Transaction support system, transaction support method and program

Abstract

A transaction support system according to the present disclosure comprises: an image acquisition means that acquires an image of an item to be listed; a determination means that, on the basis of information about the item to be listed, which is based on the acquired image, and a purchase history of products purchased by the listing person from sellers, determines whether the item to be listed matches a purchased product included in the purchase history; and a listing determination means that determines whether or not the item to be listed can be listed on an e-commerce platform, on the basis of the result of the determination of whether or not the item to be listed matches the purchased product.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transaction support system and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] E-commerce platforms that allow users to sell items they no longer use or dislike to other users are becoming popular. Users list items by sending information about the items to such platforms using user terminals such as smartphones.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing method that enables a user to use an e-commerce platform with simple operations. In Patent Document 1, when a user purchases a product at an affiliated store, the payment terminal generates purchase information and sends it to an intermediary server. The intermediary server receives a notification from the user terminal indicating that the user wishes to list the product purchased at the affiliated store on the e-commerce platform. Upon receiving the notification, the intermediary server automatically generates product information for listing the product based on the purchase information and sends it to the user terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-017068 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When transactions are conducted on an e-commerce platform such as that described in Patent Document 1, users who purchase products cannot verify the authenticity of the origin of products offered by other users. Therefore, users may not be able to purchase products with confidence.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a transaction support system etc. that increases the reliability of products put up for sale by users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The transaction support system according to the present disclosure includes an image acquisition means for acquiring an image of an item to be put up for sale, a determination means for determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the acquired image and the purchase history of items purchased by the seller from a seller, and a listing determination means for determining whether the item to be put up for sale can be put up for sale on an e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item.

[0008] The transaction support method according to the present disclosure acquires an image of an item to be put up for sale, determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item based on the acquired image and a purchase history of items purchased by the seller from a seller, and determines whether the item to be put up for sale can be put up for sale on an e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item.

[0009] A program according to the present disclosure causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring an image of an item to be put up for sale, determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in a purchase history based on information about the item based on the acquired image and a purchase history of items purchased by a seller from a seller, and determining whether the item to be put up for sale on an e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item. The program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to increase the reliability of products put up for sale by users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a trading system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transaction support system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transaction support system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for photographing an item to be put up for auction. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when putting up for sale is permitted. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transaction support system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transaction support system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing another operation example of the transaction support system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transaction support system according to a modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for auction prices. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] (First embodiment) The transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment determines whether to allow a product to be put up for sale on an e-commerce platform by using an image of the product to be put up for sale and the purchase history of products purchased by the seller from a seller. For example, if the product to be put up for sale matches a purchased product included in the purchase history, the transaction support system 100 determines to allow the product to be put up for sale. As a result, if the transaction support system 100 can confirm that the seller owns the purchased product, it determines to allow the seller to put up for sale the purchased product.

[0013] A seller is a business that operates a physical store or an online shop. A seller may be a business that sells manufactured or planned products, or a business that purchases and sells products, including second-hand products. The sale of products by a seller is sometimes called primary distribution. A user who uses an e-commerce platform puts up products purchased from a seller for sale, thereby secondary distribution of the products. For example, a user may use a purchased product before putting it up for sale. Alternatively, a user may put up a purchased product in an unused or unopened state.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a trading system 110 according to the first embodiment. The trading system 110 provides an e-commerce platform that enables users to trade goods with each other. Note that the e-commerce platform may also be used for trading between sellers and users.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the e-commerce platform is provided by a seller who maintains the purchase history of products sold to customers. However, the e-commerce platform may be provided by a company other than the seller. In this case, the seller provides the purchase history to the other company. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a case where only products sold by the seller are listed on the e-commerce platform will be described. A case where products other than those sold by the seller are listed on the e-commerce platform will be described in a modified embodiment.

[0016] 1 includes a transaction support system 100, a purchase history DB (Database) 41, and a commodity information DB 42. However, the transaction support system 100 and the purchase history DB 41 may be realized by a system separate from the transaction system 110. The transaction system 110 communicates with a POS (Point of Sales) system 10, a seller terminal 20, and a buyer terminal 30.

[0017] The POS system 10 manages information on products sold by a retailer to a customer. The POS system 10 transmits, for example, purchase information on the products sold to the customer to the transaction system 110.

[0018] The seller terminal 20 is a terminal used by a seller who lists a product on the e-commerce platform. The buyer terminal 30 is a terminal used by a buyer who considers purchasing a product listed on the e-commerce platform. The seller terminal 20 and the buyer terminal 30 are each, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer.

