JP7628481B2 - Commercial slot allocation device, allocation method, and allocation program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a device, method, and program for allocating commercial slots.

Patent Document 1 describes an advertising space selection system for selecting an advertising space in a single advertising medium for each of a plurality of brands. This advertising space selection system has an advertising space data storage means, an input means, a selection means, and an output means. The advertising space data storage means stores data representing the acquisition cost for acquiring each advertising space, the number of spaces in each advertising space, and the contact probability for advertisements displayed in each advertising space, for each advertising space. The input means inputs, for each brand, the initial budget for each brand and optimization conditions for optimizing the selection of advertising spaces for each brand. The selection means selects advertising spaces for each brand in accordance with the input optimization conditions, based on the input budget, advertising space acquisition cost, number of spaces, and contact probability. The output means outputs information on the advertising spaces for each selected brand.

JP 2002-150107 A

However, Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of providing flexible and effective CM planning that matches client needs.

Therefore, one of the objectives of this disclosure is to provide a commercial slot allocation device, allocation method, and allocation program that can perform flexible and effective commercial planning that matches client needs.

A commercial slot allocation device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is characterized in having an input unit to which a commercial slot allocation request is input , and an acquisition unit that acquires allocation candidates for a mixed commercial slot that is a mixture of time commercial slots and spot commercial slots as the commercial slot in response to the commercial slot allocation request.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a commercial slot allocation device, allocation method, and allocation program that can perform flexible and effective commercial planning that matches client needs.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a CM slot allocation system according to an embodiment. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an internal configuration of a CM slot allocation device. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a quotation including only a spot CM frame. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first example of an estimate for a mixed CM in which a time CM frame is mixed with the spot CM frame of FIG. 3 . FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of an estimate for a mixed CM in which a time CM frame is mixed with the spot CM frame of FIG. 3 . 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of functional configurations of a client terminal, a broadcast distribution device, a viewer rating management device, a CM slot allocation device, and the like according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a client terminal, a broadcast distribution device, a viewer rating management device, a CM slot allocation device, and the like according to an embodiment.

For example, in television broadcasts, commercial messages (CMs) are broadcast as advertisements. In television CMs, messages are repeatedly conveyed through audio and video, giving viewers an impression of products, services, etc.

Television commercials are usually distributed through media time transactions, whereby advertising companies sell media time provided by television stations as advertising space to advertisers. Television commercials are broadly divided into time commercials and spot commercials.

A time commercial is a commercial that is broadcast during a program in exchange for the advertiser covering the program production costs, etc. (a commercial that is broadcast in a time slot that is bought and sold together with the program). A time commercial may also be called a program commercial, program commercial, sponsored commercial, etc.

Spot commercials are commercials that are not sponsored by the program and are mainly broadcast between programs (commercials broadcast in commercial time slots set by the TV station). Spot commercials are divided into station breaks (SB), which are broadcast between programs, and participation (PT) (or participating commercials), which are inserted into programs but are not indicated as sponsors.

Except for a few major companies, there is little experience with time commercials, and there are very high barriers for those wanting to use them as an advertising medium for the first time, both in terms of cost and business practices.

Spot commercials are comparatively more cost-effective than time commercials, so it can be said that the barrier to their use is low. Spot commercials are planned (purchased, estimated) based on household viewer ratings assuming a pre-determined advertising placement pattern. Ad placement patterns include, for example, an inverted L-shape, an all-day pattern, a square shape, a U-shape, a square shape, a late-night pattern, and an all-day daytime pattern.

As such, due to the difference in the nature of time commercials and spot commercials, there is a tendency for a clear distinction to be made between clients who use time commercials and clients who use spot commercials. And if there are unsold media slots for both time commercials and spot commercials, this will result in an unsatisfactory situation both in terms of advertising agency sales and in terms of effective use of media slots.

