Performance display method, computer program, and distribution system

Abstract

To provide a performance display method that reduces the load on computational resources and improves the visibility of live distribution. [Solution] The effect display method according to the embodiment uses data of live video content supplied from the server 10 to perform display processing to display video of the broadcaster on the screen of the terminal 30, and when there is a previous screen effect that has not yet been displayed, the method suspends the display of the screen effect based on the screen effect information and assigns a display order to the previous screen effect according to the display order, displays images corresponding to the previous screen effect in a line on a part of the screen, and when the display of the previous screen effect has finished, displays the screen effect that is at the top of the display order on the screen.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a performance display method, a computer program, and a distribution system. [Background technology]

[0002] Many social networking services (SNS) and video platforms offer live streaming functions that enable two-way communication between broadcasters and viewers by transmitting video and audio in real time over the network. Live streaming is popular because viewers can directly send comments and questions to the broadcaster in near real time and receive the broadcaster's reactions.

[0003] Some video platforms have a feature that allows viewers to send gifts to streamers that add visual effects to the video being streamed. Viewers can liven up a stream by adding flashy visual effects to the streamer's video. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-017525 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Some screen effects are animations that are superimposed on the video being streamed for a predetermined period of time. Furthermore, in live streams by popular streamers, many viewers may send gifts in a short period of time. Displaying multiple screen effects in a short period of time can place a heavy load on computational resources, or the screen may be obscured by the screen effects, making it difficult to see the streamer's video. In response to this, if multiple screen effects are displayed one by one in sequence to reduce the computational load and make the screen easier to see, the time between when a viewer sends a screen effect gift and when the screen effect is displayed may be long, potentially dampening the excitement of the live stream.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a performance display method, computer program, and distribution system that reduce the load on computational resources and improve the visibility of live distribution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The performance display method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes: one or more processors, This method uses data of live video content supplied from a server to perform a display process to display video of a broadcaster on the screen of a terminal, and when there is a previous screen effect that has not yet been displayed, in response to acquiring screen effect information from the server, suspends the display of the screen effect based on the screen effect information and assigns a display order, displays images corresponding to the screen effect that has not yet been displayed in accordance with the display order in a line on a part of the screen, and in response to the display of the previous screen effect having been displayed, displays the screen effect that is at the top of the display order on the screen.

[0008] A computer program according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is a computer program that causes a computer to execute the effect display method of the first aspect.

[0009] A distribution system according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes a viewer terminal that makes a viewing request in response to a user's operation, and a distribution server that distributes live video content data based on live video and audio streaming data transmitted from a distributor terminal to the viewer terminal in response to the viewing request. The viewer terminal includes: a display request unit that sends a request to the distribution server to display screen effects for the live video content; a content display unit that uses the live video content data provided by the distribution server to generate display data for displaying a video of the distributor on the terminal screen; a display order management unit that, in response to acquiring screen effect information from the distribution server when there is a previous screen effect that has not yet been displayed, suspends the display of the screen effect based on the screen effect information, assigns a display order to the screen effect, and generates display data for displaying images corresponding to the screen effect in accordance with the display order on a portion of the screen; and a screen effect display unit that, in response to releasing the suspension of the previously displayed screen effect, generates display data for displaying the screen effect at the top of the display order on the screen. The distribution server includes a gift management unit that, in response to receiving a request to display the screen effect, transmits the screen effect information for displaying the screen effect to the viewer terminal that is viewing the live video content. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a performance display method, a computer program, and a distribution system that reduce the load on computational resources and improve the visibility of live distribution. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a gift purchase screen displayed on the screen of a viewer terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a gift purchase screen displayed on the screen of the viewer terminal. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a mode showing the display order of screen effects on a viewer terminal. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a mode showing the display order of screen effects on a viewer terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the procedure of the effect display method of one embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of displaying live video content using the production display method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a distribution system according to an embodiment. The distribution system of this embodiment includes a distribution server 10, a distributor terminal 20, and a viewer terminal 30. The distribution server 10 can be communicatively connected to the distributor terminal 20 and the viewer terminal 30 via a network 100. Although four viewer terminals 30 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of viewer terminals 30 is not limited to the number shown and may be zero.

[0013] The distributor terminal 20 may be, but is not limited to, an electronic device such as a computer that can be connected to a video source such as a video camera, a television set (including Internet television), a PC (Personal Computer), a mobile terminal (e.g., a tablet, smartphone, laptop, feature phone, portable game console, digital music player, e-book reader, etc.), a VR (Virtual Reality) terminal, an AR (Augmented Reality) terminal, etc.

[0014] The distributor terminal 20, for example, comprises at least one processor 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, and an output unit 25, and is configured to be able to realize various functions by software or a combination of software and hardware.

[0015] The communication unit 23 includes, for example, one or more communication interfaces, and can transmit and receive information to and from the distribution server 10 via the network 100. The communication interface may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface.

[0016] The output unit 25 is connected to output devices such as a display and a speaker, and outputs information that can be visually or audibly recognized by the distributor. The output unit 25 may include an output device, or may be connected to an output device via the network 100 or short-range communication. The output unit 25 can, for example, cause the output device to output video data and audio data of the distributor's distribution content in a visually and audibly recognizable manner.

