JP2012073936A - Content distribution server, program, content distribution system and content acquisition server - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique enabling a link between a primary content and a secondary content derived from the primary content to be easily grasped when managing a plurality of contents.SOLUTION: A content distribution server 2 comprises a permission information acquiring unit 202 and a link information acquiring unit 203. The permission information acquiring unit 202 acquires permission information indicating requirements for generating the secondary content derived from a specific part of a detail of the primary content by applying a setting defined in the primary content. The permission information is provided for a terminal device 3, and the secondary content created based on the permission information is provided for the content distribution server 2. The link information acquiring unit 203 acquires link information indicating the specific part of the detail of the primary content to which the secondary content links. By the link information, it is possible to easily determine how the secondary content is derived from the primary content.

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for electronically acquiring content.

  The content distribution business for distributing contents such as music, images, and moving pictures is expanding due to the high performance and widespread use of mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones. In content distribution, content is distributed from a content distribution server to a terminal device such as a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a PC (Personal Computer) via a network. Such a content distribution server is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.

  By the way, the concept of so-called shared world (or shared world) is known, in which various authors share the same world view and produce and develop various stories such as fantasy and science fiction. Here, the same view of the world means that, for example, the setting of the world (setting of time and place) and the setting of characters (characters, but not limited to people) are the same.

  On the Internet, a so-called open share world is known as a form of share world, in which there is no restriction on eligibility for participation. In the open share world, a plurality of contents (mainly online novels) produced by a plurality of participants under the same view of the world are open to the public on the Web.

JP 2010-205185 A

  Here, it is assumed that a secondary work that is a “sequel” is produced based on a certain original work (such as a novel). In this case, since the connection between the secondary work and the original work is clear, the reader of the original work can read the secondary work without any trouble. However, if the secondary work is something that diverges from the middle of the contents developed in the original work (for example, “gaiden” that is not a sequel), the connection between the original work and the secondary work is not clear. It is difficult for the reader of the original work to read the secondary work naturally. In addition, when there are a large number of such secondary works, it is more difficult for the reader to find a work that the reader wants to read because there is no guide for selecting the secondary works.

  Conventional content distribution servers did not have the technology to manage the connection between many added works. For example, in the open share world, many works are derived from one work (content), but when the connection between individual works is unclear, the acquirer who acquires the work must select the work. It becomes difficult. Thus, the conventional content distribution server has a problem that the acquirer cannot acquire the content smoothly.

  Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can easily grasp the connection between primary content and secondary content derived from the primary content when managing a large number of contents.

  In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect is a content distribution server that distributes electronically accumulated content to a terminal device, and a primary content acquisition unit that acquires primary content that is a base point for content addition; From the primary content, a permission information acquisition unit for acquiring permission information indicating requirements for producing secondary content derived from a specific part of the content of the primary content by using settings defined in the primary content A secondary content acquisition unit that acquires the derived secondary content; and a link information acquisition unit that acquires link information indicating the specific part of the content of the primary content to which the secondary content is linked.

  Further, the second aspect is the content delivery server according to the first aspect, wherein the link is used to present a content map that visually represents the connection between the primary content and the secondary content on the terminal device. A map information generating unit that generates map information based on the information;

  The third aspect further includes a route information acquisition unit that acquires route information generated based on an acquisition order of a plurality of contents by the terminal device in the content distribution server according to the second aspect.

  According to a fourth aspect, in the content distribution server according to the third aspect, the appearance frequency of the acquisition order is reflected in the presentation of the content map.

  Moreover, a 5th aspect further contains the advertisement information provision part which provides the said terminal device with the advertisement information reproduced in the terminal device in the content delivery server which concerns on any one aspect from 1st to 4.

  According to a sixth aspect, in the content distribution server according to the fifth aspect, the advertisement information providing unit provides selection information for selecting a specific content from a plurality of contents to the terminal device. After that, the advertisement information is provided.

  Moreover, the 7th aspect WHEREIN: In the content delivery server which concerns on any one aspect from 1st to 6, the authorization information acquisition part which acquires the authorization information which shows that it is the authorized content regarding the said secondary content, The authorization information is distributed to the terminal device.

  Further, an eighth aspect further includes a content number measurement unit that measures the quantity of the secondary content derived from the primary content in the content distribution server according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

  According to a ninth aspect, in the content distribution server according to the eighth aspect, the content number measuring unit calculates the number of secondary contents derived per unit period from the primary content.

  In a tenth aspect, in the content distribution server according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, the primary content is content in which line drawings are drawn in a plurality of sections defined in the page.

  In addition, an eleventh aspect is a computer-readable program, wherein a CPU included in the computer executes the program on a memory, thereby causing the computer to operate according to any one of the first to tenth aspects. It functions as a content distribution server according to the aspect.

  Further, a twelfth aspect is a content distribution system for distributing electronically stored content, wherein the content distribution server according to any one of the first to tenth aspects and the primary content or the secondary content are A terminal device for providing content to the content distribution server, and a terminal device for content acquisition for acquiring the primary content or the secondary content from the content distribution server, the content providing terminal device comprising: The permission information and the link information are provided to the content distribution server.

  The thirteenth aspect is a content acquisition server that electronically acquires content, using a primary content acquisition unit that acquires a primary content that is a base point of content addition, and a setting defined in the primary content, A permission information acquisition unit for acquiring permission information indicating requirements for producing secondary content derived from a specific part of the content of the primary content; and secondary content for acquiring the secondary content derived from the primary content. An acquisition unit; and a link information acquisition unit that acquires link information indicating the specific part of the content of the primary content to which the secondary content is linked.

  According to the content distribution server according to the first aspect, various secondary contents can be derived from the primary contents under the restriction based on the permission information. Moreover, it becomes easy to specify how the secondary content is derived from the primary content by the link information.

  According to the content delivery server which concerns on a 2nd aspect, it becomes easy to grasp | ascertain visually the connection of a primary content and a secondary content by a content map by producing | generating map information. Therefore, the user of the terminal device can select the content with reference to the connection between the content.

  According to the content distribution server according to the third aspect, the acquisition order of the plurality of contents acquired by the terminal device can be grasped, so that the popular content acquisition route can be grasped.

  According to the content delivery server according to the fourth aspect, the appearance frequency of the content acquisition order is reflected in the presentation of the content map. Therefore, when the user of the terminal device selects content, it becomes possible to refer to the content acquisition order of others.

  According to the content delivery server which concerns on a 5th aspect, advertisement information can be provided to a terminal device.

  According to the content delivery server according to the sixth aspect, advertisement information is provided when specific content is selected from a plurality of contents. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the stress applied to the user of the terminal device by providing the advertisement information.

  According to the content delivery server which concerns on a 7th aspect, in a terminal device, it can be easily specified whether secondary content is what was certified.

  According to the content delivery server according to the eighth aspect, the degree of growth of the primary content can be specifically measured from the number of secondary content derived.

  According to the content delivery server according to the ninth aspect, it is possible to grasp the content derivation speed (growth speed).

It is the figure which showed notionally the structure of the content delivery system. It is the figure which showed the hardware constitutions of the content delivery server. It is the figure which showed the function structure implement | achieved by CPU of a content delivery server. It is the figure which showed the hardware constitutions of the terminal device. It is the figure which showed the function structure of the process part implement | achieved by CPU of a terminal device. It is the figure which showed the function structure of the process part implement | achieved by CPU of a terminal device. It is the figure which showed the function structure of the process part implement | achieved by CPU of a terminal device. It is the figure which showed the original content notionally. It is the figure which showed the example of description of permission information. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the content distribution system when the original content is registered in the content distribution server. It is the figure which showed the example of the content display screen displayed on the display part of a terminal device. It is the flowchart which showed operation | movement of the content delivery system when an additional content is registered into a content delivery server. FIG. 9 is a diagram conceptually showing the original content shown in FIG. 8 and a plurality of additional contents derived from the original content. It is the figure which showed the description content of the link information about an original. It is the figure which showed the description content of authorization information. It is the figure which showed the example of description of regulation information. It is the flowchart which showed operation | movement of the content delivery system when a content browsing is performed by the terminal device. It is the figure which showed the example of the content display screen displayed on the display part of a terminal device. It is the figure which showed the whole content map. It is the flowchart which showed operation | movement of the terminal device when producing | generating route information. It is the figure which showed the example of description of route information. It is the figure which showed the example of description of the permission information which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is the figure which showed the example of description of link information.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the constituent elements described in this embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them.

