Content providing device, content providing method, and content providing program

Abstract

A content providing device, a content providing method, and a content providing program are provided that can provide optimized content to a plurality of customers present in a target space. [Solution] A content providing device characterized by having a first acquisition unit that acquires individual customer information of multiple customers existing in a target space, a second acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer information of the multiple customers existing in the target space by integrating the individual customer information, a third acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer content corresponding to the multiple customers existing in the target space based on the integrated customer information, and a providing unit that provides the integrated customer content in the target space.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a content providing device, a content providing method, and a content providing program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes an information processing device that includes an acquisition means for acquiring connection information of an external terminal connected to an access point, and a determination means for determining content according to the connection information acquired by the acquisition means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-058903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the information processing device of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of providing content optimized for multiple customers (groups of customers) present in a target space (e.g., the entire store, one floor of the store, a section of the store's sales floor, etc.).

[0005] Therefore, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a content providing device, a content providing method, and a content providing program that can provide optimized content to multiple customers present in a target space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A content providing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: Through communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Near Field Communication (NFC), or Beacon,The system includes a first acquisition unit that acquires individual customer information of a plurality of customers existing in a target space, a second acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer information of the plurality of customers existing in the target space by integrating the individual customer information, a third acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer content corresponding to the plurality of customers existing in the target space based on the integrated customer information, and a provision unit that provides the integrated customer content in the target space. the first acquisition unit acquires, as the individual customer information, the ages, genders, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the multiple customers, as well as the purchase histories of the multiple customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the multiple customers in a space other than the target space; the second acquisition unit lists, as the integrated customer information, the ages, genders, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the multiple customers, as well as the purchase histories of the multiple customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the multiple customers in a space other than the target space, and acquires, for each classification of each item in the list, a score and / or a percentage of customers in the same classification among the multiple customers; and the third acquisition unit, when the score and / or the percentage of customers in the same classification among the multiple customers in each classification of each item in the list satisfies a predetermined requirement indicating how and why the integrated customer content is acquired, acquires the integrated customer content corresponding to the predetermined requirement and includes the predetermined requirement in the integrated customer content. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a content providing device, a content providing method, and a content providing program that can provide optimized content to multiple customers present in a target space. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a content providing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a store including a target space. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a content providing server. [Figure 4] 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of individual customer information acquired by a first acquisition unit. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of integrated customer information acquired by a second acquisition unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a content providing server. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a content providing server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In this specification, "target space" may refer to a predetermined space such as the entire store that provides (sells) products and / or services, one floor of the store, or a section of the store's sales floor. Furthermore, target space may refer to a predetermined space that is the target of providing content (integrated customer content, described below) related to the products and / or services provided (sold) in the store. Target space may be interpreted as (or may be synonymous with) "store space," "sales floor space," "content providing space," or "target space."

[0010] The "target space" in this specification is not limited to the interior space of a store, but may refer to other predetermined spaces. For example, the target space may be a predetermined space such as a concert hall, the inside of a train, or a stadium (baseball field, soccer field, athletics stadium, gymnasium). The target space may also be a predetermined space where signage including a display and a speaker or a street corner billboard is placed. Furthermore, the target space is not limited to a physical space, but may include a virtual space defined by connected TV, live streaming, or the like.

[0011] In this specification, "customer" may mean, for example, an individual who receives (purchases) goods and / or services in the target space. Customers may include not only individuals who actually receive (purchase) goods and / or services, but also individuals who do not receive (purchase) goods and / or services. In other words, in this specification, "multiple customers present in the target space" includes both actual customers and potential customers, and simply refers to individuals who are present in the target space. Multiple customers may be read as "customer group" or the like (or may be synonymous).

