server

Abstract

To reduce or eliminate an impact of fractions when investing electronic value.SOLUTION: A server includes: holding means for holding the quantity of a first electronic value that a user has; acceptance means for accepting investment instructions that specify the quantity of a second electronic value from the user's terminal via a network; calculation means for calculating a result of the investment using the quantity of the first electronic value corresponding to the specified quantity of the second electronic value; and update means for updating the holding means with the calculated investment result. The conversion rate between the first electronic value and the second electronic value is set so that the quantity of the second electronic value is at least one digit smaller than the corresponding quantity of the first electronic value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a server that allows the investment of electronic value. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a long history of investments such as stock trading, foreign exchange margin trading, futures trading, and bond trading. In recent years, services have been proposed for investing electronic values ​​such as points, targeting people who are reluctant to actually invest money but are interested in investing (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The microloan promotion support system described in Patent Document 1 utilizes user points for microfinance. In this system, a designation of the number of reserved points, which is the number of points that the user can reserve for use, is accepted from the user terminal. The designated number of reserved points is written into a storage means, and the point expiration date of the designated number of reserved points is extended based on the reservation expiration date of the designated number of reserved points. The system executes information processing necessary for the investment amount to be invested as a microloan, determined based on the number of reserved points stored in the storage means, to be invested in an investment destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-217312 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Usually, points are accumulated little by little. In contrast, investment is done in large amounts. Therefore, when investing points, it can be complicated to handle and display fractions.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and has as its object to provide a technique that can reduce or eliminate the influence of fractions when investing electronic value. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention relates to a server for providing a point investment service, comprising: a storage means for storing the amount of a first electronic value owned by a user; a receiving means for receiving an investment instruction specifying the amount of a second electronic value from a user's terminal via a network; a calculation means for calculating an investment result using the amount of the first electronic value corresponding to the specified amount of the second electronic value; and an update means for updating the storage means with the calculated investment result. A means for receiving a request for conversion from a third electronic value issued by an entity other than the provider of the point investment service to a second electronic value from a user terminal via a network; Equipped with The first electronic value comprises: Issued by the provider of the point investment service, and Issued by an entity other than the provider of the point investment service Third Unlike the electronic values, the conversion rate between the first electronic value and the second electronic value is set such that the quantity of the second electronic value is at least an order of magnitude smaller than the quantity of the corresponding first electronic value.

[0008] In addition, any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between an apparatus, a method, a system, a computer program, a recording medium storing a computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the effect of fractions when investing electronic value can be reduced or eliminated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a point investment system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the investment server in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3]2 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the investment server of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram of how the expiration date is handled in the conversion process by the point conversion unit in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a data structure diagram showing an example of a user information storage unit in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of a series of processes in the investment server of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram explaining the transition of data relating to conversion to investment chips, investment of investment chips, and settlement. FIG. [Figure 8] 8(a) to 8(d) are screen transition diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the display of a mobile terminal running a point investment application. [Figure 9] 9(a) to 9(d) are screen transition diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the display of a mobile terminal running a point investment application. [Figure 10] 10(a) to 10(c) are screen transition diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the display of a mobile terminal running a point investment application. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a representative screen diagram of a transaction history screen displayed on the display of a mobile terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, the same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, some of the members that are not important for the explanation will be omitted in each drawing.

[0012] In the point investment system according to the embodiment, information on investment points for investment is stored in the background, and investment chips, which are investment points rounded down, are displayed to the user instead of the investment points themselves, and investments from users are accepted in units of investment chips. This simplifies the input for investment by the user and the display of investment results, and provides an interface that is easier for users to understand.

[0013] In virtual investment, investment targets such as stocks often have product characteristics in which the purchase price is incremented, such as in units of 100 points or 1000 points. For example, if a user has 1115 points or 2060 points, the fractional amounts of 115 points or 60 points are not very meaningful when purchasing an investment target in units of 1000 points. Therefore, the point investment system according to this embodiment converts points into chips, making the fractional amounts "invisible" to the user. In the above example, the user invests 1 chip or 2 chips, and the fractional amounts are invisible to the user. This provides a user interface that is easier to understand.

[0014] (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a point investment system 2 according to an embodiment. The point investment system 2 includes a mobile terminal 4, an information distribution server 8, and an investment server 10. The mobile terminal 4, the information distribution server 8, and the investment server 10 are each connected to a network 6 such as the Internet, and are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the network 6. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and there is no limit to the number of mobile terminals 4 and each server 8, 10. Each server 8, 10 may include multiple servers. For example, the investment server 10 and the information distribution server 8 can be configured as a single server, or each block component of the investment server 10, which will be described later, can be configured as a server.

[0015] The investment server 10 manages the earned points, investment points, and investment chips of users who use the point investment service provided by the point investment system 2. Earned points are points that users have earned in the point investment service or other loyalty programs, point services, mileage programs, etc. Earned points can be exchanged for products or services at a predetermined rate as determined by their issuer. Investment points are investment points that are not shown to users and can be invested in virtual investment targets (stocks, investment trusts, futures, foreign exchange, etc.) provided by the point investment service. Investment points can be exchanged for products or services at a predetermined rate as determined by their issuer, i.e., the provider of the point investment service.

[0016] Investment chips are points designated by a user when accepting an investment and presented to the user when the investment results are displayed. The investment server 10 accepts investments in units of investment chips and presents the results of the investment to the user in units of investment chips. At that time, the investment server 10 does not provide the user with the number of investment points corresponding to the number of investment chips. The conversion rate between investment points and investment chips is set so that the number of investment chips is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the number of corresponding investment points. For example, conversion rates such as 1 investment chip = 10 investment points, 1 investment chip = 100 investment points, 1 investment chip = 1000 investment points, etc. may be adopted. In this embodiment, a conversion rate of 1 investment chip = 1000 investment points is adopted.

[0017] In this specification, investment in a virtual investment target is called virtual investment or virtual investment. Virtual investment is a form of investment that makes a user feel as if they are trading financial products by processing data, without generating actual financial product buying and selling, trading, or transfer of rights. Virtual investment is relatively easy to implement because it does not involve buying and selling of actual financial products.

[0018] Acquisition points are different from investment points. For example, the entity that issues acquisition points is different from the entity that issues investment points. In the above example, the entity that issues investment points is the provider of the point investment service, while acquisition points may be issued by an entity other than the provider, such as a loyalty program provider. In addition, the manner in which acquisition points are exchanged for products or services is different from the manner in which investment points are exchanged for products or services. For example, acquisition points may be usable in physical stores, while investment points may be used only in electronic commerce. The range of products or services that can be exchanged for acquisition points may be wider than the range of products or services that can be exchanged for investment points, or vice versa. The exchange rate of acquisition points may be more favorable to users than the exchange rate of investment points, or vice versa.

