JP2024055666A - System, method, and program for managing item transactions - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To support favorable pricing in item transactions.
SOLUTION
A transaction management server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention provides a transaction management service that manages item transactions (listing and purchase) to a user operating a user terminal 30 communicatively connected via a communication network 20. When accepting an item being offered for sale by a user, the server 10 sets the listing price of the item so that it is within a range based at least on the purchase price of the item by the user, so that a user offering an item for sale can set the listing price within a range based on the purchase price of the item.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a system, method, and program for managing item transactions.

Various technologies for managing item transactions have been proposed in the past. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a system for revitalizing in-game transactions in online games. In this system, a price list to be used is specified from among multiple price lists in which the listing price is set for each item, and the listing price of the item is set according to the specified price list. This mechanism can encourage the setting of appropriate listing prices.

JP 2021-000246 A

However, in the conventional systems described above, the listing price is set according to a price list, which prevents users from freely setting prices, and this can inhibit active transactions. Therefore, it is desirable to achieve a good balance between setting prices within an appropriate range and ensuring the freedom to set said prices.

One of the objects of the embodiments of the present invention is to support good pricing in the trading of items. Other objects of the embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the entire specification.

A system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a system for managing transactions of items, comprising one or more computer processors, the one or more computer processors executing, in response to execution of readable instructions, a step of accepting an offering of a specific item by a first user and a step of accepting a purchase by a second user of the specific item offered by the first user, the step of accepting an offering by the first user including setting an offering price of the specific item within a first range based at least on a first purchase price of the specific item by the first user.

A method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a method for managing transactions of items, executed by one or more computers, comprising the steps of accepting an offering of a specific item by a first user and accepting a purchase by a second user of the specific item offered by the first user, the step of accepting an offering by the first user including setting an offering price for the specific item within a first range based at least on a first purchase price of the specific item by the first user.

A program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a program for managing item transactions, which causes one or more computers to execute the steps of accepting a listing of a specific item by a first user and accepting a purchase by a second user of the specific item listed by the first user, and the step of accepting an listing by the first user includes setting the listing price of the specific item to be within a first range based at least on a first purchase price of the specific item by the first user.

Various embodiments of the present invention aid in better pricing in the trading of items.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a network including a transaction management server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a user information table 151. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by an item information table 153. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of information managed by a transaction management table 155. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a top screen 45. A figure showing an example of an item purchase (primary distribution) screen 50. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a purchase confirmation screen 60. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the server 10 in response to the purchase of an item. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an item purchase (secondary distribution) screen 70. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a purchase confirmation screen 80. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an auction item selection screen 90. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a price setting screen 200. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a range setting rule regarding the settable range of the selling price of an item.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals may be used to denote the same or similar components.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a network including a transaction management server 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the server 10 is communicatively connected to a user terminal 30 via a communication network 20 such as the Internet. Although only one user terminal 30 is shown in Figure 1, the server 10 is communicatively connected to a plurality of user terminals 30. The server 10 provides a transaction management service that manages item transactions (listing and purchases) to a user operating the user terminal 30. The transaction management server 10 is an example of a device that implements all or part of the system of the present invention.

First, the hardware configuration of the transaction management server 10 will be described. The transaction management server 10 is configured as a general computer, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a computer processor 11, a main memory 12, an input/output I/F 13, a communication I/F 14, and a storage (memory device) 15, and these components are electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

The computer processor 11 is configured as a CPU or GPU, etc., and loads various programs stored in the storage 15, etc., into the main memory 12 and executes various instructions contained in the programs. The main memory 12 is configured, for example, from a DRAM, etc.

The input/output I/F 13 includes various input/output devices for exchanging information with an operator, etc. The input/output I/F 13 includes, for example, information input devices such as a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), an audio input device such as a microphone, and an image input device such as a camera. The input/output I/F 13 also includes an image output device such as a display, and an audio output device such as a speaker.

The communication I/F 14 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these, and is configured to realize wired or wireless communication via a communication network 20, etc.

The storage 15 is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk, a flash memory, etc. The storage 15 stores various programs including an operating system and various data. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the storage 15 has a user information table 151 that manages information about users of the transaction management service in this embodiment, an item information table 153 that manages information about items to be traded, and a transaction management table 155 that manages information about individual transactions. In addition, for example, the storage 15 stores a server-side program 40 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The program 40 is a program that causes the transaction management server 10 to function as all or part of a system for providing a transaction management service. At least a part of the server-side program 40 can be configured to be executed on the user terminal 30 via a terminal-side program 42 described later.

