Patent Publication Number: US-2013238707-A1

Title: Information processing system, information processing method, and storage medium

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a communication technique using social media. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In the above-described technical field, there is known a technique of evaluating contents tweeted by a user using so-called Twitter®, as described in patent literature 1. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     Patent literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-193133 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     Since, however, the above-described conventional technique cannot provide an incentive for contents distributed by the user, he/she does not have strong enough motivation to transmit information. 
     The present invention enables to provide a technique of solving the above-described problem. 
     Solution to Problem 
     One aspect of the present invention provides a system comprising: 
     an information receiver that receives real-time information transmitted by a user terminal; 
     a distributor that distributes the real-time information received by the information receiver to other predetermined user terminals; 
     an analyzer that analyzes responses, from the other user terminals, to the real-time information distributed by the distributor; 
     an evaluator that evaluates the real-time information according to an analysis result by the analyzer; and 
     an incentive provider that provides an incentive corresponding to the evaluation of the real-time information by the evaluator to a user who has transmitted the real-time information. 
     Another aspect of the present invention provides a method comprising: 
     receiving real-time information transmitted by a user terminal; 
     distributing the real-time information received in the receiving to other predetermined user terminals; 
     analyzing responses, from the other user terminals, to the real-time information distributed in the distributing; 
     evaluating the real-time information according to an analysis result in the analyzing; and 
     providing an incentive corresponding to the evaluation of the real-time information in the evaluating to a user who has transmitted the real-time information. 
     Still another aspect of the present invention provides a storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute: 
     receiving real-time information transmitted by a user terminal; 
     distributing the real-time information received in the receiving to other predetermined user terminals; 
     analyzing responses, from the other user terminals, to the real-time information distributed in the distributing; 
     evaluating the real-time information according to an analysis result in the analyzing; and 
     providing an incentive corresponding to the evaluation of the real-time information in the evaluating to a user who has transmitted the real-time information. 
     ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to more effectively motivate the user to transmit information. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a sequence chart showing a processing procedure in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the arrangement of an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a table showing user information in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a table showing tweet evaluation information in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating processing by a user terminal in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a view showing an example of the display screen of the user terminal in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a view showing an example of the display screen of the user terminal in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a view showing an example of the display screen of the user terminal in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a view showing an example of the display screen of the user terminal in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a view showing an example of the display screen of the user terminal in the information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 13  is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the relative arrangement of the components, the numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention unless it is specifically stated otherwise. 
     First Embodiment 
     An information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the information processing system includes an information processing apparatus  100 , and user terminals  120  and  130  connected to the information processing apparatus  100  via a network  140 . The information processing apparatus  100  includes an information receiver  101 , a distributor  102 , an analyzer  103 , and an evaluator  104 . 
     The information receiver  101  receives real-time information from the user terminal  120 . The distributor  102  distributes the real-time information received by the information receiver  101  to the other predetermined user terminals  130 . The analyzer  103  analyzes responses, from the other user terminals  130 , to the real-time information distributed by the distributor  102 . The evaluator  104  evaluates the real-time information according to an analysis result by the analyzer  103 . According to the evaluation of the real-time information by the evaluator  104 , an incentive provider  105  provides an incentive to the user terminal  120  which has transmitted the real-time information. 
     The above-described configuration enables to effectively motivate the user to transmit information. 
     Second Embodiment 
     An information processing system according to the second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 2 to 12 . 
     &lt;System Configuration&gt; 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the information processing system according to the embodiment. Assume that in  FIG. 2 , the user is on a train and the train has stopped because of an accident. In this case, the user activates a disaster information submission application in a user terminal  220  such as a mobile phone or smartphone, and submits a short message like “Accident has occurred at station A! Train is likely to stop for a while”. In this example, assume that the user uses the service of Twitter® (to be referred to as TW hereinafter). The disaster information submission application installed in the user terminal  220  accesses a disaster information submission server  200  to transmit the message which has been input by the user. Based on the message received from the user terminal  220 , the disaster information submission server  200  instructs a TW server  250  to distribute a tweet. The TW server  250  receives the tweet from the user terminal  220  via the disaster information submission server  200 , and then distributes it to user terminals  230  of other users registered in advance as followers. 
     The other users can use their user terminals  230  to send replies (RT) (retweets) to the tweet from the user terminal  220 . The collected retweets are sent to the disaster information submission server  200  via the TW server  250 , and analyzed and summarized. Points corresponding to the contents and the number of the retweets are added to a train card such as Suica®, and given as an incentive to the user of the user terminal  220 . 
     This configuration motivates the user to distribute useful information when he/she gets involved in an accident. 
