Method, processing apparatus, and program

Abstract

To provide a method, an apparatus or a program for executing payment of rewards at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: A method to be executed by one or more processing apparatuses includes: a process of receiving, from a terminal, information indicating a distributor of an advertisement of a program which provides an online medical consultation service; a process of confirming that payment processing for making a payment for drugs or a payment of medical consultation fee has been executed on a terminal; and a transmission process of transmitting rewards to the distributor when a user of the terminal receives the online medical consultation and the payment processing is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, a processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, mainly in the field of Internet advertising, when some profit or sales are generated through the published advertisement, there is a mechanism called affiliate in which the person who published the advertisement pays a reward to the person who published the advertisement for their own product or service. Affiliate is also called performance-based advertising, and it brings benefits not only to the publisher who publishes the advertisement to promote their own products or services, but also to the publisher who publishes the advertisement, so it has become a mechanism used in various forms. As a prior art related to affiliate, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of paying a reward to an advertisement displayer in response to the installation of an application targeted by the advertisement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, payment of a reward occurs regardless of whether the application or the service provided by the application is being used. On the other hand, there are cases where just installing an application does not necessarily mean that there is a benefit for the distributor or developer of the application. In such cases, since it may be difficult to say that the advertisement has an effect just by being installed, a mechanism for paying a reward at a more appropriate timing is desired.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method, apparatus, or program capable of executing payment of a reward at an appropriate timing in view of the above problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention, as one aspect, is a method for causing one or more processing devices to execute: a process of receiving information indicating a distributor of an advertisement of a program providing an online medical service from a terminal; a process of confirming that a payment process for paying a drug price or a medical fee has been executed at the terminal; and a sending process of sending a reward to the distributor when the user of the terminal has received online medical treatment and the payment process has been executed.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention, as one aspect, provides a processing device that executes the above method. In addition, the present invention, as one aspect, provides a program for causing a processing device to execute the above method.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] With the above configuration, the present invention can provide a method, apparatus, or program capable of executing payment of a reward at an appropriate timing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] <System Outline> FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 1 includes processing devices of a distribution server 10, one or more store servers 20, and one or more user terminals 30. The distribution server 10, the store server 20, and the user terminal 30 are connected via a communication network 5 so that data can be transmitted and received to and from each other. The communication network 5 is a communication means of a wireless or wired method, and for example, is the Internet, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a public communication network, a dedicated line, or the like.

[0011] The distribution server 10 is an information processing device that manages and executes a program 151 described later and has various functions described later. The administrator of the distribution server 10 can place the program 151 in his or her own distribution server 10 to provide the service realized by the program 151 to the user of the user terminal 30. Note that the program 151 in this embodiment includes a function of mediating between the user of the user terminal 30 and the medical staff, and realizes so-called online medical treatment and online prescription of drugs. However, the administrator of the distribution server 10 does not perform medical acts, drug prescriptions, or sales. The detailed functions of the program 151 will be described later.

[0012] The store server 20 is an information processing device having various functions described later, and is managed by an operator who is a distributor of the advertisement AD. The operator includes various persons and corporations such as, for example, medical institutions, retail stores such as drugstores, esthetic salons, nail salons, and cosmetics sales stores. In the present embodiment, each operator who manages the store server 20 receives a request from the administrator of the distribution server 10, and guides the user about the service realized by the program 151 by using the advertisement AD described later. When the user uses the service via the guidance of the operator, an affiliate mechanism is formed in which the administrator of the distribution server 10 pays a reward.

[0013] The user terminal 30 is an information processing device operated by the user, and includes, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile phone, a personal computer, etc. The user receives guidance from each operator of the store server 20, and downloads and installs an application program AP for executing the functions of the program 151 provided by the administrator of the distribution server 10 on his / her own terminal, so that the user can receive services such as online medical treatment of the program 151. The application program AP is what is displayed as an icon image on a smartphone or the like, and is a program for enabling the user to receive a service (in the present embodiment, the service realized by the program 151 described later) provided by the distributor of the application program AP (in the present embodiment, the administrator of the distribution server 10). Note that the application program AP is a program for executing the functions of the program 151, but may include a part or all of the functions of the program 151 described later, as long as the user can execute the functions of the program 151 from the user terminal 30. In other words, it can also be said that it is sufficient if it is the same as the state in which the program 151 is downloaded (installed) on the user terminal 30.

