JP2003174639A - Preview video image registration method, apparatus, and program, storage medium for storing the preview video image registration program, preview video image reproduction control method, apparatus, and program, and storage medium for storing the preview video image reproduction control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a preview video image registration method and apparatus that both a video image contents seller side and a video image contents purchaser side can reach a compromise of their merits in such a way that the preview does not mean the entire contents are viewed without charge for the video image contents seller side and the video image contents purchaser can confirm that the purchaser has an incentive to purchase the contents through the preview. <P>SOLUTION: The preview video image registration apparatus calculates a rate of parts viewed by the user in a video image to the entire video image as a preview rate and places a limit on the reproduction of the video image when the preview rate exceeds a preset threshold rate. Further, the preview video image registration apparatus records the preview behavior as view history information for each user and calculates the preview rate for succeeding preview by referencing the view history information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a preview video registration method and apparatus, a storage medium storing a preview video registration program and a preview video registration program, a preview video reproduction control method and apparatus, a preview video reproduction control program, and a preview video reproduction. Relating to a storage medium that stores a control program, in particular, previewing (trial viewing) paid video content in a video distribution system
And a storage medium storing a preview video registration program, a preview video registration program, a preview video reproduction control method, a preview video reproduction control program, and a preview video reproduction control program Regarding storage media.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When providing video contents for a fee, it is necessary to provide a preview (trial preview) so that the user can determine whether or not it is worth purchasing the contents. When providing a preview, restrict not to provide the entire video content,
Information needs to be disclosed to the extent that it can be determined whether the video content is valuable to the user.

The following three are typical conventional techniques related to video preview.

There is a method of creating a preview video in advance (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-257466 “Paid Broadcast Transmission System and Broadcasting.” This method prepares a short video for preview in advance for each video content. In the movie, the trailer is the preview video.

There are two methods for editing the preview video. One is a method of joining a part of video data and creating video data for preview in advance separately from the main part. As another method, there is a method of manually giving a time interval to be reproduced for preview in the video data in advance and connecting the video data after a user requests the reproduction of the preview video.

Next, as a second conventional technique, a method for permitting viewing for a certain time in pay broadcasting will be described.

[0007] There are two types of pay broadcasting: a paper-view method in which a fee is paid for each program viewed and a pre-contract method in which a program contracted in advance can be viewed. In the case of the paper view method, there is a method in which a program can be viewed for a certain period of time from the beginning of the program, or a certain period of time because the user has adjusted the channel (for example, JP-A-11-30
8595 broadcast receiver). Specifically, the scramble is descrambled by the receiving device for a fixed time.

Next, as a third conventional technique, a method of listing representative images of scenes will be described.

A method of extracting still images representing a scene from a video and displaying the list as a list is disclosed. By instructing a still image of a scene, the video can be reproduced from the scene, so that the user can freely browse the video from the viewpoint.

[0010]

However, in any of the above-mentioned conventional methods, the method of creating the preview video in advance has the following two problems.

(1) Since the preview image is created from the viewpoint of the image provider, the preview cannot be performed from the user's viewpoint.

(2) It costs much to edit the preview video.

The above problem (1) will be described.
Before you buy a book (content) at a bookstore, "stand by"
You can This "browsing" corresponds to a preview in the case of video content. The preview video is equivalent to the "summary" of the book and summarizes the content from the publisher's perspective. In the case of a book, you can not only read the synopsis but also "browse", and by "scrutinizing" the part you are interested in, you can be sure whether or not to purchase this book. Can judge. The problem with video is that it cannot be previewed from the user's perspective.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional method, since the video is provided as a broadcast in the first place, there is a problem that the user cannot perform random access (fast forward, rewind, jump to a scene) of the video. Therefore, there is a problem that the preview cannot be performed from the user's point of view, as in the conventional technique.

Further, in the above-mentioned conventional method, the entire video content can be reproduced as it is.
There is a problem that it cannot be used for previewing paid content.

[0016] The present invention has been made in view of the above points. Instead of looking at a preview created in advance from the viewpoint of the video provider, the pay content is interactively viewed while the viewer is interested in the scene. You can decide whether to purchase it, you can not be satisfied just by looking at the preview, you can control playback so that you want to purchase paid content, and you can save the labor and cost of producing preview video An image registration method and device, a storage medium storing a preview image registration program and a preview image registration program, a preview image reproduction control method and device, a preview image reproduction control program, and a storage medium storing the preview image reproduction control program are provided. To aim.

Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a preview video registration method and apparatus capable of grasping the outline of video contents at a glance, a storage medium storing a preview video registration program and a preview video registration program, and a preview video reproduction control. A method and an apparatus, a preview video reproduction control program, and a storage medium storing the preview video reproduction control program.

A further object of the present invention is to store a preview video registration method and device, a preview video registration program, and a preview video registration program that can produce a preview video in which a scene in which a user has a high interest is extracted without much trouble. A storage medium, a preview video reproduction control method and device, a preview video reproduction control program, and a storage medium storing the preview video reproduction control program.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.

