Management device, management method, and program

Abstract

To provide a management device, a management method, and a program for managing evaluation on articles.SOLUTION: In a transaction management system 100, a management server acquires evaluation information indicating the result of evaluation on at least one of P items about an article, calculates an evaluation value on each of the P items on the basis of one or more pieces of acquired evaluation information related to the article, determines Q items used for the determination of article evaluation from among the P items on the basis of the calculated evaluation value on each of the P items, references a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more pieces of recipient information indicating the behavioral characteristic and interest or preference of each of one or more recipients 30, 40 capable of receiving information related to the article and extracts a recipient having the behavioral characteristic and interest or preference associated with the Q items, determines evaluation on the article using the Q items, generates information pertaining to the article including information indicating evaluation on the article, and transmits information related to the article to the communication terminal of the recipient.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an EC server that provides an environment in which evaluations according to product genres are posted. [Prior Art Document] [Patent Document] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 094169

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] For example, matters that a user who accesses an EC site values in purchasing a product sold on the EC site differ from user to user. However, according to the EC server disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult for a user who is considering purchasing a specific product to quickly find an evaluation important to the user from the evaluations posted for the product.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In a first aspect of the present invention, a management device is provided. The management device described above manages, for example, evaluations of an article. The management device described above includes, for example, an evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information indicating evaluation results for at least one of P (P is an integer of 2 or more) items related to the article. The management device described above includes, for example, a viewer information acquisition unit that acquires viewer information indicating the behavior characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views evaluations of an article. The management device described above includes, for example, a first item determination unit that determines Q (Q is a positive integer not exceeding P) items to be used for deriving an evaluation value of an article indicating the degree of evaluation of the article from among the P items based on the viewer information acquired by the viewer information acquisition unit.

[0005] In the above-described management device, the P items relating to the items may be classified into multiple categories. In the above-described management device, the first item determination unit may determine one or more categories from among the multiple categories to be used to present an evaluation to the viewer, based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information.

[0006] In the above-described management device, the P items relating to an item may be classified into multiple categories. In the above-described management device, the first item determination unit may determine one or more categories from among the multiple categories to be used to present an evaluation to the viewer, based on the type of item, the viewer's instructions, and at least one selected from a group consisting of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information. The first item determination unit may determine Q items, including one or more items included in one or more categories, based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information.

[0007] The above-described management device may include a first item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of Q items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information about an item acquired by an evaluation information acquisition unit. The above-described management device may also include an item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for an item based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the Q items calculated by the first item evaluation unit and the weights assigned to each of the Q items. In the above-described management device, the item evaluation unit may determine the weight values ​​assigned to each of the Q items based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by viewer information.

[0008] In the above-described management device, the evaluation information acquisition unit may include a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information showing the results of evaluations of at least one of P items relating to the first item by consumers who have acquired, used, or consumed the first item that was traded in the past. The evaluation information acquisition unit may also include a distribution information acquisition unit that acquires distribution status information showing the state of the first item in at least a part of its distribution process. The evaluation information acquisition unit may also include a correction unit that corrects the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item shown by the first evaluation information based on the state of the first item shown by the distribution status information.

[0009] In the above-described management device, the evaluation information acquisition unit may include a first evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires first evaluation information indicating the results of evaluations of at least one of P items relating to the first item by consumers who have acquired, used, or consumed the first item that was traded in the past. The evaluation information acquisition unit may include an inspection information acquisition unit that acquires inspection information indicating the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the consumer. The evaluation information acquisition unit may include a correction unit that corrects the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information based on the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item indicated by the inspection information. The above-described management device may include a production information acquisition unit that acquires production information indicating the time of production or shipment of the first item. In the above-described management device, the correction unit may correct the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information based on the length of the period between the time of production or shipment of the first item indicated by the production information and the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item indicated by the inspection information.

[0010] In the above-described control device, the first item may be fresh food, or agricultural products, marine products, or livestock products. In the above-described control device, the correction unit may further correct the evaluation results for at least one of the P items relating to the first item indicated by the first evaluation information, based on at least one of the place of origin and item type of the first item.

[0011] In a second aspect of the present invention, a management device is provided. The management device manages, for example, an evaluation of an article. The management device includes, for example, an evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information showing the result of an evaluation of at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to an article. The management device includes, for example, a second item evaluation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information relating to the article acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit. The management device includes, for example, a second item determination unit that determines Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from the P items to be used in determining the evaluation of the article, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated by the second item evaluation unit. The management device includes, for example, a recipient extraction unit that extracts recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit, by referring to a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more recipient information showing the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more recipients capable of receiving information about an article. The above-described management device includes, for example, a generation unit that determines an evaluation of an item using Q items and generates information about the item that includes information indicating the evaluation of the item. The above-described management device also includes, for example, a transmission unit that transmits information about the item to the communication terminal of a recipient extracted by the recipient extraction unit.

[0012] In a third aspect of the present invention, a management method is provided. The management method is, for example, a management method for managing evaluations of articles. Each step of the management method may be performed by a computer. The management method may be a management method for managing evaluations of articles using a computer. The management method includes, for example, an evaluation information acquisition step of acquiring evaluation information showing the evaluation result for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to an article. The management method includes, for example, a viewer information acquisition step of acquiring viewer information showing the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views the evaluation of an article. The management method includes, for example, a first item determination step of determining Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) to be presented to the viewer from among the P items, based on the viewer information acquired in the viewer information acquisition step.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a management method. The management method is, for example, a management method for managing evaluations of articles. Each step of the management method may be performed by a computer. The management method may be a management method for managing evaluations of articles using a computer. The management method includes, for example, an evaluation information acquisition step of acquiring evaluation information showing the result of an evaluation for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to an article. The management method includes, for example, a second item evaluation step of calculating an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information relating to the article acquired in the evaluation information acquisition step. The management method includes, for example, a second item determination step of determining Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from among the P items to be used in determining the evaluation of the article, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated in the second item evaluation step. The above management method includes, for example, a recipient information storage device that stores one or more recipient information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more recipients capable of receiving information about an item, and extracts recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined in the second item determination stage. The above management method includes, for example, a generation stage that determines an evaluation of an item using the Q items and generates information about the item that includes information indicating the evaluation of the item. The above management method includes, for example, a transmission stage that transmits information about the item to the communication terminals of the recipients extracted in the recipient extraction stage.

[0014] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, a program is provided. The program may be a program for causing a computer to function as a management device according to the first or second aspect described above. The program may also be a program for causing a computer to execute a management method according to the third or fourth aspect described above. A computer-readable medium for storing the program may be provided. The computer-readable medium may be a non-temporary computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable recording medium.

[0015] Note that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention. Also, sub - combinations of these feature groups may also be inventions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] An example of the system configuration of the transaction management system 100 is schematically shown. [Figure 2] An example of the internal configuration of the production robot 120 is schematically shown. [Figure 3] An example of the information collection process in the management server 110 is schematically shown. [Figure 4] An example of the internal configuration of the transaction management unit 112 is schematically shown. [Figure 5] An example of the product description screen of the product on sale is schematically shown. [Figure 6] An example of the evaluation input screen of the product after delivery completion is schematically shown. [Figure 7] Another example of the evaluation input screen of the product after delivery completion is schematically shown. [Figure 8] An example of the internal configuration of the EC site management unit 422 is schematically shown. [Figure 9] An example of the internal configuration of the evaluation acquisition unit 462 is schematically shown. [Figure 10] An example of the system configuration of the computer 3000 is schematically shown.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution means of the invention. In the drawings, the same or similar parts may be given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions may be omitted.

[0018] [Overview of the Transaction Management System 100] FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of the system configuration of the transaction management system 100. In the present embodiment, the transaction management system 100 includes, for example, a management server 110. In the present embodiment, the management server 110 has, for example, a transaction management unit 112 and a distribution management unit 114.

[0019] The transaction management system 100 may further include at least one of a production robot 120, a fruit selection system 140, and a logistics system 160. In the present embodiment, the production robot 120 has, for example, a base unit 130, one or more (which may sometimes be simply referred to as one or more) moving units 132, one or more imaging units 134, one or more sensor units 136, and one or more work units 138.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the details of the transaction management system 100 will be described by taking as an example the case where the transaction management system 100 manages the transactions of products 12 and 14. Note that in the present embodiment, the details of the transaction management system 100 will be described by taking as an example the case where the product 14 is an article of the same or similar type as the product 12 or an article produced by the producer 20 of the product 12.

[0021] Also, in the present embodiment, the details of the transaction management system 100 will be described by taking as an example the case where the products 12 and 14 are (i) fresh foodstuffs or (ii) agricultural products, fishery products, or livestock products. Examples of fresh foodstuffs include fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, seafood, and meat. Examples of agricultural products include grains, vegetables, fruits, tea, flowers and trees, mushrooms, or hyphae. However, the products 12 and 14 are not limited to fresh foodstuffs, agricultural products, fishery products, or livestock products.

[0022] In the transaction of goods 12 and goods 14, producer 20 produces goods 12 and goods 14. Producer 20 transfers the produced goods 12 and goods 14 to consumers 40, either for a fee or free of charge. Producer 20 may transfer goods 12 and goods 14 to consumers 40 through one or more distributors 30. In this case, for example, first, producer 20 transfers goods 12 and goods 14 to distributor 30, either for a fee or free of charge. Next, distributor 30 transfers goods 12 and goods 14 to consumers 40, either for a fee or free of charge.

[0023] In this embodiment, producer 20 performs various tasks for producing goods 12 and goods 14. Producer 20 may be a natural person or an organization. The organization may or may not have legal personality. Producer 20 may access the management server 110 using a communication terminal 22. Producer 20 may, for example, use the communication terminal 22 to transmit information to the management server 110 indicating records of various tasks related to goods 12 and goods 14. Producer 20 may use a production robot 120 to produce goods 12 and goods 14.

[0024] In this embodiment, the distributor 30 mediates transactions between producers 20 and consumers 40. Examples of distributors 30 include transportation companies, warehouse operators, wholesalers, and retailers. A producer group composed of multiple producers 20 may have aspects of both producers 20 and distributors 30. Examples of producer groups include collection and shipping organizations and cooperatives.

[0025] In this embodiment, the consumer 40 receives the goods 12 and 14 from the producer 20 or distributor 30, either for a fee or free of charge. The consumer 40 uses or consumes the goods 12 and 14. The consumer 40 may inspect or evaluate the goods 12 and 14 before using or consuming them. The consumer 40 may inspect or evaluate the goods 12 and 14 after using or consuming them.

[0026] [Overview of information processing in transaction management system 100] An example of information processing in the transaction management system 100 will be explained using the case where consumer 44, an example of consumer 40, purchases product 12, and then consumer 46, another example of consumer 40, purchases product 14. In this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 collects various data during the transaction process of product 12. The transaction management system 100 may perform processing to support the collection of the above data.

[0027] Various data collected in the transaction of product 12 are used in the transaction of product 14. In one embodiment, the transaction management system 100 performs processing to present data on evaluations of product 12 or producer 20 (sometimes simply referred to as evaluation information on product 12) collected in the transaction of product 12 to consumers 46 who are considering purchasing product 14. In another embodiment, the transaction management system 100 performs processing to determine the selling points of product 14 based on the characteristics of product 14 that are the subject of current or future transactions and the evaluation of product 12. The transaction management system 100 also performs processing to notify consumers 46 who are likely to be interested in the selling points of product 14 of sales promotion information for product 14.

[0028] Product evaluation information (sometimes simply referred to as product evaluation information) may include information indicating the type and quality of the product. For example, product evaluation information may include information indicating the type of product and information indicating the evaluation of the product. Product evaluation information may also include information that associates the type of product with the evaluation of the product. The type of product may be identified by the product item. The product item may be the name of the product type. The evaluation of the product may be an evaluation of the quality of the product. The quality of the product may be determined, for example, based on various characteristics of the product. According to this embodiment, since the transaction management system 100 acquires evaluation information about product 12 at multiple points in time during the transaction process of product 12, the quality of product 12 at the time of production or shipment can be evaluated more accurately.

[0029] The producer 20 may be evaluated based on an evaluation of the product 12, or based on an evaluation of the producer 20. In this embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, the details of information processing in the transaction management system 100 will be explained using the case where a consumer 44 evaluates the product 12 as an example.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 acquires evaluation information about product 12 at multiple points in time during the transaction process of product 12. For example, the transaction management system 100 acquires evaluation information about product 12 at the time of inspection or evaluation of product 12, at the time of production or shipment of product 12, and at least one of a specific point in time during the distribution process of product 12.

[0031] In particular, fresh food products, agricultural products, marine products, and livestock products are more susceptible to quality deterioration compared to, for example, manufactured goods. Therefore, quality deterioration can occur between the time the producer 20 ships the product and when it reaches the consumer 40 (sometimes referred to as the distribution process).

[0032] [Summary of evaluation information] Examples of evaluation information regarding product 12 include (i) data showing subjective evaluation results based on the results of sensory tests of product 12 conducted by producers 20, distributors 30, or consumers 40, and (ii) data showing objective evaluation results based on measurement results of product 12 by various sensors. Examples of the sensors include (i) sensors installed in at least one of one or more production robots 120, (ii) sensors installed in the production site, (iii) sensors installed in a sorting system 140 or logistics system used by at least a portion of one or more distributors 30, and (iv) sensors installed in communication terminals 22, 32, or 42.

