Race position display processing program and race position display processing method

Abstract

A race position display processing device (100) generates and outputs a display screen (130) including CG images CG of race horses that are racing entities. On the basis of voting information of a race horse for which a user U has voted and position information of the race horses, the race position display processing device (100) performs a first highlight display (141) with which it is possible to identify the CG image CG of the race horse for which the user U has voted among the CG images CG of the race horses displayed on the display screen (130). If, during the race period, the race horse for which the user U has voted is ranked in a position eligible for a payout, the race position display processing device (100) also performs a second highlight display (142) to indicate that the race horse for which the user U has voted is eligible for a payout.

Description

Competitive position display processing program and competitive position display processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a competitive position display processing program and a competitive position display processing method.

[0002] In publicly managed sports events such as horse racing, bicycle racing, and auto racing, users can place bets on participants in the race, for example, horses participating in a horse race, and can receive a predetermined payout depending on the results of the horses.

[0003] When a user bets, the user obtains information about each horse running in the race and places a bet on the horse of their choice. There is a technology that displays various information (betting data, race schedule, odds, winning horse prediction information) on the user's terminal when the user bets (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0004] In recent years, it has become possible for users to easily place bets online from home using a personal computer (PC) or smartphone, without having to visit the race venue. Users can also check the status of the race, such as the ranking of the horses they have bet on, by receiving live video footage on TV or via online broadcasts.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-296492

[0006] Live footage of an actual horse race may include footage of all participating horses or footage of a group of horses that have finished. Users may not be able to easily identify which horse in the live footage is the horse they bet on. In this case, users must wait for the rankings to be determined after the race finishes. This may also diminish the user's sense of anticipation and excitement during the race.

[0007] In one aspect, the present invention aims to be able to present the competing entities for which the user has voted on a display screen in an easy-to-understand manner to the user.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a competition position display processing program and a competition position display processing method are proposed, which generate and output a display screen including a competitor image of a competitor, and based on the voting information of the competitor for which a user voted and the position information of the competitor, perform a first highlighting display among the competitor images displayed on the display screen that allows the competitor for which the user voted to be identified, and display the display screen on the user's terminal.

[0009] According to one aspect, the competing entities for which the user has voted can be presented to the user in an easy-to-understand manner on the display screen.

[0010] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a display example of a race position display processing method according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a race position display processing system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functions of a race position display processing device. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a race position display processing device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information on betting information. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of information on the positions of participating horses. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen including a first highlighting at time ta. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen including a first highlighting and a second highlighting at time tn. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of overall processing of race position display processing. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a partial processing of the overall processing shown in FIG. 9. (Part 1) FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a partial processing of the overall processing shown in FIG. 9. (Part 2) FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a partial processing of the overall processing shown in FIG. 9. (Part 3) FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a partial processing of the overall processing shown in FIG. 9. (Part 4) FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a partial processing of the overall processing shown in FIG. 9. (No. 5) Figure 15 shows an example of a display in which voting information is sorted according to changes in ranking during the competition period. Figure 16 shows another example of a display in which voting information is sorted according to changes in ranking during the competition period.

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of a competitive position display processing program and a competitive position display processing method according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0012] (One Example of a Competitive Position Display Processing Method According to an Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a display example of a competitive position display processing method according to an embodiment. The competitive position display processing method according to an embodiment displays the competitive positions of competing entities on the display screen of a user's terminal, for example, in a publicly managed race in which a user places bets on a terminal via the Internet. In the embodiment, the race and the competing entities are described using horses participating in a horse race as an example. Alternatively, the race and the competing entities may be athletes in a publicly managed race such as boat racing, auto racing, or bicycle racing, or entities in various types of racing events such as motor sports or track and field.

[0013] In the race position display processing method of the embodiment, for example, the participating horses (betting tickets) bet on by the user are highlighted on the display screen during the period of one race (competition period) from when the participating horses start from the gate to when they reach the finish line. This allows the position (ranking) of the participating horses bet on by the user to be displayed in an easy-to-understand manner to the user. The betting tickets and dividends for the bets bet on by the user are also displayed in an easy-to-understand manner to the user.

[0014] In the competition position display processing method of the embodiment, a competition position display processing device 100 such as a server acquires various necessary information and executes a program to generate a display screen to be displayed on a display screen 130 on a terminal 120 of a user U who is casting a vote. This can also be realized by the competition position display processing device 100 accessing a cloud. Furthermore, the terminal 120 of a user U that is communicatively connected to the competition position display processing device 100 can acquire various necessary information and execute a program to generate the display screen 130.

[0015] The display screen 130 displays various information about the race for which the user U has bet. The display screen 130 is a virtual display of an actual racecourse in a three-dimensional graphic virtual space (metaverse), and displays the racing status of the participating horses in the virtual space.

[0016] In this embodiment, the display screen 130 displays a competing subject image showing the positions (rankings) of the competing subjects (entered horses). The competing subject image includes a competing subject virtual display section 140 located in the center of the display screen 130 and a competing subject overall display section 150 located in the upper left. The competing subject image (competing subject virtual display section 140, competing subject overall display section 150) includes generated images corresponding to each competing subject (entered horse). In addition, a ranking information display section 160 and a betting information display section 170 are displayed to the right of the display screen 130. The display screen 130 also displays various other information related to the race, which will be described later.

[0017] The competition position display processing device 100 generates images to be displayed on the competitor virtual display section 140, the competitor overall display section 150, the ranking information display section 160, and the voting information display section 170 on the display screen 130, and transmits and outputs them to the user U's terminal 120.

[0018] The virtual competitor display unit 140 displays CG (Computer Graphics) images of actual racehorses. The CG images are formed by combining and arranging multiple CG images of each participating horse. For example, the virtual competitor display unit 140 arranges the CG images of each participating horse in a manner similar to the appearance and color scheme of the corresponding actual participating horse, and places the images in a position synchronized with the actual position of each participating horse during the race.

[0019] Each actual horse is equipped with a position sensor of an RTK (Real Time Kinematic) system, and the position of each horse is detected by the RTK. By using the RTK system, the position of each horse during the race is reflected in a CG image CG, and the race subject virtual display unit 140 displays a CG image CG in which each horse is positioned in a position synchronized with the actual position of the horse during the race. Currently, the position detection accuracy of RTK is high enough to individually detect each horse in a horse race.

[0020] The virtual competitor display unit 140 is a screen that realistically displays the racing status of the participating horses during the race, and the CG images CG are updated on the screen at a predetermined update cycle. At each update cycle, the positions (rankings) of the CG images CG of each participating horse, detected by RTK, are displayed in synchronization with the actual positions (rankings) of the participating horses.

[0021] During the race, the competitor virtual display unit 140 generates a pseudo running state for each participating horse shown in the CG image CG, for example, by applying motion processing to the original CG image (character image). The running state (movement of the legs, neck, etc.) of each participating horse shown in the CG image CG differs from the running state of the actual participating horse, but the position (rank) of each participating horse shown in the CG image CG indicates the actual position (rank) of the participating horse using RTK.

[0022] Furthermore, the competitor virtual display unit 140 can change the viewpoint of the entire CG image CG through operation by the user U. The CG image CG of the competitor virtual display unit 140 shown in FIG. 1 is a viewpoint looking at the lead of the race from the front, with the leading horses displayed largest. Here, for the sake of convenience, only a few (five) leading horses are shown in the CG image CG within the frame showing the competitor virtual display unit 140 in FIG. 1 . Depending on the viewpoint, the competitor virtual display unit 140 may be unable to display CG images of all the participating horses, as a result of a horse in the background being hidden by a horse in the foreground, or a horse in the background being displayed small. The competitor virtual display unit 140 can display the CG image CG using the entire display screen 130 area of ​​FIG. 1 .

[0023] Furthermore, a virtual user image u is arranged and displayed on the competitor virtual display unit 140. The competitor virtual display unit 140 uses CG images CG to create a sense of realism in the virtual space, as if the user were at an actual racetrack, and even a sense of realism that cannot be achieved at an actual racetrack. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , by operating the user, the user can switch between viewpoints such as the front (front) of the participating horses, the center of the participating horses, the back, or even a diagonal top view, thereby providing the user U with a variety of realism that cannot be achieved with actual images.

[0024] The overall competitor display section 150 displays the numbers (horse numbers) of all participating horses running on the course during the competition period in a planar view from above, with the right end of the area of ​​the overall competitor display section 150 indicating the leading side of the participating horses in the race and the left end indicating the trailing side. The overall competitor display section 150 corresponds to a visual display of the position information of the RTK.

