Group presentation system and group presentation method

Abstract

A group presentation server 12 acquires inputs of participation registration to a race and a target in the race by a participant. The group presentation server 12 stores participation registration information and participant information inputted by the participant. The group presentation server 12 stores a type of target setting and the target in the race inputted by the participant. The group presentation server 12 stores information on a plurality of participant groups divided by the type of the target setting and a target for each race. The group presentation server 12 determines, as a recommendation group and for the participant who has inputted the participation registration and the target, at least one participant group corresponding to the type of target setting and the race for participation registration. The group presentation server 12 presents the determined recommendation group to the participant.

Description

Group presentation system and method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a group presentation system and a group presentation method.

[0002] A technology is known that stores a user's practice performance data, extracts practice sections that are similar to the attributes of the competition course (e.g., elevation difference, section distance, weather), calculates the performance difference between the practice section and the competition running speed, and displays the performance difference on a screen together with a map of the practice section (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-79183

[0004] In order to maintain and improve the motivation of participants in a race, it is thought to be effective to present participants with participant groups that are useful to them.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in light of this situation, and its purpose is to provide a technique for presenting participant groups that are useful to participants in a race.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a group presentation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises an input acquisition unit that acquires participants' registration to participate in a race and their input of goals for the race; a registration memory unit that stores participation registration information indicating the registration to participate in the race entered by the participant and participant information that identifies the participant acquired by the input acquisition unit; a goal memory unit that stores information regarding the goals and goal setting types for the race entered by the participant acquired by the input acquisition unit; a group memory unit that stores information regarding a plurality of participant groups divided by goal and goal setting type for each race; a recommendation determination unit that determines at least one participant group that corresponds to the race for which the participant is registered and the type of goal setting as a recommended group for the participant who has entered the participation registration and goals acquired by the input acquisition unit; and a recommendation presentation unit that presents the determined recommended group to the participant.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a group presentation method executed by a computer that can access a registration storage unit, a goal storage unit, and a group storage unit, wherein the registration storage unit stores participation registration information indicating participation registration in a race entered by a participant and participant information identifying the participant, the goal storage unit stores information regarding goals and goal setting types for the race entered by the participant, and the group storage unit stores information regarding a plurality of participant groups categorized by goals and goal setting types for each race, and the computer executes the following processes: acquiring the participants' participation registration in the race and their input of goals via a network; determining at least one participant group corresponding to the race for which the participant is registered and the type of goal setting as a recommended group for the participant who has entered the participation registration and goal; and presenting the determined recommended group to the participant via the network.

[0008] In addition, any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present disclosure between devices, methods, programs, temporary or non-temporary recording media on which programs are recorded, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present disclosure.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, participant groups that are useful to participants in a race can be presented.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a group presentation system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functional blocks provided in a group presentation server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the group presentation server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of recommended group information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a group presentation system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating functional blocks provided in a group presentation server according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of recommended group information according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating functional blocks provided in a group presentation server according to a third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the group presentation server according to the third embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modifications, the same or equivalent components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0012] (First embodiment) When a user participates in a race such as a marathon or trail running, preparation and practice are required according to the race goal set by the user. The race goal may include completing the race within a target time, completing the race without a time limit, completing a target distance, achieving a specific ranking or higher, etc. In addition to marathons and trail running, races may also include events such as running, walking, mountain climbing, swimming, cycling, triathlons, orienteering, rogaining, and outdoor sports.

[0013] The more racing experience a user has, the more smoothly they can prepare and practice according to their goals based on their own experience or by creating patterns. However, if a user has little racing experience, there are many cases where information about preparation and practice from others is useful.

[0014] Factors that determine the content of preparation and practice for a race include not only the goal set by the user for the race, but also the type of goal setting set by the user for the race (hereinafter also referred to as the "goal setting pattern"). The goal setting pattern may be a type of the user's awareness regarding the race or goal setting, or a type of the user's seriousness about achieving the goal. The goal setting patterns in the first embodiment include competitive orientation, maintaining the status quo, and fun run. Competitive orientation is a type in which the user seriously aims to improve their time in the race. Maintaining the status quo is a type in which the goal is to maintain their current time. Fun run is a type in which the goal is to enjoy themselves without worrying about the time. Note that time means the time required to travel a certain distance.

[0015] In the group presentation system of the first embodiment, participant groups are provided that correspond to the goals and goal setting patterns of a race. The group presentation system of the first embodiment determines, as a recommended group, a participant group that corresponds to the race in which the user registers to participate or the goal setting pattern set by the user, and presents the determined recommended group to the user. This makes it possible to present participant groups that are useful for the user in achieving their goals, thereby helping to maintain and improve the user's motivation. Note that the group presentation system may also determine, as a recommended group, a participant group that corresponds to the race in which the user registers to participate and the goal setting pattern set by the user. In the following description, a participant is a general term for anyone who registers to participate in a specific race, and a user refers to a specific person among the participants. For example, this refers to a beginner racer or an inexperienced participant who has participated in five or fewer races.

[0016] In the first embodiment, the user sets a goal based on the race that the user is to register to participate in. As a variant, the user may set a goal for independent training such as running. The group presentation system may present the user with races and events that correspond to the independent training goal set by the user.

[0017] Fig. 1 shows the configuration of a group presentation system 100 according to the first embodiment. The group presentation system 100 according to the first embodiment includes a user terminal 10, a group presentation server 12, and a driving history management server 14. The devices in Fig. 1 are connected via a network 18, which may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, or the like.

[0018] The user terminal 10 is a terminal operated by a user, and may be an information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by the user, or may be a personal computer. The user terminal 10 is configured by a combination of hardware such as a microprocessor, a touch panel, a memory, and a communication module.

[0019] The group presentation server 12 is a server computer that has the functions of processing the race registration procedure, managing participant groups, and recommending participant groups to participants who register to participate in the race. As a modified example, the function of processing the race registration procedure may be configured as a server separate from the group presentation server 12, and this separate server may be configured to be included in the group presentation system 100. Furthermore, the function of managing participant groups may be configured as a server separate from the group presentation server 12, and this separate server may be configured to be included in the group presentation system 100.

[0020] The running history management server 14 is a server computer that stores and manages the running histories of multiple participants. The running history is information about running in races and practice runs, and includes information about the date and time of the run, distance, time, weather, and region. The weather information may include information indicating the season, climate, temperature, humidity, etc. The region information may include information indicating the location on a map. In the first embodiment, a running history management application is installed on each participant's information terminal (including the user terminal 10). The running history management application transmits the participant's running history to the running history management server 14. The running history management server 14 stores the running history transmitted from each participant's information terminal. The running history transmitted from each participant's information terminal and / or the running history stored in the running history management server 14 may include the practice history of participants participating in the group's practice event. The level of the group to which the participant belongs can be determined based on this practice history.

