JP7796580B2 - Content providing system, content providing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a content provision system, a content provision method, and a program.

Conventionally, technologies have been developed for information sharing in social network groups that enable users to associate new content items with geographic locations and place new content items close to geographic locations on a map (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 6184967

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 does not allow users to grasp the traffic situation at a geographical location associated with the content. As a result, conventional technology may not be able to provide users of content associated with a geographical location with sufficient information about the situation at that geographical location. In other words, conventional content provision services that provide content associated with a geographical location may not necessarily provide users with a highly convenient service.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a content provision system, content provision method, and program that enables the provision of more convenient services to users in relation to a content provision service that provides content in association with a geographical location.

The content providing system, content providing method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configuration.
(1): A content provision system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an image registration unit that acquires data including at least an image and geographical information regarding the location where the image was taken from a user's terminal device and registers the image by associating and recording the image with the geographical information, and a content provision unit that generates content data for providing content that displays information regarding the image registered by the image registration unit at a position on a map corresponding to the geographical information and supplies the content data to the terminal device.

(2): In the aspect (1) above, a traffic information acquisition unit is further provided that acquires traffic information indicating traffic conditions at each location shown on the map, and the content providing unit generates the content data so that information about the image is displayed on the map together with the traffic conditions at the image capture location.

(3): In the aspect (2) above, the system further includes a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information, including position information of each vehicle, from a group of vehicles traveling within the area shown on the map, and the traffic information acquisition unit acquires traffic information for each location shown on the map based on the vehicle information acquired from the group of vehicles.

(4): In the aspect (3) above, the traffic information acquisition unit acquires traffic volume at each location within the map based on the vehicle information, and acquires information indicating the acquired traffic volume as the traffic information.

(5): In the aspect (4) above, the content provider generates the content data so that the display mode of the content on the map on the terminal device can be switched depending on the traffic volume.

(6): In the aspect (5) above, the content provider generates the content data so that information about the image can be switched between displayed and hidden for locations where the traffic volume is equal to or greater than a threshold.

(7): In the above aspect (5) or (6), the content provider generates the content data so that information about the image can be switched between displayed and hidden for locations where the traffic volume is below the threshold.

(8) A content providing method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: acquiring, by one or more computers, data including at least an image and geographical information relating to a location where the image was captured from a user's terminal device; and registering the image by recording the image in association with the geographical information;
The content data for providing content to display information about the registered image at a position on a map corresponding to the geographical information is generated and supplied to the terminal device.

(9): A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes one or more computers to acquire data including at least an image and geographical information relating to the location where the image was captured from a user's terminal device, register the image by recording the image in association with the geographical information, and generate content data for providing content that displays information about the registered image at a position on a map corresponding to the geographical information, and supply the content data to the terminal device.

According to aspects (1) to (9), data including at least an image and geographical information related to the location where the image was taken is obtained from a user's terminal device, the image is registered by recording the image in association with the geographical information, and content data is generated from information related to the registered image to provide content that is displayed at a location on a map corresponding to the geographical information, and the generated content data is supplied to the terminal device. This makes it possible to provide users with a more convenient content provision service that provides content in association with a geographical location.

1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a system configuration of a content providing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a content server according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of registered image data. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of traffic information. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a traffic information server according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a user terminal device according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of a content screen. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow relating to a process up to registration of image data acquired by a user terminal device in a content server in the content providing system of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow in which a content server provides content data to a user terminal device in the content providing system of the embodiment. FIG.

Embodiments of the content provision system, content provision method, and program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the system configuration of a content provision system 1 according to an embodiment. The content provision system 1 includes, for example, a content server 100 and a traffic information server 200. The content server 100 is a server device for a service that provides users with content associated with geographical locations. The traffic information server 200 is a server device for a service that provides traffic information. The traffic information server 200 provides traffic information to the content server 100. The traffic information is information indicating traffic conditions related to a geographical location. In this embodiment, the traffic information server 200 is capable of providing traffic information for at least a range of geographical locations that can be associated with the content provided by the content server 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "service range"). The content server 100 and the traffic information server 200 can communicate with each other via a network NW. For example, the content server 100 and the traffic information server 200 are connected to the network NW via wired communication. The content server 100 and the traffic information server 200 can also communicate with a vehicle fleet 300 and a user terminal device 400 via the network NW. The network NW may include a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, a mobile communication network, a cellular network, etc.