The present invention (Claim 1) is a preview video registration method for a content provider for performing a service of previewing (trial watching) a pay video content in a video distribution system, for registering a preview video in a video storage means. In, the content provider inputs the video file name using the input means (step 1), selects the genre of the video to be registered (step 2), and selects the preview method from a plurality of options ( Step 3).

According to the present invention (claim 2), when selecting a preview method, one of time limitation, scene number limitation, weighted preview limitation, and preview not permitted is selected, and the weighted preview limitation is selected. When is selected, a template describing a time change pattern of scene importance is selected.

The present invention (claim 3) is a preview video reproduction control method for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for providing a service for previewing (trial watching) a paid video content in a video distribution system. The distribution server receives the video ID of the video content from the client terminal (step 4)
And the user of the client terminal is authenticated using the user ID (step 5), and the authenticated user ID and video I
The viewing history information of the user is searched based on D (step 6), the scene list of the video contents designated by the user is transmitted to the client terminal (step 7), and the scene designated by the client terminal is provided as a preview. (Step 8), a preview ratio, which is the ratio of the portion viewed by the user to the whole as a preview, is calculated (Step 9), and if the preview ratio is larger than a preset threshold value (Step 10), it is already sufficient for the preview. Playback is stopped assuming that the user has watched a certain amount (step 11). If the content is small, the user waits for input, and when the user specifies a table of contents item, the specified scene is transmitted to the client terminal (step 12). , When the scene playback is completed on the client, the user's viewing history is Recorded as information (Step 1
3).

According to the present invention (claim 4), based on the viewing history information recorded each time the user performs a preview, the preview rate is calculated with reference to the viewing history information when the preview is provided next time.

According to the present invention (claim 5), when a scene designated by the client terminal is provided as a preview, a list of representative images or headings of scenes included in the video is displayed.

The present invention (claim 6) creates a preview video based on the viewing history information. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention.

According to the present invention (claim 7), a content provider for performing a preview (trial viewing) service of pay video content in a video distribution system registers a preview video for registering the preview video in the video storage means 10. The device is an apparatus for inputting a video file name by a content provider, a selecting means 12 for selecting a video genre to be registered, and a preview method designating means for selecting a preview method from a plurality of options. And 13.

According to the present invention (claim 8), in the preview method designating means 13, a means for selecting any one of time restriction, scene number restriction, weighted preview restriction, and no preview, and a weighted preview. When the restriction is selected, it includes means for selecting a template describing a temporal change pattern of scene importance.

The present invention (claim 9) is a preview video reproduction control apparatus for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for providing a service of previewing (trial viewing) a pay video content in a video distribution system. A viewing history storage unit 20 that stores the user's preview viewing history as viewing history information; and an authentication unit 21 that authenticates the user of the client terminal using the user ID when receiving the video ID of the video content from the client terminal. A history search means 22 for searching the viewing history storage means for the viewing history information of the user based on the authenticated user ID and video ID, and a scene list providing means for providing the client terminal with the scene list of the video content designated by the user. 23 and the scene specified in the client terminal The preview providing means 24 for providing as a preview, the preview rate calculating means 25 for calculating a preview rate which is the ratio of the portion viewed by the user to the preview as a whole, and the preview rate already exceeds the preset threshold value, The reproduction control means 26 for stopping the reproduction, assuming that a sufficient amount of viewing has been performed, and waiting for the input from the user if the reproduction is small,
When the client finishes playing the scene, the history recording unit 27 records the viewing history of the user in the viewing history information storage unit.

According to the present invention (claim 10), the preview rate calculation means 25 refers to the viewing history information when the next preview is provided based on the viewing history information recorded every time the user performs a preview. And means for calculating the preview rate.

According to the present invention (claim 11), in the scene list providing means, a means for displaying a list of representative images or headings of scenes included in the video when the scene designated by the client terminal is provided as a preview. Including.

The present invention (claim 12) further comprises a preview video creating means for creating a preview video based on the viewing history information.

According to the present invention (claim 13), the pay video contents are previewed (trial watching) in the video distribution system.
Is a preview video registration program for a content provider to register the preview video in the video storage means for performing the service, and an input process of inputting a video file name by the content provider and a genre of the video to be registered. In the selection process of selecting, the preview method selection process of selecting from among time limit, scene number limit, weighted preview limit, and preview not allowed as preview methods, and the preview method selection process If the preview restriction is selected, it has a process of selecting a template describing a time-varying pattern of scene importance.

According to the present invention (claim 14), the pay video contents are previewed (trial watching) in the video distribution system.
Is a preview video reproduction control program for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for performing the service of, and when the video ID of the video content is received from the client terminal, the user of the client terminal is authenticated using the user ID. An authentication process for performing a search, and a viewing history accumulation process for accumulating the viewing history information in which the viewing history information of the user is recorded every time the user previews the viewing history information of the user based on the authenticated user ID and video ID A history search process, a scene list providing process for providing a client terminal with a representative image of scenes of a video content specified by a user or a headline as a scene list, and a preview providing for providing a scene specified by the client terminal as a preview Process and the viewing history information, the preview rate calculation process of calculating the preview rate, which is the ratio of the portion watched by the user to the whole as a preview, and if the preview rate is larger than a preset threshold value, the preview is already done. Playback is stopped after assuming that a sufficient amount of viewing has been performed, and if it is small, a playback control process that waits for input from the user, and when the scene playback is completed on the client It has a history recording process of recording, and a preview video creation process of creating a preview video by obtaining a viewer rating from the viewing history information, extracting a video section having a higher viewer rating than a preset threshold value, and synthesizing the video section. .

