Information processing device, information processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of collecting sufficient data from a research subject in research and development related to health care.SOLUTION: In an information processing device, information acquisition means acquires project information input by a research developer. Information output means outputs the project information to a user terminal. Project participation desire acquisition means acquires desire to participate in a project input from the user terminal. Project establishment determination means determines whether or not the project has been established based on the desire to participate in the project.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a platform for data collection.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, research and development related to healthcare for maintaining and improving physical and mental health has been popular worldwide. Providing data of research subjects is essential for such healthcare-related research and development. For example, in the development of healthcare-related applications, if sufficient data cannot be continuously collected from research subjects, the application development may be aborted, and the development costs incurred so far may be wasted. In Patent Document 1, a mechanism is proposed that enables efficient collection of clinical data by a clinical researcher creating explanatory materials for informed consent and a physician cooperating in providing clinical data as consideration for the explanatory materials.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, even with Patent Document 1, data of research subjects cannot always be sufficiently collected.

[0005] One object of this disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus capable of collecting sufficient data from research subjects in healthcare-related research and development.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, from one aspect of this disclosure, the information processing apparatus is Information acquisition means for obtaining project information entered by researchers and developers, Information output means for outputting the aforementioned project information to a user terminal, A means for obtaining project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals, Based on the desire to participate in the aforementioned project, The aforementioned A project success determination means for determining whether or not the project has been successful, Equipped with 、 The project success determination means, when the project is not successful, sends a project failure notification and information on a recommended alternative project to the user terminal. .

[0007] In another aspect of the present invention, the information processing method is: We retrieve project information entered by researchers and developers. The aforementioned project information is output to the user terminal. We retrieve project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals. Based on the desire to participate in the aforementioned project, The aforementioned Determine whether the project was successful or not. death, If the aforementioned project is not completed, a notification of project failure and information on a recommended alternative project will be sent to the user terminal. do.

[0008] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the recording medium is We retrieve project information entered by researchers and developers. The aforementioned project information is output to the user terminal. We retrieve project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals. Based on the desire to participate in the aforementioned project, The aforementioned Determine whether the project was successful or not. death, If the aforementioned project is not completed, a notification of project failure and information on a recommended alternative project will be sent to the user terminal. Record the program that instructs the computer to perform the desired process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In healthcare-related research and development, it becomes possible to collect sufficient data from the research subjects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] [Figure 1] Shows the overall configuration of the data collection system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal and the research and development terminal. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the server, the user terminal, and the research and development terminal. [Figure 5] Shows an example of the data structure of the user DB. [Figure 6] Shows an example of the data structure of the project DB. [Figure 7] Shows an example of the data structure of the completed service DB. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart of the data collection system. [Figure 9] It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart of the processing by the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] <First Embodiment> [System Configuration] FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a data collection system to which the information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure is applied. The data collection system 1 includes a server 100, a user terminal 200 used by a research subject (hereinafter also referred to as a "user"), and a research and development terminal 300 used by a researcher. The server 100 is an example of an information processing apparatus. Also, the server 100 and the user terminal 200 can communicate wirelessly, and the server 100 and the research and development terminal 300 can communicate wirelessly.

[0012] In Figure 1, there is one user terminal 200 and one research and development terminal 300, but there may be multiple units of each. Furthermore, it is assumed that the user and research and development personnel have agreed to the terms of use of data collection system 1 in advance.

[0013] In its basic operation, the server 100 communicates with user terminals 200 and research and development terminals 300, acting as an intermediary between users who wish to provide their data and researchers / investigators who wish to collect data. Specifically, researchers / investigators launch projects to develop healthcare-related applications, etc. Then, in order to collect data, researchers / investigators register project-related information (hereinafter also referred to as "project information") with the server 100 via the research and development terminal 300 and recruit project participants. Project information includes the project content, data to be provided, number of participants to be recruited, participation conditions, application period, etc.

[0014] The user registers information about themselves (hereinafter also referred to as "user information") with the server 100 in advance via the user terminal 200. Then, at any time, the user retrieves a list of projects that are recruiting participants from the server 100 via the user terminal 200. If the user finds a project they wish to join in the list, they send a request to the server 100 via the user terminal 200 to express their desire to participate in that project.

[0015] Server 100 accepts a user's application to participate in the project if the user meets the participation requirements. Server 100 also determines whether the project is successful or not based on the number of people the project is recruiting and the number of applicants.