     &lt;Overall Processing Procedure&gt; 
       FIG. 3  is a sequence chart for explaining the overall processing procedure of the information processing system shown in  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the user terminal  220  activates the disaster information submission application in response to a user operation (S 301 ).  FIG. 8  is a view showing an example of a top screen  800  of the disaster information submission application. If a Twitter® button  803  in a field of various settings is selected on the top screen, the process advances to step S 302  of  FIG. 3  to display a screen  900  shown in  FIG. 9 . In the screen  900 , the user inputs, to the user terminal  220 , a user name (Twitter ID) and a password for using the service of Twitter®. If a setting button  903  on the screen  900  is selected, the user name and password are sent to the disaster information submission server  200 , and registered in a user information database  210  (S 303 ). The user registration processing in S 301  to S 303  need only be executed once when the disaster information submission application is downloaded and installed in the user terminal  220 . 
     If the user encounters a disaster and wants to submit disaster information, he/she activates the application, similarly to the processing in S 301  described above. If the user selects an accident/disaster information submission button  801  on the top screen  800  shown in  FIG. 8 , the application displays an accident/disaster information submission screen  1100  shown in  FIG. 11 , and transmits a new tweet message input in an input field  1102  to the disaster information submission server  200  (S 304 ). Upon accepting the tweet, the disaster information submission server  200  transfers, to the TW server  250 , the user information (user name and password) stored in association with the terminal ID of the user terminal  220 , and the tweet received from the user terminal  220  (S 305 ), and starts a timer (S 306 ). The TW server  250  distributes the tweet received from the disaster information submission server  200  to the followers associated with the user name of the user terminal  220  (S 307 ). More specifically, the TW server  250  temporarily stores the tweet in a storage area (time line) assigned to each user in a database it manages. 
     If the other users operating the other user terminals  230  send tweets (replies or retweets) associated with the tweet distributed in step S 307 , the TW server  250  receives the associated tweets, and accumulates them in a storage area (not shown) for the user of the user terminal  220  (S 308 ). Note that a retweet indicates transmission (transfer) of a tweet from a user&#39;s own account by quoting a tweet of another user. 
     If a predetermined time elapses after step S 306  (S 309 ), the disaster information submission server  200  requests a retweet count and reply contents of the TW server  250 , and analyzes the acquired contents (S 310 ). In step S 311 , the server  200  uses an analysis result to evaluate the original tweet. That is, as the retweet count is larger, the tweet is more highly evaluated. Furthermore, positive replies are extracted. As the number of positive replies is larger, the tweet is more highly evaluated. Based on the evaluation of the tweet, points are accumulated in the user DB (S 312 ). Whether contents of a reply are positive is determined depending on whether predetermined positive words such as “thank you” and “good” are included in the text of the reply. 
     On the other hand, if the user activates the disaster information submission application, and selects a point check button  802  in  FIG. 8 , a point check screen  1200  shown in  FIG. 12  is displayed (S 314 ). In this example, the application requests and acquires point information from the disaster information submission server  200 , and displays it in a point field  1201  of the point check screen  1200  of the user terminal  220 . If the user selects an IC point exchange button  1202  of the point check screen  1200 , a point exchange instruction is transmitted to the disaster information submission server  200 , and all the points accumulated in the user information database  210  or only some points designated by the user are added as points of a card designated by the user via a card company (step S 315 ). 
     &lt;Arrangement of Disaster Information Submission Server&gt; 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the hardware arrangement of the disaster information submission server  200 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the disaster information submission server  200  includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  401  , a ROM (Read Only Memory)  402 , a communication controller  403 , a RAM (Random Access Memory)  404 , and a storage  405 . The CPU  401  is a central processing unit, and controls the disaster information submission server  200  as a whole by executing various programs. The ROM  402  is a non-volatile memory, and stores various parameters and the like in addition to a boot program to be executed first by the CPU  401 . 
     The RAM  404  is a random access memory, and includes an application execution area  440 , and a storage area for data used by the application. More specifically, the RAM  404  can temporarily store user information  441  received from the user terminal  220 , a message  442  received from the user terminal  220  including a command for tweet submission or the like, and a message  443  transmitted to the user terminal  220  including tweet contents and the number of points. Furthermore, the RAM  404  includes an area for temporarily storing a message  444  transmitted to the TW server  250  such as a tweet, and a message  445  received from the TW server  250  such as a retweet count and a reply. The RAM  404  also includes an area for temporarily storing tweet information  446 , retweet information  447 , a retweet analysis result  448 , and card information  449 . 
     On the other hand, the storage  405  stores a user registration program  452 , a tweet processing program  453 , a retweet analysis program  454 , and a point giving program  455  in addition to the user information database  210 . The communication controller  403  controls communication with another terminal via the network. The user registration program  452  is a program for executing the processing in step S 303  of  FIG. 3 . The tweet processing program  453  is a program for executing the processing in step S 305  of  FIG. 3 . The retweet analysis program  454  is a program for executing the processing in step S 310  of  FIG. 3 . The point giving program  455  is a program for executing the processing in step S 315  of  FIG. 3 . 
