JP7485718B2 - Information providing device, information providing method, and information providing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information providing device, an information providing method, and an information providing program.

Conventionally, with the rapid spread of the Internet, various information is provided via the Internet. As an example of a technology for providing such information, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for providing information tailored to each user to the user.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-024603

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of providing users with more convenient information.

The present application has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an information providing device, an information providing method, and an information providing program that can provide highly convenient information to users.

The information providing device according to the present application includes a specification unit and a provision unit. The specification unit specifies a plurality of pieces of information on the subject of information provision to the user, the information being related to the future, as information to be provided. The provision unit provides the user with a second content in which the plurality of pieces of information to be provided identified by the specification unit are arranged in chronological order and are displayed superimposed on a portion of the first content.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to provide highly convenient information to users.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an information providing process performed by an information providing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information providing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information providing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user information table stored in a user information storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a content table stored in the content storage unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first content and a second content provided by a providing unit of the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second content in a state where the second content is slid over a first content provided by a providing unit of the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of related content provided by the providing unit of the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the provided information provided by the providing unit of the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of information processing by the processing unit of the information providing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information providing device and the terminal device according to the embodiment.

Below, the information providing device, information providing method, and information providing program according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information providing device, information providing method, and information providing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments can be appropriately combined as long as they do not cause inconsistencies in the processing content. Furthermore, the same parts in the following embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

1. An example of information provision processing
First, an information providing process performed by the information providing device according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the information providing process performed by the information providing device according to the embodiment.

The information providing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an information processing device that works in conjunction with each user U's terminal device 2 to provide each user U with various types of information online, and is realized by one or more servers or a cloud system.

The information providing device 1 provides various types of information through a portal site or the like. A user U can obtain content related to, for example, news, weather, routes, shopping, auctions, tickets, finance, sports, events, videos, music, television programs, travel, restaurants, traffic jams, crowds, special sales, routes, maps, route searches, web searches, or cooking from the information providing device 1 through the portal site or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information providing device 1 provides the first content to the user U by transmitting the first content to the terminal device 2 (step S1). The first content is, for example, the content of a top screen of a portal site, and is displayed on the terminal device 2. The information providing device 1 transmits the first content to the terminal device 2, for example, based on a content request from the terminal device 2.

In addition, the information providing device 1 estimates the context of the user U. The context of the user U is the situation of the user U, and includes, for example, the situation of the user U over a relatively long period of time, the situation of the user U over a relatively short period of time, etc.

Examples of the user U's status over a relatively long period of time include, but are not limited to, a daily living state, a traveling state, and the like. Examples of the user U's status over a relatively short period of time include, but are not limited to, a work state, a commuting state, a meal state, a bathing state, and the like.

The information providing device 1 estimates the context of the user U, for example, based on the location information of the user U transmitted from the terminal device 2 (step S2). For example, the information providing device 1 can estimate the context of the user U based on information on the movement history of the user U, etc. The information providing device 1 also estimates the context of the user U from schedule information of the user U, etc.

Next, the information providing device 1 identifies a plurality of pieces of provided information based on the information of the user U (step S3). Each of the plurality of pieces of provided information is information about a subject of information provision to the user U, and is information about the future. The subject of information provision is, for example, a product, service, event, or person that is presumed to be of interest to the user U, and is determined based on the information of the user U.

The information of user U used to identify the provided information includes information on user U's service usage history, information on user U's context, user U's following information, or information on user U's attributes. Information on user U's service usage history includes information on user U's product purchase history, information on user U's search history, and information on user U's browsing history. User U's following information is information on the following targets that user U has set to follow.

For example, the information providing device 1 can specify, as information to be provided, information on future sales timing of products related to products previously purchased by the user U, based on the product purchase history of the user U. The information providing device 1 can also specify, as information to be provided , information on the future of a follow target, based on the following information of the user U. The following information includes information on the follow target set by the user U.

The information providing device 1 can also identify information to be provided that corresponds to the context of the user U estimated in step S2. For example, when the context of the user U indicates a daily life state, the information providing device 1 identifies information related to daily life and about the future as the information to be provided. Furthermore, when the context of the user U indicates a travel state, the information providing device 1 identifies information related to travel and about the future as the information to be provided.

Next, the information providing device 1 generates a second content in which the plurality of pieces of provided information identified in step S3 are arranged in chronological order (step S4). Then, the information providing device 1 transmits the second content generated in step S4 to the terminal device 2, thereby providing the second content to the user U (step S5).

The second content is displayed overlapping a part of the first content, and can be slid over the first content by user U's operation on the terminal device 2, as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, user U can view the second content in detail by sliding the second content upwards as necessary while viewing the first content.

In addition, before the second content is slid over the first content, provided information A, which is closest in time to the current time, is placed on the far left, provided information B, which is the next closest in time to the current time, is placed to the right of provided information A, and provided information C, which is farther from the current time than provided information A and B, is placed to the right of provided information B.

In this way, in the second content, before sliding over the first content, the provided information A, B, and C are arranged in chronological order. This allows the user U to easily understand the temporal relationship between the provided information A, B, and C, and the information providing device 1 can provide the user U with highly convenient information.

In addition, after the second content is slid over the first content, provided information A, which is closest in time to the current time, is placed at the top, provided information B, which is next closest in time to the current time, is placed below provided information A, and provided information C, which is farther from the current time than provided information B, is placed below provided information B.

In this way, in the second content, the provided information A, B, and C are arranged in chronological order even after sliding over the first content. This allows the user U to easily understand the temporal relationship between the provided information A, B, and C, making it possible to provide the user U with highly convenient information.

In addition, the contents shown in the provided information A, B, and C are more detailed after sliding the first content than before sliding the first content. Therefore, by sliding the second content, the user U can grasp more detailed information, and highly convenient information can be provided to the user.

In the above example, the second content has different arrangement directions and levels of detail of the provided information A, B, and C before and after sliding over the first content, but the arrangement directions and levels of detail of the provided information A, B, and C before and after sliding over the first content may be the same.

In this way, the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment identifies information to be provided to the user U that is related to the future, and provides the identified information to be provided to the user U. As a result, the information providing device 1 can provide information about the future to the user U, and therefore can provide highly convenient information to the user U.

