JP2022151017A - Program and Server - Google Patents

Abstract

To realize a method for providing information that is highly convenient for a user.SOLUTION: The method for providing information includes: receiving a publication instruction for at least one item from a first communication device of a first user; generating or updating a publication list that includes at least one publication item specified by the publication instruction and is related to the first user, on the basis of the publication instruction; and adding at least one relevant item having a predetermined relation with the publication item to the publication list regardless of whether there is the publication instruction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information providing method, a server and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, e-commerce (electronic commerce) is developing rapidly with the dramatic improvement of computer technology and network technology. In particular, commercial transactions between companies operating online shops and general consumers are called BtoC (Business to Consumer), and are widely used in daily life. A user can access an online shop from home using a computer or a smart phone and easily purchase products through a network.

When selecting products in an online shop, etc., a ``wish list'' or a ``favorite list'' is used as a function for holding purchase candidate products. If a user puts in a list products that he is hesitant about purchasing or products that he plans to purchase in the future, he can access the products on the list at any time and proceed to the purchase procedure. Recently, an online system has been developed that has a function that allows other users to present items in the list to the user who made the list public by making the wish list available to other users ( For example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2013-109757 A

In the conventional technology described above, only products that a user puts in a "wish list" are disclosed to other users. Therefore, the user needs to check the desired products frequently and update the list. However, in a situation where new products are released daily, it is difficult to frequently check the products and update the list. Thus, the existing online system had room for further improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to realize an information providing method that is highly convenient for users.

An information providing method according to an embodiment of the present invention receives a disclosure instruction to disclose at least one item from the first communication device of the first user, and specifies the item by the disclosure instruction based on the disclosure instruction. generating or updating a public list associated with said first user, including at least one published item identified by said first user, and displaying at least one related item having a predetermined relationship with said published item, with or without said disclosure indication; adding to the public list.

The disclosure instruction may be an instruction to disclose at least one held item included in a held list associated with the first user.

The information providing method transmits information about the public list to a second communication device of the second user based on a request from a second user, and purchases at least one of the public items included in the public list. The method may further include receiving a purchase instruction from the second communication device and adding the purchase item specified by the purchase instruction to a purchase list associated with the first user.

A purchase price may differ depending on whether the purchased item is the public item or the related item.

The method of providing information may further include sending a notification to the first communication device that the published item has been purchased.

The information providing method may further include displaying an image based on the public list on a display unit of a third communication device of a third user having a predetermined relationship with the first user. At this time, the image based on the public list may include an indication that at least one of the public items has been purchased, or the number of the public items that have been purchased in the past.

A mode of notification that the public item has been purchased may be different depending on whether the purchased item is the public item or the related item.

The retained items included in the retained list may include pre-approved items. At this time, the information providing method receives from the first communication device a pre-order purchase instruction to purchase at least one of the pre-approval items after approval, and based on the pre-order purchase instruction, The method may further comprise generating or updating a pre-order list associated with the first user including at least one designated pre-order item.

The published items or the related items included in the public list may include pre-approval items. At this time, the information providing method receives from the second communication device a pre-order purchase instruction to purchase at least one of the pre-authorization items, and based on the pre-order purchase instruction, the pre-order purchase instruction specified by the pre-order purchase instruction. generating or updating a pre-order list associated with the first user, the pre-order item including at least one pre-order item.

The information providing method may further include transmitting a notification to the first communication device that the reservation purchase instruction has been received from the second communication device.

The information providing method may further include displaying an image based on the public list on a display unit of a third communication device of a third user having a predetermined relationship with the first user. At this time, the image based on the public list may include an indication that at least one of the pre-approval items has been pre-purchased, or the number of pre-approval items pre-purchased in the past.

In the information providing method, the purchased item and the reserved purchase item may have different forms of notification that the reservation purchase instruction has been received from the second communication device.

The information providing method may further include adding a pre-order item approved as an official item among the pre-order items to the purchase list associated with the first user.

In the information providing method, the purchased item and the reserved purchase item may have different purchase prices.

The information providing method receives from the second communication device a pre-purchase instruction to purchase at least one of the public items included in the public list at a preset timing, and according to the pre-purchase instruction The method may further include adding a designated pre-purchase item to the purchase list associated with the first user at the preset timing.

The information providing method receives from the first communication device of the first user a holding instruction to hold at least one of a plurality of items registered in a database, and based on the holding instruction, according to the holding instruction The method may further include generating or updating the retention list associated with the first user, including at least one designated retention item.

The method of providing information may further include registering new items in the database. At this time, the information providing method may further include adding the related item to the public list when the related item is registered in the database as the new item.

In the information providing method, when the public list is generated or updated, a notification instruction for notifying the generation or update of the public list is sent to a third communication device of a third user having a predetermined relationship with the first user. transmitting.

In the information providing method, when the public list is generated or updated, a notification instruction for notifying the generation or update of the public list is sent to a third communication device of a third user having a predetermined relationship with the first user. transmitting.

When the published item is an electronic book, the related item may include the latest, modified, or insufficient portion of the published item, a product accompanying the published item, or a substitute for the published item. good.

A server according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit that executes any of the information providing methods described above.

A program according to an embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to execute any of the information providing methods described above.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to realize an information providing method that is highly convenient for users.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the 1st communication apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server in one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the data table stored in the memory|storage part of the server in one Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing function included in the server according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a holding list managed by a holding list management unit according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a public list managed by a public list management unit according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the purchase list which the purchase list management part in one Embodiment of this invention manages. 4 is a flow chart showing an information providing method executed by a control unit of a server according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a second user's second communication device; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a second user's second communication device; 4 is a flow chart showing an information providing method executed by a control unit of a server according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a second user's second communication device; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a third user's third communication device; It is a figure which shows an example of the data table stored in the memory|storage part of the server in one Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing function included in the server according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a second user's second communication device; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first user's first communication device; It is a figure which shows an example of the data table stored in the memory|storage part of the server in one Embodiment of this invention. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing function included in the server according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a second user's second communication device; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on a second user's second communication device;

An information providing method and program (specifically, a method and program for providing electronic books to users) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the invention can be embodied in many different ways. That is, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the descriptions of the embodiments shown below. In the drawings referred to in this embodiment, the same reference numerals or reference numerals with alphabets after the same reference numerals are used for the same portions or portions having similar functions, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

In this specification and claims, each term is defined as follows.

“User” means a person who can use a specific service provided by a business operator. For example, when a business provides electronic books, the user means a person who can read or purchase electronic books. Usually, a user registers with a business operator in order to receive a specific service provided by the business operator.

An "item" is a product or content that is the target of a transaction or service. An item may be an item that exists physically or digital content that exists electronically. For example, an electronic book can be handled as an item in the information providing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.

If the item is an electronic book, the purchase unit can be arbitrarily set. For example, it may be possible to purchase for each "story" or "volume", or for each work. It is also possible to specify a "story" or "volume" to be purchased and purchase all at once, or to purchase all of the specified "story" to the latest "story" at once. Furthermore, when presenting an item to another user, the purchase unit can be arbitrarily set.

A "list" is a table that stores one or more items for a given application. The list is associated with each user and stored in the storage unit. A plurality of lists associated with each user may be generated, or one list may be generated as a collection of items associated with each user. Predetermined uses may be set in flags associated with each item. In other words, the "list" is a table that includes one or more items registered in the database with a flag indicating a predetermined use. For example, a "public list", which will be described later, corresponds to a table that includes one or more items with a flag indicating "public" among the items registered in the database.

A “holding list” is a table for temporarily holding items that the user is considering purchasing or intends to purchase. That is, the hold list is a table that stores items for which the user has set an instruction to "hold". Specifically, the holding list is associated with each user and stores information (eg, work title, author, purchase price, product description, etc.) regarding items selected by each user. A holding list corresponds to a so-called "wish list" or "favorites list". The holding list is associated with each user and stored in the storage unit 502 of the server 500 . An item stored in the holding list is called a "holding item".

A "public list" is a table for temporarily holding items that a user expects other users to purchase. That is, the public list is a table that stores items for which the user has set an instruction to "publish". Specifically, the public list is associated with each user and stores information about items selected by each user. The public list is associated with each user and stored in storage unit 502 of server 500 . The public list may be stored in the storage unit 502 as a table separate from the holding list described above, or part of the holding list may be treated as the public list. In the latter case, a public list corresponds to a list that includes only items set to "public" among items included in the holding list. An item stored in the public list is called a "public item."

A “purchase list” is a table for holding items purchased by a user (including items purchased by other users). In other words, the purchase list is a table that stores items that have been set as "purchased". Specifically, the purchase list is associated with each user and stores information about purchased items (items for which the user has ownership or viewing rights). The purchase list is associated with each user and stored in storage unit 502 of server 500 . Items stored in the purchase list are referred to as "purchase items".

The “reservation purchase list” is a table for temporarily holding pre-approval items that a user has reserved for purchase (including pre-approval items that other users have reserved for purchase). In other words, the reservation purchase list is a table that stores items that the user has indicated the intention to purchase after approval. Specifically, the pre-order list stores information about pre-authorization items that are associated with each user and that have been reserved for purchase. The reservation purchase list is associated with each user and stored in storage unit 502 of server 500 . Items stored in the reservation purchase list are called "reservation purchase items".

A “pre-approval item” is an item before being approved by a service provider as an official item (post-approval item) among the items to be serviced. Pre-approval items are released free (or substantially free). For example, if the item is an electronic book, a pre-licensed item refers to an item created by an author without official support and made available for free. Pre-approval items are approved as official items and become trade targets when certain conditions are met. Therefore, the aforementioned reserved purchase items cannot be purchased while they are pre-approved items, but can be purchased after they are approved as official items.

The “pre-purchase list” is a list of items that the user has purchased by setting the purchase timing such as the scheduled purchase date in advance (including items that other users have purchased by setting the planned purchase date in advance). is a table. That is, the pre-purchase list is a table that stores items for which purchase timings have been set and the intention to purchase has been indicated. Specifically, the pre-purchase list stores information about items scheduled for purchase associated with each user. The advance purchase list is associated with each user and stored in storage unit 502 of server 500 . Items stored in the pre-purchase list are referred to as "pre-purchase items".

