JP2004030112A - Method, system, program, and media for presenting contents - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more promptly search desired contents without putting a load on a user. <P>SOLUTION: A slide bar 402 is operated by the terminal unit 130 of a user. Following this action, the terminal unit 130 sends a numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the slide bar 402 being a variable operation section with respect to the terminal unit 130 to a contents presentation server 100. A two-dimensional plane surface presentation section 104 receives the numerical value as an input value. A function computation section 103 computes respective function values f(n). The two-dimensional plane surface presentation section 104 receiving new function values f(n) updates the display state of the contents arranged on the two-dimensional plane surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a content presentation method and system, and a program and a medium that enable a user to efficiently search for desired content from a vast amount of content distributed via a network.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There is a content guide device that presents a huge amount of content to users for searching (Association Guide: Shinji Miyahara, Etsuro Fujita, Shinji Abe, Yasuhito Hayashi (NTT) "D-8-7 Proposal of Stroll-type Video Portal System AssociaGuide" Proceedings of the 2002 IEICE General Conference D-8-7 (2002)). In this method, thumbnails including titles and concepts of contents are arranged and displayed on a two-dimensional plane of a screen displayed on a display unit of a user terminal, and enormous contents are selected and selected according to conditions set by a user. Is what you do.
[0003]
Thumbnails of content selected according to the conditions set by the user are easily noticed by the user by highlighting, etc., so if the conditions for selection are appropriately set, the user can select from among a huge amount of content. Can search for desired content.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional technology, when the condition is changed and the selection is performed, the user must re-enter a new condition and re-execute the selection, and the condition is continuously changed. Browsing the search results was not easy. For this reason, it sometimes takes a lot of time to search for desired content.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to search for desired content more quickly without imposing a burden on a user.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A content presentation method according to the present invention provides a plurality of contents provided by a content provider and a function associated with each of the contents, and a variable operation unit displayed on a display unit of a terminal device connected via a network. The value corresponding to the variable state is received as an input value, the value of the function corresponding to the received input value is calculated, and the thumbnail of the content is displayed in a display state corresponding to the value of the function calculated by the function corresponding to the content. A display screen arranged is generated, and the generated display screen is transmitted to a terminal device so that the display screen can be visually recognized.
According to this presentation method, a numerical value by an operation of the variable operation unit is received as a search condition, and the visual recognition state of the thumbnail is changed by a function value using the numerical value as the received search condition as an input value.
[0007]
In the content presentation method, coordinate values associated with each content may be prepared, and the thumbnail of the content may be arranged at coordinates indicated by the coordinate values on the display screen. In the content presentation method, the function indicates the relationship between the attribute of the user and the target user of the content.
[0008]
In the content presentation system according to the present invention, a plurality of contents provided by a content provider and a database in which functions associated with each of the contents are recorded are displayed on a display unit of a terminal device connected via a network. A function operation unit that receives a numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the variable operation unit as an input value and calculates a value of a function corresponding to the received input value, and a function whose thumbnail of the content corresponds to the content calculated by the function operation unit And a display screen presenting means for generating a display screen arranged in a display state corresponding to the value of, and transmitting the generated display screen to a terminal device so as to make the display screen visible.
According to this system, a numerical value by an operation of the variable operation unit is received as a search condition, and the visual recognition state of the thumbnail is changed by a function value using the numerical value as the received search condition as an input value.
[0009]
In the above content presentation system, the database may store coordinate values associated with each content, and the display screen presentation means may arrange the thumbnails of the content at the coordinates indicated by the coordinate values on the display screen. Good. In the above-described content presentation system, the function indicates the relationship between the attribute of the user and the target user of the content.
[0010]
A program according to the present invention uses a plurality of contents provided by a content provider and a function associated with each of the contents, and a variable operation unit displayed on a display unit of a terminal device connected to a computer via a network. A function that accepts a numerical value corresponding to the variable state as an input value and calculates the value of the function corresponding to the received input value, and displays the thumbnail of the content according to the value of the function calculated by the function corresponding to the content This is for realizing a function of generating a display screen arranged in a state and a function of sending the generated display screen to a terminal device so as to make it visible.
[0011]
In the above program, each content may be accompanied by a coordinate value, and the thumbnail of the content may be arranged at coordinates indicated by the coordinate value on the display screen. In the above program, the function indicates the relationship between the attribute of the user and the target user of the content.
