JP7761718B2 - Information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

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

Conventionally, products have been sold through stores set up in virtual spaces such as the Internet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-079134

In recent years, real-world stores have begun offering services such as online shopping in virtual spaces. In these cases, it is desirable to make these services easier for users to use.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to make it easier for users to use services provided in virtual space by real-life stores.

An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present invention has a selection acceptance screen that accepts the selection of a virtual facility, which is a facility in virtual space that corresponds to a real-space facility, which is a facility that exists in real space. The selection acceptance screen displays, as virtual facility information, virtual facility images representing a plurality of virtual facilities that mimic a plurality of real-space facilities on a user terminal used by the user, and accepts the selection of one of the plurality of virtual facilities by accepting a predetermined operation on the virtual facility image displayed on the selection acceptance screen. An acquisition unit acquires user identification information for identifying the user of the user terminal. A virtual space control unit displays, on the user terminal, an area in virtual space corresponding to the virtual facility selected by the acquisition unit, and displays in that area an avatar corresponding to the user identification information acquired by the acquisition unit. The acquisition unit controls the display of the virtual facility image displayed on the selection acceptance screen by accepting a scroll operation, which is an operation different from the predetermined operation, while the selection acceptance screen is displayed on the user terminal.

The reception unit may cause the user terminal to display the selection reception screen, which displays virtual facility images representing multiple virtual facilities based on information regarding multiple real-space facilities.

The reception unit may cause the user terminal to display the selection reception screen, which displays virtual facility images representing multiple virtual facilities based on information regarding the locations of multiple real-space facilities.

The reception unit may display on the user terminal the selection reception screen on which the virtual facility images showing the plurality of virtual facilities are arranged along a passageway and on which the user's avatar is arranged, and by accepting the scrolling operation while the selection reception screen is displayed, control the display of the virtual facility images so that the avatar displayed on the selection reception screen moves along the passageway.

The virtual space control unit may store display history information in a storage unit that associates the user identification information corresponding to the avatar with facility identification information for identifying the virtual facility corresponding to the area in which the avatar is displayed, and the reception unit may display the virtual facility information on the user terminal, including information for receiving the selection of the virtual facility based on the display history information.

The reception unit may select the virtual facility to recommend to the user based on the display history information, and display the virtual facility information including information for accepting the selection of the selected virtual facility on the user terminal.

The virtual space control unit may store display history information in a storage unit that associates the user identification information corresponding to the avatar with facility identification information for identifying the virtual facility corresponding to the area in which the virtual space control unit displayed the avatar, and the reception unit may identify the degree of customer attraction of each of the multiple virtual facilities based on the display history information, and display the multiple virtual facilities and virtual facility information indicating the degree of customer attraction of each of the multiple virtual facilities on the user terminal.

The reception unit may acquire information indicating the number of visitors to each of the plurality of real-world facilities, and display, on the user terminal, virtual facility information that associates the number of visitors to the corresponding real-world facility for each of the plurality of virtual facilities.

An information processing method according to a second aspect of the present invention is executed by a computer and includes the steps of: displaying, on a user terminal used by a user, as virtual facility information, a selection acceptance screen that arranges virtual facility images representing multiple virtual facilities that mimic multiple real-space facilities; accepting a selection of one of the multiple virtual facilities by accepting a predetermined operation on the virtual facility image displayed on the selection acceptance screen; acquiring user identification information for identifying the user of the user terminal; and displaying, on the user terminal, an area in the virtual space corresponding to the virtual facility whose selection has been accepted, and displaying an avatar corresponding to the acquired user identification information in that area; and, in the accepting step, the computer controls the display of the virtual facility image displayed on the selection acceptance screen by accepting a scroll operation, which is an operation different from the predetermined operation, while the selection acceptance screen displayed on the user terminal is displayed.

The present invention has the effect of making it easier for users to use services provided in virtual space by real-life stores.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an information processing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of store information. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first selection receiving screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second selection receiving screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a third selection receiving screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual space displayed on a user terminal. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fourth selection receiving screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fifth selection receiving screen.