{1. First Embodiment}
<Definition>
(Primary content, secondary content)
The primary content referred to in the present application is content that serves as a base for adding new content. The secondary content refers to new content produced by using part or all of the settings defined in the primary content. Here, the defined settings include world settings in the content (period background, place, etc.), character settings (appearance and personality of characters, social status, etc.), and the like.

  Further, “primary” and “secondary” are words indicating a relative relationship between two contents. Therefore, content produced as secondary content may become primary content in the future. For example, when the content B is produced based on the content A and the content C is produced based on the content B, the content B becomes a secondary content in relation to the content A, but the relationship to the content C Then it becomes primary content.

  The concept of secondary content includes content after grandchild works. That is, if content A is a parent work, content C is a grandchild work, but in the present application, content C is treated as a secondary content of content A. However, if it is necessary to distinguish between the parent work (content A) and the child work (content B) and the relationship between the parent work and the grandchild work (content C), the grandchild work is referred to as “sub-secondary content”. Are distinguished.

(Original author)
The original author is the person who created the original content. Here, the original refers to a completely original work (original work that defines world settings and character settings first). Therefore, the original content is always primary content. Note that secondary content such as the content B described above can also be regarded as the original content C. However, such secondary content is distinguished from “original” in a strict sense as “secondary original”.

(Creator)
The creator refers to a person who creates primary content or a person who creates secondary content by diverting settings defined in the primary content and adding some content to the primary content. Here, “adding content to primary content” includes “story production” that creates a new story based on world settings and character settings defined in primary content, such as sequel and Gaiden. In addition, the content of the primary content itself is modified (coloring, 3D, pen insertion, toning, background drawing, inking (solid painting), etc.) to enhance the content (rich content) Production ". Since the rich content production is the same as the primary content except where modifications are made, the story of the primary content and the secondary content produced by the rich content production are common. Therefore, rich content production also uses the defined settings.

(the work)
A work is content created by the creator (including the original author).

(Book group)
This is a concept of a set composed of original content and a plurality of content groups added using the original content as a base point. More specifically, it is a set of contents related to writing (for example, manga, novel).

<Content distribution system 1>
FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the content distribution system 1. The content distribution system 1 includes a content distribution server 2 that distributes content to a user, and a terminal device 3 that is connected to the content distribution server 2 via a network 8 in a state where signals can be transmitted and received.

  In the content distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment, three types of terminal devices 3 (terminal devices 3a, 3b, 3c) are assumed. The terminal device 3 a is a terminal for providing original content, and has a function of providing the original (complete original work) to the content distribution server 2. Further, the terminal device 3b acquires primary content from the content distribution server 2, creates secondary content (additional content) with some content added thereto, and provides the secondary content to the content distribution server 2. Is provided. Further, the terminal device 3c has a function of acquiring content from the content distribution server 2 and presenting it to the user.

  1 shows a configuration in which one terminal device 3a, 3b, 3c is provided. However, even if a larger number of terminal devices 3a, 3b, 3c are connected to the content distribution server 2, FIG. Good. For example, when there are a plurality of terminal devices 3 a connected to the content distribution server 2, all the terminal devices 3 a do not necessarily have the same configuration. The same applies to the terminal devices 3b and 3b.

  In this embodiment, the network 8 is a communication network using the Internet in a WWW (World Wide Web) environment. However, the network 8 may be a public telephone network, a LAN (Local Area Network), or the like. The network 8 may be wired or wireless. That is, the network 8 may be any communication network as long as it can transmit and receive signals according to a predetermined protocol. In the present embodiment, the terminal devices 3a and 3b upload content to a site on the Internet provided by the content distribution server 2, and the content is downloaded by the terminal device 3c.

  The function of exchanging data between the terminal device 3 and the content distribution server 2 is preferably different depending on the authority of the user of the terminal device 3. That is, the user of the terminal device 3 is classified into, for example, a user who can provide content to the content distribution server 2 and a user who can only acquire content from the content distribution server 2. Identification of users having different authorities can be realized by, for example, a general authentication system (for example, authentication by ID and password, biometric authentication (for example, fingerprint authentication, retina authentication, vein authentication, face authentication)). .

<Content distribution server 2>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the content distribution server 2. The content distribution server 2 is a device having a general computer function and configuration, and has a function of distributing various contents. The components of the content distribution server 2 are bus-connected via an interface (I / F). The content distribution server 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 21, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 22, a storage unit 23, and an operation unit as a configuration for calculating data and creating control signals. 24, a display unit 25, and a communication unit 26.

  The storage unit 23 is configured by, for example, a general fixed disk device (such as a hard disk). The storage unit 23 stores content data provided from the terminal device 3a and the like, various management information, and the like.

  The operation unit 24 includes a keyboard 240 and a mouse 241. The operation unit 24 receives an instruction input from the operator to the content distribution server 2. The display unit 25 includes a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor, a liquid crystal display, or the like. The display unit 25 displays various data on the screen for the operator. In addition, you may comprise so that it may have a part or all of the function of the operation part 24 by comprising the display part 25 with a touch panel display.

  The communication unit 26 transmits / receives data to / from the terminal devices 3a, 3b, 3c. For example, when there is a content acquisition request (for example, an HTTP request) from the terminal device 3c or the like, the communication unit 26 transmits a response (for example, an HTTP response) to the request.

  The content distribution server 2 includes a disk reader 27 and a card for reading / writing various data from / to a portable recording medium such as a disk 91 (magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.) and a memory card 92 (semiconductor memory). Slot 28 is connected. Such a recording medium may be used in place of the storage unit 23 or as an auxiliary to the storage unit 23.

  The content distribution server 2 may be composed of a single server computer. However, in order to stabilize or speed up the system, the content distribution server 2 is preferably a single or a plurality of WEB servers that provide a WEB page to the terminal device 3 or a single that accesses the storage unit 23. Or, it is composed of a plurality of server computers such as a plurality of database servers.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by the CPU 20 of the content distribution server 2. The processing unit 200 is a function realized when the CPU 20 executes the program 210 stored in the ROM 21 on the RAM 22.

  The processing unit 200 includes a content acquisition unit 201, a permission information acquisition unit 202, a link information acquisition unit 203, an authorization information acquisition unit 204, a route information acquisition unit 205, a map information generation unit 206, a content number measurement unit 207, and a restriction information acquisition unit. 208 and an upload unit 209. The processing unit 200 performs data transfer with the storage unit 23, appropriately performs necessary processing (processing) on the data, and transmits the data to the communication unit 26. The processing unit 200 processes data received by the communication unit 26 via the network 8 and stores the data in the storage unit 23.

  The storage unit 23 is a storage device that electronically accumulates various data. The content DB (database) 231, permission information DB 232, link information DB 233, authorization information DB 234, route information DB 235, statistical information DB 236, regulation information DB 237, and advertisement An information DB 238 is included.

  The content acquisition unit 201 acquires content (primary content and secondary content) transmitted from the terminal devices 3a and 3b, and stores this in the content DB 231.

  The permission information acquisition unit 202 uses the setting defined in the primary content, acquires permission information indicating requirements for producing new content, and stores this in the permission information DB 232. The permission information is data transmitted from the terminal devices 3a and 3b, and requirements for producing new content are specifically specified based on the content provided from the terminal devices 3a and 3b. This permission information is transmitted to the terminal device 3b that produces the secondary content, and the user of the terminal device 3b produces the secondary content according to the requirements described in the permission information.

  The link information acquisition unit 203 acquires link information that identifies the connection between the secondary content produced by the terminal device 3b and the primary content that is the base point, and stores the link information in the link information DB 233.

