JP2002328931A - Information processing system and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing system by which information related to a program which was broadcast can be obtained even if the title or the like of the program is not remembered accurately. SOLUTION: Program-progress data consisting of a program identifier for identifying a program and the time when the program was broadcast is stored in the program-progress data storage section 102, and the program identifier and information related to the program associated with each other in the program information storage section 104. A person requesting to retrieve information related to a program which was broadcast enters a retrieving request 107 including at least a retrieving condition about the time when the program was broadcast to the retrieving request obtaining section 101. The information processing system 100 retrieves the program-progress data, obtains the information related to the program from the program information storage section 104 based on the obtained program identifier, and outputs the obtained information related to the program to the person through the output section 106.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method for searching for a broadcast program and obtaining information on the program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for information on a program, a broadcasting station prepares a homepage on which information on the program is placed, and a viewer accesses a homepage of a URL indicated during the broadcast, or the viewer sends the homepage to the broadcasting station. Information about a program is obtained by asking questions by telephone or letter. In addition, the broadcasting station puts a program guide on the homepage of the broadcasting station, links the homepage of each program to the homepage, and provides services to viewers who do not remember the URL accurately.

[0003]

However, the URL
Is very short during the broadcast, and it is difficult for the viewer to memorize the URL in that short time. Also, even if the homepage of the broadcasting station is prepared,
The viewer has to search for the WEB page of the target program. For this reason, viewers try to obtain information on the broadcasted program by writing a phone call or letter to the broadcaster rather than looking at the homepage. However, this does not make it necessary for the broadcaster to set up a homepage. It is necessary to prepare humans who can answer questions from the broadcasters, and the labor on the broadcasting station side is increasing.

[0004] This is particularly true for the broadcast of commercial messages. In a commercial message that is broadcast only for a very short time, the viewer cannot remember the complicated URL if the viewer is presented with a complicated URL. At best, the URL of the homepage, which is the top web page of the advertiser's company in the message, is indicated, and if the viewer wants to get information about the products and services advertised in the commercial message, To find a homepage for the desired product or service. To avoid this, viewers would call the advertiser's company directly, but those who accept the call often do not know much about the company's commercial message, If you're on the phone, your viewers will start to distrust your business,
Commercial messages broadcast to enhance a company's image will have the opposite effect.

[0005] In addition, the viewer is often interested in the music and performers used in the commercial message, not in the products and services advertised in the commercial message. However, since the commercial message is produced by a broadcast advertisement producing company, it is difficult to obtain such information even by calling the advertiser's company. Also,
It is almost impossible to get information from the broadcaster, because the broadcaster is different from the broadcaster, and it is very possible that the name of the broadcaster is included in the commercial message Rather, it is very difficult for viewers to get information about the songs and performers used in commercial messages.

[0006] It is one idea for a broadcasting station to put a program guide on its homepage and link the homepage of each program to it, but it is one hour because of the restriction in displaying such a program guide. It is only possible to put several programs on the program guide at a time, and the program guide is created based on the program schedule, and once created, the program schedule is usually not changed for about six months. It is difficult to handle special programs. Furthermore, as for commercial messages, those corresponding to such a program table are not disclosed to general viewers, and general viewers cannot obtain information about commercial messages from the program table. In addition, dozens of commercial messages are broadcast at one time, and the order and content of the broadcast commercial messages are different every day, so it is impractical to prepare the equivalent of a program guide in commercial messages I have to say that.

[0007] In some commercial messages, a series of contents is used to give continuity to the content to attract the viewer's interest. However, unlike a general broadcast program, a new version of a commercial message is used. It is difficult for the viewer to know when it will be broadcast, and the viewer will be forced to watch until a new topic is broadcast.

[0008] In addition, since the broadcasting stations are located in different regions, the broadcasting contents are different in different regions, and in order to manually answer the questions from the viewers, the viewers need to know which broadcasting station You need to find out if you watched the broadcast. In particular, even if the broadcast program itself (for example, a drama broadcast) is the same throughout the country, the commercial messages flowing on the way often differ from local station to local broadcast station. It is essential to find out.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in an information processing system according to the present invention, first, a program for storing program progress data including a program identifier and a broadcast time of the program is stored. A progress data storage unit and a program information storage unit for storing program information, which is information on a program, are prepared.To search for program information, first search the program progress data storage unit to obtain a program identifier. The program information is obtained from the information storage unit and output. Thus, the viewer can obtain the program information by specifying the time, and the broadcasting station does not need to provide the program table.

Second, since the information processing system has a condition registration unit for registering search conditions, conditions can be registered in advance for programs to be broadcast in the future. The viewer can easily know that the item has been provided.

Third, a program progress data storage section is prepared for a plurality of broadcast stations, and a broadcast station specifying a broadcast station that has broadcasted to the viewer is specified based on a search request from the viewer. By preparing a section, an appropriate program progress data storage section can be selected and searched.

Fourth, the above information processing system manages the history of program information acquired in response to a search request, and includes a history output unit for outputting the history, so that which program is being watched. To be able to grasp the tendency of

Fifth, by including in the history of the program information acquired in response to the search request the identifier of the person who requested the search, which program is being watched by a person of which gender, It is now possible to know the percentage of attention in a small audience, such as which age group is being watched.

Sixth, by setting the output destination of the history output unit to a server of a company related to program information, for example,
The number of times that program information was accessed and the audience that is paying attention to the program can now be known by the program provider or production company.

Seventh, by accumulating a plurality of pieces of program information for one program, it is possible to provide different program information depending on a time zone, and to provide different program information depending on an area where a viewer resides.

Eighth, the output of the program information is performed at a fixed time after the broadcast of the program or after a predetermined date and time. The processing capacity of the processing system is not exceeded. Further, by outputting the search result a certain time after the broadcast, the contents of the program can be prevented from being quickly known to the rival broadcasting station or the rival company of the program sponsor.

Ninth, the information processing system described above processes information about commercial messages, and does not accurately store the names of companies, products, and services for many broadcast commercial messages. Information about commercial messages can be obtained from the broadcast date and time.

Further, in the information processing method of the present invention,
First, the information processing method includes a program progress data storing step of storing program progress data including a program identifier and a broadcast time of the program, and a program information storing step of storing program information which is information about the program, In order to search for program information, first, program progress data is searched to obtain a program identifier, and program information is obtained from the program information stored in the program information storage unit and output.