[Overview of information processing device 1]
1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of an information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 is a computer that displays, on a user terminal 2 or the like used by a user, an area of a virtual facility, which is a facility in a virtual space that corresponds to a real-space facility, which is a facility that exists in the real space, and that provides services that are provided by the real-space facility in the virtual space as well.

A real-world facility is, for example, a store such as an apparel shop, and the service provided by the real-world facility is, for example, a product sales service. An area of a virtual facility is, for example, an area that simulates the interior space of a real-world facility. Note that real-world facilities are not limited to stores, and may also be public facilities such as government offices or event facilities. In the following explanation, we will assume that real-world facilities are actual physical stores, and that virtual-world facilities are virtual stores that correspond to those physical stores.

When displaying the area of the virtual store, the information processing device 1 first displays a selection acceptance screen on the user terminal 2 to accept the selection of one of the multiple virtual stores, and accepts the selection of one of the multiple virtual stores from the user terminal 2 ((1) in Figure 1).

The information processing device 1 acquires from the user terminal 2 a user ID (Identification) as user identification information for identifying the user, and a store ID as facility identification information for identifying the store corresponding to the virtual store selected on the selection reception screen ((2) in Figure 1).

When the information processing device 1 acquires a user ID and a store ID, it displays on the user terminal 2 an area in virtual space corresponding to the virtual store indicated by the store ID, and also displays on the user terminal 2 an avatar corresponding to the acquired user ID ((3-1) in Figure 1). The information processing device 1 also displays on the store terminal 3 displaying the area in virtual space corresponding to the acquired user ID ((3-2) in Figure 1). An avatar is a three-dimensional model of a person or the like that represents a user in virtual space.

By operating the user terminal 2, the user of the user terminal 2 can communicate with a salesperson at the virtual store, i.e., a salesperson at the real store corresponding to the virtual store, discuss the product with them, and then purchase the product. In this way, the user can easily select the virtual store corresponding to the real store they wish to visit on the selection reception screen, display the area of that virtual store on the user terminal 2, and receive services provided by the virtual store corresponding to the real store, such as product purchasing services. Thus, the information processing device 1 makes it easier for users to use services provided by real stores in the virtual space.

[Functional configuration of information processing device 1]
Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 has a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13.

The communication unit 11 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the user terminal 2 and the store terminal 3 .
The storage unit 12 is a storage medium that stores various types of data, and includes a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a hard disk, etc. The storage unit 12 stores programs executed by the control unit 13. The storage unit 12 stores programs that cause the control unit 13 to function as a reception unit 131, an acquisition unit 132, a virtual space control unit 133, and a purchase processing unit 134.

The memory unit 12 associates and stores the user ID of the user with the user's avatar. The memory unit 12 also associates and stores as store information a store ID that identifies each of multiple virtual stores, the virtual store name, real store-related information as information about the real store corresponding to the virtual store, and a virtual space ID that corresponds to the virtual space. The memory unit 12 also associates and stores a virtual space ID that corresponds to the virtual space of the virtual store with a virtual store model that represents the virtual space.

Physical store-related information is, for example, information about the location of the physical store, the business type of the physical store, and information corresponding to the products or services sold by the physical store. Information about the location of the physical store is, for example, information indicating the country or region in which the physical store is located, and information indicating the commercial facility, such as the shopping district, mall, or area within the mall, in which the physical store is located. Information corresponding to the products or services sold by the physical store is, for example, the category of products sold by the physical store. A virtual space model is, for example, three-dimensional space information having the same spatial configuration as the physical store, generated by performing a three-dimensional scan of the physical store corresponding to the virtual store. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of store information. As shown in Figure 3, it can be seen that the store ID, virtual store name, physical store-related information, and virtual space ID are stored in association with each other in the store information. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 3, it can be seen that the physical store-related information includes the area in which the physical store is located and the category of products sold by the physical store.

The control unit 13 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). By executing programs stored in the memory unit 12, the control unit 13 functions as a reception unit 131, an acquisition unit 132, a virtual space control unit 133, and a purchase processing unit 134.

