Prize trading system

Abstract

To provide a prize selling / buying system which contributes to the effective utilization of prizes acquired by players through games.SOLUTION: A prize exchange unit configured to exchange the game points acquired by the game user in the game facility into the ownership of a prize, a property right display unit configured to display the prize exchanged by the prize exchange unit and the monetary value of the prize to another user, a prize request unit configured to request transfer of the ownership of the prize by the other user, a request confirmation unit configured to confirm whether or not the transfer of the ownership of the prize is permitted when the transfer of the ownership of the prize is requested by the other user by the prize request unit, and a trade management part for requesting the monetary value to the other user and paying money or game points corresponding to the monetary value scheduled to be acquired or acquired from the other user to the game user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a prize buying and selling system for buying and selling prizes won through games at an amusement park. [Background technology]

[0002] In amusement parlors where players can play gaming machines such as pachinko machines and slot machines, there are prize exchange offices where players can exchange the gaming media they have acquired for prizes, and players can exchange the gaming media for prizes according to the number of gaming media they have acquired.

[0003] However, in conventional amusement arcades, players select prizes that match the number of game media from those displayed at the prize exchange center, which requires a wide variety of prizes to be displayed at the prize exchange center, resulting in the problem of the prize exchange center taking up a lot of space within the arcade. In addition, players must select the prize they want from the prizes displayed at the prize exchange booth, which narrows down the range of prizes available for exchange.

[0004] A prize distribution system that solves these problems is disclosed in Patent Document 1, which was previously filed by the applicant of this application. This prize distribution system allows prizes to be exchanged outside the amusement facility, making it possible to reduce the installation space for the prize exchange office within the amusement facility and diversifying the types of prizes that can be exchanged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6972574 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, even if the above-described prize distribution system diversifies the types of prizes available for exchange, there may be cases where the prize that a player truly desires is not available for exchange. In other words, a player may select and acquire a prize from among items that are not necessarily necessary or that they do not particularly desire. In such cases, the prize becomes difficult to dispose of, as it would be a waste to simply throw it away, but if left lying around, it takes up space. Therefore, there has been a need for a means to more effectively utilize a prize that a player has acquired without causing the player significant trouble when the player acquires a prize that the player does not particularly desire.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a prize buying and selling system that helps players make effective use of the prizes they have won through games. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inventors considered that even if a certain player finds it difficult to dispose of, it is highly likely that it will be something that many others truly desire. That is, prizes acquired through games are usually designed to be attractive to many people in order to increase the satisfaction of as many players as possible. For this reason, prizes are inherently attractive, and it is predicted that there will be a certain number of people who play games for the prizes, in other words, people who would prefer to obtain a prize without the trouble of playing games. Furthermore, because prizes are acquired through games, it is predicted that there will be a certain number of people who play games but are unable to obtain the prize they want. Taking this into consideration, the inventors thought that if a player wins a prize that he or she does not particularly want, the prize can be used more effectively by giving it to someone else who wants it.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention, based on this knowledge, is a prize buying and selling system comprising: a prize exchange unit that exchanges gaming points acquired by a gaming user at an amusement facility for ownership of a prize; an ownership display unit that displays the prize exchanged by the prize exchange unit and the monetary value of the prize to other users; a prize request unit that allows other users to request transfer of ownership of the prize; a request confirmation unit that confirms whether or not ownership of the prize can be transferred when the other user requests transfer of ownership of the prize via the prize request unit; and a buying and selling management unit that, when the gaming user allows the transfer of ownership of the prize to the other user, requests the monetary value from the other user and pays the gaming user money or gaming points equivalent to the monetary value that is planned to be acquired or has been acquired from the other user.

[0010] According to this aspect, a gaming user can transfer the right to a prize that he or she does not particularly desire to another user, and the other user can obtain the right to a prize that he or she desires, thereby enabling more effective use of prizes among users. Furthermore, since a gaming user obtains monetary value in exchange for the transfer of the right to the prize, the satisfaction of not only other users but also the gaming user itself can be improved.

[0011] Preferably, the prize exchange unit is capable of transferring ownership of the prize managed in a management warehouse of a prize management company that manages the prizes to the gaming user through exchange, and has a management confirmation unit that confirms whether the management of the prize whose ownership has been transferred to the gaming user will continue to be carried out in the management warehouse.

[0012] According to this aspect, gaming users do not have to manage the prizes they have acquired through exchanges, so there is no need to secure a place to store the prizes, which is highly convenient.

[0013] More preferably, the ownership display unit is capable of displaying to other users the prizes whose ownership has been transferred to the gaming user through exchange and which continue to be managed in the management warehouse from before the exchange, as well as the monetary value of the prizes, and the request confirmation unit confirms whether the ownership of the prizes that are being managed in the management warehouse can be transferred to the other users.

[0014] According to this aspect, the gaming user does not have to manage the prize himself, which is convenient for the gaming user, and also alleviates the anxiety of other users who will acquire ownership of the prize regarding the condition of the prize. In other words, other users will acquire the rights to the prize that was managed by the prize management company, and will feel less anxious about the condition (quality) of the prize compared to when they acquire a prize whose management location is unknown.

[0015] More preferably, the system has a shipping information display unit that displays information regarding the shipping of the prize from the management warehouse to a location specified by the other user after ownership of the prize managed in the management warehouse is transferred to the other user.

[0016] According to this aspect, the gaming user does not have to manage the prize from the time of acquiring the prize through an exchange until the ownership is transferred to another user, which is more convenient for the gaming user. Furthermore, the gaming user and the other user can each check information regarding shipping, which reduces the anxiety of each user in the transaction of transferring ownership.

[0017] Preferably, the system has a monetary value prediction unit that calculates the monetary value of the prize based on information regarding transfer of ownership of different identical prizes within a predetermined period in the past.

[0018] According to this aspect, the gaming user can transfer ownership of the prize in exchange for a more appropriate monetary value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The present invention can provide a prize buying and selling system that helps players make effective use of the prizes they have won through games. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a prize buying and selling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A is a block diagram showing the amusement center of FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing the point management company of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2C is a block diagram showing the prize management company. [Figure 3] 2A is a block diagram showing the money management company of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing the affiliated company of FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of prize exchange in the prize buying and selling system of FIG. 1, showing the flow of prize exchange when a prize is obtained in exchange for game media at a prize exchange center. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of prize exchange in the prize buying and selling system of FIG. 1, showing the flow of prize exchange when a prize is obtained in exchange for points at a prize exchange center. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of prize exchange in the prize buying and selling system of Figure 1, and shows the flow when a user obtains a prize using an app on their user-owned terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows a prize selection screen that is displayed on the display means of a user-owned terminal when the user uses an app on the user-owned terminal to obtain a prize. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of prize exchange in the prize buying and selling system of Figure 1, and shows the flow when obtaining a prize using an app at a sales store of an affiliated company. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows a main screen that is displayed on the display means of a user-owned terminal when a user uses an app on the user-owned terminal to buy or sell prizes. [Figure 10]This is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows a prize for sale selection screen that allows a user to select prizes to sell when selling prizes using an app on the user's device. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram that schematically shows an auction setting screen on which a user can set selling conditions when selling a prize using an app on the user's device. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows the prize display screen that displays prizes that a user has previously put up for sale when the user sells prizes using an app on the user's device. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows a buyer selection screen that allows a user to select other users to whom to sell a prize when selling the prize using an app on the user's device. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows a prize selection screen on which a user can select the prize to purchase when purchasing a prize using an app on the user's device. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram that schematically shows a purchase setting screen on which a user can set purchase conditions when purchasing a prize using an app on the user's terminal. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of money when a prize is traded in the prize trading system of Figure 1, with the purchasing user making payment in cash and the seller user receiving profits in cash. [Figure 17] This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of money when a prize is traded in the prize trading system of Figure 1, with the purchasing user making payment in money and the seller receiving profits in points. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of money when a prize is traded in the prize trading system of Figure 1, with the purchasing user making payment in points and the seller receiving profits in cash. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the prize trading system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is constructed through cooperation between one or more gaming facilities 2, a points management company 3, a prize management company 4, a money management company 5, and one or more affiliated companies 6, each of which belongs to an independent network capable of communicating with each other. The prize trading system 1 according to this embodiment also includes an application program (hereinafter simply referred to as an app) that is installed on a user-owned terminal (not shown) owned by the user. The "user-owned terminal" specifically refers to a mobile phone, smartphone, tablet, PC, etc.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2(a), the gaming facility 2 is a facility in which gaming machines 10 are installed that allow games to be played using gaming media such as gaming balls and medals. The gaming facility 2 of this embodiment has the gaming machines 10, a gaming media lending machine 11, a measuring device 12, and a point exchange machine 13 (point exchange means). The gaming facility 2 of this embodiment also has a hall computer 15 and a prize exchange office 16.

[0024] The gaming machine 10 is specifically a pachinko machine (a pinball gaming machine) or a slot machine (a reel gaming machine). The gaming medium lending machine 11 is a device that lends gaming media to users (players) who play games on the gaming machine 10. The measurement device 12 is a measurement means for measuring the number of gaming media that a user has acquired (owned by a user) through a game using the gaming machine 10.

[0025] The point exchange machine 13 is a device capable of executing a point exchange process for exchanging game media (game balls, medals) acquired by a user for points (game points), and a point lending process for lending game balls or medals in exchange for the user's points. In detail, the point exchange machine 13 is capable of transmitting information to an external device outside the game arcade 2 (such as a point management server 30 described later) directly or via a device in the game arcade 2 such as the hall computer 15.

[0026] That is, when the user displays a predetermined screen (a screen displaying a two-dimensional code or the like) on the user-owned terminal, an employee of the gaming facility 2 operates the point exchange machine 13 to perform a reading operation, thereby obtaining information identifying the user (such as an ID, hereinafter also referred to as user-specific information) from the user-owned terminal. Then, based on the information identifying the user, a process is performed to increase or decrease the user's owned points, and to receive or lend gaming media. That is, a process is performed to update the database of the point management server 30, and a process is performed in which the employee collects the user's gaming media or pays out gaming media to the user. After that, or in parallel, the point information in the point management database, which will be described later, is updated. From the above, the point exchange machine 13 functions as a point exchange unit that exchanges game media acquired by a user (game user) for points (game points), and also functions as a media lending unit that obtains game media in exchange for points. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a point exchange unit and a media lending unit as functional units. Note that the functional units are functions that are realized, for example, by a processor reading out a program stored in a memory.

[0027] The hall computer 15 is a computer used to manage all the devices in the gaming facility 2. That is, the hall computer 15 has display means such as a monitor that displays various information, and input units such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel that accept user input. This also applies to the other terminals described below. The hall computer 15 of this embodiment also functions as a computer (media management server) that manages the changes in the number of gaming media owned by each user (player), and is capable of sending and receiving information regarding the changes in the number of gaming media owned by each user.