[0019] In the investment server 10, the investment points are used for calculating evaluation points (valuation amount), and the investment chips are used on the user interface, so that the investment points and the investment chips are managed by the same entity, that is, the provider of the point investment service.

[0020] The information distribution server 8 distributes information required for processing the virtual investment in the investment server 10 to the investment server 10 via the network 6. The information distributed by the information distribution server 8 includes the Nikkei average stock price and the stock price of a specific company if the virtual investment target is stocks, and includes exchange rates if the virtual investment target is foreign exchange. The information distribution server 8 may be a server installed at the exchange.

[0021] The mobile terminal 4 is a mobile terminal of a user who uses the point investment service, and may be, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a laptop PC. The user downloads and installs a point investment application program (hereinafter referred to as a point investment app) from a download site via the network 6 to the mobile terminal 4. Alternatively, the point investment app may be pre-installed in the mobile terminal 4. The point investment app is provided by a provider of the point investment service. When the point investment app is executed by the mobile terminal 4, the mobile terminal 4 realizes various functions. In addition, the various functions of the mobile terminal may be provided from the server side, that is, the actual processing of the various functions is processed on the server side, and the display processing and request processing are performed on the mobile terminal (for example, the mobile terminal may have only a browser function, display information from the server (application server and web server), and make processing requests or display requests).

[0022] Fig. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the investment server 10 in Fig. 1. The investment server 10 comprises a memory 102, a processor 104, a communication interface 106, a display 108, and an input interface 110. Each of these elements is connected to a bus 112 and communicates with each other via the bus 112.

[0023] The memory 102 is a storage area for storing data and programs. The data and programs may be stored in the memory 102 permanently or temporarily. The processor 104 executes the programs stored in the memory 102 to realize various functions of the investment server 10. The communication interface 106 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the outside of the investment server 10. The communication interface 106 is connected to the network 6, and exchanges data with the mobile terminal 4 and the information distribution server 8 via the network 6. The display 108 is a device for displaying various information. The input interface 110 is a device for receiving input from an administrator of the point investment system 2.

[0024] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the functions and configuration of the investment server 10 in Figure 1. Each block shown here can be realized in hardware terms by elements and mechanical devices such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by a computer program, etc., but here, functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, those skilled in the art who have read this specification will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

[0025] The investment server 10 includes a conversion request receiving unit 122, a point conversion unit 124, an investment instruction receiving unit 126, a virtual investment processing unit 128, a fraction processing unit 129, a transmission unit 130, a reward exchange processing unit 132, and a user information storage unit 134.

[0026] The conversion request receiving unit 122 receives a request for converting acquired points acquired in various situations into investment chips from the user's mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. The mobile terminal 4 receives an instruction from the user to convert acquired points into investment chips on a conversion screen 502 of the point investment app described below, and transmits the conversion request to the investment server 10 via the network 6. The conversion request includes the number of acquired points to be converted and their expiration date, and more specifically includes one or more pairs of (the number of acquired points to be converted, their expiration date). The conversion request may include multiple numbers of acquired points with different expiration dates. In this specification, the "number of points" refers to a group of points associated with a certain expiration date, and the size of the group is specified by a quantity such as 600 (points), 1000 (points), etc.

[0027] When the conversion request receiving unit 122 receives a conversion request, the point conversion unit 124 executes the requested conversion. From the user's perspective, this conversion is a conversion from acquired points to investment chips, and from the investment server 10, it is a conversion from acquired points to investment points. The conversion rate from acquired points to investment points in the point conversion unit 124 may be set appropriately by the point investment service provider. For example, when this conversion rate is set to 1, if the number of acquired points at the conversion source is "1000 points", the number of investment points at the conversion destination will be "1000 points". Furthermore, since the conversion rate between investment points and investment chips is 1 investment chip = 1000 investment points as described above, the number of investment points at the conversion destination "1000 points" appears to the user as the number of investment chips "1 chip".

[0028] The expiration date of the investment chip is set based on the expiration date of the original acquired points. For example, if the original acquired points have one expiration date, the point conversion unit 124 sets the expiration date of the investment chip to be the same as the expiration date of the original acquired points. If the original acquired points are "1000 points" and their expiration date is "2018 / 8 / 1", ​​the expiration date of the investment chip number "1 chip" after conversion will also be set to "2018 / 8 / 1".

[0029] In addition, when the length of the period from the present to the expiration date of the original acquired points is smaller than a predetermined value, the point conversion unit 124 may set the expiration date of the converted investment chip to the predetermined value. The predetermined value may be set as appropriate by the provider of the point investment service, for example, one year, six months, three months, two years, etc. In addition, when the length of the period from the present to the expiration date of the original acquired points is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the point conversion unit 124 may set the expiration date of the converted investment chip to the same as the expiration date of the original acquired points.

[0030] When the original acquired points include multiple quantities with different expiration dates and it is requested that these quantities be converted into one unit of investment chips (i.e., one investment chip), the point conversion unit 124 sets the expiration date of one investment chip to be converted to be the same as or longer than the longest expiration date among the multiple expiration dates of the original acquired points quantities.

[0031] The point conversion unit 124 registers in the user information storage unit 134 an investment chip ID that identifies one unit of an investment chip, the expiration date set for the investment chip, and the number of investment points that correspond to one unit of the investment chip, in association with the user.

[0032] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the handling of expiration dates in the conversion process by the point conversion unit 124. In the example of FIG. 4, the user requests that the number of acquired points "1000 points" be converted into the number of investment chips "1 chip". The number of acquired points "1000 points" from which the conversion is made includes the number of acquired points "300 points" that will expire six months from now, the number of acquired points "300 points" that will expire one year from now, and the number of acquired points "400 points" that will expire two years from now. The point conversion unit 124 specifies the longest expiration date "two years from now" from among the expiration dates "six months from now", "one year from now", and "two years from now" of each of the numbers of acquired points "300 points", "300 points", and "400 points" from which the conversion is made. The point conversion unit 124 sets the expiration date of the number of investment chips "1 chip" to be converted to the same as the specified expiration date "two years from now".

[0033] In this way, by setting the expiration date in chip units to be advantageous to the user, the user satisfaction with the point investment system can be increased. Since the conversion rate between the investment chips and the investment points is originally set to round down the number of digits of the investment points, the number of acquired points corresponding to one investment chip tends to be large (for example, 100 points, 1000 points, etc.). On the other hand, considering the manner in which the acquired points are acquired, it is normal to acquire them in small increments such as 1 point or 10 points per day. Therefore, it is expected that there will be relatively many situations in which acquired points with different expiration dates are combined and exchanged into one investment chip as described above. In such a situation, in this embodiment, the expiration date of the investment chip is set to the longest of the number of acquired points before conversion, thereby providing the user with a sense of profit. And, although a penalty is incurred on the point investment system side for extending the expiration date, the number of points that are the subject of the expiration date extension is at most the number of points corresponding to one investment chip, so this is not a big problem, and it can be judged to be a low price especially for the above-mentioned improvement in user satisfaction.

