Score calculation system, score calculation method, and program

Abstract

A more reliable score regarding environmental protection can be assigned to a product or service. [Solution] The score calculation system comprises: a score data storage unit that stores score data associating environmental protection standards with scores assigned to products or services when those standards are met; a product data storage unit that stores product data relating to the target product or service; a product score calculation unit that calculates the product score of the target based on the score data stored in the score data storage unit and the product data stored in the product data storage unit; an environmental score calculation unit that calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status and product score for the target; and an environmental score output unit that outputs the environmental score.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a score calculation system, a score calculation method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the trend of an economic society that strengthens global connections and a digital society that develops day by day, the proposition of how to pursue people's happiness without exceeding planetary boundaries (the limits of the earth) has been imposed. In such a world, the utilization of the concept of "circular economy" and the utilization of "personal data" that effectively and efficiently links various individual hobbies, preferences, and values to outputs are inevitably expected to progress.

[0003] On the other hand, currently, the value of people and things is sometimes scored, and the score is used like a status (for example, the score of word-of-mouth). For example, there is a case where a person's credit score is used for credit management in the financial industry. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for calculating a user's environmental credit score based on data of environmental activities such as home, energy, transportation, waste, food, and shopping.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, consumers have no way of verifying whether the assigned score is reasonable, and it remains unclear whether higher scores actually contribute more to environmental protection. Therefore, trust in the scores themselves is low, and they have not led to changes in user behavior. To achieve the carbon-neutral world envisioned by various countries, mechanisms are needed that lead to changes in user behavior.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a scoring system, a scoring method, and a program that can assign a more reliable score to a product or service regarding environmental protection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a score calculation system comprising: a score data storage unit that stores score data associating environmental protection standards with a score assigned to a product or service when the standards are met; a product data storage unit that stores product data relating to an object that is a product or service in question; a product score calculation unit that calculates a product score for the object based on the score data stored in the score data storage unit and the product data stored in the product data storage unit; an environmental score calculation unit that calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status of the object and the product score; and an environmental score output unit that outputs the environmental score.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a score calculation method performed by a computer, which includes referring to a score data storage unit that stores score data associating environmental protection standards with a score assigned to a product or service when the standards are met, and a product data storage unit that stores product data relating to an object which is a product or service in question, and calculating a product score for the object based on the score data and the product data, calculating an environmental score based on the user's purchase status for the object and the product score, and outputting the environmental score.

[0009] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to refer to a score data storage unit that stores score data associating environmental protection standards with a score assigned to a product or service when the standards are met, and a product data storage unit that stores product data relating to an object that is a product or service in question, and to calculate a product score for the object based on the score data and the product data, calculate an environmental score based on the user's purchase status of the object and the product score, and output the environmental score. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As explained above, this invention makes it possible to assign a more reliable score regarding environmental protection to a product or service. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates the overview of the score calculation system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the score calculation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the data structure and data example of the score table according to this embodiment. [Figure 4]This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation when calculating product scores and person scores in the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of the flow of the environmental score calculation process performed by the environmental score management device according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is an image diagram showing an example of a display screen for showing the environmental score according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the score calculation system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation when calculating product scores and person scores in the score calculation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation when acquiring consumption information in the score calculation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of the flow of the environmental score calculation process performed by the environmental score management device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, a score calculation system, score calculation method, and program according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [First Embodiment] First, we will describe the score calculation system, score calculation method, and program according to the first embodiment.

[0014] <Configuration of the score calculation system> FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the score calculation system 1 according to the first embodiment. The score calculation system 1 is an information processing system that calculates an environmental score regarding environmental conservation for products or services provided by businesses such as manufacturers. The environmental score may represent, for example, the degree of contribution to environmental conservation or the degree of reduction of environmental load. The object for which the environmental score is calculated is the target product or the target service. In this embodiment, the case of calculating the environmental score for a product will be described as an example, but it is not limited to this, and the environmental score can be similarly calculated for a service. The score calculation system 1 collects content data regarding the content of a product produced or sold by a manufacturer and packaging data regarding the packaging material, and calculates a product score regarding the environmental conservation of the product itself by performing data analysis. In addition, the score calculation system 1 collects purchase data and consumption data of a product by a user who is a consumer, and calculates a person score regarding the environmental conservation of each user by performing data analysis. Then, the score calculation system 1 is a system that calculates an environmental score based on the product score and the person score, and presents and feeds back the calculated environmental score to the manufacturer and the user.

[0015] <Configuration of Score Calculation System> FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the score calculation system 1 includes a product score management device 10, a manufacturer terminal 11, a producer terminal 12, a person score management device 20, a personal ID database 21, an environmental score management device 30, and a user terminal 40. The product score management device 10, the manufacturer terminal 11, the producer terminal 12, the person score management device 20, the personal ID database 21, the environmental score management device 30, and one or more user terminals 40 communicate wired or wirelessly via the network NW and are connected to be able to transmit and receive various data to and from each other.

[0016] The network NW may be any one of the Internet, a public wireless communication network (PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network), a local area network (LAN), a virtual private network (VPN), or any combination thereof.

[0017] The manufacturer terminal 11 is an information terminal device used by a person in charge of the manufacturer of the target product to which an environmental score is to be assigned. The manufacturer terminal 11 is, for example, an information terminal device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal device, or a mobile phone (including a so-called smartphone). For example, the manufacturer terminal 11 accepts input of the product ID of the target product, the packaging material (hereinafter referred to as the "packaging material"), and the amount of its use. The product ID is identification information for identifying each target product. Then, the manufacturer terminal 11 transmits packaging material data including the input product ID, packaging material, and the amount of its use to the product score management device 10.