The vehicle group 300 is a collection of one or more vehicles M1-Mn (n is an integer greater than or equal to 1) traveling within a service area. Each of the vehicles M1-Mn belonging to the vehicle group 300 has communication capabilities and can communicate with the traffic information server 200 via the network NW. For example, the vehicles M1-Mn connect to the network NW via wireless communication. Each of the vehicles M1-Mn transmits vehicle information indicating its own traveling status to the traffic information server 200. For example, the vehicle information may be FCD data (floating car data). For example, the vehicle information includes at least information indicating the time and the vehicle's position at that time. In addition, the vehicle information may include information such as the vehicle's identification information, vehicle type, speed, destination, and traveling route. The traffic information server 200 generates traffic information based on the vehicle information provided by the vehicle group 300 and provides the generated traffic information to the content server 100 as needed. The traffic information may include the vehicle information itself or various statistical information obtained based on the vehicle information. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, vehicles M1 to Mn may be collectively referred to as vehicle group 300.

The user terminal device 400 is a terminal device used by a user to use the content provision service. The user terminal device 400 has communication capabilities and can communicate with the content server 100 via the network NW. For example, the user terminal device 400 connects to the network NW via wireless communication. The user terminal device 400 downloads (receives) and plays (e.g., displays) content data from the content server 100 in response to user operations, and also associates image data to be registered in the content provision service with a geographical location in response to user operations and uploads it to the content server 100.

The content server 100 registers image data uploaded (transmitted) from the user terminal device 400 in the content provision service by storing the image data in association with the geographical location associated with the image data. Meanwhile, the content server 100 provides content data in response to requests from the user terminal device 400. Specifically, the content server 100 holds map data of the service area, and generates content data to be provided to users based on this map data and the image data registered in the content provision service. More specifically, the content server 100 generates content data for displaying image data in association with the registered location on the map of the service area, and transmits it to the user terminal device 400. Here, the registered location is the geographical location associated with the image data when it was registered in the content provision service.

Furthermore, the content server 100 of this embodiment generates content data for displaying traffic information provided by the traffic information server 200 on a map of the service area and transmits it to the user terminal device 400. With the content provision system 1 of this embodiment configured in this way, the user can visually recognize the registered location of image data registered within the service area by using the content data played on the user terminal device 400, and can also visually recognize the traffic conditions related to that registered location. In other words, the content provision system 1 of this embodiment can provide users with a more convenient content provision service that provides content associated with a geographical location.

The configuration of the content provision system 1 according to an embodiment that can achieve these effects is described in more detail below.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the content server 100 in an embodiment. The content server 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130. These components are implemented by a hardware processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance on a storage device (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory, or may be stored on a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed by inserting the storage medium into a drive.

The communication unit 110 is a communication interface that connects the content server 100 to the network NW. The communication unit 110 communicates with the traffic information server 200 and the user terminal device 400 via the network NW. For example, the communication unit 110 is a NIC (Network Interface Card) for Ethernet (registered trademark), LAN, etc.

The memory unit 120 includes a storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory. The memory unit 120 stores, for example, map data 121, registered image data 122, and traffic information 123. The map data 121 is data for displaying a map of an area including the service area. The registered image data 122 is data for managing image data registered in the content provision service in association with the registered location. The traffic information 123 is traffic information supplied from the traffic information server 200. In addition to this information, the memory unit 120 may store any information necessary for providing service content.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of registered image data 122. Registered image data 122 is a table in which information such as an image ID, registered image data, and registered location are associated. The image ID is identification information for an image registered in the content provision service (hereinafter referred to as a "registered image"). For example, the image ID is determined by the content server 100 at the time of registration in the content provision service. Registered image data is image data for the registered image. In Figure 3, the entry "[abc12345.jpg]" schematically indicates that the image data itself of the registered image identified by the image ID "abc12345.jpg" is held. The registered location is a geographical location associated with the registered image. The registered location may be a specific point or a range. Furthermore, the registered location may be represented by numerical values such as latitude, longitude, and radius, or may be represented by an address or the name of a facility or the like whose location is specified in advance.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of traffic information 123. Traffic information 123 is a table in which information such as observation location, observation timing, first traffic volume, and second traffic volume are associated. The observation location represents the location where the traffic conditions indicated by the corresponding record were observed. The observation location may be a specific point or a range. The observation location may also be represented by numerical values such as latitude, longitude, and radius, or by an address or the name of a facility whose location has been specified in advance. The observation location is typically a specific point on a road or a specific road section. The observation timing represents the timing when the corresponding traffic conditions were observed. The observation timing may be in units of any period (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, etc.) depending on the traffic conditions being observed. The first traffic volume and the second traffic volume are examples of observed traffic conditions.