[0033] Examples of the sensors mentioned above include (i) measuring instruments for measuring the characteristics of product 12, and (ii) measuring instruments for measuring the state of the surrounding environment of product 12. Examples of the surrounding environment of product 12 include the production environment of product 12 and the distribution environment of product 12. If product 12 and product 14 are fresh food products, or agricultural products, marine products, or livestock products, examples of the production environment of product 12 include growing places and hunting grounds. If product 12 is an agricultural product, examples of the production environment of product 12 include fields and growing media. If product 12 is a livestock product, examples of the production environment of product 12 include pastures and barns. If product 12 is a marine product, examples of the production environment of product 12 include aquaculture farms and fishing grounds.

[0034] Examples of the characteristics of product 12 include (i) at least one of the external shape, pattern, color, and luster of product 12, (ii) at least one of the size and mass of product 12, (iii) at least one of the hardness and elasticity of product 12, (iv) at least one of the amount of radiation and aroma components emitted from product 12, and (v) the content of specific components contained in product 12. Examples of specific components include hydrogen ions, water, nutrients, or functional components. Examples of nutrients or functional components include sugars, proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, glutamic acid, sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, magnesium ions, nitrate ions, phosphate ions, vitamins, and amino acids. Examples of the various sensors mentioned above include image sensors, 3D scanners, hardness testers, dosimeters, odor sensors, pH meters, moisture meters, refractometers, and taste sensors.

[0035] Examples of the conditions of the surrounding environment (sometimes referred to as the production environment) of product 12 during its production process include at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the temperature, illuminance, and / or pressure of the surrounding environment of product 12, (ii) the concentration of specific components in the surrounding environment of product 12, and (iii) the type and / or amount of materials and / or energy input during the production process. Examples of the specific components include water, hydrogen ions, and nutrients required for the growth of product 12. If product 12 is an agricultural product, examples of nutrients required for the growth of product 12 include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Examples of the various sensors include thermometers, illuminometers, pressure gauges, hygrometers, pH meters, nitrogen concentration meters, phosphorus concentration meters, and potassium concentration meters.

[0036] Examples of the state of the surrounding environment (sometimes referred to as the distribution environment) of product 12 during its distribution process include at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the temperature, illuminance, and / or pressure of the surrounding environment of product 12, (ii) the concentration of specific components in the surrounding environment of product 12, and (iii) the acceleration applied to product 12 during the distribution process (e.g., shock, vibration, etc.). Examples of the specific components include one or more substances selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene. Examples of the various sensors include thermometers, illuminometers, pressure gauges, hygrometers, pH meters, oxygen concentration meters, carbon dioxide concentration meters, ethylene concentration meters, and accelerometers.

[0037] Evaluation information regarding product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from a communication terminal 22 used by the producer 20, or from various sensors (for example, an imaging unit 134 or a sensor unit 136) installed on the production robot 120. Evaluation information regarding product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from various sensors installed on a sorting system 140 or logistics system used by at least some of one or more distributors 30. Evaluation information regarding product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from a communication terminal 32 used by a distributor 30. Evaluation information regarding product 12 is transmitted to the management server 110, for example, from a communication terminal 42 used by a consumer 40.

[0038] [Structure of evaluation information] In this embodiment, the transaction management system 100 stores basic information for each product and evaluation information for each product in association with each other. Examples of basic information for each product include product identification information, information indicating the type of product, information indicating the producer of each product, and information indicating the production date or shipping date of each product. In this embodiment, the evaluation information for each product includes information indicating the evaluation for each of several items (sometimes referred to as evaluation items) related to each product. For example, the evaluation information for each product is configured to store evaluations for each of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more).

[0039] In this embodiment, P evaluation items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) are classified into several categories (sometimes referred to as evaluation categories). Examples of these categories include: (i) categories relating to size or mass, (ii) categories relating to appearance, (iii) categories relating to taste, (iv) categories relating to texture, (v) categories relating to contained ingredients, (vi) categories relating to freshness, (vii) categories relating to ease of use or consumption, (viii) categories relating to the production process, (ix) categories relating to environmental impact, (x) categories relating to contribution to the local community, and (xi) categories relating to price.

[0040] The categories relating to size or mass include, for example, evaluation items relating to size and evaluation items relating to mass. The categories relating to appearance include, for example, evaluation items relating to shape, evaluation items relating to the presence or amount of blemishes, evaluation items relating to color and luster, and evaluation items relating to cleanliness. The categories relating to taste include, for example, evaluation items relating to sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness, umami, and deliciousness. The categories relating to texture include, for example, evaluation items relating to hardness, crispness, and moisture content. The categories relating to contained components include, for example, evaluation items relating to the content of nutrients, aroma components, and functional components.

[0041] The freshness category includes, for example, evaluation items related to the number of days elapsed since the production date or shipping date. The ease of use or consumption category includes, for example, evaluation items related to the ease of cooking. The production process category includes, for example, evaluation items related to the presence or absence of chemical fertilizers and / or the manner of their use, the presence or absence of pesticides and / or the manner of their use, and the presence or absence of certification for organic or pesticide-free cultivation.

[0042] The environmental impact category includes, for example, evaluation items related to the use of at least one of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides, the type and / or amount of chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides used in the cultivation process, evaluation items related to carbon dioxide emissions, and evaluation items related to the disposal methods of agricultural materials. The community contribution category includes, for example, evaluation items related to guidance or training for new farmers or inexperienced producers, and evaluation items related to contributions to local food culture. The price category includes, for example, evaluation items related to cost performance, and evaluation items related to the relative price level of similar products.

[0043] [Overview of each part of the Transaction Management System 100] In this embodiment, communication terminals 22, 32, and 42 are used by producers 20, distributors 30, and consumers 40, respectively. Each of the communication terminals 22, 32, and 42 sends and receives information to and from the management server 110 via a communication network (not shown).

[0044] Examples of communication terminals 22, 32, and 42 include personal computers and mobile terminals. Examples of mobile terminals include mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs (registered trademarks), tablets, notebook computers or laptop computers, and wearable computers.

[0045] Communication terminals 22, 32, and 42 may function as user interfaces when a producer 20, distributor 30, or consumer 40 accesses the transaction management system 100. Producer 20 may use communication terminal 22 to transmit information indicating various measurement results regarding the state of the production environment described above to the management server 110. Producer 20 may use communication terminal 22 to transmit evaluation information regarding goods 12 and 14 to the management server 110. Distributor 30 may use communication terminal 32 to transmit information indicating various measurement results regarding the state of the distribution environment described above to the management server 110. Distributor 30 may use communication terminal 32 to transmit evaluation information regarding goods 12 and 14 to the management server 110. Consumer 40 may use communication terminal 42 to transmit evaluation information regarding goods 12 and 14 to the management server 110. Consumer 40 may use the communication terminal 42 to obtain various information, including evaluation information regarding products 12 and 14, from the management server 110.

[0046] The above communication network may be a wired communication transmission line, a wireless communication transmission line, or a combination of a wireless communication transmission line and a wired communication transmission line. The communication network may include wireless packet communication networks, the Internet, P2P networks, dedicated lines, VPNs, power line communication lines, etc. The communication network may include (i) mobile communication networks such as cellular network lines, and (ii) wireless communication networks such as wireless MAN (e.g., WiMAX®), wireless LAN (e.g., WiFi®), Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, and NFC (Near Field Communication). Wireless LAN, Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, and NFC may be examples of short-range wireless communication.

[0047] In this embodiment, the management server 110 manages transactions of various goods. The management server 110 also manages the distribution of various goods.

[0048] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 manages transactions of various goods. For example, the transaction management unit 112 collects various data during the transaction process of goods 12. The transaction management unit 112 may perform processing to support the collection of the above data. For example, the transaction management unit 112 uses the various data collected in the transaction of goods 12 to support or mediate the transaction of goods 14. The transaction management unit 112 may determine an evaluation of goods 14 based on evaluations of one or more goods 12. The transaction management unit 112 may transmit information indicating the evaluation of goods 14 to a communication terminal 42 used by a consumer 40 considering purchasing goods 14. The transaction management unit 112 may transmit information indicating the evaluation of goods 14 to a communication terminal 42 used by a consumer 40 whose characteristics match those of goods 14. Details of the transaction management unit 112 will be described later.

[0049] In this embodiment, the distribution management unit 114 manages the distribution of one or more products. For example, the distribution management unit 114 manages the status of each of the one or more products at least in part of the distribution process of the product.

[0050] In one embodiment, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information (sometimes referred to as distribution status information) indicating the state of the product 12 at least part of its distribution process. Examples of distribution status information include information indicating the characteristics of the product 12 in the distribution process and information indicating the state of the distribution environment for the product 12.

[0051] The distribution management unit 114 may acquire information from the sorting system 140 indicating the measurement results of the products 12 by various sensors installed in the sorting system 140. For example, the distribution management unit 114 may acquire information from a control device (not shown) that controls the sorting system 140 indicating the measurement results of a mass meter and / or sugar content meter installed in the sorting machine that constitutes the sorting system 140. The distribution management unit 114 may also acquire image data of the products 12 captured by a camera installed in the sorting machine that constitutes the sorting system 140 from a control device (not shown) that controls the sorting system 140.

[0052] The distribution management unit 114 may acquire information from the logistics system 160 indicating the measurement results of the goods 12 by various sensors installed in the logistics system 160. For example, the distribution management unit 114 may acquire information from a control device (not shown) that controls the logistics system 160 indicating the measurement results of acceleration sensors installed on the trucks that make up the logistics system 160. The distribution management unit 114 may also acquire image data of the goods 12 captured by cameras installed in the warehouse management system that makes up the logistics system 160 from a control device (not shown) that controls the logistics system 160.

[0053] In another embodiment, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information (sometimes referred to as distribution period information) indicating the length of the period between the production date or shipment date of the product 12 and the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 by the consumer 40. For example, the distribution management unit 114 acquires information (sometimes referred to as production information) indicating the production date or shipment date of the product 12. The distribution management unit 114 may acquire production information from the communication terminal 22 or the production robot 120. The distribution management unit 114 also acquires information (sometimes referred to as inspection information) indicating the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 by the consumer 44. The distribution management unit 114 may acquire inspection information from the communication terminal 42. The distribution management unit 114 may determine the length of the distribution period based on the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 indicated by the inspection information and the production date or shipment date of the product 12 indicated by the production information. This allows the distribution management unit 114 to acquire distribution period information.

[0054] The distribution management unit 114 may store identification information for identifying one or more products in association with at least one of the distribution status information and distribution period information for each product. For example, in response to a request from the transaction management unit 112, the distribution management unit 114 extracts the distribution status information and / or distribution period information for products that match the request and transmits the extracted information to the transaction management unit 112.

[0055] In this embodiment, the production robot 120 produces goods 12 and goods 14. The production robot 120 may have an autonomous movement function. The production robot 120 may have a communication function. For example, the production robot 120 sends and receives information to and from the management server 110 via a communication network. The production robot 120 may transmit information indicating records of various tasks related to goods 12 and goods 14 to the management server 110 via the communication network. The production robot 120 may transmit information indicating various measurement results regarding the state of the production environment described above to the management server 110 via the communication network. Details of the production robot 120 and its various parts will be described later.

[0056] In this embodiment, the sorting system 140 classifies products 12 and 14. For example, if products 12 and 14 are agricultural products, the sorting system 140 classifies products 12 and 14 by quality, size, mass, etc. The sorting system 140 is equipped with various sensors for measuring the quality, size, mass, etc., of products 12 and 14. The sensors may include image sensors that capture images of the appearance of products 12 and 14. The sorting system 140 may transmit information indicating the measurement results from the various sensors to the management server 110 via a communication network.

[0057] In this embodiment, the logistics system 160 stores and transports goods 12 and goods 14. The logistics system 160 includes various sensors that measure at least one of the conditions of goods 12 and goods 14, as well as the conditions of the surrounding environment of goods 12 and goods 14, during storage and transport. The sensors may include image sensors that capture images of the appearance of goods 12 and goods 14. The logistics system 160 may transmit information indicating the measurement results from the various sensors to the management server 110 via a communication network.

[0058] [Specific configuration of each part of the transaction management system 100] Each part of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented by hardware, by software, or by both hardware and software. At least a portion of each part of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented by a single server or by multiple servers. At least a portion of each part of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented on a virtual machine or a cloud system. At least a portion of each part of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented on a personal computer or a mobile terminal. Examples of mobile terminals include mobile phones, smartphones, PDAs (registered trademarks), tablets, notebook computers or laptop computers, and wearable computers. Each part of the transaction management system 100 may store information using distributed ledger technology or a distributed network, such as blockchain.

[0059] If at least a portion of the components constituting the transaction management system 100 are implemented by software, the components implemented by software may be implemented by launching software or a program that defines the operation of the components in a general-purpose information processing device. The above general-purpose information processing device may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, ROM, RAM, and a communication interface; (ii) an input device such as a keyboard, pointing device, touch panel, camera, voice input device, gesture input device, various sensors, and GPS receiver; (iii) an output device such as a display device, voice output device, and vibration device; and (iv) a storage device such as memory, HDD, or SSD (including external storage devices).

[0060] In the above-described general configuration of an information processing device, the above-described data processing device or storage device may store the above-described software or program. The above-described software or program is executed by the processor, causing the above-described information processing device to perform the operations defined by the software or program. The above-described software or program may be stored on a non-temporary computer-readable recording medium. The above-described software or program may be a program that causes a computer to function as part of the transaction management system 100. The above-described software or program may be a program that causes a computer to perform information processing in the transaction management system 100 or part thereof.

[0061] In one embodiment, the above information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of an item. The management method may include, for example, an evaluation information acquisition step of acquiring evaluation information showing the evaluation result for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to the item. The management method may include, for example, a viewer information acquisition step of acquiring viewer information showing the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of a viewer who views the evaluation of the item. The management method may include, for example, a first item determination step of determining Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) to be presented to the viewer from among the P items, based on the viewer information acquired in the viewer information acquisition step. The operating entity for each step of the management method may be a computer.

