JP7473802B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

Conventionally, there has been known a system that accepts votes from users predicting the outcome of a race such as a horse race, a boat race, a bicycle race, or an auto race, and awards a payout to the users who voted based on the outcome of the race.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that accepts votes for the results of a competition in a cashless manner, in which winnings (dividends) awarded when predictions are correct are held in two categories: winnings that are under the control of the competition organizer and have not been paid to the voter (user), and refunds that have been transferred to the voter's control, and the system allows the voter to set how the winnings will be used, i.e., whether to leave the winnings with the competition organizer, carry them over and pay them out as cash at a later date, or use them as new voting funds on the day.

JP 2004-302898 A

However, in systems like the one in Patent Document 1, the only options for using the winnings as a payout are to leave it with the competition organizer and carry it over to be paid out as cash at a later date, or to use it as new betting funds on the day. As a result, there is little variety in the uses of the payouts awarded when a prediction is correct, which makes it inconvenient for users.

The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that can expand the options for how dividends can be used and improve user convenience.

An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention has a receiving unit that receives votes from users on the results of a competition, a determination unit that determines a payout based on the results of the competition, an exchange unit that consumes at least a portion of the payout and exchanges it for a specific product, and an award unit that awards the specific product and a value equivalent to the payout after consumption to the user.

According to one aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the dividend based on the results of a competition can be exchanged for a specific product and awarded to the user, thereby expanding the options for how the dividend can be used and improving user convenience.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a competition management system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device, a terminal, and a public racing server according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of functions of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of a competition management server constituting an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a voting information table of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a user information table of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a specific product information table of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the functions of a public racing server according to one embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a competition management process. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a specific product display process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
The embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Naturally, the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

<Overview of the Competition Management System S>
The communication system shown in FIG. 1 (hereinafter referred to as competition management system S) is a communication system including an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, that is, a competition management server 30.
The competition management system S is a computer system that handles the overall management and operation work related to holding a competition, and performs services such as providing competition information and selling and refunding betting tickets (hereinafter referred to as competition management services) to users U. Specifically, it accepts votes from users U predicting the results of the competition (results such as the finishing order of the race objects), determines dividends based on the results of the competition, consumes at least a portion of the dividends and exchanges them for specific goods, and grants the specific goods and a value equivalent to the dividends after consumption to users U.

"Competition" refers to, for example, public competitions such as horse racing, boat racing, bicycle racing, and auto racing. User U can predict the outcome of the competition and purchase betting tickets such as horse racing tickets, boat racing tickets, or car racing tickets using a specified value such as currency or points, thereby placing a bet on the outcome of the competition, and if the prediction is correct, the user can receive a dividend (payout for the correct prediction) according to the odds in a specified value such as currency or points.

"Publicly managed sports events" are also called public betting or public gambling, and refer to sports events held as gambling by a public institution such as a local government or a public corporation that is the organizer. Note that in this embodiment, the organizer in the broad sense also includes umbrella organizations such as public corporations or foundations that actually carry out the work related to the event, the work of implementing the event, and other work supporting the event.
Publicly managed gaming events are held by multiple organizers, that is, by each local government, etc., and a portion of the sales from each publicly managed gaming event becomes a financial resource for the local government, etc. that organizes the publicly managed gaming event. For example, when betting tickets are purchased using currency, 75% of the sales from the betting tickets is used for payouts, and of the remaining 25%, 7% is received by the local government, etc. as revenue, and 18% is used for prize money for participants, or for various expenses such as wages or commission fees.

"Value" refers to a collective term for media that can be used to vote on the results of a competition and that is awarded to user U as a dividend. Value includes, for example, currency and points.

"Currency" corresponds to a second value and means so-called "money" that is used in exchange for goods and services in general society. In this embodiment, the currency may be cash currency such as paper money or coins, or may be deposit currency such as ordinary deposits or current accounts.

"Points" are equivalent to the first value and have a value different from currency. Points are treated as a type of score or virtual currency at least within the competition management system S, as a medium that has voting value for the results of the competition and exchange value for specific products described below.

"Odds" refers to the payout rate, and is a numerical value indicating how many times the value will be paid out if the bet value is correct. In this embodiment, the odds are calculated using the pari-mutuel method, which is a known method of determining payouts, but they are not limited to the pari-mutuel method and may be calculated using other payout determination methods such as the bookmaker method. Furthermore, since the odds in this embodiment are determined according to the odds set by the organizer of the competition (official odds for public competitions), they may change in real time depending on the voting situation in the currency of the user U himself or others.

A "dividend" is a value that is granted (paid back) to user U based on the results of a competition and odds in response to the user U's voting action. For example, if user U predicts the results of a competition and casts a bet using currency, and the prediction turns out to be correct, a currency equivalent to the amount calculated based on the odds (winning amount) is granted to user U as a dividend. At this time, the entire amount of the dividend may be granted in currency, or a portion of the dividend may be exchanged in advance for a specific product described below, and the remaining dividend may be granted in currency. Note that for votes using currency, currency or points are granted as a dividend, and for votes using points, points are granted as a dividend, but this is not limited to this.
In addition, the dividends can be accumulated for a predetermined period (or indefinitely) in association with the information or attributes of the competition, such as by type of competition, by organizer, or by competition venue. The accumulated dividends can be exchanged by the user U for specific products, which will be described later, at any time.