[0018] The producer terminal 12 is an information terminal device used by a producer of the contents of the target product or the like. The producer terminal 12 is, for example, an information terminal device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal device, or a mobile phone (including a so-called smartphone). For example, the producer terminal 12 accepts input of the product ID of the target product and information regarding the contents. Then, the producer terminal 12 transmits contents data including the input product ID and information regarding the contents to the product score management device 10.

[0019] In this embodiment, a case where the manufacturer terminal 11 and the producer terminal 12 are different information terminal devices will be described as an example. However, both the packaging material data and the contents data may be input to the manufacturer terminal 11 or another information terminal device (for example, an information terminal device used by a business operator selling the target product, etc.). In this case, the manufacturer terminal 11 and the producer terminal 12 can be integrated.

[0020] <Configuration of the product score management device> The product score management device 10 is an information processing device that calculates the product score for each product. The product score is a score related to environmental protection for the product itself. The product score management device 10 comprises a packaging material database 101, a contents database 102, a score table 103, a packaging score calculation unit 104, a contents score calculation unit 105, a product score calculation unit 106, a product score output unit 107, and a product score database 108.

[0021] The packaging material database 101 is a database that stores packaging material data for each product. The contents database 102 is a database that stores contents data for each product. The packaging material database 101 and the contents database 102 correspond to product data storage units that store product data (packaging material data and contents data) related to products. The score table 103 (score data storage unit) stores score data that associates environmental protection standards with scores assigned to products or services when those standards are met. For example, the score table 103 is a data table that represents the standards or rules for calculating product scores.

[0022] (Score Table) Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure and data example of the score table 103 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the score table 103 has data items for criteria and assigned scores. Criteria are the criteria or rules for assigning scores. Assigned scores are the number of points awarded when the criteria are met. For example, if the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission reduction is "less than 25%", the assigned score is "0", if it is "20% to 30%", the assigned score is "5", and if it is "50% or more", the assigned score is "50". In other words, in this example, the greater the CO2 emission reduction, the higher the assigned score. That is, the assigned score is higher the greater the amount of reduction in environmental burden (higher contribution to environmental conservation).

[0023] The packaging score calculation unit 104 calculates a packaging score, which is a score for the packaging materials of the target product. For example, the packaging score calculation unit 104 calculates a higher packaging score the more environmentally friendly the materials used for the packaging (e.g., recycled materials, plant-derived materials, recyclable materials, etc.) are. Specifically, the packaging score calculation unit 104 reads the packaging material data of the target product from the packaging material database 101 and calculates the packaging score based on the read packaging material data and the score table 103. For example, the packaging score calculation unit 104 calculates the total value of the assigned scores corresponding to the criteria that the packaging materials of the target product meet.

[0024] The contents score calculation unit 105 calculates a contents score, which is a score for the contents of the target product. For example, the contents score calculation unit 105 calculates a higher contents score the lower the environmental impact during the manufacturing of the contents (for example, the greater the reduction in greenhouse gases). Specifically, the contents score calculation unit 105 reads the packaging material data of the target product from the packaging material database 101 and calculates a packaging score based on the read packaging material data and the score table 103. For example, the packaging score calculation unit 104 calculates the total value of the assigned scores corresponding to the criteria that the contents of the target product meet.

[0025] The product score calculation unit 106 calculates the product score of the target product based on the packaging score and the contents score. For example, the product score calculation unit 106 may use the sum of the packaging score and the contents score, or a statistical value (such as the mean or median), as the product score, or it may calculate the product score using a formula that assigns weights to the packaging score and the contents score, respectively. The product score calculation unit 106 writes the calculated product score to the product score database 108, associating it with the product ID.

[0026] The product score output unit 107 outputs the calculated product score. For example, the product score output unit 107 may display the product score on a display device provided as hardware by the product score management device 10, such as a display device or a touchscreen (touch panel), or it may output the product score as sound from an audio output device such as a speaker. Alternatively, the product score calculation unit 106 may transmit the product score to an external device (for example, a manufacturer terminal 11, a user terminal 40, an environmental score management device 30, or a human score management device 20, etc.) via a network NW.

[0027] The product score database 108 is a database that stores the product score for each product. For example, the product score database 108 stores each product's product ID in association with its product score.

[0028] The storage unit of the product score management device 10 (including the packaging material database 101, contents database 102, score table, and product score database 108) is composed of storage media such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a combination thereof. The storage unit of the product score management device 10 stores programs for executing various processes to realize the functions of the product score management device 10, and temporary data used when performing various processes.

[0029] The functional units of the product score management device 10 (including the packaging score calculation unit 104, the contents score calculation unit 105, the product score calculation unit 106, and the product score output unit 107) are realized by having the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) provided as hardware in the product score management device 10 execute programs stored in the memory unit of the product score management device 10.

[0030] The user terminal 40 is an information terminal device used by each user. The user terminal 40 is, for example, an information terminal device such as a personal computer, a tablet device, or a mobile phone (including a so-called smartphone). For example, the user terminal 40 transmits purchase data representing information about products purchased by the user to the person score management device 20. The purchase data includes at least the product ID of the product purchased by the user and the date and time of purchase of the product. The user terminal 40 may also transmit data related to environmental conservation activities performed by the user to the person score management device 20.