A "price list" is a table for managing the purchase price set for each item registered in the database. For example, if the item is an electronic book, the purchase price may be set for each "volume" or for each "story." The price list may also include a discount rate or discounted purchase price for each item. For example, a discount rate or discounted purchase price may be set so that an item purchased with a reservation purchase instruction or an advance purchase instruction is cheaper than an item purchased with a normal purchase instruction. The price list is stored in storage unit 502 of server 500 .

A "schedule list" is a table for managing various periods or deadlines (ie, schedules) for items. A schedule list may be associated with each user. In this case, the schedule list may store, for example, the scheduled purchase date set for the pre-purchased item, the issue date (release date) of related items related to the purchased item, and the like. In addition, the schedule list may check information related to the schedule of all items registered in the database 600, such as the release date of items to be released in the future. The schedule list is associated with each user and stored in storage unit 502 of server 500 .

A "related item" is an item that has a predetermined relationship with a published item. The "predetermined relationship" for related items can be arbitrarily set according to the item type. For example, the related item may be an item associated with the published item, an item of the same series (same work) including the published item, or the like. When the published item is an e-book, the related items include, for example, the latest published item (newly published), revised portion (corrected typographical errors, etc.), or missing portion (already released but not yet published). items that have not been purchased), merchandise that accompanies the published item (goods of characters that appear, etc.), or substitutes for the published item (recommended items that are different from the published item). A substitute for a public item can be selected, for example, by analysis using machine learning (for example, deep learning) using the user's past purchase history as teacher data.

A "program" refers to an instruction or group of instructions that are executed by a processor in a computer having a processor and memory. "Computer" is a general term that refers to an entity that executes a program. For example, a "computer" refers to the server (or client) when the program is executed by the server (or client). Moreover, when a "program" is executed by distributed processing between a server and a client, the "computer" includes both the server and the client. In this case, "program" includes "program executed on server" and "program executed on client". Similarly, when the "program" is distributed among multiple servers, the "computer" includes multiple servers, and the "program" includes each program executed by each server.

<First Embodiment>
[Configuration of communication system]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 1000 according to one embodiment of the invention. The communication system 1000 has a first communication device 100 , a second communication device 200 , a third communication device 300 and a server 500 . The first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, the third communication device 300, and the server 500 are connected to a network NW such as the Internet or a communication line. The communication system 1000 is a client-server system including a first communication device 100, a second communication device 200 and a third communication device 300 as clients, and a server 500 as a host.

The first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, and the third communication device 300 are, for example, information processing devices such as personal computers, or mobile terminals such as smartphones. The first communication device 100 is the first user's communication device. A second communication device 200 is a communication device of a user other than the first user. A third communication device 300 is a communication device of a user other than the first user and the second user. However, it is not essential to distinguish between the second user and the third user, and the second user and the third user may be the same user. Since the configurations of the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, and the third communication device 300 are the same, the first communication device 100 will be described here.

The first communication device 100 can communicate with the second communication device 200, the third communication device 300, or the server 500 by connecting to the network NW. The first communication device 100 can install application programs provided by the server 500 and receive various services. By executing the application program installed in the first communication device 100, the display screen of the first communication device 100 displays a user interface for receiving the various services described above.

The application program is downloaded from the server 500 to the first communication device 100 via the network NW. However, the application program may be installed in the first communication device 100 in advance. Furthermore, the application program may be provided in a state recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium, optical recording medium, magneto-optical recording medium, semiconductor memory, or the like. In this case, the first communication device 100 may be an information processing device equipped with a recording medium reading device.

Various services provided by the server 500 may be provided to the first communication device 100 by web applications executed on the server 500 . The first communication device 100 can request information from the server 500 and display information received from the server 500 by executing a web browser. In this case, the server 500 functions as a WEB server.

The server 500 is an information processing device that provides various services and application programs for providing various services to the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, and the third communication device 300. be. In this embodiment, the server 500 executes a service of providing electronic books to users. Therefore, application programs include, for example, a GUI program for providing a GUI (graphical user interface) for selecting and purchasing electronic books, a viewer program for viewing electronic books, and the like.

Application programs and programs required for providing various services are recorded in a storage device included in the server 500, a recording medium readable by the server 500, or a database 600 to which the server 500 can be connected via the network NW. Although the server 500 is illustrated as a single information processing device in FIG. 1, it may be composed of a plurality of information processing devices.

[Configuration of communication device]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first communication device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The first communication device 100 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a display unit 103, an operation unit 104, a sensor unit 105, an imaging unit 106, a position detection unit 107, a communication unit 108, a sound input/output unit 109 and A notification unit 110 is included. However, the first communication device 100 is not limited to including all of these elements. Also, as described above, since the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200 and the third communication device 300 have the same configuration, the description of the second communication device 200 and the third communication device 300 is omitted.

The control unit 101 includes a processor (arithmetic processing unit) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device such as a RAM. The control unit 101 causes the processor to execute a program stored in the storage unit 102 to realize various functions in the first communication device 100 . Signals output from each element of the first communication device 100 are used by various functions implemented in the first communication device 100 .

The storage unit 102 is a recording device (recording medium) such as a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive, or the like, capable of permanently holding information and rewriting information. The storage unit 102 stores programs and information such as parameters necessary for executing the programs. For example, the application program described above is stored in the storage unit 102 .

The display unit 103 has a display area for displaying various display images (for example, GUI images, images for viewing electronic books, etc.) under the control of the control unit 101 . The display unit 103 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

The operation unit 104 is an operation device that outputs a signal (for example, a signal indicating a command or information) according to a user's operation to the control unit 101 . The operation unit 104 is a touch sensor arranged on the surface of the display unit 103 . The operation unit 104 constitutes a touch panel by being combined with the display unit 103 . A command or information according to a user's operation is input to the first communication device 100 by touching the operation unit 104 with a user's finger or a pointing object such as a stylus pen. However, the operation unit 104 may include a switch arranged on the housing of the first communication device 100 .

The sensor unit 105 is a device having a function of collecting information about the movement of the first communication device 100, the environment around the first communication device 100, and the like, and converting the information into a signal. The sensor unit 105 of this embodiment is, for example, an acceleration sensor. The control unit 101 acquires information about the movement (for example, tilt, vibration, etc.) of the first communication device 100 based on the output signal of the sensor unit 105 . However, the sensor unit 105 may include other sensors such as an illuminance sensor, a temperature sensor, and a magnetic sensor.

The imaging unit 106 is an imaging device (camera) that converts an image of an imaging target into a signal. The first communication device 100 generates image files (including still image files and moving image files) based on the imaging signal output from the imaging unit 106 . The imaging unit 106 may function as a scanner that reads identification codes such as one-dimensional codes or two-dimensional codes.

Position detector 107 detects the position of first communication device 100 based on the position information. The position detection unit 107 of the present embodiment detects the position of the first communication device 100 using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The position detection unit 107 may detect the position of the first communication device 100 based on information received from nearby Wi-Fi routers.

The communication unit 108 is connected to the network NW under the control of the control unit 101, and transmits and receives information to and from other devices such as the second communication device 200, the third communication device 300, and the server 500 connected to the network NW. It is a wireless communication module that performs The communication unit 108 may include a communication module that performs infrared communication, short-range wireless communication, and the like.

The sound input/output unit 109 inputs and outputs sound. For example, sound input is performed by a microphone of the sound input/output unit 109 . Sound output is performed by the speaker of the sound input/output unit 109 . The sound input/output unit 109 can communicate with other communication devices (for example, the second communication device 200 and the third communication device 300), collect external sounds, or output voices, sound effects, etc. accompanying reading of electronic books. can also be used for

The notification unit 110 notifies the user of the state of the first communication device 100 by visual, auditory, or tactile methods. Specifically, the notification unit 110 notifies the user of the state of the first communication device 100 using light, sound, or vibration. For example, the notification unit 110 can notify the user of the presence or absence of communication with an external device by blinking a lamp or vibrating the entire housing. Vibration of the entire housing is performed by the vibrator of the notification unit 110 . In addition, the notification unit 110 can also notify the user of an update of the electronic book, or the like. For example, the notification unit 110 can use light, sound, or vibration to notify the user that a new e-book has arrived or that another user has given the e-book as a gift.

[Server configuration]
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of server 500 in one embodiment of the present invention. A server 500 of this embodiment includes a control unit 501 , a storage unit 502 and a communication unit 503 .

The control unit 501 includes an arithmetic processing circuit (control device) such as a CPU and a storage device such as a RAM. The control unit 501 causes the CPU to execute a program stored in the storage unit 502 to realize various functions in the server 500 . Signals output from each element of server 500 are used by various functions implemented in server 500 .

The storage unit 502 is a recording device (recording medium) such as a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive, or the like, capable of permanently holding information and rewriting information. The storage unit 502 stores programs and information such as parameters required for executing the programs. For example, the application program and viewer program described above may be stored in the storage unit 502 . Also, the storage unit 502 may store various information received from other devices (eg, the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, or the third communication device 300) via the network NW.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data table stored in the storage unit 502 of the server 500 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage unit 502 includes a holding list 51, a public list 52, a purchase list 53, a price list 54, and a schedule list 55 as data tables. The data table is generated or updated when executing the information provision method of this embodiment.

The communication unit 503 is connected to the network NW under the control of the control unit 501, and the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, the third communication device 300, other servers, the database 600, etc. connected to the network NW. is a wireless communication module that transmits and receives information to and from other devices. Examples of other servers include a WEB server, payment server, SNS server, game server, and mail server.

[Configuration of information provision function]
The server 500 has an information provision function 550 for the first communication device 100 , the second communication device 200 and the third communication device 300 . Specifically, the server 500 of this embodiment is a content server that provides electronic books to users. First, the information providing function 550 included in the server 500 will be described. The information providing function 550 described below is implemented by executing a program read from the storage unit 502 by the control unit 501 of the server 500 . However, part or all of the configuration for realizing the information providing function 550 may be realized by hardware. Also, the names and symbols given to the respective functional blocks are given for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the software configuration and processing order.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information providing function 550 provided in the server 500 according to one embodiment of the invention. The information provision function 550 includes an instruction data reception unit 551, a control data transmission unit 552, a holding list management unit 553, a public list management unit 554, a purchase list management unit 555, a payment processing unit 556, a schedule management unit 557, and a notification processing unit 558. and database management unit 559 . However, it is not limited to this example, and the information providing function 550 may further include other functions, or may not include some functions.

