JP2021022834A - Video distribution program, device, system, and method - Google Patents

Abstract

To limit sharing of a content and enable the content to be edited and shared under the limitation.SOLUTION: A video distribution device acquires, from a limitation information DB, a cost upper limit with respect to one or more contents about which designation is accepted of a plurality of video contents to be distributed, the cost upper limit determined on the basis of a time in which sharing the contents is permitted. The video distribution device also acquires, from the limitation information DB, a cost for each section of a predetermined time. The video distribution device accepts one or more shared sections, each of which has a start position and an end position of a reproduction target, in the contents and collates the shared sections with the cost for each section to calculates a total cost of the shared sections. When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, the video distribution device creates sequence data for enabling the contents to be reproduced in the shared sections and stores the sequence data in a storage unit before generating access information for acquiring the registered sequence data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to video distribution programs, devices, systems, and methods.

Conventionally, there is a technique for sharing video contents among a plurality of users.

For example, with respect to video content, there is a technique in which some video segments are selected from a set of identified video segments and a list showing the playback sequence for some video segments is generated.

Further, regarding the user's authority information for the content, there is a technique for sharing the authority information with other users within the limit defined in the authority information without going through the server authentication process.

In addition, there is a technology for determining whether or not another terminal device has the authority to use the content, and creating response data so that the content is played back on the other terminal device at a level according to the determination result. ..

Special Table 2018-514127 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-711339 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-126445 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-134614

However, in the prior art, although the sharing status of the content itself is managed, the limitation of the sharing status is not considered. Therefore, if the content is shared indefinitely, there is a problem that the rights of the right holder of the content cannot be sufficiently secured. Further, if the restrictions on the sharing status are too strict, there is a problem that the utilization of contents cannot be promoted as a communication tool between users.

One aspect of the present invention is to limit the sharing of content and to edit and share the content under the restriction.

As one aspect, among a plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents for which designation is accepted, a cost upper limit set based on the time allowed for sharing the contents is acquired from the storage unit. To do. In addition, the cost for each section of the content for a predetermined time is acquired from the storage unit. It accepts one or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content, collates the shared section with the cost for each section, and calculates the total cost of the shared section. Access information for creating sequence data that enables the content to be reproducible in the shared section, registering the sequence data in the storage unit, and acquiring the registered sequence data when the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit. To generate.

As one aspect, it has the effect of restricting the sharing of content and allowing the content to be edited and shared under the restriction.

It is a figure which contrasted the image of the sharing between food and TV in SNS. It is a figure which shows the image of the mechanism of the video distribution system of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the video distribution system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the information of the content recorded in the content DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the cost upper limit table of the restriction information DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the section cost table of the restriction information DB. It is an image diagram when a shared section is selected in the edit UI. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in a sequence data DB. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the computer which functions as a distribution management server. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a cost setting process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of an editing process. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the reproduction control processing of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the video distribution system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the user information table of a user registration DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the NG list table of a user registration DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the user preference reference table of a user registration DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the viewing user list table of a user viewing history DB. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recorded in the viewing history table of a user viewing history DB. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the reproduction control processing of 2nd Embodiment. It is an image diagram which shows an example of a viewing UI.

Hereinafter, an example of the embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the background that is the premise of each embodiment and the outline of each embodiment will be described below. Conventionally, sharing of video content is a mechanism in which a user cuts out or joins a part of the content and shares it with another user as described in Non-Patent Document 4. However, if there is no mechanism for limiting the content to be cut out, the user can freely cut out and share the content, so that there is a problem that the right of the right holder of the content cannot be secured. Therefore, in sharing content, it is a prerequisite to secure the rights of the right holder of the content.

In addition, there are business issues surrounding information shared by SNS (social networking service). FIG. 1 is a diagram comparing images of food shared with TV programs on SNS. As shown in FIG. 1, when sharing information about food on SNS, sharing is achieved by pasting the impression of eating the food and the URL of the store. In the case of food, you can easily understand how the food was and where the food store is. However, in the case of a TV program, if you try to share a specific impression, you need specific information up to what part of the scene it was, and it is difficult to share the information on SNS. We think that users have a potential need to share information about TV programs such as "this is good", "this is interesting", and "I want you to see this facial expression of this actor" on SNS. Be done. In addition, if the video or capture of the program is shared without permission in order to specifically share the information, a copyright problem will occur.

As described above, since the mechanism for sharing the video content such as the TV program is not prepared, there is a situation where the video content is difficult to spread on the SNS. In businesses that assume SNS, sharing that is conscious of the community formed by viewers is becoming more important. How much content is spread on SNS is strongly influenced by the spreading power of so-called influencers who are influential users and fan engagement. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism that allows users to freely share content to some extent.

From the above background, the embodiment of the present invention provides a mechanism for the user to freely share the content to some extent while guaranteeing the rights of the right holder of the content. In the video distribution system of the embodiment of the present invention, one or more contents among a plurality of contents of the video to be distributed are designated and shared. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image of the mechanism of the video distribution system according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the video distribution system selects a content scene and shares it with the SNS. The scene can be selected according to the section reference cost determined for each section of the content at a predetermined time. This makes it possible to share specific scenes of video content. In addition, the section reference cost allows the degree to which the right holder wants to avoid being shared in the video content to be arbitrarily determined according to the section. This allows content sharing to be controlled under the rights of the right holder.

