JP7575436B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

Application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Publication date: March 11, 2021 https://play. google. com/store/apps/details? id=jp. co. yahoo. android. weather. type1&hl=ja&gl=US

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

A technology has been disclosed that acquires meteorological information and displays warnings on slave units installed in localized areas.

JP 2021-021741 A

However, in the above conventional technology, data acquisition points for obtaining meteorological information such as temperature and air pressure are precisely set, and a warning is displayed when the difference between the previous and current measurement data exceeds a specified threshold, but no consideration is given to warning displays related to daily changes in the weather (presence or absence of rain) or the manner in which they are displayed.

This application was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a new method of displaying changes in the weather.

The information processing device of the present application comprises a receiving unit that receives weather information, and a display unit that displays a screen showing a weather forecast based on the weather information and a weather-related action sheet below the screen, the action sheet including an icon that conveys the weather , and the display unit is characterized in that, when a change in weather is predicted, it displays the current or future weather on the icon, and also displays a speech bubble associated with the icon that warns of the change in weather.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, a new method of displaying weather changes can be provided.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of providing information related to changes in weather according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode for warning of a change in weather. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information providing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user information database. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the history information database. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the weather information database. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration.

Below, the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. In addition, the same components in the following embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[1. Overview of information processing method]
First, an overview of an information processing method performed by an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Note that Fig. 1 will be described by taking as an example a case where a terminal device provides information on weather changes to a user in a weather forecast app or the like. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of providing information on weather changes according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and an information providing device 100. The terminal device 10 and the information providing device 100 are connected to each other via a network N (see FIG. 2) in a wired or wireless manner so as to be able to communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 cooperates with the information providing device 100.

The terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet used by a user U, and is a mobile terminal device capable of communicating with any server device via a wireless communication network such as 4G (Generation) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). The terminal device 10 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display with touch panel functionality, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content, such as tapping, sliding, scrolling, etc., performed by the user U with a finger or a stylus. An operation performed on an area of the screen where content is displayed may be considered to be an operation on the content. The terminal device 10 may be not only a smart device, but also an information processing device such as a desktop PC (Personal Computer) or a notebook PC.

The information providing device 100 is an information processing device that cooperates with the terminal device 10 of each user U and provides API (Application Programming Interface) services for various applications (hereinafter, apps) and various data to the terminal device 10 of each user U, and is realized by a server device, a cloud system, etc.

The information providing device 100 may also be an information processing device that provides some kind of web service online to the terminal device 10 of each user U. For example, the information providing device 100 may provide services such as Internet connection, search services, SNS (Social Networking Service), electronic commerce, electronic payment, online games, online banking, online trading, accommodation and ticket reservations, and video and music distribution as web services. In practice, the information providing device 100 may cooperate with various servers that provide the above-mentioned web services, and may act as an intermediary for the web services or be responsible for processing the web services.

The information providing device 100 can acquire user information about the user U. For example, the information providing device 100 acquires information about the attributes of the user U, such as the gender, age, and residential area of the user U. The information providing device 100 then stores and manages the information about the attributes of the user U together with identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U.

The information providing device 100 also acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U, or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. For example, the information providing device 100 acquires a location history, which is a history of the location and date and time of the user U, from the terminal device 10. The information providing device 100 also acquires a search history, which is a history of search queries entered by the user U, from a search server (search engine). The information providing device 100 also acquires a browsing history, which is a history of content viewed by the user U, from a content server. The information providing device 100 also acquires a purchase history (payment history), which is a history of the product purchases and payment processing of the user U, from an electronic commerce server or a payment processing server. The information providing device 100 may also acquire a listing history, which is a history of listings on the marketplace by the user U, and a sales history, from an electronic commerce server or a payment processing server. In addition, the information providing device 100 acquires a posting history, which is a history of posts made by the user U, from a posting server that provides a word-of-mouth posting service or an SNS server.

[1-1. Basic operations〕
In this embodiment, when the user U starts a weather forecast app (or browses a weather forecast site with a browser), the terminal device 10 cooperates with the information providing device 100 to provide the weather forecast target area ( The weather forecast may be for a region corresponding to the current location based on the location information of the terminal device 10, or may be for a region selected by the user U. It may be an area selected on a screen or the like.