[Accept virtual store selection]
First, the process for accepting the selection of a virtual store will be described. The accepting unit 131 displays virtual store information indicating multiple virtual stores on the user terminal 2 used by the user and accepts the selection of one of the multiple virtual stores. As described above, a virtual store is a store in the virtual space that corresponds to a real store that exists in the real space. For example, the accepting unit 131 displays, as virtual store information, a selection acceptance screen on the user terminal 2, in which objects such as images and text indicating each of the multiple virtual stores are arranged based on information about the multiple real stores, and accepts the selection of one of the multiple virtual stores.

The reception unit 131 classifies multiple virtual stores based on information about multiple physical stores, and displays a selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual facility information, on which objects representing virtual stores are arranged for each classification. For example, the reception unit 131 displays a selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual facility information, on which objects representing each of the multiple virtual stores are arranged based on information corresponding to the products or services sold by the multiple physical stores. The reception unit 131 also displays a selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual store information, on which objects representing each of the multiple virtual stores are arranged based on information about the locations where the multiple physical stores are located.

Specifically, when the reception unit 131 receives a request to display a selection reception screen from the user terminal 2, it references the store information stored in the memory unit 12, generates a first selection reception screen for selecting a virtual store, and displays the generated first selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual store information. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the first selection reception screen. It can be seen that the first selection reception screen displays the virtual store names of some of the virtual stores grouped by category and some of the virtual stores grouped by area. It can also be seen that the first selection reception screen is provided with a first link L1 for displaying virtual stores by category and a second link L2 for displaying virtual stores by area.

When the first link L1 is selected on the first selection reception screen, the reception unit 131 generates a second selection reception screen in which virtual store names are arranged for each category of products, etc. sold by the physical stores included in the physical store-related information, and displays the generated second selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual store information. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the second selection reception screen. The second selection reception screen displays the virtual store names for each category, as well as the word "narrow" and a button for narrowing down the categories.

When the second link L2 is selected on the first selection reception screen, the reception unit 131 generates a third selection reception screen in which virtual store names are arranged for each area in which a physical store included in the physical store-related information is located, and displays the generated third selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual store information. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the third selection reception screen. The third selection reception screen displays the virtual store names for each area, and also displays the word "narrow" and a button for narrowing down the area.

The reception unit 131 narrows down the virtual stores by accepting at least one of the following as virtual store filtering information on the selection reception screen: the name of the virtual store, the category corresponding to the virtual store, and the location of the physical store corresponding to the virtual store, and displays information indicating the narrowed down virtual stores on the selection reception screen.

[Virtual space display]
Next, a process related to displaying the virtual space will be described. First, when the reception unit 131 receives a selection of a virtual store from the user terminal 2, the reception unit 131 acquires a store ID that identifies the virtual store.

The acquisition unit 132 acquires a user ID for identifying the user of the user terminal 2 from the user terminal 2. For example, the acquisition unit 132 acquires the user ID sent from the user terminal 2 when the reception unit 131 displays a selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 and acquires a store ID from the user terminal 2. Note that although the acquisition unit 132 acquires the user ID when the reception unit 131 acquires the store ID, this is not limited to this. For example, the user terminal 2 may include the user ID in a request to display the selection reception screen, and the acquisition unit 132 may acquire the user ID included in the request to display the selection reception screen.

The virtual space control unit 133 causes the user terminal 2 to display an area in the virtual space corresponding to the virtual store selected by the reception unit 131, which area indicates the internal space of the physical store corresponding to the virtual store, and also causes the avatar corresponding to the user ID acquired by the acquisition unit 132 to be displayed in that area. First, when the reception unit 131 acquires the store ID of the virtual store and the acquisition unit 132 acquires the user ID of the user terminal 2, the virtual space control unit 133 references the store information stored in the memory unit 12 and identifies the virtual space ID associated with the store ID.