"Sports information" refers to information such as program schedules, odds, predictions by experts, sports footage, sports results, and payouts.
Here, the program guide is a list of the subjects of competition (such as competitors or racehorses) participating in each competition, and includes information that is useful for predicting basic information about the subjects of competition and past results, etc. For example, if the competition is keirin, about 9 to 12 races are held at each venue per day, and includes a program guide that summarizes information about multiple venues (for example, 43 venues), a program guide for each venue, or a program guide for each race, etc. In addition, the program guide also lists the gate number, car number, condition, characteristics (class and running style, etc.) and past results of the keirin competitors as the subjects of the competition.

A "special product" is a good that can be exchanged by consuming dividends. Examples of special products include rice, bread, noodles, meat, seafood, eggs, dairy products, processed foods, vegetables, fruits, seasonings, confectionery, alcohol, tea, and other beverages, plants, miscellaneous goods, daily necessities, electrical appliances, and handicrafts. They may also represent the right to receive a specific service, such as travel vouchers, accommodation vouchers, and facility use vouchers. Special products are specified based on the information or attributes of the competition, such as the type of competition, the organizer, or the competition venue, and one or more special products are prepared for each competition organizer. In particular, when the organizer of a competition is a local government, etc., special products related to the region are prepared as special products, limited items, or services, etc., with the support of local businesses, etc., and each local government, etc., has its own unique character.

The amount of value (money, etc.) that needs to be consumed to exchange for each specific commodity is set. Therefore, the specific commodity that is given to the user U or that the user U can select is determined based on the amount of the dividend (amount of dividend).
In addition, the amount of value is set to different conditions depending on the type of dividend consumed and the timing of exchange. For example, the exchange conditions, i.e., the amount of value required, are different between a case where at least a part of the dividend is consumed when receiving the dividend and exchanged for a specific product as it is, and a case where the dividend is received as currency or points and then exchanged for a specific product at the user U's discretion. Specifically, in the former case, the amount of value consumed for one specific product is small (the amount of the specific product is low), and other exchange conditions that are more advantageous for the user U are set than in the latter case. However, the exchange conditions are not limited to this pattern, and the latter case may be set to be more advantageous for the user U than the former.
The exchange conditions may be set to conditions other than those exemplified above, or may be set based on the voting history or winning history of the user U. For example, the past voting history may be stored, and the exchange conditions may be set so that the larger the cumulative amount of bets, the more advantageous the exchange conditions for the user U are, regardless of whether the result is a winning or losing bet.

In this way, in the competition management service provided by the competition management system S of this embodiment, at least a portion of the dividend based on the results of the competition is exchanged for a specific product such as a local specialty product to add value, and the specific product and a value such as currency or points equivalent to the dividend after consumption are given to the user U. This allows the user U to have more options for how to use the dividend, such as enjoying local specialty products, and improves convenience. On the other hand, for local governments and other organizations that are the organizers, for example, by using a portion of the betting ticket sales (for example, about 10 to 15%) as a specific product, while normally 75% of the sales amount is used for refunds, it is possible to efficiently convey the appeal of the region to users U all over the country. In addition, by having users actually pick up and consume local specialty products, or by increasing the number of visitors and experiencing services related to the region, it is possible to revitalize the local economy.

<Configuration of the competition management system S>
Next, the configuration of the competition management system S will be described.
As shown in Figure 1, the competition management system S is made up of an information terminal (hereinafter referred to as a user terminal 10) operated by a user U, and a competition management server 30. The user terminal 10 and the competition management server 30 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network N such as the Internet. Furthermore, the competition management system S is connected to a publicly managed racing server 50 via the network N so as to be able to communicate with each other.

The user terminal 10 is equipped with a program stored within the terminal and a processor that executes the program, and is carried by its owner, a user U, who operates the user terminal 10 when, for example, voting on the results of a competition.
The user terminals 10 may be any known device used as an information processing terminal, such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a notebook PC, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a dedicated gaming device with a communication function. The number of user terminals 10 constituting the competition management system S is not particularly limited and may be any number, but in FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration, the number of user terminals 10 is three.

The competition management server 30 is a computer constituting the information processing device of the present invention. For example, it is constituted by a server computer managed by a platform operator or the like, and is responsible for processing related to the competition management service between the user U and the competition organizer. Specifically, it provides competition information to the user U, and accepts votes and performs refunds. It also consumes at least a portion of the dividend and exchanges it for a specific product, and grants the user U the specific product and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption.
In addition, the competition management server 30 is not limited to a server device consisting of a single computer that performs a specific function on its own, but may be composed of a group of server devices consisting of multiple computers that are distributed and work together to perform a specific function.

The public racing servers 50 are each composed of a server computer managed by, for example, the organizers of the race, and perform processes such as providing race information, calculating odds, accepting votes, and making refunds to users U or platform operators, etc. Specifically, the race information is provided to users U directly or via the race management server 30, and vote acceptance and refunds are carried out directly or indirectly with users U. Furthermore, in addition to the above race information, information on users U's betting history (including betting amount and betting results) is provided to the race management server 30.
In addition, the public racing server 50 is not limited to a server device consisting of a single computer that performs a specific function on its own, but may be composed of a group of server devices consisting of multiple computers that are distributed and work together to perform a specific function.
Furthermore, there are multiple public racing servers 50 connected to the competition management system S, depending on the number of competition types or the number of organizers, etc. Therefore, there is no particular limit to the number of public racing servers 50 connected to the competition management system S and any number may be used, but for convenience of illustration in Figure 1, the number of public racing servers 50 is shown as two.
In this embodiment, the public racetrack server 50 is configured outside the racetrack management system S, but the public racetrack server 50 may also be included as part of the racetrack management system S.

