Prize exchange system

Abstract

To provide a prize distribution system in which more stable operation is possible.SOLUTION: A prize exchange system has a configuration including: an exchange request input portion in which a prize exchange request is inputted for exchanging a game point to a prize, the game point corresponding to a value of game media acquired by a player in a game hall; a money exchange information acquisition portion for acquiring money exchange information related to a monetary value corresponding to a game point in a prize exchange game hall or a prize exchange web site; and a prize exchange management portion that allows, when a prize exchange request is inputted in the exchange request input portion, an exchange of a game point and a prize by calculating the monetary value of the game point to be consumed from the money exchange information, based on a condition that the monetary value is equal to or smaller than a predetermined money amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a prize distribution system for exchanging game media acquired at an amusement arcade for prizes. [Background technology]

[0002] In amusement parlors where players can play gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines, there are prize exchange offices where players can exchange the gaming media they have acquired for prizes, and players can exchange the gaming media for prizes according to the number of gaming media they have acquired. However, in conventional amusement arcades, players must select a prize that matches the number of gaming media from those displayed in the prize exchange area, which requires a wide variety of prizes to be displayed in the prize exchange area, resulting in the problem of the prize exchange area taking up a lot of space within the arcade. In addition, players are required to select the prize they want from the prizes displayed at the prize exchange booth, which limits the range of prize options available.

[0003] A prize distribution system that solves these problems is disclosed in Patent Document 1, which was previously filed by the applicant of the present application. This prize distribution system allows prizes to be exchanged outside the amusement facility, making it possible to reduce the installation space for the prize exchange office within the amusement facility and diversifying the types of prizes that can be exchanged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6972574 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned prize distribution system, when a player exchanges prizes outside the game center, there is a possibility that the player may commit fraud and obtain a high-value prize that he or she would not be able to exchange otherwise. If such a problem occurs, there is a possibility that the related companies may suffer significant damage.

[0006] For these reasons, there has been a demand for a prize distribution system that can minimize the damage caused by such problems and that can be operated more stably.

[0007] Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a prize distribution system that can be operated more stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a prize exchange system comprising an exchange request input unit for inputting a prize exchange request to exchange game points corresponding to the value of game media acquired by a player at an amusement arcade for a prize, a monetary exchange information acquisition unit for acquiring monetary exchange information regarding the monetary value corresponding to the game points at a prize exchange store or prize exchange website, and a prize exchange management unit for calculating the monetary value of the game points to be consumed from the monetary exchange information when a prize exchange request is input to the exchange request input unit and permitting the exchange of the game points for a prize, provided that the monetary value is less than a predetermined amount.

[0009] According to this aspect, even if someone tries to acquire many high-value prizes for the purpose of reselling them by using points obtained through fraudulent means, the exchange of high-value prizes is not permitted, so it is possible to prevent (suppress) the occurrence of problems such as illegally acquiring many high-value prizes. This makes it possible to provide a prize distribution system that allows for more stable operation.

[0010] Preferably, when a site display operation is executed to display the prize exchange website on a display device, the content displayed on the display device is changed on one of the conditions that it is confirmed that the user who executed the site display operation is a user who owns game points.

[0011] According to this aspect, in cases where the prize exchange website is a site that can be used for purposes other than prize exchange, it is possible to make the player strongly aware that he or she will be using the prize exchange website to exchange prizes from now on.

[0012] Preferably, the site display operation changes the content so that information related to prize exchange at a specified game center is displayed.

[0013] According to this aspect, when a player exchanges prizes outside of an amusement park, the player can feel as if he or she is exchanging prizes at the amusement park.

[0014] Preferably, the prize exchange management unit calculates a monetary value of the gaming points according to the type of points, the place of use, and the time of use.

[0015] According to this aspect, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the prize is of a high value or not.

