Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processor, an information processing method, and a program for promoting purchase of a corresponding paper book to a user who purchases an electronic book.SOLUTION: In a privilege granting system in which a server, a paper book management server, a plurality of user terminals, and store terminals are connected via a network, an information processor 1 (server) includes: an acquisition unit 61 that acquires sales information indicating sales status of an electronic book and a paper book associated with a user; an extraction unit 62 that extracts sales information that satisfies a predetermined privilege granting condition; a generation unit 63 that generates, when the extraction unit 62 can extract sales information satisfying the privilege granting condition, predetermined privilege information associated with the privilege granting condition; and a grant unit 64 that grants the privilege information to the user. The predetermined privilege granting condition includes a condition under which the user purchases a predetermined electronic book within a first period and purchases a paper book associated with the predetermined electronic book within a second period after purchasing the predetermined electronic book.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, electronic books have become popular, allowing users to read or view the same text and image information as paper books (paper books) by displaying it as electronic data on the display of an electronic device. E-books are highly convenient because they allow users with a smartphone, tablet, or dedicated reader to easily read multiple e-books without having to carry around multiple heavy paper books. On the other hand, paper books offer advantages that cannot be found in e-books, such as the peace of mind of being able to read freely even in environments without electronic devices and the satisfaction that comes from satisfying the desire to own a book. For this reason, some users who have read e-books want to read the same content in a paper book again, or even own a paper book.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes an information processing device that includes an identification unit that identifies books in which a user is interested from the user's behavioral history indicating the registration of books to a purchase candidate list in an online store that sells books or the deletion of books from the purchase candidate list; an acquisition unit that acquires sales information indicating the sales status of the books; a generation unit that generates bonus information that can be used when or after purchasing an e-book corresponding to the book identified by the identification unit based on the sales information and the time from the registration of the book to the deletion from the purchase candidate list; and an assignment unit that assigns the bonus information to the user.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a system for mediating the sale of e-books, which is composed of an information processing device. Specifically, the system includes a book information storage unit that stores paper book identification information for identifying a paper book and electronic book identification information for identifying an e-book corresponding to the paper book, in association with each other; a coupon generation unit that, upon receiving the paper book identification information from a terminal device of a secondhand bookstore, generates an electronic coupon for purchasing an e-book identified by the electronic book identification information stored in the book information storage unit in association with the paper book identification information at a discounted price; a coupon distribution unit that generates coupon acquisition information required to acquire the electronic coupon and transmits it to the terminal device of the secondhand bookstore; and an e-book sales record management unit that accumulates sales results transmitted from an e-book sales system that sells e-books when a purchase of an e-book using an electronic coupon is completed in the e-book sales system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6699708 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-62202 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] These provide devices and methods that encourage users who are considering purchasing an e-book or a paper book, or who already own a paper book, to purchase an e-book with the same content, on the condition that they are given a discount benefit, etc. Meanwhile, there is a need for support for users who have already purchased or previewed an e-book and want to reread the paper book with the same content, or who want to keep the paper book as their own property. The present disclosure has been made in light of this situation, and aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that can encourage users who have purchased an e-book, etc., to purchase the corresponding paper book. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing device of this embodiment comprises an acquisition unit that acquires sales information indicating the sales status of e-books and paper books associated with a user, an extraction unit that extracts the sales information that satisfies specified bonus granting conditions, a generation unit that generates specified bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions when the extraction unit is able to extract the sales information that satisfies the bonus granting conditions, and an granting unit that grants the bonus information to the user, wherein the specified bonus granting conditions include the user purchasing a specified e-book within a first period and, within a second period, purchasing a paper book associated with the specified e-book after purchasing the specified e-book.

[0008] In addition, in another form of the information processing device of this embodiment, the extraction unit extracts first sales information from the sales information, which is sales information regarding the purchase of the specified e-book for each user within the first period, and if the first sales information is extracted, identifies the type of paper book associated with the specified e-book contained in the first sales information, and extracts second sales information, which is sales information regarding the purchase of the identified paper book after the purchase of the specified e-book for each user and within the second period, and the extraction unit may extract the sales information that satisfies the bonus granting conditions by extracting both the first sales information and the second sales information.

[0009] The information processing device of this embodiment comprises an acquisition unit that acquires trial reading information indicating the trial reading status of an e-book associated with a user and sales information indicating the sales status of a paper book; an extraction unit that extracts the trial reading information and the sales information that satisfy predetermined bonus granting conditions; a generation unit that generates predetermined bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions when the extraction unit is able to extract the trial reading information and the sales information that satisfy the bonus granting conditions; and an granting unit that grants the bonus information to the user, wherein the predetermined bonus granting conditions include the user applying for a trial reading of a predetermined e-book within a first period and purchasing a paper book associated with the predetermined e-book within a second period after applying for a trial reading of the predetermined e-book.

[0010] In addition, in an information processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the extraction unit may extract the trial reading information, and if the trial reading information is extracted, identify the type of paper book associated with the specified e-book contained in the trial reading information, and extract the sales information regarding the purchase of the identified paper book after the user has applied for a trial reading of the specified e-book and within the second period, thereby extracting the trial reading information and sales information that satisfy the conditions for granting the bonus.

[0011] In addition, in another form of the information processing device of this embodiment, the specified bonus granting conditions may further include changing the bonus information related to the user depending on the total amount or total number of the paper books purchased by the user.

[0012] In addition, in an information processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the specified bonus granting conditions may further include changing the bonus information for multiple users who subsequently purchase the paper book or a paper book belonging to a specified genre that includes the paper book, depending on the aggregate value of the total amount or total number of each paper book purchased by the multiple users.

[0013] In addition, in an information processing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the specified condition for granting a bonus may be such that the bonus related to the bonus information for multiple users who subsequently purchase the paper book or a paper book belonging to a specified genre that includes the paper book increases as the value of the aggregated value increases or as the value of the aggregated value decreases.

[0014] The information processing method according to this embodiment includes the steps of acquiring sales information indicating the sales status of e-books and paper books associated with a user, extracting the sales information that satisfies predetermined bonus granting conditions, extracting the sales information that satisfies the bonus granting conditions, generating predetermined bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions when the sales information is extracted, and granting the bonus information to the user, wherein the predetermined bonus granting conditions include the user purchasing a predetermined e-book within a first period and, within a second period after purchasing the predetermined e-book, purchasing a paper book associated with the predetermined e-book.

[0015] An information processing method according to another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of acquiring trial reading information indicating the trial reading status of an e-book associated with a user and sales information indicating the sales status of a paper book, extracting the trial reading information and sales information that satisfy predetermined bonus granting conditions, generating predetermined bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions when the trial reading information and the sales information can be extracted, and granting the bonus information to the user, wherein the predetermined bonus granting conditions include the user applying for a trial reading of a predetermined e-book within a first period and purchasing a paper book associated with the predetermined e-book within a second period after applying for a trial reading of the predetermined e-book.