[0025] The overall contender display unit 150 displays, by horse number, the position of each participating horse relative to all participating horses whose rankings change during the race. By displaying the horse numbers on the overall contender display unit 150, the user U can grasp the overall racing state of the participating horses and the overall position and ranking changes of the participating horses on which the user U has bet (pick a bet).

[0026] The ranking information display unit 160 displays the rankings of the top-ranked horses during the race period. In the example of FIG. 1 , the horse numbers of the top three horses are displayed as follows: first place horse number "18", second place horse number "16", and third place horse number "17". If there are any changes in the horse numbers of the top three horses during the race period, the ranking information display unit 160 displays the changed horse numbers of the top three horses. For example, each horse number is displayed in the same color as the bib number attached to the actual horses participating in the race.

[0027] The betting information display unit 170 displays the betting information of the user U for the current competition (race). The betting information includes each betting ticket (selected bet) purchased by the user and the payout for each betting ticket based on the odds. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the information displayed shows that the user U purchased betting tickets for horse numbers "8" and "18" for the win bet and horse numbers "8" to "11" for the exacta bet, along with the payout for each betting ticket. For example, the horse numbers are displayed in the same color as the bibs attached to the actual horses participating in the race.

[0028] 1 displays the rankings of the participating horses at a certain time during the race period. The race position display processing device 100 updates and displays the positions (rankings) of the participating horses (horse numbers) on the virtual competitor display section 140, overall competitor display section 150, ranking information display section 160, and betting information display section 170 displayed on the display screen 130 at a predetermined update cycle.

[0029] (Regarding highlighting of participating horses) In addition, in the race position display processing method of the embodiment, the participating horses bet on by the user U are highlighted on the display screen 130 during the race period. The highlighting includes a first highlighting and a second highlighting. First, the highlighting for the competing subject virtual display unit 140 and the competing subject overall display unit 150 will be described.

[0030] (First Highlight Display) Suppose the ranking of the participating horses at a certain point during the race period shown in Figure 1 is horse number "18," "16," "17," ... and finally horse number "1." In this case, when the viewpoint is from the front, the competing subject virtual display unit 140 of the display screen 130 generated by the race position display processing device 100 displays CG images CG of each participating horse viewed from the front, including the leading horse number "18," "16," "17," ... in first place. Note that for convenience, the competing subject overall display unit 150 in Figure 1 only illustrates the leading participating horses up to position 5, but subsequent participating horses are also displayed.

[0031] Furthermore, the racing position display processing device 100 first highlights in a first manner the CG images CG of the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses bet on by the user U on the competing subject virtual display unit 140. In the competing subject virtual display unit 140 of Fig. 1, the CG image CG of the horse number "18" is highlighted with a first highlight 141 above the participating horses purchased by the user.

[0032] The first highlighting 141 is a highlighting of the CG images CG of the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses for which the user U has bet. The first highlighting 141 on the CG images CG on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 allows the user U to easily grasp the rankings because the horse numbers are displayed on the CG images CG of the participating horses for which the user U has bet on the competing subject virtual display unit 140.

[0033] The first highlighting 141 in the virtual race subject display unit 140 is not limited to displaying the horse number, but may be any display that makes it possible to identify the CG image CG of the racehorse on which the user U betted. For example, the CG image CG of the racehorse or jockey on which the user U betted is displayed as the first highlighting in a conspicuous specific color or with a dark density. Alternatively, the entire CG image CG of the racehorse on which the user U betted may be surrounded by a luminous frame, or may be made to blink. The first highlighting 141 is performed using these image processing methods.

[0034] However, when the display of the virtual competitor display unit 140 is viewed from the front, as shown in Figure 1, the horse numbers (bibs) attached to the participating horses are difficult to see. In this case, by displaying the horse numbers of the participating horses in the first highlight display 141, the user U can easily identify the horse numbers of the participating horses for which the user U has bet.

[0035] The CG images CG of the participating horses displayed on the virtual race subject display unit 140 are displayed in color with the same color scheme as the actual horses, and the race bibs are also displayed in color with the same color scheme as the actual horses. Therefore, the first highlight 141 is displayed in the color scheme of the bibs attached to the participating horses.

[0036] Next, the race position display processing device 100 displays the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses bet on by the user U in the first highlighting 151 on the competing entity overall display unit 150. The competing entity overall display unit 150 in FIG. 1 displays the horse numbers "1" to "18" of each participating horse in order of rank using a circle. The horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses purchased by the user are further highlighted using the first highlighting 151 in a thick circle. Furthermore, if each participating horse is represented by a horse character image, the first highlighting 151 may be formed by surrounding the character image with a thick circle or the like, and it is sufficient that the first highlighting 151 can identify the participating horse purchased by the user.

[0037] The first highlighting 151 on the horse number in the overall competing entity display section 150 allows the user U to easily understand the ranking of the horse number of the horse that he or she has bet on among all the horses that have entered the race shown in the overall competing entity display section 150.

[0038] The first highlight display 151 in the overall competitor display unit 150 is not limited to a thick round frame display, and may be any display that can identify the participating horses for which the user U has bet. For example, the first highlight display 151 may be displayed by performing image processing such as changing the round frame of the participating horse for which the user U has bet to the color of the bib, making it darker, emitting light, or blinking.

[0039] (Regarding the second highlighting) If the betting ticket of the promising bet that the user has bet on is included in the winning line during the race period, the race position display processing device 100 highlights the corresponding participating horse with the second highlighting in a second manner. The second highlighting is a highlighting in a manner different from the first highlighting, which makes it possible to identify that the betting ticket of the promising bet is included in the winning line.

[0040] The winning line indicates the position of the participating horses on the betting ticket bet by the user during the competition period, in a position that will allow them to receive a dividend (dividend). The ranking of the participating horses (betting tickets) included in the winning line is a provisional ranking for the period from the start of the competition to the end of the competition (finish). During the competition period, the ranking of the participating horses (horse numbers) included in the winning line will change during the period leading up to the finish line due to the competition between the participating horses. Therefore, even if a participating horse is included in the winning line and is displayed with second highlighting, the second highlighting will be removed if the participating horse's ranking drops and it moves off the winning line. The ranking of the horse numbers displayed by the race position display processing device 100 is a provisional (unofficial) ranking during the competition period, and the rankings, dividends, etc. will be officially determined by the organizer after the participating horses finish.

[0041] The racing position display processing device 100 highlights, among the participating horses (CG images CG) displayed on the competing subject virtual display unit 140, those horses that are included in the winning line with a second highlight 142. For example, at the time of FIG. 1 , the winning horse number "18" of the betting ticket placed by user U is included in the winning line. In this case, the racing position display processing device 100 displays the second highlight 142, which makes it possible to identify that the CG image CG of the horse number "18" in first place at the top of the competing subject virtual display unit 140 is included in the winning line.

[0042] 1 , the race position display processing device 100 displays an image of a "crown" above the horse number "18" of horse number "18" (jockey) that is included in the winning line as a second highlight 142. For this horse number "18," the number "18" is highlighted in a first highlight 141 that indicates the betting ticket on which user U bet, and further, an image of a "crown" is displayed above the horse number "18" as a second highlight 142 to indicate that the horse number is included in the winning line.

[0043] The second highlight display 142 on the CG image CG on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 allows the user U to easily understand on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 whether the participating horse (CG image CG) that he or she bet on is included in the winning line.

[0044] Furthermore, the race position display processing device 100 highlights the horse number "18" included in the winning line among the horse numbers displayed on the overall race subject display unit 150 with a second highlight 152. For example, at the time of FIG. 1 , among the betting tickets bet by user U, the win horse number "18" is included in the winning line.

[0045] The race position display processing device 100 highlights the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses bet on by user U, among the horse numbers displayed on the overall competitor display unit 150, with a first highlight 151 in a thick circular frame. Of these first highlights 151, the leading horse number "18" is included in the winning line, and this is highlighted with a second highlight 152 in the form of a "crown." The "crown" is displayed above the first highlight 151 (thick circular frame).

[0046] User U can see the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses for which he or she has bet by looking at the first highlight display 151 (bold round frame) among the overall horse numbers shown by the overall competing entity display section 150, and can see the horse number "18" on the winning line within the first highlight display 151 by looking at the second highlight display 152.

[0047] The second highlights 142, 152 on the virtual competitor display unit 140 and the overall competitor display unit 150 may be in any display mode that allows the user U to distinguish that the betting ticket (entrant) purchased by the user U is within the winning line. In the above example, the second highlights 142, 152 are images of a "crown," but they may also be other images or letters such as "win" or "first place." Furthermore, the horse number "18" may be highlighted with a distinctive color, a darker color, light, or flashing that is distinguishable from the first highlight 151.