At this time, when the user U specifies an arbitrary region from among regional divisions such as the Kanto region or administrative districts such as prefectures, cities, wards, towns, and villages on a region selection screen or the like, the terminal device 10 may determine the specified region as the region for which the weather forecast is to be performed. The terminal device 10 may also determine a region according to the region name (facility name, mountain, river, sea, lake, etc. may also be used) or address entered by the user U in the search box as the region for which the weather forecast is to be performed. The terminal device 10 may also determine a region centered on a position, facility, or POI (Point of Interest) pin position specified by the user U on a map as the region for which the weather forecast is to be performed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when a user U starts a weather forecast app, or while the weather forecast app is running, the terminal device 10 requests weather information for the area that is the subject of the weather forecast from the information providing device 100 via the network N (see FIG. 3) either continuously or periodically, or when the user U changes the area that is the subject of the weather forecast (by specifying another area, moving the user U, etc.) (step S1).

Next, in response to a request for weather information from the terminal device 10, the information providing device 10 provides weather information to the terminal device 10 via the network N (see FIG. 3) (step S2).

Next, the terminal device 10 displays information about the weather on the screen WF of the weather forecast app based on the weather information (step S3).

In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 displays an action sheet AS below the screen WF of the weather forecast app. The terminal device 10 then displays an icon IC that notifies the user of a change in the weather on the action sheet AS. Furthermore, when a change in the weather is predicted, the terminal device 10 displays an icon badge BD that warns the user of the change in the weather on the icon IC.

For example, when it is predicted that it will start to rain, the terminal device 10 displays an icon IC indicating rain (e.g., a mark of rain clouds or an umbrella) along with an icon badge BD indicating the time when it is predicted that the rain will start (e.g., "20 minutes from now"). By displaying the icon badge BD, the terminal device 10 calls the user U's attention (calls their attention) and warns them of changes in the weather.

The icon badge BD is not displayed all the time, but is displayed when a change in the weather is expected. For example, the terminal device 10 displays the icon badge BD when it starts to rain and when it stops raining. When it starts to rain, the terminal device 10 displays on the icon badge BD the time until it starts to rain. When it stops raining, the terminal device 10 displays on the icon badge BD the time until it stops raining.

In this way, the terminal device 10 will, in principle, display the icon badge BD on the icon IC when the future weather meets certain conditions. Also, below the icon IC, a label according to the weather indicated by the icon IC is displayed. For example, if it is predicted that it will start raining in 20 minutes, the terminal device 10 will display a rain cloud or umbrella mark on the icon IC, display "20 minutes later" on the icon badge BD, and display "It will rain" in the label below the icon IC.

In addition, the icon IC is not limited to one that indicates future weather, and may also indicate current weather. For example, the terminal device 10 may display a mark indicating the current weather on the icon IC, and a mark indicating future weather on the icon badge BD. In other words, the terminal device 10 may display the weather before the change on the icon IC, and the weather after the change on the icon badge BD.

Furthermore, when the user U presses (tap, click) the icon IC, the terminal device 10 may switch the screen to display detailed weather information. For example, the terminal device 10 may display a raincloud radar screen when the user U presses the icon IC. The terminal device 10 may switch the screen or continue to display the action sheet AS as is. Then, when the user U presses the icon IC again, the original screen may be restored. Note that, in reality, instead of the icon IC, a different icon (an icon other than the icon IC) displayed on the action sheet AS may be displayed.

In addition, when rain clouds approach the current location of the user U based on the location information of the terminal device 10 on the rain cloud radar screen, the terminal device 10 may display an icon badge BD on the icon IC to warn of a change in weather.

1-2. Other display modes
In the above description, the icon badge BD is used as an example, but in reality, the present invention is not limited to the icon badge BD. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, a balloon indicating the time when it is expected that rain will start falling (e.g., "20 minutes later") may be displayed from the icon IC. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display mode for warning of a change in the weather.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device 10 may warn of changes in the weather by displaying (A) an icon badge, (B) an upper speech bubble, (C) a lower speech bubble, etc., as a display to warn of changes in the weather.

In the (A) icon badge example, the terminal device 10 displays an icon badge BD on the icon IC to warn of a change in weather. In the (B) upward speech bubble example, the terminal device 10 displays a speech bubble (upward speech bubble UB) above the icon IC to warn of a change in weather. In the (C) downward speech bubble example, the terminal device 10 displays a speech bubble (downward speech bubble LB) below the icon IC to warn of a change in weather.

In practice, the terminal device 10 may display a combination of an icon badge and a speech bubble. For example, the terminal device 10 may simultaneously display an icon badge BD and an upper speech bubble UB or a lower speech bubble LB.

Also, the icon badges and speech bubbles are merely examples. In reality, they are not limited to icon badges and speech bubbles, and may be displayed in a similar manner.