[0031] <Configuration of the Human Score Management System> The user score management device 20 is an information processing device that calculates the user score for each user. The user score is a score related to the user's environmental conservation activities. The product score management device 10 comprises an environmental activity data acquisition unit 201, a user score calculation unit 202, a user score output unit 203, and a user score database 204.

[0032] The environmental activity data acquisition unit 201 acquires environmental activity data related to environmental conservation activities carried out by users. For example, the environmental activity data acquisition unit 201 receives purchase data from the user terminal 40 and, based on the received purchase data, acquires the product score (environmental activity data) of the products purchased by the user from the product score management device 10. Alternatively, the environmental activity data acquisition unit 201 may receive data from the user terminal 40 or the like regarding other environmental conservation activities performed by the user (for example, "afforestation" or "thinning" to conserve forests, or volunteer activities such as "litter picking" or "beautification activities" to keep the environment clean). The environmental activity data acquisition unit 201 also acquires a personal ID that identifies the user of the purchase data from the personal ID database 21. A personal ID is a unique personal number assigned to every user. The personal ID database 21 is a database that manages personal IDs.

[0033] The Human Score Calculation Unit 202 calculates a user's Human Score based on the acquired environmental activity data. For example, the Human Score Calculation Unit 202 reads the Human Score of the acquired individual ID from the Human Score Database 204 and adds the acquired product score to the read Human Score. In other words, the Human Score Calculation Unit 202 adds the product score of the products the user has purchased to the Human Score. As a result, users who purchase many products with high product scores will have a higher Human Score. The Human Score Calculation Unit 202 may also add scores corresponding to other environmental conservation activities performed by the user to the Human Score. The Human Score Calculation Unit 202 writes the calculated Human Score to the Human Score Database 204, associating it with the individual ID.

[0034] The human score output unit 203 outputs the calculated human score. For example, the human score output unit 203 may display the human score on a display device provided as hardware by the human score management device 20, such as a display device or a touchscreen (touch panel), or it may output the human score as sound from an audio output device such as a speaker. Alternatively, the human score output unit 203 may transmit the human score to an external device (for example, the environment score management device 30 or the user terminal 40) via a network NW.

[0035] The user score database 204 is a database that stores each user's user score. For example, the user score database 204 stores each user's personal ID in association with their user score.

[0036] The storage unit (including the human score database 204) of the human score management device 20 is composed of storage media such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a combination thereof. The storage unit of the human score management device 20 stores programs for executing various processes to realize the functions of the human score management device 20, and temporary data used when performing various processes.

[0037] The functional units of the human score management device 20 (including the environmental activity data acquisition unit 201, the human score calculation unit 202, and the human score output unit 203) are realized by having the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) provided as hardware in the human score management device 20 execute programs stored in the memory unit of the human score management device 20.

[0038] <Configuration of the Environmental Score Management System> The environmental score management device 30 is an information processing device that calculates the environmental score for each product. The environmental score management device 30 comprises a product score data acquisition unit 301, a human score data acquisition unit 302, an environmental score calculation unit 303, and an environmental score output unit 304.

[0039] The product score data acquisition unit 301 acquires the environmental scores of one or more target products from the product score management device 10 via the network NW. For example, the product score data acquisition unit 301 sends a request including the product ID of the target product to the product score management device 10 via the network NW, and receives data representing the environmental score of the target product in response.

[0040] The user score data acquisition unit 302 acquires the user scores of all or some users from the user score management device 20 via the network NW. For example, the user score data acquisition unit 302 sends a request for user scores to the product score management device 10 via the network NW and receives data representing the user scores of all or some users in response.

[0041] The environmental score calculation unit 303 calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status and product score for the target product. For example, the environmental score calculation unit 303 calculates the environmental score for the target product based on the acquired product score and user score. More specifically, it calculates the environmental score based on the purchase status of users belonging to categories based on user scores. An example of the purchase status of users belonging to categories based on user scores is the purchase rate of users with a user score of 500 or higher. In this case, the environmental score calculation unit 303 may calculate the environmental score based on the purchase status of users weighted by category. For example, the environmental score calculation unit 303 may categorize (group) users into groups based on user scores of less than 500, 500 to less than 600, and 600 or higher, and calculate the environmental score by assigning heavier weights to groups with higher user scores.

[0042] The environmental score output unit 304 outputs the calculated environmental score. For example, the environmental score output unit 304 may display the environmental score on a display device provided as hardware by the environmental score management device 30, such as a display device or a touchscreen (touch panel), or it may output the environmental score as sound from an audio output device such as a speaker. Alternatively, the environmental score output unit 304 may transmit the environmental score to an external device (for example, a manufacturer terminal 11 or a user terminal 40) via a network NW. Furthermore, the environmental score output unit 304 may display the environmental score of the target product on a website accessible to the manufacturer or user.

[0043] The storage unit of the environmental score management device 30 is composed of storage media such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a combination thereof. The storage unit of the environmental score management device 30 stores programs for executing various processes to realize the functions of the environmental score management device 30, and temporary data used when performing these various processes.

[0044] The functional units of the environmental score management device 30 (including the product score data acquisition unit 301, the human score data acquisition unit 302, the environmental score calculation unit 303, and the environmental score output unit 304) are realized by having the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) provided as hardware in the environmental score management device 30 execute programs stored in the memory unit of the environmental score management device 30.

[0045] <How the score calculation system works> Next, the operation of the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation when calculating product scores and person scores in the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0046] As shown in the diagram, the manufacturer terminal 11 receives input from the manufacturer's representative regarding the packaging materials and their usage for the target product, and transmits the packaging material data, including the product ID, packaging materials, and their usage, to the product score management device 10 (step S101). The product score management device 10 receives the packaging material data from the manufacturer terminal 11 and writes the received packaging material data to the packaging material database 101.

