JP7718411B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

This technology relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

In recent years, with the spread and evolution of the Internet, the Internet has become a tool for supporting people to match with each other, providing information, and searching, collecting, and exchanging information (Patent Document 1).

By using internet searches, a wide variety of information can be obtained from a variety of sources. However, because the sources are anonymous and the information is not personalized for the user, the information is not necessarily reliable or useful to the user. In particular, when important decisions must be made, such as when purchasing expensive items or choosing a school or employment destination, the presence of a trustworthy, experienced person with the necessary experience and information plays an important role in making the decision.

There are services that allow users to search for experienced people with useful information and request support after paying a fee, but in order to do so, the experienced people first have to make their attribute information, such as what they can do, publicly available in a searchable format. Furthermore, because they have to estimate and submit their own fee, not everyone can register casually.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-35344

User matching based on personality matches or mismatches is based on the premise that people with similar personalities are more compatible. However, this does not extract the person who has the most useful information for you. For example, if there is a good information provider for a certain user, reversing the roles does not necessarily result in a good match. Therefore, user matching based on personality matches or mismatches cannot be directly applied to information provision.

This technology has been developed in consideration of these points, and aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program that can present individuals who are likely to be able to provide appropriate information to users who wish to receive such information.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first technology is an information processing device that includes a candidate provider determination unit that determines one or more candidate providers who will provide information in response to a request from a user, and a price determination unit that determines the price of compensation for the information provision of the candidate providers based on the number of attributes of the providers that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user .

The second technology is an information processing method that determines one or more candidate providers who will provide information in response to a request from a user, and determines a price of compensation for the information provision from the candidate providers based on the number of attributes of the provider that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user .

Furthermore, the third technology is a program that causes a computer to execute an information processing method that determines one or more candidate providers who will provide information in response to a request from a user, and determines the price of compensation for the information provided by the candidate providers based on the number of attributes of the providers that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user .

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 10. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of information provided by a communication system 10. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a provider terminal device 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user-side terminal device 200. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server device 400. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device 300. 4 is a flowchart showing a process in the communication system 10. 4 is a flowchart showing a process in the communication system 10. 10 is an example of a UI in the user terminal device 200. 10 is an example of a UI in the user terminal device 200. 10 is an example of a UI in the provider terminal device 100. 10 is an example of a UI in the user terminal device 200. 10 is an example of a UI in the provider terminal device 100. 14A shows an example of a UI for evaluation in the provider terminal device 100, and FIG. 14B shows an example of a UI for evaluation in the user terminal device 200. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of information provision in a specific example. 10 is an example of a UI in a provider terminal device 100 in a specific example. 10 is an example of a UI in a provider terminal device 100 in a specific example. 10 is an example of a UI in a provider terminal device 100 in a specific example. 10 is an example of a UI in a user terminal device 200 in a specific example. 10 is an example of a UI in a user terminal device 200 in a specific example. 10 is an example of a UI in a user terminal device 200 in a specific example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the following order.
1. Embodiment
[1-1. Configuration of communication system 10]
[1-2. Configuration of the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200]
[1-3. Configuration of information processing device 300 and server device 400]
[1-4. Processing in the communication system 10]
<2. Specific examples of implementation>
3. Modified Examples

1. Embodiment
[1-1. Configuration of communication system 10]
First, the configuration of a communication system 10 will be described with reference to Figure 1. The communication system 10 is composed of a provider terminal device 100 used by a person who provides information (referred to as a provider), a user terminal device 200 used by a person who requests information and receives information from a provider (referred to as a user), and an information processing device 300 that determines provider candidates and sets prices as compensation for the information provided. In this embodiment, a user requests information from a provider in the form of a question, and the provider provides information by answering the question. The information processing device 300 matches the user with a provider who can provide the best answer to the user's question.

The provider terminal device 100 and the information processing device 300 are connected via a network, and the user terminal device 200 and the information processing device 300 are also connected via a network. Note that although Figure 1 shows three provider terminal devices 100 and three user terminal devices 200, in reality, many provider terminal devices 100 and many user terminal devices 200 are connected to the information processing device 300 via a network.

The provider terminal device 100 is used by the provider to register various information for information provision, send messages to the user terminal device 200, send videos, etc.

The user terminal device 200 is used by the user to send information requests to the information processing device 300, send messages to the provider terminal device 100, and receive and display images sent from the provider terminal device 100.

The information processing device 300 determines candidate providers to present to a user who has requested information provision, estimates the price as compensation for providing the information, etc.

Here, we will explain the overview of information provision realized by the communication system 10, with reference to Figure 2.

The provider uses the provider terminal device 100 to register their own attribute information, such as their profile, in the information processing device 300 in advance.

When a user has a question, the user inputs the question into the user terminal device 200 and sends the question to the information processing device 300.

When the information processing device 300 receives a question from the user terminal device 200, it determines candidate providers who are estimated to be best suited to answer (provide information) the question. The user terminal device 200 then displays the candidate providers to present to the user. At this point, the price of compensation for the candidate provider's information provision is also presented to the user.

