Information provision device, information provision method, and program

Abstract

We provide information to support your fan activities. [Solution] The system provides betting tickets for athletes participating in public sports competitions. Based on the user's past betting ticket purchase history, it identifies the user's favorite athlete from among multiple athletes, and extracts betting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete and that the user can use to vote. It then calculates the winning score corresponding to the extracted betting tickets and the degree of preference of the user for each type of betting ticket. Based on the winning score and the degree of preference, it identifies the betting tickets and types of tickets that it proposes to the user to vote for, and provides the identified betting tickets and types of tickets to the user, thereby proposing a vote to the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , , ,

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, for the purpose of sales support of products, services, etc., prediction of the demand of a transaction target has been performed based on the past sales results of the transaction target. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing apparatus that more accurately predicts the demand of a transaction target.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above information processing apparatus, when dealing with cheering activities that casually support a specific target, it is difficult to support the user's personal cheering, and there is room for improvement in terms of supporting cheering activities.

[0005] The present invention solves the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an information providing apparatus, an information providing method, and a program capable of providing information for supporting cheering activities.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information providing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is a voting ticket related to a competitor participating in a public competition, and based on the history of the voting tickets purchased by the user in the past, among the plurality of competitors, a cheering specific unit that specifies a cheering competitor who is the user's cheering target A voting ticket extraction unit extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete identification unit and that the user can purchase; A score calculation unit calculates a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, A preference calculation unit calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, which is the degree to which the user prefers that type of voting ticket, based on the user's past purchase history of voting tickets. A proposal target identification unit identifies the voting tickets and types of voting tickets that it proposes to the user for purchase from among the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, based on the winning score calculated by the score calculation unit and the preference level calculated by the preference level calculation unit. A proposal unit provides the user with information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified by the proposed target identification unit, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete. It is equipped with.

[0007] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The aforementioned favorite identification unit identifies the favorite athlete corresponding to the user by calculating the favorite score for each of the multiple athletes based on the history of the voting tickets the user has purchased in the past. If the user purchases the voting ticket corresponding to the athlete proposed by the proposal unit, or if the user gives the athlete a high rating as proposed by the proposal unit, the support score corresponding to the athlete is added; if the user does not purchase the voting ticket corresponding to the athlete proposed by the proposal unit, or if the user gives the athlete a low rating as proposed by the proposal unit, the support score corresponding to the athlete is subtracted. You may do so.

[0008] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The system further includes a common favorite athlete identification unit that identifies a group consisting of the aforementioned user and other users who are different from the aforementioned user and who have the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit, and the aforementioned user. The proposal unit aggregates the number of voting tickets purchased by each user belonging to the group identified by the common favorite athlete identification unit, corresponding to the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit, and provides comparative information that allows comparison of the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased for each user belonging to the group, together with information on the voting tickets and the type of voting tickets. You may do so.

[0009] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The proposed unit provides, with respect to the distribution of the number of purchased voting tickets, comparative information corresponding to the number of purchased tickets within a predetermined rank, in descending order of the number of purchased tickets by a single user belonging to the group, out of the number of voting tickets already purchased by each user belonging to the group that are common to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete unit for the user, and in descending order of the number of purchased tickets by that user belonging to the group, in each of the different display modes. You may do so.

[0010] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The proposed unit, regarding the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased, emphasizes the number of purchases made by the user by providing, in a special manner, the comparison information corresponding to the number of purchases made by the user, out of the number of voting tickets already purchased by each user belonging to the group that correspond to the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit. You may do so.

[0011] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The proposal unit provides, in relation to the distribution of the number of purchased voting tickets, the comparison information includes, in addition to the number of purchases made by the user, the number of purchases necessary to advance the voting ranking among the users belonging to the group, which are the same number of voting tickets that each user belonging to the group has already purchased and which are common to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete unit for the user. You may do so.

[0012] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The proposal unit provides the number of purchases required to advance the voting ranking among users belonging to the group, including this number in the comparison information, only if the number of purchases required to advance the voting ranking among users belonging to the group is less than or equal to the maximum number of purchases previously made by the user. You may do so.

[0013] Furthermore, in the information provision device relating to the above viewpoint, The proposed unit aggregates the number of voting tickets purchased by each voting user, including the user and other users different from the user, for each of the voting tickets corresponding to each of the athletes in a single competition, and provides comparative information that allows for comparison of the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased for each athlete, together with information on the voting tickets and the type of voting tickets. You may do so.

[0014] An information providing device according to another aspect of the present invention is: The "Favorite Member Identification Unit" identifies the user's favorite member from among multiple members, A user different from the aforementioned user who has the same favorite member as the user identified by the favorite member identification unit, and a common favorite member identification unit that identifies a group consisting of the aforementioned users, A providing unit that aggregates the number of the purchase targets corresponding to the recommended member and already purchased for each user belonging to the group specified by the common recommended member specifying unit, and provides the user with comparison information that can compare the distribution of the aggregated purchase numbers for each user belonging to the group. comprises.

[0015] The information providing method according to the second aspect of the present invention is an information providing method by an information providing device, a vote ticket related to a competitor participating in a public competition, a recommended competitor specifying step of specifying, among a plurality of the competitors, the competitor who is the user's support target based on the history of the vote tickets purchased by the user in the past; a vote ticket extraction step of extracting the vote tickets corresponding to the recommended competitor specified in the recommended competitor specifying step and purchasable by the user; a score calculation step of calculating, for each of the vote tickets, the winning score corresponding to the vote ticket extracted in the vote ticket extraction step; a preference degree calculation step of calculating, for each type of the vote ticket, the degree of preference which is the degree to which the user prefers the type of the vote ticket based on the history of the vote tickets purchased by the user in the past; a proposed target specifying step of specifying, among the vote tickets extracted in the vote ticket extraction step, the vote tickets and the types of the vote tickets to be proposed for purchase to the user based on the winning score calculated in the score calculation step and the preference degree calculated in the preference degree calculation step; a proposal step of proposing a vote for the recommended competitor to the user by providing the user with information on the vote tickets and the types of the vote tickets specified in the proposed target specifying step; comprises.

[0016] The program according to the third aspect of the present invention is a computer, A betting ticket relating to an athlete participating in a public sports competition, wherein, based on the user's history of previously purchased betting tickets, a "favorite athlete" identification unit identifies the user's favorite athlete from among multiple athletes. A voting ticket extraction unit extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete identification unit and that the user can purchase. A score calculation unit calculates a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit. A preference calculation unit calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, which is the degree to which the user prefers the type of voting ticket, based on the history of voting tickets previously purchased by the user. A proposal target identification unit identifies the voting tickets and types of voting tickets that it proposes to the user for purchase from among the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, based on the winning score calculated by the score calculation unit and the preference level calculated by the preference level calculation unit. The proposal unit provides the user with information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified by the proposed target identification unit, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete. To make it function as such.