[0021] The group presentation server 12 and the driving history management server 14 may each be configured as a single server computer, or may be configured as a combination of multiple server computers. The group presentation server 12 and the driving history management server 14 may also be configured as a single server computer. The same applies to the event management server 16 described below.

[0022] The term "group presentation system" in the claims may refer to the entire group presentation system 100, or may refer to only the group presentation server 12. Alternatively, it may refer to a combination of at least one of the user terminal 10 and the driving history management server 14 and the group presentation server 12. Alternatively, the system may be realized by distributing characteristic functions between the group presentation server 12 and the user terminal 10.

[0023] Furthermore, the term "participant group" in the claims includes both a real group that is actually organized and managed, and a virtual group that is generated by classifying multiple participants through information processing. The group presentation server 12 in the first embodiment manages real participant groups. The group presentation server 12 in the third embodiment, which will be described later, manages virtual participant groups.

[0024] 2 is a block diagram showing functional blocks included in the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, functional blocks realized by cooperation of various hardware configurations and software configurations are depicted for the group presentation server 12. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that each functional block can be realized in various ways using only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof.

[0025] The group presentation server 12 is configured with a combination of hardware, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), memory, large-capacity storage such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a hard disk, and a communication module. This indicates that a general-purpose hardware configuration may be used as a server computer, and the configuration is not limited to these. The server computer may also be implemented in the form of a cloud server, which is a virtual server built on the Internet. Similarly, the other servers described in this specification may also use general-purpose hardware configurations or cloud servers as their server computers.

[0026] The group presentation server 12 includes a processing unit 20, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 24. The processing unit 20 executes various information processes. The processing unit 20 may be implemented by a processor (such as a CPU) of the group presentation server 12. The storage unit 22 stores data referenced or updated by the processing unit 20. The storage unit 22 may be implemented by a memory or storage of the group presentation server 12. The communication unit 24 communicates with an external device in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The processing unit 20 transmits and receives data to and from the user terminal 10 and the driving history management server 14 via the communication unit 24.

[0027] The storage unit 22 includes a registration storage unit 30, a goal storage unit 32, and a group storage unit 34. The registration storage unit 30 stores participation registration information and participant information entered by participants, which are acquired by an input acquisition unit 40 (described below). The participation registration information is information indicating registration to participate in a race, and includes information on people who have registered to participate in each race. The participation registration information also includes information on users who have completed the registration procedure as participants before the race is held, or information on participants in races that have been held in the past.

[0028] Participant information is information that can identify participants who have registered to participate in a race. Participant information includes the participant's account information, personal information, racing experience information, and information indicating their competitive level. Participant account information includes the participant's ID, password, and other information required to log in to the group presentation server 12. Participant account information is generated based on the information entered by the participant during the account registration procedure when using the group presentation server 12 for the first time. Participant personal information includes information such as name, address, and contact information, attribute information such as age and gender, and information about the team or organization to which the participant belongs.

[0029] The information on racing experience includes information on races participated in in the past and record information such as the finishing time of each race. As information indicating the competitive level, the participant may be required to register running log data measured by a watch with a positioning function or a running history management application on the user terminal 10. In this case, the competitive level of the participant, such as running ability, may be determined and recorded through analysis based on the running log data.

[0030] The goal storage unit 32 stores information about the goals and goal setting patterns for the race entered by the participant, which information is acquired by the input acquisition unit 40 (described later). In the first embodiment, the goal is a target time for the race in which the participant is registered to participate. The goal setting patterns in the first embodiment include a competitive orientation and a fun run.

[0031] The group storage unit 34 stores information about multiple participant groups divided by goals and goal setting patterns for each race (hereinafter also referred to as "group attribute information"). The group attribute information is typically information registered by the organizer of the group. The group attribute information includes the group name, target race, goal, goal setting pattern, and target level.

[0032] The target race is a race that the group targets or aims at, i.e., a race that members of the group register to participate in. The goal is a target completion time. For example, a time of less than 5 hours (so-called sub-5), less than 4 hours (so-called sub-4), or less than 3.5 hours (so-called sub-3.5) may be set. The goal setting pattern may be a competitive run or a fun run.

[0033] The target level is information indicating an estimate of the running ability of the group members. The target level may be set to categories such as beginner, novices, intermediate, and advanced. Furthermore, the target level may be set to a running distance as an estimate of running ability. In the first embodiment, a monthly running distance indicating the running distance in a month is used as an index value indicating the running distance as an estimate of running ability. As a variation, the target level may include at least one of best marathon time, best 10-km run time, running frequency, and average running distance per run.

[0034] The processing unit 20 includes an input acquisition unit 40, a history acquisition unit 42, a recommendation determination unit 46, and a recommendation presentation unit 48. The functions of these multiple functional blocks may be implemented in a computer program. This computer program may be installed in the storage of the group presentation server 12. The processor of the group presentation server 12 may perform the functions of the multiple functional blocks by reading this computer program into main memory and executing it.

[0035] The input acquisition unit 40 acquires race participation registrations and goal inputs for the race from participants (which can also be considered as people wishing to participate). In the first embodiment, the input acquisition unit 40 acquires participation registration information and participant information transmitted from the participant's terminal (including the user terminal 10), and stores the acquired participation registration information and participant information in the registration storage unit 30. The input acquisition unit 40 also acquires goals and goal setting patterns transmitted from the participant's terminal (including the user terminal 10), and stores the acquired goals and goal setting patterns in the goal storage unit 32.

[0036] The history acquisition unit 42 acquires the running history of participants in the race stored in the running history management server 14. The running history of the participants includes logs measured by a running history management application on the participants' terminals (including the user terminal 10).

[0037] The recommendation determination unit 46 determines at least one participant group corresponding to the race and goal setting pattern as a recommended group for a participant who has registered to participate in the race and input their goal for that race, as acquired by the input acquisition unit 40.

[0038] The recommendation presentation unit 48 presents the recommended group determined by the recommendation determination unit 46 to a participant who has registered to participate in the race or input a goal for the race. Note that the recommendation presentation unit 48 may present the recommended group determined by the recommendation determination unit 46 to a participant who has registered to participate in the race or input a goal for the race.

[0039] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment. The registration storage unit 30 stores, for each race, participation registration information and participant information entered by each of a plurality of participants. The goal storage unit 32 stores, for each race, goals and goal setting patterns for the race entered by each of a plurality of participants. The group storage unit 34 stores, for each race, predetermined group attribute information for each of a plurality of participant groups. The group attribute information may be registered in the group presentation server 12 from a terminal of the organizer of the group.