[0012] For example, for manufacturers such as food and beverage manufacturers that sell products in distribution retail stores, in-store signage functions as a tool to increase purchasing motivation when customers visit the store. In-store signage is signage (digital signage) that outputs video, images, audio, etc. within the store, and by providing content tailored to the sales floor and events, it is expected to meet customer needs and encourage purchases. For this reason, in-store signage has recently been increasing in number, along with app ads and coupons from distribution companies. In-store signage is a technology that is distinct from mass advertising and retail app ads (out-store), which aim to increase store visit and purchasing motivation before customers visit, and app coupons, which aim to encourage purchases by offering special benefits when presented at the time of payment, even in-store.

[0013] However, most current in-store signage generally displays the same video at all times throughout the entire store, leaving room for improvement in terms of providing content optimized for multiple customers (customer groups) in a target space (for example, the entire store, one floor of a store, or a section of a store's sales floor).

[0014] Even outside of in-store environments, there is likely to be latent demand for providing content optimized for customers (customer groups) in target spaces. In addition, similar demand is not limited to signage, but is also likely to exist for audio content such as in-store announcements.

[0015] The inventors have recognized the above-mentioned problems as important technical challenges and have come up with the idea of ​​a content providing device, a content providing method, and a content providing program that can provide optimized content to multiple customers (groups of customers) present in a target space (e.g., an entire store, one floor of a store, a section of a store's sales floor, etc.).

[0016] More specifically, the mobile device IDs of customers visiting a store are acquired using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Near Field Communication (NFC), beacons, Global Positioning System (GPS), and other technologies installed in the store, and this information is used as customer data. The customer data is then matched with the attribute information held by the data holder to determine the attributes of customers visiting the store in real time. For example, the attribute information for each mobile device ID held by the data holder can be used to determine the proportion of customers currently visiting the store (e.g., the highest proportion of women in their 50s and 60s is currently 24%). Signage is also displayed on surfaces and at times with a high proportion of targeted attributes (targets). For example, advertising products tailored to the attributes of customers can be displayed to efficiently increase the target reach (e.g., prioritizing the display of signage for products targeted at women in their 50s and 60s, who currently have the highest customer proportion). This type of content delivery solution can be called automatically optimizing signage.

[0017] When looking at the customer demographics of each store, there are biases in the people who visit depending on the store's location and time of day. For example, in urban areas, there are generally more young people and fewer elderly people, a higher proportion of women under 20, and a gradual increase in the proportion of men after 6 p.m. In suburban areas, there are generally fewer people under 20, more elderly people in the morning and more middle-aged people in the afternoon, and a higher proportion of men after 5 p.m. and women under 20 in the 10 p.m. time. Automatically Optimizing Signage absorbs these biases and increases the target reach rate by displaying signage according to the stores and time periods where the target consumer demographic is most frequent.

[0018] Being able to know in real time when the desired target demographic is most popular and broadcast advertising offers benefits to both the retail companies that operate the signage and the manufacturers that place the signage. Until now, flexible operation of in-store signage has been difficult, but if Automatically Optimizing signage makes it possible to flexibly optimize targeting, it is expected to lead to further growth in the in-store signage market itself. In other words, from the manufacturer's perspective, the benefits include more efficient reach to the desired target and flexible budget allocation by controlling the desired reach. Additionally, from the retail company's perspective, the benefits include increased advertising value per broadcast and no need to create distribution schedules in advance because the efficiency of target reach is automated.

[0019] Hereinafter, details of a content providing device, a content providing method, and a content providing program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, Automatically Optimizing signage, will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a content providing system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the content providing system 1 includes a user terminal (terminal) 10 and a content providing server (content providing device) 20. Here, user terminals 10-1, . . . , 10-N (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2) are illustrated as the multiple user terminals 10. The user terminals 10 (10-1 to 10-N) and the content providing server 20 are communicatively connected to each other via a network 30. In FIG. 1, the content providing server 20 is depicted as a simplified single-unit configuration; however, the number of content providing servers 20 is flexible, and various design changes are possible. Furthermore, the content providing server 20 may have a more complex configuration than that depicted in FIG. 1, both in terms of hardware and software. For example, the content providing server 20 may be configured to include multiple servers, databases, and the like. The content providing method and content providing program of the present embodiment are realized by causing a computer (CPU: Central Processing Unit) included in the content providing server (content providing device) 20 to execute various processing steps.