In addition, the information providing device 1 identifies a plurality of pieces of provided information, and provides the user U with a second content in which the identified plurality of pieces of provided information are arranged in chronological order and are displayed superimposed on the first content. As a result, the information providing device 1 can allow the user U to arrange information relating to the future and display it superimposed on the first content, so that the user U can grasp at least a part of the second content while viewing the first content. Therefore, the information providing device 1 can provide the user U with highly convenient information.

In addition, the information providing device 1 estimates the context of the user U based on the information of the user U, and identifies information corresponding to the estimated context as the provided information. This allows the information providing device 1 to provide the user U with information about the future corresponding to the context of the user U, and can provide the user U with highly convenient information.

In the above example, the information providing device 1 generates the second content and displays it on the terminal device 2, but the terminal device 2 may collect information from the information providing device 1, generate the second content, and display the generated second content. In this case, the terminal device 2 functions as an information providing device that performs some or all of the above-mentioned functions of the information providing device 1 together with or independently of the information providing device 1.

The following provides a detailed explanation of the configuration of an information provision system that includes an information provision device 1 and a terminal device 2 that perform such processing.

2. Configuration of the information provision system
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, an information providing system 100 according to an embodiment includes an information providing device 1 and terminal devices 2 ₁ , 2 ₂ , ..., 2 _n , where n is, for example, an integer of 3 or more.

Terminal device ₂₁ is used by user _U1 , terminal device ₂₂ is used by user _U2 , and terminal device _2n is used by user _Un . In the following, when terminal devices ₂₁ , ₂₂ , ..., _2n are not individually distinguished from one another, they may be referred to as terminal device 2.

The information providing device 1 and the terminal device 2 are connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. Note that the information providing system 100 shown in FIG. 2 may include multiple information providing devices 1.

The terminal device 2 is, for example, a desktop PC (Personal Computer), a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Note that the terminal device 2 is not limited to the above examples, and may be, for example, a smart watch or a wearable device.

[3. Terminal device 2]
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 2 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal device 2 according to the embodiment includes a communication unit 10, a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a sensor group 13, a storage unit 14, and a processing unit 15.

3.1. Communication unit 10
The communication unit 10 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 10 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the information providing device 1 via the network N.

[3.2. Display unit 11
The display unit 11 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[3.3. Operation unit 12
The operation unit 12 includes, for example, a keyboard including keys for inputting letters, numbers, and spaces, an enter key, arrow keys, and the like, a mouse, and a power button. The operation unit 12 includes a touch panel.

3.4. Sensor Group 13
The sensor group 13 includes, for example, a positioning sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an illuminance sensor, and an image sensor. The positioning sensor is a sensor that detects the position of the terminal device 2. The acceleration sensor is a sensor that detects the acceleration of the terminal device 2. The gyro sensor is a sensor that detects the attitude of the terminal device 2, such as the tilt and rotation. The geomagnetic sensor is a sensor that detects geomagnetism. The illuminance sensor is a sensor that detects illuminance indicating the brightness or darkness of the surroundings of the terminal device 2, and the image sensor is a sensor that captures an image of the surroundings of the terminal device 2.

[3.5. Storage unit 14
The storage unit 14 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk.

The memory unit 14 stores, for example, information transmitted from the information providing device 1 and acquired by the processing unit 15 via the network N and the communication unit 10, and detection information, which is information detected by the sensor group 13.

3.6. Processing Unit 15
The processing unit 15 is a controller, and is realized, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU) or a micro processing unit (MPU) executing various programs stored in a storage device inside the terminal device 2 using a RAM as a working area. The processing unit 15 may be realized in part or in whole by an integrated circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processing unit 15 includes an information acquisition unit 16, a display processing unit 17, and an information output unit 18.

[3.6.1. Information Acquisition Unit 16
The information acquisition unit 16 acquires various contents transmitted from the information providing device 1 and received by the communication unit 10 via the network N. The contents transmitted from the information providing device 1 include, for example, the first content described above. and the second content, and so on.

[3.6.2. Display Processing Unit 17]
The display processing unit 17 causes the display unit 11 to display the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 16. For example, the display processing unit 17 causes the display unit 11 to display content acquired by the information acquisition unit 16.

[3.6.3. Information output unit 18]
The information output unit 18 transmits, for example, operation information corresponding to an operation on the operation unit 12 by the user U to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 10. In addition, the information output unit 18 transmits detection information corresponding to information detected by the sensor group 13 to the information providing device 1 via the communication unit 10.

4. Configuration of Information Providing Device 1
4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the information providing device 1 includes a communication unit 20, a storage unit 21, and a processing unit 22.

4.1. Communication unit 20
The communication unit 20 is realized by, for example, a NIC. The communication unit 20 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from various other devices. For example, the communication unit 20 transmits and receives information to and from the terminal device 2 via the network N.

[4.2. Storage unit 21
The storage unit 21 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. The storage unit 21 has a user information storage unit 30 and a content storage unit 31. .

[4.2.1. User information storage unit 30
The user information storage unit 30 stores various information related to the user U. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a user information table stored in the user information storage unit 30 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the user information table stored in the user information storage unit 30 includes information on the items of "user ID,""attributeinformation,""historyinformation," and "setting information."

"User ID" is an identifier that identifies user U. "Attribute information" is attribute information related to the attributes of user U that are associated with the "user ID." The attributes of user U are, for example, demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, etc. Demographic attributes are demographic attributes, such as age, gender, occupation, place of residence, annual income, family composition, etc. Psychographic attributes are psychological attributes, such as lifestyle, values, interests, etc.

"History information" is history information that includes information such as the service usage history, and includes, for example, user U's payment history information, user U's search history information, user U's browsing history information, user U's context history information, and user U's movement history information.

User U's payment history information includes purchase history information on products purchased by user U online, at a physical store, or at a physical facility using a payment service, service usage history information on services used by user U for a fee online, at a physical store, or at a physical facility using a payment service, etc.

Purchase history information includes information on products purchased by user U, information on the purchase cost, purchase date and time, information on the store where the purchase was made, etc. Service usage history information includes information on services used by user U, information on the usage cost, purchase date and time, information on the store where the purchase was made, etc.

User U's search history information is, for example, information on the search history of web content on search sites, information on search history on various websites, etc. User U's browsing history information is information on user U's browsing history of web content, and includes various information such as information on user U's browsing history of property information, information on the browsing history of flyers from stores such as convenience stores and supermarkets, etc.