[0016] Preferably, the prize exchange management unit calculates the monetary value of the game points to be consumed for each prize, and permits exchange of the game points for the prize on the condition that the monetary value is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

[0017] According to this aspect, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not to permit exchange of a prize. Effect of the Invention

[0018] The present invention can provide a prize distribution system that can be operated more stably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a prize distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the game center of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a typical prize exchange flow in the prize distribution system of FIG. 1, and shows the flow when points are awarded to a player. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing a typical prize exchange flow in the prize distribution system of Figure 1, and shows the flow when exchanging points for prizes at a physical store. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a typical prize exchange flow in the prize distribution system of FIG. 1, illustrating the flow when exchanging points for prizes on a prize exchange website. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a prize exchange website that is displayed when exchanging prizes online in the prize distribution system of Figure 1, and shows the state before the display content is changed. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a prize exchange website that is displayed when exchanging prizes online in the prize distribution system of Figure 1, and shows an example of the state after the display content has been changed. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a prize exchange website that is displayed when exchanging prizes online in the prize distribution system of Figure 1, and shows an example of the state after the display content has been changed, and is a diagram showing an example different from Figure 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the prize exchange system 1 of an embodiment of the present invention is constructed in cooperation with one or more amusement facilities 2, a points management company 3, a money management company 4, and one or more affiliated companies 5, each of which belongs to an independent network capable of communicating with each other. The prize exchange system 1 is a point exchange system that gives game points to an electronic terminal or card owned or assigned to a player, and exchanges the game points for a desired prize. The game points are points that can be exchanged for game media such as game balls and medals, and a number of points according to the value of the game media such as game balls and medals can be obtained by exchange (details will be described later). In the following explanation, gaming points will be simply referred to as points, and unless otherwise specified, it will be explained that points are awarded to an electronic terminal such as an IC card or a smartphone, and that the points can be exchanged for desired prizes.

[0022] 2, the game center 2 is a facility in which game machines 15 are installed, which allow games to be played using game media such as game balls and medals. The game center 2 of this embodiment has the game machines 15, a game media lending machine 16, and a measuring device 17. The game center 2 of this embodiment also has a hall computer 20 and a prize exchange office 21.

[0023] Specifically, the gaming machine 15 is a pachinko machine (a pinball gaming machine) or a slot machine (a reel gaming machine).

[0024] The gaming medium lending machine 16 is a device that lends gaming media to players playing on the gaming machines 15. The measurement device 17 is a measurement means for measuring the number of game media that a player has acquired (owned by a player) through a game using the gaming machine 15.

[0025] The hall computer 20 is a computer used to comprehensively manage the various devices belonging to the gaming center 2.

[0026] The prize exchange center 21 comprises a management computer 25 (first terminal), a display device 26, and an information input / output means 27 (exchange center side information input / output means).

[0027] The management computer 25 is a computer that manages information on game media and prizes, and is capable of transmitting the management status of the prizes to the point management server 40. The display device 26 is a device that displays the types of points that can be given to the electronic terminal of the player, and is capable of displaying the points that each affiliated company 5 handles. The information input / output means 27 is a device group consisting of one or more devices, and includes a device (terminal) capable of reading and writing information from a player's card or electronic terminal. The information input / output means 27 also includes a device capable of reading information from exchange media such as receipts, cards, medals, etc., discharged from the measuring device 17 or the game media lending machine 16.

[0028] The point management company 3 is a management company that mainly manages points, and is equipped with a point management server 40 (second terminal). The point management server 40 is a server that mainly manages the distribution status of prizes and points, and is capable of transmitting and receiving information regarding the distribution of points and prizes.

[0029] The money management company 4 is a management company that manages the financial income and expenditure associated with fluctuations in points within the prize exchange system 1, and is a money collection company that pays money to the affiliated company 5 in accordance with the consumption of points in exchanging points for prizes, and collects money from the point management company 3 in accordance with the consumption of said points. The money management server 41 is a server that manages at least the status of money circulation between the point management company 3 and the affiliated company 5, and is capable of sending and receiving information related to money.

[0030] The affiliated company 5 is a company that is affiliated with the point management company 3 and allows points to be exchanged for prizes, and is, for example, a retail store such as a department store, a bookstore, or a convenience store, or an operating company thereof. In other words, the affiliated company 5 may be a company where sales staff sell products directly to consumers at a product sales store (physical store), or a company that provides products to players as prizes at the physical store. Alternatively, the affiliated company 5 may be a mail-order company. When the partner company 5 is a company having a brick-and-mortar store, as shown in FIG. 1, the partner company 5 has a partner-side management server 42 and information input / output means 43 (third terminal, partner-side information input / output means).

