Product Providing Device With Inventory-Aware Option Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

In online lottery systems, users cannot monopolize options like tangible lottery boxes or tickets, leading to inefficiencies in selection and the need for the system to prevent duplicate selections, which is crucial due to multiple participants.

Innovation Solution

A product providing device and system that manages inventory statuses and presents options with inventory status images, allowing users to efficiently select options by associating them with product groups, ensuring unique selections and preventing overlaps.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users are allowed to select options in an online lottery system, then user participation and selection freedom are improved, but duplicate selections and selection conflicts occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser selection freedomVSAvoidselection uniqueness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by displaying inventory status images before users make selections. The server side presents options with visual indicators showing whether each option is available (not selected by others) or already selected, allowing users to make informed decisions before committing to a selection, thereby preventing duplicate selections while maintaining selection freedom

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously updating and displaying inventory status images that reflect real-time selection states. When users select options, the system provides visual feedback through status changes in the inventory images, informing other users about current selection states and preventing them from selecting already-chosen options, thus ensuring selection uniqueness while allowing multiple users to participate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the system prevents duplicate selections by blocking options, then selection uniqueness is improved, but user selection efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveselection uniquenessVSAvoidselection efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses visual status indicators (inventory status images) that change appearance based on selection state. Options that have been selected by other users are displayed with distinct visual markers, allowing users to quickly identify available options without manual checking or system blocking, thereby maintaining selection uniqueness while improving selection efficiency through visual differentiation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by providing users with clear visual information about option availability through inventory status images. Users can independently determine which options are still available for selection based on the displayed status, eliminating the need for system-side blocking mechanisms and allowing efficient self-directed selection while ensuring unique selections

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4625287A1Product providing device, program, and product providing system
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 BANDAI CO LTD
  • EP4625287A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4625287A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4625287A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A product providing device (1) capable of communicating with a terminal (2) of a user includes an inventory managing unit (116) that manages inventory statuses of products in a product group including a plurality of types of products, and a first type option presenting unit (112) that presents to the terminal (2) a first type option associated with the product group and including an inventory status image representing the inventory status of the product group in such a manner that the user is able to select the first type option.