JP2011242899A - Advertisement space transaction device, advertisement space transaction method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an advertisement space transaction device, advertisement space transaction method and recording medium capable of correctly displaying a plurality of contents in display areas of a multi-display system without hindering the visibility of the contents.SOLUTION: A content storage part 18 stores identification information for identifying bidders and content data. A bid control part 13 allocates the entire display area 37 of a multi-display system 27 to bidders in units of display area of each display device 36 based on the identification information of bidders who bid in an advertisement frame auction and bidding price information representing bidding prices offered by the bidders. After the auction, a content control part 17 acquires content data associated with the identification information of a bidder who has won a bid of the advertisement space from the content storage part 18, and transmits the content data to the multi-display system 27.

Description

  The present invention relates to an advertising space transaction apparatus, an advertising space transaction method, a program, and a recording medium for managing the advertising space transaction by auction.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of the advertising space auction system 6 according to the first prior art. A typical prior art of an advertising space transaction apparatus is described as an advertising space auction system 6 in Patent Document 1, for example. The advertising space auction system 6 manages an advertising space transaction by auction, that is, auction. The advertising space auction system 6 includes a bidder's terminal device 51, an auction management server 52 that manages the auction, an advertising space information management server 53 that manages information on the advertising space related to the auction, and the winning bidder. And a transaction execution system 54 that performs a transaction of the advertising space.

  The terminal device 51, the auction management server 52, the advertising space information management server 53, and the transaction execution system 54 are connected to each other by a network 55 such as the Internet. The auction system 6 performs an auction transaction for a predetermined advertising space between the advertising space seller and the bidder. In the auction system 6, the advertising space is traded through the wide-area network 55 without restricting the seller and the bidder. When the transaction is successful and the successful bidder is determined, the advertising information of the successful bidder is sent from the terminal device 51 to the transaction execution system 54. The transaction execution system 54 distributes the received advertisement information.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the configuration of the advertising space transaction system 7 according to the second conventional technique. A typical prior art of an advertising space transaction device is described as an advertising space transaction system 7 in Patent Document 2, for example. The advertising space trading system 7 includes a market management unit 56 that manages advertising space transactions, an advertisement transmission management unit 57 that executes advertisement distribution, a viewer terminal 58 that has a display unit that displays advertisements, It includes a media terminal 59 for registering information and a sponsor terminal 60 for sponsors to bid for the desired advertising space.

  The sponsor terminal 60 and the media terminal 59 are connected to the market management unit 56 via a network, and perform advertising space transactions. The market management unit 56 registers an advertisement that the sponsor desires to be distributed. After the successful bidder is determined, the advertisement transmission management unit 57 distributes the sponsor's successful bid advertisement to the viewer terminal. The viewer terminal displays the distributed advertisement on the display unit.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-216017 JP 2002-197295 A

  In the auction system 6 according to the first conventional technology and the advertising space transaction system 7 according to the second conventional technology, the seller of the advertising space presets the display area of the display for displaying the advertisement for each advertising space. . The auction system 6 and the advertising space transaction system 7 are based on the premise that an advertisement is displayed on one display unit, that is, a display device having one display as a cover device. Therefore, when a plurality of advertisements are simultaneously displayed on a multi-display composed of a plurality of displays, the display area of the multi-display is divided and each advertisement is displayed in the divided display area. Otherwise, the display area of one display displays a plurality of advertisements in a mixed state, and there is a problem that the visibility of advertisements deteriorates.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an advertising space transaction apparatus, an advertising space transaction method, a program, and a recording medium that can appropriately display a plurality of advertisements in a display area of a multi-display without deteriorating the visibility of the advertisement. That is.

The present invention displays an advertisement in a predetermined time zone that is set in the entire display area composed of the display areas of all the display apparatuses of a multi-display system configured by a plurality of display apparatuses each having a display area. An advertising space transaction device for managing transactions by auction of advertising space,
Identification information for identifying a bidder who bids through communication via an information communication network in the auction of the advertising space, and advertising information representing an advertisement to be displayed on each display device according to the advertising space desired by the bidder , An advertisement storage unit that stores the information in association with each other;
Identification information of a bidder who bids for the auction of the advertising space and bid price information representing a bid price presented by the bidder of the identification information are input, and based on the input identification information and bid price information A bid control unit for allocating all display areas of the multi-display system to bidders in units of display areas of the display devices;
An advertisement control unit that acquires advertisement information associated with identification information of a bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space from the advertisement storage unit after the auction has ended, and transmits the acquired advertisement information to the multi-display system. This is an advertising space transaction apparatus.

  According to the present invention, when the number of bidders is plural, the bid control unit allocates the bidders in order from the bidder with the highest bid price to the bidder with the lowest bid price. It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, in the display device, a ratio between a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension of the display area is set to a predetermined ratio.
The allocation area allocated by the bid control unit is characterized in that a ratio of a vertical dimension to a horizontal dimension is the predetermined ratio.

  In the present invention, when the number of bidders is plural, the bid control unit is configured to send the highest bidder among the plural bidders in the vertical direction of the entire display area of the multi-display system. Alternatively, the allocation is performed including the display area of the display device located at the extreme end in the left-right direction.

Further, the present invention displays an advertisement in a predetermined time zone that is set in the entire display area composed of the display areas of all the display apparatuses of the multi-display system configured by a plurality of display apparatuses each having a display area. An inventory trading method for managing transactions by auctioning of inventory,
Identification information for identifying a bidder who bids through communication via an information communication network in the auction of the advertising space, and advertising information representing an advertisement to be displayed on each display device according to the advertising space desired by the bidder An ad storage process for storing the data in association with each other;
Identification information of a bidder who bids on the auction of the advertising space and bid price information representing a bid price presented by the bidder of the identification information are input, and based on the input identification information and bid price information A bid control step of allocating all display areas of the multi-display system to bidders in units of display areas of the display devices;
An advertisement control step of acquiring, in the advertisement storage step, advertisement information associated with identification information of a bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space after the auction has ended, and transmitting the acquired advertisement information to the multi-display system. This is an advertising space transaction method characterized by the above.

  The present invention is also an advertisement space transaction program for causing a computer to function as the advertisement space transaction device.

  The present invention is also a computer-readable recording medium on which the advertising space transaction program is recorded.

  According to the present invention, the advertising space transaction device is set in a predetermined display area, which is set to the entire display area composed of the display areas of all the display apparatuses of the multi-display system configured by a plurality of display apparatuses each having a display area. It is used to manage transactions due to auctions of advertising space that can display advertisements during time periods. The advertising space transaction apparatus includes an advertisement storage unit, a bid control unit, and an advertisement control unit. The advertisement storage unit includes identification information for identifying a bidder who bids through communication via an information communication network in an auction for an advertising space, and an advertisement representing an advertisement to be displayed on each display device according to the advertising space desired by the bidder. Information is stored in a state associated with each other. The bid control unit receives identification information of a bidder who bids on an auction for an advertising space, and bid price information indicating a bid price presented by the bidder of the identification information. The bid control unit allocates all display areas of the multi-display system to bidders in units of display areas of each display device based on the input identification information and bid amount information. The advertisement control unit acquires advertisement information associated with the identification information of the bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space from the advertisement storage unit after the auction has ended, and transmits the acquired advertisement information to the multi-display system.

  As a result, the bid control unit allocates the entire display area of the multi-display system to the bidders in units of display areas of each display device, so that the multi-display system can simultaneously display a plurality of bidder advertisements. In addition, it is possible to prevent the visibility of advertisements from being deteriorated due to the display of a plurality of advertisements mixed in the display area of one display device. Therefore, the advertising space transaction apparatus can enhance the advertising effect when the advertisement is displayed on the multi-display system.

  Since the bid control unit performs the allocation for each display area of each display device, it is possible to prevent the entire display area of the multi-display system from being divided into areas smaller than the display areas of each display device. Therefore, the advertising space transaction device can prevent an advertisement from being displayed in an area smaller than the display area of each display device, and can prevent the visibility of the advertisement from deteriorating.

