Support device

Abstract

To provide a support device, a support method, and a program in performing sales promotion support.SOLUTION: A support device 500 which accepts access from a consumer by using a code attached to a commodity includes: an image data acquisition unit which acquires image data of an answer of the consumer to a theme which requests a predetermined physical behavior, the answer being captured as a subject, from an information processing device which the consumer has; and a confirmation unit which confirms whether or not an answer having the same characteristic as the answer contained in the image data has has already been received to thereby determine whether or not to accept a request from the consumer depending on a result of the confirmation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an assistance device, an assistance method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] QR codes (registered trademark) are sometimes added to product packaging and used to understand consumer behavior and support sales promotions.

[0003] An example of such a technology is, for example, Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses that a code is issued for each product ID so that the code can be converted into a different URL (Uniform Resource Locator), thereby making it possible to display different content on a user terminal. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the code may be printed on the product package or wrapping paper, or may be printed on a document (such as an instruction manual) enclosed in the package. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-018986 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In some cases, sales promotion support is provided in response to access from consumers, such as accepting applications from consumers for prizes using codes attached to products. In such cases, in order to prevent fraudulent activities such as multiple applications, a unique code is assigned to each package of each product, as described in Patent Document 1. However, assigning a unique code to each package is very time-consuming, since it is necessary to prepare and assign the code individually. As a result, a problem has arisen in that it may be difficult to suppress the cost burden when providing sales promotion support.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an assistance device, an assistance method, and a program that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve this objective, the support device in the present disclosure comprises: A support device that accepts access from a consumer using a code assigned to a product, an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data having a subject that is a consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action from an information processing device owned by the consumer; a confirmation unit that confirms whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and determines whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the confirmation result; have The structure is as follows.

[0008] In addition, the support method in the present disclosure includes: An information processing device that accepts access from a consumer using a code assigned to a product, acquiring image data from an information processing device owned by the consumer, the image data being a subject of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action; It is checked whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and it is determined whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the result of the check. The structure is as follows.

[0009] In addition, the program in this disclosure is An information processing device that receives access from a consumer using a code assigned to the product, acquiring image data from an information processing device owned by the consumer, the image data being a subject of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action; It is checked whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and it is determined whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the result of the check. It is a program for implementing processing. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the above-mentioned configurations, the cost burden when providing sales promotion support can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a sales promotion support system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a terminal device. [Diagram 3] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a first support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a response. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a response. [Figure 6] A sequence diagram showing an example of the overall flow of the sales promotion support system including an example of the operation of the support device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a second support device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a support device. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the support device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [First embodiment] A configuration example of the sales promotion support system 100 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the sales promotion support system 100. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the terminal device 300. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the support device 400. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining an example of a response. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the overall flow of the sales promotion support system 100 including an operation example of the support device 400. Note that in this disclosure, the drawings may be associated with one or more of the embodiments.

[0013] In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a sales promotion support system 100 that uses the code 210 attached to the product 200 to accept requests such as applications and information registration from consumers who have purchased the product 200 will be described. As will be described later, when accepting applications, the sales promotion support system 100 in the present disclosure presents a theme that instructs the consumer who has purchased the product 200 to perform a predetermined physical action, and receives an answer from the consumer to the presented theme. In addition, when receiving an answer, the sales promotion support system 100 checks whether an answer having the same characteristics as the received answer has already been received. Then, if an answer having the same characteristics as the received answer has not been received, the sales promotion support system 100 accepts a request from the consumer such as an application. For example, with the above configuration, the sales promotion support system 100 provides appropriate sales promotion support by preventing fraudulent acts such as multiple applications while attaching the same code 210 to multiple products 200.

[0014] In the present disclosure, a theme refers to any instruction that prompts a consumer to perform a predetermined physical action. For example, the theme may include at least a part of any theme that instructs a predetermined physical action on the package (wrapping) of the product 200, such as a drawing theme such as "Draw a dog" or "Draw a cat", a writing theme such as "Write the name of the candy character" or "Write your nickname", a coloring theme, or a combination of a plurality of themes. In addition, as described later, the theme may include any additional instruction such as a designation of a position on the package of the product 200 where a picture or text is to be written. For example, the theme can be presented from the sales promotion support system 100 in response to an access from a consumer using the code 210. The theme may be written in advance on the package of the product 200.