For example, the first and second traffic volumes shown in Figure 4 represent the number of vehicles passing through a given point on a two-lane road during a given period of time, as an example of traffic conditions. For example, the first traffic volume represents the number of vehicles traveling in the first lane, and the second traffic volume represents the number of vehicles traveling in the second lane opposite the first lane. The example in Figure 4 shows that the first traffic volume was 100 vehicles/minute and the second traffic volume was 10 vehicles/minute. This example shows that at the observation time of "12:28 PM on January 27, 2022," the first lane was relatively congested and the second lane was relatively empty. As another example, by comparing traffic volumes over a given period between observation locations, it is possible to detect popular and unpopular spots, as well as famous spots that are not often visited by people (so-called hidden gems). As another example, by comparing traffic volumes over different periods at the same observation location, it is possible to detect the best time to visit that location.

Returning to Figure 2, we will now explain the control unit 130 of the content server 100. The control unit 130 controls each unit of the content server 100 to provide content data to the user terminal device 400. The control unit 130 includes, for example, an image registration unit 131, a traffic information acquisition unit 132, and a content provision unit 133.

The image registration unit 131 has the function of registering an image provided by a user in the content provision service by associating the image with a geographical location (registration location) specified by the user. Specifically, the image registration unit 131 acquires the image data to be registered and information about the registration location to associate with the image data from the user terminal device 400, and stores the image data in the storage unit 120 in association with the registration location information. For example, in the example of Figure 3, the image registration unit 131 assigns an image ID to the acquired image data, associates the image ID, image data, and latitude and longitude information indicating the registration location, and registers the image data in the registered image data 122.

The traffic information acquisition unit 132 acquires traffic information from the traffic information server 200 and stores it in the storage unit 120. The traffic information acquisition unit 132 may acquire traffic information at any timing, and may update the traffic information at any timing. For example, the traffic information acquisition unit 132 may periodically acquire the latest traffic information from the traffic information server 200, or may receive an update notification from the traffic information server 200 and request new traffic information from the traffic information server 200.

The content providing unit 133 has the function of supplying content data to the user terminal device 400 in response to a content provision request from the user terminal device 400. Specifically, when the content providing unit 133 receives a content provision request from the user terminal device 400, it generates content data to be supplied to the user terminal device 400 based on the map data 121, registered image data 122, and traffic information 123, and transmits the generated content data to the user terminal device 400 that issued the request.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the traffic information server 200 in an embodiment. The traffic information server 200 includes, for example, a communication unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a control unit 230. These components are implemented by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed by inserting the storage medium into a drive.

The communication unit 210 is a communication interface that connects the traffic information server 200 to the network NW. The communication unit 210 communicates with the content server 100 and the vehicle fleet 300 via the network NW. For example, the communication unit 210 is a NIC such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or LAN.

The memory unit 220 includes a storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory. The memory unit 220 stores, for example, vehicle group information 221 and traffic information 222. The vehicle group information 221 is a collection of vehicle information acquired from each vehicle in the vehicle group 300. The traffic information 222 is information acquired based on the vehicle information collected from the vehicle group 300, and is information indicating traffic conditions at geographical locations within the service area.