  Since the bid control unit allocates the entire display area of the multi-display system to the bidder during the auction of the advertising space, the bidder's advertisement display mode in the multi-display system should be presented to the bidder during the auction. Can do. Therefore, the bidder can place a bid in a state where the display mode of the advertisement is confirmed. Thereby, the advertising space transaction apparatus can perform an auction reflecting the intention of the bidder.

  When there are a plurality of bidders, the bid control unit can distribute the profits of the advertisement display fairly by allocating the entire display area according to the bid amount ratio of each bidder. In addition, since the bid control unit displays the advertisement by dividing the entire display area of the multi-display system, the advertisement fee revenue of the multi-display system can be maximized without generating a useless area where no advertisement is displayed. .

  Further, since the advertisement of the bidder who has made a successful bid is transmitted to the multi-display system after the end of the auction period of the advertising space, the advertisement display can be easily managed by the multi-display system. As a result, the advertising space transaction apparatus can efficiently perform from the sales of the advertising space to the transmission of the advertising, reducing the labor required for the sales of the advertising space as much as possible, and improving the efficiency of the sales of the advertising space. Can be planned.

  Further, according to the present invention, when there are a plurality of bidders, the bid control unit allocates the bidders in order from the highest bidder to the lowest bidder among the plurality of bidders.

  As a result, the bid control unit can allocate a region that can be easily viewed by the viewer among all the display regions of the multi-display system, with priority given to a bidder with a high bid amount. Therefore, the advertising space transaction device can auction by giving priority to the profit of the bidder with a large bid amount.

  According to the invention, in the display device, the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the display area is set to a predetermined ratio. The allocation area allocated by the bid control unit is a ratio determined in advance by the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension.

  As a result, the advertising space transaction apparatus can be used for a multi-display system without deforming the advertisement image when, for example, the advertisement image is produced in the same ratio as the aspect ratio of the display device, that is, the aspect ratio. Can be displayed.

  Further, according to the present invention, when the number of bidders is plural, the bid control unit sends the highest bidder among the plurality of bidders in the vertical direction or left and right of all the display areas of the multi-display system. Allocation is performed including the display area of the display device located at the extreme end of the direction.

  As a result, when a plurality of advertisements are displayed at the same time, it is easier for viewers to see the advertisement when the advertisement is displayed at the end portion than when the advertisement is displayed at the center portion surrounded by other advertisements. . Therefore, the advertising space transaction apparatus can enhance the advertising effect of the high bidder.

  Further, according to the present invention, the advertising space transaction method is set in advance to a total display area composed of display areas of all display devices of a multi-display system including a plurality of display devices each having a display area. It is used to manage transactions by auction of advertising space that can display advertisements during different times. The advertisement space transaction method includes an advertisement storage process, a bid control process, and an advertisement control process. In the advertisement storing step, identification information for identifying a bidder who bids by communication via an information communication network in an auction for an advertising space, and an advertisement representing an advertisement to be displayed on each display device according to the advertising space desired by the bidder Information is stored in a state associated with each other. In the bid control step, the identification information of the bidder who bids on the auction of the advertising space and the bid amount information indicating the bid amount presented by the bidder of the identification information are input. In the bid control process, all display areas of the multi-display system are allocated to bidders in units of display areas of each display device based on the input identification information and bid amount information. In the advertisement control process, after the auction is completed, the advertisement information associated with the identification information of the bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertisement space is acquired in the advertisement storage process, and the acquired advertisement information is transmitted to the multi-display system.

  Thus, in the bid control process, the entire display area of the multi-display system is allocated to the bidders in units of display areas of the respective display devices, so that the multi-display system can simultaneously display advertisements of a plurality of bidders. In addition, it is possible to prevent the visibility of advertisements from being deteriorated due to the display of a plurality of advertisements mixed in the display area of one display device. Therefore, the advertising space transaction method can enhance the advertising effect when the advertisement is displayed on the multi-display system.

  In the bid control process, since the allocation is performed in units of display areas of the respective display devices, it is possible to prevent the entire display area of the multi-display system from being divided into areas smaller than the display areas of the respective display devices. Therefore, the advertising space transaction method can prevent the advertisement from being displayed in an area smaller than the display area of each display device, and can prevent the visibility of the advertisement from deteriorating.

  In the bid control process, the entire display area of the multi-display system is allocated to the bidder during the auction of the advertising space. Therefore, the display mode of the bidder's advertisement in the multi-display system is presented to the bidder during the auction. Can do. Therefore, the bidder can place a bid in a state where the display mode of the advertisement is confirmed. Thereby, the advertising space transaction method can perform auction reflecting the intention of the bidder.

  In the bid control process, when there are a plurality of bidders, the profits from the advertisement display can be distributed fairly by allocating the entire display area according to the bid amount ratio of each bidder. In the bid control process, since the advertisement is displayed by dividing the entire display area of the multi-display system, the advertising fee revenue of the multi-display system can be maximized without generating a useless area where no advertisement is displayed. .

  In addition, since the advertisement of the bidder who has made a successful bid is transmitted to the multi-display system after the end of the auction period of the advertising space, the advertisement display can be easily managed by the multi-display system. As a result, the advertising space transaction method can efficiently perform from the sales of the advertising space to the transmission of the advertising, reducing the labor required for the sales of the advertising space as much as possible, and improving the efficiency of the sales of the advertising space. You can plan.

  According to the present invention, the advertising space transaction program causes a computer to function as an advertising space transaction device. Thus, it is possible to provide an advertising space transaction program that causes a computer to function as an advertising space transaction device.

  According to the invention, the computer-readable recording medium records the advertising space transaction program. Thereby, it is possible to provide a computer-readable recording medium for recording the advertising space transaction program.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the advertising frame transaction apparatus 1 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the registration content information 31 memorize | stored in the content memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the bidder information 32 memorize | stored in the bidder information storage part 15. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a configuration of a multi-display system 27. FIG. It is a part of figure for demonstrating allocation of the advertisement display area which the bid control part 13 performs. It is another part of the figure for demonstrating allocation of the advertisement display area which the bid control part 13 performs. It is the remainder of the figure for demonstrating allocation of the advertisement display area which the bid control part 13 performs. It is a figure which shows an example of the bid condition information 33 memorize | stored in the bid condition memory | storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the advertising space determination information 34 memorize | stored in the advertising space memory | storage part 16. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process in which a bidder bids with the bidder terminal 26. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 with a bidder terminal 26. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the allocation process which the bid control part 13 performs by step b7 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the auction system 6 of the advertising space based on 1st prior art. It is a figure which shows the structure of the advertising space transaction system 7 which concerns on a 2nd prior art.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an advertising space transaction apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 has a predetermined time set in the entire display area 37 including the display areas of all the display apparatuses 36 of the multi-display system 27 including the plurality of display apparatuses 36 each having a display area. It is used to manage transactions by auction of advertising space that can display advertisements in bands. The advertising space auction method of the present invention is executed by the advertising space transaction apparatus 1.

  The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 includes a bidder authentication unit 11, a communication unit 12, a bid control unit 13, a bid situation storage unit 14, a bidder information storage unit 15, an advertising frame storage unit 16, and a content control unit. 17, a content storage unit 18, a content registration unit 19, a fee collection unit 20, and a content distribution unit 21. The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 is connected to a bidder terminal 26 and a multi-display system 27.

  In the present embodiment, the multi-display system 27 is realized by a multi-display. In other words, the multi-display system 27 includes a plurality of display devices 36, and each display device 36 is realized by a single display.

The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 includes a computer system including a storage device (not shown) such as a semiconductor memory and a hard disk device, and a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as “CPU”) (not shown). The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 may be configured to be realized by a single computer system, and may be realized by a plurality of computer systems to mutually transmit and receive data through a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network). You may make it the structure to perform.

