Comment distribution system, terminal device, comment distribution method, and program

Abstract

To provide a comment distribution system, a terminal device, a method, and a program configured to share the same video among users so as to communicate with one another using comments.SOLUTION: In a comment distribution system, each of a plurality of terminal devices 3 is configured to: receive comment information from a comment distribution server 2; display a video to be reproduced and read, from the comment information, comments, in the comment information, associated with comment addition time corresponding to a video reproduction time of the video to be reproduced; and display the read comments together with the video. The terminal device is configured to reproduce the video from a video reproduction time corresponding to a comment selected from a list of the comments, and display comments corresponding to the video reproduction time out of comments received and stored during the reproduction of the video and comments received and stored earlier than the comments received and stored during the reproduction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a comment distribution system, a terminal device, a comment distribution method, and a program that can perform communication between users using the content being played while playing video content.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, there is a system that displays comments made by users on a video such as a broadcast TV program together with the video. For example, on a bulletin board regarding TV programs with different broadcast times for each region, the writings for one scene of a TV program are stored corresponding to the net time from the start of broadcasting. Even if the time for viewing the bulletin board is different, there is a system that displays the previously written content in accordance with the scene of the TV program (see, for example, Patent Document 1). According to this system, users can view comments and enjoy them while watching the TV program without feeling the time lag of the broadcast time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the system of the above-described conventional technology, comments are simply registered in association with the time of the video (the playback time of the video) and played back together with the video. Therefore, between users, real-time comment exchanges cannot be performed, and the fun as communication is not sufficient.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a comment distribution system, terminal device, comment distribution method, and program that enable users to share the same video and communicate using comments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a comment distribution system in which a video distribution server that distributes video data, a comment distribution server that distributes comments on videos, and a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network, wherein the comment distribution server has a first comment information storage unit that receives and stores comment information, including the comment provision time which is the video playback time representing the elapsed time of the video relative to the beginning of the video at the time the comment is provided by the terminal device, and the comment, each time it is transmitted from any of the plurality of terminal devices, and reads the comment information stored in the first comment information storage unit The terminal device comprises a video playback unit that receives and plays video data distributed from the video distribution server, a comment information receiving unit that receives comment information input for the video to be played from the comment distribution server, a second comment information storage unit that stores the comment information received by the comment information receiving unit, and a display unit that displays the video played by the video playback unit, reads comments corresponding to the video playback time of the video to be played from the second comment information storage unit, and displays the read comments together with the video.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the comment distribution system described above, it includes a determination unit that determines whether the display position of a comment displayed by the comment display unit overlaps with the display position of another comment, and a display position control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the display positions of the comments overlap, causes each comment to be displayed in a position where they do not overlap.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a terminal device in a comment distribution system in which a video distribution server that distributes video data, a comment distribution server that distributes comments on videos, and a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network, the terminal device being characterized by comprising: a video playback unit that receives and plays video data distributed from the video distribution server; a comment information receiving unit that receives comment information from the comment distribution server each time that comment information including the comment addition time, which is the video playback time representing the elapsed time of the video from the beginning of the video at the time the comment is added by the terminal device, and the comment, is transmitted from any of the plurality of terminal devices to the comment distribution server; a comment information storage unit that stores the comment information received by the comment information receiving unit; and a display unit that displays the video being played by the video playback unit, and reads from the comment information storage unit the comment with the comment addition time corresponding to the video playback time of the video being played, and displays the read comment together with the video.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a comment distribution method in a comment distribution system in which a video distribution server that distributes video data, a comment distribution server that distributes comments on videos, and a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network, wherein the comment distribution server receives and stores comment information, including the comment provision time which is the video playback time representing the elapsed time of the video relative to the beginning of the video at the time the comment is provided by the terminal device, and the comment, each time the comment information is transmitted from any of the plurality of terminal devices to a first comment information storage unit, and when the comment information is stored therein, the comment information is read out. The system is characterized by the following: the system distributes the video to each of the multiple terminal devices, the terminal device having a video playback unit that receives and plays the video data distributed from the video distribution server, a comment information receiving unit that receives comment information input for the video to be played from the comment distribution server, a second comment information storage unit that stores the comment information received by the comment information receiving unit during the playback of the video, and a display unit that displays the video played by the video playback unit, and reads comments from the second comment information storage unit corresponding to the video playback time of the video being played, and displays the read comments together with the video.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is a program for causing a computer in a terminal device in a comment distribution system, in which a video distribution server that distributes video data, a comment distribution server that distributes comments on videos, and a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network, to function as: a video playback means that receives and plays video data distributed from the video distribution server; a comment information storage means that receives and stores comment information, including the comment and the comment, which is the video playback time representing the elapsed time of the video relative to the beginning of the video at the time the comment is added by the terminal device, from the comment information storage means each time that comment information is transmitted to the comment distribution server from any of the plurality of terminal devices; and a display means that displays the video played by the video playback means, and reads the comment with the comment playback time corresponding to the video playback time of the video being played from the comment information storage means, and displays the read comment together with the video. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, among the input comment information, the video playback time of the video to be played corresponds to The system reads comments with associated comment submission times from the comment information and displays the retrieved comment content along with the video. Furthermore, when a comment deletion request is received for a comment that should be deleted from the comment information entered for the video, that comment is not displayed. This allows for display that takes into account the user's intentions regarding whether a comment is inappropriate for the video, thereby improving the entertainment value of communication using comments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a comment distribution system according to one embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of comment distribution server 2. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of data stored in the comment information storage unit 21. [Figure 4] It is a schematic block diagram explaining the configuration of the terminal device 3. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display device 34. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display device 34. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the comment distribution server 2. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the terminal device 3. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of information displayed on the display device 34. [Figure 10] It is a drawing for explaining the case where a comment is written between users. [Figure 11] It is a schematic block diagram showing the functions of the comment distribution system in the second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a drawing showing an example of the authority table. [Figure 13] It is a drawing showing an example of information stored in the display database 234. [Figure 14] It is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation of the comment distribution system in the second embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, a comment distribution system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a comment distribution system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, the video distribution server 1 distributes video data in response to distribution requests from terminal devices 3. This distribution is performed, for example, by streaming distribution. The comment distribution server 2 receives comments on the video distributed by the video distribution server 1 from the terminal devices 3 and distributes them to each terminal device 3 that is viewing the video. The terminal devices 3 connect to the video distribution server 1 and the comment distribution server 3 via the network 4, receive and display the video distributed from the video distribution server 1, and receive and display the comments distributed from the comment distribution server 3 on the video.