[0031] The affiliated management server 42 is capable of transmitting and receiving information relating to points to the point management company 3 (point management server 40) and the money management company 4 (money management server 41). The information input / output means 43 is a device installed in a brick-and-mortar store and capable of reading and writing information from and to a player's card and electronic terminal. That is, the information input / output means 43 is a reading terminal that reads information about points from an electronic terminal or the like, and a writing terminal that writes information about points updated in accordance with changes in point usage, etc., to an electronic terminal or the like.

[0032] The affiliated company 5 may be a company that has (operates) an online store (such as an EC site) in addition to or instead of a physical store. In this case, a website where prizes can be exchanged (hereinafter also referred to as the prize exchange website) is displayed on the display device of the player's electronic terminal, and the player can consume points to acquire prizes by performing a predetermined operation (described in detail later).

[0033] The above-mentioned gaming center 2 and each company (point management company 3, money management company 4, affiliated company 5) belong to an independent network that can communicate with each other. That is, the hall computer 20 and each server (point management server 40, money management server 41, affiliated management server 42) each have a CPU (central processing unit), a ROM which is the main memory, a RAM for temporarily storing various data, a communication I / F, a storage device such as an SSD (solid state drive), and a display device such as a display, and an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The hall computer 20 and each server are connected so that they can communicate with each other. In addition, the hall computer 20 and each server have a database and are each capable of storing predetermined information. Furthermore, by running the application, the electronic terminal of the player can be connected to predetermined servers (point management server 40, affiliated management server 42) so as to be capable of mutual communication.

[0034] Next, a typical prize exchange process in the prize distribution system of this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0035] A player inserts money such as bills into the game medium lending machine 16, or has the game medium lending machine 16 read an exchange card or the like (exchange media such as cards, medals, etc.), and plays a game on the game machine 15.

[0036] When a player plays on a gaming machine 15 and ends the game after having acquired gaming media, the acquired gaming media is measured by a measuring device 17, and an exchange receipt or the like (exchange media) with information regarding the measured gaming media is ejected from the measuring device 17. In addition, when a counter for each machine (not shown) is used instead of the measuring device 17, when the game ends with game media acquired, a card or the like (exchange medium) is discharged from the game media lending machine 16. In this case, the measuring device 17 does not measure the number of players and does not discharge receipts or the like.

[0037] When a player takes an exchange medium (receipt, card, etc.) to a prize exchange booth 21 provided separately within the gaming facility 2 and hands the exchange medium to a store clerk, the store clerk reads information regarding the number of game media acquired that is linked to the exchange medium using the information input / output means 27.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, in the prize exchange system 1, when information regarding the number of acquired gaming media linked to exchange media is read and input by the information input / output means 27 (STEP 1), a selection screen for one or more types of exchangeable points is displayed on the display device 26 (STEP 2).

[0039] The player selects the desired type of points from those displayed on the display device 26 and informs the store clerk. Then, the player or the store clerk reads the terminal identification information of the electronic terminal, etc. with the information input / output means 27 (STEP 3). Then, when the information input / output means 27 reads the terminal identification information of the electronic terminal, etc., the desired points are awarded to the player (electronic terminal, etc.) (STEP 4). At this time, the point information is written to the electronic terminal, etc. as necessary. Here, the "point information" is information related to points. The point information in this embodiment includes terminal identification information, point identification information, granted point information, consumed point information, held point information, company identification information, point value information (monetary exchange information), regulated amount information, etc. "Terminal identification information" refers to unique identification information assigned to an electronic terminal (or a player) to which points are awarded, such as a unique number, symbol, or code. "Point identification information" is unique identification information assigned to each point (each type of point), and is, for example, a unique number, symbol, or code. "Granted point information" is information indicating the number (amount) of newly granted points and the date on which they were granted. In other words, by associating it with point identification information, it is possible to specify what type of points were granted, when, and how many points were granted. The "consumed point information" is information indicating the number (amount) of points consumed for prize exchange and the date of consumption. In other words, by associating it with the point identification information, it is possible to identify what type of points were consumed, when, and how many points were consumed. The "held point information" is information indicating the number (amount) of points held by a specific player (associated with a specific electronic terminal, etc.). In other words, by associating with point identification information, it becomes possible to specify the number (amount) of each type of point held. "Company identification information" is unique identification information assigned to each affiliated company 5, such as a unique number, symbol, or code. "Point value information" is information that indicates the monetary value of each point. For example, a certain type of point is worth 1 yen per point at a store (physical store or online store) operated by company A, and is worth 0.5 yen per point at a store operated by company B. Also, at a store operated by company A, on Mondays, 1 point is worth 1 yen, but on Tuesdays, 1 point is worth 2 yen. In other words, this information indicates the monetary value of each type of point depending on the place (store) where it is used and the time of use. The "regulated amount information" is information indicating a regulated amount (predetermined amount) in the exchange management operation described later. The regulated amount is a preset amount, and in this embodiment, the regulated amount is set to 10,000 yen.