[0016] The program according to this embodiment acquires sales information indicating the sales status of e-books and paper books associated with a user, extracts the sales information that satisfies specified bonus granting conditions, including the user purchasing a specified e-book within a first period and purchasing a paper book associated with the specified e-book after purchasing the specified e-book within a second period, extracts the sales information that satisfies the bonus granting conditions, and, if the sales information is extracted, generates specified bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions and grants the bonus information to the user.

[0017] A program according to another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following steps: acquiring trial reading information indicating the trial reading status of an e-book associated with a user and sales information indicating the sales status of a paper book; extracting the sales information that satisfies specified bonus granting conditions, including the user applying for a trial reading of a specified e-book within a first period and purchasing a paper book associated with the specified e-book within a second period after applying for a trial reading of the specified e-book; extracting the sales information that satisfies the bonus granting conditions; and, if the sales information is extracted, generating specified bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions and granting the bonus information to the user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can encourage a user who has purchased an electronic book to purchase the corresponding paper book. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a privilege granting system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the operation of the server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data table of each DB. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the data table of each DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the process from purchasing an electronic book to receiving a bonus. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the processing steps up to the granting of a bonus when a paper book is available at a bookstore. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating details of determining a benefit condition. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a user terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data table of each DB. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the process from purchasing an electronic book to receiving a bonus. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating details of determining a benefit condition. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server according to the third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data table of a benefit condition DB. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the data table of the benefit condition DB. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the data table of the benefit condition DB. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An example of an information processing device according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the information processing device according to the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment and examples described below.

[0021] The figures shown below are schematic illustrations. Therefore, the size and shape of each part are appropriately exaggerated to facilitate understanding. Furthermore, hatching indicating the cross section of a member is omitted as appropriate in each figure. The numerical values such as dimensions of each member and the names of materials described in this specification are examples of embodiments and are not limited to these, and may be selected and used as appropriate. In this specification, terms specifying shapes or geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and perpendicular, are intended to include not only their strict meanings but also substantially the same state.

[0022] 1. First embodiment A first embodiment of an information processing device according to the present disclosure will be described. The information processing device 1 according to the first embodiment is a server or the like that has a website where electronic books, which are content that has been converted into electronic data from information on books, magazines, comics, newspapers, etc., can be purchased through electronic commerce. In the present disclosure, the information processing device 1 is exemplarily referred to as a server 1, but the information processing device 1 is not limited to a server and may be a simple computer device such as a personal computer.

[0023] The server 1 may only handle e-books as the subject of e-commerce transactions, or may also allow paper books, i.e., paper books, to be purchased. In this embodiment, the server 1 allows the purchase of both e-books and paper books. As shown in FIG. 1, the server 1 is connected to other devices, such as a paper book management server 2, user terminals 3 (3a, 3b), and a store terminal 4 of a store that sells paper books, via a communication network 20 so that they can communicate with each other. The entire set of these devices connected to each other via the communication network 20 constitutes a bonus granting system 10.

[0024] (a) Configuration of the reward system (i) Server

[0025] As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 2, the server 1 includes a control unit 11, an interface unit 12, and a storage unit, which is divided into a main storage unit 13 and an auxiliary storage unit 14. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc., and receives various types of information, performs various calculations and decisions, and outputs various instructions. The interface unit 12 includes, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), etc., and is a component that enables communication with external devices via the communication network 20. The interface unit 12 converts input signals received from various devices via the communication network 20 into data that can be recognized by the control unit 11, and also converts data output from the control unit 11 into an output signal that can be sent to the communication network 20.

[0026] The main memory unit 13 also includes a ROM that mainly stores the boot program and operating system of the control unit 11, and a RAM that is used for temporarily storing data during calculations by the CPU of the control unit 11. The main memory unit 13 also includes a non-volatile rewritable memory such as a flash memory that stores important data such as system parameters.

[0027] On the other hand, the auxiliary storage unit 14 mainly comprises a nonvolatile rewritable memory such as a flash memory, and stores application programs 41, such as information on a program for launching a website for electronic commerce and a program for managing benefits for each user. It also stores information on various databases (DBs), such as a user DB 42, a product DB 43, a purchase history DB 44a, a benefit management DB 45, and a benefit condition DB 46, which are used for managing user benefits.

[0028] Furthermore, when the configuration of the server 1 is broken down functionally, as shown in the functional block diagram of the server 1 in FIG. 3, the server 1 includes an acquisition unit 61, an extraction unit 62, a generation unit 63, and an assignment unit 64. The acquisition unit 61 has a function of acquiring sales information indicating the sales status of electronic books and paper books associated with a user, and the extraction unit 62 has a function of extracting sales information that satisfies predetermined bonus granting conditions from the sales information acquired by the acquisition unit 61. Furthermore, the generation unit 63 has a function of generating predetermined bonus information associated with the bonus granting conditions when the extraction unit 62 extracts the sales information that satisfies the bonus granting conditions, and the assignment unit 64 has a function of assigning the bonus information to the user. This point will be described later.

[0029] As described above, the server 1 operates a website for electronic commerce related to electronic books and paper books, and can accept applications to purchase electronic books and paper books from users via the user terminal 3, as well as applications for trial reading of electronic books. For example, when an application to purchase an electronic book is made, the server 1 confirms that the user has completed a predetermined electronic payment procedure, and then transmits content data of the electronic book in question to the user terminal 3, or makes the content data available for download by the user terminal 3.

[0030] Alternatively, the user may launch a web application program for viewing electronic books on his / her own user terminal 3, and view the content data of the electronic book for a certain period of time on the website of the server 1. When the server 1 sells an electronic book to a user, the server 1 stores the sales information.

[0031] On the other hand, when an application to purchase a paper book is made, the server 1 inquires, for example, to the paper book management server 2 connected via the communication network 20, to check the availability of the paper book in stock, shipping, expected arrival date, etc. Then, the server 1 sends the results to the user terminal 3, confirms that the user has completed the predetermined electronic payment procedure, and then instructs the shipping of the paper book in question. For example, the server 1 sends sales information and shipping instruction information regarding the purchase of the paper book to servers or terminals of bookstores, paper book warehouses, etc. connected via the communication network 20. Furthermore, when the server 1 sells a paper book to a user, it stores the sales information.

[0032] Among the databases included in the auxiliary storage unit 14 of the server 1, the user DB 42 stores various pieces of information for identifying a user as a data table in which the various pieces of information are associated with one another, as shown in FIG. 4. Examples of the various pieces of information for identifying a user include a "user ID" for identifying the user, the user's "name," "address," and "email address." In addition to these, attribute information including personal information such as the user's phone number, gender, age, hobbies, and family structure may also be stored. For example, a user with a "user ID" of "10143565" is uniquely identified.