The instruction data receiving unit 551 receives instruction data transmitted from the first communication device 100 , the second communication device 200 or the third communication device 300 . The instruction data is data for instructing various services requested from each communication device to the server 500 . For example, the instruction data includes data for instructing the server 500 to view and purchase electronic books.

The control data transmission unit 552 transmits control data for providing information on various services to the first communication device 100 , the second communication device 200 or the third communication device 300 . The control data includes, for example, display data (including HTML data) responding to a request from each communication device, data necessary for controlling applications installed in each communication device, and the like.

The holding list management unit 553 manages generation and updating (including addition and deletion of items) of the holding list 51 associated with each user. Specifically, when the holding list management unit 553 receives a holding instruction (instruction to hold the selected item) from the user regarding the items registered in the database 600, the holding list management unit 553 includes the item selected by the holding instruction. Generate or update the holding list 51 . On the other hand, when the holding list management unit 553 receives a deletion instruction (instruction to delete the selected holding item) from the user regarding the holding items included in the holding list 51, the holding list management unit 553 holds the holding item selected by the deletion instruction. Delete from list 51. The created holding list can be viewed only by the user who created the holding list.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the holding list 51 managed by the holding list management unit 553 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the holding list 51 includes items 51a-51f. Item 51a indicates the ID (identification number) of each user registered in the information providing service of this embodiment. Item 51b indicates the title of the held item. Item 51c indicates the number of rolls of the held item. Item 51d indicates the number of stories of the held item. Item 51e indicates the author of the held item. Item 51f shows other information about the held item. Other information includes, for example, date of publication, user ratings, synopsis, whether or not the work is preapproved, whether or not it is included in a public list, and the like. However, the configuration of the holding list 51, such as the number and contents of items, is not limited to this example.

As described above, the holding list 51 temporarily holds, for each user, items that the user is considering purchasing or items that the user plans to purchase. FIG. 6 shows an example in which a plurality of users (users with user IDs from "A" to "N") and held items associated with each user are collectively managed as a holding list 51. Examples are not limited. For example, the holding list 51 may be managed as an individual data table for each user. In other words, the holding list 51 may be of any format as long as it can manage each user and holding items associated with each user.

In the case of the example shown in FIG. 6, for example, the "holding list associated with user A" is a holding list obtained by extracting only items associated with the user ID of "A" from the holding list 51 shown in FIG. 51A. In this regard, the same applies to holding lists associated with other users. On the other hand, as described above, when the holding list 51 is managed as an individual table for each user, for example, "the holding list associated with user A" means the individual holding list associated with user A ( individual data tables).

Note that, in the present embodiment, an example in which held items are grouped for each user in the holding list 51 is shown, but the holding list 51 is not limited to this example. For example, for each item, users who hold the item may be grouped together. In this case, finally, a holding list in which only items associated with a specific user are extracted is treated as a holding list associated with the specific user.

The public list manager 554 manages the creation and updating (including addition and deletion of items) of the public list 52 associated with each user. Specifically, when the public list management unit 554 receives a disclosure instruction (an instruction to set the selected retained item to “public”) from the user associated with the retention list 51, the public list management unit 554 receives the Generate or update a public list 52 containing retained items. On the other hand, when the public list management unit 554 receives a non-disclosure instruction (instruction to set the selected held item to “private”) from the user associated with the holding list 51, the Remove the public item from the public list 52.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the public list 52 managed by the public list management unit 554 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 7, public list 52 includes items 52a-52f. The contents of items 52a to 52f are the same as the items 51a to 51f of the holding list 51. FIG. The public list 52 temporarily holds, for each user, items that the user expects other users to purchase. Since the public list 52 includes information about items (public items) set to “public” among the held items included in the held list 51 , it corresponds to a list obtained by extracting a part of the held list 51 .

The management method of the public list 52 is the same as that of the holding list 51 . In the example shown in FIG. 7, for example, the "public list associated with user A" is a public list in which only items associated with the user ID of "A" are extracted from the public list 52 shown in FIG. 52A. In this regard, the same applies to public lists associated with other users.

In the present embodiment, a user associated with the holding list 51 can set each held item included in the holding list 51 to public or private. In other words, among the held items included in the held list 51, items set to be "public" by the user are included in the public list 52 as public items. The generated public list 52 can be viewed not only by the user who generated the public list 52 but also by other users. In this case, the other users may be all users other than the user who generated the retained list 51, or may be users who have a predetermined relationship with the user who generated the retained list 51. FIG. The “user having a predetermined relationship” can be exemplified by a user who is friends with the user who created the holding list 51, a user who exchanged presents (public items) in the past, and the like.

Furthermore, when there is a related item having a predetermined relationship with a public item included in public list 52, public list management unit 554 adds the related item to public list 52 regardless of whether or not there is a disclosure instruction from the user. That is, when the related item described above is registered in the database 600 , the public list management unit 554 automatically adds the registered related item to the public list 52 . As a result, the public list 52 is automatically updated without the user bothering to add public items. Public list management unit 554 adds the item registered in database 600 to public list 52 as a public item if the item registered in database 600 after public list 52 is generated has a predetermined relationship with the public item. You may

When the public list management unit 554 generates or updates the public list 52 associated with each user, the public list management unit 554 notifies the notification processing unit 558 of the generation or update of the public list 52 . In response to this notification, the notification processing unit 558 notifies the user who generated the public list 52 and other users of the generation or update of the public list 52 . That is, when the public list 52 is generated or updated, the notification instruction for notifying the generation or update of the public list 52 is sent to the first user and the second communication device 200 or It is transmitted to the third communication device 300 of the third user. This allows the first user and other users to quickly recognize the generation or update of the public list 52A associated with the first user. However, not limited to this example, the notification processing unit 558 may notify only other users of the generation or update of the public list 52 . In other words, the notification processing unit 558 may be configured not to notify the first user of the generation or update of the public list 52 . In this case, other users can present the public item as a surprise to the first user at a timing when the first user does not notice the addition of the related item.

The purchase list management unit 555 manages generation and update (including addition and deletion of items) of the purchase list 53 associated with each user. Specifically, when receiving a purchase instruction (an instruction to purchase the selected item) from the user, the purchase list management unit 555 generates or updates the purchase list 53 including the item selected by the purchase instruction. .

On the other hand, when the purchase list management unit 555 receives a deletion instruction (instruction to delete the selected purchase item) from the user regarding the purchase items included in the purchase list 53, the purchase list management unit 555 purchases the purchase item selected by the deletion instruction. Delete from list 53. The generated purchase list 53 is viewable only by the user.

Each user can purchase items registered in the database 600 . Each user can purchase an item directly without going through the holding list 51, or can purchase an item after registering it in the holding list 51 once. Furthermore, in this embodiment, users other than the user who created the holding list 51 can purchase public items via the public list 52 . That is, other users can present public items to the user who created the holding list 51 . Therefore, the purchase list management unit 555 generates or updates the purchase list 53 not only when receiving a normal purchase instruction from the user, but also when receiving a purchase instruction made by another user via the public list 52. conduct.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the purchase list 53 managed by the purchase list management unit 555 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, purchase list 53 includes items 53a-53f. The contents of items 53a to 53f are the same as the items 51a to 51f of the holding list 51. FIG. However, the item 53f of the purchase list 53 may include information on the purchase of the item (for example, information on the purchase price, settlement institution, purchaser, etc.). The purchase list 53 holds items purchased by the user (including items purchased by other users) for each user. In other words, the purchase list 53 can also be said to be a list summarizing the user's ownership of the items registered in the database 600 .

The management method of the purchase list 53 is the same as that of the holding list 51 . In the example shown in FIG. 8, for example, the "purchase list associated with user A" is a purchase list obtained by extracting only items associated with the user ID of "A" from the purchase list 53 shown in FIG. 53A. In this regard, the same applies to purchase lists associated with other users.

In this embodiment, the user can issue purchase instructions for items registered in the database or items included in the holding list 51 . On the other hand, users other than the user who created the holding list 51 can issue purchase instructions for items included in the public list 52 . If another user, as described above, purchases an item included in public list 52, ownership of the purchased item remains with the user who generated holding list 51 (i.e., the public list 52 for which the other user entered the purchase instructions). owner).

The payment processing unit 556 performs payment processing for purchasing the purchased item. In this embodiment, the payment processing unit 556 transmits payment information regarding the purchased item to an affiliated payment server (not shown). Payment processing is executed by the payment server. The payment processing unit 556 receives the result of payment processing from the payment server and performs a predetermined purchase procedure. However, it is not limited to this example, and the server 500 may execute settlement processing.

The settlement processing unit 556 has a price list 54 that associates items registered in the database 600 with purchase prices. The payment processing unit 556 refers to the price list 54 for the purchased item and acquires the corresponding purchase price (including the discount rate or the discounted purchase price). The obtained purchase price is incorporated into the payment information for the item purchased.

The schedule management unit 557 manages various schedules set for each item handled by the server 500 . Items handled by the server 500 include items registered in the database 600 in the future and items currently registered in the database 600 . For example, the schedule management unit 557 manages the date (issue date) when an unregistered item is registered in the database 600, or manages the issue date or update date of an item related to an item registered in the database. can be done.

Schedule management unit 557 has schedule list 55 . Examples of information stored in the schedule list 55 include the date and time set for the pre-purchased item or the issue date of related items related to the purchased item. In addition, the information stored in the schedule list 55 includes the registration date (i.e. issue date) of an item to be registered in the database 600 in the future, or the registration date when a pre-approval item is registered in the database 600 as an official item. I can give an example.

The schedule management unit 557 updates the schedule list 55 when the schedule such as the date of issue, the date of registration, and the scheduled date of purchase is updated for each item. The schedule management unit 557 may refer to the schedule list 55 and notify other functional units of the arrival of a predetermined time for an item.