[0040] Examples of multiple participant groups are shown. For example, a first participant group may be a group that has no goal (target completion time) set and has a fun run set as its goal setting pattern. A second participant group may be a group that has a goal set of less than five hours and has a fun run set as its goal setting pattern. A third participant group may be a group that has a target completion time set of less than four hours and has a competitive orientation set as its goal setting pattern. A fourth participant group may be a group that has a target completion time set of less than three hours and 30 minutes and has a competitive orientation set as its goal setting pattern.

[0041] In response to a user operation, the user terminal 10 transmits participation registration information for the race selected by the user to the group presentation server 12. Specifically, the user terminal 10 transmits participation registration information and participant information for the race selected by the user to the group presentation server 12. Furthermore, the user terminal 10 transmits the goal and goal setting pattern for the race input by the user to the group presentation server 12.

[0042] The input acquisition unit 40 of the group presentation server 12 receives the participation registration information, participant information, goal, and goal setting pattern transmitted from the user terminal 10 (Y of S10). The input acquisition unit 40 stores the participation registration information and participant information in the registration storage unit 30 in association with the user (S12). The input acquisition unit 40 stores the goal and goal setting pattern in the goal storage unit 32 in association with the user (S14).

[0043] The recommendation determination unit 46 determines at least one participant group that corresponds to the race in which the user has registered to participate and the user's goal setting pattern as a recommended group for the user (S16). The recommendation presentation unit 48 transmits information about the recommended group determined by the recommendation determination unit 46 (hereinafter also referred to as "recommended group information") to the user terminal 10 (S18). The user terminal 10 displays the recommended group information on its display.

[0044] 4 shows an example of recommended group information 102 according to the first embodiment. The recommended group information 102 in FIG. 4 is presented to a user who has registered to participate in the AAA marathon and has entered "competitive orientation" as their goal setting pattern. The recommended group information 102 in FIG. 4 presents two participant groups (groups A and B) for which the AAA marathon has been set as the target race and "competitive orientation" has been set as their goal setting pattern as recommended groups.

[0045] The recommendation determination unit 46 may determine the recommended group to present to the user based on the user's running history and the target level of the participant group. For example, as described below, the recommendation determination unit 46 may estimate the user's running ability based on the user's running history. Specifically, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine the user's running ability by checking the pace, endurance, and distance based on multiple time records of multiple past races indicated in the user's running history. The recommendation determination unit 46 may also estimate the progress of the user's running ability by comparing time records of races of the same distance. The recommendation determination unit 46 may also estimate the user's running ability based on training data of the content of the user's daily training menu (pace running, interval running, hill training, etc.) and the user's physical responses (heart rate, stride, pace, etc.) indicated by data obtained from a wearable device or a running app. The recommendation determination unit 46 may also estimate the user's physical condition based on a questionnaire evaluation of the user's own running comfort, fatigue, etc. The recommendation determination unit 46 may also analyze the user's movements based on motion analysis using video recording or motion capture, and estimate running ability based on efficiency. Furthermore, the recommendation determination unit 46 may estimate the user's running ability by measuring exercise-physiological indicators such as maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 Max), lactate levels, and muscle strength values ​​from physiological data. A more accurate estimation of running ability is possible by combining the above methods. Meanwhile, with regard to the level of a participant group, the recommendation determination unit 46 may collect training data of participants in a practice event, derive average pace, distance, time, etc. as key indicators for the group, and determine the level of the participant group based on the values ​​of the key indicators.

[0046] The recommendation determination unit 46 may exclude from the recommended groups any participant group whose target level and the user's running ability deviate from a predetermined acceptable range, i.e., any participant group whose target level is set to be significantly higher than the user's running ability. This reduces the risk of injury to the user. For example, the recommendation determination unit 46 may be configured to determine that a tolerance of ±10% is acceptable for a beginner user, and to exclude any recommended group whose running ability is greater than this tolerance.

[0047] Alternatively, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine a group to recommend to the user using statistical correlation, as shown in steps 1-8 below. Step 1. Acquire multiple pieces of running history data for the user from the input acquisition unit 40. Step 2. Among multiple participant groups, participant groups that have registered to participate in the same race as the user and that include at least one participant with the same goal setting pattern as the user are listed as candidate groups. Step 3. Collect running history or practice event history data for the participants in the listed candidate groups. Step 4. Set pace, distance, time, etc. as key indicators. Step 5. Calculate a correlation coefficient for key indicators between the user's running history data and the running history data of the participants in the candidate groups. The stronger the positive correlation, the more similar the running ability of the user and the group is determined to be. Step 6. Set a threshold (tolerance range) for the correlation coefficient; for example, if the correlation coefficient is 0.7 or higher, select it as a matched recommended group. Step 7. Present recommended groups to the user via the recommendation presentation unit 48 in descending order of correlation coefficient. Step 8. Users can determine the group that best suits them based on the profile of each group, including the frequency of practice, age range of participants, and group characteristics.

[0048] The recommended group information 102 includes the target races in which group members will register to participate, goals, goal setting patterns, and target levels, which are set in the group attribute information. As described above, the target level is information that indicates an estimate of the running ability of group members. The target level may be set, for example, as a classification such as intermediate or advanced, or a monthly running distance. Returning to FIG. 3, if the participation registration information, etc. sent from the user terminal 10 is not accepted (N in S10), the processes of S12 to S18 are skipped.

[0049] When a specific group is selected by the user in the recommended group information 102, the user terminal 10 may transmit a member registration request to the group selected by the user to the group presentation server 12. In response to the member registration request, the group presentation server 12 may execute a process of newly registering the user in the specified group.

[0050] According to the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment, when a user registers to participate in a race, participant groups corresponding to the race and goal setting pattern are presented to the user as recommended groups. For example, if a user inputs "fun run" as their goal setting pattern, information on participant groups that are targeting the same race as the user and for which "fun run" has been set as their goal setting pattern is presented. Furthermore, if a user inputs "competitive orientation" as their goal setting pattern, information on participant groups that are targeting the same race as the user and for which "competitive orientation" has been set as their goal setting pattern is presented. This helps maintain and improve the user's motivation for the race they have registered to participate in.

[0051] A specific example of the recommended group determination in S16 of Figure 3 will be described. The goal setting patterns here include upgrading and maintaining the status quo. The goal setting pattern "upgrade" is a type in which the goal is achieved by belonging to a participant group whose running ability exceeds the participant's own. The goal setting pattern "maintain the status quo" is a type in which the goal is achieved by belonging to a participant group whose running ability is similar to the participant's own.

[0052] The history acquisition unit 42 acquires the user's running history from the running history management server 14. The recommendation determination unit 46 estimates the user's running ability based on the user's running history. Specifically, the recommendation determination unit 46 calculates the user's monthly running distance as the user's running ability based on the date and time of each run and the running distance indicated in the user's running history. In addition, the recommendation determination unit 46 classifies the user into one of the following categories as the user's running ability: beginner, beginner, intermediate, or advanced based on the user's monthly running distance.

[0053] If the goal setting pattern input by the user is an upgrade, the recommendation determination unit 46 determines, as the recommended group, a participant group that includes participants with running ability superior to that of the user. Specifically, the recommendation determination unit 46 compares the estimated running ability of the user with the target levels of each participant group stored in the group storage unit 34, and determines, as the recommended group, a participant group for which a target level that exceeds the running ability of the user is set. Because the running ability of a user may change over time, the recommendation determination unit 46 may periodically reevaluate the recommended groups and review the recommended groups as necessary.

[0054] To ensure safety and maintain motivation, the recommended range for beginners and novices is thought to be a group that exceeds their own running ability by about 5-10%. To ensure safety and maintain motivation, the recommended range for intermediates is thought to be a group that exceeds their own running ability by about 10-15%. Intermediate-level participants have a certain level of physical strength, so they can challenge themselves to slightly higher goals than beginners. To maintain motivation toward high goals, the recommended range for advanced participants is thought to be a group that exceeds their own running ability by about 15-20%. This is because advanced participants have considerable running ability. However, participants who exceed their own running ability by more than 20% are excluded from the recommended group due to the increased risk of injury.

[0055] For example, if the user's monthly running distance is 100 km, a participant group whose target level monthly running distance is set to a value greater than 100 km may be determined as the recommended group. However, it may be undesirable for either the user or the members of the participant group for the user to participate in a participant group (in the first embodiment, a real group) whose running ability is significantly greater than the user's. Therefore, it is desirable for the deviation between the user's running ability and the target level of the recommended group to be within a predetermined tolerance range. For example, the tolerance range may be set to a difference in monthly running distance of up to 20 km. In this case, if the user's monthly running distance is 100 km, a participant group whose target level monthly running distance is set to a value greater than 100 km but not greater than 120 km may be determined as the recommended group.

[0056] For example, if the user is classified as a beginner, a participant group with a target level set to intermediate or higher may be determined as the recommended group. However, it may be undesirable for the user or the members of the participant group for the user to participate in a participant group whose running ability is significantly higher than the user's. Therefore, if logs other than the monthly running distance recorded in the user's running history satisfy a predetermined condition, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine as the recommended group a participant group with a target level set to intermediate or higher, even if the user is classified as a beginner based on the monthly running distance. The predetermined condition may be, for example, completing a full marathon in less than a predetermined time (e.g., less than 4 hours and 30 minutes).

[0057] If the goal setting pattern input by the user is to maintain the current status, the recommendation determination unit 46 determines the recommended group to be a participant group containing participants with running ability similar to that of the user. The participant group containing participants with running ability similar to that of the user may be a participant group containing participants (other than the user) whose running ability differs from the user's running ability based on the user's running history within a predetermined tolerance range. The tolerance range for running ability similar to that of the user is preferably approximately ±10 seconds / km in pace. For example, if the user's average pace is 5 minutes / km, a group containing participants with an average pace of 4 minutes 50 seconds to 5 minutes 10 seconds would be appropriate. This is because a difference of 10 seconds / km or more could result in a decrease in training efficiency. The approximate range for running distance is considered to be approximately ±20% in terms of total weekly running distance. For example, if the user runs 60 km per week, a group containing participants running 48 km to 72 km per week would be appropriate. This is because a difference of more than 20% could result in overtraining or undertraining. Furthermore, the approximation range for race target times may be set to about ±5% if the target race category is the same. The approximation range for age groups may be set to ±10 years. Taking into account changes in physical strength with age, it is desirable to keep the approximation range narrower (for example, ±5 years) for younger age groups.

[0058] Specifically, the recommendation determination unit 46 compares the estimated running ability of the user with the target level of each participant group stored in the group storage unit 34, and determines as the recommended group the participant group whose target level is set to be close to the user's running ability. For example, if the user's monthly running distance is 100 km, the recommended group will be the participant group whose target level is set to a value around 100 km (for example, a value in the range of 80 km to 120 km). Furthermore, if the user is classified as a beginner, the recommended group will be the participant group whose target level includes beginners.

[0059] The group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment can present recommended groups to users that are consistent with the goal setting pattern input by the user. For example, if a user sets their goal setting pattern to upgrade, they can be presented with information about participant groups that include participants with better running ability than the user, thereby helping to maintain and improve the motivation of the user. Furthermore, if a user sets their goal setting pattern to maintain the status quo, they can be presented with information about participant groups that include participants with the same running ability as the user, thereby helping to maintain and improve the motivation of the user.

[0060] A modification of the first embodiment will now be described. The recommendation determination unit 46 of the group presentation server 12 may determine, as the recommended group, a participant group that corresponds to the goal setting pattern entered by the user from among multiple participant groups corresponding to the race in which the user registers to participate. The participant group that corresponds to the goal setting pattern entered by the user can also be said to be a participant group to which participants who have entered the same goal setting pattern as the user belong. Even in this modification, presenting to the user information about the participant group that corresponds to the goal setting pattern entered by the user can help maintain and improve the user's motivation.

[0061] Another variation of the first embodiment will be described. The group attribute information stored in the group storage unit 34 of the group presentation server 12 may include the time of the practice (e.g., season) and time of day. The recommendation determination unit 46 of the group presentation server 12 may estimate the environment during the practice (which can also be referred to as weather information, such as temperature and humidity) based on the time of the practice. The recommendation determination unit 46 may detect, from among multiple participant groups stored in the group storage unit 34, a participant group whose attribute is set to match or approximate weather information included in the user's running history, and determine that participant group as a recommended group. A user's running ability may change depending on the climate, weather, etc., but this aspect makes it possible to recommend a participant group that is easy for the user to participate in practice and that will allow them to demonstrate their ability.

[0062] The group presentation server 12 may also store information regarding the timing (season, etc.) and time of day of each race. The recommendation determination unit 46 of the group presentation server 12 may estimate the environment (also referred to as weather information, such as temperature and humidity) of the target race based on the timing and time of day of the target race for the participant group. The recommendation determination unit 46 may detect, from among the multiple participant groups stored in the group storage unit 34, a participant group for which a target race is set whose environment matches or is similar to the weather information included in the user's driving history, and determine that participant group as the recommended group. A user's running ability may change depending on the climate, weather, etc., but this embodiment can recommend a participant group that aims for a race in which the user can easily demonstrate their ability.