[0033] The product DB 43a stores a "product ID" that uniquely identifies the type of e-book as key information, linked to optional information such as "genre," "title," "author," and "price." Furthermore, the product DB 43a stores the product IDs of paper books corresponding to the "product ID" of an e-book as the "product ID of the corresponding paper book," linking them together. For example, the "product ID" of a paper book corresponding to an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" is "4130201402."

[0034] Here, a paper book corresponding to an e-book typically refers to an e-book and a paper book that have the same content. However, the paper book corresponding to an e-book does not necessarily have to have the same content as the e-book, and may be linked to the e-book so that they have some kind of relationship to each other. For example, the e-book may be a manga, and the paper book may be a novel that has the same original work as the e-book.

[0035] In addition, if there is no paper book corresponding to the electronic book in the product DB 43a, there will naturally be no corresponding product ID in the "Product ID of Corresponding Paper Book" field. For example, the "Product ID" would be "3751904521."

[0036] In addition to the product DB 43a, the auxiliary storage unit 14 also includes a product DB 43b. The product DB 43b uses a "product ID" that uniquely identifies the type of paper book as key information, and stores arbitrary information such as "genre," "title," "author," and "price" linked to this. However, it goes without saying that there is no item such as "product ID of corresponding paper book" as there is in the product DB 43a. Although not described in detail, the auxiliary storage unit of the paper book management server 2, which will be described later, also includes a product DB 43c, which is a database with the same format as the product DB 43b. This is because the product ID is linked when the paper book management server 2 stores sales information for paper books.

[0037] Furthermore, the purchase history DB 44a uses a "user ID" that identifies a user as key information, and stores a "purchase date and time" that indicates the purchase date and time of an e-book or paper book, and a "product ID" that identifies the product, which is the type of e-book or paper book, linked to this. For example, it can be seen that a user with a "user ID" of "10143565" purchased an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" at a "purchase date and time" of "June 15, 2021, 3:24 PM." Sales information refers to information that includes at least such information that identifies a user, information that identifies a purchased product, and information that associates the purchase date or purchase date and time of the purchased product.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the benefit management DB 45 stores a "user ID" in association with the details of the benefits possessed by the user, such as the number of points. The number of points is not limited to the total number of points, but may be stored so as to identify the breakdown of special points, such as those with limited time or use, and may also include information other than the number of points, such as various coupons. For example, a user with a "user ID" of "10143565" currently possesses "2025" points. For example, one point is converted into a predetermined amount, which is deducted from the purchase price when purchasing a product, effectively allowing the user to receive a discount service.

[0039] The benefit condition DB 46 is composed of a benefit condition DB 46p and a benefit condition DB 46q, and uses a "condition ID" that uniquely identifies the benefit granting condition as key information, and stores various conditions for granting a benefit and the benefits granted when these conditions are met in association with this. These are, for example, the "target user ID," "target product ID (e-book)," "target product ID (paper book)," "purchase order," "target product purchase period (e-book)," "target product purchase period (paper book)," and "number of granted points" shown in the benefit condition DBs 46p and 46q in Fig. 5.

[0040] In the example shown in Figure 5, the reward condition for "Condition ID" "1011" is "All users" as the "Target User ID." In other words, all users are eligible for the reward. The first condition is that the user purchases an e-book with a "Target Product ID (e-book)" of "2915022185" between "June 1, 2021, 0:00" and "June 28, 2021, 23:59," which is the "Target Product Purchase Period (e-book)." The second condition is that the user purchases a paper book with a "Target Product ID (paper book)" of "4130201402" between "June 8, 2021, 0:00" and "July 5, 2021, 23:59," which is the "Target Product Purchase Period (paper book)." The third condition is that the user purchases the paper book after the e-book in the "Purchase Order" of "E-book first and paper book second."

[0041] The bonus condition with a "condition ID" of "1011" specifies that a user who satisfies all of the above first, second, and third conditions will be awarded "ten times the normal number of points." Note that the conditions in the bonus condition DB 46q in Fig. 5 are applicable to the two combinations of "target product ID (e-book)" and "target product ID (paper book)" in the bonus condition DB 46p.

[0042] (ii) Paper book management server and store terminal In this embodiment, the devices constituting the reward system 10 include a server 1 capable of selling both e-books and paper books through e-commerce, as well as a paper book management server 2 dedicated to managing the sales of paper books. This is in consideration of the fact that the sales flows of online stores that primarily sell e-books and large bookstores that specialize in selling paper books are often managed by separate servers. The paper book management server 2 obtains and stores sales information for paper books via store terminals 4 installed at each bookstore. The store terminals 4 are, for example, personal computers, tablets, smartphones, etc. However, the configuration of this embodiment is not limited to this. The acquisition of sales information for paper books at bookstores may also be consolidated on server 1, and the reward system 10 may be configured without the paper book management server 2.

[0043] The paper book management server 2 may have the same configuration as the server 1 described above, and may include a control unit, an interface unit, and a storage unit as shown in the block diagram of Figure 2. Both the paper book management server 2 and the store terminal 4 can be connected to a communication network 20, enabling communication between the paper book management server 2 and the store terminal 4, and communication between the paper book management server 2 and the server 1.

[0044] The paper book management server 2 includes a purchase history DB 44b, a database not shown, in the auxiliary storage unit. By combining the purchase history DB 44b with the above-mentioned purchase history DB 44a, the purchase history DB 44b can capture all sales information related to the user's electronic books and paper books. The data stored in the purchase history DB 44b has the same structure as the purchase history DB 44a, as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the data has a structure in which "user ID," "purchase date and time," and "product ID" are linked.

[0045] As will be described later, the paper book management server 2 receives an instruction from the acquisition unit 61 of the server 1 as necessary and transmits the sales information data to the server 1.

[0046] (iii) User terminal The user terminal 3 is a tool that allows a user to carry out e-commerce procedures, such as purchasing an electronic book or a paper book, mainly by inputting data via a website provided by the server 1. The user terminal 3 is, for example, a communication terminal equipped with input operation functions and display functions, such as a smartphone, personal computer, or tablet. The user terminal 3 can be connected to the communication network 20 and can communicate with the server 1.

[0047] (b) Processing details of the reward system Next, the processing contents of the privilege granting system 10 of this embodiment will be described, focusing mainly on the processing of the server 1.

[0048] First, the user uses the user terminal 3 to access a website related to e-commerce of electronic books and paper books provided by the server 1, and displays the product site page on the screen (step S201 in FIG. 6). Next, the user logs in to the website (step S202). In this embodiment, the user is registered as a member eligible to receive benefits in the e-commerce transaction, etc., and has a unique user ID and dedicated password, etc., that are used when logging in to the website. Note that if it is desired to limit access to the website to registered member users only, the following can be done. That is, the control unit 11 of the server 1 may determine whether the user is a legitimate registered user based on the input information (e.g., user ID) entered by the user into the user terminal 3 at the time of login by comparing the input information with a list in the user DB 42.