[0048] (Regarding highlighting of the betting information display unit 170) Next, highlighting of the betting information display unit 170 will be described. The race position display processing device 100 displays only information on betting tickets for promising bets on which the user has bet, on the betting information display unit 170. In other words, it does not display information on betting tickets on which the user has not bet. For this reason, the display mode of the betting information display unit 170 corresponds to a first highlighting that displays only information on betting tickets for promising bets on which the user has bet.

[0049] Then, when a user's bet (betting ticket for the winning bet) is included in the winning line, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights the betting information (betting ticket for the winning bet, dividend) included in the winning line with a second highlight display 172 in the betting information display unit 170.

[0050] The betting information display unit 170 highlights the betting information included in the winning line with the second highlight 172, and thereby highlights that the participating horses bet on by the user U are included in the winning line during the competition period. This makes it possible to give the user U a sense of excitement and excitement during the competition period.

[0051] Here, as described above, user U has purchased horse numbers "8" and "18" for the win bet, and horse numbers "8" to "11" for the exacta bet. The rankings at a given time shown in FIG. 1 are horse numbers "18," "16," and "17," in order from first place. In this case, because horse number "18" for the win bet purchased by the user is included in the winning line, the betting information display unit 170 highlights the betting information for horse number "18" for the win bet with second highlighting 172. For example, the second highlighting is achieved by darkening the color of the horse number corresponding to the color of the bib number indicated by number "18," illuminating it, flashing it, or the like.

[0052] On the other hand, since the other betting ticket purchased by the user, i.e., the win horse number "8", is not included in the winning line at the same time, the betting information for the win horse number "8" and the exacta horse numbers "8"-"11" is not displayed with the second highlighting 172. Horse numbers that are not displayed with the second highlighting 172 are displayed with less visual emphasis, for example, by removing the horse number color and displaying them in a light gray.

[0053] The betting information display unit 170 also displays the total payout (expected winning amount) for each bet included in the winning line. In the example of Figure 1, only the win horse number "18" with a payout of "4,200 yen" is included in the winning line, so the expected winning amount is displayed as "4,200 yen." After the finishing order is determined, the betting information display unit 170 changes the wording "expected winning amount" to "payout amount."

[0054] Furthermore, when a user has multiple bets (bet combinations), the betting information display unit 170 sorts and displays each bet information vertically in a predetermined order. For example, bet information included in a winning line is displayed at the top. The bet information is also sorted and displayed in order of bet type (betting method) such as "win," "exacta," ..., or in order of the largest payout amount. In the example of FIG. 1, bet information included in a winning line is displayed at the top, and bet information not included in a winning line is displayed below it sorted in order of the largest payout amount.

[0055] The information displayed on the betting information display unit 170 is finalized by the organizer after the race period has ended, i.e., after the participating horses have finished the race (finished the finish line). The betting information display unit 170 displays the finalized betting information based on the finalized results determined by the organizer after the race has ended.

[0056] (Configuration example of a race position display processing system) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a race position display processing system. Fig. 2 shows an example of a system configuration related to a horse racing competition. The race position display processing system includes devices that are respectively placed at a main track (track) A, a center C, and a user U, for example.

[0057] The metaverse video distribution server 212 of the center C shown in Fig. 2 corresponds to the competition position display processing device 100 shown in Fig. 1. The terminal (PC / smartphone) 120 of the user U shown in Fig. 2 is the terminal 120 shown in Fig. 1.

[0058] In the main venue (stadium) A, an imaging device 201, an RTK system 202, an RTK server 203, an overlay drawing server 204, a 3DCG drawing server 205, an in-venue distribution server 206, an in-venue monitor 207, etc. are arranged.

[0059] An imaging device 201 such as a camera outputs video data (live video) S1 of an actual racehorse K competing at the racecourse to an in-course distribution server 206.

[0060] The RTK system 202 is a group of devices that use RTK to detect the position of the participating horses K. The RTK system 202 includes an existing satellite positioning system (GNSS: Global Navigation Satellite System, not shown), a reference station 202b installed at the racetrack A, and position sensors (not shown) attached to the saddles or the like of each participating horse K.

[0061] The RTK server 203 corrects the position information of the participating horses K obtained from the GNSS at the reference station 202b, thereby detecting with high accuracy the position of each participating horse K equipped with a position sensor, and outputs position information S2 of each participating horse K.

[0062] The overlay drawing server 204 generates information (overlay image) S3 indicating the position (ranking) of each participating horse K during the race based on the position information S2 of each participating horse K output by the RTK server 203. This overlay image S3 corresponds to the display content of the above-mentioned overall competitor display unit 150, and indicates the position (ranking) of each participating horse K running on the course during the race period.

[0063] The 3DCG drawing server 205 draws a three-dimensional virtual image (3DCG image) S4 of each participating horse K detected by the RTK server 203. The 3DCG image S4 is an original image (character image) having a similar appearance and color scheme to each participating horse K. The 3DCG image S4 also includes position information S2 of each participating horse K.

[0064] The on-site distribution server 206 performs processing to present various information to visitors (including some of the users U) who have come to the main venue A. The on-site distribution server 206 displays the live video S1, the overlay image S3, and the 3DCG image S4 on the on-site monitor 207.

[0065] The on-site monitor 207 displays, for example, live footage S1 of the paddock before the start of the race for each participating horse K and of the participating horse K during the race. At this time, the on-site distribution server 206 uses an overlay image S3 to display the display content of the overall competitor display unit 150 corresponding to FIG. 1 on the on-site monitor 207 regarding the position (ranking) of each participating horse K during the race. In addition, the on-site distribution server 206 uses a character image for each participating horse K shown in the 3DCG image S4 to display various information about each participating horse K (horse name, jockey name, odds for each betting type, etc.), the content of the race, the condition of the racetrack, etc.

[0066] Center C mainly provides various information, such as online voting, to users U who are in remote locations such as off-site or at home. Center C is equipped with an online distribution server 211, a metaverse video distribution server 212, a metaverse server 213, a center system 214, a voting collaboration device 215, a member management device 216, and the like.

[0067] The online distribution server 211 distributes the live video S1, overlay image S3, and 3DCG image S4 output by the on-site distribution server 206 to an off-site monitor 221 connected via a network and to a terminal (PC / smartphone) 222 of a user U. The user U who possesses this terminal 222 corresponds to a general online member and conducts online voting without using the system described in Figure 2. In contrast, the user U in the embodiment is a special online member who can use functions including highlighting, etc., as described in Figure 1.

[0068] The online distribution server 211 outputs the live video S1 and the overlay image S3 to the metaverse video distribution server 212.

[0069] The center system 214 manages overall information related to horse racing (event information, information on horses participating in each race, betting information including odds, etc.).

[0070] The member management device 216 manages member information (such as user ID, personal information including a payment account for voting, etc.) of users U who use registered terminals 120 to vote online.

[0071] The voting collaboration device 215 accesses the center system 214 and the member management device 216, and manages the betting information (race number, betting tickets for the bets, etc.) for the races on which the registered users U have bet. The voting collaboration device 215 also calculates the payout for each bet based on the odds for each number of bets for the bets. The voting collaboration device 215 outputs the voting information S5 of the users U that it manages to the metaverse video distribution server 212.

[0072] The metaverse video distribution server 212 corresponds to the race position display processing device 100 of the embodiment. The metaverse video distribution server 212 generates images of the competitor virtual display section 140, the competitor overall display section 150, the ranking information display section 160, and the voting information display section 170 included in the display screen 130 to be transmitted to the terminal 120 of the user U. The metaverse video distribution server 212 mainly generates CG images (motion images) CG of each participating horse K in the competitor virtual display section 140, and generates images such as highlighting during the race based on the user's voting information described above. The images generated by the metaverse video distribution server 212 are transmitted and output to the terminal 120 and displayed on the display screen 130 (see FIG. 1 ) of the terminal 120.

[0073] The metaverse video distribution server 212 receives as input the live video S1, the overlay image S3, the 3DCG image S4 (position information S2 of the participating horse K), and the betting information S5.

[0074] The metaverse video distribution server 212 generates a motion image (CG image CG) showing the running state of the participating horse K during the race based on the 3DCG image (character image) S4 output by the 3DCG drawing server 205. This 3DCG image (character image) S4 includes the position information (ranking during the race) S2 of each participating horse K output by the RTK server 203.

[0075] During the race, the metaverse video distribution server 212 generates CG images (CG) in the metaverse space of the competing subject virtual display unit 140 based on the 3DCG images (character images) S4 of the participating horses, with motions equivalent to those in a race added to the 3DCG images.

