Patent Publication Number: US-2015081409-A1

Title: Server and method for providing user with reward

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims a priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-193937, filed on Sep. 19, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a server and a method for granting predetermined rewards to a plurality of users. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventionally, services are provided for activating communication between users using a terminal device such as smartphone. As one of such services, a service is also proposed which grants points to users by causing the users to mutually read QR codes (registered trademark) displayed on their respective terminal devices (e.g., Phewtick, [online], searched on Sep. 13, 2013), Internet &lt;see URL, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.phewtick&amp;hl=ja&gt;). 
     However, since the above-described service requires the users to actually meet one another in the actual world to mutually read QR codes displayed in their terminal devices, the users cannot comfortably enjoy communication with more users. On the other hand, since nearby users are likely to be able to perform more intimate communication including the actual world, there are also users who actively participate in communication with such users. Therefore, there is a demand for provision of a mechanism which allows a user to more comfortably enjoy communication with other users including nearby users. 
     It is one of objects of the present invention to allow a user to more comfortably enjoy communication with other users. Another object of the present invention will be made clear with reference to the entire present specification. 
     SUMMARY 
     A server according to an embodiment of the present invention is a server that grants predetermined rewards to a plurality of users, provided with one or a plurality of processors that execute a predetermined program, the predetermined program including: a user identification module that identifies, in response to a request from a terminal device of a first user, one or a plurality of users from among the plurality of users based on present locations of the plurality of users; a user information transmission module that transmits information on the identified users to the terminal device of the first user; a first execution module that receives a first action execution request by the first user on a second user selected by the first user from among the identified users from the terminal device of the first user and executes the first action; a second execution module that receives a second action execution request on the first user by the second user for whom the first action is executed from a terminal device of the second user and executes the second action; and a reward granting module that grants predetermined rewards to the first user in accordance with execution of the second action on the first user by the second user. The “predetermined rewards” here may include various rewards that can be granted to a user such as points, virtual currency, item, and card. Furthermore, the “first action” and “second action” may include various actions that can be executed among users such as transmission and reply of a greeting, message, icon and stamp. Moreover, the “first action” and “second action” may include a case where they are the same action, a case where they are corresponding actions and a case where they are different actions. 
     A method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for granting predetermined rewards to a plurality of users, including: identifying, in response to a request from a terminal device of a first user, one or a plurality of users from among the plurality of users based on present locations of the plurality of users; transmitting information on the identified users to the terminal device of the first user; receiving a first action execution request by the first user on a second user selected by the first user from among the identified users from the terminal device of the first user and executing the first action; receiving a second action execution request on the first user by the second user for whom the first action is executed from a terminal device of the second user and executing the second action; and granting predetermined rewards to the first user in accordance with execution of the second action on the first user by the second user. 
     Various embodiments of the present invention allow a user to more comfortably enjoy communication with other users. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram schematically illustrating a hardware configuration of a system  1  including a server  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram schematically illustrating a module configuration of a reward granting program  50  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating an example of a user information management table according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating an example of a greeting management table according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a sequence diagram illustrating a situation of communication between the server  10  and the terminal device  30  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating an example of a main screen  60  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating an example of a map image  70  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating an example of a greeting transmission instructing screen  80  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating an example of a greeting reception history screen  90  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an example of a greeting reply instructing screen  100  according to the embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating an example of a game screen  110  according to the embodiment; and 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating an example of the greeting reception history screen  90  according to the embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram schematically illustrating a hardware configuration of a system  1  including a server  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the server  10  according to an embodiment may be communicatively connected via a communication network  20  such as the Internet to a terminal device  30  configured as a conventional computer, and may provide predetermined rewards to a user operating the terminal device  30 . Additionally, the server  10  may be communicatively connected to terminal devices other than the terminal device  30  and not shown. The server  10  may provide various Internet services, and provide a platform service that implements various communications between a plurality of users operating a plurality of terminal devices  30 . 