     &lt;Structure of User Information Database&gt; 
       FIG. 5  shows a table  500  showing the structure of the user information database  210 . In the table  500 , a user terminal ID  501 , a user name (TW user ID)  502  and password (TW password)  503  for logging in to the Twitter server are stored in association with each other. Furthermore, points  504  for each user terminal are summed and managed. 
       FIG. 6  shows a tweet table  600  partially forming the user information database  210 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , contents  602  of a reply returned in response to one tweet specified by a tweet ID  601  are registered and analyzed, thereby determining evaluation points  603 . Furthermore, a retweet count  604  indicating the number of times the tweet specified by the tweet ID  601  is retweeted is also acquired from the TW server  250 , and registered in the tweet table  600 . Points  605  to be added by the specified tweet are calculated by summarizing evaluations for the respective replies and the retweet count. The points  605  are subsequently added to the points  504  of the table  500 . 
     &lt;Processing Procedure in User Terminal&gt; 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure executed by activating the disaster information submission application in the user terminal  220 . If the disaster information submission application is activated in step S 701 , the top screen  800  shown in  FIG. 8  is displayed in the user terminal  220  in step S 702 . In step S 703 , the process stands by for receiving a selection instruction from the user through the top screen  800 . If the user selects the button  803  shown in  FIG. 8 , the process advances to step S 704  of  FIG. 7  to display the screen  900  shown in  FIG. 9 . If the user inputs a user name  901  and a password  902  for Twitter, and presses the setting button  903 , the input information is sent to the disaster information submission server  200 . 
     If the user selects an IC card registration button  804  shown in  FIG. 8 , the process advances to step S 705  to cause the user terminal  220  to display an IC card setting screen  1000  shown in  FIG. 10 , thereby prompting the user to input information such as an IC card name or IC card number in a number input field  1001  or the like. If the user selects a setting button  1002  after that, the input information is transmitted to the disaster information submission server  200 , and the disaster information submission server  200  registers the received information in the user information database  210 . On the other hand, if the user selects the accident/disaster information submission button  801  shown in  FIG. 8 , the process advances to step  5706  to display the accident/disaster information submission screen  1100  shown in  FIG. 11 , thereby causing registration processing to progress. 
     If the user selects the point check button  802  shown in  FIG. 8 , the process advances to step  5707  to display the point check screen  1200  shown in  FIG. 12  as described above. Point information is acquired from the disaster information submission server  200 , and displayed in the point field  1201 . If the user then selects the IC point exchange button  1202 , a point exchange instruction is transmitted to the disaster information submission server  200 , and all the points accumulated in the user information database  210  or only some points designated by the user are added as points of a card designated by the user via a card company. 
     As described above, according to the embodiment, it is possible to evaluate a tweet using replies and a tweet count. If the tweet is highly evaluated, the user is provided with an incentive (card points). This can increase the motivation of the user to tweet. A railway company as a card provider can distribute the current rail status in real time with the help of the user, thereby enabling to efficiently increase customer satisfaction. The railway company as the user of the application can use this as an opportunity to provide another service to the user. Meanwhile, other users can identify the current rail status in real time. The railway company can take this as an opportunity to provide associated services such as timetables and transfer information to other users. 
     Note that in this embodiment, a lapse of the predetermined time is used as a trigger to analyze retweets. The present invention, however, is not limited to this, and reception of a predetermined number of retweets may be used as a trigger. 
     Third Embodiment 
     An information processing system according to the third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to  FIG. 13 .  FIG. 13  is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the information processing system according to the embodiment. A sale information submission server  1300  according to this embodiment is different from the submission server in the above-described second embodiment in that bargain information and the like are tweeted instead of transportation information, and retweets and replies from other users are evaluated. Other components and operations are the same as those in the second embodiment. The same components and operations, therefore, have the same reference numerals, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
     Similarly to the disaster information submission server  200  according to the second embodiment, the sale information submission server  1300  according to this embodiment relays a tweet to a TW server  250 , and evaluates a retweet count and reply contents acquired from the TW server  250  to calculate points given as an incentive to the user. In this case, the points are added to the point card of the user via a home appliance card company  1360  or the like. 
     According to this embodiment, responses and retweets to any real-time information are used to effectively increase the motivation of the user to tweet. 
     Other Embodiments 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Various changes can be made for the arrangement and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention, as is understood by those skilled in the art. A system or apparatus formed by combining separate features included in the respective embodiments in any form is also incorporated in the present invention. 
     The present invention may be applied to a system including a plurality of devices or a single apparatus. The present invention is also applicable to a case in which an information processing program for implementing the functions of the embodiments is supplied to the system or apparatus directly or from a remote site. Hence, the program installed in a computer to implement the functions of the present invention by the computer, or a medium storing the program or a WWW (World Wide Web) server to download the program is also incorporated in the present invention. 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese patent application No. No. 2011-080966, filed on Mar. 31, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference