Information processing device, information processing system, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing system, and a program capable of providing useful information to a company considering cooperation between companies.SOLUTION: An information processing device according to an embodiment includes acquisition means for acquiring transaction data relating to transactions with customers in a plurality of companies that sell products to the customers, storage means for storing sales information obtained by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means in a memory unit, reception means for receiving condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information, extraction means for extracting information from the sales information stored in the memory unit based on the condition information received by the reception means, and output means for outputting specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, companies that operate stores have been working to collect and analyze customer purchasing information and link it to expanding product sales. For example, a purchasing trend analysis system is known in which a company that operates multiple stores collects sales information from the multiple stores and analyzes customer purchasing trends (for example, Patent Document 1). The above system determines coupons to be issued according to the analyzed purchasing trends of customers.

[0003] On the other hand, in recent years, in order to expand business opportunities, companies have begun to cooperate with other companies, including through M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions). In addition, in town revitalization projects aimed at revitalizing local economies, companies in different business fields are also working together to carry out joint projects. When considering such inter-company cooperation, companies refer to sales information from other companies or other business fields.

[0004] However, the sales information collected by the above-mentioned conventional purchasing trend analysis systems is limited to a company's own sales information, and therefore the information is insufficient for companies considering inter-company collaboration. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, and a program capable of providing useful information to companies considering inter-company collaboration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device of an embodiment includes an acquisition means for acquiring transaction data relating to transactions between a customer and a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer, a storage means for storing in a memory unit sales information processed from the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means, a reception means for accepting condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information, an extraction means for extracting information from the sales information stored in the memory unit based on the condition information accepted by the reception means, and an output means for outputting specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means. In addition, the sales information includes company identification information that identifies a company selling the product, and the reception means receives user identification information that identifies a user requesting output of the specific information together with the condition information, and if the user identified by the user identification information received by the reception means is a company identified by company identification information included in the sales information, the reception means further includes processing means that executes processing to give preferential treatment to the user identified by the user identification information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an entire system including an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the data structure of a receipt data management file stored in the memory unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure of a member information management file stored in the memory unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data structure of a transaction data management file stored in the memory unit of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the electronic receipt server according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the sales information management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a company information management file stored in the memory unit of the sales information management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a sales information management file stored in the memory unit of the sales information management server of the embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the sales information management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing the flow of operations of the entire system including the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a flow of a specific information output process by the control unit of the sales information management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of specific information output by the sales information management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating another example of the specific information output by the sales information management server according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating another example of the specific information output by the sales information management server according to the embodiment.

[0008] Hereinafter, an information processing device, an information processing system, and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an entire system including an information processing system according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes an electronic receipt server 2 and a sales information management server 3. The electronic receipt server 2 and the sales information management server 3 are connected via a network.

[0009] The electronic receipt server 2 is connected to company servers Sa to Sn owned by a large number of companies Ca to Cn via a network. In this embodiment, these companies Ca to Cn are companies that use an electronic receipt service that issues electronic receipts to customers, and cover a wide range of business fields, such as supermarkets that handle a wide range of products such as food, daily necessities, and clothing, fast food restaurants and restaurants that provide food and drink, and clothing specialty stores. The companies Ca to Cn also include companies that sell products through Internet shopping without having physical stores. Each of the companies Ca to Cn also includes a company that has one or more stores. Receipt data of each store of the company Ca is transmitted to the company server Sa via the company's internal network. Similarly, receipt data of each store of the company Cn is transmitted to the company server Sn via the company's internal network.

[0010] In addition, the electronic receipt server 2 is connected to an electronic receipt member terminal 4 via a network. The electronic receipt member terminal 4 is an information terminal such as a smartphone owned by an electronic receipt member who can use the electronic receipt service.

[0011] The electronic receipt server 2 is managed by an electronic receipt service operating company that operates a service to provide electronic receipts to customers who purchase products at the stores of the companies Ca to Cn. The electronic receipt server 2 acquires receipt data relating to transactions at the stores of the companies Ca to Cn from the company servers Sa to Sn of the companies Ca to Cn and collectively manages the data. The receipt data is data showing information about one transaction between a store and a customer. Electronic receipt members can view electronic receipts by accessing a Web server separately provided by the electronic receipt service operating company.

