JP2023141420A - Method for displaying bingo game and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To make a competition more attractive for a user.SOLUTION: A processing unit 12 causes a display device 20 to display a purchase screen 21 of a voting ticket of a bingo game which uses the order of arrival of each of a plurality of races. The processing unit 12 displays a matrix 21a in which rows or columns are arranged to correspond to a race and the order of arrival of a race, in the display of a purchase screen 21. The processing unit 12 displays, in the matrix 21a, identification information of each of start bodies in a race in order of arrival in the matrix 21a in ascending order of odds of each start body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a bingo game display method and program.

A bingo game is known as a type of game. Bingo games are sometimes played using bingo cards that include numbers arranged in grids and a lottery machine that draws the numbers. If all the numbers in the vertical, horizontal, or diagonal directions of the squares on the bingo card match with the numbers drawn by the lottery machine, the player wins or wins. When all the numbers in the squares of the bingo card are aligned vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, it is called ``bingo.''

For example, in a racing game where multiple competing targets compete against each other for ranking, a process is performed to determine the ranking of each competing target, and the ranking of each competing target determined by the process and the number assigned to each competitive target are Based on this, there is a proposal for a game device for playing a bingo game.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-45351

By the way, in competitions such as horse racing and bicycle racing, competition fans vote by predicting who will run in the race, such as racehorses and competitors, and the order in which the participants will finish. On the other hand, to perform such voting, competition fans need knowledge about the competition. For example, competition fans have to research the past race results, characteristics, and abilities of the runners, and make predictions based on the research results, which takes time and effort to vote. This makes it difficult for beginners to participate in voting. Therefore, a wide range of users, including beginners, are not able to fully enjoy the appeal of competitions through voting.

In one aspect, the present invention aims to increase the attractiveness of competitions for users.

In one aspect, a method for displaying a bingo game is provided. In the bingo game display method, a computer causes a display device to display a purchase screen for voting tickets for a bingo game using the finishing order of each of a plurality of races, and in displaying the purchase screen, rows or columns are associated with races. , displays a matrix in which columns or rows are arranged in correspondence with the order of finish in the race, and displays the identification information of each of the plurality of participants in the race from the earliest to the last in the order of race finish in the matrix, The odds corresponding to each of the plurality of runners are displayed in a matrix in descending order of odds.

Also, in one aspect, a program is provided.

One aspect is that it can increase the appeal of competitions for users.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information processing device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system according to a second embodiment. It is a diagram showing an example of hardware of a server device. It is a figure showing an example of a function of a server device. It is a figure which shows the example of vote count odds data. It is a figure showing an example of bingo card data. It is a figure which shows the example of a number setting with respect to bingo card data. It is a figure showing an example of a bingo card creation screen. It is a flow chart showing an example of bingo card creation. It is a flowchart which shows the example of a bingo card change. It is a figure which shows the example of a hit pattern. It is a figure which shows the screen transition example. It is a figure showing an example of an event selection screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a number change in a bingo card creation screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a vote confirmation screen. It is a figure which shows the example of a voting completion screen. It is a figure showing an example of an event confirmation screen during voting. It is a figure which shows another example of a vote confirmation screen. It is a figure which shows another example of an event confirmation screen during voting. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the winning bingo card on a voting confirmation screen. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of a matrix. It is a figure which shows the other example of a display of a bingo card creation screen.

The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First embodiment]
A first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment.
The information processing device 10 supports voting for competitions. The competition is, for example, a publicly managed competition such as horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing, or auto racing. Here, the information processing device 10 supports voting for a plurality of races in a competition using a mechanism using a bingo game. The information processing device 10 accepts votes using voting tickets in the form of bingo cards. The information processing device 10 includes a storage section 11 and a processing section 12. Further, the information processing device 10 is connected to a display device 20. The display device 20 may be included in a terminal device connected to the information processing device 10 via a network. The terminal device may be a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like used by a user who votes.

The storage unit 11 may be a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a nonvolatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory. The storage unit 11 stores information used for processing by the processing unit 12.

The processing unit 12 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and the like. The processing unit 12 may be a processor that executes a program. A "processor" may include a collection of multiple processors (multiprocessor).

The processing unit 12 causes the display device 20 to display a purchasing screen 21 for voting tickets for the bingo game. Here, the bingo game is a bingo game using the finishing order of each of a plurality of races in a competition. The voting ticket to be purchased may be issued to the user as electronic information, or may be issued to the user as a paper medium. When a user purchases a voting ticket, the user votes for the bingo game.

Purchase screen 21 includes a matrix 21a. Matrix 21a has multiple rows and multiple columns. In the matrix 21a, rows or columns are associated with races, and columns or rows are arranged in correspondence with the order of arrival of the races. The matrix 21a may have squares separating rows and columns.

As an example, the matrix 21a in FIG. 1 shows a case where the rows are associated with races and the columns are associated with the order of finish in the races. The matrix 21a shows an example in which races 1 to 5 are associated in a direction from the top of the row to the bottom. Further, the matrix 21a shows an example in which the race finish order is arranged as 1st place, 2nd place, etc. from left to right in the column facing the purchase screen 21. However, the columns may be associated with races, and the rows may be associated with the order of finish in the races. Furthermore, in the example of the matrix 21a, the number of races to be voted for is five, but the number of races to be voted for may be a plurality other than five.

On the display of the purchase screen 21, the processing unit 12 displays the identification information of each of the plurality of runners in the race, and calculates the odds for each of the plurality of runners in the matrix 21a from the earliest to the lowest finish in the race. They are displayed in the matrix 21a in descending order. For example, in the case of horse racing, the participants are racehorses. Further, the identification information of the runner is, for example, an identification number given to a racehorse. Specifically, a racehorse's bib number or frame number can be considered. Another example of identification information is the name of a racehorse. In the case of bicycle races, boat races, and auto races, the participants are the competitors. Further, the identification information of the runner is an identification number given to the runner.

Here, the odds are the approximate payout rate when a voting ticket in a normal vote for a competition, that is, a vote other than a bingo card type vote, is correct. A normal vote is, for example, a one-way vote. Odds are set so that in normal voting, the more votes there are for the relevant running entity, the lower the odds. The processing unit 12 obtains in advance odds information 11a indicating the odds for each participant in each race from an external system that manages the odds, and stores it in the storage unit 11. In FIG. 1, illustration of the external system is omitted. The odds information 11a shows an example of information indicating odds for each participant in each race. For example, the odds information 11a has a record in which the odds of the participants in the race are registered with respect to the identification information of the race and the identification information of the participants. The processing unit 12 can control the display contents of the matrix 21a based on the odds information 11a stored in the storage unit 11.

In the example of the matrix 21a, the race finish order is arranged as 1st place, 2nd place, etc. from left to right in the column. Therefore, for each race, the processing unit 12 displays the identification information of the runners in order from the left to the right of the row of the race in descending order of odds. For example, in race 1, it is assumed that the identification information of the runners in descending order of odds is "4", "2", "1", "6", "12", and so on. In this case, the processing unit 12 arranges the identification information of the participants in the matrix 21a from left to right for race 1 as "4", "2", "1", "6", and "12". Display. The processing unit 12 similarly displays the identification information of the runners for other races.

