US-12621390-B2 - Information processing terminal

US12621390B2US 12621390 B2US12621390 B2US 12621390B2US-12621390-B2

Abstract

An information processing terminal allowing a user to view a content stored in an external server via contracted communication lines comprises a communication data amount management unit configured to manage an amount of data communicated via a high-speed communication line of the communication lines, and a display control unit configured to execute display control, and in a case where there is a possibility that an amount of data necessary for viewing of the content is about to exceed an amount of data remaining within a contracted amount of data, the communication data amount management unit calculates, as a purchase price, a price to additionally purchase a predetermined amount of data of the high-speed communication line based on a predetermined condition, and the display control unit displays the calculated purchase price.

Inventors

Hitoshi Akiyama
Kazuhiko Yoshizawa

Assignees

MAXELL, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20200414

Claims (12)

1 . An information processing terminal allowing a user to view a content stored in an external server via contracted communication lines, the information processing terminal comprising: a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: manage an amount of data communicated via a high-speed communication line of the communication lines, execute display control, acquire the content and play the content, in a case where there is a possibility that an amount of data necessary for viewing of the content is about to exceed a remaining data amount which is an amount of data remaining within a contracted amount of data, acquire necessary information which is information necessary for additional purchase of a predetermined amount of data of the high-speed communication line based on a predetermined condition, display the necessary information, and acquire the remaining data amount at predetermined intervals, in a case where the remaining data amount is equal to or less than a predetermined remaining amount threshold value, output a calculation instruction notification, calculate an average transmission rate of the content being viewed, use the average transmission rate to acquire necessary information which is information necessary for additional purchase of a predetermined amount of data of the high-speed communication line for each of predetermined conditions, and display the necessary information in association with the predetermined conditions, respectively.
2 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , acquire the content and play the content, wherein the processor is configured to: upon requesting the content to the external server, acquire a total amount of data of the content as a necessary data amount prior to start of distribution of the content, and in a case where the remaining data amount is less than the necessary data amount, calculate, as an insufficient data amount, an amount of data which is a difference between the necessary data amount and the remaining data amount, and use, as the necessary information, information necessary for additional purchase of the insufficient data amount.
3 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: acquire the remaining data amount at predetermined intervals, in a case where the remaining data amount is equal to or less than a predetermined remaining amount threshold value, output an unplayed data amount acquiring signal for acquiring an amount of data of an unplayed portion of the content, upon receiving the unplayed data amount acquiring signal, calculate, as a necessary data amount, the amount of data of the unplayed portion of the content, in a case where the remaining data amount acquired the most recently is less than the necessary data amount, calculate, as an insufficient data amount, an amount of data which is a difference between the necessary data amount and the remaining data amount, and uses, as the necessary information, information necessary for additional purchase of the insufficient data amount.
4 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined conditions are viewing times, and the processor is configured to: use the average transmission rate to calculate an amount of data of the high-speed communication line necessary for viewing for each of the viewing times, and acquire, as the necessary information, information necessary for additional purchase of the amount of data as calculated.
5 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the information necessary for additional purchase is a price, and the necessary information is a purchase price.
6 . The information processing terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to: send an inquiry to a device of a carrier that manages the communication lines about an additional purchase unit price of an amount of data of the high-speed communication line, and calculate the purchase price based on a response to the inquiry.
7 . The information processing terminal according to claim 5 , wherein an additional purchase unit price of the amount of data of the high-speed communication line is stored in advance as a communication service contract database, and the processor is configured to refer to the communication service contract database to calculate the purchase price.
8 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: display, together with the necessary information, an acceptance button for accepting an intention to purchase, and upon accepting the intention to purchase via the acceptance button, transmit an additional purchase request to a carrier that manages the communication lines.
9 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: display, together with the necessary information, an acceptance button for accepting an intention to purchase, and upon accepting the intention not to purchase via the acceptance button display a warning.
10 . The information processing terminal according to claim 9 , wherein after the warning is displayed, the processor is configured to: monitor a usage of an amount of data of the high-speed communication line, in a case where the contracted amount of data is fully used, output a full use signal indicating that the contracted amount of data is fully used, and upon receiving the full use signal, output a message indicating that the contracted amount of data is fully used.
11 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: upon requesting the content to the external server, acquire a necessary bandwidth indicating a bandwidth necessary for play of the content prior to start of distribution of the content, and even there is a possibility that the amount of data necessary for viewing of the content is about to exceed the remaining data amount, in a case where the necessary bandwidth is equal to or less than a bandwidth of a low-speed communication line used after the contracted amount of data is fully used, not acquire the necessary information.
12 . The information processing terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to: stop play of the content while displaying the necessary information.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a technique for management of data traffic. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique for management of data traffic while a user is viewing content. BACKGROUND ART A user of a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone may make a contract of a communication service having a limitation in an amount of data available across a high-speed communication line with a communication carrier by a contract unit period (for example, monthly), and use the provided communication service. In such a contract of the communication service, when the data usage reaches the limit amount, the user has to use the smartphone with a low-speed communication line until next contract unit period. While the user is viewing the high-quality content, if the data usage reaches the limit amount, the communication line is switched to the low-speed communication line and thus the user cannot continue to view the content being viewed or has to view the content with low-quality. At this point, in order to purchase an additional amount of data of the high-speed communication line, the user has to apply for additional purchase to the carrier. It is usually the case that the content is not provided by the carrier but by a content provider, and thus the user is forced to switch to an application or web page of the carrier. This reduces the convenience of the user. There has been known a data traffic management device capable of eliminating a shortage of an available amount of data and an insufficient balance without requiring a user to perform a conscious operation in data communication with a wireless communication line having a limitation in the amount of data. For example, Patent Literature 1 teaches “in a data traffic management device for managing the data traffic of wireless connection with the data traffic being limited, an additional purchase processing unit performs processing for the additional purchase of data traffic with expiration date. A residual data traffic management unit manages the residual of data traffic including additional purchase data traffic, which is data traffic with expiration date additionally purchased. A purchase contents identifying unit identifies the additional purchase data traffic. A purchase condition determination unit determines whether a condition for purchasing additional purchase data traffic is satisfied or not. If the purchase condition determination unit determines that the condition for purchasing additional purchase data traffic is satisfied, the additional purchase processing unit performs the purchase processing of the additional purchase data traffic (excerpted from Abstract)”. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP-A-2016-40673 SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem However, the technique according to Patent Literature 1 only considers the residual amount of data included in the contracted communication service. That is, Patent Literature 1 does not consider the amount of data of the content and the playing condition of the content. For example, even when most of the content has been played and the data necessary for playing the remaining of the content is small, if the residual amount of the contracted data amount satisfies a predetermined purchase condition, the additional data would be purchased. This may place an unnecessary burden on the user. The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique allowing a user to continuously view high-quality content for a desired period of time without placing an unnecessary burden on the user. Solution to Problem The present invention provides an information processing terminal allowing a user to view a content stored in an external server via contracted communication lines, the information processing terminal comprising: a communication data amount management unit configured to manage an amount of data communicated via a high-speed communication line of the communication lines; and a display control unit configured to execute display control, in a case where there is a possibility that an amount of data necessary for viewing of the content is about to exceed a remaining data amount which is an amount of data remaining within a contracted amount of data, the communication data amount management unit acquires necessary information which is information necessary for additional purchase of a predetermined amount of data of the high-speed communication line based on a predetermined condition, and the display control unit displays the necessary information. Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique allowing a user to continuously view high-quality content for a desired period of time without placing an unnecessary burden on the user. The problems, configurations, and advantageous effects other than those described above