Price determination device, price determination method, program, price determination system, and terminal device

Abstract

To provide technology that can more appropriately determine the amount of consideration to be paid to the seller as payment for the transfer of the listed items. [Solution] One aspect of the present invention is a price determination device comprising: a rights granting unit that receives a specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the product from the seller of the product, receives an expression of intent to purchase the product from a prospective buyer of the product, and performs a rights granting process that grants the right to purchase the product to the prospective buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and a price determination unit that, when the termination conditions of the rights granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the product is sold to the prospective buyer who has obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of a price determination device, a price determination method, a program, a price determination system, and a terminal device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is an auction system that determines the price of an offered item in an auction format and mediates the transfer of the item at the determined price (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Generally, in an auction system, the final winning price is determined by bidders presenting higher bidding prices for the minimum winning price set by the offerer for the offered item.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=3'4]] However, in the conventional auction system, there is a possibility that an appropriate price cannot be set for the offered item. For example, setting a price that is too low may lead to a decrease in the offerer's profit, causing dissatisfaction among offerers or promoting resale. Conversely, setting a price that is too high may cause dissatisfaction among buyers and make it difficult for buyers to approach. In addition, it may be difficult to calculate an appropriate price for new products or experiential products without past examples.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of more appropriately determining the amount of consideration to be paid to an offerer as consideration for the transfer of an offered item.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a price determination device comprising: a rights granting unit that receives a specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the product from the seller of the product, receives an expression of intent to purchase the product from a prospective buyer of the product, and performs a rights granting process that grants the right to purchase the product to the prospective buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and a price determination unit that, when the termination conditions of the rights granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the product is sold to the prospective buyer who has obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is the price determination device described above, wherein the rights granting unit changes the provisional selling price of the product to a price lower than the set price at that time at any time the seller has chosen, and grants the right to a prospective buyer who has expressed an intention to purchase the product at a transaction price equal to or less than the provisional selling price at the time the intention to purchase was expressed.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is the price determination device described above, wherein the price determination unit determines the provisional selling price at the time the termination condition is met as the transaction price.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is the price determination device described above, wherein the right granting unit sets the maximum and minimum acceptable selling prices for the product to arbitrary amounts specified by the seller, and when a desired purchase price within the range from the maximum price to the minimum price is presented in conjunction with the expression of intent to purchase, the right grants the prospective buyer who expressed intent to purchase to purchase the product at a transaction price equal to or less than the desired purchase price presented by the prospective buyer.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is the price determination device described above, wherein, when the termination condition is met, the price determination unit determines the lowest purchase price among the purchase prices offered by all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase as the transaction price.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention is a price determination method in which a computer receives a specification of conditions regarding the selling price of a product from a seller of the product, receives an expression of intent to purchase the product from a prospective buyer of the product, performs a right granting process to grant the right to purchase the product to the prospective buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions, and when the termination conditions of the right granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the product is sold to the prospective buyer who has obtained the right to purchase to be a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to perform the following: receiving a specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the product from the seller of the product, receiving an expression of intent to purchase the product from a prospective buyer, and granting the right to purchase the product to the prospective buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and, when the termination conditions of the right-granting process are met, determining the transaction price at which the product is sold to the prospective buyer who has obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention is a price determination system in which a first terminal device used by a seller of goods, a second terminal device used by a prospective buyer of the goods, and a price determination device cooperate to determine the transaction price when selling the goods to a prospective buyer, wherein the price determination device receives, via the first terminal device, the specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the goods from the seller, and via the second terminal device, the expression of intent to purchase the goods from the prospective buyer, and executes a rights granting process to grant the right to purchase the goods to the prospective buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions, and when the termination conditions of the rights granting process are met The price determination system includes a price determination unit that, when the product is sold to the prospective buyer who has obtained the right to purchase, determines a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase; the first terminal device acquires and displays information regarding the granting status of the right to purchase via the price determination unit and notifies the price determination unit of the conditions specified according to the granting status; and the second terminal device acquires and displays information regarding the conditions specified by the seller regarding the selling price via the price determination unit and notifies the price determination unit of the expression of intent to purchase that is entered according to the conditions.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a terminal device used by a seller of goods, comprising: a rights granting unit that receives the seller's specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the goods, receives expressions of intent to purchase the goods from prospective buyers of the goods, and performs a rights granting process that grants the right to purchase the goods to prospective buyers who have expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and a price determination unit that, when the termination conditions of the rights granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the goods are sold to the prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase. The terminal device acquires and displays information regarding the granting status of purchase rights via a price determination device, and notifies the price determination device of the conditions specified according to the granting status.

