Information processing systems, methods, and programs

Abstract

We provide technology that can meet customer needs regarding waiting times. [Solution] An information processing system comprising: a queue management unit that positions a first element, which is an element included in or a new element of a queue consisting of one or more elements, at the position of a second element included in the queue; and a cost setting unit that sets the cost to the customer corresponding to the first element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, method, and program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, systems for electronically managing the order contents from customers have become widespread in restaurants. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system that displays each order arranged in the order of the order reception time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, the stances of customers regarding orders or reservations are diverse. For example, there may be customers who desire a short waiting time until the provision of goods or services, customers who tolerate or desire an extended waiting time until the provision of goods or services, or customers who desire to cancel a reservation.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can improve customer satisfaction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, in a queue consisting of one or two or more elements, a queue management unit that positions a first element, which is an element included in the queue or a new element, at the position of a second element included in the queue, and a cost setting unit that sets a cost for a customer corresponding to the first element are provided. An information processing system is provided.

[0007] The information processing system may further include a reward setting unit that sets a reward for a customer corresponding to at least one element that is positioned later than the first element in the queue.

[0008] The queue management unit may move the second element to another position in the queue or remove the second element from the queue, and the information processing system may further include a reward setting unit that sets a reward for the customer corresponding to the second element.

[0009] The information processing system further includes a request acquisition unit that acquires request information indicating a customer request corresponding to the first element, and the matrix management unit may position the first element based on the acquisition of the request information by the request acquisition unit.

[0010] The information processing system further includes a response acquisition unit that acquires response information indicating customer responses to customer requests corresponding to other elements in the queue, and the queue management unit may position the first element based on the acquisition of the request information by the request acquisition unit and the acquisition of the response information by the response acquisition unit.

[0011] The information processing system may further include a notification control unit that controls the notification of the request information to customers corresponding to one or more elements in the queue, based on the acquisition of the request information by the request acquisition unit.

[0012] Each element corresponds to an article, food or beverage, security, electronic data, or service, and the articles, food or beverage, security, electronic data, or service corresponding to one or more of the elements may be at least partially common with the articles, food or beverage, security, electronic data, or service corresponding to the first element.

[0013] The cost setting unit may set a cost for the customer corresponding to the first element that corresponds to the other elements that the first element has overtaken in the queue.

[0014] The queue management unit may move the second element to the end of the queue if the first element was the new element, or to the position of the first element if it was an element included in the queue. The reward setting unit may set a reward for the customer corresponding to the second element, corresponding to the other elements that the first element has overtaken in the queue.

[0015] The aforementioned queue may be a collection of reservation information, each containing one or more reservation information items, including date and time specifications, as one or more elements.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing system is provided which includes a reservation management unit that sets a second reservation information corresponding to a second customer at the date and time of a first reservation information corresponding to a first customer in a set of one or more reservation information including the specification of date and time, and modifies or cancels the first reservation information corresponding to the first customer, and a reward setting unit that sets a reward for the first customer or the second customer.

[0017] The information processing system further includes a cost setting unit that sets a cost for either the first customer or the second customer, and the reward setting unit may set a reward for the other of the first customer or the second customer.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-operated method is provided which includes, in a queue consisting of one or more elements, positioning a first element, which is an element included in the queue or a new element, at the position of a second element included in the queue, and setting a cost for the customer corresponding to the first element.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention to solve the above problems, a program is provided for causing a computer to function as a queue management unit that positions a first element, which is an element included in or a new element of a queue consisting of one or two or more elements, at the position of a second element included in the queue, and a cost setting unit that sets a cost for a customer corresponding to the first element.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention described above, a technique capable of improving customer satisfaction is provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the customer terminal 10. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of an order input screen. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an information processing server 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a queue. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation screen for transmitting request information in the operation display unit 120. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a request notification screen. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing the queue after update by the queue management unit 332. [Figure 9] It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of an information processing server 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration 90.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0023] Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, multiple components having substantially identical functional configurations may be distinguished by adding different letters after the same reference numeral. For example, multiple components having substantially identical functional configurations or logical significance may be distinguished as customer terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C as needed. However, if there is no need to particularly distinguish each of multiple components having substantially identical functional configurations, each of the multiple components will be assigned only the same reference numeral. For example, if there is no need to particularly distinguish customer terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C, each customer terminal will simply be referred to as customer terminal 10.

[0024] One embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing system for managing a queue consisting of multiple elements. This information processing system can be applied, for example, to a restaurant, in which case the menu items ordered by customers may correspond to each element constituting the queue. The following mainly describes an example in which the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a restaurant.

[0025] <Configuration of the Information Processing System> Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention has a plurality of customer terminals 10, accounting terminals 20, and an information processing server 30. The plurality of customer terminals 10 and accounting terminals 20 are installed in a store, and the plurality of customer terminals 10 and accounting terminals 20 are connected to the information processing server 30 via a network 12. However, the information processing server 30 may also be installed in the same store as the plurality of customer terminals 10 and accounting terminals 20.