[0017] The above program may be recorded on a non-transitory recording medium. Non-transitory recording media can be distributed and sold independently of computers. Here, a non-transitory recording medium refers to a tangible recording medium. Examples of non-transitory recording media include compact disks, flexible disks, hard disks, magneto-optical disks, digital video disks, magnetic tapes, and semiconductor memory. A transient recording medium refers to the transmission medium (propagating signal) itself. Examples of transient recording media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. A temporary storage area is an area for temporarily storing data or programs, such as volatile memory like RAM (Random Access Memory). [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information providing device, an information providing method, and a program that can provide information to support fans' activities related to their favorite idols. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the relationship between the information provision device, information terminal, and sales server. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of an information provision device. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of historical information. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of predicted winning probability information. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of purchase information. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of a request for information provision and information provision process. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display on an information terminal. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display on an information terminal. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display on an information terminal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] (Overall structure) The information providing device, information providing method, and program according to embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in Figure 1, the information providing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected to an information terminal 200 and a sales server 300 so as to be able to communicate via a computer communication network 400 such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the information providing device 100 is a device that identifies the user's favorite idol / celebrity and provides the user with information related to that idol / celebrity. "Oshi-katsu" is an activity of casually supporting a specific target, and is a more casual form of support than favoritism or patronship. The target of oshi-katsu (called "oshi") can be, for example, entertainers, idols, VTubers, and participants in various competitions. Also, one user may have multiple favorite idols / celebrities, and can easily stop supporting any of them. Furthermore, users do not need to actively disclose their favorite idol / celebrity, and users who have the same favorite idol / celebrity are called "dou-tan" (same idol / celebrity). While users who share the same favorite idol or celebrity may feel a sense of camaraderie, they may also feel a sense of competition. When a user expresses their desire to sever ties with other users who share the same idol or celebrity, this is called "same-idol rejection." The information provision device 100 in this embodiment will be explained below using the example of a participant in a public sports competition as the "idol." Public sports competitions include bicycle racing, horse racing, and auto racing, and in this embodiment, for ease of understanding, bicycle racing will be used as an example. In this case, the user's "idol" is a competitor participating in the bicycle race.

[0021] The information provider 100 is a computer such as a server. In response to a request from a user who is a user of the information terminal 200, the information provider 100 identifies the user's favorite racer and provides information on betting tickets corresponding to the races in which the favorite racer is participating. Specifically, the information provider 100 has the function of providing information appropriate to the user from among multiple betting tickets corresponding to the races in which the favorite racer is participating, based on the probability of winning and the type of betting ticket preferred by the user.

[0022] Information terminal 200 is an information terminal (so-called computer) such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer) used by a user engaged in "oshi-katsu" (activities related to supporting one's favorite idol / celebrity). Information terminal 200 has the function of requesting information from information provision device 100 to provide information corresponding to the idol / celebrity, that is, information on appropriate betting tickets for races in which the idol / celebrity is participating. Information terminal 200 also has the function of sending a request to the sales server 300 for the purchase of betting tickets based on the information provided by information provision device 100. In other words, the user of information terminal 200 requests information from information provision device 100 and requests the sales server 300 to purchase betting tickets based on the information provided.

[0023] The sales server 300 is a computer, such as a server, that handles the sale of publicly operated sports tickets. The sales server 300 has the function of processing the purchase of betting tickets based on requests from the information terminal 200, that is, processing payment for betting tickets in response to requests.

[0024] (Functional configuration of the information provision device) Next, with reference to Figure 2, the configuration of the information providing device 100 will be described.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the information providing device 100 includes a storage unit 110, a control unit 120, an input / output unit 130, a communication unit 140, and a system bus (not shown) that connects these to each other.

[0026] The memory unit 110 includes ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The ROM stores the program 111 executed by the control unit 120, various data (not shown) necessary in advance for executing the program 111, history information 112, predicted winning probability information 113, and purchase information 114.

[0027] Program 111 is a program that performs the information provision processing described later, and is stored in the storage unit 110 in advance.

[0028] History information 112 is a list of information showing the history for each user. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, history information 112 includes at least item number information indicating the item number of the data, date information indicating the date the race was held, voting target information indicating the information of the betting tickets that were voted (purchased) or viewed, operation information indicating the content of the operation, such as whether a vote was made or viewed, vote count information indicating the number of betting tickets purchased when a vote was made, favorite score information indicating the score for the favorite, and preference degree information indicating the type of betting tickets that were voted or viewed and their scores. This history information 112 is stored in the storage unit 110 for each user, and the example shown in Figure 3 shows the history information 112 of a certain user. For example, the information for item number 1 shown in Figure 3 shows an example where a vote was made on betting ticket 5-2 in the race on October 12, and the number of votes was 2. As a result, the favorite score for target (competitor) 5 was increased by +2, and the preference degree for the type of betting ticket for place bets was increased by +1. Furthermore, the information in item 2 indicates that the user viewed a 5-3-1 betting ticket for a race held on October 12, resulting in a +1 increase in the favorite score for target 5 (athlete) and a +1 increase in the preference level for the type of trifecta betting ticket. In this embodiment, the history information 112 is stored in the storage unit 110 of the information providing device 100, but it may also be stored in a database server connected to the information providing device 100 via a computer communication network 400, or in the sales server 300. In addition to the date information in the history information 112, it may also include operation date and time information indicating the date and time the operation was performed. Furthermore, the illustrated example shows an increase in the favorite score when a vote is placed, i.e., when a purchase is made or when viewing, but in addition to this, for example, when viewing the information of the provided betting ticket, the favorite score may increase if a good evaluation is given, and decrease if a bad evaluation is given. Furthermore, if a user does not cast a vote using the provided voting slip, that is, if they view the information on the provided voting slip but do not purchase it, their favorability score and preference level may decrease.