[0015] One aspect of the present invention is a terminal device used by prospective buyers of goods listed by a seller, comprising: a rights granting unit that receives from the seller the specified conditions regarding the selling price of the goods, receives an expression of intent to purchase the goods from prospective buyers, and performs a rights granting process that grants the right to purchase the goods to prospective buyers who have expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and a price determination unit that, when the termination conditions of the rights granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the goods are sold to the prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase. The terminal device acquires and displays information regarding the conditions specified by the seller regarding the selling price, and notifies the price determination unit of the expression of intent to purchase that is entered according to the conditions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] This invention makes it possible to more appropriately determine the amount of consideration to be paid to the seller as payment for the transfer of the listed items. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the system configuration of the price determination system of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of the price determination device 100 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing an example of the price determination process in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a sequence chart showing an example of the process by which the transaction price of a product is determined by the price determination process of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates an example of the effects of the pricing system of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing an example of the price determination process in the second embodiment. [Figure 7]It is a sequence chart showing an example of the flow in which the transaction price of a product is determined by the price determination process of the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The price determination system of the embodiment matches the wishes of the person who wants to transfer the article and the wishes of the person who wants to receive the transfer for articles offered for transfer for consideration, and determines the amount of money to be paid as consideration when transferring the article. Hereinafter, among the users of the price determination system, the person who offers for transfer for consideration is referred to as the "seller", and the person who wants to receive the transfer of the offered article is referred to as the "prospective buyer". Also, hereinafter, the seller transferring the article to the prospective buyer for consideration is referred to as "sale", and the prospective buyer receiving the transfer of the article from the seller for consideration is referred to as "purchase". Also, hereinafter, the article offered by the seller for transfer for consideration is referred to as "product".

[0019] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the price determination system according to the first embodiment. The price determination system 1 includes, for example, a seller terminal device 10, a prospective buyer terminal device 20, and a price determination device 100. The seller terminal device 10, the prospective buyer terminal device 20, and the price determination device 100 can communicate with each other via a network NW. The network NW may be a network using wireless communication or a network using wired communication. The network NW may be configured using, for example, the Internet or a local area network (LAN). The network NW may be configured by combining a plurality of networks.

[0020] The seller terminal device 10 is a terminal device used by the seller. For example, the seller terminal device 10 may be a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer. In the seller terminal device 10, the seller-oriented interface 12 operates. The seller can, by operating the seller-oriented interface 12, list a product for sale, set a desired selling price for the listed product, or change the desired selling price. The seller-oriented interface 12 may be a dedicated application program or a web application provided via a web browser.

[0021] The prospective buyer terminal device 20 is a terminal device used by the prospective buyer. The prospective buyer terminal device 20 may be a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet, or a personal computer, similar to the seller terminal device 10. In the prospective buyer terminal device 20, the prospective buyer-oriented interface 22 operates. The prospective buyer can, by operating the prospective buyer-oriented interface 22, indicate an intention to purchase a listed product or specify the quantity of the product they wish to purchase. The prospective buyer-oriented interface 22 may be a dedicated application program or a web application provided via a web browser.

[0022] The price determination device 100 determines the transaction price of the listed product (which is the selling price for the seller and the purchase price for the prospective buyer) based on the desired selling price set by the seller and the indication of the intention to purchase by the prospective buyer.

[0023] Note that FIG. 1 illustrates the case where the price determination system 1 includes one seller terminal device 10 and a plurality of prospective buyer terminal devices 20, assuming that there are a plurality of prospective buyers for a product listed by one seller. However, in reality, there are usually multiple sellers and multiple prospective buyers. Assuming such a situation, there may be a plurality of seller terminal devices 10 in the price determination system 1.

[0024] Figure 2 shows an example of the functional configuration of the price determination device 100 according to the first embodiment. The price determination device 100 comprises, for example, a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130. The control unit 130 is configured using, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. The control unit 130 functions as a seller-facing processing unit 131, a buyer-facing processing unit 132, and a price determination unit 133, by the processor executing a program. Note that all or part of each function of the control unit 130 may be implemented using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The above program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include, for example, portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, semiconductor storage devices (e.g., SSDs: Solid State Drives), and storage devices such as hard disks and semiconductor storage devices built into computer systems. The above program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0025] The communication unit 110 is a communication device. The communication unit 110 may be configured, for example, as a network interface. The communication unit 110 communicates data with other devices via the network NW in accordance with the control of the control unit 130. The communication unit 110 may be a device that performs wireless communication or a device that performs wired communication.