Thus, the viewer can obtain the program information by designating the time of viewing the broadcast, and can obtain the program information without remembering the correct program name.

Second, by adding a condition registration step of registering search conditions, conditions can be registered in advance for programs to be broadcasted in the future, so that a new version of a series of commercial messages has been provided. The viewer can easily know that.

Third, the program progress data storing step is executed for a plurality of broadcast stations, and a broadcast station specifying a broadcast station that broadcasts to the viewer is specified based on a search request from the viewer. By preparing a section, program progress data stored in an appropriate program progress data storing step can be selected and searched.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the present invention, a program refers to a main program such as a drama program or a baseball broadcast broadcasted by a broadcasting station, or a commercial message inserted into or between main programs. Usually, such a main program or commercial message is provided with a program identifier for management inside a broadcasting station, and the present invention has been made by paying attention to this program identifier. Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail using examples.

<First Embodiment>

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an information processing system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which a program progress data storage unit 102, a program information storage unit 104, a search request acquisition unit 101, a program identifier acquisition unit 103, Program information acquisition unit 10
5, the output unit 106.

The program progress data storage unit 102 stores program progress data including a program identifier for identifying a program and broadcast time information which is information on the time at which the program was broadcast. Further, it processes the search formula obtained by the search request obtaining unit 101 and returns the search result to the program identifier obtaining unit 103. The program progress data is data indicating the result of which program was broadcast from when to when. In the program progress data, a program identifier for uniquely identifying the program is used to specify the program. The broadcast time information is a broadcast start date and time and a broadcast end date and time of the program. Alternatively, the broadcast time information may be configured to include the broadcast start date and time and the broadcast time of the program. However, if the time obtained by adding the broadcast time to the broadcast start date and time is the broadcast end date and time, these two configurations are equivalent. Can be considered. FIG. 2 shows an example of the program progress data storage unit 102,
A table 201 including columns of a program identifier, a start date and time, and an end date and time is provided therein, and relates the program identifier, the start date and time, and the end date and time. In Table 201, for example, AB37573V
Broadcast of a program having a program identifier of 2001/04 /
Starting from 01-08: 35: 45, 2001-04
/ 01-08: 40: 30.

Although only one table is shown in the program progress data storage unit 102 in FIG. 2, the number of tables is not limited to one, and a number of tables corresponding to the types of programs are prepared. It is also conceivable that the program progress data is stored in a table corresponding to the type of the program. For example, it is conceivable to make the tables in which the main part and the commercial message are stored different from each other. By doing so, it becomes possible to execute the main part search and the commercial message search separately.

The program information storage unit 104 manages a program identifier in association with program information which is information on a program. The program information is information related to the program. Whether the program is the main part or a commercial message is distinguished. If the program is the main part, the program title, the URL related to the program, the cast, It consists of the contents broadcast in the program. Also, when the program is a commercial message, it appears in the URL of a WEB page that describes in detail the product, service name, provider, product, and service advertised in the commercial message, or appears in the commercial message. The information includes information on a person, music used, scenery, information on articles, and the like.
FIG. 3 shows an example of the program information storage unit 104, which internally has a table 301 including columns such as a program identifier, a program title, and a related URL, and stores a program identifier and program information such as a program title and a related URL. Relates item values. Instead of listing each item of program information in a column, the program information may be expressed as a structured document represented by XML, and the program information may be stored in one column. In this way, it is possible to store program information including items that are different for each program.

The search request obtaining unit 101 receives a search request 107 from a search requester. Search request 10
Reference numeral 7 includes at least a search condition relating to a broadcast date and time for performing a search on the program progress data storage unit, and further includes a search requester identifier for identifying the search requester, a location area of the search requester, and the like. There are cases. This search request 1
07 may be input from a WEB page provided by a broadcasting station. One method for the search request acquisition unit 101 to receive a search request from a search requester is to present a screen whose example is shown in FIG. 4 to the search requester and read the value input by the search requester. FIG. 4 shows the start time of the broadcast date and time after the date and time entered in the upper line of the screen,
It is an example of a screen for searching for a program whose end date and time is earlier than the date and time input in the lower part of the screen. Fields for inputting the broadcast start date and time and the broadcast end date and time are displayed. The search requester inputs a number appropriately in these fields and presses a search button 401, so that the search request obtaining unit 101 obtains the input value. Will read. For example, the screen in FIG.
Is displayed on the HTML browser as a WEB page using the FORM function, and when the search request 107 is input from the WEB page, the search requester presses the search button 401 which is a submit button, so that the HTML is displayed. The web server reads the data including the search request 107 transmitted from the browser, and the web server passes the search request 107 to the search request obtaining unit 101, so that the search request obtaining unit 101 reads the value input by the search requester. . The search request acquisition unit 101 is configured as shown in FIG.
A search formula is generated from the value input to the screen of the above, and the formula is issued to the program progress data storage unit 102, that is,
Request processing.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a search formula issued to the program progress data storage unit 102. The start date and time of the broadcast date and time is 8: 29: 00: 00 on April 1, 2001, and The search expression when the condition that the end date and time is before 8:50:40 on April 1, 2001 is entered in the screen of FIG. 4 is expressed in SQL (JIS X 3005 standard). By processing the expression, a program identifier is obtained. Here, the name of the table 201 stored in the program progress data storage unit 102 was used as the program progress data table. In the case where all places to be input are not input on the screen of FIG. 4, it is conceivable that the search request obtaining unit 101 appropriately supplements the values. For example, if the year part is not entered, the year of this year is supplemented. If the second part of the start date and time is not entered, it is assumed that 0 has been entered, whereas the second part of the end date and time is considered. Is not input, it is considered that 59 has been input.