[0014] Furthermore, in the information processing system 1, an advertisement AD with a two-dimensional code TC described thereon is used. In the present embodiment, the content promoted by the advertisement AD is a service related to online medical treatment realized by the program 151 and online prescription of drugs. The administrator of the distribution server 10 distributes an advertisement AD including guidance on downloading (installing) the application program AP to the distributor in order to have the users use his or her service, and can increase the number of users.

[0015] The distributor of the advertisement AD is a person who manages each store server 20, and is assumed to be various persons, corporations, and business operators such as the above-described medical institutions, retail stores such as drugstores, esthetic salons, nail salons, and cosmetics sales stores. The two-dimensional code TC attached to the advertisement AD records an identifier (also referred to as an ID) individually given to each distributor of the advertisement AD, and a URL or IP address for connecting to the distribution server 10 and downloading (installing) the application program AP. The individual identifier given to each distributor is, for example, created in advance by the administrator of the distribution server 10, and an advertisement AD with a two-dimensional code TC unique to each distributor is created by sending the two-dimensional code TC including the individual identifier to each distributor. Note that the individual identifier is usually composed of numbers, symbols, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), an IP address, or a combination thereof.

[0016] The two-dimensional code TC can be read using a corresponding detection device such as the user terminal 30, and the detection device can obtain means for connecting to the distribution server 10 and downloading (installing) the application program AP. Also, the distribution server 10 connected via the two-dimensional code TC can identify the distributor of the advertisement AD using the identifier for each individual distributor. That is, when the user connects to the distribution server 10 via the two-dimensional code TC and downloads (installs) the application program AP, the identifier for each individual distributor included in the two-dimensional code TC is transmitted to the distribution server 10, and the distribution server 10 and its administrator can grasp which distributor's advertisement AD led to the download (installation). When the user terminal 30 reads the two-dimensional code TC, connects to the distribution server 10, and downloads (installs) the application program AP, the distribution server 10 may directly transmit the application program AP to the user terminal 30, or may guide the user to another distribution server different from the distribution server 10 that distributes various service applications via the distribution server 10, and have the application program AP be transmitted from the other distribution server.

[0017] An example of the two-dimensional code TC is a QR code (registered trademark). Note that the information attached to the advertisement AD is not necessarily limited to the two-dimensional code TC as long as it includes at least information that can individually identify each distributor of the advertisement and information that can download (install) the application program AP. For example, a string of a URL or IP address, and an identifier may be directly described, or a recording method other than the two-dimensional code such as a one-dimensional code may be adopted.

[0018] Examples of media for advertisements (ADs) include paper such as flyers, websites, and display screens. In addition, various other forms such as audio can also be considered. When the advertisement (AD) is a flyer or other paper, the operator of the store server 20 can distribute it in physical stores. Also, when the advertisement (AD) is a display image, an advertisement display can be installed in the physical store, and the advertisement (AD) including the two-dimensional code (TC) can be displayed there. As yet another example, when using a website as the medium, the store server 20 can be used to distribute the image or text of the advertisement (AD) via the website.

[0019] Note that although the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment is composed of the above-mentioned plurality of processing devices and the like, the present invention does not limit the number of these devices. Therefore, the information processing system 1 can be composed of one or more devices as long as it has the functions described in this embodiment. Also, it is possible to realize the configuration by dispersing the functions among a plurality of devices. The mode of function dispersion is not limited to the embodiment, and various modes can be considered.

[0020] FIG. 2 is an example of the hardware (hereinafter referred to as "information processing device 100") used to realize the distribution server 10, the store server 20, and the user terminal 30. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 100 includes a processor 101, a main storage device 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, an input device 104, an output device 105, and a communication device 106. These are connected to each other so as to be communicable via communication means such as a bus (not shown).

[0021] Note that not all components of the information processing device 100 necessarily need to be realized by hardware, and all or part of the components may be realized by virtual resources such as a cloud server of a cloud system, for example.

[0022] The processor 101 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc. By reading and executing the program stored in the main memory device 102, the functions of the distribution server 10 and the user terminal 30 are realized.

[0023] The main memory device 102 is a device that stores programs and data, such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVRAM (Non Volatile RAM)), etc.

[0024] The auxiliary storage device 103 is, for example, various non-volatile memories (NVRAM: Non-volatile memory) such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), an SD memory card, a hard disk drive, an optical storage device (CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc.), a storage area of a cloud server, etc. The programs and data stored in the auxiliary storage device 103 are read into the main memory device 102 at any time.

