Information provision device, information provision method, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a technique related to information provision to make an activity of a municipality more personal to a resident to increase an interest of the resident in the activity of the municipality.SOLUTION: A reception unit 51 of an information provision device 50 accepts a proposal for use of the municipality's tax using a website. A generation unit 52 generates execution report information representing an implementation content of the proposal using at least one of a chart and an image representing the implementation content of the proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented. A provision unit 53 outputs the execution report information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for providing information such as the implementation status of administrative services by local public bodies (hereinafter also referred to as local governments).

Background Art

[0002] When a local government uses a website (hereinafter also referred to as a local government portal site or local government portal) to transmit various information, residents can obtain the information transmitted by the local government by using the local government portal. In addition, there are cases where residents can make inquiries to the local government using such a local government portal.

[0003] Note that Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-84975) discloses a technique for browsing statement information including statements, consultations, inquiries, etc. addressed to council members such as city council members on a portable browsing terminal. Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-1810) discloses a technique for notifying a purchaser of a product of what business the purchaser was involved in with respect to the tax included in the purchase amount paid when purchasing the product.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, there is a system called the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) system. The Furusato Nozei system is a system in which, if you make a donation to a local government of your choice, an amount corresponding to the donation will be deducted from your income tax and resident tax. For people who want to support a local government other than the one they live in, using the Furusato Nozei system to make a donation allows them to financially support the local government they want to support with little out-of-pocket expense. On the other hand, for local governments where people who have made donations to other local governments using the Furusato Nozei system (hereinafter referred to as Furusato Nozei donors) reside, a portion of the resident tax that would have otherwise been income from the Furusato Nozei donor does not come into their system. In other words, as the number of Furusato Nozei donors increases, the tax revenue of the local governments where these donors reside decreases accordingly. There are concerns that a decrease in local government tax revenue will lead to a decline in the quality of administrative services that local governments provide to their residents.

[0006] Therefore, in order to prevent such a decline in the quality of administrative services, the following countermeasures are being considered. Specifically, it is believed that one of the reasons why tax revenue decreases due to the hometown tax donation system is the low level of public interest in the activities of local governments, and countermeasures to increase public interest in the activities of local governments are being considered.

[0007] Furthermore, increasing residents' interest in local government activities is considered important not only for mitigating the decline in tax revenue caused by the hometown tax donation system, but also for facilitating the smooth operation of local government activities.

[0008] This invention was conceived to solve the above-mentioned problems. In other words, the main objective of this invention is to provide technology for providing information that will increase residents' interest in the activities of local governments and encourage them to view local government activities as their own responsibility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the information providing device according to the present invention, in one embodiment, A reception desk that accepts suggestions on how tax money should be used via a website, A generation unit generates implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal, using at least one of a chart and an image that represents the implementation details of the proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented. The provision unit that outputs the aforementioned implementation report information and It is equipped with.

[0010] Furthermore, the information provision method according to the present invention, in one embodiment, By computer, We accept suggestions on how tax money should be used via our website. Using at least one of a chart and an image representing the implementation details of the proposal if it were adopted and implemented, implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal is generated. Output the aforementioned implementation report information.

[0011] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the computer program according to the present invention is: The process of receiving suggestions on how tax money should be used via a website, A process for generating implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal, using at least one of a chart and an image representing the implementation details of the proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented; The process of outputting the aforementioned implementation report information and Have the computer execute it. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide technology for providing information that will increase residents' interest in the activities of local governments and encourage them to view local government activities as something that concerns them personally. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an information providing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a diagram showing an example of the display mode of a proposal reception page which is a web page. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the display mode of an implementation report page which is a web page. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of the display mode of a web page representing proposal aggregation information and implementation status information. [Figure 5] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation related to information provision in the information provision apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of the display mode of a web page for inputting approval information approving a proposal. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of the display mode of a web page for inputting a proposal to a parliamentarian. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining information representing the implementation status of a proposal to a parliamentarian numerically. [Figure 9] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a display mode for displaying information representing the implementation status of a proposal or a donation. [Figure 10] It is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an information provision apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation in an information provision apparatus according to another embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described while referring to the drawings.

