JP3596781B2 - Information providing method by information providing apparatus and information providing apparatus used for implementing the method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to an information providing apparatus for calling desired information from a database storing a large amount of information through a communication line in response to a request and providing the information to a user.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an information providing apparatus that calls and uses desired information recorded in a database through a communication line has begun to spread to ordinary households. The selection menu of such a normal information providing device is multi-layered, and an initial menu is displayed first, and thereafter, lower selection menus are sequentially displayed according to a user's selection. The user selects items related to individual information such as the game name, the karaoke song title, and the weather forecast for the Tokyo region tomorrow.
In the description of this specification, “selection menu” or “menu” refers to “list of selection items”, and allows a user to select a desired item from those selection items. Indicates a list of multiple selection items.
[0003]
More specifically, the initial menu is usually a selection menu of the highest category of information, and includes selection items such as a video game, karaoke, a living information service, and the like. First, at this stage you have to choose which category of information you want to request.
[0004]
Then, for example, when the user selects a video game from this initial menu, the next selection menu cannot display at once the selection of thousands of game names stocked in the database as selection items.
[0005]
Therefore, in the following lower selection menu, for example, a game category such as a golf game, a drive game, a shooting game, a role playing game, or the like, or a production company name is selected. To narrow down the group including the desired video game, display the selection items of the individual information belonging to the minimum unit group, and finally select the desired game from the selection items.
[0006]
In addition, when the user selects karaoke from the initial menu, the user selects a desired song from a huge number of tens of thousands of songs. Therefore, the user immediately selects a desired karaoke song by the following selection operation. It is not possible.
[0007]
Therefore, in the following lower selection menu, the category of the selection means such as genre, singer, age, title in alphabetical order, singing phrase etc. is selected, and the lower category is selected step by step. A group including a desired karaoke song must be narrowed down, and finally a selection item relating to individual information, that is, a desired song must be selected.
[0008]
That is, when the category of the selection means is selected by genre, for example, genres such as pop songs, enka, animated theme songs, nursery rhymes, folk songs, songs are displayed, and the user includes a desired karaoke song from among them. In this case, the next selection menu in the genre is displayed. Thereafter, selection is sequentially performed, a desired music is selected, and a request is made.
[0009]
Furthermore, if the user selects the information service of living from the initial menu, the next selection menu will include selection of weather forecast, event information, concert information, movie information, theater information, shopping information, news, publication information, etc. A category of means is prepared, and the lower category must be selected step by step.
[0010]
As described above, each time a user requests desired information, the user must perform a multi-stage selection operation.
However, when an information providing device used for such a request is installed in a home, the number of people who request information from this information providing device is often limited to a specific number of people, and in this case, the user is selected. Although the selection items are often concentrated on several types, the same selection operation must be repeated every time the engine is started, and there is a problem that it is troublesome.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information providing method using an information providing apparatus that can easily display frequently selected items without a troublesome selection operation. An object of the present invention is to provide an information providing device used to carry out the method .
[0012]
[Means to solve the problem]
The purpose of the above is
An information providing method according to an information providing apparatus having a function which uses incorporating the desired information from the database, configure the multi-layered selection menu, the selection menu comprises at least two choices, the user most when the desired information from the selection items displayed in the selection menu starting initial menu of the upper selects the selection item belongs, to display a lower selection menu belonging to the selected item in sequence, thereby ultimately desired information The information providing method configured to select
The request made in the past by going back to the predetermined number of times, and recording the lowest selection menu code used when the lowest selection item is selected,
When the information providing device is started, the above record is analyzed before displaying the highest selection menu, and the lowest selection menu having a large number of selections is displayed at least once in descending order of the number of selections. A step of enabling a desired selection item to be selected from among certain selection items included in
Is performed by the above information providing method .
In addition, the information provision method,
An information providing device having a function of taking in and using desired information from a database, having a multi-layered selection menu, wherein each selection menu includes at least two selection items and starts with a top initial menu. From the selection items displayed on the menu, select the selection item to which the desired information belongs, and sequentially display the lower selection menus belonging to this selection item, thereby finally selecting the desired information.
A request history memory that records the lowest selection menu code used when the lowest selection item is selected by going back up to a predetermined number of requests made in the past, and a request history memory that records the lowest selection menu code when the information providing device is started. A request frequency analysis circuit for analyzing the record of the request history memory before displaying the upper selection menu and displaying at least one of the lowest selection menus having a large number of selections in descending order of the number of selections; The present invention can be suitably implemented by the above-described information providing device provided with a circuit .