The user can operate the purchase screen 21 to purchase a voting ticket that includes the information in the matrix 21a. For example, the purchase screen 21 may include screen elements such as a button that accepts an instruction to purchase a voting ticket corresponding to the matrix 21a. Furthermore, the purchase screen 21 may include screen elements such as buttons and dialogs that accept operations to change the identification information of the runners included in the matrix 21a. The processing unit 12 stores the information of the matrix 21a purchased by the user in the storage unit 11 in association with the user's identification information.

Note that the determination of whether the voting ticket for the bingo game purchased by the user is a hit is performed as follows. In the matrix 21a, the squares in which the identification information of the runners who finished correctly in the race are written are activated. Then, after all races are completed, it is determined whether the validated squares are aligned in the row direction, column direction, or diagonal direction. When the validated squares in the matrix 21a included in the voting ticket line up in the row direction, column direction, or diagonal direction, it is bingo, that is, the voting ticket becomes a hit. The determination of whether the voting ticket is a hit may be performed by the processing unit 12 or by a device other than the information processing device 10. For example, the processing unit 12 may cause the display device 20 to display a refund amount corresponding to the purchase amount of the voting ticket by the user, depending on the winning result of the voting ticket.

In this way, according to the information processing device 10, the display device 20 displays the purchasing screen 21 for voting tickets for a bingo game using the order of finish in each of a plurality of races. The purchase screen 21 displays a matrix 21a in which rows or columns are associated with races, and columns or rows are arranged in correspondence with the order of finishing in the races. The identification information of each of the plurality of participants in the race is displayed in the matrix 21a in descending order of the odds corresponding to each of the plurality of participants, from the earliest to the latest finish in the race in the matrix 21a.

Thereby, the information processing device 10 can increase the appeal of the competition to the user. As mentioned above, the odds of the runners are set to be lower as the number of votes increases. In the race results, it is possible that the more votes the runners receive, the higher the probability that they will rank in the top positions from the perspective of popularity. Therefore, it is possible to increase the probability of winning by arranging the identification information of the runners in descending order of odds, from earliest to latest finish, and voting.

Therefore, on the voting ticket purchase screen 21, the information processing device 10 displays the identification information of the runners in the matrix 21a in descending order of odds, from the earliest to the latest finish, so that the probability of winning can be compared. Voting tickets that are predicted to have a high success rate can be presented to the user. For example, by purchasing a voting ticket corresponding to the presented matrix 21a, the user can increase his/her expectation that the voting ticket will be a hit as a result of the competition. That is, the information processing device 10 can improve the user's interest in the competition. In this way, the information processing device 10 can increase the appeal of the competition to a wide range of users, including beginners who have no or little knowledge of the competition.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an information processing system according to the second embodiment.

The information processing system of the second embodiment includes a terminal device 30, an external system 40, and a server device 100. Terminal device 30, external system 40, and server device 100 are connected to network 50. The network 50 is, for example, the Internet or a WAN (Wide Area Network). Here, in the second embodiment, horse racing is illustrated as an example of a publicly managed game. However, publicly managed sports may include bicycle races, boat races, auto races, etc.

The terminal device 30 is a device operated by a user who votes. The terminal device 30 is, for example, a PC, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The terminal device 30 has a display that displays a screen.

The external system 40 is a computer system that manages odds of racehorses in horse races. Racehorse odds are determined based on the number of regular votes cast for each racehorse running in the race. A normal vote is, for example, a one-win type vote for which horse will come in first place. The external system 40 provides the server device 100 with information on the odds of each racehorse.

The server device 100 supports voting for a plurality of races in horse racing using a mechanism using a bingo game. Server device 100 may be a server computer. The server device 100 accepts votes using voting tickets in the form of bingo cards using the terminal device 30 . At this time, the server device 100 causes the terminal device 30 to display a voting ticket purchase screen based on information on the odds of each racehorse provided from the external system 40. The purchased voting ticket is issued to the user as electronic information. For example, the server device 100 may function as a web server that causes the terminal device 30 to display a purchase screen. The terminal device 30 may function as a web browser that displays a purchase screen. The server device 100 is an example of the information processing device 10 of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of hardware of the server device.
The server device 100 includes a CPU 101, a RAM 102, an HDD 103, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 104, an input interface 105, a media reader 106, and an NIC (Network Interface Card) 107. Note that the CPU 101 is an example of the processing unit 12 of the first embodiment. The RAM 102 or the HDD 103 is an example of the storage unit 11 of the first embodiment.

The CPU 101 is a processor that executes program instructions. The CPU 101 loads at least part of the program and data stored in the HDD 103 into the RAM 102, and executes the program. Note that the CPU 101 may include multiple processor cores. Further, the server device 100 may include multiple processors. The processing described below may be performed in parallel using multiple processors or processor cores. Furthermore, a set of multiple processors is sometimes referred to as a "multiprocessor" or simply "processor."

The RAM 102 is a volatile semiconductor memory that temporarily stores programs executed by the CPU 101 and data used for calculations by the CPU 101. Note that the server device 100 may include a type of memory other than RAM, or may include a plurality of memories.

The HDD 103 is a nonvolatile storage device that stores software programs such as an OS (Operating System), middleware, and application software, and data. Note that the server device 100 may include other types of storage devices such as flash memory and SSD (Solid State Drive), or may include a plurality of nonvolatile storage devices.

GPU 104 outputs an image to display 51 connected to server device 100 according to instructions from CPU 101 . As the display 51, any type of display can be used, such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), a plasma display, or an Organic Electro-Luminescence (OEL) display.

The input interface 105 acquires an input signal from the input device 52 connected to the server device 100 and outputs it to the CPU 101. As the input device 52, a mouse, a touch panel, a touch pad, a pointing device such as a trackball, a keyboard, a remote controller, a button switch, etc. can be used. Furthermore, multiple types of input devices may be connected to the server device 100.

The medium reader 106 is a reading device that reads programs and data recorded on the recording medium 53. As the recording medium 53, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk (MO), a semiconductor memory, etc. can be used. Magnetic disks include flexible disks (FDs) and HDDs. Optical discs include CDs (Compact Discs) and DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs).

For example, the media reader 106 copies programs and data read from the recording medium 53 to other recording media such as the RAM 102 and the HDD 103. The read program is executed by the CPU 101, for example. Note that the recording medium 53 may be a portable recording medium, and may be used for distributing programs and data. Further, the recording medium 53 and the HDD 103 are sometimes referred to as computer-readable recording media.

The NIC 107 is an interface that is connected to the network 50 and communicates with other computers via the network 50. The NIC 107 is connected to a communication device such as a switch or a router by a cable, for example. NIC 107 may be a wireless communication interface.

