Display device, display system, list display method, and program

Abstract

To provide a display device and the like that can suitably provide a list.SOLUTION: An acquisition unit 101 acquires list data indicative of summary information on a plurality of items from a server 20. A list display unit 102 displays in a scrollable manner a list corresponding to the list data acquired by the acquisition unit 101 on a screen of a display unit 10. When any of the summary information is selected from the list displayed on the screen of the display device 10, a detailed information providing unit 103 acquires detailed information corresponding to the summary information, and displays the acquired detailed information on the screen, thereby providing the same to a user. A display control unit 104 measures the length of time that each summary information in the plurality of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the appearance in which each summary information is displayed in the list according to the measured length of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a display device, a display system, a list display method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] A system has been proposed that determines recommended products comprehensively from multiple viewpoints and provides a list of recommended products to a user (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the technology of providing a list of items to a user as described in Patent Document 1, a technology of providing detailed information of an item when the item is selected from the list is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In such a technology, when the user finishes enjoying the detailed information and returns to the list, it is difficult for the user to know how far the list has been considered, and there are cases where the items in the list have to be reconsidered.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a display device or the like that can preferably display a list.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, the display device of the present invention an acquisition unit that acquires a list including a plurality of summary information from a server, a list display unit that scrollably displays the acquired list on a screen, When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit retrieves the detailed information associated with that summary information and provides the retrieved detailed information. The system includes a display control unit that measures the duration for which each of the aforementioned summary pieces of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the format in which each summary piece of summary information is displayed in the list according to the measured duration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a list can be displayed in a suitable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram of the display device and display system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of information display processing. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the status information in the overview section. [Figure 5] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing examples of how the list is displayed. [Figure 6] (A) is a diagram showing an example of how detailed information is displayed, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of how the list is displayed. [Figure 7] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing examples of how the list is displayed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, the display device 10 and display system 100 according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the display device 10 and display system 100 according to this embodiment. The display system 100 includes the display device 10 and the server 20, and is a system for the display device 10 to acquire information from the server 20 and display it. The display device 10 and the server 20 are connected via a communication network such as the Internet or a mobile communication network, and information is sent and received via the communication network.

[0012] The display device 10 is, for example, a communication-enabled information processing terminal such as a personal computer (PC), smartphone, or tablet. The display device 10 is equipped with a screen (display) for displaying various types of information. The display device 10 may also be a dedicated device. Functionally, as shown in Figure 1, the display device 10 consists of an acquisition unit 101, a list display unit 102, a detailed information provision unit 103, and a display control unit 104.

[0013] The acquisition unit 101 acquires list data containing summary information for multiple items from the server 20. The list data is data for displaying a list of item summary information on the display device 10. The list data is transmitted from the server 20 to the display device 10, for example, in response to a request from the display device 10 to acquire a list. The list data may also be transmitted automatically from the server 20. In this embodiment, in response to user operations, the display device 10 sends a request to the server 20 to acquire items, for example, a search request for items with specified search conditions, and in response to the search request, the server 20 transmits list data of items corresponding to the search results.

[0014] The list display unit 102 displays a list of summary information corresponding to the list data acquired by the acquisition unit 101 on the screen of the display device 10 in a scrollable format.

[0015] When any summary information is selected from the list displayed on the screen of the display device 10, the detailed information providing unit 103 acquires the detailed information associated with the summary information and provides it to the user by displaying the acquired detailed information on the screen. That is, the summary information in the list serves as a link to the corresponding detailed information. For example, the detailed information providing unit 103 may acquire the detailed information from the server 20 by sending a request for acquiring the corresponding detailed information to the server 20. Note that the acquisition unit 101 may acquire the detailed information.

[0016] In this embodiment, the items displayed as a list may be any information displayed in a list. The items may be, for example, products, services, news, takeout, digital contents such as books, comics, music, videos, accommodation facilities, transportation means, travel tours, restaurants, recipes, real estate, beauty facilities such as beauty salons and spas, golf courses, leisure facilities such as campsites and fishing boats, and information related to sports events, etc. And the list enables viewing of the detailed information of the items via the list, and it may also be possible to purchase, reserve, etc. the items.

[0017] The display device 10 displays, for example, a list and detailed information on a browser (web browser) displayed on the screen. In this embodiment, the list and detailed information are displayed on a tab browser capable of displaying a plurality of web pages within one window. The list display unit 102 displays the list corresponding to the list data on one tab. When summary information, which is a link to the detailed information of an item, is selected in the list, the detailed information providing unit 103 adds a new tab and displays the detailed information of the selected item in the new tab, and moves the focus to the detailed information by displaying the new tab at the front (activating it). Note that the display device 10 may display the list and detailed information in a window browser. In this case, when the summary information of an item is selected in the list, the corresponding detailed information may be displayed on a new page or a new window.