[0012] The sales information management server 3 is connected to a user terminal 5 via a network. The user terminal 5 is an information terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer) owned by a company or the like that is a user (information requester) who uses the information provision service. The sales information management server 3 is an example of an information processing device.

[0013] The sales information management server 3 is managed by an information providing service operating company that operates a service that provides information desired by a user in response to the user's request. The sales information management server 3 manages sales information generated based on information acquired from the electronic receipt server 2. The electronic receipt service and the information providing service may be provided by the same company.

[0014] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the electronic receipt server 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the electronic receipt server 2. The electronic receipt server 2 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 21, a display unit 22, an input unit 23, and a communication unit 24. The control unit 20, the memory unit 21, the display unit 22, the input unit 23, and the communication unit 24 are connected to each other via a bus B.

[0015] The control unit 20 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203. The CPU 201, the ROM 202, and the RAM 203 are connected to each other via a bus B.

[0016] The CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the electronic receipt server 2. The ROM 202 stores various programs, such as a program used to drive the CPU 201, and various data. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201, and loads various programs and data stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21. The control unit 20 executes various control processes of the electronic receipt server 2 by the CPU 201 operating in accordance with the control programs stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21 and loaded in the RAM 203.

[0017] The memory unit 21 is composed of a rewritable non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory, and retains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 21 stores a control program 211, a receipt data management file 212, a member information management file 213, and a transaction data management file 214.

[0018] The control program 211 is various programs such as a control program for functioning as an electronic receipt server.

[0019] The receipt data management file 212 is a file that collectively manages receipt data acquired from the company servers Sa to Sn of each company that sells products to customers. The receipt data management file 212 manages receipt data for each electronic receipt member. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the receipt data management file 212. The receipt data management file 212 registers information indicating the member code, receipt number, transaction date and time, company code, product code, and amount. Note that the items that make up the receipt data are not limited to these and can be set as appropriate. The memory unit 21 that stores the receipt data management file 212 is an example of a receipt data storage unit.

[0020] The membership code field is registered with a membership code as identification information for identifying the electronic receipt member. The receipt number field is registered with information indicating a receipt number. A receipt number is a number set for each paper receipt or electronic receipt issued, and is information that identifies one transaction. The transaction date and time field is registered with information indicating the date and time when a customer purchased the product and completed the payment.

[0021] In the company code field, a company code is registered as identification information for identifying the company that sold the product. In other words, the company code is identification information for the company that provided the receipt data to the electronic receipt service operating company. In the product code field, a product code is registered as identification information for identifying the product sold by the company. In the amount field, information indicating the amount of the product sold by the company is registered.

[0022] The member information management file 213 is a file that manages member information such as attribute information of electronic receipt members. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the member information management file 213. The member information management file 213 registers information indicating a member code, name, age, sex, and area of ​​residence. The memory unit 21 that stores the member information management file 213 is an example of a member information storage unit.

[0023] In the member code field, a member code is registered as identification information for identifying an electronic receipt member. In the name field, information indicating the name of the electronic receipt member is registered. In the age field, information indicating the age of the electronic receipt member is registered. In the gender field, information indicating the gender of the electronic receipt member is registered. In the residence area field, information indicating the area in which the electronic receipt member resides, for example, information indicating the prefecture, is registered. Each piece of information registered in the member information management file 213 is provided by a customer who purchases a product when the customer registers as an electronic receipt member.

[0024] The transaction data management file 214 is a file that manages the transaction data to be output to the sales information management server 3. The transaction data is data generated by associating receipt data with member information using a member code as a key. The transaction data management file 214 manages transaction data for each company code. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the transaction data management file 214. The transaction data management file 214 registers information indicating the company code, product code, amount, transaction date and time, age, gender, and place of residence. The contents of each piece of information are as described above, so redundant explanations will be omitted. The transaction data may be information that combines all items of receipt data and all items of member information.

[0025] Returning to Fig. 2, the explanation will be given. The display unit 22 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various information to an operator who operates the electronic receipt server 2. The input unit 23 is an input device composed of a keyboard and a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 22.