[0015] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an information provision device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The information provision device 2 in the first embodiment is a computer device (server). This information provision device 2 uses a local government portal (local government portal site), which is the website of the local government, to receive proposals on how to use taxes, which are the revenue of the local government, and to provide implementation report information showing the status of implementation of those proposals. In this way, the information provision device 2 aims to improve residents' sense of participation in local government activities by using the local government portal to receive proposals from residents on how to use taxes and to provide residents with implementation report information on those proposals. In other words, the information provision device 2 aims to increase residents' interest in local government activities and to enable residents to perceive local government activities as their own responsibility. The configuration of the information provision device 2 will be described below.

[0016] Information provider 2 is connected to database 4, and information provider 2 can write information to database 4 and read information from database 4. Database 4 is a storage device that stores information related to the activities of the local government. The information related to the activities of the local government is diverse and is not limited to what is described here, but examples include basic information such as the population and maps of the local government, information on the members of the local government's council, information on facilities such as libraries managed and operated by the local government, and information on the local government's income and expenditures. Furthermore, information stored in database 4 may include information on schools, kindergartens and daycare centers, information on infrastructure such as roads and waterworks, information on garbage, and information such as inquiries and requests from residents.

[0017] Furthermore, the information providing device 2 can communicate with the terminal device 7 operated by the user (resident, etc.) via the information and communication network 8. The terminal device 7 is an information device that has communication capabilities and a display control function that controls a display device to display information. The type of terminal device 7 is not limited to information devices that have communication capabilities and display control functions, but specific examples include smartphones, tablets, and personal computers. Note that if the terminal device 7 is a smartphone or tablet, the display device is integrated with the terminal device 7, but if the terminal device 7 is a personal computer, the display device may be external. Here, the display device that provides information to the user by displaying text and images using the display control function of the terminal device 7 is also referred to as the terminal's display device.

[0018] Furthermore, the information providing device 2 is connected to the information device 5. The information device 5 is an information device (computer device) operated by, for example, a local government employee (hereinafter also referred to as the administrator), and transmits information and instructions (requests) to the information providing device 2, and displays information received from the information providing device 2 on the display device. The display device that the information device 5 controls may be integrated with the information device 5, or it may be a separate device.

[0019] The information providing device 2 is equipped with an arithmetic unit 20 and a storage device 40. The storage device 40 is equipped with a storage medium for storing data and computer programs (hereinafter also referred to as programs) 41. There are many types of storage devices, such as magnetic disk drives and semiconductor memory elements, and furthermore, there are many types of semiconductor memory elements, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The type of storage device 40 equipped in the information providing device 2 is not limited to one. Computer devices are often equipped with multiple types of storage devices. Here, the type and number of storage devices 40 equipped in the information providing device 2 are not limited, and their explanation is omitted. Also, if the information providing device 2 is equipped with multiple types of storage devices, they will be collectively referred to as the storage device 40.

[0020] The arithmetic unit 20 is composed of processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The arithmetic unit 20 can perform various functions based on the program 41 stored in the storage device 40 by reading and executing the program 41. In this case, the arithmetic unit 20 includes a receiving unit 21, a generation unit 22, and a providing unit 23 as functional units related to information provision.

[0021] The reception unit 21 accepts suggestions on how to use tax money using the local government portal. One specific example of accepting suggestions on how to use tax money using the local government portal is to generate a suggestion submission page as one of the web pages that make up the local government portal and use that suggestion submission page. The suggestion submission page is a web page that accepts suggestions on how to use tax money. The form of the suggestion submission page is not limited to a form in which users (residents, etc.) can input suggestions on how to use tax money, but one example is shown in Figure 2. In the example in Figure 2, the suggestion submission page S is provided with a suggestion entry field M in which users can write suggestions on how to use tax money, and reference information R is also displayed. Reference information R is information that is expected to be helpful to users when they make suggestions on how to use tax money, and in the example in Figure 2, a chart representing the local government's budget proposal is displayed. In addition, specific examples of administrative services implemented by the local government may be displayed as reference information R. Furthermore, link information indicating a destination to transition to another web page where reference information is displayed may also be displayed as reference information R.

[0022] Such a proposal submission page S can be accessed, for example, from the top page of the local government portal (a web page that functions as a general information desk). In other words, the top page of the local government portal displays (is embedded with) link information indicating the destination for transitioning to the proposal submission page S, which is included as text or an image (for example, an icon).