The movement history information of user U is information on the movement history of user U, and includes, for example, information on the location of user U per unit time. Note that the movement history information of user U may also be information on stores and facilities visited. The context history information of user U is history information of user U's context estimated by the processing unit 22.

"Setting information" is information set by user U, and includes, for example, the following information described above. Note that the information set by user U is not limited to following information, and may include other information set by user U.

[4.2.2. Content storage unit 31]
The content storage unit 31 stores information related to content. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a content table stored in the content storage unit 31 according to the embodiment. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the content table stored in the content storage unit 31 has information on items such as "content ID" and "content".

"Content ID" is an identifier that identifies the content. "Content" is information about the content associated with the "Content ID." Specifically, the content is, for example, information about the content or information about the address of the content.

The content is, for example, content related to a portal site that provides various types of content, such as various content related to news, weather, routes, shopping, auctions, tickets, finance, sports, events, videos, music, television programs, travel, restaurants, traffic jams, crowds, special sales, routes, maps, route searches, web searches, or cooking. The tickets are, for example, tickets to events such as concerts, plays, kabuki, rakugo, and manzai. The content may also be content related to web blog sites, SNS (Social Networking Service) sites, payment services, and the like.

The content includes information about the future. Examples of information about the future include, but are not limited to, information about future special sales, information about future routes, information about future congestion, information about future traffic jams, information about future events in the travel destination area, information about restaurant reservations in the travel destination area, and information about future weather in the travel destination area.

In FIG. 6, the content with content ID "C1" is content "CO1", the content with content ID "C2" is content "CO2", and the content with content ID "C3" is content "CO3". Note that in the example shown in FIG. 6, the content is expressed with abstract codes such as "CO1", "CO2", and "CO3", but the content is, for example, data in a file format that includes various information. Furthermore, the content storage unit 31 is not limited to the above, and may store various information according to the purpose.

4.3. Processing section 22
The processing unit 22 is a controller, and is realized by a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, for example, executing various programs (one example of an information provision program) stored in a storage device (for example, the storage unit 21) inside the information provision device 1 using a RAM as a working area. Also, the processing unit 22 may be realized in part or in whole by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA.

As shown in FIG. 4, the processing unit 22 has an acquisition unit 40, an estimation unit 41, an identification unit 42, and a provision unit 43, and realizes or executes the functions and actions of the information processing described below. Note that the internal configuration of the processing unit 22 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 4, and may be other configurations as long as they perform the information processing described below.

[4.3.1. Acquisition unit 40
The acquisition unit 40 acquires various information. The acquisition unit 40 acquires various information from the storage unit 21. The acquisition unit 40 acquires various information from the user information storage unit 30, the content storage unit 31, etc. do.

The acquisition unit 40 can also acquire information about the user U from, for example, the terminal device 2 or an external device, and store the acquired information about the user U in the user information storage unit 30. The information about the user U acquired from the terminal device 2 includes, for example, the detection information described above. The acquisition unit 40 can also acquire various types of content from, for example, an external device, and store the acquired content in the content storage unit 31.

[4.3.2. Estimation unit 41
The estimation unit 41 estimates the context of the user U based on the user information acquired by the acquisition unit 40 from the user information storage unit 30. For example, the estimation unit 41 estimates the context of the user U based on the movement history included in the user information. Based on the information, the context of the user U is estimated.

The context of user U is the status of user U. For example, types of status of user U include a relatively long-term status of user U, a relatively short-term status of user U, and a momentary status of user U.

Examples of the status of user U that last for a relatively long period of time include, but are not limited to, a daily living state, which is a state of daily living, a travel state, which is a state of traveling, a business trip state, which is a state of business trip, and a hospitalization state, which is a state of hospitalization.

Examples of user U's statuses that are relatively short in duration include, but are not limited to, a working state, a commuting state, a eating state, a bathing state, or a sleeping state.

The momentary state of the user U may also include, for example, the motion state of the user U, the operation state of the terminal device 2 by the user U, the state of the surrounding environment of the user U, etc. The motion state of the user U may be, for example, a state of moving, a state of being stopped, a state of exercising, etc.

The operation state of the terminal device 2 is a state in which the user U is watching a video on the terminal device 2, a state in which the user U is listening to music on the terminal device 2, a state in which the user U is watching the news on the terminal device 2, a state in which the user U is performing a search on the terminal device 2, etc. The state of the surrounding environment of the user U is, for example, the weather condition, temperature condition, humidity condition, noise condition, sunlight condition, disaster condition, etc. in the place where the user U is located.

The estimation unit 41 can estimate the situation of user U, for example, by using a situation estimation model that receives user information as input and outputs a situation score of user U. The situation score output from the situation estimation model is a score for each situation, and the estimation unit 41 can estimate, for example, the situation corresponding to the highest situation score among the scores output from the situation estimation model as the situation of user U. The estimation unit 41 can also estimate the situation of user U for each type of situation of user U. Note that a situation estimation model may be provided for each situation. The situation estimation model is, for example, a learning model generated by machine learning using a neural network, but is not limited to such an example.

[4.3.3. Identification unit 42
The identification unit 42 identifies, as information to be provided, information related to a future information subject to information provision to the user U, based on the information of the user U acquired by the acquisition unit 40 from the user information storage unit 30. Below, information regarding the future may be referred to as "forward-looking information."

The provided information identified by the identification unit 42 is content stored in the content storage unit 31, but is not limited to this example and may be, for example, information including link information such as an address of content provided from another device.

The subject of information provision to user U is the subject of information to be provided to user U, and may be, for example, a product, a service, an event, a store, a facility, or a person, but is not limited to such examples. Events may be, for example, a sporting event, a music event, a theater event, a karaoke competition, a lecture, a school festival, an exhibition and sale, a product fair, etc., but are not limited to such examples.

In addition, the targets of information provision to user U include, for example, targets in which user U is presumed to be interested, products that user U has purchased in the past and products related to those products, and follow targets that user U has set to follow.

The target that user U is presumed to be interested in is determined by the determination unit 42, for example, based on the psychographic attributes of user U. Products previously purchased by user U and products related to those products are determined by the determination unit 42, for example, based on user U's product purchase history. Follow targets, which are targets that user U has set to follow, are determined by the determination unit 42, based on the setting information of user U.