[0016] If the number of applicants for a project reaches the target number, server 100 determines that the project is successful. Once the project is successful, the research and development team can collect data from users. Server 100 may also provide incentives to users when the project is successful. These incentives may be points that can be used on the data collection system 1, which can be exchanged for paid applications, etc. The number of points to be awarded and the timing of point awarding may be arbitrarily set by the research and development team for each project. The research and development team may set the incentives to be awarded all at once when the project is successful, or they may set the incentives to be awarded in stages during the development period of the application, etc. By awarding incentives in stages, the research and development team can continuously collect data from users.

[0017] On the other hand, if the number of applicants does not reach the target number of participants even after the application period has ended, server 100 determines that the project has not been successful. In this case, the research and development team may review the number of participants, participation conditions, incentives, etc., and recruit participants again, or they may cancel the project. The research and development team can understand the level of user expectations for the project from the number of applicants and make a decision on whether to continue or cancel the project.

[0018] [server] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of server 100. Server 100 mainly comprises a communication unit 111, a processor 112, memory 113, a recording medium 114, and a database (DB) 115.

[0019] The communication unit 111 transmits and receives data with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 111 transmits and receives information between the user terminal 200 and the research and development terminal 300.

[0020] The processor 112 is a computer such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that controls the entire server 100 by executing a pre-prepared program. The processor 112 may also be a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Demand-Side Platform), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

[0021] Memory 113 consists of ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and other components. Memory 113 stores various programs executed by the processor 112. Memory 113 is also used as working memory while the processor 112 is executing various processes.

[0022] The recording medium 114 is a non-volatile, non-temporary recording medium such as a disk-shaped recording medium or semiconductor memory, and is configured to be detachable from the server 100. The recording medium 114 stores various programs executed by the processor 112.

[0023] The database (DB) 115 stores project information, user information, and the like. DB 115 may include external storage devices such as hard disks connected to or built into the server 100, or it may include storage media such as removable flash memory. Alternatively, instead of having DB 115 on the server 100, DB 115 may be provided on an external server, and project information, user information, and the like may be stored on that server via communication.

[0024] The server 100 may also be equipped with an input unit such as a keyboard or mouse for administrators to give instructions or input, and a display unit such as an LCD display.

[0025] [User terminal] Figure 3(A) is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the user terminal 200. The user terminal 200 is a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet, or PC (Personal Computer). The user terminal 200 comprises a communication unit 211, a processor 212, memory 213, and a touch panel 214.

[0026] The communication unit 211 transmits and receives data with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 211 transmits and receives information with the server 100.

[0027] The processor 212 is a computer such as a CPU, and controls the entire user terminal 200 by executing a pre-prepared program. The processor 212 may also be a GPU, FPGA, DSP, ASIC, etc.

[0028] Memory 213 is composed of ROM, RAM, etc. Memory 213 stores various programs executed by the processor 212. Memory 213 is also used as working memory while the processor 212 is executing various processes.

[0029] The touch panel 214 displays information received by the user terminal 200. The touch panel 214 also functions as a user input device.

[0030] The user terminal 200 may also be equipped with a camera or sensors to acquire data to be provided to the researchers and developers.

[0031] [Research and Development Terminal] Figure 3(B) is a block diagram showing the configuration of the research and development terminal 300. The research and development terminal 300 is a terminal device such as a tablet or a PC. The research and development terminal 300 mainly comprises a communication unit 311, a processor 312, a memory 313, a recording medium 314, and a database (DB) 315.

[0032] The communication unit 311 transmits and receives data with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 311 transmits and receives information with the server 100.

[0033] The processor 312 is a computer such as a CPU, and controls the entire research and development terminal 300 by executing a pre-prepared program. The processor 312 may also be a GPU, FPGA, DSP, ASIC, etc.

[0034] Memory 313 is composed of ROM, RAM, etc. Memory 313 is also used as working memory while the processor 312 is executing various processes.

[0035] The recording medium 314 is a non-volatile, non-temporary recording medium such as a disk-shaped recording medium or semiconductor memory, and is configured to be detachable from the research and development terminal 300. The recording medium 314 stores various programs executed by the processor 312.