The network N may be any network that connects the user terminals 10, the competition management server 30, and the public competition server 50 in a state that allows data communication. This may be wired or wireless, and includes the Internet, mobile communication networks, LANs (Local Area Networks), WANs (Wide Area Networks), intranets, Ethernet (registered trademark), and the like. In addition, the user terminals 10 may communicate with each other via the network N, or may communicate directly without going through the network N via Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wifi-Direct, and the like.

In the competition management system S of this embodiment, the competition management service is provided by the cooperation of the user terminal 10, the competition management server 30, and the public racing server 50 with the above configuration. Specifically, part of the processing is performed by the competition management server 30 and the public racing server 50, and part of the graphic processing, etc. is executed by the user terminal 10. For example, the competition management server 30 and the public racing server 50 cooperate with each other to execute a program including certain rules, logic, and algorithms. Meanwhile, the user terminal 10 executes a program including the same rules, logic, and algorithms as the program executed by the competition management server 30 and the public racing server 50, while synchronizing with the competition management server 30 and the public racing server 50.

<Configuration of User Terminal 10>
Next, the configuration of the user terminal 10 according to this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal 10 has, as its hardware configuration, a processor 11, a memory device 12, a communication interface (referred to as communication I/F in FIG. 2) 13, an input device 14, and an output device 15, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus not shown.

The processor 11 includes, for example, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit, or a digital signal processor, and executes various arithmetic processes based on programs or data stored in the memory device 12, and controls each part of the user terminal 10. The programs executed by the processor 11 include an OS (Operating System), which is system software for controlling the entire user terminal 10, an application program for voting on competition results, and an application program for games (including a point conversion function), and the various programs are read and executed by the processor 11 to perform the functions of the user terminal 10 that constitutes the competition management system S.

The storage device 12 includes, for example, a memory or storage, and stores various programs and data.
The memory is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), and provides a working area for the processor 11 by temporarily storing programs and data, and temporarily stores various data generated by the processing executed by the processor 11.
The storage stores various data related to the game, and may be composed of, for example, flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disc), CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), SD card (Secure Digital card), and USB memory (Universal Serial Bus memory).

The communication interface 13 is, for example, configured with a network interface card (NIC) or the like, and controls the communication processing of the user terminal 10. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used by the communication interface 13, and any public communication standard can be applied without restrictions. In addition, the communication method used by the communication interface 13 may be a wireless method or a wired method.

The input device 14 is a device that receives operations by the user U and generates data indicating the content of the received operations. Examples that can be used include operation keys, operation buttons, a microphone for collecting sound, and a camera for taking pictures that are provided on the user terminal 10.

The output device 15 is a device that draws a screen to display images and character string information, and plays audio. As an example, a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display provided in the user terminal 10, a head-mounted display, and a speaker can be used. In this embodiment, the output device 15 has at least a display. The display may have the functions of both the input device 14 and the output device 15, such as a touch panel display.

Next, the configuration of the user terminal 10 will be described again from a functional perspective with reference to FIG.
3, the user terminal 10 includes a plurality of functional units, specifically, an operation identification unit 16, a storage unit 17, a generation unit 18, a transmission/reception unit 19, and a display processing unit 20. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices of the user terminal 10 and programs stored in the user terminal 10 as software.

[Operation identification unit 16]
The operation identification unit 16 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the input device 14, and identifies the content of various operations performed by the user U through the input device 14 of the user terminal 10. The operations identified by the operation identification unit 16 include a betting operation for the result of a competition, an exchange operation for exchanging a dividend for a specific product, and the like.
The betting operation for the outcome of the competition includes an operation of confirming the competition information, and an operation of specifying the betting type, the competition object, and the betting amount, etc. The exchange operation includes an operation of specifying the amount of the dividend to be consumed, an operation of specifying a specific product, etc.

[Memory unit 17]
The memory unit 17 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the storage device 12, and stores various data related to the competition (hereinafter referred to as competition information data) consisting of, for example, video data, image data, text data, audio data, etc.

[Generation unit 18]
The generation unit 18 is mainly realized by the processor 11 and the storage device 12, and generates voting operation data, exchange operation data, etc. according to the operation content of the user U identified by the operation identification unit 16.
The generated betting operation data includes information on the designated betting type, the competition object, the betting amount, etc. The exchange operation data includes information on the designated payout amount for exchange and the designated specific product, etc.
The various types of generated data are transmitted by the transmitting/receiving unit 19 to the competition management server 30, the public competition server 50, or the like.

[Transmitter/receiver 19]
The transmission/reception unit 19 is mainly realized by the processor 11, the storage device 12 and the communication interface 13, and transmits and receives data and information to and from the race management server 30 or the public race server 50, etc.
For example, when placing a vote on the result of a competition, the transmitting/receiving unit 19 receives competition information data sent from the competition management server 30 or the public racing server 50, and transmits the voting operation data generated by the generation unit 18 to the competition management server 30 or the public racing server 50. Also, when exchanging a payout for a specific product, the transmitting/receiving unit 19 receives user information data and specific product information data sent from the competition management server 30, and transmits the exchange operation data generated by the generation unit 18 to the competition management server 30.

