Message-browsing system, server, terminal device, control method, and recording medium

A server in a message-browsing system for providing a browsing service of messages exchanged through a post and a response to the post among multiple users at a terminal device, the server comprising:

• a processor configured to execute:
• an assigning unit that assigns user images corresponding to multiple specific users, who are a subset or all of the multiple users, to respective ones of a number of reference positions that is equal to the number of the user images on a screen in accordance with a predetermined rule;
• a position determining unit that determines the reference positions assigned to the user images corresponding to the multiple specific users as display positions displaying the respective user images;
• and
• a position changing unit that changes a display position of a user image corresponding to one of the multiple specific users responding to a post, which another user of the multiple specific users has contributed, to a position close to a display position of a user image corresponding to the other user who has contributed the post,
• wherein the multiple users include a main person who receives the browsing service, the multiple users constitute a group, and the messages are exchanged among the multiple users in the group,
• wherein,
• the assigning unit assigns the user images corresponding to the multiple specific users including the main person, to the respective ones of the reference positions of the number equal to the number of the user images, the reference positions being on a screen of a terminal device that is operated by the main person,
• the position determining unit determines each display position displaying a corresponding one of the user images to be within a predetermined range including a corresponding reference position assigned to each user image, and
• the assigning unit assigns reference positions of user images corresponding to the specific users other than the main person, so that all the reference positions are radially arranged around the reference position corresponding to the main person at a circumference having a fixed distance from the reference position corresponding to the main person.

A control method for controlling a server in a message-browsing system for providing a browsing service of messages exchanged through a post and a response to the post among multiple users at a terminal device, the control method comprising:

• assigning user images corresponding to multiple specific users, who are a subset or all of the multiple users, to respective ones of a number of reference positions that is equal to the number of the user images on a screen, in accordance with a predetermined rule;
• determining the reference positions assigned to the user images corresponding to the multiple specific users as display positions displaying the respective user images;
• and
• changing a display position of a user image corresponding to one of the multiple specific users responding to a post, which another user of the multiple specific users has contributed, to a position close to a display position of a user image corresponding to the other user who has contributed the post,
• wherein the multiple users include a main person who receives the browsing service, the multiple users constitute a group, and the messages are exchanged among the multiple users in the group,
• wherein,
• the assigning assigns the user images corresponding to the multiple specific users including the main person, to the respective ones of the reference positions of the number equal to the number of the user images, the reference positions being on a screen of a terminal device that is operated by the main person,
• the determining determines each display position displaying a corresponding one of the user images to be within a predetermined range including a corresponding reference position assigned to each user image, and
• the assigning assigns reference positions of user images corresponding to the specific users other than the main person, so that all the reference positions are radially arranged around the reference position corresponding to the main person at a circumference having a fixed distance from the reference position corresponding to the main person.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium with a program stored there-on, the program causing a computer, which provides a browsing service of messages exchanged through a post and a response to the post among multiple users at a terminal device, to function as:

• an assigning unit that assigns user images corresponding to multiple specific users, who are a subset or all of the multiple users, to respective ones of a number of reference positions that is equal to the number of the user images on a screen, in accordance with a predetermined rule;
• a position determining unit that determines the reference positions assigned to the user images corresponding to the multiple specific users as display positions displaying the respective user images;
• and
• a position changing unit that changes a display position of a user image corresponding to one of the multiple specific users responding to a post, which another user of the multiple specific users has contributed, to a position close to a display position of a user image corresponding to the other one who has contributed the post,
• wherein the multiple users include a main person who receives the browsing service, the multiple users constitute a group, and the messages are exchanged among the multiple users in the group,
• wherein,
• the assigning unit assigns the user images corresponding to the multiple specific users including the main person, to the respective ones of the reference positions of the number equal to the number of the user images, the reference positions being on a screen of a terminal device that is operated by the main person,
• the position determining unit determines each display position displaying a corresponding one of the user images to be within a predetermined range including a corresponding reference position assigned to each user image, and
• the assigning unit assigns reference positions of user images corresponding to the specific users other than the main person, so that all the reference positions are radially arranged around the reference position corresponding to the main person at a circumference having a fixed distance from the reference position corresponding to the main person.