JP7590396B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

A technology has been disclosed that, when a time slot is specified from one or more time slots from a terminal device, delivers to the terminal device coupon information that can be used during the specified time slot on the day of the visit and provides a discount according to the specified time slot.

Patent No. 6432391

However, the above conventional technology merely accepts a time period designated by the user and distributes coupon information to the terminal device that provides a discount according to the designated time period. For example, if the discount rate of the coupon could be automatically changed over time after the coupon is distributed, regardless of the user's designation, it would be possible to help promote the use of coupons.

This application was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a coupon whose contents change automatically over time.

The information processing device of the present application comprises a timing unit that measures the elapsed time or remaining time within the validity period of a coupon in which the discount rate automatically decreases over time, and in which the correspondence between time and discount rate is all presented to the user in advance ; a change unit that gradually decreases the discount rate of the coupon multiple times according to the measured time; and a payment processing unit that automatically determines whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by a user who has acquired and holds the coupon, and if the coupon can be applied, applies the discount rate of the coupon according to the measured time at the time of payment and performs payment processing , wherein the change unit temporarily restores the discount rate of the coupon to its original value for a limited period of time after decreasing the discount rate of the coupon, if it is estimated from history information indicating the user's behavior, such as the user's location history, search history, or browsing history, that the user is hesitant to purchase the product that the coupon is applicable to .

According to one aspect of the embodiment, it is possible to provide coupons whose content changes automatically over time.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an information processing method according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a server device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user information database. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the history information database. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the coupon information database. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration.

Below, the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. In addition, the same components in the following embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[1. Overview of information processing method]
First, an overview of an information processing method performed by an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an information processing method according to an embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 will be described by taking as an example a case where a coupon whose contents automatically change over time is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and a server device 100. The terminal device 10 and the server device 100 are connected to each other via a network N (see FIG. 2) in a wired or wireless manner so as to be able to communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 cooperates with the server device 100.

The terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal used by a user U, and is a mobile terminal device capable of communicating with any server device via a wireless communication network such as 4G (Generation) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). The terminal device 10 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display with touch panel functions, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content, such as tapping, sliding, scrolling, etc., performed by the user U with a finger or a stylus. An operation performed on an area of the screen where content is displayed may be considered to be an operation on the content. The terminal device 10 may be not only a smart device, but also an information processing device such as a desktop PC (Personal Computer) or a notebook PC.

The server device 100 is an information processing device that cooperates with the terminal device 10 of each user U and provides API (Application Programming Interface) services for various applications (hereinafter, apps) and the like, as well as various data, to the terminal device 10 of each user U, and is realized by a computer, a cloud system, or the like.

The server device 100 may also be an information processing device that provides some kind of web service online to the terminal device 10 of each user U. For example, the server device 100 may provide the following services as web services: Internet connection, search service, SNS (Social Networking Service), electronic commerce (EC), electronic payment, online games, online banking, online trading, accommodation and ticket reservations, video and music distribution, news, maps, route search, route guidance, line information, operation information, weather forecasts, etc. In practice, the server device 100 may cooperate with various servers that provide the above-mentioned web services, and may act as an intermediary for the web services or be responsible for processing the web services.

The server device 100 can acquire user information about the user U. For example, the server device 100 acquires information about the attributes of the user U, such as the gender, age, and area of residence of the user U. The server device 100 then stores and manages the information about the attributes of the user U together with identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U.

The server device 100 also acquires various history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U, or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. For example, the server device 100 acquires a location history, which is a history of the location and date and time of the user U, from the terminal device 10. The server device 100 also acquires a search history, which is a history of search queries entered by the user U, from a search server (search engine). The server device 100 also acquires a browsing history, which is a history of content viewed by the user U, from a content server. The server device 100 also acquires a purchase history (payment history), which is a history of product purchases and payment processing by the user U, from an electronic commerce server or a payment processing server. The server device 100 may also acquire a listing history and a sales history, which are a history of listings on the marketplace by the user U, from an electronic commerce server or a payment processing server. The server device 100 also acquires a posting history, which is a history of posts by the user U, from a posting server that provides a word-of-mouth posting service or an SNS server. The various servers and the like described above may be the server device 100 itself. In other words, the server device 100 may function as the various servers and the like described above.

[1-1. Coupons whose contents change over time]
In this embodiment, the server device 100 provides a coupon whose contents change gradually over time to the terminal device 10 of the user U. Then, at the time of payment by the user U, the server device 100 determines whether a coupon acquired and held by the user U, whose contents change gradually over time, is applicable, and if applicable, executes the payment with the contents that are applied according to the time.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the server device 100 distributes a coupon whose content changes gradually over time to the terminal device 10 of the user U via the network N (see FIG. 2) (step S1). For example, the server device 100 distributes a coupon whose discount rate decreases according to the remaining time of the usage period to the terminal device 10 of the user U. The user U operates the terminal device 10 to acquire the distributed coupon.

Next, the server device 100 measures the time within the validity period of the coupon, the contents of which change over time (step S2). For example, the server device 100 measures the time remaining until the validity period of the coupon.

Next, before changing the coupon contents, the server device 100 notifies the user U of the change in the coupon contents by push notification (advance notification) (step S3). For example, the server device 100 may notify the user U of the change in the coupon contents by push notification with a message such as "The coupon discount rate will be changed to xx% in xx minutes." a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) before the change in the coupon contents.

