Information processing device, vote acceptance method, and vote acceptance program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device that allows even users with little voting experience to easily cast their votes. [Solution] An information processing device (20) that accepts votes for a competition in which voting is possible using multiple voting methods for the voting target, comprising: a storage unit (201) that stores a voting history showing the history of votes previously made by the user; a selection unit (203) that selects one or more voting methods to recommend to the user from among the multiple voting methods based on the voting history; a notification unit (204) that notifies the user of at least one of the selected one or more voting methods; and a reception unit (205) that accepts the user's specification of the voting method to be used when making a vote from among the multiple voting methods.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, in various competitions where voting is conducted, such as horse racing, motorcycle racing, and boat racing, a voting device for receiving votes from voters is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A voter can vote by writing the voting items necessary for voting on a ballot paper and inputting them into the voting device. For example, in the case of horse racing, items such as the racecourse where the race is held, the voting methods such as single win and multiple win, and the horses to be voted on are written on the ballot paper and input into the voting device to cast a vote.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, depending on the competition, the voting method may be complicated. For example, in the case of horse racing, the types of voting methods to be selected and the number of horses to be voted on are numerous, and there are many voting patterns, making it complicated. Therefore, for users with little voting experience, it is difficult to determine which voting pattern to vote for, and thus they cannot easily vote.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, a vote reception method, and a vote reception program that enable even users with little voting experience to easily vote.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device that accepts votes for a competition in which voting is possible using multiple voting methods for a voting target, and comprises: a storage unit that stores a voting history showing the history of votes previously made by the user; a selection unit that selects one or more voting methods from among the multiple voting methods to recommend to the user based on the voting history; a notification unit that notifies the user of at least one of the selected one or more voting methods; and a reception unit that accepts the user's specification of a voting method from among the multiple voting methods when making a vote. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, a vote acceptance method, and a vote acceptance program that enable even users with little voting experience to easily cast a vote. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows a voting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal and a server. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an example of the functional block configuration of a terminal. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a server's functional block configuration. [Figure 5] This is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the processing steps performed by the voting system. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a recommended voting method database. [Figure 7] This figure shows another example of a recommendation voting system database. [Figure 8] An example of a voting screen displayed on a device is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In each drawing, components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

[0010] (System Configuration) Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of a voting system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The voting system 1 shown in Figure 1 is a system that manages user votes in a competition in which betting takes place, such as horse racing.

[0011] In this embodiment, the case in which the voting system 1 is used for horse racing will be described as an example, but the voting system 1 is not limited to horse racing and may be used for various sports in which voting takes place, such as bicycle racing, boat racing, and auto racing. Furthermore, the voting system 1 in this embodiment may be used for various sports in which rankings are determined. It may also be used for simulation games, etc., related to the various sports mentioned above.

[0012] Voting system 1 comprises terminal 10a, terminal 10b, and server 20. Terminals 10a, terminal 10b, and server 20 are connected to each other via a communication network N such as the Internet or a wireless LAN. In this embodiment, the user using terminal 10a is referred to as user A, and the user using terminal 10b is referred to as user B. When it is not necessary to distinguish between terminals 10a and terminal 10b, terminals 10a and terminal 10b are each referred to as terminal 10. Voting system 1 may have one terminal 10 or three or more terminals 10. In this embodiment, terminals 10 and server 20 may be collectively referred to as an information processing device, terminal 10 alone may be referred to as an information processing device, or server 20 alone may be referred to as an information processing device.

[0013] Terminal 10 can be any type of device, such as a smartphone, tablet, mobile phone, personal computer (PC), notebook PC, personal digital assistant (PDA), or home game console. Server 20 may consist of one device, multiple devices, or be a server implemented on the cloud.

[0014] The overview of the voting system 1 will be described using FIG. 1. First, user A operates the terminal 10a to access the server 20. After user A accesses the server 20, information for identifying the user (such as user ID: Identification, etc.) is input into the terminal 10a. The input information is transmitted to the server 20 via the communication network N. The server 20 identifies the user using the voting system 1 based on the received information.