     As shown, the server  10  may include a central processing unit (CPU) (processor)  11 , a main memory  12 , a user interface (I/F)  13 , a communication I/F  14 , an external memory  15 , and a disk drive  16 , and these components may be electrically connected to one another via a bus  17 . The CPU  11  may load an operating system and various programs such as control programs for controlling the provision of various services into the main memory  12  from the external memory  15 , and may execute commands included in the loaded programs. The main memory  12  may be used to store a program to be executed by the CPU  11 , and may be formed of, for example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). 
     The user I/F  13  may include, for example, an information input device such as a keyboard or a mouse for accepting an input from an operator, and an information output device such as a liquid crystal display for outputting calculation results of the CPU  11 . The communication I/F  14  may be implemented as hardware, firmware, or communication software such as a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) driver or a point-to-point protocol (PPP) driver, or a combination thereof, and may be configured to be able to communicate with the terminal devices  30  via the communication network  20 . 
     The external memory  15  may be formed of, for example, a magnetic disk drive and store various programs such as a control program for controlling the provision of various services. The external memory  15  may also store various data used in providing the various services. The various data that may be stored in the external memory  15  may also be stored on a database server communicatively connected to the server  10  and physically separate from the server  10 . The disk drive  16  may read data stored in a storage medium such as a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc read only memory (DVD-ROM), or DVD Recordable (DVD-R) disc, or write data to such a storage medium. 
     In an embodiment, the server  10  may be a web server for managing a web site including a plurality of hierarchical web pages. The terminal devices  30  may fetch HTML data for rendering a web page from the server  10  and analyze the HTML data to present the web page to a user of the terminal devices  30 . The HTML data for rendering the web page may also be stored on the external memory  15 . The HTML data may comprise HTML documents written in markup languages such as HTML; the HTML documents may be associated with various images. Additionally, the HTML documents may include programs written in script languages such as ActionScript™ and JavaScript™. 
     The external memory  15  may store various applications to be executed on execution environments of the terminal device  30  other than browser software. These various applications may include various programs and various data such as image data to be referred to for executing the programs. The programs may be created in, for example, object oriented languages such as Objective-C™ and Java™. The created programs may be stored on the external memory  15  in the form of application software along with various data. The application software stored on the external memory  15  may be delivered to a terminal device  30  in response to a delivery request. The application software delivered from the server  10  may be received by the terminal device  30  through a communication I/F  34  in accordance with the control of CPU  31  and sent to an external memory  35  for storage thereon. The application software may be launched in accordance with the user&#39;s operation on the terminal device  30  and may be executed on a platform implemented on the terminal device  30  such as NgCore™ or Android™. The server  10  may provide the applications executed on the terminal devices  30  with various data required for providing various services. Additionally, the server  10  can store various data sent from the terminal device  30  for each user, thereby managing the provision of the various services. 
     Thus, the server  10  may manage the web site for providing various services and deliver web pages constituting the web site in response to a request from the terminal device  30 , thereby providing various services. Also, the server  10  can provide various services based on communication with an application performed on the terminal device  30  in place of, or in addition to, such browser-based services. Whichever mode may be taken to provide the services, the server  10  can store data required to provide the various services for each identification identifying a user. Briefly, the server  10  may also include a function to authenticate a user at start of provision of services and perform charging process in accordance with provision of services. The types of the various services implemented by the web site or applications of the server  10  are not limited to those explicitly described herein. 
     In an embodiment, the terminal device  30  may be any information processing device that may display on a web browser a web page of a web site obtained from the server  10  and include an application executing environment for executing applications; and the terminal devices  30  may include smartphones, tablet terminals, and game-dedicated terminals. 
     As shown, the terminal device  30  may include a central processing unit (CPU) (processor)  31 , a main memory  32 , a user interface (I/F)  33 , a communication I/F  34 , an external memory  35 , and a GPS receiver  37 , and these components may be electrically connected to one another via a bus  36 . 
     The CPU  31  may load various programs such as an operating system into the main memory  32  from the external memory  35 , and may execute commands included in the loaded programs. The main memory  32  may be used to store a program to be executed by the CPU  31 , and may be formed of, for example, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). 
     The user I/F  33  may include an information input device for receiving user inputs and an information output device for outputting an operation result of CPU  31 ; and the user I/F may include a display device such as a liquid crystal display having a touch panel. 
