Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

By evaluating user behavior across multiple criteria, this system provides a mechanism to encourage better behavioral change. [Solution] The system includes an action information acquisition unit that acquires information on actions performed by the user, a base point calculation unit that calculates base points according to the action, an additional point calculation unit that calculates additional points when the action meets predetermined conditions, and an earned point calculation unit that calculates the earned points to be awarded for the action by adding the base points and additional points together.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , ,

[0006] , , , , ,

[0005] , , , , , , ,

[0003] ,

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as a mechanism for promoting changes in the behavior of users for purposes such as health promotion, a system has been proposed that gives predetermined points that can be exchanged for prizes or the like when a user performs a predetermined action.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a walking support system that detects that a user with a mobile terminal has stepped on a manhole cover, determines the user's moving distance according to the number of manholes the user has stepped on, and gives health points that can be exchanged for coupons or the like according to the user's moving distance.

Prior Art Documents

[0007] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an action information acquisition unit that acquires information on actions performed by a user; a basic point calculation unit that calculates basic points corresponding to the action; an additional point calculation unit that calculates additional points when the action satisfies predetermined conditions; and an earned point calculation unit that calculates earned points to be awarded for the action by adding the basic points and the additional points. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, a mechanism can be provided that promotes better behavioral change by evaluating user behavior using multiple evaluation axes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the configuration of the behavioral evaluation system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the configuration of server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing a functional module of a program executed by the processor 11 of a server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A diagram illustrating the contents stored in the storage device 15 of the server 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A sequence diagram of the point awarding process according to the behavior evaluation system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A diagram illustrating the main screen displayed on a user terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]A diagram illustrating a prize exchange screen displayed on a user terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A diagram illustrating a viewing screen for rankings, etc., displayed on a user terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A diagram illustrating the screen displayed on a user terminal 20 during an event period according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] A diagram illustrating a screen for evaluating other users, displayed on a user terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an action evaluation system 1 (information processing system) according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the action evaluation system 1 comprises a server 10 and a user terminal 20. The server 10 is connected to the user terminal 20 via a communication network N. The communication network N may be any of the following: the internet, LAN, dedicated line, telephone line, corporate network, mobile communication network, Bluetooth®, WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), other communication lines, or a combination thereof, and may be wired or wireless.

[0011] The behavior evaluation system 1 is a system that awards points to users when they engage in health- and environmentally beneficial behaviors (e.g., walking). The server 10 may be a general-purpose computer and may consist of a single computer or multiple computers distributed over a communication network N. The server 10 may be installed in a company or other organization that provides the behavior evaluation system 1, or it may be built on the cloud.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of server 10. As shown in Figure 2, server 10 includes a processor 11, main memory 12, input / output interface 13, communication interface 14, and storage device 15. The storage device 15 is a computer-readable recording medium such as semiconductor memory (e.g., volatile memory or non-volatile memory) or disk media (e.g., magnetic recording medium or magneto-optical recording medium). The storage device 15 stores programs to be executed by the processor 11, as well as various data. The programs are read from the storage device 15 into the main memory 12, interpreted and executed by the processor 11, thereby executing various functions.

[0013] The user terminal 20 is a terminal owned by a user who uses the behavioral evaluation system 1. The user terminal 20 can be any terminal device that can exchange data with the server 10 via the communication network N, such as a personal computer (PC), notebook PC, tablet terminal, smartphone, mobile phone, or personal digital assistant (PDA). Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 20. As shown in Figure 3, the user terminal 20 is equipped with a processor 21, input devices 22 such as a keyboard, mouse, various operation buttons, or touch panel, a display device 23 such as an LCD display, a communication interface 24 for connecting to the communication network N, and a storage device 25 such as a disk drive or semiconductor memory (ROM, RAM, etc.). The storage device 25 may store various programs executed by the processor 21 and various data. The user terminal 20 has a dedicated application installed to realize the functions of the behavioral evaluation system 1 in cooperation with the server 10.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing functional modules of a program executed by the processor 11 of the server 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the functional modules executed by the processor 11 of the server 10 include an action information acquisition unit 101, a basic point calculation unit 102, a bonus point calculation unit (additional point calculation unit) 103, and an acquired point calculation unit 104. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the storage device 15 implements a basic point information storage unit 151, a bonus point information storage unit 152, a cumulative point information storage unit 153, and a point exchange information storage unit 154.

[0015] FIG. 5(A) is a diagram illustrating the content stored in the basic point information storage unit 151. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the basic point information storage unit 151 stores information on the basic points given for the "actions" performed by the user.