[0023] Suppose the proposal submission page S is displayed on the display device of the terminal device 7, and further, the user operates the terminal device 7 to input information into the proposal entry field M and requests the transmission of that information. In such a case, the proposal submission page S is generated so that the information entered into the proposal entry field M is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the information provision device 2 as proposal information. Note that the information entered into the proposal entry field M is not limited to text, but may also include images. Also, as shown in the example in Figure 2, if proposer information such as the proposer's name is entered into the proposal submission page S, that proposer information is associated with the information entered into the proposal entry field M and transmitted to the information provision device 2.

[0024] The reception unit 21 receives proposal information when it is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the information providing device 2 by the user's operation of the terminal device 7. This received proposal information is stored in the database 4. Proposal identification information is associated with the proposal information stored in the database 4. In addition, if the information providing device 2 also receives proposer information associated with the proposal information, the proposer information is also associated with the proposal information stored in the database 4.

[0025] In the first embodiment, implementation information representing the details of the actions taken as administrative services is stored in the database 4 by the administrator's operation of the information device 5. Here, at least the implementation information related to proposals received regarding the use of tax money as described above (hereinafter simply referred to as "proposals") is presented in a manner that makes the information easier to understand than if it were text only. That is, the implementation information related to proposals includes not only text, but also images showing the details of the actions taken, maps showing the locations where the actions were taken, and diagrams, graphs, and tables explaining the details of the actions taken.

[0026] The generation unit 22 generates implementation report information as described below. Implementation report information is information that represents the details of the implementation of a proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented. For example, the generation unit 22 reads implementation information related to the proposal and proposal information corresponding to the implementation information from the database 4 based on instructions from the information device 5 by the administrator, and associates the read information. In addition, a template for generating implementation report information is pre-generated and stored in the storage device 40. The generation unit 22 generates the implementation report information using the template and at least one of the images and charts included in the implementation information. Furthermore, the generation unit 22 stores the generated implementation report information in the database 4. The generation unit 22 may also be equipped with a search function to search for implementation information and proposal information from the database 4. There are various methods for searching for information, and the search method is not limited here, so its explanation is omitted. Furthermore, when generating implementation report information, the generation unit 22 may use image caption generation technology, which is one of the AI ​​(Artificial Intelligence) technologies, to generate descriptions of the images included in the implementation information, and include the generated descriptive text associated with the images in the implementation report information.

[0027] Furthermore, the generation unit 22 may generate proposal aggregation information. Proposal aggregation information is information representing the number of proposals received via the proposal reception page S during a predetermined aggregation period (for example, an annual period (from April to March of the following year)). For example, the generation unit 22 classifies the proposals received during the aggregation period, aggregates the number of proposals for each classification item, and generates the aggregation result as proposal aggregation information. As a method for classifying proposals, for example, the text contained in the proposals is analyzed, and the results of the analysis are used to classify the proposals using AI (Artificial Intelligence) clustering technology. There are various methods for both text analysis and AI clustering, and these are not limited to this, so their explanations are omitted. Also, when the generation unit 22 (information providing device 2) performs clustering using AI technology, the model generated by the AI ​​technology performing the clustering is provided to the storage device 40. This model takes text data representing the contents of multiple proposals as input and outputs the classification result of classifying those proposals. Furthermore, it is conceivable that AI technology may be used for text analysis. In this case, a text analysis model is generated by AI technology and provided to the storage device 40. This model takes the text data contained in the proposed information as input and outputs the analysis results obtained by analyzing that text data.

[0028] The proposal summary information generated by the generation unit 22 is presented in a manner that makes it easy for users to understand the summary results regarding the proposal information, using graphs and tables.

[0029] Furthermore, the generation unit 22 may generate implementation status information. Implementation status information is information about the number of implementation information related to the proposal. For example, the generation unit 22 may use the proposal information classified by classification item as described above during the aggregation period (e.g., a period of one fiscal year) and the implementation report information including the proposal information to calculate the number of implementation information related to the proposal as implementation status information for each classification item. Furthermore, the generation unit 22 may generate implementation rate information. Implementation rate information is information that represents the ratio (implementation rate) of the number of proposals actually implemented to the number of proposals during the aggregation period. For example, the generation unit 22 calculates the ratio (implementation rate) of the number of proposals actually implemented to the number of proposal information during the aggregation period as implementation rate information for each classification item of proposal information as described above. The implementation status information and implementation rate information are also presented in a manner that is easy for users to understand, using graphs and tables. In the example described above, the proposal information is aggregated during the aggregation period, but the implementation information (proposals actually implemented) corresponding to the proposal information (proposals) during that aggregation period is not necessarily implemented within the aggregation period. Furthermore, the proposal summary information, implementation status information, and implementation rate information generated by the generation unit 22 are also stored in the database 4, similar to the implementation report information.