The above is the background and outline of the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described.

<First Embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 3, in the video distribution system 1 according to the first embodiment, the plurality of management terminals 10, the plurality of user terminals 12, the distribution management server 14, and the content DB 16 have a network N such as the Internet. Connected via.

The management terminal 10 is installed for each content right holder and is a terminal for managing the content. The management terminal 10 can register the content in the content DB 16 and register the cost of the content via the management UI provided by the API (Application Programming Interface) 60 of the distribution management server 14. Since the registration of the content is not the main function of the present embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted. The management terminal 10 can be realized by, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like.

The user terminal 12 has different uses depending on whether it is operated by a user who shares the content (hereinafter, the shared user) or when the user who shares and views the content (hereinafter, the viewing user) operates the user terminal 12. The shared user operates the edit UI. The viewing user operates the viewing UI. When the shared user operates the user terminal 12, the distribution management server 14 is made to create the sequence data of the content via the editing UI provided by the API 60 of the distribution management server 14, and the created sequence data is accessed. Generate information. The user terminal 12 makes a post in which the generated access information is embedded in the SNS. When the viewing user operates the user terminal 12, the user terminal 12 displays a post in which access information is embedded in the SNS via the viewing UI provided by the API 60 of the distribution management server 14. When the post is viewed, the user terminal 12 acquires and reproduces the content based on the access information. The user terminal 12 transmits access information to the distribution management server 14 when acquiring and playing back the content. The user terminal 12 can be realized by, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like.

The content DB 16 is a database in which content is recorded, and is provided by a CDN (Content Delivery Network) optimized for content distribution. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of content information recorded in the content DB 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the content ID, the content name, the data, and the metadata are recorded in the content DB 16. The content can be identified by the content ID or the content name. The data is the content data itself and is an arbitrary video file. Arbitrary video files are "**. Mov", "** .mpeg", "**. Avi" and the like. The metadata is ancillary information of the content in xml format. Hereinafter, the content will be described on the premise that the content is recorded in the content DB 16 and read from the content DB 16. Therefore, the description read from the content DB 16 may be omitted. The same applies to the database below.

The distribution management server 14 includes an API 60, a cost setting unit 62, a sequence creation unit 64, a cost check unit 66, an ID issuing unit 68, a sequence acquisition unit 70, a playback control unit 72, a restriction information DB 80, and the like. It is configured to include the sequence data DB 82. The sequence creation unit 64, the cost check unit 66, and the ID issuing unit 68 are examples of the generation unit of the present invention.

The API 60 has a function of providing a management UI operated by the management terminal 10, an editing UI operated by the user terminal 12 operated by the shared user, and a viewing UI operated by the viewing user. Further, the API 60 provides a function for making various settings related to the content and a function for controlling each functional unit inside the distribution management server 14. Further, in the management UI, an ID and a password for logging in to the management UI are set in each of the management terminals 10. You can log in to the management UI by entering an ID and password from the management terminal 10. The function of the management UI has been described in the management terminal 10. Similarly, in the editing UI, an ID and a password for logging in to the editing UI are set in each of the user terminals 12 used by the shared user. A shared user can log in to the editing UI from the user terminal 12 by entering an ID and a password. The function of the editing UI has been described in the user terminal 12. The viewing UI is a UI for playing back content based on the access information embedded in the post when browsing the SNS post. Since various UIs and functions that can be provided by a general API may be used, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The cost setting unit 62 accepts the operation of the management UI from the management terminal 10 and registers the information related to the cost of the content in the restriction information DB 80.

The cost upper limit table 80A and the section cost table 80B are recorded in the restriction information DB 80.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the cost upper limit table 80A of the restriction information DB 80. As shown in FIG. 5, the content name and the cost upper limit are recorded in the cost upper limit table 80A. The cost upper limit is the value of the cost that allows publication, and is set once for each content. For example, when there are content A and content B, the cost is set high when the content A is a new program, and the cost is set low when the content B is a rebroadcast. That is, the cost cap is based on the amount of time that content is allowed to be shared.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the section cost table 80B of the restriction information DB 80. As shown in FIG. 6, in the section cost table 80B, the content name, the start position, the end position, and the section reference cost of the content including the section are recorded for each section of the content. The start position and end position are the start position and end position of the section represented by the elapsed time from the beginning of the content. The elapsed time will be described below as hours, minutes, and seconds, but it may be in any unit of time as long as a position on the image such as hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds, and a series of frame numbers can be specified. For example, if the start position is "0:00:10" and the end position is "00:00:20", it means that the content is a section from the 10-second position to the 20-second position. The section reference cost is the cost for one second of the section, and an integer value is entered. Alternatively, if the interval reference cost, which may be the cost for a smaller time unit, can be set in a time interval smaller than 1 second, the unit of a small number of hours is described for all the tables that specify the position of the content in conjunction with each other. Make it possible. When it is treated as a still image as a public content, even one image may be handled by setting a cost for one second. For still images, the images are usually compressed with moving images and the deterioration is large for frames other than I-pictures, but if there is uncompressed data in the original DB, the images that are not deteriorated in terms of the published contents are released at the time of preview. Data communication may be performed so that it is sometimes delivered. Further, the section reference cost may be a cost for minutes instead of seconds. The value of the section reference cost may be arbitrarily determined by the right holder of the content, and a model pre-learned to output a high section reference cost in a specific scene such as a scene in which an actor is appearing. May be derived using. Further, when setting a section that can never be used, an arbitrary value such as "9999" or "∞" may be set in the section reference cost so as to greatly exceed the upper limit of the cost. In addition, it may be set that the section cannot be used by the flag indicating availability. Further, for example, if the section reference cost of all sections is set to "1" for a certain content, the value of the cost upper limit becomes equal to the upper limit of the number of reproducible seconds. Further, the section defined here may be defined by a scene break defined in the TV program. The interval is an example of the interval of the predetermined time of the present invention.