The inventors therefore came up with the idea of presenting clients with allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots (SPOT & TIME mix planning), which combine time commercial slots and spot commercial slots, in order to perform flexible and effective commercial planning that matches the client's needs. By having clients adopt (select) allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots, it is possible to reduce unsold time commercial slots and spot commercial slots, and to make effective use of time commercial slots and spot commercial slots.

For example, for advertising agency media slot salespeople, selling out time commercial slots as media slots is a heavy burden, and some of the time commercial slots may end up unsold. In this regard, according to the present disclosure, by using time commercial slots mixed into spot commercial slots, it is possible to prevent time commercial slots from going unsold and to make effective use of the time commercial slots.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, identical parts are given the same reference numerals. Since identical parts have the same names, functions, etc., detailed descriptions will not be repeated.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a commercial slot allocation system 1 according to one embodiment. The commercial slot allocation system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a client terminal (user terminal) 10, a broadcast distribution device 20, a viewership management device 30, and a commercial slot allocation device 40. The client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40 are connected to each other via a network 50. Furthermore, the commercial slot allocation method and allocation program according to one embodiment are realized by causing a computer (CPU: Central Processing Unit) included in the commercial slot allocation system 1 to execute various processing steps.

The above system configuration is an example and is not limited to this. For example, while FIG. 1 shows a configuration including one of each device, the number of each device is not limited to this and there may be multiple devices. The commercial slot allocation system 1 may be configured not to include some devices, or may be configured such that the functions of one device are realized by multiple devices.

The functions of multiple devices may be realized by one device. For example, at least two of the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40 may be implemented on one server.

The client terminal 10 is used to perform various input operations related to the allocation, selection, purchase, etc. of commercial slots, particularly time commercial slots, spot commercial slots, and mixed commercial slots that are a combination of time commercial slots and spot commercial slots, which will be described later.

The client terminal 10 may be a mobile terminal (mobile communication terminal) such as a mobile phone, smartphone, or tablet terminal, or may be a fixed communication terminal such as a personal computer (PC) or server. In other words, the client terminal 10 in this disclosure may be interpreted as a communication device.

The client terminal 10 may communicate with a network (such as the Internet) via wired and/or wireless (e.g., LTE (Long Term Evolution), NR (New Radio), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), etc.).

The broadcast distribution device 20 is a device that distributes broadcasts to a television (TV). Here, the television (television receiver) may be a device that has the function of receiving at least one of terrestrial broadcasts, broadcasts by a broadcasting satellite (BS)/communications satellite (CS), Internet broadcasts (Internet television), etc. For example, the television may be a multi-function television, a smart TV, an IP (Internet Protocol) TV, a set-top box, etc.

Broadcasting refers to the transmission of telecommunications intended for direct reception by the public, and may include radio broadcasting, Internet broadcasting, etc.

The viewership management device 30 is a device that tally up the actual viewership ratings of programs broadcast on television. The viewership ratings may be stored in a predetermined time unit (e.g., second, minute, hour). The viewership management device 30 may transmit information about the viewership ratings to other devices (e.g., commercial slot allocation device 40) via the network.

The viewership management device 30 may be, for example, a device managed by a television viewership surveyor. The viewership management device 30 may acquire and manage viewing history data from a measuring device connected to the television of a specific household (for example, a household cooperating in the survey). The viewership rate may be calculated or predicted from the data.

The viewership management device 30 may record viewership ratings (target individual viewership ratings) for each specified target (users who meet specified attributes).

In this disclosure, the targets are assumed to be the gender and age categories used in the field of marketing (C (Child) demographic, T (Teen) demographic, M (Male) 1-M3 demographic, F (Female) 1-F3 demographic), but are not limited to these classifications.

Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a commercial slot allocation device 40.

The commercial slot allocation device 40 has an input unit 41, an acquisition unit 42, a presentation unit 43, and an allocation unit 44.