[0015] After that, the server 20 creates screen information including information for displaying a voting screen for user A to vote, and transmits it to the terminal 10a. Then, the terminal 10a displays a voting screen for receiving the vote from user A based on the received screen information. User A votes using the voting screen displayed on the terminal 10a. For example, in horse racing, voting methods such as win, place, and quinella, and options for the horses to be voted on (for example, if the voting method is win, the horse that comes first) are displayed on the voting screen, and user A can use the voting screen to select the voting method and the horse to be voted on.

[0016] When receiving the vote from user A, in the voting system 1, processing for assisting user A's vote is performed. For example, if user A is a user with little voting record, simple voting methods with fewer horses to be selected such as win or place, or voting methods with low risk may be preferentially displayed on the voting screen. Also, for example, information on the voting method selected by user B or the horse voted on by user B may be displayed on user A's terminal 10a so that user A can refer to it when voting.

[0017] When the vote by user A is completed, the information regarding the input vote is sent from the terminal 10a to the server 20 via the communication network N. After that, the server 20 determines whether the vote by user A is a hit based on the result of the actual race, etc., and transmits the determination result to the terminal 10a.

[0018] (Hardware Configuration) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal 10 and the server 20. The terminal 10 and the server 20 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a storage device 12, a communication IF (Interface) 13, an input device 14, and an output device 15. These components are connected to each other so as to be able to transmit and receive data.

[0019] The CPU 11 is a control unit that performs control related to the execution of programs stored in the storage device 12, arithmetic operations on data, and data processing. The CPU 11 receives data from the communication IF 13 and outputs the arithmetic result of the data to the output device 15 or stores it in the storage device 12.

[0020] The storage device 12 is a device that stores various types of information. The storage device 12 is a volatile storage medium capable of rewriting data or a non-volatile storage medium capable of only reading data.

[0021] The communication IF 13 is a device that connects the terminal 10 or the server 20 to the communication network N. The communication IF 13 may be provided outside the terminal 10 or the server 20. In that case, the communication IF 13 is connected to the terminal 10 or the server 20 via an interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0022] The input device 14 is a device for receiving input of information from the user. The input device 14 is, for example, a touch panel, buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and the like.

[0023] The output device 15 is a device for outputting information. The output device 15 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electronic Luminescent) display, a speaker, and the like.

[0024] (Functional block configuration) Figure 3 shows an example of the functional block configuration of terminal 10. Terminal 10 includes a communication unit 101, an input receiving unit 102, and a display control unit 103. The communication unit 101, the input receiving unit 102, and the display control unit 103 can be realized by the CPU 11 of terminal 10 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program may be a program (application) that can be downloaded from a server and installed on terminal 10. This program can also be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium storing this program may be a computer-readable non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory).

[0025] The communication unit 101 has the function of sending and receiving signals and messages to and from the server 20 via the communication IF 13.

[0026] The input receiving unit 102 has the function of receiving various inputs from the user via an input device 14 such as a touch panel, mouse, or keyboard.

[0027] The display control unit 103 displays various screens, including the voting screen, on the output device 15, such as a liquid crystal display, based on screen information received from the server 20. The input reception unit 102 and the display control unit 103 may be functional units implemented by the web browser provided in the terminal 10.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of the functional block configuration of server 20. Server 20 includes a storage unit 201, a communication unit 202, a selection unit 203, a display control unit 204, and a reception unit 205. The storage unit 201 can be implemented using a storage device 12 or an external storage device that server 20 can communicate with. The communication unit 202, the selection unit 203, the display control unit 204, and the reception unit 205 can be implemented by the CPU 11 of server 20 executing a program stored in the storage device 12. This program can be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium on which the program is stored may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a USB memory or a CD-ROM.