According to the present invention (claim 15), the pay video contents are previewed (trial watching) in the video distribution system.
A storage medium storing a preview video registration program for a content provider to register the preview video in the video storage means for performing the above service, and an input process for inputting a video file name by the content provider, and register it. Selection process for selecting the genre of the video to be used as a preview method, and a preview method selection process for selecting a preview method from time restriction, scene number restriction, weighted preview restriction, and preview not allowed, and preview method selection In the process, when the weighted preview restriction is selected, the process has a process of selecting a template describing a time-varying pattern of scene importance.

According to the present invention (claim 16), the pay video contents are previewed (trial watching) in the video distribution system.
Is a storage medium that stores a preview video reproduction control program for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for performing the service described above, and when the video ID of the video content is received from the client terminal, the user of the client terminal operates as a user. An authentication process of authenticating using an ID, and viewing history information that records the viewing history information of the user each time the user previews the viewing history information of the user based on the authenticated user ID and video ID A history search process that searches from the history accumulation process, a scene list providing process that provides the client terminal with a representative image of scenes of the video content specified by the user or a headline as a scene list, and a preview of the scene specified by the client terminal Provided as A preview providing process, a preview ratio calculating process of referring to the viewing history information and calculating a preview ratio, which is a ratio of the portion viewed by the user to the entire preview, and if the preview ratio is larger than a preset threshold value. , A playback control process of stopping the playback while already watching a sufficient amount of the preview, and waiting for input from the user if it is small,
When the reproduction of the scene is completed on the client, a history recording process for recording the user's viewing history in the viewing history information storage process, and a viewing rate is obtained from the viewing history information, and the viewing section is higher than a preset threshold value. And a preview video creation process for creating a preview video by extracting and synthesizing the same.

As described above, in the present invention, the video is randomly accessible, and the ratio of the portion of the video viewed by the user to the whole is calculated as the preview rate, and the preview rate is preset. It becomes possible to restrict the reproduction of the preview video of the user when the value becomes larger than the threshold value.

Since random scenes in the video can be randomly accessed, it is not necessary to see a preview created in advance from the viewpoint of the video provider, but whether the viewer purchases paid content while interactively browsing the scene of interest. You can judge. Furthermore, since the reproduction is restricted when the preview rate becomes larger than a preset threshold value, there is no concern that all paid contents can be viewed for free.
Since it is not necessary to produce the preview video in advance, it is possible to save the trouble and cost.

Further, according to the present invention, the preview behavior is recorded as viewing history information for each user, and the preview rate is calculated with reference to the viewing history information when the next preview is performed. As described above, by recording the viewing history information, it is possible to prevent the entire content from being viewed by trying the preview a plurality of times. In addition, the present invention displays a representative image of scenes included in a video or a list of headings, thereby displaying a representative image or a heading representing the content of the scene, so that an overview of the video can be quickly grasped, and You can quickly jump to the scene you are interested in.

Further, in the present invention, preview behaviors of a plurality of users are recorded as viewing history information, and a preview video is created based on the viewing history information. Since preview video can be automatically created based on viewing history,
It is possible to save the trouble of manually editing the preview image on the image providing side. Since some users do not want to preview interactively, it is desirable to provide the part that many people are interested in as a preview video.

[0039]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [First Embodiment] FIG. 3 shows a system configuration according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The system shown in FIG.
01, client terminal 202, video storage unit 203, preview rate calculation unit 204, viewing history storage unit 205, display unit 206, input unit 207, and network 209.

In the system shown in the figure, a video distribution server 201 on the video provider side and a client terminal 202 on the user side are connected via a network 209.

The client terminal 202 is connected to a display unit 206 for displaying an image and an input unit 207 for instructing random access to the image. The display unit 206 is a TV or computer display screen, the input unit 2
Reference numeral 07 denotes a computer keyboard, mouse, remote controller, or the like.

The video distribution server 201 includes a video storage unit 20.
3 is connected to the video distribution server 2 in accordance with a video reproduction request from the user.
It is transferred to the client terminal 202 via 01. The video storage unit 203 is generally composed of a hard disk. Further, the video distribution server 201 is connected to a preview rate calculation unit 204 for calculating a preview rate (details will be described later) and a viewing history storage unit 205 (detailed processing flow will be described later). The viewing history storage unit 205 is a storage device for storing data regarding the viewing history of the user, and the video storage unit 203.
It is also possible to use the same hard disk device as.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation in the first embodiment of the present invention.

When the client terminal 202 connects to the video distribution server 201, the client terminal 20
Authenticate the user using 2 (step 10
0). Various methods such as a method of inputting a user ID and a password from a keyboard and a method of using an ID embedded in the client terminal 202 can be used for user authentication.

