Advertising device, advertising method, and advertising program

Abstract

To provide an advertisement device, an advertisement method and an advertisement program, allowing effective advertisement distribution.SOLUTION: An advertisement device 100 that acquires product information related to products sold in a predetermined store and distributes an advertisement generated by associating the product information related to the products sold in the predetermined store with cooking recipes using the products sold in the predetermined store includes a reception unit 131 that receives information related to a position of a user via a terminal device 200 and a distribution unit 135 that distributes the generated advertisement to a user related to a predetermined region specified on the basis of the information related to the position of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, technologies have become known for distributing advertisements from commercial facilities to mobile terminal devices such as smartphones used by service recipients (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "users"). For example, a conventional technology is known for generating processed data for electronic flyers that display various types of advertising information on various terminal devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-109771 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional technologies have problems in delivering advertisements effectively. For example, conventional technologies have difficulty delivering advertisements flexibly to users in accordance with the product availability at commercial facilities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems and achieve the objectives, the advertising device of the present invention is characterized by comprising an acquisition unit that acquires product information regarding products sold at a specified store, and a distribution unit that distributes advertisements generated by associating the product information regarding the products sold at the specified store with cooking recipes that use the products sold at the specified store. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present invention has the effect of enabling effective advertisement distribution. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall image of processing by an advertising device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the advertising device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a table diagram showing an example of user information according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a table diagram showing an example of store information according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a table diagram showing an example of advertisement information according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a table diagram showing an example of limited-time sale information according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a table diagram showing an example of recipe information according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a table showing an example of material information according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a member registration screen according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a time sale registration screen according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the flow of processing according to the first example. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen transition according to the first example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of processing according to the second example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen according to the second example. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a processing procedure according to the first example. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a processing procedure according to the second example. [Figure 17]FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the flow of processing according to the first modified example. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen transition according to the first modified example. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the first modified example. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration that realizes the functions of the advertising device according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments are not limited to the following description.

[0009] <Overview> First, as an introduction, an overview of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall image of processing by an advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment. The advertising device 100 shown in Fig. 1 is an example of a computer that provides a technology for realizing a series of processing steps of generating advertisements in which products sold in a store are associated with cooking recipes that use the products, and distributing the generated advertisements to target users.

[0010] In the following sections, "store" refers to a commercial facility that provides specific products or services. "Store information" refers to information about product or service provision received from a store. "User information" refers to information about a user, including attribute information and location information received from the user.

[0011] Furthermore, "advertisement" refers to advertisements including promotional information for products or services, limited-time sale information, recipe information, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, "delivery" refers to displaying an advertisement on a user's terminal device. Note that there are no particular limitations on the method of transmitting or acquiring data for delivering an advertisement.

[0012] (background) Conventionally, retail stores selling food and daily necessities have conducted sales promotions by distributing advertising flyers printed on paper media to users. In recent years, advances in IT (Information Technology) have led to the development of a technology for distributing advertising flyers via the Internet to mobile terminal devices such as smartphones operated by users.

[0013] As an example, a technology is known in which advertising flyers are distributed to a terminal device on which an application is installed via the application. By using the above-mentioned application for distributing advertising flyers, retail stores can distribute advertising information to users more flexibly and quickly than with conventional paper advertisements. Furthermore, while the amount of information that can be included in paper advertisements is limited, the reference technology using an application is thought to be able to provide users with a larger amount of information by utilizing screen transitions, etc., compared to conventional paper advertisements.

[0014] On the other hand, applications that provide recipe information to users are known. Specifically, a reference technology is known in which a recipe for a dish searched by a user is displayed via an application installed on the user's terminal device. By conducting sales promotions using the application that displays the above-mentioned recipes, retail stores may be able to promote sales of the products they sell through the promotion of products used in the dishes.

[0015] However, the above-mentioned reference techniques have a problem in delivering advertisements effectively.

[0016] It is difficult for the application for distributing advertising flyers relating to the reference technology to deliver advertisements that reflect the product sales status of retail stores in real time.

[0017] For example, in the application related to the reference technology, pre-generated advertising flyer data is displayed on the user's terminal device, so the advertising flyer cannot be updated in real time even when there are unsold products and a special sale (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "time sale") is held to sell them all on the same day.

[0018] Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the advertising device 100 according to this embodiment delivers advertisements that associate products sold by a store with cooking recipes that use the products, to a predetermined area, such as a walking distance from the nearest station registered by the user.

[0019] (Processing by advertising device 100) 1, a description will be given of the advertisement generation process and the advertisement distribution process by the advertising device 100. In FIG. 1, a user 10 whose commute route is a predetermined line including a station 20 that is the nearest station to the user's residence and a station 21 that is the nearest station to the user's workplace or the like is shown as an example.

[0020] A user 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a user who gets on a train at station 21, gets off at station 20, exits the station building, and makes a purchase at a supermarket (supermarket 22) within walking distance of station 20. In the following description of the present embodiment, a supermarket may be simply referred to as a "supermarket." In addition, users heading to the supermarket may include users who use a bicycle 10a, a motorbike 10b, a car 10c, etc. instead of a train, in addition to users 10 who use a train.

[0021] For the user 10 who satisfies the above-mentioned conditions, such as staying or residing in a specific area, the advertising device 100 delivers advertisements to stimulate the user's purchasing behavior and promote sales at stores such as supermarkets in the specific area.

[0022] Next, a flow of advertisement delivery by the advertising device 100 will be described. First, the advertising device 100 receives information about the user's location (hereinafter, may be referred to as "user location information") ((1) in FIG. 1). For example, the advertising device 100 receives, as the user's location information, registration information such as a commute route, a nearest station, a frequently used supermarket, and GPS (Global Positioning System) information of the user's terminal device 200.

[0023] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 acquires product information about products sold in a predetermined store ((2) in FIG. 1). For example, the advertising device 100 receives product information about regular products used in cooking recipes (described later) and alternative products such as time sale products and low-priced products that can replace regular products, as products sold in a target store.

[0024] The advertising device 100 generates an advertisement in which product information about a product sold at a predetermined store is associated with a cooking recipe that uses the product sold at the predetermined store ((3) in FIG. 1). When the advertising device 100 acquires information about a limited-time sale product (limited-time sale information) from the store, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement including the limited-time sale information.

[0025] The advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement to users associated with a predetermined area identified based on the user's location information ((4) in FIG. 1). For example, the advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement to the user 10 who has registered station 20, which is within walking distance of supermarket 22, as the nearest station. Furthermore, the advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement when the user 10 who has registered station 20 and station 21 as the nearest station passes through the ticket gate of station 21 to enter or passes through the ticket gate of station 20 to exit. In addition, the advertising device 100 identifies the location of the user 10 based on GPS information acquired by the terminal device 200, and distributes the generated advertisement when the user 10 is located within a predetermined range from the supermarket 22.

[0026] In this way, the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment delivers an advertisement generated based on product information acquired from a store and information related to pre-registered cooking recipes to a target user identified based on the user's location information. Therefore, the advertising device 100 has an effect of enabling effective advertisement delivery.

[0027] <Explanation of advertising device 100> Next, the advertising device 100 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the advertising device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the advertising device 100 may include an input unit such as a keyboard or a mouse for receiving operation inputs from an administrator or the like. The advertising device 100 may also include a display unit such as a display for displaying received information to the administrator.

[0028] (Communication unit 110) The communication unit 110 performs data communication related to input of store information registered by store personnel or the like and user information transmitted from the user's terminal device 200, and delivery of generated advertisements to the terminal device 200, etc.

[0029] The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or a network interface controller. The communication unit 110 is connected to a network (for example, the Internet) by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 110 transmits and receives information to and from an external device via the network. Note that the communication unit 110 may transmit and receive information to and from the terminal device 200, etc., using any communication standard or communication technology, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0030] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 stores data and programs used for various processes by the control unit 130, and various data acquired by the operation of the control unit 130. The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or an optical disk. As shown in FIG. 2 , the storage unit 120 has a user information DB 121, a store information DB 122, an advertisement information DB 123, a limited-time sale information DB 124, a cooking recipe information DB 125, and an ingredient information DB 126.

[0031] (User information DB121) The user information DB 121 is a database that stores information (user information) about users who use advertisements distributed by the advertising device 100. Specifically, the user information DB 121 stores attribute information and location information of users as user information.

[0032] Here, an example of user information stored in the user information DB 121 will be described. Fig. 3 is a table diagram showing an example of user information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the user information DB 121 stores, as user information, name, address, telephone number, email address, gender, date of birth, nearest station, location information, etc., in association with a "user number" which is information for identifying an individual user.

