Management device, management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a management device, a management method, and a program for managing evaluation on articles.SOLUTION: In a transaction management system 100, a management server acquires evaluation information indicating the result of evaluation on at least one of P items about an article, calculates an evaluation value on each of the P items on the basis of one or more pieces of acquired evaluation information related to the article, determines Q items used for the determination of article evaluation from among the P items on the basis of the calculated evaluation value on each of the P items, references a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more pieces of recipient information indicating the behavioral characteristic and interest or preference of each of one or more recipients 30, 40 capable of receiving information related to the article and extracts a recipient having the behavioral characteristic and interest or preference associated with the Q items, determines evaluation on the article using the Q items, generates information pertaining to the article including information indicating evaluation on the article, and transmits information related to the article to the communication terminal of the recipient.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an EC server that provides an environment in which evaluations according to product genres can be posted. [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 094169 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] For example, the factors that users who access an EC site place importance on when purchasing a product sold on the EC site vary from user to user. However, with the EC server disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for a user who is considering purchasing a specific product to quickly find reviews that are important to that user from reviews posted about the product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, a management device is provided. The management device, for example, manages evaluations of an item. The management device, for example, includes an evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information indicating an evaluation result for at least one of P items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2) related to the item. The management device, for example, includes a viewer information acquisition unit that acquires viewer information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of viewers who view the evaluations of the item. The management device, for example, includes a first item determination unit that determines, from the P items, Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used to derive an evaluation value of the item indicating the degree of evaluation of the item, based on the viewer information acquired by the viewer information acquisition unit.

[0005] In the management device, the P items related to the products may be classified into a plurality of categories. In the management device, the first item determination unit may determine one or more categories from the plurality of categories to be used for presenting an evaluation to the viewer, based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information.

[0006] In the above management device, the P items related to the items may be classified into a plurality of categories. In the above management device, the first item determination unit may determine one or more categories from the plurality of categories to be used for presenting an evaluation to the viewer based on at least one selected from the group consisting of the type of item, an instruction from the viewer, and the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information. The first item determination unit may determine Q items including one or more items included in one or more categories based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information.

[0007] The management device may include a first item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of Q items based on one or more evaluation information related to the item acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit. The management device may include an item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for the item based on the evaluation value for each of the Q items calculated by the first item evaluation unit and weights assigned to each of the Q items. In the management device, the item evaluation unit may determine the weight value assigned to each of the Q items based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the viewer indicated by the viewer information.

[0008] In the above management device, the evaluation information acquisition unit may include a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating the results of evaluations of at least one of P items related to the first item by consumers who have received, used, or consumed the first item that was traded in the past. The evaluation information acquisition unit may include a distribution information acquisition unit that acquires distribution status information indicating the state of the first item during at least a portion of the distribution process of the first item. The evaluation information acquisition unit may include a correction unit that corrects the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the state of the first item indicated by the distribution status information.

[0009] In the above management device, the evaluation information acquisition unit may include a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating an evaluation result of at least one of P items related to the first item by a consumer who has received, used, or consumed the first item traded in the past. The evaluation information acquisition unit may include an inspection information acquisition unit that acquires inspection information indicating the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer. The evaluation information acquisition unit may include a correction unit that corrects the evaluation result of at least one of P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item indicated by the inspection information. The above management device may include a production information acquisition unit that acquires production information indicating the time of production or shipment of the first item. In the above management device, the correction unit may correct the evaluation result of at least one of P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the length of the period between the time of production or shipment of the first item indicated by the production information and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item indicated by the inspection information.

[0010] In the management device, the first item may be a fresh food product, or an agricultural product, a marine product, or a livestock product. In the management device, the correction unit may correct an evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, further based on at least one of a place of origin and an item of the first item.

[0011] In a second aspect of the present invention, a management device is provided. The management device, for example, manages evaluations of an item. The management device, for example, includes a evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information indicating an evaluation result for at least one of P items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2) related to the item. The management device, for example, includes a second item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more pieces of evaluation information related to the item acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit. The management device, for example, includes a second item determination unit that determines Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used in determining an evaluation of the item from among the P items based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated by the second item evaluation unit. The management device, for example, includes a receiver extraction unit that extracts receivers who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit, by referring to a receiver information storage unit that stores one or more pieces of receiver information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more receivers who can receive information related to the item. The management device includes, for example, a generating unit that determines an evaluation of an item using Q items and generates information about the item including information indicating the evaluation of the item. The management device also includes, for example, a transmitting unit that transmits the information about the item to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted by the recipient extraction unit.

[0012] In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management method. The management method is, for example, a management method for managing reviews of an item. Each step of the management method may be executed by a computer. The management method may be a management method for managing reviews of an item using a computer. The management method, for example, includes a review information acquisition step of acquiring review information indicating review results for at least one of P items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2) related to the item. The management method, for example, includes a viewer information acquisition step of acquiring viewer information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views reviews of the item. The management method, for example, includes a first item determination step of determining Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be presented to the viewer from among the P items, based on the viewer information acquired in the viewer information acquisition step.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a management method. The management method is, for example, a management method for managing evaluations of an item. Each step of the management method may be executed by a computer. The management method may be a management method for managing evaluations of an item using a computer. The management method, for example, includes a rating information acquisition step of acquiring rating information indicating an evaluation result for at least one of P items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2) related to the item. The management method, for example, includes a second item evaluation step of calculating an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more pieces of rating information related to the item acquired in the rating information acquisition step. The management method, for example, includes a second item determination step of determining Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used to determine the evaluation of the item from among the P items based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated in the second item evaluation step. The above management method includes, for example, a receiver extraction step of extracting receivers having behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined in the second item determination step by referencing a receiver information storage device that stores one or more receiver information items indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of each of one or more receivers who can receive information about the item.The above management method includes, for example, a generation step of determining an evaluation of the item using the Q items and generating information about the item including information indicating the evaluation of the item.The above management method includes, for example, a transmission step of transmitting information about the item to the communication terminals of the receivers extracted in the receiver extraction step.

[0014] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a program is provided. The program may be a program for causing a computer to function as the management device according to the first or second aspect. The program may be a program for causing a computer to execute the management method according to the third or fourth aspect. A computer-readable medium for storing the program may be provided. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable recording medium.

[0015] The above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 shows an example of a system configuration of a transaction management system 100. [Figure 2] 1 shows an example of the internal configuration of a production robot 120. [Figure 3] 10 shows an example of an information collection process in the management server 110. [Figure 4] 10 shows an example of the internal configuration of the transaction management unit 112. [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a product description screen for a product currently on sale. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a product evaluation input screen after delivery is completed. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the product evaluation input screen after delivery is completed. [Figure 8] 10 shows an example of the internal configuration of an EC site management unit 422. [Figure 9] 10 shows an example of the internal configuration of an evaluation acquisition unit 462. [Figure 10] 3 shows an example of a system configuration of a computer 3000. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar parts, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0018] [Outline of the transaction management system 100] 1 shows an example of the system configuration of a transaction management system 100. In this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 includes, for example, a management server 110. In this embodiment, the management server 110 includes, for example, a transaction management unit 112 and a distribution management unit 114.

[0019] The transaction management system 100 may further include at least one of a production robot 120, a fruit sorting system 140, and a logistics system 160. In this embodiment, the production robot 120 has, for example, a base unit 130, one or more (sometimes simply referred to as one or more) mobile units 132, one or more imaging units 134, one or more sensor units 136, and one or more working units 138.

[0020] In this embodiment, details of the transaction management system 100 will be described using an example in which the transaction management system 100 manages the transactions of product 12 and product 14. Note that in this embodiment, details of the transaction management system 100 will be described using an example in which product 14 is an item of the same or similar type as product 12, or an item produced by producer 20 of product 12.

[0021] In this embodiment, the details of the transaction management system 100 will be described using as an example a case where the product 12 and the product 14 are (i) fresh food products or (ii) agricultural products, marine products, or livestock products. Examples of fresh food products include fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, seafood, and meat. Examples of agricultural products include grains, vegetables, fruits, tea, flowering trees, mushrooms, and mycelium. However, the product 12 and the product 14 are not limited to fresh food products, agricultural products, marine products, or livestock products.

[0022] In a transaction of product 12 and product 14, producer 20 produces product 12 and product 14. Producer 20 transfers the produced product 12 and product 14 to consumer 40, with or without payment. Producer 20 may transfer product 12 and product 14 to consumer 40 via one or more distributors 30. In this case, for example, producer 20 first transfers product 12 and product 14 to distributor 30, with or without payment. Next, distributor 30 transfers product 12 and product 14 to consumer 40, with or without payment.

[0023] In this embodiment, the producer 20 performs various tasks to produce the products 12 and 14. The producer 20 may be a natural person or an organization. The organization may or may not have legal personality. The producer 20 may access the management server 110 using a communication terminal 22. For example, the producer 20 uses the communication terminal 22 to send information indicating a record of various tasks related to the products 12 and 14 to the management server 110. The producer 20 may use a production robot 120 to produce the products 12 and 14.

[0024] In this embodiment, the distributor 30 mediates transactions between the producers 20 and the consumers 40. Examples of the distributor 30 include transport companies, warehouse operators, wholesalers, and retailers. A producer group made up of multiple producers 20 may have an aspect as a distributor 30 in addition to an aspect as a producer 20. Examples of the producer group include a collection and shipping group and a cooperative.

[0025] In this embodiment, the consumer 40 receives the products 12 and 14 from the producer 20 or the distributor 30, with or without payment. The consumer 40 uses or consumes the products 12 and 14. The consumer 40 may inspect or evaluate the products 12 and 14 before using or consuming them. The consumer 40 may inspect or evaluate the products 12 and 14 after using or consuming them.

[0026] [Outline of information processing in the transaction management system 100] An example of information processing in transaction management system 100 will be described using the example of a case where consumer 44, an example of consumer 40, purchases product 12, and then consumer 46, another example of consumer 40, purchases product 14. In this embodiment, transaction management system 100 collects various data in the transaction process of product 12. Transaction management system 100 may execute processing to support the collection of the above data.

[0027] Various data collected in the transaction of the product 12 is used in the transaction of the product 14. In one embodiment, the transaction management system 100 performs processing to present data related to evaluations of the product 12 or the producer 20 collected in the transaction of the product 12 (sometimes simply referred to as evaluation information related to the product 12) to a consumer 46 who is considering purchasing the product 14. In another embodiment, the transaction management system 100 performs processing to determine selling points of the product 14 based on the characteristics of the product 14 that is the subject of a current or future transaction and the evaluations of the product 12. The transaction management system 100 also performs processing to notify consumers 46 who are likely to be interested in the selling points of the product 14 of sales promotion information for the product 14.

[0028] Evaluation information regarding a product (sometimes simply referred to as product evaluation information) may be information indicating the type and quality of the product. For example, product evaluation information includes information indicating the type of the product and information indicating the evaluation of the product. Product evaluation information may be information in which the type of the product is associated with the evaluation of the product. The type of product may be identified by the product item. The product item may be the name of the product type. The product evaluation may be an evaluation of the quality of the product. The quality of the product is determined, for example, based on various characteristics of the product. According to this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 obtains evaluation information regarding the product 12 at multiple points in the transaction process of the product 12, so that the quality of the product 12 at the time of production or shipping can be more accurately evaluated.

[0029] The producer 20 may be evaluated based on ratings of the product 12, or may be evaluated based on ratings of the producer 20. In this embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, the details of information processing in the transaction management system 100 will be explained using the example in which a consumer 44 evaluates the product 12.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 acquires evaluation information about the product 12 at multiple points in time during the transaction process of the product 12. For example, the transaction management system 100 acquires evaluation information about the product 12 at at least one of the points in time when the product 12 is inspected or evaluated, the points in time when the product 12 is produced or shipped, and a specific point in time during the distribution process of the product 12.

[0031] In particular, perishable foods, agricultural products, marine products, livestock products, etc. are more susceptible to quality deterioration than, for example, industrial products. Therefore, quality may deteriorate during the period from when the producer 20 ships them to when they reach the consumer 40 (sometimes referred to as the distribution process).

[0032] [Summary of evaluation information] Examples of evaluation information regarding the product 12 include (i) data showing subjective evaluation results based on the results of sensory tests of the product 12 by the producer 20, distributor 30, or consumer 40, and (ii) data showing objective evaluation results based on the results of measurements of the product 12 using various sensors. Examples of the sensors include (i) a sensor disposed in at least one of one or more production robots 120, (ii) a sensor disposed in the production site, (iii) a sensor disposed in a fruit sorting system 140 or a logistics system used by at least some of one or more distributors 30, and (iv) a sensor disposed in the communication terminal 22, communication terminal 32, or communication terminal 42.

[0033] Examples of the sensors include (i) measuring equipment for measuring the characteristics of the product 12 and (ii) measuring equipment for measuring the state of the environment surrounding the product 12. Examples of the environment surrounding the product 12 include the production environment of the product 12 and the distribution environment of the product 12. When the product 12 and the product 14 are fresh food products, agricultural products, marine products, or livestock products, examples of the production environment of the product 12 include growing areas and hunting grounds. When the product 12 is an agricultural product, examples of the production environment of the product 12 include fields and culture media. When the product 12 is a livestock product, examples of the production environment of the product 12 include ranches and livestock barns. When the product 12 is a marine product, examples of the production environment of the product 12 include a fish farm and a fishing ground.