[0026] The storage unit 120 is configured using a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk drive or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 120 stores data used by the control unit 130. The storage unit 120 may function, for example, as a seller information storage unit 121 that stores seller information and a prospective buyer information storage unit 122 that stores prospective buyer information.

[0027] Seller information may include, for example, the seller's identification information and product information related to the products the seller has registered (listed) in the pricing system 1. Product information may include, for example, information about the product's contents and condition, and the desired selling price set for the product. Buyer information may include, for example, the buyer's identification information and information about the buyer's expression of intent to purchase the product. Information about the expression of intent to purchase may include, for example, the timing of the buyer's expression of intent to purchase, the seller's desired selling price at that time, and the quantity of the product the buyer wanted to purchase (desired number of items).

[0028] The control unit 130 performs a process to determine the transaction price of the product based on the actions of the seller and the prospective buyer (hereinafter referred to as the "price determination process"). More specifically, the control unit 130 implements the price determination process through a seller-facing processing unit 131, a prospective buyer-facing processing unit 132, and a price determination unit 133.

[0029] The seller-facing processing unit 131 performs seller-facing processing (hereinafter referred to as "seller-facing processing") in the price determination process. Seller-facing processing may include, for example, receiving listing requests for target items from the seller terminal device 10, registering and updating product information, and presenting prospective buyer information to sellers.

[0030] The buyer-facing processing unit 132 performs processing for buyers in the price determination process (hereinafter referred to as "buyer-facing processing"). Buyer-facing processing may include, for example, processing to receive expressions of intent to purchase for a product from the buyer terminal device 20, processing to register and update buyer information, and processing to present seller information to buyers. The buyer-facing processing unit 132 grants buyers who have expressed intent to purchase the product in question the right to purchase it at a price equal to or less than the price presented / presented at that time (purchase right). The seller-facing processing and buyer-facing processing are examples of "right granting processing". Furthermore, the seller-facing processing unit 131 and the buyer-facing processing unit 132 combined are an example of a "right granting unit".

[0031] The price determination unit 133 repeatedly executes the rights granting process until the termination condition is met. Once the termination condition is met, it determines the transaction price of the product based on the prices previously offered by the seller or prospective buyer. For example, the price determination device 100 decreases the number of remaining products and lowers the asking price each time a prospective buyer expresses their intention to purchase, and determines the asking price when the number of remaining products becomes zero as the transaction price. Having zero remaining products is one example of a termination condition for the rights granting process. Other termination conditions may include the expiration of a pre-set period, the seller indicating their intention to terminate the transaction midway, or a combination of these.

[0032] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the price determination process in the first embodiment. First, in the price determination device 100, the seller processing unit 131 receives a request to list a product from the seller terminal device 10 (S101). Here, the seller processing unit 131 accepts the request to list a product along with setting an initial desired selling price (hereinafter referred to as "initial price"), and registers the details of the requested listing in the seller information storage unit 121.

[0033] Next, the seller processing unit 131 makes the current asking price (hereinafter referred to as the "current price") for the product listed in S101 public to potential buyers (S102). If S102 is executed immediately after S101, the initial price set in S101 is made public as the current price. The current number of remaining products may also be made public along with the current price. The asking price (initial price and current price) is an example of a "provisional selling price".

[0034] Next, the buyer-facing processing unit 132 receives expressions of intent to purchase at the current price announced in S102. The buyer-facing processing unit 132 determines whether or not there are any buyers who have expressed intent to purchase (S103). If there are no buyers who have expressed intent to purchase, the buyer-facing processing unit 132 proceeds to S104, in which the seller-facing processing unit 131 accepts price reductions from sellers (S104).

[0035] When the seller processing unit 131 receives a request from the seller to lower the asking price, it registers the new, lowered asking price in the seller information storage unit 121 and returns the process to S102. In S102, which is executed after S104, the asking price lowered in S104 is made public as the current price, and in the subsequent S103, expressions of intent to purchase at the lowered asking price are received.

