results with the search server 12 and the like via the network 19 by wireless or wired communication.

[0021] The storage unit 22 stores programs and various data used in the operation of the information processing device 10. The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) 22A, a random access memory (RAM) 22B, and a storage 22C. The ROM 22A stores various programs to be executed by the CPU 20A in advance. The RAM 22B temporarily stores various data. The storage 22C stores an information processing program 23 executed by the CPU 20A, an attribute information database (DB) 30 (details of which will be described later), and various other information. The information processing program 23 is a so-called search browser. The storage 22C is a non-volatile storage unit, and examples thereof include a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD).

[0022] 3 shows a functional block diagram of an example of the configuration of the information processing device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 10 includes an attribute information setting unit 40, a search purpose target receiving unit 42, a search criterion receiving unit 44, a search result acquisition unit 46, and a search result display processing unit 48. As an example, in the information processing device 10 of this embodiment, the CPU 20A of the control unit 20 executes the information processing program 23 stored in the storage 22C, so that the CPU 20A functions as the attribute information setting unit 40, the search purpose target receiving unit 42, the search criterion receiving unit 44, the search result acquisition unit 46, and the search result display processing unit 48.

[0023] The attribute information setting unit 40 has a function of setting attribute information representing the attributes of a target person who is the target of a search. The information processing device 10 of this embodiment can obtain search results corresponding to a specific person. In other words, a specific person can be assumed, and search results can be obtained for a search conducted for the assumed specific person. For example, when searching for leisure destinations, the desired search results will differ depending on whether the specific person is an indoor person or an outdoor person. In this case, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment can obtain leisure destinations for indoor people as search results by setting an attribute indicating that the specific person is an indoor person. On the other hand, if the specific person is an outdoor person, the attribute indicating that the specific person is an outdoor person can obtain leisure destinations for outdoor people as search results. In this embodiment, the specific person assumed in the search is referred to as a "target person" because he or she is a potential target of the search. The "target person" in this embodiment is an example of a "target target person" in the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a "searcher" refers to a person who is currently performing a search by operating the information processing device 10, and the "searcher" and the "target person" may or may not be the same. For example, in the case of a married couple, if the husband acts as the "searcher" and searches for a gift for his wife, the wife becomes the "target person," and therefore the "searcher" and the "target person" are different.

[0024] The search target is not limited to humans, but may be various living creatures. That is, the information processing device 10 can obtain search results by assuming a specific living creature and performing a search based on keywords corresponding to search conditions specified for the specific living creature. Examples of such specific living creatures include various pets such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and turtles. The search target is not limited to living creatures, but may also be various organizations or various items. The information processing device 10 can obtain search results by assuming a specific organization or specific item and performing a search based on keywords corresponding to search conditions specified for the specific organization or specific item. Examples of such specific organizations include various companies. Examples of specific items include various products. The organization referred to here includes not only for-profit companies but also non-profit groups (NPOs (Non-Profit Organizations), local governments, neighborhood associations, clubs, etc.) and small groups within companies (divisions, departments, factories, etc.). Furthermore, the product may not only be a specific item, but may also be a facility (such as an amusement park or zoo) or an area (such as a scenic spot or hot spring), and the living thing may be a virtual object (such as a character or avatar). In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, these specific people, specific living things, specific organizations, or products are collectively referred to simply as "targets." Furthermore, in this search, the target person who is the target of the search is referred to as "search target." The search target person of this embodiment is an example of a search target of the present disclosure.

[0025] The attribute information set by the attribute information setting unit 40 is stored in the storage 22C as the attribute information DB 30. FIG. 4A shows an example of the attribute information DB 30 (30A). As shown in FIG. 4A, in the attribute information DB 30, for each subject, attribute information is associated with a name representing each subject and an icon representing the subject to be displayed on a search screen (described in detail later). As an example, the attribute information included in the attribute information DB 30A shown in FIG. 4A has information representing the attributes of the subject set for each of a plurality of items.