[0019] The purchase history DB 41 is a database that stores the purchase history of products that customers have purchased from sellers. The purchase history DB 41 stores the purchase history based on purchase information transmitted from the POS system 10. Products that customers have purchased from sellers are also referred to as purchased products. The purchase history DB 41 manages purchased products for each customer ID (identifier) ​​that identifies the customer. The customer ID is linked to a seller ID that identifies the seller on the e-commerce platform.

[0020] The purchase history DB 41 stores, for each customer ID, a product ID that identifies a purchased product. The product ID is, for example, a product code (hereinafter referred to as a product code). The product ID may also be the product name. The product code is, for example, a JAN (Japanese Article Number) code, an EAN (European Article Number) code, or a UPC (Universal Product Code).

[0021] The purchase history DB 41 may further store an individual ID that identifies an individual purchased product. The individual ID is, for example, a serial number or serial code attached to the product. The purchase history DB 41 may store the individual ID instead of the product ID.

[0022] The purchase history DB 41 may store the characteristics of purchased products. The characteristics of purchased products are features that allow a product to be distinguished from other products. The characteristics of purchased products are, for example, the shape, color, and text attached to the product. The purchase history DB 41 may store images of purchased products as information indicating the characteristics of purchased products. The purchase history DB 41 may manage the characteristics of purchased products for each product ID. The purchase history DB 41 may store the individual IDs of purchased products purchased by each customer as information indicating the characteristics of purchased products.

[0023] Furthermore, the purchase history DB 41 may store the date on which the customer purchased the product and the purchase price of the product based on the purchase information.

[0024] The selling information DB 42 is a database that stores, for each seller ID, information about products that sellers have put up on the e-commerce platform. For example, the selling information DB 42 stores products that customers have put up as sellers among the products they have purchased from sellers. The product information stored in the selling information DB 42 includes, for example, the product ID, individual ID, or image of the put-up product. The selling information DB 42 may further store whether the product is being put up for sale or has already been sold.

[0025] A customer who has purchased a product from a seller puts up the product that he or she no longer needs on an e-commerce platform. The customer who purchased the product acts as a seller and puts up the product using seller terminal 20. At this time, seller terminal 20 takes an image of the product to be put up for sale. Seller terminal 20 then transmits the taken image to transaction support system 100. In one example, seller terminal 20, under the control of transaction support system 100, displays whether the product to be put up for sale can be put up for sale.

[0026] A buyer considering purchasing a product uses a buyer terminal 30 to view products listed on the e-commerce platform. The product purchased by the buyer is delivered to the buyer by the seller. The product may be delivered from the seller to the buyer via any intermediary.

[0027] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment. Transaction support system 100 includes an image acquisition unit 101, a determination unit 102, and an auction decision unit 103. Transaction support system 100 may further include a display control unit 104.

[0028] The image acquisition unit 101 acquires images of items to be put up for sale. For example, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires images of the items to be put up for sale from the seller terminal 20. The images of the items to be put up for sale acquired by the image acquisition unit 101 are images that include the external characteristics of the items to be put up for sale. The characteristics of the items to be put up for sale include, for example, the shape or color of the item, or text attached to the item. The external characteristics of the items to be put up for sale included in the image may be characteristics of items identified by the same item ID, or characteristics that identify individual items of each item. The characteristics that identify individual items are, for example, individual IDs attached to the items.

[0029] The image of the item to be put up for sale may be a photograph of the entire item to be put up for sale, or a photograph of a part of the item. The seller terminal 20 may also photograph an area to which an individual ID is attached.

[0030] The determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image of the item to be put up for sale acquired by the image acquisition unit 101 and the purchase history of items purchased by the seller from the seller.

[0031] The information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image is, for example, the external characteristics of the item to be put up for sale recognized from the image. The determination unit 102 determines whether the external characteristics of the item to be put up for sale are similar to the external characteristics of the purchased item. The determination unit 102 determines that the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item when the similarity exceeds a threshold. The determination unit 102 may also determine that the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item when the individual ID recognized from the image matches the individual ID of the purchased item. However, the determination method is not limited to these.

[0032] The information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image may be information about the type of item, such as an item ID. The determination process based on the information about the item to be put up for sale and the purchase history will be described in more detail in the second embodiment.

[0033] When the image acquisition unit 101 acquires a plurality of images, the determination unit 102 may determine whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item by using information about the item to be put up for sale based on each of the plurality of images.

[0034] The exhibition determination unit 103 determines whether or not to allow the item to be exhibited on the e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether or not the item to be exhibited matches the item purchased by the exhibitor. For example, if the item to be exhibited matches the purchased item, the exhibition determination unit 103 determines to allow the item to be exhibited. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if the item to be exhibited does not match the purchased item, the exhibition determination unit 103 determines to reject the exhibition of the item to be exhibited.

