JP2018045506A - Information providing device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent contents displayed in a screen of a display device from being hardly viewed.SOLUTION: An information providing device includes screen display means, object display menas, movement means and movement control means. The screen display means causes a display device to display an information providing screen including contents. The object display means causes an object interlinked with a terminal to be displayed in the information providing screen in response to connection of the terminal. The movement means moves a display position of the object on the basis of an instruction from the terminal. The movement control means controls the movement means so that the object does not enter an inhibition area predetermined in the information providing screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to an information providing apparatus and a program.

  Some display devices such as digital signage that displays contents such as advertisements, tourist information, entertainment, and other various types of information can be linked to a plurality of terminals. A terminal linked to such digital signage can move an object such as a cursor displayed on the screen of the digital signage based on an operation by an operator of the terminal. However, when the object overlaps a character string, image, or moving image displayed on the digital signage screen, there is a problem that the character string, image, or moving image becomes difficult to see.

Japanese Patent No. 5716053

  The problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an information providing apparatus and a program that make it difficult to see the content displayed on the screen of the display device.

  The information providing apparatus of the embodiment includes screen display means, object display means, movement means, and movement control means. The screen display means displays an information providing screen including content on the display device. The object display means displays an object linked to the terminal on the information providing screen in response to the connection of the terminal. The moving means moves the display position of the object based on an instruction from the terminal. The movement control means controls the movement means so that the object does not enter a predetermined prohibited area in the information providing screen.

The block diagram which shows each principal part circuit structure of the apparatus contained in the information provision system which concerns on embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display apparatus in FIG. The flowchart of the control processing by CPU of the server in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the touch panel in FIG. The flowchart of the control processing by CPU of the server in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the display apparatus in FIG. The flowchart of the control processing by CPU of the information terminal in FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the touch panel in FIG. The flowchart of the control processing by CPU of the server in FIG. The flowchart of the control processing by CPU of the server in FIG.

Hereinafter, an information providing system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main circuit configuration of each apparatus included in the information providing system 1 according to the embodiment. The information providing system 1 includes a server 10, a display device 20, and an information terminal 30. The server 10 and the information terminal 30 are connected to the network NW. The network NW is typically a communication network including the Internet. Alternatively, the network NW may be a communication network including a local area network (LAN) or other communication line. In the information providing system 1, as an example, for communication via the network NW, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is used as a communication protocol. Therefore, the request described in the operation description is an HTTP request, and the response is an HTTP response. Although only one information terminal 30 is shown in FIG. 1, the number is not limited to one, and typically there are a plurality of information terminals 30.

  The information providing system 1 displays an information providing screen including content on the display device 20 under the control of the server 10. The server 10 can link the information terminal 30 and the display device 20 in a state where the information provision screen is displayed on the display device 20. When the information terminal 30 and the display device 20 are linked, an object linked to the information terminal 30 is displayed on the screen of the display device 20. The operator of the information terminal 30 can operate the object displayed on the screen of the display device 20 by operating the information terminal 30 linked with the display device 20. Further, the operator of the information terminal 30 can change the icon image used for appearance of the object. Furthermore, the operator of the information terminal 30 can select a button displayed on the screen of the display device 20 by moving the object. Then, the operator of the information terminal 30 can download content corresponding to the button in the selected state from the server 10 to the information terminal 30.

The server 10 is, for example, a web server. The server 10 publishes a web page. The web page is composed of data such as HTML or XML, and data such as images, video, or audio. The server 10 is an example of an information providing device.
The server 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a main memory 12, an auxiliary storage device 13, an output interface 14, a communication interface 15, and a bus 16.

  The CPU 11 corresponds to a central part of a computer that performs processing and control necessary for the operation of the server 10. The CPU 11 controls each unit to realize various functions of the server 10 based on programs such as an operating system and application software stored in the main memory 12.

  The main memory 12 corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer. The main memory 12 stores programs such as an operating system and application software. The main memory 12 stores data that the CPU 11 refers to when performing various processes. Further, the main memory 12 is used as a so-called work area that stores data temporarily used when the CPU 11 performs various processes.

  The auxiliary storage device 13 corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer. The auxiliary storage device 13 is, for example, an EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), an HDD (hard disc drive), or an SSD (solid state drive). The auxiliary storage device 13 stores data used when the CPU 11 performs various processes or data generated by the processes in the CPU 11. The auxiliary storage device 13 may store a program such as the above operating system or application.

  The auxiliary storage device 13 also stores a user information DB (database) 131. The user information DB 131 stores information about each user of the service provided by the server 10 in association with a unique user ID (identifier) that identifies the user. Further, the user information DB 131 may store an icon image associated with each user ID.

  The program stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13 includes a control program described regarding control processing described later. As an example, the server 10 is transferred to an operator of the server 10 or the like with the control program stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13. However, the server 10 may be transferred to the operator in a state where the control program is not stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13. Then, the control program transferred to the operator may be written into the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13 under an operation by the operator or a service person. The transfer of the control program at this time can be realized by recording on a removable recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or by downloading via a network.

  The output interface 14 is an interface for outputting data such as video. The output interface 14 may be capable of outputting audio data in addition to video data.

  The communication interface 15 is an interface for the server 10 to communicate via a network.