[0034] The point conversion unit 124 may notify a server (not shown) of the issuer of the acquired points via the network 6 of the user ID identifying the user, the original number of acquired points to be converted, and their expiration date. The issuer of the acquired points may subtract the notified number of acquired points from the user's acquired point balance. The issuer of the acquired points may provide a value corresponding to the acquired points thus erased to a provider of the point investment service. The provider may use this value as a resource to prepare a product or service (i.e., a benefit) that can be exchanged for the investment points.

[0035] The investment instruction receiving unit 126 receives an investment instruction specifying the number of investment chips from the user's mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. The mobile terminal 4 receives an instruction from the user to invest the uninvested investment chips owned by the user in a virtual investment target on an order receiving screen 504 of the point investment app described later, and transmits the investment instruction to the investment server 10 via the network 6. The investment instruction includes the investment target, the number of investment chips to be invested and their expiration date, and more specifically includes one or more pairs of (investment target, number of investment chips to be invested, and their expiration date). The investment instruction may include an instruction to invest multiple investment chips with different expiration dates in the same investment target. For example, the investment instruction may include an instruction to buy "2 investment chips" worth of stocks of "ABC Trading Co., Ltd.", and in that case, the breakdown of the "2 investment chips" may further include "1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 12 / 25" and "1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 10 / 25". Alternatively, the investment instructions may include instructions for investing the investment chips with the same expiration date in different investment targets. For example, the investment instructions may include instructions for buying shares of "A Trading Co., Ltd." with "one investment chip" of "two investment chips with an expiration date of 2018 / 12 / 25" and buying shares of "B Holdings Co., Ltd." with the remaining "one investment chip."

[0036] When the expiration date of the investment chip to be invested meets a predetermined warning criterion, the investment instruction receiving unit 126 notifies the user's mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. In this embodiment, partial settlement within one transaction is not permitted. Furthermore, when the expiration date of an invested investment chip expires, all transactions involving that investment chip are forcibly settled. Therefore, when multiple investment chips with different expiration dates (for example, one week later, three months later, six months later) are invested in the same investment target, when the shortest expiration date (one week later) expires, all investment chips with expiration dates will be forcibly settled.

[0037] Therefore, at the start of a transaction, that is, at the stage when the investment instruction receiving unit 126 receives an investment instruction, the investment instruction receiving unit 126 judges whether or not any of the investment chips to be invested in the investment target has an expiration date shorter than a predetermined value. If it is judged that any of the investment chips has an expiration date shorter than a predetermined value, the investment instruction receiving unit 126 issues a warning to the user. The predetermined value may be set as appropriate by the provider of the point investment service, for example, one week, two weeks, one month, or the like. The investment instruction receiving unit 126 may further provide the mobile terminal 4 with an interface that enables the user to arbitrarily select investment chips to be used for investment for each expiration date.

[0038] The virtual investment processing unit 128 performs processing related to the virtual investment in the investment server 10. The virtual investment processing unit 128 calculates the investment result using the number of investment points corresponding to the number of investment chips specified in the investment instruction, and updates the user information storage unit 134 with the calculated investment result.

[0039] The virtual investment processing unit 128 receives parameters related to virtual investments, such as stock prices and exchange rates, from the information distribution server 8 via the network 6. In the case of virtual stock trading, the virtual investment processing unit 128 obtains the stock prices of the target companies from the information distribution server 8. In the case of virtual foreign exchange margin trading, the virtual investment processing unit 128 obtains exchange rates from the information distribution server 8. Although virtual stock trading will be described below as an example, the technical idea according to this embodiment can also be applied to other virtual investments, such as virtual foreign exchange margin trading.

[0040] The virtual investment processing unit 128 acquires the stock price of the investment target company specified in the instruction received by the investment instruction receiving unit 126 from the information distribution server 8, or reads out the stock price that has already been acquired from the information distribution server 8. The virtual investment processing unit 128 calculates the number of virtual stocks (hereinafter referred to as virtual stocks) to be allocated to the user based on the number of investment points corresponding to the investment chip specified in the instruction and the acquired stock price. When calculating the number of shares, the virtual investment processing unit 128 calculates the stock price in investment point units by multiplying the acquired stock price by a predetermined unit conversion coefficient. Alternatively, the acquired actual stock price may be converted into the stock price of a virtual stock in the point investment service using another algorithm.

[0041] For example, if a buy order specifies the purchase of one investment chip worth of virtual stocks with a stock price of 100 points, since one chip corresponds to an investment point number of 1000 points, the virtual investment processing unit 128 allocates ten virtual shares of the target company to the user. The virtual investment processing unit 128 registers the investment target, the buying price / selling price of the virtual stocks, and the allocated number of shares in the user information holding unit 134 in association with the investment chip ID of the invested investment chip and the corresponding investment point number.

[0042] The virtual investment processing unit 128 periodically, for example once a day, updates stock prices by obtaining company stock prices from the information distribution server 8. When the stock prices are updated, the virtual investment processing unit 128 evaluates the virtual stocks held by the user at the updated stock prices. Specifically, the virtual investment processing unit 128 calculates the number of evaluation points (evaluation amount) by multiplying the number of virtual stocks held by the user by the updated stock price, and calculates the number of increase / decrease points (profit / loss) as the difference between the number of investment points at the time of investment in the virtual stocks and the number of evaluation points. The virtual investment processing unit 128 registers the calculated number of evaluation points and the calculated number of increase / decrease points in the user information storage unit 134.

[0043] The fraction processing unit 129 refers to the conversion rate between investment points and investment chips, and performs a predetermined fraction processing on the quantity of investment points stored in the user information storage unit 134, thereby calculating the quantity of investment chips to be shown on the screen displayed on the display of the mobile terminal 4. The fraction processing unit 129 registers the calculated quantity of investment chips in the user information storage unit 134 as the number of displayed chips.

[0044] The fraction processing unit 129 calculates the number of display chips from the number of investment points (in the case of uninvested investment chips) or the number of evaluation points (in the case of already-invested investment chips) stored in the user information storage unit 134 based on the following rules. +500 investment points ~ +1499 investment points = +1 investment chip -500 investment points ~ +499 investment points = 0 investment chip -1500 investment points ~ -501 investment points = -1 investment chip Similar rules apply for investment points above 1500 and below -1501.