In this embodiment, the transaction management server 10 may be configured using multiple computers, each of which has the hardware configuration described above. For example, the server 10 may be configured by one or multiple server devices.

The transaction management server 10 configured in this manner can be configured to function as a web server and an application server, and executes various processes in response to requests from a terminal-side program 42 installed in the user terminal 30, and transmits screen data (e.g., HTML data) and control data, etc., according to the results of the processes, to the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 outputs a web page or other screen based on the received data.

Next, the hardware configuration of the user terminal 30 will be described. The user terminal 30 is configured as a general computer, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a computer processor 31, a main memory 32, an input/output I/F 33, a communication I/F 34, and a storage (memory device) 35, and these components are electrically connected via a bus or the like (not shown).

The computer processor 31 is configured as a CPU or GPU, and loads various programs stored in the storage 35, etc., into the main memory 32 and executes various commands contained in the programs. The main memory 32 is configured, for example, from a DRAM, etc.

The input/output I/F 33 includes various input/output devices for exchanging information with an operator, etc. The input/output I/F 33 includes, for example, information input devices such as a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse, a touch panel, etc.), a voice input device such as a microphone, and an image input device such as a camera. The input/output I/F 33 also includes an image output device such as a display, and an audio output device such as a speaker.

The communication I/F 34 is implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, various communication software, or a combination of these, and is configured to realize wired or wireless communication via the communication network 20, etc.

Storage 35 is configured, for example, by a magnetic disk or flash memory. Storage 35 stores various programs including an operating system and various data. The programs stored in storage 35 can be downloaded and installed from an application market, etc. Storage 35 also stores terminal-side program 42. This program 42 is configured as a web browser or other application (for example, an application for the transaction management service of this embodiment), and can be configured to execute at least a part of the server-side program 40 as described above.

In this embodiment, the user terminal 30 may be configured as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable device, a personal computer, or the like.

A user operating a user terminal 30 configured in this manner can use the transaction management service provided by the server 10 by communicating with the server 10 via a terminal-side program 42 installed in the storage 35 or the like.

Next, the functions of the transaction management server 10 configured in this manner will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the computer processor 11 of the server 10 is configured to function as a management function control unit 111 and a transaction management unit 113 by executing instructions contained in a program (e.g., at least a part of the server-side program 40) loaded into the main memory 12.

The management function control unit 111 is configured to execute various processes related to the control of the management functions of the transaction management service provided by the server 10. For example, the management function control unit 111 transmits screen data and control data of various screens related to the management functions to the user terminal 30, executes various processes in response to operation input by the user via the screens output on the user terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the user terminal 30. The management functions controlled by the management function control unit 111 include, for example, login processing (user authentication), billing control, and user account management.

The transaction management unit 113 is configured to execute various processes for providing the transaction management service in this embodiment. For example, the transaction management unit 113 transmits screen data and control data of various screens for providing the service to the user terminal 30, executes various processes in response to operation input by the user via the screen output on the user terminal 30, and transmits screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the user terminal 30.

In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 113 is configured to accept items offered for sale by users. For example, the transaction management unit 113 transmits screen data and control data for a screen for accepting the offering of items to the user terminal 30, and accepts the offering of items by users via the screen output on the user terminal 30. Information regarding the accepted offerings is managed, for example, in the transaction management table 155.

The transaction management unit 113 is also configured to accept purchases of the listed items. For example, the transaction management unit 113 transmits screen data and control data for a screen for accepting purchases of items to the user terminal 30, and accepts purchases of items by users via the screen output on the user terminal 30. For example, the screen displays a list of multiple items that are each listed by multiple users.

In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 113 is configured to set the listing price of the item when accepting the listing of an item by a user so that it is within a range based at least on the purchase price of the item by the user. This range can also be called the settable range of the listing price, and typically includes the above-mentioned purchase price within the range. Such a settable range is set, for example, according to a predetermined rule based at least on the purchase price. For example, the listing price is input by the user via a screen for accepting the listing of items, and the screen can be configured to accept listing prices within the above-mentioned settable range, but not accept (reject) listing prices outside the range. The purchase price of a specific item by a specific user is managed, for example, in the item information table 153 or the transaction management table 155.

