Electronic apparatus for providing information on content streaming service and method therefor

Abstract

The information provision method of the electronic device according to the embodiments of the present invention is characterized by including the following steps: identifying a user set including a portion of users of a content streaming service; determining recommended content based on the characteristics of the user set and the characteristics of the content; generating a content list including at least one of the recommended content; and providing the content list to the terminals of the users included in the user set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device and method for providing information in a content streaming service. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic device and method for classifying user segments according to user characteristics in a content streaming service and providing user-customized recommended content according to the characteristics of the user segments. Prior Art

[0002] With the development of smartphone performance and communication technology, the number of users who use content streaming services to consume content in real time has increased exponentially. Therefore, the number of companies providing content streaming services has gradually increased, and the competition among companies competing for the content streaming service market has become increasingly fierce.

[0003] Therefore, in order to survive in the increasingly competitive content streaming service market, a method is needed to guide users to connect to the content streaming service more frequently and watch the content for a longer time.

[0004] In this regard, reference may be made to previous literature such as KR 10-1694400 B1. Summary of the invention

[0005] [Problems that the invention aims to solve] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electronic device and method thereof for classifying user segments based on the user's activity history in a content streaming service and providing customized content according to the characteristics of each user segment.

[0006] Furthermore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electronic device and method thereof for determining content to be recommended to a user based on the characteristics of the user and the characteristics of the content, and for arranging the recommended content.

[0007] The technical issues to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the technical issues mentioned above. Those with common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can clearly understand other technical issues not mentioned based on the following description. [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0008] The information providing method of an electronic device of an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes the following steps: confirming a user set that includes a part of users of the content streaming service; determining recommended content based on the characteristics of the above user set and the above content characteristics; generating a content list including at least one of the above recommended contents; and providing the above content list to the terminals of the users included in the above user set.

[0009] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the step of confirming the user set includes the following steps: confirming the activity history of the user in the content streaming service; and confirming the user set to which the user belongs based on the activity history.

[0010] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the activity history of the user includes at least one of the number of times the user has visited the content streaming service, whether the user has joined the membership of the content streaming service, the content viewing time of the user, the number of times the user has viewed the content, the score of the user, or the ranking of the user.

[0011] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the characteristics of the user set include the activity history of the users belonging to the user set, and at least one of the age, gender, last viewed content, content search history, or content comment history of the users belonging to the user set.

[0012] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that it further includes the following steps: when receiving input related to the activity of the user from the terminal of the user, updating the activity history of the user; and confirming the user set to which the user belongs based on the updated activity history of the user.

[0013] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the content characteristics include at least one of the content's metadata, registration date, exposure times, target exposure times, or ratings.

[0014] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the step of determining the recommended content includes the following steps: dividing the content in the content streaming service into a plurality of content groups based on content conversion characteristics; and determining at least one of the plurality of content groups classified based on the characteristics of the user set as the recommended content for the user set.

[0015] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the content conversion characteristics include at least one of the ratio of users exposed to the content relative to all users of the content streaming service, the number of times the content is played within a set period, or the ratio of actual play of all users relative to exposure to the content.

[0016] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the recommended content is determined based on the viewing history of other users, and the other users are those who viewed the content last viewed by the users belonging to the user set.

[0017] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that when a user belonging to the user set views the recommended content determined based on the viewing history of the other users, the recommendation probability of the recommended content is increased.

[0018] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that it further includes the following steps: updating the recommended content list according to a set period.

[0019] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that it further includes the following steps: deleting from the recommended content list the content that the user has viewed, or the content that has been exposed to the user for more than a set number of times but has not been viewed by the user.

[0020] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the content list includes a plurality of sub-content lists, and the information providing method further includes the following steps: arranging the plurality of sub-content lists based on the characteristics of the user set.

[0021] In one embodiment, the information providing method is characterized in that the step of determining the recommended content includes the following steps: confirming whether the target exposure times of the content have been achieved; and when the target exposure times of the content have not been achieved, increasing the probability that the content is determined as the recommended content.

[0022] The electronic device for providing information in an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes: a transceiver, which transmits and receives information with other devices; and a processor, which confirms the user set to which the user belongs in the content streaming service, determines recommended content based on the characteristics of the above user set and the content characteristics, generates a content list including at least one of the above recommended contents, and provides the above content list to the above user.