Next, the client terminal 202 transmits the ID of the video content to be previewed (hereinafter referred to as the video ID) to the video distribution server 201 (step 10).
1). The video ID is a character string (file name or the like) or number for identifying the video content. Actually, when the user selects one to be previewed from the list of video contents, the video ID is transmitted to the video distribution server 201.

Next, the preview rate calculation unit 204 retrieves the viewing history information of the user from the viewing history storage unit 205 from the set of the user ID and the video ID of the authenticated user,
Read (step 102). FIG. 5 is an example of a viewing history information table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The viewing history information table shown in FIG.
05 is a table for managing the viewing history, and the viewing history information can be searched from the user ID and the video ID. When the viewing history information is not found in the viewing history information table, it is determined that the preview is the first time. This process is necessary to prevent the entire video content from being viewed by performing the preview multiple times.

Next, a scene list of the designated video contents is displayed (step 103). FIG. 6 shows an example of a scene list screen. In the area 301 shown in the figure, a table of contents of the video contents is displayed, and when one of the table of contents items is selected with the remote control or the mouse, the scene is jumped to and the reproduction is started from the scene. Button 302
Button 30 for purchasing content
Reference numeral 3 is a button for ending the preview. Buttons 304, 305, 306, and 307 are buttons for instructing to move to the previous scene, start playback, stop playback, and move to the next scene, respectively. By operating the scroll bar 308, it is possible to jump to an arbitrary time point in the video. A moving image is displayed on the screen 309. As the scene list, it is possible to display only the title or table of contents as shown in FIG. 6, or it is possible to display a small image representing the scene. Also, without displaying the title, the button 304,
As in 307, by jumping to the “next scene” and the “previous scene”, only the scene of interest can be viewed.

Various variations of the video reproducing method are possible. The entire video can be played back so that the user can freely access where he / she wants to see it, but some videos are inconvenient if the result is unclear, such as inferential ones. Part)
It is also possible to specify in advance as the viewing preview-disabled section. You can also set the start and end times for each scene and automatically stop the playback when that section is played, or start playback from the start point of the scene and continue playback until instructed by the user. There is also a way to continue.

Next, the video distribution server 201 checks whether or not the specified content is charged, and if it is charged, the process jumps to step 107 to unconditionally reproduce the video (step 104). If the billing process has not been executed, it is checked in step 105 and thereafter whether the preview can be reproduced.

Next, the preview rate calculation unit 204 calculates the ratio of the portion viewed by the user as a preview to the whole as a "preview rate" (step 10).
5). The calculation of the "preview rate" will be described later because it is related to the viewing history collection method.

Next, the preview rate is a threshold value T designated in advance.
If it is larger than that, it is determined that the preview has already been viewed in a sufficient amount, and the reproduction is stopped (step 11).
7) A message prompting purchase is displayed on the client terminal 202 (step 118).

The input unit 207 waits for user input. It is checked whether the table of contents item has been clicked (step 108), and if it has been clicked, the scene jumps to the scene specified in step 109. Specifically, the client terminal 202 or the video distribution server 201 manages a scene information table including scene IDs, start times, end times, and table of contents items as shown in FIG. 7. The client terminal 202 subtracts the start time of the scene from the clicked table of contents item, and sends a command to the video distribution server 201 to transfer the video data from that time.

Next, it is checked whether the purchase button 302 has been pressed, and if it has been pressed, the billing settlement process is started (step 110).

It is checked whether the play button or the like has been pressed (step 112), and if it has been pressed, the reproduction state is updated (step 113). Specifically, the client terminal 202 internally performs the following processing. If the current playback state is “stop” when the playback start button 305 is pressed, the video distribution server 201
Send a command to start sending video data to.
When the reproduction stop button 306 is pressed and the current reproduction state is "reproducing", a command is sent to the video distribution server 201 to suspend the transmission of the video data.
When the "previous scene" button 304 is pressed, the scene information table shown in FIG. 7 is drawn for the scene immediately before the current position (time from the beginning of the video) held in the client terminal 202. To identify. And
A command is sent to the video distribution server 201 to transfer the video data from the start time of the immediately preceding scene.

It is checked whether the user has pressed the end button 303 (step 114). If the user has pressed the end button 303, the viewing history is saved and the preview processing is ended (step 115). The storage of the viewing history will also be described later. If it has not been pressed, the process returns to step 114.

Next, the calculation of the preview rate in the preview rate calculation unit 204 will be described.

The preview rate calculation unit 204 calculates the proportion of the portion viewed by the user in the whole as a preview rate. There are various possible definitions of the preview rate.

For example, there is a method in which the preview time, the preview video length, the number of reproduced scenes, and the importance of the scene are considered.

Each will be described below.

(1) Preview time: The simplest method of calculating the preview rate is as follows. (Preview rate) = (elapsed time at the start of preview)
/ (Time length of entire video) In other words, the preview cannot be viewed after a certain period of time has passed for the first time. (2) Preview video length: (Preview rate) = (time length of previewed portion) / (time length of entire video) (1) In this case, the same section is repeatedly viewed, or the user pauses and resumes viewing, and that time is not added to the preview rate, so the mental burden is smaller than in the method (1). Instead of time length,
It is also possible to use the data amount of the video data transferred from the video distribution server 201 to the client terminal 202.