  The bus 16 includes an address bus, a data bus, and the like, and transmits signals transmitted and received by each unit of the server 10.

  The display device 20 is, for example, digital signage. The display device 20 is connected to the output interface 14 of the server 10. The display device 20 and the output interface 14 may be connected via a wired communication path or may be connected via a wireless communication path. Alternatively, the display device 20 and the output interface 14 may be connected by a communication path in which wired and wireless are mixed. The display device 20 receives the video data output from the output interface 14. The display device 20 displays a screen based on the input video data. Note that the display device 20 may be connected to the network NW. In this case, video data or the like may be output from the communication interface 15 instead of the output interface 14 and input to the display device 20 via the network NW.

The information terminal 30 is operated by a user who uses a service provided by the server 10.
The information terminal 30 is a portable computer such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet PC (personal computer), or a notebook PC.
The information terminal 30 includes a CPU 31, a main memory 32, an auxiliary storage device 33, a touch panel 34, a communication interface 35, a camera 36 and a bus 37.

  The CPU 31 corresponds to a central part of a computer that performs processing and control necessary for the operation of the information terminal 30. The CPU 31 controls each unit to implement various functions of the information terminal 30 based on programs such as an operating system and application software stored in the main memory 32.

  The main memory 32 corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer. The main memory 32 stores programs such as an operating system and application software. The main memory 32 stores data that the CPU 31 refers to when performing various processes. Further, the main memory 32 is used as a so-called work area that stores data temporarily used when the CPU 31 performs various processes.

The auxiliary storage device 33 corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer. The auxiliary storage device 33 is, for example, an EEPROM, HDD, or SSD. The auxiliary storage device 33 stores data used when the CPU 31 performs various processes or data generated by the processes in the CPU 31. The auxiliary storage device 33 may store a program such as the above operating system or application.
The auxiliary storage device 33 also stores several icon images.

The program stored in the main memory 32 or the auxiliary storage device 33 includes a web browser. As an example, the information terminal 30 is transferred to the user in a state where the web browser is stored in the main memory 32 or the auxiliary storage device 33. However, the information terminal 30 may be transferred to the user without the web browser being stored in the main memory 32 or the auxiliary storage device 33. A web browser separately transferred to the user may be written into the main memory 32 or the auxiliary storage device 33 under the operation of the user or the like. The transfer of the web browser at this time can be realized by recording on a removable recording medium such as a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or by downloading via a network.
The web browser stored in the main memory 32 or the auxiliary storage device 33 causes the touch panel 34 to display a web page published by the server 10.

  The touch panel 34 functions as a display device that displays a screen for notifying the operator of the information terminal 30 of various information. The touch panel 34 functions as an input device that accepts a touch operation by the operator.

The communication interface 35 is an interface for the information terminal 30 to communicate via a network.
The camera 36 captures an image such as a still image or a moving image.
The bus 37 includes an address bus, a data bus, and the like, and transmits signals transmitted and received by each unit of the information terminal 30.

  Hereinafter, operation | movement of the information provision system 1 which concerns on embodiment is demonstrated based on FIGS. Note that the content of the processing in the following description of the operation is an example, and various processing that can obtain the same result can be used as appropriate.

While the server 10 is in operation, the display device 20 displays a screen including content such as advertisements, sightseeing guides, entertainment, or other various types of information.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen SC1 displayed on the display device 20. As shown in FIG. While the server 10 is operating, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. The display device 20 displays the display screen SC1 based on the input video data. The display screen SC1 is an example of an information provision screen including content. Therefore, by performing this process, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a screen display unit that displays an information providing screen on the display device.
Display screen SC1 includes button B11 to button B15, code C, and areas A11 and A12. Each of the buttons B11 to B15 is a button for accessing various contents. By operating the buttons B11 to B15, it is possible to access a web page related to the content or to display details of the content. In each of the buttons B11 to B15, a character string, an image, a moving image, or the like indicating what kind of content the button can access is displayed. The code C is a two-dimensional barcode as an example. The code C includes a URL for accessing a web page published by the server 10. When the information terminal 30 accesses this URL, the information terminal 30 transmits a connection request to the server 10. In the area A11, a character string is displayed as a secret word. Content represented by an image or a moving image is displayed in the area A12.
In the display screen SC1, areas A13 to A17 are further set. Areas A13 to A17 are not actually displayed. In FIG. 2, the areas A13 to A17 are indicated by imaginary lines. A unique area number is associated with each of the areas A13 to A17. However, the area number is a number other than 0. Region A13 to region A17 are examples of selected regions.
In addition, regarding the buttons B11 to B15, the code C, and the area A11, the displayed ranges are set as prohibited areas. The outside of the display screen SC1 is also set as a prohibited area.

Next, processing for connecting the information terminal 30 and the server 10 will be described. In order to link the information terminal 30 and the display device 20, it is necessary to connect the information terminal 30 and the server 10.
The operator of the information terminal 30 causes the information terminal 30 to access the web page indicated by the URL included in the code C by, for example, reading the code C using the camera 36 provided in the information terminal 30. The CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit the connection request to the destination represented by the URL, that is, the server 10. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the connection request to the server 10. The transmitted connection request is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of control processing by the CPU 11 of the server 10. The CPU 11 executes this control process based on a control program stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13.
In Act 1 of FIG. 3, the CPU 11 of the server 10 confirms whether or not the connection request is received by the communication interface 15. If the connection request is not received, the CPU 11 determines No in Act1 and proceeds to Act2.