[0023] The non-temporary computer-readable storage medium of an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a medium constructed in a manner of storing computer-readable commands, and when the above-mentioned computer-readable commands are executed by a processor, the above-mentioned processor implements an information providing method performed in an electronic device, the method including the following steps: confirming the user set to which the user belongs in the content streaming service; determining recommended content based on the characteristics of the above-mentioned user set and the content characteristics; generating a content list including at least one of the above-mentioned recommended contents; and providing the above-mentioned content list to the above-mentioned user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] The present invention has the following technical effects: providing users with a list of recommended contents determined based on the characteristics of the users, thereby making it easier for users to confirm and watch contents with a high probability of being watched, thereby encouraging users to use content streaming services.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention has the following technical effects: in addition to being based on the characteristics of the user, the recommended content list is determined based on the characteristics of the content, thereby recommending more suitable content to the user while exposing more content to the user.

[0026] The effects that can be obtained by the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and those with common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can clearly understand other effects not mentioned based on the following description. Simple diagram description

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for providing information in a content streaming service for illustrating various embodiments. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of an electronic device for providing information according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for illustrating an example of a page provided by an electronic device to a user's terminal. FIG. 4 is a diagram for illustrating an example of a page provided by an electronic device to a user's terminal. FIG. 5 is a diagram for illustrating an example of a page provided by an electronic device to a user's terminal. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device for providing information according to an embodiment. Implementation

[0028] The terms used in the embodiments are selected as the most commonly used common terms as possible while considering the functions of the present invention, but they may also be different according to the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are also terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, in which case, their meanings will be described in detail in the corresponding description section. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply based on the names of the terms.

[0029] Throughout the specification, when a certain part is described as "including" a certain component, unless otherwise stated, it means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components. In addition, the terms "...part", "...module" and the like described in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or action, which may be implemented by hardware or software, or by a combination of hardware and software.

[0030] The expression "at least one of a, b and c" recorded throughout the specification may include "a alone", "b alone", "c alone", "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a, b, c".

[0031] The "terminal" mentioned below can be realized by a computer or a portable terminal, which can be connected to a server or other terminals via a network. Here, the computer includes, for example, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, etc. equipped with a web browser, and the portable terminal is a wireless communication device that ensures portability and mobility, for example, it can include communication terminals such as IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), and all types of handheld wireless communication devices such as smart phones and tablet computers.

[0032] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail so that those with common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can easily implement it. However, the present invention can be implemented in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments described here.

[0033] When describing the embodiments, the description of the technical contents that are well known in the technical field to which the present invention belongs and are not directly related to the present invention is omitted. The reason is that the main purpose of the present invention is clearly conveyed by omitting redundant descriptions to avoid confusion of the main purpose of the present invention.

[0034] For the same reason, some components are exaggerated, omitted or schematically shown in the drawings. In addition, the size of each component does not completely reflect the actual size. In each figure, the same reference number is given to the same or corresponding components.

[0035] With reference to the accompanying drawings and the embodiments described in detail below, the advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods for achieving the same, will become clear. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be implemented in various forms. This embodiment is only provided to fully disclose the present invention and fully inform the scope of the invention to those with common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The present invention is only defined by the scope of the invention application. Throughout the specification, the same reference symbols refer to the same constituent elements.

[0036] At this point, it should be understood that the combination of each block of the processing flow chart and the flow chart can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded on a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device, so that these instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device will produce a method for implementing the functions described in the blocks of the flow chart. In order to achieve the functions in a specific manner, these computer program instructions can be stored in a computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing device, so that the instructions stored in the computer-usable or computer-readable memory can also produce an article of manufacture that includes a command method for implementing the functions described in the blocks of the flow chart. Computer program instructions can also be loaded on a computer or other programmable data processing device, so that a series of action steps are executed on the computer or other programmable data processing device to produce a process executed by the computer, so that the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable data processing device can also provide steps for performing the functions described in the blocks of the flow chart.

[0037] In addition, each block may represent a module, a segment or a portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function. In addition, it should be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the blocks may not be performed in order. For example, two blocks shown in succession may be executed substantially at the same time, or may occasionally be executed in the opposite order according to the corresponding functions.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a system for providing information in a content streaming service for illustrating various embodiments.

[0040] 1, the system may include an electronic device 100, at least one of one or more user terminals 110, 120, 130, and a network 140. On the other hand, the system shown in FIG1 only shows the components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, those with common sense in the technical field related to the present embodiment can understand that in addition to the components shown in FIG1, other general components may be further included.

[0041] The electronic device 100 is a device that forms and provides various information. The electronic device 100 can provide the formed information through a web page or an application screen, or provide the formed information in a form that can be displayed through a web page or an application screen in a receiving terminal.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the electronic device 100 can provide a content streaming service that enables a user to view and listen to various contents. For example, the electronic device 100 can provide a list of one or more contents to the user, and send data of the content selected by the user in a manner that allows the user to view and listen to the content selected by the user in the one or more contents in real time to the user terminals 110, 120, 130. In addition, the electronic device 100 can confirm the activity history of the user in the content streaming service, confirm the user segment to which the user belongs based on the activity history, and provide the user with a content list including recommended content to be recommended to the user through the user terminals 110, 120, 130 based on the characteristics of the user segment.