The notification processing unit 558 notifies the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, or the third communication device 300 that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the predetermined condition is satisfied. In other words, the notification processing unit 558 notifies the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200, or the third communication device 300 of the occurrence of the event when the event occurs. For example, when the second user purchases a public item via the first user's public list 52, the notification processing unit 558 notifies the first user's first communication device 100 that the public item has been purchased (for example, that the public item has been added to the purchase list 53 of the first user). At that time, the notification processing unit 558 may also notify information about the second user who purchased the open item. Further, when the first user generates or updates the public list 52, the notification processing unit 558 notifies the second communication device 200 or the third communication device 300 that the public list 52 of the first user has been generated or updated. You can notify us.

The notification processing unit 558 may determine notification content and generate control data for displaying the notification content on another communication device. However, not limited to this example, the notification processing unit 558 may determine notification content and transmit the notification content to the control data transmission unit 552 . In this case, the control data transmitting unit 552 may generate control data for displaying the notification content on the other communication device.

A database management unit 559 updates the database 600 . Specifically, when an unregistered item is issued (released), the database management unit 559 registers (adds) the issued item to the database 600 . Also, the database management unit 559 deletes the registered item from the database 600 when the item registered in the database 600 exceeds the browsing time limit.

[Configuration of information provision method]
The information providing process (information providing method) executed by the information providing function 550 described above will be described. The information providing method of this embodiment is implemented by executing a program read from the storage unit 502 by the control unit 501 of the server 500 . In other words, the information providing method of this embodiment is executed by the information providing function 550 shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an information providing method executed by the control unit 501 of the server 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows that after the first user (here, user A described above) who is the owner of the first communication device 100 updates the holding list 51A and the public list 52A, related items are added to the public list 52A. It shows the flow until it is added.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a UI (user interface) image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. Specifically, FIG. 10 displays, as a UI image, a browse image 60 that displays a portion of multiple items (registered items) registered in the database 600 . The browsing image 60 is displayed on the display unit 103 of the first communication device 100 . A touch sensor is arranged as an operation unit 104 in substantially the same area as the display unit 103 .

The first user can use the browsing image 60 shown in FIG. 10 to search for an item of interest or an item to be purchased. In FIG. 10, "AAAA" is the title of an item (electronic book) registered in the database 600, and four items are displayed from the first episode to the fourth episode. When the first user scrolls the browsing image 60 upward, other items after the fifth episode can be displayed.

In the browsing image 60 shown in FIG. 10, when the first user presses the hold button 601 of the item that the first user desires to hold, a hold instruction for the selected item is transmitted from the first user's first communication device 100 to the server 500. . The holding instruction transmitted from the first communication device 100 is received by the control unit 501 via the communication unit 503 of the server 500 (step S11).

Upon receiving the holding instruction, control unit 501 (specifically, holding list management unit 553) of server 500 adds the item selected by the holding instruction to holding list 51A. Thereby, the holding list 51A associated with the first user is updated (step S12). Here, it is assumed that the holding list 51A associated with the first user has already been generated, and the first episode with the title "AAAA" has been added as the holding item 61a. However, if there is no holding list 51A associated with the first user (if there is no item associated with the first user in the holding list 51 shown in FIG. 6), the item selected by the holding instruction is included. A holding list is newly generated in association with the first user.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. Specifically, FIG. 11 shows an example of displaying a holding list image 61 corresponding to the holding list 51A associated with the first user as the UI image. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the holding list image 61 already contains four holding items 61a in addition to the added holding item 61a. A holding list image 61 shown in FIG. 11 corresponds to the holding list 51A associated with user A shown in FIG. 6 is displayed on the display unit 103 of the first communication device 100 as the holding list image 61. FIG.

On the other hand, in FIG. 10 , when the first user presses the purchase button 602 for a certain item, an instruction to purchase the selected item is transmitted from the first user's first communication device 100 to the server 500 . The purchase instruction transmitted from the first communication device 100 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 . Upon receiving the purchase instruction, the control unit 501 of the server 500 performs payment processing for the item selected by the purchase instruction, and after completion of the payment processing, adds the item to the purchase list 53A associated with the first user. Thereby, the purchase list 53A associated with the first user is updated. At this time, if the purchase list 53A associated with the first user does not exist, a new purchase list including the item selected by the purchase instruction is associated with the first user and generated.

Returning to FIG. 9 . In the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, after the holding list 51A is updated, the control unit 501 determines whether or not a disclosure instruction has been received from the first communication device 100 (step S13). If the determination result in step S13 is NO, the process is repeated until a disclosure instruction is received. If the determination result in step S13 is YES, the item selected by the disclosure instruction is added to the disclosure list 52A. Thereby, the public list 52A associated with the first user is updated (step S14). However, without being limited to this example, the control unit 501 may once terminate the process when the holding list 51A is updated. In this case, for example, the control unit 501 may restart the process from step S14 when the disclosure instruction is detected.

The disclosure instruction can be input from the holding list image 61 shown in FIG. Specifically, in the holding list image 61 shown in FIG. 11, when the first user presses the publish button 603 of the held item 61a that the first user desires to publish, the disclosure instruction for the selected held item 61a is issued to the first user's first It is transmitted from the communication device 100 to the server 500 . The disclosure instruction transmitted from first communication device 100 is received by control unit 501 via communication unit 503 of server 500 . Upon receiving the disclosure instruction, control unit 501 of server 500 (specifically, public list management unit 554 shown in FIG. 5) adds the item selected by the disclosure instruction to public list 52A.

In this embodiment, each item is set to "private" at the time it is registered in the holding list 51A. At this time, when the public button 603 is pressed, the setting is switched to "public" and the public button 603 is highlighted. Conversely, the private button 604 is highlighted for items whose setting is "private." However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and instead of the public button 603 and the private button 604, a toggle button that switches between "public" and "private" each time it is pressed may be arranged. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the first episode with the title "AAAA", the fifth episode with the title "DDDD", and the sixth episode with the title "DDDD" are set to "public", and the other items are "private". is set to

As described above, by setting one or a plurality of held items 61a to public through the held list image 61, the public list 52A associated with the first user can be updated. However, if there is no public list 52A associated with the first user (if there are no items associated with the first user in the public list 52 shown in FIG. 7), the item selected by the public instruction is included. A public list is newly created associated with the first user. Public list 52A associated with the first user can also be viewed on the communication devices of users other than the first user. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, user B with user ID "B" will be described as the second user, and user C with user ID "C" will be described as the third user.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the second communication device 200 of the second user. Specifically, FIG. 12 shows an example of displaying a public list image 62 corresponding to the public list 52A associated with the first user as the UI image. Although an example in which the second user browses the first user's public list 52A is shown here, a user other than the first and second users (for example, a third user) browses the public list 52A. The same is true when

The public list image 62 includes three public items 62a set to "public" in the holding list image 61. FIG. The public list image 62 shown in FIG. 12 corresponds to the public list 52A associated with user A shown in FIG. That is, a UI image visualizing public list 52A shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on display unit 103 of second communication device 200 as public list image 62 . For each item included in the public list image 62, the priority order desired by the first user may be set.

The public list image 62 shown in FIG. 12 is displayed on the display unit 103 of the second communication device 200 when the second user's second communication device 200 requests to view the first user's public list image 62 . That is, control unit 501 of server 500 transmits information on public list 52A associated with the first user to second communication device 200 based on the second user's request. However, it is not limited to this example, and for example, the public list image 62 may be shared with other communication devices via SNS.

Returning to FIG. 9 . In the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, after the public list 52A is updated according to the operation by the first user, the control unit 501 determines whether or not the related item is registered in the database 600 (step S15). If the determination result in step S15 is NO, the process is repeated until the related item is registered in the database 600. FIG. If the determination result of step S15 is YES, the related item registered in the database 600 is added to the public list 52A (step S16). This automatically updates the public list 52A associated with the first user. However, without being limited to this example, the control unit 501 may once terminate the process when the public list 52A is generated or updated. In this case, for example, the control unit 501 may restart the process from step S16 upon detection of registration of a new item in the database 600 (for example, publication of a new electronic book).

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the second communication device 200 of the second user. Specifically, FIG. 13 shows an example of displaying a public list image 62 corresponding to the public list 52A after step S16 shown in FIG. 9 as a UI image. After step S16 shown in FIG. 9, the public list image 62 shows, in addition to the three public items 62a set to "public" in the holding list image 61, related items having a predetermined relationship with the three public items 62a. 62b. In this embodiment, the related item 62b is highlighted so that the public item 62a and the related item 62b can be distinguished from each other. For example, the highlighted display of the related item 62b may be a highlighted display or a display with a changed background color. Also, a related item 62b added according to registration of a new item (latest publication, etc.) to the database 600 may be added with a modifier character such as "NEW!".

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the second and third stories with the title "AAAA" are added as the related item 62b of the first story with the title "AAAA". Also, the seventh episode with the title "DDDD" is added as a related item 62b for the sixth episode with the title "DDDD". Although not shown, information on the related item 62b is also added to the public list 52A shown in FIG.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the public list 52A is generated or updated by the first user, the related items of the public items included in the public list 52A are automatically added to the public list 52A by the control unit 501 of the server 500. added to. In other words, when the first user creates or updates public list 52A, control unit 501 of server 500 automatically expands public list 52A regardless of whether or not the first user instructs disclosure. It should be noted that when a related item is added by such expansion processing of the public list 52A, the related item may be reflected in the holding list 51A as well.

When public list 52A is updated with the addition of published items or related items, a notification to that effect may be sent to the communication devices of the first user and/or other users. For example, each time the latest story of a public item included in the public list 52A is registered in the database 600, the latest story is added to the public list 52A as a related item, and the first communication device 100, the second communication device 200 and/or the Alternatively, a notification to the effect that the public list 52A has been updated may be sent to the third communication device 300 . At that time, the notification that the public list 52A has been updated may be sent via e-mail or SNS, or via a message box within the application. The communication device that has received the notification may display the content of the notification on the display unit 103 shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, related items are published in conjunction with the registration of public items without the user having to perform a specific operation, thereby realizing an information providing method that is highly convenient for users. be able to.

