Server, information processing method, program and system

Abstract

To provide a server, an information processing method, and a program capable of easily making reservations for a plurality of users.SOLUTION: A server for communicating with a first terminal of a user includes: a communication unit that receives reservation information about a reservation from the first terminal; and a control unit that controls transmission of a reservation completion notification indicating completion of the reservation and information for inputting participants of the reservation to the first terminal by the communication unit, based on the reception of the reservation information. The communication unit receives participant information, which is information on the participants input to the transmitted information for inputting participants.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a server, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for the use of restaurants and the like, a service for making reservations for restaurants and the like from a user's terminal has been put into practical use. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which a user accesses a reservation server to make a reservation for the sale of tickets or the like, and the reservation server notifies the user's terminal of the encrypted reservation information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server that communicates with a first terminal of a user, the server including: a communication unit that receives reservation information related to a reservation from the first terminal; and a control unit that, based on the reception of the reservation information, performs control to transmit, by the communication unit, a reservation completion notification indicating that the reservation has been completed and information for inputting participants in the reservation to the first terminal. The communication unit receives participant information, which is information of a participant, input to the information for inputting the transmitted participants. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method for a server that communicates with a first terminal of a user, the method including: receiving, by a communication unit of the server, reservation information related to a reservation from the first terminal; based on the reception of the reservation information, transmitting, by the communication unit, a reservation completion notification indicating that the reservation has been completed and information for inputting participants in the reservation to the first terminal; and receiving, by the communication unit, participant information, which is information of a participant, input to the information for inputting the transmitted participants. <0,000025>According to a third aspect of the present invention, a server program that communicates with a user's first terminal is configured such that the server receives reservation information from the first terminal via a communication unit of the server, transmits a reservation completion notification indicating that the reservation has been completed and information for inputting participants to the reservation to the first terminal via the communication unit based on the reception of the reservation information, and receives participant information, which is participant information, entered into the transmitted participant input information via the communication unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the system configuration in one embodiment. [Figure 2] A diagram showing an example of the configuration of a representative terminal in one aspect of the embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of a function realized by the control unit of the server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of information stored in the storage unit of the server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] A diagram showing an example of a function realized by the control unit of the representative terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of information stored in the memory unit of the representative terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This diagram shows an example of a reservation confirmation notification sent to the representative's terminal and information for participant input. [Figure 9] This diagram shows an example of entering participant information on the representative's terminal. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates an example of selecting all users included in a group. [Figure 11] A figure showing an example of a modified version of the first embodiment in which users are displayed in a list. [Figure 12] A diagram showing an example of a function realized by the control unit of the participant terminal according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13]A diagram showing an example of information stored in the memory unit of a participant terminal according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] A diagram showing an example of a reservation confirmation notification and participant input information sent to the participant's device. [Figure 16] A diagram illustrating an example of entering participant information on a participant's terminal. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of how code information is read by a participant's terminal in the third embodiment. [Figure 18] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 19] A diagram showing an example of a function realized by the control unit of the server according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 21] A diagram showing an example of point information displayed on a participant's terminal in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 22] A diagram showing an example of how points are related in a modified example of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 23] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 24] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 25] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device relating to the fifth modified example (2). [Figure 26] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device relating to the fifth modification (3). [Figure 27] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device relating to the fifth modification (4). [Figure 28] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 29]A diagram showing an example of a reservation completion notice sent to the representative terminal and information for participant input in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 30] A diagram showing an example of a state where the order of groups is changed in the list of information for participant input. [Figure 31] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow executed by each device according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 32] A flowchart showing an example of the processing flow executed by each device according to the eighth embodiment. [Figure 33] A diagram showing a conventional example in which a server displays a plurality of service plans of a reservation destination in the ninth embodiment. [Figure 34] A diagram showing an example in which a server according to the ninth embodiment displays a plurality of service plans of a reservation destination.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0006] <Compliance with Legal Matters> It should be noted that the disclosure described in this specification is premised on compliance with the legal matters of the country of implementation required for the implementation of this disclosure, such as communication secrecy.

[0007] Embodiments for implementing the server, information processing method, and program according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] [System Configuration] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a system 1 including a server according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As disclosed in FIG. 1, in the system 1, the server 10, the representative terminal 20, the participant terminals 40 (participant terminal 40A, participant terminal 40B,...), and the reservation destination device 50 are connected via the network 30.