The program identifier obtaining unit 103 obtains a program identifier obtained as a result of processing the search formula issued by the search request obtaining unit 101 by the program progress data storage unit 102, and corresponds to the program identifier. An expression for retrieving the program information stored in the storage unit 104 is generated and issued to the program information storage unit 104. FIG. 6 shows a program obtained when the search formula of FIG. 5 is issued to the program progress data storage unit when the program progress data stored in the program progress data storage unit 102 is that shown in FIG. A search formula issued to the program information storage unit 104 based on the identifier is shown.
When the search expression of FIG. 5 is processed, A
B37573V and CZ56382V are obtained,
An expression will be generated that retrieves rows where the program identifier column value is equal to any of these program identifier values. Here, the name of the table 301 of the program information storage unit 104 was used as the program information table. In the search formula of FIG. 6, since * appears immediately after SELECT, values of all columns of a row satisfying the condition of WHERE or less can be obtained.

The program information acquisition unit 105 receives a result obtained by processing the search formula issued to the program information storage unit by the program identifier acquisition unit 103,
The result is output to the output unit 106.

The output unit 106 outputs the program information obtained by the program information obtaining unit 105 to the search requester who has issued the search request 107. When the search requester uses a general HTML browser, the program information is output in the HTML format. FIG. 7 shows an example of a search result of a commercial message. In this example,
As a result of searching for commercial messages broadcast from 20:00:00 on April 1, 2001 to 20:15:59 on April 1, 2001, five messages were obtained,
The user can find a desired commercial message from the provider name and the product / service name.
Underlines 706, 707, 708, 709, 710 indicate that the information of each commercial message is linked to these underlines. This information includes a detailed description of the products and services advertised in the commercial message, the URL of the WEB page on which such description is written, and a description of the characters appearing and the songs used. Has been. For example, by clicking the underlined portion of 706, the user can obtain detailed information on goods and services as shown in FIG. When the providing company has a homepage, a link to the homepage of each company can be provided as indicated by underlines 702, 703, 704, and 705.

As described above, the program information of a program called a commercial message is added to the homepage of the company,
By including a link to a WEB page related to services, consumers can be directed to a WEB page provided by a server of a commercial message provider, providing new information to consumers, New products and services related to the products and services in the message can be advertised, and companies can gain consumer confidence or increase sales. Further, it is not necessary to make the URL of the WEB page short enough for the viewer to memorize, and the WEB page is not required.
The configuration of the web page in the server can also be freely set.

An information processing system having the above-described units can be constituted by a computer 900 shown in FIG. The computer 900 includes a CPU 901, a memory 902,
Hard disk 903, input device 904, output device 90
5. The communication interface 906. The hard disk 903 stores a program to be executed by the CPU 901, and is loaded into the memory 902 and stored in the CPU 901.
01, the program progress data storage unit 102, the program information storage unit 104, the search request obtaining unit 101, the program identifier obtaining unit 103, the program information obtaining unit 105, and the output unit 106 described above are realized. . In particular, the program progress data storage unit 102 and the program information storage unit 104 can be realized by a relational database management system among software. Also, the hard disk 903
Are the program progress data storage unit 102 and the program information storage unit 10
4 stores a table 201 and a table 301 to be held. The input device 904 and the output device 905 are, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, and a display, and are used for maintenance of the computer 900, the program progress data storage unit 102, and the program information storage unit 10.
4 is used to input program progress data and program information stored in the storage unit 4. The communication interface is a communication network 90
9 and another computer 908 via a communication network 909.
And the terminal device 907. Another computer 908 is
It is also conceivable that program progress data and program information stored in the program progress data storage unit 102 and the program information storage unit 104 are generated and transmitted to the computer 900. Terminal device 907
Is a terminal device for a search requester to input a search request and view program information obtained as a result of the search.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the operation of a program executed by the CPU 901 to realize each unit. First, as an operation of the search request acquisition unit 101, step 10
In 01, data for displaying the screen of FIG. 4 is transmitted to the terminal device 907 to display the screen, and the search requester is prompted to input a search request. When the search requester finishes inputting the search request, the process shifts to step 1002 to obtain the data input on the screen of FIG. Next, step 1003
Then, a search formula for searching for program progress data is generated from the data obtained in step 1002, and the program progress data storage unit 102 performs a search process.

Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of the program identifier obtaining unit 103. In step 1004, a program identifier as a search result of the program progress data storage unit is obtained, and in step 1005, a search formula for obtaining program information is generated. The program information storage unit 104 performs a search process.

When the search processing of the program information storage unit 104 is completed, the operation proceeds to the operation of the program information acquisition unit 105, and
At 06, the program information is obtained as a search result and the output unit 1
Send to 06.

As an operation of the output unit 106, step 10
At 07, program information is transmitted to the terminal device 907. As described above, the terminal device 907 uses H
If the TML browser is running, the program information will be
Conversion to the format described by L
07. The program information storage unit 10
If the program information stored in step 4 is already described in HTML, there is no need for conversion.

With such an information processing system, if the broadcast time zone is stored even if the program title and the content of the commercial message (company name, product name, etc.) are not accurately stored, By inputting the broadcast time, the search requester can obtain information on a program or commercial message broadcasted at that time.
Further, in a commercial message, it is necessary to convey as much information as possible on a product or service to a viewer.
It does not exceed minutes, it is very difficult to convey a lot of content to the viewer in such a short time, and it is almost impossible for the viewer to memorize all of the commercial messages. However, using the information processing system of the present invention, even if the viewer cannot remember the exact product name or the name of the provider of the product or service, the information of the commercial message can be obtained from the time when the commercial message was broadcast. To search for necessary information, such as information on products and services themselves, and information on the person who appeared in the commercial message, the music used, the landscape, and the goods, without being restricted by time. It becomes possible. In addition, by including the URL of the homepage that describes the product or service in the information of the commercial message and the dedicated telephone number of the contact person, the manufacturer or provider of the product or service advertised in the commercial message can In this way, it is possible to effectively explain products and services.

<Second Embodiment>

FIG. 11 shows the configuration of an information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and the search request acquisition unit 10 found in the information processing system of the first embodiment.
1. Program progress data storage unit 102, program information storage unit 10
4, a condition registration unit 1101 and a notification unit 1102 are added. Note that other units included in the information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment are also included in the information processing system according to the second embodiment, but are omitted.