[0016] FIG. 5(B) is a diagram illustrating the content stored in the bonus point information storage unit 152. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the bonus point information storage unit 152 stores the "conditions" for awarding bonus points and the information on the bonus points to be awarded when the target action meets the conditions. The bonus points may be awarded based on evidence data for an action or when a predetermined condition is met during an event period. Specifically, for each evidence or limited event, the "conditions" for awarding bonus points and the information on the bonus points to be awarded when the target action meets the conditions are stored.

[0017] FIG. 5(C) is a diagram illustrating the content stored in the cumulative point information storage unit 153. As shown in FIG. 5(C), the cumulative point information storage unit 153 stores information on the cumulative points (total of acquired points) for each user.

[0018] Figure 5(D) is an example of the contents stored in the point exchange information storage unit 154. As shown in Figure 5(D), the point exchange information storage unit 154 stores information about redemption points, linked to the prizes that can be exchanged for the points earned.

[0019] Next, the point awarding process by the behavior evaluation system 1 will be explained using the sequence diagram in Figure 6 and an example of the screen display in Figure 7. Note that the explanation using specific examples will use the contents of the database exemplified in Figure 5. First, the user operates the user terminal 20 to launch the dedicated application for the behavior evaluation system 1 and display the main screen. Figure 7 is an example of the main screen displayed on the user terminal 20. As shown in Figure 7, the main screen displays a list L of actions that the user can report, and a report button B1 for reporting that the user has undertaken each action. The list L of actions includes actions that contribute to decarbonization and health promotion. For actions in the list that the user has already achieved (reported), the report button B1 may display "Achieved," and for actions that the user has not yet undertaken, it may display "Not Achieved." The main screen may also display the cumulative points P1 earned by the user. Additionally, the main screen may display a screen switching button B2.

[0020] When a user operates the declaration button B1 to declare an action they have taken (step S1), the declared information is sent to the server 10, and the action information acquisition unit 101 of the server 1 acquires information about the declared action (step S2).

[0021] Next, the base point calculation unit 102 of the server 10 calculates the base points for the declared action (step S3). The base point calculation unit 102 refers to the base acquired point information storage unit 151 and acquires the base points corresponding to the declared action.

[0022] Next, the bonus point calculation unit 103 of server 10 determines whether there is evidence that the declared action meets the conditions for awarding bonus points (additional points) (step S4). The bonus point calculation unit 103 refers to the bonus point information storage unit 152 and determines whether the declared action meets the conditions of any of the evidence (or time-limited events). For example, if the declared action is "not using a private car," and the condition "summer" is met, then 2 bonus points will be awarded based on the evidence that "reducing air conditioning energy in summer is highly effective." Whether or not the condition "summer" is met can be determined based on the date the declaration was made.

[0023] If the bonus point calculation unit 103 determines in step S4 that there is evidence (YES) that the conditions for awarding bonus points are met, it calculates the bonus points to be awarded (step S5). Specifically, it refers to the bonus point information storage unit 152 and obtains the bonus points to be awarded based on the evidence that the conditions are met. For example, if the declared action is "not using a private car" and the condition "summer" is met, 2 points are awarded.

[0024] Next, the points calculation unit 104 adds the bonus points obtained in step S5 to the base points obtained in step S3 to calculate the current points (step S6). Then, it proceeds to step S4 to determine whether there is any other evidence that satisfies the conditions. If there is evidence that satisfies the conditions, it proceeds to step S5.

[0025] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that there is no evidence to satisfy the conditions (NO), the process proceeds to step S7, where the points calculation unit 104 calculates the final points earned. That is, if the bonus points are 0, only the base points will be the final points earned, and if one or more bonus points are awarded, the sum of the base points and bonus points will be the final points earned. Once the final points earned are determined, the points earned this time are added to the user's cumulative points stored in the cumulative points information storage unit 153 (step S8). The latest cumulative points information is also transmitted to the user terminal 20 (step S9). The user terminal 20 may also display the latest received cumulative points information on its main screen. It may also change the display of the declaration button B1 for the declared action to "Achieved". Furthermore, if bonus points are awarded for the declared action, the declaration button B1 may be displayed with "Bonus" or similar to indicate that bonus points have been awarded. Note that the position and manner of the display indicating that bonus points have been awarded are not limited to these.

[0026] As described above, in this embodiment, even if the same action, "Do not use a private car," is declared, the final points awarded will differ depending on whether or not the conditions for bonus points are met. If no conditions are met, only the base points of 5 points will be awarded. Furthermore, if the action is declared during the summer, the conditions of evidence "1" are met, and 2 bonus points will be awarded, resulting in a total of 5 + 2 = 7 points. In addition, if the user walks instead of using a private car, the conditions of evidence "2" ("walking") are met, and an additional 1 point will be added. That is, if the action was performed in "summer" and involved "walking," the final points earned will be 5 + 2 + 1 = 8 points. Whether or not the action involved "walking" may be determined based on the user's declaration, or it may be determined using a function such as a pedometer implemented in the user terminal 20.