[0009] The server 10 has a function of communicating with the representative terminal 20, the participant terminals 40, and the reservation destination device 50 via the network 30. Note that the number of representative terminals 20, participant terminals 40, and reservation destination devices 50 connected to the server 10 is not limited.

[0010] Network 30 plays the role of connecting one or more servers 10, one or more representative terminals 20, one or more participant terminals 40, and one or more reservation destination devices 50. In other words, network 30 means a communication network that provides a connection path so that data can be sent and received between the various devices described above.

[0011] One or more parts of network 30 may or may not be wired or wireless networks. Network 30 may include, but is not limited to, an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), part of the internet, part of a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a mobile phone network, ISDN (integrated service digital networks), wireless LAN, LTE (long term evolution), CDMA (code division multiple access), Bluetooth (registered trademark), satellite communications, or two or more combinations thereof. Network 30 may include one or more networks 30.

[0012] The representative terminal 20 is a terminal used by user R (representative) making a reservation, and constitutes the first terminal of this disclosure. This representative terminal 20 may be any information processing terminal capable of realizing the functions described in each embodiment. Representative terminal 20 includes, but is not limited to, a smartphone, a mobile phone (feature phone), a computer (but is not limited to, a desktop, laptop, tablet, etc.), a media computer platform (but is not limited to, a cable, satellite set-top box, digital video recorder, etc.), a handheld computer device (but is not limited to, a PDA (personal digital assistant), an email client, etc.), a wearable device (glasses-type device, watch-type device, etc.), or other types of computers or communication platforms. Representative terminal 20 may also be referred to as an information processing terminal.

[0013] Note that the user R making the reservation is not limited to one person; there may be multiple users R. If there are multiple users R, there will be multiple representative terminals 20.

[0014] The participant terminal 40 (participant terminal 40A, participant terminal 40B, participant terminal 40C, ...) (not limited to, but an example of a participant terminal) is a terminal used by users A, B, C, ... who are different from user R, and constitutes the second terminal of this disclosure. This participant terminal 40 may be any information processing terminal that can realize the functions described in each embodiment. The participant terminal 40 may be the same terminal as the representative terminal 20, or it may be a different terminal, and if it is a different terminal, at least some of its functions may be removed. As the participant terminal 40 can be configured in the same way as the representative terminal 20, further explanation is omitted.

[0015] Furthermore, if necessary, user information for a given service associated with the representative terminal 20 and participant terminal 40 will be referred to as user information X. User information refers to information about a user associated with the account used by the user in the given service. User information is not limited to, but includes, for example, information associated with the user, such as the user's name, user icon image, user's age, user's gender, user's address, user's hobbies and preferences, user identifier, and lists of the user's friends and acquaintances, which are entered by the user or provided by the given service. It may be any one of these, a combination of these, or not.

[0016] The reservation device 50 is a device used by employees of the reservation destination (such as a restaurant) to which user R makes a reservation, and can be any information processing device that can realize the functions described in each embodiment.

[0017] [Hardware configuration of each device] The hardware configuration of each device included in System 1 will be described.

[0018] (1) Hardware configuration of the representative terminal Figure 1 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the representative terminal 20. The representative terminal 20 comprises a control unit 21 (CPU: central processing unit), a storage unit 28, a communication unit 22, an input / output unit 23, a display unit 24, a microphone 25, a speaker 26, and a camera 27. The hardware components of the representative terminal 20 are interconnected via a bus, not limited to but as an example. It is not mandatory for the hardware configuration of the representative terminal 20 to include all components. For example, the representative terminal 20 may be configured to remove individual components, or multiple components, such as the microphone 25 and camera 27, or it may not.

[0019] The communication unit 22 transmits and receives various types of data via the network 30. Communication may be performed via wired or wireless connections, and any communication protocol may be used as long as communication between the units is possible. The communication unit 22 has the function of communicating with various devices, such as the server 10, via the network 30. The communication unit 22 transmits various types of data to the server 10 and other devices according to instructions from the control unit 21. The communication unit 22 also receives various types of data transmitted from the server 10 and other devices and transmits them to the control unit 21. Furthermore, if the communication unit 22 is composed of a physically structured circuit, it may be referred to as a communication circuit.

