Sales promotion system and sales promotion management system

Abstract

We provide a sales promotion system that allows for the modification of the benefits given to buyers for intangible assets. [Solution] The sales promotion management system 3 includes a sales promotion management unit 31 that manages sales promotion information for products, a purchase information management unit 32 that manages purchase information transmitted from the purchaser's terminal by the purchaser who purchased the product, grants new benefits to the purchaser who has been issued an NFT based on NFT issuance information provided by the NFT management system, and allows the benefits to be changed, and a verification unit 33 that identifies product information of a product based on reading information of a code attached to the product transmitted from the purchaser's terminal, and if it is determined that the identified product information matches the product information included in the purchase information and the result of the verification with the purchase information is correct, grants the purchaser the right to receive an NFT and provides the NFT management system with information on the granting of rights regarding the purchaser to whom the rights were granted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sales promotion system and a sales promotion management system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for promoting the sales of products, seals may be attached to the outer packaging of products or application codes may be printed to encourage purchasers to buy the products. Purchasers may receive benefits by collecting seals or accessing a dedicated website from the application codes.

[0003] <000001​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, points are awarded to the purchaser as a result of a lottery conducted according to a request from the purchaser's terminal, and thus do not waste resources. However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, it was not possible to change the points once they had been distributed to the purchaser.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to enable the purchaser to change the benefits associated with the intangible asset even after the intangible asset has been granted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The sales promotion system according to the present invention comprises a sales promotion management system for managing the sales promotion of products and an intangible asset management system for managing intangible assets. The sales promotion management system comprises a sales promotion management unit that manages sales promotion information for products; a purchase information management unit that manages purchase information transmitted from the purchaser's terminal by the purchaser who purchased the product, grants new benefits to the purchaser who has been issued intangible assets based on intangible asset issuance information provided by the intangible asset management system, and allows the benefits to be changed; and a verification unit that identifies product information based on reading information of a code attached to the product transmitted from the purchaser's terminal, and if it is determined that the identified product information matches the product information included in the purchase information and that the result of comparing the purchase information with reference information about the product is correct, grants the purchaser the right to receive intangible assets and provides the intangible asset management system with information on the granting of rights to the purchaser who has been granted the right. Furthermore, the intangible asset management system includes an intangible asset issuance unit that issues intangible assets to purchasers based on rights granting information, and an intangible asset management unit that manages the intangible assets issued to purchasers and provides intangible asset issuance information indicating that intangible assets have been issued to purchasers to the sales promotion management system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an intangible asset is provided to the purchaser upon the purchase of a product, and the benefits associated with the intangible asset can be modified. The above-described sales promotion system is one aspect of the present invention, and a sales promotion management system that reflects one aspect of the present invention is configured in the same manner as the above-described sales promotion system. Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a sales promotion system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the configuration of each database included in the sales promotion management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the configuration of each database included in the NFT management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the configuration of each database included in the NFT management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows examples of actions of the buyer terminal, sales promotion management system, and NFT management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of screen transitions displayed on the purchaser's terminal in response to an action by the purchaser according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This flowchart illustrates the process from the issuance of an NFT according to the first embodiment of the present invention to the display of the user's My Page. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of screen transitions displayed on a purchaser's terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a sales promotion system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This flowchart illustrates the process from the issuance of an NFT according to the second embodiment of the present invention to the display of the user's My Page. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing a transition example of a screen displayed on a purchaser terminal according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

[0012] [First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a sales promotion system 1 according to the first embodiment. The sales promotion system 1 is a system for promoting the sale of goods, and includes a purchaser terminal 2 used by a purchaser, a sales promotion management system 3 that gives the purchaser the right to receive an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), and an NFT management system 5. The purchaser terminal 2, the sales promotion management system 3, and the NFT management system 5 can communicate with each other via the Internet N. An NFT is non-fungible digital data created based on a blockchain, and is an example of an intangible asset in the present embodiment. The NFT is used as a proof of purchase of a product.

[0013] (Purchaser Terminal) The purchaser terminal 2 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. used by the purchaser. The purchaser terminal 2 includes a display unit 21, an input unit 22, a control unit 23, a position acquisition unit 24, a photographing unit 25, a recording unit 26, and a communication unit 27. Products that can be purchased by the purchaser include not only physical items (e.g., food, books, tickets) but also services provided to the purchaser (e.g., beauty, massage, hobbies, etc.).

[0014] The display unit 21 displays screens generated by the sales promotion management system 3 and the NFT management system 5. The input unit 22 is used for a purchaser to input information according to the items displayed on the screen. The display unit 21 and the input unit 22 may be used as an integrated touch panel display device.

[0015] The control unit 23 controls the operations of each functional unit of the purchaser terminal 2. For example, the control unit 23 causes the display unit 21 to display a screen based on the screen information acquired by the communication unit 27 from the sales promotion management system 3 and the NFT management system 5. In addition, the control unit 23 performs control to transmit the registration information input by the purchaser on the screen via the input unit 22 to the sales promotion management system 3 or the NFT management system 5 via the communication unit 27.

[0016] In addition, the control unit 23 controls the operation of the photographing unit 25 and performs control to transmit the purchase information read from the photographed image photographed by the photographing unit 25 to the sales promotion management system 3 via the communication unit 27. Furthermore, the control unit 23 performs control to transmit the user information input by the purchaser on the screen via the input unit 22 to the NFT management system 5 via the communication unit 27.