[0049] After the user logs in to the website, a campaign information notification screen is displayed on the display screen of the user terminal 3, informing member users that a specific benefit will be given to those who purchase products that satisfy specific conditions within a specific period of time (step S203). An example of the notification screen is shown in Figure 9(a). If the campaign is targeted only at specific member users, the user who accessed the website may be identified based on the information entered at the time of login, and the notification screen may be displayed only when the user is a target user of the campaign.

[0050] The user selects the electronic book or paper book that he or she wishes to purchase on the website (step S204). Specifically, the user selects the product by clicking a predetermined location on the desired product while viewing the display screen of the website and moving the desired product to the electronic cart.

[0051] Next, the user performs the purchase process for the selected e-book or paper book (step S205). Specifically, while viewing the display screen of the website, the user clicks on a predetermined location to indicate their intention to purchase or confirm the desired product that has been moved to the electronic cart. Thereafter, as necessary, the user downloads the content data of the e-book, specifies the delivery address and delivery date and time of the paper book, and so on. Here, the control unit 11 stores information related to the purchase of the e-book or paper book associated with the user, i.e., sales information, in the purchase history DB 44a (step S211).

[0052] Next, the server 1 checks whether the reward conditions are met based on the sales information sequentially accumulated in the purchase history DB 44a and the purchase history DB 44b of the paper book management server 2, and if the reward conditions are met, calculates the reward (step S212). This step will be described in detail later. After the content of the reward for each user is determined in this manner, the control unit 11 stores the reward information in the reward management DB 45 as reward information for each user, specifically, as information on the total number of points for each user (step S213). In other words, in terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1, the granting unit 64 of the server 1 grants a predetermined reward to the user. Granting a reward to a user means that the user acquires the right to receive services such as a discount on the purchase price when purchasing a product, etc., in accordance with the granted reward.

[0053] The user can check this benefit information, specifically the total number of points owned by the user, on the display screen of the user terminal 3 (step S206). This allows the user to choose whether or not to use some or all of the points he or she owns to receive a benefit of a discount on the purchase price when purchasing an electronic book or a paper book on the website.

[0054] On the other hand, the processing of the benefit granting system 10 when a user visits a bookstore to purchase a paper book rather than from a website will be described below. First, the user visits the bookstore, selects a paper book, takes it to the cash register, and pays. At this time, the user presents the membership card issued when registering as a member to the store clerk, or directly reads the card information using a reader attached to the store terminal 4 (step S221 in FIG. 7). This is to link information related to the purchase of the paper book, i.e., sales information, with the user ID.

[0055] Furthermore, when purchasing a paper book at a bookstore, the clerk has a reader read a predetermined barcode or the like displayed on the paper book. This allows the product ID of the paper book to be identified. Once the paper book purchase process is completed in this manner (step S222), the sales information is stored in the purchase history DB 44b of the paper book management server 2 via the store terminal 4. Thereafter, the server 1 checks whether the bonus conditions are met, calculates the bonus when they are met (step S241), and stores the bonus grant information (step S242), in the same manner as in steps S212 and S213 described above.

[0056] Next, the details of the server 1's confirmation of the applicability of the benefit conditions and calculation of the benefit when the conditions are met (step S212) will be described. The control unit 11 searches the purchase history stored in the purchase history DBs 44a and 44b and extracts sales information for e-books that satisfy the benefit conditions specified in the benefit condition DB 46 (step S251 in FIG. 8). In other words, in terms of the function of the server 1's computer processing program, the acquisition unit 61 of the server 1 extracts sales information that satisfies the specified benefit granting conditions. For example, according to the purchase history DB 44a, a user with a "user ID" of "10143565" purchased an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" on "June 15, 2021." Therefore, the product ID of the "target product ID (e-book)" and the purchase period specified in the "target product purchase period (e-book)" of the benefit granting condition for which the "condition ID" in the benefit condition DB 46 is "1011" are satisfied. This period may be referred to as a first period, and sales information regarding the purchase of a specific electronic book during the first period may be referred to as first sales information.

[0057] When the extraction unit 62 extracts sales information that meets the conditions in this way (step S252), it searches for purchase histories of paper books that meet the conditions corresponding to the e-book (step S253). At this time, in addition to the purchase history DB 44a of the server 1, information in the purchase history DB 44b of the paper book management server 2 is also searched (step S261). Then, sales information of paper books that satisfy the bonus conditions defined in the bonus condition DB 46 is extracted (step S254). This can also be said to be the acquisition unit 61 of the server 1 extracting sales information that meets the predetermined bonus conditions. For example, according to the purchase history DB 44a, the user previously mentioned purchased a paper book with a "product ID" of "4130201402" corresponding to an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" after purchasing the e-book, i.e., according to the specified "purchase order." In addition, the purchase period specified in the "Target Product Purchase Period (Paper Book)" of the benefit granting conditions, whose "Condition ID" in the benefit condition DB 46 is "1011," is met. This period may be referred to as the second period, and sales information regarding the purchase of a specified paper book within the second period may be referred to as the second sales information.

[0058] When the extraction unit 62 extracts sales information that meets the conditions (step S255), the reward conditions are determined, and the reward to be granted to the user is identified (step S256). That is, since the control unit 11 has extracted sales information that satisfies the reward condition DB 46 from the contents of the purchase histories 44a and 44b, the control unit 11 calculates the reward of "10 times the normal points," which is listed in the "Number of Granted Points" field in the reward condition DB 46. In other words, in terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1, the generation unit 63 of the server 1 generates predetermined reward information associated with the reward granting conditions. Furthermore, the control unit 11 adds the calculated reward, such as points, to the value of the "Number of Points" field in the reward management DB 45 associated with the user, and stores the added reward. In terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1, the granting unit 64 of the server 1 grants the reward information to the user, as described above.

[0059] If the extraction unit 62 is unable to extract sales information that meets the conditions (steps S252 and S255), the series of operations is terminated without determining the conditions for the benefit.

[0060] (c) Information processing device of the first embodiment In summary, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment, i.e., the server 1, includes an acquisition unit 61 that acquires sales information indicating the sales status of electronic books and paper books associated with a user, and an extraction unit 62 that extracts sales information that satisfies a predetermined bonus granting condition. Furthermore, the information processing device 1 includes a generation unit 63 that, when the extraction unit 62 extracts sales information that satisfies the bonus granting condition, generates predetermined bonus information associated with the bonus granting condition, and an assignment unit 64 that assigns the bonus information to the user. The predetermined bonus granting condition includes the user purchasing a predetermined electronic book within a first period and, within a second period, purchasing a paper book associated with the predetermined electronic book after purchasing the predetermined electronic book.