[0020] The input / output unit 23 includes a device for inputting various operations to the representative terminal 20, and a device for outputting the processing results processed by the representative terminal 20. The input / output unit 23 may have an integrated input unit and an output unit, or it may have separate input and output units, or it may not have been integrated.

[0021] The input unit is implemented by any or a combination of any type of device capable of receiving input from the user and transmitting the information related to the input to the control unit 21. The input unit includes, but is not limited to, hardware keys such as touch panels, touch displays, and keyboards, pointing devices such as mice, cameras (operation input via video), and microphones (operation input via voice).

[0022] The output unit is implemented by any or a combination of any type of device capable of outputting the processing results processed by the control unit 21. The output unit includes, but is not limited to, touch panels, touch displays, speakers (for audio output), lenses (for, but is not limited to, 3D (three-dimensional) output or hologram output), printers, and the like.

[0023] The display unit 24 is implemented by any or a combination of any type of device capable of displaying data according to the display data written to the frame buffer. The display unit 24 includes, but is not limited to, touch panels, touch displays, monitors (including, but is not limited to, liquid crystal displays and OLEDs (organic electroluminescence displays)), head-mounted displays (HDMs), projection mapping, holograms, and devices capable of displaying images, text information, etc., in air (which may or may not be a vacuum). These display units 24 may or may not be capable of displaying display data in 3D.

[0024] If the input / output unit 23 is a touch panel, the input / output unit 23 and the display unit 24 may be arranged facing each other and have substantially the same size and shape.

[0025] The control unit 21 has physically structured circuitry to perform functions realized by code or instructions contained within the program, and is implemented, but is not limited to, by a data processing device built into the hardware. Therefore, the control unit 21 may or may not be described as a control circuit.

[0026] The control unit 21 includes, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a processor core, a multiprocessor, an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit), and an FPGA (field programmable gate array).

[0027] The storage unit 28 has the function of storing various programs and data necessary for the operation of the representative terminal 20. The storage unit 28 includes, but is not limited to, various storage media such as HDD (hard disk drive), SSD (solid state drive), flash memory, RAM (random access memory), and ROM (read-only memory). The storage unit 28 may or may not be referred to as memory.

[0028] The representative terminal 20 stores the program in the storage unit 28, and by executing this program, the control unit 21 performs the processing of each part included in the control unit 21. In other words, the program stored in the storage unit 28 enables the representative terminal 20 to realize each function executed by the control unit 21. Furthermore, this program may or may not be described as a program module.

[0029] Microphone 25 is used for inputting audio data. Speaker 26 is used for outputting audio data. Camera 27 is used for acquiring video data.

[0030] (2) Server hardware configuration Figure 1 shows an example of the hardware configuration of server 10. Server 10 includes, but is not limited to, a control unit 11 (CPU), a memory unit 15, a communication unit 14, an input / output unit 12, and a display 13. The hardware components of Server 10 are interconnected via a bus, but is not limited to, a bus. It is not mandatory for Server 10's hardware to include all components. For example, but is not limited to, Server 10's hardware may or may not include the display 13.

[0031] The control unit 11 has physically structured circuitry to perform functions realized by code or instructions contained within the program, and is implemented, not limited to but for example, by a data processing device built into the hardware.

[0032] The control unit 11 is typically a central processing unit (CPU), but may also be a microprocessor, processor core, multiprocessor, ASIC, FPGA, or otherwise. In this disclosure, the control unit 11 is not limited to these.

[0033] The storage unit 15 has the function of storing various programs and data necessary for the operation of the server 10. The storage unit 15 is implemented using various storage media such as HDDs, SSDs, and flash memory. However, in this disclosure, the storage unit 15 is not limited to these. Also, the storage unit 15 may or may not be referred to as memory.

[0034] The communication unit 14 transmits and receives various types of data via the network 30. Communication may be performed via wired or wireless connections, and any communication protocol may be used as long as communication between the units is possible. The communication unit 14 has the function of communicating with various devices, such as the representative terminal 20, via the network 30. The communication unit 14 transmits various types of data to the representative terminal 20 and other devices according to instructions from the control unit 11. The communication unit 14 also receives various types of data transmitted from the representative terminal 20 and other devices and transmits them to the control unit 11. Furthermore, if the communication unit 14 is composed of a physically structured circuit, it may be referred to as a communication circuit.