Here, if marks and messages that warn of weather changes are displayed at the top (the top of the screen), it creates a strong sense of alert. In addition, the positions (display positions on the screen) of weather information and advertisements are lower in comparison. The icon badges and speech bubbles mentioned above are intended to provide awareness in everyday use rather than as alerts. For this reason, as a layout pattern, it is preferable for marks and messages that warn of weather changes to be displayed on the action sheet AS below the weather forecast app screen WF, rather than above the weather forecast app screen WF.

In this embodiment, a weather forecast app is used as an example, but in reality, the app is not limited to a weather forecast app, and may be an app that can optionally warn of weather changes. For example, the app may be a map app or a navigation app that has a function of warning of weather changes.

In addition, in this embodiment, information about rain is used as an example, but in reality, it is not limited to rain, and information showing forecasts of snow, wind, typhoons, thunder, pollen, PM2.5, temperature, air pressure, humidity, ultraviolet rays, etc. may be displayed. Information about tides and wave forecasts may also be displayed. In this case, the terminal device 10 may allow the user U to select and specify the display target.

2. Example of information processing system configuration
Next, a configuration of an information processing system 1 including an information providing device 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment includes a terminal device 10 and an information providing device 100. These various devices are connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. The network N is, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet.

Furthermore, the number of devices included in the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 3 is not limited to that shown. For example, in FIG. 3, only one terminal device 10 is shown to simplify the illustration, but this is merely an example and is not limiting, and there may be two or more devices.

The terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by a user U. For example, the terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, a feature phone, a PC (Personal Computer), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a game console with a communication function, a car navigation system, a wearable device such as a smart watch or a head-mounted display, smart glasses, etc.

In addition, the terminal device 10 can connect to the network N via a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: 5th generation mobile communication system), or via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and communicate with the information providing device 100.

The information providing device 100 is, for example, a PC, a server device, a mainframe, a workstation, etc. The information providing device 100 may be realized by cloud computing.

3. Example of terminal device configuration
Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a sensor unit 20, a control unit 30 (controller), and a storage unit 40.

(Communication unit 11)
The communication unit 11 is connected to a network N (see FIG. 3 ) by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the information providing device 100 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 11 is realized by a network interface card (NIC), an antenna, or the like.

(Display unit 12)
The display unit 12 is a display device that displays various information such as position information. For example, the display unit 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescent display (OLED). The display unit 12 is also a touch panel display, but is not limited to this.

(Input unit 13)
The input unit 13 is an input device that accepts various operations from the user U. For example, the input unit 13 has buttons for inputting characters, numbers, and the like. The input unit 13 may be an input/output port (I/O port), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, or the like. In addition, when the display unit 12 is a touch panel display, a part of the display unit 12 functions as the input unit 13. In addition, the input unit 13 may be a microphone that accepts voice input from the user U, or the like. The microphone may be wireless.

(Positioning unit 14)
The positioning unit 14 receives signals (radio waves) transmitted from satellites of a GPS (Global Positioning System), and acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) indicating the current position of the terminal device 10 based on the received signals. That is, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10. Note that the GPS is merely an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

The positioning unit 14 can also measure the position using various methods other than GPS. For example, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position using various communication functions of the terminal device 10 as an auxiliary positioning means for position correction, etc., as described below.

(Wi-Fi positioning)
For example, the positioning unit 14 uses a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication function of the terminal device 10 or a communication network provided by each communication company to measure the position of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 performs Wi-Fi communication or the like and measures the distance to a nearby base station or access point to measure the position of the terminal device 10.

(Beacon positioning)
Furthermore, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position by using a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function of the terminal device 10. For example, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10 by connecting to a beacon transmitter connected by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) function.

(geomagnetic positioning)
In addition, the positioning unit 14 locates the position of the terminal device 10 based on a geomagnetic pattern of a structure that has been measured in advance and a geomagnetic sensor provided in the terminal device 10 .

(RFID positioning)
Furthermore, for example, if the terminal device 10 has a function of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag equivalent to a contactless IC card used at station ticket gates, in stores, etc., or has a function of reading an RFID tag, the location of use is recorded together with information on a payment or the like made by the terminal device 10. The positioning unit 14 may obtain such information to measure the location of the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the location may be measured by an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like provided in the terminal device 10.

If necessary, the positioning unit 14 may use one or a combination of the positioning means described above to determine the position of the terminal device 10.

(Sensor unit 20)
The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10. The connection may be wired or wireless. For example, the sensors may be detection devices other than the terminal device 10, such as wearable devices and wireless devices. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the sensor unit 20 includes an acceleration sensor 21, a gyro sensor 22, an air pressure sensor 23, a temperature sensor 24, a sound sensor 25, a light sensor 26, a magnetic sensor 27, and an image sensor (camera) 28.