For example, the identification unit 42 can identify, based on the product purchase history of the user U, information on the future sales timing of related products that are related to products previously purchased by the user U as the provided information. Related products include products that are frequently purchased together with products previously purchased by the user U, products of the same brand as products previously purchased by the user U, consumables included in products previously purchased by the user U, new models of products previously purchased by the user U, etc.

If the product that user U previously purchased was merchandise for professional baseball team A, the related product would be, for example, merchandise that will be sold in the future for professional baseball team A. If the product that user U previously purchased was a notebook PC, the related product would be, for example, wireless speakers, keyboards, wireless earphones, etc.

The identification unit 42 can identify, as the provided information, information on the future sales timing of an object in which the user U is presumed to be interested. For example, if the identification unit 42 is presumed to be interested in suspense movies, the identification unit 42 can identify, as the provided information, information such as the theaters, screening start date, and trailer of a new suspense movie scheduled to be screened in theaters, or information on the final screening date of a suspense movie currently being screened in theaters.

In addition, when it is estimated that the user U has an interest in a celebrity C, the identification unit 42 can identify, as the provided information, information such as the broadcast start date and time and a trailer for a new drama starring the celebrity C, or information on the start date and time of sale of tickets to the celebrity's concert and the place of sale.

The identification unit 42 can also identify information on the future sales timing of the above-mentioned related products as the provided information. If the product that the user U previously purchased was merchandise for professional baseball team A, the related products are, for example, merchandise for professional baseball team A that will be sold in the future. If the product that the user U previously purchased was a PC, the related products are, for example, wireless speakers, keyboards, wireless earphones, etc.

Furthermore, the identification unit 42 can identify information regarding the future of the following target as the provided information. For example, if the following target is singer B, the information regarding the following target, which is information regarding the future, is information regarding singer B's future concert tickets, information regarding singer B's future new album, etc. The concert ticket information includes information indicating the release date of the concert tickets and information regarding a website where the concert tickets can be purchased, etc. Furthermore, the new album information includes information indicating the release date of the new album and information regarding a website where the new album can be purchased, etc.

The identification unit 42, for example, identifies future information that satisfies a predetermined condition as the information to be provided. The predetermined condition is, for example, a condition that the information is a period from the present time until a predetermined time ago, or a condition that the information is a predetermined number in order from the most recent, but is not limited to such examples.

When the number of pieces of future information that satisfy the predetermined condition is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the identification unit 42 can also identify, as the information to be provided, the future information that has a high degree of importance among the multiple pieces of future information that satisfy the predetermined condition. The identification unit 42 can determine the importance of the future information, for example, by using an importance estimation model that receives user information as input and outputs an importance score for each target. The importance estimation model is, for example, a learning model generated by machine learning using a neural network, but is not limited to such an example.

The identification unit 42 can also determine the importance of future information based on, for example, the slide history of the second content provided by the provision unit 43 and the selection history of the provided information included in the second content. The slide history of the second content includes, for example, information indicating the time that each piece of provided information of the second content was displayed on the display unit 11 of the terminal device 2 after the second content was slid.

The identification unit 42 can, for example, determine that the more time that the provided information has been displayed on the display unit 11, the more important the provided information of the information target indicated by the provided information, or that the more frequently selected the provided information is, the more important the provided information of the information target.

The identification unit 42 can also identify future information according to the context of the user U estimated by the estimation unit 41 as the information to be provided. For example, when the context of the user U indicates a daily life state, the identification unit 42 identifies future information related to daily life as the information to be provided. The future information related to daily life is, for example, at least one of information on future special sales, information on future routes, information on future congestion, and information on future traffic jams, but is not limited to such examples.

In addition, when the context of the user U indicates a travel state, the identification unit 42 identifies future information related to travel as the information to be provided. The future information related to travel is, for example, at least one of information related to events in the travel destination area, information related to reservations at restaurants in the travel destination area, and information related to the weather in the travel destination area, but is not limited to such examples.

In addition, when the user U is moving, the identification unit 42 can reduce the number of pieces of future information identified as information to be provided, compared to when the user U is stopped. In this case, when the user U is moving, the identification unit 42 prioritizes identifying future information of high importance or future information close to the present time as information to be provided, compared to when the user U is stopped.

In addition, when the user U is in an exercising state, the identification unit 42 can prioritize and identify future information on sporting events, future information on sporting goods, and the like as information to be provided. Furthermore, when the user U is playing baseball, the identification unit 42 can prioritize and identify future information on professional baseball games, future information on baseball goods, and the like as information to be provided.

The identification unit 42 can also identify related content, which is information related to the future information. For example, the identification unit 42 can identify, as related content, action support information that encourages the user U to take an action related to the future information, based on the action of the user U based on the future information.

For example, assume that the future information provided to user U as provision information is information regarding the sale of tickets for an event to be held in the future, and user U purchases tickets for the event based on such future information. In this case, the identification unit 42 identifies, as the action support information, information regarding hotels in the area where the event is to be held for a period including the day the event is to be held. The information regarding hotels is, for example, information indicating hotels with available rooms, information on a website for booking hotels with available rooms, etc.

The identification unit 42 can further identify future information related to the future information as provided information based on the behavior of the user U based on the future information. For example, assume that the future information is information regarding the sale of tickets for an event to be held in the future, and the user U attempts to purchase tickets for the event based on the future information but is unable to do so.

In this case, the identification unit 42 identifies, as the action support information, future information of an event related to the event for which the user U was unable to purchase a ticket. The future information of the event related to the event for which the user U was unable to purchase a ticket is, for example, an event of the same type as the event for which the user U was unable to purchase a ticket, but held at a different venue.

For example, if the event for which user U was unable to purchase tickets is a concert by singer D to be held in Tokyo, the identification unit 42 can identify future information about concerts by singer D to be held outside Tokyo as action support information.

When the context of the user U is performing a web search using the first content displayed on the terminal device 2, the identification unit 42 can identify future information of a target indicated by the search query as provided information. When the context of the user U is playing an online game using the terminal device 2, the identification unit 42 can identify future information targeting the online game being played as provided information.