[0043] On the other hand, FIG. 1 shows the electronic device 100 as a server, but this is only one embodiment. The electronic device 100 may represent a server group, which includes a plurality of servers located at different locations. For example, when the electronic device 100 receives a streaming request for the first content from the first user terminal 110, the server located closest to the first user terminal 110 among the plurality of servers included in the electronic device 100 may send data of the first content to the first user terminal 110.

[0044] One or more user terminals 110, 120, 130 are terminals used by each user, and the user can use the user terminal 110, 120, 130 to access the service provided by the network 140. For example, the electronic device 100 can provide a platform or application program that can view and listen to various contents to one or more user terminals 110, 120, 130. The user can use the platform or application program installed in the user terminal 110, 120, 130 to view and listen to various contents included in the content list.

[0045] One or more user terminals 110, 120, 130 and the electronic device 100 can communicate with each other in the network 140. The network 140 includes a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a value added network (VAN), a mobile radio communication network, a satellite communication network, a content delivery network (CDN), and combinations thereof, and the network is a comprehensive data communication network that enables the network components shown in FIG. 1 to communicate with each other smoothly, and may include a wired Internet, a wireless Internet, and a mobile wireless communication network. Wireless communication may include, for example, wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, ZigBee, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct), UWB (ultra wideband), infrared communication (IrDA, infrared Data Association), NFC (Near Field Communication), etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of an electronic device for providing information in a content streaming service according to an embodiment.

[0047] 2 , in step S210 , the electronic device 100 may confirm a user set including a portion of users of the content streaming service.

[0048] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 can confirm the user's activity history in the content streaming service, and confirm the user group to which the user belongs based on the user's activity history. The user's activity history may include at least one of the number of times the user has visited the content streaming service, whether the user has joined the membership of the content streaming service, the user's content viewing time, the number of times the user has viewed content, the user's score, or the user's ranking.

[0049] For example, a content streaming service provider may set a range of the number of times a content streaming service is accessed, the content viewing time, or the number of times a content streaming service is viewed, and classify user sets in a manner that includes users within each range. For example, in order to grant the streaming service provider a benefit set in the service, the content streaming service provider may provide a membership service. In this case, the content streaming service provider may classify users who have joined the membership in the content streaming service and users who have not joined the membership into different user sets. As another example, the content streaming service provider may assign scores to users based on their activities in the content streaming service, and set rankings based on the scores of the users. In this case, the content streaming service provider may set a range of scores or rankings of users in the service, and classify user sets in a manner that includes users within each range. The activity history of users is not limited to the above examples, and may include any factors that the content streaming service provider considers in order to classify users of the content streaming service into a plurality of user sets.

[0050] Furthermore, when receiving the user's activities from the user terminal, the electronic device 100 may update the user's activity history and confirm the user set to which the user belongs based on the updated user's activity history. For example, when a user newly joins a membership service provided in a content streaming service, the user set to which the user belongs may be changed from the user set to which the user who has not joined the membership belongs to the user set to which the user who has joined the membership belongs. As another example, when a user views content provided in a content streaming service or increases activities in the content streaming service such as writing comments or participating in events, the user's activity history such as the number of times the user visits the content streaming service, the content viewing time, the number of times the content is viewed, the score or ranking may exceed the range corresponding to the user set to which the user previously belonged. In this case, the activity history updated according to the user's activities may be confirmed again, and the corresponding user may be classified into a different user set from the previous one.

[0051] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may change the basis for classifying user sets in consideration of the operation of the content streaming service. For example, the content streaming service provider may classify the user sets into the following three user sets based on the user's content viewing time: a user set including users with a content viewing time of less than 10 hours; a user set including users with a content viewing time of more than 10 hours and less than 20 hours; and a user set including users with a content viewing time of more than 20 hours. In this case, users with a content viewing time of 15 hours may be classified into a user set including users with a content viewing time of more than 10 hours and less than 30 hours. However, as time goes by, the number of users of the content streaming service may increase, and the overall content viewing time of the users may increase. Nevertheless, it may be preferable that: if the corresponding user's content viewing time is still 15 hours, when classifying the user sets based on the viewing time, the user is classified into a user set with a low viewing time rather than a user set with a medium viewing time, so as to recommend content. To this end, the content streaming service provider may change the basis for classifying user groups to users who watch content for less than 20 hours, users who watch content for more than 20 hours but less than 40 hours, and users who watch content for more than 40 hours. As described above, by changing the basis for classifying user groups in consideration of the operating conditions of the content streaming service, users can be classified into more appropriate user groups, thereby recommending more appropriate content to each user group, thereby improving user experience.