[Display Processing Unit 20]
The display processing unit 20 is mainly realized by the processor 11, the storage device 12, and the output device 15, and executes a display process to display data and information received by the transmission/reception unit 19 on a display using a browsing function.
Specifically, when voting on the results of a competition, the display processing unit 20 draws a voting reception screen, and during the competition, the transmission/reception unit 19 expands the competition information data received from the competition management server 30 or the public competition server 50, and displays the competition video and other information on the competition screen. After the competition ends, the display processing unit 20 displays a competition result screen, and when exchanging dividends for specific products, the display processing unit 20 expands the user information data or specific product information data received from the competition management server 30, and displays that information on the specific product exchange screen. When various notification data is received, the notification data is expanded to display the notification contents.

<Configuration of competition management server 30>
Next, the competition management server 30 according to this embodiment will be described.
As shown in Figure 2, the competition management server 30 has a hardware configuration similar to that of a typical server computer, and includes a processor 31, a memory device 32, and a communication interface 33, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus not shown.

The processor 31 is composed of a CPU, MPU, GPU, DSP, etc., and executes various processes by executing programs installed in the competition management server 30. The programs executed by the processor 31 include an OS, which is system software for controlling the entire competition management server 30, and application programs for causing the competition management server 30 to function as the information processing device of the present invention.

The storage device 32 includes, for example, a memory or storage, and stores various programs and data.
The memory is composed of semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, and provides a working area for the processor 31 by temporarily storing programs and data, and temporarily stores data generated by various processes executed by the processor 31.
The storage stores various data relating to the user U and the game, etc., and is composed of, for example, a flash memory, HDD, SSD, FD, MO disk, CD, DVD, SD card, USB memory, etc. Note that a server computer for a database connected to the competition management server 30 via the network N may be used as the storage.

The communication interface 33 is, for example, configured with a network interface card or the like, and controls the communication processing of the competition management server 30. There are no particular limitations on the communication standard used by the communication interface 33, and any public communication standard can be applied without restrictions. In addition, the communication method used by the communication interface 33 may be a wireless method or a wired method.

Next, the configuration of the competition management server 30 will be described again from a functional perspective with reference to Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the competition management server 30 has a plurality of functional units, specifically, a storage unit 34, a transmission/reception unit 35, a generation unit 36, a reception unit 37, a determination unit 38, an exchange unit 39, an assignment unit 40, and a display control unit 41. These functional units are realized by cooperation between the hardware devices of the competition management server 30 and programs stored in the competition management server 30 as software.
When the competition management server 30 is made up of multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs a different function.

[Memory unit 34]
The memory unit 34 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and stores various data such as voting information data, competition information data, user information data, and specific product information data.
The voting information data is data indicating the voting details accepted by the acceptance unit 37 based on the voting operation data received by the transmission/reception unit 35 from the user terminal 10. After the results of the race are determined, the contents of the data (various information indicating the voting results) are updated based on the race information data received by the transmission/reception unit 35 from the public race server 50.
The competition information data includes information about the content of the competition, such as a program guide, odds, predictions by experts, images of the competition, results of the competition, and information about payouts.
The user information data is data that indicates various information related to the user U. The user information data also reflects information contained in the betting history data received from the public racing server 50 by the transmitting/receiving unit 35.
The specific product information data is specific product information data A (in the case of information regarding specific products set by organizer A; the same applies below) to specific product information data B (in the case of information regarding specific products set by organizer B; the same applies below) generated by the public racing server 50 managed by each of the organizers A to B of each race, and received from the public racing server 50 by the transmitter/receiver 35, and is data that integrates the received specific product information data A to B, i.e., data that compiles information regarding each of the specific products set by multiple organizers.

As shown in FIG. 5, the voting information data includes, for example, the reception number, reception time, information identifying the user U who voted (user ID), a competition ID identifying the competition, various information indicating the voting content (betting type, competition object, betting amount, etc.), and various information indicating the voting result (voting result and payout, etc.). The various information indicating the voting result is updated after the competition ends and the competition result is determined, and is blank before the competition result is determined. Note that the competition ID is set in association with various information related to the competition (competition date and time, competition venue, competition number, competition object, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 6, the user information data includes, for example, an identifier (user ID) that identifies the user U or the user terminal 10 used by the user U, and various information associated with the identifier (personal information including the attributes of the user U, voting history, number of dividends held, specific products, etc.).
In particular, in this embodiment, the payouts given to the user U are stored in association with the information on the competition or the attributes of the competition. For example, the payout A given in the competition A held by the organizer A (not limited to the case where the competition A is held during the same period; the same applies below) and the payout B given in the competition B held by the organizer B are stored separately. Then, as a result of voting in the competition A, the payout A given when the prediction is correct is added to the number of payouts A held, and the payout A can be consumed to exchange for the specific product A set by the organizer A. When the payout A is consumed and exchanged for the specific product A, the number of payouts A held corresponding to the consumed amount is subtracted from the payout A. Note that the payout A cannot be exchanged for a specific product set by another organizer, such as the specific product B set by the organizer B.

As shown in Figure 7, the specific product information data includes, for example, an identifier that identifies the specific product (specific product ID), an identifier that indicates the organizer who set the specific product (organizer ID), classification, name, unit price (1) to (3), and information regarding the number available for provision, etc.
The unit price indicates the amount of value to be consumed, and different conditions are set depending on the type of dividend consumed and the timing of exchange, etc. For example, unit price (1) is when the dividend is exchanged as is when it is received, unit price (2) is when the dividend is received as currency and then that currency is consumed for exchange, and unit price (3) is when the dividend is received as points and then that point is consumed for exchange. Note that the unit price may be fixed, and discount rates may be set for each condition.