[0036] The database (DB) 315 stores project information. DB 315 may include an external storage device such as a hard disk connected to or built into the research and development terminal 300, or it may include a storage medium such as a removable flash memory. Alternatively, instead of having DB 315 in the research and development terminal 300, DB 315 may be provided on an external server, and project information may be stored on that server via communication.

[0037] The research and development terminal 300 may also be equipped with an input unit such as a keyboard or mouse for administrators to give instructions or input, and a display unit such as an LCD display.

[0038] [Functional Configuration] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of server 100, user terminal 200, and research and development terminal 300.

[0039] Functionally, the server 100 includes an information acquisition unit 411, a user database 412, a project database 413, an information output unit 414, a project participation request acquisition unit 415, a project completion determination unit 416, a determination result database 417, a project completion information acquisition unit 418, a completed service database 419, and a project completion notification unit 420.

[0040] Functionally, the user terminal 200 includes a user information input unit 421, a project display unit 422, a project participation request input unit 423, a number of applicants display unit 424, a judgment result display unit 425, and a project completion notification display unit 426. The research and development terminal 300 also functionally includes a project information input unit 431, a judgment result display unit 432, and a project completion information input unit 433.

[0041] The user information input unit 421 of the user terminal 200 acquires user information entered by the user and transmits it to the server 100. The project information input unit 431 of the research and development terminal 300 acquires project information entered by the research and development engineer and transmits it to the server 100. The information acquisition unit 411 of the server 100 stores the user information received from the user terminal 200 in the user DB 412, associating it with the user's identification information. The information acquisition unit 411 of the server 100 also stores the project information received from the research and development terminal 300 in the project DB 413, associating it with the project's identification information.

[0042] Here, we will explain user information and project information with examples. Figure 5 shows an example of the data structure of user information. In this example, the user ID and user information are associated and stored in the user DB 412. The user ID is a number used to uniquely identify a user. User information includes the user's basic information, the project they wish to participate in, and the points they hold. The user's basic information is information that the user registers with the server 100 in advance, and includes the user's name, email address, and personal attributes. Personal attributes are, for example, the user's date of birth, gender, occupation, and medical history. The project they wish to participate in is identification information of the project the user currently wishes to participate in, and in Figure 5, the project ID, which will be described later, is stored here. The points held are the number of points the user currently holds. Users can earn points as an incentive by participating in projects.

[0043] Figure 6 shows an example of the data structure for project information. In this example, the project ID and project information are associated and stored in the project DB413. The project ID is a number used to uniquely identify the project. The project information includes the project name, project objective, project content, data to be provided, participation conditions, application period, number of points to be awarded, number of participants to be recruited, and number of applicants. The data to be provided is the type of data that the research and development team wants to collect from users. The participation conditions are the requirements for users who can participate in the project, and the research and development team can set human attributes such as "age," "occupation," and "medical history" as participation conditions. The number of applicants is the total number of users who currently wish to participate in the project. The number of applicants is updated when server 100 receives a participation request from a user or when a user cancels their application.

[0044] Returning to Figure 4, the information output unit 414 of the server 100 extracts project information from the project DB 413 for projects that meet predetermined conditions and generates a list of projects. The predetermined conditions include, for example, that the project is within the application period. The information output unit 414 sends the generated list of projects to the user terminal 200.

[0045] The user terminal 200 receives a list of projects from the server 100. The project display unit 422 of the user terminal 200 then displays the list of projects on the screen of the user terminal 200. When the user operates the user terminal 200 and selects a project they wish to participate in from the list of projects (hereinafter also referred to as the "desired project"), the desired project input unit 423 of the user terminal 200 sends the project ID of the desired project selected by the user, along with the user ID, to the server 100.

[0046] The project participation request acquisition unit 415 of server 100 receives the project ID and user ID of the project the user wishes to participate in from the user terminal 200 and outputs them to the project establishment determination unit 416 of server 100.

[0047] The project success determination unit 416 of server 100 obtains the project ID and user ID of the project the user wishes to participate in from the project participation request acquisition unit 415. The project success determination unit 416 then determines whether the user meets the project participation requirements. Specifically, the project success determination unit 416 extracts the participation requirements for the target project from the project DB 413 based on the project ID of the project the user wishes to participate in. The project success determination unit 416 also extracts the target user information from the user DB 412 based on the user ID. The project success determination unit 416 then compares the project participation requirements with the user information to determine whether the user meets the project participation requirements. If the user meets the project participation requirements, the project success determination unit 416 accepts the user's participation request and updates the value of the number of participants in the project DB 413. If the user does not meet the project participation requirements, the project success determination unit 416 may send a notification to the user terminal 200 indicating that the user does not meet the project participation requirements.

