Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

A method is provided for simultaneously detecting the amount of change over time in users and brands. [Solution] The information processing device of the present application is characterized by comprising: a generation unit that generates two maps: a brand map that visualizes the evolution of brands based on the evolution of a user's purchase history for each brand; and a user map that visualizes the evolution of users; and a display control unit that displays the generated brand map and user map and displays information inferred from the evolution of brands and users at multiple points in time via the brand map and user map.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A technology has been disclosed that determines changes in a user's areas of interest based on changes over time in the user and the information the user desires, and recommends information that matches the user's areas of interest (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-049467 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is room for improvement in the above-mentioned conventional techniques. For example, the above-mentioned conventional techniques cannot simultaneously detect the amount of change over time of a user and a brand. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a method for simultaneously detecting the amount of change over time of a user and a brand.

[0005] The present application has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a method for simultaneously detecting the amount of change over time of a user and a brand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The information processing device according to the present application performs the following based on the transition of a user's purchase history for each brand: A brand map in which brands that are similar in terms of user purchasing trends are located at closer coordinates, A brand map that visualizes the evolution of the brand, A user map in which users who are similar in terms of brand purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other,The system is characterized by comprising: a generation unit that generates a user map that visualizes the changes in users; and a display control unit that displays the generated brand map and user map and displays information inferred from the changes in the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the embodiment, a method can be provided for simultaneously detecting the amount of change over time of a user and a brand. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of input data used to generate a model. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram of the model. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the modeling. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a mathematical expression of the loss function. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an overview of the brand-user map visualization at each point in time. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a first explanatory diagram showing an overview of the interactive operability of the system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a second explanatory diagram showing an overview of the interactive operability of the system. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of operations using the pull-down menu. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram outlining patterns in which changes in brand positioning have been effective. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram outlining a pattern in which there was an effect even though there was no change in the brand's positioning. [Figure 12]Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram outlining patterns in which there was no change in brand positioning or effect. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an example of formulating measures for one's own brand based on the effects of measures taken by competing brands. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an example of formulating a policy based on the user base that supports the brand. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the afterimage of the correspondence between brands when the time point is moved with the slider. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of creating three or more maps. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an operation image when one of the three maps is clicked. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of an operation image when multiple maps out of the three maps are clicked. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a visualized image when multiple measures are selected. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of a visualized image when multiple brands are selected. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a server device according to the embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, the information processing method, and the information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the same components in the following embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] [1. Overview of the information processing system] First, an overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an information processing system according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment includes a terminal device 10 and a server device 100. These various devices are connected to each other via a network N in a wired or wireless manner so as to be able to communicate with each other. This enables the terminal device 10 to cooperate with the server device 100. The network N is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), the Internet, etc.

[0011] Terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by a user U. For example, terminal device 10 may be a desktop or notebook (laptop) PC (Personal Computer), a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet, a mobile phone such as a feature phone (Gala-ke or Gala-ho), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a game console or AV device with communication capabilities, an information appliance or digital appliance, a car navigation system, a wearable device such as a smartwatch, a head-mounted display, or smart glasses. Terminal device 10 may also be a house or building, a car, a home appliance, an electronic device, or the like that is compatible with the Internet of Things (IOT).

[0012] In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet used by a user U, and is a portable terminal device capable of communicating with any server device via a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: fifth generation mobile communication system), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or wireless LAN. The terminal device 10 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display with a touch panel function, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content, such as tapping, sliding, and scrolling, performed by the user U with a finger or a stylus. An operation performed on an area of ​​the screen where content is displayed may be considered an operation on the content. The terminal device 10 may be not only a smart device, but also an information processing device such as a desktop PC or a laptop PC.

[0013] The server device 100 is, for example, a computer such as a PC or a blade server, or a mainframe or a workstation, etc. The server device 100 may be realized by cloud computing.

[0014] In this embodiment, the server device 100 is an information processing device that works in conjunction with the terminal device 10 of each user U and provides API (Application Programming Interface) services for various applications (hereinafter referred to as apps) and various data to the terminal device 10 of each user U, and is realized by a computer, a cloud system, etc.

[0015] The server device 100 may also be an information processing device that provides some kind of online service to the terminal device 10 of each user U. For example, the server device 100 may provide the following online services: Internet connection, search service, social networking service (SNS), electronic commerce (EC), marketing analysis, electronic payment, online games, online banking, online trading, hotel and ticket reservations, video and music distribution, news, maps, route search, route guidance, line information, traffic information, and weather forecasts. In practice, the server device 100 may cooperate with various servers that provide the above-mentioned online services and act as an intermediary for the online services or may be responsible for processing the online services. The server device 100 may provide different online services depending on the user U. For example, the server device 100 may provide e-commerce services if the user U is a consumer, and marketing analysis services if the user U is an employee of an operating company or a sales company.

[0016] The server device 100 can acquire user information about the user U. For example, the server device 100 acquires, as the user information, information (attribute information) about the attributes of the user U, such as the gender, age, and place of residence of the user U. The server device 100 can also acquire information about the attributes of the user U, such as demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, geographic attributes, and behavioral attributes. The server device 100 may also acquire, as the user information, a segment or persona (personality) to which the user U belongs in the marketing field. The server device 100 then stores and manages the information (attribute information) about the attributes of the user U together with identification information (such as a user ID) that identifies the user U.

[0017] The server device 100 also acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. For example, the server device 100 acquires a location history, which is a history of the user U's location and date and time, from the terminal device 10. The server device 100 also acquires a search history, which is a history of search queries entered by the user U, from an e-commerce server, a content server, a search server (search engine), etc. The server device 100 also acquires a browsing history, which is a history of content (fashion items, fashion coordination, etc.) viewed by the user U, from an e-commerce server, a content server, etc. The server device 100 also acquires a purchase history (payment history), which is a history of the user U's product purchases and payment processes, from an e-commerce server, a payment processing server, etc. The server device 100 may also acquire a listing history, which is a history of the user U's listings on the marketplace, and a sales history from an e-commerce server, a payment processing server, etc. Furthermore, the server device 100 acquires a posting history, which is a history of posts made by the user U, from a posting server that provides a word-of-mouth posting service, an SNS server, an e-commerce server, or the like. Note that the above-mentioned various servers may be the server device 100 itself. In other words, the server device 100 may function as the above-mentioned various servers.

[0018] Furthermore, the number of devices included in the information processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, in Fig. 1, for the sake of simplicity, only one terminal device 10 is shown, but this is merely an example and is not limiting, and two or more devices may be included.

[0019] [2. Simultaneous detection of brands and users with large time-varying trends] In this embodiment, in order to simultaneously detect brands and users that change significantly over time, the server device 100 generates two maps: a brand map that visualizes the evolution of brands based on the evolution of user purchase history, and a user map that visualizes the evolution of users. The brand map and the user map are linked and interlocked. The server device 100 links with the terminal device 10 of the user U (an application running on the terminal device 10) via the network N, provides information about the map to the terminal device 10 of the user U, causes the terminal device 10 to display the map, and changes the display of the map according to the operation of the user U on the map. The specific method is described below.

[0020] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the server device 100 stores the purchase history of each user (purchasing user) who purchases products of various brands (step S1).

