Distribution device and content display method

Abstract

This content display method is executed by a content server (11) that is communicably connected to a plurality of display devices (12-A, 12-B, 12-C) and that distributes content to the plurality of display devices. The content display method includes: detecting a display device in which a failure occurs from among the plurality of display devices; extracting an alternative display device from any of the display devices in which a failure is not detected, on the basis of the degree of similarity between the display condition of the display device in which a failure is not detected and the display condition of the display device in which the failure is detected; and transmitting, to the extracted alternative display device, the content that was allocated as an object to be displayed on the display device in which the failure is detected, so as to be displayed on the alternative display device.

Description

Distribution device and content display method

[0001] The present invention relates to a distribution device and a content display method.

[0002] In digital signage systems at train stations and airports, multiple display devices are installed within the same network, and advertising content is displayed on each display device. In such digital signage systems, advertising content to be displayed can be set for each display device. In such digital signage systems, if a failure occurs in a specific display device, the advertising content that had been displayed on that display device will no longer be displayed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent No. 6251487 JP 2021-182085 A

[0004] Display devices with self-diagnostic capabilities can determine whether the images or videos they display are being displayed correctly. Therefore, if a malfunction is detected in a display device that makes up a digital signage system, the system can immediately notify the administrator of the malfunctioning display device, thereby halting the charge for advertising. However, even if the charge for advertising can be halted promptly in the event of a display device malfunction, this can result in lost opportunities for advertisers and reduced profits for advertisers.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a distribution device and a content display method that can compensate for advertising opportunities when an event such as a failure of a specific display device occurs in an environment where multiple display devices exist within the same network.

[0006] A content display method according to one aspect of the present invention is a content display method executed by a distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, the content display method detecting a display device among the plurality of display devices that has experienced a malfunction, extracting an alternative display device from one of the display devices that has not been detected to be malfunctioning based on the degree of similarity between the display conditions of the display device that has not been detected to be malfunctioning and the display conditions of the display device that has been detected to be malfunctioning, and transmitting the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device that has been detected to the extracted alternative display device, thereby displaying the content.

[0007] In addition, an advertising display method according to one aspect of the present invention is a content display method executed by a distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, the content display method detecting a display device among the plurality of display devices that has experienced a malfunction, extracting an alternative display device from among the display devices in which a malfunction has not been detected based on the correspondence between the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected and the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has not been detected, and transmitting the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected to the extracted alternative display device, thereby displaying the content.

[0008] In addition, one aspect of the present invention provides an advertising display method, which is a distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, and which has a detection unit that detects a display device among the plurality of display devices that has experienced a malfunction, an extraction unit that extracts an alternative display device from any of the display devices in which a malfunction has not been detected, and a transmission unit that transmits content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the malfunction was detected to the alternative display device.

[0009] In addition, one aspect of the present invention provides an advertising display method, which is a distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, and which includes: a detection unit that detects a display device among the plurality of display devices that has experienced a malfunction; an extraction unit that extracts an alternative display device from among the display devices in which a malfunction has not been detected in accordance with a correspondence between the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected and the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has not been detected; and a transmission unit that transmits the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected to the extracted alternative display device.

[0010] According to the present invention, an advertisement that cannot be displayed due to a malfunction of a display device can be displayed on another display device instead, thereby compensating for the loss of an advertising opportunity when a malfunction of the display device or other reason occurs.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an overview of a digital signage system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram explaining the functions of a content server 11. FIG. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a display device 12. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing in a digital signage system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a database of information on a display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example of composite display of advertising content according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of another example of composite display of advertising content according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing in a digital signage system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a database of information on a display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of an advertising display device according to another aspect of the present invention.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <First Embodiment> Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overview of a digital signage system according to a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the digital signage system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured by connecting a content server (distribution device) 11, a plurality of display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ..., and a terminal device 13 via the same network 14. An access point 15 and a switching hub 16 configure the network 14 that connects the content server 11, the plurality of display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ..., and the terminal device 13.