[0029] Returning to Figure 2, the predicted winning probability information 113 is a list showing the predicted winning probability for each type of betting ticket available for purchase (winning probability for each betting target) and the predicted payout amount if a win is achieved. Specifically, in this embodiment, the predicted winning probability information 113 is stored in the storage unit 110 for each race day, and as shown in Figure 4, it is a list of the types of betting tickets available for purchase on that race day, i.e., the betting targets, the predicted winning probability indicating the probability of winning the prediction corresponding to that betting target, and the predicted payout amount indicating the predicted amount to be paid if a win is achieved. In the example shown in Figure 4, the predicted winning probability indicating the probability of winning betting ticket 5-2 is 30%, and the predicted payout amount is 150 yen. In other words, if you bet (purchase) 100 yen on betting ticket 5-2, the prediction indicates that there is a 30% chance of winning, and if you win, you will receive a payout of 150 yen. Furthermore, the predicted winning probability and the predicted payout amount for each voting target may be, for example, a winning probability derived by artificial intelligence from past performance, a winning probability predicted by a tipster, or a winning probability independently predicted by the company operating the sales server 300, and may be obtained via the computer communication network 400. In other words, although the predicted winning probability information 113 in this embodiment is stored in the storage unit 110 of the information providing device 100, it may also be stored in an external device connected to the information providing device 100 via the computer communication network 400, or in the sales server 300. Alternatively, instead of predicted winning probabilities, scores based on the past performance of each competitor, for example, provided by the company operating the sales server 300, may be used.

[0030] The purchase information 114 shown in Figure 2 is a list showing the history information of purchased betting tickets. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the purchase information 114 in this embodiment includes at least item number information indicating the item number of the data, date information indicating the date on which the race is held, voting user information indicating the user who made the vote, i.e., the purchaser, voting target information indicating the content of the betting ticket, vote count information indicating the number of votes cast, i.e., the number of purchases, and recommendation information indicating the user's recommendation. As shown in the figure, the purchase information 114 shows the purchase history information of all purchasers. In this embodiment, the purchase information 114 is stored in the storage unit 110 of the information providing device 100, but it may also be stored in the sales server 300 connected to the information providing device 100 via the computer communication network 400.

[0031] The control unit 120 shown in Figure 2 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the like. The control unit 120 operates according to a program 111 stored in the memory unit 110 and executes processing according to the program 111. The control unit 120 includes, as its main functional units provided by the program 111 stored in the memory unit 110, a request reception unit 121, a favorite identification unit 122, a voting ticket extraction unit 123, a score calculation unit 124, a preference calculation unit 125, a recommendation target identification unit 126, a purchase information acquisition unit 127, and a recommendation unit 128.

[0032] The request receiving unit 121 is a functional unit that receives information provision request requests from the information terminal 200, indicating a request for information provision. Specifically, the request receiving unit 121 has the function of receiving information provision request requests transmitted based on operations such as the user of the information terminal 200 launching an application or pressing a request button. In this embodiment, when the user of the information terminal 200 presses the request button, an information provision request is transmitted from the information terminal 200 to the information provision device 100.

[0033] The "Favorite Identification Unit 122" is a functional unit that identifies the "favorite" (the athlete supported by the user) of the user who submitted the request for information. Specifically, the "Favorite Identification Unit 122" has the function of identifying the user's "favorite" based on the history information 112 corresponding to the user who submitted the request for information. More specifically, the "Favorite Identification Unit 122" checks the history information 112 corresponding to the user who submitted the request for information and identifies the athlete with the highest "favorite score" as the "favorite". For example, in the history information 112 shown in Figure 3, if the target of car number 5 in the race on October 12th and the target of car number 4 in the race on October 13th are both "A-da B-o", the "Favorite Identification Unit 122" identifies "A-da B-o" as the "favorite". Note that in public sports betting, the car numbers differ for each race, so even if the car number is 5 on October 12th, the same athlete will have a different car number the next day (car number 4 in the example shown in Figure 3). Information on the racing cars corresponding to the car numbers can be obtained from the sales server 300. The favorite-identification unit 122 may, if the user explicitly sets a favorite (and voting tickets featuring that favorite are on sale), designate the set favorite as the user's favorite without estimating (identifying) it based on the favorite score.

[0034] The betting ticket extraction unit 123 shown in Figure 2 is a functional unit that extracts betting tickets for races in which the favorite person identified by the favorite person identification unit 122 is participating. Specifically, the betting ticket extraction unit 123 has the function of extracting betting tickets corresponding to the favorite person for races in which the favorite person identified by the favorite person identification unit 122 is participating, from all betting tickets sold by the sales server 300. For example, if the favorite person identification unit 122 identifies the user's favorite person as "A-da B-o", the betting ticket extraction unit 123 will extract betting tickets corresponding to "A-da B-o" from among the betting tickets that can be voted on (betting tickets that can be purchased) for races in which "A-da B-o" is participating. More specifically, if today is October 10th, the betting ticket extraction unit 123 will extract betting tickets corresponding to "A-da B-o" from among the betting tickets for races on October 12th and October 13th in which "A-da B-o" is participating. In this example, it is assumed that betting tickets for the races on October 12th and October 13th are available for purchase, and the car number for "A-da B-o" is different for each date (car number 5 for the October 12th race and car number 4 for the October 13th race are both "A-da B-o"). Alternatively, information on all available betting tickets may be stored in the storage unit 110 of the information providing device 100, and the betting ticket extraction unit 123 may extract from this information the races in which the favorite, identified by the function of the favorite identification unit 122, is participating, and the betting tickets corresponding to that favorite.

[0035] The score calculation unit 124 is a functional unit that calculates the score for each voting ticket corresponding to the favorite character extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit 123. Specifically, the score calculation unit 124 has the function of calculating the expected value for each voting target (voting ticket) based on the predicted winning probability information 113 stored in the memory unit 110. For example, if the favorite character is "A-da B-o" and "A-da B-o" is car number 5 in the predicted winning probability information 113 shown in Figure 4, the score calculation unit 124 calculates the expected value for each voting target, such as the expected value for voting target 5-2 (150 × 0.3), the expected value for voting target 5-3-1 (1050 × 0.005), and the expected value for voting target 5 (110 × 0.4). In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the score calculation unit 124 calculates the expected value as the score for each voting target, but in addition to this, for example, the winning probability may be used directly as the score. The probability of winning may be calculated using, for example, a probability derived from past performance by artificial intelligence, a probability provided by a tipster, or a probability independently calculated by the company operating the sales server 300. Alternatively, a comprehensive value may be adopted, such as using the average or median of these probabilities.