[0047] Furthermore, the producer terminal 12 receives input from the producer regarding the contents of the target product and the amount used, and transmits the product ID of the target product and contents data, including information about the contents, to the product score management device 10 (step S102). The product score management device 10 receives the contents data from the producer terminal 12 and writes the received contents data to the contents database 102.

[0048] The product score management device 10 calculates the product score of the target product (step S103). Specifically, first, the packaging score calculation unit 104 of the product score management device 10 calculates the packaging score based on the product's packaging material and its usage, and the score table 103. For example, if the product uses packaging made of "non-petroleum-derived materials," the packaging score calculation unit 104 refers to the score assigned to the packaging material "non-petroleum-derived materials" in the score table 103 and obtains a score of "3" as the packaging score, corresponding to its usage of "10-20% of the total."

[0049] Furthermore, the contents score calculation unit 105 calculates the contents score based on the contents of the product and the score table 103. For example, if a product has a reduction in CO2 emissions during the manufacturing of its contents (compared to FY2013), the contents score calculation unit 105 refers to the score table 103 for the score corresponding to the "CO2 emission reduction (compared to FY2013)" and obtains a score of "5" corresponding to the reduction of "25-30%" as the contents score. Then, the product score calculation unit 106 calculates the product score based on the packaging score and the contents score. For example, the product score calculation unit 106 calculates a product score of "8" by adding the packaging score of "3" and the contents score of "5". The product score calculation unit 106 writes the calculated product score to the product score database 108, associating it with the product ID of the target product.

[0050] On the other hand, when the user purchases the target product, they launch a payment service application on the user terminal 40 to make a payment using electronic money or the like (step S104). The user terminal 40 executes the program of the payment service application in response to the user's input instructions.

[0051] Then, the user uses the payment service app to pay for the target product (step S105). The user terminal 40 executes the payment process for the target product by running the program of the payment service app.

[0052] In the processes described in steps S104 to S105 above, electronic payment is performed using a payment service application, but payment may also be made using other payment methods such as cash, credit card, or gift certificates. In this case, the user may register the contents of the receipt (purchase data) directly to the user terminal 40 using a dedicated application after payment. At that time, the user does not have to register all the contents of the receipt, but may register only the receipt number or an image of the receipt taken by scanning it. When the contents of the receipt registered in the user terminal 40 by some method are transmitted to the human score management device 20, the contents of the receipt are compared with the POS data stored in the POS system at the register, and the result of the comparison is stored in the human score management device 20 as purchase data.

[0053] Once the payment process is complete, the user terminal 40 transmits purchase data, including the user's personal ID, the product ID and quantity of the purchased items, the date and time of purchase, and information about the store where the purchase was made, to the user score management device 20 (step S106).

[0054] The user score management device 20 receives purchase data from the user terminal 40 and requests the product score of the product ID (the product purchased by the user) included in the purchase data from the product score management device 10 (step S107).

[0055] The product score management device 10 reads the product score of the target product from the product score database 108 in response to a request from the human score management device 20, and transmits the read product score to the human score management device 20 (step S108).

[0056] The user score management device 20 receives the product score of the target product and calculates the user score based on the received product score (step S109). Specifically, first, the user score calculation unit 202 reads the user score corresponding to the personal ID included in the purchase data from the user score database 204. Then, the user score calculation unit 202 updates the user score by adding the received product score to the read user score. The user score calculation unit 202 overwrites the user score database 204 with the updated user score.

[0057] Next, the user score management device 20 notifies the manufacturer's terminal 11 of the target product manufacturer of the user's user score, the date and time of purchase of the target product, and store information (step S110). The date and time of purchase of the target product and store information are included in the purchase data. After that, the score calculation system 1 terminates processing.

[0058] By transmitting the user score and purchase data to the manufacturer's terminal 11 in this way, the manufacturer of the target product can obtain information such as the user score, purchase date and time, and store information of users who purchased the target product. This allows the manufacturer to analyze at what time of day, in what region, and by what level of user score the target product is being purchased.

[0059] Furthermore, the user score management device 20 may transmit the user's user score to the user terminal 40 upon request from the user terminal 40. This allows each user to refer to their own user score. For example, users may be more inclined to buy products with relatively high product scores in order to increase their user score, thus enabling the use of user scores as an incentive for environmental conservation activities.

[0060] The processes in steps S101 to S110 described above may be executed in a different order, and some processes may be omitted. For example, the processes in step S101 and step S102 may be executed in reverse order.

[0061] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the environmental score calculation process performed by the environmental score management device 30 according to this embodiment. The environmental score management device 30 performs the environmental score calculation process shown in this figure at predetermined intervals (for example, every week, every month, etc.) or at predetermined timings (for example, when an instruction is input by an operator, etc.).

[0062] First, the product score data acquisition unit 301 acquires the product scores of one or more target products from the product score management device 10 (step S201).

[0063] Next, the human score data acquisition unit 302 acquires the human scores of all or some users from the human score management device 20 (step S202).