The above-mentioned sensors 21 to 28 are merely examples and are not limiting. In other words, the sensor unit 20 may be configured to include some of the sensors 21 to 28, or may include other sensors such as a humidity sensor in addition to or instead of the sensors 21 to 28.

The acceleration sensor 21 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as the direction of movement, speed, and acceleration of the terminal device 10. The gyro sensor 22 detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as the tilt in three axial directions, based on the angular velocity of the terminal device 10. The air pressure sensor 23 detects, for example, the air pressure around the terminal device 10.

Since the terminal device 10 is equipped with the above-mentioned acceleration sensor 21, gyro sensor 22, air pressure sensor 23, etc., it is possible to determine the position of the terminal device 10 using technology such as Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning (PDR) that utilizes these sensors 21 to 23. This makes it possible to obtain indoor position information that is difficult to obtain using positioning systems such as GPS.

For example, the number of steps, walking speed, and distance walked can be calculated using a pedometer that uses the acceleration sensor 21. In addition, the gyro sensor 22 can be used to know the user U's direction of travel, line of sight, and body inclination. In addition, the air pressure detected by the air pressure sensor 23 can be used to know the altitude and floor on which the user U's terminal device 10 is located.

The air temperature sensor 24 detects, for example, the air temperature around the terminal device 10. The sound sensor 25 detects, for example, sound around the terminal device 10. The light sensor 26 detects the illuminance around the terminal device 10. The magnetic sensor 27 detects, for example, the geomagnetism around the terminal device 10. The image sensor 28 captures an image around the terminal device 10.

The above-mentioned air pressure sensor 23, temperature sensor 24, sound sensor 25, light sensor 26, and image sensor 28 can detect the environment and situation around the terminal device 10 by detecting air pressure, temperature, sound, and illuminance, and capturing images of the surroundings. In addition, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the location information of the terminal device 10 based on the environment and situation around the terminal device 10.

(Control unit 30)
The control unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a RAM, an input/output port, and various other circuits. The control unit 30 may also be configured with hardware such as an integrated circuit, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 30 includes a transmission unit 31, a reception unit 32, a processing unit 33, and a display control unit 34.

(Transmitter 31)
The transmission unit 31 can transmit, for example, various information input by the user U using the input unit 13, various information detected by the sensors 21 to 28 mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10, location information of the terminal device 10 measured by the positioning unit 14, etc., to the information providing device 100 via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 31 requests weather information from the information providing device 100 via the communication unit 11 when the user U starts a weather forecast app (or browses a weather forecast site with a browser), or while the weather forecast app is running (or while browsing a weather forecast site), constantly or periodically, or when the user U changes the area targeted by the weather forecast (designation of another area, movement of the user U, etc.).

(Receiving unit 32)
The receiving unit 32 can receive various information provided by the information providing device 100 and various information requests from the information providing device 100 via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 32 receives weather information from the information providing device 100 via the communication unit 11 when the user U starts a weather forecast app (or browses a weather forecast site with a browser), or while the weather forecast app is running, constantly or periodically, or when the user U changes the area covered by the weather forecast (designation of another area, movement of the user U, etc.).

(Processing Unit 33)
The processing unit 33 controls the entire terminal device 10, including the display unit 12, etc. For example, the processing unit 33 can output various pieces of information transmitted by the transmission unit 31 and various pieces of information received by the reception unit 32 from the information providing device 100 to the display unit 12 for display.

(Display Control Unit 34)
Based on the meteorological information, the display control unit 34 displays a screen WF showing a weather forecast and an action sheet AS relating to weather below the screen WF on the display unit 12. The display control unit 34 also displays an icon IC notifying a change in the weather on the action sheet AS. When a change in the weather is predicted, the display control unit 34 displays information warning of the change in weather in a format annexed to the icon IC.

In addition, when a change in weather is predicted, the display control unit 34 displays information warning of a change in weather as an icon IC badge BD attached to the icon IC. And/or, when a change in weather is predicted, the display control unit 34 displays information warning of a change in weather as a speech bubble UB or LB attached to the icon IC. For example, the display control unit 34 displays an upper speech bubble UB attached to the icon IC above the icon IC. Alternatively, the display control unit 34 displays a lower speech bubble LB attached to the icon IC below the icon IC.

At this time, if the weather is expected to change after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present, the display control unit 34 displays the predicted time until the weather change in a format attached to the icon IC. Also, if a change in the weather is expected, the display control unit 34 displays the weather before the change in the icon IC, and displays the weather after the change in a format attached to the icon IC. Also, the display control unit 34 displays a label corresponding to the weather indicated by the icon IC near the icon IC.