[0012]
A recording medium according to the present invention uses a plurality of contents provided by a content provider and a function associated with each of the contents, and performs a variable operation displayed on a display unit of a terminal device connected to a computer via a network. A function that accepts a numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the unit as an input value and calculates a value of a function corresponding to the received input value, and a function that calculates the value of the thumbnail of the content according to the function value calculated by the function corresponding to the content A program for realizing a function of generating a display screen arranged in a display state and a function of sending the generated display screen to a terminal device and making the display screen visible are recorded.
[0013]
In the above-mentioned recording medium, each content may have a coordinate value attached thereto, and the thumbnail of the content may be arranged at coordinates indicated by the coordinate value on the display screen. In the recording medium, the function indicates the relationship between the attribute of the user and the target user of the content.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content presentation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The content presentation system includes a content presentation server 100, a content providing server 120, and a terminal device 130, and these are connected via a network 140 such as the Internet. The content presentation server 100 includes a database 101, a function definition unit 102, a function calculation unit 103, and a two-dimensional plane presentation unit (display screen presentation unit) 104.
[0015]
The database 101 stores, for example, a plurality of contents provided by a content provider operating the content providing server 120. Each piece of content stored in the database 101 also stores data relating to coordinates when displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the terminal 130. In addition, a function indicating the distribution of target users is defined for each content stored in the database 101. The defined function indicates, for example, the distribution of the user's age group, the user's place of residence, and the like.
[0016]
Among the contents provided to the terminal device 130 via the network, the contents to be browsed by the user may be different depending on the age, sex, residence, etc. of the user. For this reason, the system of FIG. 1 predicts in advance what age group or what kind of place of residence a user who wants the contents to be provided is distributed, and distributes these target users. Is defined as a function.
[0017]
The above function is, for example, the possibility of browsing for each age in the case of an age group, the possibility of browsing for each prefecture when the prefectures are arranged from north to south in the case of a residential area, etc. Represents the distribution of the assumed target users as shown in FIG. In this function, the higher the possibility of browsing, the higher the function value. For these functions, for example, if a value (input value) is given to a variable such as “age”, a function value such as “browsing possibility” is uniquely determined.
[0018]
The function definition unit 102 registers the content recorded in the database 101 in association with the above-described function. The function calculation unit 103 calculates a function value by giving an input value to a function corresponding to the content stored in the database 101 according to an instruction from the two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104.
[0019]
First, the two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 receives, as an input value, a numerical value corresponding to a variable state (operation state) of a variable operation unit such as a slide bar displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the terminal device 130, and receives the numerical value. The input value is passed to the function operation unit 103. In addition, the two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 changes the degree of emphasis for each thumbnail such that the larger the function value calculated by the function calculator 103 is, the larger the thumbnail indicating the outline of the content is displayed. Generate a display screen. Therefore, the input value is an index for the user to reach the target content.
[0020]
Hereinafter, the operation of the content presentation system shown in FIG. 1 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. First, the content provider defines a function representing the assumed viewing target user. When this function is transmitted from the content providing server 120 (step S201), the function is received by the content presentation server 100. In the content presentation server 100 that has received the function, the function definition unit 102 registers the profile of the corresponding content in the database 101 associated with the content that provides the received function (step S202).
[0021]
When the above function is registered in the database 101, the function operation unit 103 calculates a function value f (n0) by substituting the initial input value n0 into the function, and displays the thumbnail of the corresponding content and the display of the thumbnail. Are retrieved from the database 101 (step S203). The function operation unit 103 that has calculated the function value and extracted the predetermined information sends the calculated function value f (n0) and the coordinates to the two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 (step S204).
[0022]
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the function sets the age as an input value n and associates the content appropriateness f (n) with the input value n (age). FIG. 3 is a function defined for video content mainly intended for people in their twenties. In this function, for example, 18 is given as an initial input value. The function value (appropriateness) for the initial input value 18 is 0.6.
The two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 that has received the function value f (n0) and the coordinates determines the position and size of the thumbnail to be arranged based on the received information, generates a display screen, and transmits this to the terminal device 130. (Step S205).
[0023]
As a result, on the display unit (not shown) of the terminal device 130, the thumbnail is displayed at a position defined by the coordinates in a size defined by a function value based on the initial input value n0, and can be viewed by the user. State.
The display screen includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a two-dimensional plane 401 on which a plurality of thumbnails are displayed, and a slide bar 402 that receives an input from a user. In this case, the slide bar 402 becomes a variable operation unit displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the terminal device 130.