[0036] The preference calculation unit 125 is a functional unit that calculates the user's preference level according to multiple types of betting tickets. Specifically, the preference calculation unit 125 has the function of calculating the user's preference level for each of the multiple types of betting tickets based on the history information 112 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, if the history information 112 shown in Figure 3 is stored in the storage unit 110, the preference calculation unit 125 calculates the preference level corresponding to types of betting tickets such as place bet, trifecta bet, and win bet. More specifically, the preference calculation unit 125 adds points for each type of betting ticket according to the content specified by the preference information in the history information 112, and calculates the preference level for each type of betting ticket by calculating what percentage of the total the added points for each type of betting ticket represent. For example, explaining item information 1 to 6 shown in Figure 3, the preference calculation unit 125 calculates the points for place bet as 4, and the points for trifecta and win bet as 1 each. Since the total number of points is 6, the preference for place bets is calculated as 66.7%, and the preference for trifecta and win bets is calculated as 16.7% each. Note that the preference calculation unit 125 may calculate the preference by other methods. For example, the preference may be calculated by selecting only those bets that were actually made from the information shown in the history information 112, extracting bet types that have been bet on more than a predetermined number of times (for example, betting on that type of bet more than 5 times), and then calculating the percentage for each bet type from among them. In other words, as long as it is possible to determine which type of bet the user prefers among multiple types of bets, the preference may be calculated by any method.

[0037] The recommendation target identification unit 126 is a functional unit that identifies the voting tickets to recommend to the user, i.e., the voting tickets to provide. Specifically, the recommendation target identification unit 126 has the function of identifying the voting tickets that should be provided to the user based on the score of each voting ticket corresponding to the favorite calculated by the score calculation unit 124 and the preference level of each type of voting ticket calculated by the preference level calculation unit 125. More specifically, the recommendation target identification unit 126 has the function of multiplying the score of each voting ticket corresponding to the favorite calculated by the score calculation unit 124 and the preference level corresponding to the type of voting ticket, which is calculated by the preference level calculation unit 125, and identifying the voting ticket with the highest value (recommendation value) as the recommendation target. For example, in the predicted winning probability information 113 shown in Figure 4, the score calculation unit 124 calculates the expected value (150 × 0.3) of voting target 5-2 as a score. Since the type of bet for voting target 5-2 is a place bet, the recommendation target identification unit 126 calculates a recommendation value corresponding to voting target 5-2 by multiplying this score by the preference level for place bets calculated by the preference level calculation unit 125. The recommendation target identification unit 126 then identifies the voting target corresponding to the highest recommendation value among the recommendation values ​​calculated in this way as a recommendation target. Note that the recommendation target identification unit 126 may identify the recommended voting target (betting ticket) by other methods, as long as it is identified based on the score of each betting ticket corresponding to the favorite calculated by the score calculation unit 124 and the user's preference level. For example, if a user achieves a certain score or higher, they may be recommended to use voting tickets that correspond to the type of ticket they have voted for the most in the past.

[0038] The purchase information acquisition unit 127 is a functional unit that acquires voting information for each user, including the user in question. Specifically, the purchase information acquisition unit 127 has the function of acquiring each user's purchase information, including same-favorite information, which indicates the voting information of other users who have the same favorite as the user identified by the favorite identification unit 122, based on the purchase information 114 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, if the purchase information 114 stored in the storage unit 110 is as shown in Figure 5, and the user's favorite identified by the favorite identification unit 122 is "A-da B-o" targeting car number 5 in the race on October 12, the purchase information acquisition unit 127 acquires the information of items 1 to 4 and 6 shown in Figure 5 as same-favorite information, as well as other purchase information. In other words, the purchase information acquisition unit 127 has the function of aggregating the voting status for each favorite based on the purchase information 114 stored in the storage unit 110. The "shared favorite" information is information from the purchase information that includes the voting status of the user in question, and shows the number of votes cast by users who share the same favorite as that user. The purchase information acquisition unit 127 only needs to aggregate the voting status for each favorite character corresponding to the race (competition) of the voting tickets identified by the recommendation target identification unit 126.

[0039] The recommendation unit 128 is a functional unit that provides users with information on recommended voting tickets. Specifically, the recommendation unit 128 has the function of generating a recommendation screen and providing it to the information terminal 200 based on the information on voting tickets identified by the recommendation target identification unit 126 and the voting status of other users who have the same favorite character, obtained by the purchase information acquisition unit 127. This allows users to obtain information on recommended voting tickets. As shown in Figure 7, the recommendation screen includes a voting target photo, which is a photo of the favorite character to be voted for; detailed information showing the details of the voting target; corresponding evaluation buttons for giving good and bad ratings; a purchase procedure button for proceeding with the purchase; and a voting status screen including the voting status of other users with the same favorite character and the voting status of other train numbers. The information necessary for these can be obtained from the sales server 300 and the purchase information 114. In the voting status screen shown in Figure 7, the graph for Voting Target 1 (Vehicle No. 1) shows the number of votes from users who support Vehicle No. 1, and the graph for Voting Target 2 (Vehicle No. 2) shows the number of votes from users who support Vehicle No. 2. If a user's favorite is Voting Target 5, the graph for Voting Target 5 (Vehicle No. 5) in the voting status screen shown in Figure 7 shows the voting status of users who support Vehicle No. 5, i.e., fellow fans. As illustrated, the voting status screen displays the top 3 users in terms of the number of votes for each voting target in a visually identifiable format. In the illustrated example, the user with the most votes is shown in the rightmost display format of the graph, the user with the second most votes is shown in the display format to its left, and the user with the third most votes is shown in the display format further to the left. The leftmost graph shows a collection of votes from multiple users. As illustrated, it is also possible to visually see how many votes a user has already cast among fellow fans for the votes they have already cast. The illustrated example shows that the user has the second-highest number of votes for voting target 5 (car number 5). Alternatively, the number of votes for each user belonging to the same group may be made visible. That is, the number of voting tickets purchased for the same favorite character by users belonging to the same group may be displayed in a different format for each user belonging to that group.Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the top three vote-getters are displayed in different ways, but this is not limited to the top three; it could extend to the top five, and can be changed as desired.

[0040] The input / output unit 130 shown in Figure 2 consists of a keyboard, mouse, camera, microphone, liquid crystal display, organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, etc., and is a device for inputting and outputting various types of data.

[0041] The communication unit 140 is a device that allows the information providing device 100 to communicate with other information terminals, such as the information terminal 200 and the sales server 300, via the computer communication network 400. The above describes the configuration of the information providing device 100.

[0042] (operation) Next, the operation of the information providing device 100 and the information terminal 200 will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the information request processing in the information terminal 200 and the information provision processing in the information providing device 100. When the information request processing and information provision processing in this embodiment are performed, the user's favorite is identified, and information is provided about the voting ticket that is most recommended for the user from among several voting tickets corresponding to that favorite. First, the information request processing shown in Figure 6 is started based on an operation such as launching an application by the user who is the user of the information terminal 200.

[0043] When the request processing is initiated, the information terminal 200 first makes a request to provide recommended voting targets (step S11). Specifically, in step S11, the information terminal 200 sends a request to the information providing device 100 to provide recommended voting targets when the user presses the request button.