When the context of user U is a state of watching a video using the terminal device 2, the identification unit 42 can identify future information of an event in which an actor who appears in the video will appear as the provided information. When the context of user U is a state of stopping watching a video using the terminal device 2, the identification unit 42 can identify future information indicating the end date of distribution of the video that has been stopped as the provided information.

The identification unit 42 can identify future information for each type of status of the user U estimated by the estimation unit 41 as information to be provided, or can identify future information corresponding to a combination of all types of status of the user U estimated by the estimation unit 41 as information to be provided.

[4.3.4. Providing unit 43
The providing unit 43 provides the provided information identified by the identifying unit 42. For example, the providing unit 43 provides the provided information identified by the identifying unit 42 to the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 20 and the network N. By transmitting the information, the provided information is provided to the user U.

The providing unit 43 provides the user U with a second content, which is a content in which the multiple pieces of provided information identified by the identifying unit 42 are arranged in chronological order. The providing unit 43 also provides the user U with the first content on which the second content is displayed in an overlaid manner.

The first content is, for example, the content of a top screen in a portal site, and is displayed on the display unit 11 of the terminal device 2. The providing unit 43 transmits the first content to the terminal device 2, for example, based on a content request from the terminal device 2. The information acquiring unit 16 of the terminal device 2 acquires the first content provided from the providing unit 43, and the display processing unit 17 of the terminal device 2 displays the first content acquired by the information acquiring unit 16 on the display unit 11.

The providing unit 43 also transmits a second content, which is a content in which the plurality of pieces of provided information identified by the identifying unit 42 are arranged in chronological order, to the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 20 and the network N. The second content is a slidable content, and the provided information showing information closer in time to the present time is placed in a higher position.

When there is a content request from the terminal device 2, the providing unit 43 provides the second content to the user U in addition to the first content, but is not limited to this example. For example, the providing unit 43 can also provide the second content to the user U when a plurality of pieces of provided information are identified by the identifying unit 42 while the first content is displayed on the display unit 11 of the terminal device 2.

The information acquisition unit 16 of the terminal device 2 acquires the second content provided by the provision unit 43, and the display processing unit 17 of the terminal device 2 displays the second content acquired by the information acquisition unit 16 on the display unit 11 in a state where the second content is superimposed on a portion of the first content.

In the initial state, the area of the display area of the display unit 11 where the second content is displayed is small, but the area where the second content is displayed can be enlarged by sliding the second content over the first content.

When the user U performs a sliding operation of the second content on the display unit 11, the providing unit 43 slides the second content over the first content to enlarge the area in which the second content is displayed.

In the second content, among the multiple pieces of provided information arranged in chronological order, the closer in time to the current time the provided information is arranged in the higher position. If the provided information is arranged horizontally, the topmost position is the leftmost position, and if the provided information is arranged vertically, the topmost position is the topmost position. This allows user U to easily grasp the temporal relationship of the multiple pieces of provided information.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the first content and the second content provided by the providing unit 43 of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the second content 60 is displayed overlapping a part of the first content 50.

The first content 50 includes a search box 51, a search button 52, a plurality of content columns 53, 54, 55, 56, and a tab column 57. A search keyword is input into the search box 51 by the user U operating the operation unit 12.

When a search keyword is input in the search box 51 and the user U operates the operation unit 12 to select the search button 52, the information output unit 18 of the terminal device 2 transmits a search query including the search keyword input in the search box 51 to the information providing device 1. The providing unit 43 transmits search results according to the search keyword included in the search query to the terminal device 2. The search results are acquired by the information acquisition unit 16 and displayed on the display unit 11 by the display processing unit 17.

Each piece of content included in content columns 53, 54, and 55 is content that transitions to linked content when selected by user U, and some of the content displays, for example, part of the information contained in the linked content. The content arranged in content column 55 is switched by selecting a tab included in tab column 57. Content column 56 includes home button content for transitioning to the initial screen, as well as content that transitions to linked content when selected by user U.

In the state shown in FIG. 7, the second content 60 is displayed overlapping a portion of the content column 55. Therefore, the user U can check the second content 60 while viewing the content other than the portion of the content column 55.

7, the second content 60 includes provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 _3. The provided information 61 ₁ is content related to a concert ticket for entertainer C, and includes link information such as an address of content showing detailed information related to the concert ticket for entertainer C. The provided information 61 ₂ is content related to the opening game of professional baseball team G, and includes link information such as an address of content showing detailed information related to the opening game of professional baseball team G.

The provided information _61-3 is content related to a new drama starring entertainer C, and includes link information such as an address of content showing detailed information related to the new drama starring entertainer C. In the following, when the provided information _61-1 , _61-2 , and _61-3 is not to be individually distinguished from one another, they may be referred to as provided information 61.

When the user U selects provided information 61 by operating the operation unit 12, the providing unit 43 provides content indicating detailed content corresponding to the selected provided information 61 to the terminal device 2 and causes the display unit 11 to display the content. The content indicating detailed content is displayed, for example, in place of or over the content column 55 and the tab column 57 in the content display area, which is the area in which the content column 55 and the tab column 57 are displayed. At this time, the providing unit 43 maintains the second content 60 in the state shown in FIG. 7, but can also change it to an even smaller size.

The providing unit 43 can also delete the provided information 61 selected by the user U through an operation on the operation unit 12 from the second content 60. This allows the user U to easily understand the provided information 61 for which content showing detailed information is not displayed.

The providing unit 43 can change the state in which the second content 60, which is not operated by the user U until a predetermined period of time has elapsed, is displayed on the display unit 11 to a state in which it is not displayed. In this case, when new provided information 61 is identified by the identifying unit 42, the providing unit 43 can provide the second content including the new provided information 61 to the user U, or re-display the second content 60 on the display unit 11 when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

The providing unit 43 can change the display mode of each piece of provided information 61 in accordance with the importance of the provided information 61 included in the second content 60, for example, and can also change the display mode of the entire second content 60. The display mode of the provided information 61 is, for example, the background color, character size, frame size, frame color, etc., and the blinking speed may be changed depending on the importance. The display mode of the entire second content 60 is, for example, the background color, character size, frame size, frame color, etc., and the blinking speed may be changed depending on the importance.

The providing unit 43 can also add provided information 61 newly identified by the identifying unit 42 to the second content, and can delete provided information 61 that is no longer future information from the second content.