[0029] The memory unit 201 stores a voting history DB (Data Base) (voting history information) that stores the history of votes the user has placed in the past. The voting history DB stores, for example, a user ID (Identification) to identify the user, the date the user placed a bet, the race number, the betting method (win, place, etc.), the target horse (horse number) corresponding to the betting method, the amount bet, and the payout amount if the bet is successful. The memory unit 201 also stores a recommended betting method DB (voting method information) that shows recommended conditions for each betting method. Recommended conditions are conditions that indicate the betting method recommended according to the user's level of experience with horse racing (hereinafter referred to as "experience level").

[0030] The communication unit 202 has the function of sending and receiving signals and messages to and from the terminal 10 via the communication IF 13.

[0031] The selection unit 203 has the function of selecting one or more voting methods to recommend to the user from among multiple voting methods based on the voting history database. Alternatively, the selection unit 203 may also obtain the user's experience level based on the voting history database and select one or more voting methods to recommend to the user if the obtained experience level satisfies the recommendation criteria.

[0032] The display control unit 204 has the function of controlling the voting screen to be displayed on the terminal 10. The voting screen includes at least one of the one or more voting methods recommended to the user selected by the selection unit 203. The display control unit 204 may also include in the voting screen voting methods that can be selected at the time of voting (multiple voting methods set for the race). Note that the display control unit 204 may be a functional unit implemented by a web server.

[0033] The reception unit 205 has the function of receiving information from the terminal 10 used by the user to place a bet, specifying the race number to bet on, the betting method to bet on, the horse number corresponding to the betting method, and the amount to bet.

[0034] As described above, the display control unit 103 of the terminal 10 or the display control unit 204 of the server 20 can be described as having the function of notifying the user of information using a screen. Therefore, the display control unit 103 may be called the notification unit, the display control unit 204 may be called the notification unit, or the display control unit 103 and the display control unit 204 together may be called the notification unit.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal 10 may perform the processes that the server would normally perform (selection of recommended voting methods, processing related to displaying the voting screen, and processing related to accepting votes) itself. In other words, each of the functional blocks provided by the server 20 described above may be provided on the terminal 10 side.

[0036] (Processing procedure) Next, the processing steps performed by the voting system 1 will be explained. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing steps performed by the voting system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0037] First, the input reception unit 102 of terminal 10 receives an instruction from the user using terminal 10 to display the voting screen (step S100), and the communication unit 101 sends the user's user ID to the server 20 (step S110). Next, the selection unit 203 of server 20 retrieves the user's voting history by searching the voting history DB using the received user ID as a key. The selection unit 203 also retrieves (calculates) the user's experience level by analyzing the retrieved voting history. The selection unit 203 also selects one or more voting methods to recommend to the user by searching the recommended voting method DB for voting methods that satisfy the retrieved (calculated) experience level (step S120). The experience level can be calculated in any way, but for example, it may be calculated based on the number of votes the user has made so far, the current win rate, the total amount voted, and / or the total amount of refunds. Here, a specific example of the recommended voting method DB will be explained.

[0038] Figure 6 shows an example of a recommended betting method database. The "Betting Method" column stores the betting methods set for a race, or information that can identify (specify) a betting method. In the example in Figure 6, the betting methods are listed in order of increasing difficulty (easiest to win). A place bet is a betting method where you select one horse that will finish in the top three. A win bet is a betting method where you select one horse that will come in first place. A wide bet is a betting method where you select two horses that will come in first to third place. A quinella bet is a betting method where you predict the gate numbers of the first and second place horses in any order. A exacta bet is a betting method where you predict the gate numbers of the first and second place horses, including their order. A place bet is a betting method where you predict the first and second place horses in any order. A trifecta bet is a betting method where you predict both the first and second place horses. A trio bet is a betting method where you predict the first to third place horses in any order. A trifecta bet is a type of betting where you must correctly predict the horses that will finish in first, second, and third place.

[0039] The "Recommended Conditions" section stores conditions that indicate which betting methods should be recommended for users with a certain level of horse racing experience (track record). In the example in Figure 6, the experience levels that meet the recommendation limit increase in the order of experience level A, experience level B, experience level C, etc. In other words, the recommended betting method DB shown in Figure 6 is set up so that the more experience a user has, the more recommended betting methods are offered. For example, for users with betting experience less than experience level A, only place bets are recommended, but for users with betting experience between experience level C and experience level D, place bets, win bets, quinella bets, and exacta bets are recommended.