When a user selects a provider from among the candidate providers from whom they would like to request an answer to a question, the information processing device 300 notifies the selected provider that they have been selected. Upon receiving the notification, the provider can choose to accept, decline, or negotiate the price for answering the question.

If the provider approves, communication is established between the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200, and the provider provides information (answers to questions) to the user. Once the provider has finished providing the information to the user, the user pays the provider a fee. Furthermore, the provider evaluates the user, and the user evaluates the provider.

The above is an overview of information provided by communication system 10.

[1-2. Configuration of the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200]
Next, the configuration of the provider terminal device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The provider terminal device 100 includes at least a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, an interface 103, an input unit 104, a display unit 105, a camera 106, a microphone 107, and a speaker 108.

The control unit 101 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The CPU controls the entire provider terminal device 100 and each part by executing various processes and issuing commands in accordance with the programs stored in the ROM.

The memory unit 102 is a large-capacity storage medium such as a hard disk or flash memory. The memory unit 102 stores various applications and data used by the provider terminal device 100.

The interface 103 is an interface between other devices, the Internet, etc. The interface 103 may include a wired or wireless communication interface. More specifically, the wired or wireless communication interface may include cellular communication such as 3TTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Near Field Communication (NFC), Ethernet (registered trademark), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (registered trademark), Universal Serial Bus (USB), etc. The interface 103 may also include a bus within the device or a data reference within a program module (hereinafter, these may also be referred to as an interface within the device). Furthermore, if the provider terminal device 100 is implemented as a distributed system across multiple devices, the interface 103 may include different types of interfaces for each device. For example, the interface 103 may include both a communication interface and an interface within the device.

The input unit 104 allows the provider to input information and give various instructions to the provider terminal device 100. When a user inputs information to the input unit 104, a control signal corresponding to the input is generated and supplied to the control unit 101. The control unit 101 then performs various processes corresponding to the control signal. The input unit 104 may be a physical button, a touch panel, or a touch screen integrated with a monitor.

The display unit 105 is a display device such as a display that displays images/videos, a UI (User Interface) for using the communication system 10, etc.

The camera 106 is composed of a lens, an image sensor, a video signal processing circuit, etc., and is used to capture live footage and images to be transmitted from the provider terminal device 100 to the user terminal device 200 when making a video call.

The microphone 107 is used by the provider to input voice into the provider terminal device 100. The provider uses voice input and voice recognition technology to operate the provider terminal device 100 and input messages to be sent to the user terminal device 200. The microphone 107 is also used as a voice input device for voice and video calls with the user terminal device 200.

Speaker 108 is an audio output device that outputs audio.

The sensor unit 109 is a variety of sensors used to acquire attribute information about the provider. Examples include a GPS (Global Positioning System) device that acquires the provider's location information, a thermometer that acquires the provider's biometric information, and a heart rate monitor. The sensor unit 109 may be configured integrally with the provider terminal device 100, or may be a device separate from the provider terminal device 100 (for example, a watch-type wearable device) that transmits acquired sensor information to the provider terminal device 100.

The provider terminal device 100 is configured as described above. Specific examples of the provider terminal device 100 include smartphones, tablet devices, personal computers, and wearable devices. The control program that performs the processing related to the present technology may be pre-installed in the provider terminal device 100, or may be distributed via download or storage medium and installed by the provider themselves.

Next, the configuration of the user terminal device 200 will be described with reference to Figure 4. The user terminal device 200 has at least a control unit 201, a memory unit 202, an interface 203, an input unit 204, a display unit 205, a camera 206, a microphone 207, and a speaker 208. Each unit is the same as that of the provider terminal device 100, so description thereof will be omitted.

Specific examples of the user terminal device 200 include smartphones, tablet devices, personal computers, and wearable devices. The control program that performs the processing related to the present technology may be pre-installed in the provider terminal device 100, or may be distributed via download or storage medium and installed by the user.

[1-3. Configuration of information processing device 300 and server device 400]
Next, the configuration of the information processing device 300 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The information processing device 300 operates, for example, in a server device 400 shown in Figure 5. The server device 400 is configured to include at least a control unit 401, a storage unit 402, and an interface 403. These are the same as those included in the provider terminal device 100, so their description will be omitted.

The information processing device 300 is configured with a condition estimation unit 301, a provider database 302, a provider candidate determination unit 303, a price determination unit 304, a price database 305, and an approval result database 306.

The condition estimation unit 301 performs semantic analysis on questions from users sent from the user terminal device 200 and estimates the conditions of the provider necessary to answer the question. The condition estimation unit 301 classifies the question into parts of speech such as nouns and verbs, and estimates the conditions of the provider from the meaning of each part of speech. For example, if the question is "About the entrance exam for University A," it extracts the nouns "University A" and "entrance exam" from the question and estimates conditions of the provider such as "student of University A," "graduate of University A," "employee of University A," and "experience in entrance exam work."

The provider database 302 registers the attribute information of providers transmitted from the provider terminal device 100, linking it to each provider. The provider database 302 may be configured in the memory unit 402 of the server device 400.