[0017] The position acquisition unit 24 acquires the current position of the purchaser terminal 2. The position acquisition unit 24 can acquire the current position of the purchaser terminal 2 based on the beacon signal wirelessly acquired from the access point. In addition, the position acquisition unit 24 can also acquire the current position of the purchaser terminal 2 based on the GPS signal acquired by a GPS signal receiver (not shown) built in the purchaser terminal 2. The current position of the purchaser terminal 2 acquired by the position acquisition unit 24 is transmitted as position information to the sales promotion management system 3 through the communication unit 27.

[0018] The photographing unit 25 is, for example, a camera, and obtains reading information by reading a code (two-dimensional code, three-dimensional code, numerical value, symbol, etc.) attached to the exterior of the product purchased by the purchaser. The reading information includes, for example, a JAN (Japanese Article Number). In addition, the photographing unit 25 generates a photographed image of the receipt handed over by the store when the purchaser purchases a product.

[0019] <0000>By equipping the camera unit 25 with OCR functionality, the camera unit 25 can read the text information from the receipt and use it as purchase information. The read information and purchase information are transmitted to the sales promotion management site (see Figure 7 below) operated by the sales promotion management system 3. The sales promotion management site is a site established for each business that implements sales promotion measures in marketing, and purchasers can access the sales promotion management site.

[0020] The recording unit 26 records information entered by the purchaser through the input unit 22, location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 24, and images captured by the shooting unit 25, etc.

[0021] The communication unit 27 can communicate with the sales promotion management system 3 and the NFT management system 5. Under the control of the control unit 23, the communication unit 27 transmits registration information input from the input unit 22, purchase information read from images captured by the shooting unit 25, and location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 24 to the sales promotion management system 3. The communication unit 27 also acquires screen information such as operation screens generated by the sales promotion management system 3 and the NFT management system 5. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 23, the communication unit 27 transmits user information to the NFT management system 5.

[0022] (Sales promotion management system) The sales promotion management system 3 comprises a sales promotion management unit 31, a purchase information management unit 32, a verification unit 33, a screen generation unit 34, and a communication unit 35. The sales promotion management system 3 also comprises a purchaser database 41, a sales promotion database 42, an NFT issuance management database 43, and a rewards database 44.

[0023] The Sales Promotion Management Department 31 manages the sales promotion information for products stored in the Sales Promotion DB 42. The Sales Promotion Management Department 31 can also change the benefits for NFTs for each sales promotion. Furthermore, based on the NFT issuance information (including information on issued NFTs) received from the NFT Management System 5, the Sales Promotion Management Department 31 can manage the number of NFTs issued to purchasers for each sales promotion. Therefore, the Sales Promotion Management Department 31 can measure the effectiveness of sales promotions based on the actual number of NFTs issued for each implemented sales promotion.

[0024] The purchase information management unit 32 manages purchase information transmitted from the purchaser terminal 2 by the purchaser who purchased the product. The purchase information includes information about the product purchased by the purchaser (information read from a photographed image of the receipt). Therefore, when registering on the sales promotion management site, the purchase information management unit 32 stores the registration information received from the purchaser terminal 2 in the purchaser DB 41, and stores the purchase information received from the purchaser terminal 2 in the NFT issuance management DB 43. At this time, the purchase information management unit 32 records the store information (store name or store code), product identification information (JAN code or product name), purchase date and time, and purchase price of the product purchased by the purchaser, which are included in the purchase information uploaded from the purchaser terminal 2, as a single record in the NFT issuance management DB 43.

[0025] Furthermore, when a purchaser requests the issuance of an NFT, the purchase information management unit 32 acquires the location information of the purchaser terminal 2 and stores that location information in the NFT issuance management DB 43. Therefore, the purchase information management unit 32 can manage the regions where sales promotions were conducted and the regions where purchase information was entered, based on the location information. Additionally, the purchase information management unit 32 can grant new benefits to purchasers who have been issued NFTs, and can modify those benefits, based on the NFT issuance information provided by the NFT management system 5.

[0026] The matching unit 33 is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) that has the function of matching purchase information with reference information about the product. The reference information is information that the matching unit 33 reads from the sales promotion DB 42. The sales promotion DB 42 is used as a master database. The matching unit 33 identifies the product information of the product by matching the read information of the code attached to the product, which is transmitted from the purchaser terminal 2, with the reference information.

[0027] The matching unit 33 then determines that the identified product information matches the product information included in the purchase information, and that the result of matching the purchase information with the reference information about the product is correct, and grants the purchaser the right to receive the NFT. The right to receive the NFT is sent to the purchaser by being attached to or written to an email based on information such as the email address registered by the purchaser. The matching unit 33 also provides the NFT management system 5 with information granting rights to the purchaser to whom the right has been granted.

[0028] Furthermore, after determining that the result of comparing the purchase information and the reference information is correct, the matching unit 33 may determine whether the location information transmitted from the purchaser terminal 2 and stored in the NFT issuance management DB 43 is valid. If the matching unit 33 determines that the location information is valid, it may grant the purchaser the right to receive the NFT.

[0029] The matching unit 33 manages information about purchasers who have been granted the right to receive NFTs. For example, when the matching unit 33 receives NFT issuance information from the NFT management system 5, which is information about the purchaser who issued the NFT, it registers information indicating that the NFT has been issued (for example, "Completed") in the NFT issuance item of the NFT issuance management DB 43.

[0030] Furthermore, when purchase information is uploaded from the buyer terminal 2, the matching unit 33 refers to the record in the NFT issuance management DB 43 to prevent the right to receive an NFT multiple times for the same product by preventing the purchase information from being uploaded multiple times based on a single receipt image.