[0026] In the example shown in FIG. 4A, when the subject is a human, seven attribute items are used: “age,” “gender,” “occupation,” “hobbies,” “physical information,” “relationship information,” and “other.” Among the items, “age” is the subject’s age, “gender” is the subject’s gender, and “occupation” is the subject’s occupation. Among the items, “hobbies” is the subject’s hobbies, and “physical information” is information about the subject’s body, such as health information. Among the items, “relationship information” is information representing relationships, such as relationships, between multiple subjects set in the attribute information DB 30. FIG. 4B shows an example of relationship information 30B. Relationship information 30B is information representing relationships between other subjects from the subject’s perspective. In the example shown in FIG. 4B, if subject A is the subject, subject B is the “wife,” subject C is the “son,” subject D is the “mother,” and subject E is the “pet.” Among the items, “other” is information about the subject’s attributes that is not classified into the above items. Examples of "other" attribute information include, but are not limited to, living environment (residential environment), such as whether the person lives in a house or an apartment building, or whether the person lives alone or with a roommate.

[0027] On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 4A, when the subject is an animal such as a pet, seven attribute items are used: "age," "gender," "type 1," "type 2," "physical information," "related information," and "other." Of these items, "age," "gender," "type 1," "type 2," "physical information," "related information," and "other" are the same as when the subject is a human. Meanwhile, among the items, "type 1" is information that indicates the type of animal, such as a dog, cat, or rabbit, and "type 2" is information that indicates the specific breed.

[0028] Furthermore, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to a family group, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when operating multiple medical diagnostic devices in the course of testing in a hospital's testing department, the present invention can be used to search for information on how to handle each medical diagnostic device. In this case, each medical diagnostic device can be registered as a target and a search can be performed. Another similar example is production equipment in a factory.

[0029] The attribute information items shown in FIG. 4A are merely an example, and the number and types of items are not particularly limited, and it is also possible not to set any items in the attribute information.

[0030] The attribute information setting unit 40 has a function of setting such attribute information in the attribute information DB 30 for each subject. The method by which the attribute information setting unit 40 sets the attribute information for each subject is not particularly limited. As an example, the attribute information setting unit 40 of the present embodiment displays a setting screen 82, an example of which is shown in FIG. 5, on the display unit 28, and sets the attribute information entered by the user performing the setting using the operation unit 26 in accordance with the setting screen 82 in the attribute information DB 30. The method of inputting the attribute information on the setting screen 82 is not particularly limited. For example, the attribute information may be freely entered by the user performing the setting, or a pull-down menu may be displayed in which the types of attributes that can be set corresponding to the subject are displayed by clicking each item, from which the type of attribute corresponding to the subject can be selected.

[0031] The search purpose target receiving unit 42 has a function of receiving a target person selected as the purpose of a search. Specifically, the search purpose target receiving unit 42 has a function of displaying target person identification information 50 representing the above-mentioned target person on a search screen 80, an example of which is shown in Fig. 6, and receiving a search purpose target person who is the purpose of this search and who has been selected by the searcher from the targets displayed in the target person identification information 50. The target person identification information 50 of this embodiment is an example of a mark representing multiple search purpose targets of the present disclosure.

[0032] Fig. 6 shows an example of a search screen 80 displayed on the display unit 28. As shown in Fig. 6, the search screen 80 includes subject identification information 50 for identifying a subject who may be the target of the search, an input field 52, and a search button 54. The subject identification information 50 includes an icon 50A representing the subject and a name 50B representing the name of the subject.

[0033] The searcher selects a search target by dragging and dropping or clicking an icon 50A corresponding to the search target for this search from the target identification information 50 next to the input field 52 on the search screen 80 using the operation unit 26. FIG. 7A shows an example of the search screen 80 when the searcher selects one search target. Specifically, FIG. 7A shows a state in which "target A" is selected by the searcher as the search target. FIG. 7B shows an example of the search screen 80 when the searcher selects multiple search target targets (two in FIG. 7B). Specifically, FIG. 7B shows a state in which "target A" and "target B" are selected by the searcher as the search target. In this way, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment allows multiple search target targets to be set.