[0021] Next, the server device 100 generates two maps, a brand map and a user map, which visualize the transitions of brands and users, based on the transitions of each user's purchase history (step S2).

[0022] Next, the server device 100 receives a request for a brand map and a user map from the terminal device 10 of a user U who uses the system via the network N (step S3).

[0023] For example, when a user U launches an application that displays a brand map and a user map on the terminal device 10, the server device 100 receives a request for data on the brand map and the user map from the terminal device 10. Also, for example, when a user U browsing a marketing analysis site issues an instruction to display a brand map and a user map on the terminal device 10, the server device 100 receives a request for data on the brand map and the user map from the terminal device 10.

[0024] The user U who uses this system is arbitrary. In other words, the user U may be any user who is able to use this system. For example, the user U who uses this system may be a person in charge of an operating company that operates an e-commerce site (operating user, policy user), a person in charge of a sales company (manufacturer, shop, brand) that sells products on the e-commerce site (selling user, policy user), or a consumer who purchases products using the e-commerce site (consuming user, purchasing user, purchasing user), and is not limited to these exemplified persons.

[0025] Next, the server device 100 provides the generated brand map and user map data to the terminal device 10 of the user U who uses the system via the network N, thereby displaying the two maps, the brand map and the user map (step S4). That is, the server device 100 provides the generated brand map and user map to the user U.

[0026] Each point on the brand map represents a brand. Brands with nearby points on the brand map are similar in terms of user purchasing. For example, if a user with a certain purchasing tendency purchases an item from a first brand and an item from a second brand, the first brand and the second brand will be located close to each other. When performing marketing analysis on a shop-by-shop basis rather than a brand-by-brand basis, the brand map is equivalent to a shop map, and the brands at each point represent shops. In this case, brands can be replaced with shops as appropriate in the following description.

[0027] Furthermore, each point on the user map represents a user. Users whose points are close to each other on the user map are similar in terms of brand purchasing. For example, if there is a first user and a second user who both purchase items from a specific brand, the first user and the second user will be located close to each other. Note that when performing marketing analysis on a user group basis rather than on a user basis, the user map refers to a user group map, and the users at each point refer to user groups. Note that in this case, the following description can also appropriately be interpreted as "users" instead of "user groups."

[0028] Furthermore, information about brands on the brand map (including information that can identify the brand, such as the brand name) and information about users on the user map (including information that can identify the user, such as the username) may be limited to be provided depending on the user U. For example, if the user U is a person in charge of an operating company that runs an e-commerce site, information that can identify the brand and information that can identify the user may be provided, but if the user U is a person in charge of a sales company that sells products on the e-commerce site, information that can identify other brands and information that can identify the user may not be provided (information that cannot identify other brands or users may be converted and provided; for example, information about brand B may be converted and provided as information about a brand that mainly targets men in their twenties).

[0029] In addition, the server device 100 displays, along with the brand map and the user map, a slider (slider bar) or the like, which is an operator that can specify a time point on a time axis. The user U can specify a time point on the brand map and the user map to be displayed by operating a slider or the like that can specify a time point. In this embodiment, a slider is used as an operator for specifying a time point, but in reality, it is not limited to a slider. For example, the user U may specify a time point by selecting a time point using a pull-down menu or the like, by selecting a time point using a check button or a radio button, or by directly entering a time point into a text box or the like; the operator is not limited to these examples. In other words, the operator may be any operator that can specify a time point.

[0030] At this time, the server device 100 displays information (such as the effects of measures) estimated from the transitions of the maps at multiple points in time on the terminal device 10 of the user U. For example, the server device 100 may analyze changes in the brand's coordinates on the brand map, changes in the user area (purchase area) on the user map where users purchased the brand's products, and changes in the color of the user area on the user map where users purchased the brand's products, based on information about measures (which may be measures selected by the user U) implemented by the brand (the brand's own brand or other brands (which may be other brands selected by the user U)), comparisons of brand maps at multiple points in time, and comparisons of user maps at multiple points in time, and may provide the estimated effects of the measures to the user U based on the analysis results (for example, "As a result of the campaign implemented this time, we have been able to position ourselves closer to brands that are popular among people in their twenties, and we have not only attracted customers in their thirties but also increased the number of customers in their twenties. Furthermore, the number of purchases by customers in their thirties has increased, so we have been able to value our existing customers and the effects have been excellent").

[0031] Furthermore, the server device 100 changes the display mode of one map based on an operation on the other map. For example, based on a selection operation of a brand on the brand map, the server device 100 displays or highlights on the user map the purchasing user area of ​​the brand selected on the brand map. Furthermore, based on a selection operation of a user (purchasing user) on the user map, the server device 100 displays or highlights on the brand map the purchasing brand area of ​​the user selected on the user map.

[0032] Furthermore, the server device 100 displays measures implemented by each brand. In addition, the server device 100 displays attribute information of each user. Furthermore, the server device 100 may display measures implemented by a brand selected on the brand map or a brand located near the selected brand based on a selection operation of a brand on the brand map, or may display attribute information of a user who purchased a brand selected on the brand map or a user located near the purchased user, or may display attribute information of a user selected on the user map or a user located near the user based on a selection operation of a user on the user map, or may display measures implemented by a brand purchased by a user selected on the user map or a brand located near the purchased brand.

[0033] The server device 100 may display the measures implemented by the brand on the brand map, on the user map, or together with the brand map or the user map. The server device 100 may also display the attribute information of the user on the user map, on the brand map, or together with the brand map or the user map.

[0034] [2-1. Model Generation] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of input data used to generate a model. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the server device 100 uses data related to "time" (purchase time or purchase period), "brand (which may be a brand ID or product ID that can identify the brand)" (purchased brand), "user ID" (purchasing user), and "quantity" (purchase quantity or number of items purchased) as input data to model who purchased which brand's product at what time (when) and how many items, and generate a brand map and a user map. Note that the granularity of "time," "brand," and "user" is free (arbitrary). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the time is expressed in units of "month and week," but in practice, it may also be expressed in terms of year, month, day, day of the week, time, or time period. Furthermore, the time may also be a period (season). Furthermore, brands may be the same brand or may be classified by product category. Furthermore, users may be classified not only by individual users (by user), but also by groups or segments based on user attributes, etc.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the model. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the server device 100 models the amount of change in map coordinates = amount of change in brand / user. A brand whose coordinates of points on the brand map do not change much even at different times has a small amount of change. Conversely, a brand whose coordinates of points on the brand map change greatly at different times has a large amount of change. Similarly, a user whose coordinates of points on the user map do not change much even at different times has a small amount of change. Conversely, a user whose coordinates of points on the user map change greatly at different times has a large amount of change.

[0036] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of modeling. As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, the server device 100 uses product purchasing brand-user data indicating the number of products of a certain brand purchased by users (quantity, number of items, number of times) from multiple past points in time as input data, with brands as the vertical axis (or the horizontal axis) and users as the horizontal axis (or the vertical axis), and generates a brand map and a user map by modeling who purchased which brand of product and how many items at which point in time (when).