[0013]
[Action]
With the above-described configuration, the lowest selection menus with a large number of selections are sequentially displayed in order of request frequency before a normal request operation, so that if one of the selection items belonging to them is desired, complicated selection is required. Since the request can be made with a simple operation without performing the operation, the burden on the user can be reduced.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network structure of an information providing apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as an information providing apparatus) according to the present invention used to carry out the information providing method according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. explanatory view showing an example of a sequence selection menu selected by the information providing apparatus, a flow chart showing the operation of the information providing device shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is 1, the information 5 and 6 shown in FIG. 1 It is a top view showing the display of the screen of the display of a provision apparatus .
[0015]
First, FIG. 1 will be described. In Figure 1, 1 is the database, 2 communication control device connected via the telephone line to the database 1, 3 is an information providing apparatus according to the present invention connected to the communication control device 2.
[0016]
Database 1 has a memory, not shown, in the memory, karaoke and video game information, on data relating to local information or the like is classified by several stages of categories, each individual information item Many are recorded. The communication control device 2 is an interface between the database 1 and the information providing device 3.
[0017]
The information providing device 3 includes a central processing unit 30, a request frequency record analysis circuit 31 connected to the central processing unit 30, an information memory 32, a controller 33, a display 34, a speaker 35, and a microphone 36.
[0018]
The central processing unit 30 is connected to the communication control device 2 via a telephone line.
The request frequency record analysis circuit 31 includes a request history memory 310 and a request frequency analysis circuit 311.
[0019]
The information memory 32 temporarily records the information of the finally selected item transmitted from the database 1, and outputs the recorded information to the central processing unit 30 in response to a call from the central processing unit 30. The recording of the information automatically disappears as the use of the information ends.
[0020]
The controller 33 performs all operations related to the use of the information providing device, such as a selection operation accompanying a request and an operation of using the requested information.
[0021]
The display 34 displays an operation menu, information contents, etc., the speaker 35 plays a sound accompanying the information, and the microphone 36 is used to sing a song when a karaoke song is requested. Although only one information providing device is shown in FIG. 1, a number of similar devices installed in each home are connected to the communication control device 2.
[0022]
The request history memory 310 sequentially records the codes of the lowest selection menu used when the final selection item is selected. The request history memory 310 sequentially records the code of the selected menu in a predetermined number of requests made in the past, for example, 10 times, deletes the oldest menu selection record after 11 times, and Record a new selection menu code.
[0023]
Further, in response to the call of the central processing unit 30, the request frequency analysis circuit 311 outputs codes of the selection menus with a large number of selections to the central processing unit 30 in the order of the selection frequency based on the record of the selection menu in the request history memory 310. I do.
[0024]
Hereinafter, the sequence of the selection menu will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, A is an initial menu, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, that is, the highest selection menu, B to K are middle to lower selection menus, and a _{1 to} k ₆ are selection items in those menus. . And Thus, where the menu D, E, H and K is the least significant of the menu for selecting the final selection, the menu B, C, F, G, I and J are menu moderate .
[0025]
In conventional known selection methods, when requesting information about the selected item d ₁ from the information providing apparatus 3 shown in FIG. 1, first, the selection menu A top level is displayed, the user that selection a ₁ ~a to select _{a 1} from _3.
[0026]
Then, it is displayed selection menu B categories that belong to the selected item a _1. Therefore, the selection items b ₁ , b ₂ to b ₁ displayed on the selection menu B are selected, and similarly, the lower category is sequentially and sequentially selected, and finally the selection items in the selection menu D are selected. it is to select the d _1.
[0027]
Thus, in the apparatus of the present invention, the request frequency record analysis circuit 31 including the request history memory 310 and the request frequency analysis circuit 311 is provided. In the request history memory 310, for example, the following request history is recorded. ( See also the number of times shown in FIG. 2 ) .
KDKDKHKKDKE
In this case, the most one selection frequency is high selection menu K (five times in total as shown in FIG. 2), then highly selective menu selection frequency D (three times in total), more H and E (both Also once) .
[0028]
In response to the command from the central processing unit 30, the request frequency analysis circuit 311 analyzes the record in the request history memory 310 and inputs the request frequency data to the central processing unit 30.
[0029]
When a command input is received from the controller 33, the request frequency record analysis circuit 31 performs at least once before displaying the menu A based on the request data recorded in the request history memory 310. A selection menu with a high request frequency is displayed on the display 34 via the display 30.
[0030]
Hereinafter, the operation and operation of the information providing device 3 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The following selection operations are all performed by the controller 33.
When the device is started to use the information providing device 3, the central processing unit 30 first queries the request history memory 310 for the presence or absence of a record.
[0031]
When the request history is not recorded, the initial menu is displayed. When there is the request history, the menu code and the frequency order recorded from the request frequency record analyzer 31 are received, and the screen of the display 34 shown in FIG. The favorite course selection menu shown in is displayed.
