WO2025047451A1 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

This information processing device is provided with a calculation unit that performs: a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred on the basis of game information, which is information relating to a game, during a competition game; a generation process for generating content relating to the target play in accordance with the determination of occurrence of the target play; and an editing process for generating edited content that is obtained by editing the generated content on the basis of user information pertaining to a user to whom a service is to be provided.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, and program

This technology relates to information processing devices, information processing methods, and programs, and in particular to services that provide content related to actual matches.

In recent years, there have been services that provide various kinds of information during sports games such as baseball, soccer, and basketball.
For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system that acquires information on the progress of a match and the details of plays at the match venue in real time, centrally manages it at a center, and provides it to third parties.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a communication processing system capable of sequentially reporting match information of a plurality of matches held in a plurality of stadiums.

JP 2002-268806 A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-299525

Many fans visit stadiums as spectators to watch baseball, soccer, basketball and other sports matches. Many also watch live broadcasts on television. In order to develop sports culture, it is desirable to increase spectator satisfaction and broaden the enjoyment of these types of matches.

This disclosure therefore proposes technology for providing services that can enhance the enjoyment of watching a match for spectators.

An information processing device relating to the present technology includes a calculation unit that performs a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information, which is information related to the match; a generation process for generating content related to the target play in accordance with the determination of the occurrence of the target play; and an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to the user to whom the service is provided.
For example, during a game of baseball, soccer, or other sport, impressive plays or memorable plays are determined as plays for which content is to be generated. Content is generated in response to the occurrence of such plays. In addition, edited content is generated in which content is added or changed based on user information of the service provider.

1 is an explanatory diagram of an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present technology; 1 is a block diagram of an information providing system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a functional configuration of the information providing system according to the embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example screen of the match linkage service according to the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a locker room screen according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a key moment notification screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an item corresponding to a content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of post-edit key moment content according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a content providing process according to an embodiment; 4 is a flowchart of a key moment determination according to an embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a content editing process according to the embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a content editing process according to the embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a content editing process according to the embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a content editing process according to the embodiment. 11 is a flowchart of an example of a content playback process according to an embodiment.

The embodiments will be described below in the following order.
1. System configuration
<2. Screen and content examples of the match linkage service>
<3. Processing example>
4. Summary and Modifications

In this disclosure, "image" refers to both moving images and still images. For example, the imaging device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is assumed to mainly capture moving images, but the image displayed on the terminal device 5 may be a moving image or a still image. Furthermore, "image" refers to an image that is actually displayed on a screen, but "image" in the signal processing process and transmission path until it is displayed on the screen refers to image data.
In the service of the embodiment, contents and digital items are mainly provided as images, but may also be still images, videos, pseudo-videos made up of a small number of still images, etc. These images may or may not include audio.

1. System configuration
FIG. 1 shows an overview of an information providing system 1 according to an embodiment.
1 includes an imaging device 10, a main server 2, a score data server 3, a sensor 4, and a terminal device 5. These are connected to each other via wired or wireless communication, or network communication, etc.

This information provision system 1 is a system that realizes a service (hereinafter referred to as a "match-linked service") that provides a virtual space, digital items, and various contents linked to a match to a user having a terminal device 5. In this match-linked service, users are assumed to be fans of teams or players, and when these users watch a match, for example, the virtual space, image content, game content, digital items, and the like that are generated or updated according to the match, or according to the match or user are provided to the terminal device 5.
This allows users to enjoy the entertainment provided by the match-linked services in addition to the entertainment of watching the match itself.

The multiple imaging devices 10 in the information provision system 1 capture images of a subject area of a sports field such as a baseball stadium, for example, the state of a game, from various positions. Although multiple imaging devices 10 are shown, it is sufficient that at least one imaging device 10 is provided.
In the case of baseball, for example, the imaging device 10 is used to capture images for analyzing the movements of the pitcher, fielders, batters, and runners, and for determining the trajectory, type of ball, speed, rotation, and the like.

In the information provision system 1, skeletal capture data of the subject player is extracted from the image captured by the imaging device 10, and the player's movements, such as pitching movements, batting movements, and base running movements, can be determined based on the skeletal capture data. In addition to players, the movements of playing objects such as balls and bats may also be determined.

In recent years, a technology known as EPTS (Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems) has become known for use in sports such as soccer and basketball, which estimates the posture and positions of players and referees, as well as the position and rotation of the ball, from a specified field based on images taken by specially installed cameras and information from sensors (accelerometers and GPS sensors) attached to people (players) and objects (balls) involved in the sport.

Specifically, the image capturing device 10 captures images for obtaining such EPTS data as skeletal capture data.
Moreover, the images captured by the imaging device 10 can also be used as actual images of a match or the like.

The EPTS data generated based on images captured by the imaging device 10 is transmitted to the main server 2. For example, if an information processing device (not shown) that records images captured by a plurality of imaging devices 10 and generates EPTS data is provided at a sports stadium such as a baseball stadium, the EPTS data generated by the information processing device is transmitted to the main server 2.
Alternatively, the captured image obtained by the imaging device 10 may be transmitted to the main server 2, and the main server 2 may generate the EPTS data.

Sensor 4 is a sensor that detects the movements of players, the ball, etc. Specifically, it is assumed that this is a sensor attached to the player or the ball, such as an acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, altitude sensor, or impact sensor. For example, it may be a wearable sensor attached to the player's uniform or body, or it may be a sensor built into the ball. It may also be a radar, etc.

Information on the movement of the player can also be obtained from the sensing data SS by the sensor 4. Alternatively, the sensing data SS can be used as an auxiliary when obtaining skeletal capture data from an image or when estimating posture, etc. The sensing data SS by the sensor 4 can also be used for the speed, number of rotations, and trajectory of the ball, and the swing speed and trajectory of the bat, etc.
The sensing data SS may be transmitted to the main server 2, or may be input to an information processing device (not shown) that generates EPTS data at a sports stadium such as a baseball field.

The score data server 3 is an information processing device of an organization that generates and distributes, for example, baseball score data SD. Here, the score data server 3 is a server device that can transmit the score data SD of a game to the main server 2.
The score data server 3 may transmit the score data SD to the main server 2 successively during a match, or may transmit all of the score data SD for that match all at once, for example, after the match.

In the case of baseball, the score data SD includes various information about the game, such as:
For example, it includes not only information about the entire game, such as the score for each inning of the game and information about the players participating, but also information about each pitch thrown by the pitcher. For example, it includes information about each pitch, such as the time of the pitch, pitcher's name, batter's name, whether the batter is left-handed or right-handed, whether there are runners on first/second/third base, runners' names, strike/ball count, ball/strike, out count, batting result (hit, strikeout, missed, foul, grounder out, fly out, foul fly, etc.), ball speed, type of ball, number of rotations, axis of rotation, course, and other various information.

The terminal device 5 is, for example, an information processing device such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer, but as described above, it is assumed that this terminal device 5 is a device carried by a general user. The display unit 5a of the terminal device 5 displays key moment content (described below), a virtual space such as the locker room screen 140, and images including digital items through the match linkage service.

The main server 2 performs various processes for presenting information on the terminal device 5 as a match-linked service. For example, it performs processes such as determining the status of the match and players based on skeletal capture data of the subject generated from the image captured by the imaging device 10, and providing the terminal device 5 with key moment content, digital items, and images of the virtual space accordingly.

This main server 2 can be assumed to be an information processing device that performs cloud computing, i.e., a cloud server.

However, the processing for displaying images of the match linkage service on the terminal device 5 may be performed by an information processing device other than the cloud server. For example, it is conceivable that an information processing device such as a personal computer installed at the match venue has the function of the main server 2 and performs processes such as acquiring skeletal capture data and generating images to be provided. Furthermore, it is conceivable that the terminal device 5 also has the function of the main server 2 and performs processes such as acquiring skeletal capture data and generating images.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the main server 2 and an example of inputs and outputs related to the main server 2 in the information providing system 1 of FIG.
A portion that supplies data to the main server 2 is indicated as a data server 30 .

Note that the data server 30 in FIG. 2 is shown as a conceptual configuration, and collectively represents the configuration that the main server 2 uses as information source for executing the match linkage service. For example, the data server 30 collectively refers to the imaging device 10, score data server 3, sensor 4, recording unit 11, and EPTS data generation unit 12.