  The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 manages an auction for an advertising space for each predetermined time zone, that is, a transaction by auction. The advertising space is a right to display an advertisement in at least a part of the display area 37 of all the display areas 37 configured by the plurality of display devices 36 of the multi-display system 27 in a predetermined time zone. Say. Prior to bidding for an auction, the advertiser submits an advertisement desired to be displayed on the multi-display system 27 to the auction manager, and requests approval for bidding for the auction. The administrator notifies the advertiser of ID (Identification) and password, which are identification information used for bidding in the auction.

  An advertiser who bids for an auction is hereinafter also referred to as a “bidder”. Among bidders bidding in the auction, a bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space after the auction period has ended is also referred to as a “successful bidder”. The advertisement is composed of an image or a video, and is intended to inform many people of, for example, a product or an entertainment. Hereinafter, the advertisement is referred to as “content”, and the advertisement information representing the advertisement is also referred to as “content data”.

  The content registration unit 19 that is an advertisement registration unit registers the content submitted in advance by the bidder before the auction is started. The content registration unit 19 includes a display unit (not shown) and an input / output unit (not shown). The administrator can confirm in advance the content of the content submitted by the advertiser using the display means and determine whether the content is appropriate. Specifically, the administrator determines whether the content does not infringe the rights of a third party such as copyright, whether the content is appropriate for the installation location of the multi-display system 27, or the like. Judging. The content determined to be appropriate by the administrator is stored in the content storage unit 18, whereby the content registration process is completed.

  In addition, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment confirms the content by the administrator during the auction period, that is, from the start of the auction to the end of the auction, although the content is confirmed by the administrator before the auction starts. May be configured.

  The content storage unit 18 that is an advertisement storage unit is realized by a memory such as a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The content storage unit 18 stores content determined to be appropriate by the administrator. The content storage unit 18 includes an ID of a bidder who bids for an advertising space auction through communication via an information communication network, and content data representing content to be displayed on each display device 36 according to the advertising space desired by the bidder. , Store in a state associated with each other. The content is sent from the content registration unit 19 to the content storage unit 18 via the content control unit 17.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the registered content information 31 stored in the content storage unit 18. The registered content information 31 includes an item 31a indicating a bidder ID and an item 31b indicating content data. For example, the registered content information 31 associates the ID of the bidder A with the content data of the bidder A, associates the ID of the bidder B with the content data of the bidder B, and associates the ID of the bidder C with the bidder C. And the content data of the nth bidder and the content data of the nth bidder are associated with each other. “N” represents a natural number, and when there are n bidders, the content storage unit 18 associates the IDs of all the n people with the content data.

  The communication unit 12 includes an input / output interface and the like, and is connected to the bidder terminal 26 via an information communication network 28 such as a LAN or WAN. When the bid control unit 13 instructs, the communication unit 12 and the bidder terminal 26 can communicate with each other via a network. Information input from the bidder terminal 26 is sent to the bid control unit 13 via the communication unit 12.

The bidder terminal 26 is, for example, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal
(Digital Assistance) etc. Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which three bidder terminals 26 are connected to the communication unit 12, the bidder terminals 26 can be configured by an arbitrary number of 1 or more. The advertiser bids by inputting bid conditions from the bidder terminal 26 during the auction period. Bid conditions are a bid amount and a display time zone. “Bid amount” is the purchase price of the advertising space presented at the time of bidding. The “display time zone” indicates a time zone during which the content is displayed, that is, from what time to which time of the 24 hours.

  Further, the display period, the display time, or the gender and age of the viewer may be added to the bid conditions. The “display period” indicates the total length of time for displaying the content. “Display time” indicates the length of time during which one content is displayed in the time slot of the advertising space. For example, when a content is displayed for one week in an advertising space in the time zone from 19:00 to 20:00, the display period is 7 hours, and the display time is 1 hour.

  “Viewer's gender and age” indicates what kind of gender and age the viewer wants to view the content. The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 obtains information about the gender and age of the viewer from the bidder, extracts the multi-display system 27 having many viewers of the gender and age of the viewer, and presents it to the bidder. It is good. Accordingly, the bidder can display the content on the multi-display system 27 where there are many viewers of the sex and age group specified in advance, and the advertising effect can be enhanced.

  By using the ID and password, the bidder authentication unit 11 determines whether or not the bidder is a person who has been approved for bidding in advance. The bidder authentication unit 11 can prevent a person who is not approved to bid for an auction from bidding.

The bidder information storage unit 15 is, for example, a hard disk, an optical disk, a RAM (Random
This is realized by a memory capable of storing information such as (Access Memory). The bidder information storage unit 15 stores identification information indicating the bidder's ID and contact information indicating the contact information of the bidder in a state of being associated with each other. The ID is identification information for identifying a bidder who bids for an auction. The bidder registers the contact information of the bidder, for example, an e-mail address, when he or she makes a bid for the first time or requests approval for a bid for the auction.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of bidder information 32 stored in the bidder information storage unit 15. The bidder information 32 includes an item 32a indicating a bidder ID and an item 32b indicating a contact address. For example, the bidder information 32 associates the ID of the bidder A with the email address, associates the ID of the bidder B with the email address, and associates the ID of the bidder C with the email address. Indicates association.

  FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the multi-display system 27. In the present embodiment, the multi-display system 27 includes, for example, 64 display devices 36. In the multi-display system 27, eight display devices 36 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, respectively. In the multi-display system 27, the number of display devices 36 adjacent in the vertical direction matches the number of display devices 36 adjacent in the horizontal direction.

  A display area composed of n display devices 36 in the vertical and horizontal directions, where n is a natural number, is referred to as “n × n”. The multi-display system 27 shown in FIG. 4 has an 8 × 8 display area.

  In the display device 36, the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the display area is set to a predetermined ratio. In the multi-display system 27, a display area integrally formed by all the display devices 36 is referred to as an “all display area 37”. The aspect ratio of the display area of each display device 36 matches the aspect ratio of the entire display area 37. The aspect ratio of the display area of each display device 36 is represented by the ratio between the vertical dimension W1 and the horizontal dimension W2, and the aspect ratio of the entire display area 37 is represented by the ratio between the vertical dimension W3 and the horizontal dimension W4. The vertical dimension of the display device 36 matches the vertical dimension W1 of the display area of the display device 36, and the horizontal dimension of the display device 36 matches the horizontal dimension W2 of the display area of the display device 36.

  FIG. 5 is a part of a diagram for explaining the allocation of the advertisement display area performed by the bid control unit 13. FIG. 6 is another part of the diagram for explaining the allocation of the advertisement display area performed by the bid control unit 13. FIG. 7 is a remainder of the diagram for explaining the allocation of the advertisement display area performed by the bid control unit 13. In FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, in order to specify each display device 36 constituting the entire display area 37, row numbers 1 to 8 are assigned from the top to the bottom in the vertical direction, and 1 to 1 from the left in the horizontal direction to the right Eight column numbers are assigned.

  The bid control unit 13 is input via the communication unit 12 with the ID of the bidder who bids for the auction of the advertising space and the bid amount information indicating the bid amount presented by the bidder. The bid control unit 13 allocates all display areas 37 of the multi-display system 27 to bidders in units of display areas of each display device 36 based on the input bidder ID and bid price information.

  Assume that bidder A, bidder B, bidder C, and bidder D are bidding in the same time frame. Bidder A wants to display content A and the bid amount is 40000 yen, Bidder B wants to display content B, and the bid amount is 20000 yen. Display is desired and the bid amount is 10,000 yen, and the bidder D desires to display the content D and the bid amount is 10,000 yen. It is assumed that the bidder C bids on a date earlier than the bidder D.

When there are a plurality of bidders, the bid control unit 13 allocates the bidders in order from the highest bidder to the lowest bidder among the plurality of bidders. The bid control unit 13 calculates the number of display devices 36 that display each content A to D according to the bid amount of each bidder A to D. The bid control unit 13 calculates the amount ratio of each content A to D by the following equation (1).
“Amount ratio” = “Bid amount” ÷ “Total amount of bid” (1)

  The “total bid price” is a total value of bid prices of all bidders A to D, and the “amount ratio” is a ratio of each bidder's bid price to the total bid price. For example, the amount ratio% of the content A of the bidder A is calculated by 40000 / (40000 + 20000 + 10000 + 10000) and is 50%. This monetary ratio% is a value rounded off to one decimal place. Similarly, the amount ratio% of the content B of the bidder B is calculated as 25%, and the amount ratio% of the contents C and D of the bidders C and D is calculated as 12.5%.