[0062] In other embodiments, the above information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of articles. The management method includes, for example, an evaluation information acquisition step of acquiring evaluation information showing the result of an evaluation for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to an article. The management method includes, for example, a second item evaluation step of calculating an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information relating to the article acquired in the evaluation information acquisition step. The management method includes, for example, a second item determination step of determining Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from the P items to be used in determining the evaluation of the article, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated in the second item evaluation step. The management method includes, for example, a recipient extraction step of extracting recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined in the second item determination step, by referring to a recipient information storage device that stores one or more recipient pieces of information showing the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more recipients capable of receiving information about the article. The management method includes, for example, a generation step of determining an evaluation of an article using the Q items and generating information about the article that includes information showing the evaluation of the article. The above management method includes, for example, a transmission step in which information about the goods is transmitted to the communication terminals of recipients selected in the recipient selection step. The operating entity for each step of the above management method may be a computer.

[0063] In yet another embodiment, the above information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of an item. The management method includes, for example, a support data transmission step, which transmits input support data to a communication terminal of a consumer who has acquired, used, or consumed the first item that was previously traded, in order to assist the consumer in inputting evaluation results of the first item. The management method includes, for example, a support data generation step, which generates input support data. The management method includes, for example, a distribution information acquisition step, which acquires at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the state of the first item at least part of its distribution process, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of time between the production or shipment date of the first item and the inspection or evaluation date of the first item by the consumer. In the management method, for example, the support data generation unit includes a step of determining the type of one or more evaluation items for the consumer to evaluate the first item based on at least one of the state of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of time indicated by the distribution period information. The operating entity for each step of the management method may be a computer.

[0064] In yet another embodiment, the above information processing may be a management method for managing evaluations of an article. The above management method includes, for example, an evaluation storage step for storing evaluation information indicating an evaluation of an article. The above management method includes, for example, a first evaluation information acquisition step for acquiring first evaluation information indicating evaluation results of the first article by consumers who have acquired, used, or consumed the first article that was traded in the past. The above management method includes, for example, a distribution information acquisition step for acquiring at least one of (i) distribution status information indicating the state of the first article at least part of its distribution process, and (ii) distribution period information indicating the length of time between the production or shipment date of the first article and the inspection or evaluation date of the first article by the consumer. In the above management method, the first evaluation information acquisition step includes, for example, a step of deciding to store the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit if at least one of (a) the state of the first article indicated by the distribution status information and the length of time indicated by the distribution period information meets predetermined conditions. In the management method described above, the first evaluation information acquisition step includes, for example, the step of deciding if (b) if at least one of the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information does not conform to predetermined conditions, (i) not to store at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage device, (ii) to correct at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information, or (iii) to store in the evaluation storage device the first evaluation information in association with information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information may not be valid. The operating entity for each step of the management method described above may be a computer.

[0065] Product 12 may be an article or an example of the first article. Product 14 may be an article or an example of the second article. The second article may be an article of the same or similar type as the first article, or an article supplied by the same supplier as the first article. Producer 20 may be an example of a supplier. Some of the distributors 30 may be an example of a supplier. Some of the distributors 30 may be an example of a demander, viewer, or recipient. Consumer 40 may be an example of a demander, viewer, or recipient. Consumer 44 may be an example of a demander. Consumer 46 may be an example of a viewer or recipient.

[0066] The transaction management system 100 may be an example of a management device. The management server 110 may be an example of a management device. The transaction management unit 112 may be an example of a management device. The distribution management unit 114 may be an example of a distribution information acquisition unit, a production information acquisition unit, or an inspection information acquisition unit. The production date may be an example of the production date. The shipping date may be an example of the shipping date. The inspection date may be an example of the inspection date. The evaluation date may be an example of the evaluation date. The inspection information and production information may be examples of distribution period information.

[0067] [An example of an alternative embodiment] In this embodiment, an example of the transaction management system 100 was described, using as an example the case in which the transaction management system 100 acquires information from the production robot 120 indicating various measurement results regarding the state of the production environment for product 12 and / or product 14. However, the transaction management system 100 is not limited to this embodiment. In other embodiments, the transaction management system 100 acquires information from fixed sensors placed in the above-described production environment indicating the measurement results of those sensors.

[0068] In this embodiment, an example of the transaction management system 100 was described using the case where a producer 20 ships goods and a consumer 40 receives the goods as an example. In this case, a distributor 30, a sorting system 140, and a logistics system 160 are involved in the distribution process. However, the usage environment of the transaction management system 100 is not limited to this embodiment. As mentioned above, examples of distributors 30 include producer associations, transporters, warehouse operators, wholesalers, and retailers. In other embodiments, the transaction management system 100 can also be used, for example, when a producer association ships goods and a wholesaler or retailer receives the goods. In this case, the producer association may use the sorting system 140 to transmit various information about the goods to be shipped to the management server 110. The association shipping the goods may have the same configuration as the producer 20. The wholesaler or retailer receiving the goods may have the same configuration as the consumer 40.

[0069] Figure 2 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of the production robot 120. As described in relation to Figure 1, in this embodiment, the production robot 120 comprises a base unit 130, a mobile unit 132, an imaging unit 134, a sensor unit 136, and a work unit 138. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, the production robot 120 further comprises a control unit 220, one or more power supply units 230, one or more vibration damping units 250, and one or more balance adjustment units 280.

[0070] In this embodiment, the production robot 120 may be a work machine that performs any task. For example, the production robot 120 performs various agricultural tasks, monitoring tasks, etc. The production robot 120 may be fixed or mobile. The production robot 120 may have an autonomous driving function or autonomous navigation function, may be operated by remote control, or may be operated by an operator riding inside the production robot 120. Preferably, the production robot 120 is an unmanned work machine that has an autonomous driving function or autonomous navigation function.

[0071] The production robot 120 may be a small robot. For example, the volume of one production robot 120 may be 2 m³. 3 The following is acceptable: 1m 3 The following may be used: 0.5m 3 The following may be true: 0.25m 3 The following is also possible. This allows the production robot 120 to move freely around the production site. As a result, for example, the production robot 120 can observe the products being produced from angles that are difficult for humans to observe.

[0072] In this embodiment, the base unit 130 holds the mobile unit 132, imaging unit 134, sensor unit 136, work unit 138, control unit 220, power supply unit 230, vibration damping unit 250, and balance adjustment unit 280. In this embodiment, the base unit 130 detachably holds at least one of the mobile unit 132, imaging unit 134, sensor unit 136, work unit 138, vibration damping unit 250, and balance adjustment unit 280. This allows the production robot 120 to handle multiple different types of work.

[0073] In this embodiment, the base unit 130 includes a control unit 220 and a power supply unit 230. The control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 may be built into the base unit 130. At least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 may be detachably disposed on the base unit 130. In one embodiment, at least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 is detachably disposed inside the base unit 130. In another embodiment, at least one of the control unit 220 and the power supply unit 230 is detachably disposed outside the base unit 130.

[0074] In this embodiment, the mobile unit 132 moves the production robot 120. The power source for the mobile unit 132 may be electric power, an internal combustion engine, or a steam engine. For example, the mobile unit 132 converts the electric power supplied from the power supply unit 230 into power to move the production robot 120. In this embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may have a built-in power source that generates power using the electric power supplied from the power supply unit 230. Examples of power sources include motors and actuators.

[0075] In one embodiment, the mobile unit 132 comprises wheels for moving on land and a power source for driving the wheels. In another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 comprises tracks for moving on land and a power source for driving the tracks. In yet another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may comprise a propeller for moving on or underwater and a power source for driving the propeller. The mobile unit 132 may further comprise buoyancy material for obtaining buoyancy. In yet another embodiment, the mobile unit 132 may comprise a propeller for moving through the air and a power source for driving the propeller. The mobile unit 132 may further comprise a balloon or airbag for floating in the air.

[0076] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 134 images various subjects. For example, the imaging unit 134 images at least one of (i) product 12 and / or product 14, (iv) the surrounding environment of product 12 and / or product 14, (iii) producer 20, and (iv) production robot 120. The surrounding environment of product 12 and / or product 14 is exemplified by the interior or periphery of the production site. If product 12 and / or product 14 are agricultural products, the imaging unit 134 may image the soil or growing medium at the location where product 12 and / or product 14 are grown as the surrounding environment of product 12 and / or product 14.

[0077] In one embodiment, the imaging unit 134 is detachably disposed outside the base unit 130. In other embodiments, the imaging unit 134 is located in another unit. For example, the imaging unit 134 is incorporated into the work unit 138. The imaging unit 134 may also be incorporated into the control unit 220.

[0078] The imaging unit 134 may be positioned in front of the base unit 130 in the direction of travel, or behind the base unit 130 in the direction of travel. The imaging unit 134 may be positioned on the side of the production robot 120. The imaging unit 134 may be positioned on the top surface of the base unit 130, or on the bottom surface of the base unit 130. The imaging unit 134 may have an illumination unit that emits illumination light. A light is an example of an illumination unit.

[0079] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 134 captures at least one of a still image and a moving image. Preferably, the imaging unit 134 is capable of capturing moving images. The imaging unit 134 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera. The imaging unit 134 may have a manipulator and an imaging device attached to the tip of the manipulator. The manipulator can use power supplied from the power supply unit 230 to orient the imaging device in any direction.

[0080] The image data captured by the imaging unit 134 may be stored in the production robot 120's storage device or transmitted to the management server 110. The production robot 120 may analyze the image data captured by the imaging unit 134 and transmit the analysis results to the management server 110.

[0081] In this embodiment, the sensor unit 136 measures various physical quantities. For example, the sensor unit 136 measures at least one of the following: a physical quantity relating to the producer 20, a physical quantity relating to the production robot 120, a physical quantity relating to the product 12 and / or product 14, and a physical quantity relating to the surrounding environment of the product 12 and / or product 14. This allows information about the growing environment of the product 12 and / or product 14 to be obtained.

[0082] Examples of physical quantities relating to product 12 and / or product 14 include the color, gloss, shape, pattern, size, weight or mass, composition, content of specific components, hardness, and elasticity of each product. Examples of physical quantities relating to the surrounding environment of product 12 and / or product 14 include information about the culture medium, information about the atmosphere, and information about light intensity. Examples of information about the culture medium include pH, temperature, moisture content, particle size distribution, hardness, and components, bacteria, and viruses contained in the culture medium. Examples of components contained in the culture medium include organic matter (carbon), nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, molybdenum, copper, and chlorine. Examples of information about the atmosphere include temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, oxygen concentration, ethylene concentration, wind direction, and wind speed.

[0083] In one embodiment, the sensor unit 136 is detachably mounted outside the base unit 130. In other embodiments, the sensor unit 136 is mounted in another unit. For example, the sensor unit 136 is incorporated into the work unit 138. The sensor unit 136 may also be incorporated into the control unit 220.

[0084] The measurement results from the sensor unit 136 may be stored in the production robot 120's storage device or transmitted to the management server 110. The production robot 120 may analyze the measurement results from the sensor unit 136 and transmit the analysis results to the management server 110.

[0085] In this embodiment, the work unit 138 may be an attachment specialized for a specific task. According to this embodiment, the work unit 138, depending on the application, is attached to the base unit 130. This allows the production robot 120 to perform multiple different types of tasks.

[0086] If products 12 and 14 are agricultural products, the work unit 138 may be an attachment for agricultural work. In this embodiment, the work unit 138 may be a unit specialized for one or more agricultural tasks. Examples of the work unit 138 include a pest control sprayer, a fertilizer sprayer, a gas sprayer, a ridging device, a seedling dropper, a seed sowing device, a tilling device, a manipulator with a jig for removing unwanted branches and leaves, a manipulator with a jig for thinning agricultural products, a grass cutting device (for example, a grass cutting device for neglected fields), a watering device, a bird and animal deterrent device (for example, a device that deters birds and animals with sound and light), a thinning device, a flower thinning device, a fruit tree thinning device, and a bagging device (for example, a fruit tree bagging device).

[0087] In this embodiment, the work unit 138 is detachably held by the base unit 130. The work unit 138 may incorporate a power source that generates power to drive the work unit 138 using electricity supplied from the power supply unit 230. Examples of power sources include motors and actuators.

[0088] In this embodiment, the work unit 138 includes an information processing device that executes firmware 294 and controls the work unit 138. The above information processing device may be a processor such as a CPU or GPU. The above information processing device may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, ROM, RAM, a communication interface, etc., (ii) an input device such as a keyboard, pointing device, touch panel, camera, voice input device, gesture input device, various sensors, GPS receiver, etc., (iii) an output device such as a display device, voice output device, vibration device, etc., and (iv) a storage device such as memory, HDD, SSD, etc. (including external storage device).

[0089] The latest version of firmware 294 is managed, for example, by the management server 110. The management server 110 sends the latest version of firmware 294 to the work unit 138 or the control unit 220, for example, in response to a request from the work unit 138 or the control unit 220. This allows the work unit 138 or the control unit 220 to update the firmware 294.

[0090] In this embodiment, the control unit 220 controls the production robot 120. In one embodiment, the control unit 220 communicates with each unit and controls the operation of the unit according to its type. The control unit 220 may control the operation of one or more units depending on the combination of multiple units.

[0091] For example, the control unit 220 communicates with at least one of the mobile unit 132, the work unit 138, and the balance adjustment unit 280. The communication method may be wired or wireless. If the communication method between the control unit 220 and the other units is wired, the base unit 130 may have a communication path (sometimes referred to as a bus) for transmitting information between the control unit 220 and the other units. The above communication path may be just one example of a communication unit.