(3) Number of reproduced scenes: See also FIG.
When displaying a scene list as shown in, record which scene was played back, and calculate as (preview rate) = (number of played scenes) / (total number of scenes) (2) You can also do it.

The details will be described below.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of viewing control based on the number of reproduced scenes according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Step 1701) A variable N for recording the number of reproduced scenes is initialized to 0.

Step 1702) The viewer selects one of the scenes displayed in the table of contents 301 in FIG.

Step 1703) 1 for the number of scene playback N
Add.

Step 1704) It is checked whether or not the number of scene reproductions (the number of scenes divided by the total number) N is smaller than a threshold value, and if larger, the process proceeds to step 1706.

It is determined that the preview is impossible.

Step 1705) The preview is permitted.

Step 1706) If N is larger than the threshold value in step 1704, the preview is disabled.

Step 1707) The reproduction of the scene selected in Step 1702 is started.

(4) Method considering scene importance:
It is also possible to give an importance degree to each scene in advance and calculate the preview rate in consideration of the scene importance degree (a content registration procedure for assigning the scene importance degree will be described later). FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the method of calculating the preview rate according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents scene importance. Explaining with reference to the figure, it can be defined as (preview rate) = (cumulative scene importance: shaded area) / (scene importance summed over the entire image: total area) (3). Using this definition, for example, when it is troublesome to pick up only the highlight scenes, the highlight scenes can be set to be viewed only a limited number of times.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of viewing control in consideration of the importance of the scene in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Here, the preview attribute (scene importance, scene priority,
It is assumed that preview is enabled / disabled. Specifically, the “preview availability flag” and the “scene importance” are added to the scene information table of FIG. 7.

Step 1901) A variable for storing the accumulated scene importance is initialized to 0.

Step 1902) It is checked whether a scene that cannot be previewed is selected. Step 1903) If the preview is not possible, the scene importance of the corresponding scene is acquired in step 1903.

Step 1904) The scene importance is added to the cumulative importance, and if the cumulative importance is smaller than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 1905, and if not, step 190.
Go to 6.

Step 1905) If the cumulative importance is smaller than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 1907. If not, the process proceeds to step 1906.

Step 1906) If the cumulative importance is larger than the threshold value, the preview is disabled.

Step 1907) The preview is enabled.

(5) Cumulative playback time: Here, the playback of the preview video is limited using the cumulative playback time.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of viewing control by cumulative reproduction time in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Here, the preview reproduction is limited by using the accumulated reproduction time.

Step 1801) The accumulated reproduction time is initialized to 0. Specifically, set the timer in the computer to 0
Initialize to.

Step 1802) It is checked whether or not the play button has been pressed, and if it has been pressed, the routine proceeds to step 1803, and if not, the routine proceeds to step 1806.

Step 1803) A counter for accumulating the reproduction time (called a reproduction time counter) is started.

Step 1804) Check whether the stop button has been pressed.

Step 1805) If it is pressed, the reproduction time counter is stopped (stopwatch is stopped).

Step 1806) It is checked whether or not the fast-forward button has been pressed. If it has been pressed, the procedure moves to step 1807, and if it has not been pressed, the procedure moves to step 1808.

Step 1807) Playback screen (3 in FIG. 6)
09) is in the state of being fast forwarded. The playback time counter may be stopped during execution of the fast-forward operation so that it is not included in the playback time, or the playback time can be counted.

Step 1808) It is checked whether the accumulated reproduction time is longer than the threshold value, and if it is larger, step 1809
Otherwise, to step 1810.

Step 1809) If it is large, the preview is disabled.

Step 1810) If it is small, the preview is possible.

Next, content registration will be described.

A flow in which the content provider registers content in the video storage unit 203 connected to the video distribution server 201 will be described below.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of content registration according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[FIG. 7] is an example of a content registration screen in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Step 1001) The content provider inputs the video file name into the input field 1101.

Step 1002) The content provider selects the genre of the video to be registered now.
In the example of FIG. 13, the radio button 1102 is used to display 5 items of “sport”, “drama”, “movie”, “education”, and “cooking program”.
I try to choose one from two.

Step 1003) The content provider selects one preview method from a plurality of options.
In the screen 1103 of FIG. 13, one of “time limit”, “scene number limit”, “weighted preview limit”, and “preview not allowed” is selected. In the case of time limit, the threshold is set according to the ratio to the content length.

Step 1004) It is checked whether the preview method selected in step 13 is "weighted preview restriction", and if so, the process proceeds to step 1005.

Step 1005) Select "template" according to the genre. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, a correspondence table of genres and template names is prepared in advance and the template names are acquired. The “template” describes the temporal change pattern of the scene importance. As an example, FIG. 15 to FIG. 17 show three patterns of “second half emphasis type template” “equal type template” “middle stage emphasis type template”. Shows.

The "second half emphasis type template" of FIG.
It is intended for use in content such as dramas whose value is greatly reduced when the ending is known. In this template, as shown in the figure, the latter half portion (50% to 100% of the content) is set as the non-preview section, and the importance is set to monotonically increase from the first half to the middle stage.