In this way, when accepting an item offered for sale by a user, the transaction management server 10 in this embodiment sets the listing price of the item so that it is within a range based at least on the purchase price of the item by that user, allowing the user offering the item to set the listing price within a range based on the purchase price of the item. As a result, a good balance is achieved between setting a price within an appropriate range and ensuring the freedom to set the price; in other words, the transaction management server 10 supports good price setting in item transactions.

In the transaction management service of this embodiment, the items to be traded include various types of items, for example, real goods. Also, for example, the items to be traded include electronic and virtual digital content, for example, in-game items used in a game. In this case, the game may be provided to a user operating a user terminal 30 by the transaction management server 10, or may be provided by another server, etc. Also, for example, the items to be traded include non-fungible tokens (NFTs) items associated with NFTs managed on a blockchain. Such a configuration enables support for good pricing in the transactions of various types of items.

In this embodiment, the settable range of listing prices may be based on at least the period of time that the user has owned the item (e.g., the number of days in possession) in addition to the purchase price of the item by the corresponding user. The period of time that a particular user has owned a particular item is calculated based on the purchase date of the item, which is managed, for example, in item information table 153 or transaction management table 155. This configuration makes it possible to set a price within a range based on the period of time that the item has been owned.

For example, the system may be configured so that the longer a user has possessed an item, the wider the range of the price that the user can set for that item. This configuration reduces large short-term fluctuations in the listing price of a particular item, because the shorter the period the item has been possessed, the narrower the range of the price that can be set. Conversely, the system may also be configured so that the longer the period the item has been possessed, the narrower the range of the price that can be set.

The settable range of the listing price may also be based on a range based on the purchase price of the item by the corresponding user and a range associated with the item. In this case, the settable range is configured, for example, as the intersection or union of these two ranges (the range based on the purchase price and the range associated with the item). When the settable range is configured as the intersection of two ranges, the range associated with the item can also be said to be the range from the minimum listing price to the maximum listing price set for the item. This configuration makes it possible to set a price within a range based on the range associated with the item.

Furthermore, the transaction management server 10 may be configured to set the listing price of an item when a second user purchases an item listed by a first user and the second user lists the item so that the listing price is within a settable range based at least on the purchase price of the item by the first user and the purchase price of the item by the second user. In this case, the settable range of the listing price by the second user may be configured to be based on a range based on the purchase price of the first user and a range based on the purchase price of the second user, and may be configured as, for example, the intersection or union of these two ranges. Such a configuration enables price setting within a range based on the purchase prices of the first and second users.

Furthermore, when a second user purchases an item listed by a first user and lists the item, the transaction management server 10 can be configured to set the listing price of the item within a settable range based at least on a predetermined price associated with the item (e.g., a selling price in a primary distribution market based on a list price, etc.) and the purchase price of the item by the second user. In this case, the settable range of the listing price by the second user can be configured to be based on a range based on the predetermined price and a range based on the purchase price of the second user, and is configured as, for example, the intersection or union of these two ranges. Such a configuration enables price setting within a range based on the price associated with the item and the purchase price of the second user.

Next, a specific example of one aspect of the transaction management server 10 of this embodiment having such functions will be described. In this example, the transaction management service provided by the transaction management server 10 manages transactions of in-game items used in a game. The game is provided by the transaction management server 10, that is, the server 10 provides a game in which the item to be traded is used in addition to the transaction management service, and the computer processor 11 of the server 10 also functions as a game progress control unit for controlling the progress of the game. The game progress control unit is configured to execute various processes for controlling the progress of the game, for example, to transmit screen data and control data of various screens related to the game to the user terminal 30, execute various processes in response to operation input by the user via the screen output on the user terminal 30, and transmit screen data and control data according to the results of the processes to the user terminal 30. Note that in another example of this embodiment, the game in which the item to be traded is used is provided by a server other than the transaction management server 10.

First, the information managed by each table in this example will be described. Figure 2 illustrates the information managed by user information table 151 in this example. User information table 151 in this example manages information related to users of the transaction management service, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as account name, "basic information" including date of birth, "Ethereum address," and "number of points held" indicating the number of points held, which is the in-game currency, in association with a "user account" that identifies an individual user. In this example, the user account is used not only for using the transaction management service, but also for playing the game.