Next, if the coupon has not been used by the time when it is time to change the coupon contents, the server device 100 changes the coupon contents to contents that correspond to the measured time when the time to change the coupon contents arrives (step S4). For example, the server device 100 changes the coupon contents to match the time remaining until the coupon expiration date.

In this embodiment, the server device 100 gradually changes the content of the coupon as time passes. For example, the server device 100 decreases the discount rate of the coupon in accordance with the time remaining until the coupon's expiration date. Alternatively, the server device 100 may increase the discount rate of the coupon in accordance with the time remaining until the coupon's expiration date.

That is, the discount rate of one coupon changes gradually. For example, the server device 100 may change the discount rate of the coupon stepwise according to the time period, such as "20% OFF 11/3 14:00-14:59", "10% OFF 11/3 15:00-15:59", "5% OFF 11/3 16:00-16:59". Alternatively, the server device 100 may change the discount rate of the coupon so that it decays over time, such as "50% from start to 1 hour" and "30% from 1 hour to 2 hours". Alternatively, the server device 100 may decrease the discount rate of the coupon by a predetermined percentage (e.g., 1%/5%/10%) every time a predetermined time elapses (e.g., every hour/every few hours/every day). In this case, the server device 100 may set an initial value (maximum value) and a lower limit value of the discount rate. In other words, the server device 100 may decrease the coupon discount rate by a predetermined percentage each time a predetermined time elapses, starting from the initial value of the discount rate, and stop the decrease when the discount rate reaches a lower limit value.

When the coupon discount rate decreases in accordance with the time remaining until the coupon expiration date, user U is motivated to use the coupon quickly to purchase the target store or target product while the discount rate is still high, which can promote coupon use. It can also be expected to put the user in a psychological state where they have to hurry up with their purchase, which can induce impulse buying. Furthermore, users U who respond quickly to the coupon can be rewarded more.

Conversely, if the coupon discount rate increases in accordance with the time remaining until the coupon expiration date, the benefit to user U of using the coupon also increases as the coupon discount rate increases over time, which motivates user U who has been hesitant to make a purchase to use the coupon to purchase the target store or target product, etc., thereby promoting the use of the coupon.

Note that the discount rate of the coupon is merely an example. In reality, it is not limited to the discount rate, but may be the discount amount (e.g., 100 yen off, etc.) or the point redemption rate/redemption amount. The content of the coupon itself may also be changed. For example, the server device 100 may vary the coupon's maximum discount limit, the target product price, the target category, etc. over time. The server device 100 may also change the coupon content to other benefits over time, such as making the second item of a purchased item free or offering a different product as a service.

The server device 100 may also vary the timing or degree of change of the coupon contents depending on the attribute information or history information of the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon. For example, the server device 100 may vary the timing or degree of change of the coupon contents depending on the product purchase history of the user U (purchased products, purchase frequency, total purchase amount, etc.). In other words, even for the same coupon, the server device 100 may vary the interval at which the coupon contents are changed or the range of fluctuation of the discount rate over time (rate of decrease/rate of increase) for each user.

The server device 100 may also vary the timing or degree of change of the coupon content depending on the type or content of the store, product, or service that is the subject of the coupon.

In addition, when the server device 100 changes the content of a coupon, the server device 100 may present the changed content of the coupon to the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon. For example, the server device 100 notifies the user U of the changed content of the coupon by push notification. In addition, the server device 100 may present the changed content of the coupon when the user U opens the coupon screen.

Next, the server device 100 determines whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by user U who has acquired and holds the coupon (step S5). For example, at the time of user U's payment, the server device 100 determines whether user U has acquired and holds a coupon applicable to the payment, and applies the coupon if the user U has acquired and holds the coupon. Note that there may be multiple applicable coupons. In other words, other coupons may be used in combination.

At this time, the server device 100 may cooperate with a payment app such as electronic money to automatically determine whether a coupon can be applied in the payment process, without requiring the user U to present the coupon.

Next, if the server device 100 determines that the coupon can be applied, it performs a payment process according to the changed content of the coupon (step S6). For example, the server device 100 performs a payment process by applying the discount rate of the coupon according to the time remaining until the coupon's expiration date to the price of the product or service covered by the coupon.

The coupon according to this embodiment is a coupon funded by the service provider, so the discount rate can be set as desired. Note that the coupon according to this embodiment may be a coupon that can be used in a domain where multiple businesses each sell products, and the coupon may be funded by the business of this domain.

The server device 100 may also provide, together with the coupon, information regarding a planned change in the discount rate of the coupon. For example, the server device 100 provides information indicating the planned date and time when the discount rate of the coupon will be changed and the discount rate after the change, by displaying it on the coupon/as information accompanying the coupon. In this case, the server device 100 may provide the information indicating the planned date and time when the discount rate of the coupon will be changed and the discount rate after the change in the form of a schedule.

Furthermore, the server device 100 may keep the coupon discount rate hidden, and only disclose the discount rate when the date and time arrives when the discount rate is to be applied. In other words, the changed discount rate may not be known to the user U until it is actually changed. For example, the server device 100 may notify the user U in advance only that the coupon discount rate will be reduced from the current rate on the scheduled date and time, and may keep the discount rate of the coupon that is to be changed hidden, and only disclose the discount rate when the date and time arrives when the discount rate is to be applied. Since it is not known how much it will be reduced, this is expected to have the effect of encouraging user U, who wants a more favorable discount, to hurry up and use the coupon.