[0037] At this time, the server device 100 receives the learning results of the TSOM (Tensor Self-Organizing Map) at each time point as input and rearranges them so that the coordinates for each time point are aligned. TSOM is a method of learning brand map coordinates, user map coordinates, and model output using information for one time point as input. Note that the method of learning for one time point does not need to be limited to TSOM, and any learning method that can obtain the same learning results may be used. For example, the coordinates output by TSOM are discrete values, but a method of converting them to continuous values ​​may also be used.

[0038] For example, the server device 100 receives information on how many units of brand n user m purchased at time t and information on the time point as input, and estimates the brand map coordinates for each time point, the user map coordinates for each time point, and the model output. Specifically, the server device 100 generates the brand map and the user map using the loss function shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the mathematical expression of the loss function.

[0039] In this embodiment, a low-dimensional representation of brands / users is obtained by generating a brand map and a user map. In this case, similar brands / users are located close to each other in the brand map and user map. In addition, a predicted value of how much a certain brand has been purchased by a certain user can be obtained.

[0040] [2-2. Map Overview] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the visualization of brand and user maps at each time point. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, brand and user maps can be visualized at each time point. For example, if a user wants to know the map for the fourth week of October, the user can specify the fourth week of October as the time point on the terminal device 10 of the user U, and the brand map and user map for the fourth week of October will be displayed. Also, if a user wants to know the map for the first week of November, the user can specify the first week of November as the time point on the terminal device 10 of the user U, and the brand map and user map for the first week of November will be displayed. Note that the phase of the map is maintained as much as possible at each time point.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a first explanatory diagram outlining the interactive operability of the system. As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, it is possible to visually grasp how much of a certain brand was purchased by which user group at what time. For example, when a user U clicks (or taps) on brand A in the brand map displayed on the terminal device 10, the user area in the user map where users purchased products from brand A is colored based on the model output. That is, the user area where users purchased products from brand A are highlighted in the user map (examples of highlighting include not only coloring but also enlarging the area, changing the color of the points of users included in the area, enlarging the points of users included in the area, fading the points of users not included in the area, and hiding the points of users not included in the area, but are not limited to these examples). The intensity of the color represents the degree of the numerical value (number of purchases). In addition, when product purchasing brand-user data showing the amount of money users have spent on products of a certain brand at multiple past points in time is used as input data to model who purchased which brand of product at what point (when) and how much, and to generate a brand map and user map, the intensity of the color indicates the degree of the amount purchased.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a second explanatory diagram outlining the interactive operability of the system. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, contrary to the case of FIG. 7, it is possible to visually grasp which brands a user has purchased and how much of each brand. For example, when a user U clicks (or taps) on user X in the user map displayed on the terminal device 10, the brand area in the brand map where user X purchased brands is colored based on the model output. That is, the brand area in the brand map where user X purchased brands is highlighted (examples of highlighting include not only coloring but also enlarging the area, changing the color of the brand points included in the area, enlarging the brand points included in the area, fading the brand points not included in the area, and hiding the brand points not included in the area, but are not limited to these examples). The intensity of the color represents the degree of the numerical value (number of purchases). In addition, when product purchasing brand-user data showing the amount of money users have spent on products of a certain brand at multiple past points in time is used as input data to model who purchased which brand of product at what point (when) and how much, and to generate a brand map and user map, the intensity of the color indicates the degree of the amount purchased.

[0043] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of operations using a pull-down menu. As shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, the map can be colored based on a certain viewpoint from a pull-down menu, which is another operator. That is, in this embodiment, a relevant portion of the map can be highlighted based on a certain viewpoint from a pull-down menu, which is another operator (examples of highlighting include not only coloring, but also enlarging the relevant portion, changing the color of the points of brands or users included in the relevant portion, enlarging the points of brands or users included in the relevant portion, fading the points of brands or users not included in the relevant portion, and hiding the points of brands or users not included in the relevant portion, but are not limited to these examples).

[0044] For example, user U selects a measure he or she wants to focus on in the brand map using a pull-down menu displayed on the terminal device 10. Here, he or she selects "1000 yen off coupon" as the measure. This causes the corresponding area of ​​the brand map to be colored. Specifically, the brand area of ​​the brand that offered the 1000 yen off coupon is colored. Note that the corresponding area of ​​the user map may be colored together with or instead of the corresponding area of ​​the brand map. Specifically, the user area of ​​the purchasing user who used the 1000 yen off coupon (the purchasing user of the brand that offered the 1000 yen off coupon) may be colored together with or instead of the brand area of ​​the brand that offered the 1000 yen off coupon.

[0045] Alternatively, the user U selects a user attribute that he or she wants to focus on in the user map using a pull-down menu displayed on the terminal device 10. Here, "male in his or her twenties" is selected as the user attribute. This causes the corresponding part of the user map to be colored. Specifically, the user area of ​​the user who is a male in his or her twenties is colored. Note that the corresponding part of the brand map may be colored together with or instead of the corresponding part of the user map. Specifically, the brand area of ​​the brand purchased by the male in his or her twenties may be colored together with or instead of the user area of ​​the male in his or her twenties.

[0046] [2-3. Measuring the effectiveness of measures implemented by your brand] In this embodiment, it is possible to measure the effectiveness of measures taken by one's own brand or other brands. For example, it is possible to measure one of three patterns for measures taken by one's own brand: (1) a pattern in which there was a change in the brand's positioning and it was effective, (2) a pattern in which there was no change in the brand's positioning but it was effective, or (3) a pattern in which there was neither a change in the brand's positioning nor an effect.

[0047] (1) A change in the brand's positioning was effective (measures were effective) Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram outlining a pattern in which a change in brand positioning was effective. As shown in Figure 10, if you want to know the effectiveness of a campaign (e.g., a "1,000 yen off coupon") for Brand A (your brand) in the fourth week of October, compare the brand maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November, and the user maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November. For example, if the coordinates of Brand A change between the brand map for the fourth week of October and the brand map for the first week of November, you can infer that the brand's positioning has changed. Also, if the user area (purchasing area) that purchased Brand A's products becomes larger between the user map for the fourth week of October and the user map for the first week of November, you can infer that a wider demographic purchased Brand A's products. Also, if the color of the user area (purchasing area) that purchased Brand A's products becomes darker, you can infer that the quantity purchased increased.

[0048] (2) There was no change in the brand's positioning, but the measures were effective (effective measures) Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram outlining a pattern in which there was no change in brand positioning but there was an effect. As shown in Figure 11, if you select a "¥1,000 off coupon" as your campaign and want to know the effect of Brand A's campaign in the fourth week of October, compare the brand maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November, and the user maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November. For example, if there is no change in Brand A's coordinates between the brand map for the fourth week of October and the brand map for the first week of November, you can infer that all brands implemented the same campaign (because the entire area is colored as the brand area for the brand that implemented the ¥1,000 off coupon), and therefore no change in the brand's positioning occurred. Furthermore, if the user area (purchasing area) that purchased Brand A's products is larger between the user map for the fourth week of October and the user map for the first week of November, you can infer that a wider demographic purchased Brand A's products. Furthermore, if the color of the user area (purchasing area) that purchased Brand A's products is darker, you can infer that the quantity purchased increased. In other words, it can be inferred that the coupons are effective (the measures are effective).