[0048] Furthermore, the project success determination unit 416 determines whether or not a project has been successful at a predetermined time and outputs the determination result to the determination result DB 417. The determination result DB 417 stores the project success status, such as "successful," "unsuccessful," or "under determination," for each project ID. The predetermined time is, for example, when the project success determination unit 416 updates the value of the number of applicants in the project DB 413, or when the recruitment period has expired.

[0049] Specifically, the project success determination unit 416 determines whether a project is successful or not based on the number of people to be recruited and the number of applicants. At a predetermined time, the project success determination unit 416 extracts the number of applicants and the number of people to be recruited from the project DB 413. If the number of applicants reaches the number of people to be recruited, the project success determination unit 416 determines that the project is successful and outputs the "successful" result to the determination result DB 417. The project success determination unit 416 also closes the recruitment for successful projects by updating the application period in the project DB 413 to "recruitment closed". The project success determination unit 416 then sends a project success notification to the user terminal 200 and the research and development terminal 300 to notify the users and R&D personnel that the project has been successful. At this time, the project success determination unit 416 may also send instructions for the user to the user terminal 200 in the project success notification. Instructions for the user may include, for example, how to upload the provided data or how to download the application under development. Furthermore, the project success determination unit 416 awards points to the user as an incentive if the project is successful. The project success determination unit 416 adds a predetermined number of points to the number of points held in the user DB 412 for the target user.

[0050] On the other hand, if the number of applicants for a project does not reach the target number of applicants, the project success determination unit 416 determines that the project is under evaluation and outputs the "under evaluation" result to the determination result DB 417. Furthermore, if the number of applicants for a project does not reach the target number of applicants even after the application period has elapsed, the project success determination unit 416 determines that the project has not been successful and outputs the "failed" result to the determination result DB 417. The project success determination unit 416 then sends a project failure notification to the user terminal 200 and the research and development terminal 300 to inform the user and the R&D team that the project has not been successful. At this time, the project success determination unit 416 may also include information on recommended projects in the project failure notification sent to the user terminal 200. Recommended projects include projects with similar content to the project the user wishes to participate in, or other projects determined based on the user's past project participation history. For example, if the user's desired project, the "Core Muscle Visualization Project," is not approved, the project approval unit 416 will include the "Yoga AI Personal Coach Project," which can help strengthen the core muscles, as a recommended project in the project approval notification and send it to the user terminal 200.

[0051] The user terminal 200 receives a project success notification or a project failure notification from the server 100. The judgment result display unit 425 of the user terminal 200 then displays the content of the notification on the screen of the user terminal 200. Similarly, the research and development terminal 300 also receives a project success notification or a project failure notification from the server 100. The judgment result display unit 432 of the research and development terminal 300 then displays the content of the notification on the screen of the research and development terminal 300. This allows both the user and the research and development team to understand whether or not the project has been successful.

[0052] After receiving notification that the project has been approved, the research and development team may collect data from users via server 100, or they may collect data directly from users without going through server 100. For example, if the collection of biological samples is required, or if paper-based communication is necessary, the research and development team will collect data directly from users without going through server 100.

[0053] Furthermore, users can check the number of applicants for their desired project during the application period. When a user requests the server 100 to check the number of applicants for their desired project via the user terminal 200, the information output unit 414 of the server 100 extracts the number of applicants and the number of people applying for the project from the project information stored in the project DB 413. The information output unit 414 then sends the number of applicants and the number of people applying for the project to the user terminal 200. The applicant count display unit 424 of the user terminal 200 displays the number of applicants and the number of people applying for the project received from the server 100 on the user terminal 200's screen. For example, the applicant count display unit 424 might display on the user terminal 200's screen, "Project XX has 1,000 applicants. There are 700 applicants. We need 300 more to make the project successful." This allows the user to check the number of applicants for their desired project. Furthermore, users can change their preferred project if they anticipate that the number of interested participants is insufficient and the project will not be successful.