Attribute information includes information entered by the provider themselves and information acquired by the sensor unit 109. Attribute information entered by the provider includes basic personal information that identifies the provider, such as name, gender, address, age, and date of birth, as well as occupation, income, family composition, hobbies, educational background, languages spoken, various licenses held, areas of interest, areas of knowledge, and common everyday behaviors. It also includes information about behaviors such as frequently visited places and stores, and location-related information such as commute, place of employment, and hometown. It also includes information about interests, concerns, and hobbies, such as favorite events, favorite brands, favorite manga, favorite movies, favorite books, and favorite websites.

Furthermore, attributes include information about a user's behavior on the Internet, such as their behavioral history, purchase history, viewing history, and the content of posts and friend lists on various SNSs. This information about the Internet may be automatically acquired by the provider terminal device 100 using an API (Application Programming Interface) or the like and transmitted to the information processing device 300.

Attribute information acquired by the sensor unit 109 includes location information, travel route, and commuting route, which can be acquired using a location information sensor such as GPS. It also includes biometric information, such as blood pressure, body temperature, and pulse rate, which can be acquired using a biometric sensor.

The more attribute information registered in the provider database 302, the higher the probability that the attributes will match the various conditions inferred from the question, and therefore the higher the probability of being selected as a candidate provider. Furthermore, by registering attribute information such as occupation and qualifications, the provider is more likely to be able to provide an appropriate answer, which increases the price of compensation.

The provider candidate determination unit 303 determines providers who have the conditions selected by the user from the conditions estimated by the condition estimation unit 301 and some or all of the conditions selected by the user as attributes by referring to the provider database 302 as provider candidates to present to the user.

The price determination unit 304 determines the price to be paid in return for the information provided by the provider to the user.

The price database 305 registers information regarding the price of compensation, such as the price of compensation received by all providers registered in the provider database 302 for past information provision, the price of compensation offered by providers in past negotiations between providers and users, and the price offered by users. The price database 305 may be configured in the memory unit 402 of the server device 400.

The approval result database 306 registers the past selection results of providers in response to requests for information from users, such as approval, refusal, or negotiation, and the past selection results of users in response to requests for information from providers, such as approval, refusal, or negotiation. The approval result database 306 may be configured in the memory unit 402 of the server device 400.

The information processing device 300 is configured as described above. The information processing device 300 may be configured, for example, in the server device 400, or in a cloud, or in a terminal device such as a smartphone or personal computer. The control program that performs the processing related to the present technology in the information processing device 300 may be pre-installed on the server, cloud, or terminal device, or may be distributed by download or storage medium, and installed by businesses that provide services using the information processing device 300.

[1-4. Processing in the communication system 10]
Next, the use and processing of the communication system 10 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 and the user interfaces of FIGS. 9 to 14.

First, in step S101, the provider inputs attribute information such as their own profile into the provider terminal device 100. The input attribute information is transmitted from the provider terminal device 100 to the information processing device 300, and is registered in the provider database 302 in step S102.

In addition, as shown in step S103, sensor information regarding the provider acquired by the sensor unit 109 of the provider terminal device 100 is also transmitted to the information processing device 300 and registered in the provider database 302 as attribute information.

Next, in step S104, as shown in FIG. 9A, the user inputs a question as a request for information provision on the user terminal device 200. The input question is transmitted from the user terminal device 200 to the information processing device 300 and supplied to the condition estimation unit 301.

Then, as shown in step S105, the condition estimation unit 301 performs semantic analysis on the question to estimate the conditions of the candidate provider. The condition information of the candidate provider is transmitted to the user terminal device 200, and in step S106, it is displayed on the user terminal device 200 and presented to the user as shown in Figure 9B. Note that it is preferable for the user to understand the conditions easily if they are listed in bulleted format, with the highest degree of matching to the question at the top. To determine the candidate provider, the information processing device 300 searches for attributes that match the conditions selected by the user from the presented conditions, but this search may be an AND search or an OR search, and the user may be able to select which method to use for the search.

Next, in step S107, as shown in Figure 9C, when input from the user to select conditions for the provider candidate is accepted, the selected conditions are transmitted from the user terminal device 200 to the information processing device 300.

Next, in step S108, the provider candidate determination unit 303 of the information processing device 300 determines provider candidates by searching the provider database 302 based on the conditions selected by the user. If a provider with one or more attributes that match the conditions exists, processing proceeds from step S109 to step S110 (Yes in step S109).

Next, in step S110, the price determination unit 304 of the information processing device 300 determines the price of compensation for the information provision of each potential provider. Details of price determination will be described later. The determined compensation price is associated with each provider and registered in the price database 305. For providers whose compensation price has already been determined, the compensation price will be updated when a new compensation price is determined.

Then, the candidate provider information and the price information of the candidate provider are transmitted from the information processing device 300 to the user terminal device 200, and in step S111, are displayed on the user terminal device 200 as shown in Figure 10A and presented to the user.

In the display shown in Figure 10A, the information of multiple people is displayed as potential providers along with price information. In this state, the user can select from the candidate providers the provider they would like to answer their question.

At this stage, names and other information that can identify individuals will not be displayed. At this stage, information related to the selection criteria selected by the user may be displayed. This will allow the user to see which candidate providers meet the criteria they have selected, and they can use this information to select a provider.