  Secondary content is newly created content that uses the settings of the primary content. From the specific part of the content of the primary content (one point on the timeline of the story (story) developed in the primary content) It is derived. That is, the story of the secondary content is developed from a specific part of the primary content. As this specific part, the start point of the story development of the primary content, the last point, or the interval (that is, in the middle of story development), etc. are assumed. The link information is data describing information indicating this specific portion to which the secondary content is connected.

  With this link information, it is possible to easily identify the connection between the primary content and the secondary content (position where the secondary content branches from the primary content (position where the secondary content links). The link information is transmitted from the terminal device 3b that produces the secondary content. The link information is used when generating map information to be described later.

  The accreditation information acquisition unit 204 obtains accreditation information indicating whether the secondary content added based on the primary content is accredited by the provider of the primary content (producer (including the original author)). To do. The acquired authorization information is stored in the authorization information DB 234. The stored authorization information is transmitted to the terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c. The content of the authorization information is reflected in the content map described later.

  The route information acquisition unit 205 acquires route information generated by a route information generation unit 309b described later included in the terminal device 3c. This route information describes the acquisition order of contents acquired by the terminal device 3c. This route information indicates in what order the user with the terminal device 3c has browsed the content (has read the content), and is regarded as the route followed by the user. The route information acquired by the route information acquisition unit 205 is stored in the route information DB 235. The route information is transmitted to the terminal devices 3a, 3b, 3c. The content of this route information is reflected in the content of the content map presented to the user in the terminal device 3.

  The map information generation unit 206 displays map information provided to the terminal device 3 in order to display a content map that visually represents the connection between the primary content and the secondary content on the terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c. Generate. This map information is generated based on the link information. Further, the authorization information, the regulation information, and the route information are reflected in the map information, so that the contents of these information are reflected in the contents of the content map.

  The content number measuring unit 207 measures the quantity of secondary content derived from specific primary content. The quantity of the derived secondary content is grasped by analyzing the link information. Here, the quantity measured by the content number measuring unit 207 may include sub-secondary content (content after the grandchild work) indirectly linked to the primary content, but content directly linked to the primary content (ie , Child works only) is not disturbed. By measuring the number of contents, it is possible to grasp works that are popular with secondary content creators. In addition, by calculating the number of contents to be added during a certain period, it is possible to analyze the addition speed (growth speed) of new contents with respect to specific contents.

  The content number measurement unit 207 may calculate the number of contents (child works) directly linked to the focused content by acquiring link information from the link information DB 233, but indirectly. It may be calculated including the number of contents (sub-secondary contents) to be performed.

  The restriction information acquisition unit 208 acquires restriction information for designating content whose release should be restricted from the terminal devices 3a and 3b and stores the restriction information in the restriction information DB 237. For example, when the secondary content derived from a certain primary content is a work that does not conform to the intention of the provider of the primary content (for example, a work that has been modified not to comply with permission information), the secondary content Therefore, the primary content provider can provide the content distribution server 2 with the restriction information. The content distribution server 2 stops the publication (distribution) of the designated secondary content based on such restriction information. Note that the content distribution server 2 may be configured to delete the secondary content specified by the restriction information from the content DB 231.

  The upload unit 209 transmits data stored in the storage unit 23 or data processed by the processing unit 200 in response to various requests from the terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c. The upload unit 209 can appropriately determine the transmission order when transmitting a plurality of data to one terminal device.

  The content distribution server 2 also functions as a content acquisition server in that it has a function of electronically acquiring and storing content from the terminal devices 3a and 3b.

<Terminal device 3>
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the terminal device 3. The terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c are devices having a general computer function and configuration. The components of the terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c are bus-connected via an interface. The terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c mainly include a CPU 30, a ROM 31, a RAM 32, a storage unit 33, an operation unit 34, a display unit 35, and a communication unit 36 as a configuration for performing calculation of data and creation of control signals. Yes.

  The storage unit 33 is configured by, for example, a general fixed disk device (such as a hard disk). The storage unit 33 stores data (content, map information, advertisement information, etc.) provided from the content distribution server 2 and data (content, etc.) provided to the content distribution server 2.

  The operation unit 34 includes a keyboard 340, a mouse 341, and the like. When the terminal device 3 has a line drawing creation function, a pen tablet (registered trademark of Pentel Co., Ltd.) (graphics tablet) is preferably provided. The operation unit 34 receives an instruction input from the operator for the terminal devices 3a, 3b, and 3c. The display unit 35 includes a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor, a liquid crystal display, or the like. The display unit 35 displays various data on the screen for the operator. You may comprise the display part 35 so that it may have a part or all of the function of the operation part 34 by comprising a touch panel display.

  The communication unit 36 transmits / receives data to / from the content distribution server 2. For example, the communication unit 36 transmits a content acquisition request (for example, an HTTP request) to the content distribution server 2 and receives the content transmitted from the content distribution server 2.

  The terminal device 3 includes a disk reading device 37 and a card slot 38 for reading and writing various data with respect to a portable recording medium such as a disk 93 (magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.) and a memory card 92 (semiconductor memory). Is connected. Such a recording medium may be used in place of the storage unit 33 or as an auxiliary to the storage unit 33.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the processing unit 300a realized by the CPU 30 of the terminal device 3a. The processing unit 300 a is a function realized by the CPU 30 executing the program 310 stored in the ROM 31 on the RAM 32. The program 310 may be distributed by the content distribution server 2 in response to a request from the terminal device 3, for example.

  The processing unit 300a includes a content generation unit 301, a permission information generation unit 302, a map generation unit 303, a content request unit 304, an authorization information generation unit 305, a restriction information generation unit 306, and an upload unit 307.

  The content generation unit 301 has a function of generating content. The specific function of the content generation unit 301 is appropriately changed according to the content. For example, if the content is composed of line drawings and text, such as manga, an image processing function is provided. If the content is composed of text, such as a novel, a word processing function is provided, and the content is animated. If it includes, a movie creation function is provided.

  The terminal device 3 a is a content providing terminal device that provides original content to the content distribution server 2. The original content 331 a generated by the content generation unit 301 is stored in the storage unit 33. If content creation is performed by a device other than the terminal device 3a, the content generation unit 301 can be omitted.

  The permission information generation unit 302 uses the setting defined in the original content generated by the content generation unit 301 to create new content derived from a specific position on the story developed by the original content. The permission information that specifically identifies is generated. The generated permission information is provided to the content distribution server 2 together with the original content 331a.

  The map generation unit 303 generates a content map based on the map information transmitted from the content distribution server 2. This content map is displayed on the display unit 35.

  The content request unit 304 transmits an acquisition request (such as an HTTP request) to the content distribution server 2 for the content desired to be acquired by the terminal device 3a.

  The authorization information generation unit 305 generates authorization information provided to the content distribution server 2. Here, with respect to specific secondary content derived from the original content 331a, it is generated when the original author authorizes the modified work. The secondary content here may include sub-secondary content. That is, not only a child work directly derived from the original content 331a but also a work after the grandchild work may be configured to be authorized via the terminal device 3a.

  The restriction information generation unit 306 generates restriction information provided to the content distribution server 2. The restriction information is generated, for example, when the disclosure (viewing) of secondary content derived from the original content 331a, which is the primary content, is restricted.

  The upload unit 307 provides the content distribution server 2 with various data such as the original content 331a, permission information, authorization information, and regulation information.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the processing unit 300b realized by the CPU 30 of the terminal device 3b. The processing unit 300b is a function realized by the CPU 30 executing the program 310 stored in the ROM 31 on the RAM 32.

  The processing unit 300b includes a permission information presentation control unit 308a and a link designation unit 308b in addition to the same functional blocks as the processing unit 300a included in the terminal device 3a. The permission information presentation control unit 308a interprets the description of the permission information regarding the primary content provided from the content distribution server 2, and causes the display unit 35 to present the content. In the terminal device 3b, by referring to the permission information, a new secondary content (additional content 331b) is generated by the content generation unit 301 by properly using the setting defined in the primary content.

  The link designation unit 308b designates a specific part of the content of the primary content where the secondary content is connected to the primary content. The link information generated by this designation is sent to the content distribution server 2 and processed by the link information acquisition unit 203.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the processing unit 300c realized by the CPU 30 of the terminal device 3c. The processing unit 300 c is a function realized by the CPU 30 executing the program 310 stored in the ROM 31 on the RAM 32.