[0054] When an application or other service is completed (the project is successful), or when the project is terminated midway (the project fails), the research and development engineer enters project completion information into the research and development terminal 300. The project completion information input unit 433 of the research and development terminal 300 acquires the project completion information entered by the research and development engineer and transmits it to the server 100. The project completion information includes the project ID of the completed project, whether the project was successful or not, completed service information, and a project termination report. If the project is successful, the completed service information is entered into the research and development terminal 300 by the research and development engineer. The completed service information includes the completed service and a detailed description of the completed service, such as its name, content, and selling price. The project termination report is the reason for the project termination, and is entered into the research and development terminal 300 by the research and development engineer if the project fails.

[0055] The project completion information acquisition unit 418 of server 100 receives project completion information from the research and development terminal 300. The project completion information acquisition unit 418 outputs the project completion information to the project completion notification unit 420 of server 100. In addition, if the project completion information includes completed service information, the project completion information acquisition unit 418 stores the completed service information in the completed service DB 419. Services stored in the completed service DB 419 are made public and sold on the data collection system 1.

[0056] The project completion notification unit 420 generates a project completion notification based on the project completion information obtained from the project completion information acquisition unit 418. The project completion notification unit 420 then sends the project completion notification to the user terminal 200. The project completion notification includes information on whether the project was successful or not. If the project was successful, the project completion notification unit 420 may also include instructions on how to use the completed service in the project completion notification. If the project failed, the project completion notification unit 420 may also include recommended projects in the project completion notification. If the data provided by the user in the failed project and the recommended project are the same, the server 100 may transfer the data provided by the user in the failed project to the recommended project.

[0057] Figure 7 shows an example of the data structure for completed service information. In this example, the service ID and completed service information are associated and stored in the completed service DB419. The service ID is a number that uniquely identifies the service. The completed service information includes the service name, service purpose, service content, registration data, and required points. The registration data includes user information necessary to use the service and user information that can be recorded and managed on the service. The required points are the number of points required to purchase the service. Users can purchase the service using their own points.

[0058] [Decision Processing] Next, we will explain the information processing that performs the judgment process described above. Figure 8 is a flowchart of the judgment process performed by the data collection system 1. This process is realized when the processor 112 shown in Figure 2, the processor 212 shown in Figure 3(A), and the processor 312 shown in Figure 3(B) execute pre-prepared programs and operate as the elements shown in Figure 4.

[0059] First, the user enters user information into the user terminal 200. The user information input unit 421 of the user terminal 200 acquires the user information and sends it to the server 100 (step S11). The information acquisition unit 411 of the server 100 acquires the user information from the user terminal 200 (step S12) and stores it in the user DB 412. In addition, the research and development engineer enters project information into the research and development terminal 300. The project information input unit 431 of the research and development terminal 300 acquires the project information and sends it to the server 100 (step S13). The information acquisition unit 411 of the server 100 acquires the project information from the research and development terminal 300 (step S14) and stores it in the project DB 413.

[0060] Next, the information output unit 414 of the server 100 extracts project information from the project DB 413 for projects that meet predetermined conditions and generates a project list. Then, the information output unit 414 sends the project list to the user terminal 200 (step S15). The predetermined conditions include, for example, that the project is within the application period.

[0061] The project display unit 422 of the user terminal 200 retrieves a list of projects from the server 100 and displays the list of projects on the screen (step S16). The user operates the user terminal 200 to select one or more projects from the list of projects in which they wish to participate. The project participation input unit 423 of the user terminal 200 sends the project ID and user ID of the project selected by the user to the server 100 (step S17).

[0062] The project participation request acquisition unit 415 of server 100 acquires the project ID and user ID of the project the user wishes to participate in from the user terminal 200 and outputs them to the project establishment determination unit 416. The project establishment determination unit 416 acquires the project ID and user ID of the project the user wishes to participate in from the project participation request acquisition unit 415. Then, the project establishment determination unit 416 determines whether or not the project has been established (step S18). Specifically, the project establishment determination unit 416 extracts the participation conditions for the target project from the project DB 413 based on the project ID of the project the user wishes to participate in. The project establishment determination unit 416 also extracts the target user information from the user DB 412 based on the user ID. Then, the project establishment determination unit 416 compares the project participation conditions with the user information and determines whether or not the user meets the project participation conditions. If the user meets the project participation conditions, the project establishment determination unit 416 accepts the user's participation request and updates the value of the number of participants in the project DB 413. The project success determination unit 416 then determines whether the project is successful or not based on the number of people the project is recruiting and the number of applicants. If the number of applicants reaches the number of people the project is recruiting, the project success determination unit 416 determines that the project is successful (Step S18: Yes) and sends a project success notification to the user terminal 200 and the research and development terminal 300 (Step S19).