In addition, after reducing the discount rate of the coupon, if user U is, for example, hesitant to purchase a product covered by the coupon at an online shop, the server device 100 may temporarily restore/slightly increase the discount rate of the coupon for a limited period of time (for example, within 10 minutes) to motivate user U to decide to purchase the product.

The server device 100 may also change the content of the coupon depending on the user information. For example, the server device 100 may change the content of the coupon, change the way in which the content of the coupon is displayed, or change the time period during which the content of the coupon is changed, taking into account the content or type of the product selected by the user.

The server device 100 may also extend the period during which the discount rate is 20% for user U in category A compared to user U in category B. The server device 100 may also switch user U in category A with user U in category B over time for user U who receives a discount rate of 20%.

In addition, if user U is an e-commerce seller, server device 100 may vary the content of the coupon depending on the listing status of products of the same type as the product covered by the coupon. For example, if user U replaces the same type of product, server device 100 may vary the content of the coupon depending on the frequency of such purchases. Server device 100 may also vary the speed at which the discount is reduced depending on usage status such as whether or not the product was purchased in the previous month, and whether or not the product has been listed and the number of times it has been listed.

In addition, the server device 100 may gradually change the content of coupons not only those that the user U has acquired and holds, but also those coupons that the user U has not yet acquired. This makes the user U aware of the need to acquire coupons before their value decreases any further, and encourages the acquisition of coupons.

2. Example of information processing system configuration
Next, a configuration of an information processing system 1 including a server device 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment includes a terminal device 10 and a server device 100. These various devices are connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. The network N is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as the Internet.

Furthermore, the number of devices included in the information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 2 is not limited to that shown. For example, in FIG. 2, only one terminal device 10 is shown to simplify the illustration, but this is merely an example and is not limiting, and there may be two or more devices.

The terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by a user U. For example, the terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, a mobile phone such as a feature phone, a personal computer (PC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a game console or AV device with communication functions, information appliances or digital appliances, a car navigation system, a wearable device such as a smart watch or a head-mounted display, smart glasses, etc. The terminal device 10 may also be a house or building, a car, a home appliance, an electronic device, etc. that is compatible with the Internet of Things (IOT).

In addition, the terminal device 10 can connect to the network N via a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: 5th generation mobile communication system), or via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and communicate with the server device 100.

The server device 100 is, for example, a computer such as a PC or a blade server, or a mainframe or a workstation. The server device 100 may also be realized by cloud computing.

3. Example of terminal device configuration
Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 10. As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a sensor unit 20, a control unit 30 (controller), and a storage unit 40.

(Communication unit 11)
The communication unit 11 is connected to a network N (see FIG. 2 ) by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the server device 100 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 11 is realized by a network interface card (NIC), an antenna, or the like.

(Display unit 12)
The display unit 12 is a display device that displays various information such as position information. For example, the display unit 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescent display (OLED). The display unit 12 is also a touch panel display, but is not limited to this.

(Input unit 13)
The input unit 13 is an input device that accepts various operations from the user U. For example, the input unit 13 has buttons for inputting characters, numbers, and the like. The input unit 13 may be an input/output port (I/O port), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, or the like. In addition, when the display unit 12 is a touch panel display, a part of the display unit 12 functions as the input unit 13. In addition, the input unit 13 may be a microphone that accepts voice input from the user U, or the like. The microphone may be wireless.

(Positioning unit 14)
The positioning unit 14 receives signals (radio waves) transmitted from satellites of a GPS (Global Positioning System), and acquires position information (e.g., latitude and longitude) indicating the current position of the terminal device 10 based on the received signals. That is, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10. Note that the GPS is merely an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

The positioning unit 14 can also measure the position using various methods other than GPS. For example, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position using various communication functions of the terminal device 10 as an auxiliary positioning means for position correction, etc., as described below.

(Wi-Fi positioning)
For example, the positioning unit 14 uses a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication function of the terminal device 10 or a communication network provided by each communication company to measure the position of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 performs Wi-Fi communication or the like and measures the distance to a nearby base station or access point to measure the position of the terminal device 10.

(Beacon positioning)
Furthermore, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position by using a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function of the terminal device 10. For example, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10 by connecting to a beacon transmitter connected by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) function.

(geomagnetic positioning)
In addition, the positioning unit 14 locates the position of the terminal device 10 based on a geomagnetic pattern of a structure that has been measured in advance and a geomagnetic sensor provided in the terminal device 10 .

(RFID positioning)
Furthermore, for example, if the terminal device 10 has a function of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag equivalent to a contactless IC card used at station ticket gates, in stores, etc., or has a function of reading an RFID tag, the location of use is recorded together with information on a payment or the like made by the terminal device 10. The positioning unit 14 may obtain such information to measure the location of the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the location may be measured by an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like provided in the terminal device 10.

If necessary, the positioning unit 14 may use one or a combination of the positioning means described above to determine the position of the terminal device 10.