Note that the terminal device 30 and the external system 40 are realized using the same hardware as the server device 100. The terminal device 30 may have a built-in display, that is, a display device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functions of the server device.
Server device 100 includes a storage section 110 and a control section 120. For the storage unit 110, a storage area of the RAM 102 or the HDD 103 is used. The control unit 120 is realized by the CPU 101 executing a program stored in the RAM 102.

The storage unit 110 stores information used for processing by the control unit 120. For example, the storage unit 110 stores, for each of a plurality of races, information on the odds of each of a plurality of racehorses running in the race. The storage unit 110 also stores information on voting tickets in the form of bingo cards purchased by the user.

The control unit 120 provides screen information to the terminal device 30, accepts operations for purchasing voting tickets from the terminal device 30, and manages the purchased voting tickets. The control unit 120 includes a race information acquisition unit 121 and a display control unit 122.

The race information acquisition unit 121 acquires information on the odds of racehorses running in horse racing races from the external system 40 and stores it in the storage unit 110 . Additionally, the race information acquisition unit 121 acquires race result information from the external system 40 and stores it in the storage unit 110.

In response to a request from the terminal device 30, the display control unit 122 responds to the terminal device 30 with information on a purchase screen for a voting ticket in the form of a bingo card, and causes the terminal device 30 to display the purchase screen. The display control unit 122 uses odds information for each racehorse stored in the storage unit 110 to control the display of the purchase screen. The display control unit 122 stores the voting ticket information input on the purchase screen using the terminal device 30 in the storage unit 110 in association with the user's identification information. After the race ends, the display control unit 122 provides the terminal device 30 with information on a result screen indicating the winning status of the purchased voting ticket, and causes the terminal device 30 to display the result screen.

Here, the voting ticket in the bingo card format has, for example, a matrix in which rows are associated with races and columns are associated with the order of arrival in the races. The rows are the first row, the second row, and so on from the top to the bottom of the matrix. Further, the columns are the first column, the second column, and so on from the left to the right of the matrix. Furthermore, it is assumed that the order of arrival is associated with 1st place, 2nd place, etc. from the left of the matrix. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the number of races described in the matrix is 5, as an example. In this case, the number of rows of the matrix is 5 and the number of columns is 5. Note that voting tickets in the bingo card format will be simply referred to as "bingo cards" below.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of vote count odds data.
The vote count odds data 111 is acquired from the external system 40 by the race information acquisition unit 121 and stored in the storage unit 110. Although FIG. 5 illustrates the vote count odds data 111 corresponding to one race, the vote count odds data is stored in the storage unit 110 for each race. The vote count odds data 111 includes items of item number, item name, description, and value. The record number is registered in the item number field. In the item name field, the item name of the value in the corresponding record is registered. In the description field, a description of the value in the corresponding record is registered. The value to be registered in the corresponding record is registered in the value field. Note that the vote count odds data 111 does not need to include an explanation item.

For example, the vote count odds data 111 has a record with the item number "1", the item name "date of event", the description "day the race will be held", and the value "2022/1/4". In addition, the vote count odds data 111 has a record of item number "2", item name "stadium", description "place where the race will be held", and value "A racetrack". Further, the vote count odds data 111 has a record with an item number "3", an item name "Race number", a description "Race number", and a value "3". "Race number" indicates a number that identifies a race. Further, the vote count odds data 111 has a record with the item number "4", the item name "deadline time", the description "time when sale ends", and the value "12:50". The "deadline time" is the time when voting for the relevant race is closed.

Further, the vote count odds data 111 has a record with an item number "5", an item name "number 01", a description "number obtained from an external system", and a value "1". “Number 01” indicates the identification number of the first racehorse to run in the relevant race. In the case of this record, the identification number of the first racehorse is "1". The racehorse identification number is obtained from the external system 40. The identification number of a racehorse may be called a horse number, horse number, or the like. Thereafter, the identification numbers of racehorses running in the corresponding race are registered in the vote count odds data 111 up to the record with the item name "No. 18" of the item number "22".

Further, the vote count odds data 111 has a record with the item number "23", the item name "odds 01", the description "odds obtained from an external system", and the value "1". "Odds 01" indicates the odds of the first racehorse to run in the relevant race. In the case of this record, the odds of the first racehorse are "1". Racehorse odds are obtained from an external system 40. Thereafter, the odds of racehorses running in the corresponding race are registered in the vote count odds data 111 up to the record with item number "40" and item name "odds 18."

Further, the vote count odds data 111 has a record with an item number "41", an item name "vote count 01", a description "number of votes obtained from an external system", and a value "300". "Number of votes 01" indicates the number of votes for the first racehorse to run in the relevant race. The number of votes is the number of votes used to calculate the odds of the racehorse in question. The number of votes for a racehorse is obtained from the external system 40. Thereafter, in the vote count odds data 111, the vote counts of racehorses running in the corresponding race are registered up to the record with the item number ``58'' and the item name ``vote count 18''.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of bingo card data.
The bingo card data 112 is generated by the display control unit 122 based on the vote count odds data 111 and stored in the storage unit 110. The bingo card data 112 is data for managing bingo card information to be displayed on the terminal device 30. The data structure of the bingo card data 112 is also used to hold information on bingo cards purchased by users. When holding information on bingo cards purchased by users, the bingo card data 112 is associated with the user's identification information.

The bingo card data 112 includes items of item number, item name, description, and value. The record number is registered in the item number field. In the item name field, the item name of the value in the corresponding record is registered. In the description field, a description of the value in the corresponding record is registered. The value to be registered in the corresponding record is registered in the value field. Note that the bingo card data 112 does not need to include an explanation item.

For example, the bingo card data 112 has a record with the item number "1", the item name "card serial number", the description "management serial number", and the value "999001". The "card serial number" is the identification number of the purchased bingo card. Moreover, the bingo card data 112 has a record with the item number "2", the item name "date of event", the description "day the race will be held", and the value "2022/1/4". Moreover, the bingo card data 112 has a record of item number "3", item name "stadium", description "place where the race is held", and value "A racetrack". Furthermore, the bingo card data 112 has a record with the item number "4", the item name "release time", the description "bingo card release time", and the value "11:23". "Release time" indicates the time when the corresponding bingo card was released to the user or the time when the corresponding bingo card was purchased by the user.

Furthermore, the bingo card data 112 has a record with an item number "5", an item name "Race number (1)", a description "Race number on the first line", and a value "3". Here, "first line" indicates the first line of the matrix on the bingo card.

Furthermore, the bingo card data 112 has a record with the item number "6", the item name "number (1-1)", the description "number set in the first line", and the value "1". Here, in the notation of "number (1-1)", the "1" to the left of the hyphen sign indicates the row number of the matrix, and the "1" to the right of the hyphen sign indicates the column number of the matrix. That is, this record indicates that the number set in the first row and first column of the matrix, that is, the identification number of the racehorse is "1". From then on, the bingo card data 112 includes the racehorses set in each square from the 2nd column to the 5th column of the 1st row, up to the record with the item number ``10'' and the item name ``Number (1-5)''. An identification number is registered.