[0014] Next, the comment distribution server 2 and terminal device 3 in Figure 1 will be further explained using diagrams. Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the comment distribution server 2. In this diagram, the comment information storage unit 21 stores the content of a comment and the video playback time, which is based on the start time of video playback at the time the comment content was added, as comment addition time, and associates the comment content with the comment information. An example of the data stored in the comment information storage unit 21 is shown in Figure 3. The comment information storage unit 21 stores multiple comment information entries, which are summaries of comments on videos distributed by the video distribution server 1, organized by thread. Each comment information entry includes a video ID to identify the video and a thread ID to identify the thread, allowing identification of which video and which thread it belongs to. In addition to the comment assignment time and comment content, the comment information entry also includes a comment information entry indicating the actual time the comment was assigned (posted). Draft actual time (corresponding to the above-mentioned actual time information), the user name which is information for identifying the user who added the comment, and comment data associated with the comment display method which is information for specifying how to display the comment on the video are included in plural, and when the comment data is received from the terminal device 3 which is playing the video of the video ID and viewing the comments of the thread of the thread ID, the received comment data is saved additionally. Here, since the thread ID is stored in association with the video ID, even for the same video, even if a plurality of different threads are provided, they can be identified. This comment information storage unit 21 corresponds to the above-mentioned first comment information storage unit.

[0015] Next, the comment information distribution unit 22 reads out the comment information stored in the comment information storage unit 21 and distributes it to the terminal device 3. The comment information update management unit 23 adds and stores the additional comment information received from the terminal device 3 via the communication unit 24 in the comment information storage unit 21 according to the video ID and the thread ID. The communication unit 24 performs various communications with the terminal device 3, outputs the information transmitted from the terminal device 3 to the comment information update management unit 23 to output an instruction for adding and storing the comment information, or outputs a distribution instruction for the comment information to the comment information distribution unit 22.

[0016] Next, the terminal device 3 will be described using the drawings. FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the configuration of the terminal device 3. In this figure, the video playback unit 31 transmits a distribution request for the video specified by the user of the terminal device 3 to the video distribution server 1, and receives and plays the video distributed from the video distribution server 1. The comment information receiving unit 32 receives the comment information input for the video to be played from the comment distribution server 2. The comment information storage unit 33 stores the comment information received by the comment information receiving unit 32. This comment information storage unit 33 corresponds to the above-mentioned second comment information storage unit.

[0017] The display device 34 is a liquid crystal display device or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), and displays various information. The first display unit 35 displays the video played by the video playback unit 31, and reads comments from the comment information stored in the comment information storage unit 33 that have a comment assignment time associated with the video playback time of the video being played, and displays the read comments together with the video on the display device 34. The first display unit 35 also has a function to overlay the comment content on the video. The second display unit 36 ​​displays a list of comments as a comment list on the display device 34 based on the comment data stored in the comment information storage unit 33. Here, the comments are displayed in the order of the actual comment posting time information included in the comment data.