For each virtual space ID, the storage unit 12 stores the user IDs of other users who exist as avatars in the virtual space associated with that virtual space ID, i.e., the user IDs of the users of the devices currently displaying the virtual space, and the position and orientation within the virtual space of the avatars corresponding to those user IDs. The virtual space control unit 133 identifies the user IDs of the other users associated with the identified virtual space ID, and also identifies the position and orientation within the virtual space of the avatars of those other users corresponding to those user IDs.

The virtual space control unit 133 then places the identified avatar of the other user in the virtual space indicated by the virtual space model associated with the identified virtual space ID based on the position and orientation of the avatar. The virtual space control unit 133 also places the avatar corresponding to the user ID acquired by the acquisition unit 132 at a predetermined position in the area with a predetermined orientation. The predetermined position is, for example, a position corresponding to a predetermined entrance to the virtual space, and the predetermined orientation is, for example, a direction in which the center of the virtual space is visible from the position corresponding to the entrance.

The virtual space control unit 133 installs a virtual camera at a position (e.g., above and behind the head of the avatar) corresponding to the avatar associated with the user ID acquired by the acquisition unit 132, and causes the user terminal 2 to display an image showing the area within the virtual space obtained by capturing an image of the direction in which the avatar is facing from the virtual camera. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual space displayed on the user terminal 2. As shown in Figure 7, it can be seen that avatar A of the user terminal 2 is displayed in the area corresponding to the virtual store.

By receiving an avatar movement operation from the user terminal 2, the virtual space control unit 133 moves the avatar and the virtual camera corresponding to the avatar, and displays an image showing an area in the virtual space captured by the virtual camera on the user terminal 2. This allows the information processing device 1 to change the display region of the area in the virtual space displayed on the user terminal 2 in accordance with the user's avatar movement operation.

The virtual space control unit 133 also displays an avatar associated with the user ID acquired by the acquisition unit 132 on a terminal that is already displaying the virtual space associated with the identified virtual space ID. For example, the terminal that is already displaying the virtual space indicated by the virtual space model associated with the identified virtual space ID is store terminal 3, and the virtual space control unit 133 displays an avatar corresponding to the user ID acquired by the acquisition unit 132 in the virtual space displayed on store terminal 3. This allows a store clerk at the virtual store using store terminal 3 to confirm that an avatar corresponding to the user has been displayed in the virtual space of the virtual store, and to begin serving the user.

[Processing related to product purchases]
Next, the process related to the user's purchase of a product will be described. The purchase processing unit 134 is provided in the virtual space of the virtual store and accepts the selection of a product avatar sold at the virtual store from the user of the user terminal 2. The purchase processing unit 134 then accepts the purchase of the product. Upon accepting the purchase of the product, the purchase processing unit 134 accepts information related to the product's delivery address and payment method from the user, and settles the purchase amount of the product based on the accepted information. Upon completion of the settlement, the purchase processing unit 134 notifies the store terminal 3 of the virtual store of information indicating the product purchased by the user and information related to the delivery address. This allows a store clerk at the virtual store to carry out the process related to shipping the product.

[Transition from virtual space display to selection reception screen]
Next, a process for transitioning the display from the virtual space display to the selection acceptance screen will be described. When the user terminal 2 accepts a predetermined operation while the virtual space control unit 133 is causing the user terminal 2 to display an area corresponding to a virtual store and a user avatar in that area, the acceptance unit 131 causes the user terminal 2 to display the selection acceptance screen as the virtual store information that was displayed before the area was displayed.

For example, when a virtual store is selected on the selection acceptance screen, the reception unit 131 associates information indicating the selection acceptance screen displayed on the user terminal 2 with the user ID and stores them in the storage unit 12. When the virtual space control unit 133 causes the user terminal 2 to display an area corresponding to the virtual store, it causes the user terminal 2 to display a back button for transitioning to the selection acceptance screen. When the user terminal 2 receives an operation to select the back button as a predetermined operation, it transmits a transition request to the information processing device 1 requesting that the display be transitioned to the selection acceptance screen. The transition request includes the user ID.