[0018] The display control unit 104 measures the length of time each summary information in the list is displayed within the screen, and changes the format in which each summary information is displayed in the list according to the measured length of time. For example, the display control unit 104 measures the length of time each summary information was displayed within the screen during a past predetermined period (e.g., one week, until the browser cache is cleared, etc.), and for summary information whose measured length of time is longer than a specific time (e.g., 3 seconds, 30 seconds, etc.), it determines that it has been viewed (read) by the user and changes the format of the said summary information to a format that is less prominent than other summary information. By doing so, it becomes easier for the user to grasp which summary information has been displayed or viewed in the list. In particular, when detailed information is displayed from the list and enjoyed, and then after finishing enjoying the detailed information and returning to the list, or when returning to the original screen after scrolling the list, etc., the format of the summary information whose display time is longer than the specific time has changed, so it becomes easier to grasp which summary information has been viewed or considered, for example, there is no need to review the summary information from the beginning of the list, and the convenience of the user is improved. Thus, according to the display device 10, the list can be preferably displayed.

[0019] When the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, the display control unit 104 may measure the length of time the same summary information was displayed within the screen by adding them up. And when the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times and the format of the same summary information has been changed, the display control unit 104 may keep the format changed in the lists acquired at different times as well.

[0020] And when the newly acquired list contains summary information that was previously displayed within the screen in a list acquired in the past, the display control unit 104 measures the length of time the summary information was displayed within the screen by adding up the length of time it was displayed within the screen in the list acquired in the past and the length of time it is displayed within the screen in the newly acquired list, and changes the format in which each summary information is displayed in the newly acquired list according to the measured length of time obtained by adding them up.

[0021] For example, if a user specifies search criteria on the display device 10 to obtain a list of items and displays a list of item summary information on the screen, and then, within a predetermined period, obtains another list of items containing the same summary information at a later time, or obtains another list of items with changed search criteria, and the newly obtained list of items contains the same summary information as previously obtained list data, the total display time of that summary information on the screen is measured, and the appearance of that summary information is changed according to the measured time. If the total measured time of summary information exceeds a specific time (e.g., 3 seconds, 30 seconds), it is determined that the user has already viewed (read) that summary information, and the appearance of that summary information is changed to, for example, a less conspicuous appearance than other summary information. Furthermore, if the appearance of summary information in the list has been changed in the past, the appearance will remain changed in the newly obtained and displayed list.

[0022] This approach ensures that even if the list changes dynamically over a specified period, summary information that hasn't been considered or is being viewed for the first time will be displayed in a different format from summary information that the user is considering viewing the details for. This makes it easier for the user to keep track of which summary information they have considered. For example, the user only needs to focus on the summary information they are seeing for the first time, improving the convenience of the list view. Also, for example, if the item is news, when viewing a list of news headlines in the morning and then again at noon, it becomes easy to distinguish between articles whose headlines were already seen in the morning and articles that were added between the morning and noon.

[0023] Furthermore, the display control unit 104 may configure the display control unit 104 to consider the updated summary information as different from the summary information before the update of the specified element (for example, price information of an item) if a predetermined element (for example, price information of an item) included in the summary information or the detailed information associated with the summary information is updated. In this way, even if the summary information is for the same item (product, service, facility, etc.), if a predetermined element is updated, such as when the price is lowered, the display format will not change (it will be in the default display format) even if it has been viewed in the past. This prevents users from missing updates to the predetermined element and prevents disadvantages to the user due to price decreases, for example.

[0024] In addition, even if a given element of the summary information has been updated, the summary information for the same item may be considered the same summary information. For example, if the updated element is an element that has little impact on the user (e.g., information update date, reviews, etc.), or if the update of the element is unfavorable to the user (e.g., price increase, out of stock, etc.), the summary information may be considered the same.

[0025] Server 20 supplies list data to the acquisition unit 101 in response to a request from the display device 10 (acquisition unit 101) to acquire a list. Server 20 is, for example, a web server that stores items (content) to be searched by the display device 10, and transmits web page data for searching items in response to a request from the display device 10. Then, in response to a search request for an item transmitted based on input operations on the web page for searching the item, Server 20 transmits web page data (list data) for displaying a list of summary information of the search results items to the display device 10. Furthermore, based on the receipt of a request to acquire detailed information, such as when summary information is selected in the transmitted list, Server 20 transmits web page data for displaying the corresponding detailed information to the display device 10. Note that Server 20 may also acquire various information from an external database that stores item information and provide it to the display device 10.

[0026] Server 20 is a high-performance information processing device having multiple storage devices and multiple control units such as CPUs. Server 20 may also be composed of communication-enabled information processing devices such as personal computers (PCs) or workstations. Server 20 may also be a dedicated device. Furthermore, Server 20 may be composed of multiple information processing devices.

[0027] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device comprising a display device 10 and a server 20. The display device 10 includes a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a storage device 12 such as memory, an HDD and / or an SSD, a communication interface 13 for wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 for receiving input operations, and an output device 15 for outputting information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a mouse and / or a microphone. The output device 15 is, for example, a display and / or a speaker.

[0028] The processor 11 reads the program stored in the memory device 12 and operates as the various functional units shown in Figure 1.

[0029] Server 20 similarly includes a processor 21, a storage device 22, a communication interface 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25. Note that unnecessary components in the display device 10 and server 20 may be omitted, or other components may be added. Server 20 reads programs stored in the storage device 22 and transmits list data and detailed information data in response to requests from the display device 10.

