JP2009246497A - Information providing device, information acquiring terminal, information providing system, information providing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information providing device which can efficiently and effectively provide program campaign information. <P>SOLUTION: The information providing device is provided with: a first ECG (Electronic Content Guide) unit processing section 112 which provides a first ECG unit regarding a program under presenting, or scheduled to be presented in near future by an unspecified program provider to user terminals 200 which display ECG items included in the first ECG unit one by one; and a second ECG unit processing section 112 which provides a second ECG unit regarding a program scheduled to be presented in future, consisting of an ECG unit specified from stringed information of ECG items selected by users and an ECG unit regarding a program suiting user's preference information, to the user terminals each displaying a list of the second ECG unit and the ECG items included in the ECG unit selected by the users out of the displayed list of the second ECG unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus, an information acquisition terminal, an information providing system, an information providing method, and a program.

  Conventionally, program advertisement information provided by a print medium, an electronic medium, or the like is known. The program advertisement information on the print medium is, for example, a program column of a newspaper, a program guide information magazine, etc., and is a program that advertises a program provided by an unspecified program provider in advance within a predetermined period, for example, within a few days. is there. The program advertisement information on the electronic medium is, for example, program advertisement information in a program and on a homepage. For example, a program provided by a specific program provider within a predetermined period of time such as within a few days or within a few hours. It is something to advertise.

  In addition, a service for recommending a program that matches the user's preference is obtained by acquiring the user's program viewing record in relation to the program advertisement and periodically updating the preference information based on the viewing record. In addition, a service is provided in which program advertisement information of a plurality of programs selected in advance is presented to the user and the user is allowed to select the user's preference to recommend a program that matches the preference.

  However, the program advertisement information on the print medium is not information provided in a timely manner in accordance with the provision of the program, for example, during the provision of the program or immediately before the provision. Program advertisement information in a program is information that can be used while viewing an unspecified program provided by a specific program provider using a viewing terminal, and can be provided in a timely manner as the program is provided. Is information limited to programs provided by a specific program provider. Program advertisement information on a homepage is information that can be used when a homepage operated by a specific program provider is being accessed using an information acquisition terminal, and can be provided in a timely manner as the program is provided. There is information limited to programs provided by a specific program provider.

  In addition, since the program recommendation service recommends programs based on preference information that is regularly updated, for example, it recommends only programs of the same genre over a certain period, or recommends the same programs frequently, etc. There are cases where it is not possible to appropriately recommend a program that matches the user's preference that changes every time the service is used. In addition, it may be complicated to select program advertisement information of a plurality of programs to be presented to the user and constantly update them to the latest state.

  As described above, conventional program advertisement information and program recommendation services may not be able to provide program advertisement information to users effectively and efficiently.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a purpose thereof is to provide a new and improved information providing apparatus, information acquisition terminal, and information providing system capable of effectively and efficiently providing program advertisement information. It is to provide an information providing method and a program.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, according to the first aspect of the present invention, from at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item consisting of program information and related information selectively related to the program information. There is provided an information providing apparatus for providing an ECG unit configured by associating an ECG item with a program to an information acquisition terminal connectable through a communication line. The information providing apparatus includes a unit storage unit that stores an ECG unit related to a program, a preference information storage unit that stores user preference information of an information acquisition terminal, an ECG item included in the ECG unit, and an ECG related to the ECG item. A linking information storage unit that stores linking information for linking with other ECG units including an item, and at least one program related to at least one program that an unspecified program provider is currently providing or plans to provide A first ECG unit processing unit that provides one ECG unit to an information acquisition terminal that sequentially displays ECG items included in the first ECG unit, and an unspecified program provider plans to provide in the future A second ECG unit relating to at least one program, from the association information of the ECG item selected by the user A second ECG unit consisting of an ECG unit to be defined and an ECG unit related to a program that matches the user's preference information, a list of the second ECG units, and a list of the second ECG units displayed. A second ECG unit processing unit provided to the information acquisition terminal for displaying an ECG item included in the ECG unit selected by the user.

  As a result, the program provider allows the user to browse information related to a program that is being provided by the unspecified program provider or that is scheduled to be provided recently by using the ECG items that are sequentially displayed, so that the information that matches the current preference is displayed. The presence can be noticed to the user. The program provider allows the user to select one of the sequentially displayed ECG items according to the current preference, and in addition to the program that will be provided in the future, the program that matches the user's preference information, A program that matches the current preference can be recommended to the user. Further, the program provider can provide program advertisement information through the programs provided by the program providers, so that the program provider can provide program advertisement information through the program provided by the specific program provider. Promotional information can be provided effectively. Thereby, the program provider can effectively provide the user with program advertisement information that matches the user's preference and allow the user to browse the program.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, according to a second aspect of the present invention, from at least one electronic program guide (ECG) item consisting of program information and related information selectively related to the program information. An information acquisition terminal is provided that acquires an ECG unit configured by associating an ECG item with a program from an information providing apparatus that can be connected through a communication line. The information acquisition terminal acquires a first ECG unit related to at least one program that is being provided or scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider from the information providing apparatus, and is included in the first ECG unit. An automatic display processing unit for sequentially displaying ECG items, a first operation processing unit for allowing the user to select an ECG item displayed by the automatic display processing unit, and an unspecified program provider to provide in the future A second ECG unit relating to at least one scheduled program, the ECG unit including an ECG item related to the ECG item selected via the first operation processing unit, and adapted to the user preference information A list display processing unit for acquiring a second ECG unit composed of ECG units related to a program from the information providing apparatus and displaying the list; a list table; A second operation processing unit for causing the user to select an ECG unit included in the second ECG unit displayed by the processing unit, and an ECG included in the ECG unit selected via the second operation processing unit A content display processing unit for displaying items.

  Thereby, the user notices the existence of information suitable for the current preference by browsing the information on the program being provided by the unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided most recently by the ECG items displayed sequentially. Can do. The user selects one of the ECG items that are sequentially displayed according to the current preference, so that the current preference can be selected along with the program that matches the preference information among the programs scheduled to be provided in the future. You can receive recommendations for suitable programs. In addition, every time the user selects an ECG item, the user receives a recommendation of a program that matches the current preference. Therefore, the user can select a desired program from various recommended programs. Thereby, the user can browse efficiently the program advertisement information suitable for his / her preference.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing system including the information providing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention and the information acquisition terminal according to the second aspect. . In order to solve the above problem, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing method applied to the information providing system according to the third aspect of the present invention described above.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to function as the information providing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention described above. In order to solve the above problems, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to function as an information acquisition terminal according to the second aspect of the present invention described above.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the information provision apparatus, the information acquisition terminal, the information provision system, the information provision method, and program which can provide program advertisement information effectively and efficiently can be provided.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

(Concept of information provision system)
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing the overall configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the information providing system includes an ECG service provider (information providing apparatus) (hereinafter also referred to as ECG server 100) and a user terminal 200 (information acquisition terminal) that can be connected to the ECG server 100 through a communication line. ). Here, the user terminal 200 is an information acquisition terminal used by an unspecified number of users such as a personal computer, a television terminal, a mobile phone, and a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

  The ECG server 100 registers and manages the program information acquired from the program provider and the related information acquired from the service provider as ECG items. The ECG server 100 configures an ECG unit by associating an ECG item including program information and related information with a program, and provides the ECG unit to the user terminal 200 in response to a request from the user terminal 200.