[0013] The content server 11 is communicatively connected to multiple display devices via a network 14 and distributes content to the multiple display devices. The content server 11 is, for example, a distribution device. The content server 11 transmits content to each display device (display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc.) to display the content. The content includes at least one of still image data, video data, audio data, and text data. In this embodiment, the content is described as an advertisement, but it does not have to be an advertisement. Advertising content can be divided into company advertisements and third-party advertisements. For example, company advertisements are advertisements placed by a distribution company that provides a service to transmit and display content on each display device. The distribution company transmits content and manages and operates various facilities. Company advertisements may include not only promotional advertisements but also information such as train and airline guides and flight schedules. Third-party advertisements are advertisements placed by companies other than the distribution company that provides a service to transmit and display content on each display device. Third-party advertisements may be advertisements for nearby retail stores within a station or airport facility. Furthermore, in the digital signage system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a CMS (Contents Management System) is used to manage advertising content.

[0014] The display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc. are installed at different locations, for example, in various places in a train station or an airport, and display content. The display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc. may be, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), electroluminescence (EL) displays, etc. The display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc. each display content according to a schedule. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc. have a self-diagnosis function.

[0015] The terminal device 13 is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer). By operating an input device provided on the terminal device 13, the administrator can cause the content server 11 to execute processes such as editing and scheduling of advertising content to be displayed on each of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc.

[0016] Next, a process will be described when a failure occurs in any of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, . . . in the digital signage system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] 2 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the content server 11. The content server 11 has a storage unit 111, a communication unit 112, a detection unit 113, a determination unit 114, and a transmission unit 115. The storage unit 111 stores various data. For example, the storage unit 111 stores information such as the display conditions of the display device and the display time of the content. The communication unit 112 communicates with each display device and the terminal device 13 via the network 14.

[0018] The detection unit 113 detects a display device among the plurality of display devices that is experiencing a malfunction. For example, the detection unit 113 may install imaging devices that capture display screen images near each of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc., and the content server 11 may acquire image data captured by the imaging devices. The detection unit 113 may then analyze the acquired image data and detect whether or not the display device is malfunctioning based on the analysis results. The image data analysis may, for example, determine whether or not there is a correspondence between the analysis results of image data obtained from the imaging devices when content is displayed normally. The detection unit 112 may determine that there is no malfunction if there is a correspondence based on the determination results.

[0019] The extraction unit 114 extracts an alternative display device from among any of the display devices for which a malfunction has not been detected. The alternative display device is a display device that displays content that should have been displayed on the malfunctioning display device, instead of the malfunctioning display device. The extraction unit 114 extracts a display device as an alternative display device based on the degree of similarity between the display conditions of the display device for which a malfunction has not been detected and the display conditions of the display device for which a malfunction has been detected. The display conditions of a display device include physical conditions of the display device and conditions based on usage. Physical conditions include screen size, installation location, aspect ratio, resolution, etc. Usage-based conditions include usage fees and viewer attributes. Viewer attributes represent the attributes of targets desired to view content. In other words, viewer attributes represent the attributes of targets to be appealed to by the content. Furthermore, if the content is an advertisement, the attributes of consumers who are likely to purchase the product appealed to by the advertisement can be used as viewer attributes. In this case, viewer attributes can also be considered consumer attributes. The degree of similarity can be considered high when a combination of multiple display conditions has a large number of elements included in the display conditions that have the same content (value). Furthermore, even if the contents (values) indicated by the elements included in the display conditions are not the same, if the values ​​are close, the degree of similarity can be determined to be high.

[0020] When the extraction unit 114 causes the alternative display device to display the first content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the failure was detected, and when the alternative display device has the second content that was assigned to be displayed on the alternative display device, the extraction unit 114 extracts the first content and the second content. In other words, the extraction unit 114 can extract the content that was intended to be displayed on the display device in which the failure was detected and the content that was intended to be displayed on the alternative display device.