[0063] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. Fig. 5 shows the configuration of a group presentation system 100 of the second embodiment. The group presentation system 100 of the second embodiment further includes an event management server 16 in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0064] The event management server 16 is a server computer that stores and manages information about multiple race-related events. The event management server 16 may also provide a website through which event organizers can recruit participants. As a variant, the group presentation server 12 may have the functions of the event management server 16.

[0065] An event may be, for example, a running practice session, a trial run of a race course, a fun run gathering, etc. Event information includes the event name, the date and time when the event is held, the location, and target level information. Target level information is information that indicates the estimated running ability of the target participants of the event. Similar to the target level of the participant group in the first embodiment, target level information includes classifications such as beginner, beginner, intermediate, advanced, etc., and monthly running distance.

[0066] 6 is a block diagram showing functional blocks included in the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment. The group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment further includes an event acquisition unit 43 in addition to the functional blocks included in the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment.

[0067] The basic operation of the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment is as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 3. Like the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment, the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment presents to the user participant groups that correspond to the user's goal setting pattern as recommended groups. In addition to this, the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment performs the following operations.

[0068] Hereinafter, the race for which the user has registered to participate will also be referred to as the "target race." In S16 of FIG. 3, the event acquisition unit 43 acquires information on multiple events related to the target race stored in the event management server 16 from the event management server 16. The history acquisition unit 42 acquires the user's driving history from the driving history management server 14.

[0069] The user's driving history includes information about the areas in which the user drives. The recommendation determination unit 46 may estimate the area in which the user will perform a practice drive based on the frequency of driving in the area indicated in the user's driving history. The recommendation determination unit 46 identifies, from the multiple events acquired by the event acquisition unit 43, events to be held in a location corresponding to the area indicated in the user's driving history, and determines a group of those events (hereinafter also referred to as an "event-related group") as a recommended group.

[0070] For example, if the user's practice area is identified as Tama City, Tokyo based on the user's running history, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine, as recommended groups, an event-related group for events held at ABC Park in Tama City, Tokyo, and an event-related group for events held at XYZ Athletics Stadium, also in Tama City, Tokyo.

[0071] Furthermore, the recommendation determination unit 46 identifies events held for runners with running ability similar to that of the user from among the multiple events acquired by the event acquisition unit 43, and determines the event-related group as a recommended group. The recommendation determination unit 46 estimates the user's running ability based on the user's running history. Specifically, the recommendation determination unit 46 calculates the user's monthly running distance as the user's running ability based on the date and time of each run and the running distance indicated in the user's running history. Furthermore, the recommendation determination unit 46 classifies the user into one of the following categories as the user's running ability: beginner, novice, intermediate, or advanced based on the user's monthly running distance.

[0072] The recommendation determination unit 46 compares the estimated running ability of the user with the target level of each event indicated in the information about each event, and determines, as the recommended group, an event-related group of events whose target level is set to be close to the user's running ability. For example, if the user's monthly running distance is 100 km, the recommended group is an event-related group of events whose target level is set to a value around 100 km (for example, a value in the range of 80 km to 120 km). Also, if the user is classified as a beginner, the recommended group is an event-related group of events whose target level includes beginners.

[0073] Note that a target level for an event may be determined to be a time for running a predetermined distance (here, a time range for a full marathon). If the best time or average time for a full marathon indicated in the user's running history is included in the time range for the target level of a certain event, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine the event-related group of the event as the recommended group.

[0074] As in the first embodiment, when the goal setting pattern input by the user is an upgrade, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine, as the recommended group, an event-related group of an event in which a target level that exceeds the user's running ability is set. Furthermore, when the goal setting pattern input by the user is to maintain the status quo, the recommendation determination unit 46 may determine, as the recommended group, an event-related group of an event in which a target level that is close to the user's running ability is set. When determining, as the recommended group, an event-related group of an event in which a target level that exceeds the user's running ability is set, tolerances and conditions similar to those in the first embodiment may be set to suppress deviations between the user's running ability and the target levels of the recommended groups.

[0075] The recommendation presentation unit 48 transmits the recommended group information to the user terminal 10. The recommended group information in the second embodiment includes information on the participant group determined as the recommended group and information on the event-related group determined as the recommended group.

[0076] 7 shows an example of recommended group information 102 according to the second embodiment. As in the first embodiment, the recommended group information 102 according to the second embodiment includes information on recommended groups (groups A and B in FIG. 7) determined from among participant groups. The recommended group information according to the second embodiment further includes information on recommended groups (groups C and D in FIG. 7) determined from among event-related groups. The information on the recommended group determined from among event-related groups includes the event name, event description, event date and time, event location, and target level.

[0077] Like the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment, the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment can also help maintain and improve the motivation of users who register to participate in races by presenting useful groups to the users. Specifically, the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment can present to the users groups of events that are easy for the users to participate in from a regional perspective. Furthermore, the group presentation server 12 of the second embodiment can present to the users groups of events that are easy for the users to participate in from a running ability perspective.

[0078] A modified example of the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the group presentation server 12 presents to the user both a recommended group determined from a plurality of participant groups and a recommended group determined from a plurality of event-related groups. As a modified example, the group presentation server 12 may determine a recommended group from a plurality of event-related groups, but may skip the process of determining a recommended group from a plurality of participant groups. In other words, the group presentation server 12 may present to the user only a recommended group determined from a plurality of event-related groups.

[0079] Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, focusing on differences from the first embodiment. The configuration of the group presentation system 100 of the third embodiment is the same as the configuration of the group presentation system 100 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. However, the group presentation server 12 of the third embodiment differs from the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment in that it manages virtual participant groups. Furthermore, the group presentation server 12 of the third embodiment differs from the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment in that it has an in-group community function.

[0080] 8 is a block diagram showing functional blocks included in the group presentation server 12 of the third embodiment. In addition to the functional blocks included in the group presentation server 12 of the first embodiment, the group presentation server 12 of the third embodiment further includes a group setting unit 44, a community setting unit 50, a community providing unit 52, and a community storage unit 36.

[0081] A participant group in the third embodiment is a virtual group of multiple participants who have similar goals and the same goal setting pattern. The information about the participant group stored in the group storage unit 34 includes information about the target race and the participants who belong to the group. For example, the information about the participant group includes the goals and goal setting patterns for the race entered by the participants who belong to the group. The information about the participant group also includes the running history of each participant who belongs to the group, which is acquired by the history acquisition unit 42.

[0082] "The goals are similar" may mean that the difference between the target completion times for the race is equal to or less than a predetermined value. For example, the multiple participant groups for the AAA marathon target race may include the following first to fourth participant groups. The first participant group is a group of participants who have not set a target completion time and have input "fun run" as their goal setting pattern. The second participant group is a group of participants who have input "less than five hours" (so-called "sub-5") as their target completion time and have input "fun run" as their goal setting pattern.