[0049] (3) No change in brand positioning or effect (no effect of measures) Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram outlining a pattern in which there was neither a change in the brand's positioning nor an effect. As shown in Figure 12, if you want to know the effect of Brand A's campaign in the fourth week of October (for example, a "1,000 yen off coupon"), you can compare the brand maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November, and the user maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November. For example, if there is no change in the coordinates of Brand A between the brand map for the fourth week of October and the brand map for the first week of November, you can infer that there is no change in the brand's positioning. Furthermore, if there is no change in the user area (purchasing area) that purchased Brand A's products between the user map for the fourth week of October and the user map for the first week of November, you can infer that the coupon was ineffective (the campaign was ineffective).

[0050] In addition, the server device 100 may compare brand maps at multiple points in time or user maps at multiple points in time, and based on this, analyze the point in time when the coordinates of brand A changed on the brand map, the point in time when the user area (purchase area) that purchased brand A's products changed on the user map (for example, when it became larger, when it became smaller), and the point in time when the color of the user area that purchased brand A's products on the user map changed (for example, when it became darker, when it became lighter), and provide information about each point in time to user U.

[0051] In addition, if user U wants to check the effectiveness of measures for other brands, server device 100 may analyze the time when the coordinates of the selected brand on the brand map change, the time when the user area on the user map where users purchased products from the selected brand change, and the time when the color of the user area on the user map where users purchased products from the selected brand change, and provide user U with information regarding each time point.

[0052] Furthermore, when user U wants to check the effectiveness of a specific measure among multiple measures, the server device 100 may analyze the time when the selected measure was implemented, the time after the selected measure was implemented when the coordinates of brand A changed on the brand map, the time when the area of ​​users who purchased products from brand A changed on the user map, and the time when the color of the area of ​​users who purchased products from brand A changed on the user map, and provide information about each time to user U.

[0053] In addition, if a period during which the effect can be achieved is set according to the policy, the server device 100 may provide user U with information regarding each of the points during the period during which the effect can be achieved, if there are any points during which the coordinates of brand A change on the brand map, the area of ​​a user who purchased a product from brand A change on the user map, or the color of the area of ​​a user who purchased a product from brand A change on the user map.

[0054] The server device 100 may display information about each time point in association with a slider, which is an operator that can specify a time point on a time axis. Specifically, the server device 100 may display, among the time points on the slider, a time point at which a change has occurred and a time point at which no change has occurred in a distinguishable manner. For example, the server device 100 may display a mark at a time point on the slider at which a change has occurred. The mark may be different depending on whether the brand coordinates have changed, whether the area of ​​a user who has purchased a product of the brand has changed, or whether the color of the area of ​​a user who has purchased a product of the brand has changed, or whether the change is a good change (the measures are being effective) or a bad change (the measures are not being effective).

[0055] [2-4. Analysis of measures to be taken] In addition, in this embodiment, it is possible to analyze which measures should be taken. For example, starting from a brand map, (1) measures for one's own brand can be planned based on the effects of measures taken by competing brands. Also, starting from a user map, (2) measures can be planned based on the user demographic that supports one's own brand.

[0056] (1) Plan your own brand's measures based on the effectiveness of competing brands' measures Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram outlining an example of formulating a strategy for your own brand based on the effectiveness of a competing brand's strategy. As shown in Figure 13, when you want to know what strategy to implement, select the "limited-time sale" implemented by competing brand B as the strategy. (Note that "limited-time sale" may be selected by selecting competing brand B on the brand map, or multiple strategies implemented by competing brand B may be displayed in a pull-down menu and "limited-time sale" may be selected from there.) Then, compare the brand maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November, and the user maps for the fourth week of October and the first week of November. For example, if the coordinates of competing brand B relative to brand A (your own brand) change between the brand map for the fourth week of October and the brand map for the first week of November, you can infer that competing brand B's position has changed. Also, if the user area (purchasing area) that purchased competing brand B's products is larger between the user map for the fourth week of October and the user map for the first week of November, you can infer that a wider demographic is purchasing the products. Additionally, if the color of the user area (purchasing area) that purchased products from competitor brand B becomes darker, it can be inferred that the quantity purchased has increased. In other words, it can be inferred that the time sale was effective (the measures were effective). From this, it is possible to plan measures such as "Competitor brand B was able to create an effect that changed their position with the time sale. Let's try it at our company too."

[0057] Furthermore, the server device 100 may provide the user U with information on competing brands that may be useful when formulating measures for the user's own brand. Specifically, the server device 100 may extract, as reference brands based on comparing brand maps at multiple points in time or comparing user maps at multiple points in time, competing brands whose coordinates on the brand map have changed due to measures implemented at a predetermined point in time (for example, within the past month or at a point in time selected by the user U), competing brands whose user area (purchase area) that purchased the competing brand's products has changed on the user map, or competing brands whose color has changed in the user area that purchased the competing brand's products on the user map, and provide these as reference information.

[0058] For example, the server device 100 may display the reference brand on the brand map so that it can be distinguished from other brands (for example, by changing the size or color of the point of the reference brand, or by coloring the reference brand), or may display the reference brand outside the brand map (for example, by providing a pull-down menu). Note that the display mode of the reference brand may be different depending on whether the brand's coordinates are changing, whether the area of ​​users who have purchased the brand's products is changing, or whether the color of the area of ​​users who have purchased the brand's products is changing, or whether the change is a good change (the measures are being effective) or a bad change (the measures are not being effective).

[0059] (2) Develop strategies based on your brand's user base Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram outlining an example of formulating measures based on the user demographic that supports your brand. As shown in Figure 14, if you click (or tap) on Brand A on the brand map for the fourth week of October, the area of ​​users who purchased Brand A's products will be highlighted in the user map. If you want to know which demographic to target with your measures, you can select "Men in their 20s" as the user demographic, and the user area for "Men in their 20s" will be highlighted in the user map for the fourth week of October. In this case, as shown in Figure 14, if the area of ​​users who purchased Brand A's products is close to the user area for "Men in their 20s" on the user map, you can infer that "our regular supporters are close to men in their 20s. If we implement measures aimed at men in their 20s, we might be able to acquire new users."

[0060] [2-5. Supplementary Information] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the afterimage of the correspondence between brands when a time point is moved with a slider. As shown in FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the afterimage of the correspondence between brands (the afterimage of the change) when a time point is moved with a slider can be displayed in various ways, such as by indicating the amount of change with a dotted line or by graying out the afterimage. For example, (A) of FIG. 15 shows an example in which the amount of change between two time points is indicated with a dotted line. Also, (B) of FIG. 15 shows an example in which the coordinates of the previous time point are displayed in gray. Also, (C) of FIG. 15 shows an example in which the above (A) and (B) are combined. Similarly, in this embodiment, the afterimage of the correspondence between users (the afterimage of the change) when a time point is moved with a slider can be displayed in various ways, such as by indicating the amount of change with a dotted line or by graying out the afterimage.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is also possible to detect the amount of change over time of the combination of user and "something." For example, it is also possible to detect the amount of change over time of "user x search keyword," "user x (purchased / favorite / liked) product," "user x (liked) coordination," "user x (followed) user," etc. However, these are merely examples, and in reality, the present invention is not limited to these examples. Other examples are also possible.