[0064] Next, the environmental score calculation unit 303 calculates the environmental score for each target product based on the acquired product score and user score (step S203). For example, the environmental score calculation unit 303 multiplies the product score by the purchase rate of the target product by users whose user score is above a predetermined threshold (e.g., 500). The purchase rate is, for example, the percentage of people who purchased the target product. For example, if the product score is "10" and the purchase rate of the target product is "94%", the environmental score is "10 × 0.94 = 9.4". In other words, the higher the purchase rate of users with relatively high user scores, the higher the environmental score, and the lower the purchase rate of users with relatively high user scores, the lower the environmental score. In this embodiment, the environmental score calculation unit 303 calculates the environmental score based on the purchase rate of users with a user score of 500 or higher, but it is not limited to this, and it is acceptable to use any method based on the purchase status of users with relatively high user scores, such as being in the top 10% of users.

[0065] The environmental score calculation unit 303 is not limited to the calculation examples described above. For example, it may categorize (group) users based on their human score and calculate the environmental score based on the purchase rate for each category (group). In this case, the environmental score calculation unit 303 may assign weights to each category. For example, the environmental score calculation unit 303 may group users into those with a human score of less than 500, those with a human score of 500 or more but less than 600, and those with a human score of 600 or more, and calculate the purchase rate R1 for users with a human score of less than 500, the purchase rate R2 for users with a human score of 500 or more but less than 600, and the purchase rate R3 for users with a human score of 600 or more. The environmental score calculation unit 303 may then calculate the environmental score S using the following formula (1), etc.

[0066] S=S0×R1×W1+S0×R2×W2+S0×R3×W3 …(1)

[0067] Here, S0 is the product score, W1 is the weight for a person score of less than 500, W2 is the weight for a person score of 500 or more but less than 600, and W3 is the weight for a person score of 600 or more. W1 is less than W2, and W2 is less than W3 (W1 <W2<W3)。

[0068] Next, the environmental score output unit 304 displays the environmental score of the target product (step S204). After that, the environmental score management device 30 terminates the environmental score calculation process.

[0069] (Screen display example) Figure 6 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of a display screen 300 that displays environmental scores according to this embodiment. For example, the environmental score output unit 304 displays the environmental scores of multiple target products in a way that allows for comparison with each other. In the display screen 300 illustrated in the figure, the environmental score output unit 304 lists the rank, product name, product score, support rate (purchase rate) of human score 500 or higher, and environmental score of each target product in a ranking format. For example, the environmental score output unit 304 may rank each target product in descending order of environmental score and display the higher-ranked products preferentially (for example, at the top or highlighted) in the list. Alternatively, the environmental score output unit 304 may display rankings for each product category.

[0070] In the data example shown on display screen 300, the product score of product rank "1" ("10") is lower than the product score of product rank "2" ("15"), but the support rate of product rank "1" ("94%) is higher than that of product rank "2" ("60%), resulting in an environmental score of "9.4" for product rank "1" being higher than the product score of product rank "2" ("9.0"). As a result, the ranking of product score and environmental score are reversed for product rank "1" and product rank "2". Thus, the environmental score changes depending on the support rate of users with high human scores. In other words, the higher the purchase rate of users who are actively engaged in environmental conservation activities (for example, frequently purchasing products with relatively high product scores), the higher the environmental score will be.

[0071] The environmental score output unit 304 may display the display screen 300 on an external device such as a manufacturer terminal 11 or a user terminal 40. For example, the environmental score output unit 304 may post the contents of the display screen 300 on a predetermined website. This allows users and manufacturer representatives to check the environmental score of each product. For example, users can use this ranking as an indicator for purchasing products. For example, users will actively purchase high-ranking products, i.e., products that contribute more to environmental conservation, in order to increase their environmental score. As a result, the environmental score can be used to change user behavior toward the realization of a carbon-neutral world. Furthermore, manufacturers can use the rank, support rate, and environmental score of their products as a reference for product development, such as reviewing the packaging materials and contents of their products. In other words, manufacturers will be encouraged to make further efforts to improve the environmental score of each product, and environmental conservation activities toward the realization of a carbon-neutral world can be rapidly advanced.

[0072] As described above, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment includes a score data storage unit (score table 103) that stores score data that associates environmental protection standards with scores assigned to products or services when those standards are met; a product data storage unit (packaging material database 101 or contents database 102) that stores product data relating to the target product or service; a product score calculation unit 106 that calculates the product score of the target based on the score data and product data; an environmental score calculation unit 303 that calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status and product score for the target; and an environmental score output unit 304 that outputs the environmental score.

[0073] With this configuration, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment can calculate an environmental score that reflects the user's purchasing behavior. This makes it possible to assign a more reliable environmental protection score to a product or service.

[0074] Furthermore, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment further comprises an environmental activity data acquisition unit 201 that acquires environmental activity data related to environmental conservation activities by each user, and a person score calculation unit 202 that calculates a person score for each user based on the environmental activity data, and the environmental score calculation unit 303 calculates an environmental score based on the product score and the person score.

[0075] With this configuration, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment can calculate a more reliable environmental score that reflects the user's environmental conservation activities by combining the person score and the product score.

[0076] Furthermore, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment calculates an environmental score based on the purchase status of users belonging to categories based on the human score.

[0077] With this configuration, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment can calculate an environmental score based on the purchase status of users with relatively high human scores (for example, above a predetermined threshold (e.g., 500)). This makes it possible to calculate an environmental score that more appropriately reflects the user's environmental conservation activities and purchase status, such as assigning a higher environmental score to items that are purchased more frequently by users who engage in more environmental conservation activities.

[0078] Furthermore, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status, which is weighted for each category.

[0079] With this configuration, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment can calculate the environmental score by assigning heavier weight to the purchasing behavior of users with higher human scores, for example. This makes it possible to calculate an environmental score that more appropriately reflects the user's environmental conservation activities and purchasing behavior.