The imaging device 10 and the sensor 4 are arranged on the stadium, athletes, and sports objects as shown in Fig. 1. The score data server 3 may be installed at any place.
Either or both of the recording unit 11 and the EPTS data generation unit 12 may be realized by an information processing device located at the stadium, or either or both may be provided on the main server 2 side.

The imaging devices 10 are configured as digital camera devices having imaging elements such as CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) sensors or CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) sensors, and obtain captured images as digital data. In this example, each imaging device 10 obtains captured images as video.

For example, in a baseball field, each imaging device 10 is disposed at a predetermined position to capture images of the pitcher, fielders, batters, runners, etc. The number of imaging devices 10 is not particularly specified and is one or more, but in order to generate highly accurate EPTS data, it is advantageous to have as many imaging devices 10 as possible.
The imaging devices 10 capture images as moving images in a synchronized state, and output the captured images.

The recording unit 11 records the images (image data VD) captured by the multiple imaging devices 10, and also supplies each captured image to the EPTS data generation unit 12.

The EPTS data generator 12 performs an analysis process on one or more captured images, generates EPTS data for each image, and then integrates all the individual EPTS data to generate EPTS data as a whole. The EPTS data includes, for example, the positions of players (pitcher, fielder, batter, runner) and the ball at each frame timing, player skeletal capture data and the resulting player posture, and information on the number of rotations and direction of rotation (axis of rotation) of the ball.
In addition, the EPTS data generation unit 12 may generate EPTS data using not only the captured images but also sensing data SS obtained by the sensor 4, such as information from an acceleration sensor embedded in the ball or a GPS sensor attached to the player's uniform.

This EPTS data generation unit 12 can generate EPTS data for the entire game, for example, information that can be used to determine the pitching motion, ball speed, trajectory, batter's behavior in response to the pitch, batting results, base running results, batter's speed and trajectory, etc., for each of the pitchers' pitches during the game.
Thus, EPTS data is an example of behavioral information about either the people (pitchers, batters, runners, etc.) or playing objects (balls, bats, etc.) associated with a game.

The EPTS data generation unit 12 can generate EPTS data from multiple captured images obtained by multiple imaging devices 10, and can also generate EPTS data from multiple captured images obtained by one imaging device 10. Furthermore, the EPTS data generation unit 12 can generate EPTS data from multiple images and sensing data SS from one or multiple sensors, and can also generate EPTS data from one captured image and sensing data SS from one sensor.

The EPTS data (skeleton capture data) generated by the EPTS data generation unit 12 is transmitted to the main server 2 .
Image data VD captured by the imaging device 10 is also transmitted to the main server 2 via, for example, an EPTS data generating unit 12 .
The sensing data SS may also be transmitted to the main server 2 and used directly for processing by the main server 2 .

The EPTS data generator 12 may be provided in the main server 2. In that case, for example, the captured image (image data VD) by the imaging device 10 and the sensing data SS of the sensor 4 may be transmitted to the EPTS data generator 12 in the main server 2 via network communication or the like.

As explained in FIG. 1, the score data server 3 sequentially transmits the score data SD to the main server 2.

The main server 2 is configured with an information processing device such as a computer device, and is provided with a calculation unit 21 using a microprocessor or the like, a function as a presentation control unit 22, and storage 23 using a storage medium accessible by the microprocessor or the like.

The calculation unit 21 acquires information from the data server 30 and executes various processes for executing the match linkage service using the acquired information, such as data acquisition, match analysis, and generation of virtual space images, digital items, and content. The processing functions of the calculation unit 21 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

The storage 23 represents a storage medium in the main server 2 for storing information such as received image data VD, skeleton capture data BD, score data SD, etc., and for storing various data generated by the calculation unit 21.
The storage 23 may be an internal storage medium of the main server 2 , or may be a storage medium separate from the information processing device that constitutes the main server 2 .

The presentation control unit 22 controls the display of various images generated by the processing of the calculation unit 21 in a predetermined manner on the terminal device 5. Specifically, the presentation control unit 22 performs processing to display images of virtual spaces, digital items, etc., generated by the calculation unit 21 during execution of the match linkage service on the display unit 5a of the terminal device 5.

The calculation unit 21, presentation control unit 22, and storage 23 may be provided in one information processing device, or may be provided separately in multiple information processing devices. There are various possible ways to realize the storage 23 as a storage medium.

Such images of the match linkage service or data for generating images processed by the main server 2 are transmitted to the terminal device 5 and displayed on the display unit 5a. This allows a user who owns the terminal device 5 to visually recognize images provided by the match linkage service.
Furthermore, information on user interaction during the provision of the match linkage service may be input to the calculation unit 21 from the terminal device 5 .

FIG. 3 illustrates information transmitted from the data server 30 to the calculation unit 21, and the processing functions of the calculation unit 21. In particular, this figure illustrates the processing functions for the game linked service function 40, and the processing functions as a shared service that allows results of the game linked service to be exhibited.

In addition, the calculation unit 21 in this embodiment has a processing function of the match linkage service function 40. As shown in the figure, the calculation unit 21 may have a processing function of the shared service function 50, but the shared service function 50 may also be provided by another server device.

The information provided to the calculation unit 21 by the data server 30 described above can be summarized as follows, as shown in the figure: EPTS data, sensing data SS, image data VD, stats data, historical data, analysis data, etc.

The stats data and historical data are score data SD from the score data server 3.
For example, stats data is information on the performance of a player or team. Examples of stats data for a baseball pitcher include the team name, league, number of wins, number of losses, earned run average, number of games pitched, number of complete games, number of shutouts, number of saves, number of save opportunities, number of innings pitched, number of runs allowed, number of home runs allowed, number of hit by pitch, number of walks allowed, number of intentional walks, number of strikeouts, hit rate, number of runners allowed per inning pitched (WHIP: Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched), and ground ball/fly out ratio.
In addition to the past performance of the team and the players, the stats data also includes information on the performance of the team and each player up to the present time of the game currently in progress, that is, detailed information on the progress of the game, information on the registered players, information on the starting members, information on substitute players, etc. Information on the progress of the game also includes information on each play, such as pitching details, batting results, defense, and base running.

Historical data is also information about the performance of teams and players, and is included in stats data in a broad sense, but for the sake of explanation here it is shown as information such as past best records, team records, and individual records. For example, it includes information on records that may be achieved in the current game. For example, records of the number of strikeouts in a single game in the past, records of consecutive hits at bats, records of consecutive games played, and records of the number of team hits in a single game. Such historical data is information that can be referenced for editing special digital items in the game linkage service.

The analysis data indicates data determined by the function of the data analysis unit 32 regarding the EPTS data, the sensing data SS, and the image data VD.
The function of the data analysis unit 32 may be provided in the main server 2, or may be realized by another information processing device.

Specific examples of the analysis data include a specific action of a player, a trajectory of a ball, etc., determined from EPTS data, sensing data SS, etc. For example, tracking data of the movement of players and playing objects in a game.
In baseball, the movements of players include the pitcher's pitching motion, the catcher's catching motion, the batter's batting motion, the fielders' defensive motion, the runners' running motion, etc. The overall movements of players in various sports can be obtained as tracking data.

Competition items are objects used in a match, such as balls in ball games, and objects used to hit the ball, such as bats and rackets. Other examples of competition items include bamboo swords in kendo and sabres in fencing. Furthermore, auxiliary objects used in the sport, such as protectors and uniforms, are also included in the category of competition items.
Tracking data of the movements of these playing objects can also be obtained as analysis data.

The EPTS data, sensing data SS, image data VD, stats data, historical data, and analysis data supplied from the data server 30 to the calculation unit 21 are information related to the match, and will be referred to as match information.
This match information, in terms of content, refers to information about the match itself and information about the players and teams playing in the match, and is distinguished from user information, which will be described later.

The information about the game itself includes the game date and time, the venue, the weather, the score, and information about the progress of the game (current inning, out count, etc.).
The player information includes information about each individual player, such as the player's performance in the match, past performance, images of the match, details of the play, and information about the player's movements.
Team information refers to information about the entire team, such as the team's match results, past results, game images, participating players, and substitute players.

It should be noted that it is not necessary for all of the "match information" such as the EPTS data, the sensing data SS, the image data VD, the stats data, the historical data, and the analysis data to be transmitted to the calculation unit 21. For example, by transmitting at least one of these to the calculation unit 21, the calculation unit 21 can perform processing for the match linkage service function 40.
In addition, the EPTS data and the analysis data may be generated by the calculation unit 21 based on the image data VD and the sensing data SS.