  The processing unit 300c includes a map generation unit 303 and a content request unit 304 included in the processing unit 300a of the terminal device 3a, and further includes an advertisement presentation control unit 309a and a route information generation unit 309b.

  The advertisement presentation control unit 309a causes the display unit 35 to display an advertisement based on the advertisement information provided from the content distribution server 2. When the advertisement information includes voice data or only voice data, the advertisement is output by voice from the voice output unit provided in the terminal device 3c. By providing such an advertisement presentation control unit 309a also in the terminal devices 3a and 3b, an advertisement may be presented to the user (content provider) of the terminal devices 3a and 3b.

  The route information generation unit 309b generates route information that records the acquisition order of a plurality of contents acquired by the terminal device 3c. This route information is reflected in the contents of the content map generated by the map generation unit 303.

  The terminal devices 3a, 3b, 3c are distinguished from each other in terms of function. Therefore, it goes without saying that the terminal device connected to the content distribution server 2 may have all of the functions of the terminal devices 3a, 3b, 3c.

  Next, information exchanged in the content distribution system 1 and operations of each component will be described. In the following description, the case where the content is manga will be described as a specific example.

<Registration of original content by terminal device 3a>
FIG. 8 is a diagram conceptually showing the original content A-000. As shown in FIG. 8, the original content A-000, which is a manga, is composed of a plurality of pages (pages P01 to P04). Furthermore, each page is divided into a plurality of sections (frames) by a frame or the like. In each of these frames, still images (such as line drawings representing characters and backgrounds) and text (such as lines) are written. That is, a story developed along the time axis is expressed by a still image having continuity drawn in each frame, and each frame corresponds to a point in time of story development.

  In the original content A-000, five frames K1 to K5 are provided on the page P01, four frames K1 to K4 are provided on the pages P02 and P04, and six frames K1 to K6 are provided on the page P03.

  When such original content A-000 is uploaded to the content distribution server 2 by the terminal device 3a, permission information (permission information K-000) is also generated. In this permission information, as a requirement to create a new secondary content using the settings defined in the original content A-000, for example, (1) a story is branched in the content of the original content A-000. A portion that may be allowed to be allowed (that is, a link position where secondary content may be linked) is defined. The portion that may be branched is identified by the position of the frame, for example. In addition to this, the permission information defines (2) a specific mode of production (rich content production or story production), and (3) various requests.

  In addition, as a production requirement for secondary content, there may be a requirement to produce content that starts from a certain point (start point) on the story of the original content A-000 and returns to a certain point (end point). obtain. In such a case, among the contents developed in the first content, the start point portion and the end point portion are designated as portions that may be branched. As a result, a new content branching from the primary content between the two points is produced.

  For example, when the primary content is manga and rich content production is permitted, in (1), the position on the story from which rich content production may be started is designated. It should be noted that the story of the secondary content produced by rich content production is substantially the same as that of the primary content. Therefore, in this case, the same story as the primary content is developed even in the secondary content branched from the primary content. Further, when rich content production is permitted for all of the primary content, the initial part of the content of the primary content is designated as the part that can be branched in (1) as an initial value. Good.

  In addition, when the production of a Gaiden is permitted as a story production, it is assumed that the portion (1) that may be branched is in the middle of the content of the primary content. When the production of the sequel is permitted, it is assumed that the end of the story developed with the primary content is designated as the branch position.

The following is an example of the contents specified by the permission information K-000.
● Permission contents 1
(1) From frame 1K on page P01 to frame K2 on page P04.
(2) Rich content production.
(3) I want you to paint with a bright yellow color. Do not modify the drawing line.
● Permission contents 2
(1) Frame K2 on page P03.
(2) Story production.
(3) I want you to draw the rest of Eiko (one of the characters). Start with Eiko's recollection scene.
● Permission contents 3
(1) Frame K5 on page P03.
(2) Story production.
(3) Draw the behavior of Yoshio (one of the characters) until tomorrow. I want to keep Yoshio's hairstyle. I want you to connect it to the last frame on page 4.
● Permission content 4
(1) Frame K4 on page P04.
(2) Story production.
(3) Draw the continuation within 10 pages. Do not increase the number of characters.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a description example of the permission information K-000. The permission information K-000 shown in FIG. 9 describes the above-described permission contents 1 to 4. In the present embodiment, the permission information K-000 is an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) document, and the permission content is described in a defined element.

  For example, the content targeted by the permission information K-000 is described as the content of the element “works”, and the element “page” and its child element “coma” for the part that allows branching of the story in (1). Is described as the content of "." When the end point of story development is specified, it is described as the contents of the element “end page” and its child element “frame”. The specific mode of production in (2) is described as the content of the element “permission”. The various requests (3) are described as the contents of the element “instruction 1” and the like.

  Note that the method for specifying the position at which branching is permitted in (1) is not limited to a method for specifying a predefined frame itself. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, assuming a rectangular region SR1 included in the section defining the frame K5, the upper left point is set as the start position SP1, and the lower right point is set as the end position EP1 in each page P03. You may specify the position in (refer the arrow of FIG. 9). For example, two values (0.5, 0.7) described in the element “starting coordinates” are respectively set for the horizontal distance and the vertical distance from the upper left point (origin) of the page P03 to the starting position SP1. This is a ratio of the length in the horizontal direction and the length in the vertical direction of P03. The means for designating a specific area is not limited to such a ratio. In other words, any method may be used as long as the position of a specific frame (or an area within a specific frame) can be specified.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the content distribution system 1 when the original content 331 a is registered in the content distribution server 2. First, the original content 331a is transmitted from the terminal device 3a to the content distribution server 2 and acquired by the content acquisition unit 201 (step S11). Then, the original content A-000 is stored in the content DB 231 (step S12). When the original content 331a is registered, a new book group is registered in the content DB 231. That is, every time the original content is uploaded, a new book group is defined.

  Next, permission information about the original content 331a is transmitted from the terminal device 3a to the content distribution server 2, and is acquired by the permission information acquisition unit 202 (step S13). The permission information is stored in the permission information DB 232 (step S14).

  Next, a case will be described in which new additional content A-001 is produced by using the settings defined in the original content A-000 in the terminal device 3b.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content display screen W1 displayed on the display unit 35 of the terminal device 3b. For example, the content display screen W1 is divided into three display areas, and a map display area MDR1, a page content display area PDR1, and a thumbnail display area SDR1 are provided (defined) from the top. The arrangement of these display areas can be changed as appropriate. These display areas may not always be set in one screen at the same time. For example, these display areas may be switched and displayed by a predetermined operation.

  In the map display area MDR1, the content map generated by the map generation unit 303 is displayed. In FIG. 11, since only the original content A-000 is registered in the book group, only the icon IC-000 indicating the original content A-000 is displayed in the content map. The thumbnail display area SDR1 displays a plurality of thumbnail images SI01 to SI04 obtained by reducing each of the pages P01 to P04 constituting the original content A-000.

  When one of the plurality of thumbnail images is selected, the content of the selected page is displayed in the page content display area PDR1. For example, by moving the cursor CS1 to the thumbnail image SI03 of the page P03 and clicking, the original image (FIG. 11, page P03) is displayed in the page content display area PDR1. When the display unit 35 has a touch panel function, the page content may be displayed by performing a touch operation on a specific thumbnail image.

  According to the permission information K-000 (see FIG. 9) relating to the original content A-000, with respect to the page P03, production of new content is permitted by branching the story at the frames K2 and K5. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the branchable positions of the image of the page P03 displayed in the page content display area PDR1 are visually indicated by enclosing such branchable frames K2 and K5 with a thick frame. Can be grasped. The highlighting of such a branchable part is not limited to the thick frame display, and is realized by, for example, displaying a part or the whole of the frame in a colored manner or blinking. Also good.

  When the cursor CS1 is moved onto the frames K2 and K5 that can be branched, the details of the permission information set for each frame are displayed (see FIG. 11). Thus, if the details of the permission information are displayed in a pop-up according to the movement of the cursor CS1, a limited display area can be used effectively. Of course, the details of the permission information may be presented on the display unit 35 by other methods. Further, the details of the permission information may be output by voice.