When the reception unit 131 receives a transition request from the user terminal 2, it identifies, in the storage unit 12, information indicating the selection acceptance screen associated with the user ID included in the transition request. Then, based on the information indicating the identified selection acceptance screen, the reception unit 131 causes the user terminal 2 to display the selection acceptance screen that was displayed immediately before the area corresponding to the virtual space was displayed. In this way, the user can easily move their avatar from the selection acceptance screen again to the area corresponding to the virtual store of their choice.

[Selection of virtual stores based on browsing history]
The information processing device 1 accepts the selection of a virtual store on a selection acceptance screen and displays an area of the virtual space showing the selected virtual store on the user terminal 2, but is not limited to this and can also accept the selection of a virtual store from the display history.

First, the virtual space control unit 133 stores in the storage unit 12 display history information that associates a user ID corresponding to an avatar with the store ID of a virtual store corresponding to the area in the virtual space that corresponds to the virtual store where the avatar was displayed. For example, the virtual space control unit 133 associates a user ID corresponding to an avatar with the store ID of a virtual store corresponding to the area where the avatar was displayed, and the viewing date and time, which is the date and time when the avatar was displayed in that area, and stores these as display history information in the storage unit 12.

The reception unit 131 displays, as virtual facility information, a fourth selection reception screen on the user terminal 2, which includes information for accepting the selection of a virtual store based on the display history information stored in the memory unit 12. Here, the reception unit 131 may refer to the display history information and display, as virtual facility information, a fourth selection reception screen on the user terminal 2, which includes only virtual stores corresponding to store IDs corresponding to viewing dates and times within a predetermined period from the current date and time.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the fourth selection reception screen. The fourth selection reception screen shown in Figure 8 displays the name of the virtual store corresponding to the area where the user's avatar is displayed, i.e., the virtual store viewed by the user, as well as the word "narrow" and a button for narrowing down the virtual stores. Here, when narrowing down the virtual stores, the reception unit 131 may receive from the user terminal 2 at least one of the virtual store category, the location of the virtual store's actual store, and the date and time when the user viewed the area corresponding to the virtual store, and narrow down the virtual stores from those viewed by the user.

The reception unit 131 may also select a virtual store to recommend to the user based on display history information. For example, the reception unit 131 may select a virtual store to recommend to the user based on the user's display history information and the display history information of other users different from the user. In this case, the reception unit 131 identifies other users who have display histories similar to the user's display history based on the user's display history information and the display history information of the other users. The reception unit 131 then selects, as the virtual store to recommend to the user, a virtual store that the identified other users have visited but that the user has not visited.

The memory unit 12 may also store purchase history information in association with the user ID of the user, the category of products purchased by the user, and the purchase amount of the products. The reception unit 131 then identifies, from the categories of products purchased by the user, categories of products purchased with a high purchase frequency and categories of products purchased with a high purchase amount, based on the purchase history information. The reception unit 131 selects, as a virtual store to recommend to the user, a virtual store that corresponds to the identified product category and that is identified as not being viewed by the user based on the user's display history information.

Then, the reception unit 131 displays, as virtual store information, a selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 that includes recommendation information for receiving the selection of the selected virtual store. By doing this, the information processing device 1 can display, on the user terminal 2, a selection reception screen that includes virtual stores that are likely to be viewed by the user, thereby improving user convenience.

[Modification 1]
In the above description, the reception unit 131 displays the third selection reception screen on the user terminal 2 as virtual store information in which the virtual store is located based on the location of the physical store corresponding to the virtual store, but this is not limited to this. For example, the reception unit 131 may display, as virtual store information, a fifth selection reception screen on the user terminal 2, which reproduces a streetscape in which the virtual store is located based on the location of the physical store.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the fifth selection reception screen. As shown in Figure 9, the fifth selection reception screen displays images of multiple virtual stores modeled after real stores, as viewed from the aisle where the virtual stores are located. It can also be seen that information corresponding to the virtual store is displayed above the image of the virtual store on the fifth selection reception screen. The fifth selection reception screen may also display a user's avatar, and the reception unit 131 may perform display control so that the avatar moves along the aisle where the virtual store is located by accepting a horizontal scroll operation while the fifth selection reception screen is displayed on the user terminal 2. The reception unit 131 also accepts the selection of a virtual store by accepting a tap on the virtual store on the fifth selection reception screen.