[0034] Examples of the characteristics of the product 12 include (i) at least one of the shape, pattern, color, and gloss of the product 12's exterior, (ii) at least one of the size and mass of the product 12, (iii) at least one of the hardness and elasticity of the product 12, (iv) the amount of at least one of the radiation and aroma components emitted from the product 12, and (v) the content of a specific component contained in the product 12. Examples of the specific component include hydrogen ions, moisture, nutritional components, and functional components. Examples of the nutritional components and functional components include sugars, proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, glutamic acid, sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, magnesium ions, nitrate ions, phosphate ions, vitamins, and amino acids. Examples of the various sensors mentioned above include image sensors, 3D scanners, hardness meters, dosimeters, odor sensors, pH meters, moisture meters, sugar content meters, and taste sensors.

[0035] Examples of the state of the environment surrounding product 12 (sometimes referred to as the production environment) during the production process of product 12 include at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the temperature, illuminance, and / or pressure of the environment surrounding product 12, (ii) the concentration of specific components in the environment surrounding product 12, and (iii) the type and / or amount of materials and / or energy input during the production process. Examples of the specific components include water, hydrogen ions, and nutrients required for the growth of product 12. If product 12 is an agricultural product, examples of nutrients required for the growth of product 12 include nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium. Examples of the various sensors include a thermometer, a light meter, a pressure gauge, a hygrometer, a pH meter, a nitrogen concentration meter, a phosphate concentration meter, and a potassium concentration meter.

[0036] Examples of the state of the environment surrounding product 12 (sometimes referred to as the distribution environment) during the distribution process of product 12 include at least one selected from the group consisting of: (i) the temperature, illuminance, and / or pressure of the environment surrounding product 12, (ii) the concentration of a specific component in the environment surrounding product 12, and (iii) acceleration (e.g., impact, vibration, etc.) applied to product 12 during the distribution process. Examples of the specific component include one or more substances selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene. Examples of the various sensors include a thermometer, a light meter, a pressure gauge, a hygrometer, a pH meter, an oxygen concentration meter, a carbon dioxide concentration meter, an ethylene concentration meter, an accelerometer, etc.

[0037] The evaluation information regarding the product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from a communication terminal 22 used by the producer 20 or from various sensors (e.g., the imaging unit 134 or the sensor unit 136) disposed on the production robot 120. The evaluation information regarding the product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from various sensors disposed on a fruit sorting system 140 or a logistics system used by at least a portion of one or more distributors 30. The evaluation information regarding the product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from a communication terminal 32 used by the distributor 30. The evaluation information regarding the product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from a communication terminal 42 used by a consumer 40.

[0038] [Evaluation information structure] In this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 stores basic information about each product in association with evaluation information about each product. Examples of basic information about each product include identification information about each product, information indicating the type of product, information indicating the manufacturer of each product, and information indicating the production date or shipping date of each product. In this embodiment, the evaluation information about each product includes information indicating an evaluation for each of multiple items (sometimes referred to as evaluation items) related to each product. For example, the evaluation information about each product is configured to be able to store an evaluation for each of P evaluation items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2).

[0039] In this embodiment, P (P is an integer of 2 or more) evaluation items are classified into a plurality of categories (sometimes referred to as evaluation categories). Examples of the categories include (i) a category related to size or mass, (ii) a category related to appearance, (iii) a category related to taste, (iv) a category related to texture, (v) a category related to ingredients, (vi) a category related to freshness, (vii) a category related to ease of use or consumption, (viii) a category related to production process, (ix) a category related to environmental impact, (x) a category related to community contribution, and (xi) a category related to price.

[0040] Categories related to size or mass include, for example, evaluation items related to size and mass. Categories related to appearance include, for example, evaluation items related to shape, evaluation items related to the presence or absence of scratches, evaluation items related to color and luster, and evaluation items related to cleanliness. Categories related to taste include, for example, evaluation items related to sweetness, evaluation items related to saltiness, evaluation items related to sourness, evaluation items related to bitterness, evaluation items related to umami, and evaluation items related to deliciousness. Categories related to texture include, for example, evaluation items related to hardness, evaluation items related to crispness, and evaluation items related to moisture content. Categories related to contained ingredients include, for example, evaluation items related to the content of nutritional ingredients, evaluation items related to the content of aroma ingredients, and evaluation items related to the content of functional ingredients.

[0041] Categories related to freshness include, for example, evaluation items related to the number of days since the production date or shipping date. Categories related to ease of use or consumption include, for example, evaluation items related to the ease of cooking. Categories related to the production process include, for example, evaluation items related to the use of chemical fertilizers and / or the manner of use, the use of pesticides and / or the manner of use, and the presence or absence of certification for organic or pesticide-free cultivation.

[0042] Categories related to environmental impact include, for example, evaluation items related to the use of at least one of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, the type and / or amount of at least one of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides used in the cultivation process, evaluation items related to carbon dioxide emissions, evaluation items related to agricultural material disposal methods, etc. Categories related to local contribution include, for example, evaluation items related to guidance or training for new farmers or inexperienced producers, evaluation items related to contribution to local food culture, etc. Categories related to price include, for example, evaluation items related to cost performance, evaluation items related to the relative price of similar products, etc.

[0043] [Overview of each part of the transaction management system 100] In this embodiment, communication terminal 22, communication terminal 32, and communication terminal 42 are used by producer 20, distributor 30, and consumer 40, respectively. Communication terminal 22, communication terminal 32, and communication terminal 42 each send and receive information to and from management server 110 via a communication network (not shown).

[0044] Examples of the communication terminal 22, the communication terminal 32, and the communication terminal 42 include a personal computer and a mobile terminal. Examples of the mobile terminal include a mobile phone, a smartphone, a PDA (registered trademark), a tablet, a notebook computer or laptop computer, and a wearable computer.

[0045] The communication terminals 22, 32, and 42 may function as user interfaces when the producer 20, distributor 30, or consumer 40 accesses the transaction management system 100. The producer 20 may use the communication terminal 22 to send information indicating the various measurement results regarding the state of the production environment described above to the management server 110. The producer 20 may use the communication terminal 22 to send evaluation information regarding the products 12 and 14 to the management server 110. The distributor 30 may use the communication terminal 32 to send information indicating the various measurement results regarding the state of the distribution environment described above to the management server 110. The distributor 30 may use the communication terminal 32 to send evaluation information regarding the products 12 and 14 to the management server 110. The consumer 40 may use the communication terminal 42 to send evaluation information regarding the products 12 and 14 to the management server 110. The consumer 40 may use the communication terminal 42 to obtain various information, including evaluation information, regarding the product 12 and the product 14 from the management server 110.

[0046] The above-mentioned communication network may be a wired communication transmission path, a wireless communication transmission path, or a combination of a wireless communication transmission path and a wired communication transmission path. The communication network may include a wireless packet communication network, the Internet, a P2P network, a dedicated line, a VPN, a power line communication line, etc. The communication network may include (i) a mobile communication network such as a mobile phone network, or (ii) a wireless communication network such as a wireless MAN (e.g., WiMAX (registered trademark)), a wireless LAN (e.g., WiFi (registered trademark)), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), or NFC (Near Field Communication). Wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Zigbee (registered trademark), and NFC may be examples of short-range wireless communication.

[0047] In this embodiment, the management server 110 manages the trading of various products and the distribution of various products.

[0048] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 manages transactions of various products. For example, the transaction management unit 112 collects various data in the process of trading the product 12. The transaction management unit 112 may execute processing to support the collection of the above data. For example, the transaction management unit 112 supports or mediates the transaction of the product 14 by using various data collected in the transaction of the product 12. The transaction management unit 112 may determine an evaluation of the product 14 based on evaluations of one or more products 12. The transaction management unit 112 may transmit information indicating the evaluation of the product 14 to a communication terminal 42 used by a consumer 40 who is considering purchasing the product 14. The transaction management unit 112 may transmit information indicating the evaluation of the product 14 to a communication terminal 42 used by a consumer 40 who matches the characteristics of the product 14. Details of the transaction management unit 112 will be described later.

[0049] In this embodiment, the distribution management unit 114 manages the distribution of one or more products. For example, for each of the one or more products, the distribution management unit 114 manages the state of the product during at least a part of the distribution process of the product.

[0050] In one embodiment, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information (sometimes referred to as distribution status information) indicating the status of the product 12 during at least a portion of the distribution process of the product 12. Examples of the distribution status information include information indicating the characteristics of the product 12 during the distribution process, information indicating the status of the distribution environment for the product 12, and the like.

[0051] The distribution management unit 114 may acquire information indicating the measurement results of the products 12 by various sensors arranged in the fruit sorting system 140 from the fruit sorting system 140. For example, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information indicating the measurement results of a mass meter and / or a saccharometer arranged in the sorting machine that constitutes the fruit sorting system 140 from a control device (not shown) that controls the fruit sorting system 140. The distribution management unit 114 may also acquire image data of images of the products 12 taken by a camera arranged in the sorting machine that constitutes the fruit sorting system 140 from a control device (not shown) that controls the fruit sorting system 140.

[0052] The distribution management unit 114 may acquire, from the logistics system 160, information indicating the measurement results of the products 12 by various sensors arranged in the logistics system 160. For example, the distribution management unit 114 acquires, from a control device (not shown) that controls the logistics system 160, information indicating the measurement results of an acceleration sensor arranged in a truck that constitutes the logistics system 160. The distribution management unit 114 may also acquire, from the control device (not shown) that controls the logistics system 160, image data of an image of the product 12 taken by a camera arranged in a warehouse management system that constitutes the logistics system 160.

[0053] In another embodiment, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information (sometimes referred to as distribution period information) indicating the length of the period (sometimes referred to as distribution period) between the production date or shipping date of the product 12 and the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 by the consumer 40. For example, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information (sometimes referred to as production information) indicating the production date or shipping date of the product 12. The distribution management unit 114 may acquire the production information from the communication terminal 22 or the production robot 120. The distribution management unit 114 may also acquire information (sometimes referred to as inspection information) indicating the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 by the consumer 44. The distribution management unit 114 may acquire the inspection information from the communication terminal 42. The distribution management unit 114 may determine the length of the distribution period based on the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 indicated by the inspection information and the production date or shipping date of the product 12 indicated by the production information. In this way, the distribution management unit 114 can acquire the distribution period information.

[0054] The distribution management unit 114 may store identification information for identifying each of one or more products in association with at least one of distribution status information and distribution period information for each product. For example, in response to a request from the transaction management unit 112, the distribution management unit 114 extracts distribution status information and / or distribution period information for products that match the request and transmits the extracted information to the transaction management unit 112.

[0055] In this embodiment, the production robot 120 produces the products 12 and 14. The production robot 120 may have an autonomous movement function. The production robot 120 may have a communication function. For example, the production robot 120 sends and receives information to the management server 110 via a communication network. The production robot 120 may send information indicating records of various tasks related to the products 12 and 14 to the management server 110 via the communication network. The production robot 120 may send information indicating various measurement results related to the state of the production environment described above to the management server 110 via the communication network. The production robot 120 and each of its components will be described in detail below.

[0056] In this embodiment, the fruit sorting system 140 classifies the products 12 and 14. For example, if the products 12 and 14 are agricultural products, the fruit sorting system 140 classifies the products 12 and 14 according to quality, size, mass, etc. The fruit sorting system 140 is equipped with various sensors for measuring the quality, size, mass, etc. of the products 12 and 14. The sensors may include imaging elements that capture images of the appearances of the products 12 and 14. The fruit sorting system 140 may transmit information indicating the measurement results of the various sensors to the management server 110 via a communication network.

[0057] In this embodiment, the logistics system 160 stores and transports the products 12 and 14. The logistics system 160 includes various sensors that measure at least one of the conditions of the products 12 and 14 and the conditions of the surrounding environments of the products 12 and 14 while the products 12 and 14 are being stored and transported. The sensors may include imaging elements that capture images of the exteriors of the products 12 and 14. The logistics system 160 may transmit information indicating the measurement results of the various sensors to the management server 110 via a communication network.

[0058] [Specific configuration of each part of the transaction management system 100] Each unit of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. At least a portion of each unit of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented by a single server or multiple servers. At least a portion of each unit of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented on a virtual machine or a cloud system. At least a portion of each unit of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented by a personal computer or a mobile terminal. Examples of mobile terminals include mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs (registered trademarks), tablets, notebook or laptop computers, and wearable computers. Each unit of the transaction management system 100 may store information using a distributed ledger technology or a distributed network, such as a blockchain.

[0059] When at least some of the components constituting the transaction management system 100 are realized by software, the components realized by the software may be realized by starting software or a program that defines the operation of the components in an information processing device with a general configuration. The information processing device with the general configuration described above may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, etc., (ii) input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc., (iii) output devices such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc., and (iv) storage devices (including external storage devices) such as memory, HDD, SSD, etc.

[0060] In the information processing device of the above general configuration, the data processing device or storage device may store the above software or program. When executed by a processor, the software or program causes the information processing device to perform the operations specified by the software or program. The software or program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. The software or program may be a program that causes a computer to function as the transaction management system 100 or a part thereof. The software or program may be a program that causes a computer to execute information processing in the transaction management system 100 or a part thereof.