The sequence creation unit 64 receives an operation of the editing UI from the user terminal 12. The sequence creation unit 64 accepts the designation of one or more contents to be edited from the operation of the editing UI. Further, the sequence creation unit 64 accepts one or more shared sections from the operation of the editing UI. The shared section is a range of one or more sections that define a start position and an end position to be played back in the content when the content is shared. The range of the section is an example of the range to be shared in the content. Unlike the section of the restriction information DB 80 described above, the shared section can be arbitrarily determined by the shared user, so that a certain degree of freedom can be given to the content of the content to be shared. The sequence creation unit 64 creates sequence data for the content for which the designation has been accepted so that the content can be played back in the accepted shared section when the shared section is permitted by the cost check unit 66, and registers the content in the sequence data DB 82. To do. In the following, a case of creating sequence data for one content will be described as an example.

FIG. 7 is an image diagram when a shared section is selected in the editing UI. As shown in FIG. 7, in the editing UI, the scene to be shared in the content, that is, the shared section can be selected at the start position and the end position in units of hours, minutes, and seconds. The edit UI displays the indicator selection area, which indicates the selected shared section, as well as the time at the start and end positions. In this way, the sharing user can operate the editing UI to cut out the scene to be shared from the content as a shared section.

When the sequence creation unit 64 receives the designation of the content, first, for the content for which the designation is accepted, the upper limit of the cost of the content and the section reference cost for each section of the content are acquired from the restriction information DB 80. It also accepts one or more shared sections that are within the range in which the start and end positions of the time in the content are defined. The sequence creation unit 64 registers the sequence data including the sequence ID in the sequence data DB 82 through the determination process of the cost check unit 66. The sequence creation unit 64 generates access information corresponding to the sequence ID of the registered sequence data. As shown in FIG. 7, the sequence creation unit 64 displays the generated access information (in FIG. 7, the sharing URL) in the editing UI. The sharing URL, which is the access information, can be used as an embedded tag including the sequence ID, for example. The shared user who operates the user terminal 12 posts the content including the generated sharing URL to the SNS. When the post in which the sharing URL is embedded is viewed, the access information is automatically transmitted to the distribution management server 14, and the content based on the sequence data is reproduced. As a result, the content that can be played back can be shared with the viewing user in the shared section defined by the sequence data.

The cost check unit 66 collates the section reference cost for each section with the selected shared section, and determines whether or not the total cost of the selected shared section exceeds the cost upper limit. When the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit, the editing UI of the API 60 is controlled so as to display that the cost upper limit is exceeded and sequence data cannot be registered by the selection. When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, the cost check unit 66 controls the editing UI of the API 60 to display the number of remaining costs, and permits the registration of the sequence data of the shared section. In this way, the length of the content to be shared is limited according to the section reference cost.

Here, the total cost will be described. The total cost A, i the section included in the shared section, the section reference cost of interval i C _i, when the number of seconds interval i of the shared segment was h _i, total cost A below (1) It is represented by an expression.

_{A = Σ i {C i ×} h i} ··· (1)

For example, suppose that the cost upper limit is set to "100" for a certain content. In addition, it is said that the section standard cost "3" is set for the section "00:00:10 to 00:00:20" and the section standard cost "10" is set for the section "00:00:20 to 00:00:50". To do. In this case, it is assumed that two shared sections are accepted and the accepted shared sections are "00:00:10 to 00:00:15" and "00:00:30 to 00:00:35". In this case, the total cost is calculated as {3 × 5 + 10 × 5} = 65 from the above equation (1). Since the total cost 65 is the cost upper limit of 100 or less, the cost check unit 66 permits the registration of the shared section.

The ID issuing unit 68 issues the sequence ID when the cost check unit 66 permits the registration of the sequence data of the received shared section.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the sequence data DB 82. As shown in FIG. 8, the sequence ID, the content name, the start position, the end position, and the section reference cost are recorded in the sequence data DB 82. The sequence ID is an ID for identifying sequence data. The sequence ID is embedded, for example, as part of the sharing URL shown in FIG. The content name is a content name indicating the target content of the sequence data. In the sequence data DB 82, the start position and the end position of one section in which the section reference cost is defined, which is included in the shared section of the content, is recorded one record at a time. This is because the shared section may span a plurality of sections recorded in the restriction information DB 80. By recording the shared section in the sequence data DB 82 for each section in which the section reference cost is determined in this way, sequence data that enables content to be reproduced in the selected shared section is created. The sequence data DB 82 may include information regarding a part of the content representing the content such as a thumbnail.