The control unit 230 controls each unit of the traffic information server 200 to realize the function of providing traffic information in response to a request from the content server 100. The control unit 230 includes, for example, a vehicle information acquisition unit 231, a traffic information generation unit 232, and a traffic information provision unit 233. The vehicle information acquisition unit 231 collects vehicle information from each vehicle in the vehicle group 300 and stores the collected vehicle information in the memory unit 220 as vehicle group information 221.

The traffic information generation unit 232 generates traffic information based on the vehicle group information 221 and stores the generated traffic information in the storage unit 220 as traffic information 222. For example, the traffic information generation unit 232 may generate traffic information by referencing the vehicle group information 221 and performing various statistical processes based on the vehicle information acquired from each vehicle in the vehicle group 300. For example, the traffic information generation unit 232 may acquire the traffic volume in each location within the service area as traffic information.

The traffic information providing unit 233 has the function of supplying traffic information to the user terminal device 400 in response to a traffic information request from the user terminal device 400. For example, when the traffic information providing unit 233 receives a traffic information request from the user terminal device 400, it references the vehicle group information 221 in the storage unit 220, obtains the necessary information, and transmits it to the user terminal device 400. The traffic information providing unit 233 may provide the entire vehicle group information 221, or may extract and provide information in response to the request from the vehicle group information 221.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a user terminal device 400 in an embodiment. The user terminal device 400 includes, for example, a communication unit 410, a storage unit 420, an input unit 430, an output unit 440, a location information acquisition unit 450, an imaging unit 460, and a control unit 470. These components are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium), or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed by inserting the storage medium into a drive.

The communication unit 410 is a communication interface that connects the user terminal device 400 to the network NW. The communication unit 410 communicates with the content server 100 via the network NW. For example, the communication unit 410 is a NIC that connects to a cellular network, mobile communication network, etc. The communication unit 410 transmits image data to be registered to the content server 100 and receives content data from the content server 100.

The memory unit 420 includes a storage device such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory. The memory unit 420 stores, for example, a content application 421. The content application 421 is an application program that provides the user with the function of ordering food and drink from the content server 100. The content application 421 may be a dedicated application or a general-purpose application such as a web browser. The content application 421 is installed in advance on the user terminal device 400 prior to ordering food and drink.

The input unit 430 includes input devices such as a trackball, switches, buttons, and a touch panel. The input unit 430 accepts various user operations input to the user terminal device 400, and generates and outputs a signal indicating the content of the input operation to the control unit 470.

The output unit 440 includes various information output devices that output information. The output unit 440 may include, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, an audio output device such as a speaker, or may be configured as an external output interface that outputs information to these output devices. The output unit 440 may be configured as an integrated unit with the input unit 430 by using an input/output device such as a touch panel.

The location information acquisition unit 450 has the function of acquiring location information of the user terminal device 400. For example, the location information acquisition unit 450 may be a GPS receiver or other location information sensor.

The imaging unit 460 is a camera that includes an imaging mechanism such as a lens, an imaging element, and a shutter. For example, the imaging unit 460 generates image data of a subject by performing an imaging operation in response to a shutter operation input via the input unit 430. The imaging unit 460 records the generated image data in the storage unit 420 as image data 422. The imaging unit 460 acquires location information of the user terminal device 400 at the time of imaging from the location information acquisition unit 450, and generates image data by including the acquired location information in the metadata. In other words, the imaging unit 460 can generate image data that includes location information of the imaging location. Whether or not location information is included in the metadata when image data is generated may be changed by settings.

The control unit 470 controls each unit of the user terminal device 400 to realize the function of playing content provided by the content server 100. The control unit 470 includes, for example, a content playback unit 471 and an image upload unit 472. For example, the content playback unit 471 and the image upload unit 472 are generated when the control unit 470 executes the content application 421.