[0061] In one embodiment, the information processing may be a management method for managing reviews of an item. The management method may, for example, include a review information acquisition step of acquiring review information indicating a review result for at least one of P items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2) related to the item. The management method may, for example, include a viewer information acquisition step of acquiring viewer information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views reviews of the item. The management method may, for example, include a first item determination step of determining Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be presented to the viewer from among the P items based on the viewer information acquired in the viewer information acquisition step. An operating entity in each step of the management method may be a computer.

[0062] In another embodiment, the information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of an item. The management method may, for example, include a rating information acquisition step of acquiring rating information indicating the result of an evaluation of at least one of P items (P is an integer equal to or greater than 2) related to the item. The management method may, for example, include a second item evaluation step of calculating a rating value for each of the P items based on one or more pieces of rating information related to the item acquired in the rating information acquisition step. The management method may, for example, include a second item determination step of determining Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used in determining the evaluation of the item from among the P items based on the rating values ​​for each of the P items calculated in the second item evaluation step. The management method may, for example, include a receiver extraction step of extracting receivers who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined in the second item determination step by referencing a receiver information storage device that stores one or more pieces of receiver information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more receivers who can receive information related to the item. The management method may, for example, include a generation step of determining a rating for the item using the Q items and generating information related to the item including information indicating the rating of the item. The management method includes, for example, a sending step of sending information about the item to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted in the recipient extraction step. The subject of each step of the management method may be a computer.

[0063] In yet another embodiment, the information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of an item. The management method may, for example, include an assistance data transmission step of transmitting input assistance data to a communication terminal of a consumer who has received, used, or consumed a first item traded in the past, to assist the consumer in inputting an evaluation result for the first item. The management method may, for example, include an assistance data generation step of generating input assistance data. The management method may, for example, include a distribution information acquisition step of acquiring at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the status of the first item during at least a portion of the distribution process of the first item, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of time between the time of production or shipping of the first item and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer. In the management method, for example, the assistance data generation unit may include a step of determining the type of one or more evaluation items for the consumer to evaluate the first item based on at least one of the status of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of time indicated by the distribution period information. The operating entity of each step of the management method may be a computer.

[0064] In yet another embodiment, the information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of an item. The management method may, for example, include a rating storage step for storing rating information indicating ratings of the item. The management method may, for example, include a first rating information acquisition step for acquiring first rating information indicating ratings of the first item by consumers who have received, used, or consumed a first item traded in the past. The management method may, for example, include a distribution information acquisition step for acquiring at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the condition of the first item during at least a portion of the distribution process of the first item, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of time between the time of production or shipping of the first item and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer. In the management method, the first rating information acquisition step may, for example, include a step of (a) determining to store the first rating information in the rating storage unit when at least one of the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of time indicated by the distribution period information meets a predetermined condition. In the above management method, the first evaluation information acquisition step includes, for example, a step of determining, when at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information does not meet a predetermined condition, (i) not storing at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage device, (ii) correcting at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information, or (iii) correlating the first evaluation information with information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information may be invalid and storing the associated information in the evaluation storage device. The operating entity of each step of the above management method may be a computer.

[0065] Product 12 may be an example of an item or a first item. Product 14 may be an example of an item or a second item. The second item may be the same or similar type of item as the first item, or may be an item supplied by the same supplier as the first item. Producer 20 may be an example of a supplier. Some of distributors 30 may be an example of a supplier. Some of distributors 30 may be an example of a demander, viewer, or recipient. Consumer 40 may be an example of a demander, viewer, or recipient. Consumer 44 may be an example of a demander. Consumer 46 may be an example of a viewer or recipient.

[0066] The transaction management system 100 may be an example of a management device. The management server 110 may be an example of a management device. The transaction management unit 112 may be an example of a management device. The distribution management unit 114 may be an example of a distribution information acquisition unit, a production information acquisition unit, or an inspection information acquisition unit. The production date may be an example of the time of production. The shipping date may be an example of the time of shipping. The inspection date may be an example of the time of inspection. The evaluation date may be an example of the time of evaluation. The inspection information and production information may be examples of distribution period information.

[0067] [An example of another embodiment] In this embodiment, an example of the transaction management system 100 has been described, taking as an example a case where the transaction management system 100 acquires information indicating various measurement results relating to the state of the production environment of the products 12 and / or 14 from the production robot 120. However, the transaction management system 100 is not limited to this embodiment. In another embodiment, the transaction management system 100 acquires information indicating the measurement results of a fixed sensor disposed in the production environment described above.

[0068] In this embodiment, an example of the transaction management system 100 has been described using an example in which a producer 20 ships goods and a consumer 40 receives the goods. In this case, the distribution process involves a distributor 30, a fruit sorting system 140, and a logistics system 160. However, the usage environment of the transaction management system 100 is not limited to this embodiment. As described above, examples of the distributor 30 include a producer group, a transportation company, a warehouse operator, a wholesaler, and a retailer. In other embodiments, the transaction management system 100 can be used, for example, when a producer group ships goods and a wholesaler or retailer receives the goods. In this case, the producer group may use the fruit sorting system 140 to send various information about the shipped goods to the management server 110. Note that the group that ships the goods may have a configuration similar to that of the producer 20. The wholesaler or retailer that receives the goods may have a configuration similar to that of the consumer 40.

[0069] Fig. 2 schematically illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the production robot 120. As described in relation to Fig. 1, in this embodiment, the production robot 120 includes a base unit 130, a movement unit 132, an imaging unit 134, a sensor unit 136, and an operation unit 138. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the production robot 120 further includes a control unit 220, one or more power supply units 230, one or more vibration control units 250, and one or more balance adjustment units 280.

[0070] In this embodiment, the production robot 120 may be a work machine that performs any task. The production robot 120 performs, for example, various agricultural tasks, monitoring tasks, etc. The production robot 120 may be fixed or mobile. The production robot 120 may have an autonomous driving function or an autonomous navigation function, and may be operated by remote control or by a worker who boards the production robot 120. The production robot 120 is preferably an unmanned work machine that has an autonomous driving function or an autonomous navigation function.

[0071] The production robot 120 may be a small robot. For example, the volume of one production robot 120 is 2 m 3 may be less than 1m 3 May be less than 0.5m 3 may be less than 0.25m 3 This allows the production robot 120 to move freely around the production site. As a result, for example, the production robot 120 can observe products being produced from angles that would be difficult for a human to observe.

[0072] In this embodiment, the base unit 130 holds the moving unit 132, the imaging unit 134, the sensor unit 136, the working unit 138, the control unit 220, the power supply unit 230, the vibration suppression unit 250, and the balance adjustment unit 280. In this embodiment, the base unit 130 detachably holds at least one of the moving unit 132, the imaging unit 134, the sensor unit 136, the working unit 138, the vibration suppression unit 250, and the balance adjustment unit 280. This enables the production robot 120 to handle a plurality of different types of work.

[0073] In this embodiment, the base unit 130 includes a control unit 220 and a power supply unit 230. The control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 may be built into the base unit 130. At least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 may be removably disposed in the base unit 130. In one embodiment, at least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 is removably disposed inside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, at least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 is removably disposed outside the base unit 130.

[0074] In this embodiment, the mobile unit 132 moves the production robot 120. The power source of the mobile unit 132 may be electricity, an internal combustion engine, or a steam engine. For example, the mobile unit 132 converts the electricity supplied from the power supply unit 230 into power to move the production robot 120. In this embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may have a built-in power source that generates power using the electricity supplied from the power supply unit 230. Examples of the power source include a motor and an actuator.

[0075] In one embodiment, the mobile unit 132 includes wheels for moving on land and a power source for driving the wheels. In another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 includes tracks for moving on land and a power source for driving the tracks. In yet another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may include a screw for moving on or underwater and a power source for driving the screw. The mobile unit 132 may further include a buoyancy material for providing buoyancy. In yet another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may include a propeller for moving in the air and a power source for driving the propeller. The mobile unit 132 may further include a balloon or air bag for floating in the air.

[0076] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 134 captures images of various subjects. For example, the imaging unit 134 captures images of at least one of (i) the product 12 and / or the product 14, (iv) the surrounding environment of the product 12 and / or the product 14, (iii) the producer 20, and (iv) the production robot 120. An example of the surrounding environment of the product 12 and / or the product 14 is the inside or surrounding area of ​​a production site. If the product 12 and / or the product 14 is agricultural produce, the imaging unit 134 may capture images of the soil or medium in which the product 12 and / or the product 14 is growing, as the surrounding environment of the product 12 and / or the product 14.

[0077] In one embodiment, the imaging unit 134 is detachably disposed outside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, the imaging unit 134 is disposed in another unit. For example, the imaging unit 134 is incorporated into the working unit 138. The imaging unit 134 may also be incorporated into the control unit 220.

[0078] The imaging unit 134 may be disposed in front of the base unit 130 in the direction of travel, or may be disposed behind the base unit 130 in the direction of travel. The imaging unit 134 may be disposed on the side of the production robot 120. The imaging unit 134 may be disposed on the upper surface of the base unit 130, or may be disposed on the lower surface of the base unit 130. The imaging unit 134 may have an illumination unit that emits illumination light. An example of the illumination unit is a light.

[0079] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 134 captures at least one of still images and moving images. The imaging unit 134 is preferably capable of capturing moving images. The imaging unit 134 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera. The imaging unit 134 may include a manipulator and an imaging device attached to the tip of the manipulator. The manipulator can use power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to point the imaging device in any direction.

[0080] The data of the images captured by the imaging unit 134 may be stored in a storage device of the production robot 120, or may be transmitted to the management server 110. The production robot 120 may analyze the data of the images captured by the imaging unit 134 and transmit the analysis results to the management server 110.

[0081] In this embodiment, the sensor unit 136 measures various physical quantities. For example, the sensor unit 136 measures at least one of a physical quantity related to the producer 20, a physical quantity related to the production robot 120, a physical quantity related to the product 12 and / or the product 14, and a physical quantity related to the surrounding environment of the product 12 and / or the product 14. This allows information about the growing environment of the product 12 and / or the product 14 to be acquired.

[0082] Examples of physical quantities related to product 12 and / or product 14 include the color, gloss, shape, pattern, size, weight or mass, composition, content of specific components, hardness, elasticity, etc. of each product. Examples of physical quantities related to the environment surrounding product 12 and / or product 14 include information about the culture medium, information about the atmosphere, and information about light intensity. Examples of information about the culture medium include pH, temperature, moisture content, particle size distribution, hardness, as well as components contained in the culture medium, bacteria, and viruses. Examples of components contained in the culture medium include organic matter (carbon), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, molybdenum, copper, and chlorine. Examples of information about the atmosphere include temperature, air pressure, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, oxygen concentration, ethylene concentration, wind direction, and wind volume.

[0083] In one embodiment, the sensor unit 136 is detachably disposed outside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, the sensor unit 136 is disposed in another unit. For example, the sensor unit 136 is incorporated into the working unit 138. The sensor unit 136 may also be incorporated into the control unit 220.

[0084] The measurement results of the sensor unit 136 may be stored in a storage device of the production robot 120, or may be transmitted to the management server 110. The production robot 120 may analyze the measurement results of the sensor unit 136 and transmit the analysis results to the management server 110.

[0085] In this embodiment, the operational unit 138 may be an attachment specialized for a particular task. According to this embodiment, the operational unit 138 according to the application is attached to the base unit 130. This allows the production robot 120 to perform a plurality of different types of tasks.

[0086] When the product 12 and the product 14 are agricultural products, the work unit 138 may be an attachment for agricultural work. In this embodiment, the work unit 138 may be a unit specialized for one or more agricultural works. Examples of the work unit 138 include a chemical spraying device for pest control, a fertilizer spraying device for spraying fertilizer, a gas spraying device for spraying gas, a ridge making device, a seedling dropping device, a seed sowing device, a tilling device, a manipulator having a jig for removing unnecessary branches and leaves, a manipulator having a jig for thinning agricultural products, a weeding device (for example, a weeding device for abandoned rice fields), a watering device, a bird and animal scaring device (for example, a device that scares birds and animals with sound and light), a thinning device, a flower picking device, a fruit thinning device, and a bagging device (for example, a bagging device for fruit trees).

[0087] In this embodiment, the working unit 138 is detachably held by the base unit 130. The working unit 138 may have a built-in power source that uses power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to generate power for driving the working unit 138. Examples of the power source include a motor and an actuator.

[0088] In this embodiment, the operation unit 138 includes an information processing device that executes firmware 294 and controls the operation unit 138. The information processing device may be a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The information processing device may include: (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, etc.; (ii) input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc.; (iii) output devices such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc.; and (iv) storage devices (including external storage devices) such as memory, an HDD, an SSD, etc.

[0089] The latest version of the firmware 294 is managed by, for example, the management server 110. For example, in response to a request from the operational unit 138 or the control unit 220, the management server 110 transmits the latest version of the firmware 294 to the operational unit 138 or the control unit 220. This allows the operational unit 138 or the control unit 220 to update the firmware 294.