[0015] Furthermore, the code 210 may be any information including predetermined information such as a uniform resource locator (URL) for using the sales promotion support system 100. In other words, the code 210 may be any identifier indicating an access destination. For example, the code 210 may be any one of a one-dimensional code such as a barcode, and a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). As described above, the sales promotion support system 100 in the present disclosure can provide appropriate sales promotion support that prevents fraudulent activities while assigning the same code 210 to multiple products by confirming the answer to the question.

[0016] FIG. 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of a sales promotion support system 100. Referring to FIG. 1, the sales promotion support system 100 includes a product 200, a terminal device 300 owned by a consumer who has purchased the product, and a support device 400. In the case of the present disclosure, the sales promotion support system 100 can include a plurality of products 200. For example, the sales promotion support system 100 may include a plurality of products 200 of the same type, or may include a plurality of types of products 200. The sales promotion support system 100 can also include a plurality of terminal devices 300. As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 300 and the support device 400 can communicate with each other via wireless communication or the like.

[0017] The product 200 is any object that a consumer purchases. The product 200 may be snacks, lunch boxes, or other foods, beverages such as plastic bottles or cans, medicines, or any other consumables. The product 200 may be anything other than the above examples.

[0018] Also, the product 200 may be provided with a code 210. For example, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the code 210 may be provided at a predetermined location on the package of the product 200. In addition to the above-mentioned locations, the code 210 may be provided at any location related to the product 200, such as a guide or instruction manual for the product.

[0019] In the present disclosure, the code 210 is formed in advance so as to be convertible into a predetermined URL that can use the system provided by the sales promotion support system 100. In other words, the code 210 is information indicating an access destination. Here, the code 210 attached to each product 200 included in the sales promotion support system 100 may be formed so as to be convertible into the same URL. In other words, the same code 210 may be attached to each product 200 included in the sales promotion support system 100.

[0020] The terminal device 300 is an information processing device owned by a consumer who has purchased the product 200. The terminal device 300 may be a general information processing device such as a smartphone or a tablet.

[0021] Fig. 2 shows an example of the configuration of the terminal device 300. Referring to Fig. 2, the terminal device 300 can have an image acquisition unit 310, an analysis unit 320, a receiving unit 330, a transmitting unit 340, and the like, in addition to a general configuration of a smartphone or the like. For example, the terminal device 300 has a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device. The terminal device 300 can realize each of the above processing units by causing the calculation device to execute a program stored in the storage device.

[0022] The image acquisition unit 310 acquires image data. The image acquisition unit 310 may acquire image data using a camera function or the like included in the terminal device 300. Note that the image acquisition unit 310 is not limited to acquiring still images, and may also acquire video images or the like.

[0023] For example, the image acquisition unit 310 acquires image data having the code 210 as a subject in response to an operation by a consumer or the like operating the terminal device 300. The image acquisition unit 310 can also acquire image data having an answer, such as a picture drawn by a consumer in response to a question, as a subject in response to an operation by a consumer or the like operating the terminal device 300.

[0024] The analysis unit 320 analyzes the code 210 included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 310 to identify the URL to be accessed. The analysis unit 320 can also access the website or the like indicated by the identified URL. In response to this, communication can be started between the terminal device 300 and the support device 400.

[0025] The receiving unit 330 receives a theme from the support device 400. For example, the receiving unit 330 can receive from the support device 400 a theme transmitted by the support device 400 in response to an access by the analyzing unit 320. The theme received by the receiving unit 330 may be displayed on a screen of a display device of the terminal device 300. The receiving unit 330 may receive only one theme, or may receive multiple themes. When the receiving unit 330 receives multiple themes, the terminal device 300 may be configured to be able to select a theme to be executed from among the received themes.

[0026] The transmission unit 340 transmits image data (still image or video) having the answer corresponding to the received question as a subject to the support device 400. For example, the transmission unit 340 may be configured to transmit the image data to the support device 400 in response to an operation by the consumer who operates the terminal device 300.

[0027] The support device 400 is an information processing device that transmits a question to the terminal device 300 in response to an access from the terminal device 300. When the support device 400 receives an answer to the question, the support device 400 checks whether an answer having the same characteristics as the received answer has already been stored. The support device 400 can then perform processing according to the result of the check. For example, the support device 400 may perform the above example processing within a transaction in which a website is accessed. FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the support device 400. Referring to FIG. 3, the support device 400 has, as main components, for example, an operation input unit 410, a screen display unit 420, a communication I / F unit 430, a storage unit 440, and a calculation processing unit 450.