[0026] The communication unit 24 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the company servers Sa to Sn, the sales information management server 3, and the electronic receipt member terminal 4. The communication unit 24 is connected to the external devices via a network. This allows the control unit 20 to transmit and receive information (data) to and from the external devices via the communication unit 24. The electronic receipt server 2 may be composed of multiple computers.

[0027] Next, a functional configuration of the electronic receipt server 2 will be described. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the electronic receipt server 2. The control unit 20 functions as receipt data acquisition means 2001, transaction data generation means 2002, storage means 2003, receipt data output means 2004, and transaction data output means 2005 by the CPU 201 operating in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 202 or memory unit 21. Note that each of these functions may be realized by hardware configured with a dedicated circuit or the like.

[0028] The receipt data acquiring means 2001 acquires receipt data relating to transactions at each store from the company servers Sa to Sn of the companies Ca to Cn. Specifically, the receipt data acquiring means 2001 receives receipt data relating to a transaction every time a transaction is executed at each store.

[0029] The transaction data generation means 2002 generates transaction data to be output to the sales information management server 3. Specifically, each time the receipt data acquisition means 2001 acquires receipt data, the transaction data generation means 2002 generates transaction data by associating the receipt data with member information. Note that the receipt data may be associated with member information by the sales information management server 3. In this case, the electronic receipt server 2 outputs the member information and receipt data to the sales information management server 3.

[0030] The storage means 2003 stores the receipt data acquired by the receipt data acquisition means 2001 in the receipt data management file 212. As a result, receipt data related to transactions at the stores of each of the companies Ca to Cn is accumulated in the receipt data management file 212. In addition, the storage means 3003 stores the transaction data generated by the transaction data generation means 2002 in the transaction data management file 214. As a result, the transaction data is accumulated in the transaction data management file 214.

[0031] The receipt data output means 2004 outputs receipt data in response to a request from an electronic receipt member. The receipt data output means 2004 may transmit the receipt data to the electronic receipt member terminal 4 to provide an electronic receipt to the electronic receipt member, or may output the receipt data to a Web server separately provided by an electronic receipt service operating company to provide an electronic receipt to the electronic receipt member via the Web server.

[0032] The transaction data output means 2005 outputs transaction data in which receipt data and member information are associated with each other. The transaction data output means 2005 periodically outputs the transaction data stored in the transaction data management file 214 to the sales information management server 3.

[0033] Next, a hardware configuration of the sales information management server 3 will be described. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the sales information management server 3. The sales information management server 3 includes a control unit 30, a memory unit 31, a display unit 32, an input unit 33, and a communication unit 34. The control unit 30, the memory unit 31, the display unit 32, the input unit 33, and the communication unit 34 are connected to each other via a bus B.

[0034] The control unit 30 is configured as a computer including a CPU 301, a ROM 302, and a RAM 303. The CPU 301, the ROM 302, and the RAM 303 are connected to each other via a bus B.

[0035] The CPU 301 controls the overall operation of the sales information management server 3. The ROM 302 stores various programs, such as a program used to drive the CPU 301, and various data. The RAM 303 is used as a work area for the CPU 301, and loads various programs and data stored in the ROM 302 and the memory unit 31. The control unit 30 executes various control processes of the sales information management server 3 by the CPU 301 operating in accordance with the control programs stored in the ROM 302 and the memory unit 31 and loaded in the RAM 203.

[0036] The memory unit 31 is configured with a rewritable non-volatile storage medium such as a HDD or a flash memory, and maintains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 31 stores a control program 311, a company information management file 312, and a sales information management file 313.

[0037] The control program 311 is various programs such as a control program for functioning as a sales information management server.

[0038] The company information management file 312 is a file that manages company information of companies Ca to Cn that provide receipt data. The company information management file 312 is generated based on information acquired from the electronic receipt service operating company. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the company information management file 312. The company information management file 312 registers information indicating company codes, user codes, and business fields.

[0039] In the company code field, a company code is registered as identification information for identifying companies Ca to Cn that provide receipt data. The company code is an example of company identification information that sells products. In the user code field, a user code is registered as identification information for identifying a user who receives an information provision service. The user code is an example of user identification information that identifies a user who requests the output of specific information. In the business field field, information indicating the business field of the company is registered. Information indicating the business field is information indicating supermarkets, restaurants, clothing specialty stores, etc.