The display control unit 34 may be a part of the processing unit 33, or may be integrated with the processing unit 33. In other words, the display control unit 34 may be the processing unit 33.

(Memory unit 40)
The storage unit 40 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 drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an optical disk, etc. Various programs and various data are stored in the storage unit 40.

4. Example of the configuration of the information providing device
Next, a configuration of the information providing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information providing device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the information providing device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

(Communication unit 110)
The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 110 is also connected to a network N (see FIG. 3) in a wired or wireless manner.

(Memory unit 120)
The storage unit 120 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, an optical disk, etc. As shown in Fig. 5, the storage unit 120 has a user information database 121, a history information database 122, and a weather information database 123.

(User information database 121)
The user information database 121 stores user information related to the user U. For example, the user information database 121 stores various information such as the attributes of the user U. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database 121. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the user information database 121 has items such as "User ID (Identifier)", "Age", "Gender", "Home", "Workplace", and "Interests".

"User ID" indicates identification information for identifying user U. Note that "user ID" may be contact information for user U (telephone number, email address, etc.) or may be identification information for identifying user U's terminal device 10.

Furthermore, "age" indicates the age of user U identified by the user ID. Note that "age" may be information indicating the specific age of user U (e.g., 35 years old) or information indicating the generation of user U (e.g., 30s). Alternatively, "age" may be information indicating user U's date of birth or information indicating user U's generation (e.g., born in the 1980s). Furthermore, "gender" indicates the gender of user U identified by the user ID.

"Home" indicates the location information of the home of user U, which is identified by the user ID. In the example shown in FIG. 6, "Home" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC11", but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. For example, "Home" may also be the name of a region or an address.

"Workplace" indicates the location information of the workplace (school in the case of a student) of user U identified by the user ID. In the example shown in FIG. 6, "workplace" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC12", but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. For example, "workplace" may also be the name of a region or an address.

Furthermore, "interests" indicate the interests of user U identified by the user ID. In other words, "interests" indicate subjects in which user U identified by the user ID is highly interested. For example, "interests" may be search queries (keywords) entered by user U into a search engine. Note that, although one "interest" is illustrated for each user U in the example shown in FIG. 6, there may be multiple "interests."

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the age of user U identified by user ID "U1" is "20s" and the gender is "male." Also, for example, user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that his home address is "LC11." Also, for example, user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that his workplace is "LC12." Also, for example, user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that he is interested in "sports."

In the example shown in FIG. 6, abstract values such as "U1", "LC11", and "LC12" are used to illustrate the data, but it is assumed that specific information such as character strings and numerical values is stored in "U1", "LC11", and "LC12". In the following figures relating to other information, abstract values may also be illustrated.

The user information database 121 may store various information according to the purpose, not limited to the above. For example, the user information database 121 may store various information related to the terminal device 10 of the user U. The user information database 121 may also store information related to the attributes of the user U, such as demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, geographic attributes, and behavioral attributes. For example, the user information database 121 may store information such as name, family structure, place of origin (hometown), occupation, job title, income, qualifications, type of residence (detached house, apartment, etc.), whether or not the user has a car, commuting time, commuting route, commuter pass section (station, line, etc.), frequently used station (other than the nearest station to home or workplace), extracurricular activities (location, time zone, etc.), hobbies, interests, and lifestyle.

(History information database 122)
The history information database 122 stores various information related to history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the history information database 122. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the history information database 122 has items such as "user ID", "location history", "search history", "browsing history", "purchase history", and "posting history".

"User ID" refers to identification information for identifying user U. "Location history" refers to location history, which is a history of user U's location and movements. "Search history" refers to search history, which is a history of search queries entered by user U. "Browse history" refers to browse history, which is a history of content viewed by user U. "Purchase history" refers to purchase history, which is a history of purchases made by user U. "Post history" refers to posting history, which is a history of posts made by user U. "Post history" may include questions about user U's possessions.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, user U identified by user ID "U1" moves as shown in "location history #1," searches as shown in "search history #1," views content as shown in "browsing history #1," purchases specific products at specific stores as shown in "purchase history #1," and posts as shown in "posting history."

In the example shown in FIG. 7, abstract values such as "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browse History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1" are used for illustration, but it is assumed that specific information such as character strings and numerical values is stored in "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browse History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1".

The history information database 122 may store various information depending on the purpose, not limited to the above. For example, the history information database 122 may store the usage history of a specific service by the user U. The history information database 122 may also store the history of the user U's visit to a physical store or the history of the user U's visit to a facility. The history information database 122 may also store the payment history of payments (electronic payments) made using the user U's terminal device 10.