[0040] Figure 7 shows another example of a recommended betting method database. As shown in Figure 7, the recommended betting method database may have recommendation conditions set so that as the user's experience level increases, betting methods with a larger number of parameters that need to be specified for betting are recommended. The number of parameters that need to be specified for betting may be, for example, the number of horses (or gates) to be selected. For win and place bets, the number of horses to be specified for betting is 1. For quinella, exacta, exacta, and superfecta bets, the number of horses to be specified for betting is 2. For trifecta and superfecta bets, the number of horses to be specified for betting is 3. In the example in Figure 7, for users with low experience (less than X), place, win, and quinella bets will be selected as recommended betting methods. For users with moderate experience (X or more but less than Y), place, win, quinella, exacta, exacta, and superfecta bets will be selected as recommended betting methods. For users with high experience (Y or more), all betting methods will be selected as recommended betting methods.

[0041] Next, the display control unit 204 of the server 20 generates screen information for the voting screen, which includes one or more voting methods recommended to the user, selected by the selection unit 203, and voting methods that can be selected at the time of voting (specifically, all voting methods set for the race) (step S130). The communication unit 202 transmits the generated screen information to the terminal 10 (step S140).

[0042] Next, the display control unit 103 of terminal 10 displays the voting screen using the voting screen information received from server 20 (step S150). The input reception unit 102 receives the voting details entered by the user on the voting screen (for example, voting method, target horse (horse number), and amount of bet), and transmits the received voting details to server 20 (step S160). The reception unit 205 of server 20 executes the vote (purchase of betting tickets) according to the voting details received from terminal 10 (step S170).

[0043] Figure 8 shows an example of a voting screen displayed on terminal 10. Figure 8(a) shows an example of a menu for accepting win bets on the voting screen. Figure 8(b) shows an example of a menu for accepting selection of a betting method on the voting screen. As shown in Figure 8(b), the menu for accepting selection of a betting method displays a list of each of the multiple betting methods set for the race, and a string indicating that the betting method recommended to the user is recommended is displayed.

[0044] Furthermore, the menu on the voting screen that accepts the selection of a voting method may be configured to display only voting methods recommended to the user, as shown in Figure 8(c). In other words, the available voting methods may be limited for inexperienced users, and more voting methods may be gradually unlocked as the user gains experience. To implement such processing, the display control unit 204 of the server 20 may display a voting screen on the terminal 10 that shows only one or more voting methods recommended to the user selected by the selection unit 203 as the voting methods that can be selected at the time of voting. In addition, the reception unit 205 of the server 20 may limit the user's specification of the voting method to one or more voting methods recommended to that user.

[0045] According to the processing procedure described above, it is possible to recommend betting methods that are easy to predict or simple to use to users with little experience in horse racing. This makes it easy for users to decide which betting method to use, so even users with little betting experience can easily place bets. In addition, this prevents users from repeatedly operating the betting screen while wondering which betting method to use, and reduces the processing load on terminal 10 and server 20 related to rendering the betting screen.

[0046] (modified version) In this embodiment, when the server 20's reception unit 205 receives votes from a user for a voting target, it may accept votes in units of groups generated by grouping voting targets that share common attributes. The display control unit 204 may also display the voting targets for each group and display a voting screen on the terminal 10 that allows voting in units of these groups. Examples of voting targets that share common attributes include groups of horses with common characteristics (e.g., front-runners, pace-setters, closers), groups of horses with odds below a predetermined multiplier (favorite group), groups of horses with odds above a predetermined multiplier (long shot group), groups of horses with the same gender, and groups of horses that placed in the top ranks in the previous race. This makes it easier for users to select voting targets, as they do not need to select them by specific horse numbers.