[0031] Furthermore, if the product information does not match the reference information, the matching unit 33 determines that the matching result is incorrect and prompts the purchaser to re-enter the purchase information. For example, if the product name identified from the read information does not match the product name included in the purchase information, the matching unit 33 determines that the matching result is incorrect.

[0032] Furthermore, the location of the buyer's terminal 2 at the time of purchase may differ from the location of the buyer's terminal 2 when the buyer requests the NFT to be granted. This in itself is not a problem. However, if a large amount of purchase information is transmitted along with the same location information for a product purchased at a particular store, there is a high probability that the purchase information is fraudulent.

[0033] Furthermore, the matching unit 33 may determine from the location information that it is impossible to register the product at the purchase date and time included in the purchase information. In such cases, the matching unit 33 will determine that the matching result is incorrect. In addition, even if the purchase information is re-entered multiple times, if the matching unit 33 determines that the matching result is incorrect, it can determine that the purchase information is invalid and refuse further re-entry.

[0034] The screen generation unit 34 generates screens for registering purchaser information on the sales promotion management site, scanning JAN codes, taking photos of receipts, etc., and displays them on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2, prompting the purchaser to take action. In addition, the screen generation unit 34 generates an NFT management page (My Page 113 shown in Figure 9, described later) containing NFTs issued to the purchaser, based on NFT issuance information provided by the NFT management system 5, and displays it on the purchaser terminal 2. Each screen is displayed on the display unit 21 via a web browser or an application installed on the purchaser terminal 2.

[0035] The communication unit 35 can communicate with the purchaser terminal 2 and the NFT management system 5. Under the control of the sales promotion management unit 31, the communication unit 35 receives registration information entered from the input unit 22 of the purchaser terminal 2, reading information and purchase information read from the captured image taken by the shooting unit 25, and location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 24 from the purchaser terminal 2. The communication unit 35 also transmits screen information for each screen generated by the screen generation unit 34 to the purchaser terminal 2. Furthermore, the communication unit 35 transmits information of purchasers who have been granted the right to receive NFTs to the NFT management system 5 and receives NFT issuance information from the NFT management system 5.

[0036] Figures 2 and 3 show example configurations of the databases included in the sales promotion management system 3. The buyer database 41 shown in the upper part of Figure 2 contains fields for the age, gender, address, name, email address, and buyer ID of buyers registered on the sales promotion management site. Of these fields, all fields except location information are registration information registered from the registration site via the buyer terminal 2.

[0037] The age field stores the buyer's age. The gender field stores the buyer's gender. The address field stores the buyer's address. Note that the address does not need to be detailed; information such as the prefecture is sufficient.

[0038] The name field stores the buyer's name. The email address field stores an email address that can be used to contact the buyer. The Buyer ID field stores a Buyer ID that uniquely identifies the buyer, managed by the Sales Promotion Management System 3.

[0039] The sales promotion database 42 shown in the lower part of Figure 2 contains the following fields: business name, sales promotion name, sales promotion period, sales promotion product name, JAN code, participating stores, and sales price. Of these fields, the sales promotion period, sales promotion product name, JAN code, and participating stores are used as reference information by the matching unit 33.

[0040] The "Business Name" field stores the name of the business that is responsible for implementing the sales promotion. The "Sales Promotion Name" field stores the name of the sales promotion (sales promotion name). The "Sales Promotion Period" field stores the sales promotion period.

[0041] The "Sales Promotion Items" item stores the name of the product that is a sales promotion item (Sales Promotion Item Name). The JAN code field stores a JAN code that uniquely identifies the promotional item. The "Stores" field stores the store codes of the stores that carry the promotional items. The sales price field stores the sales price of the promotional item. The sales price may be a range value that takes into account price reductions, etc.

[0042] The NFT issuance management DB43 shown in the upper part of Figure 3 has fields for store, JAN code, purchase date and time, purchase price, purchaser ID, location information, matching result, and NFT issuance. The fields for store, JAN code, purchase date and time, and purchase price are used as purchase information by the matching unit 33.

[0043] The store field stores the store code of the store where the purchaser bought the product. The matching unit 33 checks if the store code is included in the list of stores in the sales promotion database 42.

[0044] The JAN code field stores the JAN code assigned to the promotional item. The matching unit 33 checks that the JAN code assigned to the promotional item matches the JAN code in the promotional item database 42. The purchase date and time field stores the date and time the buyer purchased the product. The matching unit 33 checks if the purchase date and time falls within the sales promotion period in the sales promotion DB 42.

[0045] The purchase price field stores the purchase price of the goods purchased by the buyer. The purchase price is not subject to verification by the verification unit 33, but it may be included in the verification process. For example, if the purchase price is extremely low or high compared to the sales price in the sales promotion DB 42, the verification unit 33 will determine that the verification result is incorrect because there is a high possibility of fraudulent transaction.

[0046] The Buyer ID field stores the Buyer ID assigned to the buyer at the time of registration on the registration site. The location information field stores the location information of the buyer's device 2 at the time the buyer registered the purchase information.

[0047] The matching result item stores the matching result from the matching unit 33. If the purchase information is matched with the reference information about the product, GOOD is stored; otherwise, BAD is stored. The NFT issuance item stores information indicating whether or not the NFT management system 5 has issued an NFT to the purchaser. If the NFT management system 5 has issued the NFT, "Completed" is stored; if it has not issued the NFT, "Not yet issued" is stored.