[0076] Furthermore, the metaverse video distribution server 212 generates images for the above-mentioned highlighting (first highlighting and second highlighting) of the participating horse K on which the user U has bet, based on the position information S2 of each participating horse K and the betting information (betting ticket for potential bets) S5 of the user U. Furthermore, the metaverse video distribution server 212 transfers the live video S1 to the terminal 120, and enables the live video S1 to be displayed superimposed on the display screen 130 of the terminal 120.

[0077] The metaverse server 213 also provides information related to the horse racing event to the user U of the terminal 120, and provides an information linking function such as information exchange using SNS between the organizer and the user U. For example, the metaverse server 213 generates related information such as information dissemination on SNS (Social Networking Service) related to the horse racing event.

[0078] 2 may be integrated into a single server or may be deployed in the cloud. For example, the metaverse video distribution server 212 and the metaverse server 213 may be deployed in the cloud.

[0079] In the system configuration example of Figure 2, the CG image CG aligned with the position of the participating horse K, and the first and second highlight displays for the participating horse K, are performed by the system server side (metaverse video distribution server 212) using the race position display processing device 100 of the embodiment.

[0080] Alternatively, the system may be configured so that these functions of the race position display processing device 100 are performed by the terminal 120. In this case, the terminal 120 generates a CG image CG aligned with the position of the participating horse K, and a first highlight display and a second highlight display for the participating horse K, based on the 3DCG image S4 (position information S2 of participating horse K) and the voting information S5. For example, by performing image processing on the terminal 120 side, it becomes unnecessary to transfer the CG image CG from the server (metaverse video distribution server 212) to the terminal 120, and the amount of data transfer can be reduced, thereby easing the traffic load on the network.

[0081] (Configuration Example of Competition Position Display Processing Device) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of functions of the competition position display processing device. Each function of the competition position display processing device 100 (corresponding to the metaverse video distribution server 212 in Fig. 2) will be described.

[0082] The competition position display processing device 100 includes the functions of an acquisition unit 301 , a motion image generation unit 302 , an emphasis image generation unit 303 , and an output unit 304 .

[0083] The acquisition unit 301 acquires the live video S1, the overlay image S3, the 3DCG image S4 (position information S2 of participating horse K), and the voting information S5. In the case of the system configuration of Figure 2, the live video S1 and the overlay image S3 are acquired from the online distribution server 211, the 3DCG image S4 (position information S2 of participating horse K) is acquired from the 3DCG drawing server 205, and the voting information S5 is acquired from the voting linkage device 215.

[0084] The motion image generation unit 302 generates a CG image CG showing the running state of each participating horse K on the racing subject virtual display unit 140 based on the 3DCG image (character image) S4 of each participating horse K. The motion image generation unit 302 generates a CG image (motion image) CG in which the legs and the like of the participating horse K in a stationary state shown in the 3DCG image (character image) S4 move to imitate the movement when running.

[0085] Furthermore, based on the position information S2 of the participating horses K, the motion image generation unit 302 aligns the position of the CG image CG of each participating horse K displayed on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 with the actual position (ranking) of the participating horse K. During the race, the motion image generation unit 302 draws each participating horse K on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 at a size according to the actual position (ranking) and the rank on the screen, in accordance with the position (ranking) of each participating horse K. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , when the competing subject virtual display unit 140 displays a viewpoint from the front of the leading horse, the leading participating horse K (horse number "18") is drawn in the largest and foremost position so as to be positioned at the front.

[0086] The highlight image generation unit 303 generates an image that highlights the participating horse K on which the user U betted in the CG image CG on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 based on the position information S2 of each participating horse K and the user U's betting information (betting ticket) S5.

[0087] 1 , of the participating horses (CG images CG) displayed on the competing subject virtual display unit 140, the CG images CG of the participating horses bet on by the user U are highlighted with a first highlight 141. Furthermore, of the participating horses (CG images CG) displayed on the competing subject virtual display unit 140, the participating horses included in the winning line are highlighted with a second highlight 142.

[0088] In addition, the highlight image generation unit 303 generates an image for highlighting (first highlight and second highlight) the participating horse K on which the user U betted on the overlay image S3 based on the position information S2 of each participating horse K and the user U's betting information (betting ticket) S5.

[0089] The overlay image S3 includes the position of each participating horse K according to RTK, and corresponds to the display content of the competing entities overall display unit 150. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1 , of the identifiers (horse numbers) of the participating horses displayed in the competing entities overall display unit 150, the horse numbers of the participating horses bet on by the user U are highlighted with a first highlight 151. Furthermore, of the horse numbers of the participating horses displayed in the competing entities overall display unit 150, the participating horses included in the winning line are highlighted with a second highlight 152.

[0090] In addition, the emphasis image generation unit 303 highlights (second highlight 172) the betting information included in the winning line among the betting information of user U displayed on the betting information display unit 170 based on the position information of each participating horse K in the RTK indicated by the overlay image S3.

[0091] The output unit 304 arranges the competitor virtual display unit 140, the competitor overall display unit 150, the ranking information display unit 160, and the voting information display unit 170 in a predetermined layout on the display screen 130, and outputs the layout to the terminal 120. For example, as shown in Fig. 1 , the output unit 304 arranges the competitor virtual display unit 140 in the overall area on the display screen 130 and arranges the competitor overall display unit 150 in the area in the upper left corner of the screen, and displays and outputs the layout. In addition, the output unit 304 arranges the live video S1 acquired by the acquisition unit 301 in a predetermined area on the display screen 130, and displays and outputs the layout.

[0092] (Example of hardware configuration of a competition position display processing device) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a competition position display processing device. In Fig. 4, the competition position display processing device 100 can be, for example, a general-purpose server or a terminal PC. The competition position display processing device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 401 such as a processor, memory 402, a network IF 403, a recording medium IF 404, and a recording medium 405. Furthermore, each component is connected to each other by a bus 400.

[0093] Here, the CPU 401 is a control unit that controls the entire competition position display processing device 100. The CPU 401 may have multiple cores. The memory 402 includes, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), and a flash ROM. Specifically, for example, the flash ROM stores an OS program, the ROM stores application programs, and the RAM is used as a work area for the CPU 401. The programs stored in the memory 402 are loaded into the CPU 401, causing the CPU 401 to execute the coded processes.

[0094] The network IF 403 is connected to the network NW via a communication line and can be connected to an external computer via the network NW. The network IF 403 serves as an interface between the network NW and the inside of the device and controls the input and output of data from the external computer. The network IF 403 can be, for example, a modem or a LAN adapter.

[0095] The recording medium IF 404 controls reading and writing of data from and to the recording medium 405 under the control of the CPU 401. The recording medium 405 stores the written data. Examples of the recording medium 405 include a magnetic disk such as an HDD, an optical disk, a solid state drive (SSD), and a universal serial bus (USB) memory.

[0096] In addition to the above-mentioned components, the competition position display processing device 100 may also include, for example, an input device, a display, and the like.

[0097] Each function of the competition position display processing device 100 shown in Fig. 3 can be realized by executing a program on the CPU 401 shown in Fig. 4. The memory 402 and recording medium 404 shown in Fig. 4 are used as storage units for information handled by each functional unit (acquisition unit 301 to output unit 304) in Fig. 3.

[0098] Each of the servers and devices shown in FIG. 2, the terminal 120, and the like can be realized using the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0099] (Information Example) Next, an example of information handled by the competition position display processing device will be described using Figures 5 and 6. The following mainly describes an example of information related to the highlighting process handled by the competition position display processing device 100 (metaverse video distribution server 212) of the embodiment. The information shown in Figures 5 and 6 is held in a storage unit such as a memory of the competition position display processing device 100.

[0100] 5 is a diagram showing an example of betting information. The betting information S5 includes information such as the user ID for each user U, the betting details (betting tickets for potential bets) of each user U, odds for each bet, and dividends based on the bets and odds. Dividends are determined based on the rankings determined by the organizer after the competition (race) ends. In this embodiment, during the competition period, provisional dividends are calculated and displayed for betting tickets for bets that fall on the winning line.

[0101] For example, when a voting user U inputs information by operating the terminal 210 to vote, the member management device 216 authenticates the user, and the voting linkage device 215 accesses the center system 214, and the voting linkage device 215 outputs the voting information S5 of the user U.

[0102] FIG. 6 is a chart showing an example of position information for participating horses. Among the position information S2 shown in FIG. 6, the ranking indicates the ranking at a certain time tn during the race period (corresponding to FIG. 1). The 3DCG rendering server 205 outputs a three-dimensional virtual image (3DCG image) S4 of each participating horse K, including the position information S2. The position information S2 for each participating horse K is created or updated at predetermined times during the race period for each race information (xth race). The position information S2 includes information such as the participating horse ID, horse number, horse name, jockey, position, and ranking. The position information during the race period uses, for example, the latitude and longitude of each participating horse obtained by RTK, and the ranking uses the positions of the participating horses K sorted according to their direction of travel during the race period, from front to back.