[0062] In this embodiment, it is also possible to use three or more maps. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of creating three or more maps. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the server device 100 uses data related to "time," "brand," "search keyword," "user ID," and "quantity" as input data, and generates a brand map, a user map, and a search keyword map. The search keyword map is also linked to the brand map and the user map, and they are linked to each other.

[0063] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the operation image when one of the three maps is clicked. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, when user U clicks on brand A on the brand map displayed on the terminal device 10, the search keyword area when brand A was purchased is visualized (displayed or highlighted, for example, colored) on the search keyword map. At the same time, the area of ​​users who purchased brand A is visualized (displayed or highlighted, for example, colored) on the user map. In this way, the results of the operation on the brand map are reflected on the search keyword map and the user map. The same is possible when other maps are clicked.

[0064] FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the operation image when multiple maps out of the three maps are clicked. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, when user U clicks brand A on the brand map displayed on the terminal device 10 and then clicks "knit" on the search keyword map, the user area on the user map that searched for "knit" and purchased brand A is visualized (displayed or highlighted, for example, colored). In this way, the results of operations on the two maps, the brand map and the search keyword map, are reflected on the user map. The same is possible when other maps are clicked.

[0065] Figure 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the visualized image when multiple measures are selected. (a) of Figure 19 shows an overview of the image when each measure is selected. Also, (b) of Figure 19 shows an overview of the image when multiple measures are selected. When multiple measures are selected, it is possible to visualize AND, OR, and XOR areas. For example, when an AND area is visualized, only the overlapping area of ​​the areas reflecting each measure is visualized. Also, when an XOR area is visualized, the area excluding the overlapping area of ​​the areas reflecting each measure is visualized. In this way, various visualization methods are possible.

[0066] Figure 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the visualization image when multiple brands are selected. As with the selection of multiple measures, it is also possible to visualize AND, OR, and XOR areas when multiple brands are selected. Figure 20(a) shows an overview of the image when multiple brands are selected. Multiple brands can also be selected by area or by distribution. Figure 20(b) shows an overview of the image when multiple brands are selected together in one area. Figure 20(c) shows an overview of the image when multiple distant brands are selected in separate areas. Figure 20(c) shows an overview of the image when multiple brands are selected by distribution.

[0067] [2-6. Use and utilization] In this embodiment, the low-dimensional representations of the user and the brand can be estimated by aligning the coordinates at each point in time, so the magnitude of the change can be measured from the movement of the coordinates at each point in time.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, we obtain embedded representations of brands and users that are aligned with adjacent time points in the latent space and uniformly distributed.

[0069] In addition, it is possible to detect users and brands whose embedding vectors change significantly over time compared to others. This allows us to detect changes in the positioning and standing of brands and users.

[0070] It is also possible to detect changes in the positioning of brands and users. For example, in the case of brands, it is possible to detect that "Brand A has become popular among women in their early twenties" and further that "its purchasing trends have become similar to Brand B." In the case of users, it is possible to detect that "User X has started buying a certain group of brands" and further that "User X has become similar to User Y."

[0071] Furthermore, by showing the amount of change in the target brand's positioning, you can gain insight into the intended and unintended changes of the brand. For example, if the change matches the intended one, you can confirm that things are progressing as intended. If the change is unintended, it can serve as an opportunity to think about the next strategy.

[0072] Specifically, when this analysis detects a change in the positioning of Brand A, such as "it used to be purchased by women in their 30s, but that trend is fading," if this is an intended change, feedback can be obtained on whether the brand strategy is being effectively formulated. On the other hand, if the change is unintended, strategies such as implementing sales or coupons targeting women in their 30s can be formulated. Simply tracking increases or decreases in sales without detecting changes in positioning makes it impossible to distinguish whether there is a problem because similar brands are also declining.

[0073] It can also help with your own brand strategy by showing changes in the positioning of competing brands. Specifically, by detecting that "a certain competing brand B issued a certain coupon to a certain demographic at a certain time, and its position has changed by this much," you can infer that "if your company issues a certain coupon to a certain demographic at a certain time, it can expect this level of effect." Also, by detecting that "a certain competing brand C has recently begun to gain support from men," you can select and plan measures such as "in that case, your company should target men as well."

[0074] It can also show the amount of change in the proximity of your brand to other brands, allowing you to detect competing brands. Specifically, it can detect that "Brand A and Brand B were far apart in the past." It can also provide insights such as "Their positions have become closer in recent times, so be careful of them as competing brands."

[0075] It can also be used to recommend brands to users. Specifically, it can detect that "User X and User Y were in similar positions at a previous point in time, but User Y's positions have now changed and become more distant." It can also infer that "the brand currently supported by User Y, who was in similar positions at a previous point in time, is likely to be supported by User X as well." It can also select and plan measures such as "Let's recommend to User X the brand currently supported by User Y."

[0076] [3. Example of terminal device configuration] Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 21, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a sensor unit 20, a control unit 30 (controller), and a storage unit 40.

[0077] (Communications Department 11) The communication unit 11 is connected to the network N by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the server device 100 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 11 is realized by a NIC (Network Interface Card), an antenna, etc.

[0078] (Display section 12) The display unit 12 is a display device that displays various information such as location information. For example, the display unit 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescent display (OLED). The display unit 12 is also a touch panel display, but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the display unit 12 displays maps such as a brand map and a user map provided by the server device 100, as well as various information related to the effects of measures.

[0079] (Input section 13) The input unit 13 is an input device that accepts various operations from the user U. For example, the input unit 13 has buttons for inputting characters, numbers, etc. The input unit 13 may be an input / output port (I / O port), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, etc. If the display unit 12 is a touch panel display, a part of the display unit 12 functions as the input unit 13. The input unit 13 may be a microphone that accepts voice input from the user U. The microphone may be wireless.

[0080] (Positioning unit 14) The positioning unit 14 receives signals (radio waves) transmitted from satellites of a GPS (Global Positioning System), and acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) indicating the current position of the terminal device 10, which is the device itself, based on the received signals. That is, the positioning unit 14 positions the position of the terminal device 10. Note that GPS is merely an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0081] The positioning unit 14 can also measure the position using various methods other than GPS. For example, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position by using various communication functions of the terminal device 10 as an auxiliary positioning means for position correction, etc., as described below.

[0082] (Wi-Fi positioning) For example, the positioning unit 14 uses a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication function of the terminal device 10 or a communication network provided by each communication company to measure the position of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 performs Wi-Fi communication or the like and measures the distance to a nearby base station or access point, thereby measuring the position of the terminal device 10.

[0083] (Beacon positioning) The positioning unit 14 may also measure the position by using a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function of the terminal device 10. For example, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10 by connecting to a beacon transmitter connected by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) function.

[0084] (geomagnetic positioning) The positioning unit 14 also measures the position of the terminal device 10 based on a geomagnetic pattern of a structure that has been measured in advance and a geomagnetic sensor that the terminal device 10 has.