[0047] Furthermore, the voting system according to this embodiment may allow users to refer to information on the voting methods and horses voted for by other users who have more experience than the user, and may also allow users to duplicate and vote for the same votes made by other users. Also, as mentioned above, in the voting system according to this embodiment, the voting methods that can be selected may be limited for less experienced users, and more voting methods may be gradually unlocked as the user gains experience.

[0048] In this case, the reception unit 205 of the server 20 may accept votes from users that are copies of votes made by other users, even if the voting method used in a vote made by another user is not included in the one or more voting methods recommended to the user (i.e., it is not available). In other words, even if a voting method is not available, voting using that method may be permitted only when it is a copy of a vote made by another user. This makes it possible for even inexperienced users to make votes that are copies of votes made by more experienced users, thereby increasing the interest in horse racing.

[0049] In the voting system according to this embodiment, it may be possible to make votes using a virtual currency that can only be used within the voting system, instead of actual money.

[0050] The voting method in this embodiment is not limited to the voting method used in the preceding description. The voting method in this embodiment includes various voting methods in which a predetermined ranking, etc., is specified for one or more voting targets, either in any order or explicitly.

[0051] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The elements, arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes of the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, it is possible to partially substitute or combine the configurations shown in different embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1...Voting system, 10...Terminal, 11...CPU, 12...Storage device, 13...Communication interface, 14...Input device, 15...Output device, 20...Server, 101...Communication unit, 102...Input reception unit, 103...Display control unit, 201...Storage unit, 202...Communication unit, 203...Selection unit, 204...Display control unit, 205...Reception unit

Claims

1. An information processing device for receiving votes for a competition in which voting is possible using multiple voting methods for the target of voting, A memory unit that stores a voting history showing the voting history of the user in the past, A selection unit that selects one or more voting methods from the plurality of voting methods to recommend to the user based on the voting history, A notification unit that notifies the user of at least one of the one or more voting methods selected above, A reception unit that receives the user's selection of the voting method from among the aforementioned multiple voting methods, An information processing device having

2. The memory unit stores recommended voting method information that associates each of the plurality of voting methods with the recommended conditions. The selection unit obtains the user's voting experience level from the voting history and selects one or more voting methods that satisfy the recommendation conditions based on the obtained experience level as recommended voting methods for the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The recommended voting method information is set such that the number of recommended voting methods increases as the level of experience increases. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. Each of the aforementioned voting methods has a defined number of parameters that must be specified in order to cast a vote. The recommended voting method information is configured such that the higher the level of experience, the more recommended voting methods with a larger number of parameters to be specified are recommended. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. When the receiving unit receives votes from the user for the voting targets, it accepts the votes in units of groups generated by grouping voting targets that share common attributes with multiple voting targets. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The notification unit further notifies the user of the plurality of voting methods as voting methods that the user can select. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The notification unit notifies the user of one or more voting methods recommended to the user as alternatives to the multiple voting methods, as voting methods that the user can select. The reception unit accepts the user's designation of a voting method from among one or more voting methods recommended to the user as an alternative to the aforementioned multiple voting methods. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The reception unit accepts the vote from the user if the user makes a vote that is a copy of a vote made by another user other than the user, even if the voting method used in the vote made by the other user is not included in the one or more voting methods recommended to the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7.

9. A method for receiving votes in a competition where voting is possible using multiple voting methods, provided by an information processing device that accepts votes for the target of voting. A step to remember the voting history, which shows the voting history of the user in the past, The steps include selecting one or more voting methods from the aforementioned voting history to recommend to the user, The steps include notifying the user of at least one of the one or more voting methods selected above, A step of receiving a selection of voting methods from among the aforementioned multiple voting methods for the user to use when casting a vote, Voting methods including those mentioned.

10. A computer that accepts votes for a competition where multiple voting methods are available for the target of voting, A step to remember the voting history, which shows the voting history of the user in the past, The steps include selecting one or more voting methods from the aforementioned voting history to recommend to the user, The steps include notifying the user of at least one of the one or more voting methods selected above, A step of receiving a selection of voting methods from among the aforementioned multiple voting methods for the user to use when casting a vote, A voting registration program that executes the process.

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