[0040] The sales information management file 313 is a file that manages sales information that is generated by processing transaction data acquired from the electronic receipt server 2. The sales information is information that associates transaction data with classification codes that classify the product codes included in the transaction data. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the sales information management file 313. The sales information management file 313 stores information indicating major classification codes, minor classification codes, product codes, amounts, transaction dates and times, ages, sexes, residential areas, and company codes.

[0041] In the major category code field, a major category code is registered as information indicating a major category of a product. The major category code is, for example, information indicating a product category such as food, clothing, food and drink. In the minor category code field, a minor category code is registered as information indicating a minor category into which the major category is further classified. The minor category code is, for example, information identifying a category such as alcohol, bread, rice, etc. for food, a category such as coat, T-shirt, hat, etc. for clothing, and a category such as noodles, fish dishes, hot pot dishes, etc. for food and drink. Note that the major category and minor category of a product can be set arbitrarily without being limited to the above. Furthermore, the way in which products are classified can also be arbitrary, and intermediate and detailed categories can also be set.

[0042] The information indicating the product code, amount, transaction date and time, age, sex, residential area, and company code has been described in the explanation of the transaction data, so duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[0043] Returning to Fig. 7, the explanation will be given. The display unit 32 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays various information to an operator who operates the sales information management server 3. The input unit 33 is an input device composed of a keyboard and a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 32.

[0044] The communication unit 34 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the electronic receipt server 2 and the user terminal 5. The communication unit 34 is connected to the external devices via a network. This allows the control unit 30 to transmit and receive information (data) to and from the external devices via the communication unit 34. The sales information management server 3 may be composed of multiple computers.

[0045] Next, the functional configuration of the sales information management server 3 will be described. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the sales information management server 3. The control unit 30 functions as an acquisition means 3001, a processing means 3002, a storage means 3003, a reception means 3004, an extraction means 3005, a specific information generation means 3006, a settlement means 3007, and an output means 3008 by the CPU 301 operating according to a control program stored in the ROM 302 or the memory unit 31. Each of these functions may be realized by hardware configured with a dedicated circuit or the like.

[0046] The acquiring means 3001 acquires transaction data related to transactions with a customer among a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer. Specifically, the acquiring means 3001 acquires, from the electronic receipt server 2, transaction data that the electronic receipt server 2 generates based on receipt data acquired from companies Ca to Cn.

[0047] The processing means 3002 processes the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means 3001 to generate sales information. For example, the processing means 3002 generates sales information by associating the transaction data with a classification code that classifies the product code included in the transaction data. The processing means 3002 may perform any process. The data structure of the sales information generated by the processing means is determined depending on how the information providing service operating company sets the specific information to be output to the user. The specific information is information that the sales information management server 3 outputs in response to the extraction conditions from the user.

[0048] The storage means 3003 stores sales information obtained by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means 3001 in the memory unit 31. Specifically, the storage means 3003 stores the sales information generated by the processing means by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means 3001 from the electronic receipt server 2 in the sales information management file 313 of the memory unit 31.

[0049] The receiving means 3004 receives condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from sales information. Specifically, the receiving means 3004 receives condition information indicating extraction conditions from the user terminal 5. The extraction conditions are conditions for extracting information desired by the user from sales information managed by the sales information management server 3. The user can set specific conditions, such as "sales information for men in their twenties from February to August," as the extraction conditions, or can set abstract conditions, such as "sales information for young people in spring," as the extraction conditions. When abstract conditions are input, the information providing service operating company sets the concrete extraction conditions by a system or manually. The extraction conditions can be arbitrarily set for each item registered in the sales information management file 313.

[0050] Furthermore, the accepting unit 3004 accepts user identification information for identifying a user requesting the output of specific information together with the condition information. For example, if the accepting unit 3004 does not accept input of user identification information when accepting the condition information, it outputs error information to the user terminal 5 to the effect that the specific information will not be output.

[0051] The extraction means 3005 extracts information from the sales information stored in the memory unit 31 based on the condition information accepted by the acceptance means 3004. For example, when the acceptance means 3004 accepts condition information indicating the above-mentioned extraction condition "sales information of men in their twenties from February to August", the extraction means 3005 searches the sales information management file 313 and extracts sales information that matches the extraction condition.