[0085] (RFID positioning) Furthermore, for example, if the terminal device 10 has a function of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag equivalent to a contactless IC card used at station ticket gates, in stores, etc., or has a function of reading an RFID tag, the location where the terminal device 10 was used is recorded together with information on the payment or the like made by the terminal device 10. The positioning unit 14 may obtain such information to determine the location of the terminal device 10. Alternatively, the location may be determined by an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like provided in the terminal device 10.

[0086] The positioning unit 14 may measure the position of the terminal device 10 using one or a combination of the above-mentioned positioning means, as needed.

[0087] (Sensor unit 20) The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10. The connection may be wired or wireless. For example, the sensors may be detection devices other than the terminal device 10, such as wearable devices or wireless devices. In the example shown in FIG. 21 , the sensor unit 20 includes an acceleration sensor 21, a gyro sensor 22, a barometric pressure sensor 23, a temperature sensor 24, a sound sensor 25, a light sensor 26, a magnetic sensor 27, and an image sensor (camera) 28.

[0088] The above-described sensors 21 to 28 are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. That is, the sensor unit 20 may be configured to include some of the sensors 21 to 28, or may include other sensors such as a humidity sensor in addition to or instead of the sensors 21 to 28.

[0089] The acceleration sensor 21 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and detects physical movements of the terminal device 10, such as the direction of movement, speed, and acceleration of the terminal device 10. The gyro sensor 22 detects physical movements of the terminal device 10, such as tilt in three axial directions, based on the angular velocity of the terminal device 10. The air pressure sensor 23 detects, for example, the air pressure around the terminal device 10.

[0090] Since the terminal device 10 includes the acceleration sensor 21, the gyro sensor 22, the atmospheric pressure sensor 23, etc., it is possible to measure the position of the terminal device 10 using a technique such as Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning (PDR) that uses these sensors 21 to 23. This makes it possible to obtain indoor position information that is difficult to obtain using a positioning system such as GPS.

[0091] For example, the number of steps, walking speed, and distance walked can be calculated using a pedometer that uses the acceleration sensor 21. In addition, the direction of travel, line of sight, and body tilt of the user U can be determined using the gyro sensor 22. In addition, the altitude and floor on which the terminal device 10 of the user U is located can be determined from the air pressure detected by the air pressure sensor 23.

[0092] The temperature sensor 24 detects, for example, the temperature around the terminal device 10. The sound sensor 25 detects, for example, the sound around the terminal device 10. The light sensor 26 detects the illuminance around the terminal device 10. The magnetic sensor 27 detects, for example, the geomagnetism around the terminal device 10. The image sensor 28 captures an image around the terminal device 10.

[0093] The above-mentioned air pressure sensor 23, temperature sensor 24, sound sensor 25, light sensor 26, and image sensor 28 can detect the air pressure, temperature, sound, and illuminance, respectively, and capture images of the surroundings, thereby detecting the environment and situation around the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the accuracy of the location information of the terminal device 10 can be improved based on the environment and situation around the terminal device 10.

[0094] (control unit 30) The control unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM, input / output ports, etc., and various other circuits. The control unit 30 may also be configured with hardware such as an integrated circuit, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 30 includes a transmitting unit 31, a receiving unit 32, and a processing unit 33.

[0095] (Transmitter 31) The transmission unit 31 can transmit, for example, various information input by the user U using the input unit 13, various information detected by each sensor 21 to 28 mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10, and location information of the terminal device 10 measured by the positioning unit 14 to the server device 100 via the communication unit 11.

[0096] (Receiving unit 32) The receiving unit 32 can receive various types of information provided by the server device 100 and requests for various types of information from the server device 100 via the communication unit 11.

[0097] (Processing unit 33) The processing unit 33 controls the entire terminal device 10, including the display unit 12. For example, the processing unit 33 can output various information transmitted by the transmitting unit 31 and various information received from the server device 100 by the receiving unit 32 to the display unit 12 for display.

[0098] (Storage unit 40) The storage unit 40 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or an optical disk. Various programs and various data are stored in the storage unit 40. In this embodiment, the storage unit 40 stores maps such as a brand map and a user map provided by the server device 100, as well as various information related to the effects of measures.

[0099] [4. Server device configuration example] Next, the configuration of the server device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 22, the server device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0100] (Communication unit 110) The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 110 is connected to a network N by wire or wirelessly.

[0101] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, or an optical disk. The storage unit 120 may store attribute information and history information (log data) of the user U along with identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U. For example, the storage unit 120 may store the user's purchase history. The storage unit 120 may also store the user's search history.

[0102] (control unit 130) The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like, by executing various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in a storage device inside the server device 100 using a storage area such as a RAM as a working area. In the example shown in FIG. 22 , the control unit 130 has an acquisition unit 131, a generation unit 132, and a display control unit 133.

[0103] (Acquisition part 131) The acquisition unit 131 acquires a search query input by a user U. For example, when the user U inputs a search query into a search engine or the like to perform a keyword search, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the search query via the communication unit 110. That is, the acquisition unit 131 acquires, via the communication unit 110, the keywords input by the user U into the search box of a search engine, website, or app.

[0104] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires user information about the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U, location information of the user U, attribute information of the user U, etc. from the terminal device 10 of the user U. Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 may acquire the identification information indicating the user U, attribute information of the user U, etc. when the user U is registered. Then, the acquisition unit 131 stores the user information in the storage unit 120.

[0105] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U or from various servers based on the user ID or the like. Then, the acquisition unit 131 stores the various types of history information in the storage unit 120.

[0106] The acquisition unit 131 also communicates with the terminal device 10 of the user U via the communication unit 110 and accepts various selection operations from the user U. For example, the acquisition unit 131 accepts a selection operation of a policy from the user U via the communication unit 110. The acquisition unit 131 also accepts a selection operation of a brand on the brand map from the user U via the communication unit 110. The acquisition unit 131 also accepts a selection operation of a user (purchasing user) on the user map from the user U via the communication unit 110.

[0107] (Generation unit 132) The generation unit 132 generates a brand map that visualizes the transition of brands and a user map that visualizes the transition of users based on the transition of a user's purchase history for each brand.

[0108] In a case where three maps are used, for example, the generation unit 132 may generate a brand map that visualizes the evolution of brands, a user map that visualizes the evolution of users, and a search keyword map that visualizes the evolution of search keywords based on the user's purchase history for each brand and the evolution of the user's search history.

[0109] (Display control unit 133) The display control unit 133 displays the generated brand map and user map on the display unit 12 of the terminal device 10. The display control unit 133 also displays information estimated from the transitions of brands and users at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map.

[0110] At this time, the display control unit 133 displays information about the effectiveness of the measures as information estimated from the transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time.

[0111] In addition, the display control unit 133 may be a providing unit that provides various information regarding maps and the effects of measures to the terminal device 10 in order to display information, or a linking unit that links with the terminal device 10 via the communication unit 110.

[0112] Furthermore, the display control unit 133 changes the display mode of one of the brand map and the user map based on an operation on the other map.

[0113] For example, the display control unit 133 displays, on the user map, information about the purchasing user area of ​​the brand selected on the brand map based on a selection operation on the brand on the brand map.

