Method, recording medium, and apparatus for providing content room

Abstract

A technology for providing a content room is provided. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by an electronic device may comprise the steps of: identifying a target content room among at least one content room providing a group viewing function of a content service, wherein the content room is a virtual space configured so that a plurality of users using the content service are able to simultaneously view content posted on the content service; on the basis of the remaining time of first content shown in the target content room, transmitting a recommendation rail to terminals of at least some users among a plurality of users connected to the target content room, wherein the recommendation rail includes one or more buttons related to the content posted on the content service; and on the basis of selection made with respect to the recommendation rail, determining second content to be shown in the target content room after the first content ends.

Description

Methods, recording media and devices for providing content rooms

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technology for providing a content room.

[0002] With the recent popularization of OTT (Over The Top) services, users can now access a variety of content offered by OTT services through their devices, without any constraints of time or space. OTT service operators are continuously striving to provide users with relevant content to ensure long-term usage.

[0003] The technical challenge to be solved through this disclosure is to provide a technology that can increase user convenience.

[0004] Another technical challenge to be addressed by this disclosure is to provide a technology that can utilize user preferences identified based on user activities online to provide content.

[0005] Another technical challenge to be addressed by the present disclosure is to provide a technology that enables multiple users to interact while simultaneously viewing content.

[0006] Another technical challenge to be solved through the present disclosure is to provide a technology that enables continuous viewing of content in a virtual space where multiple users can view content simultaneously.

[0007] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description of the specification.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method performed by an electronic device may include: identifying a target content room among one or more content rooms that provide a group viewing function of a content service, wherein the content room is a virtual space set so that a plurality of users using the content service can simultaneously view content published in the content service; transmitting a recommendation rail to user terminals of at least some of the plurality of users who have accessed the target content room based on a remaining time of first content to be screened in the target content room, wherein the recommendation rail includes one or more buttons related to content published in the content service; and determining a second content to be screened in the target content room after the end of the first content based on a selection of the recommendation rail.

[0009] In one embodiment, the step of identifying the target content room may include the step of identifying the target content room based on the number of users accessing the content room.

[0010] In one embodiment, the step of transmitting the recommendation rail may include a step of transmitting the recommendation rail only to some user terminals among a plurality of users who have accessed the target content room, based on their participation in the target content room.

[0011] In one embodiment, the engagement may be calculated based on the length of stay in the target content room or the number of chats in the target content room.

[0012] In one embodiment, the plurality of users accessing the target content room include a host and a guest, and the step of transmitting the recommendation rail may include a step of transmitting a recommendation rail including a button related to first recommended content selected based on the host's subscription information and viewing history information.

[0013] In one embodiment, the plurality of users accessing the target content room include a host and a guest, and the step of transmitting the recommendation rail may include the step of transmitting a recommendation rail including a button for second recommended content selected based on the guest's subscription information and viewing history information.

[0014] In one embodiment, the step of transmitting the recommendation rail may include the step of transmitting a recommendation rail including a button for third recommended content corresponding to attribute information of the first content.

[0015] In one embodiment, the plurality of users connected to the target content room include a host and a guest, and the step of determining the second content may include a step of determining the second content by assigning different weights to a first selection of the host and a second selection of the guest.

[0016] In one embodiment, the plurality of users accessing the target content room include a first guest and a second guest whose participation level is different from that of the first guest, and the step of determining the second content may include a step of determining the second content by assigning different weights to a third selection of the first guest and a fourth selection of the second guest.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method may further include a step of transmitting a list of users who have accessed the target content room to a user terminal of the first user based on a first request of the first user who has accessed the target content room, and a step of executing a following function for a second user who has accessed the target content room based on a second request of the first user for the list.

[0018] In one embodiment, the following function may include a function for the first user to navigate to a content room where the second user is connected.

[0019] In one embodiment, the method further includes a step of transmitting a social image to at least one of a user terminal of the first user and a user terminal of the second user based on a determination that a first user who has accessed the target content room and a second user who is distinct from the first user have satisfied a social condition, wherein the social condition is a condition based on common viewing history information of the first user and the second user, and the social image may be an image that includes at least a portion of the common viewing history information.

[0020] In one embodiment, the social image further includes profile information of the first user, profile information of the second user, and profile information of a third user who satisfies the social condition, and the step of transmitting the social image may include a step of transmitting the social image with the profile information of the third user deleted to a user terminal of the first user based on a deletion request of the first user.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium is provided which records a computer program to be executed by a processor, wherein the computer program can be configured to cause the processor to execute any one of the methods described above.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a communication interface configured to enable communication with a network, a processor configured to execute a computer program including one or more instructions, and a memory storing the computer program, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor may be configured to execute any one of the methods described above.

[0023] According to the present disclosure, user convenience can be increased.

[0024] According to the present disclosure, user preferences identified based on the user's activities online can be used to provide content.