[0025] The input device 104 is an interface that receives input of information, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a card reader, a voice input device (microphone, etc.), a voice recognition device, etc. The information processing device 100 may be configured to receive input of information from other devices via the communication device 106. In particular, the user terminal 30 has an imaging device including a lens and an imaging element as the input device 104, and can capture an image such as a two-dimensional code TC.

[0026] The output device 105 is an interface for outputting various types of information, such as a screen display device (liquid crystal monitor, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), graphic card, etc.), a printing device, etc.), an audio output device (speaker, etc.), a voice synthesis device, etc. The information processing device 100 may be configured to output information to other devices via the communication device 106.

[0027] The communication device 106 is a wired or wireless communication interface that realizes communication with other devices via the communication network 5. For example, it is an Internet communication module, a NIC (Network Interface Card), a wireless communication module, a USB (Universal Serial Interface) module, a serial communication module, etc. In particular, the communication device 106 of the user terminal 30 can communicate with the GPS (Global Positioning System) to acquire position coordinates.

[0028] 〔Functional Configuration of Distribution Server〕 Fig. 3(a) shows the main functions (software configuration) provided by the distribution server 10. As shown in the figure, the distribution server 10 has the functions of a storage unit 110 and a management unit 120. The storage unit 110 is formed by, for example, ROM, RAM, etc., and is realized by the main storage device 102, the auxiliary storage device 103, etc. The functions of the management unit 120 are realized by the processor 101 of the distribution server 10 reading and executing the program stored in the main storage device 102 or the auxiliary storage device 103 of the distribution server 10. In addition to the above functions, the distribution server 10 also has functions such as an operating system, a file system, a device driver, a DBMS (DataBase Management System), etc.

[0029] The storage unit 110 stores various types of data and programs, and is also used as a region for temporarily storing data. Programs stored in the storage unit 110 include an operating system (hereinafter referred to as "OS"), etc.

[0030] In addition, a program 151 and a database 152 are stored in the storage unit 110. The program 151 can include a plurality of functions such as an online medical treatment function, a medical treatment reservation function, a settlement function, a usage status confirmation function, a reward payment function, etc., which will be described later. The management unit 120 can realize the functions of the distribution server 10 by executing the program 151 read from the storage unit 110. The management unit 120 also has a function of reading other programs from the storage unit 110 and controlling each part of the distribution server 10.

[0031] The online medical treatment function of the program 151 is a function for realizing communication between a patient and a medical institution (such as a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, a hospital, a pharmacy, etc.). The user can use this communication function to answer questions from a medical institution, receive online medical treatment, and receive prescriptions for medicines through online medical treatment. In addition, the user can also use the medical treatment reservation function to make a reservation for online medical treatment with a medical institution in advance. Although there is no particular limitation on the type and content of online medical treatment, examples include medical treatment related to the prescription of low-dose pills and medical treatment aimed at improving obesity.

[0032] The settlement function of Program 151 is a function for making payments for goods and services (hereinafter also referred to as settlement). For example, a user can purchase drugs prescribed by a medical professional using the online medical treatment function of Program 151 and perform payment procedures. In the payment procedure, payment processing is performed from the user's own bank account or credit card to a medical institution designated in advance by the medical institution specified by the user operation or the administrator of the distribution server 10. Note that the payment processing may be performed on the medical institution via the distribution server 10. The medical institution that has received the payment can send the drugs to the user by mail or other methods. Although not particularly illustrated, as a method for the medical institution to know the user's delivery address, when performing payment processing, the address of the user or the member information including the address information may be sent from Program 151 to the designated medical institution, or the medical institution's computer terminal may access the information processing system 1 to obtain the user's address information. Note that the settlement function of Program 151 may be a function of Program 151 itself or may be executed by connecting to a settlement processing program provided from the outside.

[0033] The usage status confirmation function is a function for confirming and storing the usage status of the services realized by Program 151, that is, it can confirm and store the execution status of each function of Program 151. More specifically, the application program AP is executed by the user terminal 30, and the usage status of the services realized by Program 151 (in this embodiment, the usage status of services related to online medical treatment and online drug prescriptions) is stored for each advertiser. FIG. 4 is an example of a database stored by the usage status confirmation function.

