Content distribution control method, content distribution control device, and computer program

Abstract

To suppress a decrease in the quality of content reproduction on a viewer terminal side in the distribution of content involving video synthesis with main content. [Solution] A content distribution control method comprising: an input step in which a content distribution control device inputs a group of first fragment files that are played back in chronological order to reproduce the video of a first content; a determination step in which, for each of the first fragment files included in the first fragment file group, one of the first fragment files and a second fragment file in which second content data for displaying a second content is synthesized with the first fragment file is determined to be a fragment file for output; and an output step in which each fragment file for output is output after waiting a predetermined time from the time the corresponding first fragment file was input.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for simultaneously displaying advertisements with video content being distributed. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, protocols such as RFC 8216 HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and ISO / IEC 23009 Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH) have been developed and put into practical use to realize streaming delivery of video content (moving images). Generally, streaming technology divides video data of target content into multiple fragment files and delivers them, allowing viewers to simultaneously and seamlessly receive and play the delivered data. Regarding such streaming technology, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that, when replacing a portion of multiple fragment files with another replacement fragment file (replacement file), edits the previous and next fragment files according to the insertion position of the replacement file, thereby enabling the replacement of a portion of content while achieving seamless playback. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-136533 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional technology, it is not possible to guarantee the continuity of the output stream when distributing content that involves video synthesis with the main content, such as so-called split-screen advertisements, in which the screen is divided between the main content and the advertising content, making it difficult to play the content seamlessly on the viewer terminal.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a technology that makes it possible to prevent a decrease in content playback quality on the viewer terminal side when distributing content that involves video synthesis with main content. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a content distribution control method including an input step in which a content distribution control device inputs a group of first fragment files that are played back in chronological order to reproduce video of a first content; a determination step in which, for each of the first fragment files included in the first fragment file group, one of the first fragment file and a second fragment file in which second content data for displaying a second content is combined with the first fragment file is determined to be a fragment file for output; and an output step in which each fragment file for output is output after waiting a predetermined time from the time the corresponding first fragment file was input.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned content distribution control method, wherein the content distribution control device further includes a synthesis processing step in which a synthesis process is performed to synthesize the second content data with the first fragment file, and in the determination step, it is determined whether the synthesis process has been completed within the specified time, and if it is determined that the synthesis process has been completed within the specified time, the second fragment file generated by the synthesis process is used as a fragment file for output.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned content distribution control method, wherein if it is determined in the determination step that the synthesis process has not been completed within the specified time, the first fragment file input in the input step is used as the fragment file for output as is.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned content distribution control method, wherein in the output step, the output of each output fragment file is waited for the specified time regardless of whether the synthesis process is completed within the specified time.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned content distribution control method, wherein in the output step, for the output of each output fragment file, the predetermined time is waited regardless of whether the output fragment file is the first fragment file or the second fragment file.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned content distribution control method, wherein in the synthesis processing step, a first fragment file to be synthesized with the second content data is recognized based on setting information regarding the timing at which the second content should be displayed and the playback order of the first fragment file group, and the synthesis processing is performed on the first fragment file from the first fragment file group that is recognized as the target for synthesis.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned content distribution control method, wherein the first fragment file group is video data of the first content that has been divided and encoded, and is supplied to a content distribution control device together with a playlist indicating the playback order, and setting information regarding the timing at which the second content should be displayed is associated in the playlist with the first fragment file corresponding to said timing.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is a content distribution control device that includes an input unit that inputs a group of first fragment files that are played back in chronological order to reproduce the video of a first content, a determination unit that, for each of the first fragment files included in the first fragment file group, determines one of the first fragment file and a second fragment file in which second content data for displaying a second content is combined with the first fragment file as a fragment file for output, and an output unit that outputs each fragment file for output after waiting a predetermined time from the time the corresponding first fragment file was input.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a computer program for causing a content distribution control device to execute an input step of inputting a group of first fragment files that are played back in chronological order to reproduce the video of a first content, a determination step of determining, for each of the first fragment files included in the first fragment file group, one of the first fragment files and a second fragment file to which second content data for displaying a second content is combined with the first fragment file as a fragment file for output, and an output step of outputting each fragment file for output after waiting a predetermined time from the time the corresponding first fragment file was input. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the playback quality of content on the viewer terminal side when distributing content that involves video composition with main content. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a content distribution system using an advertisement distribution control device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a display example of target content distributed by the content distribution system 1 of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an advertisement distribution control device 200 according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a first time chart illustrating a process flow in which the advertisement distribution control device 200 according to the embodiment synthesizes advertisement data into compressed data. [Figure 5] 10 is a second time chart illustrating the flow of processing in which the advertisement distribution control device 200 of the embodiment synthesizes advertisement data into compressed data. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed when the advertisement distribution control device 200 of the embodiment distributes target content. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a content distribution system to which an advertisement distribution control device according to an embodiment is applied. The content distribution system 1 includes, for example, an encoder 100, an advertisement distribution control device 200, an advertisement data server 300, and a packager 400. The encoder 100, the advertisement distribution control device 200, the advertisement data server 300, and the packager 400 each have a communication interface (not shown), and are capable of performing communications via the communication interfaces indicated by the arrows in the figure.