[0017] The input unit 24 is connected to input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, camera, etc., and acquires information input by the distributor operating the input devices. Note that the input unit 24 may include the input devices, or may be connected to the input devices via the network 100 or short-range communication.

[0018] The storage unit 22 may include a program memory and a data memory. The program memory is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that combines, for example, a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), with a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and can store programs necessary for the processor 21 of the distributor terminal 20 to execute various control processes, etc.

[0019] The data memory is a tangible storage medium, for example, a combination of the nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and can be used to store various data or information acquired and created during various processes. The data memory can also temporarily store programs executed by a processor to realize the operation of the distributor terminal 20 and data used by the processor. In this embodiment, the data memory of the storage unit 22 stores, for example, video data and audio data of video content created by the distributor, distribution history information, still images, animated images and audio data used for screen effects, icon images corresponding to screen effects, distributor setting information, etc.

[0020] The processor 21 is typically a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a graphics processing unit (GPU), but may also be a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like.

[0021] The processor 21 executes the programs stored in the storage unit 22 to realize various functions for distributing video content via the distribution server 10. In this embodiment, the processor 21 may have a function for editing video data and audio data in response to an operation by a distributor to generate data for distribution.

[0022] In this embodiment, the processor 21 includes a content transmission unit 210. The content transmission unit 210 transmits, for example, pre-edited distribution data to the distribution server 10. The content transmission unit 210 also sequentially transmits live distribution data, including video data and audio data, acquired in real time by a camera and a microphone, to the distribution server 10.

[0023] The distribution server 10 may be an electronic device such as a computer, for example, a personal computer (PC), but is not limited to this. The distribution server 10 may also be, for example, a so-called cloud server configured as a virtual device by multiple server computers.

[0024] The distribution server 10 includes, for example, at least one processor 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, an input unit 14, and an output unit 15, and is configured to be able to realize various functions by software or a combination of software and hardware.

[0025] The communication unit 13 includes, for example, one or more communication interfaces, and can transmit and receive information between the distributor terminal 20 and the viewer terminal 30 via the network 100. The communication interface may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface.

[0026] The output unit 15 is connected to output devices such as a display and a speaker, and outputs information that is visually or audibly recognized by the server administrator to the output devices. Note that the output unit 15 may include an output device, or may be connected to the output device via the network 100 or short-range communication.

[0027] The input unit 14 is connected to input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, camera, etc., and acquires information input by the server administrator operating the input devices. The input unit 14 may include the input devices, or may be connected to the input devices via the network 100 or short-range communication.

[0028] The storage unit 12 may include a program memory and a data memory.

[0029] The program memory is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that is a combination of non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and non-volatile memory such as a read only memory (ROM), and can store programs necessary for the processor 11 of the distribution server 10 to execute various control processes, etc.

[0030] The data memory is a tangible storage medium, for example, a combination of the nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and can be used to store various data or information acquired and created during various processes. Furthermore, at least a portion of the data memory can be used as an area for temporarily storing data used by the processor 21 to realize the operation of the distribution server 10. In this embodiment, the data memory of the storage unit 12 can store, for example, video data and audio data of the distributor's video content, comment information and gift display request (purchase information) history sent from the viewer terminal 30, the distributor's distribution history, user level, ranking, and user registration information, viewer viewing history, billing history, user level, ranking (contribution ranking), and user registration information.

[0031] The data memory may be built into the distribution server 10 or may be externally attached to the distribution server 10. The data memory may include a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0032] The processor 11 is typically a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), but may also be a microcomputer, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The processor 21 can realize various functions of the distribution server 10 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 22.

[0033] In this embodiment, the processor 11 has a function of generating live video content data by acquiring, for example, live distribution data transmitted from the distributor terminal 20, comment information and gift display requests (purchase information) transmitted from the viewer terminal 30, and transmitting the live video content data to the viewer terminal 30 in response to a viewing request, thereby distributing real-time content. The viewing request from the viewer terminal 30 may include at least identification information for the viewer terminal 30 or the viewer, and identification information for the content.

[0034] In this embodiment, the live video content is content that is delivered in real time by sequentially transmitting video data and audio data from the distributor terminal 20 to the delivery server 10 and using the data acquired by the delivery server 10.

[0035] The processor 11 also includes a gift management unit 110. The gift management unit 110 acquires, from the viewer terminal 30, a gift display request (purchase information) for a screen effect or the like transmitted from the viewer terminal 30 viewing the live video content, and records and manages the gift purchase history in the storage unit 12 for each viewer viewing the live video content.

[0036] The gift (screen effect) display request (purchase information) sent from the viewer terminal 30 to the distribution server 10 may include, for example, identification information of the live video content, identification information of the screen effect, identification information of the viewer who requested the screen effect, and time information. If the gift requires payment, the gift display request may further include payment information. The payment information may include, for example, at least one of information on a credit card, a bank account, and electronic money. The gift management unit 110 can perform payment processing with a payment server (not shown) using the payment information.

[0037] Payment for the gift purchase may be made between the viewer terminal 30 and a payment server (not shown). In this case, payment information may be omitted from the gift display request. Furthermore, when a viewer requests the display of a free gift or acquires a gift by consuming points or the like that can be used in the video distribution service provided by the distribution server 10, the payment process is omitted.