[0035] The auction decision unit 103 may store the product that has been decided to be permitted to be put up for auction on the e-commerce platform in the auction information DB 42.

[0036] The display control unit 104 controls the display on the seller terminal 20. The display control unit 104 may cause the seller terminal 20 to display a screen requesting the seller to take an image of the item to be put up for sale. By the display control unit 104 requesting the seller terminal 20 to take an image, the image acquisition unit 101 can acquire an image of the item to be put up for sale that is actually in the seller's possession.

[0037] The display control unit 104 may further cause the seller terminal 20 to display whether or not the putting up for sale decision unit 103 has permitted the putting up of the item to be put up for sale.

[0038] The display control unit 104 may further control the display on the purchaser terminal 30.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0040] The image acquisition unit 101 acquires an image of the item to be put up for sale (Step S11). In Step S11, the display control unit 104 may cause the seller terminal 20 to display a capture screen requesting the seller to take an image of the item to be put up for sale.

[0041] In response to the seller's operation, the seller terminal 20 displays, for example, a screen for photographing the item to be put up for sale, as shown in Fig. 4. The seller terminal 20 transmits the photographed image of the item to be put up for sale to the image acquisition unit 101.

[0042] The determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image of the item to be put up for sale acquired by the image acquisition unit 101 and the purchase history of items purchased by the seller from the seller (step S12).

[0043] If the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item (step S12; Yes), the putting up decision unit 103 decides to permit the putting up of the item to be put up for sale (step S13). In this case, the display control unit 104 may display a message indicating that the putting up of the item to be put up for sale is permitted. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the seller terminal 20 when the putting up of the item to be put up for sale is permitted. As shown in FIG. 5, the display control unit 104 may also display the purchase date and purchase price of the purchased item stored in the purchase history DB 41.

[0044] If the item to be put up for sale does not match the purchased item (step S12; No), the putting up decision unit 103 decides to reject the putting up of the item to be put up for sale (step S14). In this case, the display control unit 104 may display a message that the putting up of the item to be put up for sale is rejected. In addition to this, the display control unit 104 may display a reason why the putting up of the item is rejected. For example, the display control unit 104 may display a message that the photographed item to be put up for sale was not purchased from a seller as a reason why the putting up of the item is rejected.

[0045] This concludes the description of the operation example of the transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0046] According to the first embodiment, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires an image of the item to be put up for sale. Furthermore, the determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history, based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image of the item to be put up for sale and the seller's purchase history of items purchased from the seller. Furthermore, the listing determination unit 103 determines whether the item to be put up for sale on the e-commerce platform. Whether or not to put up for sale is determined based on whether the seller has previously purchased the item to be put up for sale increases the reliability of the origin of the item to be put up for sale. Therefore, the reliability of the items put up for sale on the e-commerce platform by users can be increased. For example, the listing of counterfeit or stolen items not purchased from the seller is not permitted. Therefore, users of the e-commerce platform can purchase reliable secondary distribution or second-hand products.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, if the seller does not own the item to be put up for sale, or if the seller is unable to take a picture of the item to be put up for sale, the seller will refuse to put up for sale. Therefore, the buyer can purchase an item that is guaranteed to be available for sale.

[0048] If a product sold by a seller is redistributed on a platform that the seller is not involved in, the seller cannot earn a profit. According to the first embodiment, an e-commerce platform is provided by a seller that maintains purchase history. Therefore, transactions are conducted on a highly reliable platform provided by the seller. The seller can earn profits through commissions, etc.

[0049] (Second embodiment) 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a transaction support system 200 according to the second embodiment. The transaction support system 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment in that it includes an identification unit 105. Regarding the configuration according to the second embodiment, detailed description of the configuration similar to that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0050] The identifying unit 105 identifies the type of product to be put up for sale. The determining unit 102 then determines whether the product to be put up for sale identified by the identifying unit 105 matches a purchased product included in the purchase history.

[0051] The identifying unit 105 may identify which of the products handled by the seller is the product to be put up for sale. Alternatively, the identifying unit 105 may identify which of the purchased products purchased by the seller from the seller is the product to be put up for sale.

[0052] For example, the identifying unit 105 identifies the item to be put up for sale by identifying the product ID including the product name and product code of the item to be put up for sale.

[0053] The identifying unit 105 may identify the product ID based on information identifying the product to be put up for sale by the seller. The information identifying the product to be put up for sale is not particularly limited as long as it is information that is input to identify the product ID.

[0054] For example, the identification unit 105 receives input of keywords related to the item to be put up for sale from the seller terminal 20 as information for identifying the item to be put up for sale. The keywords related to the item to be put up for sale include, for example, the product name, product code, or product type. At this time, the display control unit 104 causes the seller terminal 20 to display an input field for keywords related to the item to be put up for sale. Then, the identification unit 105 searches for the item using the received keywords and identifies the product ID of the item to be put up for sale.