[0044] On the information provision device 100 side, information provision processing begins based on the receipt of a provision request. The provision request is received by the function of the request reception unit 121. Once information provision processing begins, the control unit 120 uses the function of the favorite identification unit 122 to identify the favorite of the user who sent the provision request (step S12). Specifically, in the process of step S12, the favorite identification unit 122 identifies the athlete with the highest favorite score as the favorite based on the history information 112 corresponding to the user who sent the provision request. For example, if the history information 112 stored in the storage unit 110 is the history information 112 shown in Figure 3, in the process of step S12, the favorite identification unit 122 identifies "A-da B-o," who is the target of car number 5 in the race on October 12th and car number 4 in the race on October 13th, as the favorite. Since the favorite is automatically identified without the user having to explicitly set it, users can casually support athletes.

[0045] Returning to Figure 6, after executing the process in step S12, the control unit 120 extracts voting tickets that the user can vote on using the function of the voting ticket extraction unit 123 (step S13). Specifically, in the process of step S13, the voting ticket extraction unit 123 extracts voting tickets corresponding to the favorite person identified in the process of step S12, that is, voting tickets that the user can vote on (purchase) and that correspond to the favorite person, from all the voting tickets sold by the sales server 300. For example, if the favorite person is identified as "A-da B-o" in the process of step S12, in the process of step S13, the voting ticket extraction unit 123 extracts voting tickets corresponding to "A-da B-o" from the voting tickets that "A-da B-o" is participating in for the races on October 12th and October 13th, from the information provided by the sales server 300. The voting ticket extraction unit 123 may store the information provided by the sales server 300 in the storage unit 110, rather than extracting the information from the sales server 300, and then extract the information from the information stored in the storage unit 110.

[0046] After executing the process in step S13, the control unit 120 calculates the score for each of the voting tickets extracted in the process of step S13 using the function of the score calculation unit 124 (step S14). Specifically, in the process of step S14, the score calculation unit 124 calculates the expected value of each of the voting tickets extracted in the process of step S13 as the score of the voting ticket, based on the expected winning probability information 113 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, if the favorite is "A-da B-o" and "A-da B-o" is car number 5 in the expected winning probability information 113 shown in Figure 4, then in the process of step S14, the score calculation unit 124 calculates the expected value for each voting target (each voting ticket) extracted in the process of step S13, such as the expected value of voting target 5-2 (150 × 0.3), the expected value of voting target 5-3-1 (1050 × 0.005), and the expected value of voting target 5 (110 × 0.4).

[0047] After executing the process in step S14 shown in Figure 6, the control unit 120 calculates the degree of preference for each type of betting ticket for the user using the function of the preference calculation unit 125 (step S15). Specifically, in the process of step S15, the preference calculation unit 125 calculates the user's degree of preference for each of the multiple types of betting tickets based on the history information 112 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, if the history information 112 shown in Figure 3 is stored in the storage unit 110, then, explaining the item information 1 to 6 shown in Figure 3, in the process of step S15, the preference calculation unit 125 calculates the points for place bets as 4, and the points for trifecta and win bets as 1 each. Then, since the total number of points is 6, the preference for place bets is calculated as 66.7%, and the preference for trifecta and win bets is calculated as 16.7% each.

[0048] After executing the process in step S15 shown in Figure 6, the control unit 120 uses the function of the recommendation target identification unit 126 to identify the voting tickets to be provided as recommendation targets based on the score calculated in the process in step S14 and the degree of preference calculated in the process in step S15 (step S16). Specifically, in the process in step S16, the recommendation target identification unit 126 multiplies the score of each voting ticket corresponding to the favorite calculated in the process in step S14 with the degree of preference corresponding to the type of voting ticket, which was calculated in the process in step S15, and identifies the voting ticket with the highest value (recommendation value) as a recommendation target. For example, if the predicted winning probability information 113 shown in Figure 4 is stored in the memory unit 110, in step S14, the score calculation unit 124 calculates the expected value of betting target 5-2 (place bet) (150 × 0.3), the expected value of betting target 5-3-1 (trifecta bet) (1050 × 0.005), and the expected value of betting target 5 (win bet) (110 × 0.4). Then, if the history information 112 shown in Figure 3 is stored in the memory unit 110, looking at item number information 1 to 6 shown in Figure 3, in step S15, the preference calculation unit 125 calculates the points for place bet as 4, and the points for trifecta and win bet as 1 each. Then, since the total number of points is 6, the preference for place bet is calculated as 66.7%, and the preference for trifecta and win bet is calculated as 16.7% each. Therefore, in the process of step S16 shown in Figure 6, the recommendation target identification unit 126 identifies the betting ticket for 5-2 (place bet) as the recommended betting ticket because the recommendation value obtained by multiplying the expected value (150 × 0.3) of the betting target 5-2 (place bet) by the preference level for place bets (66.7%) is the highest.

[0049] After executing the process in step S16, the control unit 120 uses the functions of the purchase information acquisition unit 127 to acquire purchase information including same-fandom information, which is information about other users who have the same favorite as the user in question (step S17). Specifically, in the process of step S17, the purchase information acquisition unit 127 acquires purchase information for each user, including same-fandom information, which is voting information of other users who have the same favorite as the user identified in the process of step S12, based on the purchase information 114 stored in the storage unit 110. For example, if the purchase information 114 stored in the storage unit 110 is as shown in Figure 5, and the user's favorite identified by the favorite identification unit 122 is "A-ta B-o", then in the process of step S17, the purchase information acquisition unit 127 acquires the information of item numbers 1 to 4 and 6 shown in Figure 5 as same-fandom information, and also acquires the information of item number 5 as the purchase information of the user who has the favorite of car number 4.

[0050] After executing the process shown in step S17 in Figure 6, the control unit 120 generates a recommendation screen and makes recommendations to the user using the functions of the recommendation unit 128 (step S18). Specifically, in the process of step S18, the recommendation unit 128 generates a recommendation screen including a voting status screen, as shown in Figure 7, based on the information of the voting slips identified in the process of step S16 and the purchase information obtained in the process of step S17, and provides the recommendation screen to the user's information terminal 200. In addition, in the process of step S18, the recommendation unit 128 generates a recommendation screen that displays in a special manner so that the number of votes already cast by the user can be seen. The number of votes already cast can be obtained from the history information 112 and the purchase information 114. Furthermore, when the "Details" button on the voting status screen is pressed, the voting status screen should be generated to display information such as more detailed vote counts, vote counts and recommendations for other races, analysis information including the favorite athlete's past performance and participation history, and the favorite athlete's date and monthly vote count rankings. The information displayed when the "Details" button is pressed can be obtained from the sales server 300 as appropriate. Also, for example, when the "Details" button is pressed, the favorite score may be increased by +1.