[0027] Furthermore, regarding bonus points based on evidence "4" and "5" that "persistence is good," 1 point is added for performing the action for two consecutive days, and 10 points are added for performing it for seven consecutive days. By adding points according to the number of consecutive days in this way, it is expected that the retention of good behaviors will be encouraged.

[0028] Furthermore, evidence-based bonus points are not limited to positive points; they can also be negative. For example, based on evidence that "walking in high outside temperatures is life-threatening," if someone declares they will "walk 8,000 steps" when the outside temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or higher, they may be awarded negative bonus points, resulting in a deduction from their total points. Also, bonus points are not limited to being awarded through addition or subtraction; they may be awarded as a bonus or discount based on a certain percentage multiplication.

[0029] In the example above, the bonus points based on evidence "1" are points for the evaluation of contributing to decarbonization (energy saving), and the bonus points based on evidence "2" are points for the evaluation of contributing to health promotion. The points awarded in this way can be totaled for each evaluation axis, and the cumulative points for each evaluation axis may also be displayed in the cumulative points display field P1 on the main screen of the user terminal 20.

[0030] Furthermore, it may be possible to set limits on the number of times the same action can be reported within a certain period (for example, one day, one week, etc.). For example, the action "not using a private car" could only be reported once a day. In addition, the restriction may be lifted once a certain condition (for example, reporting "walking 8,000 steps") is met, allowing the same action to be reported again. Note that the report button B1 for actions that are restricted from being reported may be disabled.

[0031] (Prize exchange function) Users can exchange their accumulated points for prizes. On the main screen shown in Figure 7, pressing the "Prize Exchange" button B2 displays a prize exchange screen as illustrated in Figure 8. By pressing the selection button B3 for the desired prize on the screen, the user deducts a predetermined number of points from their total accumulated points. If the prize is a physical item, it is shipped to the registered address. Furthermore, it may be possible to exchange points for electronic money or electronic points. For example, specifying the number of points to exchange may result in the corresponding amount of electronic points being charged.

[0032] (Ranking display function) On the user terminal 20, users can view information such as their own ranking in terms of points earned, the ranking of their team (department, etc.), and their ranking within the team. For example, when the user operates the "Your Ranking" button B2 on the main screen, a screen like the one shown in Figure 9(A) may be displayed, showing the points earned along with the overall ranking of all participants. Alternatively, when the user operates the "Team" button B2 on the main screen, a screen like the one shown in Figure 9(B) may be displayed, showing the team's ranking and the rankings of the team's members.

[0033] (Limited-time event feature) The behavior evaluation system 1 has a function to conduct limited-time events. During the event period, it provides limited-time functions such as awarding more points than usual, increasing the variety of prizes that can be exchanged, and displaying the ranking of points earned during the event period. During the event period, as illustrated in Figure 10(A), it may be displayed in the upper right corner of the main screen that an event is in progress. In addition, for actions that are awarded special bonus points during the event, the words "Bonus Available" may be displayed. When a user operates the "Event Overview" button B2 on the main screen of the user terminal 20, a screen informing the user of the event overview is displayed, as illustrated in Figure 10(B). For example, in an event where bonus points are awarded for actions related to "travel," special bonus points will be awarded for actions that meet the "travel" conditions, such as "not using a private car" or "walking 8000 steps." The bonus point information storage unit 152 may be configured to add records of bonus point awards based on the limited-time event only during the event period.

[0034] (Evaluation function for others) The behavior evaluation system 1 has a function to evaluate when others have performed actions that are good for health and the environment. When a user operates the "Evaluate Others" button B2 on the main screen, an evaluation screen for others' behavior, as illustrated in Figure 11, is displayed. The user can enter (or select from a list) the name of the person they wish to evaluate. After specifying the person to be evaluated, the user operates the evaluation button B4 for the action performed by that person. This operation awards a predetermined bonus point to the person being evaluated. The user who performed the evaluation may also be awarded a predetermined bonus point. The number of times others can be evaluated may be limited. For example, there may be a limit on the number of evaluations per day or the number of times the same person can be evaluated.