[0028] 3 illustrates an example in which the functions of the support device 400 are realized using one information processing device. However, at least a part of the functions of the support device 400 may be realized using a plurality of information processing devices, for example, on a cloud. In addition, the support device 400 may not include some of the configurations illustrated above, such as not having the operation input unit 410 or the screen display unit 420, or may have a configuration other than those illustrated above.

[0029] The operation input unit 410 is composed of an operation input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The operation input unit 410 detects an operation of an operator who operates the support device 400 and outputs the operation to the calculation processing unit 450.

[0030] The screen display unit 420 is composed of a screen display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (electro-luminescence) display, etc. The screen display unit 420 can display various information stored in the storage unit 440 on the screen in response to an instruction from the arithmetic processing unit 450.

[0031] The communication I / F unit 430 is composed of a data communication circuit etc. The communication I / F unit 430 performs data communication with an external device connected via a communication line.

[0032] The storage unit 440 is a storage device such as a hard disk or a memory. The storage unit 440 stores processing information and a program 444 required for various processes in the arithmetic processing unit 450. The program 444 is read into the arithmetic processing unit 450 and executed to realize various processing units. The program 444 is read in advance from an external device or a recording medium via a data input / output function such as the communication I / F unit 430, and is stored in the storage unit 440. Main information stored in the storage unit 440 includes, for example, topic information 441, image information 442, and consumer information 443.

[0033] The theme information 441 includes information about the theme to be transmitted to the terminal device 300. The theme information 441 is acquired in advance by any means, such as by receiving an input using the operation input unit 410 or by receiving the information from an external device via the communication I / F unit 430, and is stored in the storage unit 440.

[0034] For example, in the case of the present disclosure, the topic information 441 includes at least a part of any topic, such as drawing topics such as "Draw a picture of a dog" or "Draw a picture of a cat", writing topics such as "Write the name of a candy character" or "Write your nickname", topics that ask for answers to predetermined quizzes such as "What animal is in the refrigerator?", and other coloring topics. The topic information 441 may include a plurality of combinations of topics including different types of topics such as drawing topics and writing topics.

[0035] Furthermore, the theme information 441 may include any additional instructions, such as a position designation instruction that designates a position on the package of the product 200 where a picture or text is to be written, and an additional designation instruction that additionally designates a subject, such as a specific part of the candy or package included in the product 200 as the subject along with the theme. For example, the position designation instruction may include information indicating a landmark 220 on the package of the product 200 that serves as a landmark for answering, such as "Draw a picture near the star mark." The additional instruction may include instructions other than those exemplified above, such as an instruction on a place to write the answer.

[0036] The image information 442 includes image data having as its subject the answer to the question received from the terminal device 300. The image information 442 may also include information indicating the feature amount of the picture or the like that is the answer to the question. The image information 442 is updated in response to the storage unit 457 storing the image data and the feature amount in response to the result of confirmation by the confirmation unit 455 described later.

[0037] The consumer information 443 includes information on attributes of the consumer who answered the question. For example, the consumer information 443 may include at least a part of the name, age, sex, address, telephone number, and any other attributes. The consumer information 443 is updated in response to the storage unit 457 storing information indicating the attributes acquired by the information acquisition unit 456 in response to the result of confirmation by the confirmation unit 455 described later.

[0038] The arithmetic processing unit 450 has an arithmetic device such as a CPU and its peripheral circuits. The arithmetic processing unit 450 reads and executes a program 444 from the storage unit 440, thereby implementing various processing units by making the above hardware and the program 444 work together. Major processing units implemented by the arithmetic processing unit 450 include, for example, an access receiving unit 451, a question setting unit 452, an image acquiring unit 453, a feature extraction unit 454, a confirmation unit 455, an information acquiring unit 456, a storage unit 457, and an output unit 458.

[0039] In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 450 may have a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an FPU (Floating point number Processing Unit), a PPU (Physics Processing Unit), a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), a quantum processor, a microcontroller, or a combination of these, instead of the above-mentioned CPU.

[0040] The access receiving unit 451 receives an access from the terminal device 300. In response to receiving the access, the access receiving unit 451 can start a process example described below.

[0041] The question setting unit 452 transmits a question to the terminal device 300. For example, the question setting unit 452 specifies a question in response to the access receiving unit 451 receiving an access. At this time, the question setting unit 452 may specify only one question, or may specify multiple questions. Furthermore, the question setting unit 452 transmits the specified question to the terminal device 300.