At this stage, the match rate may also be displayed as shown in Figure 10A. The match rate is an indicator of compatibility based on the conditions selected by the user and the attributes of the provider. The match rate is calculated by the provider candidate determination unit 303 based on the number of provider attributes that match the conditions selected by the user, the results of weighting the conditions, etc.

The search for attributes that match the conditions selected by the user may be an AND search or an OR search, or the user may be allowed to choose which method to use. By default, providers that have at least one attribute that matches the conditions selected by the user are selected as candidates and presented to the user.

When there are multiple provider candidates, it is advisable to display the provider candidates in the display of Figure 10A in order of highest payment price or highest match rate. This is because providers with high payment prices or candidates with high match rates are considered more likely to provide appropriate answers to users' questions. In addition, when displaying multiple provider candidates, it is advisable to allow users to sort the provider candidates.

Furthermore, the user may be able to set required conditions from among the selected conditions. If required conditions are set, only providers with attributes that match the required conditions will be displayed as candidate providers.

Next, as shown in step S112, when the user terminal device 200 accepts the user's selection of a provider, the provider selection information is transmitted from the user terminal device 200 to the information processing device 300. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10B, a request for information provision (answer to the question) is transmitted via the information processing device 300 to the provider terminal device 100 of the provider selected by the user. Note that the user may be allowed to select only one provider from the candidate providers, or may be allowed to select multiple providers.

Next, in step S113, the information processing device 300 refers to the price database 305 to check whether a price has been set for the selected provider.

If a price has been set for the selected provider, the information processing device 300 sends a request and a question to the provider terminal device 100 of the selected provider, and in step S114, as shown in FIG. 11A, the provider terminal device 100 displays the request, question, price, etc., and presents them to the potential provider. At this time, the selected conditions may be displayed at the same time to inform the potential provider of the conditions under which they were selected. Note that at this stage, information indicating the identity of the user who asked the question is not yet presented to the provider. This is because at this stage it is not yet known whether the provider will answer the user's question, and therefore the user's personal information should not be made public.

Next, in step S115 of FIG. 8, the provider terminal device 100 accepts input from the provider as to whether or not to approve the request from the user. If the provider approves, processing proceeds from step S115 to step S116 (approval in step S115). If the provider approves, the provider terminal device 100 displays a message indicating that it has replied to the request, as shown in FIG. 11B. The result of the provider's selection of approval is registered in the approval result database 306.

In step S116, the information processing device 300 receives the approval result sent from the provider terminal device 100 and sends the approval result to the user terminal device 200. Then, in step S117, as shown in Figure 12A, the user terminal device 200 displays the approval result, provider information, etc. and presents them to the user. At this stage, the provider's personal information, such as name, is presented to the user.

After confirming the notification of the approval result, the user can choose to approve, reject, or negotiate with the presented provider. If the user approves, processing proceeds from step S118 to step S119 (approval in step S118). The result of the user's selection of approval is registered in the approval result database 306.

Next, in step S119, the display on the user terminal device 200 transitions to a payment method selection screen as shown in FIG. 12B, and the user inputs the payment method. When the user inputs the payment method, the payment method information is sent from the user terminal device 200 to the information processing device 300, and then in step S120 the information processing device 300 performs payment authentication processing. It is preferable that the payment processing be able to use common payment services such as credit card payment, cashless payment, and smartphone payment.

When the payment authentication process is complete, the information processing device 300 transmits the reason why the provider was selected to the provider terminal device 100, and in step S121, as shown in FIG. 13, the provider terminal device 100 notifies the provider by displaying that the provider has been selected. This means that the provider has been selected from the candidate providers, and the provider is aware that they have been selected. In addition to the fact that they have been selected, this notification also presents the provider with the reason (conditions) for their selection and information about the user. It is only at this stage that the provider can confirm the user's profile, such as their name.

Then, in step S122, the user terminal device 200 makes a communication request to the provider terminal device 100 via the network, and in step S123, the provider terminal device 100 receives the communication request. This establishes communication between the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200, allowing the provider to provide information by answering the user's questions.

Answers to questions can be made in a variety of ways, including voice calls, video calls, text chats, messaging, and sending and receiving emails, using communication between the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200. These methods can also be used to make consultations or make appointments to meet in person over voice or video calls on other devices.

After the information provision is completed, the provider terminal device 100 displays a UI for inputting price evaluations, as shown in FIG. 14A, and accepts price evaluations for the information provision from the provider, as shown in step S124.

The user terminal device 200 also displays a UI for inputting price evaluations as shown in FIG. 14B and accepts price evaluations for the information provided from the user as shown in step S125.

The evaluation will be based on three options: whether the final price determined as compensation for providing the information is high, low, or fair. It may also be possible for both providers and users to input the price they consider fair.