[0035] The input / output unit 12 is implemented by a device that inputs various operations to the server 10. The input / output unit 12 is implemented by any or a combination of any type of device that can receive input from a user and transmit the information related to the input to the control unit 11. The input / output unit 12 is typically implemented by hardware keys such as a keyboard or a pointing device such as a mouse. The input / output unit 12 is not limited to these and may include, for example, a touch panel, a camera (operation input via video), or a microphone (operation input via voice). However, in this disclosure, the input / output unit 12 is not limited to these.

[0036] The display 13 is typically implemented as a monitor (but not limited to, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OLED (organic electroluminescence display)). The display 13 may also be a head-mounted display (HDM) or not. These displays 13 may or may not be capable of displaying data in 3D. In this disclosure, the display 13 is not limited to these.

[0037] (3) Hardware configuration of participant terminals Figure 1 shows an example of the hardware configuration of participant terminal 40. Since the configurations of participant terminals 40A, 40B, and 40C are basically the same, the following explanation will focus on participant terminal 40. The participant terminal 40 includes a control unit 41 (CPU), a memory unit 48, a communication unit 42, an input / output unit 43, a display unit 44, a microphone 45, a speaker 46, and a camera 47. The hardware components of the participant terminal 40 are interconnected via a bus, not limited to, but as an example. It is not mandatory for the hardware configuration of the participant terminal 40 to include all components. For example, the participant terminal 40 may be configured to remove individual components, or multiple components, such as the microphone 45 and camera 47, or it may not.

[0038] Furthermore, the hardware and components necessary to realize each of the above-mentioned components and functional parts included in the participant terminal 40 can be configured in the same way as the representative terminal 20. Therefore, further explanation will be omitted below.

[0039] (4) Hardware configuration of the reserved device Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the reserved device 50. The reservation device 50 comprises a control unit 51 (CPU), a storage unit 58, a communication unit 52, an input / output unit 53, a display unit 54, a microphone 55, a speaker 56, and a camera 57. The hardware components of the reservation device 50 are interconnected via a bus, not limited to but as an example. It is not mandatory for the hardware configuration of the reservation device 50 to include all components. For example, the reservation device 50 may be configured to remove individual components, or multiple components, such as the microphone 55 and camera 57, or it may not.

[0040] Furthermore, the hardware and components necessary to realize each of the above-mentioned components and functional parts included in the reservation destination device 50 can be configured in the same way as the representative terminal 20. Therefore, further explanation will be omitted below.

[0041] (5) Others Server 10 stores the program in the storage unit 15, and by executing this program, the control unit 11 performs the processing of each part included in the control unit 11. In other words, the program stored in the storage unit 15 enables Server 10 to implement each function that the control unit 11 performs. This program may or may not be described as a program module.

[0042] Each embodiment of this disclosure is described as being achieved by the CPUs of the server 10, representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40, and / or reservation device 50 executing a program.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 11 of server 10, the control unit 21 of representative terminal 20, the control unit 41 of participant terminal 40, and / or the control unit 51 of reservation destination device 50 may implement each process not only with a CPU having a control circuit, but also with logic circuits (hardware) or dedicated circuits formed on an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), etc., or they may not. Also, these circuits may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, and the multiple processes shown in each embodiment may be implemented by a single integrated circuit, or they may not. In addition, LSIs are sometimes called VLSI, Super LSI, Ultra LSI, etc., depending on the degree of integration. Therefore, the control units 11, 21, 41, and 51 may or may not be described as control circuits.

[0044] Furthermore, the programs of each embodiment of the present disclosure (for example, not limited to, software programs, computer programs, or program modules) may or may not be provided stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a “tangible medium that is not temporary” on which programs can be stored. Also, the programs may or may not be for the purpose of implementing some of the functions of each embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the programs may or may not be so-called differential files (differential programs) that can implement the functions of each embodiment of the present disclosure in combination with programs already recorded on the storage medium.