[0019] The encoder 100 is a device / function that encodes (encodes and compresses) moving image data (video data) of content to be distributed (target content). The encoder 100 inputs the encoded moving image data (compressed data) to the advertisement distribution control device 200. The moving image data of the target content may be real-time moving image data or pre-recorded moving image data. The moving image data of the target content may also be uncompressed moving image data (so-called RAW data) or compressed moving image data. The encoder 100 may convert moving image data compressed in a predetermined format into another compression format. The encoder 100 may also be implemented as a function of the advertisement distribution control device 200, rather than as a standalone device.

[0020] The advertisement delivery control device 200 is a device that controls the insertion of advertisements into target content. The advertisement delivery control device 200 receives compressed data of the target content from the encoder 100 and acquires content data of advertisements (advertising data) to be inserted into the target content from the advertisement data server 300. More specifically, the encoder 100 divides the video data of the target content into small segments (hereinafter referred to as "segment data") according to the playback timeline, compresses each of the divided segment data, and outputs it to the advertisement delivery control device 200 in chronological order. Here, the video data for each segment is an example of a "fragment file." Furthermore, in this embodiment, an advertisement is an example of a video to be combined with the main content (target content). However, in the present invention, the video to be combined with the main content is not limited to an advertisement. In the present invention, the video to be combined with the main content may be any video, including an advertisement.

[0021] The encoder 100 generates a playlist that defines the playback order and playback timing of the multiple segment data that make up the compressed data, along with the compressed data, and supplies the playlist to the advertisement delivery control device 200. The advertisement delivery control device 200 combines the advertisement data with the compressed data so that the advertisement content is played at the timing defined in the playlist when playing back the target content. The advertisement delivery control device 200 outputs the compressed data combined with the advertisement data to the packager 400.

[0022] More specifically, the playlist includes information for specifying the timing at which advertisements are to be displayed during playback of the target content, and identification information for advertisement data to be combined with segment data. Based on the playlist, the advertisement distribution control device 200 recognizes the target segment data to be combined with advertisement data and the target advertisement data to be combined with the segment data, combines the two, and outputs the segment data in which the target advertisement data is combined with the target segment data (hereinafter referred to as "advertisement segment data") to the packager 400. On the other hand, for segment data that does not need to be combined with advertisement data, the advertisement distribution control device 200 outputs the segment data input from the encoder 100 to the packager 400 as is.

[0023] The packager 400 is a device / function that performs format conversion (packaging) without encoding on the compressed data of the target content and delivers it to the viewer terminal. Packaging is a process of converting compressed data into a distribution format appropriate for the viewer terminal at the distribution destination. For example, packager 400 may convert compressed data in HLS format into MPEG-DASH format, or may convert compressed data in MPEG-DASH format into HLS format, or may perform other format conversions. Packager 400 distributes the compressed data (distribution data) after format conversion to the viewer terminal. Then, the distribution data is decoded and played on the viewer terminal, allowing the target content to be viewed.

[0024] Note that while Fig. 1 illustrates a case in which the encoder 100 and the packager 400 are configured separately, this is just one example of the configuration of the content delivery system 1, and the encoder 100 and the packager 400 may also be configured as an integrated unit. For example, if the encoder 100 in Fig. 1 has the functions of the packager 400, the encoder 100 may be configured to perform both encoding and packaging to generate delivery data and output the generated delivery data to the advertisement delivery control device 200. In this case, the packager 400 may be omitted. Also, in this case, the advertisement delivery control device 200 may be configured to synthesize advertisement data with delivery data for each segment (compressed segment data).