[0080] Furthermore, in the case where the object is a product, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment calculates the product score of the product based on a score based on the product's packaging material and a score based on the product's contents.

[0081] With this configuration, the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment can calculate a product score related to environmental protection for the entire product, including its packaging materials and contents. Therefore, it is possible to calculate a more reliable product score.

[0082] [Second Embodiment] Next, a score calculation system, score calculation method, and program according to the second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the score calculation system 1 calculates the environmental score based on the product score and the person score. However, in this embodiment, the environmental score is calculated using user consumption information of the target product in addition to the product score and the person score, which is different from the first embodiment.

[0083] <Configuration of the score calculation system> Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the score calculation system 1A according to the second embodiment. In this figure, components similar to those in the score calculation system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In addition to the configuration of the score calculation system 1 according to the first embodiment, the score calculation system 1A includes a consumption detection sensor 51 and a consumption information management device 50.

[0084] The consumption detection sensor 51 is a sensor that detects when a user who has purchased the target product has consumed that product. For example, the consumption detection sensor 51 is an opening detection sensor or a removal detection sensor attached to each individual target product.

[0085] An tamper detection sensor is a sensor that detects when a product has been opened. For example, the tamper detection sensor detects that a product has been opened based on the current flowing through a detection pattern formed on the product, and generates a tamper detection signal. The detection pattern is electrically connected to the tamper detection sensor to form a closed loop or an open loop. The tamper detection sensor detects that a product has been opened by detecting a change in the current flowing through the detection pattern. For example, if the detection pattern is a closed loop, the current flowing through the detection pattern changes when the closed loop is insulated by the opening process or oil, etc. If the detection pattern is an open loop, the current flowing through the detection pattern changes when the open loop is wet with water, etc., causing current to flow.

[0086] An detachment detection sensor is a sensor that detects when the contents have been removed after a product has been opened. The detachment detection sensor uses a capacitive sensor placed in the storage area that contains the contents to detect whether or not the contents have been removed from the storage area and generates a detachment detection signal.

[0087] The consumption detection sensor 51 has a known communication module and is configured to communicate wirelessly with the nearest wireless base station. Examples of communication methods include LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) standards such as Sigfox®, LoRa®, and ZETA®. The consumption detection sensor 51 transmits the generated opening detection signal or removal detection signal as consumption detection data to a designated destination, such as a user terminal 40 or a consumption information management device 50, via the nearest base station. Alternatively, the opening detection sensor may be configured to communicate with the user terminal 40 using near-field communication (NFC) or similar short-range wireless communication, and may transmit the consumption detection data directly to the user terminal 40.

[0088] <Configuration of the consumer information management device> The consumer information management device 50 is an information processing device that manages the consumption information of each individual product. The consumer information management device 50 comprises a product score acquisition unit 501, a purchase data acquisition unit 502, a consumption data acquisition unit 503, and a consumption information database 504.

[0089] The product score acquisition unit 501 acquires the product score of the target product from the product score management device 10 via the network NW.

[0090] The purchase data acquisition unit 502 acquires purchase data for target products from the user terminal 40 or the user score management device 20 via the network NW. The purchase data according to this embodiment includes individual identification information that identifies each individual target product, and the best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date of the target product. For example, if the target product is food, the best-before date or expiration date is included, and if the target product is pharmaceuticals (especially OTC (Over The Counter) pharmaceuticals, etc.), the use-by date is included. The individual identification information may be information for identifying an individual product, for example, by extracting feature points due to printing variations. In this embodiment, the case in which the individual identification information is an image captured from the barcode of the target product will be described.

[0091] The consumption data acquisition unit 503 acquires consumption data for the target product from the user terminal 40 via the network NW. The consumption data is data indicating that the target product has been consumed, and includes the date and time of consumption and the individual identification information of the target product. The consumption data acquisition unit 503 writes the acquired consumption data to the consumption information database 504, associating it with purchase data that has the same individual identification information.

[0092] The consumer information database 504 is a database that stores consumer information for each individual product. This consumer information includes purchase data and consumption data.

[0093] The storage unit (including the consumption information database 504) of the consumer information management device 50 is composed of storage media such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access read / write Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or a combination thereof. The storage unit of the consumer information management device 50 stores programs for executing various processes to realize the functions of the consumer information management device 50, and temporary data used when performing various processes.

[0094] The functional units of the consumer information management device 50 (including the product score acquisition unit 501, the purchase data acquisition unit 502, and the consumption data acquisition unit 503) are realized by having the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and / or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) provided as hardware in the consumer information management device 50 execute programs stored in the memory unit of the consumer information management device 50.

[0095] <Configuration of the Environmental Score Management System> The score calculation system 1A according to this embodiment includes an environmental score management device 30A in place of the environmental score management device 30 according to the first embodiment. The environmental score management device 30A includes a consumption information acquisition unit 305 in addition to the configuration of the environmental score management device 30 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the environmental score management device 30A includes an environmental score calculation unit 303A in place of the environmental score calculation unit 303 according to the first embodiment. The other configurations of the environmental score management device 30A are the same as those of the environmental score management device 30 according to the first embodiment, so their description is omitted.

[0096] The consumption information acquisition unit 305 acquires consumption information for each individual target product from the consumption information management device 50 via the network NW. For example, the consumption information acquisition unit 305 sends a request including the product ID of the target product to the consumption information management device 50 via the network NW, and receives consumption information for each individual target product in response.