[0033] The above-mentioned name is information indicating the user's name, and includes, for example, a real name, a pseudonym, a handle name, a nickname, etc. The address is information indicating the address of the user's residence, and includes, for example, the address of the residence, the name of the area, etc. The phone number is information indicating the user's telephone number, and includes, for example, a home landline number or a mobile phone number, etc. The email address is information indicating the user's email address. The gender is information indicating the user's gender. The date of birth is information indicating the user's date of birth (birthday). The nearest station is information indicating the public transportation station or stop nearest to the residence or workplace registered by the user. Furthermore, the location information is information indicating the user's location, and includes, for example, GPS information acquired by the user's terminal device 200.

[0034] By storing the above-described user information, the advertising device 100 can more accurately identify users to whom advertisements are to be delivered.

[0035] (Store information DB122) The store information DB 122 is a database that stores information (store information) about stores that distribute advertisements. Specifically, the store information DB 122 stores information such as the name, address, business hours, and access information (map) of the store.

[0036] Here, an example of store information stored in the store information DB 122 will be described. Fig. 4 is a table diagram showing an example of store information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the store information DB 122 stores information such as store name, address, telephone number, opening hours, closing hours, regular holidays, and map in association with a "store number" that is information for identifying an individual store.

[0037] The store name mentioned above is information indicating the name of the store. The address is information indicating the address where the store is located. The telephone number is information indicating the store's telephone number. The opening time is the time when the store opens for business. The closing time is the time when the store closes for business. The regular holidays are information indicating the regular holidays of the store. The map is access information to the store, and includes, for example, map information of the area around the location.

[0038] The advertising device 100 stores the above-described store information, thereby enabling advertisement distribution to a predetermined area. That is, the advertising device 100 can distribute advertisements to users located in a target area based on the user location information stored in the user information DB 121 and the information on the location of the store, such as the address, stored in the store information DB 122.

[0039] (Advertising information DB123) The advertisement information DB 123 is a database that stores information (advertisement information) related to advertisements registered by stores. Specifically, the advertisement information DB 123 stores information related to advertisement distribution periods, advertisement contents, and the like as advertisement information.

[0040] Here, an example of the advertisement information stored in the advertisement information DB 123 will be described. Fig. 5 is a table diagram showing an example of the advertisement information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the advertisement information DB 123 stores, as advertisement information, information such as a store name, advertisement start date, advertisement end date, product name, price (excluding tax), tax rate, photo, product description, and whether or not a recipe is used, in association with an "advertisement number" which is information for identifying an individual advertisement.

[0041] The store name mentioned above is the same information as the "store" stored in store information DB122. The advertising start date is information indicating the start date of distribution of the advertisement. The advertising end date is information indicating the end date of distribution of the advertisement. The product name is information indicating the name of the product advertised. The price (excluding tax) is information indicating the price of the product advertised. The tax rate is information indicating the tax rate levied at the time of sale of the product, such as consumption tax. The photo is a photo of the product advertised, and includes information such as the photo itself and a link to the photo. The product description is information indicating a description of the product advertised. Whether or not the recipe is used is information indicating whether the ingredient is used in a pre-registered cooking recipe.

[0042] The advertising device 100 stores the above-described advertising information registered by a store staff member or the like in a storage unit and uses the stored information, thereby enabling flexible advertisement distribution.

[0043] (Time Sale Information DB124) The time sale information DB 124 is a database that stores time sale information, which is information about special sales of products registered by stores. Specifically, the time sale information DB 124 stores information about products related to time sales, information about the implementation of time sales, information about delivery conditions for advertisements that include time sale information, etc. as time sale information.

[0044] Here, an example of time sale information stored in the time sale information DB 124 will be described. Fig. 6 is a table diagram showing an example of time sale information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the time sale information DB 124 stores, as time sale information, information such as type, product name, regular price (excluding tax), special price (excluding tax), tax rate, store name, time sale start time, time sale end time, message, photo, identification information, whether to display recipe buttons, whether to distribute, nearest station, GPS condition, date of birth condition, and gender condition, in association with a "time sale number" which is information identifying an individual time sale.

[0045] The above-mentioned type is information indicating the type of product for which a limited-time sale is being held, and includes, for example, information such as fresh produce and daily necessities. The product name is information indicating the name of the product for which a limited-time sale is being held. The regular price (excluding tax) is information indicating the selling price of the product before the limited-time sale. The special price (excluding tax) is information indicating the selling price of the product during the limited-time sale. The tax rate is information indicating the tax rate, such as consumption tax, levied when the product is sold.

[0046] The store name is information indicating the store holding the limited-time sale. The limited-time sale start time is information indicating the time when the limited-time sale starts. The limited-time sale end time is information indicating the time when the limited-time sale ends. The message is information indicating a message to be conveyed to users when the limited-time sale is held. The photo is a photo of the product being sold for a limited time, and includes information such as the photo itself and a link to the photo.

[0047] The identification information is information for identifying a product related to a limited-time sale, and includes, for example, a barcode or two-dimensional code that a user presents when purchasing a limited-time sale item. The recipe button requirement is information indicating whether a button for viewing a recipe associated with the product is displayed in the advertisement. The delivery requirement is information indicating whether an advertisement related to a limited-time sale is delivered.

[0048] The nearest station is information indicating the station to which advertisements related to the time sale will be delivered. The GPS condition is information for identifying the users to whom advertisements related to the time sale will be delivered, and includes information such as "within x km" that indicates the user's location as determined by GPS. The date of birth condition is information set to deliver advertisements related to the time sale only to users with a specified date of birth. The gender condition is information set to deliver advertisements related to the time sale only to users of a specific gender.

[0049] The advertising device 100 stores the above-mentioned time sale information registered by a store staff member or the like in a storage unit and uses the stored information, thereby enabling flexible distribution of advertisements including time sale information.

[0050] (Cooking recipe information DB125) The recipe information DB 125 is a database that stores information about pre-registered recipes. The recipe information DB 125 stores information such as the name of the recipe, the types and amounts of ingredients used in the recipe, cooking procedures, and cooking times as recipe information.

[0051] Here, an example of cooking recipe information stored in the cooking recipe information DB 125 will be described. Fig. 7 is a table diagram showing an example of recipe information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the cooking recipe information DB 125 stores, as cooking recipe information, information such as recipe name, key ingredient number, key ingredient name, key ingredient quantity, ingredient (N) number, ingredient (N) name, ingredient (N) quantity, procedure, cooking time, ingredient (N) substitute (n) number, ingredient (N) substitute (n) name, and ingredient (N) substitute (n) quantity, in association with a "recipe number" which is information identifying an individual cooking recipe.

[0052] "Key ingredients" are ingredients set as search conditions in the recipe search function described below, and are used to determine the serving size. "Ingredients (N)" are ingredients that can be substituted with alternative products (ingredients), and multiple ingredients can be identified by substituting any number such as "1, 2, 3, etc." for "(N)."

[0053] The recipe name mentioned above is information indicating the name of the cooking recipe. The key ingredient number is information indicating an identification number for identifying the key ingredient used in the cooking recipe. The key ingredient name is information indicating the name of the key ingredient used in the cooking recipe. The key ingredient quantity is information indicating the quantity of the key ingredient used in the cooking recipe.

[0054] Ingredient (N) No. is information indicating an identification number for identifying interchangeable ingredients used in a cooking recipe. Ingredient (N) Name is information indicating the name of an interchangeable ingredient used in a cooking recipe. Ingredient (N) Quantity is information indicating the amount of an interchangeable ingredient used in a cooking recipe.

[0055] The procedure is information indicating the cooking procedure for the target dish. The cooking time is information indicating the time required to cook the target dish. The ingredient (N) substitute (n) No. is information indicating the identification number for identifying the ingredient (n) that substitutes for the ingredient (N). The ingredient (N) substitute (n) name is information indicating the name of the ingredient (n) that substitutes for the ingredient (N). The ingredient (N) substitute (n) quantity is information indicating the amount of the ingredient (n) that substitutes for the ingredient (N).

[0056] By storing the above-mentioned cooking recipe information in advance, the advertising device 100 is able to deliver advertisements that associate products with cooking recipes, reflecting the real-time product sales situation based on information about the products being sold in the store.

[0057] (Material information DB126) The ingredient information DB 126 is a database that stores information about ingredients used in the recipe search function. Specifically, the ingredient information DB 126 stores information such as the cost per unit quantity of ingredients used in the recipe as ingredient information.