[0103] The racing position display processing device 100 displays, in a first highlighted manner, each of the participating horses K on which the user U betted, based on the betting information S5 and position information S2 of the user U. With regard to the CG images CG to be displayed on the competing subject virtual display unit 140, the racing position display processing device 100 displays, in a first highlighted manner, the CG images CG of the participating horses K on which the user U betted, in a first highlighted manner 141. Furthermore, the racing position display processing device 100 displays, in a first highlighted manner 151, the horse numbers of the participating horses K on which the user U bet, among the horse numbers of the participating horses K displayed on the competing subject overall display unit 150.

[0104] For example, the racing position display processing device 100 acquires the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horse K on which user U1 bet, from the betting information S5 of Fig. 5. As a result, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights the CG images CG of the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" among the CG images CG displayed on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 with a first highlight 141. Furthermore, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horse K on which user U1 bet, with a first highlight, on the competing subject overall display unit 150.

[0105] In addition, based on the voting information S5 of user U1 shown in Figure 5 and the position information S2 shown in Figure 6, the race position display processing device 100 extracts the participating horses K that are ranked within the winning line from among the participating horses K that user U1 has bet on, and highlights them using the second highlight display.

[0106] For the competing subject virtual display unit 140, the racing position display processing device 100 extracts CG images CG that are included in the winning line from among the CG images CG of the participating horse K on which the user U betted, and highlights them with a second highlight 142. Furthermore, for the competing subject overall display unit 150, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights with a second highlight 152 the horse numbers of the participating horse K on which the user U betted that are included in the winning line. Furthermore, for the betting information display unit 170, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights with a second highlight 172 the horse numbers of the participating horse K on which the user U betted that are included in the winning line.

[0107] For example, the race position display processing device 100 acquires the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of participating horse K bet on by user U1, obtained from the betting information S5, and the position information S2 (FIG. 6) at a certain time. Then, the race position display processing device 100 highlights, in the competing subject virtual display unit 140, the CG image CG of horse number "18," which is included in the winning line (rank 1), out of the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of participating horse K bet on by user U1, using a second highlight 142.

[0108] Furthermore, in the overall competing subject display unit 150, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights, among the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" of the participating horses K on which the user U1 bet, the horse number "18," which is included in the winning line (ranking 1), with a second highlight 152. Furthermore, based on the position information S2 of each participating horse K and the user U's betting information (betting ticket for the promising bet) S5, the racing position display processing device 100 displays, in the betting information display unit 170, a second highlight 172 on the betting information of the horse number "18," which is included in the winning line, among the participating horses K on which the user U bet.

[0109] (Example of Display Screen Including Highlighting) Next, the display screen 130 including highlighting at different times during the competition will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0110] 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen including the first highlighting at time ta. The competition position display processing device 100 displays a competitor virtual display section 140 at the center of the display screen 130, a competitor overall display section 150 at the upper left, and a ranking information display section 160 and a voting information display section 170 at the right.

[0111] 7, the ranking of the participating horses at time ta is assumed to be, in order from first place, horse numbers "16," "17," "8," "14," ..., "3," "2," and "1," as shown in the ranking information display unit 160 and the overall competitor display unit 150. Also, the horse numbers on which user U bet are horse numbers "8" and "18" for the win bet and horse numbers "8" to "11" for the exacta bet.

[0112] The competing position display processing device 100 displays a screen switching unit 701 on the left edge of the display screen 130. When the user U operates the screen switching unit 701, the competing position display processing device 100 switches the display content of the display screen 130. When the user U selects the main screen (lobby), help, or exit displayed on the screen switching unit 701, the competing position display processing device 100 switches to the screen content of another layer.

[0113] The racing position display processing device 100 also displays multiple camera icon viewpoint switching units 705 (705a to 705c) from the front to the back below the overall racing subject display unit 150. When the user U selects and operates the viewpoint switching units 705 (705a to 705c) on the terminal 120, the racing position display processing device 100 can select the viewpoint to display in the racing subject virtual display unit 140. In the example of Figure 7, the racing position display processing device 100 displays a CG image CG of each participating horse K as seen from the front (front) in the racing subject virtual display unit 140 in response to the user's selection of the viewpoint switching unit 705a on the front side.

[0114] The race position display processing device 100 also displays various other information related to the race on the display screen 130. For example, when the user U selects horse number "18" from among the horse numbers displayed in the overall competitor display unit 150, the race position display processing device 100 pops up a CG image 710 of the line of sight as seen from horse number "18" (a jockey's viewpoint CG image) on the display screen 130.

[0115] The jockey's viewpoint CG image 710 is generated based on the positions of the participating horses K surrounding horse number "18". In addition, horse attribute information 711 (horse name, weight, heart rate, etc.) of the selected horse number "18" is displayed below the jockey's viewpoint CG image 710. The race position display processing device 100 acquires the horse attribute information 711 from the center system 214 or the like, and stores it in the position information S2 of the participating horses (see FIG. 6).

[0116] The race position display processing device 100 also displays race course attribute information 715 at the top of the display screen 130. The race course attribute information 715 is the attributes of the race course, and includes information such as the track type, race distance, distance traveled from the start of the race, elapsed time, gradient, average speed, track condition, weather, temperature, humidity, etc. The race position display processing device 100 obtains the race course attribute information 715 from the center system 214 or the like, and stores it in a memory unit.

[0117] The race position display processing device 100 also displays a live camera layout image 720 of the course in the upper right position of the display screen 130. In the example of Fig. 6, the live camera layout image 720 displays icons 720a to 720d of live cameras located at four different locations on the course. For example, when the user U selects the camera icon 720a, the race position display processing device 100 pops up a live video S1 of the actual participating horse K captured by the live camera located at the corresponding position.

[0118] Next, the highlighting at time ta on the display screen 130 in Fig. 7 will be described. The racing position display processing device 100 performs a first highlighting 141 on the CG images CG of the participating horses with horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" for the win bet and horse numbers "8" to "11" for the exacta bet, on the racing subject virtual display unit 140, on which the user U bet. For convenience, in Fig. 7, only the third-place horse number "8" is highlighted with the first highlighting 141.

[0119] The racing position display processing device 100 displays a first highlight 151 on the horse numbers "8" and "18" for the win bet and "8" to "11" for the exacta bet on the overall racing subject display section 150.

[0120] The rankings at time ta in Figure 7 are, in order from first place, horse numbers "16," "17," and "8," as shown in the ranking information display unit 160. None of the horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" purchased by user U are included in the winning line. Therefore, at time ta, the racing position display processing device 100 does not perform the second highlighting 142 on the competing subject virtual display unit 140, nor does it perform the second highlighting 152 on the competing subject overall display unit 150. Furthermore, the racing position display processing device 100 displays betting information equivalent to user U's betting ticket on the betting information display unit 170 (a display equivalent to the first highlighting is performed, and the second highlighting is not performed).

[0121] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen including a first highlight display and a second highlight display at time tn during the race period. The ranking of the participating horses shown in Figure 8 is the same as that shown in Figure 1. Note that the display screen 130 in Figure 8 shows a state in which the jockey viewpoint CG image 710 and the live video S1 shown in Figure 7 are not displayed as a pop-up.

[0122] After the time ta shown in Figure 7, there is a change in the ranking of the participating horses at the time tn in Figure 8, and as shown in the ranking information display unit 160 and the overall competitor display unit 150, the horse numbers change from first place to "18", "16", "17", "15", ..., "3", "2", and "1".

[0123] The racing position display processing device 100 displays, on the racing subject virtual display unit 140, a first highlighting 141 on the CG images CG of the participating horses with horse numbers "8," "11," and "18" for the win bet and horse numbers "8" to "11" for the exacta bet, which have been bet on by the user U. For convenience, in Figure 8, only the first place horse number "18" is highlighted with the first highlighting 141.

[0124] In addition, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights the horse with the winning horse number "18" bet by user U, which is included in the winning line at time tn, on the racing subject virtual display unit 140 with a second highlight display (crown) 142.

[0125] The racing position display processing device 100 displays a first highlight 151 on the horse numbers "8" and "18" for the win bet and "8" to "11" for the exacta bet on the overall racing subject display section 150.

[0126] In addition, the racing position display processing device 100 highlights the horse with the winning horse number "18" bet on by user U, which is included in the winning line at time tn, in the overall racing subject display section 150 with a second highlight (crown) 152.

