JP7687033B2 - Content distribution method, content distribution program, and content distribution system - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies February 24, 2021 Published at TOPPAN VIRTUAL TOKYO PACK 2021, published on the website at the following address (https://v-messe.jp/custom/plaza/2021/tokyopack/) March 24, 2021 Published at CU-LABO, published on the website at the following address (https://v-messe.jp/visitor/CKM04256/login) March 29, 2021 Published at DAIKIN EXPO 2021, published on the website at the following address (https://v-messe.jp/content/DKEX2021/)

This disclosure relates to content distribution, and more particularly to content distribution including video calling at online exhibitions.

In recent years, virtual exhibitions (also called online exhibitions) have been held on the Internet. These online exhibitions are sometimes held using exhibition platforms, etc.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-108465 (Patent Document 1) discloses an Internet site guidance system for online exhibitions, which is "composed of a user terminal equipped with a Web browser, an event participation site server, and an online event hosting site computer, the online event hosting computer being equipped with a Web server, an application server, a database server, and an administrator terminal, and when a user accesses the online event gate page of the online event hosting computer, a time-dependent change guidance screen is sent to the user terminal, and the information displayed on the time-dependent change guidance screen induces the user to search for the event participation site where the time-dependent change display information is displayed, thereby promoting the viewing of the event participation site" through user participation (see [Abstract]).

Other technologies related to online exhibitions are also disclosed, for example, in Patent Documents 2 to 6.

JP 2003-108465 A JP 2001-256357 A JP 2003-263444 A JP 2002-207922 A JP 2004-234054 A JP 2017-111743 A

According to the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 6, staff members at online exhibitions and the like cannot provide detailed guidance to visitors via video calls. Therefore, there is a need for a technique that allows staff members at online exhibitions and the like to provide detailed guidance to visitors via video calls.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned background, and in one aspect, the objective is to provide a technology that enables staff at online exhibitions and the like to provide detailed guidance to visitors via video calls.

According to one embodiment, a method for distributing content in a system is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving a content acquisition request from a user terminal, and distributing content to the user terminal based on the reception of the content acquisition request. The content includes a first screen for a video call and a second screen having an operation item. The second screen is embedded in the content by an embedding tag. The method further includes the step of distributing data for updating the second screen without updating the first screen to the user terminal based on the reception of a data request generated by an operation event on the second screen from the user terminal.

In one aspect, the method further includes the steps of: establishing communication between the user terminal and the other terminal during a video call with the user terminal via a virtual communication path; delivering content to the other terminal; transmitting information regarding an operation on the other terminal to the user terminal via the virtual communication path based on receiving a data request from the other terminal generated by an operation event on the second screen; receiving a data request from the user terminal generated based on information regarding the operation on the other terminal; and delivering data for updating the second screen without updating the first screen to both the user terminal and the other terminal.

In one aspect, the information regarding operations at other terminals includes data for generating an operation event at the user terminal.

In one aspect, the information regarding the operation occurring at the other terminal includes data for causing the user terminal to send a data request.

In one aspect, the method further includes a step of transmitting information related to the operation on the user terminal to another terminal via a virtual communication path based on receiving a data request due to an operation event on the second screen from the user terminal.

In one aspect, the method further includes the steps of accepting a request to reserve a video call, acquiring information on a start time of the video call, acquiring participant information of the video call, and delivering a notification of the video call to the user terminal and other terminals based on the reservation.

In one aspect, the method further includes a step of transmitting a screen lock command to the user terminal via a virtual communication path to prevent operations on the second screen from being accepted, based on receipt of a screen lock request for the user terminal from another terminal.

In one aspect, the content includes HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and the embedded tag is an iframe tag, an object tag, or a canvas tag.

In one aspect, the virtual communication path is a WebSocket.

According to another embodiment, a program is provided for causing a processor to execute the above method.

In accordance with another embodiment, a system is provided that includes a memory that stores the above program and a processor for executing the program.

According to one embodiment, at an online exhibition, staff can provide detailed guidance to visitors via video call.