[0058] Here, an example of ingredient information stored in the ingredient information DB 126 will be described. Fig. 8 is a table diagram showing an example of ingredient information according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the ingredient information DB 126 stores information such as ingredient name, quantity, price (excluding tax), and tax rate as ingredient information, in association with an "ingredient number" which is information for identifying individual ingredient information.

[0059] The ingredient name mentioned above is information indicating the name of the ingredient used in the recipe. The quantity is information indicating the quantity of the ingredient used in the recipe. The price (excluding tax) is information indicating the price of the ingredient used in the recipe, and includes, for example, a preset amount or a price registered in real time by a store, etc. The tax rate is information indicating the tax rate, such as consumption tax, levied at the time of sale of the product.

[0060] (control unit 130) Here, the explanation will be continued by returning to Fig. 2. The control unit 130 is realized by a processor, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or the like executing various programs stored in the storage unit 120 using RAM as a work area. The control unit 130 is also realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 130 has a reception unit 131, an acquisition unit 132, a generation unit 133, an identification unit 134, a distribution unit 135, and a notification unit 136.

[0061] (Reception Department 131) The reception unit 131 receives user information via the terminal device 200. Specifically, the reception unit 131 receives attribute information such as the user's name, address, telephone number, email address, gender, and date of birth, as well as registration of the nearest station and location information via the terminal device 200. The reception unit 131 then stores the received user information in the user information DB 121.

[0062] Here, an example of an input screen for user information accepted by the accepting unit 131 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a member registration screen according to this embodiment. The screen shown in FIG. 9 is an example of a screen on which a user enters his / her own information in order to use advertisements. As shown in FIG. 9, the accepting unit 131 accepts, as user information, information entered by the user based on the input screen displayed on the user's terminal device 200.

[0063] For example, the receiving unit 131 receives information input by the user for the registration category "New / Change / Delete" ((1) in FIG. 9). By specifying the above-mentioned registration category, the user can register new user information or change or delete their own registered user information.

[0064] The receiving unit 131 also receives information input by the user in the user number field ((2) in FIG. 9). The user number described above is identification information for identifying registered user information, and is used to identify the user information to be processed in the case of the registration category "change / delete."

[0065] Additionally, the accepting unit 131 accepts information input by the user for items such as name, address, telephone number, sex, date of birth, nearest station (A to C), email address, etc. ((3) in FIG. 9).

[0066] The receiving unit 131 can receive the GPS information of the terminal device 200, which is the location information, through data communication between the advertising device 100 and the terminal device 200, instead of through the above-described input screen.

[0067] Furthermore, when a cooking recipe is searched for by a user via the terminal device 200, the receiving unit 131 can receive conditions for searching for the cooking recipe.

[0068] (Acquisition part 132) The acquiring unit 132 acquires store information, advertisement information, time sale information, cooking recipe information, ingredient information, and the like that are registered in the advertising device 100 by a store staff member or the like.

[0069] Specifically, the acquisition unit 132 acquires store information such as the name, address, business hours, and access information (map) of the store registered by the store staff or the like, and stores the information in the store information DB 122. The acquisition unit 132 also acquires advertising information such as information on advertisement distribution periods and advertisement contents registered by the store staff or the like, and stores the information in the advertising information DB 123. The acquisition unit 132 also acquires time sale information such as information on products related to time sales, information on the implementation of time sales, and information on distribution conditions for advertisements related to time sales registered by the store staff or the like, and stores the information in the time sale information DB 124.

[0070] The acquisition unit 132 also acquires recipe information such as the name of the recipe registered by the store staff, the types and amounts of ingredients used in the recipe, cooking procedures, and required time, and stores this information in the recipe information DB 125. The acquisition unit 132 also acquires ingredient information such as the cost per unit amount of ingredients used in the recipe registered by the store staff, and stores this information in the ingredient information DB 126.

[0071] Here, a registration screen for limited-time sale information will be described as an example of a method for acquiring information by the acquisition unit 132. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the limited-time sale registration screen according to this embodiment. The screen shown in FIG. 10 is an example of a screen on which a store staff member or the like inputs information used to distribute advertisements including limited-time sale information. As shown in FIG. 10, the acquisition unit 132 acquires limited-time sale information input based on an input screen displayed on a terminal device operated by the store staff member or the like.

[0072] Based on the input for the item "Registration type: New / Change / Delete" as the registration type, the acquisition unit 132 changes the method of storing information in the limited-time sale information DB 124. For example, when "Registration type: New" is selected, the acquisition unit 132 registers (stores) the limited-time sale information as a new record ((1) in FIG. 10).

[0073] On the other hand, when "Registration type: Change" is selected, the acquisition unit 132 changes the limited-time sale information identified by the "Limited-time sale No." When "Registration type: Delete" is selected, the acquisition unit 132 deletes the limited-time sale information identified by the "Limited-time sale No."

[0074] In addition, the acquisition unit 132 acquires information to be communicated to customers, such as type (merchandise / food and drink / services), product, regular price (excluding tax), special price (excluding tax), tax rate, store name, time sale period (time sale start time / time sale end time), message, photo, identification information (barcode / two-dimensional code), whether or not to display a cooking recipe button, etc. ((2) in Figure 10).

[0075] The acquisition unit 132 also acquires information entered as distribution instructions for items such as whether distribution is required (required / no), nearest station to distribution destination (XX / not specified), distribution destination location information (within XX km / not specified), date of birth (XX month / not specified), and gender (male / female / not specified) ((3) in Figure 10).

[0076] (Generation unit 133) The generation unit 133 generates an advertisement in which a product is associated with a cooking recipe. Specifically, the generation unit 133 generates the advertisement by using at least one of a regular product used in the cooking recipe and an alternative product that substitutes for the regular product as a product to be associated with the cooking recipe. For example, the generation unit 133 can generate an advertisement in which an alternative recipe, which is a cooking recipe that uses a limited-time sale item or an inexpensive item, is associated with a product used in the alternative recipe.

[0077] Furthermore, the generating unit 133 can generate cooking recipes including standard recipes and alternative recipes using cooking recipe information stored in the cooking recipe information DB 125 that has been registered in advance.

[0078] Here, an example of the process for generating the standard recipe and alternative recipes described above will be described. When generating a standard recipe, the generation unit 133 first searches the ingredient information stored in the ingredient information DB 126 for ingredients that are the same as the key ingredients stored in the cooking recipe information DB 125. Next, the generation unit 133 searches the ingredient information stored in the ingredient information DB 126 for other ingredients, excluding alternative ingredients, based on the dish quantity determined by the key ingredient quantities stored in the cooking recipe information DB 125. Next, the generation unit 133 calculates the total ingredient cost and the ingredient cost per person for the searched ingredient group. The generation unit 133 then generates a "standard recipe," which is a cooking recipe that reflects information about products sold at the target store.

[0079] On the other hand, when generating an alternative recipe, the generation unit 133 first searches the ingredient information stored in the ingredient information DB 126 for ingredients that are the same as the key ingredients stored in the cooking recipe information DB 125. Next, the generation unit 133 searches the ingredient information stored in the ingredient information DB 126 for the cheapest ingredients, including alternative ingredients, based on the dish quantity determined by the key ingredient quantities stored in the cooking recipe information DB 125. Next, the generation unit 133 calculates the total ingredient cost and the ingredient cost per person for the searched ingredient group. The generation unit 133 then generates an "alternative recipe," which is a cooking recipe that reflects information about products sold at the target store.

[0080] Furthermore, when generating the above-mentioned cooking recipes, the generation unit 133 can generate the cooking recipes based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) or the like.

[0081] For example, the generation unit 133 can input product information about products sold at a specific target store or product information about products in the area related to the specific store into an AI such as a large-scale language model that is configured with prompts to generate a cooking recipe based on product information about the input product, and generate a cooking recipe.

[0082] Alternatively, the generation unit 133 may generate a cooking recipe using at least one of product information about products sold at a specific store, product information about products in the area related to the specific store, and product information about products collected from the Internet. Alternatively, the generation unit 133 may generate a cooking recipe based on a large-scale language model configured to prompt the user to collect information about cooking methods for ingredients from the Internet.

[0083] (Specific Section 134) The identification unit 134 matches the user's location information and attribute information with the delivery conditions included in the advertisement information and time sale information, and identifies users who meet the delivery conditions as users to whom the advertisement generated by the generation unit 133 is to be delivered.