[0090] In this embodiment, the control unit 220 controls the production robot 120. In one embodiment, the control unit 220 communicates with each unit and controls the operation of the unit depending on the type of the unit. The control unit 220 may also control the operation of one or more units depending on the combination of multiple units.

[0091] For example, the control unit 220 communicates with at least one of the mobile unit 132, the working unit 138, and the balance adjustment unit 280. The communication method may be wired communication or wireless communication. When the communication method between the control unit 220 and the other units is wired communication, the base unit 130 may have a communication path (sometimes referred to as a bus) that transmits information between the control unit 220 and the other units. The above communication path may be an example of a communication section.

[0092] In another embodiment, the control unit 220 communicates with the management server 110 and transmits information about the production robot 120 to the management server 110. For example, the control unit 220 acquires position information of the production robot 120 and transmits the position information to the management server 110. According to another example, the control unit 220 associates the position information of the production robot 120 with information acquired by the sensor unit 136 at the position indicated by the position information and transmits the information to the management server 110.

[0093] In this embodiment, the control unit 220 includes an information processing device that executes the control program 222 and controls the production robot 120. The information processing device may be a processor such as a CPU or a GPU. The information processing device may include: (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or a GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a communication interface, etc.; (ii) input devices such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc.; (iii) output devices such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc.; and (iv) storage devices (including external storage devices) such as memory, an HDD, an SSD, etc.

[0094] In this embodiment, the control program 222 may run on the OS 224. One or more control programs 222 may run on one or more OSs 224. The OS 224 controls the production robot 120 via one or more drivers 226 for controlling various hardware included in the production robot 120. For example, the OS 224 recognizes a specific unit (e.g., the mobile unit 132, the working unit 138, etc.) and controls the operation of that unit via a specific driver 226. Updating at least one of the control program 222, the OS 224, and the driver 226 may enable the production robot 120 to use a new unit or to use the unit more efficiently, for example.

[0095] The latest versions of the control program 222, the OS 224, and the driver 226 are managed by, for example, the management server 110. For example, in response to a request from the control unit 220, the management server 110 transmits the latest versions of at least one of the control program 222, the OS 224, and the driver 226 to the control unit 220. This enables the control unit 220 to update at least one of the control program 222, the OS 224, and the driver 226.

[0096] The location information may be information indicating the location of the production robot 120, and the content and method of acquiring the location information are not particularly limited. The control unit 220 may determine the location of the production robot 120 using any self-location estimation method. The control unit 220 may receive a GPS signal and determine the location of the production robot 120 based on the GPS signal. The control unit 220 may receive a beacon signal from a beacon transmitter installed around a production site (e.g., a farm, ranch, livestock barn, aquaculture farm, fishing ground, or hunting ground) and determine the location of the production robot 120 based on the beacon signal. The location of the production robot 120 may be determined based on the radio wave strength. The control unit 220 may analyze images of the surroundings of the production robot 120 captured by the imaging unit 134 and determine the location of the production robot 120 from the angle formed by the production robot 120 and multiple landmarks whose positions are known.

[0097] The control unit 220 may acquire information for controlling the production robot 120 from the management server 110. The information for controlling the production robot 120 may be information about the work that the production robot 120 is about to perform. The information for controlling the production robot 120 may be control data uploaded to the management server 110 by a know-how provider. The information for controlling the production robot 120 may be data indicating the output results of the control data uploaded to the management server 110 by a know-how provider. Based on the information acquired from the management server 110, the control unit 220 may control the operation of a unit related to the information.

[0098] In this embodiment, the power supply unit 230 supplies power to at least one of the moving unit 132, the working unit 138, and the balance adjustment unit 280 to drive the units. The power supply unit 230 may also supply power to at least one of the vibration control unit 250, the imaging unit 134, and the sensor unit 136.

[0099] In this embodiment, the vibration suppression unit 250 controls vibration. For example, the vibration suppression unit 250 controls the vibration of at least one of the imaging unit 134, the sensor unit 136, and the working unit 138. The vibration suppression unit 250 may control vibration in accordance with a command from the control unit 220. The vibration suppression unit 250 may have a power source that uses power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to generate power for driving the vibration suppression unit 250. Examples of the power source include a motor and an actuator.

[0100] In this embodiment, the balance adjustment unit 280 has a weight. The balance adjustment unit 280 is detachably attached to the base unit 130. Depending on the weight of the unit attached to the base unit 130 and the position of its center of gravity, the weight balance of the production robot 120 may become poor, causing the production robot 120 to become unstable. Therefore, by attaching the balance adjustment unit 280 to an appropriate position on the base unit 130, the weight balance of the production robot 120 can be adjusted.

[0101] The balance adjustment unit 280 may be a manipulator with a weight at its tip. The manipulator can change the position of the center of gravity of the production robot 120 by changing the relative position between the weight and the base unit 130.

[0102] Fig. 3 shows an example of information collection processing in the management server 110. As shown in Fig. 3, the transaction management unit 112 of the management server 110 acquires various pieces of information regarding evaluations of the product 12 at multiple points in time during the transaction process of the product 12. As described above, examples of evaluations of the product 12 include (i) subjective evaluations based on the results of sensory tests on the product 12, and (ii) objective evaluations based on the results of measurements of the product 12 using various sensors.

[0103] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information regarding evaluations during the production process (sometimes referred to as supply-side evaluation information). For example, the transaction management unit 112 acquires, as the supply-side evaluation information, information regarding the characteristics of the product 12 during the production process of the product 12 and / or information regarding the production environment of the product 12. The transaction management unit 112 may acquire production information indicating the production date or shipping date of the product 12.

[0104] In one embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires supply-side evaluation information from the communication terminal 22 used by the producer 20. For example, the producer 20 follows instructions on an evaluation input screen displayed on the display device of the communication terminal 22 to input an evaluation for each of one or more evaluation items displayed on the evaluation input screen. The producer 20 may input a subjective evaluation for each evaluation item regarding the product 12 being produced or the product 12 to be shipped. The producer 20 may operate the communication terminal 22 to send information indicating the above evaluation results to the management server 110. This allows the transaction management unit 112 to acquire information indicating the evaluation results of the product 12 by the producer 20.

[0105] The producer 20 may use a similar procedure to operate the communication terminal 22 to send information about the production environment of the product 12 to the management server 110. The producer 20 may also use a similar procedure to send production information to the management server 110. Note that the method by which the transaction management unit 112 acquires the supplier evaluation information and / or production information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0106] In another embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires supply-side evaluation information from the production robot 120 used by the producer 20. For example, the production robot 120 measures various characteristics of the product 12 using various sensors provided on the production robot 120. The production robot 120 may send information indicating the measurement results to the management server 110. This allows the transaction management unit 112 to acquire information regarding the characteristics of the product 12 during the production process (for example, at the time of production or at the time of shipping).

[0107] The production robot 120 may use a similar procedure to send information about the production environment of the product 12 to the management server 110. The production robot 120 may also use a similar procedure to send production information about the product 12 to the management server 110. Note that the method by which the transaction management unit 112 acquires supplier evaluation information and / or production information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0108] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires the above-described distribution status information. For example, the transaction management unit 112 acquires, as the distribution status information, information on the characteristics of the product 12 in the distribution process and / or information on the distribution environment of the product 12.

[0109] In one embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires distribution status information from the communication terminal 32 used by the distributor 30. The distributor 30 may input and transmit subjective evaluations for each evaluation item regarding the product 12 in the distribution process using a procedure similar to that used by the producer 20 to input and transmit the supplier-side evaluation information. As described above, the distribution status information is managed by the distribution management unit 114 in the management server 110. In this case, the transaction management unit 112 can access the distribution management unit 114 as needed to acquire information indicating the distributor 30's evaluation of the product 12 and / or information regarding the distribution environment of the product 12. Note that the method by which the transaction management unit 112 acquires distribution status information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0110] In another embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires distribution status information from at least one of the fruit sorting system 140 and the logistics system 160. The fruit sorting system 140 and / or the logistics system 160 may acquire and transmit the distribution status information using a procedure similar to that used by the production robot 120 to acquire and transmit the supplier evaluation information. As described above, in the management server 110, the distribution status information is managed by the distribution management unit 114. In this case, the transaction management unit 112 can access the distribution management unit 114 as needed to acquire information about the characteristics of the products in the distribution process and / or information about the distribution environment of the products 12. Note that the method of acquiring distribution status information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0111] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information regarding evaluations by consumers 44 who have received the product 12 (sometimes referred to as demand-side evaluation information). For example, the transaction management unit 112 acquires, as the demand-side evaluation information, information regarding the characteristics of the product 12 on the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12. The transaction management unit 112 may acquire inspection information indicating the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12.

[0112] The inspection date and / or evaluation date may be the same as the date of receipt of the product 12, or may be a date after the date of receipt of the product 12. The inspection date may be the date the consumer 44 receives the product 12, or the date the consumer 44 uses or consumes the product 12. The evaluation date may be the date the consumer 44 uses or consumes the product 12, or the date the consumer 44 enters an evaluation of the product 12 into the transaction management system 100.

[0113] The transaction management unit 112 may acquire supply-side evaluation information from the communication terminal 42 used by the consumer 44. For example, the consumer 44 follows instructions on an evaluation input screen displayed on the display device of the communication terminal 42 to input an evaluation for each of one or more evaluation items displayed on the evaluation input screen. The consumer 44 may input a subjective evaluation for each evaluation item regarding the product 12 to be evaluated. The consumer 44 may operate the communication terminal 42 to send information indicating the above evaluation results to the management server 110. This allows the transaction management unit 112 to acquire information indicating the evaluation results of the product 12 by the consumer 44. The consumer 44 may also transmit inspection information to the management server 110 using a similar procedure. Note that the method of acquiring demand-side evaluation information and / or inspection information by the transaction management unit 112 is not limited to the present embodiment.

[0114] The transaction management unit 112 may output the production information and inspection information to the distribution management unit 114. The distribution management unit 114 may determine the length of the distribution period based on the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 indicated by the inspection information and the production date or shipping date of the product 12 indicated by the production information. The distribution management unit 114 may store distribution period information indicating the length of the distribution period. The transaction management unit 112 may access the distribution management unit 114 to obtain the distribution period information of the product 12.

[0115] [An example of another embodiment] As described above, the transaction management system 100 may also be used when, for example, a group of producers ships products and a wholesaler or retailer receives the products. In this case, the transaction management unit 112 may obtain supply-side evaluation information from, for example, a fruit sorting system 140 used by the group of producers. The transaction management unit 112 may also obtain demand-side evaluation information from, for example, a communication terminal 32 used by the wholesaler or retailer.

[0116] The supply-side evaluation information may be an example of evaluation information or second evaluation information. The demand-side evaluation information may be an example of evaluation information or first evaluation information.

[0117] 4 schematically illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the transaction management unit 112. In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 includes a sales management unit 420, a customer management unit 440, and a review management unit 460. In this embodiment, the sales management unit 420 includes an EC site management unit 422, an input unit 424, an order management unit 426, and a product management unit 428. In this embodiment, the customer management unit 440 includes a user information acquisition unit 442 and a user information storage unit 444. In this embodiment, the review management unit 460 includes a review acquisition unit 462, a review correction unit 464, and a review information storage unit 466.

[0118] In this embodiment, the sales management unit 420 manages the sales of one or more products. The sales management unit 420 may sell the products through various sales channels. Examples of sales channels include stores, mail order sales, and electronic commerce sites (sometimes referred to as EC sites).

[0119] In this embodiment, the EC site management unit 422 manages an electronic commerce site (sometimes referred to as an EC site) that mediates transactions of one or more products. The EC site management unit 422 may manage information such as images, specifications, and prices of each of the one or more products. The EC site management unit 422 may manage screen data for product description screens of each of the one or more products. Details of the EC site management unit 422 will be described later.

[0120] In this embodiment, the input unit 424 accepts input of orders from sales channels other than the EC site. For example, a mail-order operator accepts an order from a person wishing to purchase a product, and inputs information indicating the contents of the order into the input unit 424 via an input device such as a keyboard, touch panel, or microphone. In this way, the input of the order is accepted.

[0121] In this embodiment, the order management unit 426 manages orders for each of the one or more products handled by the sales management unit 420. In one embodiment, the order management unit 426 manages orders received by the EC site management unit 422. In another embodiment, the order management unit 426 manages orders received by the input unit 424.

[0122] In this embodiment, the product management unit 428 manages the inventory of one or more products. The product management unit 428 may manage payments for products for which orders have been accepted. The product management unit 428 may manage shipping of products for which orders have been accepted. The product management unit 428 may manage delivery of shipped products.

[0123] In this embodiment, customer management unit 440 manages various information related to users of transaction management system 100. Examples of users of transaction management system 100 include producers 20, distributors 30, and consumers 40.

[0124] In one embodiment, the producer 20 who produced the product 12 previously traded, the distributor 30 who brokered the transaction of the product 12, and / or the consumer 44 who purchased the product 12 use the transaction management system 100 to input a rating for the product 12. In another embodiment, a consumer 46 who is considering purchasing the product 14 uses the transaction management system 100 to view a product description screen for the product 14. For example, the consumer 46 views the ratings for the product 14 included in the product description screen and considers purchasing the product 14. In yet another embodiment, a consumer 40 who is a potential customer of the product 14 receives various notifications from the transaction management system 100. For example, the consumer 40 obtains information about the product 14 through the notification. The information about the product 14 includes, for example, information about ratings for the product 14. The consumer 40 considers purchasing the product 14, for example, based on the ratings for the product 14.