[0092] In another embodiment, the control unit 220 communicates with the management server 110 and transmits information about the production robot 120 to the management server 110. For example, the control unit 220 acquires location information of the production robot 120 and transmits this location information to the management server 110. In another example, the control unit 220 associates the location information of the production robot 120 with information acquired by the sensor unit 136 at the location indicated by the location information and transmits this information to the management server 110.

[0093] In this embodiment, the control unit 220 includes an information processing device that executes a control program 222 and controls the production robot 120. The above information processing device may be a processor such as a CPU or GPU. The above information processing device may include (i) a data processing device having a processor such as a CPU or GPU, ROM, RAM, a communication interface, etc., (ii) an input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, a camera, a voice input device, a gesture input device, various sensors, a GPS receiver, etc., (iii) an output device such as a display device, a voice output device, a vibration device, etc., and (iv) a storage device such as memory, an HDD, an SSD (including an external storage device).

[0094] In this embodiment, the control program 222 may run on the OS 224. One or more control programs 222 may run on one or more OS 224. The OS 224 controls the production robot 120 via one or more drivers 226 for controlling various hardware components included in the production robot 120. For example, the OS 224 recognizes a specific unit (e.g., a mobile unit 132, a work unit 138, etc.) or controls the operation of such unit via a specific driver 226. By updating at least one of the control program 222, the OS 224, and the drivers 226, for example, the production robot 120 may be able to utilize new units or the production robot 120 may be able to utilize units more efficiently.

[0095] The latest versions of the control program 222, OS 224, and driver 226 are managed, for example, by the management server 110. The management server 110, for example, sends at least one of the latest versions of the control program 222, OS 224, and driver 226 to the control unit 220 in response to a request from the control unit 220. This allows the control unit 220 to update at least one of the control program 222, OS 224, and driver 226.

[0096] The location information only needs to indicate the position of the production robot 120, and the content and method of acquiring the location information are not particularly limited. The control unit 220 may determine the position of the production robot 120 by any self-position estimation method. The control unit 220 may receive GPS signals and determine the position of the production robot 120 based on said GPS signals. The control unit 220 may receive beacon signals from beacon transmitters installed around the production site (e.g., fields, pastures, livestock barns, aquaculture farms, fishing grounds, hunting grounds) and determine the position of the production robot 120 based on said beacon signals. The position of the production robot 120 may also be determined based on the radio wave intensity of radio waves. The control unit 220 may analyze images of the area around the production robot 120 captured by the imaging unit 134 and determine the position of the production robot 120 from the angles formed between the production robot 120 and a number of landmarks whose positions are known.

[0097] The control unit 220 may obtain information for controlling the production robot 120 from the management server 110. The information for controlling the production robot 120 may be information about the work that the production robot 120 should now perform. The information for controlling the production robot 120 may be control data uploaded to the management server 110 by the know-how provider. The information for controlling the production robot 120 may also be data showing the output result of the control data uploaded to the management server 110 by the know-how provider. Based on the information obtained from the management server 110, the control unit 220 may control the operation of the unit related to the information.

[0098] In this embodiment, the power supply unit 230 supplies power to drive at least one of the moving unit 132, the work unit 138, and the balance adjustment unit 280. The power supply unit 230 may also supply power to at least one of the vibration damping unit 250, the imaging unit 134, and the sensor unit 136.

[0099] In this embodiment, the vibration damping unit 250 controls vibrations. For example, the vibration damping unit 250 controls vibrations of at least one of the imaging unit 134, the sensor unit 136, and the work unit 138. The vibration damping unit 250 may control vibrations according to commands from the control unit 220. The vibration damping unit 250 may have a power source that generates power to drive the vibration damping unit 250 using power supplied from the power supply unit 230. Examples of power sources include motors and actuators.

[0100] In this embodiment, the balance adjustment unit 280 has a weight. The balance adjustment unit 280 is detachably held on the base unit 130. Depending on the weight of the unit attached to the base unit 130 and the position of its center of gravity, the weight balance of the production robot 120 may become poor, causing the production robot 120 to become unstable. Therefore, by attaching the balance adjustment unit 280 to an appropriate position on the base unit 130, the weight balance of the production robot 120 can be adjusted.

[0101] The balance adjustment unit 280 may be a manipulator with a weight at its tip. By changing the relative position between the weight and the base unit 130, the center of gravity of the production robot 120 can be changed.

[0102] Figure 3 schematically shows an example of information collection processing in the management server 110. As shown in Figure 3, the transaction management unit 112 of the management server 110 acquires various information regarding the evaluation of product 12 at multiple points in time during the transaction process of product 12. As described above, examples of evaluations of product 12 include (i) subjective evaluations based on the results of sensory tests of product 12, and (ii) objective evaluations based on measurement results of product 12 by various sensors.

[0103] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information related to evaluations during the production process (sometimes referred to as supply-side evaluation information). For example, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information regarding the characteristics of product 12 during the production process and / or information regarding the production environment of product 12 as supply-side evaluation information. The transaction management unit 112 may also acquire production information indicating the production date or shipment date of product 12.

[0104] In one embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires supplier-side evaluation information from a communication terminal 22 used by the producer 20. For example, the producer 20 inputs an evaluation for each of the one or more evaluation items displayed on the evaluation input screen, following the guidance of the evaluation input screen displayed on the display device of the communication terminal 22. The producer 20 may input a subjective evaluation for each evaluation item regarding the goods 12 being produced or the goods 12 being shipped. The producer 20 may operate the communication terminal 22 to send information indicating the above evaluation results to the management server 110. As a result, the transaction management unit 112 can acquire information indicating the evaluation results of the goods 12 by the producer 20.

[0105] The producer 20 may, using a similar procedure, operate the communication terminal 22 to transmit information regarding the production environment of product 12 to the management server 110. The producer 20 may also, using a similar procedure, transmit production information to the management server 110. Note that the method for obtaining supply-side evaluation information and / or production information by the transaction management unit 112 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0106] In another embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires supply-side evaluation information from the production robot 120 used by the producer 20. For example, the production robot 120 measures various characteristics of the product 12 using various sensors installed on the production robot 120. The production robot 120 may transmit information indicating the measurement results to the management server 110. This allows the transaction management unit 112 to acquire information regarding the characteristics of the product 12 during the production process (for example, at the time of production or at the time of shipment).

[0107] The production robot 120 may transmit information regarding the production environment of product 12 to the management server 110 using a similar procedure. The production robot 120 may also transmit production information for product 12 to the management server 110 using a similar procedure. Note that the method for acquiring supply-side evaluation information and / or production information by the transaction management unit 112 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0108] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires the distribution status information described above. For example, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information regarding the characteristics of the product 12 in the distribution process, and / or information regarding the distribution environment of the product 12, as distribution status information.

[0109] In one embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires distribution status information from a communication terminal 32 used by the distributor 30. The distributor 30 may input and transmit subjective evaluations of each evaluation item regarding the product 12 in the distribution process using the same procedure as the producer 20 used to input and transmit supply-side evaluation information. As described above, in the management server 110, the distribution status information is managed by the distribution management unit 114. In this case, the transaction management unit 112 can access the distribution management unit 114 as needed to acquire information indicating the evaluation results of the product 12 by the distributor 30, and / or information regarding the distribution environment of the product 12. Note that the method of acquiring distribution status information by the transaction management unit 112 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0110] In other embodiments, the transaction management unit 112 acquires distribution status information from at least one of the sorting system 140 and the logistics system 160. The sorting system 140 and / or the logistics system 160 may acquire and transmit distribution status information using the same procedure as the production robot 120 used to acquire and transmit supply-side evaluation information. As described above, in the management server 110, the distribution status information is managed by the distribution management unit 114. In this case, the transaction management unit 112 can acquire information regarding the characteristics of the product in the distribution process and / or information regarding the distribution environment of the product 12 by accessing the distribution management unit 114 as needed. Note that the method for acquiring distribution status information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0111] In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information regarding the evaluation of the product 12 by the consumer 44 who received the product 12 (sometimes referred to as demand-side evaluation information). For example, the transaction management unit 112 acquires information regarding the characteristics of the product 12 on the inspection date or evaluation date as demand-side evaluation information. The transaction management unit 112 may also acquire inspection information indicating the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12.

[0112] The inspection date and / or evaluation date may be the same day as the date of receipt of the goods 12, or it may be a date after the date of receipt of the goods 12. The inspection date may be the day that consumer 44 receives the goods 12, or it may be the day that consumer 44 uses or consumes the goods 12. The evaluation date may be the day that consumer 44 uses or consumes the goods 12, or it may be the day that consumer 44 enters their evaluation of the goods 12 into the transaction management system 100.

[0113] The transaction management unit 112 may obtain supply-side evaluation information from the communication terminal 42 used by the consumer 44. For example, the consumer 44 inputs an evaluation for each of the one or more evaluation items displayed on the evaluation input screen, following the guidance of the evaluation input screen displayed on the display device of the communication terminal 42. The consumer 44 may input a subjective evaluation for each evaluation item regarding the product 12 being evaluated. The consumer 44 may operate the communication terminal 42 to send information indicating the above evaluation results to the management server 110. This allows the transaction management unit 112 to obtain information indicating the evaluation results of the product 12 by the consumer 44. The consumer 44 may also send inspection information to the management server 110 using a similar procedure. Note that the method by which the transaction management unit 112 obtains demand-side evaluation information and / or inspection information is not limited to this embodiment.

[0114] The transaction management unit 112 may output production information and inspection information to the distribution management unit 114. The distribution management unit 114 may determine the length of the distribution period based on the inspection date or evaluation date of the product 12 indicated by the inspection information, and the production date or shipment date of the product 12 indicated by the production information. The distribution management unit 114 may store distribution period information indicating the length of the distribution period. The transaction management unit 112 may access the distribution management unit 114 to obtain the distribution period information of the product 12.

[0115] [An example of an alternative embodiment] As described above, the transaction management system 100 can also be used, for example, when a group of producers ships goods and a wholesaler or retailer receives the goods. In this case, the transaction management unit 112 may obtain supply-side evaluation information from, for example, a sorting system 140 used by the group of producers. The transaction management unit 112 may also obtain demand-side evaluation information from, for example, a communication terminal 32 used by a wholesaler or retailer.

[0116] Supply-side evaluation information may be an example of evaluation information or second-side evaluation information. Demand-side evaluation information may be an example of evaluation information or first-side evaluation information.

[0117] Figure 4 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of the transaction management unit 112. In this embodiment, the transaction management unit 112 comprises a sales management unit 420, a customer management unit 440, and an evaluation management unit 460. In this embodiment, the sales management unit 420 includes an e-commerce site management unit 422, an input unit 424, an order management unit 426, and a product management unit 428. In this embodiment, the customer management unit 440 includes a user information acquisition unit 442 and a user information storage unit 444. In this embodiment, the evaluation management unit 460 includes an evaluation acquisition unit 462, an evaluation correction unit 464, and an evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0118] In this embodiment, the sales management unit 420 manages the sale of one or more products. The sales management unit 420 may sell products through various sales channels. Examples of sales channels include stores, mail order, and e-commerce sites (sometimes referred to as e-commerce sites).

[0119] In this embodiment, the EC site management unit 422 manages an e-commerce site (sometimes referred to as an EC site) for mediating transactions of one or more products. The EC site management unit 422 may manage information such as images, specifications, and prices for each of the one or more products. The EC site management unit 422 may manage screen data for each of the product description screens for each of the one or more products. Details of the EC site management unit 422 will be described later.

[0120] In this embodiment, the input unit 424 accepts orders from sales channels other than e-commerce sites. For example, a mail-order operator receives an order from a customer who wishes to purchase a product and inputs information indicating the details of the order to the input unit 424 via an input device such as a keyboard, touch panel, or microphone. This allows the above-mentioned order to be accepted.

[0121] In this embodiment, the order management unit 426 manages orders for each of the one or more products handled by the sales management unit 420. In one embodiment, the order management unit 426 manages orders received by the e-commerce site management unit 422. In another embodiment, the order management unit 426 manages orders received by the input unit 424.

[0122] In this embodiment, the product management unit 428 manages the inventory of one or more products. The product management unit 428 may manage the settlement of orders for products for which orders have been accepted. The product management unit 428 may manage the shipment of orders for products for which orders have been accepted. The product management unit 428 may manage the delivery of shipped products.

[0123] In this embodiment, the customer management unit 440 manages various types of information relating to users of the transaction management system 100. Examples of users of the transaction management system 100 include producers 20, distributors 30, and consumers 40.

[0124] In one embodiment, the producer 20 who produced the previously traded product 12, the distributor 30 who mediated the transaction of product 12, and / or the consumer 44 who purchased product 12 use the transaction management system 100 to input their evaluations of product 12. In another embodiment, a consumer 46 considering purchasing product 14 uses the transaction management system 100 to view the product description screen for product 14. For example, the consumer 46 views the evaluations of product 14 included in the product description screen and considers purchasing product 14. In yet another embodiment, a consumer 40 who is a potential customer of product 14 receives various notifications from the transaction management system 100. For example, the consumer 40 obtains information about product 14 through these notifications. This information includes, for example, information about the evaluations of product 14. The consumer 40 considers purchasing product 14, for example, by referring to the evaluations of product 14.

[0125] In this embodiment, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires various information about users of the transaction management system 100. For example, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires information indicating the behavioral characteristics (sometimes referred to as competencies), interests, or preferences (sometimes referred to as user information) of one or more users. Behavioral characteristics indicate, for example, patterns of behavior, thoughts, and attitudes (sometimes referred to as behavioral patterns) that each user is characterized by. Behavioral characteristics may be information indicating what kind of behavior, thoughts, or attitudes each user takes in what situations. Behavioral characteristics may also be information that associates the situation in which a user is placed with the user's behavior, thoughts, or attitudes in that situation.