[0051] On the information terminal 200 side, upon receiving a recommendation screen from the information providing device 100, the received recommendation screen is displayed (step S19). As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the display screen of the information terminal 200 will show recommended voting tickets that correspond to the user's favorite, have a high probability of winning, and are in line with the user's preferences. In addition to the display prompting the purchase of voting tickets, the recommendation screen also displays various information such as the voting target photo (a photo of the favorite character to be voted for), detailed information showing the details of the voting target, corresponding evaluation buttons for giving good and bad ratings, a purchase procedure button for proceeding with the purchase, and the voting status of other users with the same favorite character and other vehicle numbers.

[0052] After displaying the recommendation screen in step S19, the information terminal 200 performs the voting process (step S20) based on the user pressing the purchase procedure button (voting button shown in Figure 7), and then terminates the provision request process. In the example shown in Figure 7, although not shown, a cancel button may be displayed that can be pressed if the recommended voting ticket is not the voting ticket desired by the user. If the cancel button is pressed, the cancellation notification is sent to the information providing device 100, and the information providing device 100 can, for example, recommend a voting ticket different from the one recommended in step S16, by recommending the voting ticket with the second highest recommendation value. When the voting process is performed in step S20, the voting process corresponding to the recommended voting ticket, i.e., the purchase procedure, is performed. Specifically, a purchase request is sent to the sales server 300, and the payment for the voting ticket and the number of votes specified by the purchase request is processed.

[0053] Even if the processing in step S20 is performed on the information terminal 200 side, a purchase notification is sent to the information providing device 100, similar to a cancellation notification. When the information providing device 100 receives a purchase notification, the control unit 120 updates the contents of the history information 112 stored in the storage unit 110 and updates the contents of the purchase information 114 (step S21), and terminates the information provision process. Specifically, in the processing of step S21, the control unit 120 adds the contents indicated by the purchase notification to the history information 112, increases the "favorite score" indicated by the purchase notification by +2, and increases the preference level for the type of voting ticket corresponding to the type of voting ticket indicated by the purchase notification by +1. On the other hand, for example, if a cancellation notification is received, the control unit 120 may add the contents indicated by the purchase notification to the history information 112 and decrease the "favorite score" indicated by the purchase notification by -1. Also, when the control unit 120 receives a purchase notification, it adds the information indicated by the purchase notification to the purchase information 114. Purchase notifications and cancellation notifications only need to include the information registered in the history information 112 and the information registered in the purchase information 114.

[0054] The above describes the operation of the information providing device 100 and the information terminal 200. In this embodiment, the information providing device 100 identifies the user's favorite idol / character and provides information about the most recommended voting ticket among several voting tickets corresponding to that idol / character. Therefore, it can provide information that supports the user's idol / character activities.

[0055] (modified version) Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, the information providing device 100 and information terminal 200 according to the above embodiments do not have to have all of the technical features shown above, and may have some of the configurations described in the above embodiments so as to solve at least one problem in the prior art. Also, at least some of the following modifications may be combined.

[0056] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which, in the process of step S18 shown in Figure 6, the voting status screen among the recommendation screens shown in Figure 7 is generated based on the purchase information obtained in the process of step S17. However, this is just one example. For example, the voting status screen included in the recommendation screen may display the number of votes required for the user to become number one in their group, as shown in Figure 8. This allows for the provision of appropriate information to users who wish to become number one. Alternatively, for example, the number of votes required to become number one may be displayed only if the amount of money spent by the user is less than or equal to the maximum amount of voting tickets purchased in the past. This prevents excessive purchases by users without unnecessarily encouraging them. If the amount of money spent by the user exceeds the maximum amount of voting tickets purchased in the past, the maximum amount may be displayed along with the number of votes required to become number one. Furthermore, even if not number one, for example, the number of votes required to move up one rank and the number of votes required to move up two ranks in the voting ranking within the group may be displayed. In this case as well, the number of votes required to move up the rank should only be displayed if the amount of money spent by the user is less than or equal to the maximum amount of voting tickets purchased in the past, that is, only if it is less than or equal to the number of votes cast in the past. In Figure 8, for racing car number 5, the graph bars are arranged from right to left in the following order: the number of votes from the user who ranked 1st in the same category, the number of votes recommended by that user (ranked 2nd), the number of votes purchased by that user (ranked 2nd), and the number of votes from 3rd place onwards. However, the order of the bars for the 1st place in the same category and the two bars for that user (ranked 2nd) can be changed as appropriate. Placing the two bars for that user (ranked 2nd) next to each other makes it easier to understand the proportion of votes that account for when that user is ranked 1st in the total. Placing the bar for that user (ranked 2nd)'s purchased items next to the bar for the 1st place in the same category makes it easier to compare current purchase numbers. To satisfy both of these conditions, the bar for the 1st place in the same category and the bar for the number of recommended purchases by that user (ranked 2nd) should sandwich the bar for the number of purchases made by that user (ranked 2nd). The ends of the graph can be either the 1st place in the same category or the user (ranked 2nd). Figure 8 shows an example where the number of recommended purchases is sandwiched between the number of purchases by the top-ranked user and the number of purchases by that user (ranked 2nd).

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which, in the process of step S18 shown in Figure 6, the voting status screen of the recommendation screen shown in Figure 7 is generated based on the purchase information obtained in the process of step S17, but this is just one example. In addition to this, for example, as shown in Figure 9, the number of votes for each car number (each voting target) may be displayed so that it can be easily seen. With this, for example, as shown in Figure 9, in a situation where the voting target for car number 2 is the most popular and the voting target for car number 5 is the second most popular, the remaining number of votes needed to become the most popular among all voting targets for car numbers can be easily seen, and information necessary for supporting your favorite can be provided more appropriately.

[0058] Furthermore, while the above embodiment shows an example where the number of votes is displayed on the voting status screen included in the recommendation screen, this is just one example. The voting status screen is not limited to displaying the number of votes; it may also display the amount of votes cast.

[0059] Furthermore, while the above embodiment described the case where a participant in a public sports competition is the "favorite," this is merely an example. The information providing device 100 can also be applied to other situations besides public sports competitions, such as idol popularity contests or elections, where a specific member is selected by voting from among multiple members. In this case, the competitors in the public sports competition are members, the voting tickets are purchase items rather than race tickets, and the device can be applied even in a configuration that does not recommend purchase items corresponding to the user's favorite. That is, the information providing device 100 can also be applied in a configuration where the user identifies their favorite, identifies a group including other users who have the same favorite, aggregates the number of purchases (purchase amount or number of items) of purchase items related to the favorite for each user belonging to the identified group, and provides the distribution of the aggregated purchase numbers as a voting status screen. This allows users to learn about the purchase trends of others who share the same favorite, increasing empathy among those who share the same favorite, and promoting the purchase of purchase items by users. Therefore, it can support the activities of supporting one's favorite.