[0030] The information provision unit 23 provides information to users (residents, etc.) using the local government portal. One of the pieces of information provided by the information provision unit 23 is the implementation report information generated by the generation unit 22. For example, an implementation report page is generated as one of the web pages that make up the local government portal, and the information provision unit 23 uses that implementation report page to provide the implementation report information to the user. In other words, a request to view the implementation report information may be sent from the terminal device 7 to the information provision device 2 by the user's operation. In this case, the information provision unit 23 sends the implementation report information back to the terminal device 7 that sent the request in order to display the implementation report information corresponding to the viewing request on the implementation report page. When the terminal device 7 receives the implementation report information, it displays the implementation report page containing the received implementation report information on the terminal's display device. Note that the control procedures related to the communication of information and commands (requests) performed between the terminal device 7 and the information provision device 2 in order to display the implementation report page containing the implementation report information on the terminal's display device are not particularly limited here, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0031] Figure 3 shows an example of how the implementation report page is displayed on the terminal's display device. As shown in Figure 3, on the implementation report page P, the implementation report information is displayed such that the proposed information 31 contained in the implementation report information corresponds to the implementation information 32 associated with the proposed information 31. Furthermore, the implementation information 32 includes at least one of images and charts, and is displayed in a manner that is easy for the user to understand and that is likely to attract the user's attention.

[0032] Other examples of information provided by the information provision unit 23 include proposal aggregation information, implementation status information, and implementation rate information generated by the generation unit 22. Figure 4 shows an example of how proposal aggregation information and implementation status information are displayed on a single web page U that constitutes a local government portal. In the example in Figure 4, proposal aggregation information and implementation status information are represented using graphs. That is, in the example in Figure 4, the number of proposals and the number of implementations associated with those proposals are listed for each classification item and represented in the form of a graph. Note that here, an example is shown where the information provided by the information provision unit 23 is displayed using images and charts, but the information provided by the information provision unit 23 can be displayed in other forms as well. For example, as a form of displaying implementation information, it may be a display form that represents implementation information using a report-style video in which a reporter explains the details of the implemented proposals on-site using audio. Furthermore, the information provided by the information provision unit 23 may be displayed using illustrations. Moreover, the number of implementation report information that the information provision unit 23 can provide will increase as the amount of implementation information increases, and it may become difficult for users to view all of the implementation report information. With this in mind, for example, the provision unit 23 may receive a search request and search condition information from the terminal device 7 via user operation, and then retrieve information such as implementation report information, proposal summary information, implementation status information, and implementation rate information that includes information matching the search conditions from the database 4.

[0033] The information provision device 2 of the first embodiment is configured as described above. Next, an example of the operation of information provision related to suggestions on how to use tax money in the information provision device 2 will be explained with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of information provision related to suggestions on how to use tax money in the information provision device 2.

[0034] For example, suppose a user's operation sends proposal information representing a suggestion on how to use tax money from terminal device 7 to information providing device 2 using the proposal reception page S that constitutes the local government portal. The reception unit 21 of the processing unit 20 in information providing device 2 receives this proposal information (step 101). This received proposal information is stored in database 4 by the reception unit 21.

[0035] Subsequently, implementation information representing the content of the administrative services provided is stored in database 4 by the administrator's operation of information device 5. Furthermore, if the implementation information contains information related to the proposed information, the generation unit 22 generates implementation report information by associating the proposed information with the implementation information corresponding to that proposed information, in accordance with the command output from information device 5 by the administrator's operation (step 102). This implementation report information is stored in database 4. In addition, the generation unit 22 generates proposal summary information, implementation status information, and implementation rate information using the implementation report information at predetermined timings, and stores them in database 4.

[0036] Suppose that, after this, terminal device 7 sends a viewing request to information providing device 2 requesting to view implementation report information (i.e., information representing the details of the implementation of proposals that were actually carried out in response to proposals regarding the use of tax money). Furthermore, suppose that the viewing request is associated with search criteria information for finding the implementation report information to be viewed. In this case, the providing unit 23 receives the viewing request (step 103) and uses the search criteria associated with the viewing request to search for and read the implementation report information corresponding to the viewing request from the implementation report information stored in database 4. Then, the providing unit 23 sends (outputs) the retrieved implementation report information back to terminal device 7 that sent the viewing request (step 104).