  Here, the program information is information accompanying the program such as the title of the program, the characters, and the outline description, and the related information is the program information such as products, advertisements, and related programs related to the program information. Related information. The ECG unit includes an ECG item including at least one program information, an ECG item including selectively related information, and association information for associating an ECG unit including the ECG item with a program.

  The ECG server 100 stores ECG units, linking information for linking ECG items between ECG units, and user preference information. Here, the association information is information for associating an ECG item included in the ECG unit with another ECG unit including an ECG item related to the ECG item. The preference information is information that accumulates and indicates a selection history of ECG items selected by the user among ECG items included in the ECG unit provided to the user terminal 200.

  The ECG server 100 provides the user terminal 200 with an ECG unit (first ECG unit) of a program being provided by a plurality of program providers and / or at least one program scheduled to be provided most recently. The user terminal 200 sequentially displays the ECG items included in the first ECG unit via an ECG widget that is an application that operates on the user terminal 200 in order to process the ECG unit. When the user notices the presence of an ECG item that matches the current preference and selects a specific ECG item, the user terminal 200 notifies the ECG server 100 of identification information of the selected specific ECG item.

  When the ECG server 100 receives the identification information of a specific ECG item, the ECG unit (second ECG unit) of at least one program scheduled to be provided in the future by a plurality of program providers is given to the user terminal 200. provide. Here, the second ECG unit includes an ECG unit linked to a specific ECG item by the linkage information and an ECG unit of a program that matches the user's preference information (accumulated selection history). Note that the ECG unit based on the association information is information provided to all users in common, and the ECG unit based on preference information is information provided for each user.

  As a result, the program provider can cause the user to browse the information related to the program that is being provided from the unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided most recently, and can make the user aware of the information that matches the current preference. Then, the program provider can recommend a program that matches the user's preference information (accumulated selection history) to the user for a program that is scheduled to be provided in the future, together with a program that matches the current preference. . In addition, the user can browse information on a program that is being provided by an unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided most recently, and can recognize the presence of information that matches the current preference. And a user can receive the recommendation of the program which adapts to current preference with the program which adapts to own preference information (accumulated selection history) about the program scheduled to be provided in the future.

  As described above, the program provider can effectively provide the user with program advertisement information that matches the user's preference and allow the user to browse, and the user efficiently obtains the program advertisement information that matches his / her preference. And browse.

(Overall configuration of information provision system)
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an overall configuration model of the information providing system. As shown in FIG. 2, the information providing system includes an ECG server 100, a user terminal 200, a viewing terminal 300, a content provider 400, and a sponsor 500.

  The viewing terminal 300 is a viewing device capable of viewing program content such as a personal computer, a television terminal, a PVR (Personal Video Recorder), an STB (Set Top Box), and a radio terminal.

  The content provider 400 is a program provider such as a television station, a radio station, a data broadcasting station, or a program distribution company. The content provider 400 uses a composition system 410, a material system 420, a rights system 430, an I / F system 440, a program information management system 450, and the like to use program content, data broadcast information, and EPG-SI (Electronic Program Guide- Service Information) information is provided to the viewing terminal 300, and program information of the program is provided to the ECG server 100.

  The sponsor 500 is, for example, a service provider such as an advertising company, a product sales company, or a payment agency that provides various EC (Electronic Commerce) services such as advertisement, product sales, or payment agency. The sponsor 500 uses an information processing system 510 such as an advertising system, a sales system, a payment agent system, a WebSDK (Software Development Kit) 520, an I / F system 530, and the like, and related information such as advertising information, product sales information, and payment information. Is provided to the user terminal 200 via the ECG server 100.

(Configuration of ECG server 100)
Hereinafter, the configuration of the ECG server 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The ECG server 100 is a system that is operated and managed by an information service provider or the like, and includes an ECG registration unit 150, an ECG management unit 160, an ECG provision unit 170, an ECG operation unit 180, various databases 190, and the like. .

  The ECG registration unit 150 registers program information provided from the content provider 400 and related information provided from the sponsor 500. The ECG management unit 160 forms an ECG item by adding an item ID and attribute information to the registered program information and related information, and configures an ECG unit by associating the ECG item with the program. The ECG providing unit 170 provides the managed ECG unit to the user terminal 200 in response to a request from the user terminal 200. The ECG operation unit 180 operates the entire system of the ECG server 100 by controlling the ECG management unit 160 and the ECG providing unit 170. Various databases 190 store ECG items including program information and related information.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing main components of the ECG server 100. As shown in FIG. 3, the ECG server 100 includes a unit storage unit 102, a composition information storage unit 104, a linking information storage unit 106, a user information storage unit 108, a preference information storage unit 110, a unit processing unit 112, and a composition information processing. Unit 114, association information processing unit 116, user information processing unit 118, preference information processing unit 120, communication processing unit 122, communication unit 124, storage unit 126, and control unit 128.

  The unit storage unit 102 is a functional unit for storing ECG units of programs. The organization information storage unit 104 is a functional unit for storing the organization information (program code, provision channel, provision start / end date and time, etc.) of programs provided by a plurality of program providers. The linking information storage unit 106 is a functional unit for storing linking information for linking ECG items between ECG units. The user information storage unit 108 is a functional unit for storing user information such as a user ID. The preference information storage unit 110 is a functional unit for storing the ECG item selection history by the user of the user terminal 200 as preference information.

  The unit processing unit 112 is a functional unit for performing processing related to the ECG unit, such as provision acquisition of a unit ID and item ID, extraction and provision of an ECG unit. The composition information processing unit 114 is a functional unit for performing processing related to composition information, such as creation, update, extraction, and provision of composition information. The linking information processing unit 116 is a functional unit for performing processing related to linking information such as creation, update, and extraction of linking information. The user information processing unit 118 is a functional unit for performing processing related to user information such as registration, update, and login processing of user information. The preference information processing unit 120 is a functional unit for performing processing related to preference information such as acquisition, update, and extraction of preference information. The communication processing unit 122 is a functional unit for processing transmission / reception with the user terminal 200 such as an ECG unit, composition information, and various processing requests.