The multi-display system 27 has an 8 × 8 display area with 64 display devices 36. Information indicating the number of all display devices 36 is input to the bid control unit 13. The bid control unit 13 calculates the number of display devices for displaying the contents A to D by the following equation (2).
“Number of display devices” = “Number of all display devices” × “Price ratio” (2)

  For example, the number of display devices that display the content A of the bidder A is calculated by 64 × 0.5 and is 32. Similarly, the number of display devices that display the content B of the bidder B is calculated as 16, and the number of display devices that display the content C and D of the bidders C and D is calculated as 8.

  In Table 1, the display area size indicates each display area of n × n when n is 1 to 8, as the size of the display area. The number of display devices indicates the number of display devices 36 constituting each display area size. The ratio indicates the number of all display devices 36, that is, the ratio of the number of display devices constituting each display area size to 64. In the multi-display system 27, the display devices 36 constituting one display area size are integrated to form one display area and display one content. Therefore, one display area size is a content display area for displaying one content.

  The bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 to a content display area for displaying each content. It is assumed that the aspect ratios of the contents A to D are the same as the predetermined aspect ratio, that is, the entire display area 37 and the display area of each display device 36. The allocation area which is an area allocated by the bid control unit 13 is a ratio in which the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension is determined in advance. Therefore, even if a plurality of areas are allocated to the bidders A to D, they can be displayed in the allocated area without changing the aspect ratio of the contents A to D.

  The bid control unit 13 determines, for each content A to D, a display area size in which the amount ratio of each content A to D is equal to or less than the value indicated by the ratio in Table 1 as the maximum possible display area size. For example, the maximum possible display area size of the content A of the bidder A is determined to be 5 × 5, and the maximum possible display area size of the content B of the bidder B is determined to be 4 × 4 and the contents of the bidders C and D are determined. The maximum possible display area size of C and D is determined to be 2 × 2.

  FIG. 5A shows a state in which the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area A1 of the content A in the entire display area 37. The bid control unit 13 performs allocation in order from the content with the highest priority. The priority is set higher as the bid price increases. When there are contents with the same bid price, the priority of the contents with the earlier bid order, that is, the date and time when the bid is performed is set higher. Therefore, the priority is set to the highest for the content A, and the lower the order, the content B, the content C, and the content D.

  The bid control unit 13 arranges the content A having the highest priority from the upper left of the entire display area 37. The bid control unit 13 arranges the display area in the display area by giving priority to the vertical direction over the horizontal direction. The display area A1 is the same size as the maximum possible display area size, and the display area size is 5 × 5. In the display area A1, each display device 36 having a row number of 1 and a column number of 1 to 5, each display device 36 having a row number of 2 and a column number of 1 to 5, and a row number of 3 and a column Each display device 36 having a number 1 to 5, each display device 36 having a row number 4 and a column number 1 to 5, and each display device 36 having a row number 5 and a column number 1 to 5 Composed.

  In the present embodiment, the bid control unit 13 arranges the content with higher priority in preference to the left side than the right side of the entire display area 37, but in other embodiments, the bid control unit 13 You may arrange | position with priority on the right side rather than the left side of the display area 37. FIG.

  FIG. 5B shows a state in which the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area B <b> 1 of the content B in the entire display area 37. The bid control unit 13 arranges the content B having the second priority from the upper left of the empty display area. The empty display area refers to an area where content is not yet arranged among all the display areas 37.

  Content B has a maximum possible display area size of 4 × 4, but the maximum display area size that can be set as an empty display area is 3 × 3. Therefore, the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area B1 having a display area size of 3 × 3 in the empty display area. The display area B1 includes a display device 36 having a row number of 1 and a column number of 6 to 8, a display device 36 of row number 2 and a column number of 6 to 8, and a row number of 3 and a column. It is comprised with each display apparatus 36 of a number 6-8.

  FIG. 6A shows a state in which the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area C1 of the content C in the entire display area 37. The bid control unit 13 arranges the content C having the third priority from the upper left of the empty display area. Since the maximum possible display area size of the content C is 2 × 2, the display area C1 having a display area size of 3 × 3 is arranged in the entire display area 37. The display area C1 is composed of display devices 36 with row numbers 4 and column numbers 6 and 7, and display devices 36 with row numbers 5 and column numbers 6 and 7.

  FIG. 6B shows a state in which the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area D1 of the content D in the entire display area 37. The bid control unit 13 arranges the content D having the fourth priority from the upper left of the empty display area. Content D has a maximum possible display area size of 2 × 2. Although there is a display device 36 having a row number of 4 and a column number of 8 at the top of the empty display region, a display region having a display region size of 2 × 2 including this display device 36 cannot be arranged. . Therefore, the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area D1 at the upper left of the position where the 2 × 2 display area size can be arranged among the empty display areas. The display area D1 is composed of display devices 36 having a row number of 6 and column numbers of 1 and 2, and display devices 36 having a row number of 2 and column numbers of 1 and 2.

FIG. 7A shows a state in which the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area A <b> 2 of the content A in the entire display area 37. When the bid control unit 13 completes the first order arrangement of the contents A to D of all the bidders A to D, the bid control unit 13 calculates the number of remaining display devices of the contents A to D by the following equation (3).
“Number of remaining display devices” = “Number of display devices” − “Number of displayed display devices” (3)

  The “number of remaining display devices” is the number of remaining display devices 36 that display content, and the “number of display devices” is a value calculated by the above equation (2). "Is the number of display devices 36 constituting each display area A1, B1, C1, D1.

  For example, the number of remaining display devices for the content A of the bidder A is calculated by 32-25 and becomes 7. Similarly, the number of remaining display devices of the content B of the bidder B is calculated as 7, and the number of remaining display devices of the contents C and D of the bidders C and D is calculated as 4.

  The bid control unit 13 arranges the content A having the highest priority again from the upper left of the empty display area. Since the number of remaining display devices of the content A is 7, the maximum possible display area size is 2 × 2. Therefore, the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area A2 having a display area size of 2 × 2. The display area A2 is composed of display devices 36 having a row number of 6 and column numbers 3 and 4, and display devices 36 having a row number of 7 and column numbers 3 and 4.

  FIG. 7B shows a state in which the bid control unit 13 arranges all the display areas of the contents A to D in the entire display area 37. The bid control unit 13 arranges the content B having the second priority from the upper left of the empty display area. Since the number of remaining display devices for the content B is 7, the maximum possible display area size is 2 × 2. Therefore, the bid control unit 13 arranges a display area B2 having a display area size of 2 × 2. The display area B <b> 2 includes the display devices 36 with row numbers 6 and column numbers 5 and 6, and the display devices 36 with row numbers 7 and column numbers 5 and 6.

  The bid control unit 13 arranges the content C having the third priority from the upper left of the empty display area. Since the number of remaining display devices for content C is four, the maximum possible display area size is 2 × 2. Therefore, the bid control unit 13 arranges a display area C2 having a display area size of 2 × 2. The display area C <b> 2 includes the display devices 36 with row numbers 6 and column numbers 7 and 8, and the display devices 36 with row numbers 7 and column numbers 7 and 8.

  The bid control unit 13 arranges the content D having the fourth priority from the upper left of the empty display area. Since the number of remaining display devices for content D is four, the maximum possible display area size is 2 × 2, but a display area having a display area size of 2 × 2 cannot be arranged in the empty display area. Therefore, the bid control unit 13 arranges the display area D2 having a display area size of 1 × 1. The display area D2 is configured by the display device 36 having a row number of 4 and a column number of 8.