[0045] The storage medium may include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (for example, but not limited to, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid-state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards, or drives, any other suitable storage medium, or any two or more suitable combinations thereof. The storage medium may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile, where appropriate. The storage medium is not limited to these examples and may be any device or medium capable of storing a program. The storage medium may or may not be referred to as memory.

[0046] The server 10, representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40, and / or reservation device 50 can realize the functions of the multiple functional units shown in each embodiment by reading programs stored on a storage medium and executing the read programs.

[0047] Furthermore, the program disclosed herein may or may not be provided to the server 10, representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40, and / or reservation device 50 via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the program (such as a communication network or broadcast waves). The server 10, representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40, and / or reservation device 50 realize the functions of the multiple functional units shown in each embodiment by executing a program downloaded via the Internet or the like, for example, without limit.

[0048] Furthermore, each embodiment of this disclosure can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission. At least part of the processing in server 10, representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40, and / or reservation device 50 may or may not be implemented by cloud computing consisting of one or more computers. The server 10 may or may not perform at least a portion of the processing in the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40, and / or reservation destination device 50. In this case, the server 10 may or may not perform at least a portion of the processing of the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20, the control unit 41 of the participant terminal 40, and / or the control unit 51 of the reservation destination device 50. The server 10 may be configured to have at least a portion of its processing performed by the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40, and / or reservation device 50, or it may not be configured to do so. In this case, the server 10 may be configured to have at least a portion of the processing of each functional unit of the control unit 11 performed by the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40, and / or reservation device 50, or it may not be configured to do so. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the configuration of the determination in the embodiments of this disclosure is not mandatory, and a predetermined process may be performed if the determination condition is met, or if the determination condition is not met, or not.

[0049] The programs disclosed herein may be implemented using, but are not limited to, scripting languages ​​such as ActionScript and JavaScript®, object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Objective-C and Java®, and markup languages ​​such as HTML5.

[0050] Furthermore, and to reiterate, the various programs and data in this disclosure can be stored (recorded) on a computer-readable storage medium (recording medium). This storage medium includes various types of storage media such as magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, and flash memory.

[0051] <First Embodiment> In recent years, reservation services that allow users to make reservations from their own terminals have become widespread. Meanwhile, the server 10 and the representative terminal 20 store not only information about user R making the reservation, but also information about other users such as user A participating in the reservation. Therefore, it is becoming possible to improve reservation services by utilizing the information of multiple users stored on the server 10 and the representative terminal 20.

[0052] In the first embodiment, as an example and not an limitation, the server 10 sends participant input information for entering the participants of a reservation to the representative terminal 20 of user R, and receives participant information, which is the participant's information entered in the participant input information, from the representative terminal 20. The contents described in the first embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0053] <Functional Configuration> (1) Server Functional Configuration Figure 3 shows an example of a function realized by the control unit 11 of the server 10 in this embodiment. The server 10 includes, as functions implemented by the control unit 11, a server main processing unit 111, a reservation completion notification generation unit 112, and a participant input information generation unit 113.

[0054] The server main processing unit 111 has the function of executing server main processing, which is processing for comprehensively controlling the server 10, according to the server main processing program 151 stored in the memory unit 15. When the server main processing unit 111 receives reservation information from the representative terminal 20 via the communication unit 14, it controls the communication unit 14 to send a reservation completion notification indicating that the reservation has been completed, and participant input information for entering the participants of the reservation, based on the receipt of the reservation information. The server main processing unit 111 then controls the communication unit 14 to receive participant information, which is the participant information entered in the participant input information. Please note that reservation information is not limited to specific types of information, but may include, for example, the identification information of the reservation destination (name, address, identification number, etc.), the reservation date and time, the planned number of participants (number of people in the reservation), and the identification information of the representative terminal 20.

[0055] The reservation completion notification generation unit 112 executes a reservation completion notification generation process, which is a process for generating a reservation completion notification to the user indicating that the reservation has been completed, according to the reservation completion notification generation program 1511 stored in the storage unit 15. At this time, the reservation completion notification generation unit 112 searches for a reservation destination based on the reservation information received from the representative terminal 20 and the reservation destination information 152 stored in the storage unit 15, and determines whether the reservation destination can accept the user's planned number of participants (number of reservations) at the reservation date and time. Then, the reservation completion notification generation unit 112 generates a reservation completion notification if the reservation destination can accept the planned number of participants.