[0126] In one embodiment, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires the usage history of the e-commerce site operated by the e-commerce site management unit 422 as user information, after obtaining the consent of each user. Examples of e-commerce site usage history include search history, browsing history, and purchase history. In another embodiment, the user information acquisition unit 442 acquires (i) the browsing history of websites and / or (ii) the search history of websites or keywords, recorded on the communication terminal used by each user, as user information, after obtaining the consent of each user.

[0127] Furthermore, user information may include various types of information other than information indicating each user's behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences. For example, user information may include information about the location of the place where each user produces products (sometimes referred to as the production site) and the region to which that production site belongs.

[0128] The user information acquisition unit 442 may analyze the user's usage history of the e-commerce site, browsing history of the website, search history of the website or keywords, etc., to estimate each user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences. The user information acquisition unit 442 may acquire information indicating the estimated results of behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences as user information.

[0129] In this embodiment, the user information storage unit 444 stores the user information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 442. For example, for each of one or more users, the user information storage unit 444 stores identification information for identifying the user and the user information of that user in association. The user information storage unit 444 may extract user information of users that match the request from the sales management unit 420 and / or the evaluation management unit 460. The user information storage unit 444 may output the extracted user information to the sales management unit 420 and / or the evaluation management unit 460.

[0130] In this embodiment, the evaluation management unit 460 manages the evaluation for each of one or more products. The evaluation management unit 460 manages the acquisition of evaluations for each of one or more products. The evaluation management unit 460 manages the use of evaluations for each of one or more products.

[0131] In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 manages information regarding the evaluation of one or more products. In one embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 acquires information regarding the evaluation of one or more products. In another embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 generates various types of information using the information regarding the evaluation of one or more products. Details of the evaluation acquisition unit 462 will be described later.

[0132] In this embodiment, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluations for each of the one or more products acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462. For example, if the condition of the product at the time of production or shipment differs significantly from the condition of the product at the time of inspection or evaluation, the evaluation by the consumer 40 may not accurately represent the condition of the product.

[0133] Therefore, in this embodiment, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation by the consumer 40. For example, if a consumer 44 evaluates a product 12 that has been traded in the past, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 acquires demand-side evaluation information indicating the consumer 44's evaluation of the product 12. The evaluation acquisition unit 462 acquires demand-side evaluation information from the evaluation acquisition unit 462. As described above, the demand-side evaluation information includes information indicating the results of evaluations for one or more evaluation items related to the product 12.

[0134] Furthermore, the evaluation correction unit 464 acquires distribution status information and distribution period information from the distribution management unit 114. As described above, examples of distribution status information include information indicating the characteristics of product 12 in the distribution process and information indicating the state of the distribution environment of product 12. The evaluation correction unit 464 may also acquire production information and / or inspection information. The evaluation correction unit 464 may calculate the length of the distribution period based on the production information and inspection information.

[0135] The evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items (for example, P evaluation items) related to product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462. The evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to product 12 based on the inspection date or evaluation date of product 12 indicated by the inspection information. The evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to product 12 based on the length of the distribution period.

[0136] For example, if at least one of the conditions of the product 12 during the distribution process, as indicated by the distribution status information described above, and the length of the distribution period, as indicated by the distribution period information, does not meet predetermined conditions, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to the product 12, as indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462. Examples of the above predetermined conditions include the condition that the condition of the product 12 during the distribution process is worse than a predetermined condition, and the condition that the length of the distribution period is greater than a predetermined value.

[0137] The evaluation correction unit 464 corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462, based on, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) at least one of the place of origin and item of product 12, (ii) the state of product 12 in at least a part of the distribution process of product 12, and (iii) the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information. The evaluation correction unit 464 may also correct the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items related to product 12 indicated by the demand-side evaluation information acquired by the evaluation acquisition unit 462, based on (a) at least one of the place of origin and item of product 12, and (b) at least one of the state of product 12 in at least a part of the distribution process of product 12 and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information.

[0138] For example, if product 12 is fresh food, agricultural product, marine product, or livestock product, depending on the place of origin and / or item of product 12, its quality may deteriorate more easily compared to when product 12 is from a different place of origin and / or item. Therefore, if the place of origin of product 12 is a predetermined place of origin, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation results so that the evaluation for the predetermined evaluation items is better than the evaluation by the consumer 44. If the item of product 12 is a predetermined item, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation results so that the evaluation for a specific evaluation item is better than the evaluation by the consumer 44.

[0139] The specific evaluation items mentioned above may be determined based on the origin or type of product 12. The correspondence between the origin or type of product 12 and the evaluation items subject to correction may be predetermined.

[0140] For example, if the condition of product 12 is poor for at least part of its distribution process, the quality of product 12 is likely to deteriorate. In particular, depending on the origin or type of product 12, if the condition of product 12 is poor for at least part of its distribution process, the quality of product 12 will deteriorate significantly. Furthermore, the degree of deterioration in the quality of product 12 is expected to increase as the condition of product 12 in the distribution process worsens. Therefore, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation results so that the evaluation for a particular evaluation item is better than the evaluation by the consumer 44 as the condition of product 12 in the distribution process worsens.

[0141] The specific evaluation items described above may be determined based on the origin or type of product 12. The correspondence between the origin or type of product 12 and the evaluation items subject to correction may be predetermined. The specific evaluation items described above may be determined based on aspects of the condition of product 12 that were poor during the distribution process. The correspondence between aspects representing the condition of product 12 and the evaluation items subject to correction may be predetermined.

[0142] For example, if product 12 has a long distribution period, its quality is likely to deteriorate. In particular, depending on the origin or type of product 12, its quality may deteriorate significantly if it has a long distribution period. Furthermore, the degree of deterioration in product 12's quality is expected to increase as the distribution period of product 12 lengthens. Therefore, the evaluation correction unit 464 may correct the evaluation results so that the evaluation for a particular evaluation item becomes better than the evaluation by the consumer 44 as the distribution period of product 12 lengthens.

[0143] The specific evaluation criteria mentioned above may be determined based on the origin or type of product 12. The correspondence between the origin or type of product 12 and the evaluation criteria subject to correction may be predetermined. The specific evaluation criteria mentioned above may be determined based on the length of the distribution period of product 12. The correspondence between the length of the distribution period and the evaluation criteria subject to correction may be predetermined.

[0144] The evaluation correction unit 464 may store information indicating the corrected evaluation result in the evaluation information storage unit 466 as an evaluation of product 12. If the condition of product 12 during the distribution process or the length of the distribution period meets the above predetermined conditions, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 may store demand-side evaluation information indicating the consumer's evaluation of product 12 in the evaluation information storage unit 466 as an evaluation of product 12.

[0145] The sales management unit 420 may be an example of a management device. The e-commerce site management unit 422 may be an example of a management device. The user information acquisition unit 442 may be an example of a viewer information acquisition unit or a recipient information acquisition unit. The user information storage unit 444 may be an example of a viewer information storage unit or a recipient information storage unit. User information may be an example of viewer information or recipient information. The evaluation management unit 460 may be an example of a management device or a support unit. The evaluation acquisition unit 462 may be an example of a management device or a support unit. The evaluation correction unit 464 may be an example of a correction unit. The evaluation information storage unit 466 may be an example of an evaluation storage unit.

[0146] Figure 5 schematically shows an example of a product description screen for a product currently on sale. Using Figure 5, an example of the process by which the EC site management unit 422 generates a product description screen will be explained. In this embodiment, the EC site management unit 422 adjusts the content displayed on the product description screen according to the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences. For example, the EC site management unit 422 determines the evaluation items used to evaluate the product on the product description screen according to the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences.

[0147] As described above, the evaluation items used to evaluate a product can be classified into multiple evaluation categories. The EC site management unit 422 may determine the above evaluation items by determining the evaluation categories used to evaluate a product on the product description screen according to the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the viewer. The EC site management unit 422 may also determine the evaluation categories and evaluation items according to the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the viewer.

[0148] In Figure 5, product description screen 540 shows an example of a product description screen for product 14 when a first consumer 40 browses the e-commerce site. Similarly, product description screen 560 shows an example of a product description screen for product 14 when a second consumer 40 browses the e-commerce site. In this embodiment, the second consumer 40 is a consumer 40 whose behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences differ from those of the first consumer 40.

[0149] As shown in Figure 5, product description screen 540 includes product description text 542, product image 544, and product review image 546. Similarly, product description screen 560 includes product description text 542, product image 544, and product review image 566.

[0150] In this embodiment, the product description text 542 may be text describing the features, specifications, price, etc., of product 14. The product image 544 may be a photograph or illustration of product 14.

[0151] In this embodiment, the product evaluation image 546 includes a graph showing the characteristics of product 14 when product 14 is evaluated using, for example, evaluation categories A, B, C, D, E, and F. The graph shows, for example, the evaluation values ​​of product 14 in each evaluation category. The product evaluation image 546 also includes, for example, the evaluation value (sometimes referred to as the overall score) of product 14 when product 14 is comprehensively evaluated using evaluation categories A, B, C, D, E, and F.

[0152] On the other hand, product evaluation image 566 includes a graph showing the characteristics of product 14 when product 14 is evaluated using, for example, evaluation categories H, B, J, K, D, and F. The graph above shows, for example, the evaluation values ​​of product 14 in each evaluation category. Product evaluation image 546 includes, for example, the evaluation value of product 14 (sometimes referred to as the overall score) when product 14 is comprehensively evaluated using evaluation categories H, B, J, K, D, and F.

[0153] In product evaluation images 546 and 566, the evaluation items used to derive the evaluation value for each evaluation category may be calculated based on the evaluation values ​​of all evaluation items constituting each evaluation category, or they may be calculated based on the evaluation values ​​of some of the evaluation items constituting each evaluation category. The aforementioned some evaluation items may be determined based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the consumer 40 viewing the product description screen.

[0154] In product evaluation images 546 and 566, the arrangement of each evaluation category in the graph showing the characteristics of product 14 may be determined (i) based on predetermined rules, or (ii) based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the consumer 40 viewing the product description screen. Examples of predetermined rules include the order of the names of each evaluation category and the magnitude of the evaluation values ​​for each evaluation category. The arrangement of each evaluation category in the graph showing the characteristics of product 14 may be determined, for example, based on the correspondence between the degree to which it matches the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences of the consumer 40 viewing the product description screen, or the order of such degrees, and its arrangement in the graph.

[0155] According to this embodiment, the evaluation items used to evaluate a product on the product description screen are adjusted according to the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of the user viewing the product description screen. This allows users to quickly obtain the information they need. As a result, the efficiency of product transactions is improved.

[0156] In the graph showing the characteristics of product 14, the evaluation items used to derive the evaluation values ​​for each evaluation category may be just one example of Q items. The overall score may be just one example of the evaluation value of the item.

[0157] Figure 6 schematically shows an example of a product evaluation input screen after delivery is complete. An example of the process by which the evaluation acquisition unit 462 generates the evaluation input screen will be explained using Figure 6. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 determines the types of evaluation items to be displayed on the evaluation input screen based on at least one of the condition of the product during the distribution process and the length of the distribution period. The evaluation acquisition unit 462 may also determine the types of evaluation items to be displayed on the evaluation input screen based on predetermined settings and / or the product item, and the condition of the product during the distribution process and / or the length of the distribution period.

[0158] In Figure 6, the evaluation input screen 620 shows an example of an evaluation input screen presented to a consumer 44 who is entering an evaluation of product 12 when the condition of product 12 during the distribution process was good. Similarly, the evaluation input screen 640 shows an example of an evaluation input screen presented to a consumer 44 who is entering an evaluation of product 12 when the condition of product 12 during the distribution process was not good.

[0159] As shown in Figure 6, the evaluation input screen 620 includes an input form 622 for inputting evaluations related to evaluation category A and an input form 624 for inputting evaluations related to evaluation category B. In the evaluation input screen 620, input form 622 is provided with input fields for inputting evaluation items Aa, Ab, and Ac. Similarly, input form 624 is provided with input fields for inputting evaluation items Ba, Bb, and Bc. Examples of input fields include text fields, text areas, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdown boxes.

[0160] On the other hand, the evaluation input screen 640 includes an input form 642 for entering evaluations related to evaluation category A, and an input form 644 for entering evaluations related to evaluation category C. In the evaluation input screen 640, input form 642 is provided with input fields for entering evaluation items Aa, Ad, and Af. Similarly, input form 644 is provided with input fields for entering evaluation items Ca, Cb, and Cc. Examples of input fields include text fields, text areas, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdown boxes.

[0161] In this embodiment, the evaluation input screen 640 differs from the evaluation input screen 620 in that it does not include an input form for inputting an evaluation related to evaluation category B. Furthermore, the input form 642 for inputting an evaluation related to evaluation category A in the evaluation input screen 640 differs from the input form 622 for inputting an evaluation related to evaluation category A in the evaluation input screen 620 in that instead of input fields for inputting evaluation items Ab and Ac, input fields for inputting evaluation items Ad and Af are provided.

[0162] According to this embodiment, the evaluation items displayed on the evaluation input screen are adjusted according to the condition of the product being evaluated during its distribution process or the length of its distribution period. This reduces the burden on the user's input. In addition, since the input and output of unnecessary data is suppressed, the load on the management server 110 is reduced.

[0163] Figure 7 schematically shows another example of a product evaluation input screen after delivery is complete. In Figure 7, the evaluation input screen 740 shows an example of an evaluation input screen presented to a consumer 44 who is entering an evaluation of product 12 if the condition of product 12 during the distribution process was not good.