[0030] Next, the operation of the display device 10 will be described. Figure 3 is a flowchart of an example of information display processing performed by the display device 10. Information display processing is the process by which the display device 10 displays a list of summary information for an item and detailed information corresponding to the summary information. In the information display processing, first, the processor 11 of the display device 10 determines whether or not it has detected a user operation to display list data of summary information (step S11). In this embodiment, the processor 11 determines whether or not it has received a search operation for an item (product, facility, etc.) as a user operation to display list data. Note that the operation to display list data may be other operations such as pressing the acquire button. If no operation to display list data has been detected (step S11; No), the information display processing is terminated.

[0031] If the system detects an operation to display list data (step S11; Yes), the processor 11 sends a request to the server 20 to acquire list data, thereby acquiring list data of summary information from the server 20 (step S12). In this embodiment, the processor 11 sends a search request to the server 20 indicating the search content for the items as a request to acquire list data. The server 20 then generates list data of summary information for the items in response to the search request and outputs it to the display device 10. For example, the server 20 sends web page data that displays a list of summary information as list data. As a result, the processor 11 acquires the list data.

[0032] Furthermore, the request to acquire list data is not limited to a search request; it can be any request sent from the display device 10 to the server 20 in response to a display operation of the list data. In this embodiment, the server 20 sends the list data in response to an acquisition request from the display device 10, but the server 20 may also proactively send the list data.

[0033] Next, the processor 11 obtains the status information of the summary information from the storage device 12 (step S13). In this embodiment, the summary information is displayed in a format corresponding to the status information of the summary information in the list, so the processor 11 first refers to the status information of the summary information.

[0034] The status information of the summary information is information indicating the status of the summary information displayed on the display device 10. Figure 4 shows an example of the status information of the summary information. As shown in Figure 4, the status information of the summary information is information that associates the summary information ID, the length of the summary information display time, whether or not the detailed display is shown, the display format, and the information content. Note that the status information of the summary information may also include other information.

[0035] The summary information ID is an identifier that uniquely identifies the summary information in the list. For example, when the display device 10 receives list data, if the list data contains new summary information, the summary information ID is assigned to that summary information. Whether or not it is new summary information can be determined, for example, based on the information content. In this embodiment, even if the summary information is for the same item (product, service, facility, etc.), if the predetermined elements (price, size, information update date, etc.) included in the information content (summary information or detailed information corresponding to the summary information) are different, it is considered different summary information and a different summary information ID is assigned. Note that the summary information ID may be assigned when the server 20 generates the list data.

[0036] The summary information display time is the length of time the summary information is displayed on the screen of the display device 10, and is updated, for example, in real time when a list of summary information is displayed on the screen of the display device 10.

[0037] The display status of detailed information indicates whether the summary information displayed in the list was selected on the display device 10 and whether the detailed information corresponding to that summary information was displayed. The display status of detailed information is stored as either "Not displayed" or "Displayed".

[0038] The display format indicates the format in which summary information is displayed in the list. The display format stores one of the following statuses: "0: Default" (normal display format), "1: Gray display" (displaying the summary information as viewed / read), or "2: Black display" (displaying the detailed information as viewed / read).

[0039] The information content consists of summary information and detailed information corresponding to the summary information (item information). The information content stores information on multiple elements of the item (price, size, information update date, etc.).

[0040] Then, the processor 11 displays a list of summary information corresponding to the list data acquired in step S12, in the display format indicated by the status information of the summary information acquired in step S13 (step S14).

[0041] In step S14, if the display format of the summary information status is one of the default formats, such as "1: Gray display" or "2: Black display," then the list will be displayed in that format from the start of displaying the newly acquired list data. In other words, if the same summary information is included in previously acquired list data and the display format of that same summary information has been changed, then the display format will remain changed in the newly acquired list. This allows users to see which summary information they have already viewed or considered in previously displayed lists, eliminating the need to view or consider the same summary information again and improving user convenience.

[0042] Furthermore, each record in the status information of the summary information stored in the storage device 12 (more specifically, the display time of each summary information) is stored for a predetermined period after being initially stored. This allows for the total length of time that each summary information has been displayed on the screen over the past predetermined period to be measured, and the appearance of each summary information can be changed based on the total display time of the summary information. The predetermined period may be, for example, a predetermined length of time such as one week, from the time the web browser is launched until it is closed, or until the cache storing the corresponding summary information in the web browser is cleared. In this way, the display appearance of the summary information in the list can be changed based on the user's display history of the list (summary information) over the past predetermined period.

[0043] Furthermore, processor 11 starts measuring the duration for which each summary information in the list is displayed on the screen (step S15). While measuring the duration for which each summary information is displayed on the screen, processor 11 continuously updates (adds) the duration for which the summary information is displayed in the status information of the corresponding summary information. Whether or not each summary information is displayed on the screen can be determined based on the display order and position of the summary information in the list data, the screen size, the window size of the web browser or display application, the scroll amount, etc.

[0044] Subsequently, the processor 11 determines whether or not it has detected a selection operation for any of the summary information in the list displayed on the screen (step S16). For example, all or part of the summary information in the list is a link to detailed information, and in step S16, it determines whether or not it has detected a selection operation for that link.