[0021] Here, the multiple user terminals 10-1 to 10-N correspond to the multiple customers assumed in this embodiment. That is, each of the N customers assumed in this embodiment possesses one user terminal, which corresponds to the multiple user terminals 10-1 to 10-N. As will be described in detail later, when the N customers enter the store (target space), the N user terminals 10-1 to 10-N each transmit (output) individual customer information of the N customers to the content providing server 20. In the following, the multiple user terminals 10-1 to 10-N may be used as a reference symbol for the user terminal, or 10 may be used as a representative reference symbol for the multiple user terminals 10-1 to 10-N.

[0022] The user terminal 10 is, for example, a mobile terminal (mobile communication terminal) such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. In other words, the user terminal 10 is a communication device capable of performing various types of communication with the content providing server 20. The user terminal 10 may be, for example, a wired and / or wireless (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), th The user terminal 10 may communicate with a network (such as the Internet) via Generation New Radio (5G NR), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The communication method used by the user terminal 10 is flexible and various design changes are possible, and may be acoustic communication, visible light communication, etc. The user terminal 10 may execute a browser and various other applications in response to user operation.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a store 40 including a target space. As shown in FIG. 2, the store 40 has a store entrance / exit 41 and an interior store space 42 serving as the target space. The interior store space (target space) 42 is provided with four sales sections 43, 44, 45, and 46. The interior store space (target space) 42 is also provided with an in-store signage 47 located in a location that is easily visible to customers entering through the store entrance / exit 41 and in the center surrounded by the four sales sections 43 to 46. The in-store signage 47 provides content (integrated customer content, which will be described later) to customers in the interior store space (target space) 42 and may cooperate with the providing unit 25 (image output unit 25X, audio output unit 25Y), which will be described later. That is, the in-store signage 47 may be regarded as part of the providing unit 25 (image output unit 25X, audio output unit 25Y) described later, or may operate under the control of the providing unit 25 (image output unit 25X, audio output unit 25Y).

[0024] Here, the entire store interior space 42 is defined as the target space, but multiple target spaces may be provided in the store interior space 42, and multiple in-store signage may be provided corresponding to the multiple target spaces. For example, each of the four sales sections 43 to 46 may be defined as a target space, and four in-store signage may be provided corresponding to the four sales sections 43 to 46.

[0025] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of content providing server 20. As shown in Fig. 3, content providing server 20 has a setting unit (operation mode setting unit) 21, a first acquisition unit (individual customer information acquisition unit) 22, a second acquisition unit (integrated customer information acquisition unit) 23, a third acquisition unit (integrated customer content acquisition unit) 24, and a providing unit (integrated customer content providing unit) 25. The providing unit 25 has an image output unit (display) 25X and an audio output unit (speaker) 25Y.

[0026] The setting unit 21 sets the operation mode of the content providing server 20 and, in turn, the in-store signage 47. For example, the setting unit 21 sets either a first operation mode in which the integrated customer content of this embodiment is provided, or a second operation mode in which the integrated customer content of this embodiment is not provided. The provision of the integrated customer content in the first operation mode will be described in detail later. In the second operation mode in which the integrated customer content is not provided, the in-store signage 47 outputs content that is the same across all stores at all times, such as a standard image and / or sound such as "Thank you for visiting us today. Today's business hours are from XX to XX."