  In Act 2, the CPU 11 confirms whether or not the operation request is received by the communication interface 15. The operation request will be described later. If the operation request is not received, the CPU 11 determines No in Act2 and proceeds to Act3.

  In Act 3, the CPU 11 confirms whether the setting request has been received by the communication interface 15. The setting request will be described later. If the setting request is not received, the CPU 11 determines No in Act3 and returns to Act1. Thus, the CPU 11 repeats Act1 to Act3 until a connection request, an operation request, or a setting request is received. If the CPU 11 receives the connection request while in the standby state of Act1 to Act3, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act1 and proceeds to Act4.

  In Act 4, the CPU 11 confirms whether or not the information terminal 30 (hereinafter referred to as “transmission source terminal”), which is the transmission source of the connection request confirmed in Act 1, is logged in to the service provided by the server 10. . The CPU 11 checks whether or not the transmission source terminal is in a login state using, for example, Cookie. If the transmission source terminal is in the login state, the CPU 11 can identify with which user ID the transmission source terminal is logged in by using Cookie. If the transmission source terminal is not in the login state, the CPU 11 determines No in Act4 and proceeds to Act5.

  In Act 5, the CPU 11 performs processing for logging in the source terminal to the service provided by the server 10. Since a known method can be used for the process for logging in the transmission source terminal, description thereof is omitted. When the operator of the transmission source terminal has not performed user registration, the CPU 11 performs processing for allowing the operator of the transmission source terminal to perform user registration before performing processing for logging in. In this case, the CPU 11 stores information related to user registration in the user information DB 131. After the processing of Act5, the CPU 11 proceeds to Act6. On the other hand, if the transmission source terminal is in the login state, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 4 and proceeds to Act 6.

  In Act 6, the CPU 11 generates a My Page response for displaying the My Page screen on the touch panel 34 of the transmission source terminal. The my page response includes my page screen data for displaying the my page screen. Then, the CPU 11 instructs the communication interface 15 to transmit the generated my page response to the transmission source terminal. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 15 transmits the My Page response to the transmission source terminal. The transmitted my page response is received by the communication interface 35 of the transmission source terminal. After the process of Act6, the CPU 11 returns to Act1.

  On the other hand, the CPU 31 of the transmission source terminal that has transmitted the connection request waits for a response to be received by the communication interface 35. If the my page response is received, the CPU 31 generates an image corresponding to the my page screen based on the my page screen data included in the my page response. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the touch panel 34 to display this image. In response to this instruction, the touch panel 34 displays a My Page screen.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the my page screen SC2 displayed on the touch panel 34. As shown in FIG. My page screen SC2 includes a character string CH, an input field F, and buttons B21 to B25. The character string CH is a character string indicating that the operator of the transmission source terminal is prompted to input a secret word in the input field F. The input field F is a field in which a character string is input by the operator of the transmission source terminal. The button B21 is touched by the operator of the transmission source terminal when an operation linked to the display device 20 is desired on the transmission source terminal. The button B22 is touched by the operator of the transmission source terminal when it is desired to change the appearance (icon image) of the object. Buttons B23 to B25 are buttons having other functions. Detailed description of the buttons B23 to B25 will be omitted.

When the operator of the transmission source terminal wants to perform an operation linked to the display device 20 on the transmission source terminal, he / she looks at the display device 20 and confirms the secret displayed in the area A11 of the display screen SC1. Then, the operator of the transmission source terminal inputs the confirmed password in the input field F and touches the button B21.
When the button B21 is touched, the CPU 31 of the transmission source terminal generates an operation request. Note that the CPU 31 generates an operation request on the assumption that the operation request includes the character string input in the input field F. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit the operation request to the server 10. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the operation request to the server 10. The transmitted operation request is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10.

If the operation request is received when the CPU 11 of the server 10 is in the standby state of Act1 to Act3 in FIG. 3, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act2 and proceeds to Act7.
In Act 7, the CPU 11 confirms whether or not the secret word is correct. That is, the CPU 11 confirms whether or not the character string included in the operation request confirmed to be received in Act2 is the same as the character string displayed in the area A1 of the display screen SC1. In this way, only the information terminal 30 operated by a person who can view the display screen SC1 displayed on the display device 20 can be connected to the server 10. If the secret word is not correct, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 7 and proceeds to Act 8.

  In Act 8, the CPU 11 instructs the communication interface 15 to transmit an error response for displaying an error screen indicating that the secret word is wrong on the touch panel 34 of the transmission source terminal to the transmission source terminal. The error response includes error screen data for displaying an error screen. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 15 transmits the error response to the transmission source terminal. The transmitted error response is received by the communication interface 35 of the transmission source terminal. After the process of Act8, the CPU 11 returns to Act1.

On the other hand, the CPU 31 of the transmission source terminal that has transmitted the operation request waits for a response to be received by the communication interface 35. When the error response is received, the CPU 31 generates an image corresponding to the error screen based on the error screen data included in the error response. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the touch panel 34 to display this image. In response to this instruction, the touch panel 34 displays an error screen.
As an example, the error screen is obtained by adding a character string indicating that the secret is incorrect to the my page screen SC2 shown in FIG.