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of display of target content distributed by the content distribution system 1 of the embodiment. In FIG. 2, the screen IM1 on the left side shows an example of display of target content using distribution data without advertisement data being combined. In the example of screen IM1, the entire screen is used as the display area for the target content. On the other hand, the screen IM2 on the right side shows an example of display of target content using distribution data combined with advertisement data. In the example of screen IM2, a rectangular area AR1 in the upper left of the screen is used as the display area for the target content, and the remaining L-shaped area AR2 is used as the display area for the advertisement content.

[0026] In the example of screen IM2, the areas within the screen in which the target content display area AR1 and the advertising content display area AR2 are displayed may be arbitrarily changed depending on the design. For example, the entire screen may be divided into left and right halves, one of which may be used as the display area for the target content and the other as the display area for the advertising content. Alternatively, for example, the entire screen may be divided into top and bottom halves, one of which may be used as the display area for the target content and the other as the display area for the advertising content.

[0027] Furthermore, the display area of ​​the target content and / or the advertising content does not necessarily have to be one within the screen. That is, multiple display areas may be provided within the screen for the target content and / or the advertising content. In this case, different advertisements may be displayed in each of the multiple display areas, or the target content may be divided and displayed in multiple display areas. Also, multiple advertisements may be displayed in one display area. In either case, the advertisement distribution control device 200 may be configured to combine one or more pieces of advertising data with compressed data so that one or more advertisements are displayed in their corresponding areas.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the advertisement delivery control device 200 according to the embodiment. The advertisement delivery control device 200 includes, for example, a compressed data input unit 210, an advertisement data input unit 220, an output control unit 230, and a compressed data output unit 240. The advertisement delivery control device 200 includes, for example, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory. The advertisement delivery control device 200 functions as a device including the compressed data input unit 210, the advertisement data input unit 220, the output control unit 230, and the compressed data output unit 240 when the processor executes a program. Note that all or part of the functions of the advertisement delivery control device 200 may be implemented using hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be, for example, a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a semiconductor storage device (e.g., an SSD (Solid State Drive)), or a storage device such as a hard disk or semiconductor storage device built into a computer system. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0029] The compressed data input unit 210 includes, for example, a communication interface for communicating with the encoder 100, and inputs compressed data of the target content from the encoder 100. The compressed data input unit 210 outputs the input compressed data to the output control unit 230. Here, the process performed by the compressed data input unit 210 is an example of an "input step."

[0030] The advertisement data input unit 220 includes, for example, a communication interface for communicating with the advertisement data server 300, and inputs advertisement data from the advertisement data server 300. The advertisement data input unit 220 outputs the input advertisement data to the output control unit 230. Note that the advertisement data may be any data that can be synthesized into compressed data of the target content, or any data that can serve as the basis for such data. For example, the advertisement data may be video data, image data, audio data, or text data of the advertisement content.

[0031] The compressed data output unit 240 includes, for example, a communication interface for communicating with the packager 400, and outputs the segment data (compressed data) output from the output control unit 230 to the packager 400 in sequence.

[0032] The output control unit 230 controls the output of compressed data from the advertisement distribution control device 200 to the packager 400. More specifically, the output control unit 230 executes the following first to third processes. Here, the processes executed by the compressed data output unit 240 and the output control unit 230 are an example of an "output step."

[0033] [First process] The first process is a process of synthesizing advertising data as necessary with the compressed data input from the encoder 100. More specifically, the output control unit 230 sequentially inputs time-series segment data from the compressed data input unit 210, synthesizes advertising data specified in the playlist with segment data that corresponds to the timing of advertisement insertion, and outputs the synthesized data to the compressed data output unit 240. On the other hand, the output control unit 230 does not synthesize advertising data with segment data that does not correspond to the timing of advertisement insertion, and outputs the segment data input from the compressed data input unit 210 as is to the compressed data output unit 240. Here, the first process is an example of a "synthesizing process step." Furthermore, the segment data with advertising data synthesized by the first process is an example of a "second fragment file."

[0034] [Second process] The second process is a process of delaying the segment data to be output by a pre-specified time (hereinafter referred to as the "specified time") and outputting it to the packager 400, regardless of whether the segment data to which advertising data has been combined is output or the segment data input from the encoder 100 is output as is. For example, the start point for waiting for the specified time may be the point in time when the segment data is input from the encoder 100. The specified time is basically set to a time sufficient for the first process to be completed, but is designed to be as short as possible so as not to impair the real-time nature of streaming delivery more than necessary. Here, the specified time is an example of a "predetermined time."