[0027] The first acquisition unit 22 acquires individual customer information of multiple customers present in the store internal space (target space) 42. For example, when N customers carrying user terminals 10-1 to 10-N enter the store internal space (target space) 42 through the store entrance / exit 41, the first acquisition unit 22 acquires the individual customer information of the N customers via communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), near field communication (NFC), beacons, etc. Note that acquisition of the individual customer information by the first acquisition unit 22 is premised on the fact that permission to use the information of the N customers carrying user terminals 10-1 to 10-N has been obtained (the present embodiment will be described under such premise).

[0028] The first acquisition unit 22 acquires at least one of the following pieces of information (A) to (I) for each of a plurality of (N) customers as individual customer information. It is preferable that the first acquisition unit 22 acquires all of the information (A) to (I). (A) Age (e.g., teens, twenties, thirties, etc.) (B) Gender (e.g., male, female, etc.) (C) Occupation (e.g., company employee, self-employed, civil servant, high school student, university student, etc.) (D) Place of residence (e.g., Hachioji City, Tokyo, Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, etc.) (E) Family structure (e.g., single, living alone, nuclear family, extended family, multi-family, etc.) (F) Annual income (e.g., 3-5 million yen, 5-10 million yen, over 10 million yen, etc.) (G) Interests (e.g., supporting a particular sports player or team, or preferring to wear items from a particular fashion brand) (H) Purchasing history in the target space (for example, what products were purchased at the store 40 in the past, how frequently, and in what volume, etc.) (I) Purchase history in a space other than the target space (for example, what products have been purchased in the past, how frequently, and in what volume at competing stores or e-commerce stores other than the store 40)

[0029] 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of individual customer information acquired by first acquisition unit 22. The diagram exemplifies individual customer information including the above-mentioned information (A) to (I) for N customers who own user terminals 10-1 to 10-N.

[0030] The second acquisition unit 23 acquires integrated customer information of multiple (N people) customers present in the store internal space (target space) 42 by integrating the individual customer information acquired by the first acquisition unit 22. More specifically, the second acquisition unit 23 lists the above-mentioned information (A) to (I) included in the individual customer information acquired by the first acquisition unit 22 as the integrated customer information. The second acquisition unit 23 acquires, as the integrated customer information, information indicating, for each category of each item in the list, a score and / or a percentage of customers in the same category among the multiple customers (N people).

[0031] FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of integrated customer information acquired by the second acquisition unit 23. The integrated customer information lists information (A) to (I) for each of multiple (N) customers present in the store interior space (target space) 42. Additionally, the integrated customer information includes information such as, for example, the number of customers in their teens (what percentage of all customers), the number of customers in their twenties (what percentage of all customers), etc., in the age category. The integrated customer information also includes information such as the number of males (what percentage of all customers), the number of females (what percentage of all customers), etc., in the gender category. The integrated customer information also includes information such as the number of company employees (what percentage of all customers), the number of self-employed customers (what percentage of all customers), the number of civil servants (what percentage of all customers), etc., in the occupation category. Similarly, the integrated customer information also includes information on the number of customers in each category (what percentage of all customers) for place of residence, family structure, annual income, interests, purchase history in the target space, and purchase history in spaces other than the target space.

[0032] The second acquisition unit 23 can acquire scores and / or percentages of customers in the same category across multiple items by substituting the number of customers in each category (what percentage of all customers) for each of the above items (A) to (I) into a predetermined calculation formula using the number as a variable. For example, the acquired integrated customer information includes information such as "Currently, out of 100 customers in the target space, 40 are teenage girls (40% of all customers)," "Currently, out of 100 customers in the target space, 23 are students living alone in Tokyo (23% of all customers)," and "Currently, out of 100 customers in the target space, 93 supporters of a specific soccer team have flocked in large numbers (93% of all customers)."

[0033] For example, in the age category, it may be specified that teenagers are given 5 points, those in their twenties are given 3 points, those in their thirties are given 1 point, and those in their forties or older are given 0 points, and in the gender category, it may be specified that men are given 1 point and women are given 3 points. In this way, points may be specified for all categories in all categories. Then, integrated customer information may be obtained by adding up the points specified for all categories.