In this example, the in-game items being traded are configured as NFT items associated with NFTs managed on Ethereum, a blockchain platform.

3 illustrates information managed by the item information table 153 in this example. The item information table 153 in this example manages information about the item to be traded, and as shown in the figure, manages information such as an "item type" indicating the type of item, a "primary distribution sales price" which is the selling price in primary distribution, a "minimum selling price" which is the lower limit of the selling price in secondary distribution, a "maximum selling price" which is the upper limit of the selling price in secondary distribution, a "possessing user account" which identifies the user who currently possesses the corresponding item, a "possession start date" which is the date on which the user began possessing the item, and a "possessing user purchase price" which is the purchase price of the item by the user, in association with a "token ID" which identifies an individual item. The token ID identifies the NFT associated with the item in Ethereum, and is assigned in response to the issuance of the NFT. In this example, the currency used in the item transaction is in-game currency (points), and the primary distribution sales price, minimum selling price, and maximum selling price are set in in-game currency. In another example of this embodiment, the currency used to trade items may be Ether (ETH), a cryptocurrency (virtual currency) in Ethereum, or real currency.

In this example, the items managed in the item information table 153 are multiple items that can be used in the game, and are set in advance by the operator of the game (and the transaction management service). NFTs for each of these multiple items are issued in advance by the server 10, and specifically, are issued as NFTs owned by the Ethereum address of the game operator. In addition, the primary distribution sales price, minimum listing price, and maximum listing price are set in advance by the game operator as a seller in the primary distribution market.

Figure 4 illustrates information managed by the transaction management table 155 in this example. The transaction management table 155 in this example manages information about individual transactions carried out in the transaction management service, and as shown, manages information such as an "exhibition destination type" indicating whether the item is being sold in the primary or secondary market, a "token ID" identifying the item being sold, "seller information" which is information about the seller, "exhibition price", "purchaser information" which is information about the purchaser, and "purchase date and time" in association with an "exhibition ID" which identifies an individual item being sold. When the item is being sold in the primary distribution market, the seller information is set to identify the operator of the game that is the seller in the primary distribution market, and when the item is being sold in the secondary distribution market, information such as a user account which identifies the user who put the item up for sale is set to the seller information.

In this example, when an item is put up for sale on the primary secondary market by the game operator, the listing is registered in the transaction management service 155, and specifically, a new record is inserted in the table 155, and the listing ID, listing destination type, token ID, seller information, and listing price are set. The listing price is set to the primary secondary sales price managed in the item information table 153. Such listing on the primary secondary market is typically done in bulk for multiple items.

Above, we have explained the information managed by each table in this example. Next, we will explain the processing executed by the transaction management server 10 and the screens output on the user terminal 30 in this example.

Figure 5 shows an example of a top screen 45 displayed on the user terminal 30. This screen 45 is the starting point for using the transaction management service in this example, and as shown in the figure, has a first button 451, which is an object for purchasing an item from the primary distribution market, a second button 452, which is an object for purchasing an item from the secondary distribution market, and a third button 453, which is an object for listing an item on the secondary distribution market.

When the first button 451 on the top screen 45 is selected, an item purchase (primary distribution) screen 50, as shown in FIG. 6, is displayed in place of the screen 45. The screen 50 is a screen for purchasing items from the primary distribution market, and as shown in the figure, has a list display area 52 that displays a list of items being offered for sale on the primary distribution market by the game operator, and a back button 54. Items being offered for sale on the primary distribution market are identified by referring to the transaction management table 155; specifically, items corresponding to an offering with a "primary distribution market" destination type and blank purchaser information and purchase date and time (i.e., unpurchased items) are identified as items being offered for sale on the primary distribution market.

In the list display area 52, a number of individual display areas 521, each of which corresponds to an individual item, are arranged vertically in three columns. The individual display areas 521 display an image, token ID, and selling price (listing price) corresponding to the type of item. The type of item is managed in the item type field of the item information table 153.