[0034] The database 152 records, for the distributor of the advertisement AD and its identifier (ID), the number of terminals on which the program 151 was installed via the distributor's advertisement AD, and the number of terminals on which the first payment procedure for the drug cost or medical fee was executed, in an associated manner, enabling the actual performance of the advertising effect for each distributor to be grasped. For example, the advertisement distributor with ID = 1 contributed to the download (installation) of 18 application programs AP by the distributed advertisement AD, and further shows that 3 of them completed the first payment using the settlement function of the program 151. Note that the information recorded in the database 152 is not limited to these, and other information may be recorded as well.

[0035] The method by which the usage confirmation function stores information such as that in the database 152 is not particularly limited, and known methods can be used. For example, there are many known dedicated tools for analyzing the usage status of applications such as smartphones and other information, so these dedicated tools can be used to realize the usage confirmation function. For example, when the known dedicated tool is a tool for analyzing the usage status of the application program AP of each user terminal 30, when the user terminal 30 connects to the distribution server 10 via the two-dimensional code TC with the identifier unique to each distributor recorded thereon and downloads (installs) the application program AP, the usage confirmation function receives the identifier of a specific distributor transmitted from the user terminal 30 (the identifier of the distributor read by the user terminal 30 from the two-dimensional code TC), and by associating and storing in the storage unit 110 the identifiers of each distributor received by each user terminal 30 and the distribution server 10, the usage status of each user terminal 30 that can be grasped by the dedicated tool can be linked and converted for each distributor, and information such as that in the database 152 can be confirmed and stored. Also, if the known dedicated tool manages, in a unified manner, from the issuance of the two-dimensional code TC unique to the distributor to the management of the application program AP via the two-dimensional code TC and its usage status, then just by using that dedicated tool, information such as that in the database 152 can be confirmed and stored.

[0036] Note that the usage status confirmation function may also be implemented without using a dedicated tool. For example, when installing the application program AP on the user terminal 30, by storing the identifier of each advertisement distributor included in the two-dimensional code TC in the user terminal 30 or within the application program AP, when the program 151 is executed via the application program AP on the user terminal 30, the usage status confirmation function of the distribution server 10 can receive the identifier of the advertisement distributor from the user terminal 30 to grasp the identifier of each advertisement distributor, and replace the execution status of the program 151 by the user terminal 30 with the performance status of each advertisement distributor, and information like that in FIG. 4 can be stored. Or, when installing the application program AP on the user terminal 30, the identification information (terminal information) of the connected user terminal 30 and the user registration information registered when receiving the service of the program 151 are associated and stored in the distribution server 10 with the identifier of each advertisement distributor. By grasping the association between the usage status of a specific user and each advertisement distributor, the usage status of a specific user can be replaced with the performance status of each advertisement distributor, and information like that in FIG. 4 can be recorded.

[0037] That is, when not using a dedicated tool, by storing, in the user terminal 30 or the distribution server 10, a specific user and the identifier of the distributor of the two-dimensional code TC attached to the advertisement AD used by the specific user, the specific user and the specific distributor can be associated. The usage status confirmation function can grasp which distributor's performance it is by grasping the execution status of the program 151 as the usage status of the specific user. Thereby, when a specific user receives services related to online medical treatment or online prescription of drugs, it becomes possible to count it as the performance of the distributor corresponding to the specific user.

[0038] As described above, the usage status confirmation function can receive, from the user terminal 30 that has read the two-dimensional code TC, the identifier of the distributor of the advertisement that advertises the application program AP for using the program 151, regardless of whether a dedicated tool is used or not.

[0039] Note that the program 151 may further include a reward transmission function that refers to the database 152 in FIG. 4 and sends rewards to each distributor of the advertisement based on the number of first payment completions (first-time payment completions). The reward transmission function can send rewards to each distributor based on the information in the database 152. Preferably, the rewards are sent based on the item of "first payment completion". Details will be described in the processing flow of the information processing system 1 described later. The administrator of the distribution server 10 determines in advance the reward for one time of the first payment completion, and the reward transmission function can send the rewards corresponding to the number of first payment completions to each distributor.

[0040] In addition, in the storage unit 110, a database (not shown) that records personal information including the address and email address regarding the user of the program 151 and the distributor of the advertisement AD is also stored. The personal information of the user includes so-called membership registration information for using the service realized by the program 151.

[0041] The distribution server 10 can exhibit various functions as described above by causing the processor 101 (management unit 120) to start various programs. As those functions, the distribution server 10 can execute the distribution of the application program AP and the processing of various functions of the program 151 including payment processing.