  When the bid control unit 13 completes the second order arrangement of the contents A to D of all the bidders A to D, the bid control unit 13 calculates the number of remaining display devices of the contents A to D according to the above formula (3). For example, the number of remaining display devices for the contents A, B, and D of the bidder A is calculated as 3, and the number of remaining display devices for the content C of the bidder C is calculated as zero (0).

  In the third arrangement, the bid control unit 13 arranges the contents A, B, and D having the priorities of 1, 2, and 4 from the upper left of the empty display area. Since the number of remaining display devices for contents A, B, and D is three, the maximum possible display area size is 1 × 1. Accordingly, the bid control unit 13 arranges display areas A3, B3, and D3 each having a display area size of 1 × 1. The display area A3 is configured by a display device 36 having a row number of 5 and a column number of 8, and the display area B3 is configured of a display device 36 having a row number of 8 and a column number of 1, and the display area D3 is The display device 36 has a row number of 8 and a column number of 1.

  Similarly, the bid control unit 13 arranges the contents A, B, and D from the upper left of the empty display area until the number of remaining display devices of the contents A, B, and D becomes zero (0). In the fourth arrangement, the bid control unit 13 arranges display areas A3, B3, and D3 each having a display area size of 1 × 1. The display area A4 is configured by a display device 36 having a row number of 8 and a column number of 3, and the display area B4 is configured of a display device 36 having a row number of 8 and a column number of 4, and the display area D4 is The display device 36 has a row number of 8 and a column number of 5.

  Further, the bidding control unit 13 arranges display areas A5, B5, and D5 each having a display area size of 1 × 1 in the fifth arrangement. The display area A5 is configured by a display device 36 having a row number of 8 and a column number of 6, and the display area B5 is configured of a display device 36 having a row number of 8 and a column number of 7, and the display area D5 is The display device 36 has a row number of 8 and a column number of 8. The bid control unit 13 ends the allocation when the number of remaining display devices of all the contents A to D becomes zero (0).

  The bid situation storage unit 14 shown in FIG. 1 is realized by a memory capable of storing information, such as a hard disk, an optical disk, and a RAM. The bidding status storage unit 14, for each advertising space in a predetermined time slot, mutually identifies identification information representing the bidder's ID, bid price information representing the bid price of the bidder, and price ratio information representing the price ratio. Remember in the associated state.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the bid status information 33 stored in the bid status storage unit 14. The bid status information 33 includes an item 33a indicating the bidder's ID, an item 33b indicating the bid amount, and an item 33c indicating the amount ratio for the advertising space specified by the date and time zone.

  For example, the bid status information 33 indicates that the bid amount of the bidder A is 40000 yen and the amount ratio is 50% for the fourth time slot on May 6, and the bid amount of the bidder B is 20000. This indicates that the yen / amount ratio is 25%, the bid amount of bidders C and D is 10,000 yen, and the amount ratio is 12.5%.

  The bid status information 33 further includes allocation information. The allocation information is information indicating an already allocated state in which the entire display area 37 is allocated to the display areas of the contents A to D by the bid control unit 13, and each display device constituting the entire display area 37 of the display device 36. Reference numeral 36 denotes information indicating which content is displayed.

  The advertising space storage unit 16 is realized by a memory capable of storing information, such as a hard disk, an optical disk, and a RAM. When the successful bid period ends, the advertising space storage unit 16 stores the bid situation information stored in the bid situation storage unit 14 at the end of the successful bid period. Since the auction is performed for each advertising space in a predetermined time zone, the advertising space storage unit 16 stores the identification information, the bid price information, the amount ratio stored in the bidding status storage unit 14 for the advertising space for which the auction has ended. Information and allocation information are stored sequentially. As a result, the advertising space storage unit 16 can create a schedule for displaying content on the multi-display system 27.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the advertising space confirmation information 34 stored in the advertising space storage unit 16. The advertising space confirmation information 34 includes an item 34a indicating a date for displaying the content on the multi-display system 27, and an item 34b indicating a time zone for displaying the content. For example, “4/1”, “4/2”, etc. are shown in the item 34a indicating the date, and “first time zone”, “second time zone”, “ The “third time zone”, “fourth time zone”, “fifth time zone”, “sixth time zone”,...

  For example, when the time length of each advertising space is set to 1 hour, 24 advertising spaces are set per day, and “n” is 24. Bid status information 33 stored in the bid status storage unit 14 at the time when the auction for each advertising space is completed is input to each advertising space divided by the date and time zone of the advertising space confirmation information 34. The advertising space confirmation information 34 is a schedule for the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 to display content on the multi-display system 27.

  The content distribution unit 21 includes an input / output interface and the like, and is connected to the multi-display system 27 through a communication line 29 such as WAN or LAN. The content distribution unit 21 transmits the content to the multi-display system 27 according to an instruction from the content control unit 17.

  The multi-display system 27 is a digital signage (digital signage) installed in, for example, a transportation facility, a public facility, a storefront, or the like. Each display device 36 of the multi-display system 27 is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL display, a light emitting diode, a video projector, or a cathode ray tube. The display device 36 of the multi display system 27 displays the content transmitted from the content distribution unit 21. The multi-display system 27 is not limited to digital signage, and may be configured by a device that displays a television broadcast, a data broadcast, a website, and the like.

  The content control unit 17 serving as an advertisement control unit stores content data associated with the identification information of the bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space according to the advertising space confirmation information 34 stored in the bidding status storage unit 14 after the end of the auction. The content data acquired from the unit 18 is transmitted to the multi-display system 27. The content control unit 17 controls each display device 36 that constitutes the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 according to the allocation information included in the advertising space confirmation information 34.

  In another embodiment, the bid status information 33 and the advertising space confirmation information 34 may not include allocation information. In this case, the content control unit 17 performs the bidding described with reference to FIGS. Each display device 36 can be controlled by performing the same process as the advertisement display area allocation performed by the control unit 13.

  The fee collection unit 20 collects the bid amount presented by the winning bidder as an advertising fee for the winning bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space. The advertisement fee is collected, for example, by withdrawing the advertisement fee from the bank account of the winning bidder or by online credit card settlement.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process in which a bidder performs a bid by the bidder terminal 26. When the bidder communicates from the bidder terminal 26 to the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 and is authenticated by the bidder authentication unit 11 as a registered bidder, the process proceeds to step a0 and the process is started.

  In step a1, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not the bidder terminal 26 requests a bid. When it is determined that the bidder terminal 26 requests bidding, the process proceeds to step a2, and when it is determined that the bidder terminal 26 does not request bidding, the process at step a1 is performed again.

  In step a2, the bid control unit 13 transmits the bid status for the advertising space in each time slot to the bidder terminal 26 that has requested the bid. The bid status includes the number of bidders who are bidding on the bid, the bid amount, the amount ratio, and the allocated state of the entire display area 37. The bidder uses the bidder terminal 26 to obtain the bid status for the advertising space in each time slot.

  In step a 3, the bidder confirms the obtained bid status, selects an advertising space in a time zone for bidding, and inputs it to the bidder terminal 26. In step a4, the bidder inputs a bid amount to bid on the advertising space in the selected time zone to the bidder terminal 26.

  In step a5, the bidder terminal 26 checks whether or not the time slot of the advertising space and the bid amount are correctly input by the bidder. If it is determined by the bidder terminal 26 that the time zone and the bid price are correctly input, the process proceeds to step a6. If it is determined that at least one of the time zone and the bid price is not input, step a3 Proceed to

  In step a <b> 6, the bidder terminal 26 transmits the bidder ID, the time slot of the advertising space, and the bid price to the bid control unit 13. In step a7, the bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 again based on the time slot and the bid amount of the advertising space transmitted from the bidder terminal 26, and updates the bid status. The bid control unit 13 transmits the updated bid status to the bidder terminal 26. The bidder terminal 26 receives the bid status transmitted from the bid control unit 13.

  In step a8, the bidder terminal 26 displays the received bid status on the display device 36 of the bidder terminal 26. The bid status includes the number of bidders, the bid price, the amount ratio, and the allocated state of the entire display area 37. The bidder confirms the bid status displayed on the bidder terminal 26.