  Such highlighted display of frames K2 and K5 and detailed display of permission information are executed based on the control of permission information presentation control unit 308a. That is, the permission information presentation control unit 308a interprets the permission information acquired by the terminal device 3b, so that these displays are executed. The creator of the secondary content can browse the original content A-000 through the content display screen W1 and further recognize the permission information. In this way, the creator of the secondary content can create new content based on the permission information.

<Addition of content by terminal device 3b>
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the content distribution system 1 when the additional content 331 b is registered in the content distribution server 2. First, the additional content 331b is transmitted from the terminal device 3b to the content distribution server 2 and acquired by the content acquisition unit 201 (step S21). The additional content 331b is stored in the content DB 231 (step S22).

  Next, link information of the additional content 331b linked to the original content 331a is generated by the link designating unit 308b and transmitted to the content distribution server 2 (step S23). The link information is processed by the link information acquisition unit 203 and registered in the link information DB (step S24).

  If the link information indicates a part different from the part (link position) permitted to branch in the permission information of the original content 331a, a registration error is given from the content distribution server 2 to the terminal device 3b. You may provide the monitoring part which notifies and monitors so that content registration cannot be performed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent erroneous registration of content that is not based on the permission information.

  Further, since the additional content 331b can be a base point for adding new content, permission information for the additional content 331b is generated. Specifically, permission information for the additional content 331b is generated by the permission information generation unit 302 of the terminal device 3b based on the input operation of the content provider. This permission information is transmitted to the content distribution server 2, and the permission information acquisition unit 202 acquires it (step S25). The permission information acquisition unit 202 stores this permission information in the permission information DB (step S26).

  Note that the process of processing the additional content 331b (steps S21 and 22), the process of processing link designation information (steps S23 and S24), and the process of processing permission information (steps S25 and S26) are not necessarily performed in this order. This is not a requirement, and may be executed as appropriate, or may be executed in parallel.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram conceptually showing the original content A-000 shown in FIG. 8 and a plurality of additional contents A-001 to A-005 derived from the original content A-000.

  The additional content A-001 is produced based on the above-described permission content 3 (that is, a Gaiden of the original content A-000). The additional content A-001 is composed of three pages (pages P11 to P13) and is linked to the frame K5 of the page P03 of the original content A-000.

  Further, in detail, the additional content A002 is a work that is colored (colored) on the image drawn with the original A-000 in accordance with the permission content 1 described above, and is linked to the frame K1 of the page P01 of the original content A-000. . Further, additional content A-003 to A-005 is a sequel to the original content A-000 produced based on the permission content 4 described above, and is linked to the frame K4 on page P04 of the original content A-000.

  The additional contents A-001 to A-005 are all secondary contents of the original content A-000, but can be a base point for new contents. Therefore, for each of the additional contents A-001 to A-005, permission information indicating requirements for producing new contents by using the settings defined in the contents is generated.

  When the additional content 331b is provided to the content distribution server 2 in this way, the content distribution server 2 is in a state where each content can be provided in response to an acquisition request from the terminal device 3.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the description content of the link information L-000 for the original A-000. The link information L-000 stored in the link information DB 233 is an XML document, and the target content is described as the content of the element “works”. Further, the link position is described as the contents of the element “page” and the element “frame”, and the content linked to the link position is described as the contents of the element “story link” or the element “rich link”.

  For example, the link information L-000 describes “3” in the element “page”, “2” in the element “frame”, and “A-001” in the element “story link”. From this, the additional content A-001 is content derived from the page P3 and the frame K2 of the original content A-000, and is identified as content classified as story production (see arrow in FIG. 13).

  In FIG. 14, an element “rich link” and an element “story link” are provided, and are described so as to distinguish whether the content to be linked is rich content production content or story production content. However, these may be described as one element (for example, simply “link”) without distinguishing them. The specific description mode of the link information L-000 is not limited to that shown in FIG. That is, as long as at least “link position” and “content to be linked” can be specified for each content, the link information may be in any format.

  Returning to FIG. 13, the content distribution server 2 easily identifies whether the added content is a work certified by the original content provider based on the certification information acquired by the certification information acquisition unit 204. It is possible to do.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the description content of the authorization information N-000. The authorization information N-000 stored in the authorization information DB 234 is an XML document, information relating to the authorized person is specified by the content in the tag of the element “work”, and the authorized content is the content of the element “authorization”. It is described as.

  For example, in the authorization information N-000, “A-000” is described in the element “works”, and “A-002” is described in the element “authorization”. From this, it is specified that the additional content A-002 is a work that has been certified by the provider of the original content A-000.

  Note that the description example of the authorization information is not limited to that shown in FIG. That is, the authorization information may have any configuration as long as it can identify “authorized content”, and more preferably, it is described so that “authorized entity” can be identified.

  It is difficult to grasp whether any of the additional contents A-001 to A-005 shown in FIG. 13 has been produced according to the permission information designated by the provider of the original content A-000 without confirming the contents. It is. However, by using the authorization information, it is possible to easily identify whether the secondary content is a work in accordance with the intention of the primary content provider.

  Here, it is assumed that the provider of each content can issue authorization information for secondary content linked to the content provided by the content and sub-secondary content linked to the secondary content. That is, the provider of the original content A-000 can issue the authorization information for the additional content A-001 to A-005, which is the secondary content, and the sub-secondary content linked to this. Further, the provider of the additional contents A-001 to A-005 can issue authorization information for the secondary contents directly linked to the confident work and the sub-secondary contents linked directly thereto. However, it is not impeded that the certification information can be issued only for the secondary content directly linked to the content provided by the provider.

  In the content distribution server 2, the restriction information is acquired by the restriction information acquisition unit 208. The restriction information is information issued from the terminal devices 3a and 3b, and is information for specifying the content when the content provider restricts browsing (publication) of the added content.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a description example of the regulation information S-000. The restriction information S-000 is an XML document, in which information relating to the restricted subject is specified by the content in the tag of the element “works”, and the content that is restricted for browsing is specified by the tag of the element “restriction”. Yes.

  For example, in the regulation information S-000, “A-000” is described in the element “works”, and “A-004” is described in the element “regulation”. From this, it is specified that the additional content A-004 is content whose browsing is restricted by the provider of the original content A-000.

  The specific description content of the restriction information is not limited to that shown in FIG. That is, the restriction information may have any configuration as long as it can identify “restricted content”, and is more preferably described so that “restricted subject” can be identified.

  The entity that determines the content of the permission information, the entity that generates the certification information, and the entity that generates the regulation information are the providers of the corresponding contents here, but are not limited to this. It may be generated by a person. Specifically, for example, it is not prevented that a person who has received permission from a corresponding content provider (or creator) or an administrator of the content distribution server 2 can generate such information. . Further, the authority to generate such information may be managed for each account.

  12 to 15, the process in which the additional contents A-001 to A005 are registered in the content distribution server 2 based on the original content A-000 has been described. When another new additional content 331b is registered using the additional content A-001 to A-005 as a base point, the same process is performed.

<Browsing Content on Terminal Device 3c>
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the operation of the content distribution system 1 when content is browsed by the terminal device 3c.

  First, based on a user input, the terminal device 3c transmits a browsing request to the content distribution server 2 (step S31). In response to this, the content distribution server 2 transmits a plurality of book thumbnails representing a plurality of book groups registered in the content DB 231 to the terminal device 3c (step S32).

  The book thumbnail transmitted in step S32 is an image representing original content belonging to each of a plurality of book groups, for example. This image may be, for example, an image (for example, a cover image) included in the original content, or an icon or the like produced separately from the content by the creator. Further, in the content DB 231, a plurality of book groups may be classified into a plurality of types, and the terminal device 3 c may specify the genre so that only book thumbnails of book groups of a specific genre may be transmitted. This makes it easier for the user of the terminal device 3c to find the target book group.

  The plurality of book thumbnails is selection information for selecting a specific content from the plurality of contents. The transmission of the book thumbnail is executed based on the control of the upload unit 209.