Furthermore, when the second content 60 is slid downward by the user U operating the operation unit 12, the providing unit 43 moves the second content 60 downward to a position where the provided information 61 is not displayed. At this time, the drawer tab 65 of the second content 60 is displayed on the display unit 11, and the second content 60 can be pulled out upward by operating the drawer tab 65. Note that the user U can also position the drawer tab 65 upward, to the left, or to the right by operating the operation unit 12.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the second content 60 in a state where the second content 60 is slid over the first content 50 provided by the providing unit 43 of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the second content 60 includes date and time information ₆₂₁ , ₆₂₂ , and ₆₂₃ in addition to provided information ₆₁₁ , ₆₁₂ , and ₆₁₃ .

When the second content 60 is pulled out by sliding it over the first content 50, the provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 ₃ are arranged in chronological order in the up-down direction. The provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 ₃ shown in Fig. 8 shows more detailed information than the provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 ₃ shown in Fig. 7. This allows the user U to get a detailed understanding of the provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 ₃ by simply sliding the second content.

Furthermore, the providing unit 43 can, for example, reduce the content shown in the provided information _61-1 , _61-2 , and _61-3 as the slide speed becomes slower, and can increase the content shown in the provided information _61-1 , _61-2 , and _61-3 as the slide speed becomes faster. This allows the user U to grasp more detailed content by increasing the slide speed, and can quickly grasp a plurality of pieces of provided information by decreasing the slide speed.

The date and time information _62-1 is information indicating the date and time corresponding to the provided information _61-1 , and in the example shown in Fig. 8, the date and time when application acceptance for tickets to entertainer C's concert begins is indicated, but is not limited to such an example. For example, if the provided information _61-1 is information regarding the end of application acceptance for tickets to entertainer C's concert, the date and time information _62-1 is, for example, information indicating the end date and time of application acceptance for tickets to entertainer C's concert. Note that the date and time information _62-1 may be information indicating the date and time when a concert by entertainer C is held.

The date and time information ₆₂₂ is information indicating the date and time corresponding to the provided information ₆₁₂ , and is information indicating the start date and time of the opening game of the professional baseball team G, but is not limited to such an example. For example, if the provided information ₆₁₂ is information regarding the end of the opening game of the professional baseball team G, the date and time information ₆₂₂ is information indicating, for example, the scheduled end date and time of the opening game of the professional baseball team G.

The date and time information _62.3 is information indicating the date and time corresponding to the provided information _61.3 , and is information indicating the broadcast start date and time of the second episode of the new drama of entertainer C, but is not limited to such an example. For example, if the provided information _61.3 is information regarding the end of the broadcast of the first episode of the new drama of entertainer C, the date and time information _62.3 is information indicating, for example, the end date and time of the broadcast of the first episode of the new drama of entertainer C.

In this way, the second content 60 includes the provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 ₃ , and the user U can easily grasp the date and time of the information indicated by each of the provided information 61 ₁ , 61 ₂ , and 61 ₃ .

For example, when a specific operation such as a long press is performed on the provided information 61, the providing unit 43 can display only the provided information related to the provided information _61-1 on the display unit 11. For example, in the case shown in FIG. 8 , when a specific operation is performed on the provided information _61-1 , the providing unit 43 can leave the provided information _61-3 related to the provided information _61-1 , and delete the provided information _61-2 not related to the provided information _61-1 from the second content 60.

In the second content 60 shown in FIG. 8, three pieces of provided information 61 are shown, but if four or more pieces of provided information 61 are included, the user U can scroll the second content 60 by performing a scroll operation.

When related content is identified by the identification unit 42, the providing unit 43 provides the related content to the user U. The related content is, for example, included as part of the second content 60, but may be displayed by being superimposed on part or all of the second content 60.

9 is a diagram for explaining an example of related content provided by the providing unit 43 of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in (a) of Fig. 9, when the user U selects provided information _61.1 in a state in which the second content 60 is displayed overlapping a part of the first content 50, as shown in (b) of Fig. 9, a linked content 70 corresponding to the link information included in the provided information _61.1 is displayed on the terminal device 2.

In the example shown in FIG. 9(b), content 70 for purchasing tickets to a concert by entertainer C is displayed on the terminal device 2 at the top of the second content 60. In the state shown in FIG. 9(b), when a purchase button 71 included in content 70 is selected by a user U operating the operation unit 12, content 73 including link destination information such as the address of the hotel reservation content is displayed as related content on the terminal device 2, in addition to content 72 indicating the completion of the ticket purchase, as shown in FIG. 9(c).

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 9(c), when the user U operates the operation unit 12 to select content 73, the hotel reservation content 74 is displayed on the terminal device 2 as shown in FIG. 9(b).

In this way, the providing unit 43 can provide the user U with related content such as content 73, which is action support information that encourages the user U to take action related to the provided information, based on the user U's action based on the provided information.

Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of the provided information provided by the providing unit 43 of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10(a), when the provided information 61.1 is selected by the user U in a state in which the second content 60 is displayed overlapping a part of the first content ₅₀ , as shown in Fig. 10(b), the linked content 75 corresponding to the link information included in the provided information _61.1 is displayed on the terminal device 2 as shown in Fig. 10(b).

In the example shown in FIG. 10(b), content 75 for purchasing tickets to a concert by entertainer C is displayed on the terminal device 2 at the top of the second content 60, but content 75 includes information indicating that tickets to the concert by entertainer C are sold out.

In the example shown in FIG. 10(b), in addition to content 75, content 76 including link information such as the address of content for purchasing tickets to a concert by entertainer C at another venue is displayed on the terminal device 2 as provided information.

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 10(b), when user U selects content 76 by operating operation unit 12, content 77 for purchasing tickets to a concert by entertainer C at a different venue is displayed on terminal device 2, as shown in FIG. 10(c).

In this way, the providing unit 43 can provide the user U with information (e.g., content ₇₆₎ as provided information that is related to the provided information 611 and is information about a target of information provision to the user U, based on the behavior of the user U based on the provided information. The contents 76 and 77 are examples of information about another future.

The providing unit 43 can also provide the provided information to the user U by sending the provided information to the user U's email address via the communication unit 20 and the network N.