In addition, in both the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200, the UI for inputting price evaluations should display price information and the time taken to provide the information (such as call time) as reference information for inputting price evaluations.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14B, the user terminal device 200 may be configured to allow input of an additional payment (tip) in addition to payment based on the price estimated by the price determination unit 304. This additional payment is used when the user finds the information received from the provider useful and wishes to pay more to the provider. When input for the additional payment is made, the input content is sent to the information processing device 300, and payment processing is carried out in the same manner as the normal payment method. The price of the additional payment is also registered in the price database 305 and used for subsequent price estimation.

Then, in step S126, the information processing device 300 receives ratings from the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200. The information processing device 300 stores the received ratings in the price database 305 and uses them for subsequent price estimation.

Note that a user rating of "price is high" means that the provider's response (information provided) was not good and was not worth the price. Therefore, when a certain number of users rate the price "high," it is not the individual provider who received that rating who will see a decrease in their future prices, but rather the estimated prices of all providers who share the attributes of the person who received the rating.

Returning to the explanation of the flowchart, if in step S109 the provider candidate determination unit 303 of the information processing device 300 determines that there are no providers with attributes that match the conditions selected by the user, processing proceeds from step S109 to step S104 (No in step S109).

Then, in step S104, the user terminal device 200 again accepts input of a question from the user, and steps S104 to S109 are repeated. Note that if the user repeatedly asks the exact same question and selects the same conditions, the result of no provider matching the conditions selected by the user will be repeated. Therefore, the user terminal device 200 may display a message urging the user to make the question more detailed, change the content of the question, or change the conditions selected.

The explanation proceeds to step S113 in Figure 7. If, in step S113, a price has not been set for the provider candidate selected by the user in step S112, processing proceeds to step S131 (No in step S113).

In step S131, the user terminal device 200 displays a price input UI as shown in FIG. 10C and accepts input of a desired price from the user. The input price information is sent from the user terminal device 200 to the information processing device 300 and registered in the price database 305 in step S132. Processing then proceeds to step S115.

The explanation proceeds to step S115 in Figure 8. If the provider candidate rejects the request from the user in step S115, processing proceeds to step S141 (rejection in step S115). The result of the provider candidate's rejection is registered in the approval result database 306.

Next, in step S141, the information processing device 300 transmits the rejection result received from the provider terminal device 100 to the user terminal device 200, and in step S142, the user terminal device 200 displays the rejection result and notifies the user. Note that since the selected provider candidate has refused to answer the question as a provider, the information processing device 300 interrupts processing here.

In addition, if there are multiple provider candidates, the provider candidates that are not selected will be considered as having been rejected, and the provider terminal device 100 of the provider candidates that are not selected will be notified of the rejection result in the same manner as in step S152.

If the user receives a rejection notice, the process between the user and the rejected provider ends. At this point, the user terminal device 200 may display a message prompting the user to select another provider candidate.

On the other hand, if the provider candidate selects negotiation in step S115, processing proceeds from step S115 to step S143 (negotiation in step S115). The result of the provider candidate selecting negotiation is registered in the approval result database 306. Then, in step S143, as shown in FIG. 11C, the provider terminal device 100 accepts input of the desired price from the provider candidate and transmits the desired price information to the information processing device 300.

Next, in step S144, the information processing device 300 registers the desired price information sent from the provider terminal device 100 in the price database 305, and the price determination unit 304 determines a new price for consideration by adding the desired price entered by the provider candidate as a factor. The fact that the provider candidate has selected negotiation is also registered in the approval result database 306.

The information processing device 300 then transmits the new price of consideration to the user terminal device 200, and in step S145, the user terminal device 200 displays and presents the new price of consideration to the user. The process then proceeds to step S111, where the user terminal device 200 displays the candidate provider information and the candidate provider's new price of consideration and presents it to the user. The user's selection of a provider is then accepted again by the user terminal device 200. When the candidate provider inputs a desired price in this way, the user is not allowed to accept, reject, or negotiate the desired price, and the candidate provider information and price information are presented to the user again. This is because the desired price entered by the candidate provider in step S143 may not necessarily be presented to the user directly by the user terminal device 200. The price determination unit 304 determines the new price of consideration by taking into account the desired price entered by the candidate provider as a factor. If the user accepts a price different from the desired price entered by the candidate provider in step S143, this may be disadvantageous to the candidate provider. Therefore, when the price determination unit 304 determines a new price for consideration in step S144, the user terminal device 200 displays the information about the candidate provider and the new price for consideration, and the user is prompted to select a provider again. If the candidate provider for which a new price for consideration has been determined is selected again by the user, the provider terminal device 100 displays in step S114, as shown in Fig. 11A, a request has been made, a question, the price for consideration, and the like, and presents these to the selected candidate provider.

The explanation proceeds to step S118. If the user rejects the request in step S118, rejection information is sent from the user terminal device 200 to the information processing device 300, and in step S151 the information processing device 300 suspends processing between the user terminal device 200 and the provider terminal device 100. Then, in step S152, the provider terminal device 100 displays a notification that processing will be suspended due to the user's rejection.

The explanation proceeds to step S118. If the user selects negotiation in step S118, the process proceeds to step S161 (negotiation in step S118). Next, in step S161, the user terminal device 200 accepts input of the desired price from the user, as shown in FIG. 12C. The user's desired price information is sent to the information processing device 300, registered in the price database 305 in step S162, and then sent from the information processing device 300 to the provider terminal device 100. Then, in step S163, the provider terminal device 100 displays the user's desired price and presents it to the provider. The process then proceeds to step S115, where the selected provider candidate selects approval, rejection, or negotiation.