[0042] The question setting unit 452 may specify a question to be set from the question information 441 each time the access receiving unit 451 receives an access, or may be configured to specify the same question within a predetermined period. In other words, the question setting unit 452 may be configured to change the question to be set every predetermined period. The question setting unit 452 may also be configured to specify a question according to the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the terminal device 300 when the access receiving unit 451 receives the access. In other words, the question setting unit 452 may be configured to specify a question based on information indicating the access source. As an example, the question setting unit 452 may be configured to specify a different question from the previous access when the same IP address is received. For example, when the access is received from the same IP address, there is a possibility that the same person is accessing using the same code 210. In such a case, by changing the question set by the question setting unit 452, it is possible to increase the possibility of preventing fraudulent acts such as making multiple applications with answers to the same question.

[0043] Furthermore, the question setting unit 452 may be configured to specify a theme and an additional instruction included in the theme information 441. When specifying an additional instruction, the question setting unit 452 may transmit the specified additional instruction together with the specified theme to the terminal device 300. By transmitting the additional instruction together with the theme by the question setting unit 452, uniqueness can be further improved.

[0044] The image acquisition unit 453 acquires image data (still image or video) having an answer to the question as a subject from the terminal device 300. In other words, the image acquisition unit 453 can acquire image data having a picture drawn by the consumer as a subject.

[0045] For example, as illustrated in Fig. 4, in response to a question set by the question setting unit 452, the consumer draws an answer such as a picture on the package of the product 200. After the above, the consumer transmits image data having the answer such as the drawn picture as a subject to the support device 400. The image acquisition unit 453 can acquire the image data transmitted as described above, for example. Note that, as illustrated in Fig. 5, if the question setting unit 452 has transmitted an additional instruction, the image data may include the landmark point 220 specified by the additional instruction.

[0046] The feature extraction unit 454 extracts feature amounts from the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453. That is, the feature extraction unit 454 extracts feature amounts of pictures, characters, etc. drawn by the consumer in response to the theme.

[0047] For example, the feature extraction unit 454 detects an area such as a picture drawn by a consumer from the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 using an arbitrary detector that has been trained in advance. In addition, the feature extraction unit 454 extracts feature points from the detected area using an arbitrary feature point extractor. Thereafter, the feature extraction unit 454 can calculate feature amounts according to the extracted feature points. In the present disclosure, there are no particular limitations on the specific processing performed by the feature extraction unit 454 when extracting feature points or calculating feature amounts. For example, the feature extraction unit 454 may extract feature points or calculate feature amounts using any means, such as extracting feature points using a model that has been machine-learned in advance.

[0048] Based on the features extracted by the feature extraction unit 454, the confirmation unit 455 confirms whether or not an answer having the same features as the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 is already stored in the storage unit 440. Furthermore, the confirmation unit 455 determines whether or not to accept a request such as an application from a consumer, depending on the result of the confirmation.

[0049] For example, the confirmation unit 455 confirms whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 has already been stored by confirming whether the image information 442 contains a feature that is the same as or similar to the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 454. If the image information 442 contains a feature that is the same as or similar to the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 454, the confirmation unit 455 determines that an answer such as a picture having the same characteristics has already been received. In this case, there is a possibility that an answer such as a picture drawn for a certain product 200 has been reused, such as by submitting multiple applications. Therefore, the confirmation unit 455 determines that an answer such as a picture having the same characteristics has already been accepted, and that a new request will not be accepted. On the other hand, if the image information 442 does not contain a feature that is the same as or similar to the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 454, the confirmation unit 455 determines that a request such as an application will be accepted.

[0050] The confirmation unit 455 may confirm whether the feature quantities are the same or similar by using any means. For example, the confirmation unit 455 may confirm whether the feature quantities are the same or similar by calculating the distance between the feature quantities and checking whether the calculated distance is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold. The confirmation unit 455 may also confirm whether the feature quantities are the same or similar by using a known means other than those exemplified above.

[0051] The confirmation unit 455 may also perform a confirmation process other than the above examples. For example, the confirmation unit 455 may check whether the additional instruction is satisfied in addition to checking the feature amount. That is, the confirmation unit 455 can check whether the answer is provided at a specified position on the package of the product 200, whether the specified subject is included, whether the answer is provided near the landmark point 220 that is additionally instructed (whether the landmark point 220 is included in the image data), and the like. When the confirmation unit 455 also checks the additional instruction, the confirmation unit 455 may determine to accept the request when the same feature amount as the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit 454 is not included in the image information 442 and the additional instruction is satisfied. The confirmation unit 455 can also check whether the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 matches the question sent by the question setting unit 452. For example, the confirmation unit 455 stores the feature amount of a typical answer for each question. The confirmation unit 455 can then confirm whether the answer matches the theme based on the feature amount of the typical answer and the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit 454. For example, the confirmation unit 455 may be configured to determine that the answer matches the theme when the distance between the feature amount of the typical answer and the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extraction unit 454 is equal to or less than a predetermined value and it can be determined that they are similar. In addition to the above example, for example, the confirmation unit 455 may confirm whether the answer matches the theme based on the contents of characters read by performing OCR (Optical Character Recognition / Reader) processing. In addition, when the theme is a quiz, the confirmation unit 455 may also confirm whether the answer is correct for the quiz based on the contents of the characters read.