[0038] Furthermore, gift management unit 110 manages the history of gifts such as screen effects sent in response to live video content and the senders of such gifts. Based on a gift display request sent from viewer terminal 30, gift management unit 110 associates, for example, the identification information of the viewer who sent the gift, the identification information of the live video content and the distributor, the identification information of the screen effect corresponding to the gift, and the time information when the gift was sent in memory unit 12, and manages the sent gifts.

[0039] For example, the gift management unit 110 may use the gift history stored in the memory unit 12 to calculate a ranking of viewers who have contributed most to the live video content, such as a ranking of viewers who have sent the most gifts to the live video content and / or a ranking of viewers who have contributed the most to the live video content (total of purchase amounts, points, etc.). The gift management unit 110 may also calculate the number of gifts or the total amount (or total number of points) sent to live video content distributed during a predetermined period, and calculate a ranking of the number of gifts or the total amount of gifts for each broadcaster of multiple live video content distributed during that period. The gift management unit 110 may, for example, record and manage the calculated rankings in the memory unit 12.

[0040] The distribution server 10 can transmit screen presentation (gift) information, including identification information for the screen presentation and user information such as the username, ranking, and contribution level of the viewer who requested (purchased) the display of the screen presentation, together with the live distribution data to the viewer terminal 30 that is watching the live video content to which the gift was sent.

[0041] The viewer terminal 30 may be, for example, an electronic device such as a computer, for example, a television set (including Internet television), a PC (Personal Computer), a mobile terminal (for example, a tablet, smartphone, laptop, feature phone, portable game console, digital music player, e-book reader, etc.), a VR (Virtual Reality) terminal, an AR (Augmented Reality) terminal, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0042] The viewer terminal 30, for example, comprises at least one processor 31, a memory unit 32, a communication unit 33, an input unit 34, and an output unit 35, and is configured to be able to realize various functions by software or a combination of software and hardware.

[0043] The communication unit 33 includes, for example, one or more communication interfaces, and is capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the network 100. The communication interface may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface.

[0044] The output unit 35 is connected to output devices such as a display and a speaker, and outputs information that can be visually or audibly recognized by the viewer. The output unit 35 may include an output device, or may be connected to an output device that is connected to the viewer terminal 30 via the network 100. The output unit 35 can, for example, cause the output device to output video and audio based on display data of the distribution content generated by the processor 31 (described later) in a visually and audibly recognizable manner.

[0045] The input unit 34 is connected to input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, microphone, camera, etc., and acquires information input by the viewer operating the input devices. The input unit 34 may include an input device, or may be connected to an input device connected to the viewer terminal 30 via the network 100. The input unit 34 can acquire input information such as comment data input by the viewer operating the input device, and provide it to the processor 31.

[0046] The storage unit 32 may include a program memory and a data memory.

[0047] The program memory is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that combines, for example, a non-volatile memory that can be written to and read from at any time, such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), with a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and can store programs necessary for the processor 31 of the viewer terminal 30 to execute various control processes, etc.

[0048] The data memory is a tangible storage medium that combines, for example, the nonvolatile memory described above with a volatile memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and can be used to store various data or information acquired and created during various processes. The data memory can also temporarily store programs executed by a processor to realize the operation of the viewer terminal 30, data used by the processor, and the like.

[0049] In this embodiment, the data memory of storage unit 32 stores information such as image data and audio data used to display video content, still or animated images used for gift screen effects, icon images corresponding to screen effects, a history of acquired screen effect information, the display order (time information) of screen effects whose display has been suspended, viewer setting information, and assets (points, electronic money information, etc.) that viewers can use in the video distribution service. Note that the history information, etc. stored in the data memory may be temporarily saved and then deleted sequentially, or may be updated sequentially.

[0050] The processor 31 is typically a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a graphics processing unit (GPU), but may also be a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like.

[0051] By executing the programs stored in the storage unit 32, the processor 31 can realize various functions for displaying video content data received from the distribution server 10. For example, the processor 31 can display the video content distributed from the distribution server 10 and can also transmit comment information or a gift display request to the distribution server 10 in response to a viewer's operation.

[0052] In this embodiment, the processor 31 includes a gift display request unit 310 and a display processing unit 300. In response to a viewer's operation, the gift display request unit 310 requests the display of a screen effect for the live video content being viewed by the viewer. The screen effect sent for the live video content may include multiple types. For example, if the video content includes multiple video layers, the screen effect may be an animation displayed on top of the display layer of the video content image displayed on the screen, an image moving on top of the display layer of the video content image, or audio output from the speakers of the viewer terminal 30 and the distributor terminal 20. The screen effect for the video content may be classified, for example, so that it is displayed on different display layers depending on the price paid by the viewer. For example, a screen effect for a high price may be displayed on the topmost display layer above the video content image, and a screen effect for a low price may be displayed on the layer immediately above the video content image (e.g., the same display layer as comments and text information).