[0018] The information displayed on this display device 34 will be explained further. Figure 5 shows an example of the information displayed on the display device 34. Display field 101 displays the URL (uniform resource locator) when accessing this comment distribution server. Display field 102 displays the video ID of the video being played. Display field 103 displays the total number of times the currently displayed video has been requested to be viewed as the view count. When another user plays (requests to view) the video, the count of users who are viewing the same video at that time increases, and the view count is updated and displayed. Display field 104 displays the video displayed by the first display unit. Display field 105 is the area where comments displayed by the second display unit are displayed, and here the comments are displayed on the video displayed by display field 104. In addition, here, display field 105 is set to be larger in size than display field 104, and the overlaid comments are trimmed outside the video screen, making it possible to understand that the comments themselves are not included in the video, but are written to the video by the user.

[0019] The control panel 106 displays buttons for play, stop, rewind, fast forward, volume control, and a playback status display area that shows where in the video is currently playing. When the cursor is moved to any of the buttons with the mouse and clicked, input for the corresponding operation is accepted. The display area 107 displays the total playback time of the video and the playback time of the video currently displayed in the display area 105. The input field 108 accepts the name of the user who is commenting on the video via the input unit 37. A checkbox could be provided near the input field 108, allowing the user to choose whether or not to enter an email address depending on whether the checkbox is checked. If the checkbox is checked, the input field 108 could be divided into two, accepting input for the user's name and the user's email address. The input field 109 accepts information specifying how the comments should be displayed. For example, the position, font, font size, start and end positions for moving the comments on the video, and direction for moving the comments can be set as information to specify for overlay display. Furthermore, it is possible to pre-determine how comments will be displayed, so that users do not need to input them.

[0020] Comments are entered by the user in the comment field 110 via the input unit 37. When button 111 is clicked, it sends the comment entered in the comment field 110, the user's name entered in input field 108, and information on how to display the comment entered in input field 109 to the comment distribution server 2. The display field 112 is an area where a list of comments is displayed. This comment list displays the comment's order of posting (code 112a), the name of the user who entered the comment (code 112b), the time the comment was posted (code 112c), and a portion of the comment (code 112d), in the order of the real-time information of the posting. An input field such as a checkbox can be provided in this display field 112 to specify whether or not to display the display field 112 on the screen, and the display can be shown or hidden according to the instructions entered in this input field. In addition, the number of portions of comments displayed in this display field 112 can be changed according to the user's instructions. Display area 113 displays the details of the comment that the user has selected from the list of comments displayed in display area 112. The comment details include the full text of the comment, the name of the user who made the comment, and their email address.

[0021] Checkbox 114, when checked, designates the comment entered in comment field 110 as a single line. For example, if you check checkbox 114, and then finish entering your comment and press the Enter key, the "Write" button will be considered clicked at that moment, and the comment will be sent to comment distribution server 2. This makes it possible to enter comments quickly and easily.

[0022] Next, returning to Figure 4, the input unit 37 is an input device such as a mouse or keyboard, and accepts various information input from the user. The selection unit 38 accepts input for selecting a comment from the list of comments displayed by the second display unit 36, which is input via the input unit 37. The playback control unit 39 reads the comment data of the comment selected by the selection unit 38 from the comment information storage unit 33, plays the video using the first display unit based on the video playback time corresponding to the comment assignment time of the read comment data, and displays it on the display device 34, while also displaying the comment content of the read comment data on the display device 34 using the first display unit 35.

[0023] The transmission unit 40 receives data input of comment content for the video displayed by the first display unit 35, and also inputs the video playback time at the time the comment content was entered. The time allocation is sent to the comment distribution server along with the comment content. The transmission unit 40 also has the function of sending various information to the comment distribution server 2 and the video distribution server 1 according to the instructions input from the input unit 37.

[0024] Next, we will explain the operation of the comment distribution system described above. Here, we will first provide an overview of how the comment distribution system works. First, terminal device 3 accesses comment distribution server 2 to receive data of a list of videos with the most recent comment writing times and displays it on display device 34. At this time, for example, display device 34 displays a list of recent videos, such as the video name and thread name, as shown in Figure 6. When a user selects a thread they want to view and clicks the name of that thread with the mouse, terminal device 3 sends the video ID set for the video corresponding to the clicked thread to video distribution server 1 to request video distribution, and also sends the thread ID and video ID set for the clicked thread to comment distribution server 2 to request the transmission of comment information. In response, video distribution server 1 streams the video specified by the video ID to terminal device 3 that made the distribution request. Meanwhile, comment distribution server 2 reads the comment information corresponding to the thread ID and video ID from comment information storage unit 21 and distributes it to terminal device 3 that made the distribution request.

[0025] Terminal device 3 receives video distributed from video distribution server 1 and displays it on display device 34, and also displays comment content on the video based on comment information distributed from comment distribution server 2. Here, in accordance with the video playback time from the start of video playback, comment content with a comment assignment time matching the video playback time is sequentially displayed on the video.

[0026] Next, we will explain the operation of the comment distribution server 2 and terminal device 3 in order. First, the operation of the comment distribution server 2 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7. The communication unit 24 of the comment distribution server 2 detects whether or not it has received a comment information distribution request from the terminal device 3 (step S101). If a comment information distribution request is received, the communication unit 24 instructs the comment information distribution unit 22 to distribute the comment information. Here, the video ID and thread ID of the comment information included in the distribution request are output to the comment information distribution unit 22. The comment information distribution unit 22 reads the comment information corresponding to the video ID and thread ID output from the communication unit 24 from the comment information storage unit 21 (step S102), and distributes the read comment information to the terminal device 3 that made the distribution request (step S103). Here, each comment information associated with the video ID and thread ID is transmitted all at once.

[0027] On the other hand, if the system receives comment data transmitted from terminal device 3 instead of a comment information distribution request (step S104), the communication unit 24 outputs the comment data to the comment information update management unit 23. The comment information update management unit 23 refers to the comment information storage unit 21, identifies the comment information based on the video ID and thread ID included in the comment data output from the communication unit 24, and adds the received comment data to the identified comment information (step S105). Once the data is added and saved, the comment information distribution unit 22 identifies terminal devices 3 that are playing the video with the video ID and are viewing the comments with the thread ID along with the video with the video ID, and distributes the added and saved comment data to each of the identified terminal devices 3 (step S106). On the other hand, if the system does not receive comment data transmitted from terminal device 3, instead of a comment information distribution request, the system proceeds to step S101. One way to identify terminal device 3 that is playing a video with the same video ID and viewing comments in the thread with the same thread ID is, for example, to establish a session with terminal device 3 that has accessed the comment distribution server 2, and then identify terminal device 3 with an active session as the one currently viewing the video. There is.

[0028] Next, the operation of terminal device 3 will be explained using diagrams. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of terminal device 3. When the input unit 37 of the terminal device 3 receives a video playback instruction from the user (step S201), it transmits the video ID of the instructed video to the video distribution server 1 via the transmission unit 40, requesting video distribution, and also sends a request for comment information distribution to the comment distribution server 2. Then, when the comment information receiving unit 32 receives the comment information distributed from the comment distribution server 2 (step S202), it stores it in the comment information storage unit 33.

[0029] When comment information is received and stored in the comment information storage unit 33, the video playback unit 31 receives the video distributed from the video distribution server 1, plays the received video, and displays it on the display device 34 using the first display unit 35 (step S203). When video playback starts, the first display unit 35, based on the current video playback time, refers to the comment information storage unit 33 to determine whether there is comment data with a comment assignment time set to match the video playback time (step S204). If there is comment data with a comment assignment time set to match the video playback time (step S205-YES), the first display unit 35 calculates the display position of the comment data (step S206). Then, according to the calculated display position, it controls the display of the comment on the video (step S206). Meanwhile, the video playback unit 31 determines whether playback has finished or not. If playback has finished, it terminates the process. If playback has not finished, it proceeds to step S204.

[0030] On the other hand, in step S205, if there are no comments to display, the distribution unit 40 detects whether or not a comment has been entered from the input unit 37 (step S209). If a comment has been entered, the distribution unit 40 reads the playback time (video playback time) indicated by the player of the software playing the video at the time the comment was entered (for example, when the "write" button (symbol 111) was clicked), sets this video playback time as the comment assignment time, associates the video ID of the video being played, the thread ID of the comment being viewed, the current real time information (current time information), the username of the user of the terminal device 3, the entered comment content, and the comment display method, and adds and saves this as comment information to the comment list in the comment information storage unit 33 (step S210). Then, the transmission unit 40 sends the added and saved comment information to the comment distribution server 2 (step S211) and proceeds to step S208.

[0031] In step S209, if it is not a comment input, the terminal device 3 detects whether or not comment data has been received by the comment information receiving unit 32 (step S212). If comment data has been received, the comment information receiving unit 32 adds the received comment data to the comment information storage unit 33 and proceeds to step S208.

[0032] On the other hand, in step S212, if no comment data has been received, the selection unit 38 of the terminal device 3 detects from the input unit 37 whether or not a comment selection operation has been input (step S214). If a comment selection operation has been input, the selection unit 38 outputs the comment content of the selected comment data to the playback control unit 39. The playback control unit 39 receives this output, reads the comment assignment time stored in association with the selected comment data by referring to the comment information storage unit 33, and, according to the video playback time corresponding to the read comment assignment time, rewinds or fast-forwards the video playback position to start playback from the video playback time that matches the comment assignment time stored in association with the comment data (step S215), displays the comment content of that comment assignment time, and proceeds to step S208.

[0033] Next, we will explain the case where comments are displayed on the screen using diagrams. Here, we will explain the case where the thread "Let's give our opinion on the dish!" which is associated with the video "Omelet rice by a famous chef" is selected in the "List of recent comments" in Figure 5. When this thread is selected, the video "Omelet rice by a famous chef" is played, for example, within the area of ​​display field 104 in Figure 5. Then, comments are displayed sequentially on the video according to the video playback time. Figure 5 shows the screen when the video playback time is 9 seconds, and here, the comment "Looks delicious!" by user F, which was added at a comment time of 9 seconds, moves from the right side of the screen to the left side (reference numeral 115). Then, as the video playback progresses and the video playback time reaches 13 seconds, the screen shown in Figure 9 is displayed. Here, the comment "Looks delicious!", which was added at a comment time of 9 seconds, has moved to the left side of the screen, and only the "Looks delicious!" part is displayed, trimmed outside the display field 104 but inside the display field 109 (reference numeral 200). Additionally, User Z's comment, "It's nice to see a famous chef's work," which was submitted 10 seconds ago, is displayed below User B's comment (indicated by 201), and User E's comment, "Where did you get your eggs?", which was submitted 12 seconds ago, is displayed at the bottom of the screen (indicated by 202). In this way, the comments are displayed sequentially.

[0034] The above explanation focused on the operation of only one terminal device 3, but in reality, users viewing the same video and the same thread can exchange comments as follows. Figure 10 will be used to illustrate this. For example, when a video is played by a user E, and the video playback time reaches 12 seconds, the comment "Where do you get your eggs?" is added as a comment (symbol a). The comment information of this added comment is then distributed via the comment distribution server 2 to terminal devices 3 that are viewing the same video and the same thread.

[0035] After the initial distribution, when another user C plays the same video (symbol b), comment information, including the added comment, is distributed to user C's terminal device 3. At 12 seconds into the video playback, a comment from user E, "Where are the eggs from?", is displayed. User C, having seen this comment, then, at 15 seconds into their video playback (for example, at 100 seconds into user E's video playback), enters the comment "Apparently they're from XX prefecture" and sends it to the comment distribution server 2 (symbol c). This sent comment is then distributed to user E's terminal device 3. At this point, for example, at 100 seconds into the video playback, some of user C's comments are displayed in user E's comment list in chronological order (symbol d). For example, the most recent comment may appear at the bottom (or top) of the comment list. Then, when user E, who is viewing this list of comments, clicks on a part of the comment, the currently playing video will rewind to 15 seconds into the video playback time, and the comment "Apparently it's from XX prefecture." will be displayed on the screen of user E's terminal device 3 (symbol e). This allows user E to enjoy the video as if they had received a reply to their comment. By repeating this exchange of comments, it becomes possible for users who are viewing the video at different times to communicate through comments. In this way, comments are managed in the order they are entered in real time and displayed as a comment list, so even users whose video playback timings do not coincide can exchange comments in real time and communicate with each other.

[0036] Furthermore, if such comments are repeatedly posted and the video is played from the moment the comment was posted, the difference in video playback timing among users approaches zero, allowing them to exchange comments while watching the same video at almost the same time.

[0037] This section explains the case where multiple users are viewing the same video. However, if a user plays a video when no other users are watching it, the comment information stored up to that point is distributed from the comment distribution server 2 to the terminal device 3 and played sequentially according to the timing of video playback. This allows users to view previously posted comments sequentially according to the video playback time, even when no other users are viewing the video. It is also possible to post comments here.

[0038] In the embodiment described above, we explained that when a comment is added to the comment list and the added comment is clicked by a user, the video playback starts from a point that matches the comment granting time set for the comment, and the comment is displayed. However, if the added comment is not clicked, the comment will be displayed on the video when the video playback time reaches the comment granting time set for the added comment. Furthermore, even if other users add comments to the video you are watching, the comments will be displayed in real-time order. By clicking on an added comment, you can rewind or fast-forward to the point in time when that comment was added and view it. In this case, as the video playback time is rewound, all comments, including newly added ones, will be displayed sequentially according to the time the comments were added and the video playback time.

