Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

We provide data management technologies that can contribute to more effective data analysis. [Solution] The usage information acquisition unit 60 acquires usage information transmitted from the receiving device 3 or viewer terminal 4 via the communication unit 19. The first management unit 62 manages the first and second pieces of information together as a single piece of information if the difference between the end time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined first piece of information and the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined second piece of information is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold. The second management unit 64 manages the third piece of information by deleting it if the difference between the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined third piece of information and the end time of use of the third piece of information is less than or equal to a second threshold. The output control unit 66 performs control to output various images, sounds, etc. to the output unit 16, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the value of data analysis has been great, and data analysis has been performed in various forms, and the results have been widely used. However, in order to process a huge amount of data, data storage and management are also important. For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for automatically deleting a part of data at a predetermined timing.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0003]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, Non-Patent Document 1, mentioned above, only discloses the idea of ​​deleting old data at predetermined times, which is insufficient as a method for data storage and management. In order to perform more effective data analysis, it is important to make further improvements to data storage and management.

[0005] This disclosure is made in light of these circumstances and aims to provide data management technologies that can contribute to more effective data analysis.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, an information processing system in one aspect of this disclosure is: A means for obtaining usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via a network, A first management means manages the first information and the second information together as one piece of information if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, A second management means for deleting and managing the third information if the difference between the time when the use of the service for the third information included in the usage information started and the time when the use of the service for the third information ended is less than or equal to a second threshold, It is an information processing system equipped with [the following features].

[0007] An information processing method and program according to one aspect of this disclosure are also provided as an information processing method or program corresponding to an information processing system according to one aspect of this disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] This disclosure provides data management technologies that can contribute to more effective data analysis. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an analysis server that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of an analysis server and other components that constitute an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of data handled by an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of data handled by an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a different example from the example in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the flow of various processes performed by the analysis server that constitutes the information processing system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Embodiment] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "the System").

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, this system is composed of, for example, an analysis server 1, a broadcasting device 2, a receiving device 3, and a viewer terminal 4. The analysis server 1, the broadcasting device 2, the receiving device 3, and the viewer terminal 4 are connected via a predetermined network such as the Internet. However, the network is not an essential component, and other technologies such as NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and LAN (Local Area Network) may be used. Furthermore, in the following description, the term "content" includes various types of content such as television programs, internet programs, advertisements, and music.

[0012] Analysis Server 1 is an information processing device managed by the system administrator or other relevant personnel. Analysis Server 1 is composed of, for example, a general-purpose PC (Personal Computer). Analysis Server 1 performs various processes related to the services provided by this system.

[0013] Broadcasting device 2 is a platform managed by operators, etc., who provide various types of television broadcasting or IP (Internet Protocol) broadcasting. Broadcasting device 2 transmits information related to programs, etc., that are the subject of television broadcasting or IP broadcasting. Here, television broadcasting refers to a method of broadcasting video, audio, etc., using, for example, television communication systems, and can primarily take the form of broadcasting. IP broadcasting is a method of broadcasting video, audio, and other content over a network, such as the internet, using unicast or multicast methods. In IP broadcasting, content is typically distributed in association with user ID information, making it particularly easy to manage user viewing history and usage of other network-related services.

[0014] Receiving device 3 is an information processing device used by users (hereinafter referred to as "viewers") who wish to receive services related to this system. Receiving device 3 is composed of, for example, a TV receiver equipped with network functionality. Specifically, the receiving device 3 acquires information (hereinafter referred to as "usage information") regarding the viewer's use of various video distribution services and SNS (social networking services) via the internet, etc., and transmits the acquired usage information to the analysis server 1. In particular, when receiving IP broadcasts, the receiving device 3 may also be equipped with, for example, a so-called STB (Set Top Box).