[0097] The environmental score calculation unit 303A calculates the environmental score of the target product based on the product score, user score, and consumption information for each individual product of the target product. For example, the environmental score calculation unit 303A first calculates the environmental score based on the product score and user score, similar to the first embodiment. Then, the environmental score calculation unit 303A assigns a higher environmental score the higher the percentage of the target product that is consumed within its best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date, and a lower environmental score the lower the percentage of the target product that is consumed within its best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date.

[0098] <How the score calculation system works> Next, the operation of the score calculation system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation when calculating product scores and person scores in the score calculation system 1A according to this embodiment. The processing of steps S301 to S305 is the same as the processing of steps S101 to S105 described above, so its explanation will be omitted.

[0099] Following step S305, the user terminal 40 generates an image of the barcode of the target product (step S306). At this time, the user terminal 40 may display a message such as "Please take a picture of the barcode of the purchased product" to prompt the user to take a picture of the barcode. The user follows the instructions displayed on the user terminal 40 and uses the user terminal 40 to take a picture of the barcode of the target product. The user terminal 40 takes a picture of the barcode of the target product purchased by the user and generates an image of the barcode. Alternatively, the barcode of the target product may be taken at the POS (Points of Sales) system of the store selling the target product.

[0100] Next, the user terminal 40 transmits purchase data, including an image of the barcode, to the consumer information management device 50 (step S307). The consumer information management device 50 receives the purchase data from the user terminal 40 and writes the received purchase data to the consumer information database 504.

[0101] The processing in steps S308 to S312 is the same as the processing in steps S106 to S110 described above, so its explanation will be omitted.

[0102] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating the operation when acquiring consumption information in the score calculation system 1A according to this embodiment. The score calculation system 1A executes the process shown in this figure when the user consumes (opens or takes out) the target product.

[0103] First, the consumption detection sensor 51 detects the consumption of the target product and transmits the consumption detection data to the user terminal 40 (step S401). The user terminal 40 receives the consumption detection data from the consumption detection sensor 51.

[0104] The user terminal 40 generates consumption data including the date and time of receiving the consumption detection data (consumption date and time), and an image of the barcode of the consumed product. At this time, the user terminal 40 may display a message such as "Please take a picture of the barcode of the consumed product" to prompt the user to take a picture of the barcode. The user follows the instructions displayed on the user terminal 40 and uses the user terminal 40 to take a picture of the barcode of the product. The user terminal 40 takes a picture of the barcode of the purchased product and generates an image of the captured image. Then, the user terminal 40 transmits the generated consumption data to the consumption information management device 50 (step S402). The consumption information management device 50 receives the consumption data.

[0105] The consumer information management device 50 identifies the purchase data of the consumed product (individual) based on the captured image of the barcode included in the received consumer data, and reads the identified purchase data from the consumer information database 504 (step S403). At this time, the consumer information management device 50 identifies each individual by extracting feature points such as smudges, defects, and differences due to printing methods that occurred during printing, based on the captured image of the barcode. The consumer information management device 50 also writes the received consumer data to the consumer information database 504 in association with the read purchase data.

[0106] Next, the consumption information management device 50 transmits the consumption information, including the received consumption data and the read purchase data, to the manufacturer's terminal 11 of the manufacturer of the target product (step S404). After that, the score calculation system 1A terminates its processing.

[0107] By transmitting consumption information to the manufacturer's terminal 11 in this way, the manufacturer of the target product can understand when a user purchased the product and when the user actually consumed it. This allows the manufacturer to analyze, for example, how long after purchase the product is consumed, the expiration date, the best-before date, or the percentage of the product consumed within the best-before date. This analysis can then be used to improve products and recommendation systems tailored to user consumption behavior.

[0108] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the environmental score calculation process performed by the environmental score management device 30A according to this embodiment. The environmental score management device 30A performs the environmental score calculation process shown in this figure at predetermined intervals (for example, every week, every month, etc.) or at predetermined timings (for example, when an instruction is input by an operator, etc.). The processing in steps S501 to S502 is the same as the processing in steps S201 to S202 described above, so its explanation is omitted.

[0109] Following step S502, the consumption information acquisition unit 305 acquires consumption information for each individual target product from the consumption information management device 50 (step S503).

[0110] Next, the environmental score calculation unit 303A calculates the environmental score for each target product based on the acquired product score, person score, and consumption information (step S504). For example, the environmental score calculation unit 303A first calculates the environmental score based on the product score and person score. The method for calculating the environmental score based on the product score and person score is the same as in the first embodiment, so its explanation is omitted. Next, the environmental score calculation unit 303A calculates the percentage (consumption rate) of the target product that was consumed within its best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date based on the consumption information. Then, the environmental score calculation unit 303A corrects the environmental score so that the higher the consumption rate, the higher the environmental score, and the lower the consumption rate, the lower the environmental score.

[0111] Next, the environmental score output unit 304 displays the environmental score of the target product (step S505). After that, the environmental score management device 30A terminates the environmental score calculation process.

[0112] In this embodiment, an image of a barcode was used as an example of individual identification information, but this is not limited to this; each individual may be assigned an ID or other identifier in advance. Alternatively, the user may input which product (individual) of the purchased items they consumed into the user terminal 40.

[0113] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user terminal 40 transmits purchase data and consumption data to the consumption information management device 50. However, this is not limited to this configuration. For example, the POS system of the store that sold the target product may transmit purchase data to the consumption information management device 50, or the consumption detection sensor 51 may transmit consumption data to the consumption information management device 50 without going through the user terminal 40. When the consumption detection sensor 51 transmits consumption data, each consumption detection sensor 51 has an ID or the like pre-stored to identify each individual target product.