Information input from the terminal device 5 to the calculation unit 21 includes user information and information regarding purchases/listing/sharing/exchanges.

Here, the match information and user information will be explained.
Regarding the "match information" referred to in this disclosure, there are two sources of information:
Information provided by the score data server 3. Information obtained based on signals from the imaging device 10 and the sensor 4. The content of the information obtained from these two types of information sources may be different or the same.

When considering the content types of match information, in this embodiment it is classified into "fixed match information" and "match progress information."

Fixed match information is information that does not change as the match progresses.
For example, information such as the venue, start date and time of the game, season, team, starting members, weather information such as the weather and temperature at the start of the game, team performance before the game, players on the bench, player and team performance before the game (stats data, historical data), referee, type of game (official game, championship game, magic number game to win, etc.), player condition before the game, player profile (birthday, hometown, etc.), etc.

Match progress information is information obtained as the match progresses.
For example, there is the score of the game (game progress/result), innings/time/half in progress, weather changes during the game, player and team performance as the game progresses (stats data, historical data), participating players, information on each play during the game, player behavior during each play (EPTS information/sensing data SS/analysis data), image data VD of the game, achievement records, etc.

The user information refers to information that the main server 2 can obtain about the target user (the user who is logged in to the match linkage service function 40).
Here, the user information is classified into "user fixed information" and "user status information" in terms of content type.

The user fixed information is user information that does not change depending on the current match (the match that the logged-in user is watching).
For example, the information may include user account information, address information, attribute information, history information related to the match linkage service, information on owned items, etc. The attribute information may include basic information such as age, sex, place of residence, and email address, as well as information indicating a team or player that the user supports in relation to the match linkage service.
In addition, when a game is watched at a stadium, information such as the date and time, the name of the stadium, and seat information is added to the user fixed information successively.
It should be noted that some or all of the user fixed information may be input in advance for a user registered with the match linkage service function 40, and stored in the storage 23 or the like.

The user situation information is information that indicates the situation of the user with respect to the current match or the match-linked service, and includes, for example, information related to the user's location, and information according to the user's actions and interactions.
The information relating to the user's location includes, for example, the user's current location information, information about the facility or store where the user is currently located, etc. It may also include seat information in a stadium, area information, etc.
Information corresponding to the user's behavior and interaction includes the user's movement status, vocalizations, actions, cheers from the user (or the entire audience), answers to quizzes provided by the match collaboration service, information entered by the user regarding the current match indicating the team or player they are supporting, and information entered by the user during the match (for example, operation information, participation information, answer information, etc. regarding the quizzes provided by the match collaboration service).

In addition, information on the user's actions and interaction history may be added sequentially to the user's fixed information as history information.

The calculation unit 21 inputs the above-mentioned match information (fixed match information, match progress information) and user information (fixed user information, user status information) for processing by the match linkage service function 40.

The processing functions for executing the match linkage service function 40 in the calculation unit 21 include a match information acquisition unit 41, a user information acquisition unit 42, a match analysis unit 43, a quiz generation unit 44, an item/content generation unit 45, a memory control unit 46, a locker processing unit 47, and a game processing unit 48. Note that the calculation unit 21 does not need to have all of these processing functions.

The match information acquisition unit 41 is a function for acquiring match information (fixed match information, match progress information). For example, it performs processing to acquire match information from the data server 30 before the start of the match and sequentially during the match.

The user information acquisition unit 42 is a function for acquiring user information (user fixed information, user status information). For example, it acquires user information for a logged-in user before the start of a match or sequentially during a match. At the time of login, it also performs processing to read out the user fixed information for that user stored in the storage 23.

The match analysis unit 43 performs processing to analyze the match based on match information and user information and determine the match situation. In addition, the match analysis unit 43 performs processing to determine the timing to request a user response regarding the service, and the timing to edit digital items and provide content, depending on the determination of the match situation.

The quiz generation unit 44 generates quizzes and questionnaires to be provided to the user and transmits them to the terminal device 5. The quiz generation unit 44 can also perform processing to request user interaction in addition to quizzes and questionnaires.

The item/content generation unit 45 generates digital items. The item/content generation unit 45 also generates image content such as digest videos of matches, free viewpoint images, and CG (computer graphics) images. The item/content generation unit 45 also generates information that is ultimately associated with digital items. The item/content generation unit 45 also generates and awards points, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, the item/content generation unit 45 in particular has the functions of a determination unit 45a, a generation and editing unit 45b, and a provision processing unit 45c.

The determination unit 45a performs a determination process to determine whether or not a target play that is a target for generating key moment content has occurred during a competitive match, based on the match information. In this disclosure, a "key moment" refers to a moment during a match when a moving play, a memorable play, an exciting play, a play that gets the crowd excited, a play that achieves some kind of record, etc. occurs. Key moment content is when a key moment play is made into image content using CG or captured images. The determination unit 45a can also be considered a process to determine the occurrence of a key moment. A play that is determined to be a key moment is the "target play."

For example, the determination unit 45a determines that a specific type of play determined based on the match information is a target play. The determination unit 45a can also determine the occurrence of a target play based on the match information and user information.

The generating and editing unit 45b performs a generating process to generate content (key moment content) related to a target play in response to a key moment determination.
Furthermore, generating/editing unit 45b performs an editing process for generating edited key moment content by adding or modifying content based on user information relating to the user to whom the service is provided.

The provision processing unit 45c performs processing related to the provision of content. For example, when the provision processing unit 45c generates key moment content, the provision processing unit 45c performs processing to notify the service destination terminal device 5 that the content is available for viewing.
The provision processing unit 45c also generates a digital item corresponding to the edited key moment content to which content has been added or changed based on user information regarding the user to whom the service is provided, and performs processing to associate the edited key moment content and the digital item with the user.
The providing processing unit 45c also performs processing for playing back edited content in response to an operation on a digital item.

The storage control unit 46 performs the process of storing and reading information in the storage 23 regarding the match linkage service function 40.

The locker processing unit 47 is a function that performs processing related to providing the clubhouse as a virtual space that includes images of virtual lockers for general users and players (locker room screen 140 described later). It performs processing for changing the settings and appearance of the lockers provided to the user as the locker room screen 140.

The game processing unit 48 is a function that performs processing related to game content provided on the screen of the terminal device 5. This game content is, for example, a game provided by an application program or a browser screen, and the game content types are diverse.
However, this game has the functionality to bring about changes linked to actual match information and user information.
For example, in-game parameters and game items may be changed depending on match information, user information, and digital items related to the locker room screen 140.

The calculation unit 21 of the main server 2 also has a shared service function 50 in addition to the match linkage service function 40 described above.
This shared service function 50 may include a function as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) market.
The NFT market function is a service that allows users to list and sell NFT works that they have acquired, or purchase NFT works that are being listed.
For example, in the case of this embodiment, the digital items generated by the match linking service function 40 are edited according to the progress of the match and user interaction, and ultimately become digital items unique to the user. These can then be put up for sale or purchased as NFT works in the sharing service function 50.

For this reason, the shared service function 50 is provided with a smart contract function 51 and a payment function 52.
The smart contract function 51 is a function that automatically executes predetermined buying and selling processing in accordance with predetermined conditions for buying and selling transactions.
The settlement function 52 is a function for carrying out settlement processing regarding buying and selling.

The shared service function 50 may also include a sharing service function 53 and an exchange service function 54.

The sharing service function 53 is a function that allows a user to share items, content, etc. that they own with others free of charge.

The exchange service function 54 is a function that allows a user to exchange items, content, etc. owned by the user for items, content, etc. owned by other people.

The match linkage service function 40 can offer some kind of digital item to such a sharing service function 50 and make it available for purchase by users.

In addition, the match linkage service function 40 allows users to sell digital items they have acquired, purchase digital items sold by others, share them with others, and exchange them for other people's digital items.

The functional configuration in FIG. 3 is just an example.
Some of the functions of the match linkage service function 40 can also be processed on the terminal device 5 side.
For example, some or all of the functions of the quiz generation unit 44 , the match analysis unit 43 , the item/content generation unit 45 , and the game processing unit 48 may be executed outside the match linkage service function 40 .
In other words, some of the functions of the calculation unit 21 may be provided on the side of the terminal device 5. For example, a calculation unit including the item/content generation unit 45 may be provided on the terminal device 5.

Furthermore, the sharing service function 50 does not need to be provided. For example, the match linkage service function 40 may be configured to sell the generated digital items to users.