[0042] 〔Functional Configuration of Store Server 20〕 As shown in FIG. 3(b), the store server 20 has the functions of a storage unit 210 and a management unit 220. The storage unit 210 is formed by, for example, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and is realized by a main storage device 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, etc. The function of the management unit 220 is realized by the processor 101 of the store server 20 reading and executing a program stored in the main storage device 102 or the auxiliary storage device 103 of the store server 20. In addition to the above functions, the store server 20 also has functions such as an operating system, a file system, a device driver, a DBMS (DataBase Management System), etc.

[0043] The storage unit 210 stores various data and programs, and is also used as a temporary storage area for data. Programs stored in the storage unit 210 include an OS, an image processing program, etc. The management unit 220 controls each part of the store server 20 by executing the program read from the storage unit 2,10.

[0044] 〔Functional Configuration of User Terminal 30〕 As shown in FIG. 3(c), the user terminal 30 has the functions of a storage unit 310 and a management unit 320. The storage unit 310 is formed by, for example, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and is realized by a main storage device 102, an auxiliary storage device 103, etc. The function of the management unit 320 is realized by the processor 101 of the user terminal 30 reading and executing a program stored in the main storage device 102 or the auxiliary storage device 103 of the user terminal 30. In addition to the above functions, the user terminal 30 also has functions such as an operating system, a file system, a device driver, a DBMS (DataBase Management System), etc.

[0045] The storage unit 310 stores various types of data and programs (including the application program AP), and is also used as a temporary storage area for data. Programs stored in the storage unit 310 include the OS, image processing programs, and the like. The management unit 320 controls each part of the user terminal 30 by executing the programs (including the application program AP) read from the storage unit 310.

[0046] <Processing in the information processing system> The processing in the information processing system 1 will be mainly described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 5, and 6. In the following, the processing performed by the management units 120, 220, and 320 may sometimes be described simply as the processing performed by the distribution server 10, the store server 20, and the user terminal 30, respectively. Also, the service realized by the program 151 in this processing is a service that provides a platform where a user can receive online medical treatment and receive low-dose pills according to the medical treatment results, and the payment by the user is generated by purchasing the medicine prescribed by the online medical treatment, and no payment occurs just by receiving the online medical treatment. Also, in this processing, it is assumed that the medical institution that conducts the online medical treatment is the same as the medical institution that sells, prescribes, and delivers the medicine.

[0047] First, the administrator of the distribution server 10 and the provider of the service realized by the program 151 create a unique two-dimensional code TC for each advertiser (each operator of the store server 20) and send it to each advertiser. Each advertiser creates an advertisement AD with the attached two-dimensional code TC. Note that the advertisement AD may be sent to each advertiser in a state where the service provider of the program 151 has attached the two-dimensional code TC.

[0048] Each advertiser promotes the advertisement to users by distributing the advertisement AD with the two-dimensional code TC in the physical store it operates, displaying it on the display installed in the physical store, or displaying it on the homepage.

[0049] When the advertisement AD catches the user's eye, the user connects to the distribution server 10 via the two-dimensional code TC attached to the advertisement AD using their user terminal 30, and acquires (S1A) and installs (S1B) an application program AP for executing the function of the program 151. Specifically described, in these processes, the user first reads the two-dimensional code TC attached to the advertisement AD using the camera function or imaging device of the input device 104 of the user terminal 30. The two-dimensional code TC records connection information such as the identifier of the distributor who distributes the advertisement AD and the URL for downloading (installing) the application program AP. By reading this, the user terminal 30 can connect to the distribution server 10 or connect to another distribution server different from the distribution server 10 that distributes various service applications via the distribution server 10, and download (install) the application program AP. At this point, the usage status confirmation function of the distribution server 10 receives the identifier of the distributor of the two-dimensional code TC used for the connection from the user terminal 30, and increments the "number of installed terminals" in the database 152 corresponding to the identifier (distributor) by one. At this time, if it is a new distributor with no corresponding entry on the database 152, the usage status confirmation function assigns a new ID number, creates a new record, and then increments the "number of installed terminals" by one. Note that the user terminal 30, the distribution server 10, and the other distribution server can communicate and connect via the network 5.

[0050] Next, although not particularly shown in the figures, after installing the application program AP, the user uses the application program AP to send personal information such as an email address and an address to the distribution server 10 in order to receive the service realized by the program 151, and performs user membership registration. Through these processes, the user can use the program 151 on the user terminal 30. At this point, the distribution server 10 can check the usage status of the user terminal 30 at any timing by the usage status checking function, and can create each item of the usage status of the database 152 shown in FIG. 4.