The search request acquisition unit 101 in the present embodiment
Is a search request 10 in addition to the operation of the search request acquisition unit 101 constituting the information processing system 100 of the first embodiment.
7, the search condition and the notification destination are extracted, and the condition registration unit 110
Send to 1. The notification destination is a transmission that, when program progress data or program information that satisfies a search condition is added to the program progress data storage unit 102 or the program information storage unit 104, a message that satisfies the condition is added. This is usually the email address or fax number of the search requester who sent the search request 107 to the information processing system 100. In the following, it is assumed that an e-mail address is used as a notification destination. For this reason,
The screen for inputting search conditions displayed to the search requester by the search request acquisition unit 101 is the screen of FIG. 4 with the addition of a part for inputting an e-mail address.

The condition registering unit 1101 stores the search request acquiring unit 1
01, and the search condition and the notification destination obtained from the designated condition 1103 sent from the search requester to the program progress data storage unit 102 and the program information storage unit 104. Do. The condition registration unit 1101 may receive the search condition and the notification destination from the search request acquisition unit 101, or may directly receive the designated condition 1103 from the search requester. The difference between these cases is that, when the search condition and the notification destination are received from the search request acquisition unit 101, the search based on the search condition is processed as described in the first embodiment, and the search condition and the notification destination are changed. This is a case where the information is sent from the search request acquisition unit 101 to the condition registration unit 1101.
On the other hand, when the designated condition 1103 is directly received from the search requester, there is a difference that the processing described in the first embodiment is not performed.

The operation of the program progress data storage unit 102 and the program information storage unit 104 in the present embodiment is to receive the search condition and notification destination sent from the condition registration unit 1101, and store them inside. FIG. 13 shows an example of a table for storing search conditions and notification destinations sent to the program progress data storage unit 102.
The search condition includes the program progress data storage unit 10
A query formula for searching the second table 201 is stored, and an e-mail address is stored in the notification destination. The program information storage unit 104 has a similar table.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the program progress data storage unit 102 when new program progress data is stored in the program progress data storage unit 102. The stored program progress data is shown in the table of FIG. An operation for sending a notification to a corresponding notification destination when a search condition is satisfied is shown.

In step 1201, the cursor is set at the first row in the table of FIG. The cursor here indicates a row from which data is to be read when reading data stored in a row of the table.

In the process of this flowchart, the cursor is moved from the first row to the last row of the table in FIG. 13, so it is determined in step 1202 whether the cursor has passed the last row of the table. If not, the process ends; otherwise, the process moves to step 1203.

At step 1203, the retrieval condition stored in the retrieval condition column of the row pointed by the cursor is obtained.

In step 1204, it is checked whether or not the program progress data input to the program progress data storage unit 102, that is, the newly stored program progress data satisfies the search condition obtained in step 1203.

In step 1205, step 1204
If the program progress data input to the program progress data storage unit 102 satisfies the search condition,
Go to step 1206, otherwise go to step 1
The process skips step 206 and proceeds to step 1207.

In step 1206, since it is determined that the search condition is satisfied, a notification that the program progress data satisfying the search condition has been stored in the notification destination is stored in the notification destination column of the row indicated by the cursor. To your email address.

In step 1207, the cursor is moved to the next line, and the process returns to step 1202.

The above is the operation of the program progress data storage unit 102 when program progress data is newly stored in the program progress data storage unit 102. The operation when new program information is stored in the program information storage unit 104 The same is true for

According to the information processing system of this embodiment,
The search requester can register search conditions, and when program progress data or program information that satisfies the search conditions is stored, a notification is sent to the search requester, so that desired information can be obtained in a timely manner. Yes, you will be released from constantly watching the broadcast.

<Third Embodiment>

In the information processing system according to the third embodiment, there are a plurality of program progress data storage sections corresponding to a plurality of broadcast stations, and the broadcast station specifying section specifies a program progress data having a plurality of search conditions from a search requester. Decide which of the data storage units is to be processed. FIG. 14 shows the configuration of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that there is a broadcast station specifying unit 1401 and the search request obtaining unit 101 searches the broadcast station specifying unit 1401 Sending a request, and the program progress data storage units 1021, 1022,
.., 102N and the program identifier acquisition unit 10
3 is that program identifiers are received from a plurality of program progress data storage units.

The broadcast station specifying unit 1401 receives the search request input by the search requester from the search request obtaining unit 101,
The contents of the search request are examined, an appropriate program progress data storage section is selected, the search request is extracted from the search request, and a formula for performing a search is issued to the selected program progress data storage section.

In the present embodiment, the search request acquisition unit 1
It is assumed that the search request received from the search requester includes information on the location area of the search requester, and the broadcast station specifying unit 1401 looks at this location area and checks the program progress corresponding to the appropriate broadcast station. Select the data storage unit. In order to include the information of the location area of the search requester in the search request, a field for inputting the address of the search requester is provided on the screen where the search request acquisition unit 101 receives the search condition from the search requester. When the search requester dials up to the information processing system of the present embodiment through the telephone line, the location area is obtained from the search requester's telephone number using the number display function, or When accessing the information processing system of the present embodiment from a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, it is conceivable to obtain the location of the search requester from information on the base station with which the mobile terminal communicates. Also,
The registered user can execute the search of this system, and if the registered user's personal information is stored in this system and the user's personal information includes the user's address, It is also conceivable to obtain the location from the address. To select the program progress data storage unit from the location of the search requester, the broadcast station specifying unit 1401
15 has a table shown in FIG. 15, and the program progress data storage section is selected by referring to this table. The table in FIG.
The search requester is composed of a column of the location area of the search requester, the broadcast station, and the program progress data storage unit identifier. Indicates that the program progress data of the program broadcasted from is stored in the program progress data storage unit identified by the identifier 15. Therefore, when a search request is sent from a search requester located in Hokkaido, the broadcast station specifying unit 1401 sends the search condition to the program progress data storage unit identified by the identifier 15.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of a process of searching for program information in the information processing system according to this embodiment.

In step 1601, the location area of the search requester included in the search request sent from the search requester is obtained.

In step 1602, step 16
The program progress data storage unit identifier is obtained by searching the table of FIG. 15 from the location area obtained in 01.

In step 1603, step 1
An expression for searching for the program progress data storage unit obtained by the program progress data storage unit identifier obtained in 602 is generated and searched.

In step 1604, step 1
A program identifier is obtained as a result of the search performed in 603.

In step 1605, step 1
In order to obtain the program information stored corresponding to the program identifier obtained in 604, an expression for searching the program information storage unit 104 is generated and the search is performed.