[0015] Viewer terminal 4 is an information processing terminal used by the viewer. Viewer terminal 4 is composed of various information processing terminals, such as smartphones and tablets. Specifically, the viewer terminal 4, for example, like the receiving device 3, acquires usage information regarding the viewer's use of various video distribution services and SNS via the Internet or the like, and transmits the acquired usage information to the analysis server 1. The usage information may include, for example, information regarding the region where the receiving device 3 or the viewer terminal 4 is installed, information regarding the date and day of the week when various video distribution services and SNS are used, information regarding the time when the use of various video distribution services and SNS is started, information regarding the time when the use of various video distribution services and SNS is ended, information regarding the various video distribution services and SNS used (for example, the name and ID of the service, etc.), information regarding the device used (for example, the ID of the device, etc.), information regarding the viewer (for example, the ID of the viewer, etc.), and MAC addresses, etc.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an analysis server constituting an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the analysis server 1 includes a control unit 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0018] The control unit 11 is composed of a microcomputer including a CPU, a GPU, and a semiconductor memory, etc. The control unit 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 18 to the RAM 13. The necessary information and the like for the control unit 11 to execute various processes are also appropriately stored in the RAM 13.

[0019] The control unit 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0020] The output unit 16 is composed of various displays, speakers, etc. The output unit 16 outputs various images, sounds, etc.

[0021] The input unit 17 is composed of, for example, a keyboard or mouse. The input unit 17 accepts input of various types of information.

[0022] The storage unit 18 consists of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various types of information. The storage unit 18 stores various programs related to the provision of this service.

[0023] The communications unit 19 controls communications with other hardware, etc., via the network N, including the Internet.

[0024] A drive 20 is provided as needed. A removable media 31, consisting of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately mounted on the drive 20. Programs for executing various processes are stored on the removable media 31. Programs read from the removable media 31 by the drive 20 are installed on the storage unit 18 as needed. Furthermore, the removable media 31 can store various types of information stored in the memory unit 18, just as the memory unit 18 does.

[0025] Since the hardware configurations of broadcasting device 2, receiving device 3, and viewer terminal 4 can all be basically the same as the hardware configuration of analysis server 1, we will omit their explanation here. However, for example, when broadcasting equipment 2 is performing television broadcasting, broadcasting equipment 2 may be equipped with various signal modulation functions in its communication section, etc. Also, when receiving equipment 3 is receiving television broadcasting, etc., receiving equipment 3 may be equipped with various signal demodulation functions. Furthermore, various hardware components (especially broadcasting equipment 2 and receiving equipment 3) may be equipped with so-called encryption functions, etc.

[0026] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of an analysis server and other components that constitute an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 11 of the analysis server 1 functions as a usage information acquisition unit 60, a first management unit 62, a second management unit 64, and an output control unit 66 by executing various programs. A management information DB 300 is provided in one area of ​​the storage unit 18 of the analysis server 1. The management information DB 300 is used by the second management unit 64, which will be described later. Management information, which is usage information after various processing steps have been performed, is stored here.

[0027] The usage information acquisition unit 60 acquires usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via the network. Specifically, the usage information acquisition unit 60 acquires usage information transmitted from the receiving device 3 or the viewer terminal 4 via the communication unit 19.

[0028] The first management unit 62 manages the first information and the second information together as one piece of information if the difference between the time when the use of the service for the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time when the use of the service for the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold. Specifically, the first management unit 62 refers to the usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 60, calculates the difference between the time when the use of the predetermined service for the predetermined first information ended (hereinafter referred to as the "usage end time") and the time when the use of the predetermined service for the predetermined second information started (hereinafter referred to as the "usage start time"), and determines whether the difference is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold (hereinafter referred to as the "first threshold"). Furthermore, if the difference between the end time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined first piece of information and the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined second piece of information is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold, the first management unit 62 manages the first piece of information and the second piece of information together as a single piece of information. However, if the difference between the end time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined first piece of information and the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined second piece of information is not less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold, the first management unit 62 manages the relevant usage information as is. Further details of the management by the first management unit 62 will be described later with reference to Figure 4.