[0040] Meanwhile, the management computer 25 transmits point information (point allocation related information) such as terminal identification information, point identification information, and allocated point information to the point management server 40 of the point management company 3 directly or via the hall computer 20 (STEP 5). The point management server 40 of the point management company 3 reflects the acquired point information in the point information (held point related information regarding held points) in the database. That is, the point information (held point related information) such as the terminal identification information and held point information is updated (STEP 6).

[0041] The player then goes to a physical store of the affiliated company 5 (e.g., a department store) or accesses an online store of the affiliated company 5 (e.g., an EC site) and uses the points he or she has earned to obtain a prize. First, we will explain the case where prizes are exchanged at a physical store.

[0042] In this case, the player goes to a brick-and-mortar store (prize exchange store) operated by the desired affiliated company 5, which is a brick-and-mortar store outside the gaming facility 2 at any time and where the selected points can be used. The player then selects a prize that can be exchanged using the points from among the products handled by the brick-and-mortar store of the affiliated company 5, tells the clerk of the affiliated company 5 that he or she will be using points from the point balance on an electronic terminal or the like, and hands the electronic terminal or the like to the clerk. Note that if multiple types of points are available for use, the player selects the points to use and then tells the clerk which points to use.

[0043] 4, the player or store clerk reads point information such as terminal identification information from the electronic terminal or the like using the information input / output means 43 (STEP 21), and the point information is input by this reading. Also, before or after reading information from the electronic terminal or the like (STEP 21), the store clerk reads information regarding the price of the prize selected by the player (STEP 22). Specifically, the prize code (one-dimensional code, etc.) is read by a reading means such as a code reader, and the information regarding the price of the prize is input. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a prize exchange request is input to the prize exchange system 1 on the condition that point information and information related to the price of the prize are input. That is, in this embodiment, the affiliated management server 42 also functions as an exchange request input unit to which a prize exchange request is input.

[0044] When point information such as terminal identification information is input from an electronic terminal or the like, the affiliated management server 42 inquires of the point management server 40 about point information (information related to held points) based on the input information (STEP 23). That is, it reads the terminal identification information from the electronic terminal or the like, and inquires about the latest point information based on the input terminal identification information. Then, upon receiving the inquiry, the point management server 40 transmits the latest point information (information related to held points) (STEP 24). In this way, the affiliated management server 42 acquires the latest point information. Note that the point information transmitted at this time includes regulated amount information. That is, in this embodiment, the affiliated management server 42 also functions as a monetary exchange information acquisition unit that acquires point information such as point value information (money exchange information).

[0045] Next, the alliance-side management server 42 executes an exchange management operation (STEP 25). That is, in this embodiment, the alliance-side management server 42 also functions as a prize exchange management unit that executes the exchange management operation. The exchange management operation is an operation that manages the exchange of high-value prizes using points. In detail, the exchange management operation executes a monetary value calculation operation and a value comparison operation, and permits the exchange of prizes based on the result of the value comparison operation. In this embodiment, if a player wishes to acquire multiple prizes, an exchange management operation for each prize is executed.