The "uniform template" shown in FIG. 16 is intended to be used for content that is valuable only when it is shown firmly from the beginning to the end, such as an educational image. In this template, as shown in the figure, the importance does not change from the beginning (0%) to the end (100%) of the content.

The "middle-stage-oriented template" in FIG. 17 is
It is intended for use in content that is valuable in the middle stage (section explaining cooking procedures), such as a cooking program.

Step 1006) The importance degree and the non-previewable section are set for the image based on the template. Specifically, when the “second half priority type template” is selected, the second half portion (if the content length is 1 hour, the time section from the beginning to 30 minutes to 1 hour) is stored as the preview-disabled section.

In the above embodiment, the template is selected based on the genre, but the template may be directly selected instead of selecting the genre. In the operation described above, the scene importance level is set at the time of content registration, but it is also possible to modify so that the importance level is calculated every time with reference to the template during preview reproduction.

By setting the degree of importance by using the template, it is not necessary to manually set the degree of importance manually, resulting in cost reduction.

FIG. 18 shows an example of a scene demand level setting screen in the first embodiment of the present invention. The screen shown in the figure is a screen that appears when the button 1104 is pressed on the content registration screen of FIG. Here, a scene representative image 1601 is displayed in a list, and an importance degree selection radio button 1602 is arranged beside it, and importance degrees are assigned in advance according to the selected template. The content provider can reset the importance as necessary. If such an interface is provided, it becomes possible to finely adjust the importance and non-preview section for each scene.

Next, a method of collecting the viewing history will be described.

There are roughly two methods for collecting the viewing history.

First, the preview rate calculation unit 20 determines at what time the video distribution server 201 transferred the video data.
This is a method of collecting the viewing history by notifying 4 of the above. Of course, the video data sent from the video distribution server 201 may not be reproduced by the client terminal 202, but it is considered that there is no problem in the preview even if there is some error.

Another method is the client terminal 20.
2 is a method of collecting viewing history (for example, an event such as pressing a play button or selecting a table of contents item).

There are several possible methods for saving the viewing history.

(1) When a video is divided into sections for a predetermined time (for example, one second unit) and the sections are reproduced, for example,
When a user performs the reproduction as shown in FIG. 19, the bit flag “111001000” is converted into a numerical value and saved as a viewing history. By saving the viewing history information in this way, the previous state can be restored even when the user enters the preview screen again. However,
Since it is necessary to record this bit flag for each user and each content, there is a drawback that a large recording capacity is required.

(2) "1" is recorded when the preview is performed once, and "0" is recorded otherwise, and "0" is recorded.
Only allow preview.

This method has the drawback that the same content cannot be previewed twice. (3) The date and time when the preview is performed is recorded, and the preview is disabled for a certain period from the time when the preview was performed last time.

In addition, it is a place to store the viewing history,
It is necessary to prevent the user from rewriting the viewing history. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the viewing history storage unit 205 is provided on the server side. However, it is possible to provide the viewing history storage unit on the client terminal 202 side after considering the safety by using an encryption technique or the like.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the video reproduction is not completely performed as the reproduction restriction, but it is of course possible to reduce the image quality and prevent the sound from being heard. Moreover, since the psychological burden is large when the playback is suddenly stopped, if the preview rate becomes higher than a certain threshold value (set lower than the above-mentioned threshold value T), the mental burden is given by notifying that the playback cannot be performed soon. Can be reduced. Further, in the above embodiment, the preview rate is calculated for one video, but the preview rate can also be calculated for a package in which a plurality of video contents are grouped (for example, series. If you have a group of images, you can preview your favorite image).

In this embodiment, the network 2
Although it has a client / server type system configuration via 09, it is also applicable to video contents stored in a recording medium such as a DVD. In that case, the video data is encrypted so that the content cannot be viewed for free, and when purchased, an encryption key is sent so that the entire video can be viewed. In this case, for example, it is necessary to protect the viewing history information by encryption so that it is not modified by the user.

[Second Embodiment] In the present embodiment,
A case where the preview image is created on the video provider side based on the viewing history of the user will be described.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart of the operation in the second embodiment of the present invention. Step 801) The viewing history information stored in the viewing history storage unit 205 is read out by designating the video ID. Since the viewing history information is managed by the data structure as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the row corresponding to the designated video ID is selected. FIG. 21A illustrates the read viewing history information (for 6 users), and the shaded area corresponds to the previewed section.

Step 802) The audience rating is calculated from the viewing history information. For example, it is possible to count how many users have watched at a certain fixed time and divide the number of viewing users by the total number of users to obtain the audience rating. Figure 21
The graph of (b) shows the time change of the audience rating. A section with a high audience rating can be considered to be an important scene with high popularity.

Step 803) List sections in which the audience rating is higher than a predetermined threshold value T2. In the example of FIG. 21, two sections (sections 71 and 72) are listed. If the threshold T2 is made small, a long preview image will be generated. It is also possible to automatically adjust the threshold T2 on the system side so that the preview video fits within the time specified by the video provider or the user.

Step 804) The listed video sections are linked to create preview video data.