(Sensor unit 20)
The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10. The connection may be wired or wireless. For example, the sensors may be detection devices other than the terminal device 10, such as wearable devices and wireless devices. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the sensor unit 20 includes an acceleration sensor 21, a gyro sensor 22, an air pressure sensor 23, a temperature sensor 24, a sound sensor 25, a light sensor 26, a magnetic sensor 27, and an image sensor (camera) 28.

The above-mentioned sensors 21 to 28 are merely examples and are not limiting. In other words, the sensor unit 20 may be configured to include some of the sensors 21 to 28, or may include other sensors such as a humidity sensor in addition to or instead of the sensors 21 to 28.

The acceleration sensor 21 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as the direction of movement, speed, and acceleration of the terminal device 10. The gyro sensor 22 detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as the tilt in three axial directions, based on the angular velocity of the terminal device 10. The air pressure sensor 23 detects, for example, the air pressure around the terminal device 10.

Since the terminal device 10 is equipped with the above-mentioned acceleration sensor 21, gyro sensor 22, air pressure sensor 23, etc., it is possible to determine the position of the terminal device 10 using technology such as Pedestrian Dead-Reckoning (PDR) that utilizes these sensors 21 to 23. This makes it possible to obtain indoor position information that is difficult to obtain using positioning systems such as GPS.

For example, the number of steps, walking speed, and distance walked can be calculated using a pedometer that uses the acceleration sensor 21. In addition, the gyro sensor 22 can be used to know the user U's direction of travel, line of sight, and body inclination. In addition, the air pressure detected by the air pressure sensor 23 can be used to know the altitude and floor on which the user U's terminal device 10 is located.

The air temperature sensor 24 detects, for example, the air temperature around the terminal device 10. The sound sensor 25 detects, for example, sound around the terminal device 10. The light sensor 26 detects the illuminance around the terminal device 10. The magnetic sensor 27 detects, for example, the geomagnetism around the terminal device 10. The image sensor 28 captures an image around the terminal device 10.

The above-mentioned air pressure sensor 23, temperature sensor 24, sound sensor 25, light sensor 26, and image sensor 28 can detect the environment and situation around the terminal device 10 by detecting air pressure, temperature, sound, and illuminance, and capturing images of the surroundings. In addition, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the location information of the terminal device 10 based on the environment and situation around the terminal device 10.

(Control unit 30)
The control unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a RAM, an input/output port, and various other circuits. The control unit 30 may also be configured with hardware such as an integrated circuit, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 30 includes a transmitting unit 31, a receiving unit 32, and a processing unit 33.

(Transmitter 31)
The transmission unit 31 can transmit, for example, various information input by the user U using the input unit 13, various information detected by each sensor 21 to 28 mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10, and location information of the terminal device 10 measured by the positioning unit 14 to the server device 100 via the communication unit 11.

(Receiving unit 32)
The receiving unit 32 can receive various information provided by the server device 100 and requests for various information from the server device 100 via the communication unit 11 .

(Processing Unit 33)
The processing unit 33 controls the entire terminal device 10, including the display unit 12, etc. For example, the processing unit 33 can output various information transmitted by the transmission unit 31 and various information received from the server device 100 by the reception unit 32 to the display unit 12 for display.

(Memory unit 40)
The storage unit 40 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an optical disk, etc. Various programs and various data are stored in the storage unit 40.

4. Example of Server Device Configuration
Next, the configuration of the server device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the server device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

(Communication unit 110)
The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 110 is also connected to a network N (see FIG. 2) in a wired or wireless manner.

(Memory unit 120)
The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a HDD, an SSD, an optical disk, etc. As shown in FIG. 4 , the storage unit 120 has a user information database 121, a history information database 122, and a coupon information database 123.

(User information database 121)
The user information database 121 stores user information related to the user U. For example, the user information database 121 stores various information such as attributes of the user U. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database 121. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the user information database 121 has items such as "User ID (Identifier)", "Age", "Gender", "Home", "Workplace", and "Interests".

"User ID" indicates identification information for identifying user U. Note that "user ID" may be contact information for user U (telephone number, email address, etc.) or may be identification information for identifying user U's terminal device 10.

Furthermore, "age" indicates the age of user U identified by the user ID. Note that "age" may be information indicating the specific age of user U (e.g., 35 years old) or information indicating the generation of user U (e.g., 30s). Alternatively, "age" may be information indicating user U's date of birth or information indicating user U's generation (e.g., born in the 1980s). Furthermore, "gender" indicates the gender of user U identified by the user ID.

"Home" indicates the location information of the home of user U, which is identified by the user ID. In the example shown in FIG. 5, "Home" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC11", but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. For example, "Home" may also be the name of a region or an address.

"Workplace" indicates the location information of the workplace (school in the case of a student) of user U identified by the user ID. In the example shown in FIG. 5, "workplace" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC12", but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. For example, "workplace" may also be the name of a region or an address.

Furthermore, "interests" indicate the interests of user U identified by the user ID. In other words, "interests" indicate subjects in which user U identified by the user ID is highly interested. For example, "interests" may be search queries (keywords) entered by user U into a search engine. Note that, although one "interest" is illustrated for each user U in the example shown in FIG. 5, there may be multiple "interests."

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the age of user U identified by user ID "U1" is "20s" and the gender is "male." Also, for example, user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that his home address is "LC11." Also, for example, user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that his workplace is "LC12." Also, for example, user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that he is interested in "sports."