[0046] (Monetary value calculation operation) The monetary value calculation operation is an operation for calculating the monetary value of points when the points are used to obtain a gift. In other words, the monetary value calculation operation calculates the monetary value of the points to be consumed in exchange. For example, if 1 point is worth 1 yen at a store where you can exchange your points for a 1,000 yen prize (product), you will need to spend 1,000 points to exchange for the prize. Therefore, the monetary value of the 1,000 points you spend will be calculated as 1,000 yen. In addition, if 1 point is worth 3 yen at the store where the prize is exchanged, and a prize worth 1,000 yen is exchanged, 334 points will be consumed to exchange the prize. In this case, the monetary value of the 334 points consumed will be calculated as 1,002 yen. As described above, the number of consumed points n is a positive integer, and is the smallest value such that 3 (monetary value per point) × n ≥ 1000 (price of the prize). Therefore, the calculation result of the monetary value calculation operation does not necessarily match the price of the prize to be exchanged.

[0047] (Value comparison behavior) The value comparison operation is an operation for comparing the monetary value of the points to be consumed, calculated in the monetary value calculation operation, with a specified amount (10,000 yen in this embodiment).

[0048] In the exchange management operation, if the calculated monetary value of the points to be consumed is equal to or less than a specified amount as a result of the value comparison operation, it is determined that the prize desired to be exchanged is not a high-value prize, and the exchange of the prize is permitted. For example, as described above, if the calculated monetary value is 1,000 yen, which is less than the prescribed amount (10,000 yen), the exchange of the prize is permitted.

[0049] On the other hand, if the calculated monetary value of the points to be consumed exceeds a prescribed amount, the prize desired to be exchanged is determined to be a high-value prize, and the exchange of the prize is not permitted. For example, if the monetary value calculated by the monetary value calculation operation is 20,000 yen, this exceeds the specified amount (10,000 yen), so exchange for the prize is not permitted.

[0050] If the result of the exchange management operation is that the exchange of the prize is not permitted, a notification operation is executed to notify the fact, and the exchange of the prize is stopped. The notification operation is specifically an operation of displaying the fact on a display device such as a display in a physical store (a display device seen by store staff and / or players).

[0051] On the other hand, if the result of the exchange management operation indicates that the exchange of the prize is permitted, the prize is exchanged (STEP 26). At this time, point information (point identification information, consumed point information, retained point information after the exchange, company identification information, etc.) is written to the electronic terminal etc. as necessary.

[0052] Then, when the exchange of the prize is executed, the affiliated management server 42 of the affiliated company 5 stores the point information (point consumption related information regarding point consumption) in its own database (STEP 27). That is, the point information such as the terminal identification information, point identification information, consumed point information, and retained point information after the exchange is stored in the database. Furthermore, the affiliated management server 42 transmits the point information (point consumption related information) to the point management server 40 (STEP 28), and the point management server 40 stores the point information (point consumption related information) in its own database (STEP 29).

[0053] Next, the case of exchanging prizes at an online store (EC site, etc.) will be described.

[0054] In the prize exchange system 1 of this embodiment, prior to displaying the prize exchange website, a website displaying information about one or more game arcades 2 (hereinafter also referred to as a game arcade-related site) is displayed on a display device of an electronic terminal or the like (STEP 31). That is, a player operates an electronic terminal such as a tablet PC, smartphone, desktop PC, etc., owned by the player to display the game arcade-related site on a display device of the electronic terminal or the like (smartphone screen, monitor, etc.). The game arcade-related site is a website that displays information about the address (location) of the game arcade 2, information about the installed gaming machines 15, information about a guide map of the game arcade 2 (inside the building), etc.

[0055] Then, with the amusement center-related site displayed, an operation is performed to switch the display to the link destination, causing the prize exchange website to be displayed on the display device of an electronic terminal or the like (STEP 32). That is, in this embodiment, an operation to display the amusement center-related site and a site display operation to display the prize exchange website on the display device are executed in that order. The site display operation is an operation to display the prize exchange website as the link destination of the amusement center-related site.

[0056] That is, the amusement park-related site has a link section that links to the prize exchange website. The link section is a section that accepts switching of the display to the linked destination, and is a combination of letters, numbers, images, etc. When the amusement park-related site is displayed, the display is switched to display the prize exchange website by placing the cursor on the link section and clicking, or by tapping the link section, etc.

[0057] In this embodiment, an input acceptance operation is executed (STEP 32) to accept information input by the player, around the time of the site display operation in which the prize exchange website is displayed. In the input acceptance operation, an acceptance form (input field) is displayed. Then, the player enters information such as an ID (terminal identification information) and password, and performs an operation to confirm the input, thereby completing the acceptance of the information input (input acceptance operation). Then, the terminal (player) attempting to exchange for a prize is identified based on the information entered in the input reception operation. This confirms that the user about to display the prize exchange website is the player who has the points acquired in exchange for gaming media.