[0083] The third participant group is a group of participants who have entered a target completion time of less than four hours (so-called sub-four) and a competitive orientation as their goal setting pattern. The fourth participant group is a group of participants who have entered a target completion time of less than three hours and 30 minutes (so-called sub-3.5) and a competitive orientation as their goal setting pattern.

[0084] The history acquisition unit 42 acquires the driving histories of multiple participants who have registered to participate in the race, which are stored in the driving history management server 14. The history acquisition unit 42 stores the driving history of each participant in the group storage unit 34, in association with each of the multiple participants divided into groups stored in the group storage unit 34.

[0085] For each race, the group setting unit 44 classifies the multiple participants stored in the registration storage unit 30 into multiple participant groups based on the goals and goal setting patterns of each participant stored in the goal storage unit 32. In other words, the group setting unit 44 sets multiple virtual participant groups (for example, the first to fourth participant groups described above) for a race by classifying each participant into one of multiple participant groups corresponding to that race based on the goals and goal setting patterns of each participant for that race. The group setting unit 44 stores information about the multiple participant groups in the group storage unit 34.

[0086] The community storage unit 36 ​​stores, for each participant group, information about a community area, which is an area where participants can converse, interact, and exchange information on a computer network. The community area can also be called an electronic information exchange area or a chat area. When a participant group is set by the group setting unit 44, the community setting unit 50 stores, in the community storage unit 36, information about the community area corresponding to the participant group.

[0087] A community area corresponding to a certain participant group is a community area in which only members of that participant group can post information. Viewing of a community area corresponding to a certain participant group is not limited to members of that participant group, and members of other participant groups are also permitted. A community area corresponding to a certain participant group may be realized as a web page (hereinafter also referred to as a "community page"). When providing a community page to a certain participant, the community providing unit 52 provides a community page corresponding to the participant group to which the participant belongs using a known access control method. Information about the community area stored in the community storage unit 36 ​​may include data on the community page, information about accessible participants, text and images exchanged in chats between participants, and information about the electronic bulletin board on which the text and images are displayed.

[0088] 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the group presentation server 12 according to the third embodiment. The group setting unit 44 detects that a predetermined group setting timing has arrived (Y in S20). The group setting unit 44 references the participation registration information and participant information of each participant stored in the registration storage unit 30 and the goals and goal setting patterns of each participant stored in the goal storage unit 32 to set multiple participant groups for each race. The group setting unit 44 also updates the participants belonging to each participant group (S22). If it has not yet detected that the group setting timing has arrived (N in S20), the processing of S22 is skipped.

[0089] In S22, the group setting unit 44 classifies participants who have input the same or similar goals and the same or similar goal setting patterns into the same group. For example, the group setting unit 44 may classify multiple participants who have not set a target completion time for the AAA marathon and have input a fun run as their goal setting pattern into a first participant group. Alternatively, the group setting unit 44 may classify multiple participants who have input a target completion time of less than five hours for the AAA marathon and have input a fun run as their goal setting pattern into a second participant group.

[0090] The group setting unit 44 may also classify multiple participants who have input a target completion time of less than four hours for the AAA marathon and have input a competitive orientation as their goal setting pattern into a third participant group.The group setting unit 44 may also classify multiple participants who have input a target completion time of less than three hours and 30 minutes for the AAA marathon and have input a competitive orientation as their goal setting pattern into a fourth participant group.

[0091] Furthermore, the group setting unit 44 may classify multiple participants who have similar goals and the same goal setting pattern and who usually travel in similar areas into a fifth participant group. The group setting unit 44 may refer to the driving history of each participant acquired by the history acquisition unit 42, and identify multiple participants whose driving history indicates that the most frequent driving area is the same prefecture or the same city, ward, town, or village as multiple participants who usually travel in similar areas.

[0092] The group setting unit 44 may also classify multiple participants who have similar goals, the same goal setting pattern, and similar monthly running distances into a sixth participant group. The group setting unit 44 may refer to the running history of each participant acquired by the history acquisition unit 42, and identify multiple participants whose monthly running distances indicated by their running history belong to the same category as multiple participants whose monthly running distances are similar. The group setting unit 44 may calculate the monthly running distance based on the running distance of each session indicated by the running history. The categories are predetermined monthly running distance categories. For example, the first category may be less than 10 km, the second category may be 10 km or more but less than 20 km, and the third category may be 20 km or more but less than 40 km.

[0093] The group setting unit 44 stores information about multiple participant groups in the group storage unit 34. The information about the participant groups includes target levels, as in the first embodiment. The group setting unit 44 calculates the monthly running distances of multiple participants belonging to a certain participant group based on the running history of the multiple participants acquired by the history acquisition unit 42. The group setting unit 44 determines the target level of the participant group as a guideline for running ability based on the monthly running distances of the multiple participants. The target level of the participant group may be the monthly running distance of the participant group (e.g., a monthly running distance of 100 km, etc.). The target level of the participant group may also be classified as beginner, beginner, intermediate, or advanced based on the monthly running distance of the participant group.

[0094] The processing of S24 to S32 in Fig. 9 is the same as the processing of S10 to S18 in Fig. 3 described in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. For example, in S30, similar to S16 in Fig. 3, the recommendation determination unit 46 determines, as a recommended group for the user, from among the multiple virtual participant groups set by the group setting unit 44, at least one participant group that corresponds to the race in which the user has registered to participate and the user's goal setting pattern. In S32, the recommendation presentation unit 48 provides the recommended group information 102, such as that shown in Fig. 4, to the user terminal 10.

[0095] 9 , as in the first embodiment, if the goal setting pattern input by the user is an upgrade, the recommendation determination unit 46 determines, as the recommended group, a participant group including participants with running ability superior to that of the user. Also, if the goal setting pattern input by the user is to maintain the status quo, the recommendation determination unit 46 determines, as the recommended group, a participant group including participants with running ability similar to that of the user.

[0096] As described above, the participant group in the third embodiment is a virtual group. Therefore, it can be said that there is little problem even if the user participates in a participant group whose running ability is significantly higher than the user's. Therefore, for example, if the goal setting pattern input by the user is an upgrade and the user's monthly running distance is 100 km, a participant group whose target level is set to a monthly running distance greater than 100 km may be determined as the recommended group. Even if a tolerance range is set for the deviation between the user's running ability and the target level of the recommended group, the tolerance range may be set larger than the tolerance range in the first embodiment. Furthermore, if the goal setting pattern input by the user is an upgrade and the user is classified as a beginner, a participant group whose target level is set to intermediate or higher may be determined as the recommended group without any particular conditions.