[0052] In the above example, the content viewing time is used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The conditions of the arbitrary factors used to classify the user set can be changed in consideration of various conditions related to the operation of the content streaming service, such as various activity histories of the content streaming service, the benefits provided in the content streaming service, or the opening or closing of the service. In addition, new factors can be introduced and used as a basis for classifying the user set.

[0053] In step S220, the electronic device 100 may determine recommended content based on the characteristics of the user set and the characteristics of the content.

[0054] In one embodiment, the characteristics of the user set may include the activity history of the users belonging to the user set. The content preferred by the users who use the content streaming service may be different according to the activity history. For example, in the case of users who visit the content streaming service a large number of times or watch content for a large number of times, the probability that they have watched popular content or content that is exclusively provided only in the corresponding content streaming service is high. Therefore, compared with recommending popular content or content that is exclusively provided only in the corresponding content streaming service to such users, recommending less popular content with a small number of exposures, newly registered content, or various types of content to such users makes the users aware of the diversity of the content of the content streaming service, thereby providing a motivation for continuous use of the corresponding content streaming service.

[0055] On the contrary, in the case of users who visit content streaming services less frequently or watch content less frequently, there is a higher probability that they have not watched popular content or content that is exclusively provided only in content streaming services. Therefore, by preferentially recommending popular content or content that is exclusively provided only in content streaming services to such users, it is possible to guide the user's attention and provide motivation for using the corresponding content streaming service among various content streaming services.

[0056] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the characteristics of the user set may include at least one of the age, gender, last viewed content, content search history, or content comment history of the users belonging to the user set. When the viewing time or viewing times are similar, the content preferred by the users using the content streaming service may also be different according to the age or gender of the users. Furthermore, the user preference may be grasped based on the last viewed content, content search history, or content comment history of the users. Therefore, when such factors are considered to determine the recommended content, more customized content may be provided to the users, and the user experience may be improved.

[0057] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may determine the recommended content based on the content that the user belonging to the user set last viewed. In this case, the recommended content may be determined based on the viewing history of other users who viewed the content that the user last viewed. For example, when the user views content A, other content that other users who viewed content A viewed may be confirmed, and when it is confirmed that the viewing ratio of content B and content C is high, content B and content C may be determined as content recommended to the user. In one embodiment, when it is determined that only one recommended content is provided, the probability of determining content B or content C as the recommended content may be determined based on the viewing ratio of content B or content C.

[0058] Furthermore, in one embodiment, when a user belonging to the user set views a recommended content determined based on the viewing history of other users, the electronic device 100 may increase the recommendation probability of the recommended content. For example, in the above example, if the ratio of selecting content C for viewing is higher than content B when content B and content C are recommended to a user who views content A, it can be determined that content C is more appropriate to be recommended than content A. Therefore, the probability of recommending content C to the user who views content A can be increased. As described above, the recommendation probability can be updated based on the actual activities of the user on the recommended content, thereby recommending more appropriate content to the user.

[0059] In one embodiment, in addition to the characteristics of the user set, the electronic device 100 may also consider the content characteristics to determine the recommended content. The content characteristics may include at least one of the metadata of the content, the registration date, the number of exposures, the target number of exposures, or the rating. For example, the recommended content may be determined based on the metadata of the content, and the metadata may include the content's producer, the broadcast date, the country, the language, or the category information. Considering the characteristics of the user set, when it is determined that the user set has a high preference for a specific category, the content belonging to the corresponding category may be determined as the recommended content based on the metadata of the content. As another example, the content with the latest registration date may be the most popular content or the new content that is not yet widely known. Therefore, when such content is provided to the user, a new experience may be provided to the user and the user's interest may be stimulated, thereby improving the user experience. Therefore, the content streaming service provider may increase the probability that the content with the latest registration date is determined as the recommended content, so that the content with the latest registration date is exposed to the user in large quantities. In addition, for the content that is first contacted, the user often considers the rating or comment of the content to determine whether to watch or listen. Therefore, by determining the content with a higher content score as the recommended content, the user's satisfaction with the recommended content can be increased. The characteristics of the content are not limited to the above examples, and may include any content characteristics that may affect the user's content selection, or any content characteristics related to the goals set by the content stream provider for each content.