  In step a9, the bidder terminal 26 determines whether or not a contact from the server, that is, the bid control unit 13 has been received. If the bidder terminal 26 determines that the communication from the bid control unit 13 has been received, the process proceeds to step a10. If it is determined that the communication from the bid control unit 13 has not been received, the process in step a9 is performed. Done again.

  In step a10, the bidder terminal 26 determines whether the communication received from the bid control unit 13 is a bid confirmation communication, that is, a notification notifying that the auction period has ended and the bid has been confirmed. Further, the bidder terminal 26 determines that the communication that is not the bid confirmation communication is a notification that informs the newly updated bid status due to a change in the bid status. If it is determined by the bidder terminal 26 that the communication is a bid confirmation, the process proceeds to step a11, and if it is determined that the communication is not a bid confirmation, the process proceeds to step a12.

  In step a11, the bidder terminal 26 displays the confirmation status indicated by the bid confirmation communication, that is, the bid status at the time when the successful bid is confirmed, and proceeds to step a19 to end the processing.

  In step a12, the bidder terminal 26 displays the updated bid status. The bidding control unit 13 newly displays the entire display area 37 when a bid is made by a new bidder, when the bid price is changed by a bidder who has already bid, and when the bidder leaves the bid. Allocate. Therefore, the bidder can always check the latest bid situation.

  In step a13, the bidder confirms the updated bid status displayed on the bidder terminal 26, and determines whether to cancel the bid, that is, cancel the bid. For example, the bidder can cancel the bid when the bid control unit 13 is not satisfied with the allocation. If the bidder determines that the bid is to be lowered, the process proceeds to step a14. If the bidder determines not to bid, the process proceeds to step a15. In step a14, the bidder terminal 26 transmits a bid to the bid control unit 13 and proceeds to step a19, where the process ends.

  In step a15, the bidder determines whether or not to change the bid amount. For example, when the bidder is not satisfied with the allocation by the bid control unit 13, the bidder can present a higher bid amount. Further, the bidder can accept the reset advertising space without changing the bid amount when the advertising space reset by the bid control unit 13 is not dissatisfied. If it is determined by the bidder to change the bid price, the process proceeds to step a16, and if it is determined not to change the bid price, the process proceeds to step a18.

  In step a 16, the bidder inputs a new bid amount to the bidder terminal 26. In step a17, the bidder terminal 26 transmits the new bid amount input by the bidder to the bid control unit 13, and proceeds to step a7. In step a18, the bidder terminal 26 transmits that the bid amount is not changed to the server, that is, the bid control unit 13 of the advertising space transaction apparatus 1, and proceeds to step a7.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing performed by the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 with the bidder terminal 26. An advertisement storage process is performed before the auction period for the advertising space starts, and the content of the bidder is stored by the content storage unit 18. When the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 is ready to accept a bid and the auction period of the advertising space starts, the process proceeds to step b0 and the process is started.

  In step b1, the bid control unit 13 determines whether a bid request from the bidder terminal 26 has been received. If the bid control unit 13 determines that a bid request from the bidder terminal 26 has been received, the process proceeds to step b2, and if it is determined that a bid request from the bidder terminal 26 has not been received, in step b1 The process is performed again. In step b2, the bid control unit 13 transmits the bid status for the advertising space in each time slot to the bidder terminal 26 that has bid. The bid status includes the number of bidders who are bidding on the bid, the bid amount, the amount ratio, and the allocated state of the entire display area 37.

  In step b3, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not the time slot of the advertising space transmitted from the bidder terminal 26 is valid. For example, the bid control unit 13 determines that an ineffective time zone has been selected when the time zone of the advertising space transmitted from the bidder terminal 26 has already been awarded. If the bid control unit 13 determines that it is not a valid time zone, it proceeds to step b4, and if it is determined to be a valid time zone, it proceeds to step b5.

  In step b4, the bid control unit 13 transmits to the bidder terminal 26 that it is an error, that is, the information about the time slot of the advertising space transmitted from the bidder terminal 26 is not valid. move on.

  In step b5, the bid control unit 13 reads information about the time zone selected by the bidder. In step b6, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not there are competing bids in the selected time zone. If the bid control unit 13 determines that there is a competing bid, the process proceeds to step b7. If it is determined that there is no competing bid, the process proceeds to step b8.

  In step b7 which is a bid control process, the bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 of the multi-display, that is, the multi-display system 27. Specifically, the bid control unit 13 determines which content is to be displayed by each display device 36 constituting the entire display area 37.

  In step b8, the bid control unit 13 transmits the bid status to the bidder terminal 26 of each bidder. This transmission is performed to the contact information of the bidder stored by the bidder information storage unit 15, for example, an e-mail address. The bid status includes the number of bidders who are bidding on the bid, the bid amount, the amount ratio, and the allocated state of the entire display area 37.

  In step b9, the bid status storage unit 14 associates identification information indicating the bidder's ID, bid price information indicating the bid price of the bidder, price ratio information indicating the price ratio, and allocation information in association with each other. Remember. In step b10, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not a notification indicating that the bid is to be dropped has been received from the bidder terminal 26. If it is determined by the bid control unit 13 that a notification indicating that a bid is to be received has been received, the process proceeds to step b11. If it is determined that a notification indicating that a bid is to be received has not been received, the process proceeds to step b12.

  In step b11, the bid control unit 13 deletes the bid information of the bidder who has notified that the bid is to be dropped from the bid status storage unit 14, and proceeds to step b7. In step b12, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not the bidder terminal 26 has changed the bid amount. When the bid control unit 13 determines that the bidder terminal 26 has changed the bid price, the process proceeds to step b5, and when it is determined that the bidder terminal 26 has not changed the bid price, the process proceeds to step b13.

  In step b13, the bid control unit 13 determines whether the bid end time, that is, the date and time when the auction period ends has been reached for the advertising space in which the auction is being performed. When it is determined by the bid control unit 13 that the bid end time is reached, the process proceeds to step b14, and when it is determined that the bid end time is not reached, the process proceeds to step b1.

  In step b14, the advertising space storage unit 16 represents the confirmed successful bid information, that is, the bidding status information stored in the bidding status storage unit 14 at the end of the auction period, and the date and time zone when the advertising space is set. In association with the information, it is stored as the advertising space confirmation information 34. In step b15, the bid control unit 13 transmits the confirmed status, that is, the bid status at the time when the successful bid is confirmed, to the winning bidder.

  In step b16, which is an advertisement control step, the content control unit 17 displays the content on the display device 36 of the multi-display system 27 according to the successful bid information, that is, the advertising space determination information 34 stored in the advertising space storage unit 16. The content to be displayed on the multi display system 27 is read from the content storage unit 18 by the content control unit 17 and transmitted from the content distribution unit 21 to the multi display system 27 according to an instruction from the content control unit 17. In step b17, the fee collection unit 20 collects the winning bid amount from the winning bidder, proceeds to step b18, and ends the process.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the allocation process performed by the bid control unit 13 in step b7 of FIG. When the bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 in step b7 of the flowchart of FIG. 11, the process proceeds to step c0 and the process is started.

  In step c1, the bid control unit 13 sets “n = 1”, and in step c2, the bid control unit 13 sets “k = 0”. “N” is a natural number representing the number of bidders, and “k” is a variable for calculating the total value of the bid amount.

  In step c3, the bid control unit 13 calculates the total bid price as “k = k + (nth bid price)”. In step c4, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not “n = number of bidders”. When the bid control unit 13 determines that n is different from the number of bidders, the process proceeds to step c5, and when it is determined that n is the same as the number of bidders, the process proceeds to step c6. In step c5, the bid control unit 13 sets “n = n + 1” and proceeds to step c3.