The sequence acquisition unit 70 receives access information from the user terminal 12. When the sequence acquisition unit 70 receives the access information, the sequence acquisition unit 70 acquires the sequence data corresponding to the access information from the sequence data DB 82.

The reproduction control unit 72 controls the reproduction of the content within the reproducible range indicated by the sequence data acquired by the sequence acquisition unit 70.

The distribution management server 14 can be realized by, for example, the computer 20 shown in FIG. The computer 20 includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 21, a memory 22 as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit 23. Further, the computer 20 includes an input / output device 24, a Read / Write (R / W) unit 25 that controls reading and writing of data to the storage medium 29, and a communication interface (I / F) connected to a network such as the Internet. ) 26. The CPU 21, the memory 22, the storage unit 23, the input / output device 24, the R / W unit 25, and the communication I / F 26 are connected to each other via the bus 27.

The storage unit 23 can be realized by a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a Solid State Drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like. The storage unit 23 as a storage medium stores a distribution management program 30 for making the computer 20 function as a distribution management server 14. The distribution management program 30 includes a cost setting process 32, a sequence creation process 33, a cost check process 34, an ID issuance process 35, a sequence acquisition process 36, and a reproduction control process 37. In addition, the storage unit 23 has an information storage area 39 in which information constituting each of the limited information DB 80 and the sequence data DB 82 is stored. The distribution management program 30 is an example of a video distribution program.

The CPU 21 reads the distribution management program 30 from the storage unit 23, expands it into the memory 22, and sequentially executes the processes included in the distribution management program 30. By executing the cost setting process 32, the CPU 21 operates as the cost setting unit 62 shown in FIG. Further, the CPU 21 operates as the sequence creation unit 64 shown in FIG. 3 by executing the sequence creation process 33. Further, the CPU 21 operates as the cost check unit 66 shown in FIG. 3 by executing the cost check process 34. The CPU 21 operates as the ID issuing unit 68 shown in FIG. 3 by executing the ID issuing process 35. By executing the sequence acquisition process 36, the CPU 21 operates as the sequence acquisition unit 70 shown in FIG. The CPU 21 operates as the reproduction control unit 72 shown in FIG. 3 by executing the reproduction control process 37. Further, the CPU 21 reads information from the information storage area 39 and expands each of the limited information DB 80 and the sequence data DB 82 into the memory 22. As a result, the computer 20 that executes the distribution management program 30 functions as the distribution management server 14. The CPU 21 that executes the program is hardware.

The function realized by the distribution management program 30 can also be realized by, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit, more specifically, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or the like.

Next, the operation of the video distribution system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 12. The processing of the video distribution system 1 includes a cost setting processing, an editing processing, and a playback control processing. Each process will be described below.

First, the cost setting process will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the cost setting process. The following cost setting process is executed by receiving an operation by the management UI from the management terminal 10 via the API 60 of the distribution management server 14.

In step S100, the API 60 accepts the login to the management UI from the management terminal 10.

In step S102, the cost setting unit 62 accepts the designation of the content for which the cost is registered.

In step S104, the cost setting unit 62 receives information regarding the cost of the content.

In step S106, the cost setting unit 62 registers the information regarding the cost of the content in the restriction information DB 80. The information regarding the cost to be registered is the content name, the cost upper limit, the start position and end position of each section, and the section reference cost of each section. The method of registering the cost-related information may be any method. For example, a file in which the cost-related information of the content for which the cost is to be registered is input in a list is batch-processed, or manually input from the management UI. Just do it.

The above is the explanation of the cost setting process.

Next, the editing process will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the editing process. The following editing process is executed by accepting an operation by the editing UI from the user terminal 12 used by the shared user via the API 60 of the distribution management server 14.

In step S200, the API 60 accepts a login to the editing UI from the user terminal 12.

In step S202, the sequence creation unit 64 accepts the designation of the content to be edited.

In step S204, the sequence creation unit 64 reads the specified content from the content DB 16. The loaded content is displayed in the edit UI.

In step S206, the sequence creation unit 64 acquires, from the restriction information DB 80, the cost upper limit determined for the content and the section reference cost for each section of the predetermined time of the content for the content for which the designation has been accepted.

In step S208, the sequence creation unit 64 accepts one or more shared sections in the content. The shared section is input by the editing operation of the editing UI of the shared user.

In step S210, the cost check unit 66 collates the shared section with the section reference cost for each section and calculates the total cost of the shared section. It should be noted that the number of remaining costs may be controlled to be displayed from the total cost calculated at this time.

In step S212, the cost check unit 66 determines whether or not the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit. If it exceeds, the process proceeds to step S214, and if it does not exceed, the process proceeds to step S216.

In step S214, the cost check unit 66 controls the editing UI of the API 60 to display that the cost upper limit has been exceeded and sequence data cannot be registered by the selection, and returns to step S206.

In step S216, the cost check unit 66 controls the editing UI of the API 60 to display the number of remaining costs, and permits the registration of the sequence data of the shared section.