[0084] Specifically, the identification unit 134 identifies the user as a target for distribution of the advertisement based on the "nearest station (information related to the nearest station)" stored in the user information DB 121. For example, the identification unit 134 identifies stations within walking distance based on the address of the store that distributes the advertisement. Next, the identification unit 134 compares the identified stations within walking distance with the nearest stations registered by the user. Then, if the user has registered a nearest station that matches the station within walking distance of the store that distributes the advertisement, the identification unit 134 identifies the user as a target for distribution of the advertisement.

[0085] Furthermore, the identification unit 134 identifies the user as a target for advertisement distribution based on the "nearest station (information on multiple nearest stations)" stored in the user information DB 121. For example, the identification unit 134 identifies stations within walking distance based on the address of the store that distributes the advertisement. Next, the identification unit 134 compares the identified stations within walking distance with multiple nearest stations registered by the user. Then, when the user has registered a nearest station that matches a station within walking distance of the store that distributes the advertisement among the multiple nearest stations, the identification unit 134 identifies the user as a target for advertisement distribution.

[0086] Furthermore, the identification unit 134 identifies the user as a target for advertisement delivery based on GPS information included in the "location information" stored in the user information DB 121. For example, the identification unit 134 determines a target area for advertisement delivery based on the address of the store that delivers the advertisement. Next, the identification unit 134 compares the determined target area for advertisement delivery with the user's location determined by the GPS information. Then, the identification unit 134 identifies users located in the target area for advertisement delivery as a target for advertisement delivery.

[0087] Furthermore, the identification unit 134 can identify a user as a target user for advertisement distribution based on the user's attribute information in addition to the user's location information. For example, the identification unit 134 compares information such as gender conditions and date of birth conditions stored in the advertisement information DB 123 with attribute information such as the user's gender and date of birth stored in the user information DB 121. Then, the identification unit 134 can identify a user who satisfies the conditions as a target user for advertisement distribution.

[0088] (Distribution Section 135) The distribution unit 135 distributes the advertisement generated by the generation unit 133 to the users who are the distribution targets and who are identified by the identification unit 134.

[0089] (Notification Department 136) When a plurality of stores in a predetermined area desire advertisement distribution and a certain store holds a limited-time sale, the notification unit 136 notifies the other stores of that fact. Specifically, when limited-time sale information is included in product information about products sold at a predetermined store acquired from a first store in the predetermined area, the notification unit 136 notifies a second store in the predetermined area that satisfies at least one of the following: size and format different from that of the first store.

[0090] (Terminal device 200) The terminal device 200 receives an advertisement delivered from the advertising device 100 and displays the advertisement to a user. The terminal device 200 also outputs location information acquired based on a GPS to the advertising device 100. Note that the terminal device 200 here is an information processing device operated by a user, and may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a PC (Personal Computer), a notebook PC, or the like.

[0091] <First example> From here, as a first example, we will explain an example of the process of accepting user information, the process of acquiring store information, the process of generating advertisements, and the process of delivering advertisements to users, which are realized by the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment described above.

[0092] (Processing flow according to the first example) First, the process flow according to the first example will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the process flow according to the first example. Fig. 11 shows an advertising device 100 that distributes advertisements in which products are associated with cooking recipes, a terminal device 200 operated by a user, and a supermarket 22 that is a store that distributes the advertisements.

[0093] First, the advertising device 100 receives the user's location information, including the user's registered information such as the commute route, the nearest station, the frequently used supermarket, etc., input via the terminal device 200, and the GPS information related to the terminal device 200, and stores the information in a memory unit ((1-1) in FIG. 11).

[0094] Next, the advertising device 100 acquires product information including "regular products" and "alternative products" input from the supermarket 22, and stores the information in a storage unit ((1-2) in FIG. 11). Note that the regular products here are products that are used in cooking recipes that have been registered in advance. On the other hand, alternative products are products that are substitutes for regular products, and include products that are on limited-time sale (limited-time sale), products that are cheaper than regular products and can be used in cooking recipes instead of regular products (low-cost products), products that are preferred by a user identified by user attribute information, etc. (preferred products), etc.

[0095] Next, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement using the regular product and the alternative product used in the cooking recipe as products to be associated with the cooking recipe ((2) in FIG. 11). Specifically, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement in which product information ((2-1) in FIG. 11) including information on the acquired regular product and the alternative product is associated with cooking recipe information ((2-2) in FIG. 11).

[0096] For example, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement in which a standard recipe, which is a cooking recipe that uses only regular products, is associated with a product used in the standard recipe. Also, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement in which an alternative recipe, which is a cooking recipe that uses at least one of a time sale product, an inexpensive product, and a product preferred by the user as an alternative product, is associated with a product used in the alternative recipe. Note that the products used in the above-mentioned alternative recipe may include not only the alternative products but also regular products.

[0097] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement by using at least one of the cooking recipes for using substitute products, which are long-lasting cooking recipes for cooking food for a long period of time, time-saving cooking recipes for cooking food in a short time, cooking recipes for consuming a large amount of product, and cooking recipes that are cheaper than cooking recipes for using regular products.

[0098] For example, if an alternative product such as a limited-time sale product has a larger volume than a regular product, it may be difficult for the user to use up the limited-time sale product. Therefore, the advertising device 100 selects a cooking recipe that consumes more ingredients than a standard recipe so that the user can comfortably consume the limited-time sale product, and generates an advertisement that associates the cooking recipe with the limited-time sale product.

[0099] Furthermore, as described above, if the volume of the limited-time sale item is large, the amount of food that is prepared may also be large, and the user may not be able to finish the food. Therefore, the advertising device 100 selects a cooking recipe for making a dish that will last for a long time after cooking so that the user can eat the prepared dish over several days, and generates an advertisement that associates the cooking recipe with the limited-time sale item.

[0100] Furthermore, for example, if a limited-time sale is held near the closing time of a store, it may be difficult for the user to cook after returning home. Therefore, the advertising device 100 selects a recipe with a shorter cooking time than the standard recipe, and generates an advertisement in which the recipe is associated with a limited-time sale item.

[0101] In addition, there are cases where it is possible to propose a recipe that uses an alternative product and is less expensive than a recipe that uses a regular product. Therefore, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement that associates a recipe that is less expensive than a recipe that uses a regular product with a limited-time sale item.

[0102] Next, the advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement to the terminal device 200 operated by the target user. Specifically, the advertising device 100 identifies the target user to whom the advertisement is to be distributed by using the user's location information ((3-1) in FIG. 11). The advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement to the identified user ((3-2) in FIG. 11). Then, the terminal device 200 operated by the user displays the advertisement distributed by the advertising device 100 ((3-3) in FIG. 11).

[0103] (An example of screen transition according to the first example) Hereinafter, an example of a screen transition of an advertisement delivered by the advertising device 100 according to the first example will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen transition according to the first example.

[0104] 12 shows a top screen ((1) in FIG. 12), a store details screen ((2) in FIG. 12), a time sale screen ((3) in FIG. 12), a cooking recipe screen ((4) in FIG. 12), a standard recipe screen ((5) in FIG. 12), an alternative recipe screen ((6) in FIG. 12), and a transmission completion screen ((7) in FIG. 12). When "Return to top screen" displayed at the bottom of each screen is pressed, the advertising device 100 switches the display from each displayed screen to the top screen.

[0105] 12(1), the top screen is a screen that is displayed first among advertisements distributed from the advertising device 100, and displays a store that distributes the advertisement, time sale information, etc. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 12(1), the advertising device 100 displays, on the top screen, information on time sale of "Supermarket A," such as "3 potatoes with a regular price of 100 yen for a special price of 50 yen" and "Grilled meat bento with a regular price of 550 yen for a special price of 250 yen."

[0106] The advertising device 100 displays a store details screen ((2) in FIG. 12) in response to pressing of a store name button ((1-1) in FIG. 12) on the top screen. The store details screen is a screen including advertisement information and store information for each store.

[0107] For example, the advertising device 100 displays information such as "3 potatoes for 100 yen (108 yen including tax)" and "Sweet" as advertised products for the advertising period (October 5 to October 22) on the store details screen ((2-1) in FIG. 12). In addition, the advertising device 100 displays information such as an address, business hours, regular holidays, and a map as access information about the store that has distributed the advertisement on the store details screen ((2-2) in FIG. 12).

[0108] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 displays a time sale screen ((3) in FIG. 12) in response to pressing of an item button ((1-2) in FIG. 12) of the time sale information. The time sale screen is a screen including the price, message, identification information, and store information of the product on which the time sale is being held.