  The communication unit 124 includes a communication interface and transmits / receives various information to / from the user terminal 200. The storage unit 126 includes a storage device and stores various data necessary for various processes, a program for operating the ECG server 100, and the like. The control unit 128 includes a control device, and controls other functions of the ECG server 100 by controlling other components.

  The configuration of the ECG server 100 has been described above. In addition, each component of the unit processing unit 112, the composition information processing unit 114, the linking information processing unit 116, the user information processing unit 118, the preference information processing unit 120, the communication processing unit 122, and the control unit 128 is each component. The software program for executing the above function may be installed in the storage unit 126, or may be realized by dedicated hardware. The software program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, read and executed as necessary, or provided through a communication line. Further, the unit storage unit 102, the composition information storage unit 104, the linking information storage unit 106, the user information storage unit 108, the preference information storage unit 110, and the storage unit 126 include various types such as a semiconductor memory, an optical disk, and a magnetic disk. It may be configured as a storage medium.

(Configuration of user terminal 200)
The user terminal 200 transmits / receives information to / from an external system including the ECG server 100 via a communication line including, for example, an optical fiber, an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), a telephone modem, a power line, and radio. The user terminal 200 may have a function of acquiring program content using, for example, a broadcast service, a communication service, a broadcast communication service, or the like.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing main components of the user terminal 200. As shown in FIG. 4, the user terminal 200 includes a unit storage unit 202, a composition information processing unit 204, an automatic display processing unit 206, a list display processing unit 208, a content display processing unit 210, an operation processing unit 212, and a communication processing unit 214. , An operation unit 216, a display unit 218, a communication unit 220, a storage unit 222, and a control unit 224.

  The unit storage unit 202 stores the ECG unit acquired from the ECG server 100. The composition information processing unit 204 is a functional unit for performing processing related to composition information such as acquisition and update of composition information. The automatic display processing unit 206 is a functional unit for performing an ECG unit automatic display process such as provision acquisition of a unit ID and item ID, acquisition of an ECG unit, and display. The list display processing unit 208 is a functional unit for performing ECG unit list display processing such as provision acquisition of unit IDs and item IDs, acquisition and display of ECG units, and display of ECG items. The content display processing unit 210 is a functional unit for performing content display processing of the ECG unit such as display of ECG items included in the ECG unit.

  The operation processing unit 212 is a functional unit for performing operation processing such as selection of an ECG item and operation of the link button 266. The communication processing unit 214 is a functional unit for processing transmission / reception with the ECG server 100 such as composition information, ECG units, and various processing requests.

  The operation unit 216 includes operation devices such as a keyboard, buttons, and a mouse, for example, and allows the user to input various operation information. The display unit 218 includes, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal panel and a monitor, and displays an ECG unit and an ECG item. The communication unit 220 includes a communication interface and transmits / receives various information to / from the ECG server 100. The storage unit 222 includes a storage device and stores various data necessary for various processes, a program (including an ECG widget) for operating the user terminal 200, and the like. The control unit 224 includes a control device, and controls other functions of the user terminal 200 by controlling other components.

  The configuration of the user terminal 200 has been described above. The constituent elements of the composition information processing unit 204, the automatic display processing unit 206, the list display processing unit 208, the content display processing unit 210, the operation processing unit 212, the communication processing unit 214, and the control unit 224 are A software program for executing the function may be installed in the storage unit 222, or may be realized by dedicated hardware. The software program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, read and executed as necessary, or provided through a communication line. The unit storage unit 202 and the storage unit 222 may be configured as a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, for example.

(Configuration of ECG unit)
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of the ECG unit. As shown in FIG. 5, the ECG unit is configured to include at least one ECG set including program information (ECG item) and related information (ECG item) selectively related to the program information. The ECG unit is configured to include association information for associating an ECG unit comprising an ECG set with a program.

  The ECG item includes an item ID capable of identifying the ECG item and ECG item attribute information. The attribute information of the ECG item is, for example, information such as program classification, information such as characters, product classification, and related persons. The ECG set includes a set ID that can identify the ECG set and an item ID of an ECG item included in the ECG set. The ECG unit includes a unit ID that can identify the ECG unit, attribute information of the ECG unit, a set ID of an ECG set included in the ECG unit, and association information for associating an ECG unit including the ECG set with a program. The The attribute information of the ECG unit is, for example, information such as program classification and characters.

  The ECG unit illustrated in FIG. 5 includes “character C” 22, “character A” 32, “character B” 42, “classification” 52, “music” as program information associated with “program B” 10. A ”62. Each piece of program information is appropriately classified into the categories of characters, categories, and music. In the program information, for example, related information “DVD” 24, “book” 26, and “article” 28 are associated with the program information “character C” 22, thereby forming one ECG set 20. An ECG unit is composed of ECG sets 20 to 60 corresponding to each program information.

  Each ECG set and ECG item (program information, related information) constituting the ECG unit may be prioritized as described below. Here, the ECG sets 20 to 60 are given priorities “(1)”, “(5)” “(2)”, “(3)”, “(4)”, respectively, and ECG items. In addition, for example, the program information 22 and the related information 24, 26, and 28 are given priority orders “1)” to “4)”, respectively. Thus, in the automatic display of the ECG unit, the program information with the priority “5)” is displayed after the related information 24, 26, 28 related to the program information 22 is sequentially displayed following the display of the program information 22. 42 is displayed.

  The program information includes information necessary for execution of program viewing / recording reservation and information necessary for execution of detailed information display regarding program information. The related information includes an access destination of information related to related services such as product sales, advertisements, and related programs, and information necessary for executing the services.

(ECG widget)
The user terminal 200 uses the ECG widget, which is an application that runs on the user terminal 200, to perform various processes related to the ECG unit of the program. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example using an ECG widget.

  The ECG widget is included in the ECG unit in a widget display area arranged on the display screen of the user terminal 200 as a display area including an automatic display area 250, a list display area 260, a content display area 270, and a detailed display area 280. ECG items to be displayed. The detail display area 280 is selectively displayed as necessary.

  Hereinafter, a case where the automatic display area 250, the list display area 260, the content display area 270, and the detailed display area 280 can be simultaneously displayed in the widget display area will be described. Depending on the performance of the user terminal 200, for example, The automatic display area 250, the list display area 260, the content display area 270, and the detailed display area 280 may be switched and displayed on the widget display area.

  In the automatic display area 250, an ECG item included in an ECG unit of a program currently provided by an unspecified program provider or a program scheduled to be provided most recently such as within several hours is displayed. In the automatic display area 250, ECG units of at least one program are displayed, and ECG items included in the ECG units are sequentially displayed for each ECG unit. For example, in the case of FIG. 6, an ECG item representing one scene of the movie program A is displayed in the automatic display area 250.