[0114] As described above, the score calculation system 1A according to this embodiment acquires the consumption status (consumption information) of the target object and calculates an environmental score based on the consumption status of the target object.

[0115] With this configuration, the score calculation system 1A according to this embodiment can calculate an environmental score that reflects the user's consumption status of the target product. This makes it possible to assign a more reliable environmental protection score to the target product.

[0116] Furthermore, the target items are products with a best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date, and the score calculation system 1A according to this embodiment assigns a higher environmental score the higher the percentage of the target items that are consumed within their best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date.

[0117] This results in a higher environmental score for products consumed by users within their best-before, use-by, or expiration date, which can be used to motivate users, for example, to reduce food waste.

[0118] In the embodiments described above, the case in which the product score management device 10, the human score management device 20, the environmental score management devices 30, 30A, and the consumer information management device 50 are separate devices was explained. However, all or part of the functions of the product score management device 10, the human score management device 20, the environmental score management devices 30, 30A, and the consumer information management device 50 may be implemented in a single information processing device. Alternatively, some of the functions of the product score management device 10, the human score management device 20, the environmental score management devices 30, 30A, or the consumer information management device 50 may be provided on a server device connected to the information processing device via a communication network. In this case, the server device may be a physical server or a cloud server provided by a cloud computing service.

[0119] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the product score calculation unit 106 calculates the product score based on the packaging score and the contents score, but it is not limited to this, and for example, the product score may be calculated using only the packaging score.

[0120] Some or all of the functions of the score calculation system 1,1A in the above-described embodiment may be implemented using a computer. In that case, the functions may be implemented by recording a program for implementing these functions on a computer-readable recording medium, loading the program recorded on this recording medium into a computer system, and executing it. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Moreover, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include those that dynamically hold programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or communication lines such as telephone lines, and those that hold programs for a certain period of time, such as volatile memory inside a computer system that acts as a server or client in such a case. Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may be for implementing some of the functions described above, or it may be a program that can implement the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, or it may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0121] While embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments and includes designs and the like that do not depart from the spirit of this invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1.1A Score Calculation System 10. Product Score Management Device 11 Manufacturer terminals 12 Producer terminals 101 Packaging Materials Database 102 Contents Database 103 Score Table 104 Packaging Score Calculation Unit 105 Contents score calculation unit 106 Product Score Calculation Unit 107 Product Score Output Section 108 Product Score Database 20-person score management system 21 Personal ID Database 201 Environmental Activity Data Acquisition Department 202 people, score calculation department 203-person score output section 204-person score database 30,30A Environmental Score Management Device 301 Product Score Data Acquisition Unit 302-person score data acquisition unit 303 Environmental Score Calculation Unit 304 Environmental score output unit 305 Consumption information acquisition department 40 User terminals 50 Consumption information management device 51 Power consumption detection sensor 501 Product Score Acquisition Section 502 Purchase Data Acquisition Department 503 Consumption Data Acquisition Unit 504 Consumer Information Database

Claims

1. A score data storage unit stores score data that associates environmental protection standards with scores assigned to products or services when those standards are met, A product data storage unit that stores product data relating to the target product or service, A product score calculation unit calculates the product score of the object based on the score data stored in the score data storage unit and the product data stored in the product data storage unit, An environmental score calculation unit calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status for the aforementioned object and the aforementioned product score, An environmental score output unit that outputs the aforementioned environmental score, A score calculation system equipped with the following features.

2. An environmental activity data acquisition unit that acquires environmental activity data related to environmental conservation activities by each user, A person score calculation unit calculates a person score for each user based on the aforementioned environmental activity data, Furthermore, The environmental score calculation unit calculates the environmental score based on the product score and the person score. The score calculation system according to claim 1.

3. The environmental score calculation unit calculates the environmental score based on the purchase status of users belonging to the category based on the human score. The score calculation system according to claim 2.

4. The environmental score calculation unit calculates the environmental score based on the user's purchase status, which is weighted according to each category based on the human score. The score calculation system according to claim 3.

5. The product score calculation unit calculates the product score of the product based on a score based on the product's packaging material and a score based on the product's contents, if the object in question is a product. The score calculation system according to claim 1.

6. The system further includes a consumption data acquisition unit that acquires the consumption status of the aforementioned object, The environmental score calculation unit calculates the environmental score based on the consumption status of the object. The score calculation system according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned items are products that have a best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date, The environmental score calculation unit increases the environmental score as the proportion of the target object consumed within its best-before date, expiration date, or use-by date increases. The score calculation system according to claim 6.

8. The environmental score calculation unit calculates the environmental score for each of the multiple objects, The environmental score output unit displays the environmental scores of each of the multiple objects in a manner that allows for comparison with one another. The score calculation system according to claim 1.

9. A method for calculating scores performed by a computer, A score data storage unit stores score data that associates environmental protection standards with scores assigned to products or services when those standards are met, and a product data storage unit stores product data relating to the target product or service. Based on the score data and the product data, the product score of the target object is calculated. The user's purchase status for the aforementioned object and an environmental score based on the aforementioned product score are calculated. Output the aforementioned environmental score, A score calculation method that includes this.

10. On the computer, A score data storage unit stores score data that associates environmental protection standards with scores assigned to products or services when those standards are met, and a product data storage unit stores product data relating to the target product or service. Based on the score data and the product data, the product score of the target object is calculated. The system calculates an environmental score based on the user's purchase status for the aforementioned object and the aforementioned product score. Output the aforementioned environmental score. program.

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