Similarly, in the bingo card data 112, records with item numbers "12" to "34" are set in the second to fifth rows of the matrix, corresponding to the second to fifth races. The identification number of the racehorse is registered.

The bingo card data 112 also has a record with item number "35", item name "free spot row", description "free spot row number", and value "2". The "free spot row" indicates the row number of a square designated as a free spot by the user in the bingo card matrix. Furthermore, the bingo card data 112 has a record with item number "36", item name "free spot column", description "free spot column number", and value "4". The "free spot column" indicates the column number of a square designated as a free spot by the user in the bingo card matrix. Here, the free spot indicates a square in the matrix that is validated in determining whether or not the race has been completed, regardless of whether or not the finish order of the race is correct.

For example, the display control unit 122 allows designation of one square as a free spot for a pre-purchase bingo card or a purchased bingo card. This designation can be made either before or after purchase. By making it possible even after all the races listed on the bingo card have been completed, when all the races are completed and the bingo can be achieved by hitting one more square, It becomes possible to use it by designating a square as a free spot. Note that if a free spot is not specified, the values in the free spot row and free spot column are both unset. It is also conceivable to control the bingo success rate by restricting the period when free spots can be designated. For example, it is possible to lower the achievement rate by making the free spot designation available until all races are completed, or until a specific race (such as the third race) is completed. .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of setting numbers for bingo card data.
For example, in the bingo card data 112, numbers to be set in each row of the bingo card matrix are initially set based on five pieces of vote count odds data corresponding to five races, including the vote count odds data 111. The display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a bingo card purchase screen based on the bingo card data 112.

Here, the vote count odds data 111a is the result of sorting the racehorse identification numbers of the vote count odds data 111 for the first race in ascending order of odds and descending order of vote count. The race number of the first race is "3". For example, it is assumed that the vote count odds data 111a includes numbers "1", "6", "3", "11", "4", etc. indicating racehorse identification numbers in order from the top. In this case, for the race number "3" in the first row of the bingo card data 112, "1", "6", "3", "11", and "4" are registered in order from the first column. .

Similarly, the vote count odds data 111b is the result of sorting the racehorse identification numbers of the vote count odds data for the second race in ascending order of odds and descending order of vote count. The race number of the second race is "4". For example, it is assumed that numbers "12", "6", "8", "1", "3", etc. indicating the identification numbers of racehorses are arranged in order from the top in the vote count odds data 111b. In this case, for the race number "4" in the second row of the bingo card data 112, "12", "6", "8", "1", and "3" are registered in order from the first column. .

Although illustrations of the contents regarding the third and subsequent races are omitted, the same applies to the third and subsequent races. That is, the identification number of the racehorse is registered in the bingo card data 112 based on the results of sorting the vote count odds data for each race in ascending order of odds and descending order of vote count. Note that the reason for sorting not only by odds but also by the number of votes is to enable the number to be set in each column to be determined appropriately even when there are multiple racehorses with the same odds.

Note that the data structure of the bingo card data 112 is also used as information for managing bingo cards purchased by the user. As mentioned above, the user can also change the number of any square in the matrix displayed on the purchase screen to a desired number and make a purchase. In that case, the display control unit 122 stores the bingo card data 112 including the changed number in the storage unit 110 in association with the user's identification information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a bingo card creation screen.
The display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a bingo card creation screen 400 based on the bingo card data 112. The bingo card creation screen 400 is an example of the purchase screen 21 of the first embodiment. For example, the user can display the bingo card creation screen 400 on the terminal device 30 by logging into the voting support service provided by the server device 100 using the terminal device 30.

The bingo card creation screen 400 has a matrix display section 410 and buttons 420, 430, and 440. Matrix display section 410 is an area where a matrix is displayed. In the matrix, rows are associated with races, and columns are associated with order of arrival. In the example of matrix display section 410, race is abbreviated as "R". Each row of the matrix displays a race number such as "R1, R2, . . .", and each column displays the order of finish such as "1st, 2nd, . . .". The matrix display section 410 has a cursor 411. The cursor 411 is used by the user to select a row corresponding to any race.

The button 420 is a button for rearranging the numbers of racehorses corresponding to the finishing order of the race selected by the cursor 411 in the order of the current odds. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 420, the display control unit 122 causes the race information acquisition unit 121 to acquire the latest odds of the corresponding race from the external system 40. Then, the display control unit 122 displays a number based on the latest odds in each column of the row of the corresponding race in the matrix display unit 410.

The button 430 is a button for accepting a manual number change by the user for the race selected by the cursor 411. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 430, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen for changing the number for the corresponding race, and accepts the number change for the corresponding race using the screen. Further, when the number change by the user is completed, the display control unit 122 closes the number change screen and reflects the changed number for the corresponding race on the matrix display unit 410 of the bingo card creation screen 400.

The button 440 is a button for determining the contents of the matrix displayed on the matrix display section 410 and proceeding to the bingo card purchase process. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 440, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen for the user to perform bingo card purchase processing. When the user purchases a bingo card by credit card payment or the like, the display control unit 122 registers the information of the purchased bingo card in the storage unit 110 in association with the user's identification information.

Note that when any square in the matrix is touched on the bingo card creation screen 400, the display control unit 122 accepts the number written in the square as shown in FIG. 22, and displays the number corresponding to the number. The horse name and jockey name may be displayed in a pop-up.

Next, a processing procedure by the server device 100 will be explained. First, the procedure for creating a bingo card by the server device 100 will be explained.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of creating a bingo card.

When the server device 100 logs in using the terminal device 30, the server device 100 performs the following processing.
(S10) The display control unit 122 receives the designation of the event date and stadium from the terminal device 30.

(S11) The display control unit 122 sets the number N of squares of the matrix to be displayed on the matrix display unit 410. For example, N=5. The value of N is set in advance in the server device 100 by, for example, a competition organizer.

(S12) The race information acquisition unit 121 acquires the number of votes and odds for the corresponding race from the external system 40, and stores them in the storage unit 110 as vote count odds data. The relevant race is, for example, a race that starts after the current time on the event date and stadium specified in step S10. For example, if the race in question is the third race at Racecourse A on January 4, 2022, the race information acquisition unit 121 stores the vote count odds data 111 for the race in the storage unit 110.

(S13) The display control unit 122 sorts the vote count odds data for each race stored in the storage unit 110 in ascending order of odds and descending order of vote count.
(S14) The display control unit 122 stores the top N numbers, that is, the identification numbers of the racehorses, in the bingo card data 112.

(S15) The display control unit 122 determines whether steps S12 to S14 have been repeated N times. If the process is repeated N times, the process advances to step S16. If the process has not been repeated N times, the process advances to step S12. Note that when the process proceeds to step S12, in step S12, the race information acquisition unit 121 acquires, for example, information on a race to be started next to the currently acquired race.

(S16) The display control unit 122 causes the number to be displayed on the bingo card on the screen of the terminal device 30. That is, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display the bingo card creation screen 400 based on the bingo card data 112. On the bingo card creation screen 400, the display control unit 122 displays the identification numbers of racehorses in ascending order of odds for each race, from the earliest to the latest finish. For a plurality of racehorses with the same odds, the display control unit 122 displays the identification numbers of the racehorses in descending order of the number of votes, from the earliest finisher to the later finisher.