[0052] The specific information generating means 3006 generates specific information that is thought to be desired by the user based on the sales information extracted by the extracting means 3005. For example, the specific information generating means 3006 generates specific information by graphing the sales information extracted by the extracting means 3005 or adding other information to the sales information. Furthermore, the specific information generating means 3006 may generate specific information including a proposal for a sales plan based on the extracted sales information. The content, format, etc. of the specific information provided to the user by the operating company of the information providing service are arbitrary and are appropriately determined by the operating company. Furthermore, the specific information may be information extracted by the extracting means 3005, that is, so-called raw data extracted by the extracting means 3005 without the specific information generating means 3006 performing any processing.

[0053] The settlement means 3007 calculates the consideration for the specific information provided to the user by the operating company of the information providing service based on the condition information received by the reception means 3004. The settlement means 3007 calculates the consideration agreed upon between the operating company of the information providing service and the user. For example, the settlement means 3007 calculates the consideration according to the amount of information provided to the user by the operating company of the information providing service.

[0054] Furthermore, when the user identified by the user identification information received by the receiving means 3004 is a company identified by the company identification information included in the sales information, the settlement means 3007 executes a process for giving preferential treatment to the user identified by the user identification information. For example, when the user code received by the receiving means 3004 is registered in the company information management file 312, the settlement means 3007 discounts the price for the user identified by the user code. In other words, when the user who requested the specific information is a company that provided receipt data for creating the sales information management file 313, the settlement means 3007 executes a discount process for giving preferential treatment to the user. This is to give an advantage to the company that provides its own receipt data, so that receipt data from more companies can be collected. The settlement means 3007 is an example of a processing means.

[0055] The process of giving preferential treatment to a company providing sheet data is not limited to a discount on the price of the specific information provided. For example, preferential treatment may be given by making the specific information more detailed, such as by including the company name in the specific information provided. In such a case, the specific information generating means 3006 is an example of a processing means.

[0056] The output means 3008 outputs the specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means 3005. Specifically, the output means 3008 outputs the specific information generated by the specific information generation means 3006 based on the information extracted by the extraction means 3005. The output means 3008 may transmit the specific information to the user terminal 5 to provide the specific information to the user, or may output the specific information to a Web server separately provided by the information providing service operating company to provide the specific information to the user via the Web server. In addition, the output means 3008 outputs billing information including information indicating the price calculated by the settlement means 3007 together with the specific information.

[0057] The flow of operations of the information processing system 1 based on the configuration of each of the above devices will be described below. Fig. 11 is a sequence chart showing the flow of operations of the entire system including the information processing system 1. This sequence chart consists of a data collection process (hereinafter also referred to as the first process), an electronic receipt providing process (hereinafter also referred to as the second process), and a specific information providing process (hereinafter also referred to as the third process).

[0058] In the first process, receipt data is input to each of the company servers Sa to Sn every time a transaction is made at a store (S1). The receipt data input to the company servers Sa to Sn is sent to the electronic receipt server 2 as needed (S2).

[0059] The electronic receipt server 2 stores the received receipt data in the receipt data management file 212 (S3). As a result, receipt data of each company is accumulated in the receipt data management file 212. The electronic receipt server 2 generates transaction data by associating the received receipt data with pre-stored member information (S4), and stores the generated transaction data in the transaction data management file 214 (S5). Next, the electronic receipt server 2 transmits the generated transaction data to the sales information management server 3 (S6).

[0060] The sales information management server 3 processes the received transaction data to generate sales information (S7). The transaction data is processed by associating the product code with the classification code. The sales information management server 3 stores the generated sales information in the sales information management file 313 (S8). The sales information that is the basic data for the specific information to be provided to the user is collected and generated by the above first process.

[0061] In the second process, a receipt data request is input to the electronic receipt member terminal 4 (S9). The receipt data request is input by requesting to view the electronic receipt and inputting the membership code of the electronic receipt member. Then, the receipt data request and the membership code are transmitted to the electronic receipt server 2 (S10). The receipt data request also includes selection conditions such as the receipt number, transaction date and time, company name, etc.