[0055] The identifying unit 105 may also receive a product selection from a product list as information for identifying the product to be put up for sale. The product list may be, for example, a list of products handled by a seller, or a list of purchased products purchased by the seller from a seller. The display control unit 104 may display the product list on the seller terminal 20. The identifying unit 105 then identifies the product ID of the product selected from the displayed product list.

[0056] Alternatively, the identification unit 105 accepts input of an image of the item to be put up for sale as information for identifying the item to be put up for sale. The identification unit 105 may identify the product ID based on the image of the item to be put up for sale acquired by the image acquisition unit 101. Then, the identification unit 105 identifies the product ID by performing image recognition on the image of the item to be put up for sale.

[0057] As described in the first embodiment, the determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item of the seller based on information about the item based on an image of the item to be put up for sale and the purchase history. In one example, the determination unit 102 determines whether a feature of the item to be put up for sale included in the image of the item to be put up matches a feature of the purchased item. In another example, the determination unit 102 determines whether a purchased item that matches a product identified based on the image of the item to be put up for sale is included in the purchase history of the seller.

[0058] First, a case will be described in which the determination unit 102 determines whether an item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item based on whether the characteristics of the item to be put up for sale included in the image of the item to be put up for sale match the characteristics of the purchased item. The characteristics of the item to be put up for sale are an example of information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image of the item to be put up for sale.

[0059] The determination unit 102 refers to the purchase history DB 41 and searches for purchased items whose item IDs match the item ID identified by the identification unit 105. The determination unit 102 acquires the characteristics of the searched purchased items. If the characteristics of the item to be put up for sale included in the image of the item to be put up for sale match the characteristics of the purchased item, the determination unit 102 determines that the item to be put up for sale matches the characteristics of the purchased item. The determination unit 102 may also determine that the characteristics of the item to be put up for sale match the characteristics of the purchased item if the similarity between the image of the item to be put up for sale and the image of the purchased item exceeds a predetermined threshold. However, the determination method is not limited to this.

[0060] The determination unit 102 may determine whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item based on the characteristics of the item identified by the item ID. Alternatively, the determination unit 102 may determine whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item based on characteristics that identify individual items of the item. For example, the determination unit 102 searches the purchase history DB 41 for purchased items having an item ID that matches the identified item ID. The determination unit 102 then acquires an individual ID for the searched purchased item. The determination unit 102 then determines whether the individual ID recognized from the image matches the individual ID contained in the purchase history DB 41. The determination unit 102 may perform a determination based on the individual ID after making a determination based on the appearance characteristics of the item identified by the item ID.

[0061] The determination unit 102 may switch, depending on the product, whether or not to use the individual ID to determine whether the product to be put up for sale matches the purchased product. Depending on the type of product, an individual ID may not be assigned. Therefore, the determination unit 102 may refer to a database to determine whether the identified product to be put up for sale is an item to which an individual ID is assigned. For example, the determination unit 102 refers to a database that stores, for each product type or each product ID, whether an item is an item to which an individual ID is assigned. For products to which an individual ID is assigned, the determination unit 102 makes a determination using the individual ID. For products to which an individual ID is not assigned, the determination unit 102 makes a determination using the product ID or the appearance characteristics of the product identified by the product ID.

[0062] Next, a case where the determining unit 102 determines whether or not a purchased product matching the product to be put up for sale identified by the identifying unit 105 is included in the purchase history of the seller will be described.

[0063] The determination unit 102 refers to the purchase history DB 41 and determines whether there is a product ID of a purchased product that matches the product ID identified by the identification unit 105 based on the image of the item to be put up for sale. The product ID here is an example of information about the item to be put up for sale based on the image of the item to be put up for sale. If there is a product ID of a purchased product that matches the product ID of the item to be put up for sale in the purchase history, the determination unit 102 determines that the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased product. In this case, the determination unit 102 does not need to compare the image of the item to be put up for sale with the image of the purchased product.

[0064] As described above, the determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item based on the information about the item to be put up for sale, which is based on the image of the item to be put up for sale, and the purchase history. However, the method of determination by the determination unit 102 is not limited to the above example.

[0065] Before making a determination using the image of the item to be put up for sale, the determination unit 102 may determine whether the item to be put up for sale is included in the purchase history based on the item ID of the item to be put up for sale. If the item ID identified by the identification unit 105 is not included in the purchase history, the putting up decision unit 103 decides to reject the listing of the item to be put up for sale. In this case, the determination unit 102 stops the process of comparing the appearance characteristics of the item to be put up for sale using the image of the item to be put up for sale.