[0060] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may classify the content provided in the content streaming service into a plurality of content groups based on the content conversion characteristics, and determine at least one of the plurality of content groups classified based on the characteristics of the user set as the recommended content for the user set. The content conversion characteristics may refer to the characteristics of the content to achieve a specific goal. For example, the content conversion characteristics may refer to the probability of viewing and listening to the content when the corresponding content is exposed to the user who uses the content streaming service, or the probability of the user being converted to frequently use the content streaming service and performing more activities due to the corresponding content. In one embodiment, the content conversion characteristics may include at least one of the ratio of users exposed to the content to all users of the content streaming service, the number of content plays within a set period, or the ratio of actual plays of all users to exposure of the content, but are not limited thereto, and may include any factor for judging whether the content helps the user to make a contribution to the use of the service.

[0061] For example, the following content can be classified as content with low conversion characteristics: although it is exposed to less than 1% of all users, it has been played more than 1,000 times in the past month, and the probability of achieving actual content playback when exposed to users is in the top 30%. In addition, the following content can be classified as content with medium conversion characteristics: although it is exposed to less than 5% of all users, it has been played more than 2,000 times in the past month, and the probability of achieving actual content playback when exposed to users is in the top 30%. In addition, the following content can be classified as content with high conversion characteristics: although it is exposed to less than 10% of all users, it has been played more than 5,000 times in the past month, and the probability of achieving actual content playback when exposed to users is in the top 30%. That is, content classified based on content conversion characteristics may include the following content: the number of exposures is less than the target number of exposures, but when exposed to actual users, it arouses the attention of users and makes the possibility of users viewing and listening to the content above a fixed level.

[0062] As described above, content can be classified into a plurality of content groups according to content conversion characteristics. Furthermore, a user set to which content belonging to the content group classified in this manner is recommended can be determined. For example, if it is assumed that there are a plurality of user sets classified based on the number of times content is viewed, the probability that a user set including users who have viewed content more often have viewed content belonging to high conversion characteristics with a large number of exposures and a large number of playbacks is high. Therefore, for such a user set, rather than providing content belonging to high conversion characteristics, content belonging to a content group with medium conversion characteristics or low conversion characteristics is provided as recommended content for the user set, thereby providing users with various content experiences. Conversely, for a user set including users who have viewed content less often, the probability that content belonging to high conversion characteristics has not yet been viewed is high. Therefore, for such a user set, by preferentially providing content belonging to high conversion characteristics as recommended content for the user set, the user's attention to the content streaming service can be increased, and the user's use of the service can be promoted.

[0063] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 can confirm whether the target exposure times of the content have been achieved, and when the target exposure times of the content have not been achieved, the probability of the above content being determined as recommended content is increased. Content streaming service providers need to maximize the use of the content registered in the service to stimulate the user's attention and make use of it. To this end, the target exposure times of each content can be set based on the content characteristics such as the preference of the content. For example, a higher target exposure times is set for content with a higher preference so that it is frequently exposed to the user, and a target exposure times of more than a fixed number of times is set for content with a low preference so that the various contents registered in the service are maximized. As described above, for the content with a set target exposure times, it can be confirmed whether the target exposure times of the content have been achieved, and for the content that has not achieved the target exposure times, the probability of being determined as recommended content can be increased to achieve the target exposure times. In addition, the content that achieves the target exposure times can be set in the following manner: the recommended content is not exposed, but the user accesses the corresponding content through search.

[0064] In step S230 , the electronic device 100 may generate a content list including at least one of the recommended contents determined in step S220 .

[0065] In one embodiment, the number of contents included in the content list may be determined based on the type of user terminal receiving the recommended contents. Depending on the type of user terminal, the form and size of the page displayed by the user terminal may be different, and therefore, the number of contents displayed in the corresponding page may be determined accordingly. For example, when a user uses a smartphone to use a content streaming service, the displayed page may be smaller, and therefore a content list including a smaller number of recommended contents may be generated. When a user uses a desktop computer to use a content streaming service, the displayed page may be larger, and therefore a content list including a larger number of recommended contents may be generated.

[0066] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may arrange the contents included in the content list based on the characteristics of the contents. For example, the contents may be arranged in descending order according to the ratings of the contents, or according to the categories of the contents, or according to the content conversion characteristics of the contents. The criteria for arranging the contents are not limited to the above examples, and the contents may be arranged according to any criteria set by the content streaming service provider.

[0067] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 can update the recommended content list according to a set period. For example, the electronic device 100 can update the recommended content list in units of 1 hour. The content list can be updated as follows: replacing a part or all of the recommended content included in the content list with other recommended content not included in the content list. Alternatively, the content list can be updated as follows: changing the order of the recommended content included in the content list. Alternatively, the content list can be updated as follows: replacing a part or all of the recommended content included in the content list with other recommended content, and changing the order of the recommended content. As described above, by updating the recommended content list according to a set period, visual changes and content diversity can be provided in the page exposed to the user, thereby stimulating the user's attention and encouraging audio-visual content.