[0051] Next, the user can execute the functions of the program 151 by starting the application AP on the user terminal 30. For example, the user can make a medical appointment with a designated medical institution / doctor or a medical institution / doctor pre-registered after agreeing to the service realized by the program 151, or receive online medical treatment from these medical institutions / doctors (S2). In this process, the medical appointment in step S2 can be made with a pre-registered medical institution / doctor, and the user can receive online medical treatment from this medical institution / doctor or purchase medicine. Also, the user can answer an online consultation during the medical appointment or register credit card information to be used for payment processing. When the credit card information is sent to the distribution server 10, the usage status checking function can count "credit card registration completed" for the advertiser corresponding to the sending user by one count.

[0052] Next, when the user receives online medical treatment and the medical institution / doctor determines that a prescription for low-dose pills is necessary based on the online medical treatment, the user can use Program 151 to perform the payment procedure for the prescribed medicine (S3). In the process of this step S3, the user can start Program 151, connect to the server of a financial institution or an external payment service, and execute payment processing using a bank or a credit card. When the payment processing is executed, the payment amount made in the payment processing is remitted to the medical institution that provides the online medical treatment and delivers the medicine. Note that the payment processing may be performed for the medical institution via the distribution server 10. Also, through the usage status confirmation function, the distribution server 10 can grasp that the processing up to step S3 has been executed.

[0053] Next, the usage status confirmation function of the distribution server 10 executes a process of confirming conditions (S4). More specifically, the usage status confirmation function checks whether the payment processing in step S3 by this user is executed for the first time, that is, whether the payment processing is the first settlement for this user. The method for confirming the first settlement by the usage status confirmation function is not particularly limited. As an example, as will be described later, information (such as a flag) regarding the first settlement is linked and recorded for each registered member information, and by checking the presence or absence of the record, it is possible to determine whether it is the first settlement for that user.

[0054] In step S5, the usage status confirmation function of the distribution server 10 updates the database 152 based on the processing results of S2 to S4. More specifically, when the online medical treatment that the user received in step S2 is a medical treatment with a prescription, the "completed medical treatment with prescription" item in the record of the distributor of the advertisement AD used by the user is incremented by 1. On the other hand, if there is no prescription, "completed medical treatment without prescription" is incremented by 1. Further, the processing results of steps S3 and S4 are confirmed. If the purchase of prescription drugs is the first purchase (first payment settlement) for the user, the "completed first payment settlement" is incremented by 1. Regarding the counting of the completed first payment settlement, to describe it in more detail, the distribution server 10 receives the distributor ID of the advertisement AD used at the time of installation of the program 151 (application program AP) used for payment from the program 151. Or, the membership information of the user who executes the program 151 and the identification information (terminal information) of the user terminal 30 are received from the program 151, and the distributor ID of the advertisement AD used at the time of installation is received by converting based on the association between the identification information (terminal information) of the user terminal 30 stored in advance and a specific distributor ID. Thereby, the distributor ID of the advertisement AD used by the user who performed the first payment settlement process can be grasped. Next, the distribution server 10 refers to the database 152 and can update the number of each item including "completed first payment settlement" corresponding to the received distributor ID. Preferably, in addition to updating the number of "completed first payment settlement", information (such as a flag) indicating that the first payment settlement has been made can be written into the membership information of the user who performed this first payment settlement. By leaving such information so that it can be confirmed, the usage status confirmation function can confirm whether the payment in step S3 is the first payment settlement for the user. That is, the usage status confirmation function can determine that it is the first payment settlement if there is no remaining information indicating that the first payment settlement has been made for a user's payment process, and can determine that it is a payment after the second time if there is remaining information indicating that the first payment settlement has been made.

[0055] By performing the processes of S3 to S5 for each user who uses Program 151, the number of first-time settlements completed by each distributor increases. As an example, in the database 152 shown in FIG. 4, for the distributor with ID = 1, it is shown that the number of users, user terminals 30, or programs 151 that have completed the first-time settlement is three times. That is to say, this indicates that there are three users who have downloaded the application program AP and performed the first-time settlement due to the advertisement AD distributed by the advertiser with ID = 1, and it can be considered that there has been an advertising effect for three people.