[0025] According to the present disclosure, multiple users can interact while viewing content simultaneously.

[0026] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to enable continuous viewing of content in a virtual space where multiple users can view content simultaneously.

[0027] The effects according to the technical idea of ​​the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description of the specification.

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates an environment in which devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a computing device capable of implementing devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate content pages that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates a following list that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 9 illustrates a social image that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] The various embodiments described in this disclosure are exemplified for the purpose of clearly explaining the technical concept of this disclosure and are not intended to be limited to specific embodiments. The technical concept of this disclosure includes various modifications, equivalents, alternatives, and embodiments selectively combined from all or part of the embodiments described in this disclosure. Furthermore, the scope of the technical concept of this disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments presented below or the specific descriptions thereof.

[0037] Terms used in this disclosure, including technical or scientific terms, unless otherwise defined, may have the meaning commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0038] The expressions "includes," "may include," "comprises," "may have," "have," and "may have" used in this disclosure indicate the presence of a target feature (e.g., a function, operation, or component), but do not exclude the presence of other additional features. In other words, such expressions should be understood as open-ended terms that imply the possibility of including other embodiments.

[0039] The singular expressions used in this disclosure may include the plural meaning unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and the same applies to the singular expressions set forth in the claims.

[0040] As used herein, the terms "first," "second," or "first," "second," and the like, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, are used to distinguish one object from another when referring to multiple similar objects, and do not limit the order or importance of the objects. For example, as used herein, the terms "first user" and "second user" may be used to distinguish one user from another user among multiple users.

[0041] As used herein, the expressions "A, B, and C," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," or "at least one of A, B, or C" may refer to each of the listed items or all possible combinations of the listed items. For example, "at least one of A or B" may refer to (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0042] The expression "based on" as used in this disclosure is used to describe one or more factors that influence a decision, act of judgment, or action described in a phrase or sentence containing this expression, and this expression does not exclude additional factors that influence the decision, act of judgment, or action.

[0043] As used herein, the expression that a component (e.g., a first component) is “connected” or “connected” to another component (e.g., a second component) may mean that the component is directly connected or connected to the other component, as well as connected or connected via a new other component (e.g., a third component).

[0044] The expression "configured to" used in the present disclosure may have the meanings of "set to", "having the ability to", "modified to", "made to", "capable of", etc., depending on the context. This expression is not limited to the meaning of "specifically designed in hardware", and for example, a processor configured to perform a specific operation may mean a general purpose processor that can perform the specific operation by executing software, or a special purpose computer that is structured through programming to perform the specific operation.

[0045] The term "content" as used herein may refer to information or content provided digitally to users (e.g., audiences, end consumers, etc.). Services that provide such content to users may be referred to as "content services" or "OTT (Over The Top) services."

[0046] The term "user interface" as used herein may refer to a physical or virtual medium designed to enable communication between a user and an object, system, machine, or computer program. Users may utilize content services through the user interface. The terms "image," "text," "button," or "page" as used herein may refer to an element that constitutes the user interface.

[0047] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings and the description of the drawings, identical or substantially equivalent components may be assigned the same reference numerals. Furthermore, in the description of various embodiments below, duplicate descriptions of identical or corresponding components may be omitted, but this does not mean that such components are not included in the embodiments.

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates an environment (100) to which devices (110, 120a, 120b) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied. This environment (100) may include a management device (110) and user terminals (120a, 120b). While FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which two user terminals (120a, 120b) are connected to a network, the number of user terminals may vary. Accordingly, the environment (100) may be implemented so that a plurality of users can utilize content services provided by the management device (110) by utilizing user terminals owned by each of them. Furthermore, FIG. 1 merely illustrates a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and some components may be added as needed.

[0049] Below, each component illustrated in Fig. 1 will be described in more detail.

[0050] The management device (110) may be a server device that manages services provided to user terminals (120a, 120b). The services provided to user terminals (120a, 120b) through the management device (110) may be, for example, content services that provide content (e.g., various media content such as movies, dramas, and broadcast programs).

[0051] The management device (110) can perform various operations to play content posted on a content service on a user terminal (120a, 120b). For example, the management device (110) can obtain a viewing request, which is a request to view content, from a user terminal (120a, 120b). In order for the user terminal (120a, 120b) to transmit a viewing request to the management device (110), prerequisites such as purchasing the content, renting the content, or signing up for a membership may be required, for example. In addition, the management device (110) can transmit the content to the user terminal (120a, 120b) in a downloadable manner or transmit the content to the user terminal (120a, 120b) in a streaming manner in response to the user's viewing request.

[0052] The management device (110) may also perform operations for transmitting various pages related to content services to user terminals (120a, 120b). The various pages related to content services may include, for example, a home page of the content service, a recommendation page recommending at least some of the content posted on the content service, a search page displaying a list of content posted on the content service according to a user's search, and a content details page displaying various details of content selected by the user. The term "content page" used in this disclosure may be understood as a general term for various pages related to the content service.