  The list display area 260 includes first and second list display areas 262 and 264 for displaying a list of ECG units. In the first list display area 262, information that can identify an ECG unit of a program that an unspecified program provider is currently providing or plans to provide recently is displayed. In the second list display area 264, information capable of identifying an ECG unit of a program scheduled to be provided in the future such as within one week is displayed. For example, in the case of FIG. 6, the title image of the movie program A is displayed in the first list display area 262, and other movie programs B and C, music programs, and sports programs are displayed in the second list display area 264. An ECG item representing the title of is displayed.

  In the content display area 270, the ECG item included in the ECG unit is displayed for a specific ECG unit included in the list of ECG units. For example, in the case of FIG. 6, in the content display area 270, one scene of the movie program A and ECG items (program information) representing the images of the characters A and B of the movie program A, and merchandise related to the character A (DVD) ), ECG items (related information) representing advertisements and related programs are displayed.

  In the detail display area 280, detailed information, service information, and the like regarding the ECG item selected by the user among the ECG items displayed in the content display area 270 are displayed. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 6, the detailed display area 280 displays service information on goods sales (DVD) related to the movie program A. The detailed display area 280 is selectively displayed as necessary, and may be provided by another application such as a Web browser instead of being provided by the ECG widget.

  A link button 266 is arranged in the list display area 260. The link button 266 is operated when the display in the list display area 260 and the content display area 270 is linked to the display in the automatic display area 250. In the automatic display area 250, the list display area 260, the content display area 270, and the detail display area 280, stop buttons 258, 268, 278, and 288 are arranged. Cancel buttons 258, 268, 278, and 288 are operated when the display of the automatic display area 250, the list display area 260, the content display area 270, or the detail display area 280 is stopped and the display area is closed.

(Display state transition)
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the transition of the display state by the ECG widget. When the ECG widget is activated on the user terminal 200, the automatic display area 250 is displayed. In the automatic display area 250, ECG items included in an ECG unit of a program that is currently being provided or scheduled to be provided most recently are sequentially displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, an ECG item A1 included in the ECG unit A is displayed in the automatic display area 250. In the automatic display area 250, for example, after the ECG items A1 to An included in the ECG unit A are sequentially displayed, the ECG items B1 to Bm included in the ECG unit B are sequentially displayed, and all the ECG units are displayed. When finished, the display of ECG unit A is resumed. The ECG unit and the ECG item may be displayed according to the above-described priority order.

  When the user selects a specific ECG item from among the displayed ECG items, the ECG widget displays a list display area 260 including first and second list display areas 262 and 264. In the first list display area 262, an ECG unit including a specific ECG item is displayed. In the second list display area 264, an ECG unit including an ECG item related to a specific ECG item and an ECG unit of a program that matches the user's preference information are displayed. In the list display area 260, representative ECG items (program information) included in each ECG unit are displayed in order to identify the ECG unit. Here, the ECG widget stops automatic display in the automatic display area 250. In this state, the user can select the ECG unit displayed in the list display area 260 (first selection state). For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the ECG item A2 is selected. Then, as shown in FIG. 7 (3), the ECG item A1 representing the ECG unit A including the ECG item A2 is displayed in the first list display area 262, and the second list display area 264 includes ECG items C1, D1, and E1 representing the ECG units C, D, and E, respectively, are displayed. The ECG item representing the ECG unit is not limited to the ECG items A1, C1, D1, and E1, and may be, for example, the ECG items A2, C3, D2, and E3. For example, the ECG item is assigned to the ECG item or the ECG unit. The flag information can be specified.

  When the user selects a specific ECG unit from among the listed ECG units, the ECG widget displays a content display area 270. In the content display area 270, ECG items (program information and related information) included in a specific ECG unit are displayed. In this state, the user can select an ECG unit and an ECG item displayed in the list display area 260 and the content display area 270 (second selection state). For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (4), the ECG unit A (ECG item A1) is selected, and the ECG items (program information A1, A2, A3, and program information included in the ECG unit A are displayed in the content display area 270. Related information A21, A22, A23) related to A2 is displayed. In this state, for example, when the program information A3 is selected, related information A31, A32, A33 related to the program information A3 is displayed.

  For example, when the user operates the link button 266 in the first selection state illustrated in FIG. 7C, the ECG widget resumes automatic display in the automatic display area 250. Thus, ECG items representing ECG units sequentially displayed in the automatic display area 250 are displayed in the first list display area 262. That is, a state (first link state) in which the display in the first list display area 262 is linked to the transition of the display in the automatic display area 250 is formed. The display of the ECG item in the second list display area 264 does not link to the display transition in the automatic display area 250. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (5), the ECG item B2 included in the ECG unit B is displayed in the automatic display area 250, and the ECG item B1 representing the ECG unit B is displayed in the first list display area 262. Is displayed. Then, when the display of the automatic display area 250 transitions to the display of the ECG unit C, the ECG item C1 is displayed in the first list display area 262 linked to this.

  For example, when the user operates the link button 266 in the second selection state illustrated in FIG. 7 (4), the ECG widget restarts automatic display in the automatic display area 250. Thereby, in the first list display area 262, ECG items representing the ECG units sequentially displayed in the automatic display area 250 are displayed, for example, similarly to the first link state shown in FIG. . In the content display area 270, ECG items included in the ECG unit displayed in the first list display area 262 are displayed. That is, a state (second link state) in which the display in the list display area 260 and the content display area 270 is linked to the display transition in the automatic display area 250 is formed. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (6), the content display area 270 displays ECG items B1 to B3 (program information) and B11 to B13 (related information) included in the ECG unit B. Then, when the display of the automatic display area 250 transitions to the display of the ECG unit C, the ECG item C1 is displayed in the first list display area 262, and the ECG item is displayed in the content display area 270. C1 to C3 and C11 to C13 are displayed.

  When the user selects one of the ECG items sequentially displayed in the automatic display area 250 in the first or second link state (for example, FIG. 7 (5) or FIG. 7 (6)), the first selection state (For example, FIG. 7 (3)) is formed. When the user selects one of the ECG units displayed in the list display area 260 in the first or second link state (for example, FIG. 7 (5) or FIG. 7 (6)), the second selection described above is performed. A state (for example, FIG. 7 (4)) is formed.

(Processing flow)
8 and 9 are sequence diagrams illustrating a processing flow in the information providing system. In the following, the automatic display area 250 displays the program being provided and the ECG unit of the program scheduled to start providing within 2 hours, and the list display area 260 shows the ECG unit of the program scheduled to be provided within one week. Assume that it is displayed. The ECG units displayed in the automatic display area 250 and the list display area 260 may be set by the user, for example, as a program within 6 hours, a program within 2 weeks, or the like, set in advance by the user terminal 200. May be.

