Shoe rental management apparatus and shoe rental management method

Abstract

To provide a shoe rental management apparatus configured to increase the possibility that shoes to be lent to a user fit user's feet, compared with conventional systems.SOLUTION: A shoe rental management apparatus 10A includes: a receiving unit 111 which receives, from a user U, designation information indicating the type of shoes classified by a first condition; an output unit 112A which outputs, based on first information, in the type of the shoes received by the receiving unit 111, a size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U; and a recommendation unit 113 which recommends the size of the shoes output by the output unit 112A for the user U.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe lending management device and a shoe lending management method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a system for recommending products to be lent to users has been used.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for recommending a second product to a first user based on a review of the first product borrowed by the first user and a database storing information on the evaluation values of each product.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when recommending shoes as the second product with a high evaluation to the first user, even if the shoe size of the user who gave the high evaluation is the same as the shoe size of the first user, the fit of the shoes varies among individuals. Therefore, when the user borrows the recommended shoes, they may not necessarily fit the user's feet.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe lending management device capable of increasing the possibility that the shoes borrowed by a user fit the user's feet more than in a conventional system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The first shoe lending management device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a reception unit that receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to a first condition from a user, and based on first information and second information, a size output unit that outputs a shoe size that is expected to fit the user among the types of shoes received by the reception unit, and a recommendation unit that recommends the shoe size output by the output unit to the user.

[0008] Further, the second shoe lending management device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a reception unit that receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to a first condition from a user, an acquisition unit that acquires first information, and a size output unit that outputs a size that is expected to fit the user among the types of shoes received by the reception unit by applying second information to the first information, and a recommendation unit that recommends the shoe size output by the output unit to the user.

[0009] Also, a shoe lending management method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to a first condition from a user, outputs a shoe size that is expected to fit the user among the received types of shoes based on first information and second information, and recommends the output shoe size to the user.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the possibility that the shoes borrowed by the user fit the user's feet more than in the conventional system.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, various embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The shoe rental management device of the present disclosure aims to increase the possibility that the shoes borrowed by a user fit the user's feet more than in a conventional system, as an example. Also, even if the shoes are of the same size, if the types of shoes are different, the degree of fit to the feet of the same person varies depending on the type of shoes. The shoe rental management device of the present disclosure aims, as an example, to lend shoes in a size that is likely to fit the user's feet according to the type of shoes, even if the degree of fit to the feet of the same person varies depending on the type of shoes.

[0013] 1: First Embodiment Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, the shoe rental management system 1A according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0014] 1-1: Configuration of the First Embodiment 1-1-1: Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a shoe lending management system 1A according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the shoe lending management system 1A includes a shoe lending management device 10A and n terminal devices 20[1], terminal device 20[2],... terminal device 20[k],... terminal device 20[n]. n is an integer of 1 or more. k is an integer of 1 or more and n or less. In the following description, the terminal devices 20[1] to 20[n] may be collectively referred to as "terminal device 20". In FIG. 1, it is assumed that the user U uses the terminal device 20. Also, it is assumed that the user U[k] uses the terminal device 20[k].

[0015] The shoe lending management device 10A is a device used by a merchant who lends out shoes to manage the shoes to be lent out. Here, "shoes" means an article used for walking while being worn on the feet. For example, sneakers, men's shoes, women's shoes, pumps, boots, sandals, slippers, geta, straw sandals, trekking suits, hiking boots, and ski boots fall under "shoes". Also, in the present disclosure, "shoes" are classified, as an example, by two elements: the manufacturer who manufactured the shoes and the model of the shoes. Therefore, if the manufacturer who manufactured the shoes and the model of the shoes are the same, the types of shoes are the same. Shoes manufactured by different manufacturers have different types of shoes. Also, shoes with different models have different types of shoes. However, among the "shoes" classified into the same type, there are shoes of multiple sizes. Here, "size" means a size expressed in the unit of "cm" as an example. However, "size" may be a size expressed in "inch" or a size expressed by other indicators. Note that "shoes" may be classified by other elements. For example, "shoes" may be classified by the material of the shoes or the price of the shoes as other elements. Also, "shoes" may be classified by one element or by three or more elements.

[0016] The terminal device 20[k] is a device used by the user U[k] to borrow shoes from a merchant who lends out shoes. The user U[k] inputs, to the terminal device 20[k], the type of shoes classified by the combination of the manufacturer and model of the shoes the user wants to borrow. Note that the classification by the combination of the manufacturer and model of the shoes is an example of the classification according to the "first condition". The information indicating the type of the shoes is transmitted from the terminal device 20[k] to the shoe lending management device 10A. The terminal device 20[k] may be, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), or may be a portable terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. The same applies to other terminal devices 20 other than the terminal device 20[k].

[0017] 1-1-2: Configuration of the shoe lending management device 10A FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the shoe lending management device 10A. As shown in FIG. 2, the shoe lending management device 10A includes a processing device 11A, a storage device 12A, a communication device 13, a display device 14, and an input device 15. Each element included in the shoe lending management device 10A is interconnected by one or a plurality of buses for communicating information. Note that the term "device" in this specification may be read as other terms such as a circuit, a device, or a unit.

[0018] The processing device 11A is a processor that controls the entire shoe lending management device 10A. The processing device 11A is configured using, for example, one or a plurality of chips. Further, the processing device 11A is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) including an interface with peripheral devices, an arithmetic unit, and registers. Note that some or all of the functions of the processing device 11A may be realized by hardware such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processing device 11A executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

[0019] The storage device 12A is a recording medium that can be read from and written to by the processing device 11A. The storage device 12A includes, for example, a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The volatile memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). Further, the storage device 12A stores a control program PR1A executed by the processing device 11A, an evaluation information database EDBA, and a compatibility information database CDB. Further, the storage device 12A functions as a work area of the processing device 11A.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the evaluation information database EDBA. The evaluation information database EDBA stores evaluation information indicating the evaluation results regarding the comfort of shoes lent to the user U in the past. The evaluation information database EDBA has, as its items, the user ID of the evaluated user U, the manufacturer name, the model name, the size, the evaluation date and time, and the evaluation result regarding the comfort of the shoes. "User ID" indicates an identifier of the user U. "Manufacturer name" indicates the manufacturer name of the shoes borrowed by the user U. "Model name" indicates the model name of the shoes borrowed by the user U. "Size" indicates the size of the shoes borrowed by the user U. The evaluation date and time indicates the date and time when the user U input the evaluation result for the borrowed shoes to the terminal device 20 used by the user U. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the evaluation information database EDBA has evaluation item 1 as the evaluation result. Evaluation item 1 indicates the degree to which the shoes borrowed by the user U fit the user U's feet. Note that, in the evaluation information database EDBA shown in FIG. 3, as an example, evaluation item 1 is shown by a five-level evaluation with a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 5. In this case, as an example, the evaluation values indicating evaluation item 1 are defined such that 1 and 2 are "poor", 3 is "ordinary", and 4 and 5 are "good". Note that it is also possible to define 1 and 2 of the evaluation values as "poor" and 3 to 5 of the evaluation values as "good". As described above, the evaluation information stored in the evaluation information database EDBA is a history of records that associate the manufacturer, model, and size with the evaluation result for the shoes lent to the user U in the past.

[0021] In addition, when a merchant using the shoe lending management device 10A also conducts shoe sales in addition to shoe lending, the evaluation information database HDB may store, in addition to the evaluation information on the shoes lent to the user U in the past, evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the shoes sold to the user U in the past. Generally speaking, the evaluation information database EDBA may store evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the shoes used by the user U in the past.

[0022] The evaluation information database EDBA shown in FIG. 3, as an example, has evaluation information indicating that a user U with a user ID of "0017" borrowed shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0", and entered an evaluation value of "4" on August 19, 2023.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the compatibility information database CDB. The compatibility information database CDB stores compatibility information indicating the size compatibility between different types of shoes. Briefly speaking, the compatibility information indicates the size compatibility of shoes. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the compatibility information database CDB includes p data sets of compatibility information data sets CDS[1] to compatibility information data sets CDS[p]. The p compatibility information data sets CDS[1] to compatibility information data sets CDS[p] correspond one-to-one to p types of shoes. In other words, each of the p compatibility information data sets CDS[1] to compatibility information data sets CDS[p] indicates the compatibility information corresponding to one type of shoe.

[0024] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates the compatibility information of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0". The compatibility information dataset CDS[1] defines the compatibility information indicating the size compatibility between shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" and other types of shoes. Specifically, in FIG. 4, the compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Qa", and a size of "25.0". Similarly, the compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Ra", and a size of "25.0". The compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Sa", and a size of "25.5". The compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Ta", and a size of "25.0". The compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb", a model name of "Ab", and a size of "25.5". The compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb", a model name of "Bb", and a size of "25.0". The compatibility information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" are the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb", a model name of "Cb", and a size of "25.0".The interchange information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" have the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb", a model name of "Db", and a size of "26.0". The interchange information dataset CDS[1] indicates that shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" have the same size as shoes with a manufacturer name of "Ggg", a model name of "Zg", and a size of "25.0". The same applies to the other interchange information datasets CDS[2] to CDS[p].

[0025] In FIG. 2, the communication device 13 is hardware as a transmission / reception device for communicating with other devices. The communication device 13 is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 13 may include a connector for a wired connection and an interface circuit corresponding to the connector. Further, the communication device 13 may include a wireless communication interface. Examples of the connector for a wired connection and the interface circuit include products compliant with wired LAN, IEEE1394, and USB. Examples of the wireless communication interface include products compliant with wireless LAN and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0026] The display device 14 is a device that displays images and character information. The display device 14 displays various images under the control of the processing device 11A. For example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL display panel are preferably used as the display device 14.

[0027] The input device 15 is a device that receives operations from the administrator of the shoe rental management device 10A. For example, the input device 15 includes a pointing device such as a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch panel, or a mouse. Here, when the input device 15 includes a touch panel, it may also serve as the display device 14.

[0028] The processing device 11A functions as a reception unit 111, a size output unit 112A, and a recommendation unit 113 by reading and executing the control program PR1A from the storage device 12A.

[0029] The reception unit 111 receives, from the terminal device 20 used by the user U, the type of shoes classified according to the first condition. Specifically, the reception unit 111 receives the specified information transmitted from the terminal device 20 via the communication device 13. The specified information indicates the type of shoes specified by the user U. The specified information is determined by the terminal device 20, for example, when the user U specifies the type of shoes that the user U wishes to rent while browsing the website provided by the shoe rental management device 10A. Specifically, when the user U inputs the type of shoes on the screen for inputting the type of shoes for which rental is desired, or when the user U clicks the rental desired button on the screen where the manufacturer and model are displayed on the website, the terminal device 20 determines the specified information. Note that, as described above, the "classification according to the first condition" here is, as an example, classification by a combination of manufacturer and model.

[0030] Based on the first information and the second information, the size output unit 112A outputs the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U among the types of shoes indicated by the specified information received by the reception unit 111. Here, the "first information" includes, as an example, evaluation information. Also, the "second information" includes, as an example, compatibility information.

[0031] Specifically, when the manufacturer and model indicated by the specified information received by the reception unit 111 are different from the manufacturer and model indicated by each record with a good evaluation result shown by the evaluation information by the user U, the size output unit 112A converts the size corresponding to the record with a good evaluation result to the size of the manufacturer and model indicated by the specified information received by the reception unit 111 using the compatibility information. As a result, the size output unit 112A outputs the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U.

[0032] For example, assume that user U with user ID "0017" inputs, from terminal device 20, information indicating shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db" as the shoes that the user U wants to borrow. However, assume that the evaluation information database EDBA shown in FIG. 3 does not contain evaluation information for shoes corresponding to shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db" among the evaluation information by user U with user ID "0017". In this case, the size output unit 112A specifies, from the evaluation information database EDBA, as a record with a good evaluation result by user U with user ID "0017", the record stored in the first row of the evaluation information database EDBA, which has a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0". Next, the size output unit 112A refers to the compatibility information database CDB shown in FIG. 4 to convert the size of "25.0" of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Pa" to a size of "26.0" of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db". As a result, the size output unit 112A outputs a size of "26.0" as the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db" that is expected to fit user U.

[0033] In addition, when there are multiple records in the evaluation information database EDBA with good evaluation results by user U with user ID "0017", as an example, the size output unit 112A may specify the record with the latest evaluation date and time among these multiple records. By specifying the latest record, the shoe lending management device 10A can recommend a size considering the latest fitting feeling of user U.