[0053] In addition to the aforementioned operations, the management device (110) can perform various known operations for providing content services to user terminals (120a, 120b). It should be noted that embodiments combining various known operations related to content services with the technical concepts of providing content rooms embodied in the descriptions of this disclosure are not excluded from the scope of this disclosure.

[0054] The management device (110) may be implemented as one or more computing devices. For example, all functions of the management device (110) may be implemented in a single computing device. In another example, a first function of the management device (110) may be implemented in a first computing device, and a second function may be implemented in a second computing device. For example, the computing device may be, but is not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an application server, a proxy server, or a cloud server, and any type of device equipped with computing functions may be included in the computing device.

[0055] The user terminals (120a, 120b) may be terminals of users who utilize content services provided by the management device (110). The user terminals (120a, 120b) may display content pages to which a user interface provided by the management device (110) as a function related to the content service is applied on the user terminals (120a, 120b). In addition, the user terminals (120a, 120b) may obtain input from a user for a page to which a user interface is applied and transmit the input to the management device (110), thereby performing operations defined to correspond to the input. In this way, a web browser or an application may be installed on the user terminals (120a, 120b) to enable the user to utilize the services provided by the management device (110). These user terminals (120a, 120b) may be, for example, any one of devices such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a smart phone, but are not limited thereto, and any type of device equipped with computing capabilities may be a user terminal (120a, 120b).

[0056] The management device (110) and user terminals (120a, 120b) illustrated in FIG. 1 can communicate via a network. This network can be implemented as any type of wired or wireless network, such as, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a mobile radio communication network (MRCN), or WiBro (Wireless Broadband).

[0057] FIG. 2 illustrates a computing device (200) capable of implementing devices (110, 120a, 120b) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the computing device (200) may be interchangeably referred to as an electronic device. The management device (110) and user terminals (120a, 120b) described with reference to FIG. 1 may be implemented by the computing device (200) illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0058] A computing device (200) may include one or more processors (210), one or more memories (220), or a communication interface (230). In one embodiment, some components may be deleted from the computing device (200), or other components (e.g., a display, an input device, etc.) may be added to the computing device (200). Additionally or alternatively, some components may be implemented in an integrated manner, or implemented as a single or multiple entities. In the present disclosure, one or more processors (210) may be referred to as a processor (210). The term “processor (210)” may mean a set of one or more processors, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present disclosure, one or more memories (220) may be referred to as a memory (220). The term “memory (220)” may mean a set of one or more memories, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0059] Below, each component illustrated in Fig. 2 will be described in more detail.

[0060] The processor (210) may perform calculations or information processing related to control or communication of each component of the computing device (200). Specifically, the processor (210) may control at least one component of the computing device (200) connected to the processor (210) by executing software (or a computer program) received from another component. As an example, the processor (210) may load a command (e.g., an instruction, a code, a code segment, etc.) or information into the memory (220), process the command or information stored in the memory (220), and store result information according to the processing in the memory (220). In addition, the processor (210) may be operatively connected to the components of the computing device (200) to perform various operations such as calculations, processing, generation, or processing related to the present disclosure.

[0061] The memory (220) can store various information. The information stored in the memory (220) is information acquired, processed, or used by at least one component of the computing device (200), and may include software. The software may include one or more instructions that cause the processor (210) to perform operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure when loaded into the memory (220). That is, the processor (210) may perform operations according to various embodiments of the present disclosure by executing the one or more instructions described above. The memory (220) may include, for example, volatile or non-volatile memory. In one embodiment, the program is software stored in the memory (220), and may include an operating system for controlling the resources of the computing device (200), an application, or middleware that provides various functions to the application so that the application can utilize the resources of the computing device (200).

[0062] The communication interface (230) can establish a wired or wireless communication channel with another device and transmit and receive various information with the other device. In one embodiment, the communication interface (230) may include at least one port for connecting to another device via a wired cable in order to communicate with the other device via a wire. In this case, the communication interface (230) can communicate with another device connected via a wired connection through the at least one port. In one embodiment, the communication interface (230) may be configured to include a cellular communication module and be connected to a cellular network (e.g., 3G, LTE, 5G, Wibro, Wimax, etc.). In one embodiment, the communication interface (230) may include a short-range communication module and transmit and receive information with another device using short-range communication (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), UWB, etc.). In one embodiment, the communication interface (230) may include a non-contact communication module for non-contact communication. Contactless communication may include at least one contactless proximity communication technology, such as Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). In addition to the various examples described above, the computing device (200) may be implemented in various known ways to communicate with other devices, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the examples described above.