[0097] A user who has been presented with one or more recommended groups in the recommended group information 102 selects a participant group to participate in from the one or more recommended groups. In response to a user operation, the user terminal 10 transmits information about the participant group the user will participate in to the group presentation server 12. The group setting unit 44 of the group presentation server 12 executes a process of adding the user to the members of the participant group selected by the user, for example, a process of updating the member information of the participant group stored in the group storage unit 34.

[0098] The community providing unit 52 provides a community area for each participant group. In the third embodiment, a community page corresponding to each participant group is transmitted to the terminals of the participants in each participant group.

[0099] For example, the user terminal 10 transmits data requesting a community page to the group presentation server 12 in response to a user operation. When the community providing unit 52 receives the request for the community page (Y in S34), it refers to the group storage unit 34 to identify the participant group to which the user belongs. The community providing unit 52 transmits to the user terminal 10 the community page corresponding to the participant group to which the user belongs, which is stored in the community storage unit 36 ​​(S36). The user terminal 10 displays the community page transmitted from the group presentation server 12 on its display. If the request for the community page is not received from the user terminal 10 (N in S34), the process of S36 is skipped.

[0100] As mentioned above, a user can also view the community pages of participant groups other than the one they belong to. For example, a user can refer to the target levels of multiple participant groups and view the community page of a participant group that includes people with better running ability than the user, and use that information as a reference for practice.

[0101] The content of the community page will now be described. The history acquisition unit 42 acquires the driving history of each participant in each participant group from the driving history management server 14. The community providing unit 52 presents, on the community page for each participant group, a ranking based on a predetermined criterion, on the driving history of multiple participants belonging to each participant group. For example, the community providing unit 52 may place, on the community page for a certain participant group, an image of a ranking in which the driving distance (e.g., monthly driving distance) of each participant belonging to that participant group is ranked in descending order.

[0102] Furthermore, the community page of each participant group is configured to allow participants belonging to each participant group to disclose their driving history to each other. In other words, disclosing the driving history of a participant belonging to another participant group on the community page of one participant group is restricted, or in other words, prohibited. For example, assume that the user belongs to participant group A. In response to a user operation, the user terminal 10 transmits to the group presentation server 12 a consent to the disclosure of the driving history on the community page. When consent to the disclosure of the driving history is input from the user terminal 10, the community providing unit 52 sets text and images indicating the user's driving history acquired by the history acquisition unit 42 on the community page of participant group A.

[0103] The group presentation server 12 of the third embodiment can promote communication within a participant group, increase the sense of competition among participants belonging to the participant group, and help maintain and improve the participants' motivation. Furthermore, the disclosure of a participant's driving history is limited to the participant group to which the participant belongs. This makes it easier to find useful information by using the target level of each participant group as a clue.

[0104] The running attributes of participants that are published on the community page may include running logs for each of past races and practice sessions. The running logs may include the running date and time, running location, running pace, and running speed. The running location may be, for example, an image showing the trajectory of the running position on a map. The running pace may be, for example, the progress of the running time per kilometer.

[0105] The content of the community page may also include a virtual challenge. Each member of the participant group may record their own driving record in a timely manner within the virtual challenge. Alternatively, the driving record of each member registered in the driving history management server 14 may be automatically reflected within the virtual challenge. This can support competition among members of the participant group in terms of speed, driving distance, driving frequency, etc., and can help maintain and improve each member's motivation.

[0106] The group presentation server 12 presents recommended group information 102 to the user when the user registers to participate in a race. If the user is aiming for a sub-3:00 time in the race, the user may join a group presented in the recommended group information 102 that includes people who have already achieved a sub-3:00 time or participants who are also aiming for a sub-3:00 time. The group presentation server 12 presents the user with a community page for the group the user has joined, which includes the running logs of the members of the group. This can help the user improve their own training by referring to the running logs of others. It can also provide motivation to the user, helping them maintain and improve their motivation.

[0107] The above is a description of an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0108] Any combination of the above-described multiple embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the second embodiment and the third embodiment can be combined. A new embodiment resulting from the combination combines the effects of the combined embodiments and modifications. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each component described in the claims can be realized by each component described in the embodiments and modifications, either individually or in combination.

[0109] The above-described embodiments and modified examples can be generalized to yield the following aspects: A group presentation system according to a first aspect comprises an input acquisition unit that acquires a participant's registration to participate in a race and input of a goal for the race, a registration memory unit that stores participation registration information indicating the registration to participate in the race entered by the participant and participant information that identifies the participant acquired by the input acquisition unit, a goal memory unit that stores information regarding the goals and goal setting types for the race entered by the participant acquired by the input acquisition unit, a group memory unit that stores information regarding a plurality of participant groups divided by goal and goal setting type for each race, a recommendation determination unit that determines at least one participant group as a recommended group for a participant who has entered the registration to participate and the goal acquired by the input acquisition unit, the recommended group corresponding to the race for which the participant is registered and the goal setting type, and a recommendation presentation unit that presents the determined recommended group to the participant.

[0110] According to this aspect, a participant group that corresponds to the type of race and goal set that the participant will participate in is presented to the participant as a recommended group, thereby helping to maintain and improve the participant's motivation.

[0111] The group presentation system according to the second aspect may further include a history acquisition unit that acquires the running history of the participant in the group presentation system according to the first aspect. If the goal setting type of the participant who registered for participation and inputted his / her goal is a type that aims to achieve the goal by belonging to a participant group with a running ability superior to the participant's own, the recommendation determination unit may determine, based on the acquired running history, as the recommended group, a participant group to which a participant with a running ability superior to the participant belongs.

[0112] According to this embodiment, it is possible to support participants in finding others who have better running ability than themselves and using them as reference.

[0113] The group presentation system according to the third aspect may further include a history acquisition unit that acquires a running history of the participant in the group presentation system according to the first or second aspect. If the goal setting type of the participant who registered for participation and inputted their goal is a type that aims to achieve the goal by belonging to a participant group whose running ability is similar to their own, the recommendation determination unit may determine, based on the acquired running history, as a recommended group a participant group whose running ability differs from the participant's running ability by a predetermined range.

[0114] This embodiment can help participants find others with similar running ability to use as reference.

[0115] A group presentation system according to a fourth aspect may be the group presentation system according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising a history acquisition unit that acquires a driving history of a participant. Based on the acquired driving history, the recommendation determination unit may determine, as a recommended group, a group of events to be held in a location corresponding to an area indicated by the driving history of the participant who has registered for participation and entered a goal.

[0116] According to this aspect, a group of events that are easy for participants to participate in from a regional perspective can be presented to the participants.

[0117] A group presentation system according to a fifth aspect may be the group presentation system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a history acquisition unit that acquires running histories of participants. The recommendation determination unit may determine, based on the acquired running histories, as the recommended group, a group of events held for runners whose running ability is similar to that of the participant who has registered for participation and input their goal.