[0028] The prize exchange center 16 has a management computer 20 and an information acquisition means 21. The management computer 20 is a management computer that manages information related to prizes at the game center 2. In this embodiment, the hall computer 15 and the management computer 20 are separate devices that can communicate with each other, but it is also possible for one device to function as both the hall computer 15 and the management computer 20.

[0029] The information acquisition means 21 is a device capable of acquiring user identification information from a user-owned terminal. That is, the information acquisition means 21 acquires user identification information from a user-owned terminal by executing a reading operation while a predetermined screen is displayed on the user-owned terminal. The information acquisition means 21 is capable of transmitting the acquired information to external equipment outside the amusement facility 2 (such as the point management server 30 described below) directly or via equipment in the amusement facility 2 such as the hall computer 15 or the management computer 20.

[0030] The point management company 3 is a management company that mainly manages points, and is equipped with a point management server 30 as shown in FIG. 2(b). The point management server 30 is a computer (server) that mainly manages the distribution status of points, and is capable of sending and receiving information related to points.

[0031] The prize management company 4 is a management company that mainly manages the distribution of prizes, and as shown in FIG. 2(c), is equipped with a prize management server 35 and a prize management warehouse 36 (management warehouse). The prize management server 35 is a computer (server) that mainly manages the distribution status of prizes, and is capable of sending and receiving information about prizes. The prize management warehouse 36 is a warehouse that stores prizes before they are provided to users and prizes that users have won (prizes whose ownership has been transferred to users; details will be described later).

[0032] The money management company 5 is a management company that manages the financial income and expenditure associated with fluctuations in points within the prize trading system 1, as well as the financial income and expenditure associated with the transfer of ownership of prizes, and has a money management server 40 as shown in Figure 3(a). In other words, when ownership of a prize is transferred from the transferor user to the transferee user, the money management company 5 will collect money from the transferee user, collect money from the point management company 3, pay money to the transferor user, etc. as necessary (details will be described later). Money management server 40 is a computer (server) that manages the circulation of money at least between different users and between users and point management company 3, and is capable of sending and receiving information related to money.

[0033] The affiliated company 6 is a company that is affiliated with the point management company 3 and allows customers to redeem points for prizes, such as department stores, bookstores, convenience stores, or other retail stores, or the operating companies of such stores. Alternatively, the affiliated company 6 may be a mail-order company. The affiliated company 6 in this embodiment is a company that has a retail store (physical store) where sales staff sell the products directly to consumers, and provides the products to players as prizes at the retail store. In other words, in the prize buying and selling system 1 in this embodiment, users can obtain prizes at stores outside the gaming facility 2.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the partner company 6 includes a partner management server 45 and information acquisition means 46. The affiliated management server 45 is a server that manages the products handled by the affiliated company 6, and is capable of sending and receiving information regarding points used when offering products as prizes, and information regarding the products offered as prizes.

[0035] The information acquisition means 46 is a device capable of acquiring user identification information from a user-owned terminal. That is, the information acquisition means 46 acquires user identification information from the user-owned terminal by executing a reading operation while a predetermined screen is displayed on the user-owned terminal. The information acquisition means 46 is capable of transmitting the acquired information to external devices outside the affiliated company 6 (such as the media management server 28 and point management server 30 described below) directly or via equipment of the affiliated company 6 such as the affiliated management server 45 or a POS register.

[0036] As described above, the amusement center 2 and each company (point management company 3, prize management company 4, money management company 5, affiliated company 6) belong to an independent network that allows mutual communication. That is, the hall computer 15 and each server (point management server 30, prize management server 35, money management server 40, affiliated management server 45) each have a CPU (central processing unit), ROM as main memory, RAM for temporarily storing various data, a communication I / F, a storage device such as an SSD (solid state drive), and a display device such as a display, and an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The hall computer 15 and each server are connected so that they can communicate with each other. In addition, the hall computer 15 and each server have a database in which they can store predetermined information. Furthermore, the user-owned terminal is connected to a predetermined server so as to be able to communicate with the server by running an application.

[0037] In the following description, the database stored in the point management server 30 will also be referred to as the point management database, and the database stored in the prize management server 35 will also be referred to as the prize management database, as necessary. Similarly, the database stored in the money management server 40 will also be referred to as the money management database, and the database stored in the affiliate management server 45 will also be referred to as the affiliate database. Each of these databases need only be stored in a storage device on the network and be able to be referenced and updated as needed; they do not necessarily have to be stored on each server. For example, all databases may be stored on a single server, or one or more databases may be stored on a network-attached storage device such as a network-attached storage (NAS). Alternatively, one or more databases may be stored on an external storage device, such as an external HDD or external SSD, attached to one of the servers or another device on the network.

[0038] The point management database of this embodiment stores point information, which is information related to points. In detail, the point management database stores, as point information, at least information (user) indicating a user (player) who owns points, information (owned point information) indicating the number (amount) of points owned by the user, information indicating the user's point usage status, and information indicating the point conversion rate, all of which are associated with each other. "Information indicating the usage status of points" is, for example, information indicating the location where the process of granting or consuming points was performed (game arcade 2, store of affiliated company 6, etc.), information indicating the content of the process, information indicating the date and time the process was performed, and information indicating the points granted or consumed (granted point information, consumed point information). "Information indicating the point conversion rate" is also information indicating the monetary value per unit point, for example, 1 point is equivalent to 1 yen, and is information indicating the conversion ratio (exchange rate) between points and money when points are used instead of money.

[0039] In other words, by acquiring "information indicating the point usage status," it becomes possible to display a transaction log of transactions related to points. In addition, in this embodiment, when the process of granting or consuming points mentioned above involves obtaining points through the sale of a prize, or obtaining a prize in exchange for points (purchasing a prize with points paid for) (details will be described later), the "information indicating the content of the process" is stored in association with information that can identify the prize that is the subject of the process.

[0040] The prize management database of this embodiment stores prize-related information, which is information about prizes to be provided to users. In detail, the prize management database stores, as prize-related information, at least information indicating the prize (prize name, model number, manufacturer name, etc.), information indicating the market price when the prize is sold (estimated selling price), and information indicating the number of points (point amount) when the market price when the prize is sold, all in association with each other. Furthermore, the prize-related information of this embodiment stores image information of the prize in association with information indicating the prize. That is, by acquiring the prize-related information, it becomes possible to specify a prize and display an image of the specified prize.

[0041] Furthermore, in the prize-related information of this embodiment, information indicating the prize is associated with information regarding the user's evaluation of the prize. In detail, the information regarding the user's evaluation includes information based on input from a user who acquired the prize through a prize exchange (second prize exchange, described in detail below). The information regarding the user's evaluation also includes information based on input from a user who sold the prize to another user via the prize buying and selling system 1. The information regarding the user's evaluation also includes information based on input from a user who acquired the prize through a prize purchase from another user via the prize buying and selling system 1 (described in detail below).

[0042] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the prize-related information is associated with information indicating the prize, and buying and selling restriction information indicating whether the prize cannot be bought or sold. For example, if the manufacturer prohibits the resale of the prize for some reason, the flag for the buying and selling restriction information can be turned on to make the prize unavailable for buying and selling via the prize buying and selling system 1.

[0043] Furthermore, the prize management database stores user-owned prize information, which is information about prizes acquired by users. In detail, the prize management database stores prize-related information, which is at least information indicating the user, information indicating the prizes owned by the user, and information indicating the location of the prizes, in association with each other. The "information indicating the location of the prize" is information indicating whether the prize owned by the user is under the control of the user (located in the user's possession) or under the control of the prize management company 4 (located in the prize management warehouse 36). If the prize is under the control of the prize management company 4, information indicating the location of management (such as the name and address of the prize management warehouse 36) is stored in association with the prize.

[0044] Furthermore, the prize management database of this embodiment stores transaction history information, which is information related to the user's transaction history of prizes. In detail, the prize management database stores, as transaction history information, at least information indicating the user, information identifying the transaction (exchange, sale, purchase) performed by the user, information indicating the date and time the transaction was performed, and information identifying the prize that was the subject of the transaction, all in association with each other. This transaction history information is associated with prize-related information and user-owned prize information.

[0045] Next, the flow of prize exchange in the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment will be explained. The prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment allows prize exchange at the prize exchange office 16 of the amusement facility 2 (first prize exchange), prize exchange using an app on a user's terminal (second prize exchange), and prize exchange in which prizes are obtained in exchange for points at a sales store of the affiliated company 6 (third prize exchange).

[0046] (First prize exchange) When a user (player) exchanges game media for a prize at the prize exchange office 16, as shown in FIG. 4, an employee of the gaming facility 2 uses the information acquisition means 21 to acquire information identifying the user from the user's terminal (STEP 1). Also, around the same time, the employee uses the information acquisition means 21 to acquire information indicating the number of game media acquired from the receipt issued when the game media are measured by the measuring device 12 (STEP 2). The employee then provides the user with a prize designated by the user that can be exchanged for the acquired game media. In other words, ownership of the prize designated by the user is transferred to the user.

[0047] In this embodiment, when ownership of a prize is transferred to a user, the user can choose whether to accept the prize as is or have the prize managed by the prize management company 4. If the user chooses to accept the prize as is (Yes in STEP 3), an employee of the amusement facility 2 hands over the prize to the user (STEP 4) and inputs information about this prize exchange into the management computer 20 (STEP 5). The information about the prize exchange includes at least information indicating the exchanged prize, information indicating whether the prize has been handed over to the user, information indicating that the prize has been exchanged for gaming media, and information indicating the amount of gaming media used in the exchange. That is, the prize is handed over directly to the user, ownership of the prize is transferred to the user, and the prize is placed under the control of the user. Then, information indicating the user and information regarding the prize exchange are transmitted from the management computer 20 to the prize management server 35, and the prize management database (user-owned prize information) is updated (STEP 6).

[0048] Furthermore, if the user chooses not to receive the prize immediately (No in STEP 3), for example, if there is no prize that the user strongly desires to obtain, an employee of the amusement facility 2 will enter information regarding this prize exchange into the management computer 20 (STEP 7). Then, information identifying the user and information regarding the prize exchange are sent from the management computer 20 to the prize management server 35, and the prize management database (user-owned prize information) is updated (STEP 8). Before or after this, or in parallel, ownership of the prize selected by the user and managed by the prize management company 4 (stored in the prize management warehouse 36) is transferred to the user (STEP 9). The prize continues to be under the management of the prize management company 4.

[0049] When a user (player) exchanges points for a prize at the prize exchange office 16, an employee of the amusement facility 2 uses the information acquisition means 21 to acquire information identifying the user from the user's terminal (STEP 1A), as shown in Fig. 5. Then, the management computer 20 acquires information regarding the number of points held by the user (point information corresponding to the identified user) (STEP 2A). In detail, information indicating the user is transmitted from the management computer 20 to the point management server 30, and the point management server 30 refers to the point management database based on the information indicating the user to identify the number of points held by the user, and then transmits information regarding the number of points held by the user to the management computer 20.