In step 1606, step 1605
The program information is obtained from the result of the search performed in step (1).

In step 1607, step 1606
Is output to the search requester.

In the above description, the program progress data storage section is selected from the location of the search requester. However, the search requester is required to input the name of the broadcast station, and the program progress data storage section is input from the input broadcast station name. It is also conceivable to select a division.

According to such an embodiment, even when there is a broadcasting station in each region and a unique program is broadcast, the search requester can transmit the program progress data of the broadcasting station he / she has viewed. You will be able to search.

<Fourth Embodiment>

The information processing system according to the fourth embodiment is obtained by adding a search request result history management unit and a history output unit to the information processing systems according to the first to third embodiments. FIG.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a configuration of the information processing system according to the present embodiment.
The data goes to 01, and further goes to the history output unit 1702.

The search request result history management unit 1701 manages the history of the program information output from the output unit 106 to the search requester. For example, a history of when and what information of which program identifier was output is managed.

The history output unit 1702 outputs the history managed by the search request result history management unit 1701 to the administrator of the information processing system. History output unit 1702
May simply output information on which program identifier is managed by the search request result history management unit 1701 to the administrator of the information processing system at what time and at what time. It is also possible to output to the administrator of the information processing system a result of performing a statistical process such as outputting to the requester or a total of outputting program information to the search requester separately from the program identifier.

According to such an embodiment, the administrator of the information processing system can know which program is being watched and how much, and can use it as a guideline for program production.

Also, a search requester identifier for uniquely identifying the search requester is added to the search request 107, the search request obtaining unit 101 sends the search requester identifier to the output unit 106, and the output unit The search request result history management unit 17 retrieves the program identifier and the search requester identifier of the program information output to the user.
01, and the search request result history management unit 1701 manages the history using the program identifier and the search requester identifier as a set. According to such an embodiment, by associating the program requester identifier with the personal information of the program requester, how much attention is paid to the search requester class such as gender, age group, residence area, etc. You will be able to know in detail. In addition, commercial
By applying the information processing system according to the present embodiment to messages, the history of search results can be a clue to how much attention is paid to commercial messages, and the effects of commercial messages can be provided to products and services. It is a clue that people know. By managing the history of search results and the personal information of the search requester in association with each other, it is possible to know what kind of audiences are paying attention to commercial messages, and to market products and services. It can be used for

Further, the output destination of the history output unit 1702 is a server which is a computer under the management of a company related to program information, for example, a company that produced a program or a company that provided a commercial message. Thus, not only a broadcasting station but also a company that has produced a program or a company that has provided commercial messages can easily obtain data that can be used for future production of programs and marketing of products and services.

<Fifth Embodiment>

A fifth embodiment which is a modification of the third embodiment can be considered. In the fifth embodiment, a plurality of pieces of program information for one program are stored in the program information storage unit 104, and appropriate program information is selected when a search result is output to a search requester.

As a criterion for selecting program information, it is conceivable to use a time zone in which a search request is issued. Also,
In the third embodiment, since the program progress data storage unit is selected based on the location area of the search requester, the location area of the search requester may be used as a selection criterion. In addition, by including attributes of personal information such as the sex, age, and occupation of the search requester in the search request, it is possible to select based on these attributes.

According to such an embodiment, it is possible to provide program information suitable for the search requester and the search request time.

<Sixth Embodiment>

In the above embodiment, the search result is
The search result is output to the search requester as soon as the search result is obtained, but this point should be changed to output it after a certain time after the program was broadcast or after a predetermined date and time. Is also conceivable.

For example, the following configuration is conceivable. When the search request acquisition unit 101 issues a search expression to the program progress data storage unit 102, not only the program identifier, but also an expression that obtains the end date and time of the broadcast as a search result is issued. The broadcast end date and time are also obtained in addition to the program identifier. The program identifier acquisition unit 103 issues a formula for searching for program information with the obtained program identifier to the program information storage unit 104, and sends the program identifier and the end date and time of the program to the program information acquisition unit 105. The time from the end date and time of the broadcast until output from the information processing system 100 (hereinafter, this time is referred to as a standby time) is recorded in the program information.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a standby time recorded in the program information obtained from the program information storage unit, and the current time is obtained by adding the standby time to the end date and time of the program sent from the program information identifier obtaining unit 103 and thereafter. Is determined, and if so, program information is sent to the output unit 106 and immediately output to the search requester as a search result; otherwise, no output is performed.

Alternatively, more simply, the date and time when the information may be output from the information processing system 100 is recorded in the program information, and the program information acquisition unit 105 compares the date and time when the output is possible with the current time. If the current time is later, the program information is sent to the output unit 106.

As described above, the standby time or the time at which the program can be output is recorded in the program information, and the current time is compared with the current time by the program information acquisition unit, so that a certain time after the program is broadcasted Alternatively, the program information is output after the date and time specified in advance. As a result, a program having content of high interest is broadcast, and the information processing system 10
Since the output of the search result of the program information can be postponed even if the access is concentrated on 0, the information processing system 10
Zero load concentration can be avoided. Also, quiz questions and prizes are recruited in the program, and after a certain period of time, the information processing system will announce the answer of the quiz,
Winners can be announced. Further, since the search result of the commercial message is performed after a certain period of time, it is possible to prevent the rival company from knowing the contents of the products and services early.

<Seventh Embodiment>

The seventh embodiment is an information processing method including a program progress data accumulation step, a program information accumulation step, a search request acquisition step, a program identifier acquisition step, a program information acquisition step, and an output step. is there.

Each step of the information processing method of the present embodiment may be executed by a computer. FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a computer 900 that executes each step in the present embodiment, and includes a CPU 901, a memory 902, a hard disk 903, an input device 904, and an output device 90.
5 and a communication interface 906. The hard disk 903 stores a program for executing the above-described steps, and such a program is loaded into the memory 902 and executed by the CPU 901. The input device 904 and the output device 905 include a mouse, a keyboard, a display, and the like, and exchange data between a computer administrator and a program. In some cases, the program communicates with another computer 908 and a terminal device 907 of a search requester who makes a search request via a communication network 909 connected to the communication interface 906.