[0036] On the other hand, if there is a prospective buyer who has expressed an intention to purchase in S103, the seller processing unit 131 subtracts the number of items specified by the prospective buyer from the current remaining stock (S105). Next, the price determination unit 133 determines whether the updated remaining stock is zero or not (S106). If the updated remaining stock is not zero, the price determination unit 133 proceeds to S104.

[0037] On the other hand, in S106, if the remaining stock of the product after the update is zero, the price determination unit 133 decides to set the current price at that time as the transaction price for all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase (S107). With this price determination method, all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase can purchase the product at the lowest possible selling price, thus preventing a sense of unfairness from arising among users who wish to purchase the same product.

[0038] In Figure 3, the case where S104 is performed after S103 or S106 is explained, but this is just one example, and the seller's price reduction (S104) may be performed at any time as long as it does not cause a discrepancy with the desired selling price recognized by the prospective buyer when they express their intention to purchase. Also, in Figure 3, the case where the seller lowers the desired selling price by operating the seller interface 12 is explained, but instead, the price determination device 100 may be configured to automatically lower the desired selling price based on pre-set conditions. In this way, the seller does not need to perform any additional operations after listing until the transaction price is determined, thus reducing the burden on the seller.

[0039] Figure 4 is a sequence chart showing an example of the process by which the transaction price of a product is determined by the price determination process of the first embodiment. First, seller S operates the seller terminal device 10 to list the product (S201). The example in Figure 4 shows the case where seller S lists a total of 3 identical products with an initial desired selling price (initial price) set at 5,000 yen.

[0040] Next, the price determination device 100 discloses the current asking price (current price) of the product listed in S201 to prospective buyers (S202). The current price disclosed here is the initial price of 5,000 yen. Prospective buyers can check the current price via the prospective buyer interface 22 of the prospective buyer terminal device 20.

[0041] Next, prospective buyer A operates the prospective buyer terminal device 20 to indicate their intention to purchase the current price (initial price = 5,000 yen) that was published in S202 (S203). Upon receiving this purchase intention, the price determination device 100 subtracts the number of items requested to be purchased (in this case, 1 item) from the current remaining number of items (3 items) and updates the remaining number of items to 2 (S204).

[0042] Next, seller S operates the seller terminal device 10 to lower the current price (S205). The example in Figure 4 shows the case where seller S lowers the current price from 5,000 yen to 4,000 yen. Note that seller S may decide to lower the current price at any time. For example, seller S may lower the desired selling price when they feel that the frequency of expressions of intent to buy at the current price has decreased. The price determination device 100 may be configured to skip S104 (Figure 3) until seller S decides to lower the current price.

[0043] Next, the price determination device 100 makes the current price after the price reduction available to prospective buyers (S206). The current price made available here is 4,000 yen. Subsequently, prospective buyer B operates the prospective buyer terminal device 20 to indicate their intention to purchase the item at the current price (4,000 yen) revealed in S206 (S207). Upon receiving this indication of intent to purchase, the price determination device 100 subtracts the number of items requested to be purchased (in this case, 1) from the current remaining quantity of items (2), and updates the remaining quantity to 1 (S208).

[0044] Next, seller S operates the seller terminal device 10 to lower the current price (S209). The example in Figure 4 shows the case where seller S lowers the current price from 4,000 yen to 3,000 yen. Subsequently, the price determination device 100 makes the lowered current price available to potential buyers (S210). The current price made available here is 3,000 yen.

[0045] Next, prospective buyer C operates the prospective buyer terminal device 20 to indicate their intention to purchase the current price (3000 yen) that was published in S210 (S211). Upon receiving this intention to purchase, the price determination device 100 subtracts the number of items requested to be purchased (in this case, 1) from the current remaining quantity of goods (1) and updates the remaining quantity to 0 (S212).

[0046] In S212, upon learning that the remaining stock of goods has become zero, the price determination device 100 determines the current price of 3,000 yen as the transaction price with all prospective buyers A, B, and C who have expressed their intention to purchase, and notifies prospective buyers A, B, and C that the transaction has been concluded at that price (S213).

[0047] According to the price determination system 1 of the first embodiment configured in this way, the amount of consideration to be paid to the seller as consideration for the transfer of the offered item can be determined more appropriately. More specifically, the price determination method of the first embodiment differs from conventional auctions in that the right to purchase is given to the buyer who offers the highest price first, and instead determines the price of the item using rules that incorporate the concept of price elasticity of demand. As a result, sellers have a greater expectation that they can maximize their profits by limiting the selling price of the item to the minimum necessary price reduction.