[0037] The information provision device 2 of the first embodiment is configured to accept proposals on how to use tax money using the local government portal, and to output implementation report information showing the content of administrative services implemented based on the adopted proposal to the terminal device 7. In this way, the information provision device 2 aims to increase users' (residents, etc.) sense of participation in local government activities by accepting proposals on how to use tax money. Furthermore, when a proposal is adopted, the information provision device 2 outputs implementation report information showing the content of the adopted proposal to the terminal device 7, allowing users to view the implementation report information. This allows users to know that their own or their individual proposals have been implemented, and it is expected that this will increase users' interest in local government activities and encourage them to consider local government activities as their own responsibility. In addition, the information provision device 2 can give users an opportunity to think about how tax money is used, and it is thought that users will be able to recognize that they themselves are deeply involved in taxes, which are the income necessary for local government activities. As a result, the information provision device 2 can, for example, help to curb the outflow of income to other local governments caused by the hometown tax donation system.

[0038] In addition to providing information such as implementation report information generated by the generation unit 22, the provision unit 23 may also have the following functions. For example, the provision unit 23 may output a web page N, as shown in Figure 6, to the terminal device 7. The web page N shown in Figure 6 is a web page on which a user (i.e., a supporter) can express their support by voting if there is a proposal they agree with among the proposals received by the information provision device 2. In the example in Figure 6, the web page N displays the classification items of the proposal information classified as described above and their explanations, and also has a field V for inputting information (voting information) indicating support for the classification items of the proposal information. The voting information entered using this web page N is transmitted to the information provision device 2 by the user's operation of the terminal device 7. The voting information transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the information provision device 2 in this way is received by, for example, the reception unit 21 and stored in the database 4. The generation unit 22 also generates voting status information that represents the voting status, and further updates the voting status information by referring to the voting information. For example, the generation unit 22 updates the voting status information, which represents the voting status for each category of the proposal information, by counting up the number of votes in favor for each category of the proposal information. This voting status information is output to the terminal device 7 by the provision unit 23 and displayed on the terminal's display device, for example, in the "Current Support Status" column of web page N in the example in Figure 6. Note that the voting information can be rephrased as support information, and the voting status information can be rephrased as support survey information, which represents the number of supporters who support the proposal.

[0039] The voting function described above in the information provision device 2 is also expected to have the effect of increasing users' (residents, etc.) sense of participation in local government activities.

[0040] Furthermore, the information provision unit 23 of the information provision device 2 may provide (output) donation information representing the amount of donations made to local governments through the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) system to the terminal device 7 (user) using a webpage that constitutes the local government portal. Furthermore, the reception unit 21 of the information provision device 2 may, using a webpage containing the information representing the donations, accept suggestions on how the donations made to local governments through the Furusato Nozei system will be used, in the same manner as when receiving suggestions on how tax money will be used as described above.

[0041] Furthermore, the information providing device 2 may provide the user with the following information. For example, the generation unit 22 of the information providing device 2 calculates the estimated amount of tax owed by the individual user, which will become revenue for the local government (hereinafter referred to as the user's estimated tax amount). The providing unit 23 may then provide information representing that user's estimated tax amount to the terminal device 7 operated by the user corresponding to that user's estimated tax amount. In this case, for example, the receiving unit 21 receives the information necessary to calculate the user's estimated tax amount (such as annual income and information on the amount of fixed asset tax) from the terminal device 7 operated by the user. In addition, information such as formulas necessary for the generation unit 22 to calculate the user's estimated tax amount is stored in the storage device 40, for example.

[0042] Furthermore, the generation unit 22 of the information providing device 2 may generate and provide the following information to the user using expenditure ratio information, which represents the ratio of the expenditure amount of each of several expenditure items to the total expenditure of the local government, and the estimated user tax amount of the individual user calculated as described above. That is, the generation unit 22 calculates the expenditure amount of each of several expenditure items when the total expenditure of the local government is replaced with the estimated user tax amount, using the expenditure ratio information. The provision unit 23 may then provide (output) the information calculated in this way (hereinafter also referred to as replacement expenditure information) to the terminal device 7. The terminal device 7 to which the replacement expenditure information is provided is, for example, a terminal device operated by the user corresponding to the estimated user tax amount that was used to calculate the replacement expenditure information.

