Purchase reservation device, purchase reservation method, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides a purchase reservation device that allows for easy setting of cancellation conditions for reserved voting tickets. [Solution] A purchase reservation device 10 that allows a user to reserve the purchase of an item that can be purchased electronically before the item goes on sale, comprising a reception unit 101 that receives cancellation conditions set by the user in association with the purchase reservation of the item, and a cancellation unit 104 that cancels the reservation if the cancellation conditions set in association with the reservation are met at a determination time set by a scheduled grace period before the end of the sale of the item.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a purchase reservation device, a purchase reservation method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] There has been proposed a ticket reservation purchase terminal device that accepts the purchase reservation content of a ballot ticket, obtains the range of expected odds, which is the odds of wishing to purchase for each combination in the purchase reservation content, purchases the ballot tickets whose closing odds are within the range of the expected odds among the purchase reservation content, and does not purchase the ballot tickets whose closing odds are outside the range of the expected odds (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a device that enables reservation of purchases, such as the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is desirable to be able to easily set the cancellation conditions for the reservation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a purchase reservation device and the like that can easily set the cancellation conditions for the reservation of a purchase target.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the purchase reservation device of the present invention is a purchase reservation device that can electronically reserve the purchase of an object that can be purchased before the object is sold by a reservation person, a reception unit that receives a cancellation condition set by the reservation person in association with the reservation of the purchase of the object, If the cancellation conditions associated with the reservation are met at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the sale of the aforementioned target, the cancellation unit cancels the reservation. It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, cancellation conditions for reservations to be purchased can be easily set. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a functional block diagram of the purchase reservation system and purchase reservation device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device that constitutes the purchase reservation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase / reservation process. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of a purchase decision process. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of how it is displayed in the purchase reservation system. [Figure 6] Figures (A) and (C) show examples of how the purchase reservation system is displayed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The purchase reservation device 10 and the purchase reservation method executed by the purchase reservation device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the purchase reservation system 100 and purchase reservation device 10 according to this embodiment. The purchase reservation system 100 comprises a purchase reservation device 10 and a user terminal 20. The purchase reservation device 10 and the user terminal 20 are connected via a communication network such as the Internet or a mobile communication network, and they send and receive information from each other via the communication network. The purchase reservation device 10 is also connected via a communication network to a sales server 30 that sells items that can be purchased electronically. The purchase reservation device 10 and the sales server 30 send and receive information from each other via the communication network.

[0011] The purchase reservation system 100 of this embodiment is a system that allows users to purchase items sold electronically by the sales server 30, and also allows users to reserve the purchase of items before they are put on sale. Specifically, when the purchase reservation device 10 receives a request from the user terminal 20 to purchase an item sold electronically by the sales server 30, the purchase reservation device 10 communicates with the sales server 30 in response to the request and makes the purchase of the item. In other words, the purchase reservation device 10 mediates or acts as an agent for the purchase of items sold electronically by the sales server 30.

[0012] Furthermore, when the purchase reservation device 10 receives a request from a user terminal 20 to reserve the purchase of an item to be sold electronically by the sales server 30 before the item is put on sale, the purchase reservation device 10 will purchase the item after it has been put on sale in response to the request. The user who reserves the purchase of an item is also called the reserver.

[0013] Furthermore, in the purchase reservation system 100 of this embodiment, the person making the reservation can set cancellation conditions for the purchase they are making. For example, if the cancellation conditions set for the reservation are met after the item has been sold, the reservation will be canceled. Therefore, by setting conditions that are inconvenient for the person making the reservation, the reservation can be automatically canceled depending on the situation after the item has been sold. This improves the convenience for users when making a purchase reservation.

[0014] The purchase reservation device 10 is composed of, for example, a communication-enabled information processing device such as a personal computer (PC) or a workstation. The purchase reservation device 10 may also be a dedicated device. Furthermore, although Figure 1 shows one purchase reservation device 10, the purchase reservation device 10 may be composed of multiple information processing devices.