In the example shown in FIG. 5, abstract values such as "U1", "LC11", and "LC12" are used to illustrate the data, but it is assumed that specific information such as character strings and numerical values is stored in "U1", "LC11", and "LC12". In the following figures relating to other information, abstract values may also be illustrated.

The user information database 121 may store various information according to the purpose, not limited to the above. For example, the user information database 121 may store various information related to the terminal device 10 of the user U. The user information database 121 may also store information related to the attributes of the user U, such as demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, geographic attributes, and behavioral attributes. For example, the user information database 121 may store information such as name, family structure, place of origin (hometown), occupation, job title, income, qualifications, type of residence (detached house, apartment, etc.), whether or not the user has a car, commuting time, commuting route, commuter pass section (station, line, etc.), frequently used station (other than the nearest station to home or workplace), extracurricular activities (location, time zone, etc.), hobbies, interests, and lifestyle.

(History information database 122)
The history information database 122 stores various information related to history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the history information database 122. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the history information database 122 has items such as "user ID", "location history", "search history", "browsing history", "purchase history", and "posting history".

"User ID" refers to identification information for identifying user U. "Location history" refers to location history, which is a history of user U's location and movements. "Search history" refers to search history, which is a history of search queries entered by user U. "Browse history" refers to browse history, which is a history of content viewed by user U. "Purchase history" refers to purchase history, which is a history of purchases made by user U. "Post history" refers to posting history, which is a history of posts made by user U. "Post history" may include questions about user U's possessions.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, user U identified by user ID "U1" moves as shown in "location history #1," searches as shown in "search history #1," views content as shown in "browsing history #1," purchases specific products at specific stores as shown in "purchase history #1," and posts as shown in "post history #1."

In the example shown in FIG. 6, abstract values such as "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browse History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1" are used for illustration, but it is assumed that specific information such as character strings and numerical values is stored in "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browse History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1".

The history information database 122 may store various information depending on the purpose, not limited to the above. For example, the history information database 122 may store the usage history of a specific service by the user U. The history information database 122 may also store the history of the user U's visit to a physical store or the history of the user U's visit to a facility. The history information database 122 may also store the payment history of payments (electronic payments) made using the user U's terminal device 10.

(Coupon information database 123)
The coupon information database 123 stores various information related to coupons acquired and held by the user U. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the coupon information database 123. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the coupon information database 123 has items such as "user ID", "coupon", "expiration date", "measurement time", "content", and "change schedule".

"User ID" indicates identification information for identifying user U. "Coupon" indicates a coupon that user U has acquired and holds. "Expiration date" indicates the expiration date of a coupon that user U has acquired and holds. "Measured time" indicates the time measured within the coupon's expiration date. For example, the measured time may be the time that has elapsed since the coupon was acquired, or the time remaining until the coupon's expiration date.

"Content" indicates the content of the coupon that user U has acquired and holds. For example, the coupon content indicates the product that the coupon covers and the discount rate of the coupon. "Planned changes" indicates the date and time when the coupon content is scheduled to be changed and the change content. For example, the planned change indicates the time period when the coupon content will be changed and the discount rate for that time period. The planned change may also be a schedule that shows a list of pairs of change date and time and change content.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, "Coupon #1" acquired and held by user U identified by user ID "U1" has been changed to "Content #1" in accordance with "Measurement time #1" until "Expiration date #1," indicating that the next "Planned change #1" will be notified to user U in advance.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, abstract values such as "U1", "coupon #1", "expiration date #1", "measurement time #1", "contents #1" and "planned change #1" are used for illustration, but specific information such as character strings and numerical values is stored in "U1", "coupon #1", "expiration date #1", "measurement time #1", "contents #1" and "planned change #1".

The coupon information database 123 may store various types of information according to the purpose, not limited to the above. For example, the coupon information database 123 may store information about coupons that does not change over time, not limited to information that changes over time. The coupon information database 123 may also store information about stores, products, etc., for which coupons can be used.

(Control unit 130)
Returning to Fig. 4, the description will be continued. The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like, executing various programs (corresponding to an example of an information processing program) stored in a storage device inside the server device 100 using a storage area such as a RAM as a working area. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 130 has an acquisition unit 131, a distribution unit 132, a clock unit 133, a presentation unit 134, a change unit 135, and a payment processing unit 136.

(Acquisition unit 131)
The acquisition unit 131 acquires a search query input by a user U (user). For example, when the user U inputs a search query into a search engine or the like to perform a keyword search, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the search query via the communication unit 110. That is, the acquisition unit 131 acquires keywords input by the user U into a search box of a search engine, a site, or an app via the communication unit 110.

The acquisition unit 131 also acquires user information about the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires identification information (such as a user ID) indicating the user U, location information of the user U, attribute information of the user U, and the like from the terminal device 10 of the user U. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire identification information indicating the user U, attribute information of the user U, and the like when registering the user U. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the user information in the user information database 121 of the storage unit 120.

The acquisition unit 131 also acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of the user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information indicating the behavior of the user U from the terminal device 10 of the user U, or from various servers, etc. based on the user ID, etc. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the various types of history information in the history information database 122 of the storage unit 120.