[Transmitter/receiver 35]
The transmission/reception unit 35 is mainly realized by the processor 31 , the storage device 32 and the communication interface 33 , and transmits and receives data and information between the user terminal 10 and the public racing server 50 .
For example, the data transmitted to the user terminal 10 includes the user information data generated by the generation unit 36, the specific product information data, and various notification data, as well as the competition information data received from the public racing server 50 (which may have been processed by the generation unit 36). The data received from the user terminal 10 includes voting operation data, exchange operation data, and the like. On the other hand, the data transmitted to the public racing server 50 includes the voting operation data received from the user terminal 10 (which may have been processed by the generation unit 36). The data received from the public racing server 50 includes the competition information data, voting history data, and the specific product information data A to B, and the like.

[Generation unit 36]
The generation unit 36 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and generates various data to be stored in the storage unit 34 or transmitted by the transmission/reception unit 35. The various data generated here include the above-mentioned voting information data, competition information data, user information data, specific product information data, and various notification data.

[Reception unit 37]
The reception unit 37 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and receives votes from the user U for the results of the competition using currency or points based on the voting operation data received from the user terminal 10 by the transmission/reception unit 35.

[Determination unit 38]
The determination unit 38 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and determines the payout when the bet is correct based on the competition result.
Specifically, the amount of the payout (or amount if currency) is determined according to the odds calculated by the public racing server 50, based on the competition information data and betting result data received from the public racing server 50 by the transmitting/receiving unit 35. Note that in this embodiment, the betting results are determined by the public racing server 50, but this is not limited to this and may be determined by the competition management server 30.

[Exchange unit 39]
The exchange unit 39 is realized mainly by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and consumes at least a part of the dividend and exchanges it for a specific product.
Specifically, when the competition result is finalized and user U's prediction is correct, or at any timing designated by user U, a predetermined amount of dividends is exchanged for specific commodities by consuming, for example subtracting, a value equivalent to the unit price set for each specific commodity. At this time, the amount of dividend required to exchange for a specific commodity is set under different conditions depending on the type of dividend consumed (currency, points, etc.) and the timing of the exchange, etc., so the exchange unit 39 exchanges the dividends for specific commodities in accordance with those designated conditions.
In addition, the exchange unit 39 determines a specific product from one or more products identified based on information or attributes of the competition, such as the type of competition, the organizer or the competition venue, and determines a specific product to be exchanged from the one or more identified products based on the amount of the dividend.
Furthermore, since the dividends are accumulated and stored in association with the information or attributes of the competition, when the accumulated dividends are consumed and exchanged for a specific product, the exchange unit 39 exchanges them for a specific product corresponding to the information or attributes of the competition, for example, a specific product prepared by the organizer of the competition.

[Giving unit 40]
The granting unit 40 is mainly realized by the processor 31 and the storage device 32, and grants to the user U the specific product exchanged by the exchange unit 39 and a value equivalent to the dividend remaining after the exchange (after the dividend is consumed).
Specifically, the items of the specific product and the number of dividends held in the user information data associated with the user U to be awarded are updated. At this time, the awarding unit 40 can award at least a part of the dividend after consumption to the user U as points that can be used for voting. It is also possible to award the entire dividend to the user U as currency, that is, to refund the entire amount in cash.

[Display control unit 41]
The display control unit 41 is mainly realized by the processor 31, the storage device 32, and the communication interface 33, and transmits competition information data to the user terminal 10, and controls the display of a voting acceptance screen, a competition screen, a competition result screen, etc. on the screen of the user terminal 10. It also transmits specific commodity information data to the user terminal 10, and controls the display of information on commodities that can be exchanged by consuming a dividend when a vote is correct, on the screen of the user terminal 10 (the voting acceptance screen, the competition result screen, the specific commodity exchange screen, etc.).
Specifically, when information about a specific product is displayed on the voting reception screen, the payout in the case of a winning vote is predicted and displayed in advance while the vote is being received (before the deadline). After the competition results are determined, the information is displayed on the competition result screen or the specific product exchange screen according to the determined payout, but only if the vote is a winning vote.
At this time, the display control unit 41 distinguishably displays, among the multiple specific commodities, specific commodities that can be exchanged by consuming the dividend if the vote is correct, and specific commodities that cannot be exchanged because the amount of the dividend is less than the unit price set for the specific commodities even if the vote is correct.
In addition, on the betting reception screen, the betting amount required for each specific product may be displayed by calculating backwards from the predicted payout.

<Configuration of the public racing server 50>
Next, the public racetrack server 50 according to this embodiment will be described. For ease of explanation, the public racetrack server 50 managed by the sponsor A will be described as an example.
As shown in Figure 2, the public racing server 50 has the same hardware configuration as a typical server computer and comprises a processor 51, a storage device 52 and a communications interface 53, all of which are electrically connected via a bus (not shown). The programs executed by the processor 51 include an OS, which is system software for controlling the entire public racing server 50, and application programs for causing the public racing server 50 to function in conjunction with the race management system S. The configurations of the processor 51, storage device 52 and communications interface 53 are generally similar to those of the race management server 30 described above.