[0026] (Customer terminal 10) The customer terminal 10 is an information terminal installed at one or more seats within the store. In the example shown in Figure 1, one customer terminal 10 is installed at each seat. Customers can order food and drinks by operating the customer terminal 10.

[0027] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the customer terminal 10. As shown in Figure 2, the customer terminal 10 has a communication unit 110, an operation display unit 120, and a control unit 130.

[0028] The communication unit 110 communicates various types of information with the information processing server 30. For example, based on control from the operation display unit 120, the communication unit 110 transmits order information, request information, and response information to the information processing server 30. The communication unit 110 also receives requests and other notifications from the information processing server 30. Request information, response information, and request notifications will be described in detail later.

[0029] The operation display unit 120 includes functions as an operation unit that detects customer operations and functions as a display unit that displays various screens. The display unit function is realized by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The operation unit function is realized by, for example, a touch panel. Note that the functions of the display unit and the operation unit may be configured separately. The operation display unit 120 displays, for example, an order input screen. A specific example of an order input screen will be described below with reference to Figure 3.

[0030] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of an order input screen. As shown in Figure 3, the order input screen includes a seat display 51 and menu selection items 52-55. Figure 3 shows the order input screen of customer terminal 10A, and therefore the seat display 51 shows "A". A customer using seat A can order their desired menu by selecting a menu item on the order input screen. When a customer orders their desired menu, the communication unit 110 transmits the order information to the information processing server 30.

[0031] The control unit 130 controls the overall operation of the customer terminal 10. For example, the control unit 130 controls communication between the communication unit 110 and the information processing server 30, and controls the display of various display screens by the operation display unit 120.

[0032] (Accounting terminal 20) The accounting terminal 20 is an information terminal that performs accounting processing. For example, when a store employee designates a seat, the accounting terminal 20 queries the information processing server 30 for the accounting amount for that seat and displays the accounting amount obtained from the information processing server 30. The accounting amount may be the sum of the price of the ordered menu items and consumption tax, etc. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the total amount will include the costs and fees described later.

[0033] (Information processing server 30) The information processing server 30 is an information processing device that manages queues. The queues managed by the information processing server 30 are displayed on in-store terminals (not shown in Figure 1), and store employees can prepare food according to the queues displayed on these in-store display terminals.

[0034] Here, some customers want a short waiting time for their food and drinks to be served, while others are willing to tolerate a longer waiting time.

[0035] From this perspective, the information processing server 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a function that allows customers who wish to shorten the waiting time for food and beverages to be served to pay a fee to reduce the waiting time, and a function that rewards customers who tolerate longer waiting times. The configuration and operation of the information processing server 30 according to this embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0036] <Configuration of Information Processing Server 30> Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of an information processing server 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the information processing server 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention has a communication unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a control unit 330.

[0037] (Communications Department 310) The communication unit 310 communicates various types of information with other devices. For example, the communication unit 310 receives order information from the customer terminal 10. The communication unit 310 also functions as a request information acquisition unit, obtaining request information from the customer terminal 10 indicating a request for queue exchange from a customer corresponding to a first element, which is a new order not in the queue or an order included in the queue. A customer corresponding to a first element is, for example, a customer using a seat associated with the order of the first element. The communication unit 310 also functions as a response acquisition unit, obtaining response information from the customer terminal 10 indicating a response from a customer corresponding to another element in the queue to the above-mentioned queue exchange request.

[0038] Furthermore, the communication unit 310 receives an inquiry about the accounting amount from the accounting terminal 20 and transmits the accounting amount to the accounting terminal 20. The communication unit 310 also transmits a queue to in-store terminals not shown in Figure 1.

[0039] (Storage unit 320) The memory unit 320 stores various types of information used in the operation of the information processing server 30. For example, the memory unit 320 stores a queue in which multiple elements are ordered.

[0040] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of a queue. As shown in Figure 5, in a queue, a combination of seat, menu (order), and cost / reward is associated with a sequence. For example, sequence "1" is associated with seat "A" and menu "curry rice," indicating that the sequence for menu "curry rice" ordered at seat A is "1" (the front of the queue).

[0041] The information processing server 30 may manage the queue for one store, and the storage unit 320 may store the queue for one store. Alternatively, the information processing server 30 may manage the queues for multiple stores. In this case, the storage unit 320 may store the queue for each store, or it may store the queues for each type of seat within each store (for example, counter seats, two-person tables, four-person tables, private rooms, etc.).

[0042] (Control unit 330) The control unit 330 controls the overall operation of the information processing server 30. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the control unit 330 has the functions of a notification control unit 331, a queue management unit 332, a cost setting unit 334, a reward setting unit 335, and an accounting amount calculation unit 336.

[0043] The notification control unit 331 controls notifications to customers corresponding to one or more elements in the queue, based on the acquisition of request information by the communication unit 310. First, an example of the operation screen for sending request information in the operation display unit 120 will be described with reference to Figure 6.

[0044] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation screen for transmitting request information in the operation display unit 120. In Figure 6, an example of the operation screen displayed when a new user F appears to use seat F and user F orders curry rice. The communication unit 310 of the information processing server 30 transmits information including the queue stored in the storage unit 320 to the customer terminal 10, and the operation display unit 120 of the customer terminal 10 can display the operation screen based on this information.