[0109] For example, the advertising device 100 displays information such as a regular price (excluding tax), a special price (excluding tax), a special price (including tax), a time sale period, a message from the store, a photo, a time sale number, and identification information (barcode / two-dimensional code) on the time sale screen ((3-1) in FIG. 12). In addition, the advertising device 100 displays information such as the name, address, business hours, regular holidays, and map of the store as store information about the store that distributed the advertisement on the time sale screen ((3-2) in FIG. 12).

[0110] As shown in (4) of Fig. 12, the cooking recipe screen is a screen that displays a list of recipes for dishes using a predetermined product, in which the names of the cooking recipes, "menu," "standard recipe," and "alternative recipe," are associated with each other, as a list. The advertising device 100 displays the cooking recipe screen ((4) of Fig. 12) in response to pressing a button such as "menu" on the above-mentioned store details screen ((2-3) of Fig. 12) or a button such as "menu using this product" on the time sale screen ((3-3) of Fig. 12).

[0111] Furthermore, in response to pressing a character string or the like in the "Standard Recipe" or "Alternative Recipe" item, the advertising device 100 displays a standard recipe screen ((5) in Figure 12) and an alternative recipe screen ((6) in Figure 12), which are detailed screens for each cooking recipe.

[0112] Specifically, as shown in (5) of FIG. 12, the advertising device 100 displays a standard recipe screen that includes the products, product quantities, and product prices used in the standard recipe, as well as the cooking steps and cooking time (estimated cooking time) according to the standard recipe.

[0113] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 displays, as an alternative recipe screen, a screen including the products, the quantities of the products, and the prices of the products used in the alternative recipe, as well as the cooking steps and cooking time (estimated cooking time) according to the alternative recipe, as shown in (6) of Fig. 12. Furthermore, the advertising device 100 can display, on the alternative recipe screen, a message from the store ((6-1) of Fig. 12) such as "We've made this recipe cheaper than the standard recipe by using alternative products that can be purchased in the store! Please understand that it's a little unusual."

[0114] The advertising device 100 can also send the above-described standard recipe screen or alternative recipe screen to a specified destination. Specifically, the advertising device 100 sends information about the cooking recipe in response to pressing a button such as "Send recipe to registered email address" ((5-1) and (6-2) in FIG. 12) in the standard recipe screen or the alternative recipe screen.

[0115] Then, when the transmission is completed, the advertising device 100 displays a message such as "Transmission completed" on the transmission completion screen ((7) in FIG. 12). Note that when the transmission is completed, the advertising device 100 displays a message such as "Transmission failed" on the transmission completion screen ((7) in FIG. 12).

[0116] <Second example> From here, as a second example, an example of performing an advertisement generation process and an advertisement distribution process to a user in order to distribute advertisements for stores of a plurality of business types realized by the advertising device 100 will be described.

[0117] (Processing flow according to the second example) First, the process flow according to the second example will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating the process flow according to the second example. Fig. 13 shows an advertising device 100 that distributes advertisements in which products are associated with cooking recipes, as in the first example, a terminal device 200 operated by a user, and a supermarket 22 that is a store that distributes advertisements. Furthermore, in the second example, in addition to the supermarket 22, a ramen shop 23 and a beauty salon 24 that are stores in different industries from the supermarket 22 are also shown.

[0118] First, the advertising device 100 receives the user's location information input via the terminal device 200 as in the first example, and stores the information in the storage unit ((1-1) in FIG. 13). Next, the advertising device 100 acquires product information input from the supermarket 22, the ramen shop 23, and the beauty salon 24 as in the first example, and stores the information in the storage unit ((1-2) in FIG. 13). Note that the above-mentioned "product information" may be "service information" that is information about services provided by a specific store.

[0119] Next, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement similar to the first example ((2) in FIG. 13). Specifically, when an advertisement for a first store related to a predetermined area is distributed, the advertising device 100 can generate an advertisement including limited-time sale information for a second store related to the predetermined area that has at least one of a different size and a different form from the first store. For example, the advertising device 100, triggered by the distribution of an advertisement for supermarket 22, generates an advertisement including limited-time sale information for ramen shop 23 or beauty salon 24 that is within walking distance of supermarket 22 and is in a different business type from supermarket 22.

[0120] As an example, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement ((2-1) in FIG. 13) in which a product is associated with a cooking recipe, using product information acquired from a supermarket 22. As another example, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement including information on a product ((2-2) in FIG. 13) that is a target of a limited-time sale, using product information acquired from a ramen shop 23. As another example, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement including information on a service ((2-3) in FIG. 13) that is a target of a limited-time sale, using product information acquired from a beauty salon 24.

[0121] The above-mentioned limited-time sale items refer to items sold at special prices by stores during a specific time period, and the limited-time sale services refer to items offered at special prices by stores during a specific time period.

[0122] Next, the advertising device 100 identifies a target user to whom the advertisement is to be distributed ((3-1) in FIG. 13) as in the first example, and distributes the generated advertisement to the identified user ((3-2) in FIG. 13). Then, the terminal device 200 operated by the user displays the advertisement distributed by the advertising device 100 ((3-3) in FIG. 13).

[0123] Here, for example, if the advertisement for supermarket 22 includes limited-time sale information, advertising device 100 can notify ramen shop 23 and beauty salon 24, which are located within walking distance of supermarket 22 but are in a different industry from supermarket 22, that the advertisement including limited-time sale information will be distributed by supermarket 22.

[0124] (An example of a screen related to the second example) From here, an example of an advertisement screen delivered by the advertising device 100 according to the second example will be described. Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen according to the second example. Fig. 14 shows a top screen.

[0125] As shown in FIG. 14, the top screen is a screen that is displayed first among the advertisements distributed from the advertising device 100, similar to the first example, and displays the store that distributes the advertisement, time sale information, and the like.

[0126] Specifically, the advertising device 100 according to the second example displays limited-time sale information for each category, such as merchandise sales, food and drink, and services, on the top screen.

[0127] For example, the advertising device 100 displays information such as "3 potatoes with a regular price of 100 yen at a special price of 50 yen" or "Yakiniku bento with a regular price of 550 yen at a special price of 250 yen" from Supermarket A as time sale information related to the "merchandise sales" category ((1) in FIG. 14).

[0128] Also, for example, the advertising device 100 displays, as time sale information related to the "food and drink" category, "Miso ramen with a regular price of 500 yen is on sale for 300 yen" from Ramen Shop D and "Beer with a regular price of 500 yen is on sale for 200 yen" from Izakaya Restaurant E ((2) in FIG. 14).

[0129] Furthermore, for example, the advertising device 100 displays "a haircut at a beauty salon with a regular price of 3,500 yen for a special price of 1,200 yen" from Beauty Salon F as limited-time sale information related to the "service" category ((3) in FIG. 14).

[0130] (Processing Procedure) From here, a series of processing procedures realized by the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16. Fig. 15 is a flowchart of the processing procedures according to the first example.

[0131] The receiving unit 131 receives user information (S101). The acquiring unit 132 acquires store information (S102). The generating unit 133 generates an advertisement that associates products sold in the store with cooking recipes that use the products (S103).

[0132] Here, if the user is a target of advertisement distribution (Yes in S104), the distribution unit 135 distributes the advertisement to the target user (S105). Then, the advertising device 100 ends the process. On the other hand, if the user is not a target of advertisement distribution (No in S104), the advertising device 100 skips the process of S105 and ends the process without distributing the advertisement.

[0133] Next, a series of processing procedures implemented by the advertising device 100 according to the second example will be described. Fig. 16 is a flowchart of the processing procedures according to the second example.

[0134] The receiving unit 131 receives user information (S201). The acquiring unit 132 acquires store information (S202). The generating unit 133 generates an advertisement that associates products sold in the store with cooking recipes that use the products (S203).

[0135] Here, if an advertisement related to the first store is generated (Yes in S204), the generation unit 133 generates an advertisement related to the second store (S205). On the other hand, if an advertisement related to the first store is not generated (No in S204), the advertising device 100 skips the step of S205.

[0136] If the advertisement of the first store includes limited-time sale information (Yes in S206), the notification unit 136 notifies the second store (S207). On the other hand, if the advertisement of the first store does not include limited-time sale information (No in S206), the advertising device 100 skips the step of S207.

[0137] Here, if the user is a target of advertisement distribution (Yes in S208), the distribution unit 135 distributes the advertisement to the target user (S209). Then, the advertising device 100 ends the process. On the other hand, if the user is not a target of advertisement distribution (No in S208), the advertising device 100 skips the process of S209 and ends the process without distributing the advertisement.