[0039] Furthermore, it is possible to rewind or fast-forward the playback time by moving the slider bar in the playback status display area of ​​the control panel 106. However, this operation may cause the video to rewind or fast-forward, making it difficult to find the desired comment as it quickly disappears from the screen. However, it is possible to select from the comment list and view from the desired scene. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the case in which the terminal device 3 receives comment data distributed from the comment distribution server 2 and reflects and displays it on the screen was explained. However, the terminal device 3 may also display comments entered by the user on the screen immediately after they are entered (before they are sent to the comment distribution server 2 and received by the comment distribution server 2). Specifically, when a comment is entered in step S209 of Figure 8, the entered comment may be displayed on the terminal device 3, the device may proceed to step S210, the entered comment may be added to the comment list and saved, and then sent to the comment distribution server 2.

[0040] Next, I will explain how to display comments. The position where entered comments are displayed on the screen (top, middle, bottom, etc.) and the display time for moving comments can be set by entering the information in input field 109. When setting the display time, for example, a comment can be displayed at the top of the screen for a certain period (e.g., 4 seconds) before disappearing. It is also possible to adjust the movement speed by specifying the time from when a comment appears within the screen's display area until it moves outside the area and disappears (e.g., 4 seconds). Furthermore, if a large number of comments are entered during a video playback time, and displaying them would cause them to overlap on the same line, it is possible to change their display height or move them. Also, if the display time is set and the movement speed differs depending on the length of the comment string, the next comment may catch up before the previous comment has finished moving. In such cases, the next comment can be displayed on a line at a different height or moved.

[0041] In addition to entering text, comments can also be created by arranging characters and symbols to form ASCII art (also known as text art). In this case, by unchecking the "1 line" option in checkbox 114 and writing characters and symbols across several lines, it is possible to create landscapes or realistic drawings. Here, you may want to enlarge or reduce the font size as needed so that all lines of the ASCII art fit within the screen.

[0042] Furthermore, the system may determine the age of comments based on real time, display older comments semi-transparently after a certain period of time, and then remove them. It may also assign importance levels to comments and change the font size according to their importance. For example, comments with a large number of response comments may be considered highly important, and the font size of the root comment may be increased. Additionally, the vertical display position of comments (in the vertical direction of the screen) may be changed according to their importance. For example, highly important comments may be displayed on the upper line of the screen, while less important comments may be displayed on the lower line.

[0043] In the embodiment described above, the case where the video distribution server 1 and the comment distribution server 2 are separate servers was explained, but it is also possible to implement the functions of both the video distribution server 1 and the comment distribution server 2 on the same server. Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, when viewing comments and videos in this service, the method of accessing the comment distribution server 2 to receive data on the list of recent comments and selecting a video and thread from the list of recent comments displayed on the display device 34 was explained. However, it is also possible to specify the video and thread, create a URL that allows viewing of the comments and video, and publish it on the internet. Specifically, a URL containing the video ID and thread ID, which, when clicked, allows playback of the video and reception of the comment information for that thread, may be posted on a bulletin board on a blog or internet site and clicked by other users. Alternatively, such a URL may be set as a thumbnail image or the like and clicked.

[0044] Furthermore, regarding this list of recent comments, on the screen where the video and comments are being viewed (for example, Figure 5), thumbnail images could be displayed on the right or bottom of the screen, or threads with a high number of views could be displayed as a ranking, allowing the user to click on one and display the thread associated with that thumbnail image.

[0045] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained the case where a video ID and a thread ID are specified, a representative thread ID may be registered in advance for that video ID, and if only the video ID is specified, the representative thread may be displayed. Also, if a comment is simply entered on a video without specifying which thread to write to, the comment may be written to the representative thread. In addition, a new thread may be created by the comment distribution server 2 or the user when a certain number of comments (for example, 100) are posted in a thread.

[0046] Furthermore, regarding the comment list, for comments that have been displayed on the video or that a user has clicked to view from the comment list, it may be possible to indicate that they have been viewed in the comment list. For example, the text color may be changed or a mark indicating that the comment has been viewed may be displayed.

[0047] Alternatively, a unique user identifier could be assigned to each user, and for example, the user identifier could be associated with a comment to create comment data. This would allow us to determine who made the comment. It is possible to identify the user. Furthermore, comments may be displayed in different text colors depending on the user identifier. This makes it possible to identify the user who made the comment. Alternatively, a user ID may be assigned to users who have previously accessed the system, and this user ID may be included in the comment data and stored, allowing comments made by each user to be displayed in a list, for example, via a pop-up. This user ID may be assigned to each user through prior user registration, or it may be based on information that identifies the terminal device. If information that identifies the terminal device is used, for example, a hash function may be used based on that terminal device information, and the result of that calculation may be used as the user ID.