[0114] Alternatively, the display control unit 133 displays, on the brand map, information relating to the purchased brand area of ​​a user selected on the user map based on a selection operation on a user (purchasing user) on the user map.

[0115] The display control unit 133 also displays information about measures implemented by the brand. The display control unit 133 also displays attribute information of the user. The display location may be a brand map or a user map, but is not limited to the brand map or the user map in practice.

[0116] The display control unit 133 also displays an operator capable of specifying a time point along with the brand map and the user map. The operator may be, for example, a slider capable of specifying a time point on a time axis, but is not limited to a slider. The display control unit 133 displays at least one of an afterimage of the brand transition and an afterimage of the user transition at multiple time points specified based on a specifying operation on the operator. For example, the display control unit 133 may display the afterimage of the transition by indicating the amount of change for several past time points with a dotted line or by graying out past coordinates, but is not limited to these examples.

[0117] In a case where three maps are used, for example, the display control unit 133 displays the generated brand map, user map, and search keyword map. Furthermore, the display control unit 133 displays information estimated from the transitions of brands, users, and search keywords at multiple points in time via the brand map, user map, and search keyword map.

[0118] In practice, some or all of the above-mentioned acquisition unit 131, generation unit 132, and display control unit 133 may be provided in the terminal device 10 of the user U. For example, the processing unit 33 of the terminal device 10 of the user U may start an app or the like to execute some or all of the functions of the above-mentioned acquisition unit 131, generation unit 132, and display control unit 133. Each functional unit of the server device 100 may be provided in the terminal device 10 of the user U, or each functional unit of the terminal device 10 of the user U may be provided in the server device 100.

[0119] [5. Processing Procedure] Next, a processing procedure by the server device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure according to the embodiment. The processing procedure shown below is repeatedly executed by the control unit 130 of the server device 100. The processing procedure shown below is an example, and the order of the processing procedures may be changed arbitrarily.

[0120] 23, the acquisition unit 131 of the server device 100 acquires the user's purchase history for each brand and stores it in the storage unit 120 (step S101). That is, the acquisition unit 131 accumulates the user's purchase history for each brand in the storage unit 120. In practice, the acquisition unit 131 may not store the user's purchase history for each brand in the storage unit 120, but may acquire the user's purchase history for each brand from another server device or the like via the communication unit 110 each time the user's purchase history for each brand is needed.

[0121] Next, the generation unit 132 of the server device 100 generates a brand map that visualizes the transition of brands and a user map that visualizes the transition of users based on the transition of the user's purchase history for each brand (step S102).

[0122] Next, the display control unit 133 of the server device 100 displays the generated brand map and user map (step S103). This enables the display control unit 133 to display information estimated from the transitions of brands and users at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map. Note that it is optional whether or not to perform each of the subsequent steps S104 to S109. Furthermore, the order in which the subsequent steps S104 to S109 are performed is also optional (in no particular order). Furthermore, the subsequent steps S104 to S109 may be performed simultaneously (in parallel) or consecutively.

[0123] At this time, the display control unit 133 of the server device 100 can display information about the effectiveness of the measures as information estimated from the changes in the brand and user at multiple points in time via the brand map and user map based on the selection operation of the measures received from the user U (step S104).

[0124] In addition, the display control unit 133 of the server device 100 can also display information about the purchasing user area of ​​the brand selected on the brand map on the user map based on the brand selection operation on the brand map received from the user U (step S105).

[0125] In addition, the display control unit 133 of the server device 100 can also display information about the purchasing brand area of ​​the user selected on the user map on the brand map based on the selection operation of the user (purchasing user) on the user map received from the user U (step S106).

[0126] The display control unit 133 of the server device 100 can also display information about measures implemented by the brand on the brand map or the user map (step S107).

[0127] The display control unit 133 of the server device 100 can also display user attribute information on the user map (step S108). For example, the display control unit 133 may display information about measures implemented by a brand on the brand map, and display user attribute information on the user map.

[0128] The display control unit 133 of the server device 100 can also display, together with the brand map and the user map, an operator that can specify a time point, and display at least one of an afterimage of brand transitions at multiple time points specified based on a specifying operation on the operator and an afterimage of user transitions (step S109). For example, the display control unit 133 can display, together with the brand map and the user map, a slider bar that can specify a time point on a time axis, and display an afterimage of the correspondence between brands or users when the time point is moved with the slider by indicating the amount of change for several past time points with dotted lines or by graying out past coordinates.

[0129] [6. Modifications] The terminal device 10 and the server device 100 described above may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment. Therefore, modifications of the embodiment will be described below.

[0130] In the above embodiment, some or all of the processing executed by the server device 100 may actually be executed by the terminal device 10 (or an application running on the terminal device 10). For example, the processing may be completed in a stand-alone manner (by the terminal device 10 alone). In this case, the terminal device 10 is assumed to have the functions of the server device 100 in the above embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 cooperates with the server device 100, and therefore, from the perspective of the user U, it appears that the processing of the server device 100 is also being executed by the terminal device 10. In other words, from another perspective, the terminal device 10 can also be said to be equipped with the server device 100.

[0131] In the above embodiment, the server device 100 may acquire the purchase histories of multiple users from other server devices, or may collect the purchase histories of individual users by itself. The user's purchase history may be a purchase history from online shopping, a purchase history from a physical store, or a purchase history using a payment app or the like.

[0132] In the above embodiment, the server device 100 may acquire and store a service usage history of the user instead of the purchase history of the user. Also, the server device 100 may acquire and store a history of actions that result in the payment of some kind of consideration instead of the purchase history of the user.

[0133] In the above embodiment, when displaying two maps, a brand map and a user map, the terminal device 10 of the user U may simultaneously display the brand map and the user map, or may selectively display one of them. Alternatively, the terminal device 10 of the user U may automatically display one map when the user U operates the other map. In this case, the server device 100 may control the display of the brand map and the user map on the terminal device 10 of the user U.

[0134] [7. Effects] As described above, the information processing device (terminal device 10 and server device 100) according to the present application is characterized by comprising a generation unit 132 that generates two maps: a brand map that visualizes the evolution of brands based on the evolution of a user's purchase history for each brand, and a user map that visualizes the evolution of users; and a display control unit 133 that displays the generated brand map and user map and displays information estimated from the evolution of brands and users at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map.

[0135] At this time, the display control unit 133 displays information about the effectiveness of the measures as information estimated from the transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time.

[0136] Furthermore, the display control unit 133 changes the display mode of one of the brand map and the user map based on an operation on the other map.

[0137] For example, the display control unit 133 displays, on the user map, information about the purchasing user area of ​​the brand selected on the brand map based on a selection operation on the brand on the brand map.

[0138] Alternatively, the display control unit 133 displays, on the brand map, information relating to the purchased brand area of ​​a user selected on the user map based on a selection operation on a user (purchasing user) on the user map.

[0139] Furthermore, the display control unit 133 displays information about measures implemented by the brand.

[0140] Furthermore, the display control unit 133 displays information about the attributes of the user.

[0141] The display control unit 133 also displays an operator that can specify a time point along with the brand map and the user map. The display control unit 133 displays at least one of afterimages of brand transitions and afterimages of user transitions at multiple time points specified based on a specifying operation on the operator.