[0034] When obtaining scores and / or percentages of customers in the same category across multiple items, it is possible to place importance on customers being in the same category in specific items, and obtain scores and / or percentages that are weighted by the existence of customers in the same category in specific items.

[0035] The third acquisition unit 24 acquires (a broad concept including generation and creation) integrated customer content corresponding to multiple customers present in the store interior space (target space) 42, based on the integrated customer information acquired by the second acquisition unit 23. More specifically, when the scores and / or percentages of customers in the same category among multiple customers for each category of each item in the list included in the integrated customer information satisfy "predetermined requirements," the third acquisition unit 24 acquires "integrated customer content" corresponding to the predetermined requirements (optimized in accordance with the predetermined requirements).

[0036] There is a degree of freedom in how the above "predetermined requirements" and "integrated customer content" are set, and various design changes are possible. Some examples are as follows:

[0037] When "there are 30 or more teenage girls (30% of all customers) among 100 customers in the target space (specified requirement)," it is possible to create integrated customer content such as "Currently, 30% of our customers in the store are teenage girls. Therefore, for the next hour, we will be offering a 15% discount on all products in the ●● cosmetics section, the ●● brand clothing section, and the ●● stationery store."

[0038] When "out of 100 customers in the target space, 20 or more are students living alone in Tokyo (20% of all customers) (specified requirement)," it is possible to create integrated customer content that states, "Currently, 20% of our customers are students living alone in Tokyo. As a result, for the next hour, we will be holding a fair to support those living alone, where we will be selling all instant foods, retort foods, and frozen foods at 20% off, regardless of manufacturer or type. We will also be giving out double points for the ●● app."

[0039] When "80 or more of the 100 customers in the target space are supporters of a specific soccer team (80% of all customers) (specified requirement)," it is possible to create integrated customer content such as "Breaking news! Supporters of ●● are currently occupying the store! Therefore, we are holding a 30-minute limited-time sale, even at the risk of incurring a loss, offering 20% ​​off all ●● supporter goods and 10% off other soccer-related items!"

[0040] As shown in the above example, it is preferable that the third acquisition unit 24 include predetermined requirements in the integrated customer content. This allows customers present in the store's internal space (target space) 42 to share the circumstances (reason) for how the integrated customer content was acquired (generated, created), allowing for a shopping experience that is a little different from the usual shopping experience alone. For example, since it can be determined that there is a certain percentage of customers in the store's internal space (target space) 42 who are in similar circumstances or share common interests and tastes, the integrated customer content can be used as a catalyst for building relationships.

[0041] The third acquisition unit 24 may be configured to be able to refer to a table that stores predetermined requirements satisfied by the integrated customer information in association with the corresponding integrated customer content. The third acquisition unit 24 may refer to the table and acquire "integrated customer content" that corresponds to the predetermined requirement (optimized in accordance with the predetermined requirement) when the score and / or percentage of customers in the same category among multiple customers for each category of each item in the list included in the integrated customer information satisfies the "predetermined requirement."

[0042] The third acquisition unit 24 may work in conjunction with a large-scale language model (which may be read as generative AI (Artificial Intelligence)) not shown in the figure to use the specified requirements of integrated customer information and the corresponding integrated customer content that will be set and acquired (generated, created) in the future based on the specified requirements of integrated customer information and the corresponding integrated customer content that have been set and acquired (generated, created) in the past.

[0043] It is also possible that the integrated customer information satisfies multiple predetermined requirements simultaneously. In this case, the third acquisition unit 24 may acquire integrated customer content that corresponds to the multiple predetermined requirements simultaneously satisfied by the integrated customer information (optimized in accordance with the multiple predetermined requirements).