[0053] 2 and 3 are diagrams each showing an example of a gift purchase screen displayed on the screen of a viewer terminal. 2 shows an example of a screen display for purchasing multiple types of gifts that display animations of summoned beasts as screen effects. Here, icons G1-G3 for each of three types of gifts and the price (e.g., points to be consumed (pt)) required to purchase the gifts are shown. The gift display request unit 310 displays the screen shown in FIG. 2 in response to the viewer's operation to request the display of a gift purchase screen, and transitions the screen display to the screen shown in FIG. 3 in response to the viewer's operation to select icon G1 on the display screen shown in FIG. 2.

[0054] 3 displays information such as the price of the gift (screen effect) selected by the viewer and an operation button for the viewer to apply for purchase. When the viewer selects the "Purchase" operation button, the gift display request unit 310 performs a settlement process by consuming the corresponding amount of points (pt) or assets (legal tender, electronic money, etc.) owned by the viewer, and can sell the gift to the viewer. When the gift sale is completed, the gift display request unit 310 transmits a display request to the distribution server 10 to display the gift (screen effect) purchased by the viewer on the live video content that the viewer is watching at the time of purchase.

[0055] In addition, the gift display request unit 310 may, in response to the viewer's operation, send to the distribution server 10 a display request (purchase information) to display a gift (screen effect) that the viewer has previously purchased on the live video content that the viewer is currently viewing.

[0056] The gift display request may include, for example, identification information of the live video content, identification information of the gift (screen effect), identification information of the viewer who requested the screen effect display, and time information. Note that if payment processing for the gift is performed by distribution server 10, the gift display request may further include payment information.

[0057] The display processing unit 300 sequentially generates display data for live video content that combines the video of the distributor, comments, and screen effects using the content distribution data, comment information, and screen effect (gift) information transmitted from the distribution server 10, and displays the data on the display screen of the viewer terminal 30. For example, the display processing unit 300 may generate display data by overlaying images and text on the video of the distributor so that the text of the comments and animation of the screen effects are displayed on top of the video of the live video content.

[0058] The content display unit 314 acquires the live distribution data supplied from the distribution server 10 and generates display data for the live video. For example, the content display unit 314 synchronizes the video data and audio data included in the live distribution data to display the video in a predetermined area on the display screen of the viewer terminal 30 and generate display data for the video of the distributor so that audio is output from the speaker.

[0059] In response to acquiring the comment information from the distribution server 10, the comment display unit 311 generates display data for displaying the content of the comment in a comment display area (comment field) on the display screen of the viewer terminal 30. Note that the comment information may include, for example, text data of the comment and information about the viewer who sent the comment (user name, contribution level, etc.), and the comment display unit 311 can generate display data that displays at least the text data of the comment and the user (viewer) who sent the comment, based on the comment information.

[0060] Furthermore, the comment display unit 311 may generate display data for displaying comment information acquired from the distribution server 10 on an upper layer (first layer) of the display layer of the video content. For example, the comment display unit 311 can generate display data so that the information about the viewer who sent the comment and the comment text Tx move from right to left, from bottom to top, fall from top to bottom, or move in a parabolic arc as seen by the viewer viewing the screen on the upper layer of the display layer of the video content.

[0061] Furthermore, the comment display unit 311 can generate display data for displaying identification information such as the name of the screen effect and text Tx such as the username of the viewer who requested the display of the screen effect, based on the screen effect (gift) information acquired from the distribution server 10. The text of the screen effect information may be displayed in both the comment section C and the upper layer (first layer) of the display layer of the live video content, or may be displayed in either one of them.

[0062] Note that the comment display unit 311 does not need to generate display data for all screen effect information, and may generate, for example, only display data that displays the identification information of a specific screen effect and the username of the viewer who sent the specific screen effect, or may generate only display data that displays screen effects requested to be displayed by viewers who have made a significant contribution to the live video content or its distributor.

[0063] The gift display unit 313 generates display data for screen effects to be displayed sequentially on the screen of the viewer terminal 30 based on the screen effect information acquired from the distribution server 10. When the image displayed on the viewer terminal 30 can be displayed as an image including multiple layers, the screen effect may be displayed on a first layer above the video of the video content distributor, where comments are displayed, for example, or on a display layer (second layer) above the first layer.

[0064] Display order management unit 312 manages the display order of screen effects according to the screen effect information in response to acquisition of the screen effect information from distribution server 10. When there is a screen effect (including a screen effect currently being displayed and a screen effect pending display) that has not yet finished displaying at the time of acquiring the screen effect information, display order management unit 312 places the display according to the acquired screen effect information in a pending state and, for example, associates the display order with the screen effect information and records it in storage unit 22. The display order may be, for example, information indicating the display order of screen effects that have not yet finished displaying, with the currently displayed screen effect being the earliest (first), or may be information indicating the display order of screen effects that have not yet finished displaying (screen effects pending display) excluding the currently displayed screen effect.

[0065] The display order management unit 312 may record the reserved screen effect information in the storage unit 22 by adding numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3, ...) so that the information is arranged in ascending order from the earliest display order, or may record the reserved screen effect information in the storage unit 22 with the time at which the screen effect information was acquired as the display order. For example, when the display period of the first-displayed screen effect has ended, the display order management unit 312 releases the reserved state in order from the screen effect with the smallest display order number or the screen effect with the earliest acquisition time.