[0034] In this way, the search purpose target receiving unit 42 receives the target person corresponding to the icon 50A dragged and dropped by the searcher as the search purpose target. The search purpose target receiving unit 42 outputs information representing the received search purpose target to the search result acquisition unit 46.

[0035] The search condition receiving unit 44 has a function of receiving search conditions specified by a searcher. Specifically, the search condition receiving unit 44 has a function of receiving, as search conditions 60, keywords 62 entered by the searcher into the input field 52 by operating the operation unit 26 on a search screen 80, an example of which is shown in FIG. 6 . As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B , the search condition receiving unit 44 of this embodiment displays one input field 52 on the search screen 80, regardless of the number of target users and the number of search subjects. The example shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrates a state in which the searcher has entered two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "hot spring," as keywords 62. Note that the keywords 62 entered into the input field 52 are not particularly limited and may be, for example, either words or sentences. Furthermore, the number of keywords 62 that can be entered into the input field 52 is not particularly limited. The search condition receiving unit 44 outputs information representing the received search conditions 60 to the search result acquisition unit 46.

[0036] The search result acquisition unit 46 acquires search results searched by the search engine 13 based on the attribute information set for the search purpose target accepted by the search purpose target accepting unit 42 and multiple keywords corresponding to the search conditions 60 accepted by the search condition accepting unit 44. Specifically, the search result acquisition unit 46 acquires the attribute information set for the search purpose target accepted by the search purpose target accepting unit 42 from the attribute information DB 30 and identifies the acquired attribute information as keywords. The search result acquisition unit 46 also identifies keywords 62 included in the search conditions 60 accepted by the search condition accepting unit 44 as keywords. The search result acquisition unit 46 then transmits the keywords identified from the attribute information and the keywords identified from the search conditions 60 as a search request to the search server 12. The search server 12 performs a search using the search engine 13 based on the multiple keywords included in the search request received from the information processing device 10 and transmits the search results to the information processing device 10. As described above, the search results are, for example, information such as titles and URLs representing websites that include the keywords included in the received search request.

[0037] The search result acquisition unit 46 receives the search results sent by the search server 12, and based on the received search results, identifies the search results to be ultimately provided to the user and outputs them to the search result display processing unit 48.

[0038] The search result display processing unit 48 has a function of displaying the search results on the display unit 28. The method by which the search result display processing unit 48 displays the search results on the display unit 28 is not particularly limited.

[0039] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of information processing executed by the information processing device 10 of this embodiment. As an example, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment executes the information processing example shown in FIG. 8 by causing the CPU 20A of the control unit 20 to execute the information processing program 23 stored in the storage 22C based on instructions from a searcher entered through the operation unit 26. Note that, before executing the information processing shown in FIG. 8, the attribute information setting unit 40 sets attribute information related to the attributes of the subject in the attribute information DB 30 stored in the storage 22C, as described above.

[0040] 8, the search screen 80 is displayed. The search purpose target receiving unit 42 displays the target person identification information 50 on the search screen 80. In addition, the search condition receiving unit 44 displays the input field 52 on the search screen 80.

[0041] As described above, the searcher operates the operation unit 26 to select a search target person from the target person identification information 50 on the search screen 80. The searcher also operates the operation unit 26 to input keywords 62 that serve as search conditions 60 into the input field 52. After selecting the search target person and inputting the search conditions 60, the searcher operates the search button 54 to instruct the execution of a search.

[0042] In the next step S102, it is determined whether a search instruction has been accepted. Until a search instruction is accepted, in other words, until the searcher operates the search button 54 to issue an instruction to execute a search, the determination in step S102 will be negative, and the process will return to step S100. On the other hand, if a search instruction has been accepted, the determination in step S102 will be positive, and the process will proceed to step S104.