[0044] The providing unit 25 includes at least one of an image output unit 25X that outputs the integrated customer content as an image in the store interior space (target space) 42, and an audio output unit 25Y that outputs the integrated customer content as audio in the store interior space (target space) 42. The providing unit 25 (image output unit 25X, audio output unit 25Y) may function as part of the in-store signage 47, or may function as a control unit that controls the operation of the in-store signage 47.

[0045] The provision unit (image output unit 25X, audio output unit 25Y) 25 provides (image output, audio output) the integrated customer content acquired by the third acquisition unit 24 in the store interior space (target space) 42 via in-store signage 47. This makes it possible to realize Automatically Optimizing signage that efficiently increases the number of target reaches for multiple customers present in the store interior space (target space) 42. This Automatically Optimizing signage is a technology that is distinct from mass advertising and retail app advertising (out-store) that aim to increase the desire to visit a store or purchase before the customer arrives, and app coupons that aim to encourage purchases by offering benefits when presented at the time of payment, even in-store.

[0046] Here, as customers enter and leave store 40, the number of customers present in store interior space (target space) 42 changes from moment to moment. As a result, individual customer information, integrated customer information, and ultimately optimal integrated customer content also change from moment to moment. Therefore, content providing server 20 (particularly, first acquisition unit 22, second acquisition unit 23, third acquisition unit 24, and providing unit 25) preferably switches the integrated customer content it provides (updates to the latest integrated customer content optimized according to the latest customer parameters) at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every few minutes). Alternatively, content providing server 20 (particularly, first acquisition unit 22, second acquisition unit 23, third acquisition unit 24, and providing unit 25) may switch the integrated customer content it provides (updates to the latest integrated customer content optimized according to the latest customer parameters) when the currently provided integrated customer content no longer satisfies predetermined requirements.

[0047] As described above, the content providing device according to the present disclosure includes a first acquisition unit that acquires individual customer information of multiple customers present in a target space, a second acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer information of the multiple customers present in the target space by integrating the individual customer information, a third acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer content corresponding to the multiple customers present in the target space based on the integrated customer information, and a providing unit that provides the integrated customer content in the target space. This makes it possible to provide content optimized for the multiple customers present in the target space.

[0048] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the content providing server 20. As shown in Fig. 6, the content providing server 20 has a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, an input unit 140, and an output unit 150. Note that Fig. 6 shows an example of functional blocks of the content providing server 20, and the content providing server 20 may have other functional blocks not shown in Fig. 6. Also, the content providing server 20 may have a configuration that does not include some of the functional blocks.

[0049] The control unit 110 controls the content providing server 20. The control unit 110 can be configured by a controller, a control circuit, or a control device that is explained based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention.

[0050] The storage unit 120 stores information used by the content providing server 20. The storage unit 120 can be configured, for example, by a memory, storage, storage device, or the like that is described based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention.

[0051] The communication unit 130 performs communication with the content providing server 20 (e.g., mutual communication between the two). The communication unit 130 can be configured by a transmitter / receiver, a transmission / reception circuit, or a transmission / reception device that is described based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention. Note that the communication unit 130 may be configured by a transmission unit and a reception unit.

[0052] The input unit 140 accepts input from the content providing server 20. The input unit 140 may also be connected to a predetermined device, storage medium, etc., and accept data input. The input unit 140 may output the input result to, for example, the control unit 110. The input unit 140 may be configured with input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and buttons, input / output terminals, input / output circuits, etc., which are explained based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention. The input unit 140 may also be configured as an integrated unit with a display unit (for example, a touch panel).

[0053] The output unit 150 performs output in the content providing server 20. For example, the output unit 150 may be configured to include a display unit that displays images, an audio output unit that outputs audio, and the like. The display unit may be configured, for example, by a display device such as a monitor or the like that is described based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention. Furthermore, the audio output unit may be configured by an output device such as a speaker that is described based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention.

[0054] The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the means for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized by a single physically coupled device, or may be realized by two or more physically separate devices connected by wire or wirelessly.