[0066] The display order is not limited to the above, and characters, symbols, or a combination thereof may be used as long as the order can be set in advance. As described above, by suspending the display of other screen effects while the previous screen effect is being displayed, the load on the computational resources of the viewer terminal 30 can be kept low.

[0067] In addition, the display order management unit 312 generates display data that, for example, displays icon images IC corresponding to screen presentations whose display is on hold and screen presentations that are currently being displayed, in a line on a portion of the screen of the viewer terminal 30 in accordance with the display order assigned to the screen presentation information.

[0068] 4 and 5 are diagrams each showing an example of a display order of screen effects on a viewer terminal. 4 and 5, the icon images IC are arranged in a vertical line on the left edge of the screen DYP when the viewer views the screen DYP from the front. Note that Fig. 4 shows an example of the screen DYP of the viewer terminal 30, in which a screen effect in which the hold has been released is displayed on the screen, and icon images IC of screen effects whose display has not ended (the screen effect currently being displayed and the screen effect in the hold state) are arranged in a line on part of the screen. The display of the icon images IC is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, and for example, only the icon images IC corresponding to the screen effects whose display is pending may be arranged side by side in a part of the screen.

[0069] For example, the display order management unit 312 arranges the icon image IC corresponding to the screen effect having the earliest display order (for example, the earliest acquisition time) at the bottom of the screen DYP, and arranges the icon image IC corresponding to the screen effect having the latest display order (for example, the latest acquisition time) at the top of the screen DYP. That is, the display order management unit 312 displays the icon image IC corresponding to the screen effect having the earliest display order (for example, the earliest acquisition time) at the bottom, and generates display data for displaying multiple icon images IC arranged (piled) upward in accordance with the display order. In this embodiment, the icon image IC corresponding to the screen effect currently being displayed on the screen DYP is displayed at the bottom.

[0070] Viewers can know the currently displayed (or next displayed) screen effect by the icon image IC displayed on the screen of the viewer terminal 30. For example, if a viewer sends a gift to a broadcaster, the icon image IC corresponding to the gift they sent will be displayed in a portion of the screen DYP, allowing the viewer to confirm that the gift they sent has been sent to the broadcaster and to check the timing at which the screen effect they sent will be displayed. In addition, the stacked icon images IC visualize the amount of gifts sent to the live video content, allowing viewers to liven up the live video content by sending many gifts to the broadcaster.

[0071] The display order management unit 312 may adjust the size of the icon image IC so that the size of the icon image IC corresponding to the first (bottom) screen effect in the row that is the currently displayed (or next to be displayed) screen effect is the largest. In the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, the display size of the icon image IC displayed at the bottom of the screen DYP is adjusted so that it is larger than the other icon images IC, but for example, the size of the icon image IC may be adjusted so that the display size of the icon image IC gradually increases from top to bottom of the screen DYP. Adjusting the size of the icon image IC makes it easier for the viewer to recognize the screen effect that is currently being displayed and the screen effect that will be displayed next.

[0072] For example, an upper limit may be set in advance for the number of icon images IC to be displayed on the screen DYP of the viewer terminal 30. In this case, the display order management unit 312 generates display data so that icon images IC corresponding to the upper limit number of screen effects are displayed in order from the earliest screen effect in the display order on a part of the screen DYP of the viewer terminal 30.

[0073] Fig. 5 shows an example of a screen display when the display of the previous screen effect ends and the display of the next screen effect begins. Note that Fig. 5 shows an example of the screen DYP of the viewer terminal 30 with the display of the live video content and comments omitted in order to explain the display of the icon image IC of the screen effect.

[0074] When the display of the previously displayed screen effect is completed, the display order management unit 312 releases the hold state of the screen effect that is currently on hold and that is earliest in the display order (for example, the effect with the earliest acquisition time). The display order management unit 312 can release the hold state, for example, by providing the gift display unit 313 with screen effect information for releasing the hold state.

[0075] Furthermore, the display order management unit 312 updates the display order of the screen effects as necessary. At this time, the display order management unit 312 deletes the display order of the screen effect information whose display has ended (or whose hold state has been released), for example, and generates display data and updates the display so that the icon images IC corresponding to the screen effects whose display has not ended (or whose hold state is maintained) are arranged side by side in a part of the screen DYP of the viewer terminal 30, excluding the icon images IC corresponding to the screen effects whose display has ended (or whose hold state has been released).

[0076] 5, the display order management unit 312 erases from the screen DYP the icon image IC of a screen effect whose display has ended, and for multiple screen effects whose display has not ended, displays the icon image IC corresponding to the screen effect whose display order is earliest (for example, the earliest acquisition time) at the bottom, and generates display data for arranging and displaying multiple icon images IC on the screen DYP so that they are stacked according to the display order. Also, the display order management unit 312 displays an icon image IC that may be newly displayed on the screen DYP as a result of updating the display order (for example, an icon image IC of a screen effect whose display order has reached the upper limit) from outside the screen at the top of the screen DYP to the top of the multiple icon image ICs, thereby generating display data for displaying the upper limit number of icon images IC on the screen DYP.