[0127] The rankings at time tn in Figure 8 are, in order from first place, horse numbers "18," "16," and "17," as shown in the ranking information display unit 160, and horse number "18" purchased by user U is included in the winning line. Therefore, the race position display processing device 100 highlights the betting information of horse number "18" for the win bet on user U's betting ticket with second highlighting 172 on the betting information display unit 170, and displays the expected winning amount. After the finishing order is determined, the betting information display unit 170 changes the wording "expected winning amount" to "payout amount."

[0128] (Example of processing by the competition position display processing device) Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the overall processing of the competition position display processing. Figs. 10 to 14 are flowcharts showing examples of each part of the overall processing shown in Fig. 9. The overall processing shown in Fig. 9 shows an example of competition position display processing by program execution by the control unit (CPU 401) of the competition position display processing device 100, which is on the server side of the system. In this case, the competition position display processing device 100 displays and outputs a competition position display processing screen by the competition position display processing described below on the user's terminal 120. In addition, the following processing may be performed by the control unit (CPU 401) of the terminal 120 owned by the user.

[0129] First, the race position display processing device 100 acquires betting information for the race (race x) in which the user has bet (step S901). Next, the race position display processing device 100 acquires odds information for each participating horse in the race (step S902). Next, the race position display processing device 100 calculates the payout for the race (step S903).

[0130] The payout is calculated for the user of the terminal 120 based on the user's betting information and the odds. For example, if a user purchases a betting ticket for horse number "18" for a win at 100 yen each, and the odds are 42 to 1, the payout for this betting ticket will be 4,200 yen. If two of the same betting tickets are purchased, the payout will be 8,400 yen. The race position display processing device 100 displays this payout on the betting information display unit 170.

[0131] Next, the race position display processing device 100 acquires a generated image of the race subject (step S904). For example, the generated image of the race subject is an original image (character image, 3D still image) having a color scheme similar to that of the participating horses. Next, the race position display processing device 100 performs display processing of a CG image CG showing the running status of each participating horse in a virtual space (the race subject virtual display unit 140) based on the original image (step S905).

[0132] Next, the race position display processing device 100 performs an RTK display process for each participating horse (step S906). The RTK display process includes displaying the overall position of each participating horse detected by RTK using an RTK display (in the competing entity overall display unit 150), and first highlighting (displaying numbers, brackets, etc.) for the participating horses bet on by the user on the competing entity virtual display unit 140.

[0133] Next, the race position display processing device 100 displays the running order of each participating horse (step S907). Here, since the race (race number x) has not yet started, the running order is displayed blank. Next, the race position display processing device 100 displays the user's voting information on the voting information display unit 170 (step S908).

[0134] Next, the race position display processing device 100 determines the start of the race for each participating horse that has reached the race starting position (step S909). After that, the race position display processing device 100 waits for the start of the race (step S909: No loop) and performs the following processing from the start of the race (step S909: Yes) to the end of the race.

[0135] First, the race position display processing device 100 acquires betting ticket-based ranking information (step S910). The betting ticket-based ranking information is information indicating the ranking of each participating horse corresponding to each betting ticket bet placed by the user.

[0136] Next, the racing position display processing device 100 displays CG images CG of each participating horse currently racing on the racing subject virtual display unit 140 (step S911). The racing position display processing device 100 also displays the running ranking of each participating horse currently racing on the ranking information display unit 160 (step S912). The racing position display processing device 100 displays the CG images CG of each participating horse on the racing subject virtual display unit 140 with the same position (ranking) as the racing status of each participating horse currently racing.

[0137] Next, the competing position display processing device 100 determines whether it is time to update the display (step S913). Until the predetermined display update time is reached (step S913: No), the competing position display processing device 100 returns to the processing of step S910, and when the predetermined display update time is reached (step S913: Yes), it performs the following update processing.

[0138] The racing position display processing device 100 performs a CG update process (step S914) and also performs an RTK update process (step S915). The racing position display processing device 100 updates the CG image CG of the competing subject virtual display unit 140 and the RTK (horse number) display of the competing subject overall display unit 150 in response to changes in the ranking of the participating horses, thereby displaying an image of the ranking similar to the racing state of the participating horses. Furthermore, in the update process, if the betting ticket bet by the user is included in the winning line, a second highlight (a display such as a crown) is displayed for the corresponding participating horse in each of the CG display and the RTK display, indicating that it is located on the winning line.

[0139] The race position display processing device 100 also performs a betting information update process (step S916). In the betting information update process, information on the betting tickets on which the user has bet is displayed on the betting information display unit 170. During the race period, the race position display processing device 100 displays on the betting information display unit 170 information on provisional payouts corresponding to the betting tickets on the promising bets on which the user has bet.

[0140] Thereafter, the race position display processing device 100 determines whether the race has ended (step S917). The start of the race shown in step S909 and the end of the race in step S917 are determined based on, for example, race start / end information input from a device on the race organizer's side to the race position display processing device 100. Alternatively, the race position display processing device 100 may determine the start / end of the race from the movement status of each participating horse at the start point and the finish point based on the position information (S2) of the RTK or the like.

[0141] If the race position display processing device 100 determines that the race is not over (step S917: No), it returns to the process of step S910. If the race is over (step S917: Yes), it displays the race confirmation information (step S918) and ends the series of processes described above for the race.

[0142] The race confirmation information includes information such as the final finishing position of each racehorse and dividends, and is output by the organizer to the race position display processing device 100. The race position display processing device 100 displays information such as dividends for each betting ticket bet by the user on the betting information display unit 170 based on the race confirmation information.

[0143] Next, examples of each sub-process of the overall process shown in Fig. 9 will be explained using Fig. 10 to Fig. 14. Fig. 10 shows a specific example of the CG display process (step S905) shown in Fig. 9. The race position display processing device 100 displays CG images CG of each participating horse on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 based on the generated images of each participating horse (step S904), which are the competing subjects (step S1001). The race position display processing device 100 then displays the race numbers on the participating horses included in the betting information (step S1002).

[0144] The participating horses included in the betting information are the participating horses bet on by the user, and the race numbers (horse numbers) displayed on the CG image CG correspond to the first highlighting 141. The first highlighting 141 displays the participating horses bet on by the user from among all the participating horses on the competing subject virtual display unit 140 in an easily identifiable manner.

[0145] 11 is a specific example of the RTK display process (step S906) shown in FIG. 9. The race position display processing device 100 displays the position of each participating horse on the RTK display (competitor overall display unit 150) screen based on the RTK position information S2 (step S1101). As a result, the horse number of each participating horse is displayed in a position corresponding to its actual position. Next, the race position display processing device 100 assigns a box to the race number (horse number) of the participating horse included in the betting information (step S1102).

[0146] The participating horses included in the betting information are the participating horses for which the user has bet, and the displayed race number boxes are the participating horses for which the user has bet, and the displayed race number boxes correspond to the first highlighting 151. The first highlighting allows the user to easily see which of the total participating horses in the competing entity overall display section 150 are the participating horses for which the user has bet.

[0147] 12 shows a specific example of the CG update process (step S914) shown in Fig. 9. When updating the display of the CG image CG on the competitor virtual display unit 140, the race position display processing device 100 first deletes the crown display on the CG image CG (step S1201). Then, the race position display processing device 100 adds a second highlight (crown) to the CG image CG of the participating horse included in the betting information that is on the winning line, indicating that the participating horse is on the winning line (step S1202).

[0148] As a result, during the race, a crown is displayed as second highlight 142 on any CG image CG of a racehorse for which the user has bet and that is located on the winning line. The second highlight 142 clearly indicates to the user that the CG image CG of the racehorse for which the user has bet is included on the winning line on the competing subject virtual display unit 140. Note that the CG image CG that displays the second highlight 142 as the winning line also displays first highlight 141, indicating that the racehorse is one for which the user has bet.

[0149] 13 shows a specific example of the RTK update process (step S915) shown in FIG. 9. When updating the RTK display, the racing position display processing device 100 first deletes the crown display on the RTK display (competitor overall display unit 150) screen (step S1301). Then, the racing position display processing device 100 adds a second highlight 152 (crown) to the horse number of the participating horse included in the betting information that is included on the winning line, indicating that the participating horse is located on the winning line (step S1302).

[0150] This allows the user to easily see that the horse number of the horse for which the user has bet is included in the winning line during the race. Note that the horse number for which the second highlighting 152 is displayed as the winning line is also displayed with the first highlighting 151, which indicates that the horse is a horse for which the user has bet.

[0151] Fig. 14 shows a specific example of the betting information update process (step S916) shown in Fig. 9. The race position display processing device 100 sorts the users' betting information in a predetermined order (step S1401) and displays the sorted betting information on the betting information display unit 170 (step S1402). The race position display processing device 100 then updates the color of the race number displayed on the betting information display unit 170 to a color corresponding to the participating horse (step S1403).