[0045] The operation screen shown in Figure 6 includes a seat display 61, guidance messages 62, queue display 63, operation guidance messages 64, and an exchange request button 65. The queue display 63 includes the order, menu, and cost. The cost is the customer's payment required in addition to the cost of the menu for exchanging for the corresponding order. In the example shown in Figure 6, order "1" is associated with the menu "Curry Rice" and a cost of "500 yen," indicating that the customer needs to pay an additional 500 yen to exchange for order "1." Similarly, order "3" is associated with the menu "Curry Rice" and a cost of "200 yen," indicating that the customer needs to pay an additional 200 yen to exchange for order "3." Since exchanging for order "1" reduces waiting time more than exchanging for order "3," the cost for order "1" may be set higher than the cost for order "3," as shown in Figure 6. The cost may be in the form of money or various points, as shown in Figure 6.

[0046] On the operation screen, if the customer wishes to change the queue, they select the desired item from the queue display 63 and press the "Request Exchange" button 65, following the operation guidance message 64. This causes the communication unit 110 of the customer terminal 10 to send request information, including the desired item, to the information processing server 30. The items for which a queue exchange is requested may be limited to elements that are common to at least some of the menus, or to elements that are identical to the menus, or there may be no particular restrictions. Alternatively, since menus closer to the beginning of the queue are more likely to be prepared, the items for which a queue exchange is requested may be limited to elements from a predetermined position onwards. The operation screen may also include a display of an estimated waiting time if no queue exchange is performed. The estimated waiting time can be calculated by the customer terminal 10 or the information processing server 30 from the queue. For example, the customer terminal 10 or the information processing server 30 may calculate the estimated waiting time by multiplying the number of elements constituting the queue by a predetermined time, or by referring to the pre-set preparation time for each menu and summing the preparation times for each menu.

[0047] The notification control unit 331 causes the communication unit 310 to send a notification to the customer terminal 10 (and the customer using the customer terminal 10) that corresponds to the desired target included in the request information. The customer terminal 10 that receives the notification displays the request notification screen. That is, the notification includes the information contained in the request notification screen, which will be explained with reference to Figure 7 below.

[0048] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a request notification screen. More specifically, Figure 7 is the request notification screen displayed by customer terminal 10A when a customer in seat F requests to exchange with queue 1 in the operation screen shown in Figure 6.

[0049] As shown in Figure 7, the request notification screen includes a seat display 71, a guidance message 72, a queue display 73, a reward display 74, an operation guidance message 75, a "no" button 76, and a "yes" button 77. The queue display 73 shows the current queue of the customer using seat A, and the queue after the exchange if the queue exchange request is granted. The reward display 74 shows the reward given to the customer using seat A if the queue exchange request is granted. In the example shown in Figure 7, the reward is "300 yen," which is less than the cost of "500 yen" for the customer who requested the queue exchange. There may be a difference between the reward and the cost, and this difference may be treated as revenue for the store or system operator.

[0050] On the request notification screen, the customer follows the operation guidance message 75 and presses the No button 76 if they do not wish to agree to the queue exchange request, or the Yes button 77 if they agree to the queue exchange request. Based on the Yes button 77 being pressed, the communication unit 110 of the customer terminal 10 sends response information to the information processing server 30 indicating that the customer agrees to the exchange.

[0051] Referring to Figure 4, we return to the explanation of the information processing server 30. The queue management unit 332 manages the queue in the storage unit 320. Specifically, based on the receipt of order information from the customer terminal 10, the queue management unit 332 adds the order indicated by the order information as the last element in the queue.

[0052] Furthermore, the queue management unit 332 positions the new element or an element included in the queue in a position that overtakes at least some of the other elements. For example, based on the reception of response information by the communication unit 310, the queue management unit 332 reorders the order corresponding to the customer who requested the queue swap to the position of the order corresponding to the responding customer, and moves the position of the order corresponding to the responding customer to a later position in the queue. More specifically, the queue management unit 332 may swap the order of the order corresponding to the customer who requested the queue swap with the order corresponding to the responding customer.

[0053] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the queue after it has been updated by the queue management unit 332. As shown in Figure 8, seat "F" and menu item "Curry Rice" are associated with the order "1", and the order of seat "A" and menu item "Curry Rice" has been moved to "4".

[0054] The cost setting unit 334 identifies the cost incurred when a queue exchange occurs. The cost identified here will be included in the example operation screen described with reference to Figure 6, for example. The cost setting unit 334 may also identify the cost based on predetermined rules or parameters, depending on at least some of the elements in the queue that the customer's element will overtake when a queue exchange occurs. For example, the cost setting unit 334 may identify a higher cost the more elements the customer's element overtakes. Furthermore, based on the reception of response information by the communication unit 310, the cost setting unit 334 sets the cost for the customer who requested the queue exchange in the queue. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the cost setting unit 334 sets a cost of "500 yen" for the element in queue "1", i.e., for the customer who requested the queue exchange.