[0029] The second management unit 64 deletes and manages the third information if the difference between the time when the use of the service for the third information included in the usage information started and the time when the use of the service for the third information ended is less than or equal to the second threshold. Specifically, the second management unit 64 refers to the usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 60, calculates the difference between the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined third piece of information and the end time of use of the third piece of information, and determines whether the difference is less than or equal to a predetermined second threshold (hereinafter referred to as the "second threshold"). The second management unit 64 deletes and manages the third information if the difference between the start time of use of the specified service for the specified third information and the end time of use of the third information is less than or equal to the second threshold. However, if the difference between the start time of use of the specified service for the specified third information and the end time of use of the third information is not less than or equal to the second threshold, the second management unit 64 manages the usage information in question as is. Then, after performing various processes, the second management unit 64 stores the managed usage information as management information in the management information DB 300. Details of the management performed by the second management unit 64 will be described later with reference to Figure 5.

[0030] The output control unit 66 performs control to output text information, image information, etc., to the output unit 16, etc.

[0031] Next, an example of a data management method using the first threshold in this system will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of data handled by an information processing system according to one embodiment of this disclosure.

[0032] As shown in the example in Figure 4, specific usage information for this system is displayed along with specific items such as "log number," "service used," "start time," and "end time." The log number is an identification number used to identify usage information acquired at each specific time point. Specifically, looking at the first row of the list in the example in Figure 4, an example of the identification number "0001" is displayed. The "services used" refers to the names of various video streaming services and social networking services used by the viewer. Specifically, looking at the first row of the list in Figure 4, an example of a service used, "Video Streaming Service A," is displayed. This indicates that the viewer used (watched) Video Streaming Service A via the internet or similar means. The "start time" indicates the time when the viewer began using various video streaming services or social media platforms. Specifically, looking at the first row of the list in Figure 4, an example of a start time of "16:01:01" is displayed. This indicates that the viewer began using (watching) video streaming service A at 16:01:01. The "end time" indicates the time when the viewer stopped using various video streaming services or social media platforms. Specifically, looking at the first row of the list in Figure 4, we see an example of an end time of "16:01:25". This indicates that the viewer stopped using (watching) video streaming service A at 16:01:25. In the example in Figure 4, the first threshold is set to 30 seconds. For example, the end time of use for log number "0001" is "16:01:25", and the start time of use for log number "0002" is "16:01:28". That is, the difference between the end time of use for log number "0001" and the start time of use for log number "0002" is 3 seconds, which is below the first threshold. Therefore, this system manages the use information for log number "0001" and log number "0002" together as a single piece of information. In contrast, for example, the end time of use for log number "0002" is "16:24:40", and the start time of use for log number "0003" is "21:05:00". That is, the difference between the end time of use for log number "0002" and the start time of use for log number "0003" is 4 hours, 40 minutes, and 20 seconds, which exceeds the first threshold. Therefore, this system manages the usage information for log number "0002" and the usage information for log number "0003" separately, without combining them. In the example shown in Figure 4, if the services used are the same, and the difference between the end time of use of the specified service for the specified first piece of information and the start time of use of the specified service for the specified second piece of information is less than or equal to a specified first threshold, then the first piece of information and the second piece of information will be managed together as a single piece of information.

[0033] Next, an example of a data management method using the second threshold in this system will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of data handled by an information processing system according to one embodiment of this disclosure, and is a different example from the example in Figure 4.