[0066] The image acquisition unit 101 may acquire an image of the item to be put up for sale when the determination unit 102 finds a purchased item that matches the identified item. As a result, the image acquisition unit 101 does not acquire an image of the item to be put up for sale if the identified item is not included in the purchase history. This makes it possible to prevent the acquisition of unnecessary images.

[0067] However, the timing when the image acquisition unit 101 acquires an image is not limited to this. The identification unit 105 may identify what the item to be put up is when the image acquisition unit 101 acquires an image. This allows the identification unit 105 to start processing when an image of the item to be put up can be taken. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary processing when the item cannot be put up for sale, such as when the seller does not have the item to be put up for sale.

[0068] If the specifying unit 105 cannot specify the item to be put up for sale, the putting up decision unit 103 decides to refuse the putting up of the item to be put up for sale.

[0069] An example of the operation of the transaction support system 200 according to the second embodiment will be described below.

[0070] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of transaction support system 200 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 7 shows an example of the operation when a seller inputs information specifying an item to be put up for auction and then takes an image of the item to be put up for auction.

[0071] The identifying unit 105 receives input of keywords related to the item to be put up for sale as information for identifying the item to be put up for sale (step S21). Then, the identifying unit 105 identifies the product ID of the item to be put up for sale by the input keywords (step S22).

[0072] The determining unit 102 determines whether the identified item to be put up for sale is included in the purchase history based on the identified item ID (step S23).

[0073] If the identified item to be put up for auction is included in the purchase history (step S23; Yes), transaction support system 200 performs the same processing as that of transaction support system 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3. That is, transaction support system 200 performs the same processing as that of steps S11 to S14 shown in Fig. 3.

[0074] Specifically, if the identified item to be put up for sale is included in the purchase history, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires an image of the item to be put up for sale (step S11). Then, the determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item based on the image of the item to be put up for sale and the purchase history (step S12). For example, the determination unit 102 determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item based on whether the characteristics of the item to be put up for sale shown in the image of the item to be put up for sale match the characteristics of the purchased item.

[0075] By performing the process of step S11 after step S23, it is possible to prevent an image from being acquired even if the item to be put up for sale is not included in the purchase history.

[0076] If the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item (step S12; Yes), the exhibition determination unit 103 decides to allow the item to be put up for sale (step S13).If the item to be put up for sale does not match the purchased item (step S12; No), the exhibition determination unit 103 decides to reject the listing of the item to be put up for sale (step S14).

[0077] If the identified product is not included in the purchase history (step S23; No), the exhibition determination unit 103 determines to reject the listing of the product to be put up for sale (step S24). The display control unit 104 causes the seller terminal 20 to display, as the reason for rejecting the listing, that there is no purchase history for the product to be put up for sale.

[0078] 7 is merely an example, and the image acquisition unit 101 may execute step S11 before step S21 to acquire an image of the item to be put up for sale before receiving keywords related to the item to be put up for sale. When an image is acquired, the identification unit 105 identifies the item, thereby preventing the execution of a process to identify the item when an image cannot be acquired.

[0079] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the transaction support system 200 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8 shows an example of the operation when an item to be put up for auction is specified based on an image of the item to be put up for auction.

[0080] 8, the image acquisition unit 101 acquires an image of an item to be put up for sale (step S31). Then, the identification unit 105 identifies what kind of item the planned item is based on the image of the item to be put up for sale acquired by the image acquisition unit 101 (step S32). The identification unit 105 identifies which item the planned item to be put up for sale is from among the items handled by the seller. Then, the identification unit 105 acquires the product ID of the identified product.

[0081] If the item to be put up for sale cannot be identified based on the image of the item to be put up for sale (step S33: No), the putting up decision unit 103 decides to reject the putting up of the item to be put up for sale (step S36).

[0082] If an item to be put up for sale is identified based on the image of the item to be put up for sale (step S33: Yes), the determination unit 102 determines whether the identified item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item (step S34). For example, in step S34, the determination unit 102 references the purchase history DB 41 and determines whether there is a product ID of a purchased item that matches the identified product ID. Alternatively, in step S34, the determination unit 102 references the purchase history DB 41 and determines whether the individual ID of the purchased item having the identified product ID matches the individual ID of the item to be put up for sale.

[0083] If the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item (step S34: Yes), the exhibition determination unit 103 determines to allow the item to be put up for sale (step S35). If the item to be put up for sale does not match the purchased item (step S34: No), the exhibition determination unit 103 determines to reject the listing of the item to be put up for sale (step S36).

[0084] With the above, the transaction support system 200 ends the operation shown in FIG.

[0085] According to the second embodiment, the identification unit 105 identifies the type of product to be put up for sale. Then, the determination unit 102 determines whether the identified product to be put up for sale matches the purchased product. This narrows down the targets to be determined by the determination unit 102. For example, the determination unit 102 does not need to compare the product features based on the image for all purchased products included in the purchase history. This reduces the load of the determination process by the determination unit 102.