(Distribution unit 132)
The distribution unit 132 distributes a coupon whose contents change over time via the communication unit 110. For example, the distribution unit 132 provides a coupon whose contents change over time to the terminal device 10 of the user U. Alternatively, the distribution unit 132 may distribute a list of coupons whose contents change over time to the terminal device 10 of the user U, and store the coupons acquired by the user U on the server in response to the coupon acquisition operation by the user U.

(Timekeeping unit 133)
The timing unit 133 measures the time within the validity period of the coupon whose contents change over time. That is, the timing unit 133 measures the time within the validity period of the coupon that has already been distributed. For example, the timing unit 133 measures the remaining time until the validity period of the coupon. Note that the timing unit 133 may also measure the time within the validity period of the coupon before it is acquired by the user U.

(Presentation Unit 134)
The presentation unit 134 presents the content of the coupon to the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon. Furthermore, the presentation unit 134 notifies the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon of the change in the content of the coupon before the content of the distributed coupon is changed (for example, a predetermined time before the scheduled change date and time). Furthermore, the presentation unit 134 presents the changed content of the coupon to the user U who has acquired and holds the distributed coupon.

The presentation unit 134 may also notify the user U of changes to the content of the coupon before the user U acquires it. For example, the presentation unit 134 may estimate a user U who is expected to be the target of the coupon, and notify the estimated user U of changes to the content of the coupon before the user U acquires it, thereby encouraging the user U to acquire it.

(Change unit 135)
The change unit 135 changes the content of the coupon to content that corresponds to the measured time. For example, the change unit 135 changes the content of a coupon that has already been distributed to content that corresponds to the measured time. At this time, the change unit 135 changes the content of the coupon in stages in accordance with the passage of time.

The change unit 135 also changes the content of the coupon in accordance with the time remaining until the expiration date. For example, the change unit 135 decreases the discount rate of the coupon in accordance with the time remaining until the expiration date. Alternatively, the change unit 135 increases the discount rate of the coupon in accordance with the time remaining until the expiration date.

In addition, the change unit 135 varies the timing or degree of change of the coupon content depending on the attribute information or history information of the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon.

In addition, the change unit 135 varies the timing or degree of change of the coupon content depending on the type or content of the store, product, or service that is the subject of the coupon.

(Payment processing unit 136)
The payment processing unit 136 determines whether a coupon that has been obtained and is in possession of can be applied at the time of payment by the user U, and if so, performs payment processing according to the changed content of the coupon. For example, the payment processing unit 136 determines whether a distributed coupon can be applied at the time of payment by the user U, and if so, performs payment processing according to the changed content of the coupon.

5. Processing Procedure
Next, a process performed by the server device 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the process according to the embodiment. The process shown below is repeatedly executed by the control unit 130 of the server device 100.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the distribution unit 132 of the server device 100 distributes a coupon whose content changes over time via the communication unit 110 (step S101).

Next, the timing unit 133 of the server device 100 measures the time within the validity period of the coupon, the contents of which change over time (step S102).

Next, the presentation unit 134 of the server device 100 notifies the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon of the change in the coupon content before the change in the coupon content (e.g., a predetermined time before the scheduled change date and time) (step S103).

Next, the payment processing unit 136 of the server device 100 checks whether user U, who has acquired and holds the coupon, has made a payment (step S104).

At this time, if the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon has not made a payment (step S104: No), the change unit 135 of the server device 100 changes the content of the coupon to content that corresponds to the measured time (step S105).

Next, the presentation unit 134 of the server device 100 presents the changed coupon content to the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon (step S106).

Next, if user U who has acquired and holds the coupon is making a payment (step S104: Yes), the payment processing unit 136 of the server device 100 determines whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by user U who has acquired and holds the coupon (step S107).

If the coupon is not applicable (step S107: No), the payment processing unit 136 of the server device 100 performs normal payment processing without applying the coupon (step S108).

If the coupon can be applied (step S107: Yes), the payment processing unit 136 of the server device 100 applies the coupon and performs payment processing according to the content of the coupon (step S109).

6. Modifications
The above-described terminal device 10 and server device 100 may be implemented in various different forms other than the above-described embodiment. Therefore, the following describes modified examples of the embodiment.

In the above embodiment, some or all of the processing executed by the server device 100 may actually be executed by the terminal device 10. For example, the processing may be completed in a stand-alone manner (by the terminal device 10 alone). In this case, the terminal device 10 is assumed to have the functions of the server device 100 in the above embodiment. Also, in the above embodiment, since the terminal device 10 is linked to the server device 100, from the perspective of the user U, it appears that the processing of the server device 100 is also executed by the terminal device 10. In other words, from another perspective, it can also be said that the terminal device 10 is equipped with the server device 100.

In the above embodiment, after the server device 100 has notified the user U of the change in the coupon, if the user U has taken a consumption action that leads to the use of the coupon, even if the timing for changing the coupon content has arrived, the server device 100 reserves the change in the coupon content until the end of the consumption action, even if the timing for changing the coupon content arrives. For example, even if the user U is considering purchasing a product that is the subject of the coupon at an online shop or the like (viewing for a long time, adding to cart, etc.), or has the payment screen open, or has the payment screen of a payment app linked to the coupon (a payment app to which the coupon is applied in conjunction with payment) open, the server device 100 may reserve the change in the coupon content until the process is completed (or leaves the screen), and change the coupon content after the process is completed (or leaves the screen). In other words, even if the timing for changing the coupon content arrives in the middle of a product purchase or payment, if the payment is made as is, the coupon may be applied with the content before the change, and if the process is completed without the payment being made, the coupon may be changed to the content that matches the passage of time at that point.