On the other hand, if the secret word is correct, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 7 of FIG. 3 and proceeds to Act 9.
In Act 9, the CPU 11 connects the server 10 and the transmission source terminal so that bidirectional communication is possible. For example, Websocket is used for bidirectional communication.

In Act 10, the CPU 11 starts an interlocking process for the transmission source terminal.
After the process of Act10, the CPU 11 returns to Act1.

Next, an operation of the information providing system 1 in which the information terminal 30 and the display device 20 are linked will be described.
The CPU 11 of the server 10 starts the interlocking process shown in FIG. 5 for each information terminal 30 connected to the server 10 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. However, in the following description, processing for one information terminal 30 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control processing by the CPU 11 of the server 10. The CPU 11 executes this control process based on a control program stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13. The CPU 11 executes the control process shown in FIG. 5 in parallel with the control process shown in FIG. 3 by executing it in a thread different from the control process shown in FIG. Further, when there are a plurality of information terminals 30 connected to the server 10 so as to be capable of two-way communication, the CPU 11 executes each of the control processes shown in FIG. Process in parallel. When starting the control process shown in FIG. 5, the CPU 31 secures a variable “a” having an initial value of 0 on the memory. The variable a indicates in which selection area the object corresponding to the information terminal 30 is located by storing the area number associated with the selection area.

In Act 21 of FIG. 5, the CPU 11 adds one object linked to the information terminal 30 to the display screen SC1. When the icon image is associated with the user ID of the information terminal 30, the CPU 11 sets the appearance of the object to be added as the icon image. When the icon image is not associated with the user ID of the information terminal 30, the CPU 11 sets the appearance of the object as the default icon image. The default icon image is stored in advance in the auxiliary storage device 13 or the like. Note that there may be a plurality of types of default icon images. In this case, the CPU 11 changes the type of icon image used for the appearance of the object for each object so that the object having the same appearance is not displayed in the display screen SC1. Alternatively, the CPU 11 may change the color of each object so that the same appearance object is not displayed in the display screen SC1.
That is, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1 to which one object has been added. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. The display device 20 displays the display screen SC1 to which one object is added based on the input video data. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the display screen SC1 to which an object has been added. FIG. 6 shows a state where three objects OB11 to OB13 are displayed on the display screen SC1. On the display screen SC1, as many objects as the number of information terminals 30 connected to the server 10 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication are displayed. Each of the objects has a one-to-one correspondence with each of the information terminals 30 connected to the server 10 so as to be capable of bidirectional communication. As an example, the position of the object is represented by coordinates (x, y) = (k _x , k _y ) where the upper left of the display screen is the origin, that is, coordinates (x, y) = (0, 0). It is assumed that the x coordinate increases toward the right of the screen and the y coordinate increases toward the bottom of the screen. By performing the processing of Act21, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as an object display unit that displays an object linked to the terminal on the information providing screen in response to the terminal being connected.

  In Act 22 of FIG. 5, the CPU 11 generates an operation screen command for displaying the operation screen on the touch panel 34 of the information terminal 30. The operation screen command includes operation screen data for displaying the operation screen. Then, the CPU 11 instructs the communication interface 15 to transmit the generated operation screen command to the information terminal 30. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 15 transmits the operation screen command to the information terminal 30. The transmitted operation screen command is received by the communication interface 35 of the information terminal 30.

On the other hand, the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30 that has received the operation screen command starts the control process shown in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of control processing by the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30. The CPU 31 executes this control process based on the web browser stored in the main memory 32 or the auxiliary storage device 33 and the received operation screen command.
In Act 41 of FIG. 7, the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30 generates an image corresponding to the operation screen based on the operation screen data included in the operation screen command. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the touch panel 34 to display this image. In response to this instruction, the touch panel 34 displays the operation screen.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation screen SC3 displayed on the touch panel 34 of the information terminal 30. The operation screen SC3 includes a right button B31, a left button B32, a lower button B33, an upper button B34, a DL button B35, a change button B36, an end button B37, and an area A31. The right button B31, the left button B32, the lower button B33, and the upper button B34 are cross keys. The right button B31 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 when it is desired to move the object displayed on the display device to the right. The left button B32 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 to move the object displayed on the display device to the left. The lower button B33 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 when it is desired to move the object displayed on the display device downward. The upper button B34 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 to move the object displayed on the display device upward. The DL button B35 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 when it is desired to download content corresponding to the button currently selected on the display screen SC1. The change button B36 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 when it is desired to change the appearance of the object displayed on the display device. Further, the appearance of the change button B36 is the same as the object corresponding to the information terminal 30 displayed on the display device 20. Alternatively, the appearance of the change button B36 may be an enlargement or reduction of the object. This makes it easier for the operator of the information terminal 30 to see what the object displayed on the display device 20 that he / she operates is. The end button B37 is operated by the operator of the information terminal 30 when it is desired to end the operation linked to the display device 20 on the information terminal 30. In the area A31, information for specifying the currently selected button on the display screen SC1 is displayed.

  In Act 42 of FIG. 7, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the selection command is received by the communication interface 35. The selection command will be described later. If the selection command has not been received, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 42 and proceeds to Act 43.