[0138] (effect) Next, the effects of the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. The receiving unit 131 of the advertising device 100 receives information related to the location of a user. The acquiring unit 132 of the advertising device 100 acquires product information related to products sold in a predetermined store. The distributing unit 135 of the advertising device 100 distributes an advertisement generated by the generating unit 133 by associating the product information related to the products sold in the predetermined store with cooking recipes that use the products sold in the predetermined store, to users related to a predetermined area identified based on the information related to the user's location.

[0139] Therefore, according to the advertising device 100 of this embodiment, by generating an advertisement that associates products sold in a store with cooking recipes that use the products, it is possible to deliver an advertisement that stimulates purchasing behavior among users and effectively promotes the store.

[0140] Furthermore, in the past, if a time sale was implemented without careful consideration, retail store users might become less willing to purchase products at regular prices because they anticipated the sale, so it was necessary to carefully select the time of the sale and the target users. However, with the reference technology, it was difficult to generate and distribute advertising flyers in real time in response to the time sale, or to limit distribution to users who are near the retail store. Furthermore, even if users were unilaterally presented with time sale information, they might not know how to consume the time sale items, which could result in the product not being purchased.

[0141] Therefore, the generation unit 133 of the above-described advertising device 100 generates an advertisement in which product information about a product sold in a specified store is associated with a cooking recipe that uses the product sold in the specified store. Specifically, the generation unit 133 generates the advertisement by using, as a product to be associated with the cooking recipe, at least one of a regular product used in the cooking recipe and an alternative product that substitutes for the regular product. Furthermore, the generation unit 133 generates the advertisement by using, as the alternative product, at least one of a limited-time sale product, an inexpensive product, and a product preferred by the user. Then, the advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement to the target user.

[0142] Therefore, in addition to normal products used in cooking recipes, the advertising device 100 can use products on limited time sale in accordance with a store's sales promotion, products that are cheaper than normal products, products that are preferred by a predetermined user, etc. as products to be associated with cooking recipes. Therefore, the advertising device 100 has an effect of enabling more effective advertisement delivery than conventional methods, such as increasing the user's desire to purchase by associating products that are cheaper than standard products or products that suit the user's preferences with cooking recipes that use the products.

[0143] When a limited-time sale product is used as a substitute product, the generation unit 133 generates an advertisement using at least one of long-lasting recipes, time-saving recipes, recipes that consume a large amount of product, and recipes that are cheaper than recipes that use regular products.

[0144] Therefore, the advertising device 100 can select and associate a cooking recipe that matches the substitute product. Therefore, compared to a conventional case where a limited-time sale product is simply advertised, the advertising device 100 can achieve a sales promotion effect, such as encouraging users to purchase limited-time sale products, by making it easier for users to consume the product or a dish that uses the product.

[0145] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 achieves the following effects through the above-described processing. For example, the advertising device 100 generates and distributes an advertisement in which products sold in a store are associated with cooking recipes as described above, thereby enabling a user to shop efficiently even when the user has little cooking knowledge.

[0146] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 allows the store staff to generate and distribute advertisements that associate products to be sold with cooking recipes, thereby reducing advertising costs compared to when advertisement production and distribution are outsourced. Therefore, the advertising device 100 enables more effective sales promotion by transferring the reduced advertising costs to product price discounts.

[0147] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 can realize multi-item sales, which was difficult to achieve with conventional advertising flyers. That is, instead of advertising a single item such as "potatoes," the advertising device 100 can simultaneously advertise multiple items such as "carrots, onions, meat, and curry roux" in addition to "potatoes" by distributing an advertisement generated by associating a cooking recipe for "curry" with products used in the curry, for example. Therefore, the advertising device 100 enables more effective advertisement distribution than conventional methods.

[0148] Although limited-time sales have the advantage of a sales promotion effect, they also have the disadvantage of causing users to stop purchasing at regular prices if they are used too often. Therefore, the advertising device 100 achieves the effect of suppressing the disadvantages of limited-time sales by realizing flexible advertisement distribution using advertisement information and limited-time sale information registered in real time by store personnel.

[0149] That is, the advertising device 100 can suppress the disadvantages of a time sale by distributing an advertisement in which products related to the time sale are associated with cooking recipes using the products to target users in accordance with the timing when a store wants to hold a time sale. As a result, the advertising device 100 achieves an effect of suppressing a decrease in users' purchasing motivation due to excessive time sales by limiting the timing of holding the time sale and target users.

[0150] When the distribution unit 135 distributes an advertisement for a first store in a specified area, the generation unit 133 generates an advertisement including limited-time sale information for a second store in the specified area that has at least one of a different size and a different shape from the first store.

[0151] In addition, when product information regarding a product sold at a specified store obtained from a first store in a specified area includes limited-time sale information, the notification unit 136 notifies a second store in the specified area that satisfies at least one of the following criteria: size and shape different from those of the first store.

[0152] Therefore, the advertising device 100 enables effective advertisement distribution in a plurality of stores in the same commercial area, such as within walking distance of a predetermined station. That is, when a general retail store such as a supermarket that has a high customer-attracting capacity is holding a time sale, the advertising device 100 enables stores of other industries located near the general retail store to simultaneously hold time sales.

[0153] On the other hand, even if the first store and the second store are both classified as "retail stores," if there is no competitive relationship between the first retail store and the second retail store or if the setting is made by an administrator, etc., the advertising device 100 can notify the second retail store when the first retail store holds a limited-time sale. As a result, the advertising device 100 enables the first retail store and the second retail store to hold a limited-time sale at the same time.

[0154] As a specific example, when a general retail store is holding a limited-time sale, the advertising device 100 enables advertisement distribution including limited-time sale information from nearby restaurants, barber shops / beauty salons, etc. As a result, the advertising device 100 has the effect of activating commercial transactions in an entire predetermined area including the general retail store, thereby contributing to the development of the predetermined area.

[0155] <Modification> The following describes modified examples realized by the advertising device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0156] <First variant: Displaying advertisements based on cooking recipes> Hereinafter, a first modified example will be described in which a recipe search process is added to the process of the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment. The advertising device 100 according to the modified example generates an advertisement for a recipe searched or selected by a user, the advertisement including information on products used in the recipe and costs incurred, and delivers the advertisement to the user.

[0157] Specifically, when a user searches for a cooking recipe, the advertising device 100 (generation unit 133) generates an advertisement that associates the searched cooking recipe with a product used in the cooking recipe that is sold in a store, and the selling price of the product used in the cooking recipe.

[0158] Furthermore, when a user specifies a cost and searches for a cooking recipe, the advertising device 100 (generation unit 133) selects a cooking recipe in which the total amount of products used in the cooking recipe satisfies the cost condition. Then, the advertising device 100 (generation unit 133) generates an advertisement in which the selected cooking recipe, the products used in the selected cooking recipe that are sold in a store, and the sales prices of the products used in the cooking recipe are associated with each other.

[0159] (Processing flow according to the first modified example) First, the process flow according to the first modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating the process flow according to the first modified example. Fig. 17 shows an advertising device 100 that distributes advertisements in which products are associated with cooking recipes, as in the first example, a terminal device 200 operated by a user, and a supermarket 22 that is a store that distributes the advertisements.

[0160] First, the advertising device 100 receives the user's location information input via the terminal device 200 as in the first example, and stores it in the storage unit ((1-1) in FIG. 17). Next, the advertising device 100 acquires the product information input from the supermarket 22 as in the first example, and stores it in the storage unit ((1-2) in FIG. 17).

[0161] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 according to the first modified example accepts a search for a cooking recipe by a user ((1-3) in FIG. 17). Note that the cooking recipe search screen will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0162] Next, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement ((2) in FIG. 17) in which the product ((2-1) in FIG. 17) is associated with the cooking recipe ((2-2) in FIG. 17) as in the first example. Here, the advertising device 100 according to the first modification uses the cooking recipe ((1-3) in FIG. 17) searched by the user as described above as the associated cooking recipe.

[0163] For example, when a user searches for a recipe for "curry," the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement that associates products used in curry, such as "potatoes," "curry roux," and "carrots," which are sold at the target store, with the recipe for the curry.

[0164] Furthermore, when a search condition is set by a user, the advertising device 100 can generate an advertisement based on a cooking recipe that satisfies the search condition. Specifically, the advertising device 100 can use conditions such as the products used, the price of each product, the total cost of ingredients, the time required for cooking, and the selection of a standard recipe or an alternative recipe as the search condition.

[0165] For example, when a user searches for a cooking recipe by specifying a cost, the advertising device 100 selects a cooking recipe in which the total cost of products used in the cooking recipe satisfies the cost condition. Then, the advertising device 100 generates an advertisement in which the selected cooking recipe, the products used in the selected cooking recipe that are sold in a store, and the sales prices of the products used in the cooking recipe are associated with each other.