[0050] Then, ownership of the prize designated by the user is transferred to the user, but in this case, as in the above case, the user can choose whether to accept the prize as is or have the prize managed by the prize management company 4. If the user chooses to accept the prize as is (Yes in STEP 3A), the above-mentioned STEP 4A and STEP 5A are executed. Note that STEP 4A and STEP 5A are similar to STEP 4 and STEP 5 described above, but the information regarding the prize exchange entered in STEP 5A includes at least information indicating the prize exchanged, information indicating whether the prize was handed over to the user, information indicating that the prize was exchanged for points, and information indicating the number of points (point amount) used in the exchange.

[0051] Then, information indicating the user and information regarding the prize exchange are transmitted from the management computer 20 to the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30. Then, the prize management database (user-owned prize information) and the point management database (point information) are updated (STEP 6A).

[0052] If the user chooses not to receive the prize immediately (No in STEP 3A), an employee of the game center 2 enters information regarding this prize exchange into the management computer 20 (STEP 7A). Then, information indicating the user and information regarding prize exchange are sent from the management computer 20 to the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30. Then, the prize management database (user-owned prize information) and the point management database (point information) are updated (STEP 8A). Before or after this, or in parallel, ownership of the prize selected by the user and managed by the prize management company 4 (stored in the prize management warehouse 36) is transferred to the user (STEP 9A). The prize continues to be under the management of the prize management company 4. As described above, in the first prize exchange, the application that displays information indicating the user from the user's terminal, the management computer 20, the prize management server 35, the point management server 30, and the applications running on each server work together to function as a prize exchange unit. The prize exchange unit functions as a prize exchange unit that exchanges game points acquired by a user (gaming user) at the game facility for ownership of prizes. The prize exchange unit can also transfer ownership of prizes managed in the prize management warehouse 36 to the user through exchange.

[0053] (Second prize exchange) When a user (player) uses an app on a user-owned terminal to obtain a prize, the user first launches a prize exchange app on the user-owned terminal (STEP 1B), as shown in FIG. The prize exchange app then queries the prize management server 35 for prize-related information, user-owned prize information, and transaction history information, and queries the point management server 30 for point information (STEP 2B). That is, the prize exchange app transmits signals requesting this information to each of the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30. More specifically, the query to the point management server 30 requests information including the number of points held by the user, based on information indicating the user that is stored in the user's terminal or obtained by user input.

[0054] When the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30 receive the signal from the prize exchange app, they each transmit the requested information to the prize exchange app (STEP 3B, STEP 4B). As a result, the prize exchange app obtains various pieces of information.

[0055] Next, the prize exchange app displays a prize selection screen 50 (see FIG. 7) on a display means (such as a monitor) based on the acquired information (STEP 5B). Then, with the prize selection screen 50 displayed on the user's device, the user selects a prize to acquire and consumes the required points to approve ownership of the selected prize (details will be described later). This transfers ownership of the selected prize to the user (STEP 6B). Note that in the second prize exchange, the user can also choose whether to receive the prize (keep the prize under their own management) or have the prize managed by the prize management company 4.

[0056] Then, when the user acquires the prize (when ownership of the prize is transferred to the user), the prize exchange app transmits information identifying the user and information related to the prize exchange to the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30 (STEP 7B). Then, the prize management database (user-owned prize information) and the point management database (point information) are updated, respectively (STEP 8B, STEP 9B).

[0057] If the user chooses to keep the prize under their own management (keep it with them), the prize management company 4 will carry out a process to deliver the prize selected by the user from among the prizes it manages to the specified location (for example, the user's home address). That is, information indicating that the prize management company 4 has confirmed the shipment (or that shipment has begun, or that shipment is in progress) is sent from the prize management database to the user's terminal, and this information is displayed on the display means of the user's terminal. On the other hand, if the user chooses to keep the prize under the management of the prize management company 4, the prize will continue to be under the management of the prize management company 4.

[0058] Here, the above-mentioned prize selection screen 50 will be explained. The prize selection screen 50 displays an exchange prize search section 51, an exchange prize selection section 52, an exchange prize display section 53, a first recommended prize display section 54, a second recommended prize display section 55, and an evaluation input button section 56, and is a screen that allows each section to be viewed simultaneously.

[0059] The exchange prize search unit 51 has an input receiving unit 51a and an execution button unit 51b. That is, by inputting a character string for narrowing down the desired prizes into the input receiving unit 51a and pressing the execution button unit 51b, the display content of the exchange prize display unit 53 is switched and the target prizes are displayed. Note that "pressing a button" here is not limited to tapping a button when the user-owned terminal is a touch panel. For example, if the user-owned terminal is a PC, it includes an operation of moving the cursor to the execution button section 51b and clicking the mouse, or an operation of pressing a specific key on the keyboard. In other words, it is not limited to an operation of simply pressing a button by a person, but includes all selection operations equivalent to pressing a button depending on the device used as the terminal. This also applies to the following explanation.

[0060] The exchange prize selection section 52 is a section that displays multiple prize items, and in this embodiment, it is composed of multiple tabs with the name of each item written on them. That is, by selecting one of the tabs, the display of the exchange prize display section 53 is switched, and the prizes belonging to the item are displayed.

[0061] The exchange prize display section 53 is a section that displays information about one or more prizes, and displays one or more prize display areas 53a. The prize display area 53a is a section that displays information about one prize, and in this embodiment, it displays an image of the prize, the prize name, the number of points required to exchange it, and an outline of the prize. For example, the prize display area 53a located at the top of Fig. 7 displays a T-shirt with the prize name XX, and the second prize display area 53a from the top displays pants with the prize name △△.

[0062] Furthermore, an evaluation button section 53b is displayed in each prize display area 53a. That is, by pressing the portion of the exchange prize display section 53 where the evaluation button section 53b is displayed, an evaluation display screen (not shown) is displayed on which the evaluation of the prize displayed in the prize display area 53a can be visually confirmed.

[0063] The rating display screen is a screen that displays ratings by users who have previously acquired the same prize through exchange (users with exchange history). In addition, the rating display screen of this embodiment is also a screen that displays ratings by users who have previously sold the same prize to other users via the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment (users with selling history). It is also a screen that displays ratings by users who have previously purchased the same prize from other users via the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment (users with purchasing history). The same prize here refers to different individual prizes that have the same prize information, such as the prize name, etc. In other words, the same prize does not mean that the prizes are the same as individuals, but that the prizes (types of prizes) are the same. Furthermore, the evaluation referred to here may be an evaluation that quantifies satisfaction, such as a multi-level evaluation (e.g., a 5-level evaluation, a 10-level evaluation, etc.) or a score evaluation (e.g., how many points out of 100, how many points out of 10, etc.). It may also be an evaluation based on comments (character strings) such as word-of-mouth information. In other words, the "evaluation" referred to here is not necessarily limited to the result of judging the value of the prize, but also includes information that can be useful (can serve as information for judgment) when a person judges the value of the prize, such as the reason for the transaction such as an exchange, or the impression after using it. That is, according to this embodiment, when exchanging a prize, the user can refer to the opinions of other users who have previously acquired the same prize through an exchange, other users who have previously sold the same prize, and other users who have previously purchased the same prize from other users, which allows the user to exchange prizes more appropriately.

[0064] The first recommended prize display section 54 displays prizes that are predicted to be highly likely to be desired by the user using the user terminal, based on information about the individual user. If there are multiple prizes to be displayed, all of the prizes are displayed in a list. In detail, the prizes to be displayed in the first recommended prize display section 54 are determined by the prize buying and selling system 1 (prize exchange app) based on the user's transaction history information. For example, conditions are set in advance, such as -10 points for a prize sold by the user, -1 point for a prize of the same category as the prize sold, -20 points for a prize identical to the prize purchased, +3 points for a prize of the same category as the prize purchased, etc. Then, points for multiple prizes are calculated based on the transaction history information and the predetermined conditions, and a predetermined number (multiple prizes) of the prizes with the highest points are displayed.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first recommended prize display unit 54 displays an image of one target prize and multiple prize display areas 54a displaying the number of points required to exchange for that prize. When the user performs an operation to select one of the prize display areas 54a, the selected prize is displayed in the exchange prize display unit 53 (prize display area 53a).

[0066] The prizes displayed in the first recommended prize display unit 54 may be determined based on user preference-related information such as the user's profile information and information about the user's interests. For example, prizes may be scored based on the user, age, gender, hobbies, etc., and the prizes to be displayed may be determined based on the user's profile information, age, sex, hobbies, etc. In other words, the prizes to be displayed may be determined based on at least one of the transaction history information and the user preference-related information. The user preference information may be acquired by displaying an input form and inputting it into the input form when the prize buying and selling system 1 (prize exchange application) is started. The information may then be stored in any server or in the storage means on the network, and may be acquired as needed.

[0067] The second recommended prize display section 55 is a section that displays prizes that are predicted to be highly likely to be desired for exchange by users based on the transaction history information of multiple users who use the prize buying and selling system 1. In detail, a predetermined number (for example, 10) of prizes that users have acquired through prize exchanges within a predetermined period (for example, the past three months from the time of use) are displayed in order of the number of prizes that they have acquired most frequently.

[0068] In this embodiment, the second recommended prize display section 55 displays an image of one target prize and a plurality of prize display areas 55a each displaying the number of points required to exchange for that prize. When the user performs an operation to select one of the prize display areas 55a, the selected prize is displayed in the exchange prize display section 53 (prize display area 53a).

[0069] In addition, the second recommended prize display unit 55 of this embodiment may display a predetermined number of prizes in descending order of the number of prizes sold by users via the prize buying and selling system 1 within a predetermined period, or may display a predetermined number of prizes in descending order of the number of prizes purchased by users via the prize buying and selling system 1. In other words, in addition to prizes that are popular as exchange items, it may also display prizes that are popular as sale items and prizes that are popular as purchase items, and these displays may be switchable.

[0070] The evaluation input button section 56 is a section that, when pressed, displays a first evaluation input screen (evaluation input screen, not shown) for inputting an evaluation of a prize that the user has previously acquired through exchange. The first evaluation input screen has an area where prizes that the user has previously acquired through exchanges are displayed, and if there are multiple prizes available, a list of the multiple prizes is displayed in this area. By selecting a prize, inputting a rating, and confirming the input, the input of the prize rating is confirmed, and information identifying the user and information including the input is sent to the prize management server 35, and the prize management database is updated. The input rating is a rating that quantifies satisfaction level, etc., or a rating in the form of a comment (character string).

[0071] When the user selects a prize to exchange, the user performs an operation of selecting the prize display area 53a in which the prize they want to select is displayed in the exchange prize display unit 53. Then, a confirmation screen (not shown) is displayed, asking the user whether they are willing to exchange the prize displayed in the prize display area 53a for a predetermined number of points (the number of points required for exchange). Then, with the confirmation screen displayed, the user confirms (approves) the prize exchange, and the prize exchange is carried out.