[0015] The purchase reservation device 10 is a web server that provides a user terminal 20 with an interface for purchasing or reserving the purchase of items sold by the sales server 30 via a web browser or dedicated application. The items sold by the sales server 30 are electronically purchasable items, such as betting tickets for public sports. Public sports include horse racing, bicycle racing, boat racing, and auto racing. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the items sold by the sales server 30 are horse racing betting tickets, that is, electronic betting tickets (betting slips). Betting slips may only be available for purchase on the day of the race, even if the conditions for holding the race, such as the participating horses and starting positions, are determined before the day of the race. The purchase reservation device 10 in this embodiment accepts reservations for betting slip purchases after the starting positions of the participating horses have been determined before the day of the race, and even before the betting slips are put on sale.

[0016] Functionally, the purchase reservation device 10 consists of, for example, a reception unit 101, a reservation information DB (Data Base) 102, a purchase unit 103, a cancellation unit 104, and an information acquisition unit 105, as shown in Figure 1.

[0017] The reception unit 101 provides an interface for the user terminal 20 to purchase or reserve the items sold by the sales server 30. The interface is, for example, a display screen of a web page or a dedicated application. The reception unit 101 receives purchase information specifying the item to be purchased and the amount via the interface provided to the user terminal 20 from the user terminal 20. Also, the reception unit 101 receives reservation information specifying the item to be reserved and the amount via the interface from the user terminal 20. Furthermore, the reception unit 101 receives cancellation conditions set for the reservation information from the user terminal 20.

[0018] The reservation information DB 102 stores the reservation information received by the reception unit 101 in association with the user's information. If a cancellation condition is set for the reservation information, the reservation information DB 102 stores the cancellation condition in association with the reservation information.

[0019] The purchase unit 103 performs a process for purchasing an item corresponding to the purchase information received by the reception unit 101 from the sales server 30 at the amount corresponding to the purchase information. The purchase unit 103 purchases the item by transmitting the purchase information and the user's payment information, etc. to the sales server 30. When the purchase of the item is completed, the purchase unit 103 stores the purchase details in association with the user. The stored purchase details may be made accessible from the user terminal 20.

[0020] The cancellation unit 104 refers to the reservation information stored in the reservation information DB 102, determines whether the cancellation condition associated with the corresponding reservation information for the item is satisfied, and cancels the reservation corresponding to the reservation information if the cancellation condition is satisfied. The cancellation unit 104 cancels the reservation, for example, by adding a flag indicating that the reservation information satisfying the cancellation condition in the reservation information DB 102 has been cancelled.

[0021] The information acquisition unit 105 acquires information related to cancellation conditions from the operator of the sales server 30, etc., via a communication network such as the Internet. If the subject is a betting ticket, the information acquisition unit 105 acquires information related to the cancellation conditions, such as odds, weather, track conditions, horse weight, and number of horses, from the horse racing organizer, etc., via a communication network such as the Internet. The information acquisition unit 105 may also acquire information related to cancellation conditions from any source.

[0022] The cancellation unit 104 determines the cancellation conditions for each reservation stored in the reservation information DB 102 based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 105.

[0023] Furthermore, the cancellation unit 104 determines the cancellation conditions at a judgment time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the sale of the target item. If the target item is a betting ticket, the cancellation unit 104 determines the cancellation conditions at a judgment timing predetermined time before the betting deadline for the betting ticket (for example, 5 minutes before).

[0024] The cancellation unit 104 notifies the purchase unit 103 of the reservation information that was not canceled at the above determination timing. The purchase unit 103 then processes the items corresponding to the reservation information that was not canceled at the determination timing to be purchased at the price corresponding to the reservation information. In other words, the timing for determining the cancellation condition is also the timing for processing the purchase of the reservation information.

[0025] The timing for determining the cancellation condition by the cancellation unit 104 is, in the case of betting tickets, after the official information regarding weather and track conditions has been published by the race organizer and the purchase of betting tickets has begun, and before there is sufficient time for the purchase reservation device 10 to complete the purchase of all reserved tickets after determining the cancellation condition. In other words, the planned grace period may be the amount of time for the purchase reservation device 10 to complete the purchase of all reserved tickets after determining the cancellation condition. Alternatively, the planned grace period may be calculated by multiplying the total number of reservations by the processing time required to purchase one reservation by a safety factor.

[0026] Since horse racing odds can fluctuate until the betting deadline, it may be advisable to set the timing for determining cancellation conditions as close to the betting deadline as possible.