[0058] In the site display operation of this embodiment, the display content displayed on the display device of the electronic terminal or the like is partially changed to display the prize exchange website. In detail, if the display content before the change is as shown in Fig. 6, the display content displayed on the display device is partially changed and displayed as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8.

[0059] In other words, the prize exchange website is not a website used only for prize exchange, but also a website (such as an EC site) used by people other than players for normal shopping, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the prize exchange website is used for prize exchange, the display content is changed so that the player can visually understand that it will be used for prize exchange and not for shopping.

[0060] 7, for example, a frame-shaped decorative area 60 may be provided in a part of the main display area of ​​the web browser, and the display content may be changed so that the same content as before the change in the display content is displayed inside this decorative area 60. In other words, the display content may be changed so that new display content is displayed in the display area of ​​the web browser. As another example, as shown in Fig. 8, the background portion 61 of the prize exchange website may be changed and displayed in the main display area of ​​the web browser. In other words, the display content may be changed so that at least a part of the part displayed in the display area of ​​the web browser has different content.

[0061] 7 and 8, in this embodiment, when the display content is changed, the display content is changed so that a character string indicating the name of the predetermined amusement facility 2 is displayed. However, instead of this, a character string indicating the name of the company or organization that operates the predetermined amusement facility 2, or the logo of the company or organization, etc. may be displayed. In other words, the display content may be changed and displayed so that information related to the prize exchange at the predetermined amusement facility 2 is newly displayed. The "predetermined game center 2" here refers to the game center 2 displayed on the game center-related website. In other words, the site display operation of this embodiment is also an operation of displaying the prize exchange website by partially changing the display content so as to newly display content related to the display content of the game center-related website. By changing the display content in this way, the player can feel as if he or she is exchanging prizes at the game arcade 2 displayed on the game arcade-related site.

[0062] Next, while the prize exchange website is still displayed, the player displays a prize designation page that is part of the prize exchange website, and performs an operation to designate the prize that the player wishes to exchange for (STEP 33). After that, the prize exchange page that is part of the prize exchange website is displayed. Note that the prize exchange page may be the same or similar to a purchase page on a normal EC site (for example, a page that is displayed by pressing an "add to cart" button).

[0063] Then, on the condition that an operation to execute the gift exchange is performed on the exchange page, it is assumed that a gift exchange request has been input to the gift exchange system 1, and an exchange management operation is executed (STEP 34). The exchange management operation is the same as described above, and therefore a detailed explanation is omitted. In other words, in this embodiment, the affiliated management server 42, which manages the information input from the prize exchange website, functions as an exchange request input section where a prize exchange request is input, a monetary exchange information acquisition section that acquires point information such as point value information (money exchange information), and a prize exchange management section that executes exchange management operations.

[0064] If the result of the exchange management operation is that the exchange of prizes is permitted (Yes in STEP 35), the prize exchange is carried out (STEP 36), and point information is stored in the databases of the affiliated management server 42 and the point management server 40 (STEP 37). That is, when the gift exchange is executed, the affiliated management server 42 of the affiliated company 5 stores the point information (point consumption related information regarding point consumption) in its own database. That is, the point information such as the terminal identification information, point identification information, consumed point information, and retained point information after the exchange is stored in the database. Then, the affiliated management server 42 transmits the point information (point consumption related information) to the point management server 40, and the point management server 40 stores the point information (point consumption related information) in its own database.

[0065] If the result of the exchange management operation is that the exchange of the prize is not permitted (No in STEP 35), a notification operation is executed to notify the fact, and the exchange of the prize is stopped (STEP 38). The notification operation here is an operation of displaying a message indicating the fact on a display device of an electronic terminal or the like. Note that an operation of outputting a warning sound may be executed together with the operation of displaying the message.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the point management company 3 that manages the status of prizes and points and the money management company 4 that manages the status of money are separate companies, but the present invention is not limited to this. The point management company 3 and the money management company 4 may be a single management company.

