Content output controller, content output control method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium for allocating contents to areas or zones

A method of content output control executed by a content output controller including a storage storing a rule definition having (i) an arbitration policy that defines a basic arbitration for allocating contents to areas or zones according to a certain priority and (ii) a constraint formula that defines one or more exceptional properties to be satisfied during or after the arbitration, the method comprising, in response to receiving an output request from an application:

• selecting an arbitration target area from areas defined by a model or an arbitration target zone from zones defined by the model, based on (i) an allocatable relationship between contents indicated by the output request and the areas or the zones defined by the model, and (ii) an influence relationship defined by the constraint formula, wherein the model indicates the areas or the zones in which the content can be outputted and a relationship between the areas or the zones;
• executing an arbitration to determine allocation of the contents indicated by the output request to the selected arbitration target area or the selected arbitration target zone in accordance with the rule definition and such that the allocation satisfies the constraint formula;
• controlling output of the contents allocated by the arbitration;
• and
• refraining from performing the arbitration for areas other than the selected arbitration target area or zones other than the selected arbitration target zone, and retaining a previous result of the arbitration for the areas or the zones for which the arbitration is not performed.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for use in a content output control device including a storage for storing a rule definition having (i) an arbitration policy that defines a basic arbitration for allocating contents to areas or zones according to a certain priority and (ii) a constraint formula that defines one or more exceptional properties to be satisfied during or after the arbitration, the computer program comprising instructions configured to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor, in response to receiving an output request from an application, to:

• select an arbitration target area from areas defined by a model or an arbitration target zone from zones defined by the model, based on (i) an allocatable relationship between contents indicated by the output request and the areas or the zones defined by the model, and (ii) an influence relationship defined by the constraint formula, wherein the model indicates the areas or the zones in which the content can be outputted and a relationship between the areas or the zones:
• execute an arbitration to determine allocation of the contents indicated by the output request to the selected arbitration target area or the selected arbitration target zone in accordance with the rule definition and such that the allocation satisfies the constraint formula;
• control output of the contents allocated by the arbitration;
• and
• refrain from performing the arbitration for areas other than the selected arbitration target area or zones other than the selected arbitration target zone, and retaining a previous result of the arbitration for the areas or the zones for which the arbitration is not performed.