[0142] Furthermore, the generation unit 132 generates a brand map that visualizes changes in brands, a user map that visualizes changes in users, and a search keyword map that visualizes changes in search keywords, based on changes in the user's purchase history for each brand and changes in the user's search history. The display control unit 133 displays the generated brand map, user map, and search keyword map, and displays information estimated from changes in brands, users, and search keywords at multiple points in time via the brand map, user map, and search keyword map.

[0143] By using any one or a combination of the above-described processes, the information processing device according to the present application can provide a method for simultaneously detecting the amount of change over time of a user and a brand.

[0144] [8. Hardware Configuration] The terminal device 10 and the server device 100 according to the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 24, for example. The following description will be given taking the server device 100 as an example. Fig. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output I / F (Interface) 1060, an input I / F 1070, and a network I / F 1080 are connected via a bus 1090.

[0145] The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and the secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The arithmetic device 1030 is realized by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

[0146] The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like. The secondary storage device 1050 may be an internal storage device or an external storage device. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be a removable storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be cloud storage (online storage), a NAS (Network Attached Storage), a file server, or the like.

[0147] The output I / F 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a display, a projector, a printer, etc., and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface), etc. The input I / F 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, a keyboard, a keypad, a button, a scanner, etc., and is realized by a USB, etc.

[0148] Furthermore, the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070 may be wirelessly connected to the output device 1010 and the input device 1020, respectively. That is, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be wireless devices.

[0149] The output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be integrated into one device, such as a touch panel. In this case, the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070 may also be integrated into one device as an input / output I / F.

[0150] The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

[0151] The network I / F 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the arithmetic device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the arithmetic device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

[0152] The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output I / F 1060 and the input I / F 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

[0153] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the server device 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 executes a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040 to realize the functions of the control unit 130. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also load a program acquired from another device via the network I / F 1080 onto the primary storage device 1040 and execute the loaded program. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also cooperate with the other device via the network I / F 1080 to call and use the functions and data of a program from another program of the other device.

[0154] [9. Other] Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of so-called equivalents. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

[0155] Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using a known method. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown in the drawings.

[0156] Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are conceptual functional components and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

[0157] For example, the above-mentioned server device 100 may be realized by multiple server computers, and depending on the function, the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling an external platform using an API (Application Programming Interface) or network computing.

[0158] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate within the scope of not causing any contradiction in the processing content.

[0159] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, an acquisition unit can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 1. Information Processing Systems 10 Terminal Equipment 100 Server device 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 130 control section 131 Acquisition Department 132 Generation part 133 Display control unit

Claims

1. a generation unit that generates a brand map that visualizes the transition of brands, in which brands that are similar in terms of the user's purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other, based on the transition of a user's purchase history for each brand, and a user map that visualizes the transition of users, in which users that are similar in terms of the brand purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other, based on the transition of a user's purchase history for each brand; a display control unit that displays the generated brand map and user map, and displays information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; An information processing device comprising:

2. The display control unit displays information about the effectiveness of the measures as information estimated from transitions between the brand and the user at multiple points in time.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The display control unit changes a display mode of one of the brand map and the user map based on an operation on the other map.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

4. A generation unit that generates a brand map that visualizes changes in a brand and a user map that visualizes changes in a user's purchase history for each brand, based on changes in the user's purchase history for each brand; a display control unit that displays the generated brand map and user map, and displays information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; Equipped with The display control unit displays, on the user map, information about a purchasing user area of ​​a brand selected on the brand map based on a selection operation for the brand on the brand map.

1. An information processing device comprising:

5. A generation unit that generates a brand map that visualizes changes in brands and a user map that visualizes changes in users based on changes in a user's purchase history for each brand; a display control unit that displays the generated brand map and user map, and displays information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; Equipped with The display control unit displays, on the brand map, information about a purchased brand area of ​​a user selected on the user map based on a selection operation of the user on the user map.

1. An information processing device comprising:

6. The display control unit displays information about measures implemented by a brand selected on the brand map or a brand located near the selected brand on the brand map based on a selection operation of the brand on the brand map.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

7. The display control unit displays information about attributes of a user selected on the user map or a user located near the selected user on the user map based on a selection operation by the user on the user map.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

8. The display control unit displays an operator capable of specifying a time point together with the brand map and the user map, and displays at least one of an afterimage of a brand transition and an afterimage of a user transition at a plurality of time points specified based on a specifying operation on the operator.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

9. the generation unit generates a brand map that visualizes changes in brands, a user map that visualizes changes in users, and a search keyword map that visualizes changes in search keywords, based on changes in the user's purchase history for each brand and changes in the user's search history; The display control unit displays the generated brand map, the user map, and the search keyword map, and displays information estimated from transitions of the brand, the user, and the search keyword at multiple points in time via the brand map, the user map, and the search keyword map.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

10. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, a generation step of generating a brand map that visualizes the transition of brands, in which brands that are similar in terms of the user's purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other, based on the transition of the user's purchase history for each brand, and a user map that visualizes the transition of users, in which users that are similar in terms of the brand purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other; a display control step of displaying the generated brand map and user map, and displaying information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; An information processing method comprising:

11. a generation procedure for generating a brand map that visualizes the transition of brands, in which brands that are similar in terms of user purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other based on the transition of a user's purchase history for each brand, and a user map that visualizes the transition of users, in which users that are similar in terms of brand purchasing tendencies are located at coordinates that are closer to each other; a display control procedure for displaying the generated brand map and user map, and displaying information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; An information processing program characterized by causing a computer to execute the above.

12. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, comprising: a generation step of generating a brand map that visualizes the transition of a brand and a user map that visualizes the transition of a user based on the transition of the user's purchase history for each brand; a display control step of displaying the generated brand map and user map, and displaying information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; Including, In the display control step, information about a purchasing user area of ​​a brand selected on the brand map is displayed on the user map based on a selection operation for the brand on the brand map. An information processing method comprising:

13. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, comprising: a generation step of generating a brand map that visualizes the transition of a brand and a user map that visualizes the transition of a user based on the transition of the user's purchase history for each brand; a display control step of displaying the generated brand map and user map, and displaying information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; Including, In the display control step, information about a purchased brand area of ​​a user selected on the user map is displayed on the brand map based on a selection operation of the user on the user map. An information processing method comprising:

14. A generation procedure for generating a brand map that visualizes changes in brands and a user map that visualizes changes in users based on changes in user purchase history for each brand; a display control procedure for displaying the generated brand map and user map, and displaying information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; An information processing program for causing a computer to execute the above, In the display control step, information about a purchasing user area of ​​a brand selected on the brand map is displayed on the user map based on a selection operation for the brand on the brand map. An information processing program characterized by:

15. A generation procedure for generating a brand map that visualizes changes in brands and a user map that visualizes changes in users based on changes in user purchase history for each brand; a display control procedure for displaying the generated brand map and user map, and displaying information estimated from transitions of the brand and the user at multiple points in time via the brand map and the user map; An information processing program for causing a computer to execute the above, In the display control step, information about a purchased brand area of ​​a user selected on the user map is displayed on the brand map based on a selection operation of the user on the user map. An information processing program characterized by:

Images