[0043] In step S104, it is determined whether a search purpose target has been selected. In this embodiment, a search can be performed without selecting a search purpose target. In other words, the search system 1 of this embodiment can also perform a general-purpose search without assuming a search purpose target. In this case, the searcher inputs keywords 62 as search criteria 60 into the input field 52 without selecting a search purpose target. In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, if a search purpose target has been selected, the search purpose target receiving unit 42 receives the selection of the search purpose target, the determination in step S104 is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S106. For example, in the form shown in FIG. 7A, the search purpose target receiving unit 42 receives "target A" as the search purpose target. In addition, in the form shown in FIG. 7B, the search purpose target receiving unit 42 receives "target A" and "target B" as the search purpose targets.

[0044] In step S106, the search result acquisition unit 46 determines whether multiple search purpose persons have been selected. If one search purpose person has been selected, as in the form shown in Fig. 7A, the determination in step S106 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S108.

[0045] In step S108, the search result acquisition unit 46, as described above, refers to the attribute information DB 30 and identifies keywords to be used for the search from the attribute information representing the attributes of the selected search purpose target person.

[0046] In the next step S110, the search condition receiving unit 44 receives the search conditions 60 entered in the input field 52 on the search screen 80, as described above. In the next step S112, the search result acquisition unit 46 identifies the keywords 62 to be used in the search from the received search conditions 60, as described above. In the form shown in FIG. 7A, two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "hot spring", are identified from the search conditions 60.

[0047] In the next step S114, the search result acquisition unit 46 performs a search process using the search engine 13 of the search server 12, as described above, and acquires search results from the search server 12. Specifically, the search result acquisition unit 46 transmits a search request including the keyword identified in step S108 above and the keyword 62 identified in step S112 above to the search server 12 via the network 19, and transmits the search results by the search engine 13 to the search server 12 via the network 19.

[0048] In the next step S116, the search result acquisition unit 46 stores the keywords used in the search as a search history, and then proceeds to step S142. As an example, the search result acquisition unit 46 associates the search history with the search purpose target person and accumulates it in the attribute information DB 30, as shown in FIG.

[0049] On the other hand, if multiple search purpose persons have been selected, the determination in step S106 above is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S118. In step S118, the search result acquisition unit 46 extracts one search purpose person from the multiple selected search purpose persons.

[0050] In the next step S120, the search result acquisition unit 46, as described above, refers to the attribute information DB 30 and identifies keywords to be used in the search from the attribute information indicating the attributes of the search purpose target extracted in step S118 above.

[0051] In the next step S122, the search condition receiving unit 44 receives the search conditions 60 entered in the input field 52 on the search screen 80, as described above. In the next step S124, the search result acquisition unit 46 identifies the keywords 62 to be used in the search from the received search conditions 60, as described above. In the form shown in FIG. 7B , two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "hot spring", are identified from the search conditions 60.

[0052] In the next step S126, the search result acquisition unit 46 performs a search process using the search engine 13 of the search server 12, as described above, and acquires search results from the search server 12. Specifically, the search result acquisition unit 46 transmits a search request including the keyword identified in step S120 above and the keyword 62 identified in step S124 above to the search server 12 via the network 19, and transmits the search results by the search engine 13 to the search server 12 via the network 19.

[0053] In the next step S128, the search result acquisition unit 46 accumulates the keywords used in the search as a search history. As an example, as shown in FIG. 9, the search result acquisition unit 46 associates the search history with the search purpose target person and stores it in the attribute information DB 30. Note that in this embodiment, if multiple search purpose targets are selected, information indicating this is also included in the search history. For example, in the example of the attribute information DB 30A shown in FIG. 9, the search histories of target A and target B include information indicating "multiple selections."