The step of storing program progress data is a step of receiving program progress data composed of a program identifier for identifying a program and the start date and time and end date and time of the broadcast of the program, and storing the program progress data in a computer. An area of a table having columns of a program identifier, a start date and time, and an end date and time is secured in the hard disk, and accumulation is performed there. Such a table area can be secured, for example, by installing a relational database management system in a computer.
The table in which the program progress data is stored is not limited to one, but a table of a number corresponding to the type of the program is prepared, and the program progress data is stored in the table corresponding to each type of the program. It may be accumulated. For example, it is conceivable to make the tables in which the main part and the commercial message are stored different from each other. By doing so, it becomes possible to execute the main part search and the commercial message search separately.

The program progress data stored in the program progress data storing step is input from the input device 904,
Alternatively, the data is sent to the computer 900 from another computer 908 connected via the communication network 909.

The program information storing step is a step of storing a program identifier in association with a program information in a computer. Program information is information about a program, for example,
Items such as the category of the program, the title of the program, and the performers of the program are listed. To associate and accumulate in the computer,
By specifying a program identifier, the program information of the program identified by the program identifier is accumulated so as to be obtained. To perform such accumulation, a relational database management system is installed in the computer so that a table can be created, and the table has columns corresponding to program identifiers and items constituting program information. In advance, it is possible to use the column corresponding to the program identifier as the primary key of the table.

The search request obtaining step is a search request input from the terminal device 907 of the search requester, and is a formula for obtaining a search request related to program progress data stored in the program progress data storing step and performing a search. Is generated and the search for the program progress data is started. In order to receive the search request input from the terminal device 907 of the search requester, the terminal device 907 displays a screen for inputting conditions relating to the broadcast start date and time and the end date and time shown in FIG. Reading is conceivable. This FIG.
Is an example of a screen for searching for a program in which the start time of the broadcast date and time is after the date and time entered in the upper part of the screen and the end date and time is earlier than the date and time entered in the lower part of the screen. Fields for inputting the broadcast start date and time and the broadcast end date and time are displayed, and the search requester inputs numbers as appropriate in these fields and presses a search button 401 to input a program for executing the search request step. You will read the value. For example, assuming that the screen of FIG. 4 is displayed on the HTML browser as a WEB page using the HTML FORM function, and when the search condition is input from the WEB page, the search requester enters the search button 401 which is a submit button. By pressing, the WEB server program running on the computer 900 reads the data including the search conditions transmitted by the HTML browser, and the WEB server program passes the search conditions to the program for executing the search request obtaining step, thereby obtaining the search requester. Read the value entered by. As an example of the expression for performing the search, a format of SQL (JIS X 3005 standard) shown in FIG. In this example, the screen shown in FIG.
An expression for performing a search generated when a condition of from “29:00” to “8:50:40” on April 1, 2001 is input is shown. The table in which the program progress data is stored is referred to as a program progress data table, and the names of columns in the table in which program identifiers are stored are referred to as program identifiers.

The program identifier obtaining step includes extracting a program identifier from a search result obtained by processing the expression generated in the search request obtaining step, and generating an expression for searching for program information stored in association with the program identifier. It is a step to do. FIG. 6 shows that when the program identifiers extracted from the search result obtained by processing the expression generated in the search request obtaining step are AB37573V and CZ56382V, the program identifiers are stored in association with one of the two program identifiers. An expression for searching for program information that is present is shown. In FIG. 6, the name of the table in which the program information is stored is referred to as a program information table, and the columns of the table in which the program identifiers are stored are referred to as program identifiers.

The program information obtaining step is a step of obtaining program information from a search result obtained by processing the search formula generated in the program identifier obtaining step. Since SELECT * is used in the search formula of FIG. 6, the values of all the columns of the program information table can be obtained. The content of the process in this step is to obtain the column values related to the program information from the column values. Becomes

In the output step, the program information obtained in the program information obtaining step is output to the search requester. If the search requester uses an HTML browser, the program information that is the search result is converted into the HTML format and output. However, if the program information is already described in HTML, there is no need for conversion.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing of the information processing method according to this embodiment. Step 1
Steps 001 to 1003 correspond to a search request acquisition step, steps 1004 and 1005 correspond to a program identifier acquisition step, step 1006 corresponds to a program information acquisition step, and step 1007 corresponds to an output step. .

In step 1001, the screen of FIG. 4 is output to the terminal device of the search requester to prompt the user to input a search request. In step 1002, the data of the search request input to the screen of FIG. 4 is obtained. Do that, step 10
At 03, an expression for searching for program progress data is generated,
Perform a search.

In step 1004, step 10
In step 1, the program identifier obtained as a result of the search in step 03 is obtained.
In 005, a search formula for searching for program information is generated, and a search operation is performed.

In step 1006, step 10
The program information is obtained from the result of the search performed in step 05.

At step 1007, program information is output.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a commercial message search result obtained by executing the above steps. In this example, 20:00:00 on April 1, 2001
As a result of searching commercial messages broadcasted between the second and 20:15:59 on April 1, 2001, five results were obtained.
The desired commercial message can be found from the service name. 706, 707, 708, 70
Underlines 9, 710 indicate that the information of each commercial message is linked to these underlined portions. This information includes a detailed description of the products and services advertised in the commercial message, the URL of the WEB page on which such description is written, and a description of the characters appearing and the songs used. Has been. For example, by clicking the underlined portion of 706, the user can obtain detailed information on goods and services as shown in FIG. If the provider company has a homepage, 702, 70
It is also conceivable to provide a link to the homepage of each company as indicated by the underline of 3, 704, 705.

According to such an embodiment, the search requester can search for program information by relying on the broadcast time even if the title of the program is not accurately stored.
It becomes possible to obtain information related to the program. In a commercial message, it is necessary to convey as much information as possible about the product or service to the viewer, but the broadcast of the commercial message does not exceed one minute at the longest, and in such a short time, It is very difficult to convey much content to a viewer, and it is almost impossible for the viewer to memorize all of the commercial messages. However, using the information processing method of the present invention, even if the viewer cannot remember the exact product name or the name of the provider of the product or service, the information of the commercial message can be obtained from the time when the commercial message was broadcast. To search for necessary information, such as information on products and services themselves, and information on the person who appeared in the commercial message, the music used, the landscape, and the goods, without being restricted by time. It becomes possible. In addition, by including the URL of the homepage that describes the products and services in the information of the commercial message and the dedicated telephone number of the contact information,
Manufacturers and providers of goods and services advertised in commercial messages will be able to effectively explain the goods and services.