     The communication I/F  34  may be implemented as hardware, firmware, or communication software such as a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) driver or a point-to-point protocol (PPP) driver, or a combination thereof, and may be configured to be able to communicate with the server  10  via the communication network  20 . 
     The external memory  35  may comprise, for example, a magnetic disk drive or a flash memory and store various programs such as an operating system. When receiving an application from a server  10  via the communication I/F  34 , the external memory  35  may store the received application. 
     The GPS receiver  37  may be configured as a general GPS receiver that can receive a radio wave from a GPS satellite (not shown) and acquire position information on a geographic position of the terminal device  30  (GPS receiver  37 ). 
     A terminal device  30  having such an architecture may include, for example, browser software for interpreting an HTML file (HTML data) and rendering a screen; this browser software may enable the terminal device  30  to interpret the HTML data fetched from the server  10  and render web pages corresponding to the received HTML data. Further, the terminal device  30  may include plug-in software (e.g., Flash Player distributed by Adobe Systems Incorporated) embedded into browser software; therefore, the terminal device  30  can fetch from the server  10  a SWF file embedded in HTML data and execute the SWF file by using the browser software and the plug-in software. Also, the terminal device  30  can execute an application fetched from the server  10 . 
     Next, the reward granting program  50  to be executed by the CPU  11  of the server  10  according to the embodiment will be described.  FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating a module configuration of the reward granting program  50  according to the embodiment. The reward granting program  50  may be stored in the external memory  15  or the like, and may be provided with a user identification module  51  that may identify, in response to a request from the terminal device  30  of one user (first user) as illustrated in the drawing, one or a plurality of users from among the plurality of users based on present locations of the plurality of users, a user information transmission module  52  that may transmit information on the identified user to the terminal device  30  of the one user, a first execution module  53  that may receive a request for execution of greeting transmission (first action) by the one user to another user (second user) selected by the one user from among the identified users from the terminal device  30  of the one user and execute greeting transmission, a second execution module  54  that may receive a request for execution of greeting reply (second action) to the one user by the other user for whom the greeting transmission has been executed from the terminal device  30  of the other user and execute the greeting reply, and a reward granting module  55  that may grant points (predetermined rewards) to the one user and the other user in accordance with the execution of the greeting reply to the one user by the other user. 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  are diagrams illustrating examples of information managed in a user information management table and a greeting management table configured in the external memory  15  of the server  10  or the like. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the user information management table according to the embodiment may manage information such as a “user name” that identifies a user in association with a “user ID” that identifies the user, the “remaining number of times of greetings transmissions” indicating the remaining number of times the user can execute greeting transmission, and the “acquired points” indicating the total number of points acquired by the user. In the embodiment, a predetermined value (e.g., 5) may be set as an initial value of the “remaining number of times of greetings transmissions” in the user information management table, the number may be designed to be decremented by “1” every time greeting transmission is executed and then recovered by “1” when a predetermined time elapses (e.g., 1 hour). That is, the present embodiment may allow the user to execute greeting transmission within a range of the upper limit number of times one user can execute greeting transmission within a predetermined time, and more specifically, the upper limit number of times greeting transmission can be executed within N hours may be assumed to be an “initial value+(N−1).” As a result, it may be possible, for example, to prevent execution of abnormally frequent greeting transmissions by the user. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the greeting management table according to the embodiment may manage information such as “greeting transmission date and time” that indicates a date and time at which greeting transmission is executed in association with a combination of a “sender user ID” that identifies a sender user who executes greeting transmission and a “destination user ID” that identifies a destination user for whom the greeting transmission is executed, “greeting reply date and time” that indicates a date and time at which at which greeting reply is executed in response to this greeting transmission and “distance at greeting transmission” that indicates a distance between the sender user and the destination user when greeting transmission is executed. 