Next, the configuration of the public race server 50 will be explained again from a functional perspective with reference to FIG.
8, the public racing server 50 comprises a number of functional units, specifically a storage unit 54, a transmission/reception unit 55, a generation unit 56, and a data processing unit 57. These functional units are realized by the cooperation of the hardware devices of the public racing server 50 and programs stored in the public racing server 50 as software.
When the public racing server 50 is made up of multiple computers, the above functions may be distributed so that each of the multiple computers performs a different function.

[Memory unit 54]
The memory unit 54 is mainly realized by the processor 51 and the storage device 52, and stores various data including competition information data, voting history data, specific product information data A, etc.

[Transmitter/receiver unit 55]
The transmitting/receiving unit 55 is mainly realized by the processor 51, the storage device 52, and the communication interface 53, and transmits and receives data and information between the user terminal 10 and the competition management server 30. For example, the data transmitted to the user terminal 10 or the competition management server 30 includes competition information data generated by the generating unit 56. The data transmitted to the competition management server 30 includes voting history data and specific product information data A generated by the generating unit 56. On the other hand, the data received from the user terminal 10 or the competition management server 30 includes voting operation data, etc.
In addition, the public racing server 50 and the user terminal 10 may transmit and receive data via the race management server 30, or may transmit and receive data directly without going through the race management server 30.

[Generation unit 56]
The generation unit 56 is mainly realized by the processor 51 and the storage device 52, and generates data to be transmitted by the transmission/reception unit 55. The data generated here includes competition information data, betting history data, specific product information data A, etc.
In addition, the specific product information data A generated here includes information regarding the specific products set by organizer A, and in the case of a public racing server 50 managed by another organizer, it includes information regarding the specific products that have been independently set by each organizer, that is, the respective managing entity.

[Data processing unit 57]
The data processing unit 57 is mainly realized by the processor 51 and the storage device 52, and performs various data processing related to the competition. As an example of data processing, the data processing unit 57 determines a betting result (win or lose) based on the competition result. The data processing unit 57 also performs a process of calculating odds (including the final odds after the competition result is determined) using a known dividend determination method such as the pari-mutuel method or the bookmaker method. At this time, information regarding the calculated odds is included in the competition information data, and is stored in the storage unit 54 and transmitted to the user terminal 10 or the competition management server 30 by the transmission/reception unit 55.
In addition, if the betting result is correct, a process of paying out a dividend according to the odds to the user U directly may be performed without going through the competition management server 30 .

The above describes the configuration of the user terminal 10, the competition management server 30, and the public racing server 50. Generally, the user terminal 10, the competition management server 30, and the public racing server 50 have various functions other than those described above, but here we will only explain the characteristic functions that provide the desired effect in the competition management system S of the present invention, and will not illustrate or explain other known functions, etc.

<Processing flow of the competition management system S>
Next, the flow of the processing executed in the competition management system S configured as above will be described with reference to Figs.
The information processing method of this embodiment is realized by using a competition management system S that functions as a computer system, in other words, the information processing performed by the competition management system S applies the information processing method of this embodiment.

[Competition Management Processing]
First, the competition management process will be described with reference to FIG.
"Competition management processing" refers to processing executed in the competition management server 30, which accepts votes from user U on the results of the competition, consumes at least a portion of the dividend determined based on the results of the competition and exchanges it for a specific product, and grants user U the specific product and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption.

As shown in FIG. 9, the competition management server 30 first transmits competition information data including information for displaying a voting acceptance screen to the user terminal 10 (S101). Based on the user U's operation on the voting acceptance screen, the competition management server 30 receives voting operation data from the user terminal 10 indicating that the user U has voted for the results of the competition and accepts the vote (S102). After the competition ends and the competition results are determined, if the vote content is correct (S103: YES), the amount of the payout (amount or point amount) is determined based on the amount of the vote (monetary amount or point amount) and the odds indicated by the voting operation data (S104).

Then, when the competition management server 30 receives exchange operation data from the user terminal 10 indicating that the dividend should be exchanged for a specific commodity based on the user U's operation on the betting result screen and accepts an instruction to exchange for a specific commodity (S105: YES), it consumes at least a part of the dividend equivalent to the unit price set for each specific commodity and exchanges it for the specific commodity (S106), and grants the user U the exchanged specific commodity and a value equivalent to the dividend remaining after consumption (S107). On the other hand, when the competition management server 30 does not receive exchange operation data from the user terminal 10 and does not accept an instruction to exchange for a specific commodity (S105: NO), it grants the user U a value equivalent to the full amount of the determined dividend (S108). Then, the competition management server 30 overwrites and accumulates information related to the awarded dividend and the specific commodity on the user information data, and updates the user information data stored in the memory unit 34 (S109).

The competition management server 30 further generates notification data indicating that the amount of the dividend and the specific product held by the user U have changed as a result of awarding the dividend and the specific product to the user U (S110), and transmits the generated notification data to the user terminal 10 of the user U (S111). If the bet is a loss (S103: NO), notification data indicating that the bet is a loss is generated (S110), and the generated notification data is transmitted to the user terminal 10 of the user U (S111).

When the above series of steps is completed, the competition management process ends. After that, the above series of steps is repeated every time a competition is held.
The above is an example of the competition management process.

[Specific product display processing]
Next, the specific product display process will be described with reference to FIG.
The "specific product display process" is a process executed in the competition management server 30, and refers to a process of displaying on the screen of the user terminal 10 information regarding specific products that can be exchanged by consuming a dividend if a bet is correct.