In the above embodiment, the server device 100 may stop measuring the time remaining within the coupon's validity period or suspend changes to the coupon's contents while the user U is in a store or the like where the coupon can be used. Then, after the user U leaves (exits) the store or the like, the server device 100 may resume measuring the time remaining within the coupon's validity period or suspend changes to the coupon's contents that were previously suspended. This is expected to encourage the user U to visit (enter) or stay in a store or the like where the coupon can be used in order to avoid a decrease in the value of the coupon.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the server device 100 may change the contents of tickets, coupons, etc. over time, not limited to coupons. In other words, the value of tickets, coupons, etc. held by a user may change over time. This makes it possible to provide different services depending on the time and date when the same ticket is used.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the server device 100 may change not only coupons but also the upper limit amount of a prepaid card and the upper limit number of electronic tickets over time. For example, the server device 100 may decrease the upper limit amount of a prepaid card and the upper limit number of electronic tickets over time. This can encourage users to use unused prepaid cards and electronic tickets as soon as possible.

In the above embodiment, the server device 100 may change the rights, authority, etc. held by the user over time, not limited to coupons. For example, instead of coupons, the server device 100 may change the contents permitted by a time-limited user ID or membership ticket/membership card, etc., regarding the rights, authority, etc. held by the user over time. In other words, the scope of the rights held by the user may change depending on the timing at which the user exercises the rights. In this case, the server device 100 may decrease the rights held by the user over time from the time the user acquires the rights (the scope of the rights may gradually narrow).

7. Effects
As described above, the information processing device (terminal device 10 and server device 100) of the present application comprises a timing unit 133 that measures the time within the validity period of a coupon, the contents of which change over time, a change unit 135 that changes the contents of the coupon to contents corresponding to the measured time, and a payment processing unit 136 that determines whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by a user U who has acquired and holds the coupon, and if the coupon can be applied, performs payment processing according to the changed coupon contents.

The information processing device according to the present application further includes a distribution unit 132 that distributes a coupon whose contents change over time, and a presentation unit 134 that presents the contents of the coupon to a user U who has acquired and holds the coupon. The timing unit 133 measures time within the validity period of the distributed coupon. Before changing the contents of the distributed coupon, the presentation unit 134 notifies the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon of the change in the contents of the coupon. The change unit 135 changes the contents of the distributed coupon to contents that correspond to the measured time. The payment processing unit 136 determines whether the distributed coupon can be applied at the time of payment by the user U, and if applicable, performs payment processing according to the changed coupon contents.

The change unit 135 gradually changes the content of the coupon over time.

The timing unit 133 measures the time remaining until the coupon expiration date. The change unit 135 changes the content of the coupon according to the time remaining until the expiration date.

The change unit 135 reduces the discount rate of the coupon according to the time remaining until the expiration date.

The change unit 135 increases the discount rate of the coupon according to the time remaining until the expiration date.

The change unit 135 varies the timing or degree of change of the coupon content depending on the attribute information or history information of the user U who has acquired and holds the coupon.

The change unit 135 varies the timing or degree of change of the coupon content depending on the type or content of the store, product, or service that is the subject of the coupon.

By using any one or a combination of the above processes, the information processing device according to the present application can provide coupons whose content changes automatically over time.

8. Hardware Configuration
Moreover, the terminal device 10 and the server device 100 according to the above-described embodiment are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 9, for example. The server device 100 will be described below as an example. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output I/F (Interface) 1060, an input I/F 1070, and a network I/F 1080 are connected by a bus 1090.

The arithmetic device 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and the secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The arithmetic device 1030 is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) that primarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like. The secondary storage device 1050 may be an internal storage device or an external storage device. The secondary storage device 1050 may be a removable storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The secondary storage device 1050 may be a cloud storage device (online storage device), a NAS (Network Attached Storage), a file server, or the like.

The output I/F 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a display, projector, printer, etc., and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (registered trademark) (High Definition Multimedia Interface). The input I/F 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, keyboard, keypad, button, scanner, etc., and is realized by a USB, etc.

In addition, the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070 may be wirelessly connected to the output device 1010 and the input device 1020, respectively. That is, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be wireless devices.

In addition, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be integrated, such as a touch panel. In this case, the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070 may also be integrated as an input/output I/F.

The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, an optical recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a PD (Phase change rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a tape medium, a magnetic recording medium, or a semiconductor memory.

The network I/F 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the computing device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the computing device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the server device 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 executes a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040 to realize the functions of the control unit 130. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also load a program acquired from another device via the network I/F 1080 onto the primary storage device 1040 and execute the loaded program. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also cooperate with other devices via the network I/F 1080 and use the functions and data of a program by calling them from another program of the other device.

[9. Other]
Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. The above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown in the drawings.

In addition, each component of each device shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

For example, the above-mentioned server device 100 may be realized by multiple server computers, and depending on the functions, the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling an external platform using an API (Application Programming Interface) or network computing.

The above-described embodiments and variations can be combined as appropriate to the extent that they do not cause inconsistencies in the processing content.