The input unit 41 receives, for example, a request for allocation of a CM slot from the client terminal 10. The request for allocation of a CM slot may be, for example, at least one of a request for allocation of a time CM slot and a request for allocation of a spot CM slot. The request for allocation of a CM slot includes a target GRP (Gross Rating Point). The target GRP may be read as a designated GRP. GRP means a total viewership rating (household viewership rating), and is calculated by measuring the household viewership rating during the time period in which a TV CM is broadcast every time a TV CM is broadcast, and totaling the household viewership ratings for a certain period (for example, one week). In this specification, the price (cost) of a CM slot (time CM slot, spot CM slot, mixed CM slot) may mean a cost per rating (Cost Per Rating) indicating the fee per 1 GRP (1%) of viewership rating. The request for allocation of a time CM slot may include the name of the program to be targeted, the purchase price, and other specific information. A spot advertising slot allocation request may include, for example, the purchase price ratio for each region and each station and other specific information.

The acquisition unit 42 acquires allocation candidates for a mixed commercial slot (SPOT & TIME mix planning) that is a combination of time commercial slots and spot commercial slots as a commercial slot in response to a commercial slot allocation request input to the input unit 41.

More specifically, when a spot CM slot allocation request is input to the input unit 41, the acquisition unit 42 acquires allocation candidates for a mixed CM slot that is a mixture of a spot CM slot and a time CM slot, in addition to allocation candidates for the spot CM slot. In this case, the acquisition unit 42 can acquire allocation candidates for the mixed CM slot such that the price of the allocation candidate for the mixed CM slot is lower than the price of the allocation candidate for the spot CM slot, on the premise that the target GRP is reached or a requirement equivalent thereto is achieved. This makes it possible to reduce the total cost for acquiring the target GRP more than the client assumed when inputting the spot CM slot allocation request. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 42 can acquire allocation candidates for the mixed CM slot such that the price of the allocation candidate for the mixed CM slot is within a predetermined range (e.g., ±5%) of the price of the allocation candidate for the spot CM slot.

Furthermore, the acquisition unit 42 can determine what type of time commercial slots to mix with the spot commercial slots based on the purchase price ratios for each region and station included in the spot commercial slot allocation request, and acquire allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots that mix spot commercial slots with time commercial slots.

On the other hand, when a time CM slot allocation request is input to the input unit 41, the acquisition unit 42 acquires allocation candidates for a mixed CM slot, which is a mixture of a time CM slot and a spot CM slot, in addition to the allocation candidates for the time CM slot. In this case, the acquisition unit 42 can acquire allocation candidates for the mixed CM slot such that the price of the allocation candidate for the mixed CM slot is lower than the price of the allocation candidate for the time CM slot, on the premise that the target GRP is reached or a requirement equivalent thereto is achieved. This makes it possible to reduce the total cost for acquiring the target GRP more than the client assumed when inputting the time CM slot allocation request. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 42 can acquire allocation candidates for the mixed CM slot such that the price of the allocation candidate for the mixed CM slot is within a predetermined range (e.g., ±5%) of the price of the allocation candidate for the time CM slot.

In this way, with mixed CM slots (SPOT & TIME mix planning), the total cost to acquire the target GRP can be lower than the client assumed when requesting allocation of CM slots. For example, this is achieved by mixing (substituting) a time CM slot with a spot CM slot when the price of the time CM slot for a particular program is lower than the price of the spot CM slot. Another reason is that the unit price (cost) per GRP is likely to increase because the ratio (share of purchase price) of the TV station is specified for the spot CM slot. In other words, since the share of the spot CM for each TV station is specified, the relatively expensive spot CM slot is also purchased. Therefore, the overall GRP unit price (price per GRP) of the spot CM slot becomes higher. In comparison, if the price of the time CM slot is low, it is possible to lower the total cost to acquire the target GRP by mixing (substituting) the time CM slot.

In the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slots acquired by the acquisition unit 42, the allocation time per unit commercial in the time commercial slot may be set to be longer than the allocation time per unit commercial in the spot commercial slot. For example, the allocation time per unit commercial in the time commercial slot may be 30 seconds, and the allocation time per unit commercial in the spot commercial slot may be 15 seconds.