[0152] A specific example of the sorting process will be described later, but for example, the betting display unit 170 displays each betting ticket for the promising bets that the user has bet on in a vertical direction, and among these, betting tickets that are included in the winning line are highlighted at the top. In the sorting process, the horse numbers and payouts of each betting ticket for the promising bets are sorted. Note that the "highlighting" of the betting display unit 170 described below corresponds to the above-mentioned "second highlighting" 172, and the second highlighting 172 highlights betting tickets that are included in the winning line among the betting tickets purchased by the user.

[0153] (Display example of betting information during the competition period) Figure 15 is a diagram showing a display example in which betting information is sorted according to changes in ranking during the competition period. We will explain the ranking information display unit 160 and betting information display unit 170 on the display screen 130 displayed and output by the racing position display processing device 100 during the competition period of the participating horses. Let us assume that the betting tickets on the promising bets bet by the user are the horse numbers "18", "16", "17", "8", and "5" for the exacta.

[0154] 15(a) shows the display contents at the start of the race (time t1) for the participating horses. At the start of the race t1, there are no rankings for the participating horses (horse numbers). Therefore, the race position display processing device 100 displays the rankings (1st to 3rd place) in the ranking information display unit 160 as blank. In addition, the betting information display unit 170 displays the betting tickets for the winning bets (horse numbers "18", "16", "17", "8", and "5" for the exacta bets and the payouts) without highlighting, for example, in light gray.

[0155] Next, Figure 15(b) shows the display content at time t2 after the start of the race, showing a state in which the betting ticket for the promising bet is not included in the winning line. Assume that the top three places at this time t2 are horse numbers "1," "2," and "3." The race position display processing device 100 displays the horse numbers "1," "2," and "3" of the first to third place places in the ranking information display unit 160 in the color of the horse numbers of each participating horse. In this case, because the betting ticket for the promising bet is not included in the winning line, the race position display processing device 100 displays the betting ticket for the promising bet (horse numbers "18," "16," "17," "8," and "5" for the exacta bet and the payout) in the betting information display unit 170 without highlighting, for example, in light gray.

[0156] In this sorting example, the competition position display processing device 100 sorts and displays the winnings in descending order of payout amount in the betting information display unit 170. The expected winning amount displayed at the bottom is not highlighted, and is displayed as "0 yen" in light gray, for example.

[0157] Next, Figure 15(c) shows the display content at time t3 after the start of the race, showing State 1 in which the betting ticket for the promising horse falls within the winning line. Assume that the top three places at time t3 are horse numbers "18," "16," and "17." At this time t3, the racing position display processing device 100 displays the horse numbers "18," "16," and "17" of the first to third places on the ranking information display unit 160 in the colors of the horse numbers of the participating horses.

[0158] In this case, the betting ticket "18" of the betting option is included in the winning line. The race position display processing device 100 sorts the display on the betting information display unit 170, and highlights the betting ticket (the exacta horse number "18" and the payout "4,200 yen") in the color of the corresponding horse number at the top position (corresponding to the second highlighting 172). In addition, the expected winning amount displayed at the bottom is highlighted, for example, "4,200 yen" is displayed in a dark bold font. In addition, the race position display processing device 100 sorts and displays the betting tickets (the exacta horse numbers "16," "17," "8," and "5" and the payouts) of the betting options that are not included in the winning line in descending order of payout amount vertically.

[0159] Next, Figure 15(d) shows the display content at time t4 after the start of the race, showing another state 2 in which the betting ticket for the promising horse falls within the winning line. Assume that the top three horses at time t4 are horse numbers "8," "11," and "17." The racing position display processing device 100 displays the horse numbers "8," "11," and "17" of the first to third places on the ranking information display unit 160 in the colors of the horse numbers of the participating horses.

[0160] In this case, the betting ticket "8" of the betting option is included in the winning line. The race position display processing device 100 sorts the display on the betting information display unit 170, and highlights the betting ticket (the exacta horse number "8" and the payout "1,500 yen") in the color of the corresponding horse number (corresponding to the second highlighting 172) at the top. The expected winning amount displayed at the bottom is also highlighted, for example, "1,500 yen" is displayed in a dark, bold font. The race position display processing device 100 also sorts and displays the betting tickets (the exacta horse numbers "18," "16," "17," and "5" and the payouts) of the betting options that are not included in the winning line in descending order of payout amount vertically.

[0161] Next, FIG. 15(e) shows the display content at time t5 after the race has ended and the finishing order has been determined. Assume that the first through third place finishing orders determined at time t5 are horse numbers "8," "11," and "17." The race position display processing device 100 highlights the horse numbers of the first through third place horses, "8," "11," and "17," in the ranking information display unit 160. Since the betting ticket "8" falls within the winning line, the race position display processing device 100 highlights the horse number corresponding to the betting ticket (the exacta horse number "8" and the payout of 1,500 yen) in the betting information display unit 170 (corresponding to the second highlighting 172). Furthermore, after the finishing order has been determined, the race position display processing device 100 changes the "expected winnings" that had been displayed at the bottom of the display during the race to "payouts" and highlights them, for example, by displaying "1,500 yen" in bold, dark font.

[0162] Fig. 16 is a diagram showing another display example in which betting information is sorted according to changes in ranking during the race period. Fig. 15 describes a case in which the betting type (betting type) is only "win." Fig. 16 will be used to describe a sorting example in which the betting types (betting types) of the betting tickets on the promising bets bet by the user are "win" and "quinella."

[0163] The betting tickets on which the user has bet are horse numbers "8," "10," and "16" for the win bet, and horse numbers "8-11," "5-8," and "5-17" for the quinella bet. Figure 16 shows an example of the display on the betting information display unit 170 during a race period (e.g., time t2). The horse numbers for the rankings at time t2 are assumed to be 1st place "8," 2nd place "11," and 3rd place "17."

[0164] 16, the race position display processing device 100 positions the betting tickets of the winning bet "8" and the horse pair "8-11" which are included in the winning line in the upper area H of the betting information display unit 170 and highlights them (corresponding to the second highlighting 172). In addition, the betting tickets of the winning bet "10" and "16" and the horse pair "5-8" and "5-17" which are not included in the winning line are positioned in the lower area N of the betting information display unit 170 and are not highlighted.

[0165] Furthermore, the race position display processing device 100 sorts the bets in the upper area H indicating the winning line and the lower area N indicating the area outside the winning line (miss). In variation (1), the bets are arranged in descending order of payouts, i.e., the highest payout is arranged above the lowest.

[0166] In variation (2), the bets are sorted in order of betting type and race number, as shown in Fig. 16. In this case, the race position display processing device 100 displays the win bet for horse number "8" with the lowest race number at the top in the upper area H showing the winning line, and displays the quinella "8-11" below it.

[0167] In the lower area N indicating the outside of the winning line, the numbers "10" and "16" for the "Win" bet are positioned on the upper side N1, with the horse number "10" with the lower race number displayed on top and the horse number "16" displayed on the bottom. The race position display processing device 100 also positions the numbers "5-8" and "5-17" for the other "Quarter" bet on the lower side N2, with the horse number "5-8" with the lower race number displayed on top and the horse number "5-17" displayed on the bottom.

[0168] 15 and 16 are just examples. By sorting the betting information displayed on the betting information display unit 170 by the race position display processing device 100 according to a predetermined rule, the user can easily understand whether the betting ticket for the promising bet purchased by the user is included in the winning line and the amount of the payout.

[0169] The technology relating to the display of race positions according to the embodiment is not limited to the horse races described above, but can also be applied to other publicly managed sports events such as boat races and bicycle races. The highlighting of the competing subjects described in the embodiment can be applied not only to publicly managed sports events but also to various sports events, for example, track and field events, auto races, marathons, and other sports that do not involve the payout of dividends, and can highlight the competing subjects, such as athletes selected by the user U, during the competition period.

[0170] The competition position display processing device of the embodiment described above generates and outputs a display screen including images of the competing entities. Based on the voting information of the competing entities for which the user voted and the position information of the competing entities, the competition position display processing device applies a first highlighting to the images of the competing entities displayed on the display screen, allowing the competing entity for which the user voted to be identified, and displays the display screen on the user's terminal. This allows the user to identify the competing entity for which the user voted by the first highlighting on the display screen. During the competition, the positions and rankings of multiple competing entities change over time as they compete with each other, but the first highlighting allows the user to easily identify the competing entity for which the user voted. For example, a novice user who is voting and participating in a competition on a terminal for the first time can easily identify the competing entity for which the user voted. Furthermore, all users of the terminal can easily identify the competing entity for which they voted during the competition, which further creates a sense of anticipation for the competition and a sense of excitement during the competition, thereby encouraging users to participate in voting.