[0061] The information processing device 1 described above is expected to have the following effects. First, if a user who has purchased an e-book during a specified campaign period wishes to reread the paper book corresponding to the e-book, or wishes to keep the paper book as their own property, the incentive to purchase the paper book can be increased. This is because by purchasing a paper book that meets specified conditions within a specified period, a user who has purchased an e-book can enjoy specified benefits, making it easier to obtain the paper book under favorable conditions such as discounts.

[0062] Furthermore, the sales trends of e-books and paper books do not necessarily coincide, and there are cases where e-book sales are high but paper books with the same content are low, or vice versa. However, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment can increase sales of both e-books and paper books by encouraging purchasers of e-books to also purchase the corresponding paper books. Furthermore, users can have more experiences reading the same book as both an e-book and a paper book, and it is thought that reading the same book from multiple perspectives will deepen users' understanding of the book's contents.

[0063] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 and the reward system 10 of this embodiment do not require users to enter campaigns in advance. They are designed to be compatible with devices and systems used for managing sales and rewards for standard e-books and paper books. In other words, they can be easily applied even when there are separate servers operating in the sales flow of an online store focused on e-books and a large bookstore specializing in paper books. In this case, sales information acquired by both servers is collected in real time, items that meet specified reward conditions are extracted, and rewards are awarded to the corresponding users. This minimizes the need for new equipment and program development, except for the program development required to extract sales conditions that meet the specified reward conditions, thereby reducing the cost burden on bookstores and operators.

[0064] 2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the information processing device of the present disclosure will be described, mainly focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 10, the information processing device 1a (server 1a) according to the second embodiment differs from the server 1 according to the first embodiment in that it further includes a preview history DB 47 in the auxiliary storage unit 14a.

[0065] (a) Configuration of information processing device As shown in FIG. 11, the trial reading history DB 47 of the server 1a stores a "user ID" as key information, which is associated with a "trial reading application date and time" indicating the date and time of the trial reading application for the e-book, and a "product ID" identifying the product, either an e-book or a paper book. For example, a user with a "user ID" of "1062943" applied for a trial reading of an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" at 1:19 PM on June 8, 2021, which is the "trial reading application date and time." The trial reading information includes at least information identifying the user, information identifying the trial reading product, and information associated with the trial reading application date or trial reading application date and time for the trial reading product. Note that instead of the "trial reading application date and time," the download date and time of the trial reading content data may be stored in the trial reading history DB 47 as part of the trial reading information.

[0066] The processing content of the server 1a in the second embodiment is the same as the processing content of the server 1 in the first embodiment, except that the first sales information, which is sales information of electronic books in a first period, is replaced with trial reading information of electronic books in the first period. That is, the specific grant condition in this embodiment is that after trial reading a predetermined electronic book within a predetermined period, the corresponding paper book is purchased within the predetermined period.

[0067] When a trial reading request is made to the server 1a's website, the server 1a does not confirm the user's payment procedures, etc., because the trial reading is free of charge. In this case, the server 1a transmits the content data of the electronic book to the user terminal 3, or makes the content data available for download by the user terminal 3. If the trial reading is for only a part of the electronic book, rather than the entire book, the server 1a transmits only that part of the content data of the electronic book to the user terminal 3, or makes the content data available for download by the user terminal 3. Furthermore, when the server 1a allows the user to trial read an electronic book, the server 1a stores the trial reading information in the trial reading history DB 47.

[0068] The benefit condition DB 46 is composed of a benefit condition DB 46r and a benefit condition DB 46s, and stores various conditions for benefit provision and benefits that are granted when these conditions are met, linked to a "condition ID" that uniquely identifies the benefit provision condition as key information. For example, these are the "target user ID," "target product ID (e-book)," "target product ID (paper book)," "trial reading / purchase order," "target product trial reading period (e-book)," "target product purchase period (paper book)," and "number of granted points" shown in the benefit condition DBs 46r and 46s in Fig. 11.

[0069] In the example shown in Figure 11, the bonus condition for "Condition ID" "1012" is "All users" as the "Target User ID." In other words, all users are eligible for bonuses. The first condition is that the user applies for a trial reading of an e-book with a "Target Product ID (e-book)" of "2915022185" during the "Target Product Trial Reading Period (e-book)" from "June 1, 2021, 0:00" to "June 21, 2021, 23:59." The second condition is that the user purchases a paper book with a "Target Product ID (paper book)" of "4130201402" during the "Target Product Purchase Period (paper book)" from "June 8, 2021, 0:00" to "June 28, 2021, 23:59." Furthermore, the third condition is that the user purchases the paper book after applying for a trial reading of the electronic book, which is the "trial reading purchase order" of "electronic book first and paper book second."

[0070] The reward condition with a "condition ID" of "1012" specifies that a user who satisfies all of the above first, second, and third conditions will be awarded 10 times the normal number of points. The conditions in the reward condition DB 46s in FIG. 11 are applicable to the two combinations of "target product ID (e-book)" and "target product ID (paper book)" in the reward condition DB 46r. The reward system including the server 1a has the same configuration as the reward system 10 of the first embodiment, except for the configuration of the server 1a.

[0071] (b) Processing details of the reward system Next, the processing contents of the privilege granting system of this embodiment will be described, focusing mainly on the processing of the server 1a.

[0072] First, the user uses the user terminal 3 to access a website related to e-commerce of electronic books and paper books provided by the server 1a. A page of the product site is displayed on the screen, and the user then logs in to the website (steps S271 and S272 in FIG. 12). A campaign information screen is also displayed, announcing that a specific benefit will be provided (step S273). Next, the user selects an electronic book product for which they wish to read a free trial on the website (step S274). Specifically, the user clicks on a specific location corresponding to the desired product while viewing the display screen of the website, and selects the product for trial reading.

[0073] The user then applies for a trial reading of the selected electronic book (step S275). Specifically, the user applies for a trial reading of the electronic book by performing a predetermined operation on the display screen of the website. After the application process is completed, the user downloads content data for some or all of the electronic books prepared for trial reading to the user's own user terminal 3 or the like (step S275). Here, the control unit 11 stores information related to the product trial reading application for the electronic book associated with the user, i.e., trial reading information, in the trial reading history DB 47 (step S281).

[0074] Next, the server 1a checks whether the reward conditions are met based on the sample reading information sequentially accumulated in the sample reading history DB 47 and the sales information sequentially accumulated in the purchase history DB 44a of the server 1a and the purchase history DB 44b of the paper book management server 2. If the reward conditions are met, the reward is calculated (step S282). This step will be described in detail later. After the content of the reward for each user is determined in this manner, the control unit 11 stores the reward information for each user in the reward management DB 45 as reward information for each user, specifically, as information on the total number of points for each user (step S283). In other words, in terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1a, the granting unit 64 of the server 1a grants the predetermined reward to the user.