[0063] On the other hand, if the number of applicants for the project does not reach the target number of applicants, the project success determination unit 416 will mark the project as "under evaluation" (step S18: No), return to step S15, and continue processing. If the number of applicants for the project does not reach the target number of applicants even after the application period has elapsed, the project success determination unit 416 will determine that the project is unsuccessful and terminate the application process. At this time, the project success determination unit 416 may send a project failure notification to the user terminal 200 and the research and development terminal 300.

[0064] The user terminal 200 receives a project completion notification from the server 100. The judgment result display unit 425 of the user terminal 200 then displays the contents of the notification on the screen of the user terminal 200 (step S20). The research and development terminal 300 also receives a project completion notification from the server 100. The judgment result display unit 432 of the research and development terminal 300 then displays the contents of the notification on the screen of the research and development terminal 300 (step S21).

[0065] When the R&D engineer completes the service (Step S22: Yes), they input the completed service information as project completion information into the R&D terminal 300. The project completion information input unit 433 of the R&D terminal 300 acquires the completed service information and sends it to the server 100 (Step S23). The project completion information acquisition unit 418 of the server 100 acquires the completed service information (Step S24). The project completion information acquisition unit 418 then outputs the completed service information to the project completion notification unit 420 of the server 100. Based on the completed service information acquired from the project completion information acquisition unit 418, the project completion notification unit 420 generates a service completion notification as a project completion notification and sends it to the user terminal 200 (Step S25). The project completion notification display unit 426 of the user terminal 200 acquires the service completion notification from the server 100 and displays it on the screen (Step S26). The service completion notification may also include instructions on how to use the completed service. This will allow users to utilize the completed service.

[0066] On the other hand, if the service is not completed (Step S22: No), the research and development engineer inputs a project cancellation report as project completion information into the research and development terminal 300. The project completion information input unit 433 of the research and development terminal 300 receives the project cancellation report and sends it to the server 100 (Step S27). The project completion information acquisition unit 418 of the server 100 receives the project cancellation report (Step S28). The project completion information acquisition unit 418 then outputs the project cancellation report to the project completion notification unit 420 of the server 100. Based on the project cancellation report received from the project completion information acquisition unit 418, the project completion notification unit 420 generates a project cancellation notification as a project completion notification and sends it to the user terminal 200 (Step S29). The project cancellation notification may also include information on recommended projects. The project completion notification display unit 426 of the user terminal 200 receives the project cancellation notification from the server 100 and displays it on the screen (Step S30).

[0067] [Differentiation] Next, a modified version of the first embodiment will be described. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate and applied to the first embodiment.

[0068] (Variation 1) Server 100 may predict project themes with demand based on past project information and present them to researchers. For example, Server 100 may perform demand forecasts for each project theme using a pre-trained prediction model. The prediction model is a model that has been trained based on project themes and past project information (such as the project's success status and the final number of interested participants). Server 100 uses the prediction model to forecast demand for each project theme and presents the demand forecast results to researchers. This allows researchers to understand the demand trends for each project theme and decide on new project themes based on those trends.

[0069] (Modification 2) In the first embodiment described above, the research and development engineer determines the number of points (incentives) to be awarded to the user. However, the server 100 may use a pre-trained predictive model to predict the going rate for incentives and present it to the research and development engineer. The predictive model is a model that has been trained based on a large amount of past project information (information such as project themes, provided data, project status, and incentives). When the research and development engineer registers project information with the server 100 via the research and development terminal 300, the server 100 uses the predictive model to predict incentives from the registered project information. The server 100 then transmits the prediction results to the research and development terminal 300. This makes it possible for the research and development engineer to understand what level of incentive to offer in order to make the project successful.

[0070] <Second Embodiment> Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device of the second embodiment. The information processing device 50 includes an information acquisition means 51, an information output means 52, a project participation request acquisition means 53, and a project establishment determination means 54.