[0072] In the second prize exchange, the prize exchange app running on the user's terminal, the prize management server 35, the point management server 30, and the apps running on each server work together to function as a prize exchange section. Furthermore, as mentioned above, these are linked together to function as a management confirmation unit that confirms whether or not the prizes whose ownership has been transferred to the user will continue to be managed in the prize management warehouse 36. Furthermore, as mentioned above, these are linked together to function as an exchangeable prize display unit that displays prizes that can be exchanged for points (ownership of which can be transferred to the gaming user in exchange for gaming points) on the display means of the user's terminal. Furthermore, as described above, these are linked together to function as an exchangeable prize evaluation display section that displays the user's evaluation of prizes that can be exchanged for points. Furthermore, as mentioned above, these are linked together and function as a first shipping information display unit that displays information regarding the shipping when the prize that the user (game user) has exchanged for points is shipped (delivered) from the prize management warehouse 36 to a location specified by the user. Furthermore, as described above, these work together to function as a first exchange desired prize prediction unit and a first predicted exchange prize display unit, which identify and display prizes that are predicted to be highly likely to be desired by a single user based on information about that individual user. Furthermore, as described above, these are linked together and function as a second exchange desired prize prediction unit and a second predicted exchange prize display unit that identify and display prizes that are predicted to be highly likely to be desired by a specific user based on information about the past transaction history of multiple users. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has as its functional parts a management confirmation part, an exchangeable prize display part, an exchangeable prize evaluation display part, a first shipping information display part, a first exchange desired prize prediction part, a first predicted exchange prize display part, a second exchange desired prize prediction part, and a second predicted exchange prize display part.

[0073] (Third prize exchange) When a user (player) wants to exchange points for a prize at a sales store of affiliated company 6, the user goes to the sales store where points can be used and selects a prize to exchange the points for from the products handled by the sales store. The user (player) then informs an employee (clerk) of the sales store that he or she will use the points to obtain the prize.

[0074] 8, an employee of the store uses information acquisition means 46 to acquire information indicating the user from the user's terminal (STEP 1C). Then, the affiliated management server 45 acquires information regarding the number of points held by the user (point information corresponding to the identified user) (STEP 2C). Specifically, information indicating the user is sent from the affiliated management server 45 to the point management server 30, and the point management server 30 refers to the point management database based on the information indicating the user to identify the number of points held by the user. Then, the point management server 30 sends information regarding the number of points held by the user to the affiliated management server 45.

[0075] Here, in the third prize exchange, when the ownership of the prize is transferred to the user, the user can choose whether to accept the prize as is or have the prize managed by the prize management company 4. If the user selects to accept the prize as is (Yes in STEP 3C), the selected prize is handed over to the user by an employee of the retail store (STEP 4C). In other words, ownership of the prize is transferred to the user, and the prize is placed under the user's control. Before or after this, or in parallel, the retail store clerk operates a device in the retail store and inputs information about this prize exchange into the affiliated management server 45 (STEP 5C). In other words, the retail store clerk operates a device different from the affiliated management server 45, and a signal is sent from the operated device to the affiliated management server 45, or the retail store clerk directly operates the affiliated management server 45 to input the information. The information regarding the input prize exchange includes at least information indicating the exchanged prize, information indicating whether the prize was handed over to the user, information indicating that the prize was exchanged for points, and information indicating the number of points (point amount) used in the exchange.

[0076] Then, the affiliated management server 45 transmits information indicating the user and information regarding the prize exchange to the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30. Then, the prize management database (user-owned prize information) and the point management database (point information) are updated (STEP 6C).

[0077] Also, if the user chooses not to receive the prize immediately (No in STEP 3C), the store employee will collect the prize selected by the user without handing it over to the user, and enter information regarding this prize exchange into the affiliated management server 45 (STEP 7C).

[0078] Then, information identifying the user and information regarding prize exchange are sent from the affiliated management server 45 to the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30. Then, the prize management database (user-owned prize information) and the point management database (point information) are updated (STEP 8C). Before or after, or in parallel, ownership of a prize that is the same prize as the prize selected by the user but a different individual prize, managed by the prize management company 4 (stored in the prize management warehouse 36), is transferred to the user (STEP 9C). In this case, the prize continues to be under the management of the prize management company 4.

[0079] As described above, in the third prize exchange, the prize exchange app running on the user's terminal, the prize management server 35, the point management server 30, the affiliated management server 45, and the apps running on each server work together to function as a prize exchange section.

[0080] Next, the process by which a user puts up and sells a prize and the process by which a user purchases a prize put up for sale by another user in the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 9 to 15.

[0081] (Sale of prizes) In the prize buying and selling system 1, when a user wants to sell a prize that he or she has acquired, the user launches a prize buying and selling app on the user's terminal. Then, a main screen 60 of the prize buying and selling app is displayed on the display means of the user's terminal (see FIG. 9).

[0082] The main screen 60 is a screen on which a prize sale button section 61, a prize purchase button section 62, and a history display button section 63 are displayed. The prize selling button section 61 is a section where, when pressed, a prize selling selection screen 67 (see FIG. 10) is displayed. The prize purchase button section 62 is a section where, when pressed, a purchase prize selection screen 115 (see FIG. 14) is displayed. The history display button section 63 is a section where, when pressed, a history display screen (not shown) is displayed on which the user's past buying and selling history is displayed.

[0083] That is, when the history display button section 63 is pressed, the prize buying and selling app inquires about transaction history information from the prize management server 35 and acquires the transaction history information. Then, based on the transaction history information, information about transactions previously conducted by the user is displayed on a history display screen (not shown). Note that the information about transactions previously conducted by the user is also information about the usage status of the prize buying and selling app (prize buying and selling system 1). That is, the history display screen displays information including at least information identifying transactions (sales, purchases) made by the user, information indicating the date and time of the transactions, information identifying the prizes involved in the transactions, profits (amount, number of points) obtained from the sales, or monetary value (amount, number of points) consumed from the purchases. If multiple transactions have been made in the past, a list of the multiple transactions and information about each transaction is displayed. The history display screen may be configured to allow a transaction history report to be exported by performing a predetermined operation. The transaction history report referred to here is a display format that shows the changes in transaction history over a predetermined period (e.g., one year) in an easy-to-understand manner. In detail, as an example, the predetermined period (one year) is divided into multiple subperiods (e.g., one month), and a graph is generated that shows the changes in the number of transactions (the number of sales transactions, the number of purchase transactions, or the total number of transactions) for each subperiod. Information about past transactions, including the generated graph, is then displayed, and when the user approves the output, it is output in a predetermined format. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment has a transaction history information display unit as a functional unit that displays information about a user's transaction history, and the above-mentioned prize buying and selling app and server work together to function as the transaction history information display unit.

[0084] Returning to the main screen 60, when the user presses the prize selling button 61, the prize buying and selling app queries the prize management server 35 and the point management server 30 for necessary information (prize-related information, user-owned prize information, transaction history information, point information, etc.) and acquires the information. Then, as shown in Figure 10, a prize selling selection screen 67 is displayed on the display means of the user-owned terminal.

[0085] The prize for sale selection screen 67 is a screen that displays a prize for sale search section 71, a prize for sale selection section 72, a prize for sale display section 73, an item for sale button section 74, an individual registration button section 75, an evaluation input button section 76, and an inquiry button section 77, and is a screen that allows each section to be viewed simultaneously.

[0086] The prize for sale search unit 71 has an input receiving unit 71a and an execution button unit 71b. That is, by inputting a character string for narrowing down the desired prizes into the input receiving unit 71a and pressing the execution button unit 71b, the display content of the prize for sale display unit 73 is switched and the target prizes are displayed.

[0087] The prize for sale selection section 72 displays multiple prize items, and in this embodiment, it is composed of multiple tabs with the name of each item written on them. That is, by selecting one of the tabs, the display of the prize for sale display section 73 is switched, and the prizes belonging to the item are displayed.

[0088] The prize for sale display section 73 is a section that displays information about one or more prizes, and is a section that displays prizes owned by the user and prizes that have been individually registered (described in detail later). The prize for sale display section 73, like the exchange prize display section 53 described above, is a section in which one or more prize display areas 73a are displayed, with one prize being displayed in one corresponding prize display area 73a.

[0089] The prize display area 73a displays an image of the prize, the name of the prize, the estimated selling price, and an outline of the prize. The predicted selling price is the market price (predicted selling price) when the prize is sold, and more specifically, the market price within a predetermined period (for example, the most recent six months based on the displayed date and time). The predicted selling price may be displayed based on the price stored as prize-related information, or may be calculated based on the selling price of the same prize within a predetermined period in the past. For example, the average selling price of the same prize within a predetermined period in the past may be calculated and displayed as the predicted selling price, rounded down to the nearest yen (or rounded up or down). The predicted selling price is displayed as "unknown" if the predicted selling price is not stored in the database or if it cannot be calculated due to the lack of sales records.

[0090] Furthermore, an evaluation button section 73b is displayed in each prize display area 73a. This evaluation button section 73b is similar to the evaluation button section 53b described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] As described above, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional unit that is a user-owned prize display unit that displays prizes (also referred to as game user-owned prizes) whose ownership is transferred to the user (game user) through exchange by the prize exchange unit and which the user owns. The prize buying and selling system 1 also has, as a functional part, an owned prize evaluation display unit that displays the evaluation of a prize owned by a user. In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has, as functional parts, an owned prize value prediction unit (monetary value prediction unit) and an owned prize predicted value display unit that predict and display the monetary value (predicted selling price) of the user-owned prize in the transaction for transfer when the user (gaming user) transfers (sells) ownership of the user-owned prize to another user. These functional units are realized in conjunction with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0092] When a user wants to sell a prize, the user selects the prize display area 73a that displays the prize they want to sell from the multiple prize display areas 73a. This causes an auction setting screen 80 for the prize they want to sell to be displayed, as shown in Fig. 11. Note that Fig. 11 shows the case where the user selects the prize display area 73a located at the top of the prize for sale selection screen 67 in Fig. 10.

[0093] The listing setting screen 80 is a screen that displays a prize information display section 81, a predicted selling price display section 82, a desired selling price input section 83, a selling profit display section 84, a fee display section 85, a points receiving setting section 86, a listing button section 87, a removal button section 88, and a cancellation button section 89. The listing setting screen 80 allows the above sections to be viewed simultaneously.

[0094] The prize information display section 81 is an area that displays information about the prize that is about to be put up for sale, and in this embodiment, an image of the prize and a character string indicating the name of the prize are displayed. The predicted selling price display section 82 is an area where the predicted selling price is displayed, that is, the predicted selling price that is stored in advance in a database or that has been calculated is displayed. The desired selling price input section 83 is an area where the user inputs the desired selling price (desired selling price). The desired selling price input section 83 in this embodiment is an area where the desired selling price is input in an amount in a predetermined currency (Japanese yen in this embodiment), and when the user inputs the desired selling price, the input amount is displayed.