[0164] In this embodiment, the evaluation input screen 740 differs from the evaluation input screen 640 in that it includes an input form 744 for inputting an evaluation related to evaluation category B. In this embodiment, the input form 744 displays a message 750 indicating that inputting an evaluation related to evaluation category B is not required. The input form 744 may also display a message 750 indicating the reason why inputting an evaluation related to evaluation category B is not required.

[0165] Figure 8 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of the EC site management unit 422. As described above, in this embodiment, an example of the EC site management unit 422 is described using the case where the EC site management unit 422 uses various data collected in the transaction of product 12 for the transaction of product 14. In this embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, the details of each part of the EC site management unit 422 are described using the case where the item and producer of product 12 and the item and producer of product 14 are the same. As described above, the relationship between product 12 and product 14 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0166] In this embodiment, the EC site management unit 422 includes a transaction support unit 820, a matching support unit 840, and a data transmission unit 860. In this embodiment, the transaction support unit 820 includes an evaluation information extraction unit 822, a user information extraction unit 824, a first item determination unit 826, a first item evaluation unit 828, a product evaluation unit 830, and a transaction screen generation unit 832. In this embodiment, the matching support unit 840 includes a second item evaluation unit 842, a second item determination unit 844, a recipient extraction unit 846, and a notification generation unit 848.

[0167] The Transaction Support Unit 820 supports product transactions on e-commerce sites. For example, the Transaction Support Unit 820 generates screen data for various screens used in product transactions (sometimes referred to as transaction screens). Examples of transaction screens include product search screens, product description screens, product purchase screens, and payment screens. The Transaction Support Unit 820 may also support product transactions by managing product ratings. For example, the Transaction Support Unit 820 generates screen data for product description screens that display product ratings to viewers.

[0168] In this embodiment, the evaluation information extraction unit 822 acquires evaluation information related to product 12. For example, the evaluation information extraction unit 822 accesses the evaluation information storage unit 466 and extracts one or more evaluation information items related to one or more products 12 that have been traded in the past. As described above, the evaluation information related to product 12 shows the evaluation result for at least one of the P evaluation items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) related to product 12. In addition, in the transaction management system 100, the P evaluation items are classified into multiple evaluation categories.

[0169] The user information extraction unit 824 obtains user information of users accessing the e-commerce site. For example, the user information extraction unit 824 accesses the user information storage unit 444 to extract user information about users accessing the e-commerce site. As described above, the user information includes information indicating the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences.

[0170] In this embodiment, the first item determination unit 826 determines Q evaluation items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) to be used to generate the product description screen from among P evaluation items related to the product 12, based on the user information acquired by the user information extraction unit 824. For example, a correspondence between at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences and the evaluation items used to generate the product description screen is predetermined. The first item determination unit 826 determines the Q evaluation items to be used to generate the product description screen based on the correspondence between at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information acquired by the user information extraction unit 824.

[0171] The Q evaluation items are used in generating the product description screen, for example, to derive the evaluation value for product 14. The evaluation value for product 14 indicates the degree of evaluation for product 14. The evaluation value for product 14 may be expressed as a series of numerical values ​​or as a series of grades. The evaluation value for product 14 is used, for example, in generating the graph displayed in the product evaluation image 546 in the product description screen 540 described in relation to Figure 5, and / or in calculating the overall score displayed in the product evaluation image 546.

[0172] The first item determination unit 826 determines one or more evaluation categories from a plurality of evaluation categories to be used in generating the product description screen, based on at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information. For example, a correspondence between at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences and the evaluation categories used in generating the product description screen is predetermined. The first item determination unit 826 determines one or more evaluation categories to be used in generating the product description screen, based on at least one of the behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information extraction unit 824 and the above-mentioned correspondence. This determines the evaluation categories to be used in presenting evaluations to the user.

[0173] Similarly, the first item determination unit 826 may determine one or more evaluation categories to be used to generate the product description screen from among multiple evaluation categories, based on at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the types of products 14, (ii) user instructions, and (iii) the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by user information. This determines the evaluation categories to be used to present evaluations to the user.

[0174] The first item determination unit 826 may determine Q evaluation items by determining, for each of the one or more evaluation categories used to generate the product description screen, the evaluation items to be used to generate the product description screen from among the one or more evaluation items included in each evaluation category. The first item determination unit 826 may determine Q evaluation items, including one or more evaluation items included in one or more evaluation categories, based on at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information.

[0175] In this embodiment, the first item evaluation unit 828 calculates an evaluation value for each of the Q evaluation items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information about the product 12 acquired by the evaluation information extraction unit 822. For example, the first item evaluation unit 828 calculates an evaluation value for each evaluation item by calculating a statistical value of the evaluation value of each evaluation item included in one or more evaluation pieces of information. Examples of statistical values ​​include the mean and median. If the evaluation value of a particular evaluation item is expressed in graded divisions in one or more evaluation pieces of information, the first item evaluation unit 828 may calculate the above statistical value by replacing each division with a numerical value.

[0176] The first item evaluation unit 828 may calculate evaluation values ​​for each of the one or more evaluation categories determined by the first item evaluation unit 828. For example, the first item evaluation unit 828 calculates evaluation values ​​for each evaluation category by calculating statistical values ​​for one or more evaluation items included in each evaluation category. Examples of statistical values ​​include the mean and median. If the evaluation values ​​for a particular evaluation item in one or more evaluation categories are expressed by a tiered classification, the first item evaluation unit 828 may calculate the above statistical values ​​by replacing each classification with a numerical value.

[0177] In this embodiment, the product evaluation unit 830 calculates an overall evaluation value for product 12 based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the Q evaluation items calculated by the first item evaluation unit 828 and the weights assigned to each of the Q evaluation items. The overall score described in relation to Figure 5 may be an example of the overall evaluation value for product 12.

[0178] The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items based on at least one of the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the user information. For example, the product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​for each item such that the weight value assigned to at least one item related to the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences is greater than the weight value assigned to at least one item unrelated to the user's behavioral characteristics, interests, and / or preferences.

[0179] The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the values ​​of each weight such that the greater the degree of the user's interest and / or preference, the greater the weight value assigned to the item related to that interest and / or preference. The product evaluation unit 830 may also determine the values ​​of each weight such that the greater the tendency of the user to take a particular action, think, or attitude, the greater the weight value assigned to the item related to that particular action, think, or attitude.

[0180] For example, if product 12 is an agricultural product, the balance of flavors such as sourness and sweetness, and the texture will differ depending on the variety. Therefore, the product evaluation unit 830 determines the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items according to the user's preferences for taste and / or texture. For example, the product evaluation unit 830 determines the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items such that the weight value increases for items that better match the user's preferences for taste and / or texture.

[0181] More specifically, the product evaluation unit 830 determines the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the user's evaluation of the taste and / or texture of agricultural products of the same or similar variety as product 12 that the user has previously traded. The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​to be assigned to at least one of the Q items such that items that have received higher ratings in the user's past evaluations are assigned larger weights.

[0182] The product evaluation unit 830 may estimate the user's evaluation of the taste and / or texture of agricultural products of the same or similar varieties as product 12, and determine the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the estimated evaluation. For example, the product evaluation unit 830 determines the standard evaluation value for each variety based on evaluations from multiple users for varieties A and B. The product evaluation unit 830 also obtains the evaluation of user X for variety A. The product evaluation unit 830 estimates the evaluation of user X for variety B based on the evaluation of user X for variety A, the standard evaluation value for variety A, and the standard evaluation value for variety B.

[0183] For example, if product 12 is a strawberry of variety B, and the sweetness ratings for strawberries of varieties A and B are expressed on a scale of 10 from 0 to 9, and user X's rating for the sweetness of variety A is 3, and the baseline rating for the sweetness of variety A is 5, then the product evaluation unit 830 estimates that user X tends to rate the sweetness of strawberries lower. Therefore, if the baseline rating for the sweetness of strawberries of variety B is 8, the product evaluation unit 830 outputs a value less than 8 (for example, 5 to 6) as an estimated value for user X's rating for the sweetness of variety A. Similarly, the product evaluation unit 830 estimates user X's ratings for each item related to taste and / or texture.

[0184] The product evaluation unit 830 determines the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items, for example, such that the greater the estimated value of user X's evaluation of each item related to taste and / or texture, the greater the weight value assigned to that item. The product evaluation unit 830 may also determine the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items, such that the greater the deviation between the estimated value of user X's evaluation of each item related to taste and / or texture and a predetermined value, the greater the weight value assigned to that item. In this way, the product evaluation unit 830 can assign values ​​to each item as weights that correspond to the user's preferences, for example, based on the user's evaluation history of agricultural products that the user has eaten or purchased in the past.

[0185] Similarly, the product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​assigned to each of the Q items based on the characteristics of the production process of agricultural products that the user has purchased in the past. For example, if the frequency with which the user purchases organic agricultural products is greater than a predetermined value, the product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​assigned to each of the Q items such that the weight assigned to the item concerning the presence or absence or amount of use of chemical fertilizers and / or pesticides in the production process is larger.

[0186] The product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items based on the intended use of product 12. For example, the required quality differs between strawberries for fresh consumption and strawberries for jam. For strawberries for fresh consumption, good appearance and freshness are important. On the other hand, for strawberries for jam, low price is important. Therefore, the product evaluation unit 830 may determine the weight values ​​to be assigned to each of the Q items such that the weight value increases for items that are important in the intended use of product 12.

[0187] In this embodiment, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates screen data for various transaction screens. The transaction screen generation unit 832 may generate data (sometimes referred to as screen data) for displaying a product description screen explaining the product 14 on the consumer's 46 communication terminal 42. For example, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates product description screen 540 and product description screen 560.

[0188] More specifically, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates data for the communication terminal 42 to draw a graph showing the characteristics of product 14 (i.e., product 12) based on one or more evaluation categories determined by the first item determination unit 826 and the evaluation values ​​for each evaluation category related to product 12 determined by the first item evaluation unit 828. In addition, the transaction screen generation unit 832 generates data for the communication terminal 42 to draw an overall score for product 14 (i.e., product 12) based on the overall evaluation value of product 12 determined by the product evaluation unit 830. As described above, each evaluation category related to product 12 is information related to Q evaluation items related to product 12, and the evaluation value of each evaluation category is information related to the evaluation value for each of the Q evaluation items.

[0189] In this embodiment, the matching support unit 840 supports transactions of product 14 by matching product 14 or producer 20 with one or more users. For example, based on demand-side evaluation information regarding product 12 and / or supply-side evaluation information regarding product 14, the matching support unit 840 extracts potential customers from one or more users who match the characteristics of product 14 or producer 20. The matching support unit 840 notifies the extracted users of information regarding product 14. The information regarding product 14 may include information regarding the evaluation of product 14.

[0190] As described above, in this embodiment, an example of the matching support unit 840 is described using the case where the item and producer of product 12 and the item and producer of product 14 are the same. Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the purpose of simplifying the explanation, an example of the matching support unit 840 is described using the case where the matching support unit 840 extracts potential customers that match the characteristics of product 14 or producer 20 from among one or more users based on demand-side evaluation information regarding product 12. As described above, the matching support unit 840 is not limited to this embodiment.

[0191] In this embodiment, the second item evaluation unit 842 calculates an evaluation value for each of the P evaluation items related to product 12 based on one or more evaluation pieces of information related to product 12 acquired by the evaluation information extraction unit 822. The second item evaluation unit 842 may calculate an evaluation value for each of the P evaluation items related to product 12 using the same procedure as the first item evaluation unit 828.

[0192] In this embodiment, the second item determination unit 844 determines Q evaluation items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from among the P evaluation items to be used in determining the evaluation of product 12, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P evaluation items calculated by the second item evaluation unit 842. The Q evaluation items are determined, for example, with the aim of promoting the sale of product 14.

[0193] In one embodiment, the second item determination unit 844 compares the evaluation values ​​of the P evaluation items and determines Q evaluation items in descending order of evaluation values. In another embodiment, the second item determination unit 844 determines Q evaluation items consisting of S evaluation items of a predetermined type (S is a positive integer between 1 and P) and T evaluation items selected based on the evaluation values ​​calculated by the second item evaluation unit 842 (T is a positive integer calculated as PS). Alternatively, T evaluation items may be determined from evaluation items other than S evaluation items in descending order of evaluation values.

[0194] In this embodiment, the recipient extraction unit 846 extracts users who could become customers of product 14 from among one or more users who can receive information about product 14. For example, the recipient extraction unit 846 refers to the user information storage unit 444 and extracts users who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844. The recipient extraction unit 846 may also refer to the user information storage unit 444 and extract users who do not have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to evaluation items other than the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844. The recipient extraction unit 846 may also refer to the user information storage unit 444 and extract (i) users who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844, and (ii) users who do not have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to evaluation items other than the Q evaluation items determined by the second item determination unit 844.

[0195] For example, when comparing product 14 with other products, if product 14 receives a low rating for its appearance and a high rating for its taste and texture, the second item evaluation unit 842 selects taste and texture as Q evaluation items. The recipient extraction unit 846 extracts users who have a strong preference for taste and texture, and / or users who have a weak preference for appearance, from one or more users as potential customers for product 14.

[0196] In this embodiment, the notification generation unit 848 generates information about product 14 (sometimes referred to as notification information) to be notified to users extracted by the recipient extraction unit 846. For example, the notification generation unit 848 determines the evaluation of product 14 using Q evaluation items determined by the second item evaluation unit 842. The notification generation unit 848 may determine the evaluation of product 14 using the same procedure as the product evaluation unit 830. The notification generation unit 848 also generates notification information that includes information indicating the evaluation of product 14. The notification generation unit 848 may generate the notification information using the same procedure as the transaction screen generation unit 832. The notification information may include the URL of the EC site or the URL of the product description page for product 14.