[0166] Next, the advertising device 100 distributes the generated advertisement to the user ((3-1) in FIG. 17). Then, the terminal device 200 operated by the user displays the advertisement distributed by the advertising device 100 ((3-2) in FIG. 17).

[0167] (Example of screen transition according to the first modified example) From here, an example of screen transition of the advertisement delivered by the advertising device 100 according to the first modified example will be described. Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of screen transition according to the first modified example.

[0168] 18 shows the top screen ((1) in FIG. 18), store details screen ((2) in FIG. 18), time sale screen ((3) in FIG. 18), cooking recipe screen ((4) in FIG. 18), standard recipe screen ((5) in FIG. 18), alternative recipe screen ((6) in FIG. 18), transmission completion screen ((7) in FIG. 18), and cooking recipe search screen ((8) in FIG. 18). Explanations of parts common to the first example and the first modified example will be omitted.

[0169] As in the first example, the advertising device 100 displays a store details screen ((2) in FIG. 18) in response to pressing a store name button ((1-1) in FIG. 18) on the top screen. Furthermore, the advertising device 100 displays a recipe search screen ((8) in FIG. 18) in response to a button such as "Recipe Search" ((2-1) in FIG. 18) displayed on the store details screen.

[0170] The recipe search screen is a screen on which a user inputs predetermined conditions to search for a desired recipe. For example, the advertising device 100 displays information such as ingredients (ingredient A, ingredient B, ingredient C), total ingredient cost, ingredient cost per person, cooking time, selection of standard recipe or alternative recipe, and a message from the store such as "We've made this recipe cheaper than the standard recipe by using alternative products that can be purchased in the store! Please understand that it may be a little unusual" on the recipe search screen ((8) in FIG. 18).

[0171] Then, when the above-mentioned search conditions are input, the advertising device 100 displays a cooking recipe screen ((4) in FIG. 18) containing information on cooking recipes that satisfy the search conditions in response to pressing a button such as "Search" ((8-1) in FIG. 18) on the cooking recipe search screen.

[0172] (A series of processing steps) From here, a series of processing procedures implemented by the advertising device 100 according to the first modified example will be described. Fig. 19 is a flowchart of the processing procedures according to the first modified example.

[0173] The accepting unit 131 accepts user information (S301), and the acquiring unit 132 acquires store information (S302).

[0174] The receiving unit 131 receives information about the recipe searched by the user (S303). Next, the generating unit 133 generates an advertisement that associates products sold in the store with the recipe searched by the user (S304). Next, the distributing unit 135 distributes the advertisement to the target user (S305). Then, the advertising device 100 ends the process.

[0175] (effect) Next, the effects of the advertising device 100 according to the first modification will be described. Conventional advertising has a problem in that it is difficult to implement effective sales of multiple items. For example, when a store considers discounting the price of "potatoes," a single-item sale that discounts only potatoes only has the effect of promoting sales of the potatoes. Here, by distributing an advertisement for "curry" that uses "potatoes," it is possible to realize a multi-item sale that can promote sales of products other than potatoes as well. However, since advertisement distribution using the reference technology is a one-way advertisement distribution from the retail store side, there is a possibility that it will not lead to effective sales promotion through multi-item sales because it does not meet user needs, etc.

[0176] Furthermore, as a method for realizing multi-item sales, there is a known reference technology that suggests "cooking recipes" to users and enables users to search for recipes for their desired dishes, but it is not possible to link this with information about limited-time sales at retail stores. Therefore, the reference technology has a problem in realizing sales promotions that satisfy both the products that retail stores want to promote and the needs of users.

[0177] Therefore, when a user searches for a cooking recipe, the generation unit 133 in the first variant generates an advertisement that matches the searched cooking recipe, a product used in the cooking recipe that is sold in a store, and the selling price of the product used in the cooking recipe.

[0178] Therefore, the advertising device 100 can deliver advertisements that match the user's preferences and needs by generating advertisements based on cooking recipes searched by the user himself / herself. Therefore, the advertising device 100 has an effect of enabling effective advertisement delivery with a higher sales promotion effect than conventional methods. As a result, the advertising device 100 realizes multi-item sales, which has been difficult to achieve with conventional advertising methods.

[0179] Furthermore, when a user searches for a cooking recipe with a specified cost, the generation unit 133 selects a cooking recipe whose total cost of products used in the cooking recipe satisfies the cost condition. Then, the generation unit 133 generates an advertisement that associates the selected cooking recipe with the products used in the selected cooking recipe that are sold in stores and are sold at stores, and the sales prices of the products used in the cooking recipe.

[0180] Therefore, even if the user is concerned about price, the advertising device 100 can deliver an advertisement that meets the user's needs by generating an advertisement based on a cooking recipe that meets the user's needs. Therefore, the advertising device 100 has an effect of enabling more effective advertisement delivery than conventional methods that increases the user's purchasing motivation.

[0181] <Second Modification: Advertisement Distribution Based on Advertisement Distribution Command> The advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment can deliver advertisements without being limited to the delivery of advertisements to users identified using the above-described "user location information." Hereinafter, a second modified example will be described as an example of advertisement delivery via a two-dimensional code, an application operated in a target store, or the like.

[0182] Specifically, the advertising device 100 (the reception unit 131) receives an advertisement distribution command from the terminal device 200 that has read a predetermined identifier (for example, a two-dimensional code) posted in a predetermined area, or from a server device that runs a predetermined application installed in the terminal device 200. When the advertisement distribution command is received, the advertising device 100 (the distribution unit 135) can distribute the advertisement generated by the method described in the above embodiment to a target user.

[0183] Here, an example of the flow of a process of advertisement delivery based on reading a two-dimensional code will be described. First, the terminal device 200 operated by a user reads a two-dimensional code posted in a predetermined area. Next, the terminal device 200 accesses the advertisement device 100 based on information such as a uniform resource locator (URL) read by the two-dimensional code. Then, the advertisement device 100 delivers the generated advertisement to the terminal device 200, using the access from the terminal device 200 as a trigger (advertisement delivery command).

[0184] Next, an example of a processing flow of advertisement delivery based on an application installed on the terminal device 200 will be described. First, a user performs an operation to display a desired advertisement via the application installed on the terminal device 200. Next, a server device running the application transmits an advertisement delivery command to the advertising device 100 based on the operation performed by the user via the application. Then, the advertising device 100 delivers the generated advertisement to the terminal device 200, triggered by the advertisement delivery command transmitted from the server device.

[0185] (effect) Through the above-described process, the advertising device 100 according to the second modified example can deliver advertisements to users who are located in a predetermined area even when the advertising device 100 does not store attribute information or location information of users.

[0186] For example, the above-described two-dimensional code is posted in a target store or the like to which advertisement delivery is desired. Therefore, the advertising device 100 can deliver a desired advertisement to a user located in a predetermined area (target store) by using reading of the two-dimensional code posted in the target store or the like as a trigger for advertisement delivery.

[0187] On the other hand, if the application is an application operated in a target store, the application has a function of determining whether the application is located in the target store, and information is read in the target store when a transaction is made or points are awarded. Therefore, the advertising device 100 can deliver a desired advertisement to users located in a predetermined area (target store) by using the application by a user in the target store as a trigger.

[0188] As described above, it is possible to identify whether a user is in a target store by reading a two-dimensional code or by using an application, so the advertising device 100 according to the second variant can deliver advertisements to users who are in the target store (specified area) even if it does not have the target user information.

[0189] Now, a further modified example of the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0190] (Data, etc.) The time sale, cooking recipe, advertisement, regular product, alternative product, standard recipe, alternative recipe, names of functional parts of the advertising device 100 and the terminal device 200, steps, processes, names of steps or processes, etc. used in the description of the above embodiments are merely examples and can be changed as desired.

[0191] For example, the user information DB121 stores user information such as name, address, telephone number, email address, gender, date of birth, nearest station, location information, etc. in association with a "user number" that identifies an individual user, but is not limited to this.

[0192] For example, store information DB122 stores information such as store name, address, telephone number, opening hours, closing hours, regular holidays, and map in association with a "store number" that identifies an individual store, but is not limited to this.

[0193] For example, the advertising information DB123 stores, as advertising information, information such as the store name, advertising start date, advertising end date, product name, price (excluding tax), tax rate, photo, product description, and whether or not a recipe is used, in association with an "advertising number," which is information that identifies an individual advertisement, but is not limited to this.