     Next, operation of the server  10  according to the embodiment configured as described above will be described. The server  10  of the present embodiment may provide a greeting communication service of granting points to a user in accordance with communication such as greeting transmission and greeting reply between users.  FIG. 5  is a sequence diagram illustrating a situation of communication between the server  10  and the terminal devices  30  (terminal devices  30 - 1  and  30 - 2 ) when providing a greeting communication service according to the present embodiment. In this example, the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  is a sender user who executes greeting transmission and the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  is a destination user for whom the greeting transmission is executed and who executes greeting reply in response thereto. When providing a greeting communication service, as illustrated, the terminal device  30 - 1  may request the server  10  to send user information related to the user who becomes a destination user candidate for whom greeting transmission is executed first (step S 100 ). Here, for convenience of description, a main screen  60  will be described which is a basic screen for a user to receive a provision of a greeting communication service.  FIG. 6  shows an example of the main screen  60  according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in the drawing, the main screen  60  may include a user basic information display region  61  for illustrating basic information on the user in an upper part of the screen, may arrange a user search button  62  for searching a destination user who executes greeting transmission below this user basic information display region  61 , a point exchange button  66  for exchanging acquired points with cash or an item, a posting button  68  for posting a comment or the like, and may arrange a notification button  69  for displaying a notification content for the user at a top right corner of the screen. The user basic information displayed in the user basic information display region  61  may include, as illustrated in the drawing, information such as an image corresponding to the user, user name, the number of points acquired by the user, the remaining number of times the user can perform greeting transmission, and the remaining time until the remaining number of times is recovered once. Such user basic information may be managed in the aforementioned user information management table. For example, when the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  selects the user search button  62  of the main screen  60 , the terminal device  30 - 1  may request the server  10  to send user information. Note that a user information transmission request can also be made at various timings other than this timing. 
     When the terminal device  30 - 1  makes a user information transmission request, the server  10  may identify one or a plurality of users who become destination user candidates who execute greeting transmission based on a present location of each user (step S 102 ). More specifically, in the embodiment, other users may be identified who are located within a predetermined geographic range (e.g., within 5 km) from the present location of the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  based on the present location of each user. The present location of each user can be managed by periodically acquiring position information acquired by the GPS receiver  37  of the terminal device  30  or the like from the terminal device  30  and storing the acquired position information as a present location per user operating the terminal device  30 . Such a present location of each user may be managed by the server  10  (e.g., user information management table) or may also be managed by another server or the like with which the server  10  can communicate. 
     Next, the server  10  may transmit the identified user information on the user to the terminal device  30 - 1  (step S 104 ). More specifically, a map image with user elements such as an icon image or text corresponding to the user arranged at a position corresponding to the present location of the identified user may be transmitted to the terminal device  30 - 1 .  FIG. 7  is an example of a map image  70  displayed on the terminal device  30 - 1 . As shown in the drawing, the map image  70  may be displayed superimposed on the main screen  60  and a user element  72  corresponding to each user may be arranged at a position corresponding to the present location of each identified user on the map image  70 . Note that instead of or in addition to this map image  70 , user information on the identified user may be displayed in a list form or sequentially displayed in a slideshow form. In this case, a user located at a shorter distance from the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  may be displayed with higher priority (e.g., displayed on a higher row in the list or displayed in an early stage of a slideshow). Furthermore, when the user information on the identified user is displayed on the terminal device  30 - 1  via the map image  70  or the like, user information on the user who is currently logged in may be displayed with high priority as well. 
     When the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  selects one of the user elements  72  arranged on the map image  70 , a greeting transmission instructing screen  80  illustrated in  FIG. 8  which can instruct execution of greeting transmission on the user corresponding to the selected user element  72  may be displayed superimposed on the main screen  60 . As illustrated in the drawing, the greeting transmission instructing screen  80  may include a user basic information display region  81  indicating basic information on the selected user in an upper part of the screen, and a greeting transmission button  82  for executing greeting transmission on this user and a chat button  84  for chatting with this user may be arranged below this user basic information display region  81 . Thus, the greeting transmission instructing screen  80  may be enabled to selectively execute simple communication of greeting transmission or more intimate communication of chat. As the user basic information displayed on the user basic information display region  81 , for example, an image or user name corresponding to the user may be included and further the distance between the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  and this user may be included. Here, in the present embodiment, points granted when the distance between the users falls within a predetermined range (e.g., within 3 km) may be set so as to be advantageous to the user (e.g., points become double compared to a case where the distance between the users falls outside the predetermined range), and the user basic information display region  81  may display text indicating that the granted points will be advantageous (“Entitled to short-distance bonus (×2)!” in the example shown in  FIG. 8 ). Moreover, when the remaining number of times of greetings transmissions for the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  is “0,” the greeting transmission button  82  may be prevented from being selected. 