[0075] The user can check this benefit information, specifically the total number of points owned by the user, on the display screen of the user terminal 3 (step S276).

[0076] On the other hand, when a user visits a bookstore to purchase a paper book rather than from a website, the processing contents of the special offer system are as described above.

[0077] Next, the details of the server 1a's confirmation of the applicability of the benefit conditions and calculation of the benefit when the conditions are met (step S282) will be described. The control unit 11 searches the trial reading history stored in the trial reading history DB 47 and extracts trial reading information for e-books that satisfy the benefit conditions specified in the benefit condition DB 46 (step S291 in FIG. 13). In other words, in terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1a, the acquisition unit 61 of the server 1a extracts trial reading information that satisfies the predetermined benefit granting conditions. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, according to the trial reading history DB 47, a user with a "user ID" of "1062943" applied for trial reading of an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" on "June 8, 2021." Furthermore, the product ID of the "target product ID (e-book)" of the benefit granting condition for which the "condition ID" in the benefit condition DB 46 is "1012" and the trial reading period specified in the "target product trial reading period (e-book)" are satisfied. This period may be referred to as the first period.

[0078] When the extraction unit 62 extracts trial reading information that meets the conditions (step S292), it searches for purchase histories of paper books that meet the conditions for the e-book (step S293). At this time, it also searches information in the purchase history DB 44b of the paper book management server 2 in addition to the purchase history DB 44a of the server 1a (step S297). Then, it extracts sales information for paper books that meet the conditions specified in the reward condition DB 46 (step S294). This can also be said to be the acquisition unit 61 of the server 1a extracting sales information that meets the predetermined reward conditions. For example, according to the purchase history DB 44a, the user previously mentioned purchased a paper book with a "product ID" of "4130201402" corresponding to an e-book with a "product ID" of "2915022185" after applying for a trial reading of the e-book, i.e., according to the specified "trial reading purchase order." The purchase period is also satisfied as defined in the "Target Product Purchase Period (Paper Book)" of the benefit granting conditions for which the "Condition ID" in the benefit condition DB 46 is "1012." This period may be referred to as the second period.

[0079] When the extraction unit 62 extracts sales information that meets the conditions (step S295), the reward conditions are determined, and the reward to be granted to the user is identified (step S296). That is, the control unit 11 extracts sample reading information and sales information that satisfy the reward condition DB 46 from the contents of the sample reading history DB 47 and the contents of the purchase histories 44a and 44b. Therefore, the control unit 11 calculates the reward, "10 times the normal points," described in the "Number of Granted Points" field of the reward condition DB 46. In other words, in terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1a, the generation unit 63 of the server 1a generates predetermined reward information associated with the reward granting conditions. The control unit 11 then adds the calculated reward, such as points, to the "Number of Points" value in the reward management DB 45 associated with the user, and stores the result. In other words, in terms of the function of the computer processing program of the server 1a, the granting unit 64 of the server 1a grants the reward information to the user.

[0080] (c) Information processing device according to the second embodiment In summary, the information processing device 1a, i.e., the server 1a, of this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 61 that acquires trial reading information indicating the trial reading status of an e-book associated with a user and sales information indicating the sales status of a paper book, and an extraction unit 62 that extracts trial reading information and sales information that satisfy a predetermined reward condition. Furthermore, the information processing device 1a includes a generation unit 63 that generates predetermined reward information associated with the reward condition when the extraction unit 62 extracts trial reading information and sales information that satisfy the reward condition, and an assignment unit 64 that assigns the reward information to the user. The predetermined reward condition includes the user applying for trial reading of a predetermined e-book within a first period and purchasing a paper book associated with the predetermined e-book within a second period after applying for trial reading of the predetermined e-book.

[0081] The information processing device 1a described above is expected to have the following effects. First, if a user who has previewed an e-book during a specified campaign period wishes to continue reading the corresponding paper book, or wishes to keep the paper book as their own property, the incentive to purchase the paper book can be increased. Previewing a paper book directly requires the user to go to a bookstore or the like and actually read the book on the spot, which is inconvenient for the user. However, for users who prefer paper books to e-books, if they can preview a portion of the e-book and decide whether or not to purchase the paper book, the user can easily decide whether to purchase the paper book, thereby increasing user convenience.

[0082] Furthermore, by allowing users to preview e-books, it is possible to increase the frequency of purchases of paper books by users who prefer paper books. Previewing e-books makes it easier to understand the content, which leads to an increased desire for users to purchase paper books. In addition, by encouraging users who prefer e-books to purchase paper books, it is possible to increase sales of both e-books and paper books, and similar to the above, reading the same book from multiple perspectives deepens users' understanding of the content.

[0083] 3. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the information processing device of the present disclosure will be described, mainly focusing on differences from the first embodiment. As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 14, an information processing device 1b (server 1b) according to the third embodiment differs from the server 1 of the first embodiment in that an analysis DB 48 is further provided in the auxiliary storage unit 14b.

[0084] The analytical DB 48 of the server 1b is composed of analytical DBs 48p and 48q. The analytical DB 48 may also include all or some of analytical DBs 48r, 48s, 48t, and 48u, as necessary. As shown in FIG. 15, the analytical DB 48p stores the following information in association with a "condition ID" that uniquely identifies the reward conditions. For example, the analytical DB 48p stores a "user ID" that identifies the user. The analytical DB 48p also stores a "purchase amount of e-books during a period," which is the total amount of purchases of specific e-books during a specific period (the first period in the first embodiment), and a "number of e-books purchased during a period," which is the total number of purchases. The analytical DB 48p also stores a "purchase amount of paper books during a period," which is the total amount of purchases of specific paper books during a specific period (the second period in the first embodiment), and a "number of paper books purchased during a period," which is the total number of purchases. The analytical DB 48p also includes a "user grade," which determines the level of rewards to be given to the user based on these values.

[0085] On the other hand, the analysis DB 48q stores information specifying "conditions" that are conditions for determining the level of the "user grade," using a "condition ID" that uniquely identifies the benefit granting condition as key information. For example, if the total amount of purchases of the specified paper books during the second period is less than 2,000 yen or if the total number of purchases is one or less, the "user grade" is "C." Also, if the total amount of purchases of the specified paper books during the second period is 2,000 yen or more but less than 5,000 yen, or if the total number of purchases is two or more but not more than four, the "user grade" is "B." Furthermore, if the total amount of purchases of the specified paper books during the second period is 5,000 yen or more, or if the total number of purchases is five or more, the "user grade" is "A."