The presentation unit 43 presents the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slots acquired by the acquisition unit 42, for example by displaying information on the display of the client terminal 10. When a request for allocation of a time commercial slot is input to the input unit 41, the presentation unit 43 presents the allocation candidates for the time commercial slots and the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slots in a comparable manner. At that time, the presentation unit 43 may present the prices of the allocation candidates for the time commercial slots and the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slots in a comparable manner. When a request for allocation of a spot commercial slot is input to the input unit 41, the presentation unit 43 presents the allocation candidates for the spot commercial slots and the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slots in a comparable manner. At that time, the presentation unit 43 may present the prices of the allocation candidates for the spot commercial slots and the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slots in a comparable manner.

The allocation unit 44 officially allocates (confirms the purchase) the allocation candidate for the mixed commercial slot selected by operation of the client terminal 10 from among the allocation candidates for the mixed commercial slot presented by the presentation unit 43. When a request for allocation of a time commercial slot is input to the input unit 41, the allocation unit 44 officially allocates (confirms the purchase) the allocation candidate for the commercial slot selected by operation of the client terminal 10 from among the allocation candidates for the time commercial slot and mixed commercial slot presented by the presentation unit 43. When a request for allocation of a spot commercial slot is input to the input unit 41, the allocation unit 44 officially allocates (confirms the purchase) the allocation candidate for the commercial slot selected by operation of the client terminal 10 from among the allocation candidates for the spot commercial slot and mixed commercial slot presented by the presentation unit 43.

So far, the case has been described in which the request for allocation of a commercial slot from the client terminal 10 is a request for allocation of a time commercial slot or a spot commercial slot. In contrast, if the request for allocation of a commercial slot from the client terminal 10 is a request for a mixed commercial slot that mixes time commercial slots and spot commercial slots, then in response to this mixed commercial slot request, multiple mixed commercial slot allocation candidates that are optimized based on various perspectives in terms of parameters such as the degree of mixing, ratio, and price of the time commercial slots and spot commercial slots may be obtained and presented, and a mixed commercial slot selected from them may be officially allocated (the purchase may be confirmed).

Here, we will explain the relationship between the advertising reach rate of 15-second and 30-second materials. Generally, if you increase the ratio of 30-second materials (which are often used mainly in time commercial slots), the advertising reach rate tends to decrease. Also, when you look at the effective frequency of 15-second and 30-second materials, 30-second materials have a stronger impact than 15-second materials, so there is a tendency for fewer exposures to be required before the commercial becomes known (for example, 5-6 exposures with 15-second materials compared to 30-second materials).

We will also explain the relationship between advertising awareness rates of 15-second and 30-second materials. Generally, 15-second materials are easier to gain advertising awareness rates than 30-second materials, but because the effective frequency is lower, the difference in advertising awareness rates between 15-second and 30-second materials tends to narrow. Also, when we look at the relationship between TV commercial awareness rates (%) and favorability (%) for 15-second and 30-second materials, we see that TV commercial awareness has a greater impact on favorability for 30-second materials than for 15-second materials.

As such, there are differences between 30-second materials, which are often used mainly in time commercial slots, and 15-second materials, which are often used mainly in spot commercial slots, in terms of advertising reach rate, effective frequency, advertising awareness rate, TV commercial awareness rate, favorability, etc. Furthermore, 30-second materials are generally more expensive than 15-second materials. Therefore, 15-second and 30-second materials each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages.

By the way, there are two methods for delivering produced commercial material to a TV station: physically delivering storage media or posting a commercial data file online. Each method has different deadlines for delivery to the TV station and points to keep in mind when creating the material to be delivered. There are also two airing formats for commercials: time and spot, and the information that must be decided and provided differs for each format.