Next, an example in which another user presents a public item to the user who created the holding list 51 will be described.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an information providing method executed by the control unit 501 of the server 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 14 shows a flow until the second user (user B) who is the owner of the second communication device 200 gives a present to the user A who generated the holding list 51A.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the public list image 62, a present button 605 is arranged on the public item 62a and the related item 62b. In FIG. 13 , when the second user presses the gift button 605 of the item to be presented to the first user, an instruction to purchase the selected item is transmitted from the second user's second communication device 200 to the server 500 . The purchase instruction transmitted from the second communication device 200 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 (step S21).

Upon receiving the purchase instruction from the second communication device 200, the control unit 501 of the server 500 performs payment processing for the item selected by the purchase instruction, and after the payment processing is completed, the item is added to the purchase list associated with the first user. 53A (step S22). Thereby, the purchase list 53A associated with the first user is updated. When control unit 501 receives a purchase instruction, payment processing for the item selected by the purchase instruction is executed by payment processing unit 556 shown in FIG. After that, the purchase list management unit 555 shown in FIG. 5 adds the item for which payment processing has been completed to the purchase list 53A.

Thus, if a second user purchases a public item 62a or related item 62b included in a public listing image 62 associated with a first user, ownership of the purchased item is granted to the first user. . That is, the second user can present the item to the first user via the present button 605 of the public list image 62 associated with the first user. The purchase instruction includes the ID of the second user who is the sender of the gift and the ID of the first user who is the recipient of the gift (that is, the publisher of the public list 52A).

Here, FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the second communication device 200 of the second user. After completing the update of the purchase list 53A in step S22, the control unit 501 of the server 500, as shown in FIG. The present button 605 may be changed to an object 605a displaying "Present". In this case, for example, the color of the object 605a may be displayed in gray to indicate that the object 605a cannot be operated. By looking at the first user's public list image 62, the second user can recognize items that have already been given as a gift by him or another user (for example, a third user), so that he can avoid purchasing duplicate gifts. can.

Also, FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. As shown in FIG. 16, the control unit 501 of the server 500 sets the public button 603 and the private button 604 of the presented held item 61b to "received" in the held list image 61 associated with the first user. The displayed object 606 may be changed. In this case, for example, the color of the object 606 may be displayed in gray to indicate that the object 606 cannot be operated.

By looking at the holding list image 61, the first user can intuitively recognize that the item has been presented by another user (here, the second user). Therefore, the first user can know that another user has purchased the public item 62a or the related item 62b, and can quickly delete the corresponding item from the holding list 51A.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, a notification that the second user has purchased the open item 62a or the related item 62b is transmitted to the first user's first communication device 100 (step S23). This allows the first user to quickly recognize that the second user has given a present. This notification is executed by the notification processing unit 558 shown in FIG. The notification of the notification processing unit 558 may be performed using a known communication tool such as e-mail and SNS (social networking service), or via a message box or the like in an application installed in the first communication device 100. may Furthermore, the notification processing unit 558 may notify via a web application executed by the control unit 501 .

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. As shown in FIG. 17, the control unit 501 of the server 500 changes the hold button 601 and the purchase button 602 of the gifted item to an object 607 displaying "Purchased" or the like in the browse image 60 of the first user. You may In this case, for example, the color of the object 607 may be displayed in gray to indicate that the object 607 cannot be operated. Furthermore, the browsing image 60 may display that the second user (user B) has purchased the public item 62a or the related item 62b. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, a message 608 indicating that the item was presented by the second user may be displayed on the gifted item.

In the example shown in FIG. 17, by looking at the browsing image 60, the first user can visually recognize that the item has been presented by another user (here, the second user). Therefore, the first user can quickly recognize that another user has purchased the public item 62a or the related item 62b, and can quickly delete the corresponding item from the holding list 51A.

In addition to the message 608 or instead of the message 608, the first user's browsing image 60 is provided with an object for notifying the gift sender (here, the second user) of the gift's thanks or reaction. good too. For example, even if you place a UI button for creating a message to the sender of a gift, or place a UI button for sending a standard message (such as "Like" or "Thank you!") good.

Furthermore, the total purchase price of items given by other users may be displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user.

(Modification 1 of the first embodiment)
Although the example shown in FIG. 17 shows an example in which the first user is notified that the second user has purchased the public item 62a or the related item 62b, the present invention is not limited to this example. Specifically, the control unit 501 of the server 500 may allow a third user other than the first user and the second user to know that the first user has received a present.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the third communication device 300 of the third user. As shown in FIG. 18, the control unit 501 of the server 500 displays the presented item in the public list image 62 (public list associated with the first user) displayed on the display unit 103 of the third communication device 300. The present button 605 may be deleted. Further, instead of the deleted present button 605, a display indicating that the second user (user B) has purchased the public item 62a or the related item 62b may be displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a message 609 to the effect that the second user gave the gift may be displayed on the gifted item. Furthermore, the public list image 62 may display the number of items that the first user has given as a gift in the past.

In the example shown in FIG. 18, the third user who has seen the public list image 62 of the first user can visually recognize that the first user has received a present and the number of presents. As a result, the motivation of the third user to purchase a present for the first user can be increased.

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment)
As described above, in this embodiment, the "predetermined relationship" between the public item and the related item can be set arbitrarily. Therefore, certain restrictions may be placed on items added to the public list as related items. For example, when adding a missing public item (already released but not yet purchased) as a related item, only volumes or stories that precede the published item volume or story may be added.

In this way, by setting a certain limit on the related items to be added, the number of related items to be added can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the public items published by the user from becoming unnoticeable or to prevent the number of items included in the public list from excessively increasing.

(Modification 3 of the first embodiment)
FIG. 15 shows an example in which when the second user presents the first user with the public item 62a or the related item 62b, an object 605a indicating that the present has been completed is displayed. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the control unit 501 of the server 500 may delete the presented public item 62a or related item 62b from the public list 52A associated with the first user. In this case, the public item 62a or related item 62b deleted from the public list 52A is also deleted from the public list image 62 shown in FIG.

Furthermore, the control unit 501 may delete the held item 61a corresponding to the presented public item 62a from the held list 51A associated with the first user. In this case, the held item 61a deleted from the held list 51A is also deleted from the held list image 61 shown in FIG.

Items that have already been given as gifts do not need to be held in the holding list 51A or disclosed in the public list 52A. Therefore, by deleting present items from the holding list 51A or the public list 52A, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary increase in data and improve the visibility of the holding list image 61 or the public list image 62. FIG.

Here, although the item given as a gift has been described, the same applies to the item purchased by each user himself/herself. That is, the control unit 501 of the server 500 may delete items purchased by each user from the holding list 51 or from the public list 52 .

(Modification 4 of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the payment processing unit 556 differentiates the purchase price depending on whether the item presented to the first user via the public list image 62 is the public item 62a or the related item 62b. is possible. For example, if the gifted item is the related item 62b, it is possible to lower the purchase price compared to the public item 62a. In this case, the public list image 62 may display the purchase price of the public item 62a and the purchase price of the related item 62b. The purchase price of the open item 62a and the purchase price of the related item 62b are stored in the price list 54 shown in FIG.

This makes it possible to prompt the second user to present not only the public item 62a but also the related item 62b.

(Modification 5 of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the notification processing unit 558 notifies the first user that the item has been presented through the public list image 62, depending on whether the item is the public item 62a or the related item 62b. can be made different. For example, the notification processing unit 558 may change the message to be notified to the first user as a mode of notification. Specifically, the contents of the message 608 shown in FIG. 17 may differ depending on whether the presented item is the public item 62a or the related item 62b.

In the above example, a case was described in which different messages are notified to the first user, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the contents of the message 609 to the third user shown in FIG. 18 may differ depending on whether the presented item is the public item 62a or the related item 62b.

Also, in the browsing image 60 shown in FIG. 17, when an object (for example, a UI button) for notifying the present sender of a message such as gratitude or reaction is provided, or when the presented item is a public item 62a. The content of the message to be notified to the sender of the present may differ depending on whether the item is the related item 62b or the related item 62b. At this time, a gift of gratitude may be attached to the message as an incentive for the sender of the present. For example, as a thank-you gift, a ticket that allows one of the items possessed by the first user to be viewed for free may be attached. Furthermore, the above-mentioned object may have a UI that allows selection of an item to be sent to the sender from a plurality of thank-you items.

(Modification 6 of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, each user may be given a predetermined ranking. For example, each user may be evaluated using indicators such as whether or not they have received many presents, whether or not they have given many presents, and the rank or status of each user may be determined based on the evaluation results. . Each user's rank or status may be displayed in the public list image 62, for example. For example, the rank (platinum, gold, etc.), the number of gifts received, the number of gifts given, etc. may be displayed next to the user's name.

According to this modification, the user viewing the public list image 62 indicates that the user who has published the public list 52 is a user who has received many presents or has given many presents. can be easily recognized.

(Modification 7 of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, in the public list image 62 shown in FIG. 12 or 13, each item may display the number of times it has been published as a public item or the number of times it has been presented. That is, for each item, an index or numerical value indicating how many gifts were requested in the past or how many gifts were given in the past may be displayed. As a result, the user viewing the public list image 62 can be encouraged to purchase (present) an item with a high index or numerical value. Furthermore, each user's resistance to using the present function can be reduced.

(Modification 8 of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the example in which the related item 62b having a predetermined relationship with the public item 62a is automatically added to the public list image 62 has been described. At this time, it is also possible to set a specific related item 62b to be automatically presented to the first user. For example, in the public list image 62, in addition to the present button 605, the public item 62a may be provided with a check box along with a message such as "give the latest issue as a gift". In this case, when the check box is checked and the latest publication of the corresponding public item 62a is registered in the database 600, the latest publication can be automatically presented to the first user as a related item.

The schedule management unit 557 manages information about the checked open item 62a. For example, the schedule management unit 557 stores, in the schedule list 55, the title, the date of issue of the latest issue, and information about the user who checked the check box of the open item 62a as information about the item. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and is managed so that when the latest publication of the checked public item 62a is published, the second user automatically presents the first user with the latest publication. If possible, any management method may be adopted.

In this modified example, when the latest publication of the checked open item 62a is published, the gift is automatically given, but the present is not limited to this example. For example, presenting an item that can be regarded as a series of works, such as a side story of the checked public item 62a, or regularly presenting a volume or story that is a series of works that the first user does not possess. is also possible.