[0086] (Variation) The transaction support systems 100 and 200 according to the respective embodiments can be modified as follows, for example.

[0087] In the first embodiment, the determination unit 102 may search for a purchased product having characteristics that match the characteristics of the item to be put up for sale from the purchase history DB 41. If a purchased product having characteristics that match the characteristics of the item to be put up for sale is found, the determination unit 102 determines that the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased product.

[0088] In one modified example, the putting up decision unit 103 may further determine whether to put up the item to be put up for sale based on the seller's selling history of purchased items. For example, the putting up decision unit 103 may determine to reject the duplicate listing of the item to be put up for sale based on the seller's selling history.

[0089] The merchandising decision unit 103, for example, refers to the seller's merchandising information DB 42, and if the item to be put up for sale has not yet been put up for sale, decides to permit the item to be put up for sale. If the seller has already put up an item to be put up for sale, the merchandising decision unit 103 decides to refuse the putting up of the item to be put up for sale. This makes it possible to prevent the seller from putting up an item that he or she does not own. It also makes it possible to prevent duplicate listings.

[0090] If individual items identified by the same item ID cannot be distinguished, the listing decision unit 103 may decide whether to list the items to be listed so that the total number of purchased items already listed and items to be listed does not exceed the number of purchased items stored in the purchase history DB41.

[0091] The listing determination unit 103 may determine to reject the listing of a high-priced item based on the listing history. For example, the listing determination unit 103 may determine that a seller who has previously listed fewer items than a predetermined number is a seller requiring caution and reject the listing of a high-priced item. The listing determination unit 103 may determine that a seller who has previously listed more items than a predetermined number is a good seller and permit the listing of a high-priced item.

[0092] The listing determination unit 103 may acquire the seller's desired selling price from the seller terminal 20, and may decide to permit the listing if the acquired desired selling price is within a preset upper or lower price limit. If an upper price limit is set, for example, the listing determination unit 103 may decide to permit the listing if the desired selling price is equal to or lower than the list price. This can prevent the product from being resold at a high price. If a lower price limit is set, the seller can prevent the product's brand value from declining by preventing the product from being resold at an excessively low price.

[0093] In one variation, the listing determination unit 103 may decide to allow the listing even if the item to be listed does not match the purchased item. That is, an item may be listed on the e-commerce platform that the seller has not proven to have purchased from the seller. For example, an item may be listed that the seller purchased from another seller who has not provided a purchase history. In this case, the display control unit 104 causes the buyer terminal 30 to display whether the listed item was purchased from the seller. This allows the buyer to consider whether the item listed by the user is trustworthy and decide whether to purchase the item.

[0094] 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a transaction support system 300 according to one variation. Transaction support system 300 differs from transaction support system 200 according to the second embodiment in that it includes a bonus granting unit 106, a fee management unit 107, a deterioration recognition unit 108, and a price determination unit 109. In this variation, a description of the same configuration as in the first and second embodiments will be omitted. Note that the bonus granting unit 106, the fee management unit 107, the deterioration recognition unit 108, and the price determination unit 109 may each be provided as needed.

[0095] The reward granting unit 106 grants a reward that can be used to purchase products from a seller to a seller who has been permitted to list a product purchased from the seller. By granting a reward to a seller, the seller is given an incentive to conduct secondary distribution on the platform provided by the seller rather than on other platforms. In addition, by granting a reward that can be used to purchase products from the seller, it is expected that the seller will become a customer who repeatedly purchases from the seller.

[0096] The fee management unit 107 manages fees paid by sellers or buyers to sellers. For example, when a put-upon product is purchased, the fee management unit 107 charges the seller or buyer a fee. The fee management unit 107 allows the seller to obtain an appropriate fee. Therefore, the seller can obtain a profit even when the product is distributed secondary.

[0097] The deterioration recognition unit 108 recognizes deterioration of the item to be put up for sale from the image of the item to be put up for sale. For example, the deterioration recognition unit 108 may recognize deterioration of the item to be put up for sale based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 101.

[0098] For example, the deterioration recognition unit 108 recognizes whether the item to be put up for sale has scratches or dirt. The deterioration recognition unit 108 may recognize deteriorated parts by comparing an image of the item to be put up for sale with an image of the purchased item. The display control unit 104 causes the seller terminal 20 to display information indicating the deterioration recognized by the deterioration recognition unit 108.

[0099] The deterioration recognition unit 108 expresses the recognized deterioration, for example, by a degree of deterioration. The degree of deterioration of the item to be put up for auction may be expressed in multiple stages. For example, the degree of deterioration may be expressed as new, nearly unused, no noticeable scratches or stains, scratches or stains, or overall poor condition. The degree of deterioration may be expressed by a score.