(Automatic display processing)
First, the automatic display processing of the ECG unit will be described with reference to FIG. When the ECG widget is activated (step S102), the user terminal 200 transmits a login processing request to the ECG server 100 together with the user ID input by the user or a preset user ID (S104). Upon receiving the login process request, the user information processing unit 118 collates the user ID (S106), and when the collation is obtained, transmits a login completion notification to the user terminal 200 (S108).

  Upon receiving the login completion notification, the composition information processing unit 204 of the user terminal 200 transmits a composition information transmission request to the ECG server 100 (S110). Here, the organization information includes information on a program that is currently provided by an unspecified program provider and a program that is scheduled to start providing within at least two hours. The organization information includes information such as the start / end date and time of provision for each program, a unit ID that can identify the ECG unit of the program, and the required display time of the ECG unit. When the composition information transmission request is received, the composition information processing unit 114 of the ECG server 100 extracts the corresponding composition information from the composition information storage unit 104 (S112) and transmits it to the user terminal 200 (S114). When the composition information is received, the composition information processing unit 204 identifies the program currently provided and the program scheduled to be provided within two hours from the composition information on the basis of the current time, and sets the unit for the ECG unit of the identified program. The ID and the required display time are extracted from the composition information (S116) and output to the automatic display processing unit 206.

  When the unit ID or the like is input, the automatic display processing unit 206 creates a first display list for the ECG unit that is the target of the automatic display processing based on the unit ID and the required display time (S118). For example, the first display list is created so that ECG units of programs provided by each program provider are displayed evenly within a predetermined time. For example, the first display list includes the time required for the ECG unit Ua of the program provider A, the ECG unit Ub of the program provider B, and the ECG unit Uc of the program provider C, 60 seconds, 120 seconds, and 240 seconds, respectively. If Ua is displayed in n units within a predetermined time, Ub is displayed in n / 2 units and Uc is displayed in n / 4 units. In the first display list, for example, the display times of the ECG units of the program providers A, B, and C displayed within a predetermined time are weighted for each program provider, such as 50%, 30%, and 20%. It may be created to be displayed.

  When creating the first display list, the automatic display processing unit 206 transmits an ECG unit transmission request to the ECG server 100 together with the unit ID of the first ECG unit included in the first display list (S120). ). When the ECG unit transmission request is received, the unit processing unit 112 extracts the ECG unit specified by the unit ID from the unit storage unit 102 (S122), and transmits the ECG unit to the user terminal 200 (S124). When the ECG unit is received, the automatic display processing unit 206 sequentially displays the ECG items included in the ECG unit in the automatic display area 250 (S126).

  When receiving the stop instruction during the automatic display process, the automatic display processing unit 206 stops the automatic display of the ECG item (S128), and when receiving the restart instruction, restarts the automatic display of the ECG item (S130). The automatic display processing stop instruction and restart instruction are basically controlled by the ECG widget as described later, but may be controlled through a user operation. In the case of being controlled through a user operation, control such as display rewind, advance, selection, etc. may be performed together with display stop and restart. Then, when the display of the ECG item included in the first ECG unit is completed or before the display ends (S132), the second ECG unit included in the first display list is displayed as in the case of the first ECG unit. Processing for acquiring the ECG unit is performed (S134 to S138).

  In addition, when the program end date / time of a specific program arrives during the automatic display process or immediately before it arrives, the automatic display processing unit 206 recreates the first display list as described above. (S140). Further, when the knitting information needs to be updated as time elapses, the knitting information processing unit 204 re-acquires the knitting information from the ECG server 100, extracts the unit ID and the display required time (S142 to S148), and automatically The display area 250 updates the first display list (S150).

  As a result, the user can easily notice the information that matches the current preference by browsing the information related to the program that is being provided or is scheduled to be provided most recently. On the other hand, the program provider can allow the user to easily recognize information that matches the current preference by allowing the user to browse the information related to the program that is being provided or is scheduled to be provided most recently. In addition, since program providers (or information service providers) are automatically provided with information on programs that are being provided or are scheduled to be provided most recently, in order to identify user preferences, program advertisement information on a plurality of programs is provided. There is no need to select and always update to the latest state.

(List display process)
Next, the ECG unit list display process will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the user selects a specific ECG item from among the automatically displayed ECG items (S202), the operation processing unit 212 notifies the automatic display processing unit 206 of the selection of the specific ECG item. Then, the automatic display processing unit 206 stops the automatic display of the ECG item (S204), and lists the selection of a specific ECG item together with an item ID that can identify the ECG item displayed in the automatic display area 250. The display processing unit 208 is notified.

  Upon receiving the ECG item selection notification, the list display processing unit 208 acquires the unit ID of the unit ID together with the item ID of the specific ECG item in order to obtain the unit ID of the ECG unit linked to the specific ECG item. A transmission request is transmitted to the ECG server 100 (S206). When the unit ID transmission request is received, the unit processing unit 112 first extracts the association information of the ECG item having the item ID from the association information storage unit 106 and extracts the organization information from the organization information storage unit 104. Then, the unit processing unit 112 identifies the unit ID of the ECG unit included in the linking information among the ECG units of the program scheduled to be provided within one week based on the linking information and the scheduling information. (S208), and transmits to the user terminal 200 (S210).

  Note that the association information processing unit 116 includes other ECGs including ECG items included in ECG units stored in the unit storage unit 102 and ECG items (including the same ECG item) related to each ECG item. Pegging information for linking units is created in advance. The linking information storage unit 106 stores linking information for linking the item ID of the ECG item and the unit ID of the ECG unit in a format such as a relational database.

  Here, the relevance between ECG items is determined based on attribute information given to the ECG items. Examples of attribute information of ECG items made up of program information include program classification (genre), characters, music, events, and the like. Further, the ECG item attribute information including related information includes product classification, seller, related person, advertisement classification, advertiser, related person, music, related program classification, characters, music, events, and the like. It is done. The relevance between ECG items is determined between program information, related information, and between program information and related information. For example, if the program characters and other program characters are the same, it is determined that the program information is related, and if the program characters and the product related people are the same, the program information is related. It is determined that there is a relationship with the information.

  As a result, the program information is related to each other and the relationships are also determined, and the relationship is also determined between the program information and the related information. Therefore, an ECG unit including related ECG items can be efficiently provided. can do.