[0048] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the case of deleting posted comments will be described. In this case, comments can be deleted, for example, in response to a comment deletion instruction from a user with the authority to delete comments, which is input via terminal device 3, so that the comment to be deleted is not displayed on the screen. Furthermore, even for users who do not directly have the authority to delete comments, it is possible to make comments semi-transparent or hide them from display depending on the number of comment deletion requests from users without that authority.

[0049] The comment distribution system in the second embodiment will be described below. Figure 11 is a schematic block diagram showing the functions of the comment distribution system in the second embodiment. In this figure, the parts corresponding to the parts in Figure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In this embodiment, it is assumed that each comment in the comment information is assigned a comment ID. In addition to the functions of the communication unit 24 in Figure 2, the communication unit 241 also receives comment deletion request information transmitted from the terminal device 3. The comment deletion request information here includes the comment ID to be deleted, the thread ID that identifies the thread in which the comment to be deleted is registered, the video ID that identifies the video corresponding to that thread, and the deletion request user ID that identifies the user who made the deletion request.

[0050] The comment information update management unit 23 includes an authorization determination unit 231, a deletion request count unit 232, and a display selection unit 233. The authorization determination unit 231 receives comment deletion request information from the terminal device 3 via the communication unit 242 and determines whether it has the authority to delete the comment based on the video ID, thread ID, and deletion request user ID included in the comment deletion request information. The authorization determination unit 231 stores an authorization table in its internal memory area to determine whether or not it has this authority, and refers to this table to determine whether or not it has the authority. An example of this authorization table is shown in Figure 12. As shown in Figure 12, the authorization table stores the video ID, thread ID, and the user ID that possesses deletion authority to identify the user who has the authority to delete the comment registered in that thread ID. Here, only one user ID that possesses deletion authority may be stored for each combination of video ID and thread ID, or multiple user IDs that possess deletion authority may be stored. The authorization determination unit 231 refers to this authorization table and determines whether the combination of video ID and comment ID included in the comment deletion request information exists in the authorization table. If the video ID and comment ID exist, it further determines whether the user ID that owns the deletion authority associated with the comment ID in that authorization table matches the user ID included in the comment deletion request information. If the user ID that owns the deletion authority matches the user ID included in the comment deletion request information, it determines that the user has the authority to delete the comment.

[0051] The deletion request counting unit 232 determined that the authorization determination unit 231 does not have the authority to delete data. Based on the comment deletion request information, the number of deletion requests is counted for each comment that has been requested to be deleted. The display database 234 stores the count number and the display method in association. An example of the information stored in this display database 234 is shown in Figure 13. Here, the count number (n), which is the result of the erase request count unit 232 counting, information indicating the relationship with the range of the count number, and information specifying the display method are stored in association. The display methods that can be set are "normal," which displays the comment; "semi-transparent," which displays the comment as semi-transparent overlay on the video; and "transparent," which corresponds to erasing the comment.

[0052] The display selection unit 233 reads the display method corresponding to the count result (n) counted by the erase request count unit 232 by referring to the display database 234, assigns the read display method to the "comment display method" in the comment information, and stores it in the comment information storage unit 21.

[0053] Next, the operation of the comment distribution system in the second embodiment described above will be explained. Figure 14 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation of the comment distribution system in the second embodiment. First, as shown in the first embodiment, the comment distribution server 1 collects comments posted from terminal devices 3, distributes them as comment information to each terminal device 3, and displays the video and comments on the screen. Then, when a user clicks on a comment they want to delete using a mouse or the like, and clicks the delete request button displayed on the screen, the terminal device 3 reads the comment ID, video ID, and thread ID of the clicked comment from the comment information storage unit 33, associates the read comment ID, video ID, and thread ID with the user ID of the user using its terminal device 3, and sends it to the comment distribution server 1 as a comment delete request (step S301).

[0054] When the comment distribution server 1 receives comment deletion request information from the terminal device 3 (step S401), the authorization determination unit 231 determines whether the user ID included in the received comment deletion request information has the authority to delete the comment (step S402). If the determination results in the user having the authority to delete, the display selection unit 233 is instructed to delete the comment. In response to this instruction from the authorization determination unit 231, the display selection unit 233 writes information indicating "Do not display" to the "Comment display method" of the comment information stored in the comment information storage unit 21 that matches the video ID, thread ID, and comment ID included in the received comment deletion request information.