[0027] With this functional configuration, the purchase reservation device 10 can execute the purchase reservation method of this embodiment. Note that the functional configuration of the purchase reservation device 10 shown in Figure 1 is just one example, and it can be arbitrarily changed to any configuration that performs a similar function. For example, the functional configuration of the purchase reservation device 10 may be further subdivided. The purchase reservation device 10 may also have a function to provide the user terminal 20 with information related to the target purchase, such as purchase history, reservation history, winning / losing results of voting tickets, and refund information.

[0028] The user terminal 20 is, for example, an information processing device with communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC used by the user. Figure 1 shows one user terminal 20, but the number of user terminals 20 can be arbitrary. Based on the user's operation, the user terminal 20 receives a form for purchasing or reserving items sold by the sales server 30 from the purchase reservation device 10 via the communication network. By performing operations such as selecting the items to purchase or reserve and entering the amount on the form, the purchase information or reservation information is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the purchase reservation device 10. In addition, if a cancellation condition for the reservation is set on the form, the cancellation condition is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the purchase reservation device 10.

[0029] The sales server 30 is a server that sells items that can be purchased electronically via a communication network. If the item is a betting ticket, the sales server 30 is a server for selling betting tickets operated by the horse racing organizer. For example, a buyer can purchase a betting ticket electronically by providing the sales server 30 with information such as their betting details, user identification information, payment information, and information on where the winnings will be paid out, via the communication network.

[0030] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device comprising a purchase reservation device 10, a user terminal 20, and a sales server 30. The purchase reservation device 10 has a processor 11 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), a storage device 12 such as memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive), a communication interface 13 for wired or wireless communication, an input device 14 for receiving input operations, and an output device 15 for outputting information. The input device 14 is, for example, a keyboard, a touch panel, a camera, a mouse and / or a microphone. The output device 15 is, for example, a display and / or a speaker.

[0031] The processor 11 of the purchase reservation device 10 reads the program stored in the storage device 12 and operates as the various functional units shown in Figure 1. The storage device 12 of the purchase reservation device 10 functions as a reservation information DB 102 and stores multiple reservation information.

[0032] The user terminal 20 similarly includes a processor 21, a storage device 22, a communication interface 23, an input device 24, and an output device 25.

[0033] The processor 21 of the user terminal 20 implements functions for using the purchase reservation system 100 by reading a program stored in the storage device 22. These functions may be implemented by a dedicated application or by a general-purpose web browser. For example, the processor 21 transmits purchase information to the purchase reservation device 10 in response to the user's purchase operation. The processor 21 also transmits reservation information and reservation cancellation conditions to the purchase reservation device 10 in response to the user's purchase reservation operation.

[0034] The sales server 30 similarly includes a processor 31, a storage device 32, a communication interface 33, an input device 34, and an output device 35. The processor 31 of the sales server 30 reads a program stored in the storage device 32 to realize the function of selling items that can be purchased electronically. Unnecessary hardware components may be omitted in the purchase reservation device 10 and the sales server 30.

[0035] Next, the operation of the purchase reservation device 10 will be explained. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase / reservation acceptance process performed by the purchase reservation device 10. The purchase / reservation acceptance process is performed by the processor 11 of the purchase reservation device 10 reading a program stored in the storage device 12. For example, the processor 11 receives an access from the user terminal 20 and provides the user terminal 20 with a form for purchasing or reserving the betting tickets that are the subject of sale, and then executes the purchase / reservation acceptance process.

[0036] In the purchase / reservation acceptance process, the processor 11 determines whether or not it has received purchase information from the user terminal 20 (step S11). In the user terminal 20, purchase information is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the purchase / reservation device 10 when the necessary information is selected or entered in the form for purchasing or reserving a betting ticket and the purchase confirmation operation is performed on the form. When the item being sold is a betting ticket, the purchase information specifies the type of race, the type of betting ticket, the purchase method, the horse number or gate number, and the purchase amount. The type of race includes information on the venue, date, and race number. The purchase method is usually one of the following: straight, box, or formation.

[0037] When the processor 11 receives purchase information from the user terminal 20 (step S11; Yes), it sends the purchase information and the user's payment information to the sales server 30 to perform the purchase process for buying betting tickets (step S12). After that, the processor 11 terminates the purchase / reservation acceptance process.