However, the audience rating tends to be high near the start time of the scene. This is because when the interface shown in FIG. 6 is provided, there is a tendency to click the index item 301 first. In order to remove such a peak of the audience rating, it is desirable to consider it as a time section in which the scene is continuously viewed for a predetermined time or longer. Further, as a result of the preview, the viewing rate can be modified so that only the viewing history information of the user associated with the purchase is used. In this way, by using the viewing history information linked to the purchase, it is possible to enumerate the sections having a higher preview effect.

In the present invention, the operation described above can be constructed as a program and installed in a computer used as a video distribution server or a client terminal, or distributed through a network.

Further, the constructed program is stored in a portable storage medium such as a hard disk connected to a computer used as a video distribution server or a client terminal, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, or a CD-ROM, It can also be installed when implementing the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0131]

As described above, according to the present invention, the user has the following effects. (A) It is possible to determine whether or not to purchase paid content while interactively browsing a scene in which the viewer is interested, rather than viewing a preview created in advance from the viewpoint of the video provider.

Further, the following effects are provided for the video provider side.

(B) It is not enough to look at the preview, and it is possible to control the reproduction so that the pay content is desired to be purchased.

(C) Since it is not necessary to produce a preview image, the labor and cost can be saved.

(D) By looking at the scene list, the outline of the video contents can be grasped at a glance, and the scene can be immediately jumped to.

(E) It is possible to produce a preview video in which a scene in which a user has a high interest is extracted without any trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an example of a viewing history information table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an example of a scene list screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an example of a scene information table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of viewing control based on the number of reproduced scenes according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a preview rate calculation method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a flowchart of viewing control in which the degree of importance of a scene coexists in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of viewing control based on accumulated reproduction time according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of content registration according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an example of a content registration screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a genre / template correspondence table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a latter half emphasis type template according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a uniform template according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a template for emphasizing a middle stage according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a scene importance setting screen in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining viewing history information according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart of an operation according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining a method of calculating an audience rating according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Image storage means 11 Input means 12 Selection means 13 Preview method specification means 20 Viewing history storage means 21 Authentication method 22 History search means 23 Scene list providing means 24 Preview providing means 25 Preview rate calculation means 26 Reproduction control means 27 history recording means 201 Video distribution server 202 Client terminal 203 video storage unit 204 Preview rate calculator 205 Viewing history storage unit 206 display 207 Input section 209 network 301 area (table of contents) 302 Purchase button 303 Finish button 304 Previous scene transition button 305 Play button 306 Stop button 307 Next scene transition button 308 scroll bar 309 screen 1101 File name input field 1102 radio button 1103 screen 1104 button 1601 scene representative image 1602 Importance selection radio button

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Takashi Shiozaki             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Satoshi Nanbu             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Makoto Muto             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Haruhiko Kojima             2-3-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation F-term (reference) 5C052 AA20 AC01 AC08                 5C064 BA01 BB01 BC04 BC06 BC18                       BC23 BD03    (54) [Title of Invention] Preview video registration method and device, preview video registration program, and preview video registration program                     Storage medium storing grams, preview video playback control method and device, and preview video playback system                     Storage medium storing the control program and the preview video playback control program