[0034] In the example in Figure 5, a different example of usage information is displayed, distinct from the example in Figure 4. Note that the second threshold in the example in Figure 5 is 3 minutes. Specifically, the first row of the list in Figure 5 shows an example of usage time with log number "0011", service used "Video Streaming Service C", start time "14:01:00", and end time "14:02:10". Here, for example, the start time of the usage information for log number "0011" is "14:01:00", and the end time of the usage information for log number "0011" is "14:02:10". That is, the difference between the end time and start time of the usage information for log number "0011" is 1 minute and 10 seconds, which is below the second threshold. Therefore, this system deletes and manages the usage information for log number "0011" as unnecessary information. In contrast, for example, the start time of the usage information for log number "0012" is "16:05:08", and the end time of the usage information for log number "0012" is "17:50:40". In other words, the difference between the end time and the start time of use for log number "0012" is 1 hour, 45 minutes, and 32 seconds, which exceeds the second threshold. Therefore, this system will continue to manage the use information for log number "0012" as is. By combining these management methods, this system can facilitate data management for analysis, and by processing this data, it is believed that it will become easier to grasp the actual statistical usage trends of various services among viewers.

[0035] Figure 6 shows an example of the flow of various processes performed by an analysis server that constitutes an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In step S1, the usage information acquisition unit 60 acquires usage information transmitted from the receiving device 3 or the viewer terminal 4 via the communication unit 19.

[0036] In step S2, the first management unit 62 refers to the usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 60, calculates the difference between the end time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined first piece of information and the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined second piece of information, and determines whether the difference is less than or equal to the first threshold. If the difference between the end time of using the first information service and the start time of using the second information service is less than or equal to the first threshold, the first management unit 62 determines step S2 as YES, and the process proceeds to step S3. In contrast, if the difference between the end time of using the first information service and the start time of using the second information service is not less than or equal to the first threshold, the first management unit 62 determines step S2 as NO, and the process proceeds to step S4.

[0037] In step S3, if the difference between the end time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined first piece of information and the start time of use of a predetermined service for a predetermined second piece of information is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first piece of information and the second piece of information are managed together as a single piece of information.

[0038] In step S4, the second management unit 64 refers to the usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 60, calculates the difference between the start time of use of the predetermined service for the predetermined third information and the end time of use of the predetermined third information, and determines whether the difference is less than or equal to the second threshold. If the difference between the start time and end time of using the third information service is less than or equal to the second threshold, the second management unit 64 determines step S4 as YES, and the process proceeds to step S5. In contrast, if the difference between the start time and end time of use of the third information service is not less than or equal to the second threshold, the second management unit 64 determines step S4 as NO, and the process proceeds to step S6.

[0039] In step S5, the second management unit 64 refers to the usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 60, and if the difference between the start time of use of the predetermined service for the predetermined third information and the end time of use of the third information is less than or equal to the second threshold, the third information is deleted and managed.

[0040] In step S6, the second management unit 64, after performing various processes, stores the managed usage information as management information in the management information DB 300. This completes the various processes performed on the analysis server 1.

[0041] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described above, and modifications, improvements, etc., to the extent that they can achieve the purpose of the present disclosure are included in the present disclosure.

[0042] [Other embodiments] Although not explained in the above embodiment, the analysis server 1 of this system may acquire information on various programs and content broadcast by the broadcasting device 2, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "content information"), information on viewership ratings, and information on viewers' purchases of goods, etc., and use them for further analysis. Specifically, for example, the administrator of this system may combine viewing history of various content with information on television viewership ratings, etc., to analyze whether a particular content and television program, etc., are being viewed simultaneously. Furthermore, the administrator of this system may combine information on commercials and advertisements included in the content information with information on the viewer's purchase of products, etc., to analyze which commercials and advertisements led to product purchases, etc. Content information may include, for example, the name of the content, a summary of the content (e.g., cast, year of production, country of production, producer, etc.), the type of content (hereinafter also referred to as "genre"), an identifier, the broadcast time of the content (start time, end time), channel information, the viewing period (e.g., limited-time distribution, etc.), viewing attributes (e.g., not viewable by those under 15 years of age, etc.), a program guide, a content list, a thumbnail, billing information including the price, rights information, and viewing area information. Content information is acquired, for example, by being transmitted from broadcasting device 2 to analysis server 1.