[0038] If purchase information has not been received from the user terminal 20 (step S11; No), the processor 11 determines whether or not reservation information has been received from the user terminal 20 (step S21). In the form for purchasing or reserving betting tickets, purchase information is transmitted from the user terminal 20 to the purchase reservation device 10 when the necessary information is selected or entered and the purchase confirmation operation is performed on the form. The reservation information includes the same information as the purchase information.

[0039] If reservation information is received from the user terminal 20 (step S21; Yes), the processor 11 associates the reservation information with the user who made the reservation and saves it in the reservation information DB 102 (step S22). If reservation information is not received from the user terminal 20 (step S21; No), the processor 11 terminates the purchase / reservation acceptance process.

[0040] Then, the processor 11 determines the recommended cancellation conditions for the target identified from the reservation information (step S23). In step S23, the processor 11 determines one or more recommended cancellation conditions for the type of race identified from the reservation information.

[0041] For example, in step S23, the processor 11 may refer to the reservation information DB 102 and obtain the distribution of pre-set cancellation conditions set by other reservation holders who reserved tickets for the same race prior to the current reservation holder. Then, based on the obtained distribution, the processor 11 may determine the recommended cancellation conditions to recommend to the reservation holder.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, the processor 11 may determine a target recovery amount based on the purchase history of the person making the reservation, and calculate the minimum odds required to achieve that target recovery amount. The processor 11 may then recommend an odds cancellation condition where the odds of the betting ticket at the time of determining the cancellation condition fall below the calculated minimum odds. The target recovery amount can be, for example, a predetermined percentage of the past purchase amount (e.g., 50% to 100%). In this way, cancellation conditions can be recommended according to the user's purchase history.

[0043] Furthermore, for example, multiple cancellation conditions that users can select may be provided in advance, and the processor 11 may recommend the cancellation conditions that are frequently selected by other users. Alternatively, the processor 11 may aggregate the cancellation conditions individually set by other users and generate recommended cancellation conditions.

[0044] Next, the processor 11 sends a selection screen to the user terminal 20 to select cancellation conditions, including the identified recommended cancellation conditions (step S24). This allows the purchase reservation device 10 to present the reservation holder with a selection screen for cancellation conditions, including the recommended cancellation conditions, before the reservation is confirmed, and to recommend the recommended cancellation conditions to the reservation holder. Therefore, the reservation holder can easily set the cancellation conditions for the reservation they are purchasing.

[0045] Then, the processor 11 determines whether or not cancellation conditions for the reservation have been set (step S25). In step S25, the processor 11 determines, on the cancellation condition selection screen, whether or not information indicating the cancellation conditions has been sent from the user terminal 20 in response to the reservation holder setting the cancellation conditions on the user terminal 20.

[0046] If cancellation conditions for a reservation are set (step S25; Yes), the processor 11 saves the cancellation conditions in association with the reservation information (step S26).

[0047] If no cancellation conditions for the reservation are set (step S25; No), that is, if information is received indicating that the reservation has been confirmed without any cancellation conditions being set, the processor 11 terminates the purchase / reservation acceptance process.

[0048] Through the above process, the purchase reservation device 10 can store the cancellation condition in association with the reservation information if a cancellation condition is set in the reservation information for purchasing a betting ticket.

[0049] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the purchase decision process performed by the purchase reservation device 10. The purchase decision process is performed by the processor 11 of the purchase reservation device 10 reading a program stored in the storage device 12. The processor 11 repeatedly performs the purchase decision process, for example, on the day when the sale of the target item ends. If the target item is a horse racing ticket, the processor 11 repeatedly performs the purchase decision process on the days when horse races are held.

[0050] Processor 11 determines whether or not it is the predetermined timing for determining whether a reservation is to be canceled (step S31). If the target is a betting ticket, the timing for determining whether a reservation is to be canceled is to be a predetermined time before the betting deadline for each race (for example, 5 minutes before). If it is not the timing for determining whether a cancellation condition is met (step S31; No), processor 11 terminates the purchase determination process.

[0051] If it is time to determine the cancellation conditions (step S31; Yes), the processor 11 refers to the reservation information DB 102 and obtains the reservation information subject to the cancellation condition determination. That is, the processor 11 obtains the reservation information for the race for which the cancellation condition determination timing has occurred. Then, the processor 11 determines whether or not a cancellation condition is set for a particular reservation among the obtained reservation information (step S32). In step S32, the processor 11 determines whether or not a cancellation condition is stored in association with a particular reservation information.