The above and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an application example of an online exhibition system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an apparatus 200 for implementing an online exhibition system. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the functionality of an online exhibition system 300 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates a first example of a screen for an online exhibition according to one embodiment. FIG. 11 illustrates a second example of a screen for an online exhibition according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an overall display of an online exhibition venue according to one embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first example of a Web conference reservation screen according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a second example of a Web conference reservation screen according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of a Web conference reservation screen according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual communication path in the attendant function. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a communication procedure in a Web conference.

Below, an embodiment of the technical concept of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

<A. Examples of applications of online exhibition systems>
1 is a diagram showing an application example of an online exhibition system according to the present embodiment. The online exhibition system according to the present embodiment is constructed on any hardware such as a server or a cloud system, and can distribute a screen 100 of an online exhibition to a user terminal based on receiving a content acquisition request from the user terminal. A user can display the screen 100 on any user terminal such as a personal computer, a tablet, or a smartphone. In a certain aspect, the online exhibition system according to the present embodiment can also be used as a platform for providing any service such as an online education system.

(a. Content Structure)
The screen 100 includes a screen and various functions of the online exhibition. The screen 100 mainly includes a screen 110, a screen 120, an operation panel 130, and a map 140. In one aspect, the screen 100 may be web content defined by HTML (HyperText Markup Language). In another aspect, the screen 100 may be content defined by XML (Extensible Markup Language). The screen 100 can also be said to be content made of HTML or the like. The screen 100 (content) may include one or more screens or operation items (buttons, sliders, links, etc.) defined by tags or the like. The terminal may display the screen 100 on a display using a browser function or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the user terminal displays a screen after the user logs into the online exhibition system with his or her own account.

Screen 110 displays, for example, the entire online exhibition venue, exhibition booths, and exhibits. Screen 110 may also include links to other HTML and operation items by Javascript (registered trademark). The upper part of screen 110 may be a menu bar including links to various pages. The menu bar may be constantly displayed even when the screen transitions. A user may generate an event by any operation such as touching, clicking, or swiping. For example, when a button is pressed (when an event of pressing a button occurs), the user terminal (Javascript) executes a process associated with the event (such as switching the display of a screen). A user can move around the venue of the online exhibition using links or operation items in screen 110. Screen switching may include those that generate access to a server (those that change the URL (uniform resource locator)) and those that do not.

Screen 120 is a video call screen for exhibition staff or the like to guide visitors. The staff may be, for example, staff from the operator of the online exhibition, or may be a sales representative or guide from a company exhibiting at the online exhibition. For example, a user can operate screen 110 to move around the online exhibition while receiving guidance on the contents of products or the display locations of products from staff or the like displayed on screen 120. Staff can also remotely operate the user terminal from the staff terminal while providing guidance or explanations by voice. In some aspects, screen 120 may display an avatar or photo of the staff or the like without displaying their face.

The operation panel 130 provides the user with various functions such as navigating the online exhibition, zooming the screen 110, and switching the map 140. In some aspects, all of the functions provided by the operation panel 130 may be embedded in the screen 110. Conversely, all of the functions embedded in the screen 110 may be provided by the operation panel 130.

Map 140 displays an overall map of the online exhibition, or a map of a partial area, etc. Furthermore, map 140 may have a function of switching between displaying an overall map of the online exhibition and a map of a partial area. Map 140 may also display the user's location or the location of the booth currently displayed on screen 110 on map 140. Furthermore, the user may select a booth displayed on map 140 to move to the selected booth (screen 110 may display the selected booth).

(b. Example of operation of online exhibition system)
Next, a typical operation of the online exhibition system according to the present embodiment will be described. In the example shown in Fig. 1, a user is receiving a guide to the exhibits or the venue from a staff member via a screen 120 while viewing an exhibition screen 110 on a browser or the like of a user terminal.

First, as a first operation example, the operation of the online exhibition system when an operation from a user is accepted will be described. The user can hear operation instructions from a staff member via the screen 120 (video call). The user follows the operation instructions and operates an operation item on the screen 110, the operation panel 130, or the map 140. At a certain stage, the user can operate an operation item based on any operation such as clicking, touching, or swiping.

Based on the user's operation of an operation item that causes a screen transition (e.g., moving to a different venue, displaying detailed product information, etc.), the online exhibition system accepts a content acquisition request (e.g., a request for data for the destination screen). The online exhibition system then transmits update data (data for updating the entire screen, or data for updating part of the display) to the user terminal.