(Weather Information Database 123)
The weather information database 123 stores various information related to history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the weather information database 123. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the weather information database 123 has items such as "area", "date", "time", "weather", "temperature", and "probability of precipitation".

"Area" indicates identification information for identifying the area covered by the weather forecast. "Date" indicates the date on which the weather information was acquired. In other words, "Date" indicates the date covered by the weather forecast. The date may be the year, month, and day, or may include the day of the week. "Time" indicates the time for each unit of time on the date covered by the weather forecast. For example, "Time" indicates the time for every hour.

"Weather" indicates forecast information regarding the weather conditions at that time. "Weather" may be identification information for identifying an icon image corresponding to the weather. "Weather" may also be information indicating the approach and state of rain clouds. "Temperature" indicates forecast information regarding the temperature at that time. "Probability of precipitation" indicates forecast information regarding the probability of precipitation at that time.

For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, in the area identified by "Area #A", the weather forecast for the date "7/6 (Wed)" at time "9:00" is "cloudy", the temperature is "27°C", and the probability of precipitation is "40%". Also, the weather forecast for the time "10:00" is "rain", the temperature is "28°C", and the probability of precipitation is "70%".

Here, in the example shown in Figure 8, an abstract value such as "Area #A" is used to illustrate the case, but "Area #A" is assumed to store specific information such as a character string or a numerical value.

The weather information database 123 may store various information according to the purpose, not limited to the above. For example, the weather information database 123 may store information related to an icon image according to the weather, or a message displayed on an icon badge, etc. The weather information database 123 may store information related to the maximum and minimum temperatures for a given date. The weather information database 123 may store information expressing the hourly rainfall (mm) and the intensity of rain (how it is falling) according to the hourly rainfall (mm) for each hour of the day. The weather information database 123 may store information indicating the degree, distribution, and forecast of not only rain, but also snow, wind, typhoons, thunder, pollen, PM2.5, temperature, air pressure, humidity, ultraviolet rays, etc.

(Control unit 130)
Returning to Fig. 5, the description will be continued. The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like, executing various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in a storage device inside the information providing device 100 using a storage area such as a RAM as a working area. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the control unit 130 has an acquisition unit 131, a reception unit 132, a generation unit 133, and a provision unit 134.

(Acquisition unit 131)
The acquisition unit 131 acquires weather information published on the network N (see FIG. 3 ) via the communication unit 110. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire weather information as observation results from an observation device or the like that observes the weather, etc. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire, as the weather information, information (sensor information) on the measurement results of temperature, humidity, illuminance, etc. measured by the terminal device 10 of each user U, weather information (posted information) posted by each user U, etc.

The acquisition unit 131 also acquires user information about the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U, location information of the user U, attribute information of the user U, and the like from the terminal device 10 of the user U. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire identification information indicating the user U, attribute information of the user U, and the like when registering the user U. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the user information in the user information database 121 of the storage unit 120.

The acquisition unit 131 also acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U, or from various servers, etc. based on the user ID, etc. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the various types of history information in the history information database 122 of the storage unit 120.

(Reception unit 132)
The reception unit 132 receives a request for weather information from the terminal device 10 of each user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the reception unit 132 receives a request for weather information from the terminal device 10 via the communication unit 110 when the user U starts a weather forecast app (or browses a weather forecast site with a browser) on the terminal device 10, or while the weather forecast app is running (or while browsing a weather forecast site), constantly or periodically, or when the user U changes the area covered by the weather forecast (specifying another area, moving of the user U, etc.). The reception unit 132 may be the acquisition unit 131 described above.

At this time, the reception unit 132 also receives information about the area covered by the weather forecast as a request for weather information/together with the request. The information about the area covered by the weather forecast may be the location information of the terminal device 10, or may be the area name or address input/specified by the user U.

(Generation unit 133)
When the generation unit 133 receives a request for weather information from the terminal device 10 of each user U, it generates screen data (display data) for the weather forecast application screen WF and the action sheet AS based on the weather information.

(Providing Unit 134)
When the providing unit 134 receives a request for weather information from the terminal device 10 of each user U, the providing unit 134 provides the weather information to the requesting terminal device 10 via the communication unit 110. At this time, the providing unit 134 may provide screen data (display data) related to the screen WF of the weather forecast application and the action sheet AS to the terminal device 10 of each user U via the communication unit 110.