[0055] The reward setting unit 335 identifies the reward that will be generated when a queue exchange occurs. The reward identified here will be included in the request notification screen, as explained with reference to Figure 7, for example. The reward setting unit 335 may also identify the reward based on predetermined rules or parameters, depending on at least some elements in the queue that the customer will overtake when a queue exchange occurs. For example, the reward setting unit 335 may identify a higher reward the more elements the requesting customer overtakes. Furthermore, based on the reception of response information by the communication unit 310, the reward setting unit 335 sets the reward for the customer who responded to the queue exchange request in the queue. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the cost setting unit 334 sets "300 yen" as the reward for the element of queue "4," that is, for the customer who responded to the queue exchange request.

[0056] The accounting amount calculation unit 336 calculates the accounting amount that the customer should pay. Specifically, the accounting amount calculation unit 336 calculates the accounting amount by taking into account the cost and fee of the ordered menu items and consumption tax. For example, the accounting amount calculation unit 336 may calculate the accounting amount by adding the cost and subtracting the fee to the total amount of the menu items and consumption tax. The accounting amount calculated by the accounting amount calculation unit 336 may be transmitted from the communication unit 310 to the accounting terminal 20 along with detailed information including costs or fees.

[0057] <Operation of Information Processing Server 30> The configuration of the information processing server 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, the operation of the information processing server 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be summarized with reference to Figure 9.

[0058] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the information processing server 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 9, when an operation requesting a change of order is performed on the customer terminal 10F (S204), the customer terminal 10F sends request information to the information processing server 30 (S208).

[0059] Then, the information processing server 30 sends a request notification to the customer terminal 10A that corresponds to the customer terminal 10A that is requested to exchange information included in the request information (S212). Based on the receipt of the request notification, the customer terminal 10A displays the request notification screen (S216). When the customer using the customer terminal 10A presses the Yes button 77 on the request notification screen, the customer terminal 10A sends response information to the information processing server 30 (S220).

[0060] Subsequently, the information processing server 30 updates the queue (S224), sets a cost for the customer who requested the queue exchange (S228), and sets a reward for the customer who complied with the queue exchange request (S232). Then, the information processing server 30 sends a queue exchange completion notification to the customer terminal 10F indicating that the queue exchange has been completed (S236), and the customer terminal 10F displays a queue exchange completion screen (S240). This allows the customer using the customer terminal 10F to recognize that the exchange has been completed.

[0061] If, after the information processing server 30 sends a request notification to the customer terminal 10A, no response information is sent from the customer terminal 10A within a predetermined time (for example, within 30 seconds), the customer terminal 10A terminates the display of the request notification screen, the information processing server 30 sends a notification to the customer terminal 10F indicating that the order exchange was not completed, and the customer terminal 10F displays the exchange completion screen.

[0062] <Effects and Effects> According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, various effects and benefits can be obtained. For example, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by paying a cost, the element that serves the customer in the queue can be overtaken by other elements. With such a configuration, the customer's need to reduce waiting time can be met. As a result, it is possible to improve customer satisfaction.

[0063] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reward setting unit 335 sets a reward for customers corresponding to at least one element that is behind the element that overtook in the queue. If customers who have paid a cost are given priority, but customers whose waiting time has increased due to that priority are not compensated in any way, these customers may become dissatisfied. In this respect, in one embodiment of the present invention, since the above-mentioned reward setting can satisfy customers whose waiting time has increased, it is expected that smooth system operation will be realized.

[0064] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the queue management unit 332 achieves the above-mentioned overtaking by swapping the order of two elements in the queue. With this configuration, only one customer will experience an increase in waiting time due to overtaking.

[0065] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the queue management unit 332 performs queue exchanges based on a customer's request for queue exchange and responses from other customers. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the order of the elements corresponding to a customer in the queue from being changed without the customer's intention. In addition, customers who are willing to wait longer can receive a reward for complying with the above request, thus satisfying the needs of customers who want to receive a reward even if their wait time is extended.

[0066] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the notification control unit 331 controls the notification of a queue change request to customers corresponding to elements that satisfy predetermined conditions. These predetermined conditions are, for example, that the element related to the request for queue change is the same as, or at least partially the same as, the corresponding goods, food and beverages, securities, electronic data, or service. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the impact that queue changes have on the preparation or planning of the provider of goods, food and beverages, securities, electronic data, or service. For example, in a restaurant, the above notification may be sent to customers corresponding to elements whose food menu is the same as the element related to the request for queue change, but whose drink menu is different. Also, since the menus of elements closer to the front of the queue are more likely to be prepared, the predetermined condition may be that the element is a predetermined position or later in the queue.

[0067] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the cost setting unit 334 sets a cost for the customer in accordance with at least some of the elements in the queue that the element corresponding to the customer has overtaken. With this configuration, a reasonable cost can be set for the customer that corresponds to the benefit the customer receives from overtaking.

[0068] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reward setting unit 335 sets a reward for the customer corresponding to the element that has been swapped in order with the element that has been overtaken by the element corresponding to the customer in the queue. With this configuration, a reasonable reward can be set for the customer corresponding to the element that has been swapped in order, in accordance with the disadvantage suffered by the customer.