When one of the individual display areas 521 arranged in the list display area 52 is selected, a purchase confirmation screen 60 as shown in FIG. 7 is output and superimposed. As shown in the figure, the screen 60 has an information display area 62 that displays information about the corresponding item (the item displayed in the selected individual display area 521), a purchase button 64, and a back button 66. The information display area 62 displays an image, token ID, selling price, description, etc. corresponding to the type of the corresponding item.

The purchase button 64 is an object for purchasing the corresponding item. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the process executed by the server 10 in response to the selection of the purchase button 64 (i.e., the purchase of the item). The server 10 first registers the transaction of the item as shown in the figure (step S100). Specifically, the purchaser information of the corresponding item and the purchase date and time are updated in the transaction management table 155, and the possessing user account, possession start date, and possessing user purchase price of the corresponding item are updated in the item information table 153. Also, in the user information table 151, the number of points corresponding to the price of the purchased item is subtracted from the number of points held by the corresponding user. The user who purchased the item can use the item in the game.

Then, the server 10 records the transaction of the NFT corresponding to the purchased item (step S110). Specifically, a transaction to change the owner (Ethereum address) of the corresponding NFT from the game operator to the corresponding user is recorded on the Ethereum blockchain. The recording of such a transaction is performed via the corresponding smart contract.

Returning to the top screen 45 of FIG. 5, when the second button 452 on the screen 45 is selected, an item purchase (secondary distribution) screen 70 as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed in place of the screen 45. The screen 70 is a screen for purchasing items from the secondary distribution market, and as shown, has a list display area 72 that displays a list of items being offered for sale on the secondary distribution market by users of the transaction management service, and a back button 74. Items being offered for sale on the secondary distribution market are identified by referring to the transaction management table 155; specifically, items corresponding to an offering with a "secondary distribution market" destination type and blank purchaser information and purchase date and time are identified as items being offered for sale on the secondary distribution market.

In the list display area 72, a number of individual display areas 721, each corresponding to an individual item, are arranged vertically in three columns. The individual display areas 721 display an image corresponding to the type of item, a token ID, and a selling price.

When one of the individual display areas 721 arranged in the list display area 72 is selected, a purchase confirmation screen 80 as shown in FIG. 10 is output and superimposed. As shown in the figure, the screen 80 has an information display area 82 that displays information about the corresponding item (the item displayed in the selected individual display area 721), a purchase button 84, and a back button 86. The information display area 82 displays an image, token ID, selling price, seller, description, etc. corresponding to the type of the corresponding item.

A history button 821 is also located on the right edge of the information display area 82. This button 821 is an object for checking the history of the holder of the corresponding item (a list of past holders up to that point). When the history button 821 is selected, a screen (not shown) is output that displays a list of the history of the holders of the corresponding item. The history of the holder of a specific item is identified by referring to the token ID and purchaser information, etc. in the transaction management table 155.

The purchase button 84 is an object for purchasing the corresponding item. When the button 84 is selected, the server 10 registers the transaction of the item and records the transaction of the corresponding NFT, as illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 8, in the same manner as when the purchase button 64 on the purchase confirmation screen 60 described above is selected.

Specifically, in the transaction management table 155, the purchaser information and purchase date and time of the corresponding listing are updated, and in the item information table 153, the possessing user account, possession start date, and possessing user purchase price of the corresponding item are updated. In addition, in the user information table 151, the number of points corresponding to the price of the purchased item is subtracted from the number of points held by the purchaser, and this number of points (or the number of points obtained by subtracting the number of points equivalent to the fee) is added to the number of points held by the seller. In addition, a transaction to change the owner (Ethereum address) of the corresponding NFT from the seller of the item to the buyer is recorded on the Ethereum blockchain.

Returning to the top screen 45 of FIG. 5, when the third button 453 on the screen 45 is selected, a listing item selection screen 90 as shown in FIG. 11 is displayed in place of the screen 45. The screen 90 is a screen for listing items on the secondary distribution market, and as shown, has a list display area 92 that displays a list of items owned by the user, and a price setting button 94. Items owned by a specific user are identified by referencing the owning user account in the item information table 153.

In the list display area 92, a number of individual display areas 921, each of which corresponds to an individual item, are arranged vertically in three columns. The individual display areas 921 display an image corresponding to the type of item and a token ID. In the list display area 92, the user selects an individual display area 921 that corresponds to the item to be put up for sale.