In step c6, the bid control unit 13 sets “n = 1” and proceeds to step c7. In step c7, the bid control unit 13 calculates the number of display devices for displaying the content of the nth bidder by the following equation (4), and proceeds to step c8. This formula (4) is the same as the above formulas (1) and (2).
“Number of display devices” = “Number of all display devices S” × “n-th bid amount” ÷ “k” (4)

  In step c8, the bid control unit 13 causes the bid status storage unit 14 to store the number of content display devices of the nth bidder calculated in step c7. In step c9, the bid control unit 13 determines whether n is the number of bidders. If the bid control unit 13 determines that n is not the number of bidders, the process proceeds to step c10, and if it is determined that n is the number of bidders, the process proceeds to step c11.

  In step c10, the bid control unit 13 sets “n = n + 1” and proceeds to step c7. In step c11, the bid control unit 13 arranges the bidder and the number of display devices Dm in descending order of the calculated number of display devices, and proceeds to step c12. Let “m” be a variable for counting bidder priorities, and “Dm” be the number of content display devices for bidders with rank m. In addition, when the number of display devices is the same, the bid control unit 13 arranges the bidder and the number of display devices Dm in order from the earliest bid order.

In step c12, the bid control unit 13 sets “m = 1”. In step c13, the bid control unit 13 calculates the maximum number of display devices in the empty display area by the following equation (5).
“Vertical i” × “horizontal i” = i ² (5)
“I” is a variable of the number of display devices constituting the display area size in the empty display area.

In step c14, the bid control unit 13 calculates the maximum number of allotted devices of the bidder of rank m according to the following equation (6). Assume that the maximum number of devices assigned to bidders of rank m is “Em”.
“Em” = MAX (j ² : 0 ≦ j ≦ i: j ² ≦ Dm) (6)

  In step c15, the bid control unit 13 allocates j pieces in the vertical direction and j pieces in the horizontal direction from the upper left display to the m-th bidder.

  In step c16, the bid control unit 13 determines whether there is an empty display area. If the bid control unit 13 determines that there is an empty display area, the process proceeds to step c17, and if it is determined that there is no empty display area, the process proceeds to step c19.

  In step c17, the bid control unit 13 sets “m = m + 1”. In step c18, the bid control unit 13 determines whether or not “m <n”. If the bid control unit 13 determines that “m <n”, the process proceeds to step c13. If it is determined that “m <n” is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step c12.

  In step c19, the bid control unit 13 creates a message notifying each bidder of the allocated content state, that is, the position and size of the content to be displayed, and proceeds to step c20 to end the process.

  The control program stored in the storage device of the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 includes a computer, a bidder authentication unit 11, a communication unit 12, a bid control unit 13, a bid status storage unit 14, and a bidder information storage unit 15. As an advertising space transaction program for functioning as each means of the advertising space storage unit 16, the content control unit 17, the content storage unit 18, the content registration unit 19, the fee collection unit 20, and the content distribution unit 21 Can be provided.

  In the advertising space transaction apparatus 1, the advertising space transaction program is stored in a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk device, but is not limited to these storage devices, and is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. May be. The recording medium may be a recording medium that can be read by providing a program reading device as an external storage device (not shown) and inserting the recording medium therein, or may be a storage device of another device. .

  Any recording medium may be used as long as the stored advertising space transaction program is accessed from a computer and executed. Alternatively, in any recording medium, the advertising space transaction program is read out, the read advertising space transaction program is stored in the program storage area of the storage device, and the advertising space transaction program is executed. I just need it.

The recording medium configured to be separable from the main body is, for example, a tape recording medium such as a magnetic tape / cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a flexible disk / hard disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) / MO (Magneto Optical). disk) / MD (
Disc recording media of optical discs such as Mini Disc) / DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) / Blu-ray Disc, IC (Integrated Circuit) cards including memory cards / card recording media such as optical cards, or mask ROM / EPROM ( Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory / EEPROM (Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory) or a recording medium that carries a fixed program including a semiconductor memory such as a flash ROM. Therefore, it can provide as a computer-readable recording medium which recorded the advertising space transaction program for functioning as each means of advertising space transaction device 1.

  Even if the advertising space transaction program is not recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the advertising space transaction program is downloaded from another device via the communication network and stored in the program storage area of the advertising space transaction device 1. You can also. Therefore, since the advertising space transaction program can be transmitted by a medium having a function of transmitting information such as a communication network, the information transmission for transmitting the advertising space transaction program for functioning as each means of the advertising space transaction device 1 It can also be provided as a medium.

  In this way, an advertisement frame that can display content in a predetermined time zone is set in the multi-display system 27 configured by a plurality of display devices 36 adjacent to each other. The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 has a predetermined time set in the entire display area 37 including the display areas of all the display apparatuses 36 of the multi-display system 27 including the plurality of display apparatuses 36 each having a display area. It is used to manage transactions by auction of advertising space that can display content in a band. The advertising space transaction apparatus 1 includes a content storage unit 18, a bid control unit 13, and a content control unit 17. The content storage unit 18 stores identification information for identifying a bidder who bids by communication via an information communication network in an auction for an advertising space, and contents to be displayed on each display device 36 according to the advertising space desired by the bidder. The content data to be represented is stored in a state associated with each other. The bid control unit 13 is input with the identification information of the bidder who bids for the auction of the advertising space, and the bid price information indicating the bid price presented by the bidder of this identification information. The bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 to bidders in units of display areas of each display device 36 based on the input identification information and bid amount information. After the auction ends, the content control unit 17 acquires content data associated with the identification information of the bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space from the content storage unit 18 and transmits the acquired content data to the multi-display system 27.

  Accordingly, the bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 to the bidders in units of display areas of the respective display devices 36, so that the contents of a plurality of bidders are displayed on the multi-display system 27 at the same time. Even when the content is displayed, it is possible to prevent the visibility of the content from being deteriorated due to the display of a plurality of content in the display area of one display device 36. Therefore, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can enhance the advertising effect when the content is displayed on the multi-display system 27.

  Since the bid control unit 13 performs allocation in units of display areas of the display devices 36, the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 is prevented from being divided into areas smaller than the display areas of the display devices 36. be able to. Therefore, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can prevent the content from being displayed in an area smaller than the display area of each display device 36 and can prevent the visibility of the content from deteriorating.

  Since the bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 to the bidder during the auction of the advertising space, the display mode of the bidder's content on the multi-display system 27 is changed to the bidder during the auction. Can be presented. Therefore, the bidder can place a bid in a state in which the content display mode is confirmed. Thereby, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can perform an auction reflecting the intention of the bidder.

  When there are a plurality of bidders, the bid control unit 13 can allocate the display area 37 in accordance with the bid amount ratio of each bidder to distribute the profits of the advertisement display fairly. In addition, since the bid control unit 13 divides the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 and displays the content, the advertising fee revenue of the multi-display system 27 is maximized without generating a useless area where the content is not displayed. Can be made.

  Moreover, since the content control unit 17 transmits the bidder's content data for the successful bidder to the multi-display system 27 after the end of the auction period of the advertising space, it is possible to easily manage the advertisement display by the multi-display system 27. . As a result, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can efficiently perform from the sales of the advertising space to the transmission of the content data, reducing the labor required for the sales of the advertising space as much as possible, and the efficiency of selling the advertising space. Can be achieved.

  Furthermore, when there are a plurality of bidders, the bid control unit 13 allocates the bidders in order from the highest bidder to the lowest bidder among the plurality of bidders.

  As a result, the bid control unit 13 can preferentially allocate an area that can be easily viewed by the viewer among all the display areas 37 of the multi-display system 27 to a bidder with a high bid amount. Therefore, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can perform an auction by giving priority to the profit of a bidder with a large bid amount.

  Further, in the display device 36, the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the display area is set to a predetermined ratio. The allocation area allocated by the bid control unit 13 is a ratio in which the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension is determined in advance.

  As a result, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 allows the content image to be displayed without changing the content image, for example, when the content image is produced in the same ratio as the aspect ratio of the display device 36, that is, the aspect ratio. It can be displayed on the display system 27.

  Further, when the number of bidders is plural, the bid control unit 13 gives the highest bidder among the plural bidders in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction of the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27. Allocation is performed including the display area of the display device 36 located at the extreme end.