The following describes the configuration of an information processing device 70 used in the information provision system 1 described above with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3. For example, the main server 2, the terminal device 5, and the EPTS data generator 12 in Figure 2 can be realized by the information processing device 70 shown in Figure 4.
The information processing device 70 can be configured as, for example, a dedicated workstation, a general-purpose personal computer, a mobile terminal device, or the like.

The CPU 71 of the information processing device 70 shown in FIG. 4 executes various processes according to programs stored in a ROM 72 or a non-volatile memory unit 74, such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), or programs loaded from a storage unit 79 to a RAM 73. The RAM 73 also stores data necessary for the CPU 71 to execute various processes, as appropriate.

The image processing unit 85 is configured as a processor that performs various types of image processing. For example, it is a processor that can perform any of the following: image generation processing for video clips, image analysis processing for captured images, generation processing for animation images and CG images, DB (Data Base) processing, image effect processing, EPTS data generation processing, etc.

This image processing unit 85 can be realized, for example, by a CPU separate from the CPU 71, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a general-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU), an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, or the like.
The image processing unit 85 may be provided as a function within the CPU 71 .

The CPU 71, ROM 72, RAM 73, non-volatile memory unit 74, and image processing unit 85 are interconnected via a bus 83. The input/output interface 75 is also connected to this bus 83.

An input unit 76 including an operator or an operating device is connected to the input/output interface 75. For example, the input unit 76 may be various operators or operating devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, a key, a dial, a touch panel, a touch pad, or a remote controller.
An operation by the user is detected by the input unit 76 , and a signal corresponding to the input operation is interpreted by the CPU 71 .

The input/output interface 75 is also connected, either integrally or separately, to a display unit 77 such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel, and an audio output unit 78 such as a speaker.

The display unit 77 performs various displays as a user interface. The display unit 77 is, for example, a display device provided in the housing of the information processing device 70, or a separate display device connected to the information processing device 70.
The display unit 77 executes various image displays on the display screen based on instructions from the CPU 71. The display unit 77 also displays various operation menus, icons, messages, etc., that is, GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces), based on instructions from the CPU 71.

For example, if the information processing device 70 is considered as a terminal device 5, the display unit 77 corresponds to the display unit 5a, and displays a screen using the match linkage service function 40, such as a screen including key moment content and digital items, which will be described later.

The input/output interface 75 may be connected to a storage unit 79 configured with a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD) or a communication unit 80 configured with a modem or the like.
For example, when the information processing device 70 is considered as the main server 2 , the memory unit 79 can be considered as an example of the storage 23 in which information is stored by the memory control unit 46 .
The communication unit 80 performs communication processing via a transmission path such as the Internet, and communication with various devices via wired/wireless communication, bus communication, and the like.

A drive 82 is also connected to the input/output interface 75 as required, and a removable recording medium 81 such as a flash memory, a memory card, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or a magneto-optical disk is appropriately attached thereto.
The drive 82 allows data files such as image files and various computer programs to be read from the removable recording medium 81. The read data files are stored in the storage unit 79, and images and sounds contained in the data files are output on the display unit 77 and the sound output unit 78. Furthermore, the computer programs and the like read from the removable recording medium 81 are installed in the storage unit 79 as necessary.

In this information processing device 70, software can be installed via network communication by the communication unit 80 or via a removable recording medium 81. Alternatively, the software may be pre-stored in the ROM 72, the storage unit 79, etc.

For example, if the information processing device 70 is considered as the main server 2, the software provides the functions of the calculation unit 21 and presentation control unit 22 described above, and the CPU 71 and image processing unit 85 execute the processing of these functions.

The sensor unit 84 is shown as a part that outputs some kind of sensing data SS, such as an image sensor (camera), a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a position sensor, etc. For example, when the information processing device 70 is realized as a terminal device 5, the sensor unit 84 is provided so as to detect the actions, behavior, position, etc. of the user.

<2. Screen and content examples of the match linkage service>
An example of a screen on the terminal device 5 implemented in the match linkage service will be described.
The match linkage service is a service that provides digital items, image content, game content, virtual space, and the like related to a sport in accordance with match information related to a sport such as baseball.

FIG. 5 shows some examples of screens provided by the match linkage service function 40. For example, there is a top screen 100, a match screen 110, a cheering screen 120, a mini-game screen 130, and a locker room screen 140. The user can view these screens by transitioning between them as desired.

The top screen 100 displays information about the ongoing match, images for screen transitions, images related to the logged-in user, etc.

On the top screen 100 and other screens described below, icons 101, 102, 103, 104, and 105 are displayed as selectable items.

Icon 101 is an icon for an operation to transition to a locker room screen 140 as a personal page. Icon 102 is an icon for an operation to transition to a cheering screen 120. Icon 103 is an icon for an operation to transition to a match screen 110. Icon 104 is an icon for an operation to transition to a mini-game screen 130. Icon 105 is an icon for an operation to transition to a setting screen (not shown).

These icons also indicate the current screen. For example, FIG. 6 shows an example of the locker room screen 140. In this case, the icon 101 representing the locker room screen 140 is displayed in a different manner from the other icons. For example, in FIG. 6, the frame of the icon 101 is displayed with a thicker frame for emphasis than the frames of the other icons.

The game screen 110 in FIG. 5 is a screen that provides the user with digital items that change according to the progress of the game being watched, a quiz for predicting the game, and the like.
Digital items are, for example, items related to a sport, and in the case of baseball, designs of baseball balls, bats, gloves, etc. are conceivable. For example, items may have a design in which a team logo or the like is added to a ball.

Furthermore, the match screen 110 displays information about digital items, the match, and the user. For example, team/score information, point information, etc. are displayed. The point information is points for the user, that is, the user who has logged in to the match linkage service and is viewing the provided screen on the terminal device 5.
In the match linkage service, points are awarded to users according to the match situation and the user situation. For example, points are awarded according to the user's input or actions, the user's answers to quizzes, or the performance of players selected by the user.

The cheering screen 120 is a screen for fans to cheer on each other and get excited, providing communication between fans and allowing fans to share exciting moments.
It is also possible that playback of key moment content, which will be described later, is performed on cheering screen 120.

The mini-game screen 130 is a screen that provides game contents to the user.
For example, game content such as batting games and pitching games are available, and users can enjoy these games. In particular, in this case, pitching and batting in the game are set based on tracking data from an actual match, so that users can experience pitching and the like of actual players on the game screen.

The locker room screen 140 is a page that virtually displays a locker room as a user's home page. The locker room screen 140 is shown in FIG.
The locker room screen 140 is prepared as a home page for each user who subscribes to the match linkage service, for example.
For example, the locker room screen 140 in FIG. 6 is a screen provided for a user displayed as the user name 202, and serves as the home page when that user logs in to the match linkage service.

On this locker room screen 140, virtual lockers 201 are displayed.
The locker 201 is set to, for example, a basic shape, but is displayed in various states for each user.
For example, various items 203 can be placed on shelves or the floor inside the locker 201. The user can arbitrarily select an item 203 from among the items 203 he or she owns and place it in an arbitrary location.

Items 203 include items used in baseball, such as bats, helmets, hats, cleats, and uniforms. Items 203 also include items unrelated to baseball, such as casual clothing, plants, accessories, and food. There may also be items prepared for fans of teams and players, such as player figures, team character logo goods, team mascot dolls, and medals. The match collaboration service provides items 203 as various virtual items, either for a fee or free of charge, so that each user can obtain them.

The user can, for example, purchase the item 203 in a virtual shop, obtain the item 203 as a prize for answering a quiz correctly, or exchange it with another person. The user can place the item 203 obtained in this way in his or her own locker 201.

Here, item 203A is an item that indicates key moment content, which will be described later. When key moment content is acquired, item 203A corresponding to that key moment content is also given to the user, and can be placed in locker 201.

Users may also be able to customize the color of the locker 201 itself and the arrangement of the shelves.

A poster 204 is also attached to the locker 201. This poster 204 functions as a display unit for various images. For example, still images and videos of the user's favorite player, and still images and videos posted by the user are displayed on the poster 204.

In addition, a virtual speaker 206 can be placed inside the locker 201 .
For example, the user can obtain a speaker 206 provided as one of the items 203 by purchasing it from the item screen 250 or by having it presented to them based on quiz results, point rankings, match results, etc.
When the user places the speaker 206 he or she has acquired in the locker 201, audio is output when the locker room screen 140 is viewed.