  In Act 43, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the right button B31 is touched. If the right button B31 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 43 and proceeds to Act 44.

  In Act 44, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the left button B32 is touched. If the left button B32 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 44 and proceeds to Act 45.

  In Act 45, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the lower button B33 is touched. If the lower button B33 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 45 and proceeds to Act 46.

  In Act 46, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the upper button B34 is touched. If the upper button B34 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 46 and proceeds to Act 47.

  In Act 47, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the DL button B35 shown in FIG. 8 is touched. If the DL button B35 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 47 and proceeds to Act 48.

  In Act 48, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the change button B36 is touched. If the change button B36 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 48 and proceeds to Act 49.

  In Act 49, the CPU 31 confirms whether or not the end button B37 is touched. If the end button B37 is not touched, the CPU 31 determines No in Act 49 and returns to Act 42. Thus, the CPU 31 repeats Act42 to Act49 until the selection command is received or any of the buttons B31 to B37 is touched. If the right button B31 is touched when the CPU 31 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act43 and proceeds to Act50.

  In Act 50, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit a right command for instructing to move the object to the right to the server 10. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the right command to the server 10. The transmitted right command is received by the communication interface 35.

If the left button B32 is touched when the CPU 31 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act44 and proceeds to Act51.
In Act 51, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit a left command for instructing to move the object to the left to the server 10. In response to this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the left command to the server 10. The transmitted left command is received by the communication interface 35.

Further, if the lower button B33 is touched when the CPU 31 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act45 and proceeds to Act52.
In Act 52, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit a down command for instructing to move the object down to the server 10. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the lower command to the server 10. The transmitted lower command is received by the communication interface 35.

On the other hand, if the upper button B34 is touched when the CPU 31 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act46 and proceeds to Act51.
In Act 51, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit an up command for instructing to move the object upward to the server 10. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the upper command to the server 10. The transmitted upper command is received by the communication interface 35.

  On the other hand, in Act 23 of FIG. 5, the CPU 11 of the server 10 confirms whether the right command or the left command is received by the communication interface 15. If the left command or the right command is not received, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 23 and proceeds to Act 24.

  In Act 24, the CPU 11 confirms whether the lower command or the upper command is received by the communication interface 15. If the lower command or the upper command is not received, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 24 and proceeds to Act 25.

  In Act 25, the CPU 11 confirms whether the DL command is received by the communication interface 15 or not. The DL command will be described later. If the DL command is not received by the communication interface 15, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 25 and proceeds to Act 26.

  In Act 26, the CPU 11 confirms whether the change command is received by the communication interface 15. The change command will be described later. If the change command is not received by the communication interface 15, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 26 and proceeds to Act 27.

  In Act 27, the CPU 11 confirms whether or not the end command is received by the communication interface 15. Note that the end command will be described later. If the end command is not received by the communication interface 15, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 27 and returns to Act 23. Thus, the CPU 11 repeats Act23 to Act27 until a right command, a left command, a lower command, an upper command, a DL command, a change command, or an end command is received. If the right command or the left command is received while in the standby state of Act 23 to Act 27, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 23 and proceeds to Act 28.

In Act 28, the CPU 11 performs the left / right movement process shown in FIG. However, if the command confirmed to be received in Act 23 is the right command, the CPU 11 performs left / right movement processing with n = 1. If the command confirmed to be received in Act 23 is the left command, the CPU 11 performs the left / right movement process with n = -1.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of control processing by the CPU 11 of the server 10. The CPU 11 executes this control process based on a control program stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13.

In Act 81 of FIG. 9, the CPU 11 confirms whether or not the position represented by the coordinates (k _x + n, k _y ) is within the range set as the prohibited area. If the coordinates (k _x + n, k _y ) are the coordinates in the prohibited area, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 81 and ends the left-right movement process. On the other hand, if the coordinates (k _x + n, k _y ) are not within the prohibited area, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 81 and proceeds to Act 82.

In Act82 CPU 11 sets the value of _{k x} the _k x + n. Furthermore, the CPU 11 moves the display position of the object linked to the information terminal 30 that is the transmission source of the right command or the left command to the right by n. That is, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1 that has moved the display position of the object to the right by n. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. Based on the input video data, the display device 20 displays a display screen SC1 in which the display position of the object is moved n to the right. Therefore, by performing the process of Act 82, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a moving unit that moves the display position of the object. The process of Act 82 is performed when it is determined Yes in the process of Act 81. That is, the CPU 11 does not perform the process of Act 82 when the movement destination of the object falls within a predetermined prohibited area. Therefore, by performing the process of Act 81, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a movement control unit that controls the movement unit so that the object does not enter a predetermined prohibited area in the information providing screen.

In Act 83, if (k _x , k _y ) is within any one of the areas A13 to A17, the CPU 11 acquires the area number associated with the area. If (k _x , k _y ) is not in any of the areas A13 to A17, the CPU 11 acquires 0 as the area number.

  In Act 84, the CPU 11 checks whether or not the area number acquired in Act 83 is different from the value of the variable a. If it is the same as the value of the variable a, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 84 and ends the left-right movement process. On the other hand, if the value is different from the value of the variable a, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 84 and proceeds to Act 85.