[0035] [Third Processing] The third process is a process of switching the compressed data output to the packager 400 from advertisement segment data to source segment data depending on the status of the first process. Here, the source stream represents a group of segment data input in time series from the encoder 100, and the source segment data represents the segment data input from the encoder 100 via the source stream. More specifically, if the first process is completed within a specified time, the output control unit 230 outputs the segment data into which advertisement data has been combined by the first process to the compressed data output unit 240, and if the first process is not completed within the specified time, the output control unit 230 outputs the source segment data to the compressed data output unit 240 without waiting for the first process to be completed.

[0036] In other words, the second process delays the output segment data by the specified time, regardless of whether the first process is completed within the specified time, and then outputs the output segment data to the packager 400. The second process may be configured to be performed by the compressed data output unit 240 instead of the output control unit 230.

[0037] Here, the group of segment data input by the source stream is an example of a “first fragment file group.” Also, each piece of source segment data is an example of an individual “first fragment file.”

[0038] 4 and 5 are time charts illustrating the flow of processing in which the advertisement delivery control device 200 of the embodiment synthesizes advertisement data into compressed data. In FIG. 4, the upper side represents the flow of the source stream, and the lower side represents the flow of the output stream. The source stream represents the flow of compressed data of the target content input to the advertisement delivery control device 200. The output stream represents the flow of compressed data output from the advertisement delivery control device 200. Here, the compressed data for each segment input in the source stream is referred to as a "source segment," and the source segment into which advertisement data has been synthesized is referred to as an "advertising segment" to distinguish them.

[0039] The example in FIG. 4 shows a situation in which source segments #1 to #5 are input to the advertisement delivery control device 200 as a source stream. The example in FIG. 4 also shows a situation in which advertisement insertion timing is specified for source segment #3 and source segment #4. As described above, the advertisement insertion timing is recognized in advance by the encoder 100, and is notified to the advertisement delivery control device 200 by a playlist output by the encoder 100. The playlist also includes identification information for advertisement data to be inserted, and the advertisement delivery control device 200 can recognize, based on the playlist, which advertisement data should be inserted at which position.

[0040] In this case, in the advertisement distribution control device 200, the output control unit 230 places source segment #1, source segment #2, and source segment #5, which do not correspond to the advertisement insertion timing, directly into the output stream without synthesizing advertisement data. On the other hand, for source segment #3 and source segment #4, which correspond to the advertisement insertion timing, the output control unit 230 generates advertisement segment #1 and advertisement segment #2 with synthesized advertisement data by encoding (ENC) and places them into the output stream. This creates an output stream that displays only the target content at the timing of source segments #1, #2, and #5, and displays both the target content and advertisement content at the timing of advertisement segments #3 and #4.

[0041] In the input and output of such streams, the advertisement delivery control device 200 of this embodiment is configured to delay the output timing of segment data in the output stream by a predetermined delay time Δ from the input timing of segment data in the source stream, regardless of whether advertisement data is synthesized. In other words, the advertisement delivery control device 200 of this embodiment can tolerate a maximum delay time Δ in the encoding processing time of advertisement data, and can guarantee the continuity of the output stream if the encoding processing can be completed within the delay time Δ (for example, in the example of FIG. 4).

[0042] Conversely, this means that the distributor of the target content can proactively improve the quality of streaming distribution by adjusting the processing load through encoding settings so that the encoding process is completed within the delay time Δ, by changing the advertisement data, scheduling other processes, etc. Therefore, the advertisement distribution control device 200 of this embodiment can prevent the quality of streaming distribution from deteriorating due to a decrease in the continuity of the output stream.

[0043] On the other hand, Figure 5 shows an example where the encoding process for source segment #4 is not completed within the delay time Δ. In this case, the advertisement delivery control device 200 places source segment #4 of the source stream directly into the output stream after the delay time Δ has elapsed, without waiting for the encoding process to be completed. As a result, when a source segment and advertisement data need to be combined at the advertisement insertion timing, the advertisement delivery control device 200 of this embodiment can ensure the continuity of the output stream even if the encoding process does not complete within the delay time Δ for some reason. In this way, the advertisement delivery control device 200 of this embodiment can deliver target content while inserting advertisements at predetermined timings while ensuring the continuity of the output stream.