(Modification 9 of the first embodiment)
In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which a disclosure instruction is given by setting a selected item among the retained items included in the retained list 51 to "public", but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, a UI button for setting "public" or "private" is provided in the browsing image 60 shown in FIG. may be set to "public" or "private".

Thus, the “disclosure instruction” is an instruction for disclosing the selected item as the public list image 62 to other users, and can be executed from either the browsing image 60 or the holding list image 61.

(Modification 10 of the first embodiment)
The holding list 51, the public list 52, and the purchase list 53 described in the first embodiment may be managed as files (data sets), respectively. may For example, among the items registered in the database, a flag indicating "hold" is set for the item for which the user instructs to hold. In this case, an item having a flag of "retained" corresponds to a retained item. In other words, a list in which items associated with the first user (user A) and flagged as "hold" are extracted corresponds to the holding list 51A shown in FIG. In this way, by managing items by flags set according to predetermined uses, efficient list management can be performed while suppressing the amount of information.

Although the holding list has been exemplified and explained here, the same applies to the public list 52 and the purchase list 53 . For example, a list obtained by extracting items associated with the first user and having a flag indicating "public" among items registered in the database corresponds to the public list 52A shown in FIG. A list of items registered in the database that are associated with the first user and have a flag indicating "purchased" corresponds to the purchase list 53A shown in FIG.

As described above, in this modified example, setting a flag for an item selected by the user corresponds to generating or updating the list. For example, when the first user issues a holding instruction while the holding list 51A does not exist, setting a flag indicating holding to the selected item means generating the holding list 51A. Further, when the first user issues a holding instruction while the holding list 51A exists, setting a flag indicating holding to the selected item adds the holding item to the holding list 51A (that is, the holding list 51A update). This point is the same for the public list 52A and the purchase list 53A.

<Second embodiment>
In this embodiment, an example in which items registered in the database 600 include pre-approval items will be described. In the drawings used to describe this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a data table stored in the storage unit 502a of the server 500 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 19, the storage unit 502a in this embodiment includes a holding list 51, a public list 52, a purchase list 53, a price list 54, a schedule list 55, and a reservation purchase list 56 as data tables. The data table is generated or updated when executing the information provision method of this embodiment.

The reservation purchase list 56 is a data table having the same configuration as the purchase list 53 shown in FIG. previous item). Specifically, the reservation purchase list 56 stores information about pre-approval items that are associated with each user and whose intention to purchase has been indicated.

The pre-approved items included in the reservation purchase list 56 are processed for the purchase procedure when the pre-approved item is approved by the service provider as an official item (for example, when it is registered in the database 600 as an official item). is added to the purchase list 53 through However, it is not limited to this example, and pre-approval items included in the reservation purchase list 56 can be paid for by cashless payment (electronic value such as points, coins, tickets, etc.) when approved by the service provider as an official item. It may be added to the purchase list 53 after going through a predetermined procedure such as a purchase procedure for .

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information providing function 550a provided in the server 500 in one embodiment of the invention. The information providing function 550a includes an instruction data reception unit 551, a control data transmission unit 552, a holding list management unit 553, a public list management unit 554, a purchase list management unit 555, a payment processing unit 556, a notification processing unit 558, and a schedule management unit 557. , a database manager 559 and a reservation purchase list manager 560 . However, it is not limited to this example, and the information providing function 550a may further include other functions, or may not include some functions.

The reservation purchase list management unit 560 manages generation and updating (including addition and deletion) of the reservation purchase list 56 associated with each user. Specifically, upon receiving a reservation purchase instruction from the first user or another user, the reservation purchase list management unit 560 generates or updates the reservation purchase list 56 including the item selected by the reservation purchase instruction. In addition, when the pre-approval item is made official, it is possible to purchase the pre-approval item as an official item while maintaining the contents, and when the official item that can be regarded as a series of works with the pre-approval item can be purchased. including when

On the other hand, when the reservation purchase list management unit 560 receives a cancellation instruction (instruction to cancel the reservation of the selected reservation purchase item) from the first user for the reservation purchase item included in the reservation purchase list 56, the reservation purchase list management unit 560 issues the cancellation instruction. deletes the reserved purchase item selected in from the reserved purchase list 56. The generated reservation purchase list 56 may be unviewable or viewable to the first user or the first user and other users.

Reservation purchase list management unit 560 transmits the approved item to purchase list management unit 555 when an item included in reservation purchase list 56 (that is, a pre-approved item) is approved as an official item. Delete from list 56. The items sent to the purchase list management unit 555 are added to the purchase list 53 as purchase items after undergoing settlement processing. The transmission of the authorized official item to the purchase list management unit 555 may be on a preset date, such as the issue date or approval date of the authorized official item. The date on which the pre-approval item is issued as an official item (for example, the date on which it is registered in the database 600) is managed by the schedule management section 557. FIG.

In this embodiment, an example in which the reservation purchase list is managed by the reservation purchase list management unit 560 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the purchase list management unit 555 may manage the generation and updating of the reservation purchase list 56 in addition to the generation and updating of the purchase list 53 without providing the reservation purchase list management unit 560 .

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. Specifically, FIG. 21 displays, as a UI image, a browsing image 70 displaying a part of the pre-approval items registered in the database 600 . The browsing image 70 is displayed on the display unit 103 of the first communication device 100 .

The first user can use the browsing image 70 shown in FIG. 21 to search for the pre-approval item of interest. In FIG. 21, "KKKK" is the title of the pre-approved item (electronic book) registered in the database 600, and four items from the first episode to the fourth episode are displayed. When the first user scrolls the browsing image 70 upward, other pre-approval items from the fifth story onward can be displayed. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, a support button 701, a hold button 702, and a reservation purchase button 703 are arranged for each pre-authorization item.

In the browsing image 70 shown in FIG. 21, when the first user presses the support button 701 of the pre-approval item to be supported, a support instruction to support the selected pre-approval item is sent from the first communication device 100 of the first user. It is sent to server 500 . The cheering instruction transmitted from the first communication device 100 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 . The control unit 501 can aggregate the cheering instructions transmitted from each user and evaluate the popularity of the pre-approval item corresponding to the cheering instructions. The information providing function 550 included in the server 500 may include a support management unit (not shown) that aggregates support instructions.

Further, when the first user presses the hold button 702 of the pre-approval item that the first user desires to hold in the browse image 70 , an instruction to hold the selected pre-approval item is transmitted from the first user's first communication device 100 to the server 500 . be done. The holding instruction transmitted from the first communication device 100 is received by the control unit 501 via the communication unit 503 of the server 500 . Control unit 501 (specifically, holding list management unit 553) of server 500, upon receiving the holding instruction, adds the pre-approval item selected by the holding instruction to holding list 51A. Thereby, the holding list 51A associated with the first user is updated.

Also, in the browse image 70, when the first user presses the pre-approval item reservation purchase button 703 that the first user wishes to purchase, the reservation purchase instruction for the selected pre-approval item is sent from the first user's first communication device 100 to the server 500. sent to. The reservation purchase instruction transmitted from the first communication device 100 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 . Upon receiving the reservation purchase instruction, control unit 501 (specifically, reservation purchase list management unit 560) of server 500 adds the pre-authorization item selected by the reservation purchase instruction to the reservation purchase list. Matters related to reservation purchase will be described later.

Here, FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. Specifically, FIG. 22 shows an example in which a holding list image 71 corresponding to the holding list 51A associated with the first user is displayed as the UI image. In the example shown in FIG. 22, the holding list image 71 includes a holding item 71a that is a pre-approval item and a holding item 71b that is a normal item. A public button 704 and a private button 705 are arranged for each item.

After the retention list 51A is created, when the first user presses the disclosure button 704 of the retention item 71a or 71b that the first user desires to disclose, the disclosure instruction for the selected retention item 71a or 71b is issued to the first communication device of the first user. 100 to the server 500 . The disclosure instruction transmitted from first communication device 100 is received by control unit 501 via communication unit 503 of server 500 . Upon receiving the disclosure instruction, control unit 501 (specifically, public list management unit 554) of server 500 adds the item selected by the disclosure instruction to public list 52A. This updates the public list 52A associated with the first user.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the second communication device 200 of the second user. Specifically, FIG. 23 shows an example of displaying a public list image 72 corresponding to the public list 52A associated with the first user as the UI image. As shown in FIG. 23, the public list image 72 includes public items 72a and related items 72b. In FIG. 23, as in the first embodiment, the related item 72b is highlighted so that the public item 72a and the related item 72b can be distinguished from each other. Of the related items 72b, the item with the title "KKKK" is a pre-approved item.

In this embodiment, unlike FIG. 13 of the first embodiment, a gift reservation button 706a is arranged on the pre-approval item. On the other hand, a gift button 706b is arranged for a normal item, as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the processing executed by the control unit 501 differs depending on whether the second user presses the present reservation button 706a or the present button 706b.

In FIG. 23, when the second user presses the present button 706b of the item to be presented to the first user, an instruction to purchase the selected item is transmitted from the second user's second communication device 200 to the server 500. FIG. The purchase instruction transmitted from the second communication device 200 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 . Upon receiving the purchase instruction from the second communication device 200, the control unit 501 performs payment processing for the item selected by the purchase instruction, and after completion of the payment processing, adds the item to the purchase list 53A associated with the first user. do. Thereby, the purchase list 53A associated with the first user is updated. In this way, purchase instructions for normal items (official items) are processed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, in FIG. 23, when the second user presses the gift reservation button 706a, a reservation purchase instruction for the selected item is transmitted from the second user's second communication device 200 to the server 500. FIG. The reservation purchase instruction transmitted from the second communication device 200 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 . Upon receiving the reservation purchase instruction from the second communication device 200, the control unit 501 adds the item selected by the reservation purchase instruction to the reservation purchase list 56 associated with the first user. However, if the pre-order list 56 associated with the first user does not exist, the pre-order list 56 including the item selected by the pre-order instruction is newly generated in association with the first user.