  The list display processing unit 208 also sends a transmission request for the unit ID of a specific ECG item to the ECG server 100 together with the user ID in order to acquire the unit ID of the ECG unit of the program that matches the user preference information. Transmit (S212). Upon receiving the unit ID transmission request, the unit processing unit 112 first extracts user preference information from the preference information storage unit 110 based on the user ID, and extracts organization information from the organization information storage unit 104. Then, based on the preference information and the organization information, the unit processing unit 112 identifies the unit ID of the ECG unit of the program that matches the preference information among the ECG units of the program scheduled to be provided within one week on the basis of the current time. Then, it is transmitted to the user terminal 200 (S216). Here, the unit processing unit 112, together with the unit ID, displays compatibility information indicating the compatibility between the user's preference information and the program, for example, a program having high compatibility with the preference information or a program having low compatibility. You may transmit to the user terminal 200.

  The preference information processing unit 120 creates preference information for each user based on the selection history of ECG items selected by the user among the ECG items included in the ECG unit provided to the user terminal 200. The preference information may be, for example, information based on the selection frequency for each ECG item or information based on trend analysis of the selection history. The preference information is created based on processing (for example, program viewing / recording reservation, detailed information display, product purchase service, program advertisement service, etc., which will be described later) performed in relation to the selected ECG item. Also good. In this case, the preference information processing unit 120 reflects the content of the processing performed in relation to the selected ECG item. For example, the preference characteristic is highly evaluated for the ECG item performed in connection with the product purchase service. For example, preference information may be created. The preference information storage unit 110 stores preference information for each user in association with the user ID.

  Here, the relevance between the program and the user's preference information is determined based on the attribute information given to the ECG unit. The attribute information of the ECG unit includes, for example, program classification, characters, music, and events. On the other hand, the user preference information is created as, for example, the preference for each program category, the preference for each character, and the like. Therefore, for example, the unit processing unit 112 specifies the unit ID of the ECG unit of the movie program and transmits it to the user terminal 200 for a user who has a high preference for the movie program.

  When the unit ID is acquired for the ECG unit associated with the specific ECG item and the ECG unit that matches the user's preference information, the list display processing unit 208 includes the acquired unit ID and an ECG unit ( Based on the unit ID of the ECG unit displayed in the automatic display area 250, a second display list is created for the ECG unit to be displayed as a list (S218). The second display list is created based on, for example, the provision start date and time of the program associated with the ECG unit, compatibility information, and the like. For example, in the second display list, ECG units including a specific ECG item are displayed in the first list display area 262, and a predetermined number of other ECG units are displayed in the second list in order of the program provision start date and time. It is created to be displayed in the display area 264.

  When the list display processing unit 208 creates the second display list, the list display processing unit 208 transmits an ECG unit transmission request to the ECG server 100 together with the unit IDs of the ECG units included in the second display list (S220). When the ECG unit transmission request is received, the unit processing unit 112 extracts the ECG unit specified by the unit ID from the unit storage unit 102 (S222), and transmits the ECG unit to the user terminal 200 (S224). When the ECG unit is received, the list display processing unit 208 stores the ECG unit in the unit storage unit 202 (S226), displays the list display area 260, and displays the ECG units included in the display list in the list display area 260. (S228) (first selection state). Here, in the list display area 260, specific ECG items (program information) included in the ECG units and representing each ECG unit are displayed.

  When the user selects a specific ECG item displayed in a list in the first selection state (S230), the operation processing unit 212 notifies the list display processing unit 208 of the selection of the specific ECG item. Upon receiving the ECG item selection notification, the list display processing unit 208 notifies the content display processing unit 210 of the selection of the specific ECG item together with the unit ID of the ECG unit including the specific ECG item. Upon receiving the ECG item selection notification, the content display processing unit 210 reads the ECG unit corresponding to the unit ID among the ECG units stored in the unit storage unit 202 (S252), and displays the ECG item included in the ECG unit. The content is displayed in the content display area 270 (S240) (second selection state).

  Thereby, the user can browse the specific ECG unit actively by passively browsing the sequentially displayed ECG items and selecting an ECG item that matches the current preference.

  When the user operates the link button 266 in the first selection state (S242), the operation processing unit 212 notifies the selection of the link button 266 to the automatic display processing unit 206 and the list display processing unit 208. When receiving the selection notification of the link button 266, the automatic display processing unit 206 resumes the automatic display processing (S244), and the list display processing unit 208 is based on the unit ID of the ECG unit displayed in the automatic display area 250. To recreate the second display list. First, the list display processing unit 208 sequentially displays unit IDs of ECG units displayed in the first list display area 262 in the second display list that has already been created. Change to the unit ID of the unit. Next, the list display processing unit 208 displays ECG items (program information) representing each ECG unit included in the second display list in the list display area 260 (first link state). Then, the list display processing unit 208 performs list display processing including re-creation of the second display list so as to link to the transition of the display of the ECG unit in the automatic display area 250.

  When the user operates the link button 266 in the second selection state, the operation processing unit 212 notifies the selection of the link button 266 to the automatic display processing unit 206, the list display processing unit 208, and the content display processing unit 210. To do. Note that the processing by the automatic display processing unit 206 and the list display processing unit 208 is the same as that in the first link state, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Based on the unit ID of the ECG unit displayed in the automatic display area 250, the content display processing unit 210 identifies the ECG unit corresponding to the unit ID among the ECG units stored in the unit storage unit 202, and the ECG unit The ECG item included in the unit is displayed in the content display area 270 (second link state).

  Thereby, the user can browse the ECG item displayed sequentially by passively browsing a specific ECG unit and selecting a link state according to the current preference.

  In the case of the state transition from the first or second link state to the first selected state and the state transition from the first or second link state to the second selected state, the first and second described above are also used. Similar to the second selection state and the link state, processing is performed among the operation processing unit 212, the automatic display processing unit 206, the list display processing unit 208, and the content display processing unit 210.

(Content display process)
When the user selects a specific ECG item whose contents are displayed in the second selection state (S236), the operation processing unit 212 notifies the content display processing unit 210 of the selection of the specific ECG item. And the content display process part 210 performs the process relevant to an ECG item according to the selected specific ECG item. When the content display processing unit 210 receives a selection notification of a specific ECG item (program information), for example, the content display processing unit 210 performs processing necessary for program viewing / recording reservation, detailed information display, etc. Upon receiving the information (information) selection notification, for example, processing necessary for providing a product purchase service related to related information, providing a program advertisement service, and the like is performed.

  When the user selects execution of viewing / recording reservation, the content display processing unit 210 includes information (program code, provided channel, provision start / end date / time, etc.) necessary for execution of viewing / recording reservation included in the program information. In addition, the control unit 224 is notified of a request for viewing / recording reservation processing. Then, when the user terminal 200 has a viewing / recording reservation function, the control unit 224 executes viewing / recording reservation processing. When the user terminal 200 does not have a viewing / recording reservation function, the control unit 224 performs viewing / recording reservation processing. Information necessary for execution of the reservation is temporarily stored, and later transferred to the viewing terminal 300 having a viewing / recording reservation function.