We will also explain the costs incurred from the completion of the commercial material until it is delivered to the TV station. In the case of a time commercial, once it is delivered to the one station that broadcasts the sponsored program, the commercial will be aired on all stations that broadcast that program, but in the case of a spot commercial, the commercial material needs to be delivered individually to all stations that will broadcast the commercial. For this reason, for time commercials, which often have only a few stations that deliver the material, it is often cheaper to deliver the material physically, while for spot commercials, which have many stations that deliver the material, it is often cheaper to deliver the data.

Therefore, when acquiring allocation candidates for a mixed CM slot that is a mixture of time CM slots and spot CM slots, the acquisition unit 42 of the CM slot allocation device 40 preferably calculates the delivery cost for each of the time CM slots and spot CM slots by dividing the cases into physical delivery and data delivery and a combination of these. In this case, when the presentation unit 43 of the CM slot allocation device 40 presents the allocation candidates for a mixed CM slot that is a mixture of time CM slots and spot CM slots, it preferably presents the delivery cost for each of the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots (each of the time CM slots and spot CM slots) together. In this way, by making it possible to select (purchase) one of the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots based on the delivery cost of the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots in addition to the price of the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots (the price of the CM itself), it is possible to further improve convenience for clients.

Figure 3 shows an example of a quotation consisting of only spot CM slots. In the example of Figure 3, quotation for spot CM slots of five TV stations AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, EEE in X area (e.g. prefecture unit), and five TV stations FFF, GGG, HHH, III, JJJ in Y area (e.g. prefecture unit) are shown. In the example of Figure 3, the target GRP is set to 1000 GRP. For each TV station in each area, the cost (unit price per GRP), the ordered GRP (actual GRP compared to the target GRP), the ordered amount (calculated by multiplying the cost and the ordered GRP), and the share (ratio of purchase price for each region and station) are specified. The share (how much money to invest in which station in which region) is included in the spot CM slot allocation request and specified.

Spot commercial slots are allocated, for example, as follows: The budget allocated for advertising and optimization conditions for optimizing the selection of television broadcast advertising slots such as spot slots are input for each brand, and advertising slots for each brand are selected in accordance with the optimization conditions based on the budget, the cost of acquiring the advertising slots, the number of slots, and the contact probability. In addition, under conditions such as the budget, the cost of acquiring the advertising slots, and the number of advertising slots, advertising slots for each brand are automatically selected so that optimization indices such as reach, GRP (gross rating point), and TRP (target rating point) are maximized when the optimization conditions are followed.

Figure 4 shows a first example of an estimate for a mixed commercial (SPOT & TIME mix planning) that mixes the spot commercial slots in Figure 3 with time commercial slots.

In the example of Figure 4, the order GRP and order amount for spot commercials to the five TV stations AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, and EEE in the X area are compressed without changing the cost and share (the order GRP is compressed from 1000.0 to 900.0, and the order amount is compressed from 100,000,000 to 90,000,000). Instead, programs KKK and LLL are added as time commercial slots, and the acquired GRP (70.0) and order amount (7,000,000) of program KKK, and the acquired GRP (30.0) and order amount (3,000,000) of program LLL make up for the compressed amount of spot commercials.

In the example of Figure 4, the order GRP and order amount for spot commercials to the five TV stations FFF, GGG, HHH, III, and JJJ in area Y are compressed without changing the cost and share (the order GRP is compressed from 1000.0 to 900.0, and the order amount is compressed from 50,000,000 to 45,000,000). Instead, programs MMM and NNN are added as time commercial slots, and the acquired GRP (40.0) and order amount (2,000,000) of program MMM, and the acquired GRP (60.0) and order amount (3,000,000) of program NNN compensate for the compressed amount of spot commercials.

Figure 5 shows a second example of an estimate for a mixed commercial (SPOT & TIME mix planning) that mixes the spot commercial slots in Figure 3 with time commercial slots.