[0197] In this embodiment, the data transmission unit 860 transmits the notification information generated by the notification generation unit 848. The data transmission unit 860 transmits the notification information to, for example, a communication terminal used by a user extracted by the recipient extraction unit 846.

[0198] The transaction support unit 820 may be an example of a management device. The evaluation information extraction unit 822 may be an example of an evaluation information acquisition unit. The user information extraction unit 824 may be an example of a viewer information acquisition unit. The product evaluation unit 830 may be an example of an item evaluation unit. The notification generation unit 848 may be an example of a generation unit. The data transmission unit 860 may be an example of a transmission unit. A user accessing the EC site may be an example of a viewer who views evaluations of items. The overall evaluation value of product 12 may be an example of an item evaluation value.

[0199] Figure 9 schematically shows an example of the internal configuration of the evaluation acquisition unit 462. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes a distribution state determination unit 912 and a distribution period determination unit 914. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes an evaluation support unit 920. In this embodiment, the evaluation support unit 920 includes an input item determination unit 922, an input screen generation unit 924, and an input screen transmission unit 926. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes a supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932, a demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934, and an evaluation data control unit 936. In this embodiment, the evaluation acquisition unit 462 includes a deviation determination unit 942 and a deviation notification unit 944.

[0200] In this embodiment, the distribution status determination unit 912 acquires distribution status information for one or more goods 12 that have been traded in the past. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 accesses the distribution management unit 114 to acquire one or more distribution status information. The distribution status determination unit 912 determines the distribution status of the goods 12 based on the state of the goods 12 in the distribution process indicated by the distribution status information for one or more goods 12 that have been traded in the past. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 expresses the state of the goods 12 in the distribution process using a series of numerical values ​​or a series of steps. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 calculates a statistical value of the state of the goods 12 indicated by one or more distribution status information, and expresses the state of the goods 12 in the distribution process using a series of numerical values ​​or a series of steps based on this statistical value.

[0201] In this embodiment, the distribution period determination unit 914 acquires distribution period information for one or more goods 12 that have been traded in the past. For example, the distribution status determination unit 912 accesses the distribution management unit 114 to acquire one or more distribution period information. The distribution period determination unit 914 may also acquire production information and inspection information as distribution period information. The distribution period determination unit 914 determines the length of the distribution period of the goods 12 based on the length of the distribution period indicated by the distribution period information for one or more goods 12 that have been traded in the past. For example, the distribution period determination unit 914 expresses the length of the distribution period of the goods 12 as a continuous numerical value or in a stepped division. For example, the distribution period determination unit 914 calculates a statistical value of the length of the distribution period of the goods 12 indicated by one or more distribution period information, and expresses the length of the distribution period of the goods 12 as a continuous numerical value or in a stepped division based on the statistical value.

[0202] In this embodiment, the evaluation support unit 920 assists the consumer 44 in inputting evaluation results for the product 12. For example, the evaluation support unit 920 generates screen data for the evaluation input screen described in relation to Figures 6 and 7. The evaluation support unit 920 transmits the screen data for the evaluation input screen to the consumer 44's communication terminal 42. The screen data for the evaluation input screen may be data that causes the consumer 44's communication terminal 42 to display an evaluation input screen for inputting an evaluation of the product 12.

[0203] In this embodiment, the input item determination unit 922 determines the evaluation items for which the consumer 44 is required to input an evaluation on the evaluation input screen. For example, the input item determination unit 922 determines one or more types of evaluation items for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 based on at least one of the state of the product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information.

[0204] In one embodiment, if the condition of the product 12 is worse than a predetermined standard, the input item determination unit 922 determines one or more types of evaluation items so that the number of evaluation items for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 is reduced compared to when the condition of the product 12 is better than a predetermined standard. In another embodiment, if the length of the distribution period of the product 12 is longer than a predetermined value, the input item determination unit 922 determines one or more types of evaluation items so that the number of evaluation items for the consumer 44 to evaluate the product 12 is reduced compared to when the length of the distribution period of the product 12 is shorter than a predetermined value. This reduces the input burden on the consumer 44.

[0205] The input item determination unit 922 may determine one or more types of evaluation items for consumers 44 to evaluate the product 12 based on at least one of the status of the product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 indicated by the distribution period information, and at least one of the place of origin and item type of the product 12. For example, if the place of origin of the product 12 matches or is included in a predetermined region, the input item determination unit 922 determines one or more types of evaluation items by a procedure similar to the procedure described above. For example, if the item type of the product 12 matches or is included in a predetermined item type, the input item determination unit 922 determines one or more types of evaluation items by a procedure similar to the procedure described above.

[0206] In this embodiment, the input screen generation unit 924 generates screen data for the evaluation input screen. In this embodiment, the input screen transmission unit 926 transmits the screen data for the evaluation input screen to the consumer's 44 communication terminal 42. As described above, the evaluation input screen is a screen for the consumer 44 to input evaluation results for the product 12, and is a screen to support the input of evaluation results for each of the one or more items determined by the input item determination unit 922.

[0207] In this embodiment, the supplier evaluation acquisition unit 932 acquires supplier evaluation information. As described in relation to Figure 3, the supplier evaluation acquisition unit 932 acquires supplier evaluation information from, for example, the communication terminal 22 or the product 12. As described above, the supplier evaluation information includes, for example, information indicating the evaluation result of the producer 20 on the product 12.

[0208] In this embodiment, the demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 acquires demand-side evaluation information. As described in relation to Figure 3, the demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 acquires demand-side evaluation information from, for example, the communication terminal 42. As described above, the demand-side evaluation information includes, for example, information indicating the evaluation results of the consumer 44 for the product 12.

[0209] In this embodiment, the evaluation data control unit 936 controls the output destination of the supply-side evaluation information and demand-side evaluation information data. For example, the evaluation data control unit 936 acquires supply-side evaluation information from the supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932 and stores the supply-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466. For example, the evaluation data control unit 936 acquires demand-side evaluation information from the demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 and outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation correction unit 464 or the evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0210] For example, if (a) the state of product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and at least one of the length of the distribution period of product 12 indicated by the distribution period information meet predetermined conditions, the evaluation data control unit 936 decides to store the demand-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466. In this case, the evaluation data control unit 936 outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466. Examples of the above predetermined conditions include the condition that the state of product 12 in the distribution process is worse than a predetermined state, and the condition that the length of the distribution period is greater than a predetermined value.

[0211] On the other hand, if at least one of the conditions of product 12 indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of product 12 indicated by the distribution period information does not meet the above predetermined conditions, at least part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information may not be valid. Therefore, the evaluation data control unit 936 decides to (i) not store at least part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466, (ii) correct at least part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information, or (iii) store the demand-side evaluation information in the evaluation information storage unit 466 in association with information indicating that at least part of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information may not be valid.

[0212] If it is decided that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information will not be stored in the evaluation information storage unit 466, the evaluation data control unit 936 deletes the portion of the demand-side evaluation information and outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466. As a result, the demand-side evaluation information from which a portion of the evaluation results has been deleted is stored in the evaluation information storage unit 466. The evaluation data control unit 936 does not have to output the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0213] If it is decided to correct at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information, the evaluation data control unit 936 outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation correction unit 464. In this case, the evaluation correction unit 464 corrects at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the demand-side evaluation information and stores the information indicating the corrected evaluation results in the evaluation information storage unit 466.

[0214] If it is decided to store the demand-side evaluation information and information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results shown by the demand-side evaluation information may be invalid in the evaluation information storage unit 466, the evaluation data control unit 936 outputs the demand-side evaluation information to the evaluation information storage unit 466. The evaluation data control unit 936 also stores the demand-side evaluation information and information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results shown by the demand-side evaluation information may be invalid in the evaluation information storage unit 466, in association with each other.

[0215] In this embodiment, the deviation determination unit 942 determines whether the degree of deviation between the evaluation result from the supply-side evaluation information and the evaluation result from the demand-side evaluation information exceeds a predetermined level for each of the one or more items used to evaluate the product 12. If the deviation determination unit 942 determines that the degree of deviation exceeds a predetermined level, the deviation notification unit 944 notifies at least one of the producer 20 and the consumer 44 of information indicating at least one of the status of the product 12 as indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period of the product 12 as indicated by the distribution period information.

[0216] The distribution status determination unit 912 may be an example of a distribution information acquisition unit. The distribution period determination unit 914 may be an example of a distribution information acquisition unit. The evaluation support unit 920 may be an example of a support unit. The input item determination unit 922 may be an example of an evaluation item determination unit. The input screen generation unit 924 may be an example of a support data generation unit or a screen generation unit. The input screen transmission unit 926 may be an example of a support data transmission unit. The supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 932 may be an example of a second evaluation information acquisition unit. The demand-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 may be an example of a first evaluation information acquisition unit. The evaluation data control unit 936 may be an example of a first evaluation information acquisition unit. The deviation determination unit 942 may be an example of a deviation degree determination unit. The deviation notification unit 944 may be an example of a notification unit. The evaluation input screen may be an example of an input screen. The screen data of the evaluation input screen may be an example of input support data or input screen data.

[0217] Figure 10 shows an example of a computer 3000 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be fully or partially embodied. At least a part of the transaction management system 100 may be implemented by the computer 3000. For example, the management server 110 may be implemented by the computer 3000. For example, the control unit 220 of the production robot 120 may be implemented by the computer 3000. For example, the control device of the sorting system 140 may be implemented by the computer 3000. For example, the control device of the logistics system 160 may be implemented by the computer 3000. Furthermore, at least a part of the communication terminals 22, 32 and 42 may be implemented by the computer 3000.

[0218] A program installed on computer 3000 can cause computer 3000 to function as an operation associated with an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, or as one or more "parts" of said apparatus, or to execute said operation or said one or more "parts", and / or to cause computer 3000 to execute a process or a stage of said process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by CPU 3012 to cause computer 3000 to execute a particular operation associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0219] The computer 3000 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 3012, RAM 3014, GPU 3016, and display device 3018, which are interconnected by a host controller 3010. The computer 3000 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 3022, a hard disk drive 3024, a DVD-ROM drive 3026, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 3010 via an input / output controller 3020. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 3030 and a keyboard 3042, which are connected to the input / output controller 3020 via an input / output chip 3040.

[0220] The CPU 3012 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 3030 and RAM 3014, thereby controlling each unit. The GPU 3016 acquires the image data generated by the CPU 3012 and stores it in the frame buffer provided in RAM 3014 or within itself, so that the image data is displayed on the display device 3018.

[0221] The communication interface 3022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 3024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 3012 in the computer 3000. The DVD-ROM drive 3026 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 3001 and provides them to the hard disk drive 3024 via the RAM 3014. The IC card drive reads programs and data from the IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0222] The ROM 3030 stores boot programs and / or hardware-dependent programs of the computer 3000, which are executed by the computer 3000 upon activation. The input / output chip 3040 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 3020 via parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, etc.

[0223] The program is provided on a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM 3001 or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable storage medium and installed on a hard disk drive 3024, RAM 3014, or ROM 3030, which are examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by the CPU 3012. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 3000, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 3000.

[0224] For example, when communication is performed between computer 3000 and an external device, CPU 3012 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 3014 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 3022 to perform communication processing. Under the control of CPU 3012, the communication interface 3022 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 3014, hard disk drive 3024, DVD-ROM 3001, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a reception buffer area provided on the recording medium.

[0225] Furthermore, the CPU 3012 may read all or necessary parts of files or databases stored on external recording media such as the hard disk drive 3024, DVD-ROM drive 3026 (DVD-ROM 3001), or IC card into the RAM 3014, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 3014. The CPU 3012 may then write the processed data back to the external recording media.

[0226] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 3012 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 3014, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 3014. The CPU 3012 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 3012 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the specified condition for the attribute value of the first attribute, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0227] The program or software module described above may be stored on or near computer 3000 on a computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium, thereby providing the program to computer 3000 via the network.

[0228] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, within the scope that is not technically contradictory, matters described for a particular embodiment can be applied to other embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0229] It should be noted that the execution order of operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not explicitly stated as "before," "prior to," etc., and that these can be implemented in any order unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operation flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is described using phrases such as "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the operations in that order.