[0125] In this embodiment, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires various information related to users of the transaction management system 100. For example, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires information indicating the behavioral characteristics (sometimes referred to as competencies), interests, or preferences (sometimes referred to as user information) of each of one or more users. The behavioral characteristics indicate, for example, patterns of behavior, thoughts, attitudes, etc. (sometimes referred to as behavioral patterns) that each user possesses characteristically. The behavioral characteristics may be information indicating what behavior, thoughts, or attitudes each user exhibits in what situations. The behavioral characteristics may also be information that associates a situation in which the user is placed with the user's behavior, thoughts, or attitude in that situation.

[0126] In one embodiment, the user information acquisition unit 442, with the consent of each user, acquires, as user information, the usage history of the EC site operated by the EC site management unit 422. Examples of the usage history of the EC site include search history, browsing history, and purchase history. In another embodiment, with the consent of each user, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires, as user information, (i) website browsing history and / or (ii) website or keyword search history recorded in the communication terminal used by each user.

[0127] The user information may include various information other than information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of each user. For example, the user information may include information regarding the location of the place where each user produces products (sometimes referred to as a production site), the region to which the production site belongs, etc.

[0128] The user information acquisition unit 442 may estimate the behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences of each user by analyzing the usage history of the EC site, the browsing history of the website, the search history of the website or keywords, etc. The user information acquisition unit 442 may acquire information indicating the estimation results of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences as the user information.

[0129] In this embodiment, the user information storage unit 444 stores the user information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 442. For example, the user information storage unit 444 stores, for each of one or more users, identification information for identifying the user and the user information of the user in association with each other. In response to a request from the sales management unit 420 and / or the review management unit 460, the user information storage unit 444 may extract user information of a user that matches the request. The user information storage unit 444 may output the extracted user information to the sales management unit 420 and / or the review management unit 460.

[0130] In this embodiment, the review management unit 460 manages reviews for each of one or more products. The review management unit 460 manages acquisition of reviews for each of one or more products. The review management unit 460 manages use of reviews for each of one or more products.

[0131] In this embodiment, the review acquisition unit 462 manages information related to reviews of one or more products. In one embodiment, the review acquisition unit 462 acquires information related to reviews of one or more products. In another embodiment, the review acquisition unit 462 generates various information using information related to reviews of one or more products. Details of the review acquisition unit 462 will be described later.

[0132] In this embodiment, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation of each of the one or more products acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462. For example, if the condition of the product at the time of production or shipping is significantly different from the condition of the product at the time of inspection or evaluation, the evaluation by the consumer 40 may not accurately represent the condition of the product.

[0133] Therefore, in this embodiment, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation by the consumer 40. For example, when the consumer 44 evaluates a product 12 that was traded in the past, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 acquires demand-side evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the product 12 by the consumer 44. The evaluation acquisition unit 462 acquires the demand-side evaluation information from the evaluation acquisition unit 462. As described above, the demand-side evaluation information includes information indicating the results of evaluations for one or more evaluation items related to the product 12.

[0134] Furthermore, the evaluation correction unit 464 acquires distribution status information and distribution period information from the distribution management unit 114. As described above, examples of distribution status information include information indicating the characteristics of the product 12 during the distribution process and information indicating the state of the distribution environment for the product 12. The evaluation correction unit 464 may acquire production information and / or inspection information. The evaluation correction unit 464 may calculate the length of the distribution period based on the production information and inspection information.

[0135] The evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation result for at least one of one or more evaluation items (for example, P evaluation items) for the product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462. The evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items for the product 12 based on the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 indicated by the inspection information. The evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items for the product 12 based on the length of the distribution period.

[0136] For example, if at least one of the condition of the product 12 in the distribution process indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the distribution period indicated by the distribution period information does not meet a predetermined condition, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to the product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462. Examples of the predetermined condition include a condition that the condition of the product 12 in the distribution process is worse than a predetermined condition, and a condition that the length of the distribution period is longer than a predetermined value.

[0137] The evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to the product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462, based on, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) at least one of the place of origin and item of the product 12, (ii) the condition of the product 12 in at least a portion of the distribution process of the product 12, and (iii) the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information. The evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to the product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462, based on (a) at least one of the place of origin and item of the product 12, and (b) at least one of the condition of the product 12 in at least a portion of the distribution process of the product 12 and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information.

[0138] For example, if the product 12 is a fresh food product, agricultural product, marine product, or livestock product, depending on the place of origin and / or item of the product 12, the quality may be more likely to deteriorate than if the product 12 is from another place of origin and / or item. Therefore, if the place of origin of the product 12 is a predetermined place of origin, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result so that the evaluation for the predetermined evaluation item is better than the evaluation by the consumer 44. If the item of the product 12 is a predetermined item, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result so that the evaluation for the specific evaluation item is better than the evaluation by the consumer 44.

[0139] The specific evaluation item may be determined based on the place of origin or item of the product 12. The correspondence between the place of origin or item of the product 12 and the evaluation item to be corrected may be determined in advance.

[0140] For example, if the condition of the product 12 is poor at least in part of the distribution process of the product 12, the quality of the product 12 is likely to deteriorate. In particular, depending on the origin or type of the product 12, if the condition of the product 12 is poor at least in part of the distribution process of the product 12, the quality of the product 12 will deteriorate significantly. Furthermore, it is expected that the degree of deterioration in the quality of the product 12 will be greater the worse the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process. Therefore, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation results so that the evaluation for a specific evaluation item will be better than the evaluation by the consumer 44 the worse the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process.

[0141] The specific evaluation items may be determined based on the place of origin or item of the product 12. A correspondence relationship between the place of origin or item of the product 12 and the evaluation items to be corrected may be determined in advance. The specific evaluation items may be determined based on items in the condition of the product 12 that were poor during the distribution process. A correspondence relationship between items that represent the condition of the product 12 and the evaluation items to be corrected may be determined in advance.

[0142] For example, if the product 12 has been in distribution for a long period of time, the quality of the product 12 is likely to deteriorate. In particular, depending on the origin or type of the product 12, the quality of the product 12 will deteriorate significantly if the product 12 has been in distribution for a long period of time. Furthermore, it is expected that the degree of deterioration in the quality of the product 12 will increase as the distribution period of the product 12 increases. Therefore, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation results so that the evaluation for a specific evaluation item becomes more favorable than the evaluation by the consumer 44 as the distribution period of the product 12 increases.

[0143] The specific evaluation items may be determined based on the place of origin or item of the product 12. A correspondence relationship between the place of origin or item of the product 12 and the evaluation items to be corrected may be determined in advance. The specific evaluation items may be determined based on the length of the distribution period of the product 12. A correspondence relationship between the length of the distribution period and the evaluation items to be corrected may be determined in advance.

[0144] The evaluation correction unit 464 may store information indicating the corrected evaluation result in the evaluation information storage unit 466 as an evaluation of the product 12. Note that if the condition of the product 12 in the distribution process or the length of the distribution period meets the above-mentioned predetermined conditions, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 may store demand-side evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the product 12 by the consumer 44 in the evaluation information storage unit 466 as an evaluation of the product 12.

[0145] The sales management unit 420 may be an example of a management device. The EC site management unit 422 may be an example of a management device. The user information acquisition unit 442 may be an example of a viewer information acquisition unit or a recipient information acquisition unit. The user information storage unit 444 may be an example of a viewer information storage unit or a recipient information storage unit. The user information may be an example of viewer information or recipient information. The evaluation management unit 460 may be an example of a management device or a support unit. The evaluation acquisition unit 462 may be an example of a management device or a support unit. The evaluation correction unit 464 may be an example of a correction unit. The evaluation information storage unit 466 may be an example of an evaluation storage unit.

[0146] 5 schematically illustrates an example of a product description screen for a product currently on sale. An example of a process for generating a product description screen by the EC site management unit 422 will be described using FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the EC site management unit 422 adjusts the content displayed on the product description screen in accordance with the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the viewer. For example, the EC site management unit 422 determines the evaluation items used to evaluate the product on the product description screen in accordance with the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the viewer.

[0147] As described above, the evaluation items used for evaluating products can be classified into multiple evaluation categories. The EC site management unit 422 may determine the evaluation items by determining the evaluation categories used for evaluating products on the product description screen in accordance with the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the viewer. The EC site management unit 422 may determine the evaluation categories and evaluation items in accordance with the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the viewer.

[0148] 5, a product description screen 540 shows an example of a product description screen for the product 14 when a first consumer 40 browses the EC site. Similarly, a product description screen 560 shows an example of a product description screen for the product 14 when a second consumer 40 browses the EC site. In this embodiment, the second consumer 40 is a consumer 40 who has different behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences from the first consumer 40.

[0149] 5, product description screen 540 includes product description text 542, a product image 544, and a product evaluation image 546. Also, product description screen 560 includes product description text 542, a product image 544, and a product evaluation image 566.

[0150] In this embodiment, the product description text 542 may be text for explaining the features, specifications, price, etc. of the product 14. The product image 544 may be a photograph or illustration of the product 14.

[0151] In this embodiment, the product evaluation image 546 includes a graph showing the characteristics of the product 14 when the product 14 is evaluated using, for example, evaluation category A, evaluation category B, evaluation category C, evaluation category D, evaluation category E, and evaluation category F. The graph shows, for example, the evaluation value of the product 14 in each evaluation category. The product evaluation image 546 includes, for example, the evaluation value (sometimes referred to as an overall score) of the product 14 when the product 14 is comprehensively evaluated using evaluation category A, evaluation category B, evaluation category C, evaluation category D, evaluation category E, and evaluation category F.

[0152] On the other hand, the product evaluation image 566 includes a graph showing the characteristics of the product 14 when the product 14 is evaluated using, for example, evaluation category H, evaluation category B, evaluation category J, evaluation category K, evaluation category D, and evaluation category F. The graph shows, for example, the evaluation value of the product 14 in each evaluation category. The product evaluation image 546 includes, for example, the evaluation value (sometimes referred to as the overall score) of the product 14 when the product 14 is comprehensively evaluated using evaluation category H, evaluation category B, evaluation category J, evaluation category K, evaluation category D, and evaluation category F.

[0153] In the product evaluation image 546 and the product evaluation image 566, the evaluation items for deriving the evaluation value of each evaluation category may be calculated based on the evaluation values ​​of all the evaluation items that make up each evaluation category, or may be calculated based on the evaluation values ​​of some of the evaluation items that make up each evaluation category. The some of the evaluation items may be determined based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the consumer 40 viewing the product description screen.

[0154] In the product evaluation image 546 and the product evaluation image 566, the arrangement of each evaluation category in the graph showing the characteristics of the product 14 may be determined (i) based on a predetermined rule, or (ii) based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the consumer 40 viewing the product description screen. Examples of the predetermined rule include the order of the names of each evaluation category and the magnitude of the evaluation value of each evaluation category. The arrangement of each evaluation category in the graph showing the characteristics of the product 14 is determined, for example, based on the correspondence between the degree of match with the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the consumer 40 viewing the product description screen, or the order of such degrees, and the arrangement on the graph.

[0155] According to this embodiment, the evaluation items used to evaluate products on the product description screen are adjusted according to the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the user viewing the product description screen. This allows the user to quickly obtain the information they need. As a result, the efficiency of product transactions is improved.

[0156] The evaluation items for deriving the evaluation value for each evaluation category in the graph showing the characteristics of the product 14 may be an example of the number of items Q. The overall score may be an example of the evaluation value of the product.

[0157] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an example of a product evaluation input screen after delivery is completed. An example of the evaluation input screen generation process by the evaluation acquisition unit 462 will be described using FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 determines the types of evaluation items to be displayed on the evaluation input screen based on at least one of the condition of the product in the distribution process and the length of the distribution period. The evaluation acquisition unit 462 may determine the types of evaluation items to be displayed on the evaluation input screen based on predetermined settings and / or the product type, and the condition of the product in the distribution process and / or the length of the distribution period.

[0158] 6, a rating input screen 620 shows an example of a rating input screen that is presented to a consumer 44 who is inputting a rating for the product 12 when the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process is good. Similarly, a rating input screen 640 shows an example of a rating input screen that is presented to a consumer 44 who is inputting a rating for the product 12 when the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process is not good.

[0159] 6, evaluation input screen 620 includes an input form 622 for inputting an evaluation for evaluation category A and an input form 624 for inputting an evaluation for evaluation category B. In evaluation input screen 620, input form 622 has input fields for inputting evaluation items Aa, Ab, and Ac. Similarly, input form 624 has input fields for inputting evaluation items Ba, Bb, and Bc. Examples of input fields include text fields, text areas, check boxes, radio buttons, and pull-down boxes.

[0160] Meanwhile, the evaluation input screen 640 includes an input form 642 for inputting an evaluation for evaluation category A, and an input form 644 for inputting an evaluation for evaluation category C. In the evaluation input screen 640, input form 642 has input fields for inputting evaluation items Aa, Ad, and Af. Similarly, input form 644 has input fields for inputting evaluation items Ca, Cb, and Cc. Examples of input fields include text fields, text areas, check boxes, radio buttons, and pull-down boxes.