[0062] The electronic receipt server 2 selects receipt data from the receipt data management file 212 based on the received membership code and selection conditions (S11). Next, the electronic receipt server 2 outputs the selected receipt data so that it can be viewed on the electronic receipt member terminal 4 (S12). Through the above second process, the electronic receipt member can view the electronic receipt related to his / her transaction.

[0063] In the third process, a specific information request is input to the user terminal 5 (S13). In the specific information request, the sales information extraction conditions and the user code are input. The specific information request including the input information indicating the extraction conditions and the user code is transmitted to the sales information management server 3 (S14).

[0064] The sales information management server 3 executes a specific information output process based on the received specific information request (S15). The specific information output process will be described in detail later. Then, the sales information management server 3 outputs the specific information (S16). Through the above third process, the user can obtain desired information, i.e., specific information, from the sales information management server 3.

[0065] Next, a description will be given of the specific information output process executed in S15 of the sequence chart of Fig. 11. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the specific information output process by the control unit 30 of the sales information management server 3.

[0066] The control unit 30 judges whether the receiving means 3004 has received a specific information request from the user terminal 5 (S21), and if the specific information request has not been received (N in S21), returns to the process of S21 and waits.

[0067] When the accepting means 3004 accepts a specific information request from the user terminal 5 (Y in S21), the extracting means 3005 extracts information from the sales information (S22). Specifically, the extracting means 3005 extracts information from the sales information stored in the sales information management file 313 based on the extraction conditions indicated by the condition information included in the specific information request.

[0068] Next, the specific information generating means 3006 generates specific information to be provided to the user based on the information extracted by the extracting means 3005 (S23). Here, the specific information generated by the specific information generating means 3006 will be described.

[0069] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the specific information generated by the specific information generating means 3006, that is, the specific information output by the sales information management server 3. In this example, the extraction conditions received by the receiving means 3004 from the user terminal 5 are "target year and month is February to August 2020" and "target attribute is male in his 20s."

[0070] The extraction means 3005 extracts sales information from the sales information stored in the sales information management file 313, where the information registered in the transaction date and time indicates February to August 2020, the information registered in the age indicates 20 to 29 years old, and the information registered in the gender indicates male. The specific information generation means 3006 generates specific information, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, based on the extracted sales information. This specific information is information in a table format having items such as target year and month 131, total purchase amount by major category 132, ratio by major category 133, and A-rank product 134.

[0071] The target year and month 131 indicates the year and month when the product was purchased. The total purchase amount by major category 132 indicates the total sales amount of the products included in each of the major categories of food, clothing, and food and drink. In this embodiment, the major categories are set to three categories of food, clothing, and food and drink, but the classification method can be set arbitrarily.

[0072] The major category ratio 133 indicates the ratio of sales amounts of the three categories of food, clothing, and food and drink. The A-ranked products 134 indicate the subcategory that had the greatest number of sales items among the three major categories of food, clothing, and food and drink. The A-ranked products 134 may also indicate the subcategory that had the greatest sales amount among the three major categories. The classification method of the subcategories is also arbitrary.

[0073] A user who has been provided with the specific information can consider collaboration with other companies, such as considering sales plans with companies in other fields, based on the specific information.

[0074] 14 is a diagram showing another example of the specific information output by the sales information management server 3. In this example, the extraction conditions accepted by the accepting means 3004 from the user terminal 5 are "target year and month is February to August 2020" and "target attribute is male in his 20s."

[0075] The specific information shown in FIG. 14 is a graph of the sales amount trends by major category during the target period. The specific information shows the sales amount trends of food products 141, clothing sales amount trends 142, and food and drink sales amount trends 143. A user who is provided with the specific information can visually recognize the sales amount trends of products belonging to each major category. In this example, for example, if the user is a restaurant, the restaurant can consider a joint project with a company that sells clothing targeting men in their twenties in April, when the desire to purchase clothing is high. Also, if the user is a company that sells all of food products, clothing, and food and drink, the restaurant can consider enhancing the products for men in their twenties for food products, which are the most consumed.

[0076] 15 is a diagram showing another example of specific information output by the sales information management server 3. In this example, information narrowed down to minor categories is extracted, and the extraction conditions accepted by the accepting means 3004 from the user terminal 5 are "target year and month is February to August 2020," "target attribute is men in their 20s," and "target product category is food."