[0068] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may delete from the content list the content that the user has viewed or the content that has been exposed to the user for more than the number of times set but has not been viewed by the user. Even if the content that the user has viewed or the content that has been exposed to the user for more than the number of times set but has not been viewed by the user is provided as recommended content, the possibility that the user will not view the content is also high. Therefore, by deleting such content from the content list and replacing it with other content, the content list can be composed of content that is more suitable for guiding the user to view.

[0069] In one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may generate a content list, which includes a plurality of sub-content lists arranged based on the characteristics of the user set. In this case, the plurality of contents included in the plurality of sub-content lists may have common content characteristics. For example, the electronic device 100 may divide the contents included in the content list into a plurality of sub-content lists according to the categories of the contents, and may arrange the plurality of sub-content lists based on the category preference of the user set, which is determined based on the characteristics of the user set. As a more specific example, the electronic device 100 may classify the contents included in the content list into a plurality of sub-content lists, and the plurality of sub-content lists include content of action, romance, thriller, adventure, and other categories. When the order of the category preference of the user set determined based on the characteristics of the user set is thriller, adventure, action, romance, and others, the plurality of sub-content lists in the content list may be arranged in the order of the sub-content lists corresponding to the categories of thriller, adventure, action, romance, and others. As described above, the contents included in the content list can be classified into sub-content lists with common content characteristics, and the contents can be arranged based on the characteristics of the user set, whereby users can not only prioritize content with high preference, but also more conveniently confirm similar content, thereby improving user experience and seeking more sustainable use of services.

[0070] In step S240, the electronic device 100 may provide the content list generated by steps S210 to S23 to the terminals of the users included in the user group. The user may confirm the user-customized content list through the user terminal, and may view and listen to the content by selecting the content from the content list. The content list provided to the user terminal by the electronic device 100 is described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

[0071] FIG. 3 is a diagram for illustrating an example of a page provided by an electronic device to a user terminal.

[0072] 3, when a user connects to a content streaming service through a user's terminal, a page 300 including a content list is provided, the content list including recommended content determined based on the characteristics of the user set and the content characteristics. The page 300 may include the following areas: an area 310 that displays representative content or event information of the service; an area 320 that provides a category list so that the user can select a desired category of content to confirm the content list; and an area 330 that includes the content list.

[0073] The content list displayed in the area 330 may include recommended content determined based on the above steps related to FIG. 2 . In addition, as described above, the recommended content list may include a plurality of sub-content lists 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, and the plurality of sub-content lists 331, 332, 333, 334, 335 may be arranged based on the characteristics of the user set. More specifically, the example shown in FIG. 3 is an example of a case where the sub-content lists are configured to include content of a common category, and the plurality of sub-content lists 331, 332, 333, 334, 335 are arranged according to the category preference of the user set determined based on the characteristics of the user set. That is, as the category preference of the illustrated user set is determined in the order of thriller, adventure, action, romance, and others, it is indicated that the category preference of the user set is arranged in the order of the sub-content lists including content corresponding to the categories of thriller, adventure, action, romance, and others. The contents included in each sub-content list can be arranged based on the characteristics of the user set, and the contents included in the sub-content list can be replaced with other contents or the order of the contents can be changed at a set time (for example, 1 hour).

[0074] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a page provided by an electronic device to a user terminal. More specifically, Fig. 4 shows a page 400 provided to a user when a user selects a specific category among the categories included in the area 320 in the page 300 of Fig. 3 .

[0075] 4, page 400 may include area 410 and area 420. Area 410 may include category information 411 selected by the user, a button 412 for changing the category, content arrangement information 413, and a button 414 for changing the arrangement.

[0076] Furthermore, area 420 may include a content list, which includes content belonging to the category selected by the user. The content included in the content list may be arranged in a recommended order, or in an order of content registration date, or in an order of content titles according to the arrangement method displayed in the content arrangement method information 413. Among them, as the arrangement method is selected according to the recommended order, the content included in the content list may be arranged in consideration of the characteristics of the user set and the characteristics of the content. Furthermore, the content included in the content list may be replaced with other content or the order of the content may be changed at a set time period. Furthermore, content that the user has viewed or content that has been exposed to the user for more than a fixed number of times but has not been viewed by the user may be deleted from the content list.

[0077] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of a page provided by an electronic device to a user's terminal. More specifically, Fig. 5 shows a page 500 provided to a user in response to a user's input, wherein the user's input is to select a specific content from a content list included in the page 300 shown in Fig. 3 or the page 400 shown in Fig. 4 .