[0021] The extraction unit 114 refers to the viewer attributes of the content that was to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction was detected, and extracts an alternative display device in accordance with the viewer attributes. The content server 11 refers to the consumer attributes of the advertising content being displayed on the malfunctioning display device. That is, in targeted signage, advertising content is displayed according to the attributes of the consumers who will view the advertisements. The extraction unit 114 refers to the viewer attributes of the content that was to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction was detected, and extracts an alternative display device in accordance with the viewer attributes. The extraction unit 114 refers to the consumer attributes of the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction was detected, and extracts, from among display devices in which a malfunction was not detected, a display device that does not contain content targeted at the same viewer attributes as the display device in which a malfunction was detected, as an alternative display device.

[0022] The transmitter 115 causes the communication unit 112 to transmit to the alternative display device the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the failure was detected. The transmitter 115 causes the alternative display device to transmit the first content and the second content. By transmitting the first content and the second content to the alternative display device, the transmitter 115 causes the alternative display device to display the first content in a first area of ​​the divided areas of the alternative display device and the second content in a second area of ​​the divided areas. By transmitting the first content and the second content to the alternative display device, the transmitter 115 causes the first content and the second content to be displayed in order over time on the display screen of the alternative display device. This order may be the first content followed by the second content, or the second content followed by the first content, or the two contents, the first content and the second content, may be displayed alternately and repeatedly.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the display device 12. The display device 12 includes a storage unit 121, a communication unit 122, a display unit 123, and a control unit 124. The storage unit 121 stores various data. The communication unit 122 communicates with the content server 11 via the network 14. The display unit 123 displays content. The display unit 123 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel. The control unit 124 controls each unit of the display device 12. For example, the control unit 124 can divide one display area of ​​the display unit 123 provided on the display device 12 into multiple areas and display different content in each of the divided display areas (divided display areas). The control unit 124 also has a self-diagnosis function. The self-diagnosis function is a function for diagnosing whether the display device 12 is in a state where it can normally display content. If a malfunction is detected by the self-diagnosis function, the control unit 124 transmits a notification of the malfunction to the content server 11. This allows the detection unit 113 of the content server 11 to detect that a failure has occurred in the display device that has transmitted the information that a failure has been detected.

[0024] If a malfunction occurs in any of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ..., the advertising content that had been displayed on that display device will no longer be able to be displayed. If the advertising content is an advertisement for another company, the client of the advertisement has paid an advertising fee, and therefore, if the advertisement cannot be displayed due to a display device malfunction, compensation must be provided for the loss caused by the lost advertising opportunity. Therefore, in this embodiment, if a malfunction occurs in any of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ..., a replacement display device is identified from among the display devices that are operating normally, and the advertising content is displayed on the replacement display device instead of the malfunctioning display device, thereby compensating for the advertising opportunity caused by the display device malfunction.

[0025] 4 is a flowchart showing the processing in the digital signage system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This flowchart shows the processing that is performed when one of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc. breaks down while advertisements are being displayed on the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, etc. according to a schedule.

[0026] (Step S101) The content server 11 determines whether or not it has received a notification from each of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... indicating that advertisement display is no longer possible. That is, in this embodiment, each of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... has a self-diagnosis function. When each of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... becomes unable to properly display advertising content due to a malfunction or other reason, it transmits a notification indicating the malfunction in response to a status acquisition command received from the content server 11. The content server 11 determines whether or not it has received a notification from the display device, thereby identifying the display device among the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... in which the malfunction is occurring.

[0027] In step S101, if the content server 11 has not received a notification from any of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... indicating that advertisement display is no longer possible (step S101: No), the content server 11 returns the process to step S101. On the other hand, if the content server 11 has received a notification indicating that advertisement display is no longer possible (step S101: Yes), the content server 11 proceeds to step S102.

[0028] (Step S102) When the content server 11 receives a notification from any of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... indicating that advertisement display has become impossible (Step S101: Yes), the content server 11 determines whether the advertisement content that has become impossible to display is a company advertisement or an advertisement of another company. If the advertisement content that has become impossible to display is a company advertisement (Step S102: No), the content server 11 returns the process to Step S101, and if it is a company advertisement (Step S102: Yes), the content server 11 proceeds to Step S103.