[0034] In addition, when the manufacturer indicated by the specified information received by the reception unit 111 matches the manufacturer indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result shown by the evaluation information by the user U, and the model indicated by the specified information received by the reception unit 111 does not match the model indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result shown by the evaluation information, the size output unit 112A identifies the records among the records with a favorable evaluation result in which the manufacturer indicated by the specified information received by the reception unit 111 matches. Next, the size output unit 112A outputs the size of the shoes that is expected to fit the user U by converting the size indicated by the identified record into the size of the model indicated by the type of shoes received by the reception unit 111 using the compatibility information.

[0035] For example, assume that a user U with a user ID of "0017" inputs information indicating shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" as the shoes the user U wants to borrow from the terminal device 20. However, assume that the evaluation information database EDBA shown in FIG. 3 does not include evaluation information for shoes corresponding to shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" among the evaluation information by the user U with a user ID of "0017". On the other hand, in the evaluation information database EDBA, there exists a record with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Pa" as a record with a favorable evaluation result shown by the evaluation information by the user U with a user ID of "0017". In this case, the size output unit 112A identifies the record with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0" as the shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" and shoes with a matching manufacturer name. Next, the size output unit 112A refers to the compatibility information database CDB shown in FIG. 4 to convert the size of "25.0" of the shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Pa" into the size of "25.5" of the shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa". As a result, the size output unit 112A outputs the size of "25.5" as the size of the shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" that is expected to fit the feet of the user U.

[0036] In addition, when there are multiple records in the evaluation information database EDBA indicating favorable evaluation results by user U with user ID "0017" for shoes with manufacturer name "Aaa" and model name "Sa" and records of shoes with the same manufacturer name, as an example, the size output unit 112A may specify the record with the latest evaluation date and time among these multiple records.

[0037] Also, when both the manufacturer and model indicated by the type of shoes received by the reception unit 111 match the manufacturer and model of each record indicating a favorable evaluation result shown by the evaluation information of user U, the size output unit 112A outputs the size corresponding to the record with a favorable evaluation result as the size of the shoes expected to fit user U.

[0038] The recommendation unit 113 recommends the shoe size output by the size output unit 112A to user U. Specifically, the recommendation unit 113 causes the communication device 13 to transmit the shoe size output by the size output unit 112A to the terminal device 20 used by user U.

[0039] 1-1-3: Configuration of Terminal Device 20 FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the terminal device 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the terminal device 20 includes a processing device 21, a storage device 22, a communication device 23, a display device 24, and an input device 25. Each element of the terminal device 20 is interconnected by one or more buses for communicating information.

[0040] The processing device 21 is a processor that controls the entire terminal device 20. The processing device 21 is configured using, for example, one or more chips. Further, the processing device 21 is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that includes an interface with peripheral devices, an arithmetic unit, registers, and the like. Note that some or all of the functions of the processing device 21 may be realized by hardware such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), and an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The processing device 21 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

[0041] The storage device 22 is a recording medium that can be read from and written to by the processing device 21. The storage device 22 includes, for example, a non-volatile memory and a volatile memory. The non-volatile memory is, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). The volatile memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). Further, the storage device 22 stores the control program PR2 executed by the processing device 21. Further, the storage device 22 functions as a work area for the processing device 21.

[0042] The communication device 23 is hardware as a transceiver device for communicating with other devices. The communication device 23 is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 23 may include a connector for wired connection and an interface circuit corresponding to the connector. Further, the communication device 23 may include a wireless communication interface. Examples of the connector for wired connection and the interface circuit include products compliant with wired LAN, IEEE1394, and USB. Examples of the wireless communication interface include products compliant with wireless LAN and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0043] The display device 24 is a device for displaying images and character information. The display device 24 displays various images under the control of the processing device 21. For example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL display panel are preferably used as the display device 24.

[0044] The input device 25 is a device that receives operations from the user U. For example, the input device 25 includes a pointing device such as a keyboard, a touch pad, a touch panel, or a mouse. Here, when the input device 25 includes a touch panel, it may also serve as the display device 24.

[0045] The processing device 21 functions as a reception unit 211, a communication control unit 212, and a display control unit 213 by reading and executing the control program PR2 from the storage device 22.

[0046] The reception unit 211 receives from the user U the type of shoes classified according to the first condition. Specifically, the user U inputs information indicating the type of shoes using the input device 25. The reception unit 211 receives the information indicating the type of shoes input from the input device 25.

[0047] The communication control unit 212 causes the communication device 23 to transmit information indicating the type of shoes received by the reception unit 211 to the shoe rental management device 10A. Further, the communication control unit 212 causes the communication device 23 to receive from the shoe rental management device 10A information indicating the shoe size recommended by the shoe rental management device 10A.

[0048] The display control unit 213 causes the display device 24 to display information indicating the shoe size received from the shoe rental management device 10A.

[0049] 1-2: Operations of the shoe rental management device 10A FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the shoe rental management device 10A according to the first embodiment.

[0050] In step S1, the processing device 11A functions as the reception unit 111. The processing device 11A receives from the user U designation information indicating the type of shoes classified by the combination of the manufacturer and the model.

[0051] In step S2, when the manufacturer indicated by the designation information matches the manufacturer indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "YES" in step S2, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S3. In step S2, when the manufacturer indicated by the designation information is different from the manufacturer indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "NO" in step S2, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S7.

[0052] In step S3, when the model indicated by the designation information matches the model indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "YES" in step S3, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S4. In step S3, when the model indicated by the designation information is different from the model indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "NO" in step S3, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S5.

[0053] In step S4, the processing device 11A functions as the size output unit 112A. The processing device 11A outputs, as the shoe size expected to fit the user U, the size corresponding to the record with a good evaluation result. Then, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S8.

[0054] In step S5, the processing device 11A functions as the size output unit 112A. The processing device 11A identifies the record among the records with good evaluation results in which the manufacturer indicated by the specified information received in step S1 matches.

[0055] In step S6, the processing device 11A functions as the size output unit 112A. The processing device 11A outputs, as the shoe size expected to fit the user U, the size indicated by the record identified in step S5 after converting it, using the compatibility information, into the size of the model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111. Then, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S8.