[0100] The price determination unit 109 determines the exhibition price according to the result of the deterioration recognition unit 108 recognizing the deterioration. For example, the higher the degree of deterioration, the lower the exhibition price determined by the price determination unit 109. The price determination unit 109 may further determine the exhibition price according to the time that has passed since the purchase date. For example, the price determination unit 109 determines the price lower the longer the time that has passed since the purchase date. The price determination unit 109 may also determine the price higher the longer the time that has passed.

[0101] The display control unit 104 causes the seller terminal 20 to display the listing price determined by the price determination unit 109. The price determination unit 109 may accept, from the seller terminal 20, a request to amend the determined listing price.

[0102] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for a selling price. The screen in Fig. 10 displays the recommended selling price determined by the price determination unit 109. The screen in Fig. 10 also includes a message indicating that the deterioration recognition unit 108 has recognized a stain, and a field for inputting the seller's desired selling price. The price determination unit 109 modifies the determined selling price based on the desired selling price input by the seller.

[0103] The display control unit 104 may display the screen shown in Fig. 10 after displaying the screen shown in Fig. 5. Alternatively, the display control unit 104 may display the content shown in Fig. 5 and the content shown in Fig. 10 on one screen.

[0104] [Hardware configuration] In each of the above-described embodiments, each component of the transaction support systems 100, 200, and 300 represents a functional block. Some or all of the components of the transaction support systems 100, 200, and 300 may be realized by any combination of the computer 500 and a program.

[0105] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer 500. Referring to Fig. 11, the computer 500 includes, for example, a processor 501, a read only memory (ROM) 502, a random access memory (RAM) 503, a program 504, a storage device 505, a drive device 507, a communication interface 508, an input device 509, an input / output interface 511, and a bus 512.

[0106] The processor 501 controls the entire computer 500. The processor 501 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The number of processors 501 is not particularly limited, and there may be one or more processors 501.

[0107] The program 504 includes instructions for implementing each function of the trading assistance systems 100, 200, and 300. The program 504 is stored in advance in the ROM 502, RAM 503, and storage device 505. The processor 501 executes the instructions included in the program 504 to implement each function of the trading assistance systems 100, 200, and 300. The RAM 503 may also store data to be processed in each function of the trading assistance system 100.

[0108] The drive device 507 reads and writes data from and to the recording medium 506. The communication interface 508 provides an interface with a communication network. The input device 509 is, for example, a mouse or keyboard, and accepts information input from an administrator or the like of the transaction support system 100. The output device 510 is, for example, a display, and outputs (displays) information to the administrator or the like. The input / output interface 511 provides an interface with peripheral devices. The bus 512 connects these hardware components. The program 504 may be supplied to the processor 501 via a communication network, or may be stored in advance on the recording medium 506, read by the drive device 507, and supplied to the processor 501.

[0109] It should be noted that the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 11 is an example, and other components may be added, or some components may not be included.

[0110] There are various variations in the methods for implementing the trading support systems 100, 200, and 300. For example, the trading support systems 100, 200, and 300 may be implemented by any combination of different computers and programs for each component. Furthermore, multiple components included in the trading support systems 100, 200, and 300 may be implemented by any combination of a single computer and program.

[0111] Furthermore, at least a portion of the transaction assistance systems 100, 200, and 300 may be provided in a software as a service (SaaS) format. That is, at least a portion of the functions for realizing the transaction assistance systems 100, 200, and 300 may be executed by software that runs over a network.

[0112] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the configurations in the respective embodiments can be combined with each other without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0113] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-120670, filed on July 28, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0114] Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0115] [Note]

[0116] [Appendix 1] image acquisition means for acquiring images of items to be put up for auction; a determining means for determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item based on the acquired image and a purchase history of items purchased by the seller from a seller; a display decision means for deciding whether or not to display the product to be displayed on the electronic commerce platform based on a determination result of whether or not the product to be displayed matches the purchased product; A transaction support system comprising:

[0117] [Appendix 2] Further, the information specifying the item to be put up for auction is provided to the customer, and the information specifying the item to be put up for auction is provided to the customer. The determining means determines whether the identified item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item. 1. A transaction support system as described in Appendix 1.

[0118] [Appendix 3] The identification means identifies what kind of product the item to be put up for auction is based on information identifying the item to be put up for auction, the information including at least a product name or a product code; The determination means searches the purchase history to determine whether the purchased product matches the identified product, and determines whether the product to be put up for sale matches the purchased product based on whether characteristics of the product to be put up for sale based on the image match characteristics of the searched purchased product; The image acquisition means acquires the image when the purchased product that matches the specified product is found. 2. A transaction support system as described in Appendix 2.