[0029] As mentioned above, there are two types of advertising content: in-house ads and third-party ads. In-house ads can be placed at the discretion of the company itself, but third-party ads are sold as ad space, and other companies place their ads in that space. For this reason, with third-party ads, if the ads are not displayed, losses may occur.

[0030] In addition, in order to be able to distinguish whether the advertising content is an advertisement for one company or another company, an identifier for the company / another company may be assigned in advance to the data of the advertising content.

[0031] (Step S103) The content server 11 refers to information about the faulty display device and information about the content.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of display conditions of a display device. Such display conditions of a display device may be stored in advance as a database in the storage unit 111. In the example of FIG. 5, the display conditions of a display device include elements such as "status," "screen size," "fee," and "consumer attributes." "Status" indicates whether the display device is malfunctioning or operating normally. "Screen size" represents the size of the screen of the display device. "Fees" represents the fee for using the display device for a certain period of time. For example, the fee is the fee incurred for use for n hours. "Consumer attributes" represent the attributes of viewers who are assigned to the display device and who are targeted to view content. For example, a display device with consumer attributes set to "male" gender and "30-40" age is set to display advertisements targeted at consumers with these consumer attributes. For example, for a display device visible from a location frequently frequented by "males" and "30-40 years old," consumer attributes "males" and "30-40 years old" are assigned, and for a display device visible from a location frequently frequented by "females" and "20-30 years old," consumer attributes "females" and "20-30 years old" are assigned. The elements indicating the display conditions of a display device are not limited to these, and various other elements, such as "installation location," "aspect ratio," and "resolution," may also be used. Content information also includes display time. Display time is the period from the start to the end of content playback. When different content is displayed, some content may have the same display time, while other content may have different display times. When extracting an alternative display device, the extraction unit 114 may also refer to the display time of the content and extract content with the same display time or content with minimal difference in display time. Information about the display time of the content is stored in the storage unit 111 along with the content identifier.

[0033] (Step S104) The content server 11 compares the information of the failed display device with the information of other functioning display devices, and identifies the functioning display device that is closest to the information of the failed display device. For example, assume that display device 12-A is broken. In this case, by comparing the information of display device 12-A with the information of other display devices 12-B to 12-E using the database shown in FIG. 5, display device 12-E contains many of the same elements and is the display device with the closest information. That is, in this example, display device 12-A and display device 12-E have the same "screen size" element and the same "target consumer attributes" element. Furthermore, the "fee" element is the closest. Therefore, display device 12-E is the display device with the closest information. When the content server 11 identifies the functioning display device that is closest to the failed display device, it determines this identified display device as the replacement display device.

[0034] (Step S105) The content server 11 distributes the advertising content that was being displayed on the failed display device to a substitute display device instead of the failed display device. At this time, if there is other advertising content already being displayed on the substitute display device, the advertising content of the failed display device is added to this other advertising content and displayed.

[0035] The following method can be applied as a display method for adding and displaying the advertisement content of the failed display device to another advertisement content already being displayed on the substitute display device.

[0036] (1) Dividing the screen of the replacement display device, and displaying the separate advertising content that had been displayed and the advertising content of the failed display device in each of the divided screen areas. (2) Scrolling and switching between the separate advertising content that had been displayed on the replacement display device and the advertising content of the failed display device at predetermined intervals, alternately displaying them in a slideshow format.

[0037] 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example of composite display of advertising content in the first embodiment of the present invention. This example shows a method of dividing the screen of the substitute display device and displaying the advertising content of the failed display device and the other advertising content that had been displayed up until then in the respective divided screen areas.

[0038] For example, suppose that a failure occurs in display device 12-A, and display device 12-E is identified as the display device with the information closest to that of display device 12-A. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, the screen of display device 12-E, which serves as the substitute display device, is divided into area AR1 and area AR2. Then, advertising content C1 (first advertising content) that was displayed on display device 12-A is displayed in area AR1, and advertising content C2 (second advertising content) that is to be displayed on display device 12-E is displayed in area AR2.