The user terminal updates screen 110 based on the update data received from the online exhibition system. At this time, in order to continue the video call, the user terminal updates only screen 110 without updating screen 120. In some aspects, screen 110 may be embedded in screen 100 by an embedded tag such as an iframe tag, an object tag, or a canvas tag. In this case, the data for updating the screen is data that updates only the screen in the embedded tag.

A content acquisition request generated by an operation item in screen 110, operation panel 130, or map 140 is a request for data to update only the screen in the embedded tag (including all or part of screen 110, operation panel 130, and map 140). However, if necessary (such as when disconnecting a call), the content acquisition request may request data to update the entire screen 100.

As described above, based on the user's operation of screen 100, the online exhibition system updates the screen in the embedded tag (including all or part of screen 110, operation panel 130, and map 140) without updating screen 120. In this way, the online exhibition system enables the user to move around the online exhibition (updating screen 110) without interrupting the voice call (without updating screen 120).

Next, as a second operation example, the operation of the online exhibition system when an operation from a staff member is accepted will be described. The staff member can display and operate screen 100 on a staff terminal (a terminal separate from the user terminal). The staff terminal and the user terminal are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a virtual communication path. The virtual communication path is, for example, a WebSocket.

The staff member operates an operation item on the screen 110, the operation panel 130, or the map 140. In a certain situation, the staff member may operate the operation item based on any operation such as clicking, touching, or swiping.

Based on the staff member's operation of the operation items on screen 110 (moving the venue, displaying detailed product information, etc.), the online exhibition system accepts a content acquisition request (a request for data on the destination screen, etc.). The online exhibition system then transmits the update data to the staff terminal.

The staff terminal updates screen 110 based on the update data that the staff terminal receives from the online exhibition system. At this time, the staff terminal updates screen 110 without updating screen 120 in order to continue the video call.

The online exhibition system also acquires information related to the operation from the staff terminal via a virtual communication path. In one aspect, the information related to the operation may include data for causing the user terminal to generate an operation event (such as a click event) that has occurred at the staff terminal. In another aspect, the information related to the operation may include data for causing the user terminal to transmit a content acquisition request.

The online exhibition system then transfers the information relating to the operation received from the staff terminal to the user terminal via the virtual communication path. In one aspect, the online exhibition system may generate data to be sent to the user terminal (such as commands to cause the user terminal to execute an event occurrence process, a screen update process, or a content acquisition request process, etc.) based on the information relating to the operation received from the staff terminal, and send the data to the user terminal.

The user terminal executes the same screen update processing as the staff terminal based on the information on the operation, or based on receiving data generated based on the information on the operation received by the online exhibition system from the staff terminal. In one aspect, the user terminal may generate the same operation event as the operation event that occurred on the staff terminal based on the information on the operation. For example, when a click event of button A occurs on the staff terminal, a click event of button A may also occur on the user terminal based on the information on the operation. When the operation event occurs, the user terminal may send a content acquisition request associated with the operation event to the online exhibition system. In another aspect, the user terminal may directly execute a process associated with the event (such as sending a content acquisition request to the online exhibition system) based on the information on the operation, instead of generating an event. For example, when a click event of button A occurs on the staff terminal, the user terminal may execute a process associated with the click event of button A (such as buttonA.addEventListener('click', function(event) {process}) in Javascript) based on the information on the operation.

The user terminal updates the screen 110 based on the data for updating the screen received from the online exhibition system. At this time, the user terminal updates the screen 110 without updating the screen 120 in order to continue the video call.

In one aspect, the staff terminal may transmit a user's screen lock request to the online exhibition system via a virtual communication channel. The user's screen lock request may be included in information related to the operation. The online exhibition system may transmit the user's screen lock request to the user terminal via the virtual communication channel. Based on receiving the user's screen lock request, the user terminal temporarily blocks operations from the user. This screen lock can be released by performing a specific operation (such as pressing an unlock button) on the screen of the user terminal or the staff terminal.

As described above, based on the staff member's operation of the screen 110, the online exhibition system can update both the staff member's terminal screen 110 and the user's terminal screen 110 in the same way. In this way, the staff member can operate the user's terminal screen 110 while providing the user with guidance via video call. As a result, for example, the staff member can guide the user to a particular booth or provide a high-quality explanation of a product while switching between the user's terminal screens 110. Hereinafter, the function shown in this second operation example is also referred to as the attend function.