[0060] Furthermore, the information providing device 100 and information terminal 200 according to the above embodiment can be implemented using a regular computer, without requiring dedicated equipment. For example, the information providing device 100 that performs the above-mentioned processing may be configured by installing a program for performing any of the above-mentioned actions from a recording medium to the computer. Alternatively, multiple computers may work together to form a single information providing device 100 and information terminal 200.

[0061] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned functions are realized through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and the application, or through collaboration between the OS and the application, then only the parts other than the OS may be stored on the medium.

[0062] Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose a program onto a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network. For example, the program could be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on the communication network and distributed via the network. These programs could then be launched and executed under the control of the operating system, similar to other application programs, thereby enabling the execution of the aforementioned processes.

[0063] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0064] (Note 1) A betting ticket relating to a competitor participating in a public sports competition, comprising a "favorite competitor identification unit" that identifies the user's favorite competitor from among multiple competitors based on the user's past purchase history of the betting tickets, A voting ticket extraction unit extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete identification unit and that the user can purchase; A score calculation unit calculates a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, A preference calculation unit calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, which is the degree to which the user prefers that type of voting ticket, based on the user's past purchase history of voting tickets. A proposal target identification unit identifies the voting tickets and types of voting tickets that it proposes to the user for purchase from among the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, based on the winning score calculated by the score calculation unit and the preference level calculated by the preference level calculation unit. A proposal unit provides the user with information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified by the proposed target identification unit, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete. An information-providing device equipped with the following features.

[0065] (Note 2) The aforementioned favorite identification unit identifies the favorite athlete corresponding to the user by calculating the favorite score for each of the multiple athletes based on the history of the voting tickets the user has purchased in the past. If the user purchases the voting ticket corresponding to the athlete proposed by the proposal unit, or if the user gives the athlete a high rating as proposed by the proposal unit, the support score corresponding to the athlete is added; if the user does not purchase the voting ticket corresponding to the athlete proposed by the proposal unit, or if the user gives the athlete a low rating as proposed by the proposal unit, the support score corresponding to the athlete is subtracted. The information providing device described in Appendix 1, characterized by the features described herein.

[0066] (Note 3) The system further includes a common favorite athlete identification unit that identifies a group consisting of the aforementioned user and other users who are different from the aforementioned user and who have the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit, and the aforementioned user. The proposal unit aggregates the number of voting tickets purchased by each user belonging to the group identified by the common favorite athlete identification unit, corresponding to the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit, and provides comparative information that allows comparison of the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased for each user belonging to the group, together with information on the voting tickets and the type of voting tickets. An information providing device as described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by the features described herein.

[0067] (Note 4) The proposed unit provides, with respect to the distribution of the number of purchased voting tickets, comparative information corresponding to the number of purchased tickets within a predetermined rank, in descending order of the number of purchased tickets by a single user belonging to the group, out of the number of voting tickets already purchased by each user belonging to the group that are common to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete unit for the user, and in descending order of the number of purchased tickets by that user belonging to the group, in each of the different display modes. The information providing device described in Appendix 3, characterized by the features described herein.

[0068] (Note 5) The proposed unit, regarding the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased, emphasizes the number of purchases made by the user by providing, in a special manner, the comparison information corresponding to the number of purchases made by the user, out of the number of voting tickets already purchased by each user belonging to the group that correspond to the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit. The information providing device described in Appendix 3, characterized by the features described herein.

[0069] (Note 6) The proposal unit provides, in relation to the distribution of the number of purchased voting tickets, the comparison information includes, in addition to the number of purchases made by the user, the number of purchases necessary to advance the voting ranking among the users belonging to the group, which are the same number of voting tickets that each user belonging to the group has already purchased and which are common to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete unit for the user. The information providing device described in Appendix 5, characterized by the features described herein.

[0070] (Note 7) The proposal unit provides the number of purchases required to advance the voting ranking among users belonging to the group, including this number in the comparison information, only if the number of purchases required to advance the voting ranking among users belonging to the group is less than or equal to the maximum number of purchases previously made by the user. The information providing device described in Appendix 6, characterized by the features described herein.

[0071] (Note 8) The proposed unit aggregates the number of voting tickets purchased by each voting user, including the user and other users different from the user, for each of the voting tickets corresponding to each of the athletes in a single competition, and provides comparative information that allows for comparison of the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased for each athlete, together with information on the voting tickets and the type of voting tickets. The information-providing device described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0072] (Note 9) The "Favorite Member Identification Unit" identifies the user's favorite member from among multiple members, A user different from the aforementioned user who has the same favorite member as the user identified by the favorite member identification unit, and a common favorite member identification unit that identifies a group consisting of the aforementioned users, A providing unit that aggregates the number of purchase items corresponding to the aforementioned favorite member that have already been purchased for each user belonging to the group identified by the common favorite member identification unit, and provides the user with comparative information that allows comparison of the aggregated distribution of purchase numbers for each user belonging to the group. An information-providing device equipped with the following features.

[0073] (Note 10) A method of providing information using an information providing device, A betting ticket relating to a competitor participating in a public sports competition, comprising a step of identifying the user's favorite competitor from among multiple competitors based on the user's history of previously purchased betting tickets, and A voting ticket extraction step which extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified in the favorite athlete step and that the user can purchase, A score calculation step is performed to calculate a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted in the voting ticket extraction step, A preference calculation step which calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, based on the user's history of past purchases of the voting tickets, A proposal target identification step, in which, from among the voting tickets extracted in the voting ticket extraction step, the voting tickets and types of voting tickets to be proposed for purchase to the user are identified based on the winning score calculated in the score calculation step and the preference level calculated in the preference level calculation step, A proposal step in which information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified in the proposed target identification step is provided to the user, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete, An information provision method that includes the following features.

[0074] (Note 11) Computers, A betting ticket relating to an athlete participating in a public sports competition, wherein, based on the user's history of previously purchased betting tickets, a "favorite athlete" identification unit identifies the user's favorite athlete from among multiple athletes. A voting ticket extraction unit extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete identification unit and that the user can purchase. A score calculation unit calculates a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit. A preference calculation unit calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, which is the degree to which the user prefers the type of voting ticket, based on the history of voting tickets previously purchased by the user. A proposal target identification unit identifies the voting tickets and types of voting tickets that it proposes to the user for purchase from among the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, based on the winning score calculated by the score calculation unit and the preference level calculated by the preference level calculation unit. The proposal unit provides the user with information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified by the proposed target identification unit, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete. A program that makes it function as such.