     Next, when the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  selects the greeting transmission button  82  of the greeting transmission instructing screen  80 , a request for execution of greeting transmission may be made from the terminal device  30 - 1  to the server  10  (step S 106 ), and the server  10  may execute greeting transmission (step S 110 ). The execution of greeting transmission is performed by updating the greeting management table, and more specifically, a user ID of the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  may be set in “sender user ID,” a user ID of the user for whom greeting transmission is executed (user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  in this example) may be set in “destination user ID,” a date and time at which greeting transmission is executed may be set in “greeting transmission date and time” and a distance between the users may be set in “distance at greeting transmission.” In addition to an update of the greeting management table, transmission of a message indicating that greeting transmission has been executed may be performed (push indication) on the terminal device  30 - 2  of the destination user. 
     When the greeting transmission is executed and the greeting management table is updated, in the terminal device  30 - 2  of the destination user for whom greeting transmission is executed, the notification button  69  of the main screen  60  displays information indicating that greeting transmission has been newly executed (e.g., the icon image of the notification button  69  may be changed or displayed in blinking mode), and selecting this notification button  69  may cause a greeting reception history screen  90  shown in  FIG. 9  to be displayed. As illustrated in the drawing, the greeting reception history screen  90  shows a reception history of greeting transmissions executed for the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  in a list form. As illustrated in the drawing, each reception history displayed in a list form may include an image of a sender user of greeting transmission and information on the date and time at which the greeting transmission is executed (e.g., date and time themselves or elapsed time after the greeting transmission is executed). When the reception history of greeting transmissions is listed, the list may be sorted in descending or ascending order of dates and times of execution of greeting transmissions. Note that when greeting reply in response to greeting transmission has been received, the reception history displayed in the list on the greeting reception history screen  90  may also include a reception history of the greeting reply as will be described later. 
     When the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  selects one out of the reception history of greeting transmissions listed on the greeting reception history screen  90 , a greeting reply instructing screen  100  illustrated in  FIG. 10  may be displayed superimposed on the main screen  60 . As illustrated in the drawing, the greeting reply instructing screen  100  may include a user basic information display region  101  that displays basic information of a user corresponding to the selected reception history in an upper part of the screen (sender user of greeting transmission), and greeting reply button  102  for executing greeting reply to the user and a chat button  104  for chatting with the user may be arranged below the user basic information display region  101 . Thus, the greeting reply instructing screen  100  may be designed to be able to selectively execute simple communication of greeting reply or intimate communication of chat as in the case of the greeting transmission instructing screen  80 . The user basic information displayed in the user basic information display region  101  may include, for example, an image or user name corresponding to the user as in the case of the user basic information display region  81  of the aforementioned greeting transmission instructing screen  80  as illustrated in the drawing, and may further include a distance between the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  and this user (distance when the sender user executes greeting transmission). Note that in the embodiment, greeting transmission may be designed to be executable within an upper limit number of times one user can execute greeting transmission within a predetermined time as described above, but greeting reply can be executed every time greeting transmission is received and the number of times greeting reply is executed is not limited. 
     Here, in the embodiment, greeting reply is supposed to become executable after a lapse of a predetermined time (e.g., within one hour) since greeting transmission has been executed (in other words, greeting reply needs to be executed within a predetermined time since greeting transmission has been executed). Therefore, regarding a reception history on the aforementioned greeting reception history screen  90  in which an elapsed time after execution of greeting transmission exceeds a predetermined time, the excess of time may be displayed or the user may be prevented from selecting the reception history or the reception history may be hidden or when such a reception history is selected and the greeting reply instructing screen  100  is displayed, the user may be notified of the fact that greeting reply cannot be executed on the greeting reply instructing screen  100  because the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time since the greeting transmission has been executed. 