  In Act 85, the CPU 11 sets the value of the variable a to the area number acquired in Act 83. By this process, the button in the area associated with the area number is selected. Therefore, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center performs the processing of Act 85 so that the button is selected when the object is in a predetermined selection area surrounding the button displayed on the information providing screen. It operates as a selection control means.

  In Act 86, the CPU 11 highlights the button displayed in the area whose area number is the value of the variable a, that is, the selected button. That is, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1 in which the button is highlighted. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. The display device 20 displays a display screen SC1 in which the button is highlighted based on the input video data. The highlighting of the button includes, for example, blinking the button, changing the button color, or thickening the button frame. Therefore, by performing the process of Act 86, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as highlighting means for highlighting the button in the selected state.

  In Act 87, the CPU 11 changes the appearance of the object. That is, the CPU 11 displays a balloon on the object. The balloon includes a character string indicating that the button is being selected. A balloon OB121 illustrated in FIG. 6 is an example illustrating a balloon displayed on the object OB12. Further, the CPU 11 rotates the object as necessary. For example, when the appearance of the object points in a specific direction such as an arrow shape, the CPU 11 rotates the arrow so that the direction of the arrow faces the direction of the selected button. An object OB12 shown in FIG. 6 is an example in which an object having the same appearance as the object OB11 is rotated so that the direction of the arrow is directed to the selected button.

  In Act 88, the CPU 11 generates a selection command including an outline of the content corresponding to the selected button. However, if the area number stored in Act 83 is 0, the CPU 11 generates a selection command so as not to include the outline of the content. Then, the CPU 11 instructs the communication interface 15 to transmit the generated selection command to the information terminal 30. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 15 transmits the selection command to the information terminal 30. The transmitted selection command is received by the communication interface 35 of the information terminal 30. CPU11 complete | finishes a left-right movement process after the process of Act88. After completing the left / right movement process, the CPU 11 returns to Act 23.

On the other hand, when the selection command is received in the standby state of Act 42 to Act 49 in FIG. 7, the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30 determines Yes in Act 42 and proceeds to Act 54.
In Act 54, the CPU 31 displays an outline of the content included in the selection command confirmed to be received in Act 42 in the area A31 of the operation screen SC3. Note that if the selection command does not include an outline of the content, the CPU 31 puts nothing in the area A31 of the operation screen SC3. That is, the CPU 31 generates an image corresponding to the operation screen SC3 displayed as described above in the area A31. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the touch panel 34 to display this image. In response to this instruction, the touch panel 34 displays the operation screen SC3. The CPU 31 returns to Act 42 after the processing of Act 54. The outline of the content included in the selection command is an outline of the content corresponding to the selected button. That is, the content displayed in the area A31 is information for specifying the button in the selected state. Therefore, information for specifying the selected button is notified to the operator of the information terminal 30 or the like by the processing of Act 54. Note that the selection command including the outline of the content is the one transmitted in Act 88. Therefore, by performing the process of Act 88, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a notification unit that informs the terminal of information specifying the selected button.

On the other hand, if the lower command or the upper command is received while in the standby state of Act 23 to Act 27 in FIG. 5, the CPU 11 of the server 10 determines Yes in Act 24 and proceeds to Act 29.
In Act 29, the CPU 11 performs the vertical movement process shown in FIG. However, if the command confirmed to be received in Act 24 is the lower command, the CPU 11 performs the up / down movement process with m = 1. If the command confirmed to be received in Act 24 is the up command, the CPU 11 performs the up / down movement process with m = -1.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart of control processing by the CPU 11 of the server 10. The CPU 11 executes this control process based on a control program stored in the main memory 12 or the auxiliary storage device 13.

In Act 91 of FIG. 10, the CPU 11 checks whether or not the position represented by the coordinates (k _x , k _y + m) is within the range set as the prohibited area. If the coordinates (k _x , k _y + m) are coordinates within the prohibited area, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 91 and ends the vertical movement process. On the other hand, if the coordinates (k _x , k _y + m) are not in the prohibited area, the CPU 11 determines No in Act 91 and proceeds to Act 92.

CPU11 In Act92, the value of _{k y} in _k y + m. Further, the CPU 11 moves the display position of the object linked to the information terminal 30 that is the transmission source of the lower command or the upper command m times. That is, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1 that has moved the object display position down m. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. Based on the input video data, the display device 20 displays the display screen SC1 in which the display position of the object is moved down m. Therefore, by performing the processing of Act 92, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a moving unit that moves the display position of the object. Further, the process of Act 92 is performed when it is determined Yes in the process of Act 91. That is, the CPU 11 does not perform the Act 92 when the destination of the object is within a predetermined prohibited area. Therefore, by performing the process of Act 91, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a movement control unit that controls the movement unit so that the object does not enter a predetermined prohibited area in the information providing screen.
The CPU 11 performs the same processing as Act 83 to Act 88 of the left / right movement processing shown in FIG. 9 as the processing of Act 93 to Act 97. However, if the CPU 11 determines No in Act 94, the CPU 11 ends the vertical movement process. Further, the CPU 11 ends the vertical movement process after the process of Act98. After completing the up / down movement process, the CPU 11 returns to Act 23.

Further, if the DL button B35 is touched when the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49 in FIG. 7, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act47 and proceeds to Act55.
In Act 55, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit a DL command for downloading content corresponding to the selected button to the server 10. In response to this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the DL command to the server 10. The transmitted DL command is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10.