[0161] In this embodiment, the evaluation input screen 640 differs from the evaluation input screen 620 in that it does not include an input form for inputting an evaluation regarding evaluation category B. Furthermore, the input form 642 for inputting an evaluation regarding evaluation category A on the evaluation input screen 640 differs from the input form 622 for inputting an evaluation regarding evaluation category A on the evaluation input screen 620 in that it has input fields for inputting evaluation items Ad and Af instead of input fields for inputting evaluation items Ab and Ac.

[0162] According to this embodiment, the evaluation items displayed on the evaluation input screen are adjusted according to the state of the product in the distribution process or the length of its distribution period. This reduces the input burden on the user. Furthermore, input and output of unnecessary data is suppressed, thereby reducing the load on the management server 110.

[0163] 7 shows another example of a product evaluation input screen after delivery is completed. In FIG. 7, evaluation input screen 740 shows an example of an evaluation input screen that is presented to a consumer 44 who is inputting an evaluation of the product 12 when the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process is not good.

[0164] In this embodiment, the evaluation input screen 740 differs from the evaluation input screen 640 in that it includes an input form 744 for inputting an evaluation regarding evaluation category B. In this embodiment, the input form 744 displays a message 750 indicating that it is not necessary to input an evaluation regarding evaluation category B. The input form 744 may also display a message 750 indicating the reason why it is not necessary to input an evaluation regarding evaluation category B.

[0165] 8 schematically illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the EC site management unit 422. As described above, in this embodiment, an example of the EC site management unit 422 is described using an example in which the EC site management unit 422 uses various data collected in the transaction of the product 12 in the transaction of the product 14. Note that, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, in this embodiment, the details of each unit of the EC site management unit 422 are described using an example in which the item and producer of the product 12 are the same as the item and producer of the product 14. As described above, the relationship between the product 12 and the product 14 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0166] In this embodiment, the EC site management unit 422 includes a transaction support unit 820, a matching support unit 840, and a data transmission unit 860. In this embodiment, the transaction support unit 820 includes an evaluation information extraction unit 822, a user information extraction unit 824, a first item determination unit 826, a first item evaluation unit 828, a product evaluation unit 830, and a transaction screen generation unit 832. In this embodiment, the matching support unit 840 includes a second item evaluation unit 842, a second item determination unit 844, a recipient extraction unit 846, and a notification generation unit 848.

[0167] The transaction support unit 820 supports product transactions on the e-commerce site. For example, the transaction support unit 820 generates screen data for various screens (sometimes referred to as transaction screens) used in product transactions. Examples of transaction screens include a product search screen, a product description screen, a product purchase screen, and a payment screen. The transaction support unit 820 may support product transactions by managing product ratings. For example, the transaction support unit 820 generates screen data for a product description screen for presenting product ratings to viewers.

[0168] In this embodiment, the evaluation information extraction unit 822 acquires evaluation information related to the product 12. For example, the evaluation information extraction unit 822 accesses the evaluation information storage unit 466 to extract one or more pieces of evaluation information related to one or more products 12 that have been traded in the past. As described above, the evaluation information related to the product 12 indicates an evaluation result for at least one of P evaluation items (P is an integer of 2 or greater) related to the product 12. Furthermore, in the transaction management system 100, the P evaluation items are classified into multiple evaluation categories.

[0169] The user information extraction unit 824 acquires user information about users who access the EC site. For example, the user information extraction unit 824 accesses the user information storage unit 444 to extract user information about users who access the EC site. As described above, the user information includes information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the users.

[0170] In this embodiment, the first item determination unit 826 determines Q evaluation items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used for generating a product description screen from among P evaluation items related to the product 12, based on the user information acquired by the user information extraction unit 824. For example, a correspondence relationship between at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences and the evaluation items to be used for generating a product description screen is determined in advance. The first item determination unit 826 determines the Q evaluation items to be used for generating a product description screen based on the correspondence relationship between at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information acquired by the user information extraction unit 824 and the at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information acquired by the user information extraction unit 824.

[0171] The Q evaluation items are used, for example, to derive an evaluation value for the product 14 when generating a product description screen. The evaluation value for the product 14 indicates the degree of evaluation for the product 14. The evaluation value for the product 14 may be expressed by a continuous numerical value or by a graduated scale. The evaluation value for the product 14 is used, for example, to generate a graph displayed in the product evaluation image 546 on the product description screen 540 described in relation to FIG. 5 and / or to calculate an overall score displayed in the product evaluation image 546.

[0172] The first item determination unit 826 determines one or more evaluation categories to be used for generating a product description screen from among a plurality of evaluation categories based on at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information. For example, a correspondence relationship between at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences and the evaluation categories to be used for generating a product description screen is determined in advance. The first item determination unit 826 determines one or more evaluation categories to be used for generating a product description screen based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information acquired by the user information extraction unit 824 and the above correspondence relationship. This determines the evaluation category to be used for presenting an evaluation to the user.

[0173] Similarly, the first item determination unit 826 may determine one or more evaluation categories to be used for generating the product description screen from among a plurality of evaluation categories based on at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the type of product 14, (ii) the user's instructions, and (iii) the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the viewer indicated by the user information, thereby determining the evaluation category to be used for presenting the evaluation to the user.

[0174] The first item determination unit 826 may determine Q evaluation items by determining, for each of one or more evaluation categories used in generating the product description screen, evaluation items to be used in generating the product description screen from one or more evaluation items included in each evaluation category. The first item determination unit 826 may determine Q evaluation items including one or more evaluation items included in one or more evaluation categories based on at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information.

[0175] In this embodiment, the first item evaluation unit 828 calculates an evaluation value for each of the Q evaluation items based on one or more pieces of evaluation information about the product 12 acquired by the evaluation information extraction unit 822. For example, the first item evaluation unit 828 calculates an evaluation value for each evaluation item by calculating a statistical value of the evaluation value for each evaluation item included in one or more pieces of evaluation information. Examples of statistical values ​​include an average value and a median value. When the evaluation value for a specific evaluation item is expressed in a graded range in one or more pieces of evaluation information, the first item evaluation unit 828 may calculate the statistical value by replacing each range with a numerical value.

[0176] The first item evaluation unit 828 may calculate an evaluation value for each of the one or more evaluation categories determined by the first item evaluation unit 828. For example, the first item evaluation unit 828 calculates an evaluation value for each evaluation category by calculating statistical values ​​of one or more evaluation items included in each evaluation category. Examples of statistical values ​​include the average and median. When the evaluation value of a specific evaluation item in one or more evaluation categories is expressed in stages, the first item evaluation unit 828 may calculate the statistical value by replacing each category with a numerical value.

[0177] In this embodiment, the product evaluation unit 830 calculates an overall evaluation value of the product 12 based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the Q evaluation items calculated by the first item evaluation unit 828 and the weights assigned to each of the Q evaluation items. The overall score described in relation to FIG. 5 may be an example of the overall evaluation value of the product 12.

[0178] The product evaluation unit 830 may determine a weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items based on at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information. For example, the product evaluation unit 830 determines each weight value such that the weight value assigned to at least one of the one or more items related to the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences is greater than the weight value assigned to at least one of the one or more items not related to the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences.

[0179] The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the value of each weight such that the greater the degree of the user's interest and / or preference, the greater the weight value assigned to an item related to the interest and / or preference. The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the value of each weight such that the greater the user's tendency to take a particular action, thought, or attitude, the greater the weight value assigned to an item related to the particular action, thought, or attitude.

[0180] For example, if the product 12 is an agricultural product, the balance of tastes such as sourness and sweetness, texture, etc., differs depending on the variety. Therefore, the product evaluation unit 830 determines a weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items according to the user's preference for taste and / or texture. For example, the product evaluation unit 830 determines a weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items so that the weight value increases as the item matches the user's preference for taste and / or texture.

[0181] More specifically, the product evaluation unit 830 determines a weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the user's evaluation of the taste and / or texture of agricultural products that the user has traded in the past and that are of the same or similar variety as the product 12. The product evaluation unit 830 may determine a weight value to be assigned to at least one of the Q items such that the weight is increased for items that have received higher ratings in the user's past evaluations.

[0182] The product evaluation unit 830 may estimate the user's evaluation of the taste and / or texture of agricultural produce of the same or similar variety as product 12, and determine the weighting value to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the estimated evaluation. For example, the product evaluation unit 830 determines a standard value for evaluation for each variety based on evaluations from multiple users for variety A and variety B. The product evaluation unit 830 also obtains user X's evaluation of variety A. The product evaluation unit 830 estimates user X's evaluation of variety B based on user X's evaluation of variety A, the standard value for the evaluation of variety A, and the standard value for the evaluation of variety B.

[0183] For example, if product 12 is strawberry variety B, and the evaluation of the sweetness of strawberries variety A and variety B is expressed on a 10-point scale from 0 to 9, and user X evaluates the sweetness of variety A as 3 and the reference value for the evaluation of the sweetness of variety A is 5, product evaluation unit 830 estimates that user X tends to evaluate the sweetness of strawberries as low. Therefore, if the reference value for the evaluation of the sweetness of strawberries variety B is 8, product evaluation unit 830 outputs a value smaller than 8 (for example, 5 to 6) as the estimated value of user X's evaluation of the sweetness of variety A. In the same manner, product evaluation unit 830 estimates user X's evaluation of each item related to taste and / or texture.

[0184] The product evaluation unit 830 determines the weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items, for example, such that the larger the estimated value of user X's evaluation for each item related to taste and / or texture, the larger the weight value to be assigned to that item. The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items such that the larger the deviation between user X's estimated value of evaluation for each item related to taste and / or texture and a predetermined value, the larger the weight value to be assigned to that item. In this way, the product evaluation unit 830 can assign a value to each item according to the user's preferences, for example, based on the user's evaluation history of agricultural products that the user has eaten or purchased in the past.

[0185] Similarly, the product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the characteristics of the production process of agricultural products that the user has purchased in the past. For example, if the frequency with which the user purchases organic agricultural products is greater than a predetermined value, the product evaluation unit 830 determines the weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items so that a larger weight is assigned to an item related to the presence or absence of use of chemical fertilizers and / or pesticides in the production process or the amount used.

[0186] The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weighting value to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the intended use of the product 12. For example, strawberries to be eaten raw and strawberries to be used in jam require different qualities. For strawberries to be eaten raw, emphasis is placed on good appearance and freshness. On the other hand, emphasis is placed on low price for strawberries to be used in jam. Therefore, the product evaluation unit 830 determines the weighting value to be assigned to each of the Q items so that, for example, the more emphasis is placed on an item in terms of the intended use of the product 12, the greater the weighting value.

[0187] In this embodiment, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates screen data for various transaction screens. The transaction screen generation unit 832 may generate data (sometimes referred to as screen data) for displaying a product description screen for explaining the product 14 on the communication terminal 42 of the consumer 46. For example, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates a product description screen 540 and a product description screen 560.

[0188] More specifically, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates data for causing the communication terminal 42 to draw a graph showing the characteristics of the product 14 (i.e., the product 12) based on one or more evaluation categories determined by the first item determination unit 826 and the evaluation values ​​of each evaluation category for the product 12 determined by the first item evaluation unit 828. The transaction screen generation unit 832 also generates data for causing the communication terminal 42 to draw an overall score for the product 14 (i.e., the product 12) based on the overall evaluation value for the product 12 determined by the product evaluation unit 830. As described above, each evaluation category for the product 12 is information related to Q evaluation items for the product 12, and the evaluation value for each evaluation category is information related to the evaluation value for each of the Q evaluation items.

[0189] In this embodiment, the matching support unit 840 supports trading of the product 14 by matching the product 14 or the producer 20 with one or more users. For example, the matching support unit 840 extracts potential customers who match the characteristics of the product 14 or the producer 20 from one or more users based on demand-side evaluation information about the product 12 and / or supply-side evaluation information about the product 14. The matching support unit 840 notifies the extracted users of information about the product 14. The information about the product 14 may include information about the evaluation of the product 14.

[0190] As described above, in this embodiment, an example of the matching support unit 840 will be described using as an example a case where the item and producer of the product 12 are the same as the item and producer of the product 14. Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, an example of the matching support unit 840 will be described using as an example a case where the matching support unit 840 extracts potential customers who match the characteristics of the product 14 or the producer 20 from one or more users based on demand-side evaluation information regarding the product 12. As described above, the matching support unit 840 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0191] In this embodiment, the second item evaluation unit 842 calculates an evaluation value for each of the P evaluation items related to the product 12 based on one or more pieces of evaluation information related to the product 12 acquired by the evaluation information extraction unit 822. The second item evaluation unit 842 may calculate an evaluation value for each of the P evaluation items related to the product 12 using a procedure similar to that of the first item evaluation unit 828.

[0192] In this embodiment, the second item determination unit 844 determines Q (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) evaluation items to be used in determining the evaluation of the product 12 from among the P evaluation items based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P evaluation items calculated by the second item evaluation unit 842. The Q evaluation items are determined, for example, for the purpose of promoting sales of the product 14.