[0045] Alternatively, the following rules may be used: +1000 investment points ~ +1999 investment points = +1 investment chip 0 investment points ~ +999 investment points = 0 investment points -1000 investment points ~ -1 investment point = -1 investment point Similar rules are stipulated for investment points of 2000 or more and -1001 or less. However, if a fee is charged when investing investment chips, the moment a user invests 1 investment chip, the investment will be displayed as "0 investment chips" (the system will register an investment of (1000 investment points - fee)), which may cause the user to become suspicious. Also, in order to avoid the display of an investment of 0 investment chips, the minimum number of investment chips must be set to 2, which reduces the degree of freedom. Also, in this case, if 2 investment chips are invested, the investment will be displayed as "1 investment chip", which will not alleviate the user's suspicion. Therefore, by rounding off the range as in this example, rather than rounding off the range as in the previous example, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in the number of chips displayed when investing. Note that as long as it is possible to perform fractional processing such as rounding off one or more digits, the rule may be such as "+400 investment points to +1399 investment points = +1 investment chip", and the domain may be variably set.

[0046] When the virtual investment processing unit 128 receives a request for providing the investment status from the user's mobile terminal 4, it references the user information storage unit 134 to generate information indicating the user's investment status and transmits it to the mobile terminal 4 via the network 6.

[0047] The virtual investment processing unit 128 receives a settlement request including the designation of a settlement object from the user's mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. Upon receiving the settlement request, the virtual investment processing unit 128 executes settlement of the investment related to the designated settlement object.

[0048] When two investment chips with different expiration dates are invested in the same investment target and a profit or loss occurs from the investment, the virtual investment processing unit 128 processes the profit or loss using one of the following two algorithms. (1) Profits and losses arising from the investment are allocated to each investment chip. (2) Profits arising from the investment are issued as new investment chips, and losses arising from the investment are deducted from the investment points of investment chips with shorter expiration dates. The point investment service provider or user may be configured to be able to select which of algorithms (1) and (2) to use. Alternatively, profits resulting from the investment may be processed by algorithm (1) and losses resulting from the investment may be processed by algorithm (2), or vice versa. In this way, algorithm (1) and algorithm (2) may be used in combination. The above-mentioned profit and loss processing is performed at the time of settlement, but may also be performed at the time of valuation.

[0049] The following profit and loss examples are used to illustrate the two algorithms. (Example of profits) ·20 shares of ABC Shoji were purchased on 3 / 1 / 2018. The stock price of ABC Shoji was 100 investment points, so the investment was 2 investment chips (2000 investment points). The breakdown of the 2 investment chips is 1 investment chip (1000 investment points) with an expiration date of 12 / 25 / 2018, and 1 investment chip (1000 investment points) with an expiration date of 10 / 25 / 2018. The above 20 shares were sold on April 1, 2018. The stock price of ABC Shoji was 180 investment points, so the profit was 1,600 investment points. (Example of loss) ·20 shares of ABC Shoji were purchased on 3 / 1 / 2018. The stock price of ABC Shoji was 100 investment points, so the investment was 2 investment chips (2000 investment points). The breakdown of the 2 investment chips is 1 investment chip (1000 investment points) with an expiration date of 12 / 25 / 2018, and 1 investment chip (1000 investment points) with an expiration date of 10 / 25 / 2018. The above 20 shares were sold on April 1, 2018. Since the stock price of ABC Shoji was 20 investment points, a loss of 1,600 investment points was incurred.

[0050] The algorithm (1) allocates profits and losses to each investment chip. In the above profit example, since each of the two investment chips corresponds to the same 1000 investment points, the profit of 1600 investment points as of 4 / 1 / 2018 is allocated equally to each investment chip. The expiration date of the investment chip does not contribute to the allocation. A profit of 1600 / 2=800 investment points is allocated to each investment chip, and as a result of settlement, the number of investment points for each investment chip becomes 1000+800=1800, and the number of displayed chips changes from 1 to 2. Note that if the number of investment points corresponding to the investment chip is different at the time of investment, the greater the number of investment points, the greater the profit and loss will be allocated. In the example above, if one of the two investment chips (investment chip A) corresponds to 800 investment points and the other (investment chip B) corresponds to 1200 investment points, investment chip A will be allocated a profit of 1600 x 800 / (800+1200) = 640 investment points, and investment chip B will be allocated a profit of 1600 x 1200 / (800+1200) = 960 investment points.

[0051] The same applies to losses. In the above loss example, each of the two investment chips corresponds to the same 1000 investment points, so the loss of 1600 investment points as of 4 / 1 / 2018 is allocated equally to each investment chip. The expiration date of the investment chip does not contribute to the allocation. A loss of 1600 / 2=800 investment points is allocated to each investment chip, and as a result of settlement, the number of investment points for each investment chip becomes 1000-800=200, and the displayed number of chips changes from 1 to 0. Note that if the number of investment points corresponding to the investment chips is different at the time of investment, the greater the number of investment points, the greater the profit / loss allocated. In the example above, if one of the two investment chips (investment chip A) corresponds to 800 investment points and the other (investment chip B) corresponds to 1200 investment points, investment chip A will be allocated a loss of 1600 x 800 / (800 + 1200) = 640 investment points, and investment chip B will be allocated a loss of 1600 x 1200 / (800 + 1200) = 960 investment points.

[0052] The algorithm (2) issues new investment chips when a profit is made, and deducts investment chips with old expiration dates when a loss is made. In the above profit example, the profit of 1600 investment points generated in the settlement on 4 / 1 / 2018 is issued to the user as new investment chips (investment chip count 2, corresponding investment point count 1600) with an expiration date a specified period (e.g. 3 years) from the time of settlement. As a result, the user is assigned two new investment chips with an expiration date of 4 / 1 / 2021. Alternatively, the profit amount may be added to the number of investment points of the investment chip with the longest expiration date.

[0053] In the above example of loss, the loss of 1600 investment points that occurred in the settlement on 2018 / 4 / 1 is deducted from the investment chip with the shortest expiration date, that is, the 1000 investment points corresponding to 1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 10 / 25. As a result, the number of investment points corresponding to 1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 10 / 25 becomes 0, and a loss of 600 investment points remains. The remaining loss is deducted from the 1000 investment points corresponding to 1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 12 / 25, and as a result, the investment points corresponding to 1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 12 / 25 becomes 1000-600=400 investment points. The number of chips displayed for 1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 10 / 25 and the number of chips displayed for 1 investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 12 / 25 are both 0. In this way, the algorithm (2) can increase the motivation to use the point investment service by realizing profit and loss processing that is favorable to the user regarding the expiration date.