  When the user selects execution of the detailed information display, the content display processing unit 210 transmits the detailed information together with information (such as access destination information of the detailed information) necessary for executing the detailed information display included in the program information. The control unit 224 is notified of the request. Then, the control unit 224 transmits a request for transmitting detailed information to the ECG server 100 together with necessary information. When receiving the detailed information transmission request, the unit processing unit 112 extracts the detailed information from the program information database 190 or the like based on the access destination information, and transmits the detailed information to the user terminal 200. When acquiring the detailed information, the control unit 224 displays the detailed information together with the detailed display area 280 for displaying the detailed information.

  When the user selects execution of a service such as product purchase or program advertisement, the content display processing unit 210 combines information necessary for execution of the service provided in the related information (access destination information of service information, etc.). Then, the control unit 224 is notified of the service information transmission request. Then, based on the access destination information, the control unit 224 accesses a service server operated by a service provider such as a merchandise seller or an advertisement provider, and acquires service information. Then, the control unit 224 displays the service information together with the detailed display area 280 for displaying the service information. The control unit 224 allows the user to use a service such as product purchase or program advertisement via service information provided by the service provider.

  Thereby, the user can efficiently execute processing related to the ECG item by selecting the ECG item. The detail display area 280 is selectively displayed as necessary, and may be provided by another application such as a Web browser instead of being provided by the ECG widget.

  When the user selects execution of saving a specific ECG item, the content display processing unit 210 stores the ECG unit including the specific ECG item in the unit storage unit 202. Then, the list display processing unit 208 creates a second display list including the unit ID of the ECG unit including the specific ECG item, and displays the list display area 260 together with the ECG unit specified by the association information and the preference information. List display. As a result, the user can temporarily store a specific ECG unit and perform various processing related to the ECG item as described above by selecting it on the list display area 260 as necessary. it can.

  As described above, according to the information providing system according to the present embodiment, the program provider uses the ECG items that are sequentially displayed to provide information on a program that is being provided by an unspecified program provider or that is scheduled to be provided most recently. By letting the user browse, it is possible to make the user aware of the existence of information that matches the current preference. The program provider causes the user to select one of the sequentially displayed ECG items according to the current preference, so that the user's preference information (accumulated selection history) among programs scheduled to be provided in the future will be displayed. Along with the compatible program, a program that matches the current preference can be recommended to the user. Further, the program provider can provide program advertisement information through the programs provided by the program providers, so that the program provider can provide program advertisement information through the program provided by the specific program provider. Promotional information can be provided effectively. Thereby, the program provider can effectively provide the user with program advertisement information that matches the user's preference and allow the user to browse the program.

  On the other hand, the user may notice the presence of information that matches the current preference by browsing information on a program that is being provided by an unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided most recently by using ECG items that are sequentially displayed. it can. The user selects one of the displayed ECG items according to the current preference, so that the program that matches the preference information (accumulated selection history) among the programs scheduled to be provided in the future In addition, it is possible to receive a recommendation of a program that matches the current preference. In addition, every time the user selects an ECG item, the user receives a recommendation of a program that matches the current preference. Therefore, the user can select a desired program from various recommended programs. Thereby, the user can browse efficiently the program advertisement information suitable for his / her preference.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It is understood that it belongs to.

  In the description of the above embodiment, the configuration of the widget display area is exemplified, but the configuration of the widget display area is not limited to this case. For example, in the widget display area, depending on the configuration of the display screen, the automatic display area, the list display area, and the content display area may be arranged in the vertical direction instead of being arranged in the horizontal direction. They may be arranged in an overlapping manner.

  In the description of the above embodiment, the case where automatic display of the automatic display area is stopped in the first and second selection states has been described. However, the transition of the widget display state is limited to such a case. Yes. For example, automatic display of the automatic display area may continue in the first and second selection states. In this case, the user can passively browse the ECG units automatically displayed in the automatic display area while actively browsing the ECG units displayed in the list display area and the content display area.

It is explanatory drawing which shows notionally the whole structure of the information provision system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the whole structure model of an information provision system. It is a block diagram which shows the main components of an ECG server. It is a block diagram which shows the main components of a user terminal. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the structure of an ECG unit. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates an ECG widget. It is explanatory drawing which shows the transition of the display state by an ECG widget. It is a sequence diagram (1/2) explaining the processing flow in an information provision system. It is a sequence diagram (2/2) explaining the processing flow in an information provision system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ECG server 102 Unit storage part 106 Linking information storage part 110 Preference information storage part 112 Unit processing part 200 User terminal 206 Automatic display processing part 208 List display processing part 210 Content display processing part 212 Operation processing part 250 Automatic display area 260 List Display area 270 Contents display area 280 Detailed display area

Claims (11)