[0056] In step S7, the processing device 11A functions as the size output unit 112A. The processing device 11A outputs, as the shoe size expected to fit the user U, the size corresponding to the record with a good evaluation result after converting it, using the compatibility information, into the size of the manufacturer and model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111. Then, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S8.

[0057] In step S8, the processing device 11A functions as the recommendation unit 113. The processing device 11A recommends the output shoe size to the user U.

[0058] 1-3: Effects achieved by the first embodiment The shoe lending management device 10A according to this embodiment includes a reception unit 111, a size output unit 112A, and a recommendation unit 113. The reception unit 111 receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to the first condition from the user U. The size output unit 112A outputs the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U in the type of shoes received by the reception unit 111 based on the first information and the second information. The recommendation unit 113 recommends the shoe size output by the size output unit 112A to the user U.

[0059] By the shoe lending management device 10A having the above configuration, for example, it is possible to increase the possibility that the shoes borrowed by the user U fit the user U's feet as compared with the conventional system. Also, for example, even if the degree of fit to the feet of the same person varies depending on the type of shoes, the shoe lending management device 10A can lend out shoes of a size that is likely to fit the user U's feet according to the type of shoes.

[0060] In the shoe lending management device 10A, the above first condition is a condition regarding the combination of the manufacturer and the model. The above first information includes evaluation information on shoes used by the user U in the past. The above second information includes compatibility information indicating the compatibility of shoe sizes.

[0061] The shoe lending management device 10A recommends a size that is expected to fit the user U based on the evaluation information indicating the evaluation result regarding the comfort of the shoes lent out in the past and the compatibility information indicating the size compatibility among the types of shoes. As a result, for example, the shoe lending management device 10A can lend out shoes that fit the user U's feet better in consideration of the similarities and differences in size according to the type of shoes.

[0062] Also, in the shoe rental management device 10A, the evaluation results included in the evaluation information include good and bad. When the combination of the manufacturer and model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111 is different from the combination of the manufacturer and model indicated by each record with a good evaluation result shown by the evaluation information, the size output unit 112A uses the compatibility information to convert the size included in the record with a good evaluation result to the size corresponding to the combination of the manufacturer and model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111. As a result, the size output unit 112A outputs the size of the shoe that is expected to fit the user U.

[0063] When the shoes borrowed by the user U are of a combination of a manufacturer and a model that the user U has never borrowed before, the shoe rental management device 10A uses the compatibility information to convert the size of the shoes with a good evaluation result in the past to the size of the shoes that the user U is about to borrow newly. As a result, as an example, the user U can borrow shoes that fit the user U's feet better.

[0064] Also, in the shoe rental management device 10A, when the manufacturer indicated by each record with a good evaluation result shown by the evaluation information matches the manufacturer indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111, and the model indicated by each record with a good evaluation result shown by the evaluation information does not match the model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111, the size output unit 112A identifies the record among the records with a good evaluation result in which the manufacturer indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111 matches. Also, the size output unit 112A outputs the size of the shoe that is expected to fit the user U by converting the size indicated by the identified record to the size of the model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111 using the compatibility information.

[0065] When the shoes borrowed by user U are shoes of a model that the user has never borrowed before but are of a manufacturer that the user has borrowed from in the past, the shoe lending management device 10A converts the size of the shoes of that manufacturer, which had good evaluation results in the past, into the size of the shoes that the user intends to borrow newly using compatibility information. As a result, as an example, user U can borrow shoes that fit their feet better.

[0066] Also, in the shoe lending management device 10A, the above evaluation results include the evaluation results indicating how well the shoes used in the past fit user U's feet.

[0067] Based on the compatibility information indicating the size compatibility between shoe types and the evaluation results indicating the degree of fit of the shoes used in the past, the shoe lending management device 10A recommends the shoe sizes that are expected to fit user U's feet. As a result, as an example, user U can borrow shoes that fit their feet better.

[0068] Also, the shoe lending management method according to the present embodiment receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified by the first condition from the user, and based on the first information and the second information, outputs the shoe sizes that are expected to fit the user in the received type of shoes, and recommends the output shoe sizes to the user.

[0069] By having the above configuration, the shoe lending management method can, as an example, increase the possibility that the shoes borrowed by user U fit user U's feet as compared to conventional systems. Also, by the above shoe lending management method, as an example, even if the degree of fit of shoes of the same person's feet varies depending on the type of shoes, it is possible to lend out shoes in sizes that are likely to fit user U's feet according to the type of shoes.

[0070] 2: Second Embodiment Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11, the shoe rental management system 1B according to the second embodiment will be described. For the sake of simplicity of explanation hereinafter, mainly, the points in which the shoe rental management system 1B differs from the shoe rental management system 1A according to the first embodiment will be described. In addition, among the components provided in the shoe rental management system 1B, for the components that are the same as the components provided in the shoe rental management system 1A according to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used, and the description of their functions may be omitted.

[0071] 2-1: Configuration of the Second Embodiment 2-1-1: Overall Configuration The shoe rental management system 1B according to the second embodiment is different from the shoe rental management system 1A according to the first embodiment in that it includes a shoe rental management device 10B instead of the shoe rental management device 10A. In other respects, since the overall configuration of the shoe rental management system 1B is the same as the configuration of the shoe rental management system 1A shown in FIG. 1, its illustration is omitted.

[0072] 2-1-2: Configuration of the Shoe Rental Management Device 10B FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the shoe rental management device 10B. The shoe rental management device 10B is different from the shoe rental management device 10A according to the first embodiment in that it includes a processing device 11B instead of the processing device 11A and a storage device 12B instead of the storage device 12A.

[0073] The storage device 12B is different from the storage device 12A according to the first embodiment in that it stores a control program PR1B executed by the processing device 11B instead of the control program PR1A. In addition, the storage device 12B stores an evaluation information database EDBB instead of the evaluation information database EDBA. Furthermore, the storage device 12B stores a shape information database FDB. On the other hand, the storage device 12B does not necessarily have to store the compatibility information database CDB. In addition, the storage device 12B functions as a work area for the processing device 11B.

[0074] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the evaluation information database EDBB. In the evaluation information database EDBB, similar to the evaluation information database EDBA according to the first embodiment, evaluation information indicating the evaluation results regarding the wearing comfort of shoes used by the user U in the past is stored. The evaluation information database EDBB has, as its items, the user ID of the evaluated user U, the manufacturer name, the model name, the size, the evaluation date and time, and the evaluation results regarding the wearing comfort of the shoes.