[0052] If a cancellation condition is set for a reservation (step S32; Yes), the processor 11 determines whether the cancellation condition is a delegated cancellation condition (step S33). A delegated cancellation condition is a cancellation condition in which the user does not set the cancellation condition but delegates it to the system. The purchase reservation device 10 presents such a delegated cancellation condition as an option for the cancellation condition to the reservation holder when the reservation for the target purchase is made.

[0053] If the cancellation condition is a delegated cancellation condition (step S33; Yes), the processor 11 determines the equivalent cancellation condition (step S34).

[0054] In step S34, for example, the processor 11 refers to the reservation information of other users who have reserved to purchase the betting tickets for this race, obtains the distribution of pre-set cancellation conditions set by those users, and finds the top one or more equivalent cancellation conditions in the obtained distribution. For example, the cancellation condition set most frequently by other users may be used as the equivalent cancellation condition. The method for determining the equivalent cancellation condition may be the same as the method for determining the recommended cancellation condition in step S23 of Figure 3. In this way, the processor 11 determines the equivalent cancellation condition at the timing of determining the cancellation condition, so that the equivalent cancellation condition can be found at an appropriate timing.

[0055] In this embodiment, the equivalent cancellation condition is determined at the timing of determining the cancellation condition, but the timing of determining the equivalent cancellation condition is not limited to this. The processor 11 may determine the equivalent cancellation condition at any time between receiving reservation information with delegated cancellation conditions set and the timing of determining the cancellation condition. For example, the timing of determining the cancellation condition, i.e., the timing of determining the equivalent cancellation condition, may be the end of the period during which the purchase can be reserved or the start of sales for the purchase.

[0056] Then, the processor 11 sets the equivalent cancellation condition determined in step S34 as the cancellation condition for the reservation information for which the delegated cancellation condition has been set (step S35). In this way, when a user delegates the setting of the cancellation condition to the system, the user's cancellation condition is set based on the cancellation conditions set by other reservation holders. Therefore, by setting the delegated cancellation condition when making a purchase reservation in the purchase reservation device 10, the user can set a cancellation condition that is estimated to be equivalent based on the distribution of set cancellation conditions without any extra effort.

[0057] After processing in step S35, or if the cancellation condition is not a delegated cancellation condition (step S33; No), the processor 11 retrieves information corresponding to the cancellation condition set in the reservation information and determines whether the retrieved information satisfies that cancellation condition (step S36). The information corresponding to the cancellation condition includes information such as odds, weather, track condition, horse weight, and number of horses.

[0058] If the information corresponding to the cancellation conditions satisfies the cancellation conditions set in the reservation information (step S36; Yes), the processor 11 cancels the purchase reservation corresponding to that reservation information (step S37). In step S37, the processor 11 may, for example, add a flag to the reservation information indicating that it has been canceled.

[0059] If no cancellation conditions are set for a particular reservation (Step S32; No), or if the information corresponding to the cancellation conditions does not satisfy the cancellation conditions set for the reservation (Step S36; No), the processor 11 executes the purchase process for the reservation item specified by that reservation information (Step S38).

[0060] After processing in step S37 or S38, it is determined whether a cancellation or purchase process has been executed for all reservation information related to the race that was the subject of the determination (step S39).

[0061] If there is any unprocessed reservation information (step S39; No), the process returns to step S32, and the processor 11 repeats the processing in steps S32 to S38 for any other unprocessed reservation information. If all reservation information has been processed (step S39; No), the purchase determination process ends.

[0062] As described above, the purchase reservation device 10 determines the cancellation conditions for the reservation information stored in the reservation information DB 102 at the timing of determining the cancellation conditions. If the cancellation conditions are met, the purchase reservation corresponding to the reservation information is canceled. If no cancellation conditions are set or the cancellation conditions are not met at the timing of determining the cancellation conditions, the purchase process corresponding to the reservation information is performed. In this way, the purchase reservation device 10 can appropriately perform the purchase corresponding to the received reservation information, and if cancellation conditions are set in the reservation information, it can cancel the purchase depending on the situation at the timing of the determination.

[0063] Next, we will describe an example of the display in the purchase reservation system 100 of this embodiment. Here, we will describe an example of the display on the user terminal 20 when the object of purchase is a betting ticket purchased online.