[0048] The rewards database DB44 shown in the lower part of Figure 3 contains fields for purchaser ID, JAN code, reward, and reward period. The Buyer ID field stores the Buyer ID. Note that the Buyer ID in the Bonus DB44 is limited to Buyers who have been issued an NFT. The JAN code field stores the JAN code. Note that the JAN codes in Bonus DB44 are limited to those for which an NFT has already been issued.

[0049] The "Benefits" section contains the benefits awarded to the NFT issued to the purchaser. The "Benefit Period" field stores the benefit period for each benefit. If a buyer who purchases the same product is given different benefits, the benefit periods may be different or overlap. For example, a single product may be given multiple benefits.

[0050] (NFT management system) Let's return to the explanation of Figure 1. NFT Management System 5 is an example of an intangible asset exchange that manages NFTs granted to purchasers according to instructions from Sales Promotion Management System 3. Since NFT Management System 5 also manages NFTs held by users other than purchasers who have been granted the right to receive NFTs, purchasers are sometimes referred to as users in the description of NFT Management System 5.

[0051] The NFT management system 5 comprises an NFT issuing unit 51, an NFT management unit 52, a screen generation unit 53, and a communication unit 54. The NFT management system 5 also includes a user database 56 and an NFT management database 57.

[0052] The NFT issuing unit 51 (an example of an intangible asset issuing unit) issues NFTs to purchasers based on the rights granting information. However, before the NFT issuing unit 51 issues an NFT, the purchaser must register their user information on the NFT management site managed by the NFT management system 5. Therefore, the NFT issuing unit 51 issues an NFT to a purchaser only if the purchaser information shown in the rights granting information matches the purchaser information registered in advance.

[0053] The NFT Management Unit 52 (an example of an Intangible Asset Management Unit) manages NFTs issued to purchasers and provides NFT issuance information indicating that NFTs have been issued to purchasers to the Sales Promotion Management System 3. For this purpose, the NFT Management Unit 52 records user information registered by purchasers through the registration site in the User Database 56. User information for users other than purchasers who have been granted the right to receive NFTs is also registered in the User Database 56.

[0054] The screen generation unit 53 generates the registration site screen and the NFT management screen for managing NFTs owned by the purchaser, and displays them on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2. Each screen is displayed by a web browser or an application installed on the purchaser terminal 2.

[0055] The communication unit 54 can communicate with the purchaser terminal 2 and the sales promotion management system 3. The communication unit 54 receives registration information entered from the input unit 22 of the purchaser terminal 2 under the control of the NFT issuance unit 51. The communication unit 35 also transmits screen information for each screen generated by the screen generation unit 53 to the purchaser terminal 2. Furthermore, the communication unit 35 receives rights granting information from the sales promotion management system 3 and transmits NFT issuance information to the sales promotion management system 3.

[0056] User DB56 stores user information registered through the NFT management site operated by NFT management system 5. The NFT management DB57 manages the NFTs granted to users. NFTs granted to users are managed using the wallet ID and the NFT issuance token_ID.

[0057] Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of each database provided by the NFT management system 5. The user database 56, shown in the upper part of Figure 4, contains fields for the user's age, gender, address, name, purchaser ID, and NFT issuing user ID. The rights granting information, including information about the purchaser stored in the user database 56, is provided from the sales promotion management system 3 to the NFT management system 5.

[0058] The age field stores the age of the buyer specified by the sales promotion management system 3. The gender field stores the buyer's gender. The address field stores the buyer's address. The name field stores the buyer's name. The Buyer ID field stores a Buyer ID that uniquely identifies the buyer, managed by the Sales Promotion Management System 3. The NFT Issuer User ID field stores the NFT Issuer User ID, which is managed by the NFT Management System 5 and uniquely identifies the user to whom an NFT is granted.

[0059] The NFT management DB57 shown in the lower part of Figure 4 has fields for NFT issuer user ID, wallet ID, and NFT issuer token_ID. The NFT issuing user ID field stores the NFT issuing user ID. User DB56 and NFT management DB57 are linked by the same NFT issuing user ID. The Wallet ID field stores a Wallet ID that uniquely identifies the wallet assigned to the NFT issuer. The NFT issuance token_ID field stores the NFT issuance token_ID, which uniquely identifies the NFT issued to the purchaser.

[0060] When the purchase information management unit 32 of the sales promotion management system 3 receives NFT issuance information, including information on the buyer ID linked to the NFT issuing user ID, from the NFT management DB 57, it registers "Completed" in the NFT issuance item of the NFT issuance management DB 43. If the purchase information management unit 32 has not received NFT issuance information, it determines that an NFT has not been issued for the buyer ID and leaves the NFT issuance item in the NFT issuance management DB 43 as "Not yet issued".

[0061] <Example of computer hardware configuration> Next, we will describe the hardware configuration of the computer 100 that constitutes each device of the sales promotion system 1. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of computer 100. Computer 100 is an example of hardware used as a computer capable of operating as a purchaser terminal 2, a sales promotion management system 3, and an NFT management system 5 according to this embodiment. In the purchaser terminal 2, sales promotion management system 3, and NFT management system 5 according to this embodiment, each functional block is configured by the computer 100 executing a program, and each functional block works in cooperation to realize the sales promotion management method shown in Figure 6, which will be described later.

[0062] Computer 60 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, ROM (Read Only Memory) 62, and RAM (Random Access Memory) 63, each connected to a bus 64. Furthermore, computer 60 includes a display device 65, an input device 66, non-volatile storage 67, and a network interface 68.