In one aspect, the user terminal and the staff terminal may directly communicate with each other through a virtual communication path, without going through the online exhibition system, based on a function (such as a program using Javascript) previously provided on the screen 100. In another aspect, an event that occurs on the user terminal may be generated on the staff terminal, or the staff terminal may be caused to execute a process (such as a request for update data) associated with an event that occurs on the user terminal, using a procedure similar to that described above. This allows the screens of the user terminal and the staff terminal to be constantly synchronized. All of the functions provided on the user terminal and the staff terminal described in the disclosure of this embodiment may be realized by a browser function and Javascript, etc.

<B. Example of online exhibition system configuration>
2 is a diagram showing an example of an apparatus 200 for realizing an online exhibition system. In one aspect, the apparatus 200 may be used as a server for realizing the online exhibition system. In another aspect, the online exhibition system may be realized on a cloud environment consisting of a plurality of the apparatuses 200. The apparatus 200 may also be used as a user terminal and a staff terminal. The functions and processes of each apparatus (user terminal, staff terminal, and online exhibition system) in the present disclosure may be executed as a program by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1.

The device 200 includes a CPU 1, a primary memory device 2, a secondary memory device 3, an external device interface 4, an input interface 5, an output interface 6, and a communication interface 7.

The CPU 1 may execute programs for implementing various functions of the device 200. The CPU 1 may be configured, for example, by at least one integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may be configured, for example, by at least one CPU, at least one FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these.

The primary storage device 2 stores the programs executed by the CPU 1 and the data referenced by the CPU 1. In one aspect, the primary storage device 2 may be realized by a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM), etc.

The secondary storage device 3 is a non-volatile memory, and may store the programs executed by the CPU 1 and the data referenced by the CPU 1. In this case, the CPU 1 executes the programs read from the secondary storage device 3 to the primary storage device 2, and references the data read from the secondary storage device 3 to the primary storage device 2. In one aspect, the secondary storage device 3 may be realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a flash memory, or the like.

The external device interface 4 can be connected to any external device such as a printer, scanner, or external HDD. In some aspects, the external device interface 4 may be realized by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal or the like.

The input interface 5 can be connected to any input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchpad, or a gamepad. In some aspects, the input interface 5 can be realized by a USB terminal, a PS/2 terminal, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module, etc.

The output interface 6 can be connected to any output device, such as a cathode ray tube display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. In some aspects, the output interface 6 can be realized by a USB terminal, a D-sub terminal, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) terminal, an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) terminal, etc.

The communication interface 7 is connected to a wired or wireless network device. In one aspect, the communication interface 7 may be realized by a wired LAN (Local Area Network) port and a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) (Wireless Fidelity) module, etc. In another aspect, the communication interface 7 may send and receive data using a communication protocol such as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol).

Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functions of an online exhibition system 300 according to this embodiment. In one aspect, each component shown in Figure 3 may be executed as a program on the hardware shown in Figure 2. In this case, the CPU 1 can realize the functions of each component shown in Figure 3 by executing a program deployed on the primary storage device 2.

The main functions of the online exhibition system 300 include a notification information management unit 301, a schedule management unit 302, a Web conference management unit 303, a Web conference UI (User Interface) 304, an attendee management unit 305, an attendee DB (Database) 306, a seminar distribution unit 307, and a seminar management unit 308.

The online exhibition system 300 may be linked to any other system 350. The online exhibition system 300 may also provide the screen 100 to the visitor 360 via the terminal 340 (user terminal). Similarly, the online exhibition system 300 may also provide the screen 100 to the staff attending the visitor 360 via the terminal 340 (staff terminal).

The notification information management unit 301 transmits (push notifications) to the terminal 340 notifications of Web conferences or notifications of other services provided by the system 350. As an example, the terminal 340 may display the received notification on a screen displayed using a browser function. The Web conference here includes the video call described with reference to FIG. 1. The Web conference may include one-to-one video calls, video conferences and seminars in which three or more people or groups participate.

The schedule management unit 302 manages the schedule of the Web conference by referring to the attend DB 306. As an example, the schedule management unit 302 may transmit the schedule of the Web conference to the notification information management unit 301 according to a predetermined timing (e.g., when the Web conference is about to be held), and may output a request to the notification information management unit 301 to perform notification processing to the terminal 340. The schedule management unit 302 may also have an editing function for the attend DB 306.