[0043] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, the analysis server 1 of this system may acquire information on various attributes of viewers (hereinafter referred to as "attribute information") and use it for further analysis. Attribute information may include, for example, the viewer's gender, age, place of residence, family structure, occupation, income, and content preferences. Furthermore, attribute information may be obtained, for example, through input operations by viewers or through various surveys conducted via the internet.

[0044] Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments (particularly those shown in Figures 4 and 5) have explained the usage information as being related to viewing videos on video streaming services, etc., the system is not limited to this. For example, this system may acquire information regarding the use of text-based social networking services such as X (formerly Twitter®) or LINE® as usage information.

[0045] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained as acquiring information regarding viewers' use of various video distribution services and social networking services via the internet, etc., as usage information, the system is not limited to this. For example, the system may acquire information such as viewers' television broadcast viewing records, which do not necessarily involve the internet, as usage information.

[0046] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explains that the system performs management by the first management unit 62 followed by management by the second management unit 64, it is not limited to this. The system may perform management by the second management unit 64 followed by management by the first management unit 62. Also, the system may perform management by the first management unit 62 independently, or management by the second management unit 64 independently. In other words, the various management functions of the system may be performed in any order, or only some of the management functions may be performed.

[0047] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment was explained with a first threshold of 30 seconds and a second threshold of 3 minutes, this is merely an example and not limited to this. The system allows the system administrator or other personnel to set arbitrary thresholds and manage data accordingly.

[0048] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above (particularly the embodiment in Figure 4), the system was explained as managing the first and second pieces of information together as a single piece of information when the services used are the same and the difference between the end time of use of the predetermined service in the first piece of information and the start time of use of the predetermined service in the second piece of information is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold. However, the system is not limited to this. The system may also manage the first and second pieces of information together as a single piece of information when the services used are not the same and the difference between the end time of use of the predetermined service in the first piece of information and the start time of use of the predetermined service in the second piece of information is less than or equal to a predetermined first threshold.

[0049] Furthermore, although not explained in the above embodiment, if multiple usage records exist for the same time period, this system may, for example, manage both usage records as valid, or delete or modify one of the usage records.

[0050] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, the system was described as acquiring information about the device used (e.g., device ID) as one of the usage information, but it is not limited to this. The system may also have a function to acquire and classify information about the use and type of device, such as a device for TVs or a smart device (smartphone or tablet).

[0051] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment explained that the system acquires various types of information (e.g., usage information) on a service-by-service basis, it is not limited to this. The system may, for example, acquire various types of information (e.g., usage information) on a DNS (Domain Name System) basis.

[0052] Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configurations shown in Figure 3 are merely examples and are not particularly limiting. In other words, it is sufficient for the information processing system to have a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not limited to the examples shown in Figure 3. Furthermore, the location of the functional block is not limited to the examples shown in Figure 3, and can be arbitrary. That is, for example, some or all of the processes executed by the analysis server 1 in the above embodiment may be executed by another server or the like. Furthermore, a single functional block may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0053] Furthermore, in this specification, the step of describing the program to be recorded on the recording medium may be performed not only chronologically according to its order, but also in parallel or individually. In addition, some of the steps described in the above embodiments may be omitted.

[0054] Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0055] Furthermore, the system configuration shown in the above-described embodiment is illustrative and not limited to it. The number and types of hardware constituting this system are arbitrary, and other arbitrary hardware may be adopted as part of the system, or some of the hardware described above may be omitted.

[0056] Furthermore, some or all of the processes related to the system described above may be executed by other information processing devices managed by a so-called cloud service. If the system employs a so-called cloud server, the various information processing devices constituting the system may employ any hardware configuration different from, for example, the hardware configuration exemplified in the above-described embodiment.