The price setting button 94 is an object for setting the price (listing price) of the item being put up for sale. When the price setting button 94 is selected while any of the individual display areas 921 arranged in the list display area 92 is selected, a price setting screen 200 as shown in FIG. 12 is output and superimposed. As shown in the figure, the screen 200 has an information display area 202 that displays information about the corresponding item (the item displayed in the selected individual display area 921), a price input area 204 for inputting the listing price, and a list button 206. The information display area 202 displays an image, token ID, description, etc. corresponding to the type of the corresponding item.

In this example, the price input area 204 is configured so that a value within the settable range of the listing price can be entered, but a value outside that range cannot be entered (e.g., an error message is displayed). Information indicating this settable range is displayed above the area 204, and in the example of Figure 12, the text "<Please set the price within the range of 500 to 3500 pts>" is displayed.

In this example, the settable range of the item's selling price is set to the intersection of the following three ranges:

(1) A range based on the primary distribution price of the item. (2) A range based on the purchase price of the user who puts it up for sale. (3) A range from the lowest to highest selling price of the item.

Here, the primary distribution sales price of the item, the purchase price of the user putting up the item (i.e., the user who owns the item at that time), and the minimum and maximum selling prices of the item are managed in item information table 153. Note that if the user putting up the item purchased the item from the primary distribution market, the "primary distribution sales price" and the "purchase price of the user putting up the item" will be the same amount.

Figure 13 illustrates the setting rules for "(1) range based on the primary distribution sales price of the item" and "(2) range based on the purchase price of the user who puts up the item" in this example. As shown in the figure, these ranges are set as price ranges based on the corresponding prices for each period of possession of the item. Specifically, the above-mentioned ranges of (1) and (2) are within ±20% of the corresponding price when the possession period is 30 days or less, within ±40% of the corresponding price when the possession period is 31 to 60 days, and within ±60% of the corresponding price when the possession period is 61 to 90 days. In addition, if the possession period is 91 days or more, the ranges of (1) and (2) are not set (in this case, "(3) range from the lowest to highest selling price of the item" is the possible setting range of the selling price as it is). The possession period of the item is calculated based on the possession start date in the item information table 153.

For example, consider the following situation.

・Possession period: 40 days ・Primary distribution price: 500 points
・Seller purchase price: 400 points
・Minimum listing price: 100 points
・Highest price: 5,000 points

In this situation, the "(1) range based on the primary distribution sales price of the item" is "300 to 700 pt (within 500 pt ±40%)," the "(2) range based on the purchase price of the user putting up the item" is "240 to 560 pt (within 400 pt ±40%)," and the "(3) range from the lowest to highest listing price of the item" is "100 to 5000 pt." The intersection of these ranges, "300 to 560 pt," is the possible range for setting the listing price.

In another example of this embodiment, the settable range of the listing price is the intersection of the union of the ranges (1) and (2) above and the range (3). In this case, in the above situation, the settable range of the listing price is "240-700 pts", which is the intersection of the union of the ranges (1) and (2) "240-700 pts" and the range (3) "100-5000 pts".

In this example, the same rule (the rule illustrated in FIG. 13) is applied as the setting rule for "(1) range based on the primary distribution sales price of the item" and "(2) range based on the purchase price of the user putting up the item," but in other examples of this embodiment, different rules may be applied as these setting rules.

Returning to the price setting screen 200 in FIG. 12, when a price within the settable range is entered in the price input area 204 and the list button 206 is selected, the corresponding item is put up for sale. Specifically, a new record is inserted into the transaction management table 155, and the listing ID, listing destination type, token ID, seller information, and listing price are set. Once an item is put up for sale, the item becomes a display target in the list display area 72 of the item purchase (secondary distribution) screen 70.

In the above example, the common part of the ranges (1) to (3) above is set as the settable range of the listing price of the item, but the settable range of the listing price may be set in other ways. For example, the common part of the ranges (2) and (3) may be set as the settable range without considering the range (1). Also, instead of or in addition to the range (1) above, "(4) a range based on the purchase price of the item by the seller (the owner immediately before the owner at that time) when the listing user purchased the item" may be considered.

In the above example, in-game items are used as the items to be traded, but in other examples of this embodiment, various digital contents other than in-game items may be used as the items to be traded. Also, real-world goods may be used as the items to be traded. Also, the items to be traded do not need to be managed in association with NFTs.