For example, if a user places a speaker 206 on the locker 201, the user can play back sound or music on the terminal device 5 while viewing the locker room screen 140.
For example, the theme song of a player is played. Also, if other users are commenting on the game, you can listen to the commentary.

The locker room screen 140 also displays user information 205. For example, the like icon, number of likes, comment icon, number of comments, and a description of the user are displayed.

In this manner, a unique locker room screen 140 is created for each user and placed within the virtual clubhouse.
Therefore, a large number of virtual locker room screens 140 will be created by a large number of users.

Each logged-in user can also transition from their own home page, the locker room screen 140, to other users' locker room screens 140 or players' locker room screens 140 for viewing.

Furthermore, some of the items 203 placed on the locker room screen 140 can also be used in the game content. For example, if a player owns a special bat as the item 203, using the item 203 in a batting game can increase a batting ability parameter in the game content.

Key moment content will now be described.
Fig. 7 is an example of a key moment notification screen 121. This is a screen that is displayed when, for example, a key moment occurs while the user is viewing the cheering screen 120 on the terminal device 5 while watching a game, and key moment content 300 (hereinafter abbreviated as "KM content 300") shown in Fig. 8 and the like is generated.

Note that key moment notification screen 121 may be displayed even if the current screen is a screen other than cheering screen 120. Also, instead of displaying the entire screen, a notification may be given in a pop-up window or the like when a key moment occurs, and when the user transitions to cheering screen 120, key moment notification screen 121 as shown in FIG. 7 may be displayed. These notification modes are merely examples.

On the key moment notification screen 121, a notification message 122, a close button 123, a watch button 124, etc. are displayed.
The notification message 122 informs the user that a key moment has been added, that is, that a KM content 300 representing the key moment has been generated and is available for viewing. The user can choose whether or not to view the content.
If the user does not wish to view the content, he or she can simply close the key moment notification screen 121 using the close button 123. If the user wishes to view the content, he or she operates the view button 124. This causes the playback of the KM content 300 on the terminal device 5 to begin.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show examples of KM content 300. These are examples in which KM content 300 is image content that represents the target play of a key moment.

For example, FIG. 8 shows KM content 300 that is generated with a home run as the target play when a certain player hits a home run and that home run is determined to be a key moment. For example, this is CG content that displays the trajectory of the home run ball in the stadium, the ball speed, the distance traveled, the date and time of the play, the inning, the name of the batter, etc. For example, content that shows a CG video of the ball tracing a trajectory as it hits the ball into the stands is envisioned.

9 shows KM content 300 that is generated when a pitcher strikes out a batter and the strikeout pitch is determined to be a key moment. The trajectory of the ball, the batter's swing, etc. are expressed as CG video.
In this example, a watch button 310 is also displayed. The watch button 310 is an operator for the user to indicate his/her intention to watch the target play of the KM content 300.

The KM content expressing such target plays that have been designated as key moments is generated, for example, by the calculation unit 21 of the main server 2 using the functions of the item/content generation unit 45 based on data related to the target plays in the match information. Furthermore, the calculation unit 21 can edit this KM content 300 by adding or changing the content using user information. For the sake of explanation, the KM content 300 that has been edited in this way will be referred to as the "edited KM content 300S."

For example, Fig. 10 shows an example of an edited KM content 300S. This is an example of editing the KM content 300 as shown in Fig. 8 by adding a spectator icon 301. For example, this is editing corresponding to a user situation in which the user is watching a game at a stadium, and is an example of an icon with the words "I watched this" on a design imitating a fan-shaped baseball field.
For example, as the edited KM content 300S to be provided to a user who is presumed to be at the stadium based on the position information in the user situation information, a spectator icon 301 indicating that the user is actually watching the game at the stadium is added.

For example, such edited KM content 300S can be acquired by the user. For example, the user can collect it as electronic property on the match linkage service. In this case, a digital item is associated with the edited KM content 300S. For example, the calculation unit 21 generates an item 203A corresponding to the edited KM content 300S as shown in FIG. 11. For example, the item 203A is clearly indicated as corresponding to the edited KM content 300S for a given target play, such as "XXX player's 12th home run." For example, the item 203A is a moment ball, which indicates the content of the key moment along with the design of the ball, so that the user can know what key moment it represents.

The calculation unit 21 associates the item 203A and the post-edit KM content 300S with the user, and places them in a state of being acquired by the user.
The calculation unit 21 then enables the user to post the item 203A on the locker room screen 140, which is the home page, or on an item collection screen (not shown), etc. The locker room screen 140 in FIG. 6 shows an example in which the item 203A is placed in a locker 201.

The user can play back the edited KM content 300S acquired as item 203A at will. For example, the user can view the edited KM content 300S as shown in FIG. 10 by performing an operation on item 203A. This allows the user to remember the target play, and the watching icon 301 allows the user to recall that he or she was there watching the target play.

The edited KM content 300S may be edited in the same way for all users to whom the content is provided, or may be edited in common for users with certain attributes. Furthermore, the edited KM content 300S may be edited uniquely for each individual user.

Also, for example, the edited KM content 300S may be viewed from the stage when the user first presses the viewing button 124 in FIG. 7, or the KM content 300 may be viewed initially, and then the edited KM content 300S may be generated depending on the user's reaction and situation, and the user may then be able to view the edited KM content 300S.
A condition may be set for granting the edited KM content 300S to the user after the user first views the KM content 300. For example, the edited KM content 300S may be granted to the user depending on whether the user performs a predetermined operation or the user's situation.
Also, the user may be allowed to acquire both the KM content 300 and the edited KM content 300S.
There are various possible procedures for providing the KM contents 300 and the edited KM contents 300S to the user.

An example of the edited KM content 300S is further shown.
12 shows an example in which a spectator icon 301 is added, which is an example in which the user is indirectly watching a game through broadcasting or distribution, etc. For example, the icon has the words "I watched this" written on the monitor screen design.
For example, a spectating icon 301 indicating indirect spectating is added to the edited KM content 300S to be provided to a user who is presumed to be outside the stadium based on the location information in the user situation information.

The watching icon 301 in FIG. 10 or FIG. 12 may be given to a user who has expressed their intention by operating the watching button 310 as shown in FIG.
Also, for example, if a user who is watching the game directly at the stadium can be determined based on GPS (Global Positioning System) information, beacon information, or ticket information, a spectating icon 301 as shown in FIG. 10 may be added without any operation by the user, and for other users, the spectating icon 301 as shown in FIG. 12 may be added by operating a spectating button 310.

FIG. 13 shows the edited KM content 300S to which a commemorative icon 302 based on user information has been added. For example, if the day of a match is the user's birthday, a commemorative icon 302 indicating that it is the birthday is added. This allows the user to recall that the target play shown in the edited KM content 300S was a play on their birthday.

The commemorative icon 302 may be any icon that can be determined from user information and may correspond to information input by the user to the match linking service, etc. For example, if the user provides birthday information to the match linking service, the commemorative icon 302 indicating the birthday may be added by referring to the birthday information.
In that sense, if the user information includes information about a certain anniversary for the user, such as a wedding anniversary or a child's birthday, a commemorative icon 302 corresponding to that anniversary can be added.

14 shows an example in which information about the user's location when watching a game is used as a commemorative icon 302. For example, if the location of the user watching the game is not the stadium, a commemorative icon 302 indicating watching the game at home, watching the game at a store such as a sports bar, watching the game at a public viewing, etc. can be added. This allows the user to recall the location of the game where the target play was watched.
In addition, when watching a game at a stadium, the watching icon 301 may be an icon of the local area, and the commemorative icon 302 may be added to indicate the seat location or seat area (e.g., behind the backstop, infield seats on the first base side, outfield seats on the left field side, etc.).

So far, the edited KM content 300S to which the spectator icon 301 and the commemorative icon 302 have been added has been shown, but the content of the KM content 300 itself may be edited to change. For example, the KM content 300 as shown in Fig. 8 is initially viewed, but when it is given to a user, it is edited to change the viewpoint position. For example, the KM content 300 in Fig. 8 is a CG image from the viewpoint of the infield seats on the first base side, but if the user is watching the game from the infield seats on the third base side, the edited KM content 300S may be a CG image with the viewpoint position set to the infield seats on the third base side, as shown in Fig. 15.
Also, for example, if the player in the target play is a player supported by the user, the edited KM content 300S may be a CG image from the player's viewpoint.