The above-mentioned "section, module, unit" can be read as "means" or "circuit." For example, an acquisition unit can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing system 10 Terminal device 100 Server device 110 Communication unit 120 Storage unit 121 User information database 122 History information database 123 Coupon information database 130 Control unit 131 Acquisition unit 132 Distribution unit 133 Timer unit 134 Presentation unit 135 Change unit 136 Payment processing unit

Claims (10)

a timer that measures the elapsed time or the remaining time within the validity period of a coupon, the discount rate of which is automatically decreased as time passes, and the correspondence between time and the discount rate is presented to a user in advance ;
a change unit that gradually decreases the discount rate of the coupon multiple times according to the measured time;
a payment processing unit that automatically determines whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by a user who has acquired and holds the coupon, and if the coupon can be applied, performs payment processing by applying a discount rate of the coupon corresponding to a measured time at the time of payment ;
When it is estimated from history information indicating the user's behavior, such as the user's location history, search history, or browsing history, that the user is hesitant to purchase the product that is the subject of the coupon after reducing the discount rate of the coupon, the change unit temporarily restores the discount rate of the coupon to its original value for a limited period of time.
23. An information processing apparatus comprising: A distribution unit that distributes coupons with discount rates that decrease over time;
a presentation unit that presents a discount rate of the coupon to a terminal device of a user who has acquired and holds the coupon;
Further equipped with
The timing unit measures a time related to an elapsed time or a remaining time within the validity period of the distributed coupon,
The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the presentation unit notifies a terminal device of a user who has acquired and holds a coupon that the discount rate of the coupon will decrease before the discount rate of the coupon that has already been distributed decreases, thereby encouraging the user to use the coupon before the discount rate decreases. the change unit changes the discount rate of the distributed coupon to a discount rate corresponding to the measured time when the measured time reaches a timing for decreasing the discount rate of the distributed coupon without the coupon being used before the discount rate of the coupon is decreased;
The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the payment processing unit determines whether the distributed coupon can be applied at the time of payment by the user, and if applicable, performs payment processing according to the changed discount rate of the coupon. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the change unit gradually decreases the discount rate of the coupon over time. The information processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that the change unit reduces the discount rate of the coupon by a predetermined percentage each time a predetermined time elapses, starting from an initial value of the discount rate of the coupon, during the validity period of the coupon, and stops the reduction when the discount rate reaches a previously set lower limit value. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the change unit changes the interval at which the discount rate of the coupon is reduced or the amount of reduction in the discount rate for each user depending on attribute information or history information of the user who has acquired and holds the coupon, so that the interval at which the discount rate is reduced or the amount of reduction in the discount rate differs for each user . The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the change unit changes the interval at which the discount rate of the coupon is reduced or the amount by which the discount rate is reduced depending on the type or content of the store, product, or service that is the subject of the coupon. The distribution unit distributes other coupons whose discount rates increase over time;
The timing unit measures a time related to an elapsed time or a remaining time within a validity period of the other coupon that has already been distributed,
The change unit gradually increases the discount rate of the other coupon in accordance with the measured time,
the presentation unit notifies a terminal device of a user who has acquired and holds the other coupon of an increase in the discount rate of the other coupon before the discount rate of the other coupon that has already been distributed is increased, thereby motivating the user to use the other coupon to purchase a target product and promoting the use of the other coupon;
The information processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that the payment processing unit determines whether the other coupon can be applied at the time of payment by a user who has acquired and holds the other coupon, and if the other coupon can be applied, performs payment processing according to the discount rate of the other coupon at the time of payment. An information processing method executed by an information processing device,
a timing step of measuring the elapsed time or the remaining time within the validity period of the coupon, the discount rate of which is automatically decreased as time passes, and the correspondence between the time and the discount rate being all presented to the user in advance ;
A change process of gradually decreasing the discount rate of the coupon multiple times according to the measured time;
a payment processing step of automatically determining whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by a user who has acquired and holds the coupon, and if the coupon can be applied, applying a discount rate of the coupon corresponding to a measured time at the time of payment to perform payment processing ;
In the change step, after the discount rate of the coupon is reduced, if it is estimated from history information indicating the user's behavior, such as the user's location history, search history, or browsing history, that the user is hesitant to purchase the product that is the subject of the coupon, the discount rate of the coupon is temporarily restored to its original value for a limited period of time.
23. An information processing method comprising: a timing step for measuring the elapsed time or the remaining time within the validity period of a coupon, the discount rate of which is automatically decreased as time passes, and the correspondence between time and the discount rate is all presented to a user in advance ;
A change procedure for gradually decreasing the discount rate of the coupon multiple times according to the measured time;
a payment processing procedure for automatically determining whether the coupon can be applied at the time of payment by a user who has acquired and held the coupon, and, if the coupon can be applied, applying a discount rate of the coupon corresponding to a measured time at the time of payment and processing the payment, the information processing program causing a computer to execute the payment processing procedure ,
The change procedure includes temporarily restoring the discount rate of the coupon to its original value for a limited period of time if it is estimated from history information indicating the user's behavior, such as the user's location history, search history, or browsing history, that the user is hesitant to purchase the product covered by the coupon after the discount rate of the coupon has been reduced.
2. An information processing program comprising :

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