[0095] The sales profit display section 84 is an area that shows the monetary value (sales profit) that the user will obtain if the prize is sold at the desired selling price. In this embodiment, the sales profit display section 84 displays the sales profit in a predetermined currency (the same currency as the amount entered in the desired selling price input section 83), which is an amount equivalent to the monetary value that the user will obtain by selling the prize. The sales profit is a value minus a desired selling price fee, and when the user enters the desired selling price in the desired selling price input section 83, the prize exchange app (princess trading system 1) automatically calculates the sales profit and displays it in the sales profit display section 84.

[0096] The fee display section 85 is a section that shows the fee that the user who sold the prize will pay to the money management company 5 when the sale is completed. The fee is a fixed percentage (5 percent in this embodiment) of the sales amount (transaction amount), and this percentage is set in advance. In this embodiment, when the user inputs the desired selling price into the desired selling price input section 83, the prize exchange app (princess buying and selling system 1) automatically calculates the fee and displays it on the fee display section 85.

[0097] The point receiving setting section 86 is a section where the user inputs the form of receipt of the sale profit desired by the user. Here, in the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment, when the user receives the sale profit of the prize, the user can select to receive it in money (money in a predetermined currency, Japanese yen in this embodiment) or in points. That is, if the user chooses to receive the sales profit in cash, the user selects "No" with the toggle switch in the points reception setting unit 86. On the other hand, if the user chooses to receive the sales profit in points, the user selects "Yes" with the toggle switch in the points reception setting unit 86.

[0098] The listing button section 87 is a section to be pressed when listing an item under the conditions displayed in the above-mentioned sections, such as the desired selling price input section 83. When the listing button section 87 is pressed, a final confirmation screen (not shown) may be displayed that displays a confirmation message asking "Do you want to list?" and "Yes" and "No" buttons. In other words, the listing may be confirmed by pressing the listing button section 87, or by pressing the "Yes" button on the final confirmation screen.

[0099] The remove button section 88 is the section that is pressed when removing a prize displayed in the prize information display section 81 from the prize for sale display section 73 of the prize for sale selection screen 67. In other words, if you decide that you still want to keep a prize that was displayed on the listing setting screen 80, by pressing the remove button section 88, the prize will no longer be displayed in the prize for sale display section 73. Note that pressing the remove button section 88 may also display a final confirmation screen (not shown) with a confirmation message such as "Do you want to remove it from the list?"

[0100] The cancel button section 89 is a section that is pressed when the displayed prize is not put up for auction and the prize for sale selection screen 67 is displayed (return to the prize for sale selection screen 67).

[0101] That is, the prize buying and selling system 1 has as its functional parts a predicted profit calculation part and a predicted profit display part that calculate and display the predicted value of the profit that a user (gaming user) will earn in a transaction for transferring (selling) ownership of a prize owned by the user to another user. The predicted profit calculation part calculates the predicted value of the profit based on information on the desired selling price and information on the fee. In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a point receipt confirmation unit as a functional unit that confirms with a user (gaming user) whether or not the user can receive points representing the monetary value (profit) that the user will gain in the transaction for the transfer. These functional units are realized in conjunction with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0102] Returning to Fig. 10, the Now Exhibiting button section 74 is a section that, when pressed, displays an exhibited prize display screen 95 (see Fig. 12) that displays prizes that the user has exhibited in the past. If there is a buyer for a prize that has been exhibited in the past, information indicating this (for example, a mark indicating this) may be displayed in the Now Exhibiting button section 74. In other words, the Now Exhibiting button section 74 may be a section that changes the display content depending on whether there is a buyer or not. That is, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a transfer request notification unit as a functional unit that notifies the user (game user) when another user requests the transfer of ownership of the prize (request to purchase). This functional unit is realized in cooperation with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 12, the exhibition prize display screen 95 is a screen on which an exhibition prize display section 97 and a back button section 98 are displayed, and each section can be viewed simultaneously. The back button section 98 is a section that is pressed to display the previous screen (gift for sale selection screen 67, see FIG. 10) (to return to the previous screen).

[0104] The put-up prize display section 97 is a section that displays information about one or more prizes, and is a section that displays prizes that the user has put up for auction in the past. The exhibited prize display section 97, like the exchange prize display section 53 described above, is a section in which one or more prize display areas 97a are displayed, with one prize being displayed in one corresponding prize display area 97a.

[0105] The prize display area 97a displays an image of the prize, the name of the prize, the desired selling price, and the number of people who wish to purchase it. The desired selling price is the price entered by the user in the desired selling price input section 83 (see FIG. 11) when putting the item up for sale. The number of potential buyers is the number of other users who wish to purchase the target prize (the prize displayed in the prize display area 97a), and is the number of potential buyers at the time (or after the start) of the display operation of the exhibited prize display section 97. In detail, it is the number of potential buyers at the time information is acquired for displaying the exhibited prize display section 97.

[0106] In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional unit that is a transfer candidate prize display unit that displays prizes (also called transfer candidate prizes) among the prizes owned by a user (gaming user) that are candidates for transferring ownership to another user. In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has, as functional parts, a transfer applicant identification unit that identifies other users (purchasers) who have applied to transfer ownership of the transfer candidate prize, and a transfer applicant number display unit that displays the number of such other users (number of purchasers). These functional units are realized in conjunction with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0107] When a user wants to sell a prize to another user, the user selects the prize display area 97a that displays the prize for which the number of potential buyers is one or more. This causes a potential buyer selection screen 102 to be displayed, as shown in FIG.

[0108] The purchaser selection screen 102 has a prize information display section 106 , a purchaser display section 107 , a purchaser number display section 108 , and a back button section 109 .

[0109] The prize information display section 106 is an area that displays information about prizes that users have put up for sale in the past, and in this embodiment, an image of the prize and a character string indicating the name of the prize are displayed.

[0110] The intended purchaser display section 107 is a section that displays information about one or more intended purchasers, and displays one or more purchaser display areas 107a. The purchaser display area 107a is a section that displays information about one purchaser, and in this embodiment, it displays the name of the intended purchaser, the rating of the intended purchaser, and the desired purchase price offered by the intended purchaser. For example, the purchaser display area 107a located at the top of Fig. 13 displays information about User A, another user who wishes to purchase the prize A put up by the user. The second purchaser display area 107a from the top displays information about User B, another user different from User A, who wishes to purchase the prize A put up by the user. The name of the potential purchaser is not limited to the real name, but may be any user name registered by the potential purchaser, including a pseudonym, nickname, etc. In this embodiment, it is the user name of the potential purchaser. The evaluation of a potential purchaser is the evaluation of one or more users who have sold a prize to that potential purchaser in the past, and is the evaluation of that potential purchaser as a purchaser. In this embodiment, one or more users rate the user who has become a purchaser on a score (how many points out of 100 they rate), and the average score is displayed. Note that the evaluation may also be displayed as comments (character strings) from one or more users by selecting the portion where the evaluation score is displayed.

[0111] That is, the intended purchaser display unit 107 of this embodiment displays the evaluation and desired purchase price of the intended purchaser, so that the user can choose not to sell to a intended purchaser with a low evaluation even if the desired purchase price is high. That is, when the user sells a prize, the user can select a buyer that is more preferable to the user. As described above, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional unit that is a transfer applicant information display unit that displays to a single user (gaming user) information about other users (purchasers) who have applied to transfer ownership of a transfer candidate prize. In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional unit that is a second trading partner evaluation display unit that displays to one user (gaming user) the evaluation of another user who has applied to transfer ownership of a transfer candidate prize as a trading partner. Furthermore, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a second desired value display unit that displays to one user (game user) the set value (purchase price) of the monetary value of the transfer candidate prize set by another user who has applied for the transfer of ownership of the transfer candidate prize. These functional units are realized in conjunction with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0112] When a user wants to sell a prize, the user selects the purchaser display area 107a in which the user who wants to sell is displayed in the purchaser display section 107. This confirms the sale of the prize by the user who will be the seller (the purchase of the prize by another user who will be the buyer). At this time, the purchaser display area 107a may be configured to display a final confirmation screen (not shown) with a confirmation message such as "Do you want to sell to this user?" by selecting it. In other words, the sale of the user's prize may be confirmed on the condition that the "Yes" button is pressed on the final confirmation screen.

[0113] That is, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional unit, a request confirmation unit, which confirms whether or not the ownership of a prize (a prize candidate for transfer) can be transferred when another user (a potential purchaser) requests the transfer of ownership of the prize. This functional unit is realized in cooperation with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0114] The number of would-be purchasers display section 108 is a section that displays the total number of would-be purchasers of the prize displayed in the prize information display section 106. In detail, the total number of would-be purchasers is the total number of would-be purchasers at the time when information is acquired for displaying the number of would-be purchasers display section 108. The back button section 109 is a section that is pressed to display the previous screen, similar to the above-described back button section 98. That is, by pressing this back button section 109, the prize for sale display screen 95 is displayed.

[0115] Returning to Figure 10, the individual registration button section 75 is the section that is pressed when registering a prize that has previously been excluded from the prize for sale display section 73 or a prize that has been acquired without going through the prize buying and selling system 1 as an item for sale, and pressing it displays a prize registration screen (not shown). The prize registration screen has a prize image input section where the user inputs an image of the prize, and a prize information input section where the user inputs information about the prize (prize name, summary, etc.). If the user's terminal is a smartphone, the prize image input section and prize information input section may be displayed sequentially, and the prize image input section may be configured to input an image of the target prize by taking a picture of the prize with the smartphone camera. That is, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a prize registration unit as a functional unit that registers prizes whose ownership is to be transferred to other users. This functional unit is realized in cooperation with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0116] Here, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a prize image analysis unit as a functional unit that identifies prizes by analyzing images of the prizes. This functional unit is realized by linking the above-mentioned prize exchange app and server (prize management server 35). More specifically, when images are input to the prize image input unit, at least one of the input images is an image that includes a feature point of the prize, such as an image that includes a barcode of the prize. Note that there may be one or more images that include a feature point, and the feature point may be at least a part of the shape of the prize (at least a part of the prize that is predetermined for each prize), a part where the product name is written, etc.

[0117] In this embodiment, if the prize name of the prize identified by the prize image analysis unit differs from the prize name entered by the user (if the prize name entered by the user is incorrect), the prize exchange app (prize buying and selling system 1) automatically corrects the prize name. Furthermore, if the prize identified by the prize image analysis unit is a prize that is prohibited from being sold and stored in a database in advance, the prize exchange app (prize buying and selling system 1) of this embodiment displays a message to that effect and cancels the registration of the prize as a sale item. A "prize that is prohibited from being sold" is, for example, a prize that the manufacturer has prohibited from being resold at some point. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a prohibited prize identification unit as a functional unit that identifies prizes that are prohibited from being sold. This functional unit is realized by linking the prize exchange app and server described above.