[0075] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the evaluation information database EDBB has evaluation items 1 to 5 as evaluation results. Evaluation item 1 indicates the degree to which the shoes borrowed by the user U fit the feet of the user U, similar to evaluation item 1 in the first embodiment. Evaluation item 2 indicates the degree to which the height of the instep part of the foot in the internal space of the shoes borrowed by the user U matches the height of the instep part of the user U's foot. Evaluation item 3 indicates the degree to which the width of the user U's foot matches the lateral width in the internal space of the shoes borrowed by the user U. Evaluation item 4 indicates the degree to which the toes of the user U fit into the internal space of the shoes. Evaluation item 5 indicates the evaluation of the lift and sink of the heel part of the shoes borrowed by the user U. In the evaluation information database EDBA shown in FIG. 8, as an example, the items of evaluation items 1 to 5 are shown in a five-level evaluation with a minimum value of 1 and a maximum value of 5. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 8, the evaluation information database EDBB has, as evaluation items, in addition to evaluation item 1, the evaluation items 2 to 5. However, the evaluation information database EDBB does not necessarily have to have all of the evaluation items 2 to 5, and it may have at least one of the evaluation items 2 to 5.

[0076] The evaluation information database EDBB shown in FIG. 8 has, as an example, information indicating that the user U with the user ID of "0017" borrowed shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0", and input the evaluation results of evaluation item 1 being "4", evaluation item 2 being "4", evaluation item 3 being "5", evaluation item 4 being "4", and evaluation item 5 being "5" on August 19, 2023.

[0077] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the shape information database FDB. In the shape information database FDB, shoe shape information indicating the shape inside the shoe is stored for each size corresponding to each type of shoe. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the shape information database FDB has, as its items, a manufacturer name, a model name, and a size. In the example shown in FIG. 9, in the shape information database FDB, as the shoe shape information, a file name indicating the three-dimensional shape inside the shoe is stored for each manufacturer name, model name, and size.

[0078] In the example shown in FIG. 9, as an example, as the shape information of a shoe with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0", a file name of "Pa250.dat" is stored in the shape information database FDB. Similarly, as an example, as the shape information of a shoe with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.5", a file name of "Pa255.dat" is stored in the shape information database FDB. Similarly, as an example, as the shape information of a shoe with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "26.0", a file name of "Pa260.dat" is stored in the shape information database FDB. Similarly, as an example, as the shape information of a shoe with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "26.5", a file name of "Pa265.dat" is stored in the shape information database FDB. Similarly, as an example, as the shape information of a shoe with a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "28.0", a file name of "Pa280.dat" is stored in the shape information database FDB. Note that the data files themselves corresponding to each of these file names such as "Pa250.dat", "Pa255.dat", "Pa260.dat", "Pa265.dat"... "Pa280.dat" may be stored in the storage device 12B or may be stored in an external device of the shoe lending management device 10B. The same applies to other types of shoes.

[0079] In FIG. 7, the processing device 11B functions as a reception unit 111, a size output unit 112B, and a recommendation unit 113 by reading and executing the control program PR1B from the storage device 12B.

[0080] FIG. 10 shows a functional block diagram of the size output unit 112B. The size output unit 112B includes a foot shape output unit 112Ba and a comparison unit 112Bb.

[0081] The foot shape output unit 112Ba outputs foot shape information indicating the shape of the foot of the user U mainly based on the items of evaluation item 2 to evaluation item 5 among the evaluation results indicated by the evaluation information.

[0082] The comparison unit 112Bb compares the foot shape information output by the foot shape output unit 112Ba with the shoe shape information indicating the shape corresponding to the type of shoe received by the reception unit 111. More specifically, the comparison unit 112Bb compares the shape of the foot of the user U indicated by the above foot shape information with the shape inside the shoe indicated by the above shoe shape information for each size.

[0083] The size output unit 112B outputs the size of the shoe that is expected to fit the user U based on the result of the comparison by the comparison unit 112Bb.

[0084] For example, assume that a user U with a user ID of "0017" inputs information indicating a shoe with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db" as the shoe the user U wants to borrow from the terminal device 20. However, assume that the evaluation information database EDBA shown in FIG. 3 does not include the evaluation information of the shoe corresponding to the shoe with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db" among the evaluation information by the user U with a user ID of "0017". In this case, the size output unit 112A identifies the record stored in the first row of the evaluation information database EDBA, which has a manufacturer name of "Aaa", a model name of "Pa", and a size of "25.0", as a record with good evaluation results by the user U with a user ID of "0017" from the evaluation information database EDBA.

[0085] Next, the foot shape output unit 112Ba outputs foot shape information indicating the shape of the user U's foot mainly based on the items of evaluation item 2 = "4", evaluation item 3 = "5", evaluation item 4 = "4", and evaluation item 5 = "5" among the evaluation results included in the record with the manufacturer name being "Aaa", the model name being "Pa", and the size being "25.0".

[0086] The comparison unit 112Bb compares the foot shape information output by the foot shape output unit 112Ba with the shoe shape information indicating the shape of the shoes with the manufacturer name being "Bbb" and the model name being "Db" by referring to the shape information database FDB shown in FIG. 9. Here, as an example, the shoe shape information indicating the shape of the shoes with the manufacturer name being "Bbb" and the model name being "Db" is "Db250.dat", "Db255.dat", "Db260.dat"... "Db280.dat" in FIG. 9.

[0087] The size output unit 112B outputs the size of the shoes that are expected to fit the user U based on the result of the comparison by the comparison unit 112Bb. For example, when the foot shape information output by the foot shape output unit 112Ba matches "Db255.dat", the size output unit 112B outputs the size of "25.5" as the size of the shoes with the manufacturer name being "Bbb" and the model name being "Db" that are expected to fit the user U's foot.

[0088] 2-2: Operation of the shoe lending management device 10B FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the shoe lending management device 10B according to the second embodiment.

[0089] In step S11, the processing device 11B functions as the reception unit 111. The processing device 11B receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified by the combination of the manufacturer and the model from the user U.

[0090] In step S12, when the manufacturer indicated by the specified information matches the manufacturer indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "YES" in step S12, the processing device 11B executes the process of step S13. In step S12, when the manufacturer indicated by the specified information is different from the manufacturer indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "NO" in step S12, the processing device 11B executes the process of step S15.