In step S218, the cost check unit 66 determines whether or not the registration of the sequence data has been accepted by operating the edit UI of the API 60, and if the registration is accepted, the process proceeds to step S220, and the registration is not accepted. Returnes to step S206.

In step S220, the ID issuing unit 68 issues the sequence ID.

In step S222, the sequence creation unit 64 creates sequence data and registers it in the sequence data DB 82. The sequence data to be registered includes a sequence ID, a content name, and information about one or more sections. The information about the section is the start position of the section, the end position of the section, and the section reference cost of the section.

In step S224, the sequence creation unit 64 generates access information corresponding to the sequence ID of the registered sequence data, displays the generated access information on the edit UI, and ends the process. The shared user who operates the user terminal 12 posts the content including the generated access information to the SNS or the like. A post button may be provided in the edit UI of the API 60, and the post with the access information embedded may be posted by pressing the post button.

The above is the explanation of the editing process.

Next, the reproduction control process will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the reproduction control process of the first embodiment. The following playback control process is executed when the viewing user browses the SNS page to which the access information is posted on the user terminal 12.

In step S300, the sequence acquisition unit 70 receives access information from the user terminal 12.

In step S302, the sequence acquisition unit 70 acquires the sequence data corresponding to the access information from the sequence data DB 82.

In step S304, the reproduction control unit 72 acquires the content of the content DB 16 based on the sequence data. The content acquires the content ID, the content name, the data, and the metadata.

In step S306, the reproduction control unit 72 processes the acquired content based on the sequence data. The processing processes the content so that it is reproduced in the shared section of the sequence data. It also re-encodes the video, controls the bit rate, and sets thumbnails.

In step S308, the reproduction control unit 72 controls the processed content to be reproduced by the viewing UI operated by the user terminal 12. Also, before playback, thumbnails included in the scene to be played back of the content are displayed.

As described above, according to the video distribution system according to the first embodiment, the sharing of the content can be restricted, and the content can be edited and shared under the restriction.

Further, by limiting the section for restricting sharing by the total cost based on the section reference cost for each section of the content instead of uniformly defining the section, each sharing user can cut out a scene according to his / her preference. As a result, the shared user can show his / her individuality as an influencer, the variation of the shared content is expanded, and the utilization of the content as a communication tool between users is promoted.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the reproduction is controlled according to the setting for each viewing user and the viewing history. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the second embodiment, the distribution management server 214 further includes the user registration DB 284 and the user viewing history DB 286, and the playback control unit 272 controls playback for each viewing user. It is different from one embodiment.

In the second embodiment, the playback control of the following (1) to (3) is performed for the viewing user. In the following description, the shared user and the viewing user are simply referred to as users. The specific control method will be described in Action.

(1) First, whether or not the content can be played back is set for each user. For example, the user A is set not to play the content of a certain program until what month and what day. It is considered that some users do not want to see the contents that need to be considered for the exposure of important parts such as dramas. Therefore, when the content that the user does not want to see is shared, the user is controlled not to play the corresponding content. In addition, the user registers in advance whether or not the content can be reproduced from the setting screen or SNS or the like. For example, on the content playback screen or the screen on which the content list is displayed on SNS or the like, a button for setting non-playability of the content or the content related to the content is installed. When the button is pressed by the user, playback of the content is disabled.

(2) Second, the playback status is recorded for each user to prevent excessive browsing. As for the content shared by the method of the first embodiment described above, different scenes may be created as sequence data by different users. For example, for the content of a certain program, the user A may cut out a scene of 10 to 50 seconds and share it on the SNS, and the user B may cut out a scene of 50 to 90 seconds and share it on the SNS. In this case, if any of the shared scenes can be browsed, it will be possible to browse excessively. Therefore, the viewing history of the user is recorded so that the same content cannot be viewed for more than a predetermined time. As a result, it is possible to prevent the content from being viewed illegally against the will of the right holder.

(3) Third, whether or not to browse is set according to the section standard cost. The section reference cost described in the first embodiment is regarded as the importance of the content. A section with a high section reference cost is regarded as a core scene of the content, and a section with a low section reference cost is regarded as a non-core scene. Therefore, it is possible to set whether or not to view important parts for each user and control playback. In other words, if the user has set NG for the exposure of the important part of a certain content and the high cost section is shared, only the low cost section is viewed except for the high cost part. Process the content to. This enables flexible browsing in consideration of the exposure of important parts. In addition, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the user accidentally browses a scene that reveals an important part when the setting (1) is not made.

The user information table 284A, the NG list table 284B, and the user preference reference table 284C are recorded in the user registration DB 284. The NG list table 284B and the user preference reference table 284C are created for each user.