[0054] The transmission unit 130 transmits various information to the mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. The various information includes, for example, evaluation points of virtual stocks owned by the user, the total number of points acquired by the user, the total number of investment points by the user, information on the user's investment status, and the stock price of virtual stocks. For example, the transmission unit 130 transmits information to the user's mobile terminal 4 via the network 6 for displaying a home screen 500 (described later) showing the number of investment chips owned by the user on the display of the mobile terminal 4. The home screen 500 does not include an indication of the number of investment points, instead showing the number of investment chips owned by the user.

[0055] The reward exchange processing unit 132 performs processing for exchanging uninvested investment chips for rewards. The processing in the reward exchange processing unit 132 may be similar to reward exchange processing used in known point systems. Typically, a list of rewards is presented on the display of the mobile terminal 4, and the user's selection of a reward is accepted. The user specifies the investment chips to be exchanged for a reward. The reward exchange processing unit 132 refers to the user information storage unit 134, identifies the number of investment points corresponding to the specified investment chips, and performs processing for exchanging the identified number of investment points for a reward.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the user information holding unit 134 of FIG. 3. The user information holding unit 134 holds a user ID for identifying a user, a password as the user's qualification information, information on the user's acquired points, and information on the user's investment points in association with each other. The information on acquired points indicates the acquired points owned by the user in the form of a set of the acquired points number and their expiration date. The information on investment points indicates the investment chips owned by the user that have not been invested in as a set of an investment chip ID, the investment point number and its expiration date, and the investment chips that have already been invested in as a set of an investment chip ID, the investment point number and its expiration date, the investment target, the purchase price / sale price, the number of shares, the ratio, the number of evaluation points, and the number of increase / decrease points. The information on investment points indicates the number of displayed chips for each investment chip ID, which corresponds to the number of investment points if the investment chips are not yet invested, and corresponds to the number of evaluation points if the investment chips are already invested.

[0057] In the example of Figure 5, user "A001" currently owns 20 virtual shares of "ABC Trading." The purchase price was 100 investment points, so the number of investment points paid at the time of purchase was 2000. The 2000 investment points are broken down into 1000 investment points corresponding to investment chip 1 with an expiration date of 2018 / 12 / 25 and 1000 investment points corresponding to investment chip 1 with an expiration date of 2018 / 10 / 25. The current number of valuation points is 1800+1800=3600 (the current stock price of ABC Trading is 180 investment points), and a profit of 1600 investment points has been made.

[0058] It is shown that the investment chip identified by the investment chip ID "B006" was two investment chips corresponding to 1,600 investment points before the investment. It is shown that the user invested one of the two investment chips in "A Trading" and the other in "B Holdings".

[0059] The number of investment points corresponding to the investment chip identified by the investment chip ID "B002" is 1654, which is different from 1000 immediately after the conversion, but this is the result of the investment chip identified by the investment chip ID "B002" being invested and settled with a profit of +654 investment points. However, this profit is shown to the user as +1 investment chip.

[0060] The operation of the investment server 10 configured as above will now be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of a series of processes in the investment server 10 of FIG. (Conversion request processing phase) The investment server 10 receives a request to convert earned points into investment chips (S602). The investment server 10 sets the expiration date of the investment chips to be converted to the longest expiration date of the original earned points (S604). The investment server 10 converts the original earned points into investment chips having the expiration date set in step S604 (S606). The investment server 10 updates the user information storage unit 134 with the result of the conversion performed in step S606 (S608). The investment server 10 deletes the entry corresponding to the original earned points in the user information storage unit 134 and creates a new entry corresponding to the investment chips to be converted. For example, in the user information storage unit 134 shown in Fig. 5, when 1000 acquired points with an expiration date of 2018 / 7 / 15 are converted into 1 investment chip, the entry (acquired points number = 1000, expiration date = 2018 / 7 / 15) is deleted, and instead, an entry (investment chip ID = XXX, investment points number = 1000, expiration date = 2018 / 7 / 15) is newly registered. The processing of steps S604 to S608 is repeated as long as there are acquired points that have not been converted (S610). When the conversion of acquired points is completed (NO in S610), the processing of the conversion request ends.

[0061] (Virtual investment execution phase) The investment server 10 receives an investment instruction specifying the number of investment chips (S612). The investment server 10 judges whether the expiration date of the investment chip to be invested is a predetermined period from the present, for example, more than two weeks from now (S614). If it is judged to be before (YES in S614), the investment server 10 performs a predetermined warning process (S616). If it is judged not to be before (NO in S614), the investment server 10 executes the instructed virtual investment (S618). The investment server 10 registers the executed virtual investment in the user information storage unit 134. In the user information storage unit 134 shown in FIG. 5, for example, when "3 shares" of virtual stock of B Holdings with a stock price of 263 investment points is purchased with one investment chip (investment chip ID=B003, number of investment points=789) with an expiration date of 2018 / 6 / 20, (investment target=B Holdings, purchase price / sale price=263 points per share, number of shares=3, multiplier=1) is registered in correspondence with the entry of (investment chip ID=B003, number of investment points=789, expiration date=2018 / 6 / 20).

[0062] 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the transition of data related to conversion to investment chips, investment of investment chips, and settlement. In handling user points and chips on the investment server 10, there are five domains: an acquired point domain 650, an uninvested investment point domain 652, an uninvested investment chip domain 654, an invested investment point domain 656, and an invested investment chip domain 658. The uninvested investment point domain 652 and the invested investment point domain 656 are domains in which data that is kept in the background and not shown to the user exists, and the uninvested investment chip domain 654 and the invested investment chip domain 658 are domains in which data intended to be shown to the user exists.

[0063] In S660, the user requests to convert 3000 acquired points into 3 investment chips, so that the user's acquired points become 0, 3000 investment points are registered in the uninvested investment point domain 652, and correspondingly, 3 investment chips are registered in the uninvested investment chip domain 654. The user confirms on the screen that acquired points = 0 and uninvested investment chips = 3.

[0064] In S662, when the user gives an instruction to invest one of the three investment chips, 1000 investment points are subtracted from 3000 investment points in the uninvested investment point domain 652, resulting in 2000 investment points, and the investment chips in the uninvested investment chip domain 654 correspondingly become 2. At the same time, 1000 investment points are registered in the already invested investment point domain 656, and correspondingly, one investment chip is registered in the already invested investment chip domain 658. The user confirms on the screen that the uninvested investment chips have gone from 3 to 2, and the already invested investment chips have gone to 1.

[0065] 7, a fee is collected when an investment is made. In S664, in the already invested investment point domain 656, the fee of 100 investment points is subtracted from 1000 investment points, leaving 900 investment points. Since this 900 investment points is within the range of 500 investment points to 1499 investment points, the investment chip in the already invested investment chip domain 658 remains unchanged at 1.