[0045] If a selection operation for summary information is detected (step S16; Yes), the processor 11: The measurement of the duration for which the summary information is displayed on the screen is stopped (step S17), and detailed information corresponding to the selected summary information is obtained from the server 20 and displayed (step S18). The detailed information is displayed in a new tab, for example, different from the tab in which the list is displayed. The detailed information may be displayed by updating the window in which the list is displayed, or by opening a new window and displaying it in the new window.

[0046] After displaying the detailed information, the processor 11 performs processing corresponding to the operations performed while the detailed information was being displayed (step S19). Processing corresponding to operations performed while the detailed information was being displayed includes, for example, scrolling the detailed information in response to a scroll operation, and processing corresponding to operations on links for reserving, purchasing, or inquiring about items included in the detailed information.

[0047] Then, while the detailed information is being displayed, the processor 11 determines whether it has detected an operation to return to the list by selecting a tab to display the list, an operation to return to the list from the detailed information in the same window, or an operation to close the window or tab displaying the detailed information (step S20). If it has not detected an operation to return to the list or an operation to close the detailed information (step S20; No), it returns to step S19.

[0048] If an operation to return to the list or an operation to close detailed information is detected (step S20; Yes), the processor 11 determines whether there is any summary information for which the measured time duration exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S21). The predetermined threshold can be any specific time for which it can be determined that the user viewed or considered the summary information in the list. The specific time can be, for example, 3 seconds, 30 seconds, etc., and the specific time (predetermined threshold) may be changed depending on the number of summary information items displayed in the list and the amount of information in each summary item. Alternatively, the predetermined threshold may be a percentage of the time during the list display period.

[0049] If there is no summary information for which the measured time duration exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S22; No), the processor 11 redisplays the list of summary information (the list that was displayed before the detailed information was displayed) (step S23). If the window or tab displaying the detailed information is closed, the list is redisplayed when the window is closed and focus returns to the list tab or window.

[0050] If there is summary information for which the measured time length exceeds a predetermined threshold (Step S22; Yes), the processor 11 changes the display format in the list of summary information to a display format that indicates it has been viewed (in this embodiment, the background is gray, which is "gray display") (Step S22). At this time, the processor 11 updates the status of the display format of the corresponding summary information ID in the status information of the summary information to "1" which corresponds to the display format that indicates the summary information has been viewed. Then, the processor 11 redisplays the list of summary information in the changed display format (Step S23).

[0051] Furthermore, the display format indicating that the summary information has been viewed is less conspicuous than the normal display format, such as using a gray background, as will be described later. The display format indicating that the summary information has been viewed is not limited to this; any format different from the normal display format is acceptable. For example, any format that makes it easy to intuitively recognize that the information has been viewed is acceptable, and may include an inconspicuous format, a simplified display with reduced information, or a format smaller than usual. In addition, by making the viewed summary information less conspicuous in this way, the unviewed summary information can be made to stand out relatively, providing users with a more convenient list of summary information.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the screen display (focus) returns from detailed information to the list, the format of the summary information changes if the measured time duration exceeds a certain time. In other words, the format of the summary information in the list is changed when the screen switches. This prevents the user from feeling uneasy due to a sudden change in the format of the summary information. In addition, when the user returns to the list from detailed information, they can easily understand which summary information they have viewed or considered.

[0053] Furthermore, although not essential to the present invention and therefore omitted in Figure 3, when the list is redisplayed in step S23, the processor 11 changes the display format of the list of summary information that displays detailed information to a display format that indicates the detailed information has been viewed (in this embodiment, a "black display" with a black background), and updates the status of the display format of the corresponding summary information ID in the status information of the summary information to "2", which corresponds to the display format that indicates the detailed information corresponding to the summary information has been viewed.

[0054] After the processing in step S23, the processor 11 resumes measuring the length of time the summary information is displayed on the screen (step S24).

[0055] Furthermore, after the processing in step S24 is executed, or if no selection operation of summary information is detected in step S16 (step S16; No), the processor 11 determines whether or not a scroll operation of the list displayed on the screen has been detected (step S25).

[0056] If a scroll operation is detected on the list (step S25; Yes), the processor 11 scrolls the list according to the amount of the scroll (step S26). At this time, the processor 11 may also obtain subsequent list data from the server 20 following the displayed list and display a new list of summary information on the screen.

[0057] After executing the process in step S26, or if no scroll operation of the list has been detected (step S25; No), the processor 11 determines whether or not an operation to end the display of the list has been detected (step S27). For example, the processor 11 determines whether or not an operation to close the window or tab displaying the list has been detected. If no operation to end the display of the list has been detected (step S27; No), the process returns to the process in step S16 described above and the information display process continues. If no operation to end the display of the list has been detected, the processor 11 may monitor for the detection of other operations and, if it detects other operations (for example, an operation to return to the previous screen, an operation to re-acquire the list, etc.), it may execute processing corresponding to those other operations.

[0058] If the system detects an operation to end the display of the list (step S27; Yes), the processor 11 closes the window or tab displaying the list to end the display of the list on the screen (step S28), stops measuring the length of time the summary information is displayed on the screen (step S29), and ends the information display process.