The above process continues until the provider and user mutually approve the answer to the question, or until one of them rejects the other and the process between the provider terminal device 100 and the user terminal device 200 is interrupted.

Here, we will explain the price estimation in step S110. The price determination unit 304 estimates an appropriate price to offer to the user for each of the provider candidates searched by the provider candidate determination unit 303. Price estimation is performed comprehensively based on multiple pieces of information such as the following:

The first example of information is the number of attributes of a provider that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user. Providers with more attributes that match the conditions required to answer the user's question are more likely to be able to provide a useful answer, and therefore are paid a higher price.

Another example of information is the rarity and importance of attributes required for an answer. Each attribute possessed by a provider is weighted according to its rarity and importance. For example, for a Japanese user, the attribute "being able to speak Japanese" is an essential attribute, but it is not rare. Similarly, for a question about health, the attribute "holding a medical license" can be said to be both highly sought after and rare. Therefore, even the same attribute has different value depending on the user's question. Therefore, the rarity and importance of the attributes possessed by the provider are also used as a reference for estimating price, and providers who possess attributes that are rare and important to the question are more likely to be able to provide a more useful answer, and are therefore paid a higher price.

Another example of information is the closing price and valuation of past information submissions. Similar questions with more matching attributes, or past closing prices and valuations by providers with similar attributes, can be used as references for price estimation.

Other examples of information include approval history and desired prices entered during negotiations. Similar questions with more matching attributes, or past information provided by providers with similar attributes, including the options to approve, reject, or negotiate, the price when rejection was selected, and the desired price entered when negotiation was selected, can be used as references for estimating prices.

Other examples of information include various certificates that certify attributes. For example, there is an electronic certificate that certifies the identity of an experienced person as an attribute. Certificates include certificates of various qualifications, and certificates that certify enrollment, grades, etc. in organizations such as companies or schools to which a person belongs. By issuing such certificates and registering them in the information processing device 300, the provider's credibility improves and the price of compensation increases.

Another example of information is the amount of attributes registered by an experienced person. The more personally identifiable information a provider registers as attributes, such as name, photo, and affiliated organization, the more trustworthy the provider becomes, and the higher the price of compensation.

Another example of information is the amount of sensor information that the provider has permitted use. By enabling the sensor unit 109, such as a GPS or camera, and registering personal information useful to the user obtained by the sensor unit 109 as an attribute, the provider's credibility increases, and the price of compensation increases.

Another example of information is various information related to the provider's internet usage. Examples of such information include browsing history, purchase history, and comments and posts on social media and e-commerce sites. The more of this information registered as attributes, the more trustworthy the provider becomes, and the higher the price of compensation. It may also be possible to configure the provider so that if images or videos posted on social media are viewed more frequently or receive more ratings such as "likes," the provider's trustworthyness increases further, leading to a higher price of compensation.

Another example of information is location information, such as whether the provider is in a location related to the user's question or frequently visits that location. If the user's question is about a location such as a country, region, shop, school, or other facility, the price of the payment will increase if the provider is currently in that location, as there is a higher chance that the provider can provide an appropriate answer. Also, if the provider frequently visits that location, there is a higher chance that the provider can provide an appropriate answer, so the price of the payment will increase.

Please note that the information above is merely an example, and price estimation using this technology is not limited to being based on the information above. Any information about the provider can be used as a reference for price estimation.

The processing of this technology is as described above. With this technology, when a user requests information in the form of a question, providers with the necessary experience and qualifications to provide an answer can be presented to the user. By simply entering a question, users can connect with reliable and helpful providers, helping them resolve their doubts and make decisions.

In addition, the price to be paid for providing information can be automatically calculated and presented to users and providers. Because the price is determined automatically, providers can discover new value in themselves by being presented with their own value, which they may not have been aware of, as the price of the information provided.

In addition, this technology evaluates questions and their answers based on three criteria: whether the price is high, low, or appropriate. This allows for an objective and easy-to-understand evaluation, unlike criteria such as the compatibility between the user and provider, which is difficult to accurately grasp.

The price of the compensation is calculated automatically, so providers do not need to set their profile or compensation in advance. Providers can also know in advance how much their information can be sold for, which motivates them to provide information.

Providers can properly protect personal information because they do not need to disclose irrelevant personal information until the user approves them.

While determining compatibility between people can yield ambiguous results, compensation calculated from attributes can quantitatively evaluate people and can therefore be used as learning data.

<2. Specific examples of implementation>
Next, a case where the present technology is applied to a real estate transaction, which is a specific example of information provision, will be described. First, an overview of the process when the communication system 10 is applied to a real estate transaction will be described with reference to FIG.

A provider who wishes to sell or rent a real estate property uses the provider terminal device 100 to register property information and their own attributes in advance in the information processing device. A user uses the user terminal device 200 to input information about a property they wish to buy or rent. The information about the property corresponds to the question (request for information) in the embodiment.