[0066] In S666, the stock price of the investment target rises, and 900 investment points become 1600 investment points in the already invested investment point domain 656. Since this 1600 investment points exceeds 1499 investment points, the investment chips in the already invested investment chip domain 658 change from 1 to 2. The user confirms on the screen that the uninvested investment chips have changed from 1 to 2.

[0067] In S668, the user settles at the stock price in S666. In the already invested investment point domain 656, 1600 investment points are deleted, and correspondingly, the investment chips in the already invested investment chip domain 658 are changed from 2 to 0. Instead, in the uninvested investment point domain 652, 1600 investment points are added to the original 2000 investment points, making it 3600 investment points. Correspondingly, the investment chips in the uninvested investment chip domain 654 are changed from 2 to 4. The user confirms on the screen that, as a result of the settlement, the 2 investment chips in the already invested investment chip domain 658 have been added to the 2 investment chips originally in the uninvested investment chip domain 654, making it 4 investment chips.

[0068] 8(a) to 8(d) are screen transition diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the display 40 of the mobile terminal 4 executing the point investment application. 9(a) to 9(d) are screen transition diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the display 40 of the mobile terminal 4 executing the point investment application. 10(a) to 10(c) are screen transition diagrams showing transitions of screens displayed on the display 40 of the mobile terminal 4 executing the point investment application. FIG. 11 is a representative screen diagram of a transaction history screen 591 displayed on the display 40 of the mobile terminal 4. As shown in FIG.

[0069] FIG. 8(a) shows a login screen 506 of the point investment app. The user inputs a user ID and password on the login screen 506 and taps the OK button. In response to detecting the tap, the mobile terminal 4 acquires the input user ID and password and transmits them to the investment server 10 via the network 6. The investment server 10 compares the user ID and password registered in the user information storage unit 134 with the received user ID and password to perform user authentication. The investment server 10 transmits information indicating whether the user authentication was successful to the mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. If the user authentication is successful, the mobile terminal 4 displays the home screen 500 shown in FIG. 8(b) on the display 40, and if it is unsuccessful, displays a predetermined error screen (not shown) on the display 40.

[0070] The home screen 500 displays the user ID 508 of a user who has successfully authenticated (or logged in), the current date and time 510, and an outline of the acquired points and investment chips owned by the user. In particular, the home screen 500 displays the total acquired points number 512, which is the total acquired points owned by the user, and the total investment chip number 516, which is the total investment chips owned by the user. In relation to the total acquired points number 512, the home screen 500 displays a warning message 514 for notifying the user of acquired points whose expiration date is relatively close. In relation to the total investment chip number 516, the home screen 500 displays the number of uninvested investment chips 518 out of the total investment chip number 516, the total invested evaluation chip number 520, which is the total evaluation chips related to the investment chips already invested, and the total increase / decrease chip number 522, which is the total of increased / decreased chips. The home screen 500 has a bonus and exchange button 524, a convert to investment chips button 526, a new order button 528, a holding status confirmation / settlement button 530, and a transaction history button 532, each of which functions as a flow line to the corresponding function.

[0071] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the conversion to investment chips button 526, the mobile terminal 4 displays the conversion screen 502 shown in FIG. 8(c) on the display 40. The conversion screen 502 has a total number of earned points 534, an input / display area 536 of the number of earned points from the conversion source, an input / display area 538 of the number of investment chips to be converted, a display area 540 of the expiration date details, and a notice display area 542. When the user inputs a desired number of earned points in the input / display area 536 of the number of earned points from the conversion source, the number of investment chips to be converted corresponding to the input number of earned points is calculated and displayed in the input / display area 538 of the number of investment chips to be converted. The reverse is also true, and when the user inputs a desired number of investment chips in the input / display area 538 of the number of investment chips to be converted, the number of earned points from the conversion source corresponding to the input number of investment chips is calculated and displayed in the input / display area 536 of the number of earned points from the conversion source.

[0072] Expiration date breakdown display area 540 displays a breakdown of the expiration date of the original number of earned points entered or displayed in original earned points input / display area 536. Expiration date breakdown display area 540 displays the number of earned points for each expiration date, and further displays the corresponding number of investment chips and expiration date after conversion. Note display area 542 includes text indicating the conversion rate to investment chips, text indicating that the expiration date will be extended if the earned points are converted to investment chips, and text indicating that once converted to investment chips, they cannot be converted back to earned points.

[0073] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the OK button on the conversion screen 502, it generates a conversion request including the number of earned points input / displayed in the original acquired points input / display area 536 and a breakdown of the number of earned points by expiration date, and transmits the request to the investment server 10 via the network 6. The investment server 10 processes the conversion request as described above, and transmits the result of the conversion to the mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. The mobile terminal 4 displays the home screen 500 reflecting the received result of the conversion on the display 40 ( FIG. 8(d) ).

[0074] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the new order button 528 on the home screen 500, it displays an investment target selection screen 544 shown in FIG. 9(a) on the display 40. The investment target selection screen 544 has a number of uninvested investment chips 546 owned by the user and a plurality of investment target objects 548, 550. The manner of display of the investment target objects differs depending on whether the user has already invested in the investment target. The investment target object 548 corresponding to the investment target in which the user has already invested displays the name of the investment target, the current stock price (arbitrary unit) of the investment target, and the number of evaluation chips. The unit of the stock price to be displayed is arbitrary, but it may be the investment chip unit or another unit instead. The investment target object 550 of the investment target in which the user has not yet invested displays the name of the investment target and the current stock price (arbitrary unit) of the investment target.

[0075] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on any of the investment target objects included in the investment target selection screen 544, the mobile terminal 4 displays an order acceptance screen 504 shown in Fig. 9(b) on the display 40. The order acceptance screen 504 has an investment target name 552 corresponding to the investment target object for which the tap was detected on the investment target selection screen 544, i.e., the investment target object selected by the user, a current stock price (arbitrary unit) 554 of the investment target, a number of uninvested investment chips 556 held by the user, and an area for allowing the user to specify the contents of the investment. This area has an order type selection area 558 for accepting the selection of the order type (buy or sell), an investment chip number input area 560 for inputting the number of investment chips to be invested, and an investment ratio input area 562 for inputting the investment ratio. When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the order button 564 on the order acceptance screen 504, it transmits an investment instruction including the order type selected in the order type selection area 558, the number of investment chips input in the investment chip number input area 560, and the investment multiplier input in the investment multiplier input area 562 to the investment server 10 via the network 6. The investment server 10 executes the above-mentioned investment process based on the received investment instruction.