[0067] The site display operation in the above embodiment is an operation of displaying a prize exchange website as a link destination of an amusement arcade-related site, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the site display operation may be an operation executed by starting a specific application software (hereinafter, also simply referred to as an app) on an electronic terminal etc. and performing a specific operation while the app is running. In this case, the input receiving operation may be executed when the app is installed, or may be executed when the app is started and before the operation for executing the site display operation is performed.

[0068] It is also possible to display a prize exchange website as a link destination of search results from a predetermined search site or portal site, or to display the prize exchange website by inputting a URL into a web browser, etc. In this case, the displayed content may be changed by performing a predetermined operation on the prize exchange website and inputting information such as an ID (terminal identification information) and a password.

[0069] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the affiliated management server 42 functions as an exchange request input unit, a monetary exchange information acquisition unit, and a prize exchange management unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the point management server 40 may execute exchange management operations (monetary value calculation operations, value comparison operations, etc.) and function as the prize exchange management unit. In this case, information regarding the results of the prize exchange management unit (information regarding whether or not to permit the exchange of prizes) may be transmitted to the affiliated management server 42. In other words, the reception of the input information and the various operations (various processes) described above may be executed by any device or equipment belonging to the prize exchange system 1.

[0070] In the above embodiment, an example of exchanging points for a prize has been described, but it is also possible to obtain a prize by combining cash and points. For example, when obtaining a prize worth 1,000 yen, 500 yen worth of points may be consumed and 500 yen may be paid in cash or the like. In this case, the above-mentioned exchange management operation may calculate the monetary value of the points to be consumed in the exchange, i.e., 500 yen worth of points, and compare it with a specified amount to determine whether or not to permit the exchange.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, when the electronic terminal is a card having a storage means, for example, writing of point information to the electronic terminal may be performed by writing the necessary point information to the storage means of the card using a card reader / writer, etc. Also, when reading information from the electronic terminal, etc., information may be read from the storage means of the card using a card reader / writer, etc. In addition, if the electronic terminal is a smartphone, the point information can be written to the electronic terminal by writing the information to a storage means of the electronic terminal, or by writing the information to an external storage means such as a database of the point management server 40 or an external storage device on a network. When writing information to a storage means of an electronic terminal, etc., reading information from the electronic terminal, etc. may acquire information from the storage means of this electronic terminal, etc. When writing information to an external storage means, the application may acquire information from the external storage means when the application is operated on the electronic terminal, etc., or the information input / output means may acquire information from the database of the point management server 40 or an external storage device based on terminal identification information, etc. acquired from the electronic terminal, etc.

[0072] In the above embodiment, when a player wishes to obtain multiple prizes through exchange, an example is shown in which an exchange management operation is performed for each of the desired prizes. However, when a player wishes to obtain multiple prizes through exchange, an exchange management operation may be performed for all of the multiple prizes. In other words, a configuration may be adopted in which the total monetary value of the points to be consumed is calculated, and the exchange of points for prizes is permitted on the condition that the calculated monetary value is equal to or less than a predetermined amount. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. Prize exchange system 2. Amusement Park

Claims

1. an exchange request input unit for inputting a prize exchange request for exchanging game points corresponding to the value of game media acquired by a player at a game facility for a prize; a monetary exchange information acquisition unit that acquires monetary exchange information regarding a monetary value corresponding to the game points at a prize exchange store or a prize exchange website; The prize exchange system includes a prize exchange management section which, when a prize exchange request is input to the exchange request input section, calculates the monetary value of the game points to be consumed from the money exchange information, and permits the exchange of the game points for a prize on the condition that the monetary value is equal to or less than a predetermined amount.

2. A prize exchange system as described in claim 1, in which, when a site display operation is executed to display the prize exchange website on a display device, the content displayed on the display device is changed on one of the conditions that it is confirmed that the user who executed the site display operation is a user who owns gaming points.

3. The prize exchange system according to claim 2 , wherein the site display operation changes content so that information related to prize exchange at a specified amusement arcade is displayed.

4. The prize exchange system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the prize exchange management unit calculates a monetary value of the game points according to the type of points, the place of use, and the time of use.

5. The prize exchange system described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the prize exchange management unit calculates the monetary value of the game points to be consumed for each prize, and allows the exchange of the game points for the prize on the condition that the monetary value is less than a predetermined amount.

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