[0063] The CPU 61 reads the program code of the software that implements each function according to this embodiment from the ROM 62, loads it into the RAM 63, and executes it. Variables and parameters that occur during the calculation process of the CPU 61 are temporarily written to the RAM 63, and these variables and parameters are read out by the CPU 61 as appropriate. The operation of each functional unit of the purchaser terminal 2, the sales promotion management system 3, and the NFT management system 5 is realized by the CPU 61, ROM 62, and RAM 63.

[0064] The display device 65 is, for example, a liquid crystal display monitor, which displays the results of processing performed by the computer 60 to the purchaser. The input device 66 uses, for example, a keyboard, mouse, etc., and the purchaser can perform predetermined operations and give instructions. The purchaser terminal 2 has the display device 65, which corresponds to the display unit 21, and the input device 66, which corresponds to the input unit 22, configured as a touch panel display.

[0065] Examples of non-volatile storage 67 include HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), flexible disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, or non-volatile memory. This non-volatile storage 67 stores the OS (Operating System), various parameters, and programs necessary for the computer 60 to function. The ROM 62 and non-volatile storage 67 store programs and data necessary for the CPU 61 to operate. In other words, the ROM 62 and non-volatile storage 67 are used as examples of computer-readable, non-transient storage media that store programs executed by the computer 60. The functions of the purchaser terminal 2 and the recording units and databases of each system are realized by the non-volatile storage 67.

[0066] The network interface 68 can be, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card). The network interface 68 can transmit and receive various types of data between devices via a LAN (Local Area Network), dedicated line, etc., connected to the terminals of the NIC. The communication functions of each system are realized by the network interface 68.

[0067] <Examples of actions taken by the buyer and each system> Next, examples of actions performed by the buyer terminal 2, the sales promotion management system 3, and the NFT management system 5 will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 6 and the example screen transitions shown in Figure 7. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing examples of actions performed by the buyer terminal 2, the sales promotion management system 3, and the NFT management system 5. Figure 7 shows an example of the screen transitions displayed on the buyer's terminal 2 in response to the buyer's actions.

[0068] First, we will explain the actions taken by the buyer and the actions taken by the sales promotion management system. The buyer accesses the sales promotion management site, which is managed by the sales promotion management system 3, via a web browser (S1).

[0069] When a buyer accesses the sales promotion management site, the email address input screen 101 shown in Figure 7, generated by the screen generation unit 34 of the sales promotion management system 3, is displayed on the display unit 21 of the buyer's terminal 2. The buyer needs to register as a member in order to use the sales promotion management system 3. Therefore, the buyer enters their email address (S2) and presses the send button.

[0070] The sales promotion management unit 31 of the sales promotion management system 3 sends an email containing a URL for registering the buyer's information to the email address entered by the buyer (S11). When the buyer receives the email, they access the buyer information registration site via the URL provided in the email (S3). Next, the buyer uses their email address as the buyer ID shown in Figure 2, sets a password, and begins registering as a member on the registration site (S4).

[0071] In step S3, when the buyer accesses the registration site, the password determination screen 102 shown in Figure 7, generated by the screen generation unit 34 of the sales promotion management system 3, is displayed on the display unit 21 of the buyer's terminal 2. The buyer enters the same password twice to determine the password, starts member registration, and presses the "Next" button on the password determination screen 102.

[0072] The screen generation unit 34 of the sales promotion management system 3 generates the customer information input screen 103 shown in Figure 7 and displays the customer information input screen 103 on the display unit 21 of the customer terminal 2 (S12). When the customer enters customer information such as age, gender, address, and name (S5), the entered customer information is sent to the sales promotion management system 3.

[0073] Next, the buyer presses the "Next" button on the buyer information input screen 103. As a result, the buyer's membership registration is completed. As explained with reference to Figure 2, the buyer information and the buyer ID generated by the sales promotion management unit 31 in association with the buyer information are recorded as registration information in the buyer DB 41. The screen generation unit 34 generates the member registration completion screen 104 shown in Figure 7 and displays the member registration completion screen 104 on the display unit 21 of the buyer terminal 2.

[0074] Next, the buyer presses the "Next" button on the member registration completion screen 104. The screen generation unit 34 generates the code scan screen 105 shown in Figure 7 and displays the code scan screen 105 on the display unit 21 of the buyer terminal 2 (S13). The code scan screen 105 is used, for example, for the buyer to scan a code printed or attached to the product. If the buyer has already completed member registration, steps S1 to S4, S11, and S12 described above are skipped and processing starts from step S5.

[0075] Next, the buyer operates the camera unit 25 of the buyer terminal 2 to photograph and scan the JAN code printed or affixed to the product (S6). The scanned JAN code information is then sent to the sales promotion management system 3 as read information.

[0076] Next, the buyer presses the "Next" button on the code scan screen 105. The screen generation unit 34 generates the receipt scan screen 106 shown in Figure 7 and displays the receipt scan screen 106 on the display unit 21 of the buyer terminal 2 (S14). The receipt scan screen 106 is used to scan the purchase receipt that the buyer receives when purchasing the product. Then, the buyer operates the camera unit 25 of the buyer terminal 2 to take a picture of the purchase receipt and scan it (S7). The scanned purchase receipt information is then sent to the sales promotion management system 3 as purchase information.