[0069] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, there may be a difference between the compensation and the costs, and this difference may be treated as revenue for the store or system operator. Such a configuration may incentivize stores or system operators to adopt a system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] <Hardware Configuration> An embodiment of the present invention has been described above. The information processing, such as queue management and cost setting and measurement described above, is realized through the cooperation of software and hardware. Below, an example of a hardware configuration that can be applied to the information processing server 30 and customer terminal 10 will be described.

[0071] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration 90. The hardware configuration 90 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, and a host bus 904. The hardware configuration 90 also includes a bridge 905, an external bus 906, an interface 907, an input device 908, a display device 909, an audio output device 910, a storage device (HDD) 911, a drive 912, and a network interface 915.

[0072] The CPU 901 functions as both an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, controlling the overall operation according to various programs. The CPU 901 may also be a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901 and parameters that change as needed during its execution. These are interconnected by a host bus 904, which consists of a CPU bus and other components. Through the cooperation of the CPU 901, ROM 902, RAM 903, and software, the functions of the control unit 330 and control unit 130 described above can be realized.

[0073] The host bus 904 is connected to an external bus 906, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 905. It is not always necessary to configure the host bus 904, bridge 905, and external bus 906 separately; these functions may be implemented on a single bus.

[0074] The input device 908 consists of input means for the user to input information, such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, buttons, microphone, sensor, switch, and lever, and an input control circuit that generates input signals based on the user's input and outputs them to the CPU 901. By operating the input device 908, the user can input various types of data and instruct processing operations.

[0075] The display device 909 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a projector device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device, and a lamp. The audio output device 910 includes an audio output device such as a speaker and headphones.

[0076] The storage device 911 is a data storage device configured as an example of a storage unit according to this embodiment. The storage device 911 may include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deletion device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage device 911 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a memory having equivalent functionality. This storage device 911 drives the storage and stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and various data.

[0077] Drive 912 is a reader / writer for storage media and is either built into or external to the hardware configuration 90. Drive 912 reads information recorded on removable storage media 84, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, and outputs it to RAM 903 or storage device 911. Drive 912 can also write information to the removable storage media 84.

[0078] The network interface 915 is a communication interface composed of, for example, a communication device for connecting to the network 12. Furthermore, the network interface 915 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible communication device or a wired communication device for wired communication.

[0079] <Variation> One embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Below, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be explained. Each of the modifications described below may be applied to the above-described embodiment individually or in combination. Furthermore, each modification may be applied in place of the configuration of the above-described embodiment, or additionally to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[0080] For example, the above describes an example where customer terminals 10 installed at each seat in the store are used for ordering and changing queues, but other devices may also be used for ordering and changing queues. For example, customers may order and change queues by operating a shared terminal installed at a designated location such as the entrance of the store. In that case, a reception number may be issued when the order is entered, and the reception number may be used to manage the queue instead of the seats mentioned above. The customer may then request to change queues by entering their reception number on the shared terminal. Alternatively, the reception number of the element for which a queue change is requested may be displayed or announced audibly within the store, and the customer corresponding to that reception number may perform an operation on the shared terminal to agree to the queue change.

[0081] Furthermore, each customer may use their own information terminal to place orders, request queue changes, and receive responses to those requests. If each seat has a code indicating access information corresponding to that seat, and the information terminal reads the code to display an order input screen, the customer's seat can be identified based on the access information indicated by the code. Alternatively, identification information such as a reception number, terminal ID of the information terminal, or customer ID may be managed in place of the seats in the queue. In this case, even if a customer is waiting to enter the store outside, the customer can perform an operation on their information terminal to request a queue change, and the information terminal will send request information including its reception number, terminal ID, or customer ID, as well as the person it wishes to exchange queues with, to the information processing server 30, and the information processing server 30 will perform the above-mentioned processing based on the request information, thereby enabling the queue change to be completed. However, the information processing server 30 may restrict the exchange partners so that customers waiting to enter the store outside the store can only exchange queues with other customers who are also waiting to enter the store outside the store. This makes it possible to avoid the exchange of queues between customers waiting outside the store and customers seated inside the store, and to avoid the need for customers seated inside the store to leave the store temporarily in such cases.

[0082] Furthermore, while the above describes an example in which the cost setting unit 334 and the reward setting unit 335 set costs and rewards based on predetermined rules or parameters, there are various methods for setting costs and rewards. For example, the cost may be set by the customer on the operation screen for requesting a queue exchange. In this case, customers who strongly desire to reduce their waiting time can increase the likelihood of a queue exchange being completed by setting a higher cost. In this case, the reward may be set as a predetermined percentage of the cost.

[0083] Furthermore, although the above describes an example where accounting is performed at the accounting terminal 20, accounting may also be performed electronically via the customer terminal 10 by the customer terminal 10 querying the information processing server 30 for the accounting amount.

[0084] Furthermore, the above describes an example where the other person's seat is not displayed on the operation screen for requesting a change of seating order and the request notification screen. However, the other person's seat may be displayed on these screens. With such a configuration, both parties can recognize who requested the change of seating order and who agreed to the change, so it is expected that communication such as expressing gratitude will occur.