[0054] In the next step S130, it is determined whether or not all of the selected search purpose persons have been extracted in step S118. If there are search purpose persons that have not yet been extracted, the determination in step S130 is negative, and the process returns to step S118, where the unextracted search purpose persons are extracted and the processes in steps S120 to S128 are repeated. On the other hand, if all search purpose persons have been extracted, the determination in step S130 is positive, and the process proceeds to step S132.

[0055] In step S132, the search result acquisition unit 46 extracts search results common to all search purpose subjects from all search results acquired for each search purpose subject as the final search result, and then proceeds to step S142. Thus, in this embodiment, when multiple search purpose subjects are selected, the product of the sets of search results for each search purpose subject is extracted as the final search result. Note that in this embodiment, when there are multiple search purpose subjects, keywords identified from the attribute information of each search purpose subject and keywords identified from the search conditions are searched, and common search results are extracted as the final search result, but this is not limited to this. For example, when there are multiple search purpose subjects, search results performed using keywords identified from the attribute information common to the selected multiple search purpose subjects and keywords identified from the search conditions may be extracted as the final search result.

[0056] Furthermore, as described above, the information processing device 10 allows a search to be performed without selecting a search purpose target. In this case, the searcher inputs the search criteria 60 into the input field 52 on the search screen 80, but does not select a search purpose target. If a search purpose target is not selected, the determination in step S104 above is negative, and the process proceeds to step S134.

[0057] In step S134, the search condition receiving unit 44 receives the search conditions 60 entered in the input field 52 on the search screen 80, as described above. In the next step S136, the search result acquisition unit 46 identifies the keywords 62 to be used for the search from the received search conditions 60, as described above.

[0058] In the next step S138, the search result acquisition unit 46 performs a search process using the search engine 13 of the search server 12 by sending the keywords identified in step S136 above as a search request to the search server 12, and acquires search results from the search server 12.

[0059] In the next step S140, the search result acquisition unit 46 accumulates the keywords used in the search as a search history, and then proceeds to step S142. In this case, the search result acquisition unit 46 accumulates the search history in the storage 22C separately from the attribute information DB 30.

[0060] In step S142, the search result display processing unit 48 displays the search results on the display unit 28. Specifically, the search results acquired in step S114, the detection results extracted in step S132, or the search results acquired in step S138 are displayed on the display unit 28.

[0061] In the next step S144, it is determined whether or not to end the information processing shown in Fig. 8. In this embodiment, as an example, the determination in step S144 is negative until a predetermined end condition is met, and the process returns to step S100, and the processing of steps S100 to S140 is repeated.

[0062] On the other hand, if a predetermined termination condition is met, such as receiving an instruction from the searcher to terminate the search, the determination in step S144 becomes positive, and the information processing shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0063] The above-described embodiment is an example of the technique of the present disclosure, and various modifications are possible. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0064] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, when multiple search purpose subjects are selected, the same search criteria 60 are input for each of the multiple search purpose subjects. In contrast, the information processing device 10 of this modified example allows the input of search criteria 60 for each of the multiple search purpose subjects.

[0065] 10 shows an example of a search screen 80 that the information processing device 10 of this modified example displays on the display unit 28. As shown in FIG. 10, on the search screen 80 of this modified example, an input field 52 is displayed for each subject.

[0066] 10, the searcher selects a search purpose target by clicking icon 50A or name 50B corresponding to the target person to be selected as the search purpose target using operation unit 26. Search purpose target receiving unit 42 receives the target person whose icon 50A or name 50B is clicked as the search purpose target.

[0067] 10, the search condition receiving unit 44 displays an input field 52 for each target person. The searcher inputs search conditions 60 into the input field 52 provided according to the target person selected as the search target. The search condition receiving unit 44 receives the search conditions 60 input into the input field 52. Note that, in this variant, similar to the embodiment, the selection of an icon 50A or a name 50B corresponding to the target person to be searched for is received using the operation unit 26, but this is not limited to this. For example, the target person corresponding to the input field into which a keyword 62 is input as the search condition 60 may be selected as the search target person.