As shown in FIG. 10, while accepting votes, the competition management server 30 calculates and predicts the amount of payout (monetary amount or point amount) to be awarded if the vote is correct based on the amount of the vote (monetary amount or point amount) indicated by the voting operation data and the odds at that time (S201), compares the calculated payout amount with the unit price set for each specific product from among the specific products that are candidates associated with each competition (S202), and selects a specific product that can be exchanged for the calculated payout amount (S203).
Then, the competition management server 30 generates specific product information data that notifies the user U by displaying exchangeable and non-exchangeable specific products in a distinguishable manner on the voting acceptance screen (S204), and transmits the generated specific product information data to the user terminal 10 of the user U (S205).

When the above series of steps is completed, the specific product display process ends. After that, the above series of steps are repeated when the user U casts votes on the results of the competition.
The above is an example of the specific product display process.

The above-mentioned specific product display process is performed while voting is being accepted, but a substantially similar process is also performed after the results of the competition are determined. In other words, after the results of the competition are determined, the payout amount is calculated based on the final odds, and a process substantially similar to steps S202 to S205 is performed, after which exchangeable and non-exchangeable specific products are displayed in a distinguishable manner on the competition result screen or specific product exchange screen, etc.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.
In the above embodiment, the competition management server 30 executes the program of the present invention and functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but some or all of the functions of the competition management server 30 as an information processing device may be provided in another server such as the public racing server 50 or the user terminal 10. For example, some or all of the functions equivalent to the memory unit 34, the reception unit 37, the determination unit 38, the exchange unit 39, the granting unit 40, the display control unit 41, etc. may be provided in the public racing server 50 or the user terminal 10.
On the other hand, some or all of the functions of the public racing server 50 as an information processing device may be provided in the competition management server 30. For example, the competition management server 30 may be provided with some or all of the functions equivalent to the generation unit 56 or the data processing unit 57.

In addition, in this embodiment, the user information data is stored and held in the competition management server 30, but it may be stored all together in a database server (not shown), or all or part of the data and information stored in the competition management server 30 may be stored on the public competition server 50 or the user terminal 10.

In addition, in this embodiment, publicly managed races have been described as an example of a race. However, the content of the race is not limited to this, and may involve predicting the outcome of athletics, swimming, baseball, soccer, rugby, basketball, and martial arts such as boxing. In a broader sense, the race in this embodiment also includes public gambling such as lotteries (e.g., number selection lotteries) or games played in casinos.

In this embodiment, the user U can enjoy all the functions of the competition management system S free of charge in principle, but some functions may be limited and the user U may use these limited functions by paying a specified fee. In addition, for users U who have paid the specified fee, the exchange conditions for specific products may be set more favorably, such as a lower unit price for specific products or the ability to acquire limited specific products. In addition, this fee may be a pay-as-you-go system, or may be effective for the user U for a certain period of time (for example, one month or one year) once it has been paid (subscription).

<Summary>
The main features of the information processing device, information processing method, and program according to the above-described embodiment are as follows.

[1] The information processing device of this embodiment has a reception unit that receives votes from users regarding the results of the competition, a determination unit that determines a payout based on the results of the competition, an exchange unit that consumes at least a portion of the payout and exchanges it for a specific product, and an award unit that awards the specific product and a value equivalent to the payout after consumption to the user.
According to the information processing device described above, votes on the results of a competition are accepted from users, a payout is determined based on the results of the competition, at least a portion of the payout is consumed and exchanged for a specific product, and the specific product and a value equivalent to the payout after consumption are given to the user. This expands the options for how the payout can be used, improving user convenience.

[2] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the granting unit can grant at least a portion of the dividend after consumption to the user as a first value that can be used for voting, and the specific product can be obtained by consuming the first value under conditions different from those when the specific product is exchanged by consuming the dividend.
In this way, at least a portion of the dividend after being consumed to exchange for a specific commodity is temporarily granted to the user as a first value, and then it is possible to consume that first value to acquire the specific commodity under conditions that differ from those in the case where the dividend is directly consumed and exchanged, thereby further expanding the options for how the dividend can be used and further improving user convenience.

[3] In the above-mentioned information processing device, the awarding unit can award all of the dividend to the user as the second value, and the specific product can be obtained by consuming the second value under conditions different from those when the specific product is exchanged by consuming the dividend.
In this way, by first granting the entire dividend to the user as a second value and then allowing the user to consume that second value to acquire a specific product under conditions different from those in the case where the dividend is directly consumed and exchanged, the options for using the dividend can be further expanded and user convenience can be further improved.

[4] In the above information processing device, the exchange unit determines a specific product from one or more products identified based on the information about the competition.
In this way, by determining a specific product from one or more products specified based on the information about the game, the options for how to use the dividend can be further expanded, further improving user convenience.

[5] In the above information processing device, the exchange unit determines a specific product from among one or more products based on the amount of a dividend.
In this way, by determining a specific product from among one or more products based on the amount of the payout, the options for how the payout can be used can be further expanded, and user convenience can be further improved.

[6] The information processing device further includes a display control unit that displays, on the screen accepting votes, information about products that can be exchanged by consuming a dividend when a vote is successful.
In this way, by displaying information on products that can be exchanged for dividends if a vote is successful on the screen accepting votes, it is possible to expand the options for how to use dividends and further improve user convenience.

[7] In the above information processing device, the display control unit displays on the screen, among the plurality of products, products that can be exchanged by consuming a dividend in the case of a winning bet and products that cannot be exchanged in a distinguishable manner.
In this way, by clearly displaying on the screen which of the multiple products can be exchanged by consuming the dividend if the bet is correct and which cannot be exchanged, the options for how to use the dividend are expanded and convenience for the user is further improved.