[0063] In one embodiment, the computing device (200) may include a display. The display may display various screens (e.g., pages) based on the control of the processor (210). To display screens with various interfaces applied on the display, for example, a web browser or a dedicated application may be installed on the computing device (200). In addition, the display may be a component capable of interacting with a user and may receive user input from the user. Such a display may be implemented in the form of a touch sensor panel (TSP) capable of recognizing contact or proximity of various external objects (e.g., a user's finger, a stylus, etc.).

[0064] In one embodiment, the computing device (200) may include an input device (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, etc.). The input device may receive information to be used in components of the computing device (200) from an external source of the computing device (200) (e.g., a user).

[0065] The processor (210), memory (220), and communication interface (230) illustrated in FIG. 2 are connected to each other through a bus, GPIO (General Purpose Input / Output), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), or MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface), and can send or receive information or signals.

[0066] Below, methods according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail. While operations are depicted in a specific order in the drawings below, it should be noted that the operations do not necessarily have to be performed in the specific order depicted or in a sequential order, or that all depicted operations must be performed to achieve the desired results.

[0067] Additionally, the operations of the method described with reference to the drawings below may be performed by a computing device. In other words, the operations of the method may be implemented as one or more instructions executed by a processor of the computing device. All operations included in this method may be executed by a single physical computing device, but the first operation of the method may be performed by a first computing device, and the second operation of the method may be performed by a second computing device.

[0068] Hereinafter, the description will continue assuming that the operation of the aforementioned method is performed by the management device (110) illustrated in FIG. 1. For convenience of explanation, the subject of the operation included in the method may be omitted, but unless otherwise indicated in the context, it should be interpreted that the operation is performed by the management device (110).

[0069] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method (S300) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The method (S300) of FIG. 3 may include a series of operations for switching content in a content room where a group viewing function is implemented. The method (S300) illustrated in FIG. 3 will now be described in detail.

[0070] The target content room can be identified (S310).

[0071] A content room can be a virtual space within a content service that implements a group viewing feature. Here, the group viewing feature can allow multiple users of the content service to simultaneously view content posted on the service.

[0072] A content room is a virtual space for simultaneous viewing of content. Multiple users can access the content room and view the content together. These users may include both hosts and guests. A host may refer to the person who created the content room or someone delegated authority by the creator, while a guest may refer to anyone who participates in the created content room but is not the host.

[0073] For a user to become a host or guest, prerequisites such as purchasing content, renting content, or signing up for a membership may be required. In one embodiment, these prerequisites may only be required for the host. Furthermore, the scope of permissions for the content room may be set differently for the host and the guest. For example, at least some of the following functions may be unique to the host: an invite function for inviting users who have not participated in the content room, a member verification function for checking users who have participated in the content room, a chat function for chatting in the content room, an exit function for leaving the content room, a delete function for deleting the content room, a kick function for expelling users who have participated in the content room, a chat ban function for preventing chatting by users who have participated in the content room, or a delegated authority function for delegating the host's authority for the content room. In other words, the content room may be set up so that guests cannot exercise the aforementioned unique permissions of the host.

[0074] Additionally, there may be restrictions on the content available in the content room. For example, content available in the content room may only be content posted for free on the content service.

[0075] It should be noted that the various settings regarding the aforementioned content room may be modified by the content service operator according to the actual operation method of the content service.

[0076] The target content room may be a content room identified as a result of the identification operation (S310) among one or more content rooms posted on the content service. The content displayed in the target content room may be switched according to the subsequent operation of FIG. 3, which will be described later.

[0077] Regarding the identification operation (S310), in one embodiment, the operation of identifying the target content room may include an operation of identifying one or more randomly selected content rooms among all content rooms posted on the content service as the target content room. In this case, all content rooms posted on the content service may become the target content room.

[0078] In another embodiment, the operation of identifying a target content room may include an operation of identifying the target content room based on the number of users accessing the content room. For example, a content room with n or more users (where n is a natural number) accessing the content room may be identified as the target content room, while a content room with fewer than n users may not be identified as the target content room. In other words, the former may be understood as enabling the content transition according to the subsequent operation of FIG. 3, while the latter may be understood as enabling the content transition according to the subsequent operation of FIG. 3.

[0079] The method for switching content according to the subsequent operation of FIG. 3 can be based on votes from users accessing the content room. Such voting may be meaningful only when the number of users accessing the content room is greater than a predetermined number (e.g., n). By identifying target content rooms based on the number of users accessing the content room, only content rooms for which voting-based content switching is meaningful can be identified as target content rooms. This can conserve unnecessary computing resources.

[0080] Based on the remaining time of the first content being screened in the target content room, a recommendation rail may be transmitted to user terminals of at least some of the plurality of users accessing the target content room (S320).

[0081] The first content may refer to the content currently being shown in the target content room. Furthermore, the remaining time may refer to the remaining playback time of the total playback time. Therefore, the remaining time of the first content may refer to the remaining playback time of the content being shown in the target content room.