[0086] As a result of applying this, for example, in analysis DB48p, a user with a "Condition ID" of "1013" and a "User ID" of "10143565" purchased a total of 1,760 yen worth of designated paper books during the second period, and the total number of books purchased was one, so the "User Grade" is "C." Also, a user with a "User ID" of "10144722" purchased a total of 1,826 yen worth of designated paper books during the second period, and the total number of books purchased was one, so the "User Grade" is "C."

[0087] In this way, when a user grade is determined for each user, the reward may be awarded as follows. For example, as shown in the analysis DB 48t of FIG. 17, for a user whose user grade is "C," points are awarded for all target products at "10 times the normal points" as the "scope of application of the changed user grade." For a user whose user grade is "B," several options are provided as the "scope of application of the changed user grade." That is, points are awarded for all target products at "20 times the normal points," points are awarded only for products in the same genre as the purchased product at "20 times the normal points," or points are awarded only for products in a different genre from the purchased product at "20 times the normal points." For a user whose user grade is "A," the same options as above are provided as the "scope of application of the changed user grade," and points are awarded at "30 times the normal points."

[0088] As described above, in this embodiment, the predetermined reward condition includes changing the reward information for the user according to the total amount or total number of paper books purchased by the user. As a result, as the total purchase amount or total number of paper books purchased during the second period increases, the degree of reward given to the user increases, for example, gradually or proportionally, thereby further increasing the incentive for purchasers of e-books to purchase the corresponding paper books. Furthermore, by expanding the scope of eligible products for the reward to all, it is possible to promote the purchase of paper books across many genres, contributing to an increase in overall sales of paper books.

[0089] On the other hand, by limiting the products eligible for the bonus to those in the same genre as the purchased product, it is possible to further promote the purchase of paper books that are in line with the user's preferences and satisfy the user's needs. Conversely, by limiting the products eligible for the bonus to those in a genre different from the purchased product, it is possible to contribute to expanding the user's interest in books in new genres that are different from their own preferences, leading to an expansion of the genres that users read and an increase in overall sales of paper books.

[0090] The changes to the conditions for granting special offers may be reflected to users in real time during a campaign currently running, or after the campaign ends, the changes may be notified as conditions for granting special offers that will be applicable to the next campaign. In the latter case, when the user opens the website during or before the next campaign, a notification screen such as that shown in Figure 9(b) may be displayed to guide the user toward purchasing promotions in the next campaign.

[0091] Furthermore, the analytical database 48r not only changes the conditions for granting rewards based on the purchase history of paper books of individual users, but also changes and reflects the conditions for granting rewards commonly to multiple users based on the purchase history of the users. As shown in FIG. 16, the analytical database 48r uses a "condition ID" that uniquely identifies the conditions for granting rewards as key information, and includes a "print book purchase amount ranking during a period" that indicates the ranking of users based on the highest total purchase amount of a specific print book during a predetermined period, which is the second period. It also includes a "number of paper books purchased during a period" that indicates the ranking of users based on the highest total number of purchases of a specific print book during a predetermined period, which is the second period. It also includes a "product grade" that determines the level of the rewards to be granted to the multiple users based on these values.

[0092] On the other hand, the analysis DB48s stores information specifying "conditions" that are conditions for determining the level of the "product grade," using a "condition ID" that uniquely identifies the bonus grant condition as key information. For example, if the ranking of the total amount of purchases of the specified paper books during the second period exceeds the top 20% of the target items, or if the ranking of the total number of purchases exceeds the top 20% of the target items, the "product grade" is "C." Also, if the ranking of the total amount of purchases of the specified paper books during the second period exceeds the top 10% but is within the top 20% of the target items, or if the ranking of the total number of purchases exceeds the top 10% but is within the top 20% of the target items, the "product grade" is "B." Furthermore, if the ranking of the total amount of purchases of the specified paper books during the second period is within the top 10% of the target items, or if the ranking of the total number of purchases is within the top 10% of the target items, the "product grade" is "A." By doing so, the more popular a paper book is, the greater the bonus given, which has the advantage that it becomes easier for users to purchase popular paper books.

[0093] As a result of applying this, for example, the paper book with "Condition ID" "1014" and "Product ID" "2703155734" in the analysis DB48r is ranked third out of 30 target items in terms of total purchase amount by multiple users during the second period. Therefore, the "Product Grade" in this case is "A".

[0094] 16, the expressions "above the top 20%," "above the top 10% and within 20%," and "within the top 10%" may be interpreted as "above the bottom 20%," "above the bottom 10% and within 20%," and "within the bottom 10%," respectively. By doing so, the lower the sales of a paper book product, the greater the degree of bonus given, making it easier to purchase paper books in new genres that are unpopular but not often purchased by users, which has the advantage of expanding the range of user preferences.

[0095] In this way, when a product grade is determined for each paper book product, bonus points may be awarded as follows. For example, as shown in the analysis database 48u in FIG. 17, if the product grade is "C," all users are awarded points equivalent to "10 times the normal points" for all target products as the "scope of application of the changed product grade." For users whose product grade is "B," several options are provided for the "scope of application of the changed product grade." That is, points equivalent to "20 times the normal points" are awarded only to the target product; points equivalent to "20 times the normal points" are awarded to products in the same genre as the target product; or points equivalent to "20 times the normal points" are awarded only to products in a different genre from the target product. For products whose product grade is "A," all users are awarded points equivalent to "30 times the normal points" after providing the same options as above for the "scope of application of the changed product grade."

[0096] As described above, the predetermined benefit condition may include changing the benefit information for multiple users who subsequently purchase a paper book or a paper book belonging to a predetermined genre that includes paper books, in accordance with a total value of the total amount or number of paper books purchased by the multiple users. Furthermore, the predetermined benefit condition may be configured so that the benefit related to the benefit information for multiple users who subsequently purchase a paper book or a paper book belonging to a predetermined genre that includes paper books increases as the total value increases or decreases.

[0097] In this way, the greater the total purchase amount or number of a specified paper book purchased by multiple users during the second period, the greater the degree of bonus given to those multiple users when they purchase that product, for example, in stages or proportionately. This makes it possible to promote the purchase of paper books for items that have a high purchase rate for paper books after purchasing e-books. Therefore, convenience is improved for users, as it becomes easier to purchase products that are attractive as paper books.

[0098] Conversely, the smaller the total purchase amount or number of a given paper book purchased by multiple users during the second period, the greater the degree of bonus given to those users when they purchase that product, for example, in stages or proportionately. This can promote the purchase of paper books for items that have a low purchase rate for paper books after purchasing e-books. This improves convenience for users by broadening their paper book preferences and making it easier to purchase products that are attractive in content even if they are not popular in the market.