[0057] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment has been explained in which the system stores various information (e.g., management information) in the management information DB300, it is not limited to this. The system may store various information in any other DB, or it may simply hold various information in memory without storing it in a DB.

[0058] Furthermore, when a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium.

[0059] Furthermore, the computer may be one that is built into dedicated hardware. Also, the computer may be one that can perform various functions by installing various programs. In other words, for example, any computer, any mobile terminal such as a smartphone may be freely used as the various hardware in the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, any combination of types and contents of various input and output units may be adopted.

[0060] Furthermore, the recording medium containing such a program may consist not only of a removable media (not shown) provided separately from the main device body to provide the program to the user, but also of a recording medium that is pre-installed in the main device body and provided to the user. Moreover, some or all of the recording medium containing the program may be stored in, for example, another information processing device other than the analysis server 1 in the above-described embodiment.

[0061] The effects and advantages of this embodiment will also be achieved when these other embodiments are adopted. Furthermore, it is possible to combine this embodiment with other embodiments, and other embodiments with each other, as appropriate.

[0062] In summary, the information processing system to which this disclosure applies can take various forms having the following configurations. The aspects of the information processing system to which this disclosure applies are: A means for obtaining usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via a network, A first management means manages the first information and the second information together as one piece of information if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, A second management means for deleting and managing the third information if the difference between the time when the use of the service for the third information included in the usage information started and the time when the use of the service for the third information ended is less than or equal to a second threshold, It is an information processing system equipped with [the following features].

[0063] Furthermore, the information processing system described above may further include means for changing the value of the first threshold or the second threshold depending on the type of service.

[0064] Furthermore, the acquisition means may acquire the usage information which includes at least information regarding the time when the user started using the video streaming service or social networking service and the time when the user ended using the video streaming service or social networking service.

[0065] Furthermore, the acquisition means may acquire information as the usage information that further includes information about the device used to access the service.

[0066] Furthermore, other aspects of this disclosure include: An information processing method performed by an information processing device. A step to obtain usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via the network, A first management step in which, if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first piece of information and the second piece of information are managed together as one piece of information; A second management step in which, if the difference between the time when the use of the service for the third piece of information included in the usage information began and the time when the use of the service for the third piece of information ended is less than or equal to a second threshold, the third piece of information is deleted and managed; This may also be an information processing method that includes [something].

[0067] Furthermore, other aspects of this disclosure include: In an information processing device, A step to obtain usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via the network, A first management step in which, if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first piece of information and the second piece of information are managed together as one piece of information; A second management step in which, if the difference between the time when the use of the service for the third piece of information included in the usage information began and the time when the use of the service for the third piece of information ended is less than or equal to a second threshold, the third piece of information is deleted and managed; It may also be a program that executes control processing including [specific details]. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1. Analysis Server 11 Control Unit 60 Usage information acquisition section 62 1st Management Department 64 2nd Management Department 66 Output control unit 2. Broadcasting equipment 3. Receiving device 4 Viewer terminals

Claims

1. A means for obtaining usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via a network, A first management means manages the first information and the second information together as one piece of information if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The system further includes a means for changing the value of the first threshold depending on the type of service. The information processing system according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition means acquires the usage information which includes at least the time the user started using the video streaming service or social networking service and the time the user ended using the video streaming service or social networking service. The information processing system according to claim 1.

4. The acquisition means acquires information as the usage information, which further includes information about the device used to access the service. The information processing system according to claim 1.

5. An information processing method performed by an information processing device. A step to obtain usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via the network, A first management step in which, if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first piece of information and the second piece of information are managed together as one piece of information, Information processing methods including

6. In an information processing device, A step to obtain usage information regarding the time a user spends using a service via the network, A first management step in which, if the difference between the time the use of the service in the first piece of information included in the usage information ended and the time the use of the service in the second piece of information included in the usage information started is less than or equal to a first threshold, the first piece of information and the second piece of information are managed together as one piece of information, A program that executes control processes, including those mentioned above.

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