The reception unit 131 may also identify the degree of customer attraction for each of multiple virtual stores based on the display history information of the virtual space stored in the memory unit 12, and display information indicating the identified degree of customer attraction on the fourth reception screen. For example, the reception unit 131 may display person objects resembling people along the aisles where the virtual stores are located, as information indicating the degree of customer attraction. In this case, the reception unit 131 places more person objects on the fifth selection reception screen at positions corresponding to virtual stores with a high degree of customer attraction than at positions corresponding to virtual stores with a low degree of customer attraction.

Here, the reception unit 131 may identify virtual stores visited by a celebrity, such as a model or entertainer, based on display history information corresponding to a user ID corresponding to the celebrity. The reception unit 131 may also display an avatar representing the celebrity at a position on the fifth selection reception screen corresponding to a virtual store visited by the celebrity. In this way, the information processing device 1 can allow users to identify virtual stores used by celebrities, thereby increasing the probability that users who are fans of the celebrity will use the virtual store.

Note that the reception unit 131 displays information indicating the degree of customer attraction for each of the multiple virtual stores based on the display history information of the virtual space on the fourth reception screen, but this is not limited to this. The reception unit 131 may also acquire information indicating the number of visitors to each of the multiple physical stores, and display on the user terminal 2, as virtual store information, a fifth selection reception screen that associates the number of visitors to the physical store corresponding to each of the multiple virtual stores.

For example, a device that counts the number of visitors to a physical store is installed, and the reception unit 131 acquires information indicating the number of visitors counted by the device. The information indicating the number of visitors may be at least one of the current number of visitors and the number of visitors within a specified period of time. The reception unit 131 may then display, on the fifth selection reception screen, a person object corresponding to the number of visitors to the physical store corresponding to each of the multiple virtual stores. In this way, the information processing device 1 can allow the user to understand which virtual stores are attracting the most customers and are therefore popular.

[Modification 2]
Furthermore, the reception unit 131 displayed information indicating the degree of customer attraction of the virtual store based on the display history information and information indicating the number of visitors to the physical store on the fifth selection reception screen, but this is not limited to this. The reception unit 131 may also display information indicating the degree of customer attraction of the virtual store based on the display history information and information indicating the number of visitors to the physical store on a selection reception screen other than the fifth selection reception screen. In this case, the reception unit 131 may display a score indicating the degree of customer attraction or the number of visitors to the physical store, in association with the name of the virtual store, as information indicating the degree of customer attraction of the virtual store on a selection reception screen other than the fifth selection reception screen. In this way, the information processing device 1 can allow the user to identify popular virtual stores that are highly attractive, even on selection reception screens other than the fifth selection reception screen.

[Effects of information processing device 1]
As described above, the information processing device 1 according to the present embodiment displays, on a user terminal 2 used by a user, virtual facility information indicating a plurality of virtual facilities, which are facilities in virtual space corresponding to real-space facilities, which are facilities existing in real space, accepts a selection of one of the plurality of virtual facilities, and acquires the user ID of the user of the user terminal 2. The information processing device 1 displays, on the user terminal 2, an area in the virtual space corresponding to the virtual facility whose selection has been accepted, and displays an avatar corresponding to the acquired user ID in that area. In this way, the information processing device 1 can make it easier for users to use services provided in the virtual space by stores that actually exist.

Furthermore, this invention will make it possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation."