[0044] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the advertisement distribution control device 200 of the embodiment when distributing target content. First, the compressed data input unit 210 inputs compressed data (source segments) for each segment of the target content from the encoder 100 (S101). The compressed data input unit 210 outputs the input compressed data of the source segments to the output control unit 230. As described above, when inputting and outputting compressed data, a playlist of the target content is also input and output.

[0045] Next, the output control unit 230 refers to the playlist input together with the compressed data in step S101 to recognize the timing for inserting an advertisement, and determines whether the timing for inserting an advertisement has arrived (S102). If it is determined that the timing for inserting an advertisement has not arrived, the output control unit 230 outputs the compressed data of the source segment input in step S101 by placing it on the output stream (S103).

[0046] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the advertisement insertion timing has arrived, the output control unit 230 refers to the playlist to identify the advertisement data to be inserted, and acquires the advertisement data from the advertisement data server 300 (S104). The output control unit 230 starts an encoding process to combine the advertisement data acquired in step S104 with compressed data of the source segment (S105). The output control unit 230 determines whether a delay has occurred in the encoding process started in step S105 (S106).

[0047] For example, the output control unit 230 may determine that a processing delay has occurred if the encoding process does not finish within a delay time Δ after the source segment to be processed is input. Furthermore, for example, if the progress of the encoding process is observable, the output control unit 230 may determine whether the time elapsed since the start of the encoding process is within an allowable range depending on the progress of the encoding process. In this case, the allowable range of processing time depending on the progress of the encoding process may be set in advance in the advertisement delivery control device 200.

[0048] If it is determined in step S106 that a delay has occurred in the encoding process, the output control unit 230 outputs the compressed data of the source segment input in step S101 to the output stream without waiting for the encoding process to finish (S103). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that no delay has occurred in the encoding process, the output control unit 230 determines whether the encoding process has finished (S107). If it is determined that the encoding process has not finished, the output control unit 230 returns to the process in step S106 and repeatedly executes step S106 until the encoding process finishes.

[0049] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that the encoding process has ended, the output control unit 230 outputs compressed data of the advertisement segment, in which the advertisement data has been combined with the source segment by the encoding process, to the output stream (S108).

[0050] According to the advertisement distribution control device 200 of the embodiment configured as above, more appropriate seamless playback can be realized in the distribution of so-called split screen advertisements in which advertisement content is combined with moving images of target content.

[0051] Specifically, the advertisement delivery control device 200 of the embodiment delays the output of compressed data to the packager 400 by a specified time, regardless of whether or not advertisement data is synthesized with the compressed data input from the encoder 100. This allows the advertisement delivery control device 200 to always have a buffer for the specified time between the input and output of compressed data, regardless of whether or not it is the timing to display an advertisement, thereby absorbing processing delays that may occur within the advertisement delivery control device 200 for various reasons. Absorbing such processing delays in the advertisement delivery control device 200 reduces the impact of the processing delays on viewer terminals, thereby reducing degradation of content playback quality at the viewer terminals.

[0052] Conventional stream distribution technologies do not provide such a uniform buffer time, so if an output delay occurs in the advertisement distribution control device 200 for some reason, the effect can be transmitted to the viewer terminal, potentially degrading the playback quality of the content. In contrast, the advertisement distribution control device 200 of the embodiment ensures a uniform buffer between the input and output of the stream, reducing the possibility that an output delay will affect the playback quality of the content.

[0053] Furthermore, the advertisement distribution control device 200 of the embodiment not only provides a uniform buffer time between input and output according to the above-mentioned specified time, but also monitors whether the ongoing compositing process is completed within the specified time when performing a compositing process of advertisement data, and if the compositing process is not completed within the specified time, controls the device to output the compressed data input from the encoder 100 as is to the packager 400 without waiting for the compositing process to be completed. By performing such output control, it is possible to further reduce the possibility that the effect of processing delays will affect the viewer terminal.

[0054] The monitoring of the merging process may be performed by checking whether the merging process is complete or not at the end of the specified time (or immediately before that). Furthermore, if the progress of the merging process can be ascertained while it is being executed, the monitoring of the merging process may be performed by predicting the progress of the merging process at the end of the specified time based on the progress status during execution of the merging process. In this case, the advertisement delivery control device 200 may predict whether the merging process will be complete or not at the end of the specified time based on the prediction result, and if it predicts that the merging process will not be completed, it may decide to output the compressed data input from the encoder 100 to the packager 400 as is.