[0059] Next, an example of the display of the display device 10 in this embodiment will be described. Figures 5 to 7 show an example of the display of a list and detailed information in a web browser 110 displayed on the screen of the display device 10. In this example, the display device 10 is, for example, a PC equipped with a display or connected to a display. In this example, the web browser 110 is a tabbed browser.

[0060] The display device 10 may be a smartphone or tablet, or it may display information such as lists and detailed information using a dedicated application rather than a general-purpose web browser 110.

[0061] Furthermore, this display example shows the display when a user of the display device 10 performs a search operation for a predetermined item on an item search site provided by the server 20 using a web browser 110, and a list of summary information data for the searched items is sent from the server 20. In other words, the server 20 is a web server for an item search site that allows searching for items and provides item information. Note that the item to be searched may be any item.

[0062] Figure 5(A) shows an example of the display of a list of summary information on the display device 10 immediately after receiving list data corresponding to the search results of a specified item from the server 20. In Figure 5(A), the list of search results 111 is displayed on tab 1 (list tab) of the web browser 110. List 111 contains multiple summary information items o1 to o8. Summary information items o5 to o8 are cut off in Figure 5(A), but by scrolling the list tab downwards using the scroll bar or mouse, list 111 scrolls, and as shown in Figure 5(B), the entirety of summary information items o5 to o8 can be viewed. Also, in Figure 5(B), some of the subsequent summary information items o9 to o12 in list 111 are displayed. In addition, list 111 is displayed in "recommended order" by default, but it can also be sorted by specifying sorting conditions such as "price order" or "newest order".

[0063] Each summary information (o1-o12) can be any information that describes the corresponding item, such as a thumbnail image of the item or text describing the item's overview. Each summary information (o1-o12) is a link to the corresponding detailed information, and when one of these is selected, the corresponding detailed information is displayed. Part of each summary information (predetermined text, icon, etc.) may also be a link to the detailed information.

[0064] In this way, users can scroll through and rearrange List 111 to sequentially display and view the summary information contained in List 111, and then consider whether or not to display detailed information corresponding to the summary information contained in List 111. For example, if it is possible to purchase, reserve, or view details of an item in the detailed information, users can consider whether or not to purchase, reserve, or view details of the item corresponding to each summary information in List 111.

[0065] For example, in the screen shown in Figure 5(B), if summary information o5 is selected, a new tab 2 (details tab) opens in front of tab 1, as shown in Figure 6(A), and the focus shifts to the details tab. The details tab then displays the detailed information 112 for item 5, which corresponds to the summary information o5. The details 112 may include text detailing item 5, price information, reservation information, related information, reviews, and other relevant information. If the item is a product or service, the details 112 should allow for the purchase or reservation of the product or service. The content of the details 112 is arbitrary, as long as it shows the details of the corresponding item. Also, in the state shown in Figure 6(A), scrolling the details tab using the scroll bar or mouse allows access to the information below.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6(A), when tab 2 (details tab) is open, closing the details tab brings tab 1 (list tab) to the foreground and shifts the focus to the list tab. In this embodiment, when the focus (the user's viewing target) shifts from details to the list, the display format of summary information that is presumed to have been read by the user is changed. For example, if summary information o1~o4 and o6~o8 were displayed for a specific time in list 111 before displaying the details of item 5, it is presumed that this summary information has been read by the user, and as shown in Figure 6(B), summary information o1~o4 and o6~o8 are changed to a "gray display" (light shading in the figure) which indicates that the summary information has been read. Also, summary information o5, which had the corresponding details displayed, is changed to a "black display" (dark shading in the figure) which indicates that the details corresponding to that summary information have been read.

[0067] In this way, the display format is changed for summary information that can be presumed to have been read in the list, so that the user can easily understand which summary information they have viewed or considered when, for example, returning to the list from detailed information. Therefore, when returning to the list from detailed information, there is no need to review the list from the beginning, which improves user convenience. For example, in Figure 6(B), the user can easily recognize that they should review list 111 from summary information o9 to o12. Thus, the display device 10 and display system 100 of this embodiment can suitably display a list of summary information.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display format of the summary information in the list is changed when the user switches from viewing detailed information to viewing the list. By changing the display format when the screen switches in this way, it is possible to prevent the list's display format from changing abruptly, which could cause the user to feel uneasy.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display format for indicating that the summary information has been read ("gray display," a light shading pattern in the figure) and the display format for indicating that the detailed information corresponding to the summary information has been read ("black display," a dark shading pattern in the figure) are different, so that the user can distinguish between items for which only the summary information has been considered and items for which the detailed information has also been considered.

[0070] Furthermore, if the entire summary information is displayed in the list tab (not cut off in the web browser 110), it may be determined that the summary information is displayed in list 111. In this case, summary information where only a portion is displayed, such as summary information o9~o12 in Figures 5(B) and 6(B), will be determined not to be displayed in list 111, and since that summary information will be determined to be unread, the display format will not be changed. Furthermore, if a predetermined percentage of the summary information (e.g., 90%) is displayed in the list tab (not cut off in the web browser 110), it may be determined that the summary information is displayed in list 111.