  When a plurality of book thumbnails are transmitted to the terminal device 3c, the terminal device 3c displays an image representing the book thumbnail on the display unit 35, and the selection of the book group by the user is accepted (step S33). While accepting the selection of the book group by the user, the advertisement information is transmitted from the content distribution server 2 to the terminal device 3c.

  Then, when the user of the terminal device 3 c performs input for selecting a specific book group, the terminal device 3 c transmits the input information to the content distribution server 2. Then, the map information about the selected book group is provided from the content distribution server 2 to the terminal device 3c (step S34). In parallel with the acquisition of the map information, an advertisement is presented on the display unit 35 of the terminal device 3c (step S34).

  In the present embodiment, the advertisement information is provided after the content distribution server 2 provides a plurality of book thumbnails as selection information to the terminal device 3c. This control is performed by the upload unit 209. The terminal device 3c downloads the advertisement information while a specific book group is selected by the user by the book thumbnail. That is, for the user, since the advertisement information is downloaded while the book group is selected, occurrence of a waiting time for downloading the advertisement information is suppressed. Thereby, the stress load to the user by provision of advertisement information can be reduced effectively.

  As an aspect in which an advertisement is presented to the user by the terminal device 3c, in addition to displaying a still image or a moving image on the display unit 35, one in which sound is reproduced simultaneously can be cited. Further, an advertisement may be presented only by voice. According to this, it is possible to present various advertisements, and it is also possible to select an advertisement presentation method suitable for each specification of a large number of terminal devices 3c.

  When the map information is acquired, the terminal device 3 c generates a content map and displays it on the display unit 35. And the terminal device 3c receives selection of the content by a user (step S35).

  When content is selected by the user, the terminal device 3c transmits an acquisition request to the content distribution server 2, and the content distribution server 2 transmits content corresponding to the acquisition request (step S36). While the content is being transmitted and received, the terminal device 3c highlights an image (icon) indicating the selected content in the content map, and the advertisement presentation control unit 309a presents the advertisement.

  Note that the map information can be regarded as selection information for selecting a specific content from a plurality of contents, like the book thumbnail described above. After the map information is provided, the advertisement information may be acquired while the user selects a target content with reference to the content map based on the map information.

  When the content is transmitted to the terminal device 3c in step S36, the content is presented on the terminal device 3c and can be browsed. The content distribution server 2 determines whether there is a new content acquisition request from the terminal device 3c. If there is a content acquisition request, the content distribution server 2 returns to step S36 and repeats the subsequent operations (step S37).

  If there is no new content request, the content distribution server 2 determines whether there is a new book group selection request from the terminal device 3c (step S38). If there is a selection request, the content distribution server 2 returns to step S34, transmits map information of a new book group, and executes the subsequent operations. If there is a selection request from the terminal device 3c to select a book group from a plurality of book thumbnails transmitted in step S32, the content distribution server 2 returns to step S32 and executes the subsequent operations. It may be.

  When there is no request for selecting a new book group from the terminal device 3c, the content distribution server 2 determines whether browsing on the terminal device 3c is terminated (step S39). This determination is made, for example, based on whether or not a certain time has passed since the last data exchange with the terminal device 3c. Or you may make it determine by the termination | terminus signal of browsing being transmitted from the terminal device 3c.

  The above is description of the flow which browses a content in the terminal device 3c. Next, how the content is displayed on the terminal device 3c will be specifically described.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content display screen W2 displayed on the display unit 35 of the terminal device 3c. Similarly to the content display screen W1 shown in FIG. 11, the content display screen W1 is divided into, for example, three display areas. From the top, the map display area MDR1, the page content display area PDR1, and the thumbnail display area SDR1 are divided. Is provided (defined).

  In the map display area MDR1, the content map CM1 generated by the map generation unit 303 is displayed. In the content map, the original content (here, original content A-000) and a plurality of additional contents (here, additional content A-001 to A-013) derived from the original content are displayed. Such a content map can also be displayed on the display unit 35 of the terminal devices 3a and 3b.

  In the example shown in FIG. 18, the entire content map CM1 can be confirmed by moving the scroll bar SB1 up and down. Of course, the content map CM1 may be moved freely by a click-and-drag operation so that the entire content map CM1 can be confirmed.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the entire content map CM1. The content map CM1 is constructed by the map generation unit 303 based on the map information provided from the content distribution server 2. In the content map CM1, each content is represented by an icon. In principle, the secondary content icon derived from the primary content is arranged on the right side of the primary content icon.

  In the content map CM1, an arrow that connects these icons is displayed between the icons, or icons are displayed so that the icons touch each other vertically. These are visual representations of connections between contents identified from link information.

  Specifically, when the secondary content is a story production and is derived from the middle of the content of the primary content (for example, Gaiden), the secondary content icon is displayed from around the center of the primary content icon. An arrow is drawn toward (for example, an arrow connecting the additional content A-007 and the additional content A-008).

  In addition, when the secondary content is produced by a story and is connected to the end of the primary content (for example, a sequel), an arrow extends from the right end of the primary content to the left end of the secondary content icon. Is drawn (for example, an arrow connecting the additional content A-001 and the additional content A-006).

  If the secondary content is produced by rich content production, the secondary content icon is arranged immediately below the primary content icon (for example, original content A-000, additional content A-002, additional content A- 005 and additional content A-011).

  Note that the method of visually expressing the connection between these contents is merely an example. For example, a difference in branching method or production mode may be expressed by properly using a line type (for example, the type of a line itself such as a solid line or a broken line, or the type of line color).

  Further, in the content map CM1, whether or not the content is certified is expressed by the difference in the color of the icon based on the certification information. For example, the additional contents A-001, 003, 007 to 009 are works that have been certified. For this reason, the colors of the icons IC-001, 003, 007 to 009 indicating these works are displayed in a color different from the icons indicating the other contents not certified.

  Similarly, even if the content has been certified, it can be visually identified if the certified entity is different. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 19, the content authorized by the provider of the original content A-000 (additional content A-001,003,008) is the other additional content (additional content A-001 or A-003). ) Has a different color from the content (A-007 or A-009) certified by the provider.

  According to this, it is possible for the user of the terminal device 3c to easily determine whether the content is certified by the original content provider or the other content provider.

  Note that the method of visualizing the authorization information is not limited to the one that can be identified by color as in the present embodiment. That is, the authorization information may be realized by any method as long as the user can visually identify it.

  Further, in the content map CM1, it is visually expressed that browsing of content is prohibited based on the restriction information. In the example illustrated in FIG. 19, the outline of the icon IC-004 of the additional content A-004 that is subject to restriction is represented by a broken line. Thereby, the user can identify that the additional content A-004 is a work whose browsing is restricted. However, the display method of the restricted content is not limited to this, and may be realized by other expression methods. In addition, content that is subject to such browsing restrictions may not be displayed in the content map CM1 from the beginning.

  Furthermore, in the content map CM1, based on the route information, among the routes traced by the viewer (the user of the terminal device 3c), those with an appearance frequency of a certain level or more are displayed with thick arrows. Thereby, a viewer can grasp | ascertain a popular route easily. Therefore, such a display serves as a guide when the viewer determines the order of reading the content. Specific contents and generation method of the route information will be described later.

  Returning to FIG. 18, when a specific content of the content map CM1 is selected in a state where the content map CM1 is displayed in the map display region MDR1, the thumbnail images of the pages constituting the selected content are displayed in the thumbnail display region. It is displayed on SDR1. Then, the content of the page selected from the thumbnail image is displayed in the page content display area PDR1.

  For example, in the example shown in FIG. 18, the additional content A-007 is selected from the content map CM1. Then, thumbnail images SI71 to SI75 of a plurality of pages P71 to P75 constituting the additional content A-007 are displayed in the thumbnail display area SDR1. Further, in FIG. 18, the thumbnail image SI73 is selected from the thumbnail images SI71 to SI75, and the contents of the page P73 are displayed in the page content display area PDR1.

  The page P73 is divided into six frames K1 to K6, and secondary content (additional content A-008) linked to the frame K4 is already registered in the content distribution server 2. In this way, when there is a work to be linked, the content linked to the text is highlighted when the frame corresponding to the link position is highlighted with a bold line or when the cursor CS1 is moved to the area. Something pops up. Such display control is realized when the processing unit 300c performs display control based on link information (included in the map information) provided from the content distribution server 2. As a result, the viewer can easily grasp which position on the page the work is linked to.