An ECG unit configured by associating at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item composed of program information and an ECG item composed selectively of related information related to the program information with a program via a communication line An information providing device provided to a connectable information acquisition terminal,
A unit storage for storing ECG units related to the program;
A preference information storage unit for storing user preference information of the information acquisition terminal;
A linking information storage unit that stores linking information for linking an ECG item included in the ECG unit and another ECG unit including an ECG item related to the ECG item;
A first ECG unit related to at least one program that is being provided or scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider is displayed on the information acquisition terminal that sequentially displays ECG items included in the first ECG unit. A first ECG unit processor to provide;
A second ECG unit related to at least one program scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider in the future, and an ECG unit specified from association information of an ECG item selected by the user; The second ECG unit consisting of ECG units related to programs that match the user's preference information is displayed as a list of the second ECG units, and the user among the displayed second ECG units. A second ECG unit processing unit for displaying the ECG item included in the ECG unit selected by the information acquisition terminal;
An information providing apparatus comprising: The association information storage unit associates an ECG item composed of program information included in an ECG unit with another ECG unit including an ECG item composed of related information related to the ECG item composed of the program information. Attaching information and association information for associating an ECG item made up of related information included in the ECG unit with another ECG unit containing an ECG item made up of program information related to the ECG item made up of the related information is stored. And
The said 2nd unit process part provides the said information acquisition terminal with the ECG unit specified from the tied | linking information of the ECG item selected by the said user as a part of said 2nd ECG unit. The information providing device according to 1. The ECG unit storage unit stores the ECG unit in association with the attribute information of the program,
The second unit processing unit provides an ECG unit associated with attribute information matching user preference information of the information acquisition terminal to the information acquisition terminal as a part of the second ECG unit. Item 4. The information providing apparatus according to Item 1. An ECG unit configured by associating at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item composed of program information and an ECG item composed selectively of related information related to the program information with a program via a communication line An information acquisition terminal that acquires from a connectable information providing device,
A first ECG unit related to at least one program that is being provided or scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider is acquired from the information providing apparatus, and ECG items included in the first ECG unit are sequentially obtained. An automatic display processing unit to display;
A first operation processing unit for allowing a user to select an ECG item displayed by the automatic display processing unit;
An ECG item related to an ECG item selected via the first operation processing unit, which is a second ECG unit related to at least one program scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider in the future. A list display processing unit for acquiring the second ECG unit from the information providing apparatus and displaying the list as an ECG unit including a ECG unit including a program that matches the user's preference information;
A second operation processing unit for causing the user to select an ECG unit included in the second ECG unit displayed by the list display processing unit;
A content display processing unit for displaying an ECG item included in the ECG unit selected via the second operation processing unit;
An information acquisition terminal comprising: When an ECG item is selected via the first operation processing unit, the automatic display processing unit stops automatic display of the first ECG unit, and the list display processing unit displays the second ECG. Display unit list,
5. The information acquisition terminal according to claim 4, wherein when an ECG unit is selected via the second operation processing unit, the content display processing unit displays the content of the selected ECG unit. A link for causing the user to select a link state of display between the second ECG unit displayed as a list and the second ECG unit whose contents are displayed and the first ECG unit displayed automatically. An operation processing unit;
When a link state is selected via the link operation processing unit, the list display processing unit displays a list of the first ECG unit that is automatically displayed, and the content display processing unit is automatically displayed. The information acquisition terminal according to claim 5, wherein the content of the first ECG unit is displayed. A third operation processing unit for allowing the user to select an ECG item whose contents are displayed;
The information acquisition terminal according to claim 6, wherein when an ECG item is selected via the third operation processing unit, the content display processing unit performs a process related to the selected ECG item. An ECG unit configured by associating at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item composed of program information and an ECG item composed selectively of related information related to the program information with a program via a communication line An information providing system provided from an information providing device to an information acquisition terminal,
The information providing apparatus includes:
A unit storage for storing ECG units related to the program;
A preference information storage unit for storing user preference information of the information acquisition terminal;
A linking information storage unit that stores linking information for linking an ECG item included in the ECG unit and another ECG unit including an ECG item related to the ECG item;
A first ECG unit processing unit for providing, to the information acquisition terminal, a first ECG unit related to at least one program that is being provided by an unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided recently;
A second ECG unit related to at least one program scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider in the future, and an ECG unit specified from association information of an ECG item selected by the user; A second ECG unit processing unit that provides the information acquisition terminal with the second ECG unit including an ECG unit related to a program that matches the user preference information;
The information acquisition terminal is
An automatic display processing unit for acquiring the first ECG unit from the information providing apparatus and sequentially displaying ECG items included in the first ECG unit;
A first operation processing unit for causing the user to select an ECG item displayed by the automatic display processing unit;
A list display processing unit for acquiring the second ECG unit from the information providing apparatus and displaying the list;
A second operation processing unit for causing the user to select an ECG unit included in the second ECG unit displayed by the list display processing unit;
A content display processing unit for displaying an ECG item included in the ECG unit selected via the second operation processing unit;
An information providing system comprising: An ECG unit configured by associating at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item composed of program information and an ECG item composed selectively of related information related to the program information with a program via a communication line An information providing method provided from an information providing device to an information acquisition terminal,
By the information providing device,
A unit storing step for storing ECG units related to the program;
A preference information storage step for storing user preference information of the information acquisition terminal;
A linking information storage step for storing linking information for linking an ECG item included in the ECG unit and another ECG unit including an ECG item related to the ECG item;
A first ECG unit processing step of providing, to the information acquisition terminal, a first ECG unit related to at least one program that is being provided by the unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided recently;
A second ECG unit related to at least one program scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider in the future, and an ECG unit specified from association information of an ECG item selected by the user; A second ECG unit processing step of providing, to the information acquisition terminal, the second ECG unit comprising an ECG unit related to a program that matches the user preference information;
By the information acquisition terminal,
An automatic display processing step of acquiring the first ECG unit from the information providing apparatus and sequentially displaying ECG items included in the first ECG unit;
A first operation processing step for causing the user to select an ECG item displayed in the automatic display step;
A list display processing step of acquiring the second ECG unit from the information providing apparatus and displaying the list as a list;
A second operation processing step for causing the user to select an ECG unit included in the second ECG unit displayed in the list display processing step;
A content display processing step for displaying an ECG item included in the ECG unit selected through the second operation processing step;
Information providing method including An ECG unit configured by associating at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item composed of program information and an ECG item composed selectively of related information related to the program information with a program via a communication line A program applied to an information providing apparatus provided to a connectable information acquisition terminal, the computer comprising:
Unit storage means for storing an ECG unit relating to a program;
Preference information storage means for storing user preference information of the information acquisition terminal;
A linking information storage means for storing linking information for linking an ECG item included in the ECG unit and another ECG unit including an ECG item related to the ECG item;
A first ECG unit related to at least one program that is being provided or scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider is displayed on the information acquisition terminal that sequentially displays ECG items included in the first ECG unit. First ECG unit processing means to provide,
A second ECG unit related to at least one program scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider in the future, and an ECG unit specified from association information of an ECG item selected by the user; The second ECG unit consisting of ECG units related to programs that match the user's preference information is displayed as a list of the second ECG units, and the user among the displayed second ECG units. A second ECG unit processing means for displaying the ECG item included in the ECG unit selected by the information acquisition terminal;
Program to function as. An ECG unit configured by associating at least one electronic content guide (ECG) item composed of program information and an ECG item composed selectively of related information related to the program information with a program via a communication line A first ECG relating to at least one program that is applied to an information acquisition terminal that is acquired from a connectable information providing device and that is provided by an unspecified program provider or scheduled to be provided most recently. Automatic display processing means for acquiring units from the information providing apparatus and sequentially displaying ECG items included in the first ECG unit;
First operation processing means for allowing a user to select an ECG item displayed by the automatic display processing unit;
An ECG item related to an ECG item selected via the first operation processing means, which is a second ECG unit related to at least one program scheduled to be provided by an unspecified program provider in the future. A list display processing means for acquiring the second ECG unit from the information providing apparatus and displaying the list as an ECG unit including the ECG unit including the ECG unit related to the user's preference information;
Second operation processing means for causing the user to select an ECG unit included in the second ECG unit displayed by the list display processing means;
Content display processing means for displaying an ECG item included in the ECG unit selected via the second operation processing unit;
Program to function as.

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