[0077] This specific information consists of tabular information and graph-format information. The tabular information has items such as target year and month 151, total purchase amount by minor category 152, and ratio by minor category 153, and shows the sales amount corresponding to each item. The graph-format information is a graph of the sales amount by minor category during the target period, and shows the sales amount trends of boxed lunches 154, luxury goods sales 155, and rice sales 156. The user can analyze the provided specific information and devise necessary plans and measures.

[0078] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 12, following the process of S23, the settlement means 3007 judges whether or not the user identified by the user code accepted by the acceptance means 3004 together with the condition information is the company that provided the receipt data to the sales information management server 3 via the electronic receipt server 2 (S24). The settlement means 3007 judges whether or not the user identified by the user code is the company that provided the receipt data, depending on whether or not the user code accepted by the acceptance means 3004 is registered in the company information management file 312.

[0079] If the user identified by the user code is the company that provided the receipt data (Y in S24), the settlement means 3007 performs a discount process on the amount billed to the user as a process to treat the user preferentially (S25) and calculates the amount. Next, the output means 3008 outputs billing information including the specific information generated by the specific information generation means 3006 and the amount calculated by the settlement means 3007 to the user terminal 5 (S26).

[0080] Then, the control unit 30 ends the specific information output process. Note that, in the process of S24, if the user identified by the user code accepted by the accepting unit 3004 is not the data provider (N of S24), the control unit 30 skips the process of S25 and proceeds to the process of S26.

[0081] Through the specific information output process, the sales information management server 3 provides the user with specific information including sales information of companies other than the user.

[0082] As described above, the sales information management server 3 (information processing device) of this embodiment includes an acquisition means 3001 that acquires transaction data relating to transactions between a customer and a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer, a storage means 3003 that stores in the memory unit 31 sales information that is generated by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means 3001, a reception means 3004 that accepts condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information, an extraction means 3005 that extracts information from the sales information stored in the memory unit 31 based on the condition information accepted by the reception means 3004, and an output means 3008 that outputs specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means 3005.

[0083] This allows the sales information management server 3 to provide specific information based on transaction data of multiple companies to the user. Therefore, the sales information management server 3 can provide useful information to companies considering inter-company collaboration.

[0084] Moreover, the sales information stored in the sales information management server 3 of this embodiment is information in which product identification information for identifying a product sold by a company is associated with attribute information indicating the attributes of a customer who purchased the product.

[0085] This allows the sales information management server 3 to provide information according to the attributes of the customer, thereby making it possible to provide more useful information to the user.

[0086] Furthermore, the storage means 3003 of the sales information management server 3 of this embodiment stores the product identification information included in the sales information acquired by the acquisition means 3001 in association with category identification information for identifying the product category.

[0087] In other words, the sales information management server 3 stores the sales information that adds value to the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means 3001, and generates specific information to be provided to the user based on the sales information. Therefore, the sales information management server 3 can provide the user with more useful information.

[0088] In addition, the sales information stored in the sales information management server 3 of this embodiment includes company identification information that identifies the company selling the product, and the reception means 3004 of the sales information management server 3 receives user identification information that identifies the user requesting the output of specific information together with condition information, and is equipped with a processing means (settlement means) that executes processing to give preferential treatment to the user identified by the user identification information when the user identified by the user identification information received by the reception means 3004 is a company identified by the company identification information included in the sales information.

[0089] This allows preferential treatment to be given to companies that provide transaction data. Many companies are reluctant to provide their own receipt data, but by giving those companies benefits for providing receipt data, it is expected that receipt data can be collected from more companies. By collecting receipt data from more companies, it becomes possible to provide users with higher quality information.

[0090] The information processing system 1 of this embodiment is an information processing system having an electronic receipt server 2 and a sales information management server 3 (information processing device), and the electronic receipt server 2 includes a receipt data storage unit (memory unit 21) for storing receipt data related to transactions with a customer in a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer, a member information storage unit (memory unit 21) for storing member information of an electronic receipt member, a receipt data output unit 2004 for outputting receipt data in response to a request from the electronic receipt member, and a transaction data output unit 2005 for outputting transaction data in which the receipt data and the member information are associated with each other. The sales information management server 3 comprises an acquisition means 3001 for acquiring the transaction data output by the transaction data output means 2005, a storage means 3003 for storing in the memory unit 31 sales information obtained by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means 3001, a reception means 3004 for receiving condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information, an extraction means 3005 for extracting information from the sales information stored in the memory unit 31 based on the condition information accepted by the acceptance means 3004, and an output means 3008 for outputting specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means 3005.