(S17) When the display control unit 122 receives the pressing operation of the button 440 on the bingo card creation screen 400 from the terminal device 30, the display control unit 122 performs a bingo card purchase process. When the bingo card purchase process is performed, the display control unit 122 stores the bingo card data 112 in the storage unit 110 in association with the user's identification information. Then, the bingo card creation process ends.

Next, a procedure for changing the number written on a purchased bingo card by the server device 100 will be explained.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of changing a bingo card.

(S20) The display control unit 122 receives the selection of the bingo card whose number is to be changed from the terminal device 30. For example, the display control unit 122 specifies bingo card data 112 corresponding to the purchased bingo card from the storage unit 110 in response to the selection. Then, based on the bingo card data 112, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen for accepting a change in the number of the bingo card.

(S21) The display control unit 122 receives from the terminal device 30 a selection of a row, ie, a race, for which the number is to be changed on the corresponding bingo card.
(S22) The race information acquisition unit 121 acquires information on the relevant race from the external system 40. The race information includes information on each item of the vote count odds data 111. The race information acquisition unit 121 updates the vote count odds data 111 corresponding to the race based on the acquired race information.

(S23) The display control unit 122 determines whether the deadline time>current time, that is, whether the current time is before the deadline time, based on the race information acquired in step S22. . If the current time is before the deadline time, the process advances to step S24. If the current time is after the deadline time, the process advances to step S21. If the current time is after the deadline time, the number for the race selected this time in step S21 cannot be changed.

(S24) The display control unit 122 accepts a change in the number in the row corresponding to the relevant race on the bingo card.
(S25) The display control unit 122 determines whether or not there is an error in the changed number. If there is an error, the number cannot be changed and the process proceeds to step S24. If there is no error, the process advances to step S26. Here, the error check in step S25 includes, for example, the following check.

The first check is whether the maximum number of races entered is greater than or equal to the number after the change. For example, in the first check, the display control unit 122 determines an error if the maximum number of racehorses to enter is 8 and the changed number is 10.

The second check is whether or not the changed number is the number of a racehorse whose entry has been canceled. The number of a racehorse whose entry has been canceled becomes a missing number in the vote count odds data 111. In the second check, the display control unit 122 determines an error if the changed number corresponds to a number that is missing in the vote count odds data 111.

The third check is to see if there are any duplicate numbers within the same race, that is, within the same row. In the third check, the display control unit 122 determines an error if there is a duplicate number within the same race, that is, within the same row.

(S26) The display control unit 122 changes and saves the corresponding bingo card. For example, the display control unit 122 changes the number to be changed set in the bingo card data 112 and saves it. Then, the bingo card change process ends.

In addition, in the process of creating a bingo card or changing a bingo card, the display control unit 122 may accept the user's selection of a free spot until the results of all races on the bingo card are determined. When a free spot is selected, the display control unit 122 records information about the free spot in the bingo card data 112. If a free spot is selected, the square of the free spot is validated, and it is determined whether the bingo card is a hit, that is, whether bingo is achieved.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a hit pattern.
FIG. 11A shows an example of a winning pattern of a bingo card including a matrix 410a in which no free spot is selected. FIG. 11(B) shows an example of a winning pattern of a bingo card including a matrix 410b in which a free spot is selected. In the matrices 410a and 410b, the numbers in the activated cells are circled. Furthermore, in the matrix 410b, squares selected as free spots and validated are shaded.

The matrix 410a is an example of a hit pattern in which activated cells are aligned diagonally. The matrix 410b is a hit pattern in which the free spot is designated as the fourth place in the second race, that is, the square in the second row and the fourth column, and the activated squares including the square of the free spot are aligned in the fourth column. This is an example. Free spots are activated regardless of the race result. Therefore, by selecting a free spot, the user can increase the expectation that the purchased bingo card will hit the mark. That is, by allowing the selection of free spots, the server device 100 can further increase the appeal of the competition for users.

Next, an example of transition of screens displayed on the terminal device 30 by the server device 100 will be described.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of screen transition.
The screens that the server device 100 displays on the terminal device 30 include an entrance screen 200, an event selection screen 300, a bingo card creation screen 400, a voting confirmation screen 500, a payment screen 600, a voting completion screen 700, and an event confirmation screen 800 during voting. include.

The entrance screen 200 is a screen that the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display immediately after the terminal device 30 logs into the server device 100. The display control unit 122 causes a transition to the event selection screen 300 in response to an operation on the entrance screen 200.

The event selection screen 300 is a screen for accepting the designation of the race date and stadium. The display control unit 122 causes a transition to a bingo card creation screen 400 in response to an operation on the event selection screen 300.

The bingo card creation screen 400 is a screen that accepts the aforementioned bingo card creation operation. The display control unit 122 causes a transition to a voting confirmation screen 500 in response to an operation on the bingo card creation screen 400.

The voting confirmation screen 500 is a screen that allows the user to confirm the bingo card created on the bingo card creation screen 400. The display control unit 122 causes a transition to a payment screen 600 in response to an operation on the vote confirmation screen 500.

The payment screen 600 is a screen that accepts the user's payment operation when purchasing a bingo card. The display control unit 122 causes a transition to a voting completion screen 700 in response to an operation on the payment screen 600.

The voting completion screen 700 is a screen that notifies the user that voting using the bingo card has been completed. In response to the operation on the voting completion screen 700, the display control unit 122 causes the screen to transition to the event confirmation screen 800 in which voting is in progress.

The event confirmation screen 800 during voting is a screen for presenting bingo cards that have been purchased by the user. The display control unit 122 causes a transition to the voting confirmation screen 500 in response to an operation on the event confirmation screen 800 during voting.

Note that the payment for the bingo card purchase amount may be performed at a stage after the voting confirmation screen 500 as described above, or at a stage after the event selection screen 300 and before transitioning to the bingo card creation screen 400. It may be done in

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the holding selection screen.
When the display control unit 122 receives a predetermined operation on the entrance screen 200, the display control unit 122 causes the event selection screen 300 to be displayed on the terminal device 30. The event selection screen 300 includes event selection forms 310 , 320 , 330 and a button 340 . Event selection forms 310, 320, and 330 are forms for accepting selections of event dates and stadiums for which bingo cards are to be purchased. The user can create a bingo card by selecting any one of event selection forms 310, 320, and 330. In FIG. 13, a case is illustrated in which event selection form 310 is selected among event selection forms 310, 320, and 330.

The button 340 is a button for confirming the selection on any of the holding selection forms 310, 320, and 330 and transitioning to the bingo card creation screen 400. Display control unit 122 causes bingo card creation screen 400 to be displayed on terminal device 30 when any one of event selection forms 310, 320, and 330 is selected and button 340 is pressed.