[0043] Furthermore, the information provider 2 may not only provide information on the implementation of administrative services proposed and implemented regarding the use of tax money, but may also provide implementation information representing the implementation of other administrative services. In this case as well, it is preferable that the implementation information provided is in a form that is easy for the user to understand, including at least one of images and diagrams. For example, as a familiar topic, the information provider 2 may provide information representing the maintenance costs of facilities that users (residents) often use, such as schools, libraries, and sports facilities, using images and comics. The information provider 2 may also provide information representing the costs related to garbage collection, using images and comics.

[0044] <Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the description of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used for parts that are the same as those used in the description of the information providing device 2 of the first embodiment, and redundant explanations of these common parts will be omitted.

[0045] In the second embodiment, the information providing device 2 includes, in addition to the configuration described in the first embodiment, a receiving unit 21 that receives information from users about donations and how those donations are used. Furthermore, the information providing device 2 in the second embodiment includes a provisioning unit 23 that provides donation implementation information, which shows how donations from users (such as residents) have been used, to the user's terminal device 7. It should be noted that donations here do not include donations made through the Furusato Nozei (hometown tax) system.

[0046] In other words, the reception unit 21 accepts donations using a donation acceptance page, which is a webpage that accepts donations as one of the webpages that make up the local government portal. For example, the donation acceptance page has an intention input field for users to enter information that clearly indicates their intention to donate to the local government, and an information input field for users to enter information that needs to be obtained from them in order to accept the donation. Furthermore, the donation acceptance page has a request input field for users to enter their requests regarding how the donated funds will be used. When the information entered on such a donation acceptance page is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the information providing device 2 by the user's operation of the terminal device 7, the reception unit 21 of the information providing device 2 receives that information. The reception unit 21 stores the received information in the database 4. The information providing device 2 also executes predetermined processing to actually deliver the donation to the local government. The processing procedure is not limited here, so its explanation is omitted.

[0047] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, donation usage information, which shows how the donations received from users were actually used, is stored in the database 4 from the information device 5 operated by the administrator. The generation unit 22 generates donation report information by associating information representing the amount of the donation received from the user and the requested use of that donation with the donation usage information corresponding to that donation, according to information (commands) from the information device 5 operated by the administrator. This donation report information is presented in a manner that is easy for the user to understand, including at least one of an image and a chart, similar to the implementation report information. When a request to view donation report information is sent from the terminal device 7 to the information providing device 2, the providing unit 23 outputs (provides) the donation report information corresponding to that request to the terminal device 7 that sent the request.

[0048] Other than the configuration described above, the configuration of the information providing device 2 in the second embodiment is the same as that of the information providing device 2 in the first embodiment.

[0049] Since the information providing device 2 of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the information providing device 2 of the first embodiment, it can achieve the same effects as the information providing device 2 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the information providing device 2 of the second embodiment not only accepts donations but also outputs donation report information, including donation usage information that shows how the donation was actually used, to the user's terminal device 7. This allows the donor to view the donation usage information related to their donation and gain a sense of satisfaction with their donation. This is expected to further increase user interest in the activities of local governments.

[0050] Furthermore, donation usage information may be displayed using a virtual space shown on the terminal's display device by the terminal device 7. For example, suppose a donation was used for the maintenance of playground equipment in a park. In this case, in the virtual space including the park where the maintained playground equipment is located, the donation usage information related to that donation would be displayed on the maintained playground equipment in the form of a speech bubble, displaying the name or nickname of the donor related to the maintenance costs. When donation usage information is displayed on the terminal device 7's display device using a virtual space in this way, for example, the user may be allowed to move around within the virtual space. As a result, when an object related to the use of the donation appears at the user's destination within the virtual space, the donation usage information may be displayed in a form such as a speech bubble representing the donation usage information popping up. When donation usage information is displayed on the terminal device 7's display device using such a virtual space, for example, the terminal device 7 is provided with an application program (app) for displaying the virtual space. The information providing device 2 works in conjunction with the app on the terminal device 7 to display the virtual space on the terminal's display device.

[0051] In this way, by providing donation usage information using a virtual space, the information provision device 2 can incorporate an entertainment element into the provision of donation usage information. This is expected to increase the opportunities for users to access the local government portal, and as a result, increase users' (residents') interest in the activities of the local government.