[0068] 11A shows an example of a search screen 80 in which a searcher has selected one search purpose target. In the example shown in FIG. 11A, the searcher has selected target person A as the search purpose target, and has also entered two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "hot spring," as search criteria 60.

[0069] 11B shows an example of a search screen 80 in which a searcher has selected multiple search purpose targets. In the example shown in FIG. 11B, the searcher has selected target A and target B as search purpose targets, and has entered two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "hot spring," for target A, and two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "gourmet" for target B, as search conditions 60.

[0070] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 of this modified example will be described with reference to the drawings. The flow of information processing executed by the information processing device 10 of this modified example is the same as the information processing described above with reference to Fig. 8. However, when multiple search purpose subjects are selected, search conditions 60 are entered for each search purpose subject, and therefore the search results that are ultimately displayed as search results differ between the above embodiment and this modified example.

[0071] In the example shown in FIG. 11B , if target person A is extracted as a search target person in information processing step S118, then in step S120 the search result acquisition unit 46 refers to the attribute information DB 30 and identifies keywords from the attribute information of target person A. In the next step S122, the search condition acceptance unit 44 accepts search conditions 60 entered in the entry field 52 provided for target person A. In the next step S124, the search result acquisition unit 46 identifies two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "hot spring," from the search conditions 60 accepted in step S122. In the next step S126, the search result acquisition unit 46 transmits a search request including the keywords identified from the attribute information of target person A and the keywords 62 identified from the search conditions 60 to the search server 12 via the network 19, and transmits search results by the search engine 13 to the search server 12 via the network 19. In the next step S128, the search result acquisition unit 46 accumulates the keywords used in the search as a search history.

[0072] 11B , if target person B is extracted as a search target person in information processing step S118, the search result acquisition unit 46 refers to the attribute information DB 30 and identifies keywords from the attribute information of target person B in step S120. In the next step S122, the search condition acceptance unit 44 accepts search conditions 60 entered in the entry field 52 provided for target person B. In the next step S124, the search result acquisition unit 46 identifies two keywords 62, "travel destination" and "food," from the search conditions 60 accepted in step S122. In the next step S126, the search result acquisition unit 46 transmits a search request including the keywords identified from the attribute information of target person B and the keywords 62 identified from the search conditions 60 to the search server 12 via the network 19, and transmits search results by the search engine 13 to the search server 12 via the network 19. In the next step S128, the search result acquisition unit 46 accumulates the keywords used in the search as a search history.

[0073] Furthermore, after the acquisition of search results for subject A as the search purpose subject and the acquisition of search results for subject B as the search purpose subject are completed, in step S132 the search result acquisition unit 46 extracts search results that are common to the search results for subject A as the search purpose subject and the search results for subject B as the search purpose subject as the final search results, and then proceeds to step S142. As shown above, in this modified example as well, when multiple search purpose subjects are selected, the product of the sets of search results for each search purpose subject is extracted as the final search result.

[0074] In this way, in this modified example, it is possible to accept search conditions 60 for each search purpose target, making it possible to perform searches that are more tailored to each search purpose target, thereby improving search accuracy.

[0075] (Variation 2) In this modification, a form will be described in which a search is performed further using keywords corresponding to the accumulated search history. Fig. 12 shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of information processing by information processing device 10 of this modification. As shown in Fig. 12, the information processing of this modification differs from the information processing described above (see Fig. 8) in that it includes the processing of step S113 between steps S112 and S114 and the processing of step S125 between steps S124 and S126.

[0076] In step S113, the search result acquisition unit 46 refers to the attribute information DB 30 and identifies keywords from the search history stored in association with the selected search purpose target. As a result of the processing of this step, in step S114 the search result acquisition unit 46 transmits a search request including the keywords identified in step S108, the keywords 62 identified in step S112, and the keywords identified in step S114 to the search server 12 via the network 19, and transmits the search results by the search engine 13 to the search server 12 via the network 19.