When accepting an item for sale by a user, the transaction management server 10 according to the present embodiment described above sets the listing price of the item so that it is within a range based at least on the purchase price of the item by that user, so that the user who puts up an item can set the listing price within a range based on the purchase price of the item. As a result, a good balance is achieved between setting a price within an appropriate range and ensuring the freedom to set the price; in other words, the transaction management server 10 supports good price setting in item transactions.

In other embodiments of the present invention, some or all of the functions of the transaction management server 10 in the above-described embodiments may be realized by cooperation between the transaction management server 10 and the user terminal 30, or may be realized by the user terminal 30.

The processes and procedures described in this specification may be realized by software, hardware, or any combination thereof, other than those explicitly described. For example, the processes and procedures described in this specification may be realized by implementing logic equivalent to the processes and procedures in a medium such as an integrated circuit, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or magnetic disk. In addition, the processes and procedures described in this specification may be implemented as a computer program equivalent to the processes and procedures, and executed by various computers.

Although the processes and procedures described herein are described as being performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software, multiple components, and/or multiple modules. Also, the software and hardware elements described herein may be realized by integrating them into fewer components or breaking them down into more components.

In this specification, even if a component of the invention is described as either singular or plural, or described without being limited to either singular or plural, the component may be either singular or plural unless the context requires otherwise.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Transaction management server 11 Computer processor 111 Management function control unit 113 Transaction management unit 15 Storage 151 User information table 153 Item information table 155 Transaction management table 30 User terminal 40 Server-side program 42 Terminal-side program 45 Top screen 50 Item purchase (primary distribution) screen 60 Purchase confirmation screen 70 Item purchase (secondary distribution) screen 80 Purchase confirmation screen 90 Exhibit item selection screen 200 Price setting screen

Claims (16)

1. A system for managing a transaction of an item, comprising one or more computer processors, the one or more computer processors, in response to execution of readable instructions, comprising:
Accepting a listing of a specific item by a first user;
accepting a purchase by a second user of the specific item put up for sale by the first user;
The step of accepting the listing by the first user includes setting a listing price of the specific item within a first range based at least on a first purchase price of the specific item by the first user.
system. The particular item is digital content.
The system of claim 1. The specific item is an in-game item used in the game.
The system of claim 2. The particular item is associated with a non-fungible token managed on a blockchain.
The system of claim 1. the first range is based at least on the first purchase price as well as a period of time the first user has owned the particular item;
The system of claim 1. The first range becomes wider as the period of possession of the specific item becomes longer.
The system of claim 5. the first range is based on a second range based at least on the first purchase price and a third range associated with the particular item;
The system of claim 1. the first range is an intersection or union of the second range and the third range;
The system of claim 7. The one or more computer processors further execute a step of accepting a listing of the specific item by the second user;
The step of accepting the listing by the second user includes setting a listing price of the specific item within a fourth range based at least on the first purchase price and a second purchase price of the first item by the second user.
The system of claim 1. the fourth range is based on a fifth range based at least on the first purchase price and a sixth range based at least on the second purchase price;
The system of claim 9. The fourth range is an intersection or union of the fifth range and the sixth range.
The system of claim 10. The one or more computer processors further execute a step of accepting a listing of the specific item by the second user;
The step of accepting the listing by the second user includes setting a listing price of the specific item within a fourth range based at least on a predetermined price associated with the specific item and a second purchase price of the first item by the second user.
The system of claim 1. the fourth range is based on a fifth range based at least on the predetermined price and a sixth range based at least on the second purchase price;
13. The system of claim 12. The fourth range is an intersection or union of the fifth range and the sixth range.
The system of claim 13. 1. A method, executed by one or more computers, for managing a trade of an item, comprising:
Accepting a listing of a specific item by a first user;
and accepting a purchase by a second user of the specific item put up for sale by the first user;
The step of accepting the listing by the first user includes setting a listing price of the specific item within a first range based at least on a first purchase price of the specific item by the first user.
Method. A program for managing transactions of items, comprising:
Accepting a listing of a specific item by a first user;
accepting a purchase by a second user of the specific item put up for sale by the first user;
The step of accepting the listing by the first user includes setting a listing price of the specific item within a first range based at least on a first purchase price of the specific item by the first user.
program.