[0193] In one embodiment, the second item determination unit 844 compares the evaluation values ​​of each of the P evaluation items and determines Q evaluation items in descending order of evaluation value. In another embodiment, the second item determination unit 844 determines Q evaluation items consisting of S evaluation items (S is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than P) of predetermined types and T evaluation items (T is a positive integer calculated as PS) selected based on the evaluation values ​​calculated by the second item evaluation unit 842. From among evaluation items other than the S evaluation items, T evaluation items may be determined in descending order of evaluation value.

[0194] In this embodiment, the recipient extraction unit 846 extracts users who are potential customers of the product 14 from one or more users who can receive information about the product 14. For example, the recipient extraction unit 846 refers to the user information storage unit 444 and extracts users who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844. The recipient extraction unit 846 may also refer to the user information storage unit 444 and extract users who do not have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to evaluation items other than the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844. The recipient extraction unit 846 may also refer to the user information storage unit 444 and extract users who (i) have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844, and (ii) do not have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to evaluation items other than the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844.

[0195] For example, when comparing product 14 with other products, if the appearance of product 14 is rated low and the taste and texture of product 14 are rated high, the second item evaluation unit 842 selects taste and texture as the Q evaluation items. The recipient extraction unit 846 extracts, from one or more users, users who are very particular about taste and texture and / or users who are not very particular about appearance as potential customers of product 14.

[0196] In this embodiment, the notification generation unit 848 generates information (sometimes referred to as notification information) about the product 14 to be notified to the users extracted by the recipient extraction unit 846. For example, the notification generation unit 848 determines an evaluation of the product 14 using the Q evaluation items determined by the second item evaluation unit 842. The notification generation unit 848 may determine an evaluation of the product 14 using a procedure similar to that of the product evaluation unit 830. The notification generation unit 848 may also generate notification information including information indicating the evaluation of the product 14. The notification generation unit 848 may generate notification information using a procedure similar to that of the transaction screen generation unit 832. The notification information may include the URL of the e-commerce site or the URL of a product description page for the product 14.

[0197] In this embodiment, the data transmission unit 860 transmits the notification information generated by the notification generation unit 848. The data transmission unit 860 transmits the notification information to, for example, the communication terminals used by the users extracted by the recipient extraction unit 846.

[0198] The transaction support unit 820 may be an example of a management device. The evaluation information extraction unit 822 may be an example of an evaluation information acquisition unit. The user information extraction unit 824 may be an example of a viewer information acquisition unit. The product evaluation unit 830 may be an example of an item evaluation unit. The notification generation unit 848 may be an example of a generation unit. The data transmission unit 860 may be an example of a transmission unit. A user accessing the EC site may be an example of a viewer who views evaluations of items. The overall evaluation value of the item 12 may be an example of an item evaluation value.

[0199] 9 schematically illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the evaluation acquisition unit 462. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes a distribution status determination unit 912 and a distribution period determination unit 914. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes an evaluation support unit 920. In this embodiment, the evaluation support unit 920 has an input item determination unit 922, an input screen generation unit 924, and an input screen transmission unit 926. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes a supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932, a demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934, and an evaluation data control unit 936. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes a deviation determination unit 942 and a deviation notification unit 944.

[0200] In this embodiment, the distribution status determination unit 912 acquires distribution status information for each of one or more products 12 that have been traded in the past. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 accesses the distribution management unit 114 to acquire one or more pieces of distribution status information. The distribution status determination unit 912 determines the distribution status of the product 12 based on the status of the product 12 in the distribution process indicated by the distribution status information for each of the one or more products 12 that have been traded in the past. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 expresses the status of the product 12 in the distribution process using consecutive numbers or graded categories. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 calculates statistical values ​​for the status of the product 12 indicated by the one or more pieces of distribution status information, and expresses the status of the product 12 in the distribution process using consecutive numbers or graded categories based on the statistical values.

[0201] In this embodiment, the distribution period determination unit 914 acquires distribution period information for each of one or more products 12 previously traded. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 accesses the distribution management unit 114 to acquire one or more pieces of distribution period information. The distribution period determination unit 914 may acquire production information and inspection information as the distribution period information. The distribution period determination unit 914 determines the length of the distribution period of the product 12 based on the length of the distribution period indicated by the distribution period information for each of the one or more products 12 previously traded. For example, the distribution period determination unit 914 expresses the length of the distribution period of the product 12 using a continuous numerical value or a tiered division. For example, the distribution period determination unit 914 calculates a statistical value of the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by one or more pieces of distribution period information, and expresses the length of the distribution period of the product 12 using a continuous numerical value or a tiered division based on the statistical value.

[0202] In this embodiment, the evaluation support unit 920 supports the consumer 44 in inputting an evaluation result for the product 12. For example, the evaluation support unit 920 generates screen data for the evaluation input screen described in relation to FIGS. 6 and 7. The evaluation support unit 920 transmits the screen data for the evaluation input screen to the communication terminal 42 of the consumer 44. The screen data for the evaluation input screen may be data for displaying, on the communication terminal 42 of the consumer 44, an evaluation input screen for inputting an evaluation for the product 12.

[0203] In this embodiment, the input item determination unit 922 determines evaluation items for which the consumer 44 is required to input an evaluation on the evaluation input screen. For example, the input item determination unit 922 determines the type of one or more evaluation items for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 based on at least one of the condition of the product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information.

[0204] In one embodiment, the input item determination unit 922 determines the type of one or more evaluation items so that when the condition of the product 12 is worse than a predetermined standard, the number of evaluation items required for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 is reduced compared to when the condition of the product 12 is better than a predetermined standard. In another embodiment, when the length of the distribution period of the product 12 is longer than a predetermined value, the input item determination unit 922 determines the type of one or more evaluation items so that the number of evaluation items required for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 is reduced compared to when the distribution period of the product 12 is shorter than a predetermined value. This reduces the input burden on the consumer 44.

[0205] The input item determination unit 922 may determine the type of one or more evaluation items for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 based on at least one of the condition of the product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information, and at least one of the place of origin and item of the product 12. For example, if the place of origin of the product 12 matches or is included in a predetermined region, the input item determination unit 922 determines the type of one or more evaluation items using a procedure similar to the procedure described above. For example, if the item of the product 12 matches or is included in a predetermined item, the input item determination unit 922 determines the type of one or more evaluation items using a procedure similar to the procedure described above.

[0206] In this embodiment, the input screen generation unit 924 generates screen data for the evaluation input screen. In this embodiment, the input screen transmission unit 926 transmits the screen data for the evaluation input screen to the communication terminal 42 of the consumer 44. As described above, the evaluation input screen is a screen for the consumer 44 to input an evaluation result for the product 12, and is a screen for supporting the input of an evaluation result for each of one or more items determined by the input item determination unit 922.

[0207] In this embodiment, the supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932 acquires supply-side evaluation information. As described in relation to Fig. 3, the supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932 acquires the supply-side evaluation information, for example, from the communication terminal 22 or the product 12. As described above, the supply-side evaluation information includes, for example, information indicating the evaluation result of the product 12 by the producer 20.

[0208] In this embodiment, the demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 acquires demand-side evaluation information. As described in relation to Fig. 3, the demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 acquires the demand-side evaluation information, for example, from the communication terminal 42. As described above, the demand-side evaluation information includes, for example, information indicating the evaluation results of the products 12 by the consumers 44.

[0209] In this embodiment, the evaluation data control unit 936 controls the output destination of the data of the supply-side evaluation information and the demand-side evaluation information. For example, the evaluation data control unit 936 acquires the supply-side evaluation information from the supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932 and stores the supply-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466. For example, the evaluation data control unit 936 acquires the demand-side evaluation information from the demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 and outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation correction unit 464 or the evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0210] For example, (a) if at least one of the condition of the product 12 indicated by the distribution condition information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information meets a predetermined condition, the evaluation data control unit 936 decides to store the demand-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466. In this case, the evaluation data control unit 936 outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466. Examples of the predetermined condition include a condition that the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process is worse than a predetermined condition, a condition that the length of the distribution period is longer than a predetermined value, etc.

[0211] On the other hand, (b) if at least one of the condition of the product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information does not meet the above-mentioned predetermined condition, it is possible that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information are invalid. Therefore, the evaluation data control unit 936 determines (i) not to store at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466, (ii) to correct at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information, or (iii) to store in the evaluation information storage unit 466 the demand-side evaluation information in association with information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information may be invalid.

[0212] When it is determined that at least a part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information will not be stored in the evaluation information storage unit 466, the evaluation data control unit 936 deletes a part of the demand-side evaluation information and outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466. As a result, the demand-side evaluation information from which a part of the evaluation results has been deleted is stored in the evaluation information storage unit 466. The evaluation data control unit 936 does not have to output the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0213] When it is decided to correct at least a part of the evaluation result indicated by the demand-side evaluation information, the evaluation data control unit 936 outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation correction unit 464. In this case, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects at least a part of the evaluation result indicated by the demand-side evaluation information, and stores information indicating the corrected evaluation result in the evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0214] When it is decided to store the demand-side evaluation information and the information indicating that at least a part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information may be invalid in the evaluation information storage unit 466 in association with each other, the evaluation data control unit 936 outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466. Furthermore, the evaluation data control unit 936 stores the demand-side evaluation information and the information indicating that at least a part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information may be invalid in the evaluation information storage unit 466 in association with each other.

[0215] In this embodiment, the deviation determination unit 942 determines whether the degree of deviation between the evaluation result based on the supply-side evaluation information and the evaluation result based on the demand-side evaluation information exceeds a predetermined level for each of one or more items for evaluating the product 12. Furthermore, if the deviation determination unit 942 determines that the degree of deviation exceeds the predetermined level, the deviation notification unit 944 notifies at least one of the producer 20 and the consumer 44 of information indicating at least one of the state of the product 12 indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information.

[0216] The distribution status determination unit 912 may be an example of a distribution information acquisition unit. The distribution period determination unit 914 may be an example of a distribution information acquisition unit. The evaluation support unit 920 may be an example of a support unit. The input item determination unit 922 may be an example of an evaluation item determination unit. The input screen generation unit 924 may be an example of an assistance data generation unit or a screen generation unit. The input screen transmission unit 926 may be an example of an assistance data transmission unit. The supply side evaluation acquisition unit 932 may be an example of a second evaluation information acquisition unit. The demand side evaluation acquisition unit 934 may be an example of a first evaluation information acquisition unit. The evaluation data control unit 936 may be an example of a first evaluation information acquisition unit. The deviation determination unit 942 may be an example of a deviation degree determination unit. The deviation notification unit 944 may be an example of a notification unit. The evaluation input screen may be an example of an input screen. Screen data of the evaluation input screen may be an example of input support data or input screen data.

[0217] 10 shows an example of a computer 3000 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. At least a portion of the transaction management system 100 may be realized by the computer 3000. For example, the management server 110 may be realized by the computer 3000. For example, the control unit 220 of the production robot 120 may be realized by the computer 3000. For example, the control device of the fruit sorting system 140 may be realized by the computer 3000. For example, the control device of the logistics system 160 may be realized by the computer 3000. Furthermore, at least a portion of the communication terminals 22, 32, and 42 may be realized by the computer 3000.

[0218] A program installed on the computer 3000 can cause the computer 3000 to function as or perform operations associated with an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention or one or more "parts" of the apparatus, and / or to perform a process or steps of the process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 3012 to cause the computer 3000 to perform specific operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0219] A computer 3000 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 3012, a RAM 3014, a GPU 3016, and a display device 3018, which are interconnected by a host controller 3010. The computer 3000 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 3022, a hard disk drive 3024, a DVD-ROM drive 3026, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 3010 via an input / output controller 3020. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 3030 and a keyboard 3042, which are connected to the input / output controller 3020 via an input / output chip 3040.

[0220] The CPU 3012 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 3030 and RAM 3014, thereby controlling each unit. The GPU 3016 acquires image data generated by the CPU 3012 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 3014 or into the GPU 3016 itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 3018.

[0221] The communication interface 3022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 3024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 3012 in the computer 3000. The DVD-ROM drive 3026 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 3001 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 3024 via the RAM 3014. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and / or writes programs and data to an IC card.

[0222] The ROM 3030 stores therein a boot program or the like that is executed by the computer 3000 upon activation, and / or programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 3000. The input / output chip 3040 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 3020 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

[0223] The programs are provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM 3001 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable storage medium, installed in the hard disk drive 3024, RAM 3014, or ROM 3030, which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 3012. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 3000, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by implementing operations or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 3000.

[0224] For example, when communication is performed between computer 3000 and an external device, CPU 3012 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 3014 and instruct communication interface 3022 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of CPU 3012, communication interface 3022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in RAM 3014, hard disk drive 3024, DVD-ROM 3001, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

[0225] Furthermore, CPU 3012 may cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as hard disk drive 3024, DVD-ROM drive 3026 (DVD-ROM 3001), IC card, etc. to be read into RAM 3014, and may perform various types of processing on the data on RAM 3014. CPU 3012 may then write back the processed data to the external recording medium.

[0226] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 3012 may perform various types of processing on data read from the RAM 3014, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequences of the programs, and write the results back to the RAM 3014. The CPU 3012 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. on the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, are stored on the recording medium, the CPU 3012 may search for an entry whose attribute value of the first attribute matches a specified condition from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0227] The above-described programs or software modules may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 3000. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can also be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the above-described programs to the computer 3000 via the network.