[0052] <Third Embodiment> A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In this description of the third embodiment, the same reference numerals will be used for parts that have the same names as those used in the descriptions of the first and second embodiments, and redundant explanations of these common parts will be omitted.

[0053] The information providing device 2 in the third embodiment has the following configuration in addition to the configuration of the first or second embodiment. That is, in the third embodiment, the reception unit 21 receives proposals (requests) regarding activities in the local government from individual members of the local government assembly using the local government portal. Furthermore, the generation unit 22 compiles such proposals for each member and generates the compiled results as proposal information for the members. Furthermore, the generation unit 22 generates member proposal implementation information by associating implementation information, which represents the implementation details when a proposal to a member is adopted and implemented, with the corresponding proposal information for the member, according to instructions from the administrator via the information device 5. Member proposal implementation information can be said to be information that represents the implementation status of proposals to members. Furthermore, when a request to view such member proposal implementation information is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the information providing device 2, the provision unit 23 outputs the member proposal implementation information to the terminal device 7 that issued the request.

[0054] Figure 7 shows an example of a proposal submission page F for council members, which is a web page that constitutes a local government portal. In the example in Figure 7, the proposal submission page F for council members shows a field for indicating the council member to whom a proposal should be made, and a field for entering the content of the proposal to that council member. When information entered into the proposal submission page F for council members by the user operating the terminal device 7 is transmitted from the terminal device 7 to the information provision device 2, the reception unit 21 receives the information. The generation unit 22 then aggregates the received information for each council member and generates proposal information for the council member. This proposal information may be made viewable by both council members and users using the local government portal through the functions of the provision unit 23.

[0055] Other than the configuration described above, the configuration of the information providing device 2 in the third embodiment is the same as that of the information providing device 2 in the first or second embodiment.

[0056] Since the information provision device 2 of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the information provision device 2 of the first or second embodiment, it can achieve the same effects as the information provision device 2 of the first or second embodiment. Furthermore, the information provision device 2 of the third embodiment can accept proposals to council members using the local government portal and provide the user's terminal device 7 with information on the implementation status of those proposals. If a user believes that selecting a council member who is similar to their views and submitting a proposal increases the likelihood of that proposal being adopted, it is conceivable that the user will become more interested in the activities of each council member. In other words, the configuration related to proposals to council members in the third embodiment is also thought to be able to increase the user's interest in the activities of the local government. In addition, the information provision device 2 of the third embodiment can achieve the effect of making it easy to compare the content and implementation status of proposals to multiple council members on the same portal site (local government portal).

[0057] Furthermore, the generation unit 22 may generate information that numerically represents the implementation status of proposals to council members. Figure 8 shows an example of how this information is displayed in graph form. The information shown in Figure 8 represents the aggregated number of proposals made for each council member during a predetermined aggregation period, and the aggregated number of proposals that were implemented for each council member. This information may also be provided from the provision unit 23 to the terminal device 7 and displayed on the display device by the terminal device 7, so that it can be displayed on one of the web pages that make up the local government portal.

[0058] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments, and can be implemented in various ways. For example, in addition to the configuration of the information providing device 2 in the first to third embodiments, the providing unit 23 may have the following configuration. For example, suppose a terminal device 7 equipped with a location acquisition function and a shooting function transmits information representing the location of the terminal device 7 and information that has been photographed around it to the information providing device 2, associated with an information provision request. In this case, the providing unit 23 in the information providing device 2 uses the received information representing the location of the terminal device 7 and the captured image to search whether or not implementation information related to the subject in the captured image is stored in the database 4. If the search results in implementation information being found, that is, if the subject is receiving some kind of administrative service, the providing unit 23 reads the name of the person who made the proposal or donation that led to the receiving of that service from the information stored in the database 4. The providing unit 23 then returns the read name information and the information representing the subject to which the information is associated to the terminal device 7 that sent the information provision request. Upon receiving this information, the terminal device 7 controls the display on its display device so that the information representing the names of the proposers and donors included in the received information is superimposed on the captured image. In other words, when the captured image and location information are transmitted from the terminal device 7, as shown in Figure 9, to the information providing device 2, the providing unit 23 searches the database 4 for implementation information related to the subject of the captured image. If the providing unit 23 finds the relevant implementation information as a result of the search, it reads the name information of the proposer or donor from that implementation information and sends it back to the terminal device 7. As a result, the terminal device 7 displays the captured image with the received name information superimposed on the screen 9. That is, when a user takes a picture of an object in their surroundings with the terminal device 7, if the subject in the captured image is an object related to an administrative service based on a proposal or donation from a resident, information representing the proposer or donor will be superimposed on the captured image on the terminal device 7.As an example of a method for acquiring location information of terminal device 7, one example is the use of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0059] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The information providing device 50 shown in Figure 10 is, for example, a computer device, and by executing a computer program, it can have the following functions according to the computer program. That is, the information providing device 50 includes a reception unit 51, a generation unit 52, and a provision unit 53 as functional units. The reception unit 51 receives proposals on how local government taxes should be used via a website. The generation unit 52 generates implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal, using at least one of a chart and an image that represents the implementation details of the proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented. The provision unit 53 outputs the implementation report information generated by the generation unit 52.