5. Processing Procedure
Next, a process performed by the terminal device 10 and the information providing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the process performed according to the embodiment. The process described below is repeatedly executed by the control unit 30 of the terminal device 10 and the control unit 130 of the information providing device 100.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the transmission unit 31 of the terminal device 10 requests weather information from the information providing device 100 via the communication unit 11 when the user U launches a weather forecast app (or browses a weather forecast site in a browser), or while the weather forecast app is running, constantly or periodically, or when the user U changes the area covered by the weather forecast (specifying another area, moving of the user U, etc.) (step S101). At this time, the reception unit 132 of the information providing device 100 receives the request for weather information from the terminal device 10 via the communication unit 110. The provision unit 134 of the information providing device 100 then provides the weather information to the terminal device 10 via the communication unit 110.

Then, the receiving unit 32 of the terminal device 10 receives weather information from the information providing device 100 via the communication unit 11 (step S102).

Then, the display control unit 34 (or the processing unit 33) of the terminal device 10 displays the screen WF of the weather forecast app and the action sheet AS on the display unit 12 based on the weather information (step S103). In this embodiment, the display control unit 34 displays the action sheet AS below the screen WF of the weather forecast app.

Next, the display control unit 34 of the terminal device 10 displays an icon IC indicating a change in the weather on the action sheet AS (step S104).

Then, the display control unit 34 of the terminal device 10 determines whether or not the weather is expected to change after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present based on the weather information (step S105). At this time, if the weather is expected not to change after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present (step S105: No), the display control unit 34 does not change the display on the screen and maintains the current state.

Then, if the weather is expected to change after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present (step S105: Yes), the display control unit 34 of the terminal device 10 displays a warning about the change in weather in conjunction with the icon IC (step S106).

For example, when a change in weather is predicted, the display control unit 34 displays information warning of the change in weather as an icon IC badge BD attached to the icon IC. And/or, when a change in weather is predicted, the display control unit 34 displays information warning of the change in weather as a speech bubble UB or LB attached to the icon IC. For example, the display control unit 34 displays an upper speech bubble UB attached to the icon IC above the icon IC. Alternatively, the display control unit 34 displays a lower speech bubble LB attached to the icon IC below the icon IC.

In addition, below the icon IC, a label according to the weather indicated by the icon IC is displayed. For example, if it is predicted that rain will start falling in 20 minutes, the display control unit 34 will display a rain cloud or umbrella mark on the icon IC, display "20 minutes later" on the icon badge BD, and display "It will rain" in the label below the icon IC.

6. Modifications
The terminal device 10 and the information providing device 100 described above may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment. Therefore, modifications of the embodiment will be described below.

In the above embodiment, some or all of the processing performed by the information providing device 100 may actually be performed by the terminal device 10. For example, the processing may be completed in a stand-alone manner (by the terminal device 10 alone). In this case, the terminal device 10 is assumed to have the functions of the information providing device 100 in the above embodiment. Also, in the above embodiment, since the terminal device 10 is linked to the information providing device 100, from the perspective of the user U, it appears that the processing of the information providing device 100 is also being performed by the terminal device 10. In other words, from another perspective, it can also be said that the terminal device 10 is equipped with the information providing device 100.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 may display the screen WF and action sheet AS, or the icon IC and icon badge BD, etc., directly on a widget of a smartphone, tablet, etc., not limited to a weather forecast app.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 may animate the icon IC and the icon badge BD. For example, the icon IC and the icon badge BD may be moving images. The terminal device 10 may also display a small icon indicating the changed weather in a speech bubble (upper speech bubble UB or lower speech bubble LB) associated with the icon IC. The small icon in the speech bubble may also be animated.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 may display a message prompting the user to start a weather forecast app when a change in the weather is predicted based on the weather information. At this time, the information providing device 100 may push a message prompting the user to start a weather forecast app to the terminal device 10 when a change in the weather is predicted based on the weather information.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 may automatically start a weather forecast app when a change in the weather is predicted based on the weather information. For example, the terminal device 10 may automatically start a weather forecast app when a change in the weather is predicted, and may display an icon badge BD or a speech bubble (upper speech bubble UB or lower speech bubble LB) attached to the icon IC to warn of the change in the weather.

7. Effects
As described above, the terminal device 10 (information processing device) according to the present application includes a receiving unit 32 for receiving weather information, and a display unit 12 for displaying a screen WF showing a weather forecast based on the weather information, and an action sheet AS relating to weather below the screen WF. The action sheet AS includes an icon IC for reporting a change in the weather. When a change in the weather is predicted, the display unit 12 displays information warning of the change in the weather in a format attached to the icon IC.

In addition, when a change in weather is predicted, the display unit 12 displays information warning of the change in weather as an icon IC badge BD attached to the icon IC.