Note that an example of the bingo card creation screen 400 has already been explained with reference to FIG. On the bingo card creation screen 400, for example, bingo cards for N (for example, N=5) races to be held most recently are displayed. However, on the relevant event date and stadium, there may be more races than N as candidates for races to be voted on. In this case, the display control unit 122 may display the bingo card creation screen 400 on the terminal device 30 after receiving the user's selection of the race for which the bingo card is to be created.

Here, changing the matrix number on the bingo card creation screen 400 will be explained. For example, when the button 430 is pressed on the bingo card creation screen 400, the display control unit 122 accepts a number change as follows.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of number change on the bingo card creation screen.
Display control unit 122 causes terminal device 30 to display sub-screen 450 when button 430 is pressed on bingo card creation screen 400. The sub-screen 450 is a screen for accepting changes to the numbers for the races, ie, rows, selected on the bingo card creation screen 400. Note that the bingo card creation screen 400a is a screen that is displayed behind the sub-screen 450 and corresponds to the bingo card creation screen 400.

Sub-screen 450 accepts selection of a number to be changed in the selected row. The example of the sub-screen 450 shows a case where the number corresponding to the first place in the first race (1R) is selected as the change target. Sub-screen 450 has dialog 451 and buttons 452.

The dialog 451 selectably displays the horse name and jockey name corresponding to each number as a change destination candidate, and accepts the user's selection of the change destination number. The user can change the number of the square to be changed using the dialog 451 by selecting another number in the corresponding row. The button 452 is a button for confirming the changed number using the dialog 451, closing the sub-screen 450, and returning to the bingo card creation screen 400. When the button 452 is pressed, the changed number is displayed in the matrix on the bingo card creation screen 400.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a voting confirmation screen.
When the button 440 is pressed on the bingo card creation screen 400, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display the voting confirmation screen 500. The voting confirmation screen 500 has a matrix display section 510, a purchase amount display field 520, and buttons 530 and 540.

The matrix display section 510 is an area in which a matrix of the created bingo card is displayed. The matrix display section 510 has a cursor 511. The cursor 511 is used by the user to select a row corresponding to any race.

The purchase amount display field 520 is a form that accepts input of the purchase amount of the bingo card and displays the received purchase amount. For example, the larger the purchase amount, the more money will be refunded when the corresponding bingo card hits.

The button 530 is a button for accepting a manual number change by the user for the race selected by the cursor 511. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 530, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen for changing the number for the corresponding race, and accepts the number change for the corresponding race using the screen. For example, the number change screen may be a screen similar to sub-screen 450. When the number change by the user is completed, the display control unit 122 closes the number change screen and reflects the changed number for the corresponding race on the matrix display unit 510 of the voting confirmation screen 500.

The button 540 is a button for confirming the contents of the matrix displayed on the matrix display section 410 and proceeding to the bingo card purchase process. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 540, the display control unit 122 displays the payment screen 600 on the terminal device 30. When the user purchases a bingo card by credit card payment or the like, the display control unit 122 registers the information of the purchased bingo card in the storage unit 110 in association with the user's identification information.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a voting completion screen.
When the payment on the payment screen 600 is completed, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display the voting completion screen 700. The voting completion screen 700 has a voting confirmation field 710 and buttons 720 and 730. The voting confirmation field 710 is a field in which the date and stadium of the race for which the bingo card was purchased and information about the purchased bingo card are displayed. The button 720 is a button for moving from the voting completion screen 700 to the voting event confirmation screen 800. Button 730 is a button for proceeding to purchase a new bingo card. For example, when the display control unit 122 receives a press of the button 730, the display control unit 122 displays the event selection screen 300 on the terminal device 30, and proceeds to create a new bingo card.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of an event confirmation screen during voting.
When the button 730 is pressed on the voting completion screen 700, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display the event confirmation screen 800 in which voting is in progress. The event confirmation screen 800 during voting has a winning total display field 810, bingo card selection forms 820, 830, 840, and buttons 850, 860.

The total winning amount display field 810 is an area that displays the total amount of refunds for winning bingo cards among the bingo cards that the user has purchased, that is, the total winning amount. In the example of the hit total amount display column 810, since there are no winning bingo cards, the hit total amount is displayed as 0 yen.

The bingo card selection forms 820, 830, and 840 are forms for accepting the selection of purchased bingo cards. The user can select one of the bingo card selection forms 820, 830, and 840 to confirm the bingo card. FIG. 17 illustrates a case where bingo card selection form 820 is selected among bingo card selection forms 820, 830, and 840.

The button 850 is a button for confirming the selection on any of the bingo card selection forms 820, 830, and 840 and transitioning to the voting confirmation screen. When one of the bingo card selection forms 820, 830, and 840 is selected and the button 850 is pressed, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a voting confirmation screen for the corresponding bingo card.

Button 860 is a button for proceeding to purchase a new bingo card. For example, when the display control unit 122 receives a press of the button 860, the display control unit 122 displays the event selection screen 300 on the terminal device 30, and proceeds to create a new bingo card.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another example of the voting confirmation screen.
When the button 850 is pressed on the holding confirmation screen 800 during voting, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display the voting confirmation screen 500a. The voting confirmation screen 500a is a screen that displays the contents of the bingo card selected on the event confirmation screen 800 during voting. The voting confirmation screen 500a has a matrix display section 510a and buttons 550, 560, and 570.

The matrix display section 510a is an area where a matrix of a purchased bingo card is displayed. The matrix display section 510a has a cursor 512. The cursor 512 is used by the user to select a row corresponding to any race. In the matrix display section 510a, an example is shown in which the row of the second race (2R) is selected by the cursor 512. However, in the matrix display section 510a, the row of the finished race cannot be selected by the cursor 512.

In addition, in the matrix display section 510a, in the row of the race that has finished, the number of the square in which the finish order was correct is displayed in an emphasized manner, such as by being surrounded by a circle. Further, for example, in the matrix display section 510a, the numbers of the squares in which the order of arrival was not correct are displayed in a darkened state. In the example of the matrix display section 510a, the first race (1R) has been completed, the number "3" corresponding to the second place in the first race has been hit, and the numbers corresponding to the other places have been hit. The case where there was no such case is shown.

The button 550 is a button for rearranging the numbers of racehorses corresponding to the finishing order of the race selected by the cursor 512 in the order of the current odds. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 550, the display control unit 122 causes the race information acquisition unit 121 to acquire the latest odds of the corresponding race from the external system 40. Then, the display control unit 122 displays a number based on the latest odds in each column of the row of the corresponding race in the matrix display unit 510a.

The button 560 is a button for accepting a manual number change by the user for the race selected by the cursor 512. When the display control unit 122 receives a press operation on the button 560, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a screen for changing the number for the corresponding race, and accepts the number change for the corresponding race using the screen. The screen for changing the number may be a screen similar to sub-screen 450. Further, when the number change by the user is completed, the display control unit 122 closes the number change screen and reflects the changed number for the corresponding race on the matrix display unit 510a of the voting confirmation screen 500a.