[0194] For example, the time sale information DB124 stores, as time sale information, information such as type, product name, regular price (excluding tax), special price (excluding tax), tax rate, store name, time sale start time, time sale end time, message, photo, identification information, whether to display recipe button, whether to distribute, nearest station, GPS conditions, date of birth conditions, and gender conditions, in association with a "time sale number" that identifies an individual time sale, but is not limited to this.

[0195] For example, the cooking recipe information DB125 stores information such as recipe name, key ingredient number, key ingredient name, key ingredient quantity, ingredient (N) number, ingredient (N) name, ingredient (N) quantity, procedure, cooking time, ingredient (N) substitute (n) number, ingredient (N) substitute (n) name, ingredient (N) substitute (n) quantity, etc., in association with a "recipe number" that identifies an individual cooking recipe, but is not limited to this.

[0196] For example, the ingredient information DB 126 stores information such as ingredient name, quantity, price (excluding tax), and tax rate in association with an "ingredient number" for identifying individual ingredient information, but is not limited to this.

[0197] (About the information input screen) In the above-described embodiment, as an example, the advertising device 100 has been described as acquiring time sale information registered via the time sale registration screen ( FIG. 10 ), but is not limited thereto. For example, when acquiring store information, advertisement information, cooking recipe information, ingredient information, etc., the advertising device 100 can acquire information used to generate an advertisement via a "predetermined registration screen" provided for inputting individual information included in each of the above-described information.

[0198] Furthermore, the advertising device 100 can acquire information used for generating an advertisement without being limited to acquiring information via an information input screen such as a member registration screen (FIG. 9) or a time sale registration screen (FIG. 10). For example, the advertising device 100 can collect predetermined information by performing data communication via a network from the terminal device 200 or an information processing device operated by a store staff member or the like.

[0199] (Processing to identify target users for ad delivery) In the above-described embodiment, as an example, the advertising device 100 has been described as specifying a user to whom an advertisement is to be delivered based on the user's location information. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the advertising device 100 can specify a user as a user to whom an advertisement is to be delivered based on the user's attribute information in addition to the user's location information. For example, the advertising device 100 matches delivery conditions, such as age, gender, date of birth, and past purchase history, set by a store staff member with attribute information, such as age, gender, and date of birth, of the user. Then, the advertising device 100 can specify a user who satisfies the conditions as a user to whom an advertisement is to be delivered.

[0200] (For designated areas) In the above-described embodiment, an area starting from a "station" has been described as an example of the "predetermined area," but the predetermined area targeted by the advertising device 100 is not limited to an area starting from a station. For example, the predetermined area includes an entire area starting from a bus stop, a pier, a local large supermarket, a shopping mall, or the like.

[0201] (Flowcharts, etc.) The steps in the flowcharts may be interchanged as long as there is no contradiction, and some steps may not be performed. In addition, conjunctions such as "next," "continue," "further," "at this time," and "on this occasion" used in the explanation of the flowcharts do not limit the order or timing of the execution of the processes in the flowcharts.

[0202] (Systems, etc.) Of the processes described in the above embodiments and variations, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods. In addition, the information, including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings, can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown.

[0203] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are conceptual functional components and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0204] The above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that fall within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content.

[0205] Furthermore, the aforementioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, a control section can be read as control means or a control circuit.

[0206] Although some of the embodiments have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples, and it is possible to implement the present embodiments in other forms that have undergone various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the Disclosure of the Invention section.

[0207] <Hardware configuration> The device included in the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment is realized, for example, by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration that realizes the functions of the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0208] The computer 1000 has a configuration in which a CPU 1100 , a memory 1200 , an auxiliary storage device 1300 , an input interface 1400 , an output interface 1500 , and a communication interface 1600 are connected by a bus 1700 .

[0209] The CPU 1100 operates and controls each functional unit based on a program stored in the memory 1200 or the auxiliary storage device 1300. The memory 1200 is configured, for example, with RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores a boot program executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 starts up, programs that depend on the hardware of the computer 1000, and the like.

[0210] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the advertising device 100 according to the present embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 can realize the function of the control unit 130 by executing a program loaded onto the memory 1200.

[0211] The auxiliary storage device 1300 stores programs executed by the CPU 1100, data used by the programs, etc. The CPU 1100 controls an input device 1410 such as a keyboard or mouse via an input interface 1400. The CPU 1100 also acquires data from the input device 1410 via the input interface 1400.

[0212] The CPU 1100 controls an output device 1510 such as a display or a printer via an output interface 1500. The CPU 1100 also outputs generated data and the like to the output device 1510 via the output interface 1500.

[0213] The communication interface 1600 receives data from other devices via a predetermined network NW and sends the data to the CPU 1100, and transmits data generated by the CPU 1100 to other devices via the predetermined network NW. [Explanation of symbols]

[0214] 100 Advertising Devices 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 121 User Information DB 122 Store Information DB 123 Advertising Information DB 124 Time Sale Information DB 125 Cooking Recipe Information DB 126 Material information DB 130 control section 131 Reception 132 Acquisition Department 133 Generation part 134 Specific part 135 Distribution Department 136 Notification Department 200 Terminal Device

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires product information related to products sold at a predetermined store; a distribution unit that distributes advertisements generated by associating product information related to products sold at the specified store with cooking recipes that use the products sold at the specified store; An advertising device comprising:

2. The device further includes a reception unit that receives information about the user's location, The distribution unit delivering the generated advertisement to the user associated with a predetermined area identified based on information about the user's location; 2. The advertising device according to claim 1.

3. The method further includes a generating unit that generates an advertisement in which product information related to products sold at the predetermined store is associated with a cooking recipe using the product sold at the predetermined store.

3. The advertising device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The generation unit generating the advertisement using, as a product associated with the recipe, at least one of an authentic product used in the recipe and an alternative product that substitutes for the authentic product; 4. The advertising device according to claim 3.

5. The generation unit generating the advertisement using at least one of a limited-time sale product, a low-priced product, and a product preferred by the user as the alternative product; 5. The advertising device according to claim 4.

6. The generation unit When using the alternative product, generating the advertisement using at least one of the cooking recipes, which are long-lasting recipes that keep the food fresh after cooking for a long time, time-saving recipes that require a short cooking time, recipes that consume a large amount of the product, and cooking recipes that are cheaper than cooking recipes that use the regular product; 6. The advertising device according to claim 5.

7. The generation unit When the user searches for the cooking recipe, generating the advertisement in which the searched recipe, a product used in the recipe that is sold in the store, and a selling price of the product used in the recipe are associated with each other; 4. The advertising device according to claim 3.

8. The generation unit When a user specifies a cost and searches for the cooking recipe, Select the recipes whose total cost of the products used in the recipes satisfies the cost condition; generating the advertisement in which the selected recipe, a product used in the selected recipe and sold at the store, and a selling price of the product used in the recipe are associated with each other; 4. The advertising device according to claim 3.

9. The generation unit inputting at least one of product information on products sold at the specified store, product information on products in the area related to the specified store, and product information on products collected from the Internet into a large-scale language model in which a prompt is set to generate a cooking recipe according to the input product information on the product, thereby generating the cooking recipe; and, generating the cooking recipe based on a large-scale language model configured with prompts to gather information such as cooking methods for ingredients from the internet; Execute at least one of the following:

4. The advertising device according to claim 3.

10. The generation unit When the advertisement for a first store in a predetermined area is distributed by the distribution unit, generating the advertisement including limited-time sale information of a second store in the specified area that is different in size and shape from the first store; 4. The advertising device according to claim 3.

11. When time sale information is included in product information about a product sold at a first store in a predetermined area, the product information is acquired from the first store in the predetermined area, a notification unit configured to notify a second store in the predetermined area that satisfies at least one of a size and a shape different from those of the first store; 3. The advertising device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. The reception unit receiving a command to distribute the advertisement from a terminal device that has read a predetermined identifier posted in a predetermined area or a server device that runs a predetermined application; The distribution unit When a command to distribute the advertisement is received, the generated advertisement is distributed to a target user.

3. The advertising device according to claim 2.

13. An advertising method to be executed by an advertising device, an acquisition step of acquiring product information relating to products sold at a predetermined store; a distribution step of distributing an advertisement generated by associating product information related to products sold at the predetermined store with cooking recipes using the products sold at the predetermined store; An advertising method comprising:

14. An advertising program to be executed by an advertising device, an acquisition step of acquiring product information regarding products sold at a predetermined store; a distribution step of distributing an advertisement generated by associating product information related to products sold at the predetermined store with cooking recipes using the products sold at the predetermined store; An advertising program comprising:

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