The Web conference management unit 303 directly invites the visitor 360 to the Web conference. In one aspect, the Web conference management unit 303 may send an invitation notification to the Web conference to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 based on receiving a request to invite the visitor 360 to the Web conference from the terminal 340 of the organizer (Host) of the Web conference. The sending of the invitation notification may be performed via the notification information management unit 301.

The Web conference UI 304 delivers the UI of the online exhibition to the terminal 340. The UI of the online exhibition may include the screen 100 described with reference to FIG. 1, the screens shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 9, etc. The UI of the online exhibition may be realized by HTML or XML, etc.

The attendant management unit 305 executes the processes required for the Web conference. As an example, the attendant management unit 305 provides a function (attendant function) for terminal 340(1) (staff terminal) to operate terminal 340(2) (user terminal) via a virtual communication path.

The attend DB 306 stores various information related to the Web conference. As an example, the attend DB 306 stores a schedule table 311, a seminar master table 312, a Web conference table 313, an attend master table 314, a participant list table 315, and a participant table 316.

The schedule table 311 manages the start and end times of Web conferences. The schedule table 311 may include the following items: schedule ID (identifier), start time, end time, schedule type, Web conference ID, and seminar ID. The schedule type indicates the type of Web conference (exhibition information, business negotiations or meetings, etc.).

The seminar master table 312 includes information about seminars. The seminar master table 312 includes at least a seminar ID as an item. The seminars may include any seminars such as seminars offered by companies participating in the online exhibition and seminars offered by companies operating the online exhibition system 300.

The Web conference table 313 includes information about Web conferences. The Web conference table 313 may include the following items: Web conference ID, post-participation flag, whether or not to attend, and attendant ID. The post-participation flag indicates whether or not it is possible to join in the middle of the conference. Whether or not to attend indicates whether or not the attendant function is enabled.

The attendant master table 314 manages attendant information. The attendant master table 314 includes at least an attendant ID as an item. An example of an attendant here is guiding visitors around the venue or products of an online exhibition, and the attendant ID uniquely identifies an attendant associated with each Web conference.

The participant list table 315 manages the participants who participate in each Web conference. The participant list table 315 includes the following items: Web conference ID, participation ID, and participation type. The participation type indicates the type of participant, such as host or guest.

The participant table 316 manages information about participants in the online exhibition. The participant table 316 includes a participant ID as an item. A user may input participant information into a web page or the like prepared in advance for registering to participate in the online exhibition. The online exhibition system 300 registers the participant ID linked to the input participant information in the participant table 316.

The seminar distribution unit 307 distributes seminars. In some aspects, the seminar distribution unit 307 may distribute the seminar as a form of Web conference. In this case, the Web conference UI 304 may include various UIs for the seminar. In practice, the seminar distribution unit 307 may distribute the seminar (Web conference) in cooperation with various other functions of the online exhibition system 300.

The seminar management unit 308 provides a function for making various settings for a seminar (web conference). For example, staff of a company exhibiting at an online exhibition can make various settings for the seminar via a setting screen (web screen) provided by the seminar management unit 308. In some cases, the seminar management unit 308 may accept various settings (reservations, etc.) for the seminar (web conference) via screens 700, 800, and 900 (see Figures 7 to 9).

<C. Example of the online exhibition system screen>
4 is a diagram showing a first example of a screen of an online exhibition according to the present embodiment. Terminal 340 displays screen 410 and screen 420 on the display by using a browser function or the like.

Screen 410 is a login screen, and when participating in an online exhibition, a user first accesses screen 410. Screen 410 accepts input of the user's email address and password. Furthermore, when the login button is pressed with the correct user's email address (or ID) and password entered on screen 410, the screen of terminal 340 switches from screen 410 to screen 420.

More specifically, an event occurs in which the login button is clicked, and the terminal 340 sends an authentication request to the online exhibition system 300. Based on the success of the authentication process, the online exhibition system 300 sends update data (information on the screen 420) to the terminal 340.