5. Processing Procedure
Next, a procedure of information processing by the processing unit 22 of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing by the processing unit 22 of the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the processing unit 22 of the information providing device 1 determines whether or not there is a content request from the user U (step S10). Next, if the processing unit 22 determines that there is a content request (step S10: Yes), it provides the first content 50 to the user U (step S11).

Next, the processing unit 22 estimates the context of the user U (step S12). Then, based on the information of the user U including the context of the user U, the processing unit 22 identifies information on the subject of information provision to the user U, which is information on the future, as the provided information 61 (step S13). The processing unit 22 provides the user U with a second content in which the multiple provided information 61 identified in step S13 are arranged in chronological order (step S14).

Next, the processing unit 22 determines whether or not there is related content (step S15). If the processing unit 22 determines that there is related content (step S15: Yes), it provides the related content to the user U (step S16).

When the processing of step S16 is completed, when it is determined that there is no related content (step S15: No), or when it is determined that there is no content request (step S10: No), the processing unit 22 determines whether or not it is time to end the operation (step S17). For example, the processing unit 22 determines that it is time to end the operation when the power supply of the information providing device 1 is turned off, or when it is determined that an end operation has been performed by operating an operation unit (not shown) of the information providing device 1.

If the processing unit 22 determines that the operation end time has not yet arrived (step S17: No), it transitions to step S10, and if it determines that the operation end time has arrived (step S17: Yes), it terminates the processing shown in FIG. 11.

6. Other Configuration Examples of Terminal Device 2
In the above example, the information providing device 1 generates the second content and displays it on the terminal device 2, but the terminal device 2 may collect information from the information providing device 1, generate the second content, and display the generated second content. In this case, the terminal device 2 functions as a part of the information providing device that executes some of the above-mentioned functions of the information providing device 1 together with the information providing device 1. The terminal device 2 may also function as an information providing device that executes all of the above-mentioned functions of the information providing device 1.

Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of a terminal device 2 according to an embodiment. The terminal device 2 shown in Fig. 12 differs from the terminal device 2 shown in Fig. 3 in the function of the processing unit 15. The processing unit 15 of the terminal device 2 shown in Fig. 12 differs from the terminal device 2 shown in Fig. 3 in that it further includes an estimation unit 41, an identification unit 42, and a provision unit 43.

The estimation unit 41, the identification unit 42, and the provision unit 43 shown in FIG. 12 function in the same manner as, for example, the estimation unit 41, the identification unit 42, and the provision unit 43 shown in FIG. 4. The storage unit 14 stores information about a user U of the terminal device 2, and the estimation unit 41 estimates the context of the user U based on the information about the user U stored in the terminal device 2. Note that the information about the user U stored in the terminal device 2 includes, for example, detection information that is information detected by the sensor group 13.

The identification unit 42 can identify specific information from among the content stored in the information providing device 1 based on the information of the user U stored in the terminal device 2 and the context of the user U estimated by the estimation unit 41.

The providing unit 43 causes the display processing unit 17 to execute a process of displaying, on the display unit 11, a second content 60 in which the multiple pieces of provided information identified by the identifying unit 42 are arranged in chronological order. Note that the providing unit 43 may include the functions of the display processing unit 17.

The identification unit 42 of the terminal device 2 can also identify the specific information in cooperation with the information providing device 1. For example, the identification unit 42 of the terminal device 2 can send an identification request including information about the user U stored in the terminal device 2 and the context of the user U estimated by the estimation unit 41 to the information providing device 1, and cause the information providing device 1 to identify the specific information.

In this case, the identification unit 42 of the information providing device 1 identifies the provided information based on the information of the user U included in the identification request, and the providing unit 43 of the information providing device 1 transmits the provided information identified by the identification unit 42 of the information providing device 1 to the terminal device 2. The providing unit 43 of the terminal device 2 causes the display unit 11 to display a second content 60 in which the multiple provided information transmitted from the information providing device 1 is arranged in chronological order.

The terminal device 2 may be configured not to include one or both of the estimation unit 41 and the identification unit 42. In this case, the provision unit 43 of the terminal device 2 acquires the plurality of pieces of provided information identified by the identification unit 42 from the information providing device 1, and causes the display processing unit 17 to execute a process of displaying the second content 60, in which the plurality of pieces of provided information acquired are arranged in chronological order, on the display unit 11.

In this way, the terminal device 2 can execute the functions of the estimation unit 41, the identification unit 42, and the provision unit 43 in cooperation with the information provision device 1, and can function as a part of the information provision device having the functions of the estimation unit 41, the identification unit 42, and the provision unit 43. Note that, hereinafter, a configuration including the above-mentioned information provision device 1 and part or all of the terminal device 2 may be referred to as the information provision device 1.

The processing unit 15 shown in FIG. 12 is realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU or MPU, which executes various programs (examples of information provision programs) stored in a storage device (for example, the storage unit 14) inside the terminal device 2 using the RAM as a working area.

7. Modifications
In the above-described second content, the plurality of pieces of provided information are arranged in chronological order, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the second content may include one piece of provided information.

The providing unit 43 can also provide the user U with a second content including, as provided information, information about the future of a subject whose information is indicated in a content selected by the user U from among a plurality of contents arranged in the content column 55 shown in FIG. 7. For example, the providing unit 43 can provide the user U with a second content including, as provided information, information about the future of a subject whose information is indicated in the content selected by the user U each time a content arranged in the content column 55 is selected.

8. Hardware Configuration
Each of the information providing device 1 and the terminal device 2 according to the embodiment described above is realized by a computer 80 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 13, for example. Fig. 13 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the computer 80 that realizes each function of the information providing device 1 and the terminal device 2 according to the embodiment. The computer 80 has a CPU 81, a RAM 82, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 83, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 84, a communication interface (I/F) 85, an input/output interface (I/F) 86, and a media interface (I/F) 87.

The CPU 81 operates based on the programs stored in the ROM 83 or the HDD 84, and controls each part. The ROM 83 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 81 when the computer 80 starts up, and programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 80.

The HDD 84 stores programs executed by the CPU 81 and data used by such programs. The communication interface 85 receives data from other devices via the network N (see FIG. 2) and sends the data to the CPU 81, and transmits data generated by the CPU 81 to other devices via the network N.

The CPU 81 controls output devices such as a display and a printer, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, via the input/output interface 86. The CPU 81 acquires data from the input devices via the input/output interface 86. The CPU 81 also outputs data generated via the input/output interface 86 to the output devices.