[0119] [Appendix 4] The identification means, when the image is acquired, identifies what kind of product the item to be auctioned is based on information identifying the item to be auctioned, the information including at least a product name or a product code; The determination means searches whether the purchased product that matches the identified product is included in the purchase history, and determines whether the product to be put up for sale matches the purchased product based on whether characteristics of the product to be put up for sale based on the image match characteristics of the searched purchased product. 2. A transaction support system as described in Appendix 2.

[0120] [Appendix 5] The specifying means specifies what kind of product the item to be put up for auction is based on information specifying the item to be put up for auction that includes at least the image; The determining means determines whether the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item based on whether the purchased item that matches the identified item is included in the purchase history. 2. A transaction support system as described in Appendix 2.

[0121] [Appendix 6] The putting-up decision means further decides to reject the duplicate putting up of the item to be put up for auction based on the putting up history of the purchased item of the seller. A transaction support system according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0122] [Appendix 7] A reward granting means is provided for granting a reward that can be used to purchase goods from the seller to the seller who is permitted to put up the goods purchased from the seller. A transaction support system according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0123] [Appendix 8] a deterioration recognition means for recognizing deterioration of the item to be put up for auction from the image; and a price determination means for determining a display price according to the result of recognizing the deterioration. A transaction support system according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0124] [Appendix 9] Get images of the items you plan to sell, determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item based on the acquired image and a purchase history of items purchased by the seller from the seller; determining whether or not to put the item to be put up for sale on the e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether or not the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item; Transaction support methods.

[0125] [Appendix 10] Get images of the items you plan to sell, determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item based on the acquired image and a purchase history of items purchased by the seller from the seller; determining whether or not to put the item to be put up for sale on the e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether or not the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item; A program that causes a computer to perform a process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 110 Trading System 100, 200, 300 trading support system 101 Image acquisition unit 102 Judgment section 103 Exhibit Decision Department 104 Display control unit 105 Specific part 106 Benefits Granting Department 107 Fee Management Department 108 Deterioration recognition unit 109 Pricing Department 20 Seller terminal 30 Purchaser terminal 41 Purchase history DB 42 Exhibition information DB

Claims

1. image acquisition means for acquiring images of items to be put up for auction; a determining means for determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the acquired image and a purchase history of items purchased by the seller from a seller; a display decision means for deciding whether or not to display the product to be displayed on the electronic commerce platform based on a determination result of whether or not the product to be displayed matches the purchased product; Equipped with Further, the information specifying the item to be put up for auction is provided to the customer, and the information specifying the item to be put up for auction is provided to the customer. The identification means identifies what kind of product the item to be put up for auction is based on information identifying the item to be put up for auction, the information including at least a product name or a product code; The determination means searches the purchase history to determine whether the purchased product matches the identified product, and determines whether the product to be put up for sale matches the purchased product based on whether characteristics of the product to be put up for sale based on the image match characteristics of the searched purchased product; The image acquisition means acquires the image when the purchased product that matches the specified product is found. Transaction support system.

2. The putting-up decision means further decides to reject the duplicate putting up of the item to be put up for auction based on the putting up history of the purchased item of the seller. The transaction support system according to claim 1 .

3. The system further includes a reward granting means for granting a reward that can be used to purchase products from the seller to the seller who is permitted to put up the purchased product from the seller. The transaction support system according to claim 1 .

4. a deterioration recognition means for recognizing deterioration of the item to be put up for auction from the image; and a price determination means for determining a display price according to the result of the recognition of the deterioration. The transaction support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. By a computer, Identifying what kind of product the product is based on information including at least a product name or product code that identifies the product to be put up for auction; Searching for a purchase history of a product purchased from a seller by the seller of the product to be put up for auction to determine whether the purchase history contains a purchase product that matches the identified product; If the purchased product is found to match the identified product, an image of the product to be put up for sale is acquired; determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the acquired image and the purchase history; determining whether or not to put the item to be put up for sale on the e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether or not the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item; Transaction support methods.

6. Identifying what kind of product the product is based on information including at least a product name or product code that identifies the product to be put up for sale; Searching for a purchase history of a product purchased from a seller by the seller of the product to be put up for auction to determine whether the purchase history contains a purchase product that matches the identified product; If the purchased product is found to match the identified product, an image of the product to be put up for sale is acquired; determining whether the item to be put up for sale matches a purchased item included in the purchase history based on information about the item to be put up for sale based on the acquired image and the purchase history; determining whether or not to put the item to be put up for sale on the e-commerce platform based on the determination result of whether or not the item to be put up for sale matches the purchased item; A program that causes a computer to perform a process.

Images