[0055] For example, the device (content providing server 20) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the content providing process of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the content providing server 20. The content providing server 20 described above may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like.

[0056] In this disclosure, terms such as apparatus, circuit, device, unit, and server may be used interchangeably. The hardware configuration of the content providing server 20 may include one or more of the devices shown in the drawings, or may not include some of the devices.

[0057] For example, although only one processor 1001 is shown, there may be multiple processors. Furthermore, processing may be performed by one processor, or processing may be performed by two or more processors simultaneously, serially, or in other ways. Furthermore, processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips.

[0058] Each function in the content providing server 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as a processor 1001, a memory 1002, etc., so that the processor 1001 performs calculations and controls communication via a communication device 1004, reading and / or writing of data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003, etc.

[0059] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. Note that each unit such as the control unit 110 described above may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0060] The processor 1001 also reads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes in accordance with these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the control unit 110 may be realized by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be made for other functional blocks.

[0061] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured by at least one of, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically EEPROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), or other suitable storage medium. The memory 1002 may also be referred to as a register, a cache, a main memory, or the like. The memory 1002 may store executable programs (program codes), software modules, and the like for implementing a method according to one embodiment.

[0062] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be configured by at least one of, for example, a flexible disk, a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk (CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM)), a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a removable disk, a hard disk drive, a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a magnetic stripe, a database, a server, or other suitable storage medium. Storage 1003 may also be called an auxiliary storage device. Note that the above-mentioned storage unit 120 may be realized by memory 1002 and / or storage 1003.

[0063] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as a network device, a network controller, a network card, a communication module, etc. The communication device 1004 may include a SIM card. Note that the above-mentioned communication unit 130 may be realized by the communication device 1004.

[0064] The input device 1005 is an input device (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (for example, a display, a speaker, etc.) that performs output to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one unit (for example, a touch panel). The above-mentioned input unit 140 and output unit 150 may be realized by the input device 1005 and the output device 1006, respectively.

[0065] Furthermore, each device such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002 is connected by a bus 1008 for communicating information. The bus 1008 may be configured as a single bus, or may be configured as different buses between the devices.

[0066] The content providing server 20 may also be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented by at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0067] (Variation) In addition, terms explained in this disclosure and / or terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0068] The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. Furthermore, the names used for parameters, etc. in this disclosure are not limiting in any way.

[0069] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0070] Information, signals, etc. may be input / output via multiple network nodes. The input / output information, signals, etc. may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or may be managed using a table. The input / output information, signals, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or added. Output information, signals, etc. may be deleted. Input information, signals, etc. may be transmitted to another device.

[0071] Furthermore, notification of specified information (e.g., notification that "it is X") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be made implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the specified information or by notifying other information).

[0072] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0073] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted and received via a transmission medium and / or signal waveform. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0074] As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" may be used interchangeably.

[0075] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Furthermore, the order of the processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless inconsistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0076] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0077] As used in this disclosure, any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc. does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0078] When used in this disclosure, the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when used in this disclosure, the term "or" is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0079] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0080] Although the invention according to the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the invention according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The invention according to the present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the description of the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not impose any limiting meaning on the invention according to the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 Content provision system 10 10-1~10-N User terminal (terminal) 20 Content providing server (content providing device) 21 Setting section (operation mode setting section) 22 1st Acquisition Department (Individual Customer Information Acquisition Department) 23 2nd Acquisition Department (Integrated Customer Information Acquisition Department) 24 Third Acquisition Department (Integrated Customer Content Acquisition Department) 25. Provision Department (Integrated Customer Content Provision Department) 25X image output unit (display) 25Y Audio output unit (speaker) 30 Network 40 stores 41 Store entrance / exit 42 Store interior space (target space) 43 44 45 46 Sales area 47 In-store signage (provider, image output, audio output)