[0230] This specification discloses, for example, the following. Each step of the control method described below may be performed by a computer. [Item A-1] A management device for managing the evaluation of goods, An evaluation information acquisition unit acquires evaluation information showing the evaluation result for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to the above-mentioned item. A viewer information acquisition unit acquires viewer information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of viewers who view the above evaluation of the above items, Based on the viewer information acquired by the viewer information acquisition unit, the first item determination unit determines Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from the P items to be used in deriving the evaluation value of the item, which indicates the degree of evaluation of the item. A control device equipped with the following features. [Item A-2] The P items relating to the above-mentioned goods are classified into multiple categories. The above-mentioned first item determination unit determines one or more categories from the above-mentioned multiple categories to be used in presenting the above-mentioned evaluation to the above-mentioned viewer, based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the above-mentioned viewer information. The control device described in item A-1. [Item A-3] The P items relating to the above-mentioned goods are classified into multiple categories. The above item 1 determination unit is, Based on the type of item, the viewer's instructions, and at least one selected from the group consisting of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer's information, one or more categories are determined from the multiple categories to be used in presenting the evaluation to the viewer. Based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences as indicated by the viewer information above, determine the Q items, which include one or more items that fall under one or more of the above categories. The control device described in item A-1. [Item A-4] A first item evaluation unit calculates an evaluation value for each of the Q items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information about the item acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit, An item evaluation unit calculates an evaluation value for the item based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the Q items calculated by the first item evaluation unit and the weights assigned to each of the Q items. Furthermore, A control device as described in any one of items A-1 through A-3. [Item A-5] The item evaluation unit determines the weight values ​​assigned to each of the Q items based on at least one of the viewer's behavioral characteristics, interests, and preferences indicated by the viewer information. The control device described in item A-4. [Item A-6] The above evaluation information acquisition unit is: A first evaluation information acquisition unit acquires first evaluation information showing the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item by consumers who have acquired the first item that was traded in the past, or who have used or consumed the first item; A distribution information acquisition unit that acquires distribution status information indicating the state of the first item in at least a part of the distribution process of the first item, A correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items relating to the first item, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the condition of the first item as indicated by the distribution status information. Furthermore, A control device as described in any one of items A-1 through A-5. [Item A-7] The above evaluation information acquisition unit is: A first evaluation information acquisition unit acquires first evaluation information showing the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item by consumers who have acquired the first item that was traded in the past, or who have used or consumed the first item; An inspection information acquisition unit that acquires inspection information indicating the time of inspection or evaluation of the above-mentioned first item by the above-mentioned consumer, A correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items relating to the first item, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the inspection time or evaluation time of the first item as indicated by the inspection information above. Furthermore, A control device as described in any one of items A-1 through A-5. [Item A-8] The unit further comprises a production information acquisition unit that acquires production information indicating the production time or shipment time of the above-mentioned first item, The correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items related to the first item, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the length of the period between the production time or shipment time of the first item, as indicated by the production information, and the inspection time or evaluation time of the first item, as indicated by the inspection information. The control device described in item A-7. [Item A-9] The above-mentioned item 1 is fresh food, or agricultural products, fishery products, or livestock products. The correction unit further corrects the evaluation results for at least one of the P items relating to the first article indicated by the first evaluation information, based on at least one of the place of origin and item type of the first article. A control device as described in any one of items A-6 through A-8. [Item A-10] A management device for managing the evaluation of goods, An evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information showing the result of an evaluation for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to the above-mentioned item, A second item evaluation unit calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information about the item acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit. A second item determination unit determines Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from among the P items to be used in determining the evaluation of the item, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated by the second item evaluation unit. A receiver extraction unit refers to a receiver information storage unit that stores one or more receiver information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more receivers capable of receiving information about the above-mentioned items, and extracts receivers who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit. A generation unit that determines an evaluation of the item using the above Q items and generates information about the item including information indicating the evaluation of the item, A transmitting unit transmits information about the above-mentioned item to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted by the above-mentioned recipient extraction unit, A control device equipped with the following features. [Item A-11] A program to enable a computer to function as a control device as described in any one of items A-1 through A-10. [Item A-12] A management method for managing the evaluation of goods, An evaluation information acquisition step is to acquire evaluation information showing the evaluation result for at least one of the P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) related to the above-mentioned item, A viewer information acquisition stage is performed to acquire viewer information that shows the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of viewers who view the above evaluation of the above items, Based on the viewer information obtained in the viewer information acquisition stage described above, the first item determination stage determines Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) to be presented to the viewer from among the P items described above. A management method having the following characteristics.

[0231] This specification discloses, for example, the following. Each step of the control method described below may be performed by a computer. [Item B-1] A management device for managing the evaluation of goods, A support unit that assists in inputting evaluation results for the first item by consumers who have acquired the first item in past transactions or who have used or consumed the first item. Equipped with, The above support department is, (i) Distribution status information indicating the state of the first item in at least a part of its distribution process, and (ii) Distribution period information indicating the length of the period between the production or shipment date of the first item and the inspection or evaluation date of the first item by the consumer, An evaluation item determination unit that determines the type of one or more items for the consumer to evaluate the first item based on at least one of the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information, A support data generation unit generates input support data to assist the above-mentioned consumer in inputting evaluation results for each of the one or more items determined by the above-mentioned evaluation item determination unit, A support data transmission unit that transmits the above input support data to the above customer's communication terminal, Having, Management device. [Item B-2] The evaluation item determination unit determines the type of one or more items for the consumer to evaluate the first item based on at least one of the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the distribution period indicated by the distribution period information, and at least one of the place of origin and item type of the first item. The control device described in item B-1. [Item B-3] The above evaluation item determination unit is: If the condition of the first item as indicated by the above distribution status information is worse than the predetermined standard, or if the length of the above period as indicated by the above distribution period information is greater than the predetermined value, When the condition of the first item as indicated by the above distribution status information is better than a predetermined standard, or when the length of the above period as indicated by the above distribution period information is shorter than a predetermined value, the number of evaluation items (one or more) will be reduced compared to this case. Determine the type of one or more evaluation items mentioned above. The control device described in item B-1 or item B-2. [Item B-4] The above support department is, A screen generation unit that generates input screen data for generating an input screen for the above-mentioned consumer to input the evaluation results for the above-mentioned first item, Having, A control device as described in any one of items B-1 through B-3. [Item B-5] A management device for managing the evaluation of goods, An evaluation storage unit that stores evaluation information indicating the above evaluation for the above article, A first evaluation information acquisition unit acquires first evaluation information indicating the evaluation results of the first item by consumers who have acquired the first item that was traded in the past, or who have used or consumed the first item; (i) Distribution status information indicating the state of the first item in at least a part of its distribution process, and (ii) Distribution period information indicating the length of the period between the production or shipment date of the first item and the inspection or evaluation date of the first item by the consumer, Equipped with, The above-mentioned first evaluation information acquisition unit is: (a) If at least one of the condition of the first item indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information meets predetermined conditions, it is decided to store the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit. (b) If at least one of the condition of the first article indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information does not conform to the predetermined conditions, (i) decide not to store at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit, (ii) correct at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information, or (iii) decide to store the first evaluation information in the evaluation storage unit in association with information indicating that at least a portion of the evaluation results indicated by the first evaluation information may not be valid. Management device. [Item B-6] If at least one of the conditions of the first item as indicated by the distribution status information above, and the length of the period as indicated by the distribution period information above, does not conform to the predetermined conditions above, A correction unit that corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the one or more evaluation items relating to the first article indicated by the first evaluation information, based on at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the place of origin and item of the first article, (ii) the condition of the first article during at least a part of its distribution process, and (iii) the length of the period indicated by the distribution period information. Furthermore, The control device described in item B-5. [Item B-7] The state of the first article described above includes at least one selected from the group consisting of acceleration applied to the first article, temperature and illuminance of the surrounding environment of the first article, and the concentration of a specific substance in the surrounding environment of the first article. A control device as described in any one of items B-1 through B-6. [Item B-8] The specified substance mentioned above is one or more substances selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and ethylene. The control device described in item B-7. [Item B-9] A second evaluation information acquisition unit acquires second evaluation information showing the evaluation results for the first item by the supplier who produced or transferred the first item, A deviation determination unit that determines whether the degree of deviation between the evaluation result from the second evaluation information and the evaluation result from the first evaluation information exceeds a predetermined level for each of the one or more items used to evaluate the first item described above, Furthermore, A control device as described in any one of items B-1 through B-8. [Item B-10] If the deviation determination unit determines that the deviation exceeds a predetermined degree, the notification unit notifies at least one of the supplier and the consumer of information indicating at least one of the status of the first article as indicated by the distribution status information and the length of the period as indicated by the distribution period information. Furthermore, A control device as described in any one of items B-1 through B-9. [Item B-11] A program to enable a computer to function as an information processing device as described in any one of items B-1 through B-10. [Item B-12] A management method for managing the evaluation of goods, A support data transmission step involves transmitting input support data to the communication terminal of a consumer who has acquired or used / consumed the first item that was previously traded, in order to assist the consumer in inputting their evaluation results for the first item. The above input support data generation stage, (i) Distribution status information indicating the state of the first item in at least part of its distribution process, and (ii) Distribution period information indicating the length of the period between the production or shipment date of the first item and the inspection or evaluation date of the first item by the consumer, It has, The above support data generation stage is: Determining, based on at least one of the state of the first article indicated by the above distribution state information and the length of the period indicated by the above distribution period information, the types of one or more evaluation items for the consumer to evaluate the first article. Including Management method.

Explanation of symbols

[0232] 12 Product 14 Product 20 Producer 22 Communication terminal 30 Distributor 32 Communication terminal 40 Consumer 42 Communication terminal 44 Consumer 46 Consumer 100 Transaction management system 110 Management server 112 Transaction management department 114 Distribution management department 120 Production robot 130 Base unit 132 Moving unit 134 Imaging unit 136 Sensor unit 138 Working unit 140 Fruit selection system 160 Logistics system 220 Control unit 222 Control program 226 Driver 230 Power supply unit 250 Vibration damping unit 280 Balance adjustment unit 294 Firmware 420 Sales management department 422 EC site management department 424 Input unit 426 Order management department 428 Product management department 440 Customer management department [[ID=;80]] 442 User information acquisition department 444 User Information Storage Unit 460 Evaluation Management Department 462 Evaluation Acquisition Department 464 Evaluation Correction Unit 466 Evaluation Information Storage Unit 540 Product Description Screen 542 Product Description Text 544 product images 546 Product Review Images 560 Product Description Screen 566 Product Review Images 620 Evaluation Input Screen 622 Input Form 624 Input Forms 640 Evaluation Input Screen 642 Input Forms 644 Input Forms 740 Evaluation Input Screen 744 Input Form 820 Transaction Support Department 822 Evaluation Information Extraction Unit 824 User Information Extraction Unit 826 1st item determination section 828 Item 1 Evaluation Department 830 Product Evaluation Department 832 Trading Screen Generation Unit 840 Matching Support Department 842 Second Item Evaluation Department 844 2nd item determination section 846 Receiver Extraction Unit 848 Notification generator 860 Data transmission unit 912 Distribution Status Determination Unit 914 Distribution Period Determination Department 920 Evaluation Support Department 922 Input Item Determination Unit 924 Input screen generation unit 926 Input screen transmission unit 932 Supply-side evaluation acquisition unit 934 Demand-side evaluation acquisition department 936 Evaluation Data Control Unit 942 Discrepancy Determination Unit 944 Deviation Notification Department 3000 computers 3001 DVD-ROM 3010 Host Controller 3012 CPU 3014 RAM 3016 GPU 3018 Display Devices 3020 Input / Output Controller 3022 Communication Interface 3024 Hard Disk Drive 3026 DVD-ROM drive 3030 ROM 3040 Input / Output Chip 3042 keyboard

Claims

1. A management device for managing the evaluation of goods, An evaluation information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation information showing the result of an evaluation for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to the said article, A second item evaluation unit calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information relating to the item acquired by the evaluation information acquisition unit, A second item determination unit determines Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from among the P items to be used in determining the evaluation of the item, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated by the second item evaluation unit. A receiver extraction unit extracts receivers who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit, by referring to a receiver information storage unit that stores one or more receiver information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more receivers who are capable of receiving information about the said item, A generation unit that determines an evaluation of the article using the Q items and generates information about the article including information indicating the evaluation of the article, A transmitting unit transmits information about the item to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted by the recipient extraction unit, A control device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned evaluation information acquisition unit, A first evaluation information acquisition unit acquires first evaluation information that shows the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item by consumers who have acquired the first item that was traded in the past, or who have used or consumed the first item. A distribution information acquisition unit that acquires distribution status information indicating the state of the first article in at least a part of the distribution process of the first article, A correction unit corrects the evaluation results for at least one of the P items relating to the first article, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the state of the first article as indicated by the distribution status information. The control device according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The aforementioned evaluation information acquisition unit, A first evaluation information acquisition unit acquires first evaluation information that shows the results of evaluations of at least one of the P items relating to the first item by consumers who have acquired the first item that was traded in the past, or who have used or consumed the first item. An inspection information acquisition unit that acquires inspection information indicating the time of inspection or evaluation of the first item by the aforementioned consumer, A correction unit corrects the evaluation results for at least one of the P items relating to the first item, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the inspection time or evaluation time of the first item indicated by the inspection information. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. The unit further comprises a production information acquisition unit that acquires production information indicating the production time or shipment time of the first article, The correction unit corrects the evaluation result for at least one of the P items relating to the first item, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on the length of the period between the production time or shipment time of the first item, as indicated by the production information, and the inspection time or evaluation time of the first item, as indicated by the inspection information. The control device according to claim 3.

5. The first item is fresh food, or agricultural products, fishery products, or livestock products. The correction unit further corrects the evaluation results for at least one of the P items relating to the first article, as indicated by the first evaluation information, based on at least one of the place of origin and item type of the first article. The control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The recipient extraction unit, by referring to the recipient information storage unit, extracts recipients who (i) have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined by the second item determination unit, and (ii) do not have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to items other than the Q items determined by the second item determination unit. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A program for causing a computer to function as a management device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A management method for managing the evaluation of goods using a computer, The computer acquires evaluation information indicating the result of an evaluation for at least one of P items (where P is an integer of 2 or more) relating to the item, The computer performs a second item evaluation step in which it calculates an evaluation value for each of the P items based on one or more evaluation pieces of information relating to the item acquired in the evaluation information acquisition step, The computer, based on the evaluation values ​​for each of the P items calculated in the second item evaluation stage, determines Q items (where Q is a positive integer less than or equal to P) from among the P items to be used in determining the evaluation of the article. The computer, referring to a recipient information storage unit that stores one or more recipient information indicating the behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences of one or more recipients capable of receiving information about the item, extracts recipients who have behavioral characteristics, interests, or preferences related to the Q items determined in the second item determination step. The computer determines an evaluation of the article using the Q items and generates information about the article, including information indicating the evaluation of the article. The computer transmits information about the article to the communication terminal of the recipient extracted in the recipient extraction step, A management method having the following characteristics.

Images