[0085] Furthermore, while the above examples illustrate costs and rewards as monetary or point-based, costs and rewards may take other forms. For example, costs could be additional orders, and rewards could be the free provision of food, beverages, or services such as meals, drinks, or desserts.

[0086] Furthermore, the above describes an example in which a customer may request a queue change after entering an order on the order entry screen. However, the customer terminal 10 may display the queue without an order from the customer, and the queue management unit 332 may order the new element corresponding to that customer to the position of the element corresponding to the customer who agreed to the queue change, and move the element corresponding to the customer who agreed to the queue change to the end of the queue. After that, the customer corresponding to the new element may order from the menu, or the menu of the element corresponding to the customer who agreed to the queue change may be taken over by the new element.

[0087] Furthermore, while the above describes an example where a customer who receives notification of a queue exchange request decides whether or not to comply with the request, a customer who is willing to accept an extended waiting time may perform an operation on the customer terminal 10 in advance to indicate that they will comply with the queue exchange request. In this case, each element of the queue displayed on the customer terminal 10 of other customers may be marked to indicate whether the operation indicating compliance with the queue exchange request has already been performed. This configuration is expected to increase the likelihood of queue exchanges being successfully completed. In addition, a customer may perform an operation on the customer terminal 10 in advance to set their desired compensation if they agree to a queue exchange, and the customer terminal 10 may send information indicating the desired compensation to the information processing server 30. In this case, the information processing server 30 sends a queue containing elements with costs corresponding to the desired compensation to the customer terminal 10 of other customers, and the customer terminal 10 may display the queue. Other customers can then select their desired queue exchange target while considering the costs displayed in the queue.

[0088] Furthermore, although the above describes an example where payment is made upon leaving the store and costs and rewards are reflected in the payment amount, payment may also be made at the time of ordering. In this case, the reward may be given to the customer upon leaving the store or when the queue exchange is completed. Also, if the customer requests a queue exchange after ordering, the cost may be paid by the customer when the queue exchange is completed or when leaving the store. If each element constituting the queue includes information that can identify the customer (e.g., customer ID), and the information processing server 30 manages each customer's credit card information, the cost may be processed by deduction from the credit card indicated by the credit card information, or the reward may be processed by depositing funds into the credit card indicated by the credit card information.

[0089] Furthermore, while the above example describes a customer selecting the desired replacement when requesting a queue change, the customer does not have to select a replacement. In this case, the information processing server 30 may send notifications to customer terminals 10 that handle other customers simultaneously or sequentially, and the element corresponding to the customer who responded to the queue change first may be selected as the replacement partner.

[0090] Furthermore, the order exchange may be finalized only after approval by the store staff. For example, the information processing server 30 may, based on the reception of response information from the customer terminal 10, send a notification to an in-store terminal used by the store staff, and finalize the order exchange after the staff has performed an operation on the in-store terminal to approve the order exchange. The notification to the in-store terminal may be sent simultaneously with the notification to the customer terminal 10 used by the customer who wishes to exchange orders, or it may be sent when response information is sent from the customer terminal 10. In addition, the information processing server 30 may send a notification to the in-store terminal, and if the order exchange is approved by the staff, send a notification to the customer terminal 10 used by the customer who wishes to exchange orders. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of order exchanges that are undesirable for the store (for example, an exchange with an element of an order that has already begun to be prepared).

[0091] Furthermore, if there are restrictions on the time the store is open, the information processing server 30 may manage the usage time for each customer. For example, the time the store is open may be limited to a predetermined period from the time of each customer's first order, and the information processing server 30 may manage the time of each customer's first order and the elapsed time since that first order. In addition, if an order swap is successful, the information processing server 30 may also swap the first order times and the elapsed time since those first order times corresponding to the two elements whose order has been swapped.

[0092] Furthermore, although the above describes an example where the order in a queue is swapped, the customer terminal 10 may also accept an operation to request an interruption in the queue. In this case, the information processing server 30 may send a notification to each customer corresponding to the element that will be after the interrupt position, and execute the interrupt if all customers, or at least some customers, respond to the request. In this case, the reward setting unit 335 may set a reward (for example, the same reward) for each customer corresponding to the element whose order has been pushed back by the interrupt. Alternatively, if a customer performs an operation to request an interrupt, the information processing server 30 may execute the interrupt without a response from other customers (without sending a notification to other customers). Similarly, the information processing server 30 may also perform a queue swap without a response from other customers (without sending a notification to other customers).

[0093] Furthermore, although the above mainly describes an example in which the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a restaurant, the application of the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to restaurants. For example, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to an internet shop, in which case the information terminal held by each customer plays a substantially equivalent role to the customer terminal 10 described above, and the items ordered by the customer may correspond to the elements that make up the queue. Also, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a medical institution such as a hospital, in which case the information terminal held by each customer or a terminal installed in the hospital plays a substantially equivalent role to the customer terminal 10 described above, and a queue may be prepared for each department or doctor that the patient customer wishes to see. Also, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to an amusement facility with multiple attractions, in which case the information terminal held by each customer or a terminal installed in the amusement facility plays a substantially equivalent role to the customer terminal 10 described above, and customers waiting to enter the amusement facility or use each attraction may correspond to the elements that make up the queue. Furthermore, an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to an exchange for electronic data such as securities, currencies, or crypto assets, in which case each customer's information terminal plays a substantially equivalent role to the customer terminal 10 described above, and each element constituting the queue may be a customer's buy order or sell order.