[0039] 7 is an explanatory diagram of another example of composite display of advertising content in the first embodiment of the present invention. This example shows a method of alternately displaying, in a slideshow format, advertising content that had been displayed on a substitute display device and advertising content from a failed display device at predetermined intervals.

[0040] For example, suppose that a malfunction occurs in display device 12-A, and display device 12-E is identified as the display device with the information closest to that of display device 12-A. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, first, advertising content C1 (first advertising content) that was displayed on the malfunctioning display device 12-A is displayed for a certain period of time, and then the content display is scrolled and switched, and advertising content C2 (second advertising content) that is displayed on display device 12-E is displayed for a certain period of time. This operation is repeated.

[0041] When creating slideshow content, it is necessary to set the display time for each advertisement. This display time for each advertisement is set in the same way when the malfunctioning display device was displaying advertisements in slideshow format. Therefore, the display time can be obtained in advance in step S102, or a fixed value can be set in the CMS of the content server 11.

[0042] Furthermore, when advertising content from a faulty display device is added to other advertising content already being displayed on an alternative display device, whether to display the content by splitting the screen or by adding it in a slide show format may be decided uniquely or may be selectable by the advertiser.

[0043] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment of the present invention is configured as a target-type signage. Target-type signage refers to a system that selects content to be displayed according to the attributes of consumers who view advertisements.

[0044] 8 is a flowchart showing the processing in the digital signage system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This flowchart shows the processing when one of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... in the target-type signage fails.

[0045] (Step S201) The content server 11 determines whether or not it has received a notification from each of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... indicating that advertisement display is no longer possible. If the content server 11 has not received a notification from any of the display devices 12-A, 12-B, 12-C, ... indicating that advertisement display is no longer possible (step S201: No), the content server 11 returns the process to step S201. On the other hand, if the content server 11 has received a notification indicating that advertisement display is no longer possible (step S201: Yes), the process proceeds to step S202.

[0046] (Step S202) The content server 11 determines whether the advertising content that cannot be displayed is a company advertisement or a third-party advertisement. If the advertising content that cannot be displayed is a company advertisement (step S202: No), the content server 11 returns the process to step S201. Here, if a company advertisement cannot be displayed, it does not need to be displayed on an alternative display device. In this case, since an alternative display device does not need to be prepared, there is no need to use the display device that displays the third-party advertisement as an alternative display device, and the third-party advertisement can be displayed preferentially. This prevents the company advertisement from affecting the advertising space for the third-party advertisement. On the other hand, if the advertising content that cannot be displayed is a third-party advertisement (step S202: Yes), the content server 11 proceeds to step S203. By proceeding to step S203, if the advertising content that cannot be displayed is a third-party advertisement, the third-party advertisement can be displayed on an alternative display device.

[0047] The processes from step S201 to step S203 are the same as the processes from step S101 to step S103 in the first embodiment.

[0048] (Step S203) The content server 11 references the consumer attributes of the advertising content being displayed on the broken display device. That is, in targeted signage, advertising content is displayed according to the attributes of the consumer viewing the advertisement. Consumer attribute information is recorded in the display device's database. In step S203, the content server 11 references the consumer attribute information of this advertising content. Note that when targeted signage is used, the advertisement display time is the duration of viewing by the viewer, so information on the advertisement display time can be eliminated.

[0049] (Step S204) The content server 11 determines whether or not there is a display device among the normal display devices that does not include advertising content targeted at the same consumer attributes as the consumer attributes of the faulty display device.

[0050] 9 is an explanatory diagram of a database that is an example of display conditions for a display device in the second embodiment of the present invention. Such display conditions for a display device may be stored in advance in the storage unit 111. For example, if the display device 12-A is malfunctioning, the consumer attributes of the display device 12-A from the database shown in FIG. 9 are "displayed" for "for people in their 20s" and "not displayed" for "for people in their 30s" and "for people in their 40s." Therefore, if display devices that do not include advertising content with the consumer attribute "for people in their 20s" are extracted from the example of FIG. 9, the display devices 12-B, 12-D, and 12-E will be found.