The button 570 is a button for determining the contents of the matrix displayed on the matrix display section 510a and completing the modification of the bingo card. When the display control section 122 receives a press operation on the button 570, the display control section 122 applies the modification of the number to the bingo card data 112 corresponding to the bingo card in question and stores it in the storage section 110.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing another example of the event confirmation screen during voting.
The display control unit 122 may cause the terminal device 30 to display the event confirmation screen 800a during voting. The event confirmation screen 800a during voting includes a display for a bingo card in which all the races listed have been completed. The event confirmation screen 800a during voting includes a total winning amount display field 870 and bingo card selection forms 880, 890 in place of the total winning amount display field 810 and bingo card selection forms 820, 830 on the event confirmation screen 800 during voting. has.

In the total hit amount display column 870, since there are bingo cards purchased by the user that have been hit, that is, bingo, the total amount of the refund according to the purchase price of the bingo card is displayed. .

In the bingo card selection forms 880 and 890, identification information indicating "hit" is displayed for a winning bingo card, that is, a bingo card that has become a bingo. Note that the examples of the bingo card selection forms 840, 880, and 890 show a state in which the bingo card selection form 840 is selected.

When one of the bingo card selection forms 840, 880, and 890 is selected and the button 850 is pressed, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display a voting confirmation screen for the corresponding bingo card.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a display example of winning bingo cards on the voting confirmation screen.
When the button 850 is pressed with the bingo card selection form 840 selected on the event confirmation screen 800a during voting, the display control unit 122 causes the terminal device 30 to display the voting confirmation screen 500b. The voting confirmation screen 500b is a screen that displays the contents of the bingo card selected on the event confirmation screen 800a during voting. The voting confirmation screen 500b includes a matrix display section 510b, a purchase amount display field 520, a refund amount display field 580, and a button 590.

The matrix display section 510b is an area where the matrix of the winning bingo card is displayed. In the example of the matrix display section 510b, in each row of the five completed races, the number of the square in which the finish order was correct is highlighted, such as by being surrounded by a circle. In the example of the matrix display section 510b, all the 2nd place numbers in the five races are activated, and the activated numbers in the columns corresponding to the 2nd place in each race are aligned vertically, making it possible to hit the bingo card. In other words, it is bingo.

The purchase amount display column 520 is a column in which the purchase amount of the bingo card displayed on the matrix display section 510b is displayed. Note that the purchase amount cannot be changed from the purchase amount display field 520 on the vote confirmation screen 500b.

The refund amount display column 580 is a column in which the refund amount for the purchase price of the bingo card is displayed. The refund amount is calculated according to the purchase price of the bingo card according to predetermined rules. The button 590 is a button for returning to the event confirmation screen 800a during voting.

Note that the display control unit 122 changes the display of the matrix display unit 510b to the display of the second and subsequent bingo cards by accepting an operation input such as a horizontal swipe operation by the user on the matrix display unit 510b, for example. You may also transition to . In that case, the display control unit 122 also switches the display of the purchase amount display field 520 and the refund amount display field 580 to those of the corresponding bingo card.

In this way, the server device 100 can assist the user in easily purchasing bingo cards and confirming winning bingo cards.
Note that in the matrix of the second embodiment, rows are associated with races, and the direction from the left to the right of the column toward the matrix is from the earliest to the latest finish. The display method is not limited to the above example.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another example of the matrix.
FIG. 21(A) illustrates a matrix 901. In the matrix 901, columns correspond to races, and the direction from the top to the bottom of the rows corresponds to the direction from the earliest to the latest finish. The display control unit 122 may display the matrix 901 on the bingo card creation screen 400 and the voting confirmation screens 500, 500a, and 500b. Further, the order of the races associated with each column in the matrix 901 may be changed to any order. Furthermore, in the matrix 901, the direction from the bottom of the row to the top may be associated with the direction from the earliest to the latest arrival order.

FIG. 21(B) illustrates the matrix 902. In the matrix 902, the rows correspond to races, and the direction from right to left of the columns toward the matrix 902 corresponds to the direction from the earliest to the latest finish. The display control unit 122 may display the matrix 902 on the bingo card creation screen 400 and the voting confirmation screens 500, 500a, and 500b. Further, the order of the races associated with each row in the matrix 902 may be changed to any order.

Furthermore, we have shown an example of a normal matrix in which the row and column directions in the matrix correspond to the vertical and horizontal directions of the screen, respectively. It does not have to match the vertical and horizontal directions of the screen. For example, the direction in which the lines are arranged may be determined in any direction on the screen. If the first direction on the screen is defined as the direction in which rows are arranged, then the second direction orthogonal to the first direction is the direction in which columns are arranged.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another display example of the bingo card creation screen.
As described above, when any square in the matrix is touched on the bingo card creation screen 400, the display control unit 122 accepts the number written in the square and displays the horse name and jockey name corresponding to the number. You may display a pop-up 411a showing. That is, when the display control unit 122 receives an operation for specifying the identification information of any participant displayed on the bingo card purchase screen, the display control unit 122 displays the name of the participant that corresponds to the identification information of the designated participant. , may be displayed on the purchase screen. Thereby, the user can easily confirm the name of the runner corresponding to the identification information written in the matrix. Note that, for example, when the runner is a horse, the name of the runner may be the name of the horse or the name of the jockey riding the horse. Further, the pop-up 411a may display at least one of a horse name or a jockey name.

By the way, in publicly managed sports such as horse racing and bicycle racing, competition fans vote by predicting who will be running in the race, such as racehorses and competitors, and how the participants will finish. On the other hand, to perform such voting, competition fans need knowledge about the competition. For example, competition fans have to research the past race results, characteristics, and abilities of the runners, and make predictions based on the research results, which takes time and effort to vote. In addition, there are voting methods for competitions such as a one-win style where only 1st place is selected for a certain race, and a continuous winning style where the winner is selected for 1st, 2nd, or 1st to 3rd place, etc., and competition fans need to have knowledge of voting methods. . This makes it difficult for beginners to participate in voting. Therefore, a wide range of users, including beginners, are not able to fully enjoy the appeal of competitions through voting.

For this reason, the server device 100 enables voting in a bingo game format using a matrix in which rows or columns are associated with races and columns or rows are associated with the order of finish, so that knowledge of the competition can be compared. To support even users with limited ability to enjoy competitions.

At this time, in a general bingo game, all squares (for example, 25 squares if the matrix is 5 rows and 5 columns) are always candidates for winning. On the other hand, in a bingo game system that associates rows and columns with races and columns or rows with order of finish, the winning candidates for each race are the squares in the row corresponding to the race (in the second embodiment). In the example, there are only 5 squares). Therefore, the probability of winning is lower than in a general bingo game, which may make it less attractive to users.

Therefore, on the bingo card purchase screen, the server device 100 displays the identification information of each of the runners with the lowest odds for each race in the matrix of the bingo card, from the one with the earliest finish to the one with the lowest odds. Display them in order. The odds of the main participants are set to be lower as the number of votes increases. In the race results, the more votes the runners have, the higher the probability that they will rank in the top. Therefore, it is possible to increase the probability of winning by arranging the identification information of the runners in descending order of odds, from earliest to latest finish, and voting.