[0075] This disclosure allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. In other words, the scope of this disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the equivalent significance of the disclosure are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0076] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information providing device, an information providing method, and a program that can provide information to support fans' activities related to their favorite idols. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 100 Information provision device 110 Storage section 111 Programs 112 History Information 113 Predicted Winning Probability Information 114 Purchase Information 120 Control Unit 121 Request Reception Department 122 Identifying My Favorite Idol 123 Voting ticket extraction part 124 Score Calculation Unit 125 Preference Rating Calculation Unit 126 Recommendation Target Identification Section 127 Purchase Information Acquisition Section 128 Recommendation Department 130 Input / output section 140 Communications Department 200 Information Terminals 300 sales servers 400 Computer Communication Networks

Claims

1. A betting ticket relating to an athlete participating in a public sports competition, comprising a "favorite athlete identification unit" that identifies the athlete the user supports from among multiple athletes based on the user's past purchase history of the betting tickets, A voting ticket extraction unit extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete identification unit and that the user can purchase; A score calculation unit calculates a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, A preference calculation unit calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, which is the degree to which the user prefers that type of voting ticket, based on the user's past purchase history of voting tickets. A proposal target identification unit identifies the voting tickets and types of voting tickets that it proposes to the user for purchase from among the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, based on the winning score calculated by the score calculation unit and the preference level calculated by the preference level calculation unit. A proposal unit provides the user with information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified by the proposed target identification unit, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete. An information-providing device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned favorite identification unit identifies the favorite athlete corresponding to the user by calculating the favorite score for each of the multiple athletes based on the history of the voting tickets the user has purchased in the past. If the user purchases the voting ticket corresponding to the athlete proposed by the proposal unit, or if the user gives the athlete a high rating as proposed by the proposal unit, the support score corresponding to the athlete is added; if the user does not purchase the voting ticket corresponding to the athlete proposed by the proposal unit, or if the user gives the athlete a low rating as proposed by the proposal unit, the support score corresponding to the athlete is subtracted. The information providing device according to feature 1.

3. The system further includes a common favorite athlete identification unit that identifies a group consisting of the aforementioned user and other users who are different from the aforementioned user and who have the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit, and the aforementioned user. The proposal unit aggregates the number of voting tickets purchased by each user belonging to the group identified by the common favorite athlete identification unit, corresponding to the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit, and provides comparative information that allows comparison of the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased for each user belonging to the group, together with information on the voting tickets and the type of voting tickets. The information providing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. The proposed unit provides, with respect to the distribution of the number of purchased voting tickets, comparative information corresponding to the number of purchased tickets within a predetermined rank, in descending order of the number of purchased tickets by a single user belonging to the group, out of the number of voting tickets already purchased by each user belonging to the group that are common to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete unit for the user, and in descending order of the number of purchased tickets by that user belonging to the group, in each of the different display modes. The information providing device according to feature 3.

5. The proposed unit, regarding the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased, emphasizes the number of purchases made by the user by providing, in a special manner, the comparison information corresponding to the number of purchases made by the user, out of the number of voting tickets already purchased by each user belonging to the group that correspond to the same favorite athlete as the user identified by the favorite athlete identification unit. The information providing device according to feature 3.

6. The proposal unit provides, in relation to the distribution of the number of purchased voting tickets, the comparison information includes, in addition to the number of purchases made by the user, the number of purchases necessary to advance the voting ranking among the users belonging to the group, which are the same number of voting tickets that each user belonging to the group has already purchased and which are common to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete unit for the user. The information providing device according to claim 5.

7. The proposal unit provides the number of purchases required to advance the voting ranking among users belonging to the group, including this number in the comparison information, only if the number of purchases required to advance the voting ranking among users belonging to the group is less than or equal to the maximum number of purchases previously made by the user. The information providing device according to feature 6.

8. The proposed unit aggregates the number of voting tickets purchased by each voting user, including the user and other users different from the user, for each of the voting tickets corresponding to each of the athletes in a single competition, and provides comparative information that allows for comparison of the distribution of the number of voting tickets purchased for each athlete, together with information on the voting tickets and the type of voting tickets. The information providing device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The "Favorite Member Identification Unit" identifies the user's favorite member from among multiple members, A user different from the aforementioned user who has the same favorite member as the user identified by the favorite member identification unit, and a common favorite member identification unit that identifies a group consisting of the aforementioned users, A providing unit that aggregates the number of purchase items corresponding to the aforementioned favorite member that have already been purchased for each user belonging to the group identified by the common favorite member identification unit, and provides the user with comparative information that allows comparison of the aggregated distribution of purchase numbers for each user belonging to the group. An information-providing device equipped with the following features.

10. A method of providing information using an information providing device, A betting ticket relating to a competitor participating in a public sports competition, comprising a step of identifying the user's favorite competitor from among multiple competitors based on the user's history of previously purchased betting tickets, and A voting ticket extraction step which extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified in the favorite athlete step and that the user can purchase, A score calculation step is performed to calculate a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted in the voting ticket extraction step, A preference calculation step which calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, based on the user's history of past purchases of the voting tickets, A proposal target identification step, in which, from among the voting tickets extracted in the voting ticket extraction step, the voting tickets and types of voting tickets to be proposed for purchase to the user are identified based on the winning score calculated in the score calculation step and the preference level calculated in the preference level calculation step, A proposal step in which information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified in the proposed target identification step is provided to the user, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete, An information provision method that includes the following features.

11. Computers, A betting ticket relating to an athlete participating in a public sports competition, wherein, based on the user's history of previously purchased betting tickets, a "favorite athlete" identification unit identifies the user's favorite athlete from among multiple athletes. A voting ticket extraction unit extracts voting tickets that correspond to the favorite athlete identified by the favorite athlete identification unit and that the user can purchase. A score calculation unit calculates a winning score for each of the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit. A preference calculation unit calculates a preference level for each type of voting ticket, which is the degree to which the user prefers the type of voting ticket, based on the history of voting tickets previously purchased by the user. A proposal target identification unit identifies the voting tickets and types of voting tickets that it proposes to the user for purchase from among the voting tickets extracted by the voting ticket extraction unit, based on the winning score calculated by the score calculation unit and the preference level calculated by the preference level calculation unit. The proposal unit provides the user with information on the voting ticket and the type of voting ticket identified by the proposed target identification unit, thereby proposing to the user to vote for their favorite athlete. A program that makes it function as such.

Images