     When the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  selects the greeting reply button  102  of the greeting reply instructing screen  100 , the terminal device  30 - 2  may request the server  10  to execute greeting reply (step S 112 ) and the server  10  may execute greeting reply (step S 114 ). Greeting reply may be executed by updating the greeting management table, and more specifically, the date and time at which greeting reply has been executed may be set in “greeting reply date and time” of the corresponding record. Note that as in the case of execution of greeting transmission in aforementioned step S 110 , transmission of a message indicating that greeting reply has been executed may be performed (push notification) on the terminal device  30 - 1  of the user for whom greeting reply has been executed in addition to the update of the greeting management table. 
     Next, the server  10  may determine the number of points (content of predetermined rewards) to be granted to the user who has executed the greeting reply (step S 116 ). The number of points may be determined by applying various rules. For example, the number of points may be randomly determined using an arithmetic expression using, as a variable, a pseudo-random number generated using a publicly known algorithm. As described above, according to the embodiment, points granted when the distance between users falls within a predetermined range may be set so as to be advantageous to the user, and when the number of points is determined, the number of points corresponding to the distance between users may be determined with reference to the “distance at the time of greeting transmission” of the greeting management table. For example, such an arithmetic expression may be applied that the number of points is doubled when the distance between users falls within a predetermined range or that the smaller the distance between users (the nearer the present locations of users), the greater the number of points becomes. In addition, the number of points may also be determined using a parameter other than the distance between users, and such an arithmetic expression may be applied that the number of points is doubled when an elapsed time after greeting transmission is executed until greeting reply is executed (which can be calculated using the “greeting transmission date and time” and the “greeting reply date and time” in the greeting management table) falls within a predetermined range or that the shorter the elapsed time, the greater the number of points becomes. 
     Once the number of points to be granted to the user who has executed the greeting reply is determined, the server  10  may transmit a game screen to the terminal device  30 - 2  (step S 118 ).  FIG. 11  shows an example of a game screen  110  displayed superimposed on the main screen  60  in the terminal device  30 - 2 . The embodiment may apply a roulette game screen as the game screen  110  as illustrated in the drawing and the number of points corresponding to a winning pattern of this roulette game (one of “14,” “214” and “1265” in the example in  FIG. 11 ) may correspond to the number of points granted to the user. As described above, in the embodiment, since the number of points granted to the user is predetermined in step S 116 , this game screen  110  may be set beforehand so as to yield a result conforming to the determined number of points. That is, in the embodiment, the predetermined number of points may be indicated to the user as the game result on the game screen  110 . By so doing, the user can better enjoy acquiring points compared to the case where the number of points is simply notified. Note that instead of determining the number of points to be granted before transmitting the game screen, the number of points to be granted may be determined in accordance with the game result on this game screen after transmitting the game screen. In this case, the user may be allowed to operate timing of stopping the roulette, the torque of the roulette or the like. When the game screen  110  is transmitted to the terminal device  30 - 2  and the game result is displayed in this way, granting of points to the user may be confirmed and the corresponding number of points may be added to the “acquired number of points” in the user information management table. 