[0228] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, details described for a particular embodiment can be applied to other embodiments to the extent that they are not technically inconsistent. It is apparent from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0229] It should be noted that the execution order of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that the processes can be performed in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a subsequent process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, this does not mean that the processes must be performed in this order.

[0230] This specification discloses, for example, the following: Note that each step of the control method described below may be executed by a computer. [Item A-1] A management device for managing evaluations of items, an evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information indicating an evaluation result for at least one of P items (P is an integer of 2 or more) related to the product; a viewer information acquisition unit that acquires viewer information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views the evaluation of the product; a first item determination unit that determines, from among the P items, Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used in deriving an evaluation value of the item that indicates a degree of evaluation of the item, based on the viewer information acquired by the viewer information acquisition unit; A management device comprising: [Item A-2] The P items relating to the above goods are classified into multiple categories, the first item determination unit determines, from the plurality of categories, one or more categories to be used for presenting the evaluation to the viewer, based on at least one of behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the viewer indicated by the viewer information; The management device according to item A-1. [Item A-3] The P items relating to the above goods are classified into multiple categories, The first item determination unit determining one or more categories from the plurality of categories to be used in presenting the evaluation to the viewer based on at least one selected from the group consisting of the type of the item, the viewer's instructions, and the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information; determining the Q items, including one or more items included in the one or more categories, based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the viewer indicated by the viewer information; The management device according to item A-1. [Item A-4] a first item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of the Q items based on the one or more pieces of evaluation information related to the product acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit; an item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value of the item based on the evaluation value for each of the Q items calculated by the first item evaluation unit and a weight assigned to each of the Q items; Further provided with The management device according to any one of items A-1 to A-3. [Item A-5] The product evaluation unit determines the weight value to be assigned to each of the Q items based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the viewer indicated by the viewer information. The management device described in item A-4. [Item A-6] The evaluation information acquisition unit a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items regarding the first item by consumers who have received the first item that was previously traded or who have used or consumed the first item; a distribution information acquisition unit that acquires distribution status information indicating the status of the first item in at least a part of the distribution process of the first item; a correction unit that corrects an evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information based on the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information; Further provided with The management device according to any one of items A-1 to A-5. [Item A-7] The evaluation information acquisition unit a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items regarding the first item by consumers who have received the first item that was previously traded or who have used or consumed the first item; an inspection information acquisition unit that acquires inspection information indicating the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer; a correction unit that corrects an evaluation result for at least one of the P items regarding the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the inspection time or evaluation time of the first item indicated by the inspection information; Further provided with The management device according to any one of items A-1 to A-5. [Item A-8] a production information acquisition unit that acquires production information indicating a time point at which the first item was produced or shipped, the correction unit corrects the result of evaluation of at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information based on the length of the period between the time of production or shipping of the first item indicated by the production information and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item indicated by the inspection information; The management device described in item A-7. [Item A-9] The first item is a fresh food product, or an agricultural product, a fishery product, or a livestock product, The correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, further based on at least one of a place of origin and an item of the first item. The management device according to any one of items A-6 to A-8. [Item A-10] A management device for managing evaluations of items, an evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information indicating the results of evaluation of at least one of P items (P is an integer of 2 or more) related to the product; a second item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on the one or more pieces of evaluation information related to the product acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit; a second item determination unit that determines Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) from among the P items based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated by the second item evaluation unit to be used in determining the evaluation of the product; a recipient extraction unit that references a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more recipient information items indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of each of one or more recipients who can receive information about the item, and extracts recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit; a generating unit that determines an evaluation of the product using the Q items and generates information about the product including information indicating the evaluation of the product; a transmitting unit that transmits information about the item to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted by the recipient extraction unit; A management device comprising: [Item A-11] A program for causing a computer to function as the management device according to any one of items A-1 to A-10. [Item A-12] A management method for managing evaluations of an item, comprising: an evaluation information acquisition step of acquiring evaluation information indicating an evaluation result for at least one of P items (P is an integer of 2 or more) related to the product; a viewer information acquisition step of acquiring viewer information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views the evaluation of the product; a first item determination step of determining Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be presented to the viewer from among the P items based on the viewer information acquired in the viewer information acquisition step; A management method having:

[0231] This specification discloses, for example, the following: Note that each step of the control method described below may be executed by a computer. [Item B-1] A management device for managing evaluations of items, a support unit that supports input of an evaluation result for the first product by a consumer who has received, used, or consumed the first product that was previously traded; Equipped with The above support department: a distribution information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the status of the first item in at least a part of the distribution process of the first item, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of the period between the time of production or shipping of the first item and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer; an evaluation item determination unit that determines the type of one or more items for the consumer to evaluate the first item based on at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information; an assistance data generation unit that generates input assistance data for assisting the consumer in inputting an evaluation result for each of the one or more items determined by the evaluation item determination unit; an assistance data transmission unit that transmits the input assistance data to the communication terminal of the consumer; having Management device. [Item B-2] the evaluation item determination unit determines the type of one or more items for the consumer to evaluate the first item based on at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information, and at least one of the place of origin and item of the first item; The management device according to item B-1. [Item B-3] The evaluation item determination unit If the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution status information is worse than a predetermined standard, or if the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information is greater than a predetermined value, so that the number of the one or more evaluation items is smaller than when the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution condition information is better than a predetermined standard, or when the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information is shorter than a predetermined value, Determine the type of evaluation item(s) above, The management device according to item B-1 or B-2. [Item B-4] The above support department: a screen generation unit that generates input screen data for generating an input screen for the consumer to input an evaluation result for the first product; having The management device according to any one of items B-1 to B-3. [Item B-5] A management device for managing evaluations of items, an evaluation storage unit that stores evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the product; a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating evaluation results of the first product by consumers who have received the first product that was traded in the past or who have used or consumed the first product; a distribution information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the status of the first item in at least a part of the distribution process of the first item, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of the period between the time of production or shipping of the first item and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer; Equipped with The first evaluation information acquisition unit (a) determining to store the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit when at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information meets a predetermined condition; (b) if at least one of the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution condition information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information does not match the predetermined condition, (i) decide not to store at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit, (ii) correct at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information, or (iii) decide to store the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit in association with information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information may be invalid; Management device. [Item B-6] If at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information does not match the predetermined condition, a correction unit that corrects an evaluation result for at least one of one or more evaluation items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) at least one of the place of origin and item of the first item, (ii) the condition of the first item in at least a part of the distribution process of the first item, and (iii) the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information; Further provided with The management device described in item B-5. [Item B-7] the state of the first article includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an acceleration applied to the first article, a temperature and illuminance of the surrounding environment of the first article, and a concentration of a specific substance in the surrounding environment of the first article; The management device according to any one of items B-1 to B-6. [Item B-8] The specific substance is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene. The management device described in item B-7. [Item B-9] a second evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires second evaluation information indicating an evaluation result of the first item by a supplier that produced or transferred the first item; a deviation determination unit that determines whether or not a deviation between an evaluation result based on the second evaluation information and an evaluation result based on the first evaluation information exceeds a predetermined level for each of the one or more items for evaluating the first article; Further provided with The management device according to any one of items B-1 to B-8. [Item B-10] a notification unit that notifies at least one of the supplier and the consumer of information indicating at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information when the deviation degree determination unit determines that the deviation degree exceeds a predetermined level; Further provided with The management device according to any one of items B-1 to B-9. [Item B-11] A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to any one of items B-1 to B-10. [Item B-12] A management method for managing evaluations of an item, comprising: an assistance data transmission step of transmitting input assistance data to a communication terminal of a consumer who has received a first product traded in the past or who has used or consumed the first product, to assist the consumer in inputting an evaluation result for the first product; an assistance data generation step of generating the input assistance data; a distribution information acquisition step of acquiring at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the status of the first item in at least a part of the distribution process of the first item, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of the period between the time of production or shipping of the first item and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer; and The assistance data generation step includes: determining the type of one or more evaluation items for the consumer to evaluate the first product based on at least one of the condition of the first product indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information; Including, Management method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0232] 12 items 14 items 20 Producers 22 Communication terminals 30 Distributors 32 Communication terminals 40 Consumer 42 Communication terminals 44 Consumer 46 Consumer 100 Transaction Management System 110 Management Server 112 Transaction Management Department 114 Distribution Management Department 120 Production Robot 130 base unit 132 Mobile Unit 134 Imaging unit 136 Sensor Unit 138 Work Units 140 Fruit sorting system 160 Logistics System 220 Control Unit 222 Control Program 226 Driver 230 Power Supply Unit 250 vibration control unit 280 Balance Adjustment Unit 294 Firmware 420 Sales Management Department 422 EC Site Management Department 424 Input Section 426 Order Management Department 428 Product Management Department 440 Customer Management Department 442 User Information Acquisition Unit 444 User information storage section 460 Evaluation Management Department 462 Evaluation Acquisition Department 464 Evaluation Correction Unit 466 Evaluation Information Storage Unit 540 Product Description Screen 542 Product Description Text 544 product images 546 product evaluation images 560 Product Description Screen 566 product evaluation images 620 Evaluation input screen 622 Input Form 624 Input Form 640 Rating input screen 642 Input Form 644 Input Form 740 Rating input screen 744 Input Form 820 Transaction Support Department 822 Evaluation Information Extraction Unit 824 User Information Extraction Unit 826 1st item determination section 828 Item 1 Evaluation Section 830 Product Evaluation Department 832 Transaction screen generation unit 840 Matching Support Department 842 Item 2 Evaluation Section 844 2nd item determination section 846 Recipient Extraction Unit 848 Notification generator 860 Data Transmission Unit 912 Distribution Status Determination Unit 914 Distribution Period Determination Department 920 Evaluation Support Department 922 Input item determination unit 924 Input screen generation unit 926 Input screen transmission unit 932 Supply-Side Evaluation Acquisition Department 934 Demand Side Assessment Acquisition Department 936 Evaluation Data Control Unit 942 Deviation Judgment Unit 944 Deviation Notification Department 3000 computers 3001 DVD-ROM 3010 host controller 3012 CPU 3014 RAM 3016 GPU 3018 Display Device 3020 Input / Output Controller 3022 Communication Interface 3024 hard disk drive 3026 DVD-ROM drive 3030 ROM 3040 I / O chip 3042 keyboard

Claims

1. A management device for managing evaluations of items, an evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information indicating the result of evaluation of at least one of P items (P is an integer of 2 or more) related to the product; a second item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on the one or more pieces of evaluation information related to the product acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit; a second item determination unit that determines Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used in determining the evaluation of the product from among the P items based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated by the second item evaluation unit; a recipient extraction unit that refers to a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more recipient information items indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of each of one or more recipients who can receive information related to the item, and extracts recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit; a generating unit that determines an evaluation of the product using the Q items and generates information about the product including information indicating the evaluation of the product; a transmitting unit that transmits information about the item to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted by the recipient extraction unit; A management device comprising:

2. The evaluation information acquisition unit a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items related to the first product by consumers who have received a first product that was previously traded or who have used or consumed the first product; a distribution information acquisition unit that acquires distribution status information indicating a status of the first item in at least a part of a distribution process of the first item; a correction unit that corrects an evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information based on the status of the first item indicated by the distribution status information; The management device according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. The evaluation information acquisition unit a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items related to the first product by consumers who have received a first product that was previously traded or who have used or consumed the first product; an inspection information acquisition unit that acquires inspection information indicating the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer; a correction unit that corrects an evaluation result for at least one of the P items regarding the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the inspection time or evaluation time of the first item indicated by the inspection information; The management device of claim 1 further comprising:

4. a production information acquisition unit that acquires production information indicating a time point at which the first item was produced or shipped, the correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the length of the period between the time of production or the time of shipment of the first item indicated by the production information and the time of inspection or the time of evaluation of the first item indicated by the inspection information. The management device according to claim 3 .

5. the first item is a fresh food product, or an agricultural product, a marine product, or a livestock product; the correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, further based on at least one of a place of origin and an item of the first item. The management device according to claim 2 .

6. The recipient extraction unit refers to the recipient information storage unit to extract recipients who (i) have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit, and (ii) do not have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to items other than the Q items determined by the second item determination unit. The management device according to claim 1 .

7. A program for causing a computer to function as the management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A management method for managing evaluations of items using a computer, comprising: an evaluation information acquisition step in which the computer acquires evaluation information indicating the result of evaluation of at least one of P items (P is an integer of 2 or more) related to the product; a second item evaluation step in which the computer calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more pieces of evaluation information regarding the product acquired in the evaluation information acquisition step; a second item determination step in which the computer determines Q items (Q is a positive integer equal to or less than P) to be used in determining the evaluation of the product from among the P items based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated in the second item evaluation step; a recipient extraction step in which the computer refers to a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more pieces of recipient information indicating behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of each of one or more recipients who can receive information about the item, and extracts recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined in the second item determination step; a generation step in which the computer determines an evaluation of the product using the Q items and generates information about the product including information indicating the evaluation of the product; a transmitting step in which the computer transmits information about the item to the communication terminals of the recipients extracted in the recipient extraction step; A management method having:

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