[0052] When the confirmation unit 455 determines to accept the request, the information acquisition unit 456 acquires information indicating the attributes of the consumer from the terminal device 300. For example, the information acquisition unit 456 acquires the information indicating the attributes of the consumer from the terminal device 300 in response to transmitting an input form for accepting information indicating the attributes to the terminal device 300. The information acquisition unit 456 may acquire at least a part of the name, age, sex, address, telephone number, and other arbitrary attributes as the information indicating the attributes of the consumer.

[0053] When the confirmation unit 455 determines to accept the request, the storage unit 457 stores the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 and the information indicating the attributes of the consumer acquired by the information acquisition unit 456 in the memory unit 440. For example, the storage unit 457 stores the image data and feature amount acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 as image information 442 in the memory unit 440 according to the result of the confirmation by the confirmation unit 455. Furthermore, the storage unit 457 stores the information indicating the attributes of the consumer acquired by the information acquisition unit 456 as consumer information 443 in the memory unit 440 according to the result of the confirmation by the confirmation unit 455. Note that, when performing the above-mentioned storage, the storage unit 457 may be configured to perform a storage process in which the image data and the attributes are associated with each other, such as by associating the same identification information in the image information 442 and the consumer information 443.

[0054] The storage unit 457 may store the above-mentioned various information in the memory unit 440, or may store the above-mentioned various information in a storage device of an external system such as a CDP (Customer Data Platform) / CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system instead of the above-mentioned various information. The storage unit 457 may be configured to always store the image data in the memory unit 440 regardless of the result of the confirmation by the confirmation unit 455.

[0055] The output unit 458 can perform any output, such as sending a predetermined prize in response to an application from a consumer. For example, the output unit 458 may be configured to perform a predetermined output when the confirmation unit 455 determines that an application or the like is to be accepted.

[0056] For example, when the confirmation unit 455 determines that an application or the like is to be accepted, the output unit 458 can output information necessary for sending a tangible object such as a prize to an external device or the like. The output unit 458 may also be configured to output an intangible object such as a coupon or an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) trading card related to the product 200 to the terminal device 300 as a prize for the application. The output unit 458 may perform outputs other than those exemplified above.

[0057] The above is an example of the configuration of the support device 400. Next, an example of the overall flow of the sales promotion support system 100, including an example of the operation of the support device 400, will be described with reference to FIG.

[0058] Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the overall flow of the sales promotion support system 100. Referring to Fig. 6, a consumer who has purchased a product 200 accesses the support device 400 by reading information indicating an access destination, such as reading a code 210 attached to the product 200.

[0059] When the access receiving unit 451 receives an access, the question setting unit 452 refers to the question information 441 to identify a question to be set (step S101). At this time, the question setting unit 452 may identify only one question, or may identify multiple questions. In addition, the question setting unit 452 transmits the identified question to the terminal device 300 (step S102).

[0060] The question set by the question setting unit 452 is displayed on, for example, the terminal device 300. In response to this, the consumer answers the question on the package of the product 200 or the like. That is, the consumer draws a picture or writes a letter on the package of the product 200 or the like. After that, image data having the answer as a subject is obtained by the consumer and transmitted to the support device 400.

[0061] When the image acquisition unit 453 acquires the image data, the feature extraction unit 454 extracts features from the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 (step S103). Furthermore, the confirmation unit 455 confirms, based on the features extracted by the feature extraction unit 454, whether or not an answer having the same features as the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 is already stored in the storage unit 440 (step S104).

[0062] When the image information 442 contains the same feature as the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 454 (step S104, Yes), the confirmation unit 455 determines that an answer such as a picture having the same feature has already been received. In this case, the confirmation unit 455 determines that an answer having the same feature has already been received and that a new answer will not be accepted. On the other hand, when the image information 442 does not contain the same feature as the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 454 (step S104, No), the confirmation unit 455 determines that an application will be accepted. In response to this, the storage unit 457 stores the image data (step S105). The storage unit 457 may store information indicating the attributes of the consumer acquired according to the result of the confirmation by the confirmation unit 455, etc., in the memory unit 440 together with the image data.