  In the present embodiment, new content can be acquired by selecting a specific icon from the content map CM1, but for example, a terminal device can be obtained by performing an operation of selecting the frame K4 on the page P73. 3c may acquire additional content A-008 linked to this position. Accordingly, the user can smoothly read new content whose story starts from the link position.

  FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 3c when generating route information. When generation of route information is started, first, the route information generation unit 309b confirms whether or not a new content acquisition request has been made (step S41). Specifically, for example, the determination is made based on whether or not a new content acquisition request is made to the content distribution server 2 from the content request unit 304 of the terminal device 3c.

  If there is no acquisition request, it is determined whether or not browsing is terminated in the terminal device 3c (step S42). For example, it may be determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the content request unit 304 last requested acquisition of the content, or whether or not an end command is input from the user. You may make it do. If it is determined that browsing has been completed, step S47 described later is executed to complete the generation of route information. On the other hand, if it is determined that browsing has not been completed, step S41 is executed again.

  If there is a content acquisition request in step S41, it is determined based on the link information whether the acquisition request is to jump a link (step S43). If the new content requested to be acquired is not linked directly to the content acquired immediately before, it is determined that the content has been selected beyond the link relationship (jumped).

  Step S43 will be described using the content map CM1 shown in FIG. Suppose that the additional content A-007 is newly acquired immediately before the additional content A-001 is acquired. In this case, since the additional content A-007 is a content directly linked to the additional content A-001, this content acquisition does not jump the link relationship. As described above, when it is determined that it is not a jump, the content requested to be acquired is recorded in the route information (step S44). Then, step S41 is executed again.

  On the other hand, when the newly acquired content is the additional content A-008 in step S43, this content is not directly linked to the additional content A-001. Therefore, in step S43, it is determined that the content has been acquired by jumping the link relationship. In this case, it is further determined whether the branch route has been entered (step S45). In this step, the link is traced upstream from the content acquired immediately before the jump (that is, the primary content is traced), and it is determined whether there is content directly linked to the jump destination content. At this time, the number of contents going upstream can be arbitrarily determined.

  Step S45 will be described using the content map CM1 shown in FIG. Assume that the content acquired immediately before the jump is the additional content A-008, and the jump destination content is the additional content A-003. In this case, when the link is traced back from the additional content A-008, there is an original content A-000 that is directly linked to the jump destination additional content A-003. In such a case, it is expected that the user of the terminal device 3c simply enters another branch route and tries to browse content that is close in content. Therefore, the newly requested content is added to the route information as having moved to the branch route (step S46).

  On the other hand, when the jump destination content is A-009, even if the link is traced back from the additional content A-008, there is no content directly linked to the additional content A-009. In such a case, it is expected that the user of the terminal device 3c has selected another content regardless of the content browsed previously. For this reason, the route information generation unit 309b performs an operation of closing the route information generated so far (step S47). Since the jump destination content is the starting point of a new reading route, new route information is generated by the route information generation unit 309b.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a description example of the route information R1. The route information R1 is configured as an XML document, and is generated when the user of the terminal device 3c steps through the following reading procedures 1 to 9 in order.
(Procedure 1) The original content A-001 was read only on the first page.
(Procedure 2) Colored additional content A-002 has been read to the end.
(Procedure 3) The original content A-003 has been read up to the second frame on the third page.
(Procedure 4) The additional content A-001 has been read to the end.
(Procedure 5) The additional content A-007 is read to the end.
(Procedure 6) Return to the original content A-000 and read it to the end.
(Procedure 7) The additional content A-005 is read to the end.
(Procedure 8) The additional content A-010 has been read to the end.
(Procedure 9) Reading ends.

  In the route information R1, each content that has started reading is described as the content of the element “work”. When the specific content is read to the end as in procedures 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, the element “works” tag is closed. On the other hand, when the content is read halfway and transferred to another content as in steps 1 and 3, the next read content is described as a child element of the content read halfway. Whether or not all the thumbnail images are displayed in the thumbnail display area SDR1 has been selected, or whether or not the last page has been displayed in the page content display area PDR1. Is possible.

  By collecting route information in which such reading procedures of the viewer are recorded, it is possible to grasp a reading route having a high appearance frequency (high popularity). Therefore, when the content of the route information is reflected on the display of the content map CM1, the viewer can easily select the content. Moreover, when selling a specific content as a real book from many contents collected by the content distribution server 2, route information can be utilized as an effective market material.

  Note that all the route information acquired by the content distribution server 2 may be reflected in the content of the content map CM1, but it is not hindered to limit the route information to specific route information. For example, a user who is browsing content on the terminal device 3c may extract only route information of another user who has followed the same reading route as the reading route that has been traced so far. According to this, since the appearance frequency of the reading route followed by others with similar preferences is reflected in the content of the content map CM1, it becomes easy for the user to acquire the content of interest.

  Further, the thumbnail display area SDR1 is not necessarily defined. For example, the page displayed in the page content display area PDR1 may be switched to the next page by a predetermined operation (such as a mouse click or a touch operation). Further, the display may be switched with the operation of turning the paper. As a result, the contents can be viewed without displaying thumbnails.

  In the present embodiment, the route information is generated by the terminal device 3c, but the route information generation method is not limited to this. For example, the content providing server 2 can be obtained by monitoring a content acquisition request (request) sent from the terminal device 3c or by acquiring operation information or the like input to the terminal device 3c via the operation unit 34. It is also possible to generate route information at.

{2. Second Embodiment}
In the above embodiment, the case where the content is a manga is mainly described, but the content distribution system 1 can function effectively even when the content is other content.

  For example, as another example applicable to the content of the present application, a so-called moving manga in which an object on the screen moves, stops, appears or disappears by a predetermined operation as a trigger is suitable.

  Moving cartoons are produced using software such as Adobe Flash (trademark of Adobe). In a moving manga, for example, one operation is triggered and one action is executed within a predetermined time. One work is composed of multiple actions of this one. That is, in one work, a plurality of actions are executed and a story is developed by a plurality of operations.

  In a moving manga, a plurality of objects that perform predetermined actions within a predetermined time are defined for each action. That is, one action is completed when a plurality of objects perform a predetermined motion.

  In this embodiment, such a moving manga is used as primary content, and the secondary content in which a new story develops from a specific position on the story developed in the primary content by using the settings defined in the primary content is used. Produced.

  The production mode of the secondary content of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment. In other words, the creation of stories that involve the creation of new stories, and the creation of rich content that enriches the content by coloring objects, etc., 3D, pen insertion, toning, background drawing, inking (solid painting), etc. Can be mentioned.

  When the content is a moving manga, for example, a specific position on the story developed by the content can be specified by specifying an object. Therefore, in this embodiment, the link position of the primary content to which the secondary content is linked is specified by the object.

  FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a description example of the permission information K-000A according to the second embodiment. Here, in order to simplify the explanation, the content (original content A-000A) targeted by the permission information K-000A is produced based on the original content A-000 which is the manga shown in FIG. A moving manga.

  That is, each of pages P01 to P04 of original content A-000 corresponds to the contents of actions 1 to 4 of original content A-000A. A frame included in each page of the original content A-000 corresponds to an object of the original content A-000A. Conceptually, “page” and “frame” of the original content A-000 correspond to “action” and “object” of the original content A-000A, respectively. Of course, the moving manga of this embodiment is not limited to the one in which “frame” is assigned to such an object. For example, it goes without saying that an element constituting a manga such as a character or speech balloon may be assigned to an object.

  When such an original content A-000A is viewed on the display unit 35, a frame for one page of the original content A-000 appears one after another by the viewer operating once. When this is finished, the next frame of one page appears sequentially by the next operation of the viewer.

  The permission information K-000A is information indicating requirements for creating new secondary content by using the settings defined in the content A-000A. In the permission information A-000A, for example, “3” is described in the element “action”, and “2” is described in the element “object”. Therefore, for the content A-000A, it means that the object 2 belonging to the action 3 is designated as a position where the secondary content may start story development. As described above, also in this embodiment, by designating an object as a portion that may be branched, new secondary content linked to this portion is generated.

  FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a description example of the link information L-000A. The link information L-000A indicates link information indicating a link relationship between the original content A-000A and the additional content A-001A to A-005A linked to the original content A-000A. For the sake of simplicity of explanation, the additional contents A-001A to A-005A correspond to those obtained by replacing the additional contents A-001 to A-005 of the first embodiment with moving comics.

  Referring to the link information L-000A, for example, it is described that the additional content A-001A created by the story is linked to the action 3 and object 2 portions of the original content A-000A. Further, it is described that the contents A-003A to A-005A by the story production are linked to the object 4 portion of the action 4 of the original content A-000A.

  As described above, a variety of secondary contents can be derived from the primary contents even under the restrictions based on the permission information, even if the contents are moving manga. Moreover, it becomes easy to specify how the secondary content is derived from the primary content by the link information.

{3. Third Embodiment}
In the above embodiment, the content is a manga or a moving manga, but the content distribution system 1 can function effectively even when the content is a work mainly expressed in characters, such as a novel.

  When specifying a part to link secondary contents in permission information or link information with a novel as content, the link position is specified by “chapter” and “section” in the novel. That is, permission information and link information may be generated by replacing the concepts of “page” and “frame” in a manga with “chapter” and “section”. In this case, secondary content is derived from specific “chapter” and “section” portions.

  However, the method of specifying the link position in the permission information or the like is not limited to the one specified by “Chapter” and “Section”. For example, when the novel content is composed of a plurality of pages and characters are written on each page over a plurality of lines, the link portion can be specified by “page” and “line”.

  It is also possible to designate “character” appearing in the novel as a link position. For example, the name of the character X appearing in the text of the primary content (not the main character) may be specified as a link part, and a Gaiden novel (secondary content) having the character X as the main character may be derived. When such primary content is browsed on the terminal device 3, the viewer (user of the terminal device 3) confirms that a Gaiden novel exists by appropriately highlighting the name portion of the character X. I can grasp. In addition, the terminal device 3 may be configured to acquire a Gaiden novel linked to the primary content by selecting a name portion of the character X while the primary content is being browsed. This makes it possible to easily and smoothly acquire the content that the viewer is interested in.

  As described above, even when the content is a novel, various secondary contents can be derived from the primary contents under the restriction based on the permission information. Moreover, it becomes easy to specify how the secondary content is derived from the primary content by the link information.

{4. Modification}
Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications are possible.

  For example, the terminal device 3 may be provided with evaluation means for evaluating content. By displaying the evaluation by the person who browsed the content on the content map CM1 or the like, it becomes a guideline when other viewers select the content. In addition, the result of the evaluation can be used as market material when selling as a book.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where “manga”, “moving cartoon”, and “novel” are used as content has been described. However, if the link position can be specified, the content is limited to this type of content. It is not a thing. The contents handled by the content distribution system 1 are not limited to those that can be enjoyed visually. For example, a score for playing music, a chord progression table, or the like, or based on these score, chord progression table, etc. It is also possible to handle the music itself as content.

  In the above-described embodiment, the functional configurations of the processing unit 200 of the content distribution server 2 and the processing unit 300 of the terminal device 3 are realized by software. You may make it implement | achieve.

  Moreover, in the content distribution system 1 of the said embodiment, link information, certification | authentication information, etc. are each managed as a separate file, However, These information can also be managed as one file. In this case, for example, in one XML document file associated with a certain primary content, secondary content information (link information) linked to the primary content, and secondary content certified by the primary content provider Information (authorization information), etc. will be described.

  The above is the description of the modified example. In addition, each element demonstrated by said each embodiment and each modification can be suitably combined or abbreviate | omitted unless it mutually contradicts.

1 Content distribution system 2 Content distribution server (content acquisition server)
20 CPU
200 processing unit 201 content acquisition unit 202 permission information acquisition unit 203 link information acquisition unit 204 authorization information acquisition unit 204 authentication information acquisition unit 205 route information acquisition unit 206 map information generation unit 207 content number measurement unit 208 restriction information acquisition unit 209 upload unit 210 Program 22 RAM
23 storage unit 231 content DB
232 permission information DB
233 Link information DB
234 authorized information DB
235 Route information DB
236 statistical information DB
237 Regulatory Information DB
238 Advertising Information DB
24 operation unit 25 display unit 26 communication unit 3 (3a, 3b, 3c) terminal device 30 CPU
300a, 300b, 300c processing unit 301 content generation unit 302 permission information generation unit 303 map generation unit 304 content request unit 305 authorization information generation unit 306 restriction information generation unit 307 upload unit 308a permission information presentation control unit 308b link specification unit 309a advertisement presentation Control unit 309b Route information generation unit 310 Program 32 RAM
331a Original content 331b Additional content 34 Operation unit 340 Keyboard 341 Mouse 35 Display unit 36 Communication unit 8 Network A-000,331a Original content A-001 to A013,331b Additional content CM1 Content map IC001 to IC009 Icon K-000, K- 000A permission information K1-K6 frame L-000, L-000A link information MDR1 map display area N-000 authentication information P01-P04 page K1-K6 frame PDR1 page content display area R1 route information S-000 restriction information W1, W2 content Display screen

Claims (13)

In a content distribution server that distributes electronically stored content to a terminal device,
A primary content acquisition unit that acquires primary content as a base point for content addition;
A permission information acquisition unit for acquiring permission information indicating requirements for producing secondary content derived from a specific part of the content of the primary content by using the setting defined in the primary content;
A secondary content acquisition unit for acquiring the secondary content derived from the primary content;
A link information acquisition unit for acquiring link information indicating the specific part of the content of the primary content to which the secondary content is linked;
Content distribution server including The content distribution server according to claim 1,
A map information generating unit that generates map information based on the link information in order to present a content map that visually represents the connection between the primary content and the secondary content on a terminal device;
A content distribution server further comprising: The content distribution server according to claim 2,
A route information acquisition unit that acquires route information generated based on an acquisition order of a plurality of contents by the terminal device;
A content distribution server further comprising: In the content delivery server according to claim 3,
A content distribution server in which the appearance frequency of the acquisition order is reflected in the presentation of the content map. In the content delivery server in any one of Claim 1-4,
An advertisement information providing unit for providing the terminal device with advertisement information reproduced by the terminal device;
A content distribution server further comprising: The content distribution server according to claim 5,
The advertisement information providing unit
A content distribution server that provides the advertisement information after providing selection information for selecting a specific content from a plurality of contents to the terminal device. In the content delivery server according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A certification information acquisition unit that acquires certification information indicating that the secondary content is certified.
Further including
A content distribution server that distributes the authorization information to a terminal device. In the content delivery server of any one of Claim 1-7,
A content number measuring unit for measuring the quantity of the secondary content derived from the primary content;
A content distribution server further comprising: The content distribution server according to claim 8,
The content number measurement unit is a content distribution server that calculates a derivation number of the secondary content derived per unit period from the primary content. In the content delivery server according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A content distribution server, wherein the primary content is content in which line drawings are drawn in a plurality of sections defined in a page. A computer-readable program, wherein a CPU provided in the computer executes the program on a memory,
The program which functions as a content delivery server of any one of Claim 1-10. In a content distribution system that distributes electronically stored content,
The content delivery server according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
A content providing terminal device for providing the primary content or the secondary content to the content distribution server;
A content acquisition terminal device for acquiring the primary content or the secondary content from the content distribution server;
Including
The content distribution system, wherein the content providing terminal device provides the permission information and the link information to the content distribution server. In a content acquisition server that acquires content electronically,
A primary content acquisition unit that acquires primary content as a base point for content addition;
A permission information acquisition unit for acquiring permission information indicating requirements for producing secondary content derived from a specific part of the content of the primary content by using the setting defined in the primary content;
A secondary content acquisition unit for acquiring the secondary content derived from the primary content;
A link information acquisition unit for acquiring link information indicating the specific part of the content of the primary content to which the secondary content is linked;
Content acquisition server containing

Images