Screen 420 is the main screen of the online exhibition. Screen 420 includes online exhibition screen 440, operation panel 130, map 140, and notification 430. Screen 420 may display, as an example, a 2D (two-dimensional) exhibition hall or a 3D exhibition hall. Screen 440 corresponds to screen 110 shown in FIG. 1. A user can move around the exhibition hall or view exhibits by operating operation items embedded in screen 420, operation panel 130, or map 140.

Notification 430 is a notification of a Web conference (including one-to-one video calls and seminars), and the user can join the Web conference by pressing the join button on notification 430 (in the case of a one-to-one video call, the call can be started). When the user presses the join button on notification 430, the screen of terminal 340 switches from screen 420 to screen 510 (see FIG. 5).

In reality, screen 440 does not need to be updated when the screen of terminal 340 switches from screen 420 to screen 510. Screen 440 is content within the embedded tag, and continues to be displayed in the background even after screen 510 (call screen) is displayed.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing a second example of a screen for an online exhibition according to this embodiment. Terminal 340 displays screen 510 and screen 100 on the display using a browser function or the like.

Screen 510 is a screen for a web conference, video call, or online seminar. Screen 510 may include screen 511 of the other party and display 512 of the other participants. In one aspect, when screen 510 is a one-to-one video call, screen 510 may not include display 512 of the other participants. In another aspect, when screen 510 is a conference or seminar, the screen of the person speaking may be enlarged and displayed as screen 511 of the other party, and the screens of the other participants may be reduced and displayed as display 512 of the other participants. The user can switch the screen of terminal 340 from screen 510 to screen 100 by operating any operation item such as a reduction button (not shown) on screen 510.

In reality, when the screen of terminal 340 switches from screen 510 to screen 100, screen 440 displayed in the background does not need to be updated. Screen 110 is the content in the embedded tag and is the same screen as screen 440. Screen 110 (screen 440) may continue to be displayed in the background at all times when switching from screen 420 to screen 510, and when switching from screen 510 to screen 100. Screen 120 is a screen on which screen 511 of the other party is displayed in a reduced size. Screen 120 is located outside the embedded tag that includes screen 110. Therefore, screen 110 can be updated independently of screen 120.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the entire venue of an online exhibition according to this embodiment. A user can display a screen 610 of the entire venue on the display of terminal 340 by operating any operation item such as a menu on screen 100. Even when switching from screen 100 to screen 610 occurs, screen 110 in the embedded tag is updated and switches to screen 610.

Screen 610 includes, as display items, notification 620, venue 630, booth 640, and booth description 650. Notification 620 is the same as notification 430. Screen 610 may include screen 120 (call screen) instead of notification 620. Notification 620 and screen 120 are located outside the embedded tag including screen 610, so they continue to be displayed without being updated even when screen 110 switches to screen 610. Venue 630 may be, for example, a map that overlooks the entire online exhibition. Booth 640 indicates a virtual booth arranged in venue 630. When a user selects a specific booth 640 on the screen of terminal 340, a description 650 of the selected booth 640 may be displayed on screen 610.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a first example of a reservation screen for a Web conference according to this embodiment. As an example, a staff member may select "reservation" from a menu bar such as screen 100 to switch the screen of terminal 340 to screen 700. The staff member may create a reservation for a Web conference by selecting a specific time slot 710 on the calendar, selecting a conference room from pull-down menu 720, and pressing reservation button 730. When reservation button 730 is pressed, the screen of terminal 340 transitions from screen 700 to screen 800 (see Figure 8). If the staff member is unsure of how to operate the system, they can use chat 750 to ask the staff member a question. A schedule 740 that has already been created may be displayed on the calendar.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a second example of a reservation screen for a Web conference according to this embodiment. Screen 800 is a screen for inputting items related to a Web conference. Screen 800 may include, as input items, for example, a conference room, a conference title, a conference date, a start time and an end time of the conference, a memo, and a guest (email address or account of a participant). Some of the input items of screen 800 (conference room, conference date, start time and end time of the conference, etc.) may be filled in with the items selected on screen 700 in advance. Also, as an example, a staff member may directly switch the screen of terminal 340 to screen 800 by selecting an item on a menu bar such as screen 100. When the save button is pressed, the screen of terminal 340 switches from screen 800 to screen 900 (see Figure 9).