[0091] This allows the sales information management server 3 to easily collect receipt data. In other words, since the electronic receipt system focuses on the fact that transaction data from multiple companies is collected, the sales information management server 3 collects transaction data in cooperation with the electronic receipt server 2 that collects receipt data, so there is no need to provide a separate system for collecting receipt data. Generally, it is not easy to collect receipt data from multiple companies, but by cooperating with the electronic receipt server 2, the efficiency of collecting receipt data can be dramatically improved.

[0092] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the control programs executed by the sales information management server 3 and the electronic receipt server 2 may be provided by recording them on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Also, the control programs executed by the sales information management server 3 and the electronic receipt server 2 may be provided by storing them on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloading them via the network, or may be provided via a network such as the Internet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Information Processing Systems 2. Electronic receipt server 3. Sales information management server (information processing device) 21 Memory unit (receipt data storage unit, member information storage unit) 2004 Receipt data output means 2005 Transaction data output means 3001 Acquisition method 3003 Storage means 3004 Reception method 3005 Extraction means 3007 Settlement means (processing means) 3008 Output means

[0095] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-180575 A

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring transaction data relating to transactions between a customer and a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer; a storage means for storing sales information obtained by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means in a memory unit; a receiving means for receiving condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information; an extracting means for extracting information from the sales information stored in the memory unit based on the condition information received by the receiving means; an output means for outputting specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means; Equipped with The sales information includes company identification information that identifies a company selling the product, the receiving means receives user identification information for identifying a user requesting output of the specific information together with the condition information; The information processing device further includes a processing means for executing a process to give preferential treatment to the user identified by the user identification information when the user identified by the user identification information accepted by the accepting means is a company identified by company identification information included in the sales information.

2. The sales information includes information in which product identification information for identifying a product sold by the company is associated with attribute information indicating attributes of a customer who purchased the product. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The storage means stores the product identification information included in the sales information acquired by the acquisition means in association with classification identification information that identifies a product classification. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. An information processing system having an electronic receipt server and an information processing device, The electronic receipt server includes: a receipt data storage unit that stores receipt data relating to transactions between a customer and a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer; A member information storage unit that stores member information of electronic receipt members; a receipt data output means for outputting receipt data in response to a request from the electronic receipt member; a transaction data output means for outputting transaction data in which the receipt data and the member information are associated with each other; The information processing device includes: an acquisition means for acquiring the transaction data output by the transaction data output means; a storage means for storing sales information obtained by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means in a memory unit; a receiving means for receiving condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information; an extracting means for extracting information from the sales information stored in the memory unit based on the condition information received by the receiving means; an output unit that outputs specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction unit, The sales information includes company identification information that identifies a company selling the product, the receiving means receives user identification information for identifying a user requesting output of the specific information together with the condition information; The information processing system further includes a processing means for executing processing to give preferential treatment to a user identified by the user identification information accepted by the acceptance means when the user identified by the user identification information accepted by the acceptance means is a company identified by company identification information included in the sales information.

5. A program for controlling an information processing device by a computer, The computer, An acquisition means for acquiring transaction data relating to transactions between a customer and a plurality of companies that sell products to the customer; a storage means for storing sales information obtained by processing the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means in a memory unit; a receiving means for receiving condition information indicating extraction conditions for extracting desired information from the sales information; an extracting means for extracting information from the sales information stored in the memory unit based on the condition information received by the receiving means; an output means for outputting specific information based on the information extracted by the extraction means; and make it work. The sales information includes company identification information that identifies a company selling the product, the receiving means receives user identification information for identifying a user requesting output of the specific information together with the condition information; The program further functions as a processing means for executing a process to give preferential treatment to a user identified by the user identification information received by the reception means when the user identified by the user identification information received by the reception means is a company identified by company identification information included in the sales information.

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