[0024]
In addition, as described above, when a function using age as an input value is defined for each content, the slide bar 402, which is a part for receiving input, is a part for inputting age. FIG. 4 shows a case where 18 is given as the initial input value as described above.
[0025]
When the content stored in the database 101 is, for example, a video, a thumbnail composed of a title of the video, a still image, a summary sentence indicating the video content, and the like is a two-dimensional plane 401 having a size defined by a function value. Are located in Here, the thumbnail of the content a in which the function as shown in FIG. 3 is defined has a size reflecting the function value 0.6 of the input value 18 and the coordinates (10, 35) of the two-dimensional plane 401. ). The coordinates (10, 35) are acquired by the two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 from those recorded in the database 101 as coordinates associated with the content a. The thumbnails of the other contents b and c are also displayed on the two-dimensional plane 401 in the same manner.
[0026]
Next, when the slide bar 402 is operated by the user on the terminal device 130, a numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the slide bar 402, which is a variable operation unit, is displayed on the terminal device 130 by the action. It is sent to the presentation server 100. In the content presentation server 100 receiving the numerical value, the two-dimensional plane presenting unit 104 receives the numerical value as an input value (Step S206), and sends the received input value n to the function operation unit 103 (Step S207). Upon receiving the input value n, the function operation unit 103 extracts each function f (x) defined in the corresponding content from the database 101, and calculates each function value f (n) (step S208).
[0027]
The function calculation unit 103 that has calculated each function value f (n) sends the calculated function value f (n) to the two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 (Step S209). The two-dimensional plane presentation unit 104 that has received the new function value f (n) updates the display state of the content arranged on the two-dimensional plane with the new function value f (n), and displays the display state of the content. Is transmitted to the terminal device 130 (step S210). After that, it waits for an action to be generated again from the terminal device 130 (step S206).
[0028]
As a result, a two-dimensional plane in which the display size of each thumbnail of each of the contents a, b, and c is changed is displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the terminal device 130, as shown in FIG. For example, when “19” is sent as an input value from the terminal device 130 in step S206, the content presentation server 100 determines the display size of each content by a function value f (19) based on the new input value 19. Change based on For example, the thumbnail of the content a has a function value of 0.8 with respect to the input value 19 (FIG. 3), which is larger than the function value 0.6 in the case of the initial input value 18, so that the thumbnail is displayed larger.
[0029]
The above-described display change is performed every time the input value serving as an index is changed by the operation of the slide bar 402 by the user of the terminal device 130. Therefore, in this case, if the user of the terminal 130 changes the age by operating the slide bar 402, the display state of the thumbnail is changed by using the changed age as an index, and content corresponding to each age is assumed. The distribution of the target age becomes easier to grasp.
[0030]
Here, the content presentation server 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be a computer in which a CPU, a main memory device, an external storage device such as a fixed disk, and an input / output device are connected by a bus. In this case, the programs recorded in the external storage device may be developed in the main memory device, and the CPU may operate according to the program developed in the main memory device to realize the above-described functions.
[0031]
In this case, the program uses a plurality of contents provided by the content provider and a function associated with each of the contents, and uses the variable operation unit displayed on the display unit of the terminal device connected to the computer via the network. A function that accepts a numerical value corresponding to the variable state as an input value and calculates the value of the function corresponding to the received input value, and displays the thumbnail of the content according to the value of the function calculated by the function corresponding to the content A function of generating a two-dimensional plane arranged in a state and a function of sending the generated two-dimensional plane to a terminal device to make it visible are realized.
[0032]
By the way, in the above embodiment, the display state of the thumbnail is changed using the age as an index, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a numerical value in which the place of residence is quantified and arranged may be used as an index. Also, by defining the gender distinction as a continuous index instead of binarizing it, the present embodiment can be applied to content whose target gender is ambiguous. Further, the time when the content is created or the time when the content is registered may be used as an index.
[0033]
Further, in the above embodiment, the thumbnail of the content is enlarged or reduced in accordance with the function value of the input index, but the present invention is not limited to this. What is necessary is just to make the display state which shows content stand out, so that the function value is large, corresponding to the function value of the input parameter | index. For example, the larger the function value, the higher the brightness of the display indicating the content may be. Further, the change may be made so that the contrast of the display indicating the content is enhanced as the function value increases. Further, the thumbnails may be arranged and displayed in a three-dimensional space instead of the two-dimensional plane.