[0048] Furthermore, the pricing method of the first embodiment sets the lowest of the purchase prices offered by multiple prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase as the uniform transaction price for all prospective buyers. Therefore, since the selling price is uniform among prospective buyers regardless of when they expressed their intention to purchase, they are guaranteed to purchase at a price equal to or lower than the selling price they offered at the time they expressed their intention to purchase, which increases their sense of satisfaction.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the pricing method of the first embodiment, even products for which it is difficult to calculate a fair price can be included in the transaction, which has the advantage for the operator of the pricing system 1 of improving the convenience of the service. In addition, according to the pricing system 1 of the first embodiment, since the selling price is uniform, it is expected that those who strongly desire the product will express their intention to purchase at a higher asking price, while those who want to purchase the product at a lower price for the purpose of resale will express their intention to purchase at a lower asking price. For this reason, by the time a buyer intending to resell expresses their intention to purchase, it is highly probable that buyers who would have purchased at a price higher than the asking price will have already expressed their intention to purchase, leaving only buyers who will not purchase at a price higher than the asking price, thus making it difficult for resales to be completed (see Figure 5). As a result, it is expected that products will not be traded at unnecessarily low prices and that products will not be targeted for resale, which has the advantage for the operator of the pricing system 1 of improving the quality of the service.

[0050] As described above, the price determination system 1 of the first embodiment makes it possible to more appropriately determine the amount of consideration to be paid to the seller as consideration for the transfer of the listed items.

[0051] <Second Embodiment> The pricing system 1 of the second embodiment has the same system configuration as the pricing system 1 of the first embodiment, but the algorithm for determining the transaction price differs from that of the pricing system 1 of the first embodiment. More specifically, in the pricing algorithm of the first embodiment, the seller presents the current price of the product starting from an initial price and gradually lowering the price, and the current price when the number of remaining products becomes zero is determined as the transaction price for all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase. In contrast, the pricing algorithm of the second embodiment differs from the pricing algorithm of the first embodiment in that, instead of the seller presenting an initial price and a current price, it presents a minimum and maximum desired selling price. The pricing method of the second embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0052] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the price determination process in the second embodiment. First, in the price determination device 100, the seller processing unit 131 receives a request to list a product from the seller terminal device 10 (S301). Here, the seller processing unit 131 accepts the request to list a product along with setting the minimum (hereinafter referred to as "minimum selling price") and maximum (hereinafter referred to as "maximum selling price") of the desired selling price of the product, and registers the details of the requested listing in the seller information storage unit 121.

[0053] Next, the seller processing unit 131 discloses the set minimum and maximum selling prices for the items listed in S301 to potential buyers (S302). The current number of remaining items may also be disclosed along with the minimum and maximum selling prices.

[0054] Next, the buyer-facing processing unit 132 receives expressions of intent to purchase within the price range of the minimum and maximum selling prices published in S302. Here, the desired purchase price presented along with the expression of intent to purchase is to be within the range from the minimum selling price to the maximum selling price. However, if a price outside this range is presented, the buyer-facing processing unit 132 may notify the buyer who expressed intent to purchase of an error. The buyer-facing processing unit 132 determines whether or not there are any buyers who have expressed intent to purchase (S303). If there are no buyers who have expressed intent to purchase, the buyer-facing processing unit 132 repeatedly executes S303 until a buyer who expresses intent to purchase appears.

[0055] On the other hand, if a prospective buyer has expressed an intention to purchase in S303, the seller-facing processing unit 131 records the proposed purchase price (S304) and subtracts the number of items specified by the prospective buyer from the current remaining stock (S305). Subsequently, the price determination unit 133 determines whether the updated remaining stock is zero or not (S306). If the updated remaining stock is not zero, the price determination unit 133 returns to S303.

[0056] On the other hand, in S306, if the remaining stock of the product after the update is zero, the price determination unit 133 identifies the lowest purchase price (minimum offer price) among the purchase prices offered by prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase up to that point, and decides to set that minimum offer price as the transaction price for all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase (S307). With this price determination method, all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase can purchase the product at the lowest purchase price among the purchase prices offered by prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase, thus preventing a sense of unfairness from arising among users who wish to purchase the same product.

[0057] Figure 7 is a sequence chart showing an example of the process by which the transaction price of a product is determined by the price determination process of the second embodiment. First, seller S operates the seller terminal device 10 to list the product (S401). The example in Figure 7 shows the case where seller S lists a total of 3 identical products, setting the minimum selling price to 5,000 yen and the maximum selling price to 10,000 yen.