Figure 9 is a diagram showing a third example of a reservation screen for a Web conference according to this embodiment. Screen 900 is a screen for confirming information about the Web conference. Screen 900 displays, as an example, a confirmation dialog 910 for the items set on screens 700 and 800. The online exhibition system 300 may send a notification 430 to the participant's terminal 340 based on the fact that a reservation for a Web conference has been made via screens 700, 800, and 900. Although the procedure for the staff to make a reservation has been described, a user may also be able to make a reservation in the same way. Also, based on the fact that a reservation has been made, a notification of the Web conference may be sent to the participant's (including the Host and Guest) terminal 340, and the terminal 340 may display the notification 430 on the screen of the terminal 340.

D. Example of communication flow of online exhibition system
10 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual communication path in the attend function. In the attend function, the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 and the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 are connected to each other via a virtual communication path (WebSocket, etc.).

When an operation item (such as a button or link) on the screen of the terminal 340 is operated, the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 transmits information related to the operation to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 via a virtual communication path.

In addition, in some situations, the attendance management unit 305 may transfer information regarding the operation to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360. In other situations, the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 may directly transmit information regarding the operation to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360. In this case, the attendance management unit 305 may only execute the process of establishing a connection between the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 and the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060.

In another aspect, the attendance management unit 305 may generate data to be sent to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 (such as commands to cause the user terminal to execute an event occurrence process, a screen update process, or a content acquisition request process, etc.) based on information regarding an operation received from the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060, and send the data to the user terminal.

The terminal 340 of the visitor 360 executes the same screen update processing as the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060, based on the information regarding the operation, or based on the attendance management unit 305 receiving data generated based on the information regarding the operation received from the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060. In one aspect, the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 may generate an operation event that is the same as the operation event that occurred on the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060, based on the information regarding the operation. When the operation event occurs, the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 may send a content acquisition request to the online exhibition system. In another aspect, the user terminal may directly send a content acquisition request to the online exhibition system 300 without generating an event, based on the information regarding the operation.

In addition, the information regarding the operation may include the following items: URL, asynchronous flag, asynchronous URL, and other parameters. The URL is the URL of the destination screen. The asynchronous flag indicates whether or not the browser and server communicate asynchronously. The asynchronous URL is the URL accessed by asynchronous communication. If the URL of the destination screen and the URL of the current screen are the same, no screen transition occurs. The asynchronous URL may also be used to obtain data other than the screen. The parameters include request parameters for synchronous or asynchronous communication. The terminal 340 of the visitor 360 executes processing (request for data for event occurrence or update) based on these items.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a communication procedure in a Web conference. With reference to Figure 11, the procedure in which the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 and the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 are connected via a virtual communication path, and the procedure in which the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 operates the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 will be described.

In step S1110, the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 transmits a connection request for virtual communication to the attendance management unit 305. In some aspects, the virtual communication may be communication via WebSocket.

In step S1120, the attendance management unit 305 returns a virtual communication ID to the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060. In some aspects, the ID may be a WebSocket ID.

In step S1130, the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 transmits a request for permission to attend (a request for permission to hold a Web conference) to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360. The request for permission to attend includes the ID of the virtual communication. The ID of this virtual communication is linked to the notification 430.

In step S1140, the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 accepts an input to allow virtual communication (attendance). An input to allow virtual communication includes, for example, accepting an input to press a button on the notification 430 (a button to join a business meeting, a button to start a call, etc.).

In step S1150, the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 establishes virtual communication with the attendance management unit 305. At this point, a connection is established between the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 and the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 via a virtual communication path. Note that if the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 establishes virtual communication with the terminals 340 of multiple visitors 360, the processing of steps S1130 to S1150 is repeated multiple times.

In step S1160, the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 accepts screen operation by the staff member 1060. The screen operation by the staff member 1060 is, for example, operation of operation items such as the screen 110, the operation panel 130, and the map 140 in the embedded tag. In some cases, the screen operation by the staff member 1060 may include an operation to request locking of the screen of the terminal 340 of the visitor 360.

In step S1170, the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 transmits information about the operation to the attendance management unit 305. The information about the operation may include items such as a URL, an asynchronous flag, an asynchronous URL, and other parameters.

In step S1180, the attendance management unit 305 transfers information regarding the operation to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360. In some cases, the attendance management unit 305 may transmit data generated based on the information regarding the operation (such as a command to cause the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 to execute a screen update process, etc.) instead of the information regarding the operation.