  As a result, when a plurality of contents are displayed at the same time, it is easier for the viewer to visually recognize the contents when the contents are displayed at the end portion than when the contents are displayed at the center portion surrounded by other contents. . Therefore, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can enhance the advertising effect of the high bidder.

  Further, the advertising space transaction method is set in advance to a total display area 37 composed of the display areas of all the display devices 36 of the multi-display system 27 constituted by a plurality of display devices 36 each having a display area. It is used to manage transactions by auction of advertising space that can display content in a time zone. The advertisement space transaction method includes an advertisement storage process, a bid control process, and an advertisement control process. In the advertisement storing step, the identification information for identifying the bidder who bids through the communication via the information communication network in the advertisement space auction and the content to be displayed on each display device 36 according to the advertisement space desired by the bidder are represented. Content data is stored in a state of being associated with each other. In the bid control step, the identification information of the bidder who bids on the auction of the advertising space and the bid amount information indicating the bid amount presented by the bidder of the identification information are input. In the bid control process, the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 is allocated to bidders for each display area of each display device 36 based on the input identification information and bid price information. In the advertisement control process, after the auction ends, the content data associated with the identification information of the bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space is acquired in the advertisement storage process, and the acquired content data is transmitted to the multi-display system 27.

  Thus, in the bid control process, all display areas 37 of the multi-display system 27 are allocated to bidders in units of display areas of the respective display devices 36, so that the contents of a plurality of bidders are simultaneously displayed on the multi-display system 27. Even in such a case, it is possible to prevent the visibility of the content from being deteriorated due to the display of a plurality of contents in the display area of one display device 36. Therefore, the advertising space transaction method can enhance the advertising effect when the content is displayed on the multi-display system 27.

  In the bid control process, since allocation is performed in units of display areas of each display device 36, it is possible to prevent the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 from being divided into areas smaller than the display areas of each display device 36. Can do. Therefore, the advertising space transaction method can prevent the content from being displayed in an area smaller than the display area of each display device 36, and can prevent the visibility of the content from deteriorating.

  In the bid control process, since the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 is allocated to the bidder during the auction of the advertising space, the display mode of the bidder's content in the multi-display system 27 is set to the bidder during the auction. Can be presented. Therefore, the bidder can place a bid in a state in which the content display mode is confirmed. Thereby, the advertising space transaction method can perform auction reflecting the intention of the bidder.

  In the bid control process, when there are a plurality of bidders, the profits from the advertisement display can be fairly distributed by allocating the entire display area 37 according to the bid amount ratio of each bidder. In the bid control process, the entire display area 37 of the multi-display system 27 is divided to display the content, so that the advertising fee income of the multi-display system 27 is maximized without generating a useless area where no content is displayed. be able to.

  In addition, since the advertisement control process transmits the successful bidder's content data to the multi-display system 27 after the end of the auction period of the advertising space, the management of advertisement display by the multi-display system can be easily performed. As a result, the advertising space transaction method can efficiently perform from the sales of the advertising space to the transmission of the content data, reducing the effort required for the sales of the advertising space as much as possible, and improving the sales efficiency of the advertising space. Can be achieved.

  Further, the advertising space transaction program causes the computer to function as the advertising space transaction device 1. Accordingly, an advertisement space transaction program that causes a computer to function as the advertisement space transaction apparatus 1 can be provided.

  Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium records the advertising space transaction program. Thereby, it is possible to provide a computer-readable recording medium for recording the advertising space transaction program.

  In this embodiment, each of the bidders A to D registers one content in the content registration unit 19 and performs an auction for the advertising space. However, in other embodiments, each of the bidders A to D A configuration in which a plurality of contents are registered in the content registration unit 19 may be employed. In this case, the bidder sets priorities for a plurality of contents, and stores priority order information indicating the priorities in the content registration unit 19. When the bid control unit 13 allocates the entire display area 37 to the bidders A to D, the bid control section 13 arranges the higher priority content in the larger display area. Thereby, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can sell an advertising space that can display a plurality of types of content simultaneously to the bidder. For example, bidders are expected to set high priority for content that is supposed to be viewed in detail, and low priority for content that is presumed to be overlooked, such as thumbnails. Content can be registered according to the size of the display area, and convenience is improved.

  Further, in this embodiment, the aspect ratios of all the contents A to D are formed at a predetermined ratio that is the same as the aspect ratio of the display area of the display device, but in other embodiments, the contents A to D are formed. These aspect ratios may be formed at arbitrary ratios. In this case, the bid control unit 13 performs allocation according to the aspect ratio of each content. As a result, the advertising space transaction apparatus 1 can increase the degree of freedom of content displayed on the multi-display system 27.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Advertisement space transaction apparatus 6 Auction system 7 Advertisement space transaction system 11 Bidder authentication part 12 Communication part 13 Bid control part 14 Bid status storage part 15 Bidder information storage part 16 Advertisement space storage part 17 Content control part 18 Content storage part 19 Content registration unit 20 Charge collection unit 21 Content distribution unit 26 Bidder terminal 27 Multi-display system 28 Information communication network 29 Communication line 31 Registered content information 32 Bidder information 33 Bid status information 34 Advertisement space confirmation information 36 Display device 37 Total display area REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 51 terminal device 52 auction management server 53 advertising space information management server 54 transaction execution system 55 network 56 market management unit 57 advertisement transmission management unit 58 viewer terminal 59 media terminal 60 sponsor terminal

Claims (7)

An advertisement frame that can be displayed in a predetermined time zone that is set in the entire display area composed of the display areas of all the display apparatuses of the multi-display system configured by a plurality of display apparatuses each having a display area An advertising space transaction device for managing transactions by auction
Identification information for identifying a bidder who bids through communication via an information communication network in the auction of the advertising space, and advertising information representing an advertisement to be displayed on each display device according to the advertising space desired by the bidder , An advertisement storage unit that stores the information in association with each other;
Identification information of a bidder who bids on the auction of the advertising space and bid price information representing a bid price presented by the bidder of the identification information are input, and based on the input identification information and bid price information A bid control unit for allocating all display areas of the multi-display system to bidders in units of display areas of the display devices;
An advertisement control unit that acquires advertisement information associated with identification information of a bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space from the advertisement storage unit after the auction has ended, and transmits the acquired advertisement information to the multi-display system. An advertising space transaction device.   The bid control unit, when there are a plurality of bidders, performs the allocation in order from a bidder with a high bid amount to a bidder with a low bid amount among the plurality of bidders. Item 4. The advertising space transaction device according to item 1. In the display device, the ratio between the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the display area is set to a predetermined ratio,
The advertising space transaction apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the allocation area allocated by the bid control unit has a ratio between a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension that is the predetermined ratio.   When the number of bidders is plural, the bid control unit sends the highest bidder among the plurality of bidders to the highest in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction in the entire display area of the multi-display system. The advertising space transaction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the allocation is performed including a display area of a display device located at an end. An advertisement frame that can be displayed in a predetermined time zone that is set in the entire display area composed of the display areas of all the display apparatuses of the multi-display system configured by a plurality of display apparatuses each having a display area An advertising space transaction method for managing auction-based transactions,
Identification information for identifying a bidder who bids through communication via an information communication network in the auction of the advertising space, and advertising information representing an advertisement to be displayed on each display device according to the advertising space desired by the bidder An ad storage process for storing the data in association with each other;
Identification information of a bidder who bids on the auction of the advertising space and bid price information representing a bid price presented by the bidder of the identification information are input, and based on the input identification information and bid price information A bid control step of allocating all display areas of the multi-display system to bidders in units of display areas of the display devices;
An advertisement control step of acquiring, in the advertisement storage step, advertisement information associated with identification information of a bidder who has made a successful bid for the advertising space after the auction has ended, and transmitting the acquired advertisement information to the multi-display system. An advertising space transaction method characterized by the above.   The advertising space transaction program for functioning a computer as an advertising space transaction apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the advertising space transaction program according to claim 6 is recorded.

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