<Eighth Embodiment>

In the information processing method according to the eighth embodiment, in addition to the steps of the eighth embodiment, the computer is caused to execute a condition registration step and a notification step.

The condition registration step is a step of registering the search condition acquired in the search request step or the condition designated by the search requester and the notification destination. The condition registered in this step is the program progress data accumulation. This is for retrieving the program progress data stored in the step or the program information stored in the program information storing step. When the condition is registered in the condition registering step, when new program progress data is stored in the program progress data storing step, or when new program information is stored in the program information storing step, the stored program progress data or program information is stored. When satisfies the condition, the notification destination is notified of the fact that has been accumulated.

As described above, in the condition registration step,
Since the notification destination needs to be registered, in the search request acquisition step, the search request needs to include the notification destination, and a field for inputting the notification destination needs to be added to the screen of FIG.

FIG. 13 shows an example of a table storing conditions registered in the condition registration step and notification destinations. A column named search condition stores conditions, and a column named notification destination stores Notification destination is stored. The notification destination may be a postal address, a facsimile telephone number, or the like. In the following, an e-mail address is assumed.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the computer when new program progress data is stored in the program progress data storing step. The same applies when program information is newly stored in the program information storing step.

In step 1201, the cursor is set at the first row in the table shown in FIG. The cursor here indicates a row from which data is to be read when reading data stored in a row of the table.

In the processing of this flowchart, since the cursor is moved from the first row to the last row of the table in FIG. 13, it is determined in step 1202 whether or not the last row of the table has been passed. If not, the process ends; otherwise, the process moves to step 1203.

In step 1203, the retrieval condition stored in the retrieval condition column of the row pointed by the cursor is obtained.

At step 1204, it is checked whether the newly stored program progress data satisfies the search condition obtained at step 1203.

In step 1205, step 1204
As a result of the check, if the newly accumulated program progress data satisfies the search condition, the process proceeds to step 1206; otherwise, the process skips step 1206 and proceeds to step 1207.

In step 1206, since it is determined that the search condition is satisfied, a notification that the program progress data satisfying the search condition has been stored in the notification destination is stored in the notification destination column of the row indicated by the cursor. To your email address.

In step 1207, an operation for moving the cursor to the next line is performed, and the process returns to step 1202.

According to the information processing method of this embodiment, a search requester can register search conditions, and when program progress data and program information satisfying the search conditions are stored, the search requester is notified. , The desired information can be obtained in a timely manner, and the user is released from constantly watching the broadcast.

<Ninth Embodiment>

In the information processing method according to the ninth embodiment, the program progress data storing step of the eighth embodiment is executed for a plurality of broadcast stations, and the program progress data is stored in a table for each broadcast station. Data is accumulated. Further, the program causes the computer to execute a broadcast station corresponding to the search requester or a broadcast station specifying step of specifying a broadcast station that has broadcasted to the search requester. A search result of the program progress data stored in the program progress data storing step executed corresponding to the specified broadcasting station is obtained.

The fact that the program progress data storing step is executed for a plurality of broadcast stations means that a table for storing the program progress data corresponding to the plurality of broadcast stations is divided, and that each broadcast station broadcasts the program progress data. This means that the program progress data of the program is stored in a table corresponding to the broadcast station.

The broadcasting station specifying step is a step of determining which table corresponding to a plurality of broadcasting stations is to execute the search formula generated in the search request obtaining step. One way to make this determination is to use the location of the search requester. The following can be considered as a method of obtaining the location of the search requester. That is, a screen for receiving the search condition from the search requester is provided with a field for inputting the location of the search requester, or the search requester dials up to a computer on which the information processing method of the present embodiment is executed through a telephone line. When performing the search, the location area is obtained from the telephone number of the search requester using the function of the number display, or a computer in which the search requester executes the information processing method of the present embodiment from a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone. When accessing the search request, it is conceivable to obtain the location of the search requester from information on the base station with which the mobile terminal communicates. In addition, registered users can execute searches, and personal information of registered users is stored.
If the user's address is included in the user's personal information, the address may be obtained from the address.

In order to select a table corresponding to a plurality of broadcasting stations from the location of the search requester, the computer stores the table shown in FIG. 15, and by referring to this table, the table for each broadcasting station is displayed. Let me choose. The table in FIG. 15 includes columns of the location area of the search requester, the broadcast station, and an identifier for identifying the table.
For example, a search requester whose location is Hokkaido means that he / she has viewed a program broadcasted from the broadcasting station 12, and the program progress data of the program broadcasted from the broadcasting station 12 is stored in a table identified by an identifier of 15. It represents that it is. Therefore, when a search request is sent from a search requester whose location is Hokkaido, 15
Is identified, and the search condition is sent to the table.

In the above description, the table in which the program progress data is stored is selected from the location of the search requester. However, the search requester is required to input the name of the broadcast station, and the program progress is determined based on the input broadcast station name. It is also conceivable to select a table in which data is stored.

According to such an embodiment, even if there is a broadcasting station in each region and a unique program is broadcast, the search requester can transmit the program progress data of the broadcasting station which he / she has watched. You will be able to search.

[0123]

As described in detail above, according to the information processing system of the present invention, first, the search requester can increase the broadcast time without having to accurately store the title of the program. By inputting, it becomes possible to obtain information on the program broadcast at that time.

Second, the search requester can register search conditions, and when program progress data and program information satisfying the search conditions are stored, the search requester is notified. Can be obtained in a timely manner, and the user can be released from constantly watching the broadcast.

Third, the search requester can search for the program progress data of the broadcast station that he or she actually viewed.

Fourth, the manager of the information processing system can know which program is being watched and how much, which can be used as a guideline for program production, and which gender, age group, residence It becomes possible to know in detail how much attention is being paid to the search requester such as a region.

Fifth, it is possible to provide program information suitable for a search requester.

Sixth, since a program having a content with a high degree of attention is broadcast and a search result of program information can be postponed even if access to the information processing system 100 is concentrated, the load on the information processing system 100 can be reduced. Concentration can be avoided. In addition, quiz questions and prizes are recruited in the program, and after a predetermined time, the information processing system can announce the answer of the quiz or announce the winner.