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A preview video registration method for a content provider for providing a service for previewing (trial viewing) pay video content in a video distribution system, wherein the content provider registers the preview video in video storage means. A preview video registration method characterized by inputting a video file name using an input means, selecting a genre of a video to be registered, and selecting a preview method from a plurality of options. 2. When the preview method is selected, one of time restriction, scene number restriction, weighted preview restriction, and preview not allowed is selected, and the weighted preview restriction is selected. The preview video registration method according to claim 1, wherein a template describing a temporal change pattern of scene importance is selected for. 3. A preview video reproduction control method for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for providing a service for previewing (trial watching) a pay video content in a video distribution system, comprising: When the video ID of the video content is received, the user of the client terminal is authenticated using the user ID, the viewing history information of the user is searched based on the authenticated user ID and the video ID, and the user is designated by the user. A scene list of video contents is transmitted to the client terminal, a scene specified by the client terminal is provided as a preview, and a preview ratio, which is a ratio of the portion viewed by the user to the entire preview, is calculated. Rate in advance finger If it is larger than the specified threshold, the playback is stopped assuming that a sufficient amount of viewing has already been done for the preview, and if it is smaller, the input from the user is awaited. Is transmitted to the client terminal, and when the reproduction of the scene is completed at the client, the viewing history of the user is recorded as the viewing history information. 4. The preview rate is calculated on the basis of the viewing history information recorded each time the user performs a preview, when the preview is provided next time, by referring to the viewing history information. Preview video playback control method. 5. The preview video reproduction control method according to claim 3, wherein when a scene designated by the client terminal is provided as a preview, a list of representative images or headings of scenes included in the video is displayed. 6. The preview video reproduction control method according to claim 3, wherein a preview video is created based on the viewing history information. 7. A preview video registration device for a content provider to perform a preview (trial watching) service of a pay video content in a video distribution system, for registering the preview video in a video storage means. A preview having an input means for inputting a video file name by a person, a selection means for selecting a genre of a video to be registered, and a preview method designating means for selecting a preview method from a plurality of options. Video registration device. 8. The preview method designating means selects from any one of time restriction, scene number restriction, weighted preview restriction, and no preview, and when the weighted preview restriction is selected. The preview video registration apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for selecting a template describing a temporal change pattern of scene importance. 9. A preview video reproduction control device for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for providing a service for previewing (trial watching) a pay video content in a video distribution system, the preview viewing history of a user. Viewing history storage means for storing as the viewing history information, and an authentication means for authenticating the user of the client terminal using the user ID when the video ID of the video content is received from the client terminal, the authenticated user ID and the video ID. History searching means for searching the viewing history information of the user from the viewing history accumulating means, a scene list providing means for providing the client terminal with a scene list of video content designated by the user, and the client terminal Preview the scene specified in And a preview rate calculation means for calculating a preview rate, which is a ratio of the portion viewed by the user to the entire preview as a preview, and if the preview rate is larger than a preset threshold value, the preview rate is already displayed. When a sufficient amount of viewing has been performed, the playback is stopped, and if it is small, a playback control unit that waits for an input from the user; and when the client finishes playing the scene, the viewing history of the user is changed to the viewing history information. A preview video reproduction control device, comprising: history recording means for recording in a storage means. 10. The preview rate calculating means, based on the viewing history information recorded every time the user performs a preview, refers to the viewing history information to provide the preview rate when a preview is provided next time. 10. The preview video reproduction control device according to claim 9, further comprising calculation means. 11. The scene list providing means includes means for displaying a list of representative images or headings of scenes included in a video when a scene designated by the client terminal is provided as a preview. Preview video playback controller. 12. The preview video reproduction control device according to claim 9, further comprising a preview video creation means for creating a preview video based on the viewing history information. 13. A preview video registration program for a content provider for performing a service of previewing (trial watching) a pay video content in a video distribution system, the preview video registration program for registering a preview video in a video storage means. The input process of inputting the video file name by the person, the selection process of selecting the genre of the video to be registered, and the preview method: time restriction, scene number restriction, weighted preview restriction, or no preview A preview method selection process of selecting any one of them, and a process of selecting a template describing a time-varying pattern of scene importance when the weighted preview restriction is selected in the preview method selection process Characterized by View image registration program. 14. A preview video reproduction control program for reproducing a preview video by a content provider for performing a service of previewing (trial watching) a paid video content in a video distribution system, comprising: Upon receiving the video ID, an authentication process for authenticating the user of the client terminal using the user ID, and viewing history information of the user based on the authenticated user ID and the video ID, the viewing history of the user preview A history search process for searching from a viewing history storage process that stores viewing history information to be recorded each time a preview is performed, and a representative image of scenes of video contents designated by the user or a headline as a scene list to the client terminal. List of provided scenes A providing process, a preview providing process for providing a scene designated by the client terminal as a preview, and a preview rate, which is a ratio of the portion viewed by the user to the preview as a whole, with reference to the viewing history information. Preview rate calculation process, and if the preview rate is larger than a preset threshold value, the playback is stopped assuming that the preview has already viewed a sufficient amount, and if it is smaller, a playback control process that waits for an input from the user. When the client finishes playing the scene, a history recording process of recording the viewing history of the user in the viewing history information storage process, and an audience rating is obtained from the viewing history information, and the audience rating is preset. Video sections that are higher than the threshold Preview video reproduction control program and having a preview image creation process of creating a preview image with a. 15. A storage medium that stores a preview video registration program for a content provider to perform a preview (trial viewing) service of a pay video content in a video distribution system so as to register the preview video in the video storage means. The input process of inputting the video file name by the content provider, the selection process of selecting the genre of the video to be registered, and the preview method, time restriction, scene number restriction, weighted preview restriction, and preview are allowed. No, a preview method selection process is selected, and in the preview method selection process, when the weighted preview restriction is selected, a template describing a time change pattern of scene importance is selected. Have a process to Storage medium storing a preview image registration program characterized and. 16. A storage medium that stores a preview video reproduction control program for a content provider to perform a preview (trial watching) service of a pay video content in a video distribution system, the client being a client. When the video ID of the video content is received from the terminal, an authentication process for authenticating the user of the client terminal using the user ID, and the viewing history information of the user based on the authenticated user ID and the video ID are displayed as a preview of the user. A history search process for searching a viewing history storage process that stores viewing history information for each time the user previews a viewing history, and a representative image of a scene of the video content designated by the user or a headline for a scene list. As the client terminal A scene list providing process to be provided, a preview providing process to provide a scene specified in the client terminal as a preview, and a ratio of the portion viewed by the user as the preview to the entire portion with reference to the viewing history information. A preview rate calculation process for calculating a preview rate, and if the preview rate is larger than a preset threshold value, the playback is stopped assuming that the preview has already been viewed by a sufficient amount, and if it is smaller, the input from the user is awaited. And a history recording process of recording the viewing history of the user in the viewing history information storage process when the playback of the scene is completed in the client, and obtaining a viewing rate from the viewing history information and calculating the viewing rate. Is higher than the preset threshold Extracted, synthetic storage medium storing a preview image reproduction control program characterized by including a preview image creation process of creating a preview image by.