On the other hand, if the content command is received when the CPU 11 of the server 10 is in the standby state of Act 23 to Act 27 in FIG. 5, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 25 and proceeds to Act 30.
In Act 30, the CPU 11 of the server 10 generates a content command including the content corresponding to the selected button. However, if the value of the variable a is 0, the CPU 11 generates a content command without including the content. Then, the CPU 11 instructs the communication interface 15 to transmit the generated content command to the information terminal 30. Upon receiving this instruction, the communication interface 15 transmits the content command to the information terminal 30. The transmitted content command is received by the communication interface 35 of the information terminal 30.

  On the other hand, in Act 56 of FIG. 7, the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30 waits for the content command to be received by the communication interface 35. If the content command is received, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act 56 and proceeds to Act 57.

  In Act 57, the CPU 31 performs processing according to the content included in the content command. For example, the CPU 31 performs a process for accessing a specific URL or performs a process for storing the content. The content stored by the CPU 31 is, for example, a coupon. If the content command does not include content, the CPU 31 ends the processing of Act 57. The CPU 31 returns to Act 42 after the processing of Act 57.

If the change button B36 shown in FIG. 8 is touched when the CPU 31 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act48 and proceeds to Act58.
In Act 58, the CPU 31 displays a list of icon images stored in the auxiliary storage device 33 on the operation screen SC3 shown in FIG. That is, the CPU 31 generates an image corresponding to a screen on which a list of icon images is displayed on the operation screen SC3. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the touch panel 34 to display the generated image. In response to this instruction, the touch panel 34 displays the screen.

The operator of the information terminal 30 touches the icon image that the user wants to use as the appearance of the object from the icon images displayed on the operation screen SC3.
In Act 59 of FIG. 7, the CPU 31 waits for any of the icon images in the icon image list to be touched. If the icon image is touched, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act 59 and proceeds to Act 60.

  In Act 60, the CPU 31 generates a change command including an icon image touched by the operator of the information terminal 30. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit the generated change command to the server 10. In response to this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the change command to the server 10. The transmitted change command is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10.

On the other hand, if the change command is received when the CPU 11 of the server 10 is in the standby state of Act 23 to Act 27 in FIG. 5, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 26 and proceeds to Act 31.
In Act 31, the CPU 11 stores the icon image in the user information DB 131 in association with the user ID of the information terminal 30 that is the transmission source of the change command. Furthermore, the CPU 11 changes the appearance of the object linked to the information terminal 30 that is the transmission source of the change command to the icon image included in the change command confirmed to be received in Act 26. That is, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1 in which the appearance of the object is changed to the icon image. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. The display device 20 displays a display screen SC1 in which the appearance of the object is changed to the icon image based on the input video data. Therefore, by performing the processing of Act11, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a changing unit that changes the appearance of the object based on an operation on the terminal.

If the end button B37 is touched when the CPU 31 of the information terminal 30 is in the standby state of Act42 to Act49 in FIG. 7, the CPU 31 determines Yes in Act49 and proceeds to Act61.
In Act 61, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit an end command for ending the operation linked to the display device 20 to the server 10. In response to this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the end command to the server 10. The transmitted end command is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10.

On the other hand, if the end command is received when the CPU 11 of the server 10 is in the standby state of Act 23 to Act 27 in FIG. 5, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act 27 and proceeds to Act 32.
In Act 32, the CPU 11 disconnects the connection enabling bidirectional communication between the server 10 and the information terminal 30.

  In Act 33, the CPU 11 deletes the object linked to the information terminal 30 that is the transmission source of the end command. That is, the CPU 11 instructs the output interface 14 to output video data corresponding to the display screen SC1 from which the object has been deleted. Upon receiving this instruction, the output interface 14 outputs the video data. The output video data is input to the display device 20. The display device 20 displays the display screen SC1 from which the object has been deleted based on the input video data. CPU11 complete | finishes the interlocking | linkage process with respect to the information terminal 30 which is the transmission source of an end command after the process of Act33.

In the above description, the process of changing the appearance of the object when performing an operation in conjunction with the display device 20 has been described. Hereinafter, processing for changing the appearance of an object when an operation linked to the display device 20 is not performed will be described.
When the operator of the transmission source terminal wants to change the appearance of the object, the operator touches the button B22 on the my page screen SC2 shown in FIG.
When the button B22 is touched, the CPU 31 of the transmission source terminal displays a list of icon images stored in the auxiliary storage device 33 on the My Page screen SC2 shown in FIG. 8 in the same manner as Act 58 in FIG. Then, the operator of the transmission source terminal touches the icon image to be used as the appearance of the object from the icon images displayed on the my page screen SC2.
When any of the icon images in the icon image list is touched, the CPU 31 generates a change request including the touched icon image. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit the change request to the server 10. In response to this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the change request to the server 10. The transmitted change request is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10.

  On the other hand, if the change request is received when the CPU 11 of the server 10 is in the standby state of Act1 to Act3 in FIG. 3, the CPU 11 determines Yes in Act3 and proceeds to Act11.