[0055] In this way, the advertisement delivery control device 200 of the embodiment waits for a specified time period before outputting the compressed data to the packager 400, regardless of whether the combining process is completed within the specified time period. Therefore, according to the advertisement delivery control device 200 of the embodiment, it is highly likely that any processing delay that may occur in the combining process of the advertisement data will be absorbed by the specified time period, and it is therefore possible to prevent the processing delay caused by advertisement insertion from affecting the viewer terminal.

[0056] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] The present invention is applicable to applications in which advertisements are displayed simultaneously with video content being distributed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1 Content distribution system 100 Encoder 200 Advertisement distribution control device 210 Compressed Data Input Unit 220 Advertising Data Entry Section 230 Output control section 240 Compressed Data Output Unit 300 Advertising Data Server 400 Packager

Claims

1. A content distribution control device an input step of inputting a first fragment file group that reproduces video of the first content by being played back in chronological order; a combining process step of performing a combining process for combining second content data for displaying a second content with each of the first fragment files corresponding to video of a predetermined period of the first content among the first fragment file group; a determining step of determining, as a fragment file for output, either a first fragment file or a second fragment file obtained by combining second content data with the first fragment file; Each output fragment file is created from the input of the corresponding first fragment file, an output step of outputting the data after waiting for a predetermined time; A content distribution control method comprising: In the determination step, whether the compositing process will be completed within the predetermined time is predicted based on the progress of the compositing process during execution, and if it is predicted that the compositing process will be completed within the predetermined time, the second fragment file generated by the compositing process is determined to be the fragment file for output, and if it is determined that the compositing process has not been completed within the predetermined time, the first fragment file input in the input step is determined to be the fragment file for output as is. A content distribution control method.

2. In the output step, the output of each fragment file for output is waited for the predetermined time regardless of whether the combining process is completed within the predetermined time. The content distribution control method according to claim 1 .

3. In the output step, for output of each fragment file for output, the process waits for the predetermined time regardless of whether the fragment file for output is the first fragment file or the second fragment file. The content distribution control method according to claim 1 .

4. In the synthesis processing step, recognizes a first fragment file to be synthesized with the second content data based on setting information relating to a timing at which the second content should be displayed and a playback order of the first fragment file group; performing the combining process on the first fragment file that is recognized as the target of combining among the first fragment file group; The content distribution control method according to claim 1 .

5. the first fragment file group is obtained by dividing and encoding video data of the first content, and is supplied to a content distribution control device together with a playlist indicating a playback order of the first content; setting information regarding a timing at which the second content should be displayed is associated with a first fragment file corresponding to the timing in the playlist; The content distribution control method according to claim 1 .

6. an input unit for inputting a first fragment file group that is played back in chronological order to reproduce video of the first content; a synthesis processing unit that performs synthesis processing to synthesize second content data for displaying a second content with each of the first fragment files corresponding to video of a predetermined period of the first content among the first fragment file group; a determination unit that determines one of a first fragment file and a second fragment file obtained by combining second content data with the first fragment file as a fragment file to be output; Each output fragment file is created from the input of the corresponding first fragment file, an output unit that outputs the signal after waiting for a predetermined time; Equipped with the determination unit predicts whether the merging process will be completed within the predetermined time based on the progress of the merging process during execution, and if it predicts that the merging process will be completed within the predetermined time, determines the second fragment file generated by the merging process as the fragment file for output, and if it determines that the merging process has not been completed within the predetermined time, determines the first fragment file input by the input unit as the fragment file for output as is. Content distribution control device.

7. A content distribution control device an input step of inputting a first fragment file group that reproduces video of the first content by being played back in chronological order; a combining process step of performing a combining process for combining second content data for displaying a second content with each of the first fragment files corresponding to video of a predetermined period of the first content among the first fragment file group; a determining step of determining, as a fragment file for output, either a first fragment file or a second fragment file obtained by combining second content data with the first fragment file; Each output fragment file is created from the input of the corresponding first fragment file, an output step of outputting the data after waiting for a predetermined time; A computer program for causing the execution of In the determination step, whether the compositing process will be completed within the predetermined time is predicted based on the progress of the compositing process during execution, and if it is predicted that the compositing process will be completed within the predetermined time, the second fragment file generated by the compositing process is determined to be the fragment file for output, and if it is determined that the compositing process has not been completed within the predetermined time, the first fragment file input in the input step is determined to be the fragment file for output as is. A computer program for

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