[0091] In step S13, when the model indicated by the specified information matches the model indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "YES" in step S13, the processing device 11A executes the process of step S14. In step S13, when the model indicated by the specified information is different from the model indicated by each record with a favorable evaluation result, that is, when it is "NO" in step S13, the processing device 11B executes the process of step S15.

[0092] In step S14, the processing device 11B functions as the size output unit 112B. The processing device 11B outputs the size corresponding to the record with a favorable evaluation result as the size of the shoes expected to fit the user U. Then, the processing device 11B executes the process of step S18.

[0093] In step S15, the processing device 11B functions as the foot shape output unit 112Ba. The processing device 11B outputs foot shape information indicating the shape of the user U's foot based on the evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information.

[0094] In step S16, the processing device 11B functions as the size output unit 112B. The processing device 11B compares the foot shape information output in step S15 with the shoe shape information indicating the shape corresponding to the type of shoes received in step S11.

[0095] In step S17, the processing device 11B functions as the size output unit 112B. Based on the result of the comparison in step S16, the processing device 11B outputs the size of the shoes that are expected to fit the user U.

[0096] In step S18, the processing device 11B functions as the recommendation unit 113. The processing device 11B recommends the output shoe size to the user U.

[0097] 2-3: Effects of the Second Embodiment The shoe rental management device 10B according to the present embodiment includes a reception unit 111, a size output unit 112B, and a recommendation unit 113. The reception unit 111 receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to the first condition from the user. The size output unit 112B outputs the size of the shoes that are expected to fit the user U in the type of shoes received by the reception unit 111 based on the first information. The recommendation unit 113 recommends the shoe size output by the size output unit 112B to the user U. The first condition is a condition regarding the combination of the manufacturer and the model. The first information includes evaluation information on the shoes used by the user U in the past. The evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information includes the evaluation result indicating how well the shoes used in the past fit the feet of the user U, the height of the instep of the shoes used in the past, the width of the shoes used in the past, the fit of the fingers in the shoes used in the past, and at least one of the floating and sinking of the heel part of the shoes used in the past. The size output unit 112B includes a foot shape output unit 112Ba that outputs foot shape information indicating the shape of the feet of the user U based on the evaluation information. The size output unit 112B outputs the size of the shoes that are expected to fit the user U based on the output foot shape information and the shoe shape information indicating the shape corresponding to the type of shoes received by the reception unit 111.

[0098] The shoe lending management device 10B outputs foot shape information indicating the shape of the user U's foot based on at least one of the degree of fit of shoes used in the past, the height of the instep of shoes used in the past, the width of shoes used in the past, the fit of the toes of shoes used in the past, and the floating and sinking of the heel part of shoes used in the past. As an example, the shoe lending management device 10B recommends the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U's foot based on the foot shape information indicating the shape of the user U's foot output and the information indicating the shape of the shoes, so that it is possible to lend out shoes that fit the user U's foot better.

[0099] Also, in the shoe lending management device 10B according to the present embodiment, the shoe shape information indicates the shape inside the shoe for each size. The size output unit 112B compares the shape of the user U's foot indicated by the foot shape information and the shape inside the shoe indicated by the shoe shape information for each size. The size output unit 112B outputs the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U based on the result of the comparison.

[0100] The shoe lending management device 10B compares the foot shape information indicating the shape of the user U's foot output and the information indicating the shape of the shoes for each size, so that, as an example, it is possible to lend out shoes that fit the user U's foot better.

[0101] 3: Third Embodiment Hereinafter, the shoe lending management system 1C according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. For the sake of simplicity of explanation hereinafter, mainly, the points in which the shoe lending management system 1C differs from the shoe lending management system 1A according to the first embodiment will be described. Also, among the components provided in the shoe lending management system 1C, for the components that are the same as the components provided in the shoe lending management system 1A according to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals may be used and the description of their functions may be omitted.

[0102] 3-1: Configuration of the Third Embodiment 3-1-1: Overall Configuration The shoe rental management system 1C according to the third embodiment is different from the shoe rental management system 1A according to the first embodiment in that it includes a shoe rental management device 10C instead of the shoe rental management device 10A. In other respects, since the overall configuration of the shoe rental management system 1C is the same as that of the shoe rental management system 1A shown in FIG. 1, its illustration is omitted.

[0103] 3-1-2: Configuration of Shoe Rental Management Device 10C FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the shoe rental management device 10C. The shoe rental management device 10C is different from the shoe rental management device 10A according to the first embodiment in that it includes a processing device 11C instead of the processing device 11A and a storage device 12C instead of the storage device 12A.

[0104] The storage device 12C is different from the storage device 12A according to the first embodiment in that it stores a control program PR1C executed by the processing device 11C instead of the control program PR1A. In addition, the storage device 12C stores a compatibility information database CDB. Different from the storage device 12A, the storage device 12C does not necessarily store the evaluation information database EDBA. In addition, the storage device 12C functions as a work area for the processing device 11C.

[0105] In FIG. 12, the processing device 11C functions as a reception unit 111, a size output unit 112C, a recommendation unit 113, and an acquisition unit 114 by reading and executing the control program PR1C from the storage device 12C.

[0106] The acquisition unit 114 acquires first information from the terminal device 20. The first information includes evaluation information. The evaluation information indicates the manufacturer, model, and size of the shoes that the user U has previously fit. The evaluation information acquired by the acquisition unit 114 corresponds to the records in the evaluation information database EDBA of the first embodiment or the evaluation information database EDBB of the second embodiment in which the evaluation value of evaluation item 1 is 3 or more.

[0107] Specifically, the user U inputs evaluation information indicating the manufacturer, model, and size of shoes that fit in the past to the terminal device 20. The acquisition unit 114 acquires the evaluation information via the communication device 13. Note that the acquisition unit 114 may acquire the evaluation information from an external device other than the terminal device 20.

[0108] Further, after the reception unit 111 receives the designation information indicating the type of shoes, the acquisition unit 114 may acquire the evaluation information. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 114 may acquire the evaluation information before the reception unit 111 receives the designation information.

[0109] The size output unit 112C applies the second information to the manufacturer, model, and size indicated by the evaluation information acquired by the acquisition unit 114, and outputs the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U's feet in the type of shoes indicated by the designation information received by the reception unit 111. The "second information" here includes compatibility information indicating the compatibility of shoe sizes.