[0077] Furthermore, in step S125, the search result acquisition unit 46 refers to the attribute information DB 30 and identifies keywords from the search history stored in association with the search purpose target extracted in step S118. By the processing of this step, in step S126 the search result acquisition unit 46 transmits a search request including the keywords identified in step S120, the keywords 62 identified in step S124, and the keywords identified in step S125 to the search server 12 via the network 19, and transmits the search results by the search engine 13 to the search server 12 via the network 19.

[0078] The method by which the search result acquisition unit 46 identifies keywords to be used for the current search from the accumulated search history is not particularly limited. The accumulated search history may be identified as the keyword as is. Alternatively, for example, a search history related to the search criteria 60 for the current search may be identified as the keyword from among multiple search histories. In this case, for example, the search criteria 60 or keywords 62 may be analyzed, and classification into categories (genres) may be performed, and search histories classified into similar categories (genres) may be identified as keywords.

[0079] In this way, in this modified example, keywords corresponding to the search history accumulated for each target person are used for the search, so that search results that are more suitable for the target person's search purpose can be obtained.

[0080] As described above, in each of the above information processing devices 10, the search purpose target receiving unit 42 receives a target person selected as the purpose of the search from among multiple targets that are potential search targets and have attribute information indicating their attributes set. The search condition receiving unit 44 receives search conditions 60 specified by the searcher. The search result acquisition unit 46 acquires search results searched by the search engine 13 of the search server 12 based on the attribute information set for the target person and multiple keywords 62 corresponding to the search conditions 60, and outputs the search results to the search result display processing unit 48.

[0081] In this way, in the information processing device 10 of each of the above embodiments, a search is performed based on a plurality of keywords 62 corresponding to the attribute information representing the attributes of the search purpose subject and the search criteria 60. Therefore, the searcher can perform an appropriate search according to each search purpose subject without having to input detailed search criteria according to each search purpose subject. Therefore, according to the information processing device 10 of each of the above embodiments, it is possible to simplify the input of the search criteria 60. Furthermore, according to the information processing device 10 of each of the above embodiments, it is possible to improve search accuracy while simplifying the input of the search criteria 60.

[0082] In the above-described second modification, as an example of a search method using accumulated search history, a form in which keywords identified from the search history itself are used for the search has been described, but other forms may also be used. For example, a form in which the attribute information setting unit 40 analyzes the search history (search condition 60) and adds the analysis results as attribute information. For example, if the search history (search condition 60) is "game result Giants," the attribute information setting unit 40 may analyze "game result Giants" and add the attribute "Giants fan" to the attribute information DB 30.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 10 and the search server 12 are separate entities. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the information processing device 10 and the search server 12 may be integrated into a single device. In other words, the information processing device 10 may have a search engine 13. In the present embodiment, the information processing device 10 receives input from a searcher and displays the information to the searcher. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the searcher may input search objectives and search conditions via a terminal device operated by the searcher, and the information processing device 10 may receive the input information received by the terminal device via a network or the like. Alternatively, the information processing device 10 may not have a display unit 28, and the search results acquired by the search result acquisition unit 46 may be sent to a terminal device having the display unit 28 via a network or the like, and the terminal device receiving the search results may display the search results to the searcher.

[0084] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the following various processors can be used as the hardware structure of the processing units that execute various processes, such as the attribute information setting unit 40, the search purpose target receiving unit 42, the search condition receiving unit 44, the search result acquisition unit 46, and the search result display processing unit 48. As described above, the various processors include a CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as various processing units, as well as dedicated electrical circuits that are processors with a circuit configuration specifically designed to execute specific processes, such as a programmable logic device (PLD), a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0085] A single processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, multiple processing units may be configured with a single processor.