[0077] By updating the display of multiple icon images IC in this way, viewers and broadcasters can imagine that there are icon images ICs stacked up outside the screen, allowing viewers and broadcasters to share the excitement of the live broadcast and enjoy the broadcast.

[0078] The gift display unit 313 can obtain screen presentation information of the screen presentation for which the hold state has been released from the display order management unit 312, and generate display data to generate an animation image to be displayed on the screen of the viewer terminal 30.

[0079] Next, an example of the procedure of a screen presentation display method according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a timing chart for explaining the procedure of the effect display method of one embodiment. Here, an example of the operation of distribution server 10 and viewer terminal 30 when displaying screen effects for live video content viewed by a viewer will be described. Note that, although the operation of distributor terminal 20 is not shown in Fig. 6, distributor terminal 20 may have a function for viewing live video content that combines the video of the distributor, comments, and screen effects, similar to viewer terminal 30 that views the live video content of the distributor, and may have a function for sending a request to display screen effects and a function for sending comment information.

[0080] First, in order to view live video content, a viewer operates the viewer terminal 30 to make a viewing request to the distribution server 10 (step S1). In response to the viewing request from the viewer terminal 30, the distribution server 10 starts transmitting data of the requested live video content to the viewer terminal 30 (step S2).

[0081] The content display unit 314 of the viewer terminal 30 starts to acquire the data of the live video content transmitted from the distribution server 10, and generates image data to display the video of the distributor of the live video content. The display processing unit 300 starts to display the live video content on the screen of the viewer terminal 30 using the display data generated by the content display unit 314 (step S3).

[0082] Next, for example, when another viewer terminal 30 watching the live video content sends a comment to the distribution server 10, the distribution server 10 sends the comment information to all viewer terminals 30 and distributor terminals 20 watching the live video content (step S4).

[0083] The comment display unit 311 of the viewer terminal 30 generates display data that displays the comment information in text, using the comment information transmitted from the distribution server 10. The display processing unit 300 can display live video content that combines the video of the distributor and the comments on the screen of the viewer terminal 30, using the display data generated by the comment display unit 311 (step S5).

[0084] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of displaying live video content using the production display method according to an embodiment. The display processing unit 300 may, for example, use the display data generated by the comment display unit 311 to generate display data that displays comment information in the comment display area C, or may generate display data that displays comment information in text Tx on the screen DYP, overlaid on top of the video of the broadcaster of the live video content.

[0085] Next, for example, when the viewer operates the viewer terminal 30 to purchase a gift (screen effect) for the distributor, the gift display request unit 310 transmits a gift display request to the distribution server 10 (step S6). Here, the gift display request (purchase information) may include the viewer's identification information and the identification information of the gift (screen effect).

[0086] In response to receiving a gift display request from a viewer terminal 30, the distribution server 10 updates the gift purchase history for each viewer watching the live video content and transmits gift (screen presentation) information to all viewer terminals 30 watching the live video content (step S7).

[0087] In response to receiving the gift information transmitted from distribution server 10, comment display unit 311 generates display data for displaying the gift information (identification information such as the viewer's user name and the name of the screen effect) in text in comment field C, and also generates display data for displaying the gift information text Tx on top of the video of the broadcaster of the live video content. Display processing unit 300 uses the display data for the text generated by comment display unit 311 (e.g., "I sent XX's gift "Summoned Beast".") to display the gift information in text in comment field C, and also displays the gift information in text on screen DYP, overlaid on the live video content (step S8).

[0088] When the display order management unit 312 acquires gift information transmitted from the distribution server 10 and there is no screen effect whose display has not been completed, the display order management unit 312 provides the gift information to the gift display unit 313 without suspending the display of the screen effect corresponding to the acquired gift information. When the display of the screen effect is not suspended, the display order management unit 312 generates display data for displaying only the icon image IC corresponding to the currently displayed screen effect in a part of the screen DYP. When the icon image IC is displayed on the screen DYP only for the screen effect whose display is suspended, the display order management unit 312 does not need to generate display data.

[0089] The gift display unit 313 generates display data such as screen effect animation based on the acquired gift information. The display processing unit 300 uses the gift display data generated by the gift display unit 313 to display the screen effect animation on the screen DYP by superimposing it on the video of the broadcaster of the live video content (step S9).

[0090] Next, for example, when another viewer operates his / her viewer terminal 30 to purchase a gift (screen effect) for the broadcaster and sends a request (purchase information) to display the gift, the distribution server 10 records the gift purchase history for each viewer watching the live video content and sends the gift (screen effect) information to all viewer terminals 30 watching the live video content (step S10).

[0091] In response to receiving the gift information transmitted from distribution server 10, comment display unit 311 generates display data for displaying the gift information in text in comment field C, and also generates display data for displaying text Tx of the gift information above the video of the broadcaster of the live video content. Using the text display data generated by comment display unit 311, display processing unit 300 displays the gift information in text in comment field C, and also displays the gift information in text on screen DYP, superimposed on the live video content (step S11).

[0092] When the display order management unit 312 acquires gift information transmitted from the distribution server 10 and there is a previous screen effect that has not been completely displayed, the display order management unit 312 suspends the display of the screen effect corresponding to the acquired gift information, records the gift (screen effect) information in the storage unit 32 with a display order, and generates display data for displaying the icon image IC corresponding to the gift in a part of the screen according to the display order. The display processing unit 300 uses the display data of the icon image IC generated by the display order management unit 312 to display the icon image IC arranged in display order at the left end of the screen DYP of the viewer terminal 30, for example, above the video of the distributor of the live video content (step S12).