[0082] Based on the remaining time of the first content, the transmission operation (S320) of the recommendation rail described below may be executed. For example, if the remaining time of the first content is "0," the transmission operation (S320) of the recommendation rail may be executed. For another example, if the remaining time of the first content is "m minutes (where m is a natural number)" or "l seconds (where l is a natural number)," the transmission operation (S320) of the recommendation rail may be executed.

[0083] A recommendation rail is a user interface element displayed on a content page for a target content room, which may include one or more buttons for content posted on a content service. When a user selects a button included in the recommendation rail, for example, the first content displayed in the target content room may be immediately switched to the corresponding content, or the content may be switched to the corresponding content after the first content displayed in the target content room has completed playing. This method may be suitable for cases where a single user has exclusive rights to play the content. For another example, when a user selects a button included in the recommendation rail, a vote on the content corresponding to the button may be conducted, and the votes of other users accessing the target content room may also be reflected. The user may then be switched to another content (e.g., a second content) after the first content displayed in the target content room has completed playing, or immediately after the second content has completed playing. This voting method may be suitable for cases where multiple users share rights to play the content.

[0084] With respect to the types of buttons included in the recommendation rail, in one embodiment, the recommendation rail may include buttons for first recommended content selected based on the subscription information and viewing history information of the host of the target content room.

[0085] Subscription information and viewing history information may reflect the host's preferences. Specifically, subscription information may include, for example, the host's age, gender, preferred content, and preferred genre. This subscription information may be information entered by the host when signing up for the content service. Furthermore, viewing history information, a type of activity information within the content service, may include content viewed by the host, reviews written by the host, and search history. This viewing history information may be processed and generated based on the host's use of the content service.

[0086] When utilizing the host's subscription information and viewing history information, other users with similar information (e.g., subscription information, viewing history information) to the host using the content service can be identified. By comparing the host's viewing history information with the viewing history information of the identified other user, the first recommended content can be identified. For example, content not included in the host's viewing history information, but included in the viewing history information of the identified other user, can be identified as the first recommended content. Unlike the example, various known methods for recommending recommended content using the user's (e.g., the host's) subscription information and viewing history information can be applied to the present disclosure.

[0087] According to this embodiment, by utilizing subscription information and viewing history information that reflect the host's preferences, a button for first recommended content that the host may prefer can be included in the recommendation rail.

[0088] In another embodiment, the recommendation rail may include buttons for second content selected based on the guest's subscription information and viewing history in the target content room. The recommendation rail may also include buttons for second recommended content likely to be preferred by the guest. The above description of the buttons for first recommended content may be applied, but with a different subject matter. In other words, according to this embodiment, buttons for second recommended content likely to be preferred by the guest can be included in the recommendation rail by utilizing subscription information and viewing history information that reflect the guest's preferences.

[0089] In another embodiment, the recommendation rail may include buttons for third recommended content corresponding to the attribute information of the first content. Here, attribute information collectively refers to various information about the content, such as the genre of the content, the content's playback time, the content's performer, the content's production year, the content's distributor, and so on. According to this embodiment, the recommendation rail may include buttons for third recommended content similar to the first content shown in the target content room.

[0090] The buttons for the first to third recommended content described above may be included in the recommendation rail. In particular, the buttons for the second recommended content may reflect the preferences of different guests participating in the target content room. For example, the recommendation rail may include buttons for the second recommended content, which reflect the preferences of the first guest, and buttons for the second recommended content, which reflect the preferences of the second guest.

[0091] Regarding the transmission method of the recommendation rail, in one embodiment, the recommendation rail may be transmitted to the user terminals of each of the multiple users connected to the target content room. In other words, if a user is connected to the target content room at the time this operation (S320) is executed, the recommendation rail may be transmitted to the user terminal of that user. The decision on content through this recommendation rail may be made through a voting method, in which case the host and guests may share the decision-making authority regarding the playback of content in the target content room. In this way, by sharing the decision-making authority regarding the playback of content among the multiple users participating in the target content room, the existence of the target content room can be maintained in the long term. This long-term existence of the target content room can contribute to the activation of the content service by providing various activities to the content service.

[0092] In another embodiment, the recommendation rail may be transmitted only to the host's user terminal. Content selection through this recommendation rail may be determined solely by a single user, in which case the host may have exclusive authority over the playback of content in the target content room.

[0093] In another embodiment, the recommendation rail may be transmitted only to some of the user terminals among the plurality of users accessing the target content room. For example, at the time this operation (S320) is executed, some of the plurality of users accessing the target content room may be randomly selected, and the recommendation rail may be transmitted to the user terminals of the selected some. In another example, at the time this operation (S320) is executed, some of the plurality of users accessing the target content room may be selected based on their participation in the target content room, and the recommendation rail may be transmitted to the user terminals of the selected some. Here, the participation may be a value calculated based on the length of stay in the target content room or the number of chats in the target content room. The decision on content through this recommendation rail may be made through a voting method, in which case the authority to decide on the playback of content in the target content room may be shared between the host and some of the guests. In particular, by considering the level of participation in the target content room, some are selected and by having them participate in the vote, the voting results will reflect the group's preferences, which can help the target content room to continue to exist in the long term.

[0094] Based on the selection for the recommended rail, the second content to be screened in the target content room after the end of the first content can be determined (S330).

[0095] Secondary content may be content to be shown in the target content room after the primary content being shown in the target content room ends. The end of content is not limited to a case where the remaining playback time of the content is "0." For example, if the remaining playback time of the content is not "0," but a transition to another content occurs, this can be considered the end of the content.

[0096] Selections on the recommendation rail for determining secondary content may have a time limit. If no selection is made within this time limit, playback rights for the content may be delegated to another user, or the selection value may be set to "0" and used for the weighted summation described below.

[0097] The determination of secondary content may be based on a person's (e.g., the host) selection on the recommendation rail. For example, the content corresponding to a button selected by the host may be determined as secondary content.

[0098] Additionally, the determination of the secondary content can be based on a weighted sum of multiple selections for the recommendation rail. For example, by assigning weights to the host's selection, the first guest's selection, and the second guest's selection, and then summing them, the content with the highest value can be determined as the secondary content.

[0099] Here, the host's choice (e.g., first choice) and the guest's choice (e.g., second choice) may be given different weights. If the host's choice is given a higher weight than the guest's choice, the second content may be determined to emphasize the host's preferences more prominently. Since the target content room is created by the host, it may be desirable to give the host's choice a higher weight than the guest's choice.

[0100] Additionally, different weights may be assigned to the first guest's selection (e.g., the third selection) and the second guest's selection (e.g., the fourth selection). If the first guest is a user with a higher level of engagement with the target content room than the second guest, the first guest's selection may be weighted more heavily than the second guest's selection. In other words, the second content may be determined to favor users with a higher level of engagement with the target content room.

[0101] According to this operation (S330), the second content to be played in the target content room may be determined after the first content ends. Once the second content is determined, the first content played in the target content room may be immediately switched to the second content, or the second content may be switched after the first content played in the target content room has completed playback. To enable such switching, the second content may be transmitted to each terminal of multiple users participating in the target content room.

[0102] According to the method (S300) described with reference to FIG. 3 so far, it is possible to determine which content (e.g., second content) to display after the end of the content (e.g., first content) being displayed in a content room (e.g., target content room) in which a group viewing function is implemented. By distributing this decision-making authority to users participating in the content room, continuous viewing of content by users can be enabled.

[0103] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method (S400) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Method (S400) of FIG. 4 may include a series of operations for a first user using a content service to execute a following function for a second user. Method (S400) illustrated in FIG. 4 will now be described in detail.

[0104] Based on the first request of the first user who has accessed the target content room, a list of users who have accessed the target content room can be transmitted to the user terminal of the first user (S410).

[0105] The first request is a request to verify the list of users connected to the target content room, and may be a request to execute the member verification function of the content service. This first request may be transmitted from the user terminal of the first user to the management device (110) illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, by the first user selecting the member verification button provided in the target content room.

[0106] According to this operation (S410), in response to the first request, a list of users accessing the target content room may be transmitted to the first user's user terminal. In one embodiment, the list of users may include all users accessing the target content room. In another embodiment, the list of users may exclude some users accessing the target content room. To exclude users from the list, a content service may be implemented that allows users to block various social functions.

[0107] Based on the second request of the first user for the list, a following function for the second user who has accessed the target content room can be executed (S420).

[0108] A second request is a request to follow a second user, and may be a request to execute the following function of the content service. Such a second request may be transmitted from the first user's user terminal to the management device (110) illustrated in FIG. 1, for example, by the first user selecting a following button provided in the target content room.

[0109] The following feature may be a feature to continuously check events that have occurred to a specific user (e.g., viewing new content, writing a review, etc.), but is not limited thereto, and may include any feature for continuously interacting with a specific user in the content service.

[0110] As an example of a following feature, a first user can navigate to a content room where a second user they follow is connected. To implement this feature, the content page may include a navigation button.

[0111] According to the method (S400) described with reference to FIG. 4, a user (e.g., a first user) can check a list of users connected to a content room (e.g., a target content room) with a group viewing feature implemented, and follow some of those users (e.g., a second user). By being able to follow other users with similar interests, the user can continuously track the events of those other users, thereby enriching their experience with the content service.

[0112] However, users are not limited to the method illustrated in FIG. 4, and can also execute the following function in various ways, such as following other users through a search for an ID, following other users on a dashboard that shows groups of users with similar viewing frequencies, following other users through reviews of content, or following other users appearing in social images as described below.