[0071] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the information processing device of the second embodiment. The information acquisition means 51 acquires project information entered by the research and development engineer (step S51). The information output means 52 outputs the project information to the user terminal (step S52). The project participation request acquisition means 53 acquires the request to participate in the project entered from the user terminal (step S53). The project establishment determination means 54 determines whether or not the project has been established based on the request to participate in the project (step S54).

[0072] According to the information processing device of the second embodiment, it becomes possible to continuously collect data on research subjects.

[0073] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0074] (Note 1) Information acquisition means for obtaining project information entered by researchers and developers, Information output means for outputting the aforementioned project information to a user terminal, A means for obtaining project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals, A project establishment determination means that determines whether or not the project has been established based on the desire to participate in the aforementioned project, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

[0075] (Note 2) The project establishment determination means is an information processing device described in Appendix 1 that determines whether or not a project has been established based on the number of people who wish to participate in the project.

[0076] (Note 3) The project success determination means is an information processing device as described in Appendix 1, which determines whether or not a project has been successful based on the user's personal attributes and the number of people who wish to participate in the project.

[0077] (Note 4) The aforementioned information output means is an information processing device described in Appendix 1 that outputs the current number of people who wish to participate in the project.

[0078] (Note 5) The project completion determination means is an information processing device as described in Appendix 1, which, when a project is completed, awards a predetermined number of points to users participating in the project, each point being predetermined for each project.

[0079] (Note 6) The project success determination means is the information processing device described in Appendix 1, which, when a project fails to succeed, proposes participation in another project.

[0080] (Note 7) We retrieve project information entered by researchers and developers. The aforementioned project information is output to the user terminal. We retrieve project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals. An information processing method for determining whether a project has been approved or not, based on the applicant's desire to participate in the aforementioned project.

[0081] (Note 8) We retrieve project information entered by researchers and developers. The aforementioned project information is output to the user terminal. We retrieve project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals. A recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute a process to determine whether or not a project has been approved, based on the applicant's request to participate in the aforementioned project.

[0082] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments and examples, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and examples. Various modifications to the structure and details of the present disclosure can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0083] 1. Data Acquisition System 100 servers 200 user terminals 300 research and development terminals 411 Information Acquisition Department 412 UserDB 413 Project DB 414 Information Output Unit 415 Project Participation Request Department 416 Project Approval Determination Department 417 Judgment result DB 418 Project Completion Information Acquisition Department 419 Completed Services Database 420 Project Completion Notification Department 421 User Information Input Section 422 Project Display Section 423 Project Participation Request Input Section 424 Number of applicants display section 425 Judgment result display section 426 Project Completion Notification Display Section 431 Project Information Input Section 432 Judgment result display section 433 Project Completion Information Input Section

Claims

1. Information acquisition means for obtaining project information entered by researchers and developers, Information output means for outputting the aforementioned project information to a user terminal, A means for obtaining project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals, A project establishment determination means that determines whether or not the project has been established based on the desire to participate in the project, Equipped with, The project success determination means is an information processing device that, when the project is not successful, sends a project failure notification and information on a recommended alternative project to the unsuccessful project to the user terminal.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the project establishment determination means determines whether or not a project has been established based on the number of people who wish to participate in the project.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the project success determination means determines whether or not a project has been successful based on the user's personal attributes and the number of people who wish to participate in the project.

4. The information output means is an information processing device according to claim 1, which outputs the current number of people who wish to participate in the project.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the project establishment determination means, when a project is established, awards a predetermined number of points to users participating in the project, each point being predetermined for each project.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recommended project includes at least one of a project similar in content to the project that did not materialize, and another project determined based on the history of projects that the user of the user terminal has previously wished to participate in.

7. An information processing method performed by a computer, We retrieve project information entered by researchers and developers. The aforementioned project information is output to the user terminal. We retrieve project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals. Based on the desire to participate in the aforementioned project, a determination will be made as to whether or not the project has been established. An information processing method that, when the aforementioned project fails to be completed, sends a project failure notification and information on a recommended alternative project to the user terminal.

8. We retrieve project information entered by researchers and developers. The aforementioned project information is output to the user terminal. We retrieve project participation requests entered from multiple user terminals. Based on the desire to participate in the aforementioned project, a determination will be made as to whether or not the project has been established. A recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to execute a process to send a project failure notification and information on a recommended alternative project to the user terminal when the aforementioned project fails to be completed.

Images