The viewing user list table 286A and the viewing history table 286B are recorded in the user viewing history DB 286. The viewing history table 286B is created for each user.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the user information table 284A of the user registration DB 284. As shown in FIG. 14, in the user information table 284A, a user ID, a user name, an NG list ID, a preference list ID, and whether or not an important part can be browsed are recorded. The NG list ID is an ID indicating which NG list table 284B is referred to. The NG list table 284B exists for the number of IDs in the NG list ID. The preference list ID is an ID indicating which user preference reference table 284C is referred to. The user preference reference table 284C exists for the number of IDs in the preference list ID. "OK" or "NG" is set as to whether or not the important part can be viewed. In the case of "NG", for example, the shared section including the section of the section reference cost equal to or higher than a predetermined value among the shared sections is controlled so as not to be reproduced. In addition, a numerical value may be set as whether or not the important part can be viewed. When a numerical value is set, it is possible to control the shared section including the section of the section reference cost equal to or higher than the set numerical value among the shared sections so as not to be reproduced. Hereinafter, whether or not the important part can be browsed will be described as the third control information.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the NG list table 284B of the user registration DB 284. The NG list table 284B exists for each ID of the NG list ID of the user information table 284A. As shown in FIG. 15, the content ID, the NG information, and the NG expiration date are recorded in the NG list table 284B. "OK" or "NG" is set as the NG information. In the case of NG, control is performed so that the content is not played for the user. For the NG expiration date, the date "YYYY / MM / DD" that keeps NG valid is set. When the NG expiration date has passed due to batch processing, etc., it is automatically changed to "OK". Hereinafter, the NG information will be referred to as the first control information.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the user preference reference table 284C of the user registration DB 284. As shown in FIG. 16, Like and Disclike are recorded in the user preference reference table 284C. In Like, the sequence ID highly evaluated by the user on the SNS page is recorded. In Disclike, the sequence ID that the user gave a low evaluation on the SNS page is recorded. As a premise, a high evaluation button and a low evaluation button are installed in the viewing UI of the API 60, and when any one of them is pressed, it is recorded in the user preference reference table 284C.

Whether or not the important part of the user information table 284A can be browsed and the NG information of the NG list table 284B are recorded in advance by the setting of the user terminal 12. The data to be recorded in the user preference reference table 284C is recorded when the reproduction control unit 272 presses the high evaluation or low evaluation button during the reproduction of the content based on the access information. In the user information table 284A, a column for whether or not to register as a premium member may be provided to separate the playback control services provided by the normal member and the premium member.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the viewing user list table 286A of the user viewing history DB 286. As shown in FIG. 17, a user ID and a viewing history list ID are recorded in the viewing user list table 286A. The viewing history list ID is an ID indicating the relationship of the user ID to the viewing history table 286B.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of information recorded in the viewing history table 286B of the user viewing history DB 286. As shown in FIG. 18, the viewing history table 286B records the viewing time, the content ID, the start position, and the end position. The start position and end position are the start position and end position of the section in which the content is reproduced. Hereinafter, the information recorded in the viewing history table 286B will be referred to as the second control information.

The data recorded in the user viewing history DB 286 may be acquired when the content is reproduced based on the access information.

Since the computer configuration of the distribution management server 214 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the video distribution system 200 of the second embodiment will be described. Since the cost setting process and the editing process are the same as those in the first embodiment, only the reproduction control process will be described in the second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the reproduction control process of the second embodiment. The processing after step S1300 is performed after the content is acquired in step S304.

In step S1300, the reproduction control unit 272 receives the user ID of the user terminal 12 that has transmitted the access information.

In step S1302, the reproduction control unit 272 acquires the first control information from the user registration DB 284 associated with the user ID.

In step S1304, the reproduction control unit 272 determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the first control information. If reproduction is possible, the process proceeds to step S1308. If reproduction is not possible, the process proceeds to step S1306. For example, if the NG information in the first control information is OK for the content, it is determined that the content can be reproduced, and if it is NG, it is determined that the content cannot be reproduced.

In step S1306, the reproduction control unit 272 controls the viewing UI to display that the content is not reproduced. As for not playing, for example, "Do not play because it contains important parts" is displayed.

In step S1308, the reproduction control unit 272 acquires the second control information from the user viewing history DB 286 associated with the user ID.

In step S1310, the reproduction control unit 272 determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the second control information. If reproduction is possible, the process proceeds to step S1314. If reproduction is not possible, the process proceeds to step S1312. The determination of playability is, for example, determined that the content can be played if the total time per unit time or the total cost per unit time of the viewing history of the content in the second control information does not exceed the threshold value. If it exceeds, it is judged that playback is not possible.

In step S1312, the reproduction control unit 272 controls the viewing UI to display that the content cannot be reproduced. The fact that playback is not possible is, for example, a display such as "cannot be played because the viewing time has been exceeded".

In step S1314, the reproduction control unit 272 acquires the third control information from the user registration DB 284 associated with the user ID. In addition, the section reference cost for each section related to the shared section of the sequence data is acquired from the sequence data DB 82.

In step S1316, the reproduction control unit 272 determines whether or not there is a restriction on the reproduction of the content based on the third control information and the section reference cost for each section related to the shared section. If it is determined that there is a limitation, the process proceeds to step S1318. If it is determined that there is no limitation, the process proceeds to step S306. The limit is determined under predetermined conditions. The predetermined condition is that the setting of whether or not the user can browse the important part in the third control information is NG, and there is a section reference cost equal to or higher than the threshold value among the section reference costs for each section related to the shared section. .. If the condition is satisfied, it is determined that there is a restriction, and if the condition is not satisfied, it is determined that there is no restriction. If it is not possible to uniformly browse the content including the important part, the predetermined condition is that the user's setting for viewing the important part is NG, and the content may not be browsed.