[0056] Next, in the process of step S6, based on the content of the database 152, a reward is sent to each distributor of the advertisement AD. Note that the type, category, etc. of the reward are not limited, and any arbitrary one can be selected. For example, as the reward, a cash equivalent such as a gift voucher for an e-commerce site, cash, a discount voucher, etc. can be adopted. When the distributor is a corporation, it is desirable to make the reward cash.

[0057] An appropriate delivery method is also selected according to the type of reward. As an example, the program 151 of the distribution server 10 can be provided with a reward transmission function to send the reward. For example, when the reward is a gift voucher for an e-commerce site, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the distribution server 10 sends the identification information of the gift voucher to the store server 20 of the distributor of the advertisement AD through the network 5. When the reward is money, the distribution server 10 can connect to the server of a financial institution and transfer the money to the deposit account of the distributor. Also, as another example, the administrator of the distribution server 10 can send the reward to the distributor. For example, when the reward is a cash equivalent, it can be mailed to the corresponding distributor through the administrator of the distribution server 10.

[0058] The distributor of the advertisement AD (i.e., the recipient of the reward), the store server 20, and the identification of the first settlement number can be achieved by referring to the database 152 to refer to the distributor of the advertisement AD and the number of "first settlement completed" items corresponding to the distributor. Also, the identification of the first settlement number can be realized by the reward transmission function of the distribution server 10, but for example, it may be identified by the administrator of the distribution server 10.

[0059] Note that the process of step S6 can be executed at regular intervals such as monthly or weekly. Also, the amount of the reward can be based on the number of users, program 151, or user terminals 30 that have completed the first settlement. For example, the distribution server 10 can count the increment of "first settlement completed" within a certain period and send the corresponding reward to the corresponding distributor. More specifically, when the usage status confirmation function creates the database 152, it can be created monthly, and by targeting the database of a specific month for counting, the reward for each month can be calculated and the reward for each month can be sent. Also, as another specific example, when paying the reward monthly, the reward payment record up to the previous month can be stored for each store (each distributor), and when paying the reward for the current month, the record up to the previous month can be subtracted and paid. In this case, in the database 152 of FIG. 4, the cumulative value of the first settlement completed for each distributor will be stored. For example, for the distributor with ID = 2, the actual value after distributing the advertisement AD is 5 times. Subtract the actual value (e.g., 3 times) that has already been paid up to the previous month from the cumulative actual value of 5 times, and use the actual value for the current month (in this case, 2 times) to pay the reward for 2 times to the advertisement distributor with ID = 2. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the reward from being paid to the distributor repeatedly.

[0060] In step S7, the distribution server 10 sends the reward to the user who has completed the first settlement. As an example, the reward is sent to the user terminal 30 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0061] Also in step S7, the types, categories, etc. of the rewards are not limited, and any arbitrary ones can be selected. For example, as rewards, money vouchers such as gift vouchers of an e-commerce site, cash, discount vouchers, etc. can be adopted.

[0062] The delivery method is also appropriately selected according to the type of reward. As an example, the program 151 of the distribution server 10 can be provided with a reward transmission function to send the reward. For example, when the reward is a gift voucher of an e-commerce site, as shown in FIG. 6, the distribution server 10 sends the identification information of the gift voucher to the user terminal 30 via e-mail or the program 151. When the reward is money, the distribution server 10 can connect to the server of a financial institution and transfer the money to the user's deposit account. Also, as another example, the administrator of the distribution server 10 can send the reward to the user. For example, when the reward is a money voucher, it is also possible to mail the money voucher to the user's home via the administrator of the distribution server 10.

[0063] In the processing in the above-described information processing system 1, the payment by the user is described by taking the one generated by the purchase of prescription drugs as an example, but it is not limited to this. For example, when a fee is generated for the online medical treatment itself, in step S4, the confirmation of the first settlement for the payment of the online medical treatment fee is performed, and the payment of the reward in S6 and S7 will be made according to the number of times of the first settlement of the online medical treatment fee.

[0064] <Effect> In the above embodiment, the following aspects are shown.

[0065] (Aspect 1) The distribution server 10 of the information processing system 1 executes a process (S1A) of receiving, from a terminal, an identifier indicating a distributor of an advertisement AD of an application program AP or a program 151 that provides an online medical service, a process (S3, S4) of confirming that a payment process (S3) for paying a drug price or a medical fee has been executed on the user terminal 30, and a sending process (S6) of sending a reward to the distributor when the user of the terminal has received an online medical treatment (S2) and the payment process has been executed.