[0071] Figure 7(A) shows an example of the display of the summary information list on the display device 10 when, after the display in Figure 6(B), the user changes the search criteria and performs a new search, and new list data is obtained from the server 20. In Figure 7(A), the search results list 113 is displayed on tab 1 (list tab) of the web browser 110. List 113 contains multiple summary information items o1, o2, o21, o22, o5, o7, o8, and o12. Here, summary information items o1, o2, o5, o7, o8, and o12 are the same as those included in the previously displayed list 111. These summary information items are displayed in the display mode indicated by the status information of the summary information. That is, in the previously displayed list 111, summary information items o1, o2, o7, and o8 were displayed in "gray" (a light shading pattern in the figure), which is a display format indicating that the summary information has already been read, so they are similarly displayed in "gray" in the new list 113. Furthermore, in the previously displayed list 111, the summary information o5 was displayed in "black" (a dark shaded pattern in the figure), which indicates that the detailed information corresponding to that summary information has already been read. Therefore, in the new list 113, it will also be displayed in "black".

[0072] Thus, in this embodiment, if the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times within a predetermined period (for example, until the web browser 110 is closed, until the cache of the web browser 110 is cleared, or until a predetermined time has elapsed since the list was displayed), and the format of the same summary information has been changed, the format will remain changed in the lists acquired at different times. In this way, even in newly acquired lists, the user can grasp the summary information that has been viewed and considered within the past predetermined period, thus improving user convenience by eliminating the need to view or consider the same summary information in newly acquired lists. Thus, the display device 10 and display system 100 of this embodiment can suitably display a list of summary information. Furthermore, even in newly acquired lists, the summary information that has been displayed (viewed, read) at a specific time in past lists is displayed, so even if the user changes their mind, they can reconsider the viewed summary information and view the corresponding detailed information.

[0073] Furthermore, if the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times within a predetermined period (for example, until the web browser 110 is closed, until the cache of the web browser 110 is cleared, or until a predetermined time has elapsed since the list was displayed), the total length of time that the same summary information is displayed on the screen is measured. Since the summary information o12 in the newly acquired and displayed list 113 was also included in the previously acquired and displayed list 111, the total length of time that the summary information o12 is displayed on the screen is calculated by summing the display times in lists 111 and 113. Then, according to the total measured length of time, the format in which the summary information o12 is displayed in the newly acquired list is changed. In this way, even if the same summary information is displayed for a total of a specific time in different lists, it can be determined that the user has already viewed and considered the summary information, thus preventing the user from having to view and consider the same summary information again, even if they have viewed multiple lists little by little. Thus, the display device 10 and display system 100 of this embodiment can suitably display a list of summary information.

[0074] Note that in Figure 7(A), summary information o5, o7, o8, and o12 are cut off, but by scrolling the list tab downwards using the scroll bar or mouse, list 113 will scroll, and as shown in Figure 7(B), the entirety of summary information o5, o7, o8, and o12 can be viewed.

[0075] (modified version) Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, some parts of the above embodiments can be omitted, replaced, or any configurations can be added.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the format of each summary information can be changed based on the measured display time when the user moves from detailed information to a list. However, the format of the summary information may be changed based on different triggers. For example, the display format may be changed in real time when the measured display time of the summary information exceeds a threshold (specific time), or the display format may be changed by determining the display time at predetermined timings and intervals during list display. Furthermore, the format of the summary information may be changed when the list is displayed again, such as when the search conditions are changed and the list is retrieved again, or when the list is retrieved after some time has passed. In any case, the user can keep track of the summary information that has been viewed and considered.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the display format indicating that the summary information has been read ("gray display," a light shading pattern in the figure) and the display format indicating that the detailed information corresponding to the summary information has been read ("black display," a dark shading pattern in the figure) were different. However, the display format indicating that the summary information has been read and the display format indicating that the detailed information corresponding to the summary information has been read may be the same. Alternatively, the display format in the list of summary information may be changed based solely on the determination result of whether the summary information has been read or not, regardless of whether the detailed information corresponding to the summary information has been read. Doing so simplifies the process of changing the display format.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the display device 10 stores the status information of the summary information shown in Figure 4, stores the display time of each summary information, and changes the display format of each summary information in the list. Alternatively, the server 20 may store the status information of the summary information shown in Figure 4, stores the display time of each summary information, and changes the display format of each summary information in the list. For example, the display device 10 may measure the length of time each summary information is displayed on the screen in the list and notify the server 20 of the measured length of time as it occurs. Alternatively, the display device 10 and the server 20 may share the status information of the summary information. In this case, the server 20, in response to a request from the display device 10 to acquire a list, generates list data with the display format of each summary information changed based on the status information of the summary information and supplies it to the display device 10. At this time, the display priority (for example, the display order in the list) of the summary information whose display format has been changed (summary information that has been displayed for a specific time on the display device 10, summary information that has had detailed information displayed) in the list data may be lowered.

[0079] Furthermore, when the server 20 stores the status information of the summary information, the server 20 may send a list to the display device 10 that includes summary information corresponding to the summary information selected in a previously acquired list (summary information with detailed information displayed) and the length of time each summary information was displayed on the screen in a previously acquired list. That is, when the server 20 supplies list data to the display device 10 (acquisition unit 101), it may refer to the length of time the summary information is displayed and whether or not detailed information is displayed in the status information of the summary information, estimate the user's level of interest based on these values, and generate list data according to the estimation result.