In step S1318, the reproduction control unit 272 processes the content by setting the section of the shared sequence data sharing section that does not exceed the cost threshold set in the third control information as the reproducible section. After processing, the process proceeds to step S308. The reproducible section is defined as follows, for example. It is assumed that the threshold value is 7. There are three shared sections, "00: 00: 40-00: 00: 50", "00: 01: 20-00: 01: 30", and "00: 05: 10-00: 05: 30". It is assumed that there are, and the respective section standard costs are 3, 8 and 5. In this case, the content is processed with "00:00:40 to 00:00:50" and "00:05:10 to 00:00:05:30" that do not exceed the threshold value 7 as playable sections.

The above is the description of the reproduction control process of the second embodiment.

Here, an example of the viewing UI is shown. FIG. 20 is an image diagram showing an example of the viewing UI. As shown in FIG. 20, for example, "buttons that you do not want to see yet" and "buttons that view the main part" are arranged in the viewing UI. Various buttons are displayed on the viewing UI by adding them to the access information.

The "button that you do not want to see yet" is a function that considers the case where the user has not watched the main part of the content and wants to get excited about the topic via SNS or the like after watching the content, or when he / she does not want to watch the important part. When the "button that you do not want to see yet" is pressed, playback is immediately stopped and playback of the video containing the content is suppressed. That is, for the user who presses the "button that he does not want to see yet", the NG information of the content in the NG list table 284B of the user registration DB 284 is set to NG. As a result, it is possible to suppress the reproduction of the video when the post including the access information for a part of the same content is viewed in the future. Further, it may be accompanied by a function of notifying the API or the like of an external SNS so as to suppress the display of other posted contents to which the same tag as the post including the content is attached. In addition, when the display of the posted content is suppressed, for example, the title of the content and the information on the broadcast date and time are displayed as thumbnails as reference text information so that only what the topic is can be grasped. May be good. The "button that you do not want to see yet" is an example of information for registering the first control information or the third control information of the present invention.

The "view button" has a function of guiding viewers to various sites and assisting in viewing the entire content. The various sites are, for example, a chargeable registration system site, a distribution site with an advertisement, a free full-length distribution site, and the like. In addition, as a derivative of the "view button", "view the main story as it is", "view the main story from the beginning", "view other SNS posts including this scene", etc. as examples to assist the user's viewing behavior. Buttons with various functions may be arranged.

Further, when the display in step S1306 is controlled so as not to reproduce, the "viewing OK button" may be displayed. By pressing the "viewing OK button", the NG of the NG information can be canceled and the content can be controlled to start playing.

As described above, according to the video distribution system according to the second embodiment, it is possible to control the viewing of the shared content for each user.

The following additional notes will be further disclosed with respect to each of the above embodiments.

(Appendix 1)
Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
Generate access information for acquiring the registered sequence data,
A video distribution program that allows a computer to perform processing including that.

(Appendix 2)
When the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit, the fact that the sequence data cannot be created is controlled so as to be displayed on the terminal of the first user who has received the designation, and the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit. The video distribution program according to Appendix 1, which controls the terminal to display the remaining cost obtained by subtracting the total cost from the cost upper limit when the cost is not set.

(Appendix 3)
When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the sequence data corresponding to the access information is acquired from the storage unit.
The video distribution program according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, which controls the reproduction of the content within the playable range of the sequence data.

(Appendix 4)
When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the first regarding the playback control set by the second user for the content from the storage unit with respect to the content corresponding to the sequence data. Get control information,
The video distribution program according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 3, which determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the first control information.

(Appendix 5)
When a plurality of different access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the storage unit relates to the viewing history of the content of the second user with respect to the content corresponding to the plurality of sequence data. 2 Get control information and
The video distribution program according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 4, which determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the second control information.

(Appendix 6)
When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the third control information regarding the cost threshold value set for the content is transmitted from the storage unit for the content corresponding to the sequence data. Acquired,
The cost related to the shared section of the sequence data is acquired from the storage unit.
The video distribution program according to any one of Supplementary note 1 to Supplementary note 5, which controls playback in a section of the shared section of the sequence data that does not exceed the cost threshold value set in the third control information. ..

(Appendix 7)
Information for registering and canceling the first control information is added to the access information,
The video distribution program according to Appendix 4, which receives the release of the first control information from the second user and controls the sequence data to reproduce the content within the playable range.

(Appendix 8)
Information for registering and canceling the third control information is added to the access information,
The video distribution program according to Appendix 6, which receives the release of the third control information from the second user and controls the sequence data to reproduce the content within the playable range.

(Appendix 9)
Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
A generator that generates access information for acquiring the registered sequence data,
Video distribution device including.

(Appendix 10)
When the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit, the fact that the sequence data cannot be created is controlled so as to be displayed on the terminal of the first user who has received the designation, and the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit. The video distribution device according to Appendix 9, which controls the terminal to display the remaining cost obtained by subtracting the total cost from the cost upper limit when the cost is not set.

(Appendix 11)
When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the sequence data corresponding to the access information is acquired from the storage unit.
The video distribution device according to Appendix 9 or Appendix 10, which controls the reproduction of the content within the reproducible range of the sequence data.