[0076] The number of investment chips instructed to be invested is selected by default in the investment server 10 from those with the shortest expiration date. For example, when an instruction is given to invest two investment chips for the user information storage unit 134 shown in FIG. 5, the virtual investment processing unit 128 selects the investment chip with the investment chip ID "B003" with the shortest expiration date (expiration date = 2018 / 6 / 20) among the uninvested investment chips, and allocates the remaining one investment chip from the investment chip with the investment chip ID "B002" with the next shortest expiration date (expiration date = 2019 / 6 / 10). As a result, the breakdown of the two investment chips is "one investment chip with an expiration date of 2018 / 6 / 20" and "one investment chip with an expiration date of 2019 / 6 / 10".

[0077] When there is an investment chip with a relatively short expiration date among the investment chips selected by default as described above, the virtual investment processing unit 128 generates an alternative breakdown that does not include the investment chip with the short expiration date. The virtual investment processing unit 128 transmits warning information including the current investment chip breakdown and the generated alternative breakdown to the mobile terminal 4. When the mobile terminal 4 receives the warning information, it displays a warning display area 566 on the order acceptance screen 504 (FIG. 9(c)). The warning display area 566 includes text 568 indicating that the investment chips to be invested include an investment chip with a short expiration date, a current investment chip breakdown 570, and an alternative breakdown 572. The user selects either the current breakdown or the alternative breakdown using the radio button and taps the order button 564. When the mobile terminal 4 detects the tap, it transmits the selected breakdown to the investment server 10. The investment server 10 executes the investment with the selected breakdown.

[0078] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the Details button 574 of the order acceptance screen 504 of FIG. 9(c), it displays a breakdown input area 576 instead of the warning display area 566 of the order acceptance screen 504 (FIG. 9(d)). When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the Details button 574, it acquires all uninvested investment chips owned by the user and their expiration dates from the investment server 10. The mobile terminal 4 generates a breakdown input area 576 based on the acquired information. The breakdown input area 576 displays a list of all uninvested investment chips currently owned by the user and their expiration dates, and an investment chip number input area 578 is provided for each of them. The user inputs the desired breakdown and taps the Order button 564. When the mobile terminal 4 detects the tap, it transmits the input breakdown to the investment server 10. The investment server 10 executes the investment with the input breakdown.

[0079] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the holding status confirmation / settlement button 530 on the home screen 500, it displays a holding status display screen 580 shown in Fig. 10(a) on the display 40. The holding status display screen 580 has a total number of valuation chips (valuation amount) 582 owned by the user, a total number of valuation chips 584 of investment chips being invested (already invested), a total number of increased or decreased chips 586, and an investing object 588 corresponding to the investment target being invested in. The investing object 588 displays the name of the investment target being invested in, the current stock price (arbitrary unit), the current number of valuation chips, the current number of increased or decreased chips, and a settlement button 590.

[0080] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the settlement button of any of the investment objects included in the holding status display screen 580, the mobile terminal 4 displays a settlement screen 592 shown in FIG. 10(b) on the display 40. The settlement screen 592 has a name 594 of the investment target corresponding to the investment object for which the tap was detected on the holding status display screen 580, i.e., the investment target selected by the user, a current stock price (arbitrary unit) 596 of the investment target, a number of uninvested investment chips 598 held by the user, an investment time information display area 597 displaying information at the time of investment, a settlement information display area 595 displaying information related to settlement, and a settlement button 593. The settlement information display area 595 displays the current number of evaluation chips and evaluation profit and loss of the investment chips invested in the investment target. When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the settlement button 593, the mobile terminal 4 generates a settlement request including information identifying the investment target corresponding to the investment object selected by the user on the holding status display screen 580, and transmits the request to the investment server 10 via the network 6. When the investment server 10 receives the settlement request, it performs processing to settle the investment related to the investment target included in the settlement request. The investment server 10 transmits the result of the settlement to the mobile terminal 4 via the network 6. The mobile terminal 4 displays the home screen 500 reflecting the received result of the settlement on the display 40 (FIG. 10(c)).

[0081] When the mobile terminal 4 detects a tap on the transaction history button 532 on the home screen 500, it displays a transaction history screen 591 shown in Fig. 11 on the display 40. The transaction history screen 591 displays a period input / display area 589 that allows input and display of a period to be the subject of history display, and transaction history 587.

[0082] In the above-mentioned embodiment, examples of the storage unit are a hard disk and a semiconductor memory. Furthermore, based on the description in this specification, it will be understood by those skilled in the art who have read this specification that each unit can be realized by a CPU (not shown), an installed application program module, a system program module, a semiconductor memory that temporarily stores the contents of data read from a hard disk, or the like.

[0083] According to the investment server 10 of this embodiment, investment points are displayed as investment chips with fewer digits, and investment applications are accepted and evaluation amounts are displayed in investment chip units, thereby providing users with an easy-to-understand interface that is not limited by decimal points. In addition, since the investment chips are in a relatively large unit rather than a unit with a large number of digits that is likely to result in a fractional part, even when exchanging for a special benefit, the fractional part is not displayed to the user by converting the investment chips into investment chips that are less likely to result in a fractional part, investing in those units, and exchanging the investment chips for a special benefit, making it a user-friendly and easy-to-understand system.

[0084] Furthermore, according to the investment server 10 of this embodiment, even if the original acquisition points contain a mixture of acquisition points with multiple expiration dates, the expiration date of the investment chip to be converted is set for each investment chip, and is particularly set to the longest expiration date among the original acquisition points. Therefore, there is no need to consider multiple expiration dates for one investment chip, making processing and display easier. Also, for users, the expiration date is extended by exchanging them for investment chips, which provides motivation to use the investment chips.

[0085] Furthermore, the investment server 10 according to the present embodiment can employ an algorithm for allocating profits and losses resulting from investments to each investment chip, thereby enhancing the user's sense of satisfaction.

[0086] The configuration and operation of the investment server 10 according to the embodiment have been described above. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0087] In the embodiment, it is assumed that there is no restriction on the direction of conversion between acquired points and investment points, and conversion in either direction is possible, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, it may be possible to convert acquired points to investment points while not allowing the reverse. In this case, (1) it is advantageous for the provider of the point investment service to be able to more smoothly adjust the interests of the issuer of the acquired points, (2) it is advantageous for the user to be able to extend the expiration date by converting to investment points, and to be able to make effective use of the points, and further (3) it is possible to promote the spread of investment points by increasing the motivation to convert to investment points.

[0088] In the embodiment, the case where the entity that issues the acquisition points is different from the entity that issues the investment points is described, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the entity that issues the acquisition points may be the same as the entity that issues the investment points, and as a result, the acquisition points and the investment points may be the same point. In this case, there is no procedure for converting the acquisition points to the investment points.

[0089] In the embodiment, a case where points are acquired and invested has been described, but the technical idea of ​​the embodiment can be applied not only to points but also to other electronic values ​​such as coupons, miles, coins, chips, etc. Electronic values ​​may be defined as those in which monetary value or other property values ​​are electronically described or recorded, and which do not fall under the category of prepaid payment instruments as defined by the Law Concerning Settlement of Funds.