The media interface 87 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 88 and provides it to the CPU 81 via the RAM 82. The CPU 81 loads the program from the recording medium 88 onto the RAM 82 via the media interface 87 and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 88 is, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disc), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

For example, when the computer 80 functions as the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment, the CPU 81 of the computer 80 executes a program loaded onto the RAM 82 to realize the functions of the processing unit 15 and the processing unit 22. In addition, the HDD 84 stores data in the storage unit 14 or the storage unit 21. The CPU 81 of the computer 80 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 88, but as another example, these programs may be obtained from another device via the network N.

[9. Other]
In addition, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed arbitrarily unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the illustrated information.

In addition, each component of each device shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

For example, the information providing device 1 described above may be realized by multiple server computers, and depending on the functions, the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling an external platform using an API (Application Programming Interface) or network computing.

The above-described embodiments and variations can be combined as appropriate to the extent that they do not cause inconsistencies in the processing content.

10. Effects
As described above, the information providing device 1 according to the embodiment includes the identification unit 42 and the provision unit 43. The identification unit 42 identifies a plurality of pieces of information related to a target of information provision to the user U and related to the future as information to be provided. The provision unit 43 provides the user U with the second content 60, which is a content in which the plurality of pieces of information to be provided identified by the identification unit 42 are arranged in chronological order and is displayed superimposed on a part of the first content 50. This allows the information providing device to provide the user U with highly convenient information.

The second content 60 is a content that can be slid on the first content 50. This allows the information providing device to provide more convenient information to the user U.

In addition, the second content 60 is arranged in a higher position so that the provided information indicating information closer in time to the present time is placed in the second content 60. This allows the information providing device to provide more convenient information to the user U.

The identification unit 42 also identifies related content, which is information related to information about the future, and the provision unit 43 provides the related content identified by the identification unit. This allows the information provision device to provide more convenient information to the user U.

The identification unit 42 also identifies the information to be provided based on the information of the user U. This allows the information providing device to provide more convenient information to the user U.

Furthermore, the information about the future is information about events that are presumed to be of interest to user U. This allows the information providing device to provide more convenient information to user U.

The identification unit 42 also identifies, based on the product purchase history of the user U, information on future sales dates of products related to products previously purchased by the user U as provided information. This enables the information providing device to provide more convenient information to the user U.

In addition, the identification unit 42 identifies, as the provided information, information about the future of the follow target, based on information about the follow target that the user U has set to follow. This allows the information providing device to provide the user U with more convenient information.

The above describes the embodiments of the present application in detail based on the drawings, but this is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms that incorporate various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the disclosure section of the invention.

In addition, the above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit." For example, an acquisition unit can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information providing device ₂ , 2 1 , 2 ₂ , ..., 2 _n terminal device 10, 20 Communication unit 11 Display unit 12 Operation unit 13 Sensor group 14, 21 Storage unit 15, 22 Processing unit 16 Information acquisition unit 17 Display processing unit 18 Information output unit 30 User information storage unit 31 Content storage unit 40 Acquisition unit 41 Estimation unit 42 Identification unit 43 Provision unit 100 Information providing system N Network

Claims (11)

An identification unit that identifies a plurality of pieces of information related to a future subject of information provision to a user as information to be provided;
a providing unit that provides, to the user, a second content, which is a content in which the plurality of pieces of provided information identified by the identifying unit are arranged in time series and is displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the first content ,
The identification unit is
Identifying relevant content that is information related to the future information;
The providing unit is
Providing the related content identified by the identification unit
1. An information providing device comprising: An identification unit that identifies a plurality of pieces of information related to a future subject of information provision to a user as information to be provided;
a providing unit that provides, to the user, a second content, which is a content in which the plurality of pieces of provided information identified by the identifying unit are arranged in time series and is displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the first content ,
The identification unit is
Based on the product purchase history of the user, information on future sales dates of products related to products previously purchased by the user is identified as the provided information.
1. An information providing device comprising: The second content is
3. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the first content is a slidable content on the first content. The second content is
3. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the provided information indicating information closer in time to the present time is arranged in a higher position. The identification unit is
2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the information to be provided is specified based on information about the user. The identification unit is
6. The information providing device according to claim 5, wherein information on future sales dates of products related to products previously purchased by the user is specified as the information to be provided based on the product purchase history of the user. The identification unit is
The information providing device according to claim 5 , wherein information about the future of a target of following, which is a target that the user has set to follow, is specified as the information to be provided based on information of the target of following. 1. A computer-implemented information providing method, comprising:
A step of identifying a plurality of pieces of information regarding a subject of information provision to a user and related to the future as information to be provided;
providing the user with a second content, the second content being a content in which the plurality of pieces of provision information identified by the identifying step are arranged in time series and displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the first content ;
The identifying step includes:
Identifying relevant content that is information related to the future information;
The providing step includes:
Providing the related content identified by the identifying step
13. An information providing method comprising: 1. A computer-implemented information providing method, comprising:
A step of identifying a plurality of pieces of information regarding a subject of information provision to a user and related to the future as information to be provided;
providing the user with a second content, the second content being a content in which the plurality of pieces of provision information identified by the identifying step are arranged in time series and displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the first content;
The identifying step includes:
Based on the product purchase history of the user, information on future sales dates of products related to products previously purchased by the user is identified as the provided information.
13. An information providing method comprising: A step of identifying a plurality of pieces of information regarding a subject of information provision to a user, the information being related to the future, as information to be provided;
a providing step of providing, to the user, a second content, the second content being a content in which the plurality of pieces of provision information identified by the identifying step are arranged in time series and displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the first content ;
The identification step includes:
Identifying relevant content that is information related to the future information;
The providing step comprises:
Providing the relevant content identified by the identifying step.
2. An information providing program comprising: A step of identifying a plurality of pieces of information regarding a subject of information provision to a user, the information being related to the future, as information to be provided;
a providing step of providing, to the user, a second content, the second content being a content in which the plurality of pieces of provision information identified by the identifying step are arranged in time series and displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the first content;
The identification step includes:
Based on the product purchase history of the user, information on future sales dates of products related to products previously purchased by the user is identified as the provided information.
2. An information providing program comprising:

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