16 and 17 show an example of editing with user-specific information, for example, a user's avatar.
FIG. 16 shows an example of edited KM content 300S in which a spectator icon 301 and an avatar 303 are added to the KM content 300. In FIG.
FIG. 17 shows an example of editing the KM content 300, in which a CG image of a player is replaced with an avatar 303 of the user.
In this way, it is possible to add information specific to a user, or to change the image contents using the specific information.
Such edited KM content 300S can be user specific.

<3. Processing example>
As described above, examples of processing by the main server 2 for implementing processing related to the KM content 300 in the match linkage service will be described with reference to Fig. 18 to Fig. 23. These processes are examples of processing executed by the match linkage service function 40 in Fig. 3 in the calculation unit 21 of the main server 2, and in particular, show processing related to the provision of content by the item/content generation unit 45.

The processing of the calculation unit 21 is executed by the CPU 71 when the information processing device 70 in FIG.
However, a part of the processing may be performed on the side of the terminal device 5. When the information processing device 70 in FIG.
The process of FIG. 18 is performed for each terminal device 5 of a user who is logged in to the match linkage service.

In processing the KM content 300, the calculation unit 21 monitors the start of the match in step S101 of FIG. 18. Since the KM content 300 is generated in response to key moments in the match, the calculation unit 21 starts processing from step S102 onwards in response to the start of the match.

In step S102, the calculation unit 21 monitors the end of the match. If the match is still in progress, the process proceeds to step S103.
In step S103, the calculation unit 21 performs a key moment determination.
FIG. 19 shows an example of a process for determining a key moment.

In the key moment determination, the calculation unit 21 acquires game progress information in step S150 and performs a play determination, i.e., determines what kind of play is currently occurring.
For example, pitching and batting results include strikeouts, walks, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, errors, stolen bases, and other types of individual plays, as well as the players involved in those plays.

In step S151, the calculation unit 21 determines whether or not the recognized play can be evaluated as a common key moment.
Here, the common key moment is a moment when a play occurs that can be evaluated as a moving or exciting moment, not limited to an individual user, but generally.
On the other hand, an individual key moment, which will be described later, is a key moment determined for each individual user according to the attributes of the user.

Common key moments can be, for example, plays during scoring scenes, memorable plays such as home runs, strikeouts, and 2,000 hits, fine plays, triple plays, etc. Alternatively, in step S150, not only game progress information but also information regarding the cheers of the spectators in the stadium (volume of cheers, sound of applause, etc.) can be input, and the calculation unit 21 can use the sounds of the plays to determine the common key moments.

If it is determined that a common key moment has occurred, the calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S154 and determines that a key moment has occurred that applies to all users logged in to the match linkage service.

If it is not determined to be a common key moment, the calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S152 and checks the user information of the user being processed. For example, it determines the user's favorite team and the player they support. Then, in step S153, the calculation unit 21 determines whether an individual key moment has occurred for the user being processed.

For example, if there is user information indicating that a user is rooting for player A, all of player A's at bats may be set as individual key moments for that user.
Also, if a user is a fan of baseball team X, a scoring play or a winning play for baseball team X can be evaluated as an individual key moment for that user.
If it can be determined that this is an individual key moment, calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S155, where it determines that a key moment has occurred for the user being processed.

If it is determined that the immediately preceding play was neither a common key moment nor an individual key moment, the calculation unit 21 ends the process from step S153 to FIG. 19, i.e., the process of step S103 in FIG. 18.

When it is determined by the above key moment determination that a key moment has not occurred, the calculation unit 21 returns from step S104 to step S102 in FIG.
When it is determined that a key moment has occurred, the calculation unit 21 proceeds from step S104 to step S105 and performs a process of generating the KM content 300. For example, the calculation unit 21 creates a CG image according to the content of the target play determined to be a key moment.
At this time, the calculation unit 21 may generate one type of KM content 300 common to all users for the target play, or may generate multiple types of KM content 300 for the target play for each user or user group.

In step S106, the calculation unit 21 notifies the terminal device 5 of the user to be processed that the KM content 300 is viewable. For example, the calculation unit 21 controls the terminal device 5 to display the key moment notification screen 121 of FIG.
In the case of a common key moment, all logged-in users will be notified, and in the case of an individual key moment, only the relevant user among the logged-in users will be notified.

A user who sees the key moment notification screen 121 can select whether or not to view the KM content 300 by using the view button 124 .
If the user does not operate the view button 124, for example, if the user operates the close button 123, the calculation unit 21 returns from step S107 to step S102.

If the user operates the watch button 124, the calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S108 and determines whether the user being processed is a local user. If the user is a local user, i.e., a user watching the game at the stadium, the calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S109 and causes the terminal device 5 to play back the KM content 300 as shown in FIG. 8. In this case, it can be assumed that the user is watching the game in person, so the watch button 310 as shown in FIG. 9 is not displayed.

If it is determined from the user's location information that the user is not a local user, the calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S110 and executes playback of the KM content 300. In this case, since it is unclear whether the user is watching the game or not, a watch button 310 as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed.

If the user operates the watch button 310 within a predetermined time after the KM content 300 is played in step S109 or after the KM content 300 is played in step S110, the calculation unit 21 proceeds to step S120. This is the case where it can be estimated that the user was watching a key moment.
In this case, the KM content 300 is presented to the user as a memento of having been present at the target play (witnessing it directly or indirectly) and having viewed the KM content 300. Specifically, an edited KM content 300S to be presented to the user is generated according to the user's situation.

An example of the generation process of the edited KM content 300S will be described with reference to FIG. 20 to FIG.
FIG. 20 shows an example in which a spectator icon 301 is added as in FIG.
In step S201, the calculation unit 21 sets a watching icon 301 according to the user's watching style. That is, it determines whether the user is watching the game directly at the stadium or indirectly by viewing a broadcast, etc. Then, depending on the determination, it sets a watching icon 301 as shown in Fig. 10 or a watching icon 301 as shown in Fig. 12.

In step S202, the calculation unit 21 performs a process of adding a spectator icon 301 to the KM content 300, and sets the result as edited KM content 300S.

FIG. 21 shows an example in which the contents are also changed as in FIG.
In step S201, the calculation unit 21 sets a spectating icon 301 according to the user's spectating style. In step S210, the calculation unit 21 changes the content according to the user information. For example, information on the user's seat position and seat area is acquired, and the user's viewpoint position is determined accordingly. Then, the image content of the KM content 300 is changed to an image from the user's viewpoint position. Alternatively, if the user is a fan of a player involved in the play, it is possible to change the image to one that features the player, or to one that looks like the play is seen from the player's viewpoint.

In step S202, the calculation unit 21 performs a process of adding a spectator icon 301 to the KM content 300 whose contents have been changed, and sets the result as the edited KM content 300S.

FIG. 22 shows an example in which a commemorative icon 302 like that shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 is added.
In step S201, the calculation unit 21 sets a watching icon 301 according to the user's watching style. In step S220, the calculation unit 21 checks the user information and sets a commemorative icon 302. For example, a commemorative icon 302 based on date and time such as a birthday, or a commemorative icon 302 based on a position such as a watching location may be set. Depending on the user information, a particular commemorative icon 302 may not be set.
In step S202, the calculation unit 21 performs a process of adding the watching icon 301 and the commemorative icon 302 to the KM content 300, and creates the edited KM content 300S.

FIG. 23 shows an example in which an avatar is used like in FIG. 16 and FIG.
In step S201, the calculation unit 21 sets a watching icon 301 according to the watching mode of the user. In step S230, the calculation unit 21 modifies the KM content 300 using the user's avatar. For example, editing is performed by adding an avatar 303 or using the avatar 303 as the image content of the KM content 300.
In step S202, the calculation unit 21 performs a process of adding a spectating icon 301 to the KM content 300 that has been modified using the avatar, and sets the resulting KM content 300S after editing.

The calculation unit 21 performs the processes shown in FIGS. 20 to 23 in step S120 of FIG.
In step S121, the calculation unit 21 sets the item 203A corresponding to the edited KM content 300S.

The calculation unit 21 performs the above steps S103 to S121 for each user during the match. Therefore, every time a key moment occurs during the match, the KM content 300 is provided, and edited KM content 300S is generated to be presented to the user in response to the user's viewing, etc.

When the end of the match is detected, the calculation unit 21 proceeds from step S102 to step S125, and performs a process of granting the edited KM content 300S and the item 203A to the user. This allows the user to obtain the item 203A and the edited KM content 300S related to the play of the key moment that the user witnessed as a spectator.
The user can place the acquired item 203A on the locker room screen 140 or view it on a collection screen (not shown).