[0113] FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart illustrating a method (S500) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The method (S500) of FIG. 5 may include a series of operations for generating and transmitting a social image based on the satisfaction of a social condition. The method (S500) illustrated in FIG. 5 will now be described in detail.

[0114] Based on a determination that the first user and the second user who have accessed the target content room have satisfied the social condition, a social image can be transmitted to at least one of the user terminals of the first user and the user terminal of the second user (S510).

[0115] A social condition is a condition that allows the creation and transmission of a social image, and may be based on the shared viewing history information of the first and second users. For example, the social condition may be satisfied if the first and second users have viewed p pieces of content in common (where p is a natural number). For another example, the social condition may be satisfied if the first and second users have each viewed at least q% (where q is a natural number) of content simultaneously. For the examples described above, a period condition (e.g., 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc.) may additionally be applied. In other words, if the period condition is 3 months, the social condition may be satisfied if the first and second users have viewed p pieces of content in common within 3 months, or if the first and second users have each viewed at least q% of content simultaneously within 3 months. To determine the satisfaction of such a social condition, the number of contents and the viewership rate of the contents may be considered in combination.

[0116] A social image may be an image that includes at least some common viewing history information corresponding to social conditions. It may also include profile information for a first user or a second user. These social images can be shared to external services (e.g., social networking services) via a sharing function. This sharing function can be implemented on content pages using a share button.

[0117] If the first to third users satisfy the social conditions, the social image may include at least some of the common viewing history information of the first to third users and the profile information of the first to third users.

[0118] If three or more users satisfy the social conditions, a function for deleting some of the first to third users from the social image may be activated. Specifically, based on the first user's deletion request, a social image with the third user's profile information deleted may be transmitted to the first user's user terminal. This function may be implemented on the content page as an edit button. According to this embodiment, since unwanted users may be included in the social image depending on the social conditions, the profile information of these unwanted users may be deleted to create a social image.

[0119] Additionally, if the first user is not following the second user, who satisfies the social conditions, the following function for the second user may be executed at the first user's request by activating the following button on the social image. Similarly, if the second user is not following the second user, who satisfies the social conditions, the following function for the first user may be executed at the second user's request by activating the following button on the social image.

[0120] This action (S510) may be transmitted to the user terminal immediately upon satisfaction of the social condition. However, to avoid interrupting the content being viewed by the user, it may also be transmitted to the user terminal after the content being viewed by the user has ended.

[0121] According to the method (S500) described with reference to FIG. 5, when using a content room (e.g., a target content room) with a group viewing feature implemented, results of user interaction (e.g., social images) can be generated. Through these results, users can enjoy a richer content service.

[0122] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, user interface elements that can be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[0123] FIG. 6 illustrates a content page (600) that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0124] The content page (600) illustrated in FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which a recommendation rail (620) is displayed during playback of the first content (610). The recommendation rail (620) may include buttons (621, 622, 623) regarding candidates for second content to be screened in the target content room after the end of the first content (610).

[0125] Users who have participated in the target content room can participate in the decision of the second content by selecting buttons (621, 622, 623) regarding candidates for the second content, and the intermediate results (621a, 630) of the selection can be displayed on the content page.

[0126] FIG. 7 illustrates a content page (700) that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0127] The content page (700) illustrated in FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a user list (720) being displayed during playback of the first content (710). The user list (720) may include one or more users who have participated in the target content room. Additionally, the user list (720) may include a following button (720a) that allows users to follow other users. If the following button (720b) ​​is deactivated, it can be understood that the user corresponding to that button (720b) ​​is already being followed.

[0128] FIG. 8 illustrates a following list (800) that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0129] The following list (800) illustrated in FIG. 8 may include one or more following users (810, 820, 830). The following users (810, 820, 830) may be sorted according to their connection status to the content service. If a following user (820) has joined a content room, a move button (820e) for simultaneous viewing with that user (820) may be activated.

[0130] FIG. 9 illustrates a social image (900) that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0131] The social image (900) illustrated in FIG. 9 is a result generated as a result of fulfilling a social condition, and may include user profile information (910) satisfying the social condition, content (920) satisfying the social condition, a share button (930) for sharing the social image to an external service, or a modification button (940) for modifying components of the social image. Depending on the selection of the modification button (940), for example, some of the profile information (910) may be deleted and the social image may be generated.