(Appendix 12)
When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the first regarding the playback control set by the second user for the content from the storage unit with respect to the content corresponding to the sequence data. Get control information,
The video distribution device according to any one of Appendix 9 to Appendix 11, which determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the first control information.

(Appendix 13)
When a plurality of different access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the storage unit relates to the viewing history of the content of the second user with respect to the content corresponding to the plurality of sequence data. 2 Get control information and
The video distribution device according to any one of Appendix 9 to Appendix 12, which determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the second control information.

(Appendix 14)
When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the third control information regarding the cost threshold value set for the content is transmitted from the storage unit for the content corresponding to the sequence data. Acquired,
The cost related to the shared section of the sequence data is acquired from the storage unit.
The video distribution device according to any one of Supplementary note 9 to Supplementary note 13, which controls playback in a section of the shared section of the sequence data that does not exceed the cost threshold value set in the third control information.

(Appendix 15)
Information for registering and canceling the first control information is added to the access information,
The video distribution device according to Appendix 12, which receives the release of the first control information from the second user and controls the sequence data to reproduce the content within the playable range.

(Appendix 16)
Information for registering and canceling the third control information is added to the access information,
The video distribution device according to Appendix 14, which receives the release of the third control information from the second user and controls the sequence data to reproduce the content within the playable range.

(Appendix 17)
Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
A video distribution device that generates access information for acquiring the registered sequence data, and
A user terminal that transmits the access information shared from the video distribution device to the video distribution device, and
Video distribution system including.

(Appendix 18)
The video distribution device controls so that when the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit, the terminal of the first user who has received the designation indicates that the sequence data cannot be created, and the total cost is reduced. The video distribution system according to Appendix 17, which controls the terminal to display the remaining cost obtained by subtracting the total cost from the cost upper limit when the cost upper limit is not exceeded.

(Appendix 19)
Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
Generate access information for acquiring the registered sequence data,
A video distribution method characterized in that a computer executes a process including the above.

(Appendix 20)
When the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit, the fact that the sequence data cannot be created is controlled so as to be displayed on the terminal of the first user who has received the designation, and the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit. The video distribution method according to Appendix 19, which controls the terminal to display the remaining cost obtained by subtracting the total cost from the cost upper limit when the cost is not set.

1,200 Video distribution system 10 Management terminal 12 User terminal 14,214 Distribution management server 16 Content DB
62 Cost setting unit 64 Sequence creation unit 66 Cost check unit 68 ID issuing unit 70 Sequence acquisition unit 72, 272 Playback control unit 80 Restriction information DB
82 Sequence data DB
284 User registration DB
286 User viewing history DB

Claims (11)

Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
Generate access information for acquiring the registered sequence data,
A video distribution program that allows a computer to perform processing including that. When the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit, the fact that the sequence data cannot be created is controlled so as to be displayed on the terminal of the first user who has received the designation, and the total cost exceeds the cost upper limit. The video distribution program according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is controlled to display the remaining cost obtained by subtracting the total cost from the cost upper limit when the cost is not set. When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the sequence data corresponding to the access information is acquired from the storage unit.
The video distribution program according to claim 1 or 2, which controls the reproduction of the content within the reproducible range of the sequence data. When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the first regarding the playback control set by the second user for the content from the storage unit with respect to the content corresponding to the sequence data. Get control information,
The video distribution program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the first control information. When a plurality of different access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the storage unit relates to the viewing history of the content of the second user with respect to the content corresponding to the plurality of sequence data. 2 Get control information and
The video distribution program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which determines whether or not the content can be reproduced based on the second control information. When the access information is received from the second user with whom the access information is shared, the third control information regarding the cost threshold value set for the content is transmitted from the storage unit for the content corresponding to the sequence data. Acquired,
The cost related to the shared section of the sequence data is acquired from the storage unit.
The video according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shared section of the sequence data is controlled so as to be reproduced in a section that does not exceed the cost threshold set in the third control information. Delivery program. Information for registering and canceling the first control information is added to the access information,
The video distribution program according to claim 4, which receives the release of the first control information from the second user and controls the sequence data to reproduce the content within the playable range. Information for registering and canceling the third control information is added to the access information,
The video distribution program according to claim 6, which receives the release of the third control information from the second user and controls the sequence data to reproduce the content within the playable range. Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
A generator that generates access information for acquiring the registered sequence data,
Video distribution device including. Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
A video distribution device that generates access information for acquiring the registered sequence data, and
A user terminal that transmits the access information shared from the video distribution device to the video distribution device, and
Video distribution system including. Of the plurality of contents of the video to be distributed, for one or more contents that have received the designation, the cost upper limit determined by the storage unit based on the time allowed for sharing the contents, and the predetermined contents of the contents. Get the cost per time interval and
One or more shared sections that are the range to be shared in the content are accepted, the shared section is compared with the cost for each section, and the total cost of the shared section is calculated.
When the total cost does not exceed the cost upper limit, sequence data that enables the content to be reproduced in the shared section is created and registered in the storage unit.
Generate access information for acquiring the registered sequence data,
A video distribution method characterized in that a computer executes a process including the above.