FIG. 24 shows an example of processing in response to an operation on item 203A.
When an operation of the item 203A is detected, the calculation unit 21 proceeds from step S301 to step S302, and identifies the post-edit KM content 300S corresponding to the user's operation. Then, in step S303, the calculation unit 21 performs a playback process to play back the post-edit KM content 300S on the terminal device 5 of the user who performed the operation.
This allows the user to view the acquired edited KM content 300S at will.

4. Summary and Modifications
The above embodiment provides the following advantages.

The information processing device 70 serving as the main server 2 in the embodiment includes a calculation unit 21 that performs a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which KM content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information, which is information related to the match; a generation process for generating KM content 300 related to the target play in accordance with the determination of the occurrence of the target play; and an editing process for generating edited KM content 300S by editing the KM content 300 based on user information related to the user to whom the service is provided.
This allows the user to view the KM content 300 related to the play determined to be a key moment. The user can also obtain edited KM content 300S to which content has been added or changed, for example by adding a spectator icon 301. In other words, edited KM content 300S that shows the key moment and the user's situation at that time can be obtained. This allows the user to obtain memorable edited KM content 300S that reflects the user's situation as well as the content of the play that moved or excited the user during the game, providing the user with a new way to enjoy watching the game.
The determination process, generation process, and editing process may be shared among a plurality of information processing devices.

In the embodiment, an example has been described in which, upon determining that a target play has occurred, the calculation unit 21 generates KM content 300 related to the target play based on match information, and performs processing to notify the service destination terminal device 5 that the content can be viewed (see step S106 in Figures 7 and 18).
This allows the user to know the existence of the KM content 300 and view it during or after the match when the KM content 300 is generated for a play determined to be a key moment. For example, the user is notified immediately after a key moment, knows the existence of the KM content 300 for that play, and can enjoy the content about the special moment he or she just watched.

In the embodiment, an example is given in which the calculation unit 21 generates an item 203A corresponding to the edited KM content 300S to which content has been added or changed based on user information regarding the user to whom the service is provided, and performs a process of associating the edited KM content 300S and the item 203A with the user (see step S125 in Figure 18).
This allows the user to acquire the edited KM content 300S and the item 203A. For example, the user can acquire the one and only edited KM content 300S and the item 203A that express his/her own situation and key moment, and use them as mementos of the game he/she watched.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 performs processing for playing back the edited KM content 300S by operating the item 203A (see FIG. 24).
For example, by performing an operation to designate an item 203A, the edited KM content 300S corresponding to that item 203A is played on the terminal device 5. In this way, a user who has acquired the edited KM content 300S and the item 203A can view the edited KM content 300S at any time and recall key moments in a match or his/her own situation.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 generates the KM content 300 that expresses the movement of a person (player or referee) or a playing object related to a target play in the process of generating the KM content 300.
For example, human movements related to the target play include a player's pitching form, batting form, and base running, and an umpire's gestures. A possible example of the movement of a playing object is the trajectory of a ball or the like. The calculation unit 21 generates the KM content 300 as a CG animation expressing these movements based on tracking data of the players, ball, etc. Alternatively, the KM content 300 can be generated as a video, still image, slide show, etc. using captured images of the movements. Furthermore, the KM content 300 may be generated by combining captured images and CG. This makes it possible to provide the user with the KM content 300 that dynamically expresses the target play.
When there are animals participating in a race, such as horses in a horse race, it is possible to generate content that depicts the movements of the animals.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to add an image representing that the user has been watching the target play to the content.
For example, for a user who is watching a game at a stadium or a user who is watching a game via television broadcast or network distribution, a spectator icon 301 indicating that the user has been watching the play is added to the KM content 300.
This allows the user to recognize that the play was what he or she saw in real time when viewing the edited KM content 300S later. Furthermore, the ownership of the edited KM content 300S serves as a memorization or proof of the fact that the user witnessed a memorable play, making the edited KM content 300S a valuable digital content for the user.

In the embodiment, an example is given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to add an image indicating whether the user was watching the target play directly or indirectly to the content as an image representing that the user was watching the target play (see Figures 10 and 12).
For example, a viewing icon 301 with a different design is added to the KM content 300 for a user who is watching the game directly at the stadium and a user who is watching the game indirectly via television broadcasting, network distribution, etc. In this way, the edited KM content 300S can be a record of the viewing style in which the user watched the game.

In the embodiment, an example is given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to add an image to the content representing that the user was watching the target play based on the user's location information or in response to the user performing a specified operation related to the content (see Figure 9).
For example, when it is possible to estimate from the user's location information that the user was in the stadium when the target play occurred, or when the user indicates his/her intention to watch the game by pressing the watch button 310 on the content, the watch icon 301 is added to the KM content 300. This makes it possible to generate an edited KM content 300S that indicates that the user was watching the game.

In the embodiment, an example was given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to add an image representing user information related to the date and time of occurrence of the target play to the content based on user information (see Figure 13).
For example, if the day on which the target play occurred is the user's birthday, a commemorative icon 302 indicating the birthday is added to the KM content 300. In this way, the edited KM content 300S can record the date and time on which the user witnessed the target play. For example, it can also evoke memories of watching a game for the user.
As user information related to the date and time of the target play, if various anniversaries such as wedding anniversaries and children's birthdays can be determined as user information, it is also possible to add commemorative icons 302 corresponding to those anniversaries and the times of the commemorations.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to add an image representing the viewing location of the target play to the content based on the user information (see FIG. 14).
A spectator icon 301 that indicates where the user was watching the game when the target play occurred is added to the KM content 300. For example, if the game was watched at a stadium, an image showing the seat position, seat area, etc. is added. Even if the game was watched via broadcast or distribution, an image that shows, for example, watching the game at home, watching the game at a public viewing, or watching the game at a specific establishment such as a sports bar is added. In this way, the edited KM content 300S can record where the user himself was watching the game. For example, it can also be used to evoke memories of watching the game in the user's mind.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to add an image representing the user to the content (see FIG. 16).
For example, a user's avatar 303, a photographic image, etc. are added to the KM content 300. This makes the edited KM content 300S unique, including the user's own image, and can increase its value to the user.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing on the KM content 300 to change the content details based on information about the user's viewing location (see FIG. 15).
For example, edited KM content 300S is generated by changing an image of a play in KM content 300 into an image with a viewpoint set according to the seat position of the user. This allows the user to save the play that he or she actually witnessed as edited KM content 300S with an image from the same viewpoint.

In the embodiment, an example was given in which the calculation unit 21 performs editing processing on the KM content 300 to change the content content so as to replace an image of a player in an image representing a target play with an image representing the user himself (see Figure 17).
For example, an image of a player in a play in the KM content 300 is replaced with the user's avatar 303. This allows the user to obtain edited KM content 300S in which the user himself/herself appears to be participating in the play.

The various editing processes described in the embodiment can be combined. For example, the content change based on the viewpoint position of the KM content 300, the addition of the spectator icon 301, the addition of the commemorative icon 302, the addition of the avatar 303, and the content change based on the avatar may all be performed, or some of them may be combined.
It is also possible to add a plurality of types of commemorative icons 302 or to add a user's own icon. The content change is not limited to a change in viewpoint or avatar, but may also be a change in the expression of the play itself.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 determines, in the key moment determination process, a specific type of play determined based on the match information as a target play (see step S103 in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19).
For example, the type of target play that will trigger the generation of the KM content 300 is set according to the game. In baseball, for example, a home run, a hit, a stolen base, other scoring plays, a strikeout, a double play, a triple play, a fine play, etc. are specific types of plays. The calculation unit 21 then generates the KM content 300 by detecting these plays from the game progress information. This makes it possible to detect appropriate key moments and generate the KM content 300.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the calculation unit 21 determines the occurrence of a target play based on the match information and user information in the key moment determination process (see FIG. 19 ).
For example, a specific player or team that the user supports is determined as user information. When a play of that player is detected from the game progress information, it is determined as a target play, or when a specific type of play of the user's supported team is detected, it is determined as a target play. This makes it possible to pick up personal key moments for the user and generate KM content 300 (300S) accordingly. The edited KM content 300S will be filled with more memories of watching the game for the user.

In the embodiment, an example has been given in which the game content is such that the movement of a ball within a game space is set based on tracking data of the ball in a baseball or softball game.
The movement of the ball in the game content is expressed based on tracking data of the ball as pitched by the pitcher, tracking data of the batted ball, etc. This makes it possible to provide game content that allows the user to experience balls in baseball or softball.