In the example of Figure 5, the order GRP and order amount for spot commercials to the five TV stations AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD, and EEE in the X area are compressed without changing the cost and share (the order GRP is compressed from 1000.0 to 800.0, and the order amount is compressed from 100,000,000 to 80,000,000). Instead, programs OOO, PPP, and QQQ are added as time commercial slots, and the acquired GRP (90.0) and order amount (9,000,000) of program OOO, the acquired GRP (70.0) and order amount (7,000,000) of program PPP, and the acquired GRP (40.0) and order amount (4,000,000) of program QQQ make up for the compressed amount of spot commercials.

In the example of FIG. 5, the order GRP and order amount for spot commercials for the five TV stations FFF, GGG, HHH, III, and JJJ in the Y area are compressed without changing the cost and share (the order GRP is compressed from 1000.0 to 800.0, and the order amount is compressed from 50,000,000 to 40,000,000). Instead, the programs RRR, SSS, and TTT are added as time commercial slots, and the acquired GRP (30.0) and order amount (1,500,000) of the program RRR, the acquired GRP (120.0) and order amount (6,000,000) of the program SSS, and the acquired GRP (50.0) and order amount (2,500,000) of the program TTT compensate for the compressed amount of spot commercials.

For example, when a spot commercial slot allocation request is input to the input unit 41, the acquisition unit 42 of the commercial slot allocation device 40 acquires allocation candidates (estimates) for mixed commercial slots that mix spot commercial slots with time commercial slots, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, in addition to allocation candidates (estimates) for spot commercial slots as shown in Figure 3. At this time, the acquisition unit 42 of the commercial slot allocation device 40 acquires allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots such that the price (estimate) of the allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots (e.g., Figures 4 and 5) is lower than the price (estimate) of the allocation candidates for spot commercial slots (e.g., Figure 3).

In addition, in Figures 3 to 5, the acquisition unit 42 of the CM slot allocation device 40 can determine what type of time CM slot to mix with the spot CM slot based on the purchase price ratio (share) for each region and each station included in the spot CM slot allocation request, and can acquire allocation candidates for a mixed CM slot that mixes a spot CM slot with a time CM slot.

In this way, the commercial slot allocation device, allocation method, and allocation program of this embodiment obtain allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots (SPOT & TIME mix planning), which are a mix of time commercial slots and spot commercial slots, in response to a commercial slot allocation request. This allows for flexible and effective commercial planning that matches client needs.

Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, by presenting allocation candidates for mixed commercial slots that are a combination of time commercial slots and spot commercial slots to a client and having the client adopt (select) them, it becomes possible to create the following cycle of (1) to (4).
(1) Carry out effective TV planning (CM planning) that matches client needs.
(2) For advertising agency media time slot salespeople, this will enable them to eliminate losses caused by unsold time commercial slots and create time that previously was required to sell off time commercial slots.
(3) By creating time, advertising agency media salespeople can expect to improve their purchasing and procurement power for media slots.
(4) It is possible to increase client satisfaction with TV planning (CM planning) and improve the productivity of the advertising agency as a whole.

The commercial slot allocation device, allocation method, and allocation program shown in the above-described embodiment are exemplified as being applied to television commercials, but are not limited to this. The above-described embodiment of the present disclosure may also be applied to radio commercials, commercials distributed over the Internet, and the like. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the above-described embodiment by reinterpreting the explanations. For example, when applied to radio commercials, the viewership rating in the present disclosure may be interpreted as the audience rating.

In this disclosure, "GRP" may be interpreted as any other indicator related to total viewership.

This disclosure also covers content in which "viewership rate" is interpreted as a specific indicator (or the degree of improvement of a specific indicator, offset, etc.). The specific indicator may be an indicator for judging the effectiveness of advertising, or an intermediate indicator for improving the advertiser's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and may include, for example, awareness rate, reach, ROAS (Return On Advertising Spend), ROI (Return on Investment), etc. At least a part of the description of "viewership rate" may be interpreted as any of the above specific indicators.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40 according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40 each have a control unit 110, a memory unit 120, a communication unit 130, an input unit 140, and an output unit 150. Note that FIG. 6 shows an example of the functional blocks of the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40, and they may have other functional blocks not shown in FIG. 6. In addition, they may be configured not to include some of the functional blocks.