The information processing device 300 then determines potential providers who will provide information about the property and presents them to the user. The user selects the potential provider from whom they would like to receive information, and once the potential provider agrees, the provider who will provide information about the property to the user is determined.

As in the embodiment, the provider provides information to the user, pays compensation, and evaluates the user.

Figures 16 to 18 show examples of a registration UI in the provider terminal device 100 of a provider who is selling or renting real estate. The registration UI is used to input and register property information corresponding to the provider's attributes in the embodiment. The property information may be registered in the provider database 302 together with the provider's attributes, or may be registered in a separate property information database. Note that the configuration and input items of the registration UI shown in Figures 16 to 18 are merely examples, and the present technology is not limited to the contents of the figures.

First, in the first state of the registration UI shown in Figure 16A, the provider can select the type of property (condominium, apartment, house, etc.) and the transaction type (rental or sale). Furthermore, the provider can also specify the price and size of the property. Pressing the "Next" button transitions the registration UI to the second state.

In the second state of the registration UI shown in Figure 16B, the provider's family structure and family attribute information (e.g., age, relationship to the provider, etc.) are entered. The property's address (prefecture, area such as city or ward, etc.) is also entered. Pressing the "Next" button transitions the registration UI to the third state.

In the third state of the registration UI shown in Figure 17A, the provider enters the floor plan, age, structure, years of occupancy, and residential history of their property. Pressing the "Next" button transitions the registration UI to the fourth state.

In the fourth state of the registration UI shown in Figure 17B, the provider can enter other information about the property. This information includes the distance to various facilities such as stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets, whether there is a bus tray, whether there is parking, and whether there is underfloor heating. Pressing the "Next" button transitions the registration UI to the fifth state.

In the fifth state of the registration UI shown in Figure 18A, you can register images and videos showing the exterior, interior, each room, etc. Pressing the "Next" button will transition the registration UI to the sixth state.

In the sixth state of the registration UI shown in Figure 18B, the provider can select whether to allow questions from the user, and if questions are allowed, the provider can select the method for receiving questions (telephone, email, etc.). Furthermore, the provider can select whether to allow visits from the user, and if visits are allowed, the provider can select whether to allow photography, audio recording, etc. during the visit.

If questions are permitted, the price of the consideration determined by the price determination unit 304 will vary depending on the method of receiving the question. Also, if a user's visit is permitted, the more recording, photography, and video recording are permitted, the higher the price of the consideration determined by the price determination unit 304 will be.

Then, when you press the "Register" button, the information you have entered so far will be sent to the information processing device 300 and registered in the provider database 302 as the provider's attributes.

Figures 19 to 21 are examples of a search UI on the user terminal device 200 of a user who is buying or renting real estate. Note that the configuration and input items of the search UI shown in Figures 19 to 21 are merely examples, and the present technology is not limited to the contents of the figures.

First, in the first state of the search UI shown in Figure 19A, the user can select the property type (condominium, apartment, house, etc.) and transaction type (rental or purchase). In addition, the user can also specify the budget and property size. If the budget and property size are not entered, they will be displayed as "Not specified." Pressing the "Next" button transitions the UI to the second state.

In the second state of the search UI shown in Figure 19B, you enter your own and your family composition, as well as your family's attribute information (e.g., age, relationship to the user, etc.). You can also enter the property's address (prefecture, area such as city or ward, etc.). Pressing the "Next" button transitions the UI to the third state.

In the third state of the search UI shown in Figure 20A, the user can enter the desired property's floor plan, age, structure, years of occupancy, and residential history. Pressing the "Next" button transitions the UI to the fourth state.

In the fourth state of the search UI shown in Figure 20B, the user can enter other desired conditions. These conditions include distance to various facilities such as stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets, whether there is a bus tray, whether there is parking, and whether there is underfloor heating.

When the user presses the "Search" button, the information processing device 300 searches for properties that meet the criteria entered by the user from among the properties registered by the provider based on the information entered up to that point. The search results are presented to the user in the presentation UI shown in Figure 21A. The presentation UI displays the search results, including the address, an image showing the exterior, an image showing the interior, and other images and videos showing information about the property.

Furthermore, if a user wants to know more information about a property, the present technology allows the user to ask the provider a question. The content entered in the search UI corresponds to the user's question in the embodiment, and the condition estimation unit 301 of the information processing device 300 estimates the provider's conditions from the content entered in the search UI. The estimated conditions are displayed on the user terminal device 200 and presented to the user, as shown in FIG. 21B. Then, when the user selects a condition, candidate providers with attributes matching the condition are presented to the user, and the user can select from among them the provider from whom they would like to receive information.

When this technology is applied to real estate transactions, the UIs on the provider terminal device 100 and user terminal device 200 are configured as described above. In real estate transactions, there are cases where a buyer wants to buy, sell, rent, or rent a property that is still occupied, but cannot show the actual property due to privacy concerns, etc. In such cases, by using this technology, even if they cannot enter the property, potential buyers can obtain information about the property in the form of questions and answers, which can be used as reference for real estate transactions.