[0063] The above is an example of the overall flow of the sales promotion support system 100.

[0064] In this way, the support device 400 has the feature extraction unit 454 and the confirmation unit 455. According to this configuration, the confirmation unit 455 can confirm whether an answer having the same features as the answer included in the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453 has already been stored based on the feature extracted by the feature extraction unit 454, and make a decision according to the confirmation result. As a result, even if the same code 210 is attached to multiple products 200, it is possible to prevent fraudulent acts such as reusing, and it is possible to realize appropriate sales promotion support. In other words, according to the above configuration, it is possible to provide appropriate sales promotion support by attaching the same code 210 to multiple products 200 without the need to prepare unique codes, and therefore it is possible to reduce the cost of providing sales promotion support.

[0065] The support device 400 also has a question setting unit 452. With this configuration, the question setting unit 452 can send a question to a consumer in response to access from the consumer. With this configuration, a question can be set according to the consumer, and more unique and appropriate sales promotion support can be provided.

[0066] In the above example, there is a risk that before drawing a picture or the like that is the answer to the question on the package of the product 200, the package or the like is printed multiple times and each of the printed pictures is used to make an answer. Such a risk can be prevented, for example, by printing a background pattern on the package of the product 200. It is also assumed that the answer picture is drawn with a pencil or the like and then erased with an eraser or the like. Such a risk can be prevented, for example, by configuring the system to specify the thickness of the drawing and to check whether the picture is drawn using a marker or the like that has a thickness greater than or equal to a predetermined thickness. The sales promotion support system 100 may be configured to further prevent fraudulent acts by using any of the above examples or a combination thereof.

[0067] In addition, in the present disclosure, the support device 400 sets a question. However, as described above, the question may be written in advance on the package of the product 200. When the question is written in advance on the package of the product 200, the support device 400 does not need to have the question setting unit 452 or the like.

[0068] Furthermore, the answers from consumers stored by the support device 400 may be configured to be usable by the consumers, rather than simply being stored in the storage unit 440. For example, the support device 400 may be configured to create digital trading cards, etc., using image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 453. The support device 400 may transmit the created digital trading cards, etc. to the terminal device 300, or manage them so that they can be exchanged between the terminal devices 300.

[0069] [Second embodiment] Next, a support device 500, which is a second support device in the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 9. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the support device 500. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of the support device 500. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the support device 500.

[0070] In the second embodiment of the present disclosure, a support device 500 that is an information processing device that accepts access from a consumer using a code attached to a product will be described. Fig. 7 shows an example of a hardware configuration of the support device 500. Referring to Fig. 7, the support device 500 has, as an example, the following hardware configuration. ·CPU(Central Processing Unit)501(Arithmetic unit) ROM (Read Only Memory) 502 (storage device) RAM (Random Access Memory) 503 (storage device) Programs 504 loaded into RAM 503 A storage device 505 for storing a group of programs 504 A drive device 506 that reads and writes from a recording medium 510 outside the information processing device A communication interface 507 for connecting to a communication network 511 outside the information processing device Input / output interface 508 for inputting and outputting data Bus 509 connecting each component

[0071] 8. The program group 504 is stored in advance in, for example, the storage device 505 or the ROM 502, and the CPU 501 loads and executes the program group 504 in the RAM 503 or the like as necessary. The program group 504 may be supplied to the CPU 501 via the communication network 511, or may be stored in advance in the recording medium 510, and the drive device 506 may read out the program and supply it to the CPU 501.

[0072] 7 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the support device 500. The hardware configuration of the support device 500 is not limited to the above. For example, the support device 500 may be configured with only a part of the above configuration, such as not having the drive device 506. The CPU 501 may be the GPU exemplified in the first embodiment.

[0073] The image data acquisition unit 521 acquires image data of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action from an information processing device owned by the consumer. For example, the question may be written in advance on a product purchased by the consumer, or may be transmitted by the support device 500 in response to an access from the consumer.

[0074] The confirmation unit 522 confirms whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and determines whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the confirmation result. For example, when it is determined that an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has not been received, such as when an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data is not stored in the storage device, the confirmation unit 522 determines that the request from the consumer is to be accepted.

[0075] The above is an example of the configuration of the support device 500. Next, an example of the operation of the support device 500 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0076] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the support device 500. Referring to Fig. 9, the image data acquisition unit 521 acquires image data having as a subject the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action from an information processing device possessed by the consumer (step S201). For example, the question may be written in advance on a product purchased by the consumer, or may be transmitted by the support device 500 in response to an access from the consumer.