The control unit 501 may change the viewing image 70 of the first user when the reservation purchase list 56 associated with the first user is generated or updated. Specifically, among the pre-approved items displayed in the browse image 70, the pre-purchase item included in the pre-order purchase list 56 may be displayed to the effect that the pre-order purchase has already been made.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the first communication device 100 of the first user. As shown in FIG. 24 , the control unit 501 may display an object 707 indicating “pre-ordered” or the like in place of the hold button 702 and the reserved purchase button 703 . In this case, for example, the color of the object 707 may be displayed in gray to indicate that the object 707 cannot be operated. Further, the browsing image 70 may display that the public item 72a or the related item 72b has been pre-purchased by another user. For example, a message to the effect that the item was given by another user may be displayed on the item given as a gift by reservation purchase.

In this way, the control unit 501 may transmit to the first user's first communication device 100 that the reservation purchase instruction has been received from the second user's second communication device 200 . Further, as in the first modification of the first embodiment, the control unit 501 notifies a third user, who is different from the first user and the second user, that a reservation purchase instruction has been received from the second communication device 200 of the second user. may be transmitted to the third communication device 300.

Control unit 501 (specifically, reservation purchase list management unit 560) of server 500 performs payment processing for the approved item when the pre-authorization item included in reservation purchase list 56 is approved as an official item. 556. When payment processing for the transmitted item is completed in the payment processing unit 556 , the item is transmitted to the purchase list management unit 555 . After that, the purchase list management unit 555 adds the item for which payment processing has been completed to the purchase list 53A associated with the first user.

As described above, the pre-approved item purchased by the reservation purchase instruction is temporarily stored in the reservation purchase list 56, and the purchase procedure is suspended until the item is approved as an official item. The schedule management unit 557 manages schedules such as the timing at which the pre-approval item is approved as an official item and the timing at which the item is registered in the database 600 as an official item.

The reservation purchase list management unit 560 receives a notification from the schedule management unit 557 to the effect that the pre-approved item included in the reservation purchase list 56 has been approved as an official item (for example, a notification to the effect that it has been registered in the database 600 as an official item). is received, the item is transferred to payment processing. At this time, the reservation purchase list management unit 560 may automatically shift to payment processing. In other words, the reservation purchase list management unit 560 may proceed to the payment process for the approved item without confirming whether or not the user who issued the reservation purchase instruction is to make a payment again. This is because the pre-approved items included in the reserved purchase list 56 have been indicated in advance to purchase. However, the reservation purchase list management unit 560 may notify the user who issued the reservation purchase instruction that the settlement process has been completed, via the notification processing unit 558 . These series of processes are the same when the reservation purchase button 703 is pressed in the browsing image 70 shown in FIG. 21 and when the gift reservation button 706a is pressed in the public list image 72 shown in FIG.

(Modification 1 of the second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the payment processing unit 556 determines the purchase price of the item depending on whether the item presented to the first user via the public list image 72 is a normal purchase item or a reservation purchase item. It is possible to make them different. For example, if the gifted item is a pre-purchase item, the purchase price can be made lower than if it is a normal purchase item. Prices for regular purchase items and prices for reserved purchase items are stored in the price list 54 shown in FIG.

(Modification 2 of the second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the notification processing unit 558 notifies whether the item given to the first user via the public list image 72 is a normal purchase item or a reservation purchase item. It is possible to vary the manner of notification. For example, in the public list image 72 shown in FIG. 23, when the present reservation button 706a is pressed to purchase the public item 72a, and when the present button 706b is pressed to purchase the public item 72a, the browsing images shown in FIG. The display mode of the object 707 of 70 can be varied. The same applies when the related item 72b is purchased by pressing the present reservation button 706a or the present button 706b.

In the above example, a case has been described in which a notification to the effect that a gift has been received is sent to the first user's first communication device 100. The same is true when transmitting to the third communication device 300 .

(Modification 3 of Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, as in the first modification of the first embodiment, a third user other than the first user and the second user can know that the first user has given a pre-approval item as a gift. You may do so. For example, when the public list image 72 is displayed on the display unit 102 of the third communication device 300, it may be displayed that the public item 62a or the related item 62b, which is an item before approval, has been purchased. At that time, the name of the user who gave the present may be displayed. Furthermore, the public list image 72 may display the number of pre-approval items given to the first user in the past.

According to this modified example, the third user who has seen the public list image 72 of the first user can visually recognize that the first user has a present and the number of presents. As a result, the motivation of the third user to purchase a present for the first user can be increased.

(Modification 4 of Second Embodiment)
As described in the second embodiment, when the reservation purchase list management unit 560 receives notification from the schedule management unit 557 that the pre-approval item included in the reservation purchase list 56 has been approved as an official item, the reservation purchase list management unit 560 automatically Items may be moved to payment processing. However, for example, a situation may occur in which a sufficient amount of electronic value such as points is possessed at the time of issuing a reservation purchase instruction, but insufficient at the stage of payment processing. In such a case, the control unit 501 displays, on the communication device of the user who made the reservation purchase, a proposal prompting the purchase of additional points or the like, or displays a UI object for purchasing additional points. good too.

In addition, when the user instructs the reservation purchase, the number of points possessed by the user is displayed on the user's profile screen, etc., and it is possible to display how many of those points are consumed by the reservation purchase. good. As a result, for example, when the user intends to purchase a new item, it is possible to make the user aware of the number of points that should be reserved for the reserved purchase item. Furthermore, when the user purchases a new item, if the points that the user possesses are insufficient, a message is displayed asking whether or not to use some of the points reserved for the reservation purchase. Alternatively, a UI object for using part of the points may be displayed.

Further, when the user issues a reservation purchase instruction, the points required for payment processing of the reservation purchase item may be frozen so that they cannot be used. In this case, when the pre-order item is formalized, the item is granted in exchange for the frozen points, and when it is not formalized, the frozen points may be returned or converted to other electronic value. .

<Third Embodiment>
In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which a public item or a related item is configured to be purchased in advance by setting the purchase timing in advance. In the drawings used to describe this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements as in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a data table stored in the storage unit 502b of the server 500 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 25, the storage unit 502b in this embodiment includes a holding list 51, a public list 52, a purchase list 53, a price list 54, a schedule list 55 and an advance purchase list 57 as data tables. The data table is generated or updated when executing the information provision method of this embodiment.

The pre-purchase list 57 is a data table having the same configuration as the purchase list 53 shown in FIG. 8, and temporarily holds items pre-purchased by the user (items pre-purchased by setting the purchase date and time). do. Specifically, pre-purchase list 57 stores information about pre-purchased items associated with each user. The items (pre-purchase items) included in the pre-purchase list 57 are added to the purchase list 53 through settlement processing for purchase procedures when a preset timing for pre-purchase arrives.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information providing function 550b included in the server 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The information providing function 550b includes an instruction data reception unit 551, a control data transmission unit 552, a holding list management unit 553, a public list management unit 554, a purchase list management unit 555, a payment processing unit 556, a notification processing unit 558, and a schedule management unit 557. , a database manager 559 and a pre-purchase list manager 561 . However, it is not limited to this example, and the information providing function 550b may further include other functions, or may not include some functions.

The advance purchase list management unit 561 manages generation and update (including addition and deletion) of the advance purchase list 57 associated with each user. Specifically, when the advance purchase list management unit 561 receives an advance purchase instruction (instruction to purchase the selected item at a preset timing) from the first user or another user, the advance purchase instruction Generate or update a pre-purchase list 57 containing the selected items.

On the other hand, when the advance purchase list management unit 561 receives a cancellation instruction (an instruction to cancel the purchase of the selected advance purchase item) from the first user regarding the advance purchase items included in the advance purchase list 57, the advance purchase list management unit 561 issues the cancellation instruction. delete the selected advance purchase item from the advance purchase list 57. The generated advance purchase list 57 may be unviewable, or may be viewable by the first user or users other than the first user.

Advance purchase list management unit 561 transmits the corresponding advance purchase item to purchase list management unit 555 and deletes the corresponding advance purchase item from advance purchase list 57 when a preset timing for an item included in advance purchase list 57 has arrived. do. The items sent to the purchase list management unit 555 are added to the purchase list 53 as purchase items after undergoing settlement processing.

The schedule management unit 557 notifies whether or not the preset timing for the items included in the advance purchase list 57 has arrived. That is, the scheduled purchase date and the like that are set when the advance purchase is made are managed by the schedule management unit 557 . Schedule management unit 557 notifies advance purchase list management unit 561 when a preset timing for an advance purchase item included in advance purchase list 57 has arrived.

Although the present embodiment shows an example in which the advance purchase list management unit 561 manages the advance purchase list 57, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the purchase list management unit 555 may manage the generation and updating of the prior purchase list 57 in addition to the generation and updating of the purchase list 53 without providing the prior purchase list management unit 561 .

FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the second communication device 200 of the second user. Specifically, FIG. 27 shows an example of displaying a public list image 82 corresponding to the public list 52A associated with the first user as the UI image. Public list image 82 includes three public items 82a and three related items 82b. In addition to the gift button 801, check boxes 802 for prior purchase are arranged in the open item 82a and the related item 82b.

A check box 802 is a check box used when setting the timing for presenting an item. In this embodiment, when the second user presses the present button 801 with the check box 802 checked, the UI image shown in FIG. 28 is displayed on the display unit 103 .

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing an example of a UI image displayed on the second communication device 200 of the second user. Specifically, FIG. 28 shows an example of displaying a schedule setting image 85 for setting the timing of purchase (gift) such as the scheduled purchase date as the UI image. In the example shown in FIG. 28, it is assumed that in the public list image 82 shown in FIG. 27, the second user has issued an advance purchase instruction for the public item 82a with the title "AAAA".

As shown in FIG. 28, the schedule setting image 85 includes an item field 805, input fields 806 to 808, a send button 809 and a cancel button 810. In FIG. The item column 805 is a column showing information about items to be presented.

An input field 806 is a field for setting the scheduled purchase date for purchasing the item. The input field 806 is, for example, a drop-down list, and each box can be selected to input "day", "hour" and "minute". Thereby, the date and time (timing) for presenting the selected item to the first user can be set. However, the configuration is not limited to this example, and only the scheduled purchase date of the item may be specified. In addition, in the input field 806, a condition for specifying the purchase timing may be set instead of the scheduled purchase date or the like. For example, you may set so that a present may be performed at the timing when the new publication of the selected item is released. In this case, the input field 806 may be configured so that a desired condition can be selected from a plurality of conditions.