[0093] If the viewer terminal 30 acquires gift information before the display of the previous screen effect ends (step S13), the comment display unit 311 generates display data for displaying the gift information in text in the comment section C, as in step S11 above, and generates display data for displaying the gift information in text Tx above the video of the broadcaster of the live video content. Similarly to step S12 above, the display order management unit 312 generates display data for displaying an icon image IC corresponding to the gift in a part of the screen according to the display order. The display processing unit 300 uses the display data generated by the comment display unit 311 and the display order management unit 312 to display the comment and the icon image IC, for example, above the comment section C and / or the video of the broadcaster of the live video content (steps S14-S15).

[0094] When the display of the previous screen effect has finished, the display order management unit 312 releases the earliest of the screen effects that have been put on hold, and provides gift (screen effect) information about the gift whose display has been released to the gift display unit 313 (step S16). At this time, the display order management unit 312 updates the display order of the screen effects whose hold state has been released and the screen effects whose hold state is being maintained as necessary, and generates display data and updates the display of the icon image ICs so that the icon image ICs corresponding to the screen effects currently being displayed and the screen effects whose display is being maintained on hold (or only the screen effects whose hold state is being maintained) are arranged side by side in a part of the viewer terminal 30, excluding the icon image IC corresponding to the screen effect whose display has finished (or whose hold state has been released).

[0095] The gift display unit 313 generates display data such as animation of screen effects based on the gift information acquired from the display order management unit 312. The display processing unit 300 uses the gift display data generated by the gift display unit 313 to display animation of screen effects superimposed on the video of the broadcaster of the live video content (step S17).

[0096] Furthermore, if the viewer terminal 30 receives gift information from the distribution server 10 while there is a previous screen effect whose display has not yet been completed, the gift information is displayed using a comment (step S20), and the display is suspended and the icon images IC arranged in display order are displayed (step S21), similar to steps S10-S15 above. When the display of the previous screen effect is completed, the display order management unit 312 releases the suspension of the next screen effect in the display order (step S22), and display data for the screen effect is generated based on the gift information provided from the display order management unit 312 to the gift display unit 313, and the screen effect is displayed by the display processing unit 300 (step S23).

[0097] As described above, when there is a previous screen effect whose display has not yet finished, the display of the subsequent screen effect is suspended, thereby reducing the load on the computational resources of the viewer terminal 30 and improving the visibility of the video content. Also, by displaying the icon image IC of the screen effect whose display is suspended on the screen, the viewer can check the display order of the gifts they have sent even while the screen effect is suspended, and by displaying many gift icon images IC stacked up, the content can be made more exciting, allowing both the broadcaster and the viewer to enjoy the video.

[0098] That is, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a performance display method, a computer program, and a distribution system that reduce the load on computational resources and improve the visibility of live distribution.

[0099] In the display example shown in FIG. 7, multiple types of screen effects A1-A3 are displayed. Screen effects A2-A3 are displayed, for example, in the same layer as comments displayed above the video of the video content distributor. Screen effect A1 is displayed in the layer above (the highest layer) the video of the video content distributor and the comments. Screen effects may include various types, such as an image displayed across the screen DYP together with the text of the comment, an image displayed as if falling from top to bottom of the screen DYP, or an image displayed like a ball bouncing around within the screen DYP. For example, a screen effect may be an animated image displayed across the entire screen so as to cover the video content, such as screen effect A1, or a screen effect accompanied by audio. Furthermore, if the distributor is able to request the display of a screen effect, the screen effect requested by the viewer and the screen effect requested by the distributor may be displayed on different layers.

[0100] The display order management unit 312 may suspend the display of subsequent screen effects only for at least some screen effects (e.g., screen effects displayed on a specific layer) if there are previous screen effects that have not yet finished displaying. For example, the display order management unit 312 may suspend the display of subsequent screen effects for screen effect A1 that covers the entire screen DYP if there are previous screen effects that have not yet finished displaying, and may not suspend the display of other screen effects A2-A3. Screen effects that include flashy animations that cover the entire screen DYP place a heavy load on computational resources, so the load on computational resources can be more effectively reduced by suspending the display of subsequent screen effects for screen effect A1 if there are previous screen effects that have not yet finished displaying, for example.