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit that acquires individual customer information of multiple customers present in a target space via communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), near field communication (NFC), a beacon, or a global positioning system (GPS); a second acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer information of the plurality of customers present in the target space by integrating the individual customer information; a third acquisition unit that acquires integrated customer content corresponding to the plurality of customers present in the target space based on the integrated customer information; a provider for providing the integrated customer content in the target space; and the first acquisition unit acquires, as the individual customer information, the ages, genders, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the plurality of customers, as well as purchase histories of the plurality of customers in the target space, and purchase histories of the plurality of customers in a space other than the target space; the second acquisition unit lists, as the integrated customer information, the ages, sexes, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the multiple customers, as well as the purchase histories of the multiple customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the multiple customers in a space other than the target space, and acquires, for each category of each item in the list, a score and / or a percentage of customers in the same category among the multiple customers; the third acquisition unit acquires the integrated customer content corresponding to a predetermined requirement when the score and / or the percentage of customers in the same category among the plurality of customers in each category of each item in the list satisfies a predetermined requirement indicating the circumstances and reasons for acquiring the integrated customer content, and includes the predetermined requirement in the integrated customer content; A content providing device characterized by:

2. the providing unit includes at least one of an image output unit that outputs the integrated customer content as an image in the target space and an audio output unit that outputs the integrated customer content as an audio in the target space.

2. The content providing device according to claim 1.

3. a setting unit that sets either a first operation mode in which the integrated customer content is provided or a second operation mode in which the integrated customer content is not provided; 2. The content providing device according to claim 1.

4. A first step of acquiring individual customer information of multiple customers present in a target space via communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), near field communication (NFC), beacon, or global positioning system (GPS); a second step of acquiring integrated customer information of the plurality of customers present in the target space by integrating the individual customer information; a third step of acquiring integrated customer content corresponding to the plurality of customers present in the target space based on the integrated customer information; a fourth step of providing the integrated customer content in the target space; and In the first step, the individual customer information includes the ages, sexes, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the plurality of customers, as well as the purchase histories of the plurality of customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the plurality of customers in a space other than the target space, In the second step, the integrated customer information is obtained by listing the ages, sexes, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the multiple customers, as well as the purchase histories of the multiple customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the multiple customers in a space other than the target space, and by assigning a score and / or a percentage of customers in the same category to each category of each item in the list, among the multiple customers; In the third step, when the score and / or the percentage of customers in the same category among the plurality of customers in each category of each item in the list satisfies a predetermined requirement indicating the circumstances and reasons for acquiring the integrated customer content, the integrated customer content corresponding to the predetermined requirement is acquired, and the predetermined requirement is included in the integrated customer content. A content providing method characterized in that each of the above processing steps is executed by a computer.

5. A first step of acquiring individual customer information of multiple customers present in a target space via communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), near field communication (NFC), beacon, or global positioning system (GPS); a second step of acquiring integrated customer information of the plurality of customers present in the target space by integrating the individual customer information; a third step of acquiring integrated customer content corresponding to the plurality of customers present in the target space based on the integrated customer information; a fourth step of providing the integrated customer content in the target space; and In the first step, the individual customer information includes the ages, sexes, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the plurality of customers, as well as the purchase histories of the plurality of customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the plurality of customers in a space other than the target space, In the second step, the integrated customer information is obtained by listing the ages, sexes, occupations, places of residence, family structures, annual incomes, and interests of the multiple customers, as well as the purchase histories of the multiple customers in the target space and the purchase histories of the multiple customers in a space other than the target space, and by assigning a score and / or a percentage of customers in the same category to each category of each item in the list, among the multiple customers; In the third step, when the score and / or the percentage of customers in the same category among the plurality of customers in each category of each item in the list satisfies a predetermined requirement indicating the circumstances and reasons for acquiring the integrated customer content, the integrated customer content corresponding to the predetermined requirement is acquired, and the predetermined requirement is included in the integrated customer content. A content providing program that causes a computer to execute each of the above processing steps.

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