[0077] The confirmation unit 522 confirms whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and determines whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the confirmation result (step S202). For example, when it is determined that an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has not been received, such as when an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data is not stored in the storage device, the confirmation unit 522 determines that the request from the consumer is to be accepted.

[0078] The above is an example of the operation of the support device 500.

[0079] In this way, the support device 500 has an image data acquisition unit 521 and a confirmation unit 522. With this configuration, the confirmation unit 522 can confirm whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and can determine whether to accept a request from a consumer based on the confirmation result. As a result, even if the same code is attached to multiple products, it is possible to prevent fraudulent acts such as multiple applications by reusing images, and appropriate sales promotion support can be realized. In other words, with the above configuration, it is possible to provide appropriate sales promotion support by attaching the same code to multiple products without the need to prepare unique codes, and therefore it is possible to reduce costs when providing sales promotion support.

[0080] The above-mentioned support device 500 can be realized by incorporating a predetermined program in an information processing device such as the support device 500. Specifically, a program as another embodiment of the present disclosure is a program for realizing a process in which an information processing device such as the support device 500 that accepts access from a consumer using a code attached to a product acquires image data, which has as its subject the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action, from the information processing device possessed by the consumer, checks whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and judges whether to accept a request from the consumer according to the check result.

[0081] In addition, the support method executed by an information processing device such as the above-mentioned support device 500 is a method of obtaining image data having as its subject the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action from the information processing device possessed by the consumer, checking whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer contained in the image data has already been received, and determining whether to accept a request from the consumer based on the result of the checking.

[0082] A program having the above-described configuration, or a computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, or an assistance method, etc., can achieve the same action and effect as the above-described assistance device 500, and therefore can achieve the above-described objective of the present disclosure.

[0083] <Additional Notes> A part or all of the above-described embodiments may be described as follows: The following provides an overview of the support device and the like in the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following configuration.

[0084] (Appendix 1) A support device that accepts access from a consumer using a code assigned to a product, an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data having a subject that is a consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action from an information processing device owned by the consumer; a confirmation unit that confirms whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and determines whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the confirmation result; have Support equipment. (Appendix 2) 2. The support device according to claim 1, a question setting section which selects a question to be sent to the consumer in response to an access from the consumer using a code given to the product, and sends the selected question to the consumer; The image data acquisition unit acquires image data having an answer to the question transmitted by the question setting unit as a subject. Support equipment. (Appendix 3) 3. The support device according to claim 2, The question setting unit specifies a question based on information indicating the access source. Support equipment. (Appendix 4) 4. The support device according to claim 2 or 3, The question setting unit transmits, together with the question, additional instructions for specifying the position where the answer is to be given or the place where the answer is to be written. Support equipment. (Appendix 5) 5. The support device according to claim 2, The question setting unit transmits an additional instruction for specifying an additional subject together with the question. Support equipment. (Appendix 6) 5. The support device according to claim 1, The theme is written on the product in advance. Support equipment. (Appendix 7) 10. The support device according to claim 1, The theme indicates a predetermined physical action to be performed on the product's packaging. Support equipment. (Appendix 8) 8. The support device according to claim 7, The theme instructs the user to draw a specific picture on the product's packaging. Support equipment. (Appendix 9) An information processing device that accepts access from a consumer using a code assigned to a product, acquiring image data from an information processing device owned by the consumer, the image data being a subject of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action; It is checked whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and it is determined whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the result of the check. How to help. (Appendix 9-1) 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: Selecting the theme to be sent to the consumer in response to access from the consumer using the code assigned to the product, and sending the selected theme to the consumer; When acquiring image data, image data having the answer to the transmitted question as a subject is acquired. How to help. (Appendix 9-2) The support method according to claim 9-1, When identifying a topic, the topic is identified based on information indicating the source of the access. How to help. (Appendix 9-3) The support method according to claim 9-1 or 9-2, When sending a question, send additional instructions along with the question to specify the location where the answer should be given or where the answer should be written. How to help. (Appendix 9-4) A support method according to any one of Supplementary Note 9-1 to Supplementary Note 9-3, When sending a subject, send additional instructions to specify additional subjects along with the subject. How to help. (Appendix 9-5) A support method according to any one of Supplementary Note 9 to Supplementary Note 9-4, The theme is written on the product in advance. How to help. (Appendix 9-6) A support method according to any one of Supplementary Note 9 to Supplementary Note 9-5, The theme indicates a predetermined physical action to be performed on the product's packaging. How to help. (Appendix 9-7) The support method according to claim 9-6, The theme instructs the user to draw a specific picture on the product's packaging. How to help. (Appendix 10) An information processing device that receives access from a consumer using a code assigned to the product, acquiring image data from an information processing device owned by the consumer, the image data being a subject of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action; It is checked whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and it is determined whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the result of the check. A program for implementing processing. (Appendix 10-1) 11. The program of claim 10, Selecting the theme to be sent to the consumer in response to access from the consumer using the code assigned to the product, and sending the selected theme to the consumer; When acquiring image data, image data having the answer to the transmitted question as a subject is acquired. program. (Appendix 10-2) The program according to claim 10-1, When identifying a topic, the topic is identified based on information indicating the source of the access. program. (Appendix 10-3) The program according to claim 10-1 or 10-2, When sending a question, send additional instructions along with the question to specify the location where the answer should be given or where the answer should be written. program. (Appendix 10-4) A program according to any one of Supplementary Note 10-1 to Supplementary Note 10-3, When sending a subject, send additional instructions to specify additional subjects along with the subject. program. (Appendix 10-5) A program according to any one of claims 10 to 10-4, The theme is written on the product in advance. program. (Appendix 10-6) A program according to any one of claims 10 to 10-5, The theme indicates a predetermined physical action to be performed on the product's packaging. program. (Appendix 10-7) The program according to claim 10-6, The theme instructs the user to draw a specific picture on the product's packaging. program.