[0077] Next, the buyer completes their action by pressing the "Next" button on the receipt scanning screen 106. When the "Next" button on the receipt scanning screen 106 is pressed, the location information acquired by the location acquisition unit 24 of the buyer terminal 2 is sent to the sales promotion management system 3, and the location information is registered in the NFT issuance management DB 43. However, a screen including a button for the buyer to select whether or not to allow the transmission of the location information of the buyer terminal 2 may be displayed after the receipt scanning screen 106.

[0078] The matching unit 33 of the sales promotion management system 3 accesses the sales promotion DB 42 to identify the product purchased by the buyer (S15). Specifically, the matching unit 33 identifies the product name of the product purchased by the buyer by comparing the JAN code, which is the information read from the buyer terminal 2, with the JAN code stored in the JAN code item of the sales promotion DB 42 shown in Figure 2.

[0079] Next, the verification unit 33 checks the purchase receipt (S16). The purchase receipt contains purchase information such as the name of the store where the purchaser bought the product (Convenience Store AA), the store's address (CC-cho, BB-ku, Tokyo), the telephone number (99-9999-9999), the date of purchase (Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 8:30), the purchased item (ticket), and the purchase price (5000 yen), as shown in the receipt scanning screen 106 in Figure 7. The matching unit 33 uses an AI based on a learning model to compare the various information written on the purchase receipt and the location where the information is written with the purchase information transmitted from the purchaser terminal 2 and the reference information in the sales promotion DB 42 shown in Figure 2.

[0080] The matching unit 33, through the matching process in step S16, checks whether the product name identified from the JAN code of the product purchased by the purchaser matches the product name written on the purchase receipt. If the matching in step S16 results in a match, the matching unit 33 confirms that the purchaser actually purchased the product at the store. If the purchaser attempts to register the same purchase receipt twice, the matching unit 33 can reject the purchase information that has been sent to the sales promotion management system 3 more than once.

[0081] Furthermore, if the purchase date and time included in the purchase information can be confirmed to be before the start date or after the end date of the sales promotion period, the matching unit 33 can reject the purchase information sent to the sales promotion management system 3. If the matching unit 33 finds no problem with the purchase information, GOOD is stored in the matching result of the NFT issuance management DB 43; otherwise, BAD is stored in the matching result. Purchasers who send purchase information for which BAD is stored in the matching result are not given the right to receive an NFT, and therefore no NFT is issued.

[0082] The matching unit 33 then stores purchase information in the NFT issuance management DB 43, indicating where, what product, when, and for how much the purchaser bought it (S17). As described above, the NFT issuance management DB 43 stores the purchase date and time of the product purchased by the purchaser, location information at the time of purchase receipt registration, etc. The screen generation unit 34 generates a My Page, as shown in Figure 8, which will be described later, so that the purchaser can view their product purchase history.

[0083] If the verification result in step S16 is incorrect, the screen generation unit 34 displays a message on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2 indicating that the registered JAN code is incorrect. The screen generation unit 34 then redisplays the code scan screen 105 on the display unit 21 (S18) to prompt the user to scan the JAN code. After the JAN code has been scanned, the screen generation unit 34 redisplays the receipt scan screen 106 on the display unit 21 to prompt the user to scan the purchase receipt. However, if the verification result is incorrect, the process may be terminated (S18).

[0084] Once the JAN code and the purchase receipt have been rescanned (S19), the sales promotion management system 3 will again perform the process from step S15 onwards to identify the product and check the purchase receipt, and then terminate this process.

[0085] On the other hand, if the verification result is determined to be correct in step S17, the purchase information management unit 32 generates an NFT issuance URL (S21). The screen generation unit 34 generates the NFT issuance instruction screen 111 shown in Figure 9 and displays it on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2 (S22). The NFT issuance URL is information that allows the purchaser to access the NFT issuance site provided by the NFT management system 5. The verification unit 33 also provides the NFT management system 5 with rights granting information regarding the purchaser who has been granted the right to receive the NFT.

[0086] Figure 8 is a flowchart explaining the process from NFT issuance to displaying the user's My Page. As shown in Figure 6, when the purchaser presses the NFT issuance button on the NFT issuance instruction screen 111 displayed on the display unit 21 in step S22, they can access the NFT issuance site.

[0087] The NFT management system 5 requires the purchaser to register as a user of the NFT management system 5 before granting an NFT. After the purchaser registers their user information through the NFT issuance site, they can store the NFT issued by the NFT issuance unit 51 in the wallet assigned to them.

[0088] When a purchaser registered with the NFT management system 5 instructs the issuance of an NFT, the NFT issuance unit 51 of the NFT management system 5, which handles the issuance of NFTs, issues an NFT to the purchaser (S23).

[0089] The NFT issuing unit 51 issues an NFT to the purchaser and then provides the NFT issuance information to the sales promotion management system 3 via the communication unit 54 (S24). Next, the screen generation unit 53 generates the NFT issuance screen 112 shown in Figure 9 and displays it on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2 (S25). The NFT is issued in the form of an electronic card displaying, for example, an image of an idol or other character. The contents of the NFT issuance screen 112, shown by the dashed line in Figure 9, represent to the sales promotion management system 3 that the purchaser has acquired an NFT from an external service or external wallet. In other words, the purchaser can view the NFT issuance screen 112 to confirm the NFT issued to them.

[0090] In step S24, the purchase information management unit 32 of the sales promotion management system 3 receives NFT issuance information provided by the NFT issuance unit 51 and manages the information of the NFT issued to the purchaser (S31). For example, based on the NFT issuance information, the purchase information management unit 32 changes the NFT issuance status of the corresponding purchaser ID record in the NFT issuance management DB 43 from "Not yet issued" to "Completed". The purchase information management unit 32 also records the information of the purchaser to whom the NFT was issued and the benefits in the benefits DB 44.