[0090] In the embodiment, a case has been described in which the expiration date of the investment chip is set to the longest of the expiration dates of the original acquired points, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the expiration date may be uniformly extended by a predetermined period (e.g., six months) when acquired points are converted into investment chips, or the investment chip may have an unlimited expiration date.Alternatively, in the embodiment, a case has been described in which an expiration date is set for acquired points, but this is not limited to this, and the technical idea of ​​this embodiment can also be applied to cases in which acquired points do not have an expiration date.In this case, an expiration date may or may not be set for the investment chip.

[0091] In the embodiment, the investment server 10 executes virtual investment. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the investment server 10 may execute processing for executing actual investment such as actual stock trading or foreign exchange trading.

[0092] In an embodiment, the maximum investment rate that can be set may be variable depending on the expiration date. For example, the investment server 10 may be configured to increase the maximum investment rate as the expiration date becomes shorter. This can further increase the incentive to invest.

[0093] In the embodiment, the investment period may be specified in advance, and the expiration date may be set according to the investment period. For example, the investment period may be 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, and the expiration date may be set to 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years, respectively.

[0094] In the embodiment, a validity period may be set according to the virtual investment destination. For example, the validity period is usually one year, but it may be two years for a specific investment destination.

[0095] In the embodiment, the user information storage unit 134 may further store the user's membership rank. The membership rank includes, for example, a premium member (special member) whose acquired points do not have an expiration date, and a general member whose acquired points have an expiration date. The above embodiment may be applied to a general member whose acquired points have an expiration date. In this case, the premium member may be treated differently, such as by processing both the acquired points and the investment chips with no expiration date.

[0096] In the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, even if the acquired points are converted into investment chips and invested, the number of investment points corresponding to the investment chips is internally held without rounding, but it is also possible to configure it so that when a virtual investment is made and stocks are bought and held, and the investment points corresponding to the stocks sold at any timing are calculated at the rate at which the investment chips corresponding to the sold stocks are converted from acquired points to investment chips. For example, if 1000 acquired points are converted into one investment chip at timing A (conversion rate is 1000 points / chip), one investment chip is invested in company X at timing B, and sold at timing C, two investment chips will give 1600 investment points, but instead of holding these 1600 investment points as described above, two investment chips can be calculated at the conversion rate and held as 2000 investment points.

[0097] The technical idea according to the embodiment may be defined by the following items. (Item 1) A storage means for storing a quantity of a first electronic value owned by a user; a receiving means for receiving an investment instruction specifying the quantity of the second electronic value from a user terminal via a network; a calculation means for calculating a result of the investment using a quantity of the first electronic value corresponding to a specified quantity of the second electronic value; and updating means for updating said holding means with the calculated investment result; The server sets a conversion rate between the first electronic value and the second electronic value such that the quantity of the second electronic value is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the quantity of the corresponding first electronic value. (Item 2) means for receiving a request for conversion from the third electronic value to the second electronic value from a user terminal via a network; The server according to item 1, further comprising a conversion means for, when the source third electronic value includes a plurality of quantities with different expiration dates and when converting those quantities into one unit of the second electronic value, setting the expiration date of the one unit to be the same as or longer than the longest expiration date among the plurality of expiration dates of the plurality of quantities. (Item 3) The server described in item 2, wherein the conversion means registers in the storage means, in association with a user, information identifying one unit of the second electronic value, a set expiration date, and a quantity of the first electronic value corresponding to one unit of the second electronic value. (Item 4) a transmission means for transmitting information for displaying a screen showing the quantity of the second electronic value owned by the user on a display of the terminal to the terminal of the user via the network, 4. The server according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the screen does not include an indication of the quantity of the first electronic value. (Item 5) The server according to item 4, further comprising a means for calculating the quantity of the second electronic value to be displayed on the screen by performing a predetermined rounding process on the quantity of the first electronic value stored in the storage means. (Item 6) A function of registering the quantity of the first electronic value held by the user in a holding means; a function of receiving an investment instruction specifying the quantity of the second electronic value from a user's terminal via a network; A function of calculating a result of the investment using a quantity of the first electronic value corresponding to the specified quantity of the second electronic value; and updating said holding means with the calculated investment results. A computer program product, the conversion rate between the first electronic value and the second electronic value being set such that the quantity of the second electronic value is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the quantity of the corresponding first electronic value. (Item 7) A computer program for enabling a terminal to realize a function of transmitting an investment instruction specifying the quantity of the second electronic value to a server described in any one of items 1 to 5 via a network. (Item 8) A terminal comprising means for transmitting an investment instruction specifying an amount of the second electronic value to the server described in any one of items 1 to 5 via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 2 Point investment system, 4 Mobile terminal, 6 Network, 8 Information distribution server, 10 Investment server.

Claims

1. A server for providing a point investment service, A storage means for storing a quantity of a first electronic value owned by a user; a receiving means for receiving an investment instruction specifying the quantity of the second electronic value from a user terminal via a network; a calculation means for calculating a result of an investment using a quantity of the first electronic value corresponding to a specified quantity of the second electronic value; updating means for updating said holding means with the calculated investment results; a means for receiving a request for conversion from a third electronic value issued by an entity other than the provider of the point investment service to a second electronic value from a user terminal via a network, The first electronic value is issued by a provider of the point investment service and is different from a third electronic value issued by an entity other than the provider of the point investment service; The server sets a conversion rate between the first electronic value and the second electronic value such that the quantity of the second electronic value is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the quantity of the corresponding first electronic value.

2. 2. The server of claim 1, wherein the first electronic value is an electronic value for which no quantity is provided to the user.

3. A server as described in claim 1, further comprising a conversion means for, when the source third electronic value includes multiple quantities with different expiration dates and those quantities are converted into one unit of the second electronic value, setting the expiration date of the one unit to be the same as or longer than the longest expiration date among the multiple expiration dates of the multiple quantities of the source third electronic value.

4. The server according to claim 3, wherein the conversion means registers in the storage means, in correspondence with a user, information identifying one unit of the second electronic value, a set expiration date, and a quantity of the first electronic value corresponding to one unit of the second electronic value.

5. a transmitting means for transmitting information for displaying a screen showing the quantity of the second electronic value owned by the user on a display of the terminal to the terminal of the user via the network, 5. A server according to claim 1, wherein the screen does not include an indication of the quantity of the first electronic value.

6. The server according to claim 5, further comprising a means for calculating the quantity of the second electronic value to be displayed on the screen by performing a predetermined rounding process on the quantity of the first electronic value stored in the storage means.

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