[0080] For example, if an item corresponds to summary information that has a long display time and does not display detailed information, it may be determined that the user is of low interest, and the display priority (e.g., display order in the list) of summary information for similar items (those with a short or zero display time) may be lowered. Conversely, for example, if an item corresponds to summary information that displays detailed information, it may be estimated that the user is of high interest, and the display priority of summary information for similar items (those with a short or zero display time) may be increased. In this way, suitable list data can be supplied according to the user's list browsing history. In this case, the acquisition unit 101 can acquire a list containing summary information corresponding to the summary information selected in a previously acquired list and the length of time each summary information was displayed on the screen in a previously acquired list.

[0081] Furthermore, if the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, the display control unit 104 does not need to cumulatively measure the total time that the same summary information is displayed on the screen. In other words, the measured time may be reset each time the list is closed or each time a list is acquired. In this case, if the format of a predetermined summary information has been changed, even if the predetermined summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, the format of the predetermined summary information in those lists will revert to the default format. In this case, the processing of the display control unit 104 can be simplified, and the processing burden can be reduced.

[0082] Furthermore, as an example of how the display control unit 104 measures the duration for which each summary piece of information is displayed on the screen and changes the format in which each summary piece is displayed in the list according to the measured duration, in the above embodiment, the display control unit 104 measures the duration for which each summary piece of information has been displayed on the screen over a predetermined period in the past and changes the format of the summary piece for which the measured duration exceeds a specific duration. However, the display control unit 104 is not limited to this and may change the format of each summary piece of information in any way according to the duration for which each summary piece of information has been displayed on the screen. For example, the format may be changed in stages according to the duration for which each summary piece of information has been displayed on the screen.

[0083] The display device 10 and server 20 can be implemented using a regular computer, without requiring dedicated equipment. For example, the display device 10 that performs the above-described processing may be configured by installing a program for performing the above-described functions from a recording medium stored on the computer to the computer. Alternatively, multiple computers may cooperate to form one display device 10 and one server 20.

[0084] Furthermore, the method for supplying programs to computers is arbitrary. For example, they may be supplied via communication lines, communication networks, communication systems, etc. For example, non-temporary computer-readable storage media containing programs for performing the above-mentioned functions may be distributed.

[0085] Furthermore, if the OS (Operating System) provides some of the above-mentioned functions, then the parts not provided by the OS should be provided by the program.

[0086] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The flowcharts, sequences, elements, arrangements, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined.

[0087] (The invention realized by this embodiment) As described above, this embodiment realizes the following inventions.

[0088] (Note 1) A data acquisition unit that retrieves a list containing multiple summary information from the server, A list display unit that displays the acquired list on the screen in a scrollable manner, When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit retrieves the detailed information associated with that summary information and provides the retrieved detailed information. The system includes a display control unit that measures the duration for which each of the plurality of summary pieces of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the format in which each summary piece of summary information is displayed in the list according to the measured duration. Display device.

[0089] (Note 2) The display control unit, if the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, calculates the total length of time that the same summary information is displayed on the screen. The display device described in Appendix 1.

[0090] (Note 3) If the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, and the format of that same summary information has been changed, the display control unit will keep the format changed in the lists acquired at different times as well. The display device described in Appendix 2.

[0091] (Note 4) The display control unit, If the newly acquired list includes summary information that has been displayed on the screen in a previously acquired list, the duration for which such summary information was displayed on the screen shall be measured by summing the duration for which it was displayed on the screen in the previously acquired list and the duration for which it is displayed on the screen in the newly acquired list. Depending on the total measured time, the format in which each summary piece of information is displayed in the newly acquired list is changed. The display device described in Appendix 2.

[0092] (Note 5) The display control unit shall, when a predetermined element included in the summary information or the detailed information associated with the summary information is updated, consider the summary information with the updated predetermined element to be different from the summary information before the predetermined element was updated. The display device described in Appendix 2.

[0093] (Note 6) The display control unit measures the length of time each summary information has been displayed on the screen during a predetermined period in the past, and changes the format of the summary information if the measured length of time exceeds a specific time. A display device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0094] (Note 7) The display control unit changes the appearance of each summary piece of information when the user's viewing target shifts from the detailed information to the list. A display device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0095] (Note 8) The acquisition unit acquires a list that includes summary information corresponding to the summary information selected in a previously acquired list and the length of time each summary information was displayed on the screen in the previously acquired list. A display device as described in any of the appendices 1 to 7.

[0096] (Note 9) A display system including a server and a display device, The aforementioned display device is An acquisition unit that acquires a list containing multiple summary information from the aforementioned server, A list display unit that displays the acquired list on the screen in a scrollable manner, When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit retrieves the detailed information associated with that summary information and provides the retrieved detailed information. The system includes a display control unit that measures the duration for which each of the aforementioned summary pieces of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the format in which each summary piece of summary information is displayed in the list according to the measured duration. The server supplies the list corresponding to the display device to the acquisition unit. Display system.

[0097] (Note 10) A method of displaying a list that a display device performs, Retrieve a list containing multiple summary pieces of information from the server. The acquired list is displayed on the screen in a scrollable format. When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information associated with that summary information is retrieved and the retrieved detailed information is provided. The duration for which each of the aforementioned summary pieces is displayed on the screen is measured, and the format in which each of the summary pieces is displayed in the list is changed according to the measured duration. How to display the list.