[0066] In the above configuration, a reward is sent on the condition that online medical treatment and payment, which are services provided by the application program AP and the program 151, have been executed. Therefore, the payment of the reward is executed at an appropriate timing.

[0067] (Aspect 2) In the sending process of Aspect 1, when the user of the user terminal 30 has received an online medical treatment and the payment process is first executed for the user terminal 30, a process of sending a reward to the distributor is executed.

[0068] In the above configuration, as a condition for the reward, it is limited to the first payment process. Since duplicate rewards are prevented from being paid to the same distributor, the payment of the reward is appropriately executed.

[0069] (Aspect 3) In Aspect 1 or 2, when the application program AP is installed on the user terminal, the user of the user terminal 30 has received an online medical treatment, and the payment process has been executed, the distribution server 10 sends a reward to the distributor in the sending process.

[0070] In the above configuration, a reward is sent on the condition that the application program AP has been installed and online medical treatment and payment have been executed. Therefore, the payment of the reward is executed at an appropriate timing.

[0071] (Aspect 4) In any of Aspects 1 to 3, further include a process (S4) of counting the number of user terminals 30 for which payment processing has been executed for the first time, and in the sending process, execute a process of sending a reward corresponding to the number to the distributor.

[0072] In the above configuration, payment of the reward is appropriately executed according to the number of user terminals 30 using the application program AP. Therefore, the distributor of the advertisement AD is motivated to distribute the advertisement AD.

[0073] (Aspect 5) In any of Aspects 1 to 4, also send a reward to the user of the user terminal 30 in the sending process.

[0074] In the above configuration, payment of the reward is appropriately executed also for the user of the user terminal 30 on which the application program AP has been executed. Therefore, the user is motivated to use the application program AP (program 151).

[0075] (Aspect 6) In any of Aspects 1 to 5, the identifier is recorded in the two-dimensional code described in the advertisement AD.

[0076] In the above configuration, the user terminal 30 can easily read the identifier just by reading the two-dimensional code.

[0077] (Aspects 7, 8) Any of the methods in Aspects 1 to 6 is executed by the distribution server 10, the store server 20, and the user terminal 30, which are processing devices. Also, the distribution server 10, the store server 20, and the user terminal 30 execute any of the methods in Aspects 1 to 6 by starting a program respectively.

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, a processing flow using the application program AP (Program 151) was exemplified. However, a part of the processing flow may include manual work. For example, although the settlement process is executed by Program 151, the delivery of prescribed medicine can be performed manually by an appropriate medical institution or medical personnel (physicians or pharmacists). Also, as described above, the delivery of the reward may be performed manually by a person.

[0079] <Modification Example> In this embodiment, when a reward payment occurs, it was the case where the user executed the first payment process or settlement process (S3). However, not limited to this, even when the process (S3) in step S3 is executed multiple times on the same user, Program 151, or user terminal 30, a reward payment (S6, S7) may be executed for the advertiser of the advertisement AD or the user. For example, a process can be considered where a reward for 10 times is paid to a user who has executed the payment process 10 times, or to the advertiser of the advertisement AD that triggered the user to install the application AP.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0080] 1 Information Processing System 10 Distribution Server 20 Store Server 30 User Terminal

Claims

1. A method for causing a processing device with a value of 1 or more to execute, a process of receiving information indicating a distributor of an advertisement of a program providing an online medical service from a terminal, a process of confirming that a payment process for paying a drug price or a medical fee has been executed on the terminal, and a sending process of sending a reward to the distributor when the user of the terminal receives online medical treatment and the payment process has been executed. Method.

2. In the sending process, when the user of the terminal receives online medical treatment and the payment process is first executed for the terminal, a process of sending a reward to the distributor is executed. The method according to claim 1.

3. When the program is installed on the terminal, the user of the terminal receives online medical treatment, and the payment process is executed, a reward is sent to the distributor in the sending process. The method according to claim 1.

4. The method further includes a process of counting the number of the terminals on which the payment process is executed for the first time, and in the sending process, a process of sending a reward corresponding to the number to the distributor is executed. The method according to claim 1.

5. In the sending process, a reward is further sent to the user of the terminal. The method according to claim 1.

6. The information is recorded in a two-dimensional code described in the advertisement. The method according to claim 1.

7. A processing device that executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A program for causing a processing device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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