The content playback unit 471 has the function of acquiring and playing content data from the content server 100. Specifically, the content playback unit 471 acquires data as content data for displaying registered images together with traffic information in association with registered locations on a map. As described above, registered locations are geographical locations associated with image data registered in the content provision service. When the content playback unit 471 plays the content data, a screen showing the content of the content (hereinafter referred to as the "content screen") is displayed on the user terminal device 400.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the display of a content screen. The content screen G1 shown in Figure 7 has, for example, a map area G11, a list display area G12, and a search bar G13. The display of the content screen G1 is controlled, for example, by the content playback unit 471. The map area G11 is an area that displays a map. The map area G11 may display a map of the entire service area, or a map of only a portion of the service area. In the map area G11, the user can zoom in or out on the map. In the map area G11, registered images are displayed superimposed on positions corresponding to registered locations on the map, and traffic information for each location is displayed superimposed on the corresponding position on the map. For example, in the example of Figure 7, images G111 to G122 are displayed as examples of registered images, and G131 to G135 are displayed as examples of traffic information. For example, traffic information G131 to G135 represent traffic volume over a specified period of time. For example, the content playback unit 471 displays traffic information about the location where the image being displayed in the map area G11 was taken (i.e., the registered location).

The list display area G12 is an area where registered images are displayed in a list. For example, the list display area G12 displays at least the registered images associated with the area currently displayed in the map area G11. The display mode of the registered images in the list display area G12 may be adjusted as desired based on the registration location of each image, the attributes of the subject, the user's location information, and the like. For example, the list of registered images may be displayed in order of proximity of the registration location to the user's current location, or in order of least or most traffic volume in the surrounding area. A user interface for changing these display modes may also be provided on the content screen G1.

The search bar G13 is a user interface that accepts input of a search string for registered images. The content playback unit 471 searches for registered images using search criteria based on the search string entered in the search bar G13. The content playback unit 471 may display only information about images that match the search criteria in the map area G11 and/or list display area G12, or may highlight information about images that match the search criteria. The content playback unit 471 may also preferentially display images that match the search criteria in the list display area G12.

By displaying such a content screen, users can recognize the traffic conditions (e.g., traffic volume) at the location where an image associated with a geographical location was taken. Furthermore, by being able to understand traffic conditions in this way, users can, for example, easily find spots they have never been to, even in a city where they have lived for many years. In this way, the content provision system 1 of this embodiment makes it possible to provide users with a more convenient content provision service that provides content (e.g., photographs) associated with geographical locations.

Returning to FIG. 6 , the image upload unit 472 of the user terminal device 400 will now be described. The image upload unit 472 uploads image data to be registered in the content provision service to the content server 100. For example, the image upload unit 472 accepts a user's selection of image data and transmits the selected image data to the content server 100. Alternatively, for example, the image upload unit 472 may accept a user's image capture operation and transmit image data generated by the image capture unit 460 to the content server 100. Note that if the image data selected or generated for registration does not include location information for the capture location, the image upload unit 472 may prompt the user to input the registration location. The registration location may be input as an address, location, location information, or the like, or may be an operation to select a point on a map. In this case, the image upload unit 472 may identify location information for the input registration location and write the identified location information into the metadata of the image data to be registered and transmit the resulting data to the content server 100, or may combine the image data and the registration location information and transmit them to the content server 100. The transmitted image data is stored in the content server 100 in association with the registration location.

Figure 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow related to the steps up to when image data acquired by the user terminal device 400 is registered in the content server 100 in the content providing system 1 of this embodiment. Here, we will explain the case where image data including information on the image capture location is stored in advance in the storage unit 420 of the user terminal device 400 as image data to be registered. However, as mentioned above, the image to be registered may also be captured by the user when performing the registration work. Furthermore, it is assumed that the content app is running on the user terminal device 400 at the start of the series of processes. In this case, the image upload unit 472 of the user terminal device 400 first accepts the user's selection of image data to be registered (step S101) and then transmits the selected image data to the content server 100 (step S102).

Next, in the content server 100, the image registration unit 131 acquires image data to be registered from the user terminal device 400. The image registration unit 131 references the metadata of the acquired image data to recognize the location where the image was taken (step S103). The image registration unit 131 acquires location information for the recognized image location (step S104). Note that if the location information for the image location is recorded in the metadata, step S104 may be omitted. The image registration unit 131 associates the location information acquired in step S104 with the image data and records them in the registered image data 122 (step S105).

Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process flow in which the content server 100 provides content data to the user terminal device 400 in the content providing system 1 of this embodiment. It is assumed here that the content server 100 has already acquired the traffic information required to provide the content data from the traffic information server 200. It is also assumed that the content app is not running on the user terminal device 400 at the start of this series of processes. In this case, first, in the user terminal device 400, the control unit 470 accepts input for starting the content app via the input unit 430 and starts the content app (step S201).

Note that, while the content application is described here as acquiring all content data from the content server 100 upon startup, the content application may also be configured to acquire content data required to play content in the initial display range from the content server 100 upon startup, and to additionally acquire content data that becomes newly required from the content server 100 in response to user operations. When the content application is launched, the content playback unit 471 of the user terminal device 400 then notifies the content server 100 of a content data provision request (step S202).

Next, in the content server 100, upon receiving a content data provision request from the user terminal device 400, the content provider 133 generates content data (step S203). Specifically, the content provider 133 generates content data for displaying the registered image and traffic information on the map based on the map data 121, registered image data 122, and traffic information 123. The content provider 133 transmits the generated content data to the requesting user terminal device 400 (step S204).

Next, in the user terminal device 400, the content playback unit 471 receives the content data transmitted from the content server 100 in step S204 and plays the received content data (step S205). As a result, a content screen such as the one shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the user terminal device 400.

Note that in this embodiment, playing content data means inputting content data and displaying a content screen such as that shown in FIG. 7 (which displays registered images and traffic information in association with registered locations on a map), and does not simply mean displaying an image or playing a video. For example, content data may be provided as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) data that includes (or references) map data, traffic information, and image data. In this case, playing content data means that the content application interprets the content data and displays it on the screen. Note that content data may be expressed using a general-purpose protocol such as HTML, or a proprietary protocol.

<Modification>
In the above embodiment, the content providing system 1 including the content server 100 and the traffic information server 200 has been described, but the content server 100 and the traffic information server 200 may be configured as an integrated unit rather than as separate devices in the content providing system 1. Whether the content server 100 and the traffic information server 200 are configured as an integrated unit may be determined based on constraints or restrictions on computer resources, or may be determined based on the relationships between the operator of the content server 100, the operator of the traffic information server 200, the vehicle manufacturers of the vehicle fleet 300, etc.

The content providing unit 133 may generate content data that displays image data that meets specified conditions. For example, the content providing unit 133 may generate content data so that the display mode of content on a map on the user terminal device 400 is switched according to traffic information. For example, the content providing unit 133 may generate content data so that information about registered images is displayed or hidden for locations where traffic volume is above a threshold. Furthermore, for example, the content providing unit 133 may generate content data so that information about registered images is displayed or hidden for locations where traffic volume is below a threshold. Furthermore, for example, the content providing unit 133 may generate content data that displays only images associated with registered locations that exist within a predetermined range, including locations where traffic volume is below a threshold. Such content data displays images registered in locations with low traffic volume (i.e., locations with few visitors) on the map, thereby stimulating the curiosity of users who prefer such hidden spots. Conversely, for example, the content providing unit 133 may generate content data that displays only images associated with registered locations that exist within a predetermined range, including locations where traffic volume is above a threshold. With this content data, images registered in places with high traffic volume (i.e., places visited by many people) are displayed on the map, stimulating the curiosity of users who like such popular spots. Note that this narrowing down of image display may be performed by the user terminal device 400. In this case, the content provider 133 supplies content data including all image data and traffic information to the user terminal device 400, and the content playback unit 471 extracts registered locations that meet the conditions based on the traffic information included in the content data. The content playback unit 471 then plays back the content data targeting images associated with the extracted registered locations.

In addition to registering the image data itself with the content providing service, the image registration unit 131 may also register a reference to the image data with the content providing service. For example, the image registration unit 131 may register an image registered in an external system such as an SNS (Social Network Service) with the content providing service. When registering an image registered in an external system with the content providing service, the image registration unit 131 may also register link information in the external system for accessing the image registered in the content providing service. In this case, the image registration unit 131 may also register the image with the content providing service together with information associated with the image in the external system. With this configuration, the content providing system 1 and the external system can be mutually linked, thereby increasing the number of users of the content providing service and providing users with more information regarding the registration location.