The control unit 110 controls the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40. The control unit 110 can be configured as a controller, a control circuit, or a control device that is described based on a common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention.

The memory unit 120 stores information used by the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40. The memory unit 120 can be configured, for example, with a memory, storage, storage device, etc. that are described based on a common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention.

The communication unit 130 performs communication (e.g., mutual communication) between the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40. The communication unit 130 can be configured with a transmitter/receiver, a transmission/reception circuit, or a transmission/reception device that is described based on a common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention. The communication unit 130 may be configured with a transmission unit and a reception unit.

The input unit 140 accepts inputs from the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40. The input unit 140 may also be connected to a specific device, storage medium, etc., and accept data input. The input unit 140 may output the input results to, for example, the control unit 110. The input unit 140 may be configured with input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, and buttons, input/output terminals, input/output circuits, etc., which are described based on common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention. The input unit 140 may also be configured as an integrated unit with a display unit (for example, a touch panel).

The output unit 150 performs output in the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, and the commercial slot allocation device 40. For example, the output unit 150 may be configured to include a display unit that displays images, an audio output unit that outputs audio, and the like. The display unit may be configured, for example, by a display device such as a display or monitor that is described based on a common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention. Furthermore, the audio output unit may be configured by an output device such as a speaker that is described based on a common understanding in the technical field related to the present invention.

The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and/or software. Furthermore, the means of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized by a single device that is physically connected, or may be realized by two or more physically separate devices that are connected by wire or wirelessly.

For example, the devices (client terminal 10, broadcast distribution device 20, viewership management device 30, commercial slot allocation device 40, etc.) in one embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs the commercial slot allocation process of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the client terminal 10, broadcast distribution device 20, viewership management device 30, commercial slot allocation device 40, etc. in one embodiment. The above-mentioned client terminal 10, broadcast distribution device 20, viewership management device 30, commercial slot allocation device 40, etc. may be physically configured as a computer device including a processor 1001, memory 1002, storage 1003, communication device 1004, input device 1005, output device 1006, bus 1007, etc.

In this disclosure, the terms apparatus, circuit, device, unit, server, etc. may be interchangeable. The hardware configurations of the client terminal 10, broadcast distribution device 20, viewership management device 30, and commercial slot allocation device 40 may be configured to include one or more of the devices shown in the figures, or may be configured to exclude some of the devices.

For example, although only one processor 1001 is shown, there may be multiple processors. Furthermore, processing may be performed by one processor, or processing may be performed by two or more processors simultaneously, sequentially, or using other techniques. Furthermore, the processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips.

The functions of the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, the commercial slot allocation device 40, etc. are realized by loading specific software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations and control communication via the communication device 1004, and the reading and/or writing of data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003, etc.

The processor 1001, for example, operates an operating system to control the entire computer. The processor 1001 may be configured as a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. Each unit, such as the control unit 110 described above, may be realized by the processor 1001.

The processor 1001 also reads out programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002, and executes various processes according to these. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, the control unit 110 may be realized by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be made for other functional blocks.

The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of, for example, at least one of a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), an EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or other suitable storage medium. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory, or the like. The memory 1002 may store executable programs (program codes), software modules, and the like for implementing a method according to one embodiment.

Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be composed of at least one of a flexible disk, a floppy disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk (CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM)), a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a removable disk, a hard disk drive, a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a magnetic stripe, a database, a server, and other suitable storage media. Storage 1003 may be called an auxiliary storage device. Note that the above-mentioned storage unit 120 may be realized by memory 1002 and/or storage 1003.

The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission/reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 1004 may include a SIM card. The above-mentioned communication unit 130 may be realized by the communication device 1004.