[0064] The user accesses the purchase reservation device 10 via a web browser or dedicated application using the user terminal 20, and proceeds to purchase or reserve a betting ticket by specifying one or more betting tickets and their purchase amounts in the form for purchasing or reserving a ticket. In this case, a confirmation screen 110, such as the one shown in Figure 5, is displayed on the user terminal 20's display. The confirmation screen 110 displays a list 111 of the betting tickets and purchase amounts specified by the user, a button 112 for purchasing the betting ticket, and a button 113 for reserving the purchase of the betting ticket.

[0065] The button 112 for purchasing a betting ticket is not displayed before the sale of the corresponding betting ticket begins. However, the button 113 for reserving a betting ticket is displayed even after the sale of the corresponding betting ticket begins. In other words, in the purchase reservation system 100, it is possible to reserve a purchase with specified cancellation conditions even after the sale of betting tickets has begun. This allows users to cancel the purchase of reserved betting tickets depending on the situation until the betting deadline. Alternatively, after the sale of betting tickets begins, the button 113 for reserving a betting ticket may not be displayed, and the acceptance of betting ticket reservations may be terminated, leaving only the ability to purchase betting tickets. Furthermore, the purchase reservation device 10 may terminate the acceptance of betting ticket reservations once all the information necessary to determine the cancellation conditions has been obtained.

[0066] On the confirmation screen 110, when the button 112 for purchasing a betting ticket is pressed, purchase information is sent from the user terminal 20 to the purchase reservation device 10. The purchase reservation device 10 then processes the purchase of the specified betting ticket. On the confirmation screen 110, when the button 113 for reserving the purchase of a betting ticket is pressed, reservation information is sent from the user terminal 20 to the purchase reservation device 10. The user terminal 20's display then shows the cancellation condition setting screen 120 shown in Figures 6(A) and (B). The cancellation condition setting screen 120 displays a recommendation menu 121 for selecting cancellation conditions recommended by the system, a detailed menu 122 for the user to set cancellation conditions in detail, and a reservation confirmation button 123 for confirming the reservation to purchase a betting ticket. The recommendation menu 121 and the detailed menu 122 are accordion menus that can be opened and closed.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6(A), the recommended menu 121 includes multiple cancellation conditions, including recommended cancellation conditions determined by the purchase reservation device 10. The user can selectively select any of the cancellation conditions included in the recommended menu 121. Among the cancellation conditions included in the recommended menu 121, "Leave it to us" is a delegated cancellation condition. Thus, the recommended menu 121 may include delegated cancellation conditions as options for cancellation conditions. Furthermore, among the other cancellation conditions included in the recommended menu 121, at least one must be a recommended cancellation condition determined by the purchase reservation device 10. In addition, there may be cancellation conditions that are always included as options in the recommended menu 121. Note that the cancellation conditions included in the recommended menu 121 in Figure 6(A) are just an example, and other cancellation conditions may be included, and the number of options may be any number.

[0068] As shown in Figure 6(B), the detailed menu 122 is a menu for specifying items such as odds, weather, track condition, horse weight, and number of starts, and setting detailed cancellation conditions. This allows the user to set any cancellation conditions they wish. Note that the items included in the detailed menu 122 are just examples, and other items may also be included.

[0069] When the reservation confirmation button 123 is pressed on the cancellation condition setting screen 120, the purchase reservation device 10 saves the reservation information for the specified betting ticket. At this time, if any cancellation condition is selected in the recommended menu 121, or if a cancellation condition is set in the detailed menu 122, the purchase reservation device 10 saves the cancellation condition in association with the reservation information.

[0070] As described above, the purchase reservation system 100 and purchase reservation device 10 of this embodiment accept cancellation conditions set for purchase reservations. Furthermore, the purchase reservation system 100 and purchase reservation device 10 can request recommended cancellation conditions from the reservation holder and recommend the requested recommended cancellation conditions to the reservation holder who is trying to set cancellation conditions. Therefore, the reservation holder can easily set cancellation conditions for the reservation to be purchased. In addition, the reservation holder can set delegated cancellation conditions, which delegate the cancellation conditions to the system. This makes it even easier to set cancellation conditions.