[8] The above-mentioned information processing device further has a memory unit that accumulates and stores the dividends awarded to the user for each attribute of the game, and the exchange unit consumes at least a portion of the accumulated dividends and exchanges them for a specific product.
In this way, by allowing dividends to be accumulated for each attribute of a game and allowing at least a portion of the accumulated dividends to be consumed and exchanged for specific products, the options for how dividends can be used are further expanded, further improving user convenience.

[9] Furthermore, according to the information processing method of this embodiment, the computer executes the steps of accepting votes from users regarding the results of the competition, determining a dividend based on the results of the competition, consuming at least a portion of the dividend and exchanging it for a specific product, and granting the specific product and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption to the user.
According to the information processing method described above, votes on the results of a competition are accepted from users, a payout is determined based on the results of the competition, at least a portion of the payout is consumed and exchanged for a specific product, and the specific product and a value equivalent to the payout after consumption are given to the user. This expands the options for how the payout can be used and improves user convenience.

[10] Furthermore, the program according to this embodiment causes a computer to execute the steps of accepting votes from users on the results of the competition, determining a payout based on the results of the competition, consuming at least a portion of the payout and exchanging it for a specific product, and granting the specific product and a value equivalent to the payout after consumption to the user.
According to the above program, votes on the results of the competition are accepted from users, a payout is determined based on the results of the competition, at least a portion of the payout is consumed and exchanged for a specific product, and the specific product and a value equivalent to the payout after consumption are given to the user. This expands the options for how the payout can be used and improves user convenience.

10 User terminal 11 Processor 12 Storage device 13 Communication interface 14 Input device 15 Output device 16 Operation identification unit 17 Memory unit 18 Generation unit 19 Transmission/reception unit 20 Display processing unit 30 Competition management server 31 Processor 32 Storage device 33 Communication interface 34 Memory unit 35 Transmission/reception unit 36 Generation unit 37 Reception unit 38 Determination unit 39 Exchange unit 40 Granting unit 41 Display control unit 50 Public competition server 51 Processor 52 Storage device 53 Communication interface 54 Memory unit 55 Transmission/reception unit 56 Generation unit 57 Data processing unit N Network S Competition management system U User

Claims (11)

a reception unit that receives votes from users regarding the results of the competition;
A determination unit that determines a payout based on the result of the game;
a display control unit that displays a screen showing a specific product that can be exchanged with the determined dividend of the user if the user's vote is correct after the result of the competition is determined, and does not display the screen if the user's vote is not correct;
an awarding unit that, when receiving an instruction from a user to consume at least a part of the dividend and exchange it for a specific commodity before awarding the dividend to the user , awards the specific commodity and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption to the user;
An information processing device having the above configuration. the granting unit is capable of granting at least a portion of the dividend after the consumption to the user as a first value usable for the vote;
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific product is obtainable by consuming the first value under a condition that differs from a condition in which an amount of value required for exchanging the specific product by consuming the dividend is required. The awarding unit is capable of awarding all of the dividend to the user as a second value,
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific product is obtainable by consuming the second value under a condition that differs from a condition in which an amount of value required for exchanging the specific product by consuming the dividend is required. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an exchange unit that determines the specific product from one or more products specified based on the information about the competition. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the exchange unit determines the specific product from among the one or more products based on the amount of the dividend. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a display control unit that displays information about a product that can be exchanged by consuming a dividend if the vote is correct on the screen that accepts the vote. The information processing device according to claim 6, wherein the display control unit causes the screen to display, among the multiple products, products that can be exchanged by consuming the dividend if the bet is correct and products that cannot be exchanged in a distinguishable manner. a storage unit that accumulates and stores the dividends awarded to the users for each attribute of the game ;
The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an exchange unit that consumes at least a part of the accumulated dividend and exchanges it for the specific product. The computer receiving votes from users regarding the results of the competition;
A step of a computer determining a payout based on the result of the game;
a computer, after the result of the competition is determined, displays a screen showing a specific product that can be exchanged with the determined dividend of the user if the user's vote is correct, and does not display the screen if the user's vote is not correct;
a step of, when the computer receives an instruction from the user to consume at least a part of the dividend and exchange it for a specific commodity before the dividend is awarded to the user , awarding the specific commodity and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption to the user;
An information processing method for performing the above. accepting votes from users regarding the results of the competition;
determining a payout based on the results of the competition;
a step of displaying a screen showing a specific product that can be exchanged with the determined dividend of the user if the user's vote is correct after the result of the competition is determined, and not displaying the screen if the user's vote is not correct;
when receiving an instruction from the user to consume at least a part of the dividend and exchange it for a specific commodity before the dividend is awarded to the user , awarding the specific commodity and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption to the user;
A program configured to cause a computer to execute the following. a reception unit that receives votes from users regarding the results of the competition;
A determination unit that determines a payout based on the result of the game;
a display control unit that displays a screen showing a specific product that can be exchanged with the determined dividend of the user if the user's vote is correct after the result of the competition is determined, and does not display the screen if the user's vote is not correct;
an awarding unit that, when receiving an instruction from a user to consume at least a part of the dividend and exchange it for a specific commodity before awarding the dividend to the user, awards the specific commodity and a value equivalent to the dividend after consumption to the user;
An information processing system having the above configuration.