     On the other hand, in step S 114  when greeting reply is executed and the greeting management table is updated, the notification button  69  of the main screen  60  in the terminal device  30 - 1  may indicate that greeting reply has been executed as in the case where greeting transmission is executed (e.g., the icon image of the notification button  69  is changed or shown in blinking mode), a greeting reception history screen  90  shown in  FIG. 12  may be displayed by selecting the notification button  69 . As illustrated in the drawing, when greeting reply is executed, a list of the greeting reception history screen  90  may include a greeting reply reception history. When the user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1  selects the greeting reply reception history from the reception history displayed in a list form on the greeting reception history screen  90 , the terminal device  30 - 1  may request the server  10  to grant points (step S 120 ). Upon receipt of the point granting request from the terminal device  30 - 1 , the server  10  may determine the number of points to be granted to the user for whom greeting reply has been executed (sender user of greeting transmission) (step S 122 ), and also transmit a game screen for notifying the user of the determined number of points to the terminal device  30 - 1  (step S 124 ). The determination of the number of points and the transmission of the game screen may be similar to the processing on the aforementioned user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2  (steps S 116  and S 118 ), and therefore further detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
     Thus, the greeting communication service provided by the server  10  may determine the number of points and grant points to each user in accordance with communication of greeting transmission and greeting reply between users. Points acquired by each user can be exchanged with cash or items (including virtual items usable in various services provided by the server  10 ) in accordance with the number of points as described above. More specifically, for example, the user can exchange the acquired points with cash or items or the like via a screen that transitions by selecting the point exchange button  66  of the main screen  60 . Note that in the aforementioned example, the number of points to be granted to a user who has executed greeting transmission (user who operates the terminal device  30 - 1 ) and the number of points to be granted to a user who has executed greeting reply (user who operates the terminal device  30 - 2 ) may be determined separately, but the same number of points may also be granted. Furthermore, for example, a number of points determined for each user may also be granted to the other user. That is, when points are granted to a user who has executed greeting reply in steps S 116  and S 118 , and points may be then granted to a user who has executed greeting transmission in steps S 122  and S 124 , the same number of points granted to the user who has executed the greeting reply may also be granted to the user who has executed the greeting transmission, and then at appropriate timing, the same number of points granted to the user who has executed the greeting transmission may also be granted to the user who has executed the greeting reply. By so doing, it may be possible to establish a mechanism whereby the numbers of points respectively determined for the user who has executed the greeting transmission and the user who has executed greeting reply influence each other, and thereby further activate communication between the users. It may be also possible to introduce a mechanism whereby users compete each other for the numbers of points determined for the respective users through a simple competition game or the like. 
     In response to a request from the terminal device  30 - 1  of one user (first user), the server  10  according to the embodiment described so far may transmit information on one or a plurality of users identified from a plurality of users to the terminal device  30 - 1 , receive a request to execute greeting transmission (first action) by one user to another user (second user) selected by one user from among the identified users from the terminal device  30 - 1  of the one user, executes greeting transmission, receive a request to execute greeting reply (second action) by the other user to the one user for whom greeting transmission has been executed from the terminal device  30 - 2  of the other user, execute greeting reply, and grant points (predetermined rewards) to the one user and the other user in accordance with execution of the greeting reply by the other user to the one user. Therefore, since points are granted to the users in accordance with communication of greeting transmission and greeting reply executed between the users, the user can more comfortably enjoy communication with other users. Moreover, since one or a plurality of users who become destination user candidates who execute greeting transmission are identified based on present locations of the respective users, the user can enjoy communication with more appropriate users based on present locations. 
     In the embodiment, points may be granted to the one user and the other user in accordance with execution of greeting reply by the other user to the one user, but points may also be granted only to the one user (that is, user who has executed greeting transmission). 
     In the embodiment, although points have been illustrated as “predetermined rewards” granted to users, points may not be limited to this, and points may be various rewards that can be granted to users, such as virtual currency, item, and card. 
     In the embodiment, although greeting transmission and greeting reply have been illustrated as action (communication) carried out between users, action may not be limited to this, and various actions such as transmission and reply of a message, icon, and stamp or the like may be considered. Aspects such as greeting transmission and corresponding greeting reply need not necessarily be adopted, and, for example, predetermined rewards such as points may also be granted to each user in accordance with greeting transmission mutually executed between users. 
     The processes and procedures described and illustrated herein may also be implemented by software, hardware, or any combination thereof other than those explicitly stated for the embodiments. More specifically, the processes and procedures described and illustrated herein may be implemented by the installation of the logic corresponding to the processes into a medium such as an integrated circuit, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical storage. The processes and procedures described and illustrated herein may also be installed in the form of a computer program, and executed by various computers. 
     Even if the processes and the procedures described herein are executed by a single apparatus, software piece, component, or module, such processes and procedures may also be executed by a plurality of apparatuses, software pieces, components, and/or modules. Even if the data, tables, or databases described herein are stored in a single memory, such data, tables, or databases may also be dispersed and stored in a plurality of memories included in a single apparatus or in a plurality of memories dispersed and arranged in a plurality of apparatuses. The elements of the software and the hardware described herein can be integrated into fewer constituent elements or can be decomposed into more constituent elements. 
     With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context.