An input field 807 is a field for selecting a greeting card or the like to be sent together with the gift item. Clicking on the box labeled "Tap to select card" will take you to another UI image (not shown) where you can select a card to send with the item.

An input field 808 is a field for inputting a message to accompany the item to be presented. By clicking the box labeled "Enter your message", you can directly enter your message in the input field 808 .

A send button 809 is an object for completing schedule setting and sending an advance purchase instruction. When the second user presses the send button 809 after setting the planned purchase date and the like using the input fields 806 to 808 described above, a pre-purchase instruction including the selected item and the set schedule is sent to the server 500. be. When the transmission of the advance purchase instruction is completed, the public list image 82 shown in FIG. 27 is displayed again.

A cancel button 810 is an object for canceling schedule input. If the cancel button 810 is pressed to stop the schedule entry in the middle, the schedule setting is interrupted and the public list image 82 is displayed again.

The content of the schedule setting image 85 described above is not limited to this example. For example, the schedule setting image 85 may have input fields other than the input fields described above, or some input fields may be omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, an example of switching from the public list image 82 to the schedule setting image 85 shown in FIG. 27 has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example. may be displayed in a superimposed manner.

The advance purchase instruction transmitted from the second communication device 200 is received by the control section 501 via the communication section 503 of the server 500 . Upon receiving the advance purchase instruction from the second communication device 200, the control unit 501 holds the items selected by the advance purchase instruction in the advance purchase list 57 (see FIG. 25). In addition, the control unit 501 holds information (date and time of purchase, attached message, etc.) regarding the schedule set in the advance purchase instruction in the schedule list 55 (see FIG. 25).

After that, when the schedule management unit 557 notifies the advance purchase list management unit 561 of the arrival of the purchase timing of the advance purchase item, the advance purchase list management unit 561 transfers the item held in the advance purchase list 57 to the settlement processing unit 556 . Send to When the payment process for the item is completed by the payment processing unit 556, information on the item after payment is sent to the purchase list management unit 555 and added to the purchase list 53 associated with the first user.

As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to set the timing of purchase of each item included in the public list image 82 in advance and give the item as a gift. This allows presents to be given on specific dates, such as birthdays and Christmas. After the advance purchase instruction is issued, the server 500 side manages the schedule and performs the purchase procedure, thereby improving convenience for the user (here, the second user) who gives the present.

(Modification 1 of the third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the payment processing unit 556 determines the purchase price of the item depending on whether the item presented to the first user via the public list image 82 is a normal purchase item or a pre-purchase item. It is possible to make them different. For example, if the gifted item is a pre-purchased item, the purchase price may be higher than if it is a normal purchased item. In the case of pre-purchased items, adding a greeting card or message can increase the added value, and the purchase price can be set higher to give the gift-giving user a special feeling. The purchase price of the normal purchase item and the purchase price of the pre-purchase item are stored in the price list 54 shown in FIG.

(Modification 2 of the third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the notification processing unit 558 notifies whether the item given to the first user via the public list image 82 is a normal purchased item or a pre-purchased item. It is possible to vary the manner of notification. For example, in the case of a normal purchase item, a message such as "Mr. B gave me a present!" is displayed as in the browsing image 60 shown in FIG. You can choose not to do it. Further, the notification processing unit 558 may display a message such as "This is a gift from Mr. B on your special day" in the browsing image displayed on the first communication device 100 when the purchase timing comes. .

In the above example, a case has been described in which a notification to the effect that a gift has been received is sent to the first user's first communication device 100. The same is true when transmitting to the third communication device 300 .

<Fourth Embodiment>
In the first to third embodiments, the example in which the server 500 is a content server that provides electronic books as items has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the server 500 can also be applied to electronic commerce dealing with goods or the like as items. In this case, the server 500 may comprise means for managing the delivery procedure of the item to the purchaser or the recipient of the gift after the payment process for the purchased item is completed. For example, the server 500 may include a delivery management unit (not shown) that generates slip data including the address of the purchaser or gift recipient and transmits the slip data to an external delivery management server or the like. .

If the item provided by the server 500 is a product or the like, the quantity may be specified in the public list. At that time, the user on the gift giving side may be allowed to specify the quantity of the item to be given.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to each of the above-described embodiments (including each modification; hereinafter the same), and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is possible to change. For example, additions, deletions, or design changes made by those skilled in the art based on each embodiment are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction, and technical matters common to each embodiment are included in each embodiment without explicit description.

Even if there are other effects that are different from the effects brought about by the aspects of each embodiment described above, those that are obvious from the description of this specification or those that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art are of course It is understood that it is provided by the present invention.

51, 51A... holding list, 51a to 51f... item, 52, 52A... public list, 52a to 52f... item, 53, 53A... purchase list, 53a to 53f... item, 54... price list, 55... schedule list, 56 ... reservation purchase list, 57 ... advance purchase list, 60 ... browsing image, 61 ... retention list image, 61a, 61b ... retention item, 62 ... publication list image, 62a ... publication item, 62b ... related item, 70 ... browsing image, 71... Holding list image, 71a, 71b... Holding item, 72... Public list image, 72a... Public item, 72b... Related item, 82... Public list image, 82a... Public item, 82b... Related item, 85... Schedule setting image , 100 first communication device 101 control unit 102 storage unit 103 display unit 104 operation unit 105 sensor unit 106 imaging unit 107 position detection unit 108 communication unit 109 ... sound input/output unit, 110... notification unit, 200... second communication device, 300... third communication device, 500... server, 501... control unit, 502, 502a, 502b... storage unit, 503... communication unit, 550, 550a, 550b...Information providing function 551...Instruction data receiving unit 552...Control data transmitting unit 553...Holding list management unit 554...Public list management unit 555...Purchase list management unit 556...Payment processing unit 557 Schedule management unit 558 Notification processing unit 559 Database management unit 560 Reservation purchase list management unit 561 Advance purchase list management unit 600 Database 601 Hold button 602 Purchase button 603 Publish Buttons 604... Private button 605... Present button 605a, 606, 607... Objects 608, 609... Message 701... Support button 702... Hold button 703... Pre-order button 704... Public button 705... Private button 706a Present reservation button 706b Present button 707 Object 801 Present button 802 Check box 805 Item field 806 to 808 Input field 809 Submit button 810 Cancel button , 1000 communication system

Claims (21)

receiving a publication instruction from the first user's first communication device to publish at least one item;
based on the publication instructions, generate or update a public list associated with the first user, including at least one publication item specified by the publication instructions;
adding at least one related item having a predetermined relationship with the published item to the public list with or without the publication indication;
Methods of providing information, including; 2. The information providing method according to claim 1, wherein said disclosure instruction is an instruction to disclose at least one held item included in a held list associated with the first user. based on a second user's request, transmitting information about the public list to the second user's second communication device;
receiving a purchase instruction from the second communication device to purchase at least one of the public items included in the public list;
adding the purchase item specified by the purchase instruction to a purchase list associated with the first user;
The information providing method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: 4. The information providing method according to claim 3, wherein a purchase price differs depending on whether the purchased item is the public item or the related item. 5. The information providing method according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising transmitting a notification that said published item has been purchased to said first communication device. further comprising displaying an image based on the public list on a display unit of a third communication device of a third user who has a predetermined relationship with the first user;
6. The image according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the image based on the public list includes an indication that at least one of the public items has been purchased or the number of the public items that have been purchased in the past. How to provide information. 7. The method of providing information according to claim 5, wherein the manner of notifying that the public item has been purchased differs depending on whether the purchased item is the public item or the related item. the retained items included in the retained list include pre-authorization items;
receiving from the first communication device a reservation purchase instruction to purchase at least one of the pre-authorization items after authorization;
Based on the subscription instruction received from the first communication device, generating or updating a subscription list associated with the first user and including at least one pre-order item specified by the subscription instruction. ,
The information providing method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising: the public items or related items included in the public list include pre-approval items;
receiving from the second communication device a reservation purchase instruction to purchase at least one of the pre-authorization items;
Based on the pre-order instructions received from the second communication device, generating or updating a pre-order list associated with the first user and including at least one pre-order item specified by the pre-order instructions. ,
The information providing method according to any one of claims 3 to 8, further comprising: 10. The information providing method according to claim 9, further comprising transmitting a notification to said first communication device that said reservation purchase instruction has been received from said second communication device. further comprising displaying an image based on the public list on a display unit of a third communication device of a third user who has a predetermined relationship with the first user;
11. The information according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the image based on the public list includes an indication that at least one of the pre-approval items has been pre-purchased or the number of pre-approval items pre-purchased in the past. delivery method. 12. The information providing method according to claim 10, wherein the purchased item and the reserved purchase item have different forms of notification indicating that the reservation purchase instruction has been received from the second communication device. Adding items approved as official items among the pre-order items to the purchase list associated with the first user;
13. The information providing method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising: 14. The information providing method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the purchased item and the reserved purchase item have different purchase prices. receiving from the second communication device a pre-purchase instruction to purchase at least one of the public items included in the public list at a preset timing;
adding the pre-purchase item specified by the pre-purchase instruction to the purchase list associated with the first user at the preset timing;
15. The information providing method according to any one of claims 3 to 14, further comprising: receiving a holding instruction from the first user's first communication device to hold at least one of the plurality of items registered in the database;
generating or updating, based on the retention instructions, the retention list associated with the first user and including at least one retention item specified by the retention instructions;
16. The information providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising: further comprising registering new items in the database;
adding the related item to the public list when the related item is registered in the database as the new item;
17. The method of providing information according to claim 16, further comprising: transmitting, when the public list is generated or updated, a notification instruction for notifying the generation or update of the public list to a third communication device of a third user having a predetermined relationship with the first user;
18. The information providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising: 3. When the published item is an electronic book, the related item includes the latest, modified, or insufficient portion of the published item, a product associated with the published item, or a substitute for the published item. 19. The information providing method according to any one of 1 to 18. A server comprising a control unit that executes the information providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 19. A program for causing a computer to execute the information providing method according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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