3. Modified Examples
Although the embodiments of the present technology have been specifically described above, the present technology is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications based on the technical concept of the present technology are possible.

This technology can be used for a variety of purposes in addition to the real estate buying and selling mentioned above. For example, users can find and consult with their own personal advisor who has the insight, knowledge, experience, etc. they desire.

Specific examples include property viewings (questions about residents' experiences, the neighborhood, children's living environment, traffic volume, public safety, etc.), construction estimates (water heater malfunction, repainting the exterior walls, whether repairs are really necessary, whether the estimate is reasonable), medical consultations (medical interviews, whether to go to the hospital, second opinions, nursing care), legal consultations (advice about registration, guarantees, inheritance, etc.), and accounting consultations (about tax returns, insurance products, financial products).

Users can also find people with experience that they can only get by actually experiencing the situation, and obtain information. Specific examples include job hunting advice (workplace experiences, how friendly the coworkers are, how busy they are, the number of complaints, whether staff meals are provided, etc.), information about hospitals where people will be admitted (doctor reviews, hospital food, the condition of hospital rooms, etc.), considering travel destinations (hotel conditions, the surrounding area, tourist information, local information, etc.), choosing a classroom (teacher reviews, what lessons are like, the atmosphere among the students, what the equipment is like, etc.), and advice on further education (what the school is like, entrance exam advice, study methods, what classes are like, etc.).

This technology is not limited to providing information in the form of questions and answers as described in the embodiments, but can be applied to a wide range of services that can be realized through communication, such as providing opportunities for encounters and conversation partners.

The present technology can also be configured as follows.
(1)
a provider candidate determination unit that determines one or more provider candidates who will provide information in response to a request from a user;
a price determination unit that determines a price for the information provided by the candidate provider;
An information processing device comprising:
(2)
The information processing device according to (1), further comprising a condition estimation unit that performs semantic analysis on the request and estimates one or more conditions of the provider that are necessary for providing information.
(3)
The information processing device according to (2), wherein the conditions are presented to the user and selected by the user.
(4)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein attribute information indicating attributes of the provider is registered in advance.
(5)
The information processing device according to (4), wherein the provider candidate determination unit determines, as candidates, the providers who have the conditions selected by the user as the attributes.
(6)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the candidates are presented to the user together with the price of the consideration determined by the price determination unit.
(7)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on attributes of the provider.
(8)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on a price established in a past information provision.
(9)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on a desired price input by the user and/or the provider.
(10)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (9), which receives an evaluation of the information provided by the provider from the user and/or the provider.
(11)
The information processing device according to (10), wherein the evaluation is performed based on whether the price of the consideration is high, low, or appropriate.
(12)
The information processing device according to (11), wherein the evaluation is further carried out by an additional payment from the user to the provider.
(13)
The information processing device according to (11), wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on the evaluation.
(14)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein the request for information from the user is made as a question, and the information provided by the provider is made as a response to the question.
(15)
The information processing device according to (4), wherein the attribute information is information input by the provider.
(16)
The information processing device according to (4), wherein the attribute information is information acquired by a sensor.
(17)
The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (16), wherein the information provided by the provider is information about real estate.
(18)
determining one or more candidate providers to provide information in response to a request for information from a user;
An information processing method for determining a price for compensation for providing information from the candidate providers.
(19)
determining one or more candidate providers to provide information in response to a request for information from a user;
A program that causes a computer to execute an information processing method for determining a price for the information provided by the candidate provider.

300: Information processing device 301: Condition estimation unit 303: Provider candidate determination unit 304: Price determination unit

Claims (18)

a provider candidate determination unit that determines one or more provider candidates who will provide information in response to a request from a user;
a price determination unit that determines a price of compensation for the information provision of the candidate provider based on the number of attributes of the provider that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user ;
An information processing device comprising: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a condition estimation unit that performs a semantic analysis on the request and estimates one or more conditions of the provider that are necessary for providing information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the conditions are presented to the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein attribute information indicating attributes of the provider is registered in advance. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the provider candidate determination unit determines, as the candidate, the provider having the condition selected by the user as the attribute. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the candidates are presented to the user together with the price of the consideration determined by the price determination unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on a price established in a past information provision. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on a desired price input by the user and/or the provider. The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising: receiving an evaluation of the information provided by the provider from the user and/or the provider. The information processing device according to claim 9 , wherein the evaluation is performed based on whether the price of the consideration is high, low, or appropriate. The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the evaluation is further carried out by an additional payment from the user to the provider. The information processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the price determination unit determines the price of the consideration based on the evaluation. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request for information from the user is made as a question, and the information provided by the provider is made as a response to the question. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the attribute information is information input by the provider. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the attribute information is information acquired by a sensor. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information provided by the provider is information about real estate. determining one or more candidate providers to provide information in response to a request from a user;
An information processing method for determining a price of compensation for the information provided by the candidate providers based on the number of attributes of the providers that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user . determining one or more candidate providers to provide information in response to a request from a user;
A program that causes a computer to execute an information processing method that determines the price of compensation for the information provision of the candidate providers based on the number of attributes of the providers that match the conditions of the provider selected by the user .