[0094] Furthermore, the elements of the queue are reservation information including a date and time specification, and the queue may be a collection of one or more reservation information. In other words, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention can be suitably applied to service providers that handle reservations with specified dates and times. For example, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to restaurants, massage parlors, beauty salons, and medical institutions that handle reservations with specified dates and times. Also, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be applied to contractors that perform various types of construction work such as internet line installation and interior construction, as well as moving companies. In this case, the queue management unit 332 functions as a reservation management unit that sets a second reservation information corresponding to a second customer at the date and time of the first reservation information corresponding to a first customer in the collection of reservation information, and modifies or cancels the first reservation information corresponding to the first customer. The cost setting unit 334 sets a cost for either the first or second customer, and the reward setting unit 335 sets a reward for either the first or second customer. The processing when the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied to a service provider that handles reservations with specified dates and times will be described in more detail below.

[0095] The customer's information terminal transmits reservation information, including the date, time, and content, to the information processing server 30 based on the customer's operation. Alternatively, the service provider's terminal transmits reservation information, including the date, time, and content, to the information processing server 30 based on the service provider's staff's operation. The queue management unit 332 of the information processing server 30 then adds the reservation information to the queue (a collection of reservation information).

[0096] Furthermore, the information processing server 30 transmits queue information to the information terminal of a customer (corresponding to the second customer mentioned above) who is attempting to make a new reservation, and the information terminal displays the queue. The queue display may be, for example, a schedule table that includes multiple time slots arranged in the chronological direction, with a display indicating the reservation information placed in the time slots that have reservation information. The customer selects a desired time slot from the queue display. If the selected time slot is a time slot with reservation information, the information terminal transmits request information to the information processing server 30 indicating that the reservation information is the desired item. The information processing server 30 transmits a notification to the customer corresponding to the desired reservation information (corresponding to the first customer mentioned above) that includes a message indicating that the time slot reserved by the customer is the desired item for another customer, and a message indicating the action to be taken if the customer wishes to fulfill the other customer's request. For example, the information processing server 30 may transmit the notification to the email address of the customer corresponding to the desired reservation information. When the customer who receives the notification performs the action to fulfill the other customer's request, the customer's information terminal transmits response information to the information processing server 30 indicating that the request has been fulfilled.

[0097] Based on the receipt of the response information, the information processing server 30 changes the desired reservation information to the reservation information of the customer who sent the request information. Here, only the date and time of the reservation information may be carried over, or the content may also be carried over. The information processing server 30 may also remove the reservation information of the customer who made the request from the queue, or if the response information includes alternative reservation information that includes an alternative date and time and content, it may add that alternative reservation information to the queue. Based on pre-configured rules, parameters, or input from the customer, the information processing server 30 sets a cost for the customer who sent the request information and sets a reward for the customer who made the request.

[0098] Furthermore, a customer's information terminal that already has reservation information may send request information to the information processing server 30, including the reservation information and the requested reservation information. In this case, the information processing server 30 may send a notification to the customer corresponding to the requested reservation information, including a message indicating that the time slot reserved by the customer is the target of another customer's reservation request, a message indicating the other customer's reservation information, and a message indicating the operation to be performed if the customer agrees to exchange the date and time with the other customer's reservation information. When the customer who receives the notification performs the operation to comply with the other customer's request, the customer's information terminal sends response information to the information processing server 30 indicating that the request has been complied with. Based on the receipt of the response information, the information processing server 30 may exchange the requested reservation information with the date and time of the reservation information of the customer who sent the request information.

[0099] Furthermore, when a customer makes a reservation, the customer may perform an operation on their information terminal to indicate whether or not they intend to give up the reservation, and the information terminal may transmit reservation information, including the information indicating whether or not they intend to give up the reservation, to the information processing server 30. The information processing server 30 may then transmit to the information terminal of a customer who intends to make a new reservation a queue in which the display of reservation information is arranged so that the display pattern is distinguished according to whether or not the customer intends to give up the reservation. As a result, for example, on the customer's information terminal, available time slots may be displayed with "○", time slots for reservation information that the customer does not intend to give up may be displayed with "×", and time slots for reservation information that the customer intends to give up may be displayed with "△". In addition, the desired items that the customer can select may be limited to reservation information that the customer intends to give up. Alternatively, the information processing server 30 may transmit a list of reservation information that the customer intends to give up to the information terminal of a customer who intends to make a new reservation, and the customer may select a desired item from that list. Through these operations, customers can efficiently select a desired item from the queue. However, if the above operation is carried out, there is a possibility that some customers may make reservations in order to receive a reward for transferring their reservation information, and then cancel those reservations if the desired reservation information does not become available until the last minute. For this reason, customers who indicate their intention to transfer their reservations may be subject to stricter cancellation policies than usual. For example, a system may be designed in which customers who indicate their intention to transfer their reservations are charged a 100% cancellation fee regardless of when they cancel.