[0058] Next, the price determination device 100 makes the minimum and maximum selling prices set in S401 public to prospective buyers for the products listed in S401 (S402). This allows prospective buyers to understand that the price they can offer when expressing their intention to purchase a product is within the range from the minimum selling price to the maximum selling price. Prospective buyers can check the minimum and maximum selling prices via the prospective buyer interface 22 of the prospective buyer terminal device 20.

[0059] Next, prospective buyer A operates the prospective buyer terminal device 20 to indicate their intention to purchase at a desired price of 8,000 yen (S403). Upon receiving this purchase intention, the price determination device 100 records the stated purchase intention price (8,000 yen) and subtracts the number of items to be purchased based on this purchase intention (in this case, 1 item) from the current remaining number of items (3 items), updating the remaining number of items to 2 (S404).

[0060] Next, prospective buyer B operates the prospective buyer terminal device 20 to indicate their intention to purchase at a desired price of 6,000 yen (S405). Upon receiving this purchase intention, the price determination device 100 records the stated purchase intention price (6,000 yen) and subtracts the number of items requested to be purchased (in this case, 1) from the current remaining number of items (2), updating the remaining number of items to 1 (S406).

[0061] Next, prospective buyer C operates the prospective buyer terminal device 20 to indicate their intention to purchase at a desired price of 7,000 yen (S407). Upon receiving this purchase intention, the price determination device 100 records the stated purchase intention price (7,000 yen) and subtracts the number of items requested to be purchased (in this case, 1) from the current remaining number of items (1), updating the remaining number of items to 0 (S408).

[0062] In S408, upon learning that the remaining stock of goods has become zero, the price determination device 100 identifies the lowest bid price (in this case, 6,000 yen) among the bid prices of 8,000 yen, 6,000 yen, and 7,000 yen offered by prospective buyers A, B, and C. The price determination device 100 then determines this lowest bid price of 6,000 yen as the transaction price between all prospective buyers A, B, and C who have expressed their intention to purchase, and notifies prospective buyers A, B, and C that the transaction has been concluded at this price (S409).

[0063] The price determination system 1 of the second embodiment, configured in this way, makes it possible to more appropriately determine the amount of consideration to be paid to the seller as consideration for the transfer of the listed item. More specifically, the price determination method of the second embodiment differs from conventional auctions in that the right to purchase is awarded to the highest bidder first. Instead, prospective buyers submit their desired purchase price within a price range specified by the seller, and the lowest bid price among those submitted is applied as the transaction price for all prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase. With this price determination method, sellers are guaranteed that they can sell their goods at a price within their predetermined acceptable range, and prospective buyers are guaranteed that they can purchase the goods at a price at least equal to or lower than their own desired purchase price. Thus, a highly convenient transaction environment can be provided for both parties.

[0064] According to at least one embodiment described above, it becomes possible to more appropriately determine the amount of consideration to be paid to the seller as consideration for the transfer of the listed items.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the price determination method of the above embodiment, the seller may be able to obtain profits (additional profits) that are greater than initially expected, depending on the price offered by the prospective buyer. Such additional profits can serve as an incentive to promote social contribution activities, such as donations. In other words, the price determination method of the embodiment is not merely a means of determining the price of an item, but is also expected to be highly effective as a means of realizing cause marketing. In this case, for example, the seller may be asked to set an expected transaction price in advance, and after the transaction price is determined, the difference between the expected price and the transaction price may be calculated. If the difference is a positive value, that amount may be considered additional profit and donated.

[0066] In the first embodiment, the case where the price determination device 100 determines the transaction price of a product by repeatedly executing the process for the seller and the process for the prospective purchasers until the remaining quantity of the product becomes zero has been described. Instead, the price determination device 100 may be configured to determine the transaction price of a product by repeatedly executing the process for the seller and the process for the prospective purchasers until the remaining quantity of the product becomes a predetermined number or less. Similarly, in the second embodiment, the case where the price determination device 100 determines the transaction price of a product by repeatedly executing the process for the prospective purchasers until the remaining quantity of the product becomes zero has been described. Instead, the price determination device 100 may be configured to determine the transaction price of a product by repeatedly executing the process for the prospective purchasers until the remaining quantity of the product becomes a predetermined number or less.

[0067] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included.