[0071] Furthermore, the user interface for reserving a purchase and setting cancellation conditions in the purchase reservation system 100 is not limited to those shown in Figures 4 and 5, and any user interface can be adopted. For example, the user interface may first select the purchase reservation for the betting ticket, and then specify the betting ticket and amount. Alternatively, cancellation conditions may be specified collectively for each purchase unit or race, or cancellation conditions may be specified individually for each betting ticket.

[0072] (modified version) Furthermore, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, some parts of the above embodiments can be omitted, replaced, or any configurations can be added.

[0073] The purchase reservation device 10 was configured to receive purchase information, reservation information, and cancellation conditions from the user terminal 20, but it may also be possible for the user to directly input purchase information, reservation information, and cancellation conditions by operating the purchase reservation device 10. In other words, the purchase reservation device 10 may be a vending machine that allows electronic purchases and reservations for such purchases.

[0074] The items sold by the sales server 30 may be goods or services that can be purchased and canceled electronically.

[0075] The purchase reservation device 10 may, if no cancellation conditions are set in the reservation information, execute the purchase process for the reserved item according to the reservation information when the item becomes available for purchase.

[0076] The receiving unit 101 of the purchase reservation device 10 may accept cancellation conditions at any time after receiving reservation information, up until the timing for determining the cancellation conditions of the reservation information. That is, the purchase reservation device 10 may allow users to set cancellation conditions at any time after making a reservation for the target purchase, up until the timing for determining the cancellation conditions. Furthermore, the purchase reservation device 10 may allow users to change the cancellation conditions that have been set at any time before the timing for determining the cancellation conditions. This enables flexible setting of cancellation conditions and improves user convenience.

[0077] Furthermore, the receiving unit 101 of the purchase reservation device 10 may be configured to accept manual cancellations of reservations at any time after receiving the reservation information, up until the timing for determining the cancellation conditions of the reservation information.

[0078] The purchase reservation device 10 and the sales server 30 may be configured as a single unit. That is, the purchase reservation device 10 may have the functions of the sales server 30.

[0079] The purchase reservation device 10 can be implemented using a regular computer, without requiring a dedicated device. For example, the purchase reservation device 10 that performs the above-described processing may be configured by installing a program for performing the above-described functions from a recording medium stored on the computer to the computer. Alternatively, multiple computers may cooperate to form a single purchase reservation device 10.

[0080] Furthermore, the method for supplying programs to computers is arbitrary. For example, they may be supplied via communication lines, communication networks, communication systems, etc. For example, non-temporary computer-readable storage media containing programs for performing the above-mentioned functions may be distributed.

[0081] Furthermore, if the OS (Operating System) provides some of the above-mentioned functions, then the parts not provided by the OS should be provided by the program.

[0082] The embodiments described above are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The flowcharts, sequences, elements, and their arrangement, materials, conditions, shapes, and sizes described in the embodiments are not limited to those exemplified and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially substituted or combined.

[0083] (The invention realized by this embodiment) As described above, this embodiment realizes the following inventions.

[0084] (Note 1) A purchase reservation device that allows a person to reserve an item that can be purchased electronically before the item is put on sale, A reception desk that accepts cancellation conditions set by the aforementioned reservation holder in conjunction with the reservation for the aforementioned purchase. If the cancellation conditions associated with the reservation are met at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the sale of the aforementioned target, the cancellation unit cancels the reservation. A purchase reservation device equipped with the following features.

[0085] (Note 2) Obtain the distribution of pre-set cancellation conditions set by other reservation holders who reserved the purchase of the subject prior to the aforementioned reservation holder. Based on the distribution obtained, we determine the recommended cancellation conditions that should be recommended to the person who made the reservation. The requested recommended cancellation conditions are recommended to the person making the reservation who intends to set the cancellation conditions. The purchase reservation device described in Appendix 1.

[0086] (Note 3) Obtain the distribution of pre-set cancellation conditions set by other reservation holders who have reserved the aforementioned purchase. In the aforementioned obtained distribution, find the top one or more equivalent cancellation conditions. The aforementioned reservation holder has set delegated cancellation conditions, and if the requested equivalent cancellation conditions are met, the reservation will be canceled. Purchase reservation device as described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0087] (Note 4) When determining the above-mentioned conditions, the equivalent cancellation conditions are determined. Purchase reservation device as described in Appendix 3.