[0100] In the above example, the reward setting unit 335 sets a reward for the customer who transfers the reservation (date and time of reservation information), and the cost setting unit 334 sets a cost for the customer who receives the reservation. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this example. For example, a customer who has made a reservation but is unable to use it may want to transfer the reservation to another customer if it allows them to avoid paying a cancellation fee. A customer who wants to transfer a reservation performs an operation to indicate their intention to transfer the reservation, and the information terminal transmits information to the information processing server 30. The information processing server 30 may then transmit a queue including the reward that would be incurred if the reservation were transferred to the other customer's information terminal. Alternatively, a customer who wants to transfer a reservation may input an acceptable cost into their information terminal, and the information terminal transmits information including the acceptable cost to the information processing server 30. The information processing server then transmits a queue including the reward corresponding to the acceptable cost to the other customer's information terminal. Then, when another customer agrees to take over the reservation, the queue management unit 332 of the information processing server 30 sets the other customer's reservation information at the original reservation date and time, and modifies or cancels the original reservation information (i.e., removes the reservation information from the queue). Alternatively, the reward setting unit 335 may set a reward for the other customer, and the cost setting unit 334 may set a cost for the customer who took over the reservation. This concept can also be similarly applied to the order exchange in the embodiment described above.

[0101] Furthermore, in the system described above, there is concern that some customers may place large orders or make reservations for the purpose of earning rewards. This concern can be addressed in various ways. For example, the information processing server 30 may set limits on the number of reservations a single customer can make with the same service provider, or, if the information processing server 30 manages reservations for multiple service providers, the total number of reservations a single customer can make with multiple service providers. Alternatively, the information processing server 30 may limit customers who can earn rewards by exchanging queues and customers who can earn rewards by giving up their reservations to customers with a certain level of evaluation. For example, if the information processing server 30 ranks customers based on their performance over a predetermined period (e.g., total amount spent on orders or reservations, number of uses, or number of cancellations), customers of a certain rank or higher may be offered the benefit of earning rewards by exchanging queues or giving up their reservations.

[0102] <Supplement> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0103] For example, each step in the processing of the customer terminal 10 and the information processing server 30 in this specification does not necessarily have to be processed chronologically in the order described in the sequence diagram. For example, each step in the processing of the customer terminal 10 and the information processing server 30 may be processed in an order different from the order described in the sequence diagram, or may be processed in parallel.

[0104] Furthermore, it is possible to create computer programs that enable the CPU, ROM, RAM, and other hardware built into the customer terminal 10, accounting terminal 20, and information processing server 30 to perform functions equivalent to those of the respective configurations of the customer terminal 10, accounting terminal 20, and information processing server 30 described above. A non-temporary storage medium on which such computer programs are stored is also provided.

[0105] Furthermore, the functions of the communication unit 310, storage unit 320, notification control unit 331, queue management unit 332, cost setting unit 334, reward setting unit 335, and accounting amount calculation unit 336 described above may be implemented in a single enclosure or distributed among multiple enclosures. If the above functions are implemented in a single enclosure, the device having that enclosure may correspond to the information processing server 30. If the above functions are distributed among multiple enclosures, one or more combinations of the multiple devices having each enclosure may correspond to the information processing server 30. In addition, if the above functions are distributed among multiple enclosures, an interface for inputting and outputting information between the devices having each enclosure is also implemented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 10 Customer terminals 110 Communications Department 12 Networks 120 Operation display section 130 Control Unit 20 Accounting terminals 30 Information Processing Server 310 Communications Department 320 Storage section 330 Control Unit 331 Notification Control Unit 332 Queue Management Department 334 Cost Setting Section 335 Compensation Setting Department 336 Accounting Amount Calculation Section

Claims

1. A queue management unit that, based on the transmission of request information indicating a request from an information terminal installed at a seat in a store, positions a first element, which is an element included in the queue or a new element, in the queue consisting of one or more elements, in the position of a second element included in the queue, moves the second element to another position in the queue, or removes the second element from the queue, A cost setting unit that sets the cost to the customer corresponding to the first element, A reward setting unit sets the reward for the customer corresponding to the second element, Equipped with, An information processing system in which there is a difference between the cost set by the cost setting unit and the reward set by the reward setting unit.

2. A reservation management unit sets a second reservation information corresponding to a second customer at the date and time of a first reservation information corresponding to a first customer in a set of one or more reservation information including a specified date and time, and modifies or cancels the first reservation information corresponding to the first customer. A reward setting unit that sets a reward for either the first customer or the second customer, A cost setting unit that sets costs for the first customer or the other of the second customer, Equipped with, There is a difference between the cost set by the cost setting unit and the reward set by the reward setting unit. An information processing system that limits the customers to whom compensation is set by the compensation setting unit to customers who meet predetermined evaluation conditions.

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