Although the match linkage service has been explained using the example of linking with a baseball game, the match linkage service can be applied to a variety of sports. Examples include soccer, American football, rugby, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and golf. Ball games are particularly suitable as sports that use the EPTS system. Of course, it can also be used for sports other than ball games. For example, it can be used for gymnastics, skating, track and field, swimming, judo, kendo, boxing, fencing, etc.

The judgment of a play as a key moment, the contents of the KM content 300, the edited KM content 300S, and the contents of the item 203A may be considered according to the sport. In soccer, it is assumed that a goal scene, a free kick scene, etc. are set as a key moment.
Item 203A may be a soccer ball for soccer, a boxing glove for boxing, or a racket for tennis.
Match information is also anticipated for each sport.

As for game information, we have given an example of baseball stats data, but of course it differs depending on the sport. For soccer, the stats data is as follows:
・Goals: The number of goals scored in the season ・Shots: The number of shots taken ・Shots on target: The number of shots taken inside the goal ・Last passes: The number of passes that resulted in goal-scoring opportunities ・One-touch passes: The number of passes made with one touch ・Aerial battles: The number of contests for the ball in the air ・Tackles: The number of attempts to retrieve the ball against the ball carrier ・Distance traveled: The distance traveled during the match for each player

In the case of soccer, key moments include goals, corner kicks, free kicks, penalty kicks, goalkeeper saves, and contact plays.

In the embodiment, the processing has been mainly described as that of the calculation unit 21 of the main server 2, but all or part of the processing of the calculation unit 21 may be executed by a CPU on the terminal device 5. For example, the match linkage service function 40 of the calculation unit 21 may be installed in the terminal device 5 as an application program, and processing by the item/content generation unit 45, locker processing unit 47, game processing unit 48, etc. in FIG. 3 may be performed on the terminal device 5.
The terminal device 5 may be equipped with other functions, such as a match information acquisition unit 41, a user information acquisition unit 42, a match analysis unit 43, a quiz generation unit 44, a memory control unit 46, etc., and processing by these functions may be performed by the terminal device 5.

The program of the embodiment is a program that causes, for example, a CPU, a DSP (digital signal processor), an AI processor, or an information processing device 70 including these to execute the processes shown in FIGS.
In other words, the program of the embodiment is a program that causes an information processing device to execute a determination process for determining whether or not a target play that is to be the subject of generation of KM content 300 has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information, which is information about the match; a generation process for generating KM content 300 related to the target play in accordance with the determination of the occurrence of the target play; and an editing process for generating edited KM content 300S in which content has been added to or changed based on user information about the user to whom the service is provided.

With such a program, the information processing device 70 constituting the information provision system 1 of the embodiment can be realized, for example, in a computer device, a mobile terminal device, or other device capable of executing information processing.

Such a program can be recorded in advance in a HDD serving as a recording medium built into a device such as a computer device, or in a ROM within a microcomputer having a CPU.
Alternatively, the program may be temporarily or permanently stored (recorded) on a removable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), an MO (Magneto Optical) disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory, a memory card, etc. Such removable recording media may be provided as so-called package software.
Furthermore, such a program can be installed in a personal computer or the like from a removable recording medium, or can be downloaded from a download site via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

Furthermore, such a program is suitable for a wide range of provision of the information processing device 70 constituting the information provision system 1 of the embodiment. For example, by downloading the program to mobile terminal devices such as smartphones and tablets, imaging devices, mobile phones, personal computers, game devices, video devices, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), etc., these devices can function as the information processing device 70 constituting the information provision system 1 of the present disclosure.

Note that the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

The present technology can also be configured as follows.
(1)
a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information that is information related to the match;
a generation process for generating content related to the target play in response to a determination of the occurrence of the target play;
an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to a user who is a service recipient;
An information processing device comprising a calculation unit that performs the above.
(2)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device described in (1) above, in response to determining that the target play has occurred, generates content related to the target play based on match information and notifies the service destination device that the content can be viewed.
(3)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device described in (1) or (2) above generates a digital item corresponding to edited content to which content has been added or changed based on user information regarding the user to whom the service is provided, and performs a process of associating the edited content and the digital item with the user.
(4)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to (3) above, further comprising: a process for playing back the edited content in response to an operation on the digital item.
(5)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the generation process generates content expressing a movement of a person, an animal, or a playing object related to the target play.
(6)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the editing process includes editing the content by adding an image representing that the user has been watching a target play.
(7)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device described in any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the editing process includes editing the content by adding an image indicating whether the user was watching the target play directly or indirectly to the content as an image representing that the user was watching the target play.
(8)
The calculation unit is
The editing process includes editing the content by adding an image representing that the user was watching the target play based on the user's location information or in response to the user performing a specified operation related to the content.An information processing device described in any of (1) to (7) above.
(9)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the editing process performs editing to add an image expressing user information related to a date and time of occurrence of a target play to the content based on user information.
(10)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the editing process performs editing to add an image representing a viewing location of a target play to the content based on user information.
(11)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (10) above, wherein the editing process includes editing for adding an image representing the user to the content.
(12)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (11) above, wherein the editing process performs editing to change content details based on information about a user's viewing location.
(13)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (12) above, wherein the editing process involves editing to change content details so as to replace an image of a player in an image representing a target play with an image representing the user himself/herself.
(14)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (13) above, wherein in the determination process, a specific type of play determined based on match information is determined to be the target play.
(15)
The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (14) above, wherein the determination process determines the occurrence of the target play based on match information and user information.
(16)
An information processing device,
a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information that is information related to the match;
a generation process for generating content related to the target play in response to a determination of the occurrence of the target play;
an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to a user who is a service recipient;
An information processing method for performing the above.
(17)
a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information that is information related to the match;
a generation process for generating content related to the target play in response to a determination of the occurrence of the target play;
an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to a user who is a service recipient;
A program for causing an information processing device to execute the above.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information provision system 2 Main server 3 Score data server 5 Terminal device 10 Imaging device 21 Calculation unit 22 Presentation control unit 45 Item/content generation unit 45a Determination unit 45b Generation/editing unit 45c Provision processing unit 70 Information processing device 71 CPU
203, 203A Item 300 Key Moment Content (KM Content)
300S Edited Key Moment Content (Edited KM Content)
301 Spectating icon 302 Commemorative icon 303 Avatar 310 Spectating button

Claims (17)

a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information that is information related to the match;
a generation process for generating content related to the target play in response to a determination of the occurrence of the target play;
an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to a user who is a service recipient;
An information processing device comprising a calculation unit that performs the above. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to determining that the target play has occurred, content relating to the target play is generated based on match information, and a process of notifying a service destination device that the content can be viewed is performed. The calculation unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: generating a digital item corresponding to edited content in which content has been added or changed based on user information relating to a user to whom the service is to be provided; and associating the edited content and the digital item with the user. The calculation unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a process of playing back the edited content is performed in response to an operation on the digital item. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the generation process generates content expressing a movement of a person, an animal, or a playing object related to the target play. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing the content by adding an image representing that the user has been watching a target play. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing the content by adding an image indicating whether the user is directly watching or indirectly watching the target play as an image representing that the user is watching the target play. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing the content by adding an image representing that the user was watching a target play based on the user's location information or in response to the user performing a predetermined operation related to the content. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing for adding an image expressing user information related to a date and time of occurrence of a target play to the content based on user information. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing for adding an image representing a viewing location of a target play to the content based on user information. The calculation unit is
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing for adding an image representing the user to the content. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process includes editing for changing the content based on information about a viewing location of the user. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the editing process performs editing to change content details so as to replace an image of a player in an image representing a target play with an image representing the user himself/herself. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein in the determination process, a specific type of play determined based on match information is determined to be the target play. The calculation unit is
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination process determines the occurrence of the target play based on match information and user information. An information processing device,
a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information that is information related to the match;
a generation process for generating content related to the target play in response to a determination of the occurrence of the target play;
an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to a user who is a service recipient;
An information processing method for performing the above. a determination process for determining whether or not a target play for which content is to be generated has occurred during a competitive match, based on match information that is information related to the match;
a generation process for generating content related to the target play in response to a determination of the occurrence of the target play;
an editing process for generating edited content by editing the content based on user information related to a user who is a service recipient;
A program for causing an information processing device to execute the above.

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