[0110] For example, assume that user U with user ID "0017" inputs designation information indicating shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" as the shoes the user U wants to borrow from the terminal device 20. Also assume that the user U inputs evaluation information indicating that the manufacturer name is "Aaa", the model name is "Pa", and the size is "25.0" as information on the manufacturer, model, and size of shoes that fit in the past from the terminal device 20. In this case, the size output unit 112C refers to the compatibility information database CDB shown in FIG. 4 and outputs a size of "25.5" as the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" that are expected to fit the user U's feet.

[0111] The recommendation unit 113 recommends the shoe size output by the size output unit 112C to the user U. Specifically, the recommendation unit 113 causes the communication device 13 to transmit the shoe size output by the size output unit 112C to the terminal device 20 used by the user U.

[0112] 3-2: Operation of the shoe lending management device 10C FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the shoe lending management device 10C according to the third embodiment.

[0113] In step S21, the processing device 11C functions as the reception unit 111. The processing device 11C receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified by the manufacturer and model from the user U.

[0114] In step S22, the processing device 11C functions as the acquisition unit 114. The processing device 11C acquires evaluation information indicating the manufacturer, model, and size of shoes that the user U has previously fit.

[0115] In step S23, the processing device 11C functions as the size output unit 112C. The processing device 11C applies compatibility information indicating the size compatibility among the types of shoes to the manufacturer, model, and size indicated by the evaluation information acquired in step S22, and outputs the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user U's feet in the type of shoes indicated by the designation information received in step S21.

[0116] In step S24, the processing device 11C functions as the recommendation unit 113. The processing device 11C recommends the output shoe size to the user U.

[0117] 3-3: Effects of the Third Embodiment The shoe lending management device 10C according to the present embodiment includes a reception unit 111, an acquisition unit 114, a size output unit 112C, and a recommendation unit 113. The reception unit 111 receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified by the first condition from the user U. The acquisition unit 114 acquires the first information. The size output unit 112C applies the second information to the first condition, and outputs the size that is expected to fit the user U in the type of shoes received by the reception unit 111. The recommendation unit 113 recommends the shoe size output by the size output unit 112C to the user U.

[0118] By having the shoe rental management device 10C configured as described above, for example, the possibility that the shoes rented by the user U fit the feet of the user U can be increased as compared with the prior art. Also, for example, even if the degree of fit to the feet of the same person varies depending on the type of shoes, the shoe rental management device 10C can rent out shoes in a size that is likely to fit the feet of the user U according to the type of shoes.

[0119] 4: Modification Example The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments exemplified above. Specific modification modes are exemplified below.

[0120] 4-1: Modification Example 1 Among the above-described first to third embodiments, an embodiment in which at least two of the embodiments are combined may be used. For example, the storage device 12A in the first embodiment may further store the shape information database FDB stored in the storage device 12B in the second embodiment.

[0121] In this case, for example, steps S5 to S6 in the operation of the shoe rental management device 10A according to the first embodiment may be replaced with steps S15 to S17 in the operation of the shoe rental management device 10B according to the second embodiment. Alternatively, as another example, step S7 in the operation of the shoe rental management device 10A according to the first embodiment may be replaced with steps S15 to S17 in the operation of the shoe rental management device 10B according to the second embodiment.

[0122] 4-2: Modification Example 2 In the shoe rental management device 10C according to the third embodiment, the reception unit 111 receives information indicating the type of shoes. However, the shoe rental management device 10C may be configured not to include the reception unit 111.

[0123] In this case, after the acquisition unit 114 acquires evaluation information indicating the manufacturer, model, and size of the shoes, the size output unit 112C outputs the size of the shoes that are expected to fit the user U among the plurality of shoe types stored in the compatibility information database CDB, based on the manufacturer, model, and size acquired by the acquisition unit 114.

[0124] For example, assume that user U inputs, from terminal device 20, information indicating that the manufacturer name is "Aaa", the model name is "Pa", and the size is "25.0" as evaluation information showing the manufacturer, model, and size of shoes that fit in the past. In this case, by referring to the compatibility information database CDB shown in FIG. 4, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Qa" is "25.0" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Ra" is "25.0" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Sa" is "25.5" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Aaa" and a model name of "Ta" is "25.0" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Ab" is "25.5" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Bb" is "25.0" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Cb" is "25.0" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Bbb" and a model name of "Db" is "26.0" as shoes likely to fit user U's feet. Also, size output unit 112C outputs that the size of shoes with a manufacturer name of "Ggg" and a model name of "Zg" is "25.0" as shoes that fit user U's feet.

[0125] Recommendation unit 113 recommends these multiple types of shoes to user U together with the output shoe sizes.

[0126] 5: Others (1) In the above-described embodiments, the storage devices 12A, 12B, 12C, and 22 are exemplified by ROM and RAM, but flexible disks, magneto-optical disks (e.g., compact disks, digital versatile disks, Blu-ray (registered trademark) disks), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives), CD-ROM (Compact Disc-ROM), registers, removable disks, hard disks, floppy (registered trademark) disks, magnetic strips, databases, servers, and other suitable storage media.

[0127] (2) In the above-described embodiments, the information, signals, etc. described may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0128] (3) In the above-described embodiments, the input / output information, etc. may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or may be managed using a management table. The input / output information, etc. may be overwritten, updated, or appended. The output information, etc. may be deleted. The input information, etc. may be transmitted to other devices.

[0129] (4) In the above-described embodiments, the determination may be made based on a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), a truth value (Boolean: true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0130] (5) The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. exemplified in the above-described embodiments may be rearranged as long as there is no contradiction. For example, regarding the methods described in the present disclosure, the elements of various steps are presented using an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0131] (6) Each function exemplified in FIGS. 1 to 13 is realized by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Also, the method of realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using one physically or logically combined device, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices directly or indirectly (for example, using wired, wireless, etc.) connected, and these multiple devices. The functional block may be realized by combining software with the above-mentioned one device or the above-mentioned multiple devices.

[0132] (7) The program exemplified in the above-described embodiments should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., whether called by the names such as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or other names.

[0133] Also, software, instructions, information, etc. may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technologies (coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc.) and wireless technologies (infrared, microwave, etc.), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included within the definition of the transmission medium.