[0118] According to this embodiment, a group of events that are easy for the participant to participate in from the viewpoint of running ability can be presented to the participant.

[0119] A group presentation system according to a sixth aspect may be the group presentation system of any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a community providing unit that provides, for each participant group, a community area where participants can interact with each other. The community providing unit may present, in the community area of ​​a certain participant group, a ranking based on predetermined criteria on the driving histories of multiple participants belonging to the participant group.

[0120] According to this embodiment, communication within a participant group can be promoted, and a sense of competition can be increased among participants belonging to the participant group, helping to maintain and improve the motivation of the participants.

[0121] The group presentation system according to a seventh aspect may be the group presentation system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a community providing unit that provides, for each participant group, a community area where participants can communicate with each other. In the community area of ​​a certain participant group, participants belonging to the participant group may be able to share their driving history with each other.

[0122] According to this embodiment, communication within a participant group can be promoted, and a sense of competition can be increased among participants belonging to the participant group, helping to maintain and improve the motivation of the participants.

[0123] The group presentation method of the eighth aspect comprises the steps of: acquiring, via a network, a participant's registration to participate in a race and input of a goal for the race; reading information from an area storing participation registration information indicating the participant's registration to participate in the race input by the participant and participant information identifying the participant; reading information from an area storing information regarding the goal and goal setting type for the race input by the participant; reading information from an area storing information regarding a plurality of participant groups divided by goal and goal setting type for each race; determining at least one participant group as a recommended group for the participant who has input their registration to participate and their goal, which corresponds to the race for which they are registered and the type of goal setting; and presenting the determined recommended group to the participant via the network.

[0124] According to this aspect, a participant group that corresponds to the type of race and goal set that the participant will participate in is presented to the participant as a recommended group, thereby helping to maintain and improve the participant's motivation.

[0125] A group presentation system according to a ninth aspect comprises a processor configured to receive participation registration information including information identifying participants who wish to participate in a race and information regarding their goals for the race, a registration memory configured to store the participation registration information received by the processor, a goal memory configured to store information regarding the goals and goal setting types for the race, and a group memory configured to store information on a plurality of participant groups for each race, categorized by the goals and goal setting types. The processor determines at least one participant group that corresponds to the race and the goal setting type identified in the participation registration information as a recommended group for the participants who wish to participate, and presents the determined recommended group to the participants who wish to participate.

[0126] According to this aspect, a participant group that corresponds to the type of race and goal set that the participant will participate in is presented to the participant as a recommended group, thereby helping to maintain and improve the participant's motivation.

[0127] The technology of the present disclosure can be applied to information processing devices and information processing systems.

[0128] 12 Group presentation server, 14 Driving history management server, 30 Registration storage unit, 32 Goal storage unit, 34 Group storage unit, 40 Input acquisition unit, 42 History acquisition unit, 43 Event acquisition unit, 46 Recommendation determination unit, 48 Recommendation presentation unit, 52 Community provision unit, 100 Group presentation system.

Claims

1. A group presentation system comprising: an input acquisition unit that acquires a participant's registration to participate in a race and an input of a type of goal and goal setting for the race; a registration memory unit that stores participation registration information indicating the registration to participate in the race entered by the participant and participant information identifying the participant acquired by the input acquisition unit; a goal memory unit that stores information regarding the goals and type of goal setting for the race entered by the participant acquired by the input acquisition unit; a group memory unit that stores information regarding a plurality of participant groups divided by the type of goal and goal setting for each race entered by the participant; a recommendation determination unit that determines at least one participant group as a recommended group for the participant who has entered the participation registration and goals acquired by the input acquisition unit, the participant group corresponding to the race for which the participant is registered and the type of goal setting; and a recommendation presentation unit that presents the determined recommended group to the participant.

2. The group presentation system of claim 1, further comprising a history acquisition unit for acquiring the running history of the participant, and when the type of goal setting of the participant who registered to participate and entered the goal is a type in which the participant aims to achieve the goal by belonging to a participant group whose running ability exceeds the participant's own, the recommendation determination unit determines a participant group whose running ability exceeds that of the participant as the recommended group based on the acquired running history.

3. The group presentation system of claim 1, further comprising a history acquisition unit for acquiring the running history of the participant, wherein if the type of goal setting of the participant who registered to participate and entered the goal is a type in which the participant aims to achieve the goal by belonging to a participant group whose running ability is similar to the participant's own, the recommendation determination unit determines, based on the acquired running history, as the recommended group a participant group whose running ability differs from that of the participant within a predetermined range.

4. The group presentation system of claim 1, further comprising a history acquisition unit that acquires the driving history of the participant, wherein the recommendation determination unit determines, based on the acquired driving history, as the recommended group, a group of events to be held in a location corresponding to an area indicated by the driving history of the participant who entered the participation registration and goal.

5. The group presentation system of claim 1, further comprising a history acquisition unit that acquires the running history of the participant, wherein the recommendation determination unit determines, based on the acquired running history, as the recommended group, a group of events to be held for runners with running ability similar to that of the participant who has registered for participation and entered their goal.

6. The group presentation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a community providing unit that provides a community area for each participant group, which is an area where participants can interact with each other, and the community providing unit presents a ranking based on a predetermined criterion in the community area of ​​a certain participant group, based on the driving history of multiple participants belonging to that participant group.

7. A group presentation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a community providing unit that provides a community area for each participant group, which is an area where participants in that participant group can communicate with each other, and in the community area for a certain participant group, participants belonging to that participant group can make their driving history public.

8. A method executed by a computer that can access a registration memory unit, a goal memory unit, and a group memory unit, wherein the registration memory unit stores participation registration information indicating the registration to participate in a race input by a participant and participant information identifying the participant, the goal memory unit stores information regarding the goals and goal setting types for the race input by the participant, and the group memory unit stores information regarding a plurality of participant groups divided by goals and goal setting types for each race, and the computer executes the following group presentation method: a process of acquiring participants' registration to participate in a race and their input of goals for the race via a network; a process of determining at least one participant group corresponding to the race for which the participant is registered and the type of goal setting for the participant who has input the participation registration and goals as a recommended group; and a process of presenting the determined recommended group to the participant via the network.

9. A group presentation system comprising: a processor configured to receive participation registration information including information identifying participants who wish to participate in a race and information regarding goals in the race; a registration memory unit configured to store the participation registration information received by the processor; a goal memory unit configured to store information regarding goals and goal setting types in the race; and a group memory unit configured to store information on a plurality of participant groups divided by goals and goal setting types for each race, wherein the processor determines at least one participant group corresponding to the race and the type of goal setting identified by the participation registration information as a recommended group for participants who wish to participate, and presents the determined recommended group to participants who wish to participate.

Images