[0088] (Note 5) The aforementioned subject is a betting ticket for public sports betting, Based on the purchase history of the aforementioned reservation holder, a target recovery amount is determined, and the minimum odds required to achieve that target recovery amount are calculated. The odds cancellation condition, which is that the odds of the betting ticket fall below the minimum odds calculated above at the time of the determination, is recommended to the person making the reservation who intends to set the cancellation condition. A purchase reservation device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4.

[0089] (Note 6) A purchase reservation method executed by a purchase reservation device, Reservations for the purchase of items that can be purchased electronically are accepted from the reservation holder before the item goes on sale. The aforementioned reservation holder accepts the cancellation conditions set in association with the reservation for the aforementioned purchase. If, at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the aforementioned sale, the cancellation conditions set in association with the aforementioned reservation are met, the aforementioned reservation will be canceled. How to reserve a purchase.

[0090] (Note 7) On the computer, Reservations for the purchase of items that can be purchased electronically are accepted from the reservation holder before the item goes on sale. The aforementioned reservation holder accepts the cancellation conditions set in association with the reservation for the aforementioned purchase. If, at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the aforementioned sale, the cancellation conditions set in association with the aforementioned reservation are met, the aforementioned reservation will be canceled. A program that executes a process for a specific purpose. [Industrial applicability]

[0091] According to the present invention, a purchase reservation device, a purchase reservation method, and a program can be provided that allow for easy setting of cancellation conditions for reserved voting tickets. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0092] 10 purchase reservation devices, 20 user terminals, 30 sales servers 11, 21, 31 Processor, 12, 22, 32 Storage device, 13, 23, 33 Communication interface, 14, 24, 34 Input device, 15, 25, 35 Output device 100 Purchase Reservation System 101 Reception Department, 102 Reservation Information Database, 103 Purchase Department, 104 Cancellation Department, 105 Information Acquisition Department

Claims

1. A purchase reservation device that allows a person to reserve an item that can be purchased electronically before the item is put on sale, A reception desk that accepts cancellation conditions set by the aforementioned reservation holder in conjunction with the reservation for the aforementioned purchase. If the cancellation conditions associated with the reservation are met at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the sale of the aforementioned target, the cancellation unit cancels the reservation. A purchase reservation device equipped with the following features.

2. Obtain the distribution of pre-set cancellation conditions set by other reservation holders who reserved the purchase of the subject prior to the aforementioned reservation holder. Based on the distribution obtained, we determine the recommended cancellation conditions that should be recommended to the person who made the reservation. The requested recommended cancellation conditions are recommended to the person making the reservation who intends to set the cancellation conditions. The purchase reservation device according to claim 1.

3. Obtain the distribution of pre-set cancellation conditions set by other reservation holders who have reserved the aforementioned purchase. In the aforementioned obtained distribution, find the top one or more equivalent cancellation conditions. The aforementioned reservation holder has set delegated cancellation conditions, and if the requested equivalent cancellation conditions are met, the reservation will be canceled. The purchase reservation device according to claim 1.

4. When determining the above-mentioned conditions, the equivalent cancellation conditions are determined. The purchase reservation device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned subject is a betting ticket for public sports betting, Based on the purchase history of the aforementioned reservation holder, a target recovery amount is determined, and the minimum odds required to achieve that target recovery amount are calculated. The odds cancellation condition, which is that the odds of the betting ticket fall below the minimum odds calculated above at the time of the determination, is recommended to the person making the reservation who intends to set the cancellation condition. The purchase reservation device according to claim 1.

6. A purchase reservation method executed by a purchase reservation device, Reservations for the purchase of items that can be purchased electronically are accepted from the reservation holder before the item goes on sale. The aforementioned reservation holder accepts the cancellation conditions set in association with the reservation for the aforementioned purchase. If, at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the aforementioned sale, the cancellation conditions set in association with the aforementioned reservation are met, the aforementioned reservation will be canceled. How to reserve a purchase.

7. On the computer, Reservations for the purchase of items that can be purchased electronically are accepted from the reservation holder before the item goes on sale. The aforementioned reservation holder accepts the cancellation conditions set in association with the reservation for the aforementioned purchase. If, at a determination time set prior to the scheduled grace period before the end of the aforementioned sale, the cancellation conditions set in association with the aforementioned reservation are met, the aforementioned reservation will be canceled. A program that executes a process for a specific purpose.

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