[0134] (8) In each of the above-described embodiments, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0135] (9) The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using absolute values, relative values from a predetermined value, or corresponding other information.

[0136] (10) In the above-described embodiments, the terminal device 20 may include a case where it is a mobile station (MS: Mobile Station). A mobile station may be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable term. Also, in this disclosure, terms such as "mobile station", "user terminal", "user equipment (UE)", "terminal", etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0137] (11) In the above-described embodiments, the terms "connected" and "coupled", or any variations thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and it is possible to include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be a physical coupling or connection, a logical coupling or connection, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "accessed". As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and also, by way of some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency region, microwave region, and optical (both visible and invisible) region, etc.

[0138] (12) In the above-described embodiments, the description "based on" does not mean "based only on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the description "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on".

[0139] (13) As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "deciding" may encompass a wide variety of operations. "Determining" and "deciding" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), and deeming something ascertained as "determined" or "decided". Also, "determining" and "deciding" may include deeming something received (e.g., receiving information), transmitted (e.g., transmitting information), input, output, accessed (e.g., accessing data in memory) as "determined" or "decided". Further, "determining" and "deciding" may include deeming something resolved, selected, chosen, established, compared, etc. as "determined" or "decided". That is, "determining" and "deciding" may include deeming that some operation has been "determined" or "decided". Also, "determining (deciding)" may be read as "assuming", "expecting", "considering", etc.

[0140] (14) In the above-described embodiments, when the terms "include", "including", and their variants are used, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising". Further, the term "or" as used in this disclosure is not intended to be an exclusive disjunction.

[0141] In the present disclosure, for example, when articles are added by translation as in the case of a, an, and the in English, the present disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0142] (16) In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other". Note that the term may also mean "A and B are different from C respectively". Terms such as "separate", "coupled", etc. may also be interpreted in the same way as "different".

[0143] (17) Each aspect / embodiment described in the present disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched during execution. Also, the notification of predetermined information (for example, the notification of "being X") is not limited to the explicitly made notification, and may be made implicitly (for example, by not making the notification of the predetermined information).

[0144] As described in detail above regarding the present disclosure, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described in the present disclosure. The present disclosure can be implemented as modified and changed aspects without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure determined by the description of the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustrative explanation and has no restrictive meaning for the present disclosure.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0145] 1A, 1B, 1C: Boot lending management system, 10A, 10B, 10C: Boot lending management device, 11A, 11B, 11C: Processing device, 12A, 12B, 12C: Memory device, 13: Communication device, 14: Display device, 15: Input device, 20: Terminal device, 21: Processing device, 22: Memory device, 23: Communication device, 24: Display device, 25: Input device, 111: Reception unit, 112A: Size output unit, 112B: Size output unit, 112Ba: Foot shape output unit, 112Bb: Comparison unit, 112C: Size output unit, 113: Recommendation unit, 114: Acquisition unit, 211: Reception unit, 212: Communication control unit, 213: Display control unit, CDB: Compatibility information database, CDS: Compatibility information dataset, EDBA, EDBB: Evaluation information database, FDB: Shape information database, PR1A, PR1B, PR1C, PR2: Control program, U: User

Claims

1. A receiving unit that receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to the first condition from a user, A size output unit that outputs, based on the first information and the second information, the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user among the types of shoes received by the receiving unit, A recommendation unit that recommends to the user the size of shoes output by the size output unit, A shoe lending management device comprising the above.

2. The first condition is a condition regarding the combination of the manufacturer and the model, The first information includes evaluation information on shoes used by the user in the past, and the second information includes compatibility information indicating the compatibility of shoe sizes, The shoe lending management device according to Claim 1.

3. The evaluation results included in the evaluation information include good and bad, The size output unit, When the combination of the manufacturer and the model indicated by the type of shoes received by the receiving unit is different from the combination of the manufacturer and the model indicated by each record showing a good evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information, By converting the sizes included in the records with good evaluation results to the sizes corresponding to the combination of the manufacturer and the model indicated by the type of shoes received by the receiving unit using the compatibility information, the size of shoes that are expected to fit the user is output, The shoe lending management device according to Claim 2.

4. The size output unit, When the manufacturer indicated by each record showing a good evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information matches the manufacturer indicated by the type of shoes received by the receiving unit, and the model indicated by each record showing a good evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information does not match the model indicated by the type of shoes received by the receiving unit, Among the records with good evaluation results, identify the records in which the manufacturers indicated by the types of shoes received by the reception unit match, By converting the size indicated by the identified record into the size of the model indicated by the type of shoe received by the reception unit using the compatibility information, output the size of the shoe that is expected to fit the user. The shoe lending management device according to claim 3.

5. The shoe lending management device according to claim 2, wherein the evaluation information includes an evaluation result indicating how well the shoes used in the past fit the user's feet.

6. The first condition is a condition regarding the combination of the manufacturer and the model. The first information includes the evaluation information of the shoes used by the user in the past. The evaluation result indicated by the evaluation information includes an evaluation result indicating how well the shoes used in the past fit the user's feet, the height of the instep of the shoes used in the past, the width of the shoes used in the past, the fit of the fingers in the shoes used in the past, and at least one evaluation result among the floating and sinking of the heel part of the shoes used in the past. The size output unit includes a foot shape output unit that outputs foot shape information indicating the shape of the user's feet based on the evaluation information. Based on the output foot shape information and the shoe shape information indicating the shape corresponding to the type of shoe received by the reception unit, output the size of the shoe that is expected to fit the user. The shoe lending management device according to claim 1.

7. The shoe shape information indicates the internal shape of the shoe for each size. The size output unit Compare the shape of the user's feet indicated by the foot shape information and the internal shape of the shoe indicated by the shoe shape information for each size. Based on the result of the comparison, output the size of the shoe that is expected to fit the user. The shoe rental management device according to claim 6.

8. A reception unit that receives designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to the first condition from a user, An acquisition unit that acquires the first information, A size output unit that outputs a size that is expected to fit the user in the type of shoes received by the reception unit by applying second information to the first information, A recommendation unit that recommends the shoe size output by the size output unit to the user, A shoe rental management device comprising:

9. Receiving designation information indicating the type of shoes classified according to the first condition from a user, Based on the first information and the second information, outputting a shoe size that is expected to fit the user in the received type of shoes, Recommending the output shoe size to the user, A shoe rental management method.

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