[0032]
On the favorite course selection menu screen, three types of selection items, that is, options are displayed. Among them, the option 1 displays a selection menu with the largest number of selections. When the selection menu displayed in the option 1 is selected, the selection menu with the highest selection frequency, for example, the selection menu K is displayed, so that the user can select the desired selection item very easily.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the number of selections of each selection menu by the user in the past ten times is five for selection menu K, three for selection menu D, one for selection menu E, and one for selection menu H. It is assumed that the number of times and other selection menus are 0 times. Based on this historical data, the probability that the next user is the genre selection menu K chosen is 5/10, likewise, the probability that the genre selection menu D chosen is 3/10, the selection menu The probability that the genre of E is selected is 1/10, and the probability that the genre of the selection menu H is selected is 1/10. Therefore, in such a situation, before the next user is displayed with the highest selection menu, the selection menu K with the highest probability among the lowest selection menus is displayed in order from the lowest selection menu. By displaying each menu in the form of the selection menus D, E, and H with a low probability, the operability of general users can be improved.
[0033]
When option 2 is selected on the favorite course selection menu screen, the selection menu displayed as option 1 is switched to the next highest selection frequency, and each time this option 2 is selected, Since the menus are sequentially switched, the display of option 1 can be changed to another frequently selected menu.
[0034]
On the other hand, when the option 3 is selected from the favorite course selection menu screen, the initial menu screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the screen of the display 34, and a desired selection item is selected therefrom. The category is narrowed down, a desired selection item is finally selected, and communication starts.
[0035]
When the communication is completed, the screen of the display 34 is switched to an information providing screen (not shown), and the user performs an appropriate operation necessary for using the information to obtain a request for a selected item such as a video game or karaoke. Information will be available.
[0036]
In short, in the present invention, a menu that is frequently selected is displayed at least once before displaying the top selection menu, and the convenience of the user is measured. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment. For example, in the description of FIG. 3 at the time of start, it was described that the presence or absence of the request history was checked or the screen as shown in FIG. 5 was displayed. omitted, successively lowest selection menu showing high request frequency may also be configured to display directly, also list format selection menu recorded in the request history memory instead of the selection menu shown in Fig. 5 May be displayed in the request history memory. Item code also may be recorded, the data is also not only selection menu in consideration, also be adapted to display the selection item itself, the present invention subsumes all of those modifications.
[0037]
【The invention's effect】
The information providing method according to the present invention and the information providing apparatus for performing the same are configured as described above. Therefore, according to the present invention, when a selection menu having a large number of selections is selected, a simple selection operation is performed. Since the selection menu can be called, it is not necessary to repeat the troublesome selection operation starting from the top selection menu every time the information is used, and the burden on the user can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a network structure of an information providing apparatus according to the present invention used to implement an information providing method according to the present invention .
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a sequence of a selection menu selected by the information providing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a first half of an operation of the information providing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the latter half of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a favorite course selection menu screen shown on the screen of the display shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an initial menu screen shown on the screen of the display shown in FIG. 1;
[Description of sign]
1 ... Database 2 ... Communication control device 3 ... Information providing device 30 ... Central processing unit 31 Request frequency record analysis circuit 310 Request history memory 311 Request frequency analysis circuit 32 Information memory 33 ... Controller 34 Display 35 Speaker 36 Microphones A to K Selection menu a _{1, a} 2 _{~k 6} ·· choice

Claims (2)

An information providing method according to an information providing apparatus having a function which uses incorporating the desired information from the database, configure the multi-layered selection menu, the selection menu comprises at least two choices, the user most when the desired information from the selection items displayed in the selection menu starting initial menu of the upper selects the selection item belongs, to display a lower selection menu belonging to the selected item in sequence, thereby ultimately desired information The information providing method configured to select
The request made in the past by going back to the predetermined number of times, and recording the lowest selection menu code used when the lowest selection item is selected,
When the information providing device is started, the above record is analyzed before displaying the highest selection menu, and the lowest selection menu having a large number of selections is displayed at least once in descending order of the number of selections. A step of enabling a desired selection item to be selected from among certain selection items included in
Performing the information providing method . An information providing apparatus used for performing the information providing method according to claim 1 , comprising a multi-layered selection menu, each selection menu includes at least two selection items, and includes a top-level initial menu. From the selection items displayed in the selection menu beginning, select the selection item to which the desired information belongs, and sequentially display the lower selection menus belonging to this selection item, thereby finally selecting the desired information,
A request history memory that records the lowest selection menu code used when the lowest selection item is selected by going back up to a predetermined number of requests made in the past, and a request history memory that records the lowest selection menu code when the information providing device is started. A request frequency analysis circuit for analyzing the record of the request history memory before displaying the upper selection menu and displaying at least one of the lowest selection menus having a large number of selections in descending order of the number of selections; The information providing device as described above, further comprising a circuit.

Images