And/or, when a change in weather is predicted, the display unit 12 displays information warning of the change in weather in the form of a speech bubble UB, LB attached to the icon IC.

For example, the display unit 12 displays a speech bubble UB associated with the icon IC above the icon IC.

Alternatively, the display unit 12 displays a speech bubble LB associated with the icon IC below the icon IC.

At this time, if the weather is expected to change after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present, the display unit 12 displays the expected time until the weather changes in a format attached to the icon IC.

In addition, when a weather change is expected, the display unit 12 displays the weather before the change on the icon IC, and displays the weather after the change in a format attached to the icon IC.

The display unit 12 also displays a label near the icon IC according to the weather indicated by the icon IC.

By using any one or a combination of the above-mentioned processes, the information processing device according to the present application can provide a new display method for changes in the weather. This makes it possible to visually convey information such as "when will it start raining" and "when will the rain stop."

8. Hardware Configuration
Moreover, the terminal device 10 and the information providing device 100 according to the above-described embodiment are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 10, for example. The information providing device 100 will be described below as an example. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output I/F (Interface) 1060, an input I/F 1070, and a network I/F 1080 are connected by a bus 1090.

The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and the secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The arithmetic device 1030 is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) that primarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like. The secondary storage device 1050 may be an internal storage device or an external storage device. The secondary storage device 1050 may be a removable storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The secondary storage device 1050 may be a cloud storage device (online storage device), a NAS (Network Attached Storage), a file server, or the like.

The output I/F 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a display, projector, printer, etc., and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (registered trademark) (High Definition Multimedia Interface). The input I/F 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, keyboard, keypad, button, scanner, etc., and is realized by a USB, etc.

In addition, the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070 may be wirelessly connected to the output device 1010 and the input device 1020, respectively. That is, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be wireless devices.

The output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be integrated together, such as a touch panel. In this case, the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070 may also be integrated together as an input/output I/F.

The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

The network I/F 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the computing device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the computing device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the information providing device 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 executes a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040 to realize the functions of the control unit 130. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also load a program acquired from another device via the network I/F 1080 onto the primary storage device 1040 and execute the loaded program. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also cooperate with other devices via the network I/F 1080 and use the functions and data of a program by calling them from other programs of the other devices.

[9. Other]
Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. The above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

Furthermore, 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 using known methods. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown in the drawings.

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 100 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.

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 processing system 10 Terminal device 11 Communication unit 12 Display unit 30 Control unit 31 Transmission unit 32 Reception unit 33 Processing unit 34 Display control unit 100 Information providing device 110 Communication unit 120 Storage unit 121 User information database 122 History information database 123 Weather information database 130 Control unit 131 Acquisition unit 132 Acceptance unit 133 Generation unit 134 Provision unit

Claims (10)

A receiving unit for receiving meteorological information;
a display unit that displays a screen showing a weather forecast based on the meteorological information and a weather-related action sheet below the screen,
the action sheet includes an icon conveying the weather ;
The information processing device is characterized in that the display unit displays the current or future weather on the icon when a change in weather is predicted, and displays a speech bubble accompanying the icon that warns of the change in weather. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit further displays, when a change in weather is predicted, an icon badge that warns of a change in weather as an icon badge attached to the icon. 3 . The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the display unit, when a change in weather is predicted, displays information warning of the change in weather by combining a speech bubble accompanying the icon with an icon badge. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a speech bubble associated with the icon above the icon. 5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a speech bubble associated with the icon below the icon. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, when the weather is predicted to change after a predetermined time has elapsed from the present, the display unit displays an expected time until the weather changes in a speech bubble attached to the icon. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, when a change in weather is predicted, the display unit displays the weather before the change on the icon, and displays the weather after the change as a speech bubble attached to the icon. 8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays a label in the vicinity of the icon according to the weather indicated by the icon. An information processing method executed by an information processing device,
A receiving step of receiving meteorological information;
a display step of displaying a screen showing a weather forecast and a weather-related action sheet below the screen based on the weather information,
the action sheet includes an icon conveying the weather ;
said display step displays the current or future weather on said icon when a change in weather is predicted, and displays a speech bubble accompanying said icon that warns of the change in weather. A receiving procedure for receiving weather information;
a display step of displaying a screen showing a weather forecast and a weather-related action sheet below the screen based on the weather information;
the action sheet includes an icon conveying the weather ;
and displaying, in the display step, if a change in weather is predicted, the current or future weather is displayed on the icon, and a speech bubble accompanying the icon warning of the change in weather is displayed.

Images