[0091] Next, we will explain the actions taken by buyers of NFTs. The purchaser operates the input section 22 of the purchaser terminal 2 to enter a command to view the My Page 113, which is accessible only to the purchaser (S41). The screen generation unit 53 of the NFT management system 5 generates a My Page 113 that reflects the issued NFT information, as shown in Figure 9, and displays the My Page 113 on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2 (S32).

[0092] My Page 113 displays a list of NFTs acquired by the buyer. The contents of My Page 113, shown by the dashed line in Figure 9, are a list of NFTs acquired from external services or external wallets from the perspective of the sales promotion management system 3. The NFTs acquired by the buyer may be from different sales promotions. In addition to the date the buyer acquired the NFT and the product, the NFT code that identifies the NFT (numbers such as NFT01, NFT02, etc. shown in the figure) may also include an image of the character.

[0093] Purchasers can view their purchase history on My Page 113 (S42) to check their purchase history and information on issued NFTs.

[0094] The purchase information management unit 32 of the sales promotion management system 3 can also change the rewards for NFTs issued to purchasers (S33). The rewards DB 44 stores information about the purchasers to whom the NFTs were issued. Since the JAN code indicates that the NFT has already been issued, the purchase information management unit 32 can identify that the NFT has been issued for the product identified by this JAN code. The purchase information management unit 32 can also change the reward from AA1 to AA2. The screen generation unit 34 may display the changed reward information on My Page 113.

[0095] In the sales promotion system 1 according to the first embodiment described above, an NFT is issued to the purchaser when the purchaser scans the code attached to the purchased product and the receipt with the purchaser terminal 2. Unlike conventional rewards, the content of the NFT can be changed even after it has been issued to the purchaser. Therefore, businesses conducting sales promotions can streamline their measures for conventional "purchase rewards," enabling broader marketing strategies. In addition, instead of providing physical gifts to purchasers, businesses can enhance the customer experience and increase sales effectiveness by creating new value and promoting sales through NFTs.

[0096] Sales promotion system 1 allows businesses to digitally verify purchase data and manage products without making any special modifications to existing products. Traditional purchase promotion measures typically involved attaching physical perks to products. However, sales promotion system 1 according to the first embodiment utilizes NFTs (intangible rights and digital content), eliminating the need to provide physical accessories. Therefore, when businesses change NFTs, they no longer need to replace stickers or reprint packaging as was done in the past, thus saving resources.

[0097] A major advantage of NFTs is that their value can be freely adjusted even after distribution. While traditional physical rewards are difficult to change once provided, NFTs can serve as proof of purchase while later being repurposed for various uses such as admission tickets, participation tickets, or product exchange vouchers. For example, a specific NFT displayed on My Page 113 can be used as a ticket, granting exclusive event participation rights only to purchasers to whom this NFT was issued.

[0098] Furthermore, when purchasing other items, buyers can show the seller a specific NFT displayed on their My Page 113 to receive discounts on items or even receive items for free. In this way, it becomes possible to flexibly increase the value of purchase benefits after the purchase and to offer rewards in new forms according to the buyer's needs.

[0099] Furthermore, before an NFT is issued, purchase information read from a photograph of the receipt is always registered in the NFT issuance management DB43. The NFT issuance management DB43 also stores information on the NFTs that have actually been issued. Previously, it was not possible to measure the results when sales promotion expenses were paid on a performance basis, but with sales promotion system 1, it becomes easy to check how many NFTs have been issued to purchasers, and the performance-based compensation for sales promotion can be reliably measured.

[0100] [Second Embodiment] Next, a sales promotion system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. This sales promotion system incorporates the functions of the NFT management system 5 according to the first embodiment. Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the sales promotion system 1A according to the second embodiment. The sales promotion system 1A includes a purchaser terminal 2 connected via the Internet N or the like and a sales promotion management system 3A.

[0101] The configuration example for purchaser terminal 2 is the same as that shown in Figure 1. In addition to the functional units of the sales promotion management system 3 shown in Figure 1, the sales promotion management system 3A includes an NFT issuance unit 36, an NFT management unit 37, a user database 45, and an NFT management database 46.

[0102] The functions of the NFT Issuance Unit 36 ​​and the NFT Management Unit 37 are the same as those of the NFT Issuance Unit 51 and the NFT Management Unit 52 of the NFT Management System 5 shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, since the sales promotion management system 3A itself can issue and manage NFTs, the exchange of rights granting information and NFT issuance information according to the first embodiment is unnecessary.

[0103] Furthermore, the functions of User DB 45 and NFT Management DB 46 are the same as those of User DB 56 and NFT Management DB 57 of the NFT Management System 5 shown in Figure 1. Note that User DB 45 may be integrated with Purchaser DB 41.

[0104] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating the process from the issuance of an NFT to the display of the My Page in the sales promotion system 1A according to the second embodiment. In the sales promotion system 1A according to the second embodiment, the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 11 is executed after the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 6 according to the first embodiment.

[0105] When the NFT Issuance Unit 36 ​​issues an NFT to a purchaser (S51), the NFT Management Unit 37 manages the information of the issued NFT (S52). The NFT Management Unit 37 records the information of the issued NFT in the NFT Management DB 46, and the Purchase Information Management Unit 32 registers "Completed" in the NFT Issuance item of the NFT Issuance Management DB 43.