Industrial Applicability

[0068] The present invention is applicable to the use of determining the amount of consideration to be paid to a seller as consideration for the transfer of an offering.

Explanation of Signs

Claims

1. A rights granting unit that receives specifications regarding the selling price of the said product from the seller of the product, receives expressions of intent to purchase the said product from prospective buyers, and performs a rights granting process that grants the right to purchase the said product to prospective buyers who have expressed intent to purchase based on the said conditions, When the termination conditions for the rights granting process are met, a price determination unit determines the transaction price for selling the product to the buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it to be a uniform price for all buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it. A price determination device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned rights granting unit, The seller may, at any time, change the provisional selling price of the product to a price lower than the price set at that time. The right to purchase the aforementioned goods at a transaction price equal to or less than the provisional sale price at the time the purchase intention was expressed is granted to the prospective buyer who has expressed the intention to purchase. The price determination device according to claim 1.

3. The price determination unit determines the provisional selling price at the time the termination condition is met as the transaction price. The price determination device according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned rights granting unit, The maximum and minimum acceptable selling prices for the aforementioned product are set to any amount specified by the seller. If, in conjunction with the expression of intent to purchase, a desired purchase price within the range from the highest price to the lowest price is presented, the right to purchase the goods at a transaction price equal to or less than the desired purchase price presented by the prospective buyer shall be granted. The price determination device according to claim 1.

5. If the termination condition is met, the price determination unit determines the lowest purchase price among all the purchase prices offered by the prospective buyers who have expressed their intention to purchase as the transaction price. The price determination device according to claim 4.

6. Computers The system accepts the seller of the product specifying the conditions regarding the selling price of the said product, accepts the prospective buyer expressing their intention to purchase the said product, and performs a right granting process to grant the right to purchase the said product to the prospective buyer who has expressed their intention to purchase based on the said conditions. When the termination conditions for the rights granting process are met, the transaction price for selling the product to the buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it will be determined to be a uniform price for all buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it. Pricing method.

7. On the computer, The system accepts the seller of the product specifying the conditions regarding the selling price of the product, accepts the buyer's expression of intent to purchase the product, and grants the buyer the right to purchase the product based on the conditions. If the termination conditions for the rights granting process are met, a price determination process is performed to determine the transaction price for selling the product to the buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it, to be a uniform price for all buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it. A program to execute.

8. A price determination system in which a first terminal device used by the seller of the product, a second terminal device used by the prospective buyer of the product, and a price determination device cooperate to determine the transaction price when selling the product to the prospective buyer, The price determination device is A rights granting unit that, via the first terminal device, receives the seller's specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the product, and via the second terminal device, receives the buyer's expression of intent to purchase the product, and performs a rights granting process to grant the buyer the right to purchase the product to the buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions, When the termination conditions for the rights granting process are met, a price determination unit determines the transaction price for selling the product to the buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it to be a uniform price for all buyers who have obtained the right to purchase it. Equipped with, The first terminal device acquires and displays information regarding the granting status of the purchase right via the price determination device, and notifies the price determination device of the conditions specified according to the granting status. The second terminal device acquires and displays information regarding the conditions specified by the seller with respect to the sales price via the price determination device, and notifies the price determination device of the expression of purchase intent entered according to the conditions. Price determination system.

9. A terminal device used by the seller of the product, A price determination device comprising: a right granting unit that receives the seller's specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the product, receives the buyer's expression of intent to purchase the product, and performs a right granting process to grant the right to purchase the product to the buyer who has expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and a price determination unit that, when the conditions for completion of the right granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the product is sold to the buyer who has obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all buyers who have obtained the right to purchase. The device acquires and displays information regarding the status of the granting of the right to purchase, and notifies the price determination device of the conditions specified according to the granting status. Terminal device.

10. A terminal device used by prospective buyers of items listed by a seller, A price determination device comprising: a right granting unit that receives the seller's specification of conditions regarding the selling price of the product, receives expressions of intent to purchase the product from prospective buyers of the product, and performs a right granting process that grants the right to purchase the product to prospective buyers who have expressed intent to purchase based on the conditions; and a price determination unit that, when the termination conditions of the right granting process are met, determines the transaction price at which the product is sold to the prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase at a uniform price for all prospective buyers who have obtained the right to purchase. The device acquires and displays information regarding the conditions specified by the seller regarding the selling price, and notifies the price determination device of the expressions of intent to purchase that are entered according to the conditions. Terminal device.

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