[0118] The above-mentioned prize for sale display unit 73 may be configured not to display prizes that are prohibited from being bought or sold. That is, when prizes owned by the user are displayed in the prize display area 73a of the prize for sale display unit 73, a determination operation is performed for each prize to be displayed to determine whether or not the prize is prohibited from being bought or sold. Prizes that are prohibited from being bought or sold are then configured not to be displayed in the prize for sale display unit 73. In addition, when the user presses the auction button section 87 (see FIG. 11) on the auction setting screen 80, a determination operation may be performed to determine whether the prize to be auctioned is a prize that is prohibited from being bought or sold. If the prize is a prize that is prohibited from being bought or sold, a message to that effect may be displayed and a process may be performed to cancel the auction.

[0119] The evaluation input button section 76 is a section that is pressed when inputting an evaluation of a prize that the user has sold in the past, an evaluation as a purchaser of another user who has purchased a prize that the user has sold in the past, etc. Pressing this evaluation input button section 76 displays a second evaluation input screen (evaluation input screen, not shown). The second evaluation input screen allows users to input evaluations of prizes sold in the past, such as numerical evaluations of satisfaction with multiple-level evaluations or point evaluations, and evaluations using comments (character strings) like word-of-mouth information. For example, if the sale was decided quickly and at a satisfactory price, the user can input the details as a high evaluation, and if not, the user can input the details as a low evaluation. Similarly, the second evaluation input screen allows users who have previously sold prizes (purchased prizes) to input evaluations using numerical values ​​such as multi-level evaluations or point evaluations to indicate satisfaction, as well as comments (character strings) similar to word-of-mouth information. For example, if the transaction went smoothly, you can input the details as a high evaluation, and if there were any problems with the transaction, you can input the details as a low evaluation. Then, when information regarding the evaluation is entered on the second evaluation input screen and the operation to confirm the input is performed, the entered information is sent to the server (prize management server 35) and the database (prize management database) is updated. That is, the prize buying and selling system 1 has, as a functional unit, an evaluation input unit for inputting evaluations of prizes or other users. This functional unit is realized by linking the prize exchange app and the server described above. More specifically, it has a first evaluation input unit, which is an evaluation input unit where one user (gaming user) makes input and where input begins by pressing the evaluation input button unit 76, and a second evaluation input unit, which is an evaluation input unit where other users (purchasing users) make input and where input begins by pressing the evaluation input button unit 119 described below.

[0120] The inquiry button section 77 is the section that the user presses if they have a question about the prize buying and selling system 1, such as if they have forgotten how to use the prize exchange app. By pressing this button, an inquiry response screen (not shown) will be displayed.

[0121] The inquiry screen may display information about FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). That is, one or more frequently asked questions and their answers may be displayed as text. Furthermore, an inquiry form may be provided, allowing the user to enter the details of the inquiry. Information about the entered question may then be sent to one or more of the above-mentioned servers (e.g., prize management server 35), and the information sent to the server's display means may be displayed. An employee of the above-mentioned company that owns the server (e.g., prize management company 4) may then create an answer to the question and send it to the user's terminal. The answer may then be displayed on the user's terminal. Furthermore, the inquiry response screen may be provided with a chat start button section for the user to ask a question via attended chat and / or unattended chat. By pressing the chat start button section, information for chatting, including information identifying the user, may be sent to one or more of the above-mentioned servers. In the case of attended chat, the user chats with an employee of the above-mentioned company that owns the server and asks the employee a question, and in the case of unattended chat, the user asks a question to an application stored in the server that automatically responds.

[0122] (Purchase prizes) In the prize buying and selling system 1, when a user sells a prize that he or she has acquired, the user displays the main screen 60 of the selling app on the display means of the user's terminal, as described above (see FIG. 9). Then, the user presses the prize purchase button 62, causing the purchase prize selection screen 115 (see FIG. 14) to be displayed.

[0123] As shown in Figure 14, the purchase prize selection screen 115 is a screen that displays a purchase prize search section 116, a purchase prize selection section 117, a purchase prize display section 118, an evaluation input button section 119, and an inquiry button section 120, and is a screen that allows each section to be viewed simultaneously.

[0124] The purchase prize search unit 116 has an input reception unit 116a and an execution button unit 116b. That is, by inputting a character string to narrow down the desired prizes into the input reception unit 116a and pressing the execution button unit 116b, the display content of the purchase prize display unit 118 is switched and the target prize is displayed.

[0125] The purchase prize selection section 117 is a section that displays multiple prize items, and in this embodiment, it is composed of multiple tabs, each with an item name written on it. In other words, by selecting one of the tabs, the display of the purchase prize display section 118 switches, and the prizes belonging to the item are displayed.

[0126] The purchase prize display section 118 is a section that displays information about one or more prizes that can be purchased (that are being put up for sale by other users but have not yet been sold), and displays one or more prize display areas 118a. The prize display area 118a is a section that displays information about one prize, and in this embodiment, displays the image of the prize, the prize name, and the desired selling price. Furthermore, an evaluation button section 118b is displayed in each prize display area 118a. That is, this evaluation button section 118b is similar to the evaluation button section 53b described above, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0127] The evaluation input button section 119 is a section that is pressed when inputting an evaluation of a prize that the user himself / herself has purchased in the past, an evaluation of another user who has put up a prize that the user himself / herself has purchased in the past, etc. In other words, by pressing the evaluation input button section 119, a third evaluation input screen (evaluation input screen, not shown) is displayed. The third evaluation input screen allows users to input evaluations of previously purchased prizes, such as numerical evaluations of satisfaction with multiple-level ratings or points, as well as comments (character strings) similar to word-of-mouth information. For example, if the purchase was decided quickly and at a satisfactory price, the user can input the details as a high evaluation, and if not, the user can input the details as a low evaluation. Similarly, the third evaluation input screen allows users who have previously purchased prizes (prize sellers) to enter evaluations using numerical values ​​such as multi-level evaluations or point evaluations that indicate satisfaction, as well as comments (character strings) similar to word-of-mouth information. For example, if the transaction went smoothly, the details can be entered as a high evaluation, and if there were any problems with the transaction, the details can be entered as a low evaluation. Then, when the user enters information about the evaluation into the third evaluation input screen and performs an operation to confirm the input, the input information is sent to the server (prize management server 35) and the database (prize management database) is updated.

[0128] The inquiry button section 120 is similar to the inquiry button section 77 described above, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0129] In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has as its functional unit an ownership display unit that displays prizes (prizes currently on sale) that a user (gaming user) who wishes to sell has designated as transfer candidates, and the monetary value of those prizes, to other users other than the first user (see purchased prize display unit 118 in Figure 14). The "monetary value of the prize" here refers to the set value (desired selling price) of the monetary value of the transfer candidate prize set by one user (gaming user) at the time of the transaction for the transfer of ownership. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a first desired value display unit as a functional unit that displays the set value of the monetary value of the transfer candidate prize set by the user (gaming user). The prize buying and selling system 1 also has, as a functional part, a transfer candidate prize evaluation display unit that displays the evaluation of a prize (a prize being put up for sale) that one user (gaming user) has designated as a transfer candidate prize.

[0130] When a user purchases a prize, the user selects the prize display area 118a that displays the prize the user wants to purchase from the multiple prize display areas 118a. As a result, a purchase setting screen 125 for the prize the user wants to purchase is displayed, as shown in FIG.

[0131] The purchase setting screen 125 is a screen that displays a prize information display section 126, a seller information display section 127, a desired selling price display section 128, a desired purchase price input section 129, a fee display section 130, a purchase price display section 131, and a point payment setting section 132. Furthermore, the purchase setting screen 125 is a screen that displays a payment method setting section 133, a prize delivery address input section 134, a purchase application button section 135, and a cancel button section 136. On this purchase setting screen 125, each of the above sections can be viewed simultaneously.

[0132] The prize information display section 126 is an area that displays information about the prize to be purchased, and in this embodiment, an image of the prize and a character string indicating the name of the prize are displayed. The seller information display section 127 is a section that displays information about the user who is selling the prize that is about to be purchased, and in this embodiment, it displays the seller name (seller name) and seller rating (seller rating).

[0133] The seller name is not limited to the real name, but may be any user name registered by the seller, including a pseudonym, nickname, etc. In this embodiment, it is the user name of the seller (the seller). The seller's evaluation is an evaluation from one or more users who have previously purchased a prize from the seller, and is the evaluation of the user who will become the seller as a seller. In this embodiment, one or more users rate the seller as a seller (how many points out of 100), and the average of these points is displayed. Note that the evaluation may also be displayed as comments (character strings) from one or more users by selecting the portion where the evaluation points are displayed.

[0134] The desired selling price display section 128 is a section that displays the desired selling price entered by the seller. The desired purchase price input section 129 is an area where the user inputs the desired purchase price (desired purchase price). In this embodiment, the desired purchase price input section 129 is an area where the desired purchase price is input in a predetermined currency (Japanese yen in this embodiment), and when the user inputs the desired purchase price, the input amount is displayed.

[0135] The fee display section 130 is a section that displays the fee that the user who purchased the prize will pay to the money management company 5 when the purchase is completed. The fee is a fixed percentage (5 percent in this embodiment) of the purchase amount (transaction amount), and this percentage is set in advance. In this embodiment, when the user inputs the desired purchase price into the desired purchase price input section 129, the prize exchange app (princess buying and selling system 1) automatically calculates the fee and displays it on the fee display section 85.

[0136] The purchase price display section 131 is an area that displays the monetary value (purchase price, payment amount) that the user will pay when purchasing the prize at the desired purchase price. In this embodiment, the purchase price display section 131 displays the purchase price in a predetermined currency (Japanese yen in this embodiment), which is an amount equivalent to the monetary value that the user will pay when purchasing the prize. The purchase price is the desired purchase price plus a commission fee. In this embodiment, when the user inputs the desired purchase price into the desired purchase price input unit 129, the prize exchange app (prize buying and selling system 1) automatically calculates the purchase price and displays it on the purchase price display unit 131.

[0137] The point payment setting unit 132 is a section where the user inputs the payment method of the purchase price desired by the user. Here, in the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment, when the user pays for the purchase price of a prize, the user can select payment in money (money in a predetermined currency, Japanese yen in this embodiment) or payment in points. That is, when choosing to pay the purchase price in cash, the user selects "No" with the toggle switch in the point payment setting unit 132. On the other hand, when choosing to pay the purchase price in points, the user selects "Yes" with the toggle switch in the point payment setting unit 132.