[0035] As described above, according to this embodiment, basic points are awarded for actions reported by the user, and bonus points are awarded based on a different evaluation axis than the basic points, depending on the content of the action. This makes it possible to adjust the points earned so that they differ depending on the situation, even for the same action. In other words, instead of uniformly evaluating the user's actions, it is possible to evaluate them using multiple evaluation axes, thus providing a mechanism to encourage users to perform certain actions in a more desirable way. For example, in the case of the action of "walking 8,000 steps," the health-promoting effect differs depending on the time of day, and there is evidence that walking in the morning sunlight has a greater health-promoting effect than walking at night. Therefore, by awarding bonus points according to the time of day the action is performed, it is expected that the user will be guided towards a more desirable action (walking in the morning). Conversely, walking when the outside temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or higher or during severe weather such as a typhoon is dangerous and cannot be considered a desirable action, so by awarding negative bonus points, it is possible to encourage users to avoid walking in such conditions.

[0036] Furthermore, the action of "not using a private car" can be evaluated using two criteria: health promotion and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (decarbonization). From a health promotion perspective, if the action is accompanied by walking instead, it qualifies for bonus points. From a decarbonization perspective, if public transportation or walking is used instead of a private car during the summer or winter when air conditioning use increases, the contribution is greater, and therefore, it also qualifies for bonus points. In other words, even with the same action of "not using a private car," if public transportation is used instead, bonus points are awarded on the decarbonization evaluation criterion, and if walking is used instead, bonus points are awarded on both the decarbonization evaluation criterion and the health promotion evaluation criterion. Moreover, if the season is summer or winter, additional bonus points are awarded on the decarbonization evaluation criterion. In this way, by evaluating a single action using multiple different evaluation criteria, a variety of bonus points can be awarded.

[0037] Furthermore, the conditions for awarding bonus points based on evidence data may not be shown to the user. In other words, the user only needs to report the actions they have taken, and points will be awarded based on a comprehensive evaluation across multiple evaluation criteria.

[0038] Furthermore, awarding bonus points for consistently performing an action can help reinforce that action. Additionally, holding limited-time events can encourage users to perform actions they haven't previously engaged in and create opportunities for new users to participate.

[0039] Furthermore, by implementing a mechanism for evaluating the actions of others, a more objective and reliable system was achieved. In other words, while actions are basically self-reported, points are also awarded based on evaluations by others.

[0040] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. For this reason, the above embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted restrictively. For example, the order of each processing step described above can be arbitrarily changed or executed in parallel, as long as there is no inconsistency in the processing content. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...Behavioral evaluation system, 10...Server, 11...Processor, 12...Main memory, 13...Input / output interface, 14...Communication interface, 15...Storage device, 20...User terminal, 21...Processor, 22...Input device, 23...Display device, 24...Communication interface, 25...Storage device, 101...Behavioral information acquisition unit, 102...Basic point calculation unit, 103...Bonus point calculation unit, 104...Acquired point calculation unit, 151...Basic point information storage unit, 152...Bonus point information storage unit, 153...Cumulative point information storage unit, 154...Point exchange information storage unit

Claims

1. An action information acquisition unit that acquires information about actions performed by the user, A base point calculation unit that calculates base points corresponding to the aforementioned action, An additional point calculation unit calculates additional points when the aforementioned action satisfies predetermined conditions, An information processing system comprising: an earned points calculation unit that calculates the earned points to be awarded for the action by adding the base points and the additional points.

2. The aforementioned additional point calculation unit is: The information processing system according to claim 1, which calculates the additional points based on whether the aforementioned action satisfies the conditions for evaluation based on evidence data.

3. The aforementioned additional point calculation unit is: The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, which calculates the additional points based on whether the action was continued for a predetermined period of time.

4. The aforementioned additional point calculation unit is: The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, which calculates the additional points based on whether or not the aforementioned action is eligible for the awarding of the additional points for a limited time.

5. The aforementioned additional point calculation unit is: The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, which calculates the additional points based on whether or not the aforementioned action has been reported as an evaluation by another person.

6. The aforementioned additional point calculation unit is: The information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, which calculates the additional points based on whether or not it has received a report of evaluation from another person.

7. The process by which the computer obtains information about the actions performed by the user, The process involves a computer calculating base points corresponding to the aforementioned action, The computer calculates additional points when the aforementioned action satisfies predetermined conditions, An information processing method comprising the steps of: a computer summing the base points and the additional points to calculate the points awarded for the action.

8. Computers, An action information acquisition unit that acquires information about actions performed by the user, A base point calculation unit that calculates base points corresponding to the aforementioned action, An additional point calculation unit calculates additional points when the aforementioned action satisfies predetermined conditions, A program that functions as a points calculation unit, which calculates the points to be awarded for the action by adding the base points and the additional points.

Images