# US 2022/0286808 A1 · Supporter selection apparatus, supporter selection method and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0286808 A1 - Document ID: US20220286808A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/619,243 - Filed: 2019-06-17 - Published: 2022-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-17 - Assignees: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Applicants: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation - Inventors: Misa HIRAO; Asuka MIYAKE; Hiroya MINAMI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220286808A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - G06Q 50/10: Services - H04W 4/90: Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] - H04W 4/021: Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A helper selecting device for selecting a helper for a requester who requires help is provided with: a first storage unit for storing helper candidate information received from a helper candidate terminal; a second storage unit for storing support methods; a helper selecting unit which selects a helper for the requester from among helper candidates, on the basis at least of the distance between the requester and the helper candidates, with reference to the first storage unit, and determines a support method for the requester with reference to the second storage unit; and a notifying unit for notifying the support method for the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A helper selecting device for selecting a helper for a requester who requires help, the helper selecting device comprising circuitry configured to execute a method comprising: storing helper candidate information received from a helper candidate terminal in a first storage; storing support methods in a second storage; selecting a helper for the requester from among helper candidates, on the basis at least of a distance between the requester and the helper candidate, with reference to the first storage; determining a support method for the requester with reference to the second storage; and notifying the support method for the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The helper selecting device as claimed in claim 1, the circuitry further configured to execute a method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of a distance between the requester and the helper candidate, and the amount of spare time of the helper candidate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The helper selecting device as claimed in claim 1, the circuitry further configured to execute a method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate, the amount of spare time of the helper candidate, and the number of times the helper candidate has visited the area around the current location of the helper candidate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The helper selecting device as claimed in claim 1, the circuitry further configured to execute a method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of a combination of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate and whether a destination of the helper selecting device is identical to a destination of the requester. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The helper selecting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second storage stores the support method in association with a requester attribute and a requested item, and the circuitry further configured to execute a method comprising: acquiring the support method from the second storage on the basis of a requester attribute and a requested item received from a requester terminal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The helper selecting device as claimed in claim 1, the circuitry further configured to execute a method comprising: notifying an ID of the helper candidate selected as the helper to the requester terminal; notifying an ID of the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper; and when the requester and the helper approach one another, outputting, by each of the requester terminal and the helper candidate terminal, an indications indicating that the requester and the helper have approached one another. ### Claim 7 A computer-implemented method method for selecting a helper for a requester who requires help, the method comprising: storing helper candidate information received from a helper candidate terminal in a first storage; selecting a helper for the requester from among helper candidates, on the basis at least of the distance between the requester and the helper candidates, with reference to the first storage; determining a support method for the requester with reference to a second storage for storing support methods; and notifying the support method for the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper. ### Claim 8 A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing computer-executable program instructions that when executed by a processor cause a computer system to execute a method comprising: storing helper candidate information received from a helper candidate terminal in a first storage; storing support methods in a second storage; selecting a helper for the requester from among helper candidates, on the basis at least of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate, with reference to the first storage; determining a support method for the requester with reference to the second storage; and notifying the support method for the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The helper selecting device according to claim 2, wherein the second storage stores the support method in association with a requester attribute and a requested item, and the circuitry further configured to execute a method comprising: acquiring the support method from the second storage on the basis of a requester attribute and a requested item received from a requester terminal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of a distance between the requester and the helper candidate, and the amount of spare time of the helper candidate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate, the amount of spare time of the helper candidate, and the number of times the helper candidate has visited the area around the current location of the helper candidate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, the method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of a combination of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate and whether a destination of the helper selecting device is identical to a destination of the requester. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the second storage stores the support method in association with a requester attribute and a requested item, and the method further comprising: acquiring the support method from the second storage on the basis of a requester attribute and a requested item received from a requester terminal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, the method further comprising: notifying an ID of the helper candidate selected as the helper to the requester terminal; notifying an ID of the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper; and when the requester and the helper approach one another, outputting, by each of the requester terminal and the helper candidate terminal, an indications indicating that the requester and the helper have approached one another. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 8, the computer-executable program instructions when executed by a processor further cause a computer system to execute a method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of a distance between the requester and the helper candidate, and the amount of spare time of the helper candidate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 8, the computer-executable program instructions when executed by a processor further cause a computer system to execute a method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate, the amount of spare time of the helper candidate, and the number of times the helper candidate has visited the area around the current location of the helper candidate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 8, the computer-executable program instructions when executed by a processor further cause a computer system to execute a method comprising: selecting the helper on the basis of a combination of the distance between the requester and the helper candidate and whether a destination of the helper selecting device is identical to a destination of the requester. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 8, wherein the second storage stores the support method in association with a requester attribute and a requested item, and the computer-executable program instructions when executed by a processor further cause a computer system to execute a method comprising: acquiring the support method from the second storage on the basis of a requester attribute and a requested item received from a requester terminal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) The computer-readable non-transitory recording medium according to claim 8, the computer-executable program instructions when executed by a processor further cause a computer system to execute a method comprising: notifying an ID of the helper candidate selected as the helper to the requester terminal; notifying an ID of the requester to the helper candidate terminal of the helper candidate selected as the helper; and when the requester and the helper approach one another, outputting, by each of the requester terminal and the helper candidate terminal, an indications indicating that the requester and the helper have approached one another. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein the second storage stores the support method in association with a requester attribute and a requested item, and the method further comprising: acquiring the support method from the second storage on the basis of a requester attribute and a requested item received from a requester terminal.