[0060] Next, an example of the operation related to information provision in the information provision device 50 will be explained using Figure 11. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation related to information provision in the information provision device 50.

[0061] For example, the reception unit 51 accepts proposals regarding the use of local government tax money via a website (step 201). Subsequently, if a proposal is adopted and implemented, the generation unit 52 generates implementation report information representing the implementation of the proposal, using at least one of a chart or an image that represents the implementation of the proposal (step 202). After that, the provision unit 53 outputs the implementation report information (step 203).

[0062] The information providing device 50 has the configuration described above. Specifically, the information providing device 50 receives proposals on how to use tax money, generates implementation report information for proposals that have been adopted and implemented, and further outputs said implementation report information. In this way, the information providing device 50 aims to increase users' (residents, etc.) sense of participation in the activities of local governments by receiving proposals on how to use tax money. Furthermore, if a proposal is adopted, the information providing device 50 outputs implementation report information that shows the details of the implementation of the adopted proposal. For example, the information providing device 50 outputs the implementation report information to a terminal device operated by the proposer who made the proposal on how to use tax money. This allows the proposer to know that their proposal has been implemented, and it is expected that this will increase the proposer's interest in the activities of the local government and encourage them to consider the local government's activities as their own responsibility. In other words, the information providing device 50 can provide information to increase residents' interest in the activities of local governments and encourage them to consider the local government's activities as their own responsibility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 2,50 Information provision equipment 21,51 Reception Department 22,52 Generator 23,53 Providing Department 7 Terminal devices 40 Storage device

Claims

1. A reception desk that accepts suggestions on how tax money should be used via a website, A generation unit generates implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal, using at least one of a chart and an image that represents the implementation details of the proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented. The system includes a provisioning unit that outputs the aforementioned implementation report information, The information provider unit receives a captured image from a terminal device that can communicate with the information provider, and if the subject in the captured image is an object related to the proposal, it displays information representing the proposer of the proposal superimposed on the captured image.

2. The aforementioned reception department further accepts information of support for the aforementioned proposal using the aforementioned website. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the providing unit further outputs endorsement survey information, which is generated using the endorsement information and represents the number of endorsers who endorse the proposal.

3. The aforementioned reception department further accepts donations using the aforementioned website, The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the providing unit, if the subject in the captured image is an object related to the donation, displays information representing the donor of the donation superimposed on the captured image.

4. The aforementioned provision unit further outputs donation information representing the amount of donations made to the local government. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit further accepts suggestions on how to use the donations using the website.

5. The information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit further receives proposals regarding the activities of the local government, which have been individually submitted to members of the local government's assembly, using the website.

6. By computer, We accept suggestions on how tax money should be used via our website. Using at least one of a chart and an image representing the implementation details of the proposal if it is adopted and implemented, implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal is generated. Output the aforementioned implementation report information, An information provision method in which, in the output, a captured image is received from a terminal device capable of communicating with the information provision device, and if the subject in the captured image is an object related to the proposal, information representing the proposer of the proposal is superimposed on the captured image.

7. The process of receiving suggestions on how tax money should be used via a website, A process for generating implementation report information representing the implementation details of the proposal, using at least one of a chart and an image representing the implementation details of the proposal if the proposal is adopted and implemented; The process of outputting the aforementioned implementation report information, A computer program that causes a computer to receive a captured image from a terminal device capable of communicating with an information providing device, and, if the subject in the captured image is an object related to the proposal, to superimpose and display information representing the proposer of the proposal onto the captured image.

Images