[0051] If the content server 11 cannot find a display device that does not contain advertising content targeted at the same consumer attributes as the faulty display device (step S204: No), the content server 11 proceeds to step S205; if the content server 11 can find a display device that does not contain advertising content targeted at the same consumer attributes as the faulty display device (step S204: Yes), the content server 11 proceeds to step S206.

[0052] (Step S205) The content server 11 identifies the display device that is closest to the failed display device among the normal display devices, and proceeds to step S206. The processing at this time is the same as the processing at step S104 in the first embodiment.

[0053] (Step S206) The content server 11 distributes and adds the advertising content that was displayed on the failed display device to the advertising content assigned to the alternative display device. For example, if a failure occurs in display device 12-A, display devices 12-B, 12-D, and 12-E will be searched for by the processing of step S204. For example, if display device 12-B is used as the alternative display device, display device 12-B will display the following:

[0054] (1) If the viewer is in their 20s: The display device 12-B displays the advertising content "for people in their 20s" of the broken display device 12-A. (2) If the viewer is in their 30s: The display device 12-B displays the advertising content "for people in their 30s" of the display device 12-B. (3) If the viewer is in their 40s: The display device 12-B does not display any advertisements.

[0055] In this way, in the second embodiment of the present invention, in step S204, a replacement display device is identified by searching for display devices that do not contain advertising content targeted at the same consumer attributes as the consumer attributes of the malfunctioning display device, thereby preventing any impact on the advertising content of the replacement display device.

[0056] That is, if the display device 12-A breaks down and the display device 12-B is used as an alternative display device, there will be no competition for advertising content for "people in their 20s" because advertising content for "people in their 20s" is not set on the display device 12-B. Also, there will be no loss of opportunity to display advertising content for "people in their 30s" that was set on the display device 12-B because advertising content for "people in their 30s" is not set on the display device 12-A.

[0057] If step S204 fails to find a display device that does not contain advertising content targeted at the same consumer attribute as the faulty display device (step S204: No), step S205 identifies the display device closest to the faulty display device and uses it as a replacement display device. In this case, advertising content targeted at the same consumer attribute may compete. For example, if display device 12-A fails and display device 12-D is used as a replacement display device, advertising content targeted at "people in their twenties" on display device 12-A may compete with advertising content targeted at "people in their twenties" set on display device 12-D, thereby affecting the display opportunity for the advertising content targeted at "people in their twenties" set on display device 12-D. In this case, it is possible to alternately display advertising content targeted at the same consumer attribute. Alternatively, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to split the screen and display two pieces of advertising content.

[0058] As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, when a display device breaks down, a replacement display device is identified by comparing the consumer attributes of the advertising content of the broken display device with the consumer attributes of the advertising content of other display devices that are functioning normally. By searching for display devices that do not contain advertising content targeted at the same consumer attributes, it is possible to avoid losing the opportunity to display advertising content on the replacement display device.

[0059] Furthermore, in the event of a display device malfunction, consumer trends may be determined using the consumer attributes of the display device's advertising content to identify a replacement display device. For example, display devices that display advertising content "targeted at people in their 20s" are often installed in places where people in their 20s frequently visit. Therefore, in the event of a display device malfunction, a display device with the same consumer attributes as the advertising content of the malfunctioning display device may be identified as a replacement display device. For example, if the consumer attribute of the advertising content of the malfunctioning display device is "targeted at people in their 20s," a display device with the consumer attribute "targeted at people in their 20s" may be identified as a replacement display device. In this way, display advertisements "targeted at people in their 20s" can be efficiently displayed to viewers in their 20s.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows the basic configuration of an advertising display device according to another aspect of the present invention. A content display system 501 according to another aspect of the present invention includes a distribution device 511 that distributes content and a plurality of display devices 512-A, 512-B, 512-C, etc. The distribution device 511 displays the content by transmitting the content to the plurality of display devices 512-A, 512-B, 512-C, etc. When the distribution device 511 detects a display device that is experiencing a malfunction among the plurality of display devices, the distribution device 511 selects a substitute display device from among the display devices that are not detected to be malfunctioning based on the degree of similarity between the display conditions of the display device in which the malfunction was detected and the display conditions of the display device in which the malfunction was detected. The distribution device 511 then distributes and displays the content that was intended to be displayed on the display device in which the malfunction was detected to the selected substitute display device. When this distribution device 511 detects a failure of a display device, it may extract an alternative display device from among the display devices for which no failure has been detected, based on the correspondence between the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device for which the failure has been detected and the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device for which no failure has been detected.