[0055] Then, when the "comment display method" information of the comment information is updated, the comment information distribution unit 22 transmits the updated comment information to the terminal device 3 (step S404). The terminal device 3 receives the comment information transmitted from the comment distribution server 1 and displays the comments according to the comment display method. Here, deleted comments are stored as comment data but are not displayed on the screen, while comments that are not subject to deletion are displayed on the screen.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S402 that the user does not have the necessary authority, the deletion request count unit 232 detects this as comment deletion request information from a user who does not have the authority to delete comments. The deletion request count unit 232 then counts up the deletion requests for the video ID and thread ID comment IDs included in the comment deletion request information (step S405), temporarily stores them in its internal counter, and outputs the count result to the display selection unit 233. Based on the count result output from the deletion request count unit 232, the display selection unit 233 selects the appropriate option. The display method corresponding to the number of comments is read from the display database 234 (step S406), and the read display method is written to the "Comment Display Method" in the comment information storage unit 21 according to the video ID, thread ID, and comment ID.

[0057] When a comment display method is written to the comment information storage unit 21, the comment information distribution unit 22 transmits the comment information after the comment display method has been written to the terminal device 3 (step S404). As a result, the comment information is displayed on the terminal device 3 according to the transmitted comment information (step S302).

[0058] According to this embodiment, comments are deleted according to whether or not a user has the necessary permissions. This allows for the display of comments that are inappropriate for the thread, taking into account the wishes of users with special privileges, such as the thread administrator. Furthermore, even users who do not have the authority to delete comments on their own can have their comments deleted or displayed differently from other comments, such as semi-transparently, depending on the number of users. This allows multiple users to write and delete comments, thereby improving the entertainment value of the thread.

[0059] In the second embodiment described above, the case in which the deletion request count unit 232 refers to comment deletion request information that the authorization determination unit 231 has determined not to have deletion authority to provide, was explained. However, it is also possible to provide only one of the authorization determination unit 231 or the deletion request count unit 232 in the comment information update management unit 23. That is, deletion requests may be accepted only from users who have deletion authority and comments may be deleted. Alternatively, regardless of whether or not a user has deletion authority to delete a comment, the comment may be hidden or made semi-transparent depending on the number of deletion requests received from users.

[0060] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the cases where the comment display method is "normal," "semi-transparent," and "transparent" were explained. However, it is sufficient if the comments to be deleted are displayed differently from normal comments. For example, the level of semi-transparency can be multi-stage, the color of the comments can be changed, or the font size, font type, color gradation can be changed, or the comments can be made white. Additionally, the system may accept requests from users with the authority to delete comments to reverse the deletion, and in response to these requests, it may display the deleted comments.

[0061] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, a program for realizing the functions of the comment information distribution unit 22, the comment information update management unit 23, and the communication unit 24 in Figure 2, or a program for realizing the functions of the video playback unit 31, the comment information receiving unit 32, the first display unit 35, the second display unit 36, the input unit 37, the selection unit 38, the playback control unit 39, the transmission unit 40, the authority determination unit 231, the deletion request count unit 232, the display selection unit 233, and the communication unit 241 in Figure 4, may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be read by a computer system and executed to perform comment distribution and comment display control. Hereinafter, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices.

[0062] Furthermore, "computer system" includes the homepage provisioning environment (or display environment) if a WWW system is being used. "Computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Additionally, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to devices that dynamically hold programs for short periods, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks like the Internet or telephone lines, and the servers and clients in such cases. This includes volatile memory within a computer system that retains programs for a certain period of time. Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may be intended to implement only a part of the functions described above, and may also be intended to implement the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already recorded in the computer system.

[0063] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1. Video streaming server 2. Comment streaming server 3 Terminal device 21 Comment information storage unit 22 Comment Information Distribution Department 23 Comment Information Update Management Department 24, 241 Communications Department 31 Video Playback Department 32 Comment information receiving unit 33 Comment information storage unit 34 Display device 35 First display unit 36 Second display unit 37 Input unit 38 Selection unit 39 Playback control unit 40 Transmission unit 231 Authorization determination unit 232 Delete request count unit 233 Display selection unit 234 Display Database

Claims

[Claim 1] The terminal device, A means of receiving video, A means for receiving comments on the aforementioned video, A program that functions as a means for displaying a screen on the display device of the terminal device, the screen including a video display field on which the aforementioned video is displayed, a comment display field provided to the right of the video display field on which the aforementioned comments are displayed, a comment field provided below the video display field on which comments are entered in association with the comment assignment time, an input field provided below the video display field on which comments are moved, and a send button for sending comments entered in the comment field.

Images