If the attendance management unit 305 receives information regarding the operation multiple times from the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060, in step S1185, the attendance management unit 305 transfers the information regarding the operation multiple times to the terminal 340 of the visitor 360.

In step S1190, the terminal 340 of the visitor 360 executes a screen update process based on the received information about the operation or the data generated based on the information about the operation. The screen update process is, for example, an update process of the screen 110, the operation panel 130, the map 140, etc. in the embedded tag.

<E. Other application examples>
In the explanation of this disclosure, typical functions of the online exhibition system 300 have been described, but the online exhibition system 300 can be used for any service requiring communication other than online exhibitions, such as an online education system, an online store service, and an online consultancy service.

For example, in an online education system, by using the attendant function, a teacher can operate the student's screen and explain the content of the lesson in an easy-to-understand manner. Similarly, in online store services and online consultancy services, a staff member can operate the customer's screen and explain products or solutions in an easy-to-understand manner.

As described above, the online exhibition system 300 according to this embodiment is equipped with an attendant function, which allows the terminal 340 of the staff member 1060 to operate the terminal 340 of the visitor 360. This allows the staff member 1060 to provide the visitor 360 with a high-quality guide to the exhibition and explanations about the exhibits.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. Furthermore, it is intended that the disclosure contents described in the embodiments and each modified example may be implemented, as far as possible, either alone or in combination.

1 CPU, 2 Primary storage device, 3 Secondary storage device, 4 External device interface, 5 Input interface, 6 Output interface, 7 Communication interface, 100, 110, 120, 410, 420, 440, 510, 511, 610, 700, 800, 900, 1110 Screen, 130 Operation panel, 140 Map, 200 Device, 300 Online exhibition system, 301 Notification information management unit, 302 Schedule management unit, 303 Conference management unit, 304 Web conference UI, 305 Attend management unit, 306 Attend DB, 307 Seminar distribution unit, 308 Seminar management unit, 311 Schedule table, 312 Seminar master table, 313 Conference table, 314 Attend master table, 315 Participant list table, 316 Participant table, 340 Terminal, 350 System, 360 Visitor, 430, 620 Notification, 512 Display, 630 Venue, 640 Booth, 650 Booth description, 710 Time slot, 720 Drop-down, 730 Reservation button, 740 Schedule, 750 Chat, 910 Confirmation dialog, 1060 Staff.

Claims (9)

A method of content distribution in a system, comprising:
receiving a content acquisition request from a user terminal;
and delivering content to the user terminal based on the content acquisition request being received;
the content includes a first screen for a video call and a second screen having an operation item;
the second screen is embedded in the content by an embedding tag;
delivering, to the user terminal, data for updating the second screen without updating the first screen, based on receiving, from the user terminal, a data request generated by an operation event on the second screen ;
Establishing communication via a virtual communication path between the user terminal and another terminal that is in a video call with the user terminal;
Delivering the content to the other terminal;
transmitting information regarding an operation on the other terminal to the user terminal via the virtual communication path based on receiving a data request generated by an operation event on the second screen from the other terminal;
receiving, from the user terminal, a data request generated based on information regarding an operation at the other terminal;
distributing data for updating the second screen without updating the first screen to both the user terminal and the other terminal;
based on receipt of a screen lock request for the user terminal from the other terminal, sending a screen lock command to the user terminal via the virtual communication path to prevent operation of the second screen from being accepted . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the operation at the other terminal includes data for causing the operation event to occur in the user terminal. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information about the operation occurring at the other terminal includes data for causing the user terminal to transmit the data request. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a step of transmitting information regarding an operation at the user terminal to the other terminal via the virtual communication path based on receiving a data request from the user terminal due to an operation event on the second screen. accepting a request to schedule the video call;
obtaining information about a start time of the video call;
obtaining participant information of the video call;
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising the step of delivering a notification of the video call to the user terminal and the other terminals based on a reservation. The content includes HTML (HyperText Markup Language),
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the embedded tag is an iframe tag, an object tag or a canvas tag. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the virtual communication path is a WebSocket. A program for causing a processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . A system comprising: a memory storing the program according to claim 8 ; and a processor for executing said program.

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