[0061] All or part of the digital signage system 1 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented by a computer. In this case, a program for implementing this function may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as floppy disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or telephone lines, or devices that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within the computer system serving as the server or client. The program may also be designed to implement some of the aforementioned functions, or may be capable of implementing the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already stored in the computer system, or may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA.

[0062] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0063] 11 Content server 12A, 12B, 12C Display device 13 Terminal device 14 Network

Claims

1. A content display method executed by a distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, the method comprising: detecting a display device among the plurality of display devices that has experienced a malfunction; extracting an alternative display device from one of the display devices where a malfunction has not been detected based on the degree of similarity between the display conditions of the display device where a malfunction has not been detected and the display conditions of the display device where a malfunction has been detected; and transmitting the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device where a malfunction has been detected to the extracted alternative display device, thereby displaying the content.

2. A content display method executed by a distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, the method comprising: detecting a display device among the plurality of display devices in which a malfunction has occurred; extracting an alternative display device from among the display devices in which a malfunction has not been detected in accordance with a correspondence between consumer attributes of content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected and consumer attributes of content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has not been detected; and transmitting the content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected to the extracted alternative display device, thereby displaying the content.

3. A content display method as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when a first content that was assigned as the object to be displayed on a display device in which a failure has been detected is displayed on the alternative display device, if there is a second content that has been assigned as the object to be displayed on the alternative display device, the first content and the second content are extracted, and the first content and the second content are transmitted to the alternative display device.

4. The content display method according to claim 3, wherein the alternative display device is capable of dividing a display area of ​​the alternative display device into a plurality of areas and displaying the divided areas, and the first content and the second content are transmitted to the alternative display device, thereby causing the first content to be displayed in a first area of ​​the divided areas of the alternative display device and the second content to be displayed in a second area of ​​the divided areas of the alternative display device.

5. A content display method as described in claim 3, wherein the first content and the second content are transmitted to the alternative display device, thereby causing the first content and the second content to be displayed in sequence over time on a display screen of the alternative display device.

6. A content display method as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein, if the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the malfunction was detected is content provided by a distribution company that provides a service of distributing and displaying content on the multiple display devices, the content is not displayed on the alternative display device; and, if the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the malfunction was detected is content provided by a company other than the distribution company, the content is displayed by transmitting it to the alternative display device.

7. A content display method as described in claim 2, further comprising extracting as an alternative display device, from among the display devices in which no fault has been detected, a display device in which the correspondence between the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the fault has been detected does not match the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which no fault has been detected.

8. A content display method as described in claim 2, further comprising extracting, from among the display devices in which the fault has not been detected, a display device in which the correspondence between the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the fault has been detected matches the consumer attributes of the content assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the fault has not been detected, as an alternative display device.

9. A distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, the distribution device having: a detection unit that detects a display device among the plurality of display devices that has experienced a malfunction; an extraction unit that extracts an alternative display device from any of the display devices in which a malfunction has not been detected; and a transmission unit that transmits content that was assigned to be displayed on the display device in which the malfunction has been detected to the alternative display device.

10. A distribution device that is communicatively connected to a plurality of display devices and distributes content to the plurality of display devices, comprising: a detection unit that detects a display device among the plurality of display devices in which a malfunction has occurred; an extraction unit that extracts an alternative display device from among the display devices in which a malfunction has not been detected in accordance with a correspondence between consumer attributes of content assigned as an object to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected and consumer attributes of content assigned as an object to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has not been detected; and a transmission unit that transmits the content that was assigned as an object to be displayed on the display device in which a malfunction has been detected to the extracted alternative display device.

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