[0034]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, as a variable operation unit that is a unit that receives a change in an input value that is an index, the variable operation unit is displayed on a screen on a display unit (not shown) of the terminal device 130, and is operated by operating an input unit such as a pointing device. Although a virtual slide bar whose slide position can be changed is used, the present invention is not limited to this. A virtual increase / decrease button or a rotating knob is displayed on the screen on the display unit, and the input value is changed by moving the variable operation unit by operating the input means to change the variable state. You may.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a numerical value obtained by operating the variable operation unit is received as a search condition, and the thumbnail viewing state is changed by a function value with the received search condition numerical value as an input value. Therefore, an excellent effect that a desired content can be searched more quickly without imposing a burden on the user is obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content presentation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the content presentation system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a function recorded together with a content in a database 101;
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a display unit of the terminal device.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a display unit of the terminal device.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 100: content presentation server, 101: database, 102: function definition unit, 103: function operation unit, 104: two-dimensional plane presentation unit (display screen presentation unit), 120: content providing server, 130: terminal device, 140: network , 401 ... two-dimensional plane, 402 ... slide bar (variable operation unit).

Claims (12)

Prepare multiple contents provided by the content provider and functions associated with each of these contents,
A numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the variable operation unit displayed on the display unit of the terminal device connected via the network is received as an input value, and a value of the function corresponding to the received input value is calculated,
Generating a display screen in which thumbnails of the content are arranged in a display state according to a value of a function calculated by a function corresponding to the content,
A content presentation method, wherein the generated display screen is transmitted to the terminal device to make the display screen visible. The content presentation method according to claim 1,
Prepare coordinate values associated with each of the contents,
A content presentation method, wherein a thumbnail of the content is arranged at coordinates indicated by the coordinate values on the display screen. The content presentation method according to claim 1 or 2,
The content presentation method, wherein the function indicates a relationship between an attribute of a user and a target user of the content. A database in which a plurality of contents provided by the content provider and functions associated with each of the contents are recorded,
Function calculation means for receiving, as an input value, a numerical value corresponding to a variable state of a variable operation unit displayed on a display unit of a terminal device connected via a network, and calculating a value of the function corresponding to the received input value When,
A display screen in which the thumbnails of the content are arranged in a display state corresponding to the value of the function corresponding to the content calculated by the function operation unit is generated, and the generated display screen is transmitted to the terminal device for visual recognition. A content presentation system, comprising: a display screen presentation unit that enables the display. The content presentation system according to claim 4,
In the database, coordinate values associated with each of the contents are recorded,
The content presentation system, wherein the display screen presentation means arranges a thumbnail of the content at coordinates indicated by the coordinate values on the display screen. The content presentation system according to claim 4, wherein the function indicates a relationship between an attribute of the user and a target user of the content. Using a plurality of contents provided by the contents provider and a function associated with each of these contents,
On the computer,
A function for receiving a numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the variable operation unit displayed on the display unit of the terminal device connected via the network as an input value, and calculating a value of the function corresponding to the received input value,
A function of generating a display screen in which thumbnails of the content are arranged in a display state according to a value of a function calculated by a function corresponding to the content;
And transmitting the generated display screen to the terminal device so as to make the terminal device visible. The program according to claim 7,
Each of the contents is accompanied by a coordinate value,
A program, wherein the thumbnail of the content is arranged at coordinates indicated by the coordinate values on the display screen. The program according to claim 7 or 8,
The program is characterized in that the function indicates a relationship between an attribute of a user and a target user of the content. Using a plurality of contents provided by the contents provider and a function associated with each of these contents,
On the computer,
A function for receiving a numerical value corresponding to the variable state of the variable operation unit displayed on the display unit of the terminal device connected via the network as an input value, and calculating a value of the function corresponding to the received input value,
A function of generating a display screen in which thumbnails of the content are arranged in a display state according to a value of a function calculated by a function corresponding to the content;
A recording medium on which a program for realizing a function of transmitting the generated display screen to the terminal device and making the display screen visible is recorded. The recording medium according to claim 10,
Each of the contents is accompanied by a coordinate value,
A recording medium, wherein the thumbnail of the content is arranged at coordinates indicated by the coordinate values on the display screen. The recording medium according to claim 8, wherein
The recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the function indicates a relationship between an attribute of a user and a user targeted by the content.

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