[0099] Furthermore, by expanding the scope of eligible products for bonuses to all, it is possible to promote the purchase of paper books in many genres, contributing to an increase in sales of paper books overall. On the other hand, by limiting eligible products for bonuses to products in the same genre as products ranked high in purchase amount or number of purchases, it is possible to broaden the range of purchases by users to include popular paper books and other paper books in the same genre. This will further promote the purchase of paper books in popular genres among users, satisfying their needs.

[0100] Conversely, by limiting the products eligible for the bonus to those in a genre different from the top-ranked products in terms of purchase amount or number of purchases, users can broaden their tastes to genres other than their most popular genres and increase their interest in books in new genres, which will lead to an expansion of the genres users read and an increase in sales of paper books overall.

[0101] The "user grade" mechanism, which sets different conditions for granting rewards for each individual user as exemplified above, and the "product grade" mechanism, which sets different conditions for granting rewards for each product common to multiple users based on the purchase history of paper books by multiple users, may be operated in parallel in the same information processing device or reward system. Furthermore, in the analysis DB48q and analysis DB48s in Figure 15, the items listed as alternatives using the expression "or" in the "Conditions" item may be unified to either conditions related to purchase amount or conditions related to purchase quantity.

[0102] For example, the "conditions" for the "user grade" of the analysis DB48q to be "C," "B," and "A" may be, respectively, "the purchase amount of paper books corresponding to the e-books during the period is less than 2,000 yen," "the purchase amount of paper books corresponding to the e-books during the period is 2,000 yen or more but less than 5,000 yen," and "the purchase amount of paper books corresponding to the e-books during the period is 5,000 yen or more." Alternatively, they may be "the number of paper books purchased during the period corresponding to the e-books is one or less," "the number of paper books purchased during the period corresponding to the e-books is two or more but four or less," and "the number of paper books purchased during the period corresponding to the e-books is five or more." This is because the same effect as described above can be obtained in this case as well.

[0103] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the description is based on the premise that the reward condition is that a user purchases a predetermined e-book within a first period and, after purchasing the predetermined e-book, purchases a paper book associated with the predetermined e-book within a second period. However, the information processing device and the reward granting system of the third embodiment may be based on the second embodiment. That is, the reward condition may be that a user applies for a trial reading of a predetermined e-book within a first period and, after purchasing the trial reading of the predetermined e-book, purchases a paper book associated with the predetermined e-book within a second period. Note that the processing content of the reward granting system in the third embodiment is the same as the processing content of the reward granting system in the first or second embodiment, except that the reward granting condition is changed via the analysis database 48 as described above, and therefore a description thereof is omitted.

[0104] Furthermore, the storage data configurations of the user DB42, product DB43, purchase history DB44, benefit management DB45, benefit condition DB46, trial reading history DB47 and analysis DB48 illustrated in each embodiment are merely examples, and it goes without saying that the contents of the data values, conditions, etc. may be changed, deleted or added as appropriate as long as it is in line with the intent of this disclosure.

[0105] In addition, the control processing and other processing by the information processing device according to each embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above, can also be achieved by the information processing device reading and executing program code such as a processing program that constitutes software for realizing each function of the embodiment.

[0106] Therefore, the program code itself and the storage medium on which the program code is recorded also constitute the present disclosure. Examples of storage media on which the program code is recorded include, but are not limited to, hard disks, USB memory, SD (registered trademark) cards, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, IC cards, DVD-ROMs, and DVD-Rs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1, 1a, 1b Information processing device, server 2. Paper book management server 3, 3a, 3b User terminal 4. Store terminals 10. Bonus system 11 Control section 12 Interface section 13 Main memory 14, 14a, 14b Auxiliary storage 20. Communication Networks 41 Application Programs 42 User DB 43, 43a, 43b, 43c Product DB 44, 44a, 44b Purchase history DB 45 Benefit management DB 46, 46p, 46q, 46r Bonus Conditions DB 47 Trial Reading History DB 48, 48p, 48q, 48r, 48s, 48t, 48u analysis DB 61 Acquisition Department 62 Extraction part 63 Generation part 64 Granting Department

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires sales information indicating sales status of electronic books and paper books at bookstores associated with a user; an extraction unit that extracts the sales information that satisfies a predetermined benefit granting condition; a generating unit configured to generate predetermined benefit information associated with the benefit providing condition when the extracting unit extracts the sales information that satisfies the benefit providing condition; an awarding unit that awards the benefit information to the user; a reader that reads a predetermined barcode displayed on the paper book to identify the paper book when the paper book is purchased at a bookstore; An information processing device, wherein the specified conditions for granting a bonus include the user purchasing a specified e-book within a first period and, within a second period, purchasing a paper book associated with the specified e-book at a bookstore after purchasing the specified e-book.

2. the extraction unit extracts, from the sales information, first sales information which is sales information relating to purchases of the predetermined electronic book within the first period for each user; If the first sales information is extracted, the type of paper book associated with the predetermined electronic book included in the first sales information is identified; extracting second sales information that is sales information related to purchases of the paper books of the specified type within the second period after the purchase of the predetermined electronic book for each user; The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the extraction unit extracts the sales information that satisfies the benefit providing condition by extracting both the first sales information and the second sales information.

3. An information processing device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the generation unit further includes changing the bonus information regarding the user depending on the total amount or total number of the paper books that the user purchases.

4. An information processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the generation unit further includes changing the bonus information regarding multiple users who subsequently purchase the paper book or a paper book belonging to a specified genre that includes the paper book, depending on the aggregate value of the total amount or total number of each paper book purchased by the multiple users.

5. The information processing device described in Claim 4, wherein the generation unit increases the benefits related to the benefit information for multiple users who subsequently purchase the paper book or a paper book belonging to a specified genre that includes the paper book, as the value of the aggregated value becomes larger or as the value of the aggregated value becomes smaller.

6. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, comprising: acquiring sales information indicating sales status of electronic books and paper books at bookstores associated with the user; extracting the sales information that satisfies a predetermined benefit granting condition; generating predetermined benefit information associated with the benefit granting condition when the sales information is extracted; providing the reward information to the user; a step of reading a predetermined barcode displayed on the paper book to identify the paper book when the paper book is purchased at a bookstore; An information processing method in which the specified conditions for granting a bonus include the user purchasing a specified e-book within a first period and, within a second period, purchasing a paper book associated with the specified e-book at a bookstore after purchasing the specified e-book.

7. Acquire sales information indicating the sales status of electronic books and paper books at bookstores associated with the user; extracting the sales information that satisfies a predetermined benefit granting condition, including the user purchasing a predetermined electronic book within a first period and purchasing a paper book associated with the predetermined electronic book at a bookstore within a second period after purchasing the predetermined electronic book; If the sales information is extracted, predetermined benefit information associated with the benefit granting condition is generated; granting the benefit information to the user; A program that causes a computer to execute a process of reading a predetermined barcode displayed on a paper book to identify the paper book when the paper book is purchased at a bookstore.

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