[0132] The examples of FIGS. 6 through 9 described so far can be modified in any number of ways, based on known technology. Such modifications may include, for example, modifications to the arrangement of objects included in each user interface element, the number of objects, the font of the objects, the color of the objects, or the size of the objects. In other words, any user interface element that reflects the technical concepts described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 9 should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0133] In the flowcharts of this disclosure, the operations of the method or algorithm are described in a sequential order, but may also be performed in any order that can be arbitrarily combined. The description of the flowcharts of this disclosure does not exclude variations or modifications to the method or algorithm, and does not imply that any operation is essential or desirable. In one embodiment, at least some of the operations may be performed in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically. In another embodiment, at least some of the operations may be omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0134] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software on a machine-readable storage medium (MRSM) that can be read by a computing device. The software may be software for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure. The software may be inferred from various embodiments of the present disclosure by programmers skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. For example, the software may be a computer program including instructions that can be read by a computing device. A computing device is a device capable of operating according to instructions called from a storage medium, and may be interchangeably referred to as, for example, an electronic device. In one embodiment, a processor of the computing device may execute the called instructions, causing components of the computing device to perform functions corresponding to the instructions. A storage medium may refer to any type of recording medium that stores information that can be read by a device. The storage medium may include, for example, ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disks, or optical information storage devices. In one embodiment, the storage medium may be implemented in a distributed form, such as in a network-connected computer system. In this case, the software may be distributed, stored, and executed in the computer system. In another embodiment, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium. A non-transitory storage medium refers to a medium that exists regardless of whether information is stored semi-permanently or temporarily, and does not contain signals that are propagated transitorily.

[0135] While the technical concepts of the present disclosure have been described through various embodiments, the technical concepts of the present disclosure encompass various substitutions, modifications, and variations that can be made within the scope understandable to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. Furthermore, it should be understood that such substitutions, modifications, and variations are encompassed within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. In a method performed by an electronic device, A step of identifying a target content room among one or more content rooms that provide a group viewing function of a content service, wherein the content room is a virtual space set up so that multiple users using the content service can simultaneously view content posted on the content service; A step of transmitting a recommendation rail to user terminals of at least some of a plurality of users who have accessed the target content room based on the remaining time of the first content being screened in the target content room, wherein the recommendation rail includes one or more buttons related to content posted on the content service; and A method comprising the step of determining second content to be screened in the target content room after the end of the first content based on the selection for the above recommended rail.

2. In paragraph 1, The step of identifying the above target content room is: A method comprising the step of identifying a target content room based on the number of users accessing the content room.

3. In paragraph 1, The step of transmitting the above recommended rail is: A method comprising a step of transmitting the recommendation rail only to some user terminals among a plurality of users who have accessed the target content room based on the participation level in the target content room.

4. In paragraph 3, The above participation rate is, A method calculated based on the length of stay in the target content room or the number of chats in the target content room.

5. In paragraph 1, The above multiple users who have accessed the above target content room, Including hosts and guests, The step of transmitting the above recommended rail is: A method comprising the step of transmitting a recommendation rail including a button for first recommended content selected based on the host's subscription information and viewing history information.

6. In paragraph 1, The above multiple users who have accessed the above target content room, Including hosts and guests, The step of transmitting the above recommended rail is: A method comprising the step of transmitting a recommendation rail including a button for second recommended content selected based on the guest's subscription information and viewing history information.

7. In paragraph 1, The step of transmitting the above recommended rail is: A method comprising the step of transmitting a recommendation rail including a button for third recommended content corresponding to the attribute information of the first content.

8. In paragraph 1, The above multiple users who have accessed the above target content room, Including hosts and guests, The step of determining the above second content is: A method comprising the step of determining the second content by assigning different weights to the first selection of the host and the second selection of the guest.

9. In paragraph 1, The above multiple users who have accessed the above target content room, Including a first guest and a second guest whose participation level is different from that of the first guest, The step of determining the above second content is: A method comprising the step of determining the second content by assigning different weights to the third selection of the first guest and the fourth selection of the second guest.

10. In paragraph 1, A step of transmitting a list of users who have accessed the target content room to the user terminal of the first user based on a first request of the first user who has accessed the target content room; and A method further comprising the step of executing a following function for a second user who has accessed the target content room based on a second request of the first user for the list.

11. In paragraph 10, The above following function is, A method comprising a function for the first user to move to a content room to which the second user is connected.

12. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a step of transmitting a social image to at least one of a user terminal of the first user and a user terminal of the second user based on a determination that a first user who has accessed the target content room and a second user who is distinct from the first user have satisfied a social condition, The above social condition is a condition based on the common viewing history information of the first user and the second user, A method wherein the social image is an image that includes at least some of the common viewing history information.

13. In paragraph 12, The above social image is, Profile information of the above first user; Profile information of the second user; and Further including profile information of a third user that satisfies the above social conditions, The step of transmitting the above social image is: A method comprising the step of transmitting a social image with deleted profile information of the third user to the user terminal of the first user based on a deletion request of the first user.

14. In a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a computer program to be executed by a processor, A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium configured to cause the processor to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A communication interface configured to enable communication with a network; A processor configured to execute a computer program comprising one or more instructions; and including a memory in which the above computer program is stored, An electronic device, wherein when the computer program is executed by the processor, the processor is configured to execute a method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images