Therefore, on the bingo card purchase screen, the server device 100 displays the identification information of the runners in a matrix in descending order of odds, from the earliest to the latest, so that the probability of winning is relatively high. Predicted voting tickets can be presented to users. For example, by purchasing the presented bingo card, the user can increase his or her expectation that the bingo card will hit the mark as a result of the competition. That is, the server device 100 can improve the user's interest in the competition. In this way, the server device 100 can increase the appeal of the competition to a wide range of users, including beginners with little knowledge of the competition.

Note that the bingo card creation screens 400, 400a and the vote confirmation screens 500, 500a described above are both examples of bingo card purchase screens. Further, as described above, the server device 100 is an example of the information processing device 10 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, it can be said that the terminal device 30 is also an example of the information processing device 10 of the first embodiment.

When displaying the purchase screen, the server device 100 may accept changes to the identification information of the runners displayed in the matrix. In this way, the server device 100 can provide the user with an opportunity to predict the outcome of the race by allowing the user to register the identification information of the participant desired by the user on the bingo card, that is, the voting ticket. , it is possible to further enhance the appeal of the competition for users.

The server device 100 may store matrix information corresponding to a bingo card, that is, a voting ticket, purchased by a user using the purchase screen in the storage unit 110 in association with the user's identification information. Thereby, the server device 100 can appropriately manage bingo cards, ie, voting tickets, for each user, and can accept operations such as editing the bingo card for each user. As a result, the server device 100 can further enhance the appeal of the competition for users.

The server device 100 uses the identification information of the runners corresponding to the race, which is included in the matrix information stored in the storage unit 110, according to the user's instructions, until the current time reaches the voting deadline for the race. changes may be accepted. In this way, the server device 100 can provide the user with an opportunity to predict the outcome of the race by allowing the user to flexibly change the identification information of the participant on the bingo card, that is, the voting ticket. This can further enhance the appeal of the competition for people.

At this time, the server device 100 may change the identification information of the runners corresponding to the race, which is included in the matrix information, based on the current odds corresponding to the race in accordance with the user's instructions. good. Thereby, the server device 100 can further increase the user's expectation that the purchased voting ticket will be a hit, and can further increase the appeal of the competition for the user.

Further, the odds are calculated according to the number of votes for each participant in the relevant race, and become smaller as the number of votes for the relevant participant increases. Odds may be rounded up or down in calculations. Therefore, in the purchase screen displayed by the server device 100, there may be two or more runners with the same odds in a certain race. In this case, the server device 100 displays the identification information of each of the two or more runners in the matrix in the order of the number of votes for each of the two or more runners, from the earliest to the last in the matrix. let As a result, even if the display order of the identification information of the runners cannot be determined based on the odds alone, the server device 100 adjusts the display order according to the number of votes of the two or more runners so that the probability of winning is high. Able to make appropriate decisions. As a result, the server device 100 can further enhance the appeal of the competition for users.

Further, the server device 100 may accept a selection of a free spot from the matrix indicating an element to be activated regardless of the results of each of a plurality of races in determination of bingo achievement. Here, the "element" in the matrix is the identification information of a certain runner displayed in the matrix, or the square in the matrix in which the identification information is written. Thereby, the server device 100 can improve the user's expectations for winning or bingo, and can further increase the appeal of the competition for the user. For example, the server device 100 may add information indicating a free spot selected by the user to information on a bingo card, that is, a voting ticket, purchased by the user, and store the added information in the storage unit 110.

Furthermore, when displaying the purchase screen, the server device 100 associates the rows in the matrix with races, the columns with the order of finish in the race, and the direction from the left to the right of the column toward the purchase screen with the order of finish with the earliest finish. The direction may be from the slowest direction to the slowest direction. Thereby, the server device 100 can improve the ease of viewing the matrix for the user.

Note that the information processing in the first embodiment can be realized by causing the processing unit 12 to execute a program. Further, the information processing according to the second embodiment can be realized by causing the CPU 101 to execute a program. The program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium 53.

For example, the program can be distributed by distributing the recording medium 53 on which the program is recorded. Alternatively, the program may be stored in another computer and distributed via a network. For example, the computer may store (install) a program recorded on the recording medium 53 or a program received from another computer in a storage device such as the RAM 102 or the HDD 103, and read and execute the program from the storage device. good.

10 Information Processing Device 11 Storage Unit 11a Odds Information 12 Processing Unit 20 Display Device 21 Purchase Screen 21a Matrix

Claims (9)

The computer is
Displaying on a display device a voting ticket purchase screen for a bingo game using the finishing order of each of a plurality of races;
The purchase screen displays a matrix in which rows or columns are associated with races, columns or rows are arranged in accordance with the order of finish in the race, and identification information of each of the plurality of participants in the race is displayed. are displayed in the matrix in descending order of odds corresponding to each of the plurality of runners, from the earliest to the latest finish in the race in the matrix,
How to display bingo games. In the display of the purchase screen, a change in the identification information of the runner in the matrix is accepted;
The bingo game display method according to claim 1. The computer further includes:
storing information in the matrix corresponding to the voting ticket purchased by the user using the purchase screen in a storage unit in association with identification information of the user;
Until the current time reaches the voting deadline for the race, the identification information of the runners corresponding to the race, which is included in the information in the matrix stored in the storage unit, is changed according to instructions from the user. accept,
The bingo game display method according to claim 1. In the change according to the user's instruction, the identification information of the runner corresponding to the race, which is included in the information in the matrix, is changed based on the current odds corresponding to the race.
The bingo game display method according to claim 3. In the display of the purchase screen, when an operation for specifying the identification information of any of the runners displayed on the purchase screen is received, the name of the runner corresponding to the specified identification information of the runner is displayed. to be displayed on the purchase screen;
The bingo game display method according to claim 1. In the display on the purchase screen, if there are two or more runners with the same odds among the plurality of runners in the race, the runners are selected from the earliest to the last in the matrix. displaying identification information of each of the two or more running entities in the matrix in descending order of the number of votes for each of the two or more running entities;
The bingo game display method according to claim 1. The computer further includes:
Accepting the selection of a free spot from the matrix that indicates an element to be activated regardless of the results of each of the plurality of races in determining bingo achievement;
The bingo game display method according to claim 1. In the display of the purchase screen, the rows are associated with the races, the columns are associated with the order of finish in the race, and the direction from left to right of the columns toward the purchase screen is from the earliest finish. The direction is towards the slower side,
The bingo game display method according to claim 1. to the computer,
Displaying on a display device a voting ticket purchase screen for a bingo game using the finishing order of each of a plurality of races;
The purchase screen displays a matrix in which rows or columns are associated with races, columns or rows are arranged in accordance with the order of finish in the race, and identification information of each of the plurality of participants in the race is displayed. are displayed in the matrix in descending order of odds corresponding to each of the plurality of runners, from the earliest to the latest finish in the race in the matrix,
A program that executes processing.

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