[0171] In addition, in the embodiment, the competition position display processing device may generate the image of the competing subject on the display screen in accordance with the position of the competing subject, which changes during the competition period from the start to the end of the competition. If the competing subject for which the user bet is ranked in a position where a payout is possible during the competition period, the competition position display processing device may display a second highlighting to identify that the competing subject for which the user bet is ranked where a payout is possible. This allows the user to identify that the competing subject for which the user bet is ranked where a payout is possible by the second highlighting on the display screen. During the competition period, the positions and ranks change over time due to competition between many competing subjects, but the second highlighting makes it easy to identify that the competing subject for which the user bet is ranked where a payout is possible.

[0172] Furthermore, the competition position display processing device of the embodiment may further display on the display screen a ranking information display section showing the ranking of the competing subjects based on the position information of the competing subjects during the competition period, and a betting information display section showing the betting information of the competing subjects' promising bets on which the user has bet. This allows the user to easily check the ranking of the competing subjects during the competition period and the betting information of the competing subjects' promising bets on which the user has bet on the display screen.

[0173] In addition, in the competition position display processing device of the embodiment, the competition subject image may be a competition subject virtual display unit that generates a CG image in which a running motion is added to a character image corresponding to the competition subject. The competition position display processing device may perform a first highlighting display that enables identification of the CG image of the competition subject for which the user voted, among the CG images, and, if the competition subject for which the user voted is ranked in a position where a payout is possible, perform a second highlighting display that identifies that the competition subject for which the user voted is eligible for a payout. In this way, the competition subject for which the user voted can be easily identified by the second highlighting of the CG image corresponding to the actual competition subject displayed on the competition subject virtual display unit.

[0174] In addition, in the embodiment of the competition position display processing device, the competition subject image may be a competition subject overall display unit that shows the overall ranking of the competition subjects in a two-dimensional manner using identifiers. The competition position display processing device may perform a first highlighting that makes it possible to identify the identifier of the competition subject for which the user has voted, and, if the competition subject for which the user has voted is ranked in a position where a payout is possible, may perform a second highlighting that makes it possible to identify the identifier of the competition subject for which the user has voted that a payout is possible. In this way, the second highlighting among the identifiers of the overall competition subjects displayed in the competition subject overall display unit makes it easy to identify the competition subject for which the user has voted.

[0175] Furthermore, the competition position display processing device of the embodiment may perform a second highlighting on the betting information display unit to identify that the promising bets of the competing entity bet by the user are available for a payout when the competing entity bet by the user is positioned in a payout-available ranking among the betting information of the promising bets of the competing entity bet by the user. This makes it easy to identify that the promising bets of the competing entity bet by the user are available for a payout by the second highlighting on the betting information display unit.

[0176] Furthermore, the competition position display processing device of the embodiment may sort and display the betting information of the promising bets of the competing entity betted by the user in a predetermined order on the betting information display unit, and may sort and display in an order that makes it possible to identify that the betting information of the promising bets of the competing entity betted by the user is positioned in a payable position. Thereby, by the sorted display on the betting information display unit, it becomes possible to easily identify, for example, the betting information of the promising bets / non-payable bets among the promising bets of the competing entity betted by the user.

[0177] Furthermore, the competition position display processing device of the embodiment may use information detected by an RTK (Real Time Kinematic) system as the position information of the competitors, thereby enabling the position of each competitor, which changes during the competition, to be accurately detected and the position and ranking of each competitor to be correctly displayed on the display screen.

[0178] Furthermore, the competition position display processing device of the embodiment may update the display screen at a predetermined update cycle during the competition, thereby enabling the position and ranking of each competing subject to be displayed correctly on the display screen at each update cycle.

[0179] It is also conceivable to highlight winning tickets for each popular betting method for users who have not yet bet. Popular betting methods include, for example, win, exacta, trifecta, and trifecta combination. In this case, highlighting may be performed by displaying winning tickets for each betting method according to location information. Note that, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which information on the competing entities who bet is obtained through center collaboration, but this is not a limitation of the present invention. For example, it is conceivable that a user may manually input the competing entities for which they bet into the system. In this case, it is conceivable that an identifier may be linked to the system by a method such as the user entering information identifying the competing entities into their own terminal or reading information (e.g., a QR code) on the actual betting ticket.

[0180] The method for the competitive position display processing described in this embodiment can be realized by executing a prepared program on a computer such as a PC or a workstation. The program for the competitive position display processing described in this embodiment is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and is executed by being read from the recording medium by the computer. The program for the competitive position display processing described in this embodiment may also be distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0181] 100 Competition position display processing device 120 Terminal 130 Display screen 140 Competitor virtual display unit 141, 151 First highlight display 142, 152 Second highlight display 150 Competitor overall display unit 160 Ranking information display unit 170 Voting information display unit 172 Highlight display (second highlight display) 201 Imaging device 202 RTK system 203 RTK server 204 Overlay drawing server 205 3DCG drawing server 211 Net distribution server 212 Metaverse video distribution server 213 Metaverse server 214 Center system 215 Voting linkage device 216 Member management device 301 Acquisition unit 302 Motion image generation unit 303 Highlighted image generation unit 304 Output unit 401 CPU 402 Memory 405 Recording medium 701 Screen switching unit 705 (705a to 705c) Viewpoint switching unit 710 Jockey viewpoint CG image 715 Racecourse attribute information 720 (720a to 720d) Live camera placement image (camera icon) CG CG image K Racehorse NW Network S1 Live video S2 Location information S3 Overlay image S4 3DCG image S5 Voting information U User

Claims

1. In a competition position display processing program that generates and outputs a display screen including the images of the competing entities of the competing parties, based on the voting information of the competing entity voted by the user and the position information of the competing entity, among the images of the competing entities to be displayed on the display screen, a first highlighting that can identify the competing entity voted by the user is performed, and the display screen is displayed on the user's terminal, and the competition position display processing program is characterized in that the computer is caused to execute the processing.

2. The image of the competing entity on the display screen is an image generated corresponding to the position of the competing entity that changes during the competition period from the start of the competition to the end of the competition. During the competition period, when the competing entity voted by the user is located in a rank where a dividend can be distributed, a second highlighting that can identify that the competing entity voted by the user is eligible for a dividend is performed. The competition position display processing program according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. On the display screen, further, a rank information display section indicating the rank of the competing entity based on the position information of the competing entity during the competition period and a voting information display section indicating the voting information of the purchase items of the competing entity voted by the user are displayed. The competition position display processing program according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

4. The image of the competing entity is a competing entity virtual display section that generates a CG image with a running motion added to the character image corresponding to the competing entity. Among the CG images, a first highlighting that can identify the CG image of the competing entity voted by the user is performed. When the competing entity voted by the user is located in a rank where a dividend can be distributed, a second highlighting that can identify that the competing entity voted by the user is eligible for a dividend is performed. The competition position display processing program according to claim 2 is characterized by this.

5. The image of the competing entity is a competing entity overall display section that flatly shows the overall rank of the competing entity with an identifier. A first highlighting that can identify the identifier of the competing entity voted by the user is performed. When the competing entity voted by the user is located in a rank where a dividend can be distributed, a second highlighting that can identify that the identifier of the competing entity voted by the user is eligible for a dividend is performed. The competition position display processing program according to claim 2 is characterized by this.

6. The voting information display unit performs a second highlighting display for identifying that the purchase item of the competing entity voted by the user is eligible for distribution when the competing entity voted by the user is ranked among those eligible for distribution in the voting information of the purchase item of the competing entity voted by the user. The competition position display processing program according to claim 3, characterized in that.

7. The voting information display unit sorts and displays the voting information of the purchase items of the competing entity voted by the user in a predetermined order, and sorts and displays the voting information of the purchase items where the competing entity voted by the user is ranked among those eligible for distribution in an order that enables identification. The competition position display processing program according to claim 3, characterized in that.

8. The position information of the competing entity uses information detected by a RTK (Real Time Kinematic) system. The competition position display processing program according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. During the competition period, the display screen is updated at a predetermined update cycle. The competition position display processing program according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. In a competition position display processing method for generating and outputting a display screen including a competing entity image of a competing entity, based on the voting information of the competing entity voted by the user and the position information of the competing entity, among the competing entity images to be displayed on the display screen, a first highlighting display for identifying the competing entity voted by the user is performed, and the display screen is displayed on the user's terminal. A competition position display processing method, characterized in that the computer executes the processing.

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