The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and alterations are possible within the spirit of the invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of new embodiments resulting from the combination will also have the effects of the original embodiments.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing device 11 Communication unit 12 Storage unit 13 Control unit 131 Reception unit 132 Acquisition unit 133 Virtual space control unit 134 Purchase processing unit 2 User terminal

Claims (7)

a selection acceptance screen for accepting a selection of a virtual facility, which is a facility in a virtual space corresponding to a real-space facility, which is a facility existing in a real space, the selection acceptance screen displaying virtual facility images representing a plurality of virtual facilities simulating a plurality of real-space facilities on a user terminal used by a user as virtual facility information, and accepting a predetermined operation on the virtual facility image displayed on the selection acceptance screen to accept a selection of one of the plurality of virtual facilities;
an acquisition unit that acquires user identification information for identifying a user of the user terminal;
a virtual space control unit that causes the user terminal to display an area in the virtual space corresponding to the virtual facility selected by the reception unit, and also causes an avatar corresponding to the user identification information acquired by the acquisition unit to be displayed in the area, and stores in a storage unit display history information that associates the user identification information corresponding to the avatar with facility identification information for identifying the virtual facility corresponding to the area in which the avatar is displayed;
and
The reception unit identifies other users who have display histories similar to the display history of the user of the user terminal based on the display history information, and refers to purchase history information that associates the user identification information with categories of products purchased by the user corresponding to the user identification information and purchase amounts of the products, identifies a category of products that the user of the user terminal purchases frequently or a category of products that the user purchases at a high purchase amount, selects a virtual store that corresponds to the identified category and that the other identified user has visited but that the user has not visited , displays recommendation information recommending the selected virtual store on the selection reception screen, and controls the display of the virtual facility image displayed on the selection reception screen by accepting a scroll operation that is an operation different from the predetermined operation while the selection reception screen displayed on the user terminal is displayed.
Information processing device. the reception unit displays, on the user terminal, the selection reception screen on which the virtual facility images representing the plurality of virtual facilities are arranged based on information about the plurality of real-space facilities;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the reception unit displays, on the user terminal, the selection reception screen on which the virtual facility images indicating the plurality of virtual facilities are arranged based on information related to locations of the plurality of real-space facilities;
The information processing device according to claim 2 . the reception unit displays, on the user terminal, the selection reception screen on which the virtual facility images representing the plurality of virtual facilities are arranged along a passageway and on which the user's avatar is arranged, and by accepting the scroll operation while the selection reception screen is displayed, controls the display of the virtual facility images so that the avatar displayed on the selection reception screen moves along the passageway;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the reception unit identifies the degree of customer attraction of each of the plurality of virtual facilities based on the display history information, and displays the plurality of virtual facilities and virtual facility information indicating the degree of customer attraction of each of the plurality of virtual facilities on the user terminal;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . the reception unit acquires information indicating the number of visitors to each of the plurality of real-world facilities, and displays, for each of the plurality of virtual facilities, virtual facility information associating the number of visitors to the real-world facility corresponding to the virtual facility on the user terminal;
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The computer executes
a step of displaying a selection acceptance screen on a user terminal used by a user as virtual facility information, the selection acceptance screen displaying virtual facility images representing a plurality of virtual facilities that mimic a plurality of real-space facilities, and accepting a selection of one of the plurality of virtual facilities by accepting a predetermined operation on the virtual facility image displayed on the selection acceptance screen;
acquiring user identification information for identifying a user of the user terminal;
displaying, on the user terminal, an area in the virtual space corresponding to the selected virtual facility, and displaying, in the area, an avatar corresponding to the acquired user identification information;
storing, in a storage unit, display history information that associates the user identification information corresponding to the avatar with facility identification information for identifying the virtual facility corresponding to the area in which the avatar is displayed;
and
In the receiving step, the computer identifies other users who have display histories similar to the display history of the user of the user terminal based on the display history information , and refers to purchase history information that associates the user identification information with categories of products purchased by the user corresponding to the user identification information and the purchase amounts of the products, identifies a category of products that the user of the user terminal purchases frequently or a category of products that the user purchases at a high purchase amount, selects a virtual store that corresponds to the identified category and that the identified other user has visited but that the user has not visited , displays recommendation information recommending the selected virtual store on the selection receiving screen, and controls the display of the virtual facility image displayed on the selection receiving screen by receiving a scroll operation that is an operation different from the specified operation while the selection receiving screen displayed on the user terminal is displayed.
Information processing methods.