[0106] Next, the screen generation unit 34 displays the NFT issuance screen 112A shown in Figure 12 on the display unit 21 of the purchaser terminal 2 (S53). The NFT issuance screen 112A may also display that the NFT has been acquired and that the NFT can be bought and sold on the NFT marketplace.

[0107] The processes in steps S32, S33, S41, and S42 related to the display of My Page 113 are the same as those explained with reference to Figure 8, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0108] In the sales promotion system 1A according to the second embodiment described above, the issuance and management of NFTs are not outsourced but can be carried out by the operating company of the sales promotion system 1A. Therefore, the transmission and reception of various information that was previously done with external parties for the issuance and management of NFTs can be omitted, and processing can be sped up.

[0109] [Differentiation] Furthermore, purchasers may not only use legal tender such as banknotes and coins to purchase goods or services, but also use virtual currency or points to purchase goods or services. Furthermore, the purchase information management unit 32 can manage the number of issued NFTs, so it may offer rewards (such as gifts) to purchasers who have issued a large number of NFTs, or increase their chances of winning rewards in raffles. This will motivate purchasers to collect many NFTs.

[0110] Furthermore, the purchaser may transfer the NFT issued to them to another person. In this case, the information that the NFT was transferred to another person is not included in the NFT issuance information, so the NFT issuance status in the purchaser ID record remains unchanged as "completed." For this reason, the same NFT will not be issued to the purchaser again.

[0111] In addition to paper receipts, emails or other digital documents may also serve as receipts for products purchased online. Therefore, the purchase information management unit 32 may acquire purchase information through character recognition based on a screenshot of an email sent from the purchaser terminal 2 and record the purchase information in the NFT issuance management DB 43.

[0112] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other applications and modifications can be taken as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the embodiments described above are detailed and specific explanations of the configuration of the apparatus and system in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace some of the configurations of the embodiments described here with the configurations of other embodiments, and it is also possible to add the configurations of other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace some of the configurations of each embodiment with other configurations. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanatory purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the actual product. In reality, it is safe to assume that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1...Sales promotion system, 2...Purchaser terminal, 3...Sales promotion management system, 5...NFT management system, 21...Display unit, 22...Input unit, 31...Sales promotion management unit, 32...Purchase information management unit, 33...Verification unit, 34...Screen generation unit, 51...NFT issuance unit, 52...NFT management unit, 53...Screen generation unit, 105...Code scan screen, 106...Receipt scan screen, 113...My page

Claims

1. It includes a sales promotion management system for managing product sales promotion and an intangible asset management system for managing intangible assets. The aforementioned sales promotion management system is The Sales Promotion Management Department manages sales promotion information for the aforementioned products, A purchase information management unit manages purchase information transmitted from a purchaser's terminal by a purchaser who has purchased the aforementioned product, grants new benefits to the purchaser who has been issued the intangible asset based on the intangible asset issuance information provided by the intangible asset management system, and allows the benefits to be modified. The system includes a matching unit that identifies product information of the product based on reading information of a code attached to the product transmitted from the purchaser terminal, and if it is determined that the identified product information matches the product information included in the purchase information and that the result of comparing the purchase information with reference information relating to the product is correct, it grants the purchaser the right to receive the intangible asset and provides the intangible asset management system with information granting rights relating to the purchaser to whom the right was granted. The aforementioned intangible asset management system is An intangible asset issuing unit that issues the intangible asset to the purchaser based on the rights granting information, The system includes an intangible asset management unit that manages the intangible assets issued to the purchaser and provides the intangible asset issuance information indicating that the intangible assets have been issued to the purchaser to the sales promotion management system. Sales promotion system.

2. The sales promotion management department manages, based on the intangible asset issuance information, the number of intangible assets issued to the purchasers for each sales promotion. The sales promotion system according to claim 1.

3. The purchase information management unit acquires the location information of the purchaser's terminal, The matching unit grants the purchaser the right to receive the intangible asset if it determines that the result of matching the purchase information with the reference information is correct and that the location information is valid. The sales promotion system according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned purchase information management unit manages the region where the sales promotion was conducted and the region where the purchase information was entered, based on the location information. The sales promotion system according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned sales promotion management department shall change the benefits for the aforementioned intangible assets for each sales promotion. The sales promotion system according to claim 4.

6. The matching unit determines that the matching result is incorrect if the identified product information does not match the product information included in the purchase information, or if the purchase information does not match the reference information, and prompts the purchaser to re-enter the purchase information. The sales promotion system according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned sales promotion management system is The system includes an image generation unit that generates an intangible asset management page, including the intangible assets issued to the purchaser, based on the intangible asset issuance information provided by the intangible asset management system, so that it can be displayed on the purchaser's terminal. A sales promotion system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The Sales Promotion Management Department manages product sales promotion information, A purchase information management unit manages purchase information transmitted from the purchaser's terminal by the purchaser who purchased the aforementioned product, grants new benefits to the purchaser to whom the intangible asset has been issued, and allows the benefits to be modified. A verification unit that identifies product information of the product based on the reading information of the code attached to the product transmitted from the purchaser terminal, and determines that the identified product information matches the product information included in the purchase information, and that the result of comparing the purchase information with reference information related to the product is correct, grants the purchaser the right to receive the intangible asset. An intangible asset issuing unit that issues the aforementioned intangible asset to the purchaser based on the right to receive the aforementioned intangible asset, The system includes an intangible asset management unit that manages the intangible assets issued to the aforementioned purchaser. Sales promotion management system.

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