The content providing unit 133 may generate content data that displays recommended information on a map. For example, the content providing unit 133 may determine the recommendation level of registered locations based on traffic information, and generate content data that displays the recommendation level for each registered location on a map. Furthermore, for example, if recommendation information about a registered image is associated with an external system such as an SNS (e.g., comments), the content providing unit 133 may acquire the recommendation information from the external system and use the acquired recommendation information as recommendation information for the registered image in the content providing service.

The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.
a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions;
one or more processors coupled to the storage medium;
The one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to:
acquiring data including at least an image and geographical information relating to a location where the image was taken from a user's terminal device, and registering the image by recording the image in association with the geographical information;
generating content data for providing content that displays information about the registered image at a position on a map according to the geographical information, and supplying the content data to the terminal device;
Content delivery system.

The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is in no way limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1...Content provision system, 100...Content server, 110...Communication unit, 120...Storage unit, 121...Map data, 122...Registered image data, 123...Traffic information, 130...Control unit, 131...Image registration unit, 132...Traffic information acquisition unit, 133...Content provision unit, 200...Traffic information server, 210...Communication unit, 220...Storage unit, 221...Vehicle group information, 222...Traffic information, 230...Control unit, 231...Vehicle information acquisition unit, 232...Traffic information generation unit, 233...Traffic information Provision unit, 300... vehicle fleet, 400... user terminal device, 410... communication unit, 420... storage unit, 421... content application, 422... image data, 430... input unit, 440... output unit, 450... location information acquisition unit, 460... imaging unit, 470... control unit, 471... content playback unit, 472... image upload unit, G1... content screen, G11... map area, G12... list display area, G13... search bar, G111-G122... registered images, G131-G135... traffic information

Claims (6)

an image registration unit that acquires data including at least an image and geographical information relating to a location where the image was taken from a user's terminal device, and registers the image by recording the image in association with the geographical information;
a traffic information acquisition unit that acquires vehicle information including position information of each vehicle from a group of vehicles traveling within an area shown on a map, and acquires, based on the vehicle information acquired from the group of vehicles, traffic volume shown on the map at an observation timing unrelated to the timing at which the image was registered as traffic information indicating the traffic conditions at each location;
a content providing unit that generates content data for providing content to display information about the image registered by the image registration unit at a position on the map corresponding to the geographical information, together with traffic conditions at the image capture location, on the map , and supplies the generated content data to the terminal device;
A content providing system comprising: the content providing unit generates the content data so that a display mode of the content on the map in the terminal device is switched according to the traffic volume.
The content providing system according to claim 1 . the content providing unit generates the content data so that, for a location where the traffic volume is equal to or greater than a threshold, information about the image can be switched between being displayed and not displayed.
The content providing system according to claim 2 . the content providing unit generates the content data so that, for a location where the traffic volume is less than a threshold, display or non-display of information about the image can be switched.
4. The content providing system according to claim 2 or 3 . by one or more computers,
acquiring data including at least an image and geographical information relating to a location where the image was taken from a user's terminal device, and registering the image by recording the image in association with the geographical information;
acquiring vehicle information including position information of each vehicle from a group of vehicles traveling within an area shown on a map, and acquiring, based on the vehicle information acquired from the group of vehicles, traffic volume shown on the map at an observation timing unrelated to the timing at which the image was registered, as traffic information indicating the traffic conditions at each location;
generating content data for providing content to display information about the registered image at a position on the map corresponding to the geographical information, so that the content data is displayed on the map together with traffic conditions at the image capturing location, and supplying the generated content to the terminal device;
How content is provided. On one or more computers,
acquiring data including at least an image and geographical information relating to a location where the image was taken from a user's terminal device, and registering the image by recording the image in association with the geographical information;
acquiring vehicle information including position information of each vehicle from a group of vehicles traveling within an area shown on a map, and acquiring, based on the vehicle information acquired from the group of vehicles, traffic volume shown on the map at an observation timing unrelated to the timing at which the image was registered, as traffic information indicating the traffic conditions at each location;
generating content data for providing content to be displayed on the map based on information about the registered image and a traffic situation at the image capturing location, the content data being displayed on the map in accordance with the geographical information, and supplying the generated content to the terminal device;
Program for .