[0138] The payment method setting section 133 is an area where input is possible when monetary payment is selected in the point payment setting section 132, and is an area where the monetary payment method can be selected and input. In this embodiment, the payment method setting section 133 allows selection from "bank transfer" and "credit card payment." In addition, various payment methods (payment devices) that can be used over the Internet (online) can be adopted for monetary payments in the prize trading system 1, and Internet banking systems and various electronic payments can be adopted. In other words, the prize trading system 1 can adopt payment methods that use publicly known servers, etc. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned credit card payment, electronic payments that can be adopted in the prize buying and selling system 1 can also be made using electronic money or various smartphone payment methods. In this case, the money management server 40 of the money management company 5, the app on the money management server 40, and the app (prize buying and selling app) running on the user's device can function as a payment device for paying money. It is sufficient that the payment between the user and the money management company 5 can be made cashless.

[0139] The prize delivery address input 134 is a section where the user who purchases the prize can input information indicating the desired delivery address of the prize.

[0140] Purchase request button section 135 is a section to be pressed when making a purchase request under the conditions displayed in each of the above-mentioned sections, such as desired purchase price input section 129. Note that pressing purchase request button section 135 may cause a final confirmation screen (not shown) to be displayed, displaying a confirmation message such as "Do you want to make a purchase request?", and pressing the "Yes" button on the final confirmation screen may confirm the purchase request. As described above, after making a purchase offer, the seller selects the person as the buyer, and once the sale is approved, the purchase of the prize is confirmed.

[0141] The cancel button section 136 is a section that is pressed when the purchase gift selection screen 115 is to be displayed without making a purchase offer for the displayed gift (returning to the purchase gift selection screen 115).

[0142] As described above, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a prize request unit as a functional unit through which other users (users seeking transfer of ownership and who will become potential purchasers) request (apply for) transfer of ownership of the prize. Furthermore, the prize buying and selling system 1 has as its functional unit a fee calculation unit that calculates a fee for a user. In detail, it has as its functional units a first fee calculation unit and a first fee display unit (see fee display unit 85 in FIG. 11) that calculate and display a fee for one user (a user who will be the seller and a gaming user). In addition, it has as its functional units a second fee calculation unit and a second fee display unit that calculate and display a fee for another user (a user who will be the purchaser). The prize trading system 1 also has as its functional units a predicted consideration calculation unit and a predicted consideration display unit that calculate and display the predicted value (payment amount) of the monetary value (consideration) that other users will offer in exchange for the transfer of ownership. The predicted consideration calculation unit calculates the predicted value of profit based on information on the desired purchase price and information on fees. In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional unit that is a first trading partner evaluation display unit that displays the evaluation of one user (a user who will be the seller and a gaming user) as a trading partner to other users (users who will be potential purchasers). In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a point payment confirmation unit as a functional unit that confirms with another user (a user who intends to purchase) whether or not the user is willing to pay the monetary value (compensation) in points offered by the user in the transaction for the transfer of ownership. In addition, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a functional part that is a payment method selection part that confirms with another user (a user who intends to purchase) the payment method (payment method) to be used when the other user offers monetary value (value) in the transaction for the transfer of ownership. The prize buying and selling system 1 also has, as a functional part, a destination display part that displays information about the destination when the prize is to be shipped (delivered) after the transaction for the transfer of ownership. These functional units are realized in conjunction with the prize buying and selling app and server described above.

[0143] When a transaction (buying and selling) is concluded (confirmed), information about the transaction is sent from the terminal owned by the seller user to each server. The information about the transaction includes at least "information indicating the user" that identifies the seller user and "information indicating the user" that identifies the purchaser user. The servers to which the information about the transaction is sent are the prize management server 35 and at least one of the money management server 40 and the point management server 30.

[0144] When the information is sent to the prize management server 35, the prize management server 35 references the user-owned prize information and determines whether the prize to be sold is under the control of the user or the prize management company 4 (prize management warehouse 36). In other words, the prize management server 35 and the application running on the prize management server 35 function as a management status determination unit that determines whether the prize to be sold is under the control of the user or the prize management company 4. Then, information indicating the management status of the prize is sent to a prize buying and selling app running on the user-owned device that will be the seller. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 has a management status determination unit as a functional unit.

[0145] When a prize is under the user's control, the prize buying and selling app running on the user's device who will be the seller displays a message on the display means of the user's device who will be the seller, instructing the user to ship the prize to the purchaser. The same display means also transmits a message instructing the user to enter information indicating that shipping has been completed after shipping the prize to the purchaser. The user who will be the seller ships the prize and enters information indicating that shipping has been completed into the user's device. Here, this "information indicating that shipping has been completed" may be configured to be entered by launching the prize buying and selling app, or by launching a shipping app different from the prize buying and selling app. Then, when the information indicating that shipping has been completed is entered, the prize buying and selling system 1 displays a message indicating this on the display means of the user's device who will be the purchaser. The information indicating that shipping has been completed may be displayed on the user's device who will be the purchaser by launching the prize buying and selling app and performing a predetermined operation. Alternatively, the information may be displayed when the user launches an app for displaying delivery information, which is different from the prize buying and selling app, and performs a predetermined operation.

[0146] On the other hand, if the prize is under the management of the prize management company 4, the prize buying and selling app running on the user's device who will be the seller displays a message on the display means of the prize management server 35 instructing the seller to ship the prize to the purchaser. An employee of the prize management company 4 ships the prize to the purchaser and inputs information indicating that shipping has been completed into the prize management server 35. The prize buying and selling system 1 then transmits information indicating that shipping has been completed to the user's device who will be the seller and the user's device who will be the purchaser, and displays information indicating that shipping of the prize has been completed on the display means of each user's device. Note that the information indicating that shipping of the prize has been completed may be displayed by the user launching the prize buying and selling app and performing a predetermined operation. Alternatively, the information may be displayed by the user launching a delivery information display app or the like, which is different from the prize buying and selling app, and performing a predetermined operation. In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 of this embodiment has as a functional unit a second shipping information display unit (shipping information display unit) that displays information about the shipping when the prize whose ownership has been transferred by the transaction to transfer the ownership is shipped (delivered) to a location desired by another user (user who will become the purchaser). Note that the "information about shipping" includes at least any of information indicating the item to be shipped, information indicating the shipping time and / or shipping completion time, information indicating the shipping destination, and information indicating the shipping status. These functional units are realized in conjunction with the prize buying and selling application and server.

[0147] Here, we will explain how the buyer pays the monetary value associated with the purchase (payment of the purchase price and fees) and the seller receives the monetary value associated with the sale (receives the sales profits) when a transaction (sale) is concluded as described above. If the purchaser specifies that the monetary value will be paid in money and the seller specifies that the monetary value will be received in money, as shown in Figure 16, the money management company 5 will bill the purchasing user for the amount equivalent to the monetary value associated with the purchase (STEP 1D). In the following description, a user who will be a seller will also be referred to as a selling user (gaming user), and a user who will be a purchaser will also be referred to as a purchasing user. That is, money management server 40 of money management company 5 transmits information regarding payment to the user's terminal of the purchasing user. Then, a message is displayed on the display means of this user's terminal requesting the purchaser to pay the amount equivalent to the monetary value of the purchase using the payment method specified at the time of purchase application.

[0148] Next, when the purchasing user pays the price (STEP 2D), money management server 40 of money management company 5 notifies the purchasing user that payment has been completed (STEP 3D). That is, money management server 40 sends information indicating that payment has been completed to the purchasing user's user terminal, and displays information indicating that payment has been completed on the display means of the user terminal. The purchasing user's payment is made using the above-mentioned payment device (payment means) that can be used over the Internet.

[0149] Then, money management company 5 pays the selling user the sales profit (STEP 4D). The payment to the selling user is made via the above-mentioned online payment device. Furthermore, money management server 40 updates the money management database (STEP 5D), and the above-mentioned information regarding the payment and receipt of money is stored.

[0150] Next, if the purchaser specifies that the monetary value will be paid in money and the seller specifies that the monetary value will be received in points, as shown in Figure 17, the money management company 5 will bill the purchasing user for the amount equivalent to the monetary value associated with the purchase (STEP 1E). Then, when the purchasing user pays the price (STEP 2E), money management server 40 of money management company 5 notifies the purchasing user that payment has been completed (STEP 3E). Note that STEP 2E and STEP 3E are similar to STEP 2D and STEP 3D described above, and therefore redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0151] Next, money management company 5 requests point management company 3 to award points equivalent to the sales profit to the selling user (STEP 4E). That is, money management server 40 transmits information identifying the selling user and information regarding the sales profit to point management server 30. Then, a message requesting that points equivalent to the monetary value of the sale be awarded is displayed on the display means of point management server 30.

[0152] The point management server 30 calculates the number of points equivalent to the sales profit based on the information indicating the point conversion rate stored in the point management database, and awards the points (STEP 5E). That is, the point management database is updated, and the number of points held by the selling user is increased. In this embodiment, after awarding points to the selling user, the point management server 30 transmits information indicating that points have been awarded to the selling user's user-owned device. Then, by running a predetermined app on the selling user's user-owned device, information indicating that points have been awarded (increased) and the current total number of points are displayed on the user-owned device.

[0153] Once the points have been awarded, point management company 3 requests money management company 5 to pay the amount of money equivalent to the awarded points (STEP 6E). That is, point management server 30 transmits information regarding the awarding of points to money management server 40. Then, the display means of money management server 40 displays information regarding the awarding of points and a message requesting payment of an amount equivalent to the monetary value of the awarded points.

[0154] Next, money management company 5 pays the fee to point management company 3 (STEP 7E). The payment to point management company 3 is made using the payment device that can be used over the Internet (online) as described above. Once money management company 5 has paid the fee, point management server 30 notifies money management company 5 that payment has been completed (STEP 8E). That is, point management server 30 transmits information indicating that payment has been completed to money management server 40, and information indicating that payment has been completed is displayed on the display means of money management server 40. Furthermore, the money management server 40 updates the money management database (STEP 9E), and the information regarding the payment and receipt of money described above is stored.

[0155] Next, if the purchaser specifies that the monetary value will be paid in points and the seller specifies that the monetary value will be received in money, as shown in Fig. 18, the money management company 5 requests the point management company 3 to collect points equivalent to the amount paid for the purchase from the purchasing user (STEP 1F). Before or after this, or in parallel, the money management company 5 bills the point management company 3 for the amount paid for the purchase (the monetary value of the collected points) (STEP 2F). That is, money management server 40 transmits information identifying the purchasing user and information regarding the payment amount for the purchase of the prize to point management server 30. Then, a message is displayed on the display means of point management server 30 requesting that points equivalent to the payment amount be withdrawn (deducted) from the purchasing user's points and that an amount equivalent to the monetary value of the stolen points be paid to money management company 5.

[0156] The point management server 30 calculates the number of points equivalent to the payment amount based on the information indicating the point conversion rate stored in the point management database, and collects the points (STEP 3F). That is, the point management database is updated, and the number of points held by the purchasing user is reduced. In this embodiment, after collecting the points from the purchasing user, the point management server 30 transmits information indicating that the points have been collected to the user's terminal. Then, by running a predetermined app on the user's terminal, information indicating that the points have been collected (decreased) and the current total number of points are displayed on the user's terminal.