The input device 1005 is an input device (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (e.g., a display, a speaker, etc.) that performs output to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one (e.g., a touch panel). The above-mentioned input unit 140 and output unit 150 may be realized by the input device 1005 and the output device 1006, respectively.

In addition, each device such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002 is connected by a bus 1008 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured as a single bus, or may be configured with different buses between the devices.

In addition, the client terminal 10, the broadcast distribution device 20, the viewership management device 30, the commercial slot allocation device 40, etc. may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented by at least one of these pieces of hardware.

(Modification)
In addition, terms explained in this disclosure and/or terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, may be expressed using relative values from a predetermined value, or may be expressed using other corresponding information. Furthermore, the names used for parameters, etc. in this disclosure are not limiting in any way.

The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

Information, signals, etc. may be input and output via multiple network nodes. The input and output information, signals, etc. may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or may be managed using a table. The input and output information, signals, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information, signals, etc. may be deleted. Input information, signals, etc. may be transmitted to another device.

In addition, notification of specific information (e.g., notification that "X is the case") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., by not notifying the specific information or by notifying other information).

Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted and received via at least one of a transmission medium and a signal waveform. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) and wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included within the definition of a transmission medium.

As used in this disclosure, the terms "system" and "network" may be used interchangeably.

Each aspect/embodiment described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched between depending on the implementation. In addition, the processing procedures, sequences, flow charts, etc. of each aspect/embodiment described in this disclosure may be rearranged as long as there is no inconsistency. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an exemplary order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

Any reference to elements using designations such as "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must precede the second element in some way.

When the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are used in this disclosure, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Additionally, the term "or," as used in this disclosure, is not intended to be an exclusive or.

In this disclosure, where articles have been added through translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

Although the invention disclosed herein has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the invention disclosed herein is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The invention disclosed herein can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the disclosure is intended as an illustrative example and does not impose any limiting meaning on the invention disclosed herein.

1 CM slot allocation system 10 Client terminal (user terminal)
20 Broadcast distribution device 30 Viewer rating management device 40 Commercial frame allocation device 41 Input unit 42 Acquisition unit 43 Presentation unit 44 Allocation unit 50 Network

Claims (8)

an input unit for inputting a request for allocation of a CM slot;
an acquisition unit that acquires, in response to the CM slot allocation request, allocation candidates for a mixed CM slot that is a mixture of a time CM slot and a spot CM slot as the CM slot;
A CM slot allocation device comprising: the CM frame allocation request is a spot CM frame allocation request,
the acquisition unit acquires, in addition to the allocation candidates for the spot CM slots, allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots obtained by mixing the spot CM slots with the time CM slots;
2. The CM slot allocation device according to claim 1. the acquisition unit acquires the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots such that a price of the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots is lower than a price of the allocation candidates for the spot CM slots.
3. The CM slot allocation device according to claim 2. the request for allocation of the CM slot is a request for allocation of the time CM slot,
the acquisition unit acquires, in addition to the allocation candidates for the time CM slots, allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots obtained by mixing the spot CM slots with the time CM slots;
2. The CM slot allocation device according to claim 1. the acquisition unit acquires the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots such that a price of the allocation candidates for the mixed CM slots is lower than a price of the allocation candidates for the time CM slots.
5. The CM slot allocation device according to claim 4. The time allocated per unit CM in the time CM frame is longer than the time allocated per unit CM in the spot CM frame.
6. The CM slot allocation device according to claim 1, an input step of inputting a request for allocation of a CM slot;
an acquisition step of acquiring, in response to the request for allocation of the CM slot, an allocation candidate of a mixed CM slot, which is a mixture of a time CM slot and a spot CM slot, as the CM slot;
A method for allocating a CM slot, comprising the steps of: an input step of inputting a request for allocation of a CM slot;
an acquisition step of acquiring, in response to the request for allocation of the CM slot, an allocation candidate of a mixed CM slot, which is a mixture of a time CM slot and a spot CM slot, as the CM slot;
A CM slot allocation program that causes a computer to execute the above steps.

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