[0098] (Note 11) Computers, An acquisition unit that retrieves a list containing multiple summary information from the server. A list display unit that displays the acquired list on the screen in a scrollable manner. When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit retrieves the detailed information associated with that summary information and provides the retrieved detailed information. A display control unit measures the duration for which each of the multiple summary pieces of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the format in which each summary piece of summary information is displayed in the list according to the measured duration. A program that makes it function as such. [Industrial applicability]

[0099] According to the present invention, a display device, a display system, a method for displaying a list, and a program that can preferably display a list can be provided. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 10 Display device 20 servers 11, 21 processors 12, 22 Storage device 13, 23 Communication Interfaces 14, 24 Input Devices 15, 25 Output devices 100 Display Systems 101 Acquisition Department 102 List Display Section 103 Detailed information provision department 104 Display Control Unit 110 Web browser List of 111 and 113 112 Detailed Information o1~o12, o21~o22 Overview Information

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that sends an item acquisition request to a server and acquires a list from the server containing multiple summary pieces of information indicating the outline of the item corresponding to the acquisition request, A list display unit that displays the acquired list on the screen in a scrollable manner, When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit obtains detailed information indicating the details of the item associated with that summary information and provides the obtained detailed information. The list includes a display control unit that measures the duration for which each of the multiple summary pieces of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the display format of each summary piece in the list to a display format indicating that it has been viewed, according to the measured duration. The display control unit measures the length of time each summary information item has been displayed on the screen during a predetermined period in the list, and changes the display format of summary information items whose measured duration exceeds a specific time to indicate that they have been viewed, triggered by the user switching their viewing target from the detailed information to the list. Display device.

2. The display control unit, if the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, calculates the total length of time that the same summary information is displayed on the screen. The display device according to claim 1.

3. If the same summary information is included in lists acquired at different times, and the format of that same summary information has been changed, the display control unit will keep the format changed in the lists acquired at different times as well. The display device according to claim 2.

4. The display control unit, If the newly acquired list includes summary information that has been displayed on the screen in a previously acquired list, the duration for which such summary information was displayed on the screen shall be measured by summing the duration for which it was displayed on the screen in the previously acquired list and the duration for which it is displayed on the screen in the newly acquired list. Depending on the total measured time, the format in which each summary piece of information is displayed in the newly acquired list is changed. The display device according to claim 2.

5. When a predetermined element included in the summary information or the detailed information associated with the summary information is updated, the display control unit shall consider the summary information with the updated predetermined element to be different from the summary information before the predetermined element was updated. The display device according to claim 2.

6. The acquisition unit acquires a list that includes summary information corresponding to the summary information selected in a previously acquired list and the length of time each summary information was displayed on the screen in the previously acquired list. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A display system including a server and a display device, The aforementioned display device is The acquisition unit sends an item acquisition request to the server, and from the server, it acquires a list containing multiple summary pieces of information indicating the outline of the item corresponding to the acquisition request. A list display unit that displays the acquired list on the screen in a scrollable manner, When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit obtains detailed information indicating the details of the item associated with that summary information and provides the obtained detailed information. The list includes a display control unit that measures the duration for which each of the multiple summary pieces of summary information is displayed on the screen, and changes the display format of each summary piece in the list to a display format indicating that it has been viewed, according to the measured duration. The display control unit measures the length of time each summary information has been displayed on the screen in the list over a predetermined period, and changes the display format of summary information whose measured length exceeds a specific time to a display format indicating that it has been viewed, triggered by the user switching their viewing target from the detailed information to the list. The server supplies the list in response to the acquisition request from the display device to the acquisition unit. Display system.

8. A method of displaying a list that a display device performs, By sending an item retrieval request to the server, the server retrieves a list containing multiple summary pieces of information indicating the outline of the item corresponding to the retrieval request. The acquired list is displayed on the screen in a scrollable format. When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, detailed information indicating the details of the item associated with that summary information is obtained and the obtained detailed information is provided. In the aforementioned list, the length of time each summary information item has been displayed on the screen during a predetermined period is measured, and the format of the summary information item whose measured length exceeds a specific time is changed to a display format indicating that it has been viewed when the user moves from the detailed information item to the list item. How to display the list.

9. Computers, The acquisition unit sends an item acquisition request to the server, and from the server, it acquires a list containing multiple summary pieces of information indicating the outline of the items corresponding to the acquisition request. A list display unit that displays the acquired list on the screen in a scrollable manner. When any summary information is selected from the displayed list, the detailed information providing unit obtains detailed information indicating the details of the item associated with that summary information and provides the obtained detailed information. In the aforementioned list, the display control unit measures the duration for which each of the multiple summary pieces of information is displayed on the screen, and changes the display format of each summary piece in the list to indicate that it has been viewed, according to the measured duration. The display control unit measures the length of time each summary information item has been displayed on the screen during a predetermined period in the list, and changes the display format of summary information items whose measured duration exceeds a specific time to indicate that they have been viewed, triggered by the user switching their viewing target from the detailed information to the list. program.

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