[0086] Examples of configuring multiple processing units with a single processor include, first, a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as multiple processing units, as typified by computers such as client and server. Second, a form in which a processor is used to realize the functions of the entire system including multiple processing units with a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as typified by systems on chips (SoCs). In this way, various processing units are configured using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors as a hardware structure.

[0087] Furthermore, more specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors can be an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0088] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the information processing program 23 is described as being pre-stored (installed) in the storage 22C of the storage unit 22, but this is not limiting. The information processing program 23 may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Each of the information processing programs 23 may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. In other words, the program (program product) described in the present embodiment may be provided on a recording medium or may be distributed from an external computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Search System 10. Information processing equipment 12 Search Server 13. Search Engines 19 Network 20 control unit, 20A CPU 22 Memory section, 22A ROM, 22B RAM, 22C Storage 23 Information Processing Program 24 Communication I / F section 26 Control section 28 Display section 29 Bus 30, 30A Attribute Information DB, 30B Relationship Information 40 Attribute information setting section 42 Search Purpose Reception Section 44 Search condition reception section 46 Search result acquisition unit 48 Search result display processing section 50 Subject Identification Information, 50A Icon, 50B Name 52 input fields 54 Search button 60 search criteria 62 Keywords 80 Search screen 82 Settings screen

Claims

1. at least one processor; The processor: receiving a search target selected as a search target from among a plurality of target targets that are target persons or target objects that can be the search target and have attribute information indicating attributes set thereto; Accepts search criteria specified by the searcher, outputting a search result obtained by searching for the search target based on attribute information set for the search target and a plurality of keywords according to the search conditions; The set attribute information includes relationship information that indicates relationships between the plurality of targets. Information processing device.

2. The processor: displaying an input field on a display unit for a searcher to input the search conditions; Accept the search conditions entered in the entry field The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The processor: Displaying one of the input fields provided for the plurality of targets on the display unit The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The processor: When multiple search objectives are received, For each of the search targets, a search result is obtained by searching for the search target based on attribute information and a plurality of keywords corresponding to the search conditions; Displaying the search results common to the search results for each of the search objectives as the final search results. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The processor: a plurality of input fields provided for each of the plurality of targets are displayed on the display unit; The information processing device according to claim 2 .

6. The processor: When multiple search objectives are received, For each search purpose, obtain search results by searching for the search target based on a plurality of keywords corresponding to the attribute information and the search conditions entered in the corresponding input field; Displaying the search results common to the search results for each of the search objectives as the final search results. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The plurality of keywords include a keyword identified from the attribute information and a keyword identified from the search condition. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. The processor: For each of the plurality of targets, the plurality of keywords used in the search for the search target are stored as a search history. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The processor: Outputting search results obtained by searching for a search target based on a plurality of keywords according to attribute information set for the search target, the search conditions, and the search history accumulated corresponding to the search target. The information processing device according to claim 8 .

10. The target person is a specific person, The target object is at least one of a specific organism, a specific group, and a specific item. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The processor: Displaying marks representing the plurality of search targets; Accepts the search target selected by the searcher specifying the mark. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An information processing method executed by at least one processor of an information processing device, comprising: receiving a search target selected as a search target from among a plurality of target targets that are target persons or target objects that can be the search target and have attribute information indicating attributes set thereto; Accepts search criteria specified by the searcher, outputting a search result obtained by searching for the search target based on attribute information set for the search target and a plurality of keywords according to the search conditions; The set attribute information includes relationship information that indicates relationships between the plurality of targets. Information processing methods.

13. An information processing program to be executed by at least one processor of an information processing device, the information processing program comprising: receiving a search target selected as a search target from among a plurality of target targets that are target persons or target objects that can be the search target and have attribute information indicating attributes set thereto; Accepts search criteria specified by the searcher, outputting a search result obtained by searching for the search target based on attribute information set for the search target and a plurality of keywords according to the search conditions; The set attribute information includes relationship information that indicates relationships between the plurality of targets. Information processing program.

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