  In Act 11, the CPU 11 stores an icon image in the user information DB 131 in association with the user ID of the transmission source terminal. Thus, when an operation linked to the display device 20 is performed by the information terminal 30 logged in to the service provided by the server 10 with the user ID, the appearance of the object displayed on the display device 20 becomes the icon image. . Therefore, by performing the processing of Act11, the computer having the CPU 11 as the center operates as a changing unit that changes the appearance of the object based on an operation on the terminal. After the process of Act11, the CPU 11 returns to Act1.

  According to the information providing system 1 of the embodiment, the server 10 sets a prohibited area in advance on the display screen SC <b> 1 displayed on the display device 20. Then, the server 10 displays on the display screen SC1 an object that moves on the display screen SC1 based on an operation performed on the information terminal 30. However, the server 10 controls the movement of the object so that the object does not enter the prohibited area. Therefore, the object does not overlap with a character string, an image, or a moving image displayed in the prohibited area.

  Further, according to the information providing system 1 of the embodiment, when the object is in any one of the areas A13 to A17, the server 10 selects a button in the area. Therefore, even when a button is set as a prohibited area, the operator of the information terminal 30 can place the object in the selected area by placing the object in the area.

  Further, according to the information providing system 1 of the embodiment, the server 10 highlights the button in the selected state. Therefore, the operator of the information terminal 30 can easily understand which button is selected.

  Further, according to the information providing system 1 of the embodiment, the server 10 informs the information terminal 30 linked to the object of information specifying which button is the button selected by the object. Therefore, the operator of the information terminal 30 can easily understand which button is selected by the object linked to the information terminal 30.

  Further, according to the information providing system 1 of the embodiment, the operator of the information terminal 30 can change the appearance of the object by operating the information terminal 30. At this time, the server 10 changes the appearance of the object based on the operation performed on the information terminal 30. When the appearance of the object is changed, a plurality of objects having different appearances may be displayed on the display device 20. In this case, it is easy for the operator of the information terminal 30 to determine which object among the plurality of objects that the user operates.

The embodiment described above can be modified as follows.
In the above embodiment, the object is movable in four directions, up, down, left and right. However, the object may be movable in directions other than up, down, left, and right. In this case, the CPU 31 causes the touch panel 34 to display a button that can instruct four or more directions. If the operated button is a button that moves the angle counterclockwise in the counterclockwise direction with 0 degree on the right, the CPU 31 generates a command including the angle θ. Then, the CPU 31 instructs the communication interface 35 to transmit the generated command to the server 10. In response to this instruction, the communication interface 35 transmits the command to the server 10. The transmitted command is received by the communication interface 15 of the server 10. The CPU 11 of the server 10 that has received the command performs the processes of Act 81 and Act 82 in FIG. 9 and Act 91 and Act 92 in FIG. 10 with n = cos θ and m = −sin θ as an example in order to move the object in the angle θ direction. . Thereafter, the CPU 11 performs the processes from Act 83 to Act 88 in FIG.

  In the above embodiment, the information terminal 30 displays a list of icon images stored in the auxiliary storage device 33 when changing the appearance of the object. Then, the information terminal 30 transmits the icon image selected by the operator of the information terminal 30 from the list to the server 10. However, the information terminal 30 activates the camera 36 based on an operation by the operator of the information terminal 30 when selecting an icon image. Then, the information terminal 30 may transmit an image captured by the camera 36 to the server 10. Accordingly, the server 10 that has received the image can set the appearance of the object as an image captured by the camera 36. At this time, if the face of the person such as the operator of the information terminal 30 is photographed by the camera 36, the appearance of the object can be made the face of the person such as the operator.

  In the above embodiment, in Act 54 of FIG. 7, the CPU 31 displays the outline of the content included in the selection command confirmed to be received in Act 42 in the area A31 of the operation screen SC3. However, the CPU 31 may notify the outline of the content by other methods. For example, the CPU 31 causes a speaker (not shown) to output an outline of the content as sound.

  The information terminal 30 may use an application other than the web browser such as an application dedicated to the information providing system 1 instead of the web browser.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Information provision system, 10 ... Server, 11, 31 ... CPU, 12, 32 ... Main memory, 13, 33 ... Auxiliary storage device, 14 ... Output interface, 15, 35 ... Communication interface, 16, 37 ... Bus, 20 ... display device, 30 ... information terminal, 34 ... touch panel, 36 ... camera.

Claims (6)

Screen display means for displaying an information providing screen including content on the display device;
An object display means for displaying an object linked to the terminal on the information providing screen in response to the terminal being connected;
Moving means for moving the display position of the object based on an instruction from the terminal;
An information providing apparatus comprising: movement control means for controlling the movement means so that the object does not enter a predetermined prohibited area in the information providing screen.   The selection control unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a selection control unit that puts the button into a selection state when the object is in a selection area predetermined so as to surround the button displayed on the information providing screen. Information providing device.   The information providing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising highlighting means for highlighting a button in a selected state.   The information providing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising notification means for causing the terminal to notify information specifying a button in a selected state.   The information providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a changing unit that changes the appearance of the object based on an operation on the terminal. The computer provided in the information providing device
Screen display means for displaying an information providing screen including content on the display device;
An object display means for displaying an object linked to the terminal on the information providing screen in response to the terminal being connected;
Moving means for moving the display position of the object based on an instruction from the terminal;
A program for functioning as movement control means for controlling the movement means so that the object does not enter a predetermined prohibited area in the information provision screen.