Seventh, even if the viewer cannot remember the exact product name or the name of the provider of the product or service, the viewer can search for the information of the commercial message from the time the commercial message was broadcast. It will be possible to know the necessary information, for example, information on the product or service itself, the person who appeared in the commercial message, the music used, the scenery, the goods, without being restricted by time . In addition, by including the URL of the homepage that describes the product or service in the information of the commercial message and the dedicated telephone number of the contact person, the manufacturer or provider of the product or service advertised in the commercial message can In this way, it is possible to effectively explain products and services. Also, from the history of the search results, it is possible to know how much attention is paid to the commercial message, and to provide a product or service provider with an effect of the commercial message. By managing the history of search results and the personal information of the search requester in association with each other, it is possible to know what kind of audiences are paying attention to commercial messages, and to market products and services. It can be used for

Further, according to the information processing method of the present invention, first, the retrieval requester retrieves the program information by relying on the broadcast time even if the title of the program is not accurately stored. Information related to the program can be obtained.

Second, the search requester can register search conditions, and when program progress data and program information satisfying the search conditions are stored, the search requester is notified. Can be obtained in a timely manner, and the user can be released from constantly watching the broadcast.

Third, even if there is a broadcasting station in each region and a unique program is broadcast, the search requester searches the program progress data of the broadcasting station which he or she actually viewed. Will be able to

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a program progress data storage unit.

FIG. 3 is an example of a program information storage unit;

FIG. 4 is an example of a screen shown to a search requester;

FIG. 5 is an example of an expression for searching for program progress data.

FIG. 6 is an example of an expression for retrieving program information;

FIG. 7 is an example diagram showing a search result of a commercial message.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example in which a web page of a description of a product obtained by following a link from the search result of FIG. 16 is displayed.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a computer.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a search process flow according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when program progress data is newly stored;

FIG. 13 is an example of a table in which conditions and notification destinations are registered.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an example of a table in which the location of a search requester is associated with a broadcast station and a program progress data storage unit identifier;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a process of obtaining a location of a search requester and processing a search according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an information processing system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 search request acquisition unit 102 program progress data storage unit 103 program identifier acquisition unit 104 program information storage unit 105 program information acquisition unit 106 output unit 107 search request 108 program information

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (Reference) H04N 7/173 640 H04N 17/00 Z 17/00 5/91 L (72) Inventor Rikio Suma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. 1006 Kadoma, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Tokyo Broadcasting Corporation F term (reference) 5B075 ND20 PP28 5C052 AA01 AB04 AC08 DD10 5C053 FA23 FA29 JA22 JA30 KA01 KA24 LA14 5C061 BB20 5C064 BA07 BB10 BC18 BC23 BD02 BD07 BD08

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A program progress data storage unit for storing program progress data including a program identifier for identifying a program and broadcast time information which is information on the time at which the program was broadcast. A program information storage unit that stores the program information in association with certain program information; a search request obtaining unit that obtains a search request including a search condition that is a condition for searching for the program information; and a search condition that is obtained by the search request obtaining unit. A program identifier acquiring unit for acquiring a program identifier from the program progress data accumulating unit, and a program information acquiring unit for acquiring program information corresponding to the program identifier from the program information accumulating unit using the acquired program identifier. And an output unit for outputting the acquired program information. 2. A condition registering unit for registering a search condition acquired by the search request acquiring unit or a designated condition designated by a search requester who made a search request, and a search condition or designated condition registered in the condition registering unit. When program information or program progress data matching the above is newly stored in the program information storage unit or the program progress data storage unit, a notification unit that notifies the search requester of the storage is further provided. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The program progress data storage section is provided corresponding to a plurality of broadcasting stations, and corresponds to a search requester who has made the search request, or is provided to a search requester who made the search request. A broadcast station specifying unit that specifies a broadcast station that has performed a broadcast, and the program identifier obtaining unit obtains a program identifier from the program progress data storage unit corresponding to the broadcast station specified by the previous broadcast station specifying unit. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A search request result history management unit that manages a search request result history that is a history of program information acquired in response to the search request, and a history output unit that outputs the search request result history. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein: 5. The search request result history management unit further comprises:
The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein a search requester identifier for identifying a search requester who made a search request is managed in association with the search request history. 6. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein an output destination of the history output unit is a server of a company related to the program information. 7. A method according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of said program information are stored for one program, and said program information is selected and acquired in accordance with a date and time when said search request is received or said specified broadcasting station. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein: 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the program information is output after a predetermined time or after a predetermined date and time after the program corresponding to the program information is broadcast. Item 8. An information processing system according to Item 7. 9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the program is a commercial message related to a product or a service. 10. The program information includes the commercial
Any of information on a product or service advertised in the message, information on a provider of the product or service, information on a person appearing in the commercial message, information on a song, scenery, or article used in the commercial message 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein
An information processing system according to claim 1. 11. A program progress data storing step of storing program progress data including a program identifier for identifying a program and broadcast time information which is information on a time at which the program was broadcast. A program information storing step of storing program information in association with certain program information; a search request obtaining step of obtaining a search request including a search condition that is a condition for searching for the program information; and a search condition obtained in the search request obtaining step The program progress data stored in the program progress data storing step is searched according to the program identifier obtaining step of obtaining a program identifier, and from the program information stored in the program information storing step using the obtained program identifier. A program information acquisition step of acquiring program information corresponding to the program identifier; An output step of outputting selected program information. 12. A condition registration step of registering a search condition acquired in the search request acquisition step or a designated condition designated by a search requester who made a search request, and a search condition or designated condition registered in the condition registration step When program information or program progress data matching the above is newly stored by executing the program information storing step or the program progress data storing step, a notification step of notifying the search requester of the storage is provided; The information processing method according to claim 11, comprising: 13. The program progress data storing step is executed in correspondence with a plurality of broadcast stations, and corresponds to a search requester who made the search request, or broadcasts a broadcast to the search requester who made the search request. The program identifier obtaining step includes the step of storing the program progress data stored in the previous program execution data storing step executed corresponding to the broadcast station specified in the broadcast station specifying step. 12. The information processing method according to claim 11, wherein a program identifier is obtained from the program progress data.