[0078] 5, page 500 may include area 510 and area 520. Area 510 may include information related to the content selected by the user. The information related to the content may include the title, rating, release date, and brief description related to the content. In addition, area 510 may include a button 511 for the user to play the content. When a user input corresponding to button 511 is received, a page for playing the content may be entered.

[0079] Furthermore, area 520 may include a content list. The content list displayed in area 520 may include the following recommended content determined based on the characteristics of the user set to which the user belongs and the characteristics of the content: content belonging to the same category as the content selected by the user, or content that is more likely to be selected by the user in consideration of the viewing history of other viewers who viewed the content selected by the user, etc. Furthermore, the content included in the content list may be replaced with other content or the order of the content may be changed at a set time period, and content that the user has viewed or content that has been exposed to the user for a fixed number of times but has not been viewed by the user may be deleted from the content list.

[0080] For example, when a user who selects content A and enters page 500 selects and views content B in the content list displayed in area 520, it can be determined that the user also tends to pay attention to content B, taking into account the characteristics of the user who views content A. Therefore, in this case, the probability that content B is included in the content list provided when entering the page of content A can be increased. As described above, by generating a content list in consideration of the user's response to the provision of a recommended content list, more customized content can be recommended to the user.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electronic device 100 according to an embodiment.

[0082] According to one embodiment, the electronic device 100 may include a transceiver 610, a memory 620, and a processor 630. The electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 6 only shows the components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, those with common knowledge in the technical field related to the present embodiment can understand that in addition to the components shown in FIG. 6, other general components may be further included. In an embodiment, the transceiver 610 may be included in a communication device. In addition, in an embodiment, the processor 630 may be included in a controller.

[0083] The transceiver 610 is a device for implementing wired / wireless communication and can communicate with an external electronic device. The external electronic device can be a terminal or a server. In addition, the communication technology used by the transceiver 610 may include GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), CDMA (Code Division Multi Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), 6G (6th Generation Mobile Communication Technology), WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi (Wireless-Fidelity), Bluetooth (Bluetooth™), RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Zigbee, NFC (Near Field Communication), etc.

[0084] The processor 630 can control the overall operation of the electronic device 100 and process data and signals. The processor 630 may include at least one hardware unit. In addition, the processor 630 can operate by executing one or more software modules generated by executing the program code stored in the memory 620. The processor 630 may include a memory, and the processor 630 can execute the program code stored in the memory to control the overall operation of the electronic device 100 and process data and signals.

[0085] The processor 630 may identify the user set to which the user belongs in the content streaming service, determine recommended content based on characteristics of the user set and content characteristics, generate a content list including at least one of the recommended contents, and provide the content list to the user.

[0086] The electronic device of the above embodiment may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, a permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user interface device such as a touch panel, a key, a button, etc. The method implemented by the software module or algorithm can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium as a computer-readable code or program command that can be executed on the above processor. Here, as a computer-readable recording medium, there are magnetic storage media (for example, ROM (read-only memory), RAM (random-Access memory), soft disk, hard disk, etc.) and optical reading media (for example, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD)), etc. The computer-readable recording medium is distributed in a computer system connected to the network, so that the computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium can be read by a computer, stored in a memory, and can be executed in a processor.

[0087] The present embodiment may be represented by a functional block structure and various processing steps. Such functional blocks may be implemented by hardware or / and software structures of different numbers that perform specific functions. For example, the embodiment may adopt an integrated circuit structure that can perform various functions by the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices, such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc. The constituent elements may be executed by software programming or software components. Similarly, the present embodiment includes an algorithm implemented by a combination of data structures, programs, routines or other programming structures, and thus may be implemented by programming or scripting languages ​​such as C, C++, Java and assemblers. In terms of function, it may be implemented by an algorithm executed in one or more processors. In addition, the present embodiment may adopt prior art to perform electronic environment settings, signal processing and / or data processing. Terms such as "mechanism", "element", "means", and "structure" may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical or physical structures. The above terms may be associated with a processor and the like and include the meaning of a series of processes (routines) of software.

[0088] The above embodiment is only an example, and other embodiments may be implemented within the scope of the invention patent application described below.

[0089] 100: Electronic devices 110: 1st user terminal 120: Second user terminal 130: The third user terminal 140: Internet 300: Page 310: Area 320: Area 330: Area 331: Sub-content list 332: Sub-content list 333: Sub-content list 334: Sub-content list 335: Sub-content list 400: Page 410: Area 411: Information 412: Button 413: Information 414: Button 420: Area 500: Page 510: Area 520: Area 610: transceiver 620: Memory 630: Processor S210: Steps S220: Steps S230: Steps S240: Steps

Claims

1. An information provision method, performed via an electronic device, comprising the steps of: identifying a user set including at least one user of a content streaming service; determining recommended content based on information related to the user set and content-related information; generating a content list including at least one of the recommended contents; and providing the content list to the terminals of the users included in the user set; wherein the step of determining the recommended content further comprises the steps of: dividing the content within the content streaming service into a plurality of content groups based on content conversion-related information; and determining at least one of the plurality of content groups categorized based on the information related to the user set as the recommended content for the user set; wherein, The step of determining the recommended content further includes: confirming the first content last viewed by the first user belonging to the user set; and determining one or more pieces of content to recommend to the first user based on the viewing history of other users who have viewed the first content; and wherein, if the first user views or listens to second content included in the one or more pieces of content, the electronic device increases the probability of recommending the second content to the other users belonging to the user set.

2. The information provision method as described in Request 1, wherein the step of confirming the aforementioned user set includes the following steps: confirming the activity history of the aforementioned user in the aforementioned content streaming service; and based on the aforementioned activity history, confirming the aforementioned user set to which the aforementioned user belongs.

3. As in the information provision method of request item 2, wherein the activity history of the aforementioned user includes at least one of the following: the number of times the aforementioned user accesses the aforementioned content streaming service, whether the aforementioned user has joined the aforementioned content streaming service as a member, the aforementioned user's content viewing time, the aforementioned user's content viewing count, the aforementioned user's score, or the aforementioned user's ranking.

4. The information provision method as described in Request 3, wherein the aforementioned information related to the aforementioned user set includes the activity history of users belonging to the aforementioned user set, and at least one of the following: age, gender, last viewed / listened-to content, content search history, or content comment history of users belonging to the aforementioned user set.

5. The information provision method of request item 2 further includes the following steps: when receiving input related to the activity of the user from the user's terminal, updating the user's activity history; and based on the updated user's activity history, confirming the user set to which the user belongs.

6. As in the information provision method of request item 1, the aforementioned content-related information includes at least one of the following: content metadata, registration date, number of exposures, number of target exposures, or rating.

7. The information provision method as described in Request 1, wherein the aforementioned content conversion-related information includes at least one of the following: the ratio of users exposed to the aforementioned content relative to all users of the aforementioned content streaming service, the number of times the aforementioned content was played within a set period, or the ratio of the actual playback by all users relative to the exposure to the aforementioned content.

8. The information provision method as described in Request 1 further includes the following steps: updating the above-mentioned list of recommended content at a set period.

9. The information provision method of request item 1 further includes the following steps: deleting from the above-mentioned content list the content that the above-mentioned user has already viewed or listened to, or the content that has been exposed to the above-mentioned user more than a set number of times but has not been viewed or listened to by the above-mentioned user.

10. The information provision method of request item 1, wherein the above content list includes a plurality of sub-content lists, the above information provision method further includes the following steps: arranging the plurality of sub-content lists based on the above information related to the above user set.

11. The information provision method of request item 1, wherein the step of determining the above-mentioned recommended content further includes the following steps: confirming whether the target exposure number of the content has been achieved; and, if the target exposure number of the content has not been achieved, increasing the probability that the above-mentioned content is determined to be recommended content.

12. An electronic device that provides information, comprising: transceiver It can send and receive information with other devices; The processor identifies a user set including at least one user of a content streaming service, determines recommended content based on information related to the user set and content-related information, generates a content list including at least one of the recommended contents, and provides the content list to the user. The processor is configured to determine the recommended content by: dividing the content within the content streaming service into multiple content groups based on content conversion-related information; and identifying at least one of the multiple content groups categorized based on the information related to the user set as the recommended content for the user set. The processor is further configured to determine the recommended content by: identifying the first content last viewed by a first user belonging to the user set; and determining one or more pieces of content to recommend to the first user based on the viewing history of other users who have viewed the first content; and if the first user views second content included in the one or more pieces of content, the processor increases the probability of recommending the second content to the other users belonging to the user set.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a medium configured to store computer-readable commands, wherein, when a processor executes the computer-readable commands, the processor performs an information provision method via an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a user set including at least one user of a content streaming service; determining recommended content based on information related to the user set and content-related information; generating a content list including at least one of the recommended content; and providing the content list to the user; wherein, The steps for determining the recommended content include: dividing the content within the content stream service into multiple content groups based on content conversion-related information; and determining at least one of the multiple content groups classified based on the information related to the user set as the recommended content for the user set; wherein, the steps for determining the recommended content further include: confirming the first content last viewed by the first user belonging to the user set; and determining one or more pieces of content to recommend to the first user based on the viewing history of other users who have viewed the first content; and wherein, if the first user views second content contained in the one or more pieces of content, the processor increases the probability of recommending the second content to the other users belonging to the user set.

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