[0157] Once the collection of points is complete, the point management company 3 pays the money management company 5 an amount equivalent to the collected points (STEP 4F). The payment of money to the money management company 5 is carried out using the payment device that can be used over the Internet (online) as described above. Then, once the point management company 3 pays the payment, the money management company 5 notifies the point management company 3 that payment has been completed (STEP 5F). That is, the money management server 40 sends information indicating that payment has been completed to the point management server 30, and information indicating that payment has been completed is displayed on the display means of the point management server 30.

[0158] Then, money management company 5 pays the selling user the sales profit (STEP 6F). The payment to the selling user is made via the above-mentioned online payment device. Furthermore, money management server 40 updates the money management database (STEP 7F), and the above-mentioned information regarding the payment and receipt of money is stored.

[0159] If the purchaser specifies that the monetary value be paid in points and the seller specifies that the monetary value be received in points, the databases of each server, including at least the point management database and the money management database, are updated. That is, although a detailed explanation is omitted, the point information in the point management database is stored such that the number of points held by the selling user is granted by an amount equivalent to the sales profit and the number of points held by the purchasing user is decreased by an amount equivalent to the payment of the price. Then, money equivalent to the commission is paid from the point management company 3 to the money management company 5, and information regarding the payment and receipt of money is stored in the money management database. As described above, each of the above-mentioned servers, devices, and applications running on them function as a trading management unit that requests monetary value (requests for payment of money or points), confirms the execution of the request (payment confirmation), and executes the request (payment, receipt). In other words, the prize trading system 1 has a trading management unit as a functional unit.

[0160] Here, each functional unit possessed by the prize buying and selling system 1 described above may be possessed by the prize buying and selling system 1 as a whole, and may be configured to include other hardware in addition to the hardware described above, or in place of at least a portion of the hardware described above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the prize management server 35 and the application running on the prize management server 35 function as the management status identification unit. However, a prize buying and selling app running on a user-owned terminal who will be the seller may inquire about information (user-owned prize information) from the prize management server 35, obtain the information, and identify under whose management the prize buying and selling app is. In other words, the prize buying and selling app running on the user-owned terminal may function as the management status identification unit.

[0161] In the above embodiment, it is assumed that the shipping costs for the prize are borne by the purchaser (the prize is sent cash on delivery), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cost may be borne by one or more of the seller, purchaser, and prize management company 4, each paying a predetermined percentage. In this case, information regarding shipping costs may be displayed on the listing setting screen 80 and the purchase setting screen 125, and other sections such as the selling profit display section 84 and the purchase price display section 131 may also display content that takes shipping costs into account.

[0162] The user who purchases the above-mentioned prize may be an individual or a corporation such as a company. That is, the information (ID, etc.) indicating the user may be a unique number assigned to individuals and corporations, and by referring to the number, for example, an individual may be a number of less than nine digits, and a corporation may be a number of nine digits or more, it may be possible to identify whether the user is an individual or a corporation. Furthermore, the information (ID, etc.) indicating the user may be a number assigned to each terminal owned by the user. That is, it may be information indicating the user's terminal.

[0163] In addition, the point exchange process may allow the user to select the desired points (game points) from among multiple types of points. In other words, the points used in each of the above processes may be one point selected from multiple types. In this case, a user may operate an app on the user-owned device to enable a point-to-point exchange process in which one point is exchanged for another point. For example, the point-to-point exchange process may be performed in which a user exchanges a predetermined point A held by the user for one point selected from predetermined point B, predetermined point C, and predetermined point D. In this case, the prize buying and selling system 1 may have one or more point management companies 3 affiliated with the above-mentioned game arcades 2, prize management companies 4, etc. In other words, one point management company 3 of the prize buying and selling system 1 may manage one or more types of points, or multiple point management companies 3 of the prize buying and selling system 1 may each manage different points. In this case, each of the multiple point management companies 3 may manage one type of point, or multiple types of points. In addition, there may be a mixture of point management companies 3 that manage one type of point and point management companies 3 that manage multiple types of points. Furthermore, in this case, the above-mentioned "information indicating the point conversion rate" may be "information indicating the point conversion rate" for each point, and may include information indicating the conversion ratio (exchange rate) when exchanging points for other points. In other words, when exchanging point A for point B, two points of point B can be awarded in exchange for one point of point A, and the conversion ratio between point A and point B is 1:2.

[0164] In this embodiment, the prize exchange app and the prize buying and selling app are separate apps, but they may also be a single prize app. In this case, a new button section may be provided on the main screen 60 that is displayed when the app is launched, and by pressing the button, the prize selection screen 50 may be displayed. Also, instead of the prize buying and selling app, the selling app and the purchasing app may be separate apps. In this case, each main screen may display either a prize selling button section 61 or a prize buying button section 62, and a history display button section 63.

[0165] The prize display area 53a of the prize selection screen 50 may display the predicted selling price of each prize. That is, when a user exchanges prizes, the user may be able to check the predicted price that he or she will receive when selling the prize. In the above-described embodiment, when calculating the predicted selling price, the average of the actual selling prices was calculated. In other words, the predicted selling price was set to a price based on market value. In addition, the predicted selling price may take into account the popularity of the prize. In other words, for prizes for which the number of prizes available as prizes (circulating number) is less than a certain number, a predetermined price (e.g., 1,000 yen) may be added to the predicted price stored in the database or the calculated predicted price. If the number of transactions (number of times the item is subject to buying and selling) in a predetermined period (the most recent few months) is more than a certain number, a predetermined price may be added to the predicted price stored in the database or the calculated price.

[0166] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a selling user selects a desired purchaser from among multiple users and conducts a sale and purchase, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration may also be adopted in which the user who first applies to purchase a prize put up for sale by a selling user becomes the purchasing user. In this case, the purchasing user may not input a desired purchase price, and may instead pay a price based on the desired selling price input by the selling user (a monetary value equivalent to the desired selling price plus a commission).

[0167] In the above-described embodiment, the prize trading system 1 is configured to have a transfer request notification unit, and an example is shown in which the display of the exhibit button unit 74 is changed when a request for transfer of ownership of a prize (a purchase request) is made. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a notification email or short message may be sent to the user's (gaming user's) user-owned terminal. In other words, the notification may be made by receiving an email or short message. Alternatively, the prize trading system 1 may send a signal to the user-owned terminal, and a notification may be made by displaying a pop-up message using an app running on the user-owned terminal.

[0168] As described above, the prize buying and selling system 1 of the above embodiment assigns information (such as an ID) identifying each user, and information regarding prizes acquired and traded by the user is stored in association with the information identifying the user. This makes it possible to confirm which user currently owns the prize acquired by a user through a game, and what transaction led to the transfer of ownership of the prize (ownership being transferred). In other words, the prize buying and selling system 1 can display the ownership transfer history on a display means for displaying various information (for example, the monitor of one of the above-mentioned servers). The information identifying the user may be provided by completing a predetermined membership registration procedure. The membership registration procedure is a procedure in which the user declares user-related information (attribute information) such as name, age, address, and occupation. This membership registration procedure may also involve the provision of a facial image of the user. The membership registration procedure is completed when an employee of the gaming facility or one of the above-mentioned companies receives the declaration of attribute information from the user. That is, once the membership registration procedure is completed, information identifying the user (such as an ID) is provided when an employee of the gaming facility or one of the above-mentioned companies operates the above-mentioned management computer 20 (or hall computer 15) or each of the above-mentioned servers. The declared user-related information may be stored in one of the above-mentioned databases in association with information identifying the user.

[0169] In the above embodiment, the prize to be sold (listed) on the selling setting screen 80 is one prize. However, when a user sells a prize, the prize may be multiple prizes. For example, the prize name may be 10 ○× T-shirts, and multiple prizes (multiple pieces, multiple items) may be sold (listed) as a set in the same manner as above. In this case, when a user purchases a prize, the prize may also be multiple prizes, or multiple prizes may be purchased as a set in the same manner as above. In other words, when buying and selling prizes as described above, a set of multiple prizes may be treated as a single prize. The selling setting screen 80 may also be configured to display a selling quantity input section for inputting the number to be sold (number to be put up for sale). If a user has acquired multiple identical prizes, the specified number of identical prizes may be put up for sale under the same conditions by inputting a number of 2 or more (a positive integer of 2 or more) into the quantity input section. In this case, the purchase setting screen 125 may be configured to display a purchase quantity input section for inputting the purchase quantity, and by inputting a number of 2 or more, the specified number of identical prizes may be purchased simultaneously under the same conditions by the same selling user. The purchase quantity input section may be configured not to allow input of a number that exceeds the number that can be purchased (number of identical prizes to be put up for sale). In other words, if a number that exceeds the number that can be purchased is input, a message indicating this may be displayed, prompting the user to correct the input content. [Explanation of symbols]

[0170] 1. Prize buying and selling system 2. Amusement parks 4 Prize Management Company 36 Prize Management Warehouse (Management Warehouse)

Claims

1. a prize exchange unit that exchanges game points acquired by a gaming user at the gaming facility for ownership of a prize; an ownership display unit that displays the prize exchanged by the prize exchange unit and the monetary value of the prize to other users; a prize request unit for another user to request a transfer of ownership of the prize; a request confirmation unit that, when the prize request unit receives a request from the other user for transfer of ownership of the prize, confirms whether or not the ownership of the prize can be transferred; A prize buying and selling system comprising: a buying and selling management unit that, when the gaming user allows the transfer of ownership of the prize to the other user, requests the monetary value from the other user and pays the gaming user money or gaming points equivalent to the monetary value that is planned to be obtained or has been obtained from the other user.

2. The prize exchange unit is capable of transferring ownership of the prize managed in a management warehouse of a prize management company that manages the prize to the gaming user through exchange; A prize buying and selling system as described in claim 1, which has a management confirmation unit that confirms whether the prize whose ownership has been transferred to the gaming user will continue to be managed in the management warehouse.

3. The ownership display unit is capable of displaying to other users the prizes whose ownership has been transferred to the gaming user through exchange and which have continued to be managed in the management warehouse since before the exchange, and the monetary value of the prizes; The prize buying and selling system described in claim 2, wherein the request confirmation unit confirms whether ownership of the prize, which is being managed in the management warehouse, can be transferred to the other user.

4. A prize buying and selling system as described in claim 3, which has a shipping information display unit that displays information regarding the shipping of the prize from the management warehouse to a location specified by the other user after ownership of the prize managed in the management warehouse is transferred to the other user.

5. 3. The prize buying and selling system according to claim 1, further comprising a monetary value prediction unit that calculates the monetary value of the prize based on information regarding transfers of ownership of different identical prizes within a predetermined period in the past.

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