[0101] In addition, an upper limit (one or more) may be set for the number of screen effects displayed on the screen DYP, and the display order management unit 312 may suspend the display of the screen effects so that the upper limit is not exceeded. In either case, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

[0102] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Appendix 1] Using the data of the live video content provided by the server, a display process is performed to display the video of the broadcaster on the screen of the terminal. In response to acquiring screen effect information from the server when there is a previous screen effect whose display has not been completed, the display of the screen effect according to the screen effect information is suspended and a display order is assigned; displaying images corresponding to the screen effects whose display has not been completed in accordance with the display order side by side on a part of the screen; The effect display method displays the screen effect at the top of the display order on the screen in response to the completion of display of the previous screen effect. [Appendix 2] The effect display method described in Appendix 1, in which the image corresponding to the screen effect that is earlier in the display order is placed at the bottom of the screen, and multiple images corresponding to the screen effects according to the display order are displayed side by side on a part of the screen so as to be stacked at the top of the screen. [Appendix 3] A performance display method as described in Appendix 1, in which the size of the image corresponding to the screen performance that is earlier in the display order is displayed on the screen so that it is equal to or larger than the size of the image corresponding to the screen performance that is later in the display order. [Appendix 4] A performance display method as described in Appendix 1, which sets an upper limit on the number of images to be displayed on the screen, and displays on the screen the image corresponding to the screen performance whose display order has reached the upper limit value by updating the display order. [Appendix 5] A performance display method as described in Appendix 1, in which, in response to obtaining the screen performance information from the server, user information contained in the screen performance information and identification information of the screen performance are displayed on the screen in text. [Appendix 6] A computer program that causes a computer to execute the performance display method of any one of appendix 1 to appendix 5. [Appendix 7] a viewer terminal that makes a viewing request in response to a user's operation; a distribution server that distributes data of live video content based on live video and audio distribution data transmitted from a distributor terminal to the viewer terminal in response to the viewing request, The viewer terminal includes: a display request unit that transmits a display request for screen rendering of live video content to the distribution server; a content display unit that generates display data for displaying a video of a broadcaster on a terminal screen using data of the live video content provided by the broadcast server; a display order management unit that, in response to acquiring screen effect information from the distribution server when there is a screen effect that has not yet been displayed, suspends the display of the screen effect according to the screen effect information, assigns a display order to the screen effect, and generates display data that displays images corresponding to the screen effect in a line on a part of the screen in accordance with the display order; a screen effect display unit that generates display data for displaying the screen effect at the top of the display order on the screen in response to the suspension of the screen effect that is being displayed first, The distribution system includes a gift management unit that, in response to receiving a request to display the screen effect, transmits the screen effect information for displaying the screen effect to the viewer terminal that is watching the live video content. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 10...Distribution server, 11...Processor, 110...Gift management unit, 12...Memory unit, 13...Communication unit, 14...Input unit, 15...Output unit, 20...Distributor terminal, 21...Processor, 210...Content transmission unit, 22...Memory unit, 23...Communication unit, 24...Input unit, 25...Output unit, 30...Viewer terminal, 31...Processor, 300...Display processing unit, 310...Gift display request unit, 311...Comment display unit, 312...Display order management unit, 313...Gift display unit (screen effect display unit), 314...Content display unit, 32...Memory unit, 33...Communication unit, 34...Input unit, 35...Output unit, 100...Network, A1-A3...Screen effect, G1-G3...Icon

Claims

1. One or more processors: Using the data of the live video content provided by the server, a display process is performed to display the video of the broadcaster on the screen of the terminal. When there is a screen effect whose display has not been completed, in response to acquiring screen effect information from the server, the display of the screen effect according to the screen effect information is suspended and a display order is assigned; displaying images corresponding to the screen effects whose display has not been completed in accordance with the display order side by side on a part of the screen; The effect display method displays the screen effect at the top of the display order on the screen in response to the completion of display of the previous screen effect.

2. one or more of the processors: The method for displaying effects described in claim 1, wherein the image corresponding to the screen effect having the earliest display order is placed at the bottom of the screen, and multiple images corresponding to the screen effects according to the display order are displayed side by side on a portion of the screen so as to be stacked at the top of the screen.

3. one or more of the processors: The effect display method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the image corresponding to the screen effect that is earlier in the display order is displayed on the screen so that it is equal to or larger than the size of the image corresponding to the screen effect that is later in the display order.

4. one or more of the processors: A performance display method as described in claim 1, wherein an upper limit is set on the number of images to be displayed on the screen, and the image corresponding to the screen performance whose display order has reached the upper limit value of the number of images to be displayed on the screen by updating the display order is displayed on the screen.

5. one or more of said processors: A display method as described in claim 1, wherein, in response to obtaining the screen display information from the server, user information contained in the screen display information and identification information of the screen display are displayed on the screen in text.

6. A computer program that causes a computer to execute the effect display method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a viewer terminal that makes a viewing request in response to a user's operation; a distribution server that distributes data of live video content based on live video and audio distribution data transmitted from a distributor terminal to the viewer terminal in response to the viewing request, The viewer terminal includes: a display request unit that transmits a display request for screen rendering of live video content to the distribution server; a content display unit that generates display data for displaying a video of a broadcaster on a terminal screen using data of the live video content provided by the broadcast server; a display order management unit that, in response to acquiring screen effect information from the distribution server when there is a screen effect that has not yet been displayed, suspends the display of the screen effect according to the screen effect information, assigns a display order to the screen effect, and generates display data that displays images corresponding to the screen effect in a line on a part of the screen in accordance with the display order; a screen effect display unit that generates display data for displaying the screen effect at the top of the display order on the screen in response to the suspension of the screen effect that is being displayed first, The distribution system includes a gift management unit that, in response to receiving a request to display the screen effect, transmits the screen effect information for displaying the screen effect to the viewer terminal that is watching the live video content.

Images