[0085] The programs described in the above embodiments and appendices may be stored in a storage device or a computer-readable recording medium, such as a portable medium such as a flexible disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory.

[0086] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by a person skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be appropriately combined with other embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 100 Sales Promotion Support System 200 items 210 Code 220 Landmark point 300 Terminal Equipment 310 Image Acquisition Unit 320 Analysis Department 330 Receiving unit 340 Transmitter 400 Support equipment 410 Operation input section 420 Screen display section 430 Communication I / F section 440 Storage section 441 Topic Information 442 Image information 443 Consumer information 444 Programs 450 Processing Unit 451 Access Reception Department 452 Question Section 453 Image Acquisition Unit 454 Feature Extraction Unit 455 Confirmation Department 456 Information Acquisition Department 457 Storage Unit 458 Output section 500 Support equipment 501 CPU 502 ROM 503 RAM 504 Programs 505 Storage device 506 Drive Unit 507 Communication Interface 508 Input / Output Interface 509 Bus 510 Recording media 511 Communication Network 521 Image data acquisition unit 522 Confirmation Department

Claims

1. A support device that accepts access from a consumer using a code assigned to a product, an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data having a subject that is a consumer's answer to a question that instructs a predetermined physical action from an information processing device owned by the consumer; a confirmation unit that confirms whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and determines whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the confirmation result; have Support equipment.

2. The support device according to claim 1 , a question setting section which selects a question to be sent to the consumer in response to an access from the consumer using a code given to the product, and sends the selected question to the consumer; The image data acquisition unit acquires image data having an answer to the question transmitted by the question setting unit as a subject. Support equipment.

3. The support device according to claim 2, The question setting unit specifies a question based on information indicating the access source. Support equipment.

4. The support device according to claim 2, The question setting unit transmits, together with the question, additional instructions for specifying the position where the answer is to be given or the place where the answer is to be written. Support equipment.

5. The support device according to claim 2, The question setting unit transmits an additional instruction for specifying an additional subject together with the question. Support equipment.

6. The support device according to claim 1 , The theme is written on the product in advance. Support equipment.

7. The support device according to claim 1 , The theme indicates a predetermined physical action to be performed on the product's packaging. Support equipment.

8. The support device according to claim 7, The theme instructs the user to draw at least one of a picture or a letter on the product package. Support equipment.

9. An information processing device that accepts access from a consumer using a code assigned to a product, acquiring image data from an information processing device owned by the consumer, the image data being a subject of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action; It is checked whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and it is determined whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the result of the check. How to help.

10. An information processing device that receives access from a consumer using a code assigned to the product, acquiring image data from an information processing device owned by the consumer, the image data being a subject of the consumer's answer to a question instructing a predetermined physical action; It is checked whether an answer having the same characteristics as the answer included in the image data has already been received, and it is determined whether to accept the request from the consumer based on the result of the check. A program for implementing processing.

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