[0056] The participant input information generation unit 113 executes a participant input information generation process, which is a process for generating participant input information, according to the participant input information generation program 1512 stored in the storage unit 15. At this time, the participant input information generation unit 113, as an example and not an exhaustive list, searches for users A, B, C, ... stored in the representative terminal 20 based on the user information 153 stored in the storage unit 15, and generates information for user R to selectively input those users A, B, C, ...

[0057] Figure 4 shows an example of information stored in the storage unit 15 of the server 10 in this embodiment. The memory unit 15 stores, for example, a server main processing program 151 that is read by the control unit 11 and executed as the server main processing. Furthermore, the server main processing program 151 includes, as an example and not an exhaustive, a reservation completion notification generation program 1511 as a subroutine program, which is read by the control unit 11 and executed as a reservation completion notification generation process. Furthermore, the server main processing program 151 includes, as an example and not an exhaustive, a participant input information generation program 1512 as a subroutine program, which is read by the control unit 11 and executed as a participant input information generation process.

[0058] Furthermore, the memory unit 15 stores, as an example, reservation destination information 152 and user information 153, although this is not an exhaustive list.

[0059] Reservation information 152 is information used for searching for reservation locations and exchanging data. Reservation information 152 is not limited to specific types of information, but may include, for example, the reservation location's identification information (name, address, identification number, etc.), the number of people who can make a reservation, and access information (IP address, email address).

[0060] User information 153 is information used for user extraction and other purposes. User information 153 is not limited to but includes, for example, identification information of the representative terminal 20 and participant terminals 40 (user name, identification number), identification information related to chat (access information, etc.), and lists of the user's friends, acquaintances, etc.

[0061] (2) Functional configuration of the representative terminal Figure 5 shows an example of a function realized by the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 in this embodiment. The representative terminal 20 has a representative terminal main processing unit 211 and a participant information processing unit 212, as functions realized by the control unit 21.

[0062] The representative terminal main processing unit 211 has the function of executing representative terminal main processing, which is processing for comprehensively controlling the representative terminal 20, according to the representative terminal main processing program 281 stored in the storage unit 28. Here, the representative terminal main processing unit 211 controls the transmission of reservation information to the server 10 via the communication unit 22. Subsequently, based on the transmission of the reservation information, the representative terminal main processing unit 211 controls the reception of a reservation completion notification and participant input information via the communication unit 22. Then, the representative terminal main processing unit 211 controls the transmission of participant information entered in the participant input information by the participant information processing unit 212 to the server 10 via the communication unit 22.

[0063] Furthermore, the participant information processing unit 212 executes participant information processing, which involves inputting participant information entered by user R into the participant input information, according to the participant information processing program 2811 stored in the storage unit 28.

[0064] Figure 6 shows an example of information stored in the storage unit 28 of the representative terminal 20 in this embodiment. The memory unit 28 stores, as an example, a representative terminal main processing program 281 that is read by the control unit 21 and executed as the representative terminal main processing. Furthermore, the representative terminal main processing program 281 includes, as an example and not an exhaustive, a participant information processing program 2811 as a subroutine program, which is read by the control unit 21 and executed as participant information processing.

[0065] Furthermore, the memory unit 28 stores participant information 282, not as an example but as an exception. Participant information 282 includes, but is not limited to, information that can identify participants participating in the reservation. Identifiable information includes, but is not limited to, participant identification information.

[0066] <Information Processing> Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device in this embodiment. From left to right, it shows an example of the processing performed by the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 and an example of the processing performed by the control unit 11 of the server 10, respectively.

[0067] Each step in each process is indicated by a combination of uppercase letters and numbers, and the term "step" is omitted in this specification. Furthermore, the flowchart described below is merely an example of the process in this embodiment, and some steps in the flowchart described below may be omitted, or additional steps may be inserted. These also apply to other flowcharts in this specification.

[0068] First, user R, who is making the reservation, operates the input / output unit 23 of the representative terminal 20 to input reservation information to the control unit 21. This reservation information includes, but is not limited to, identification information of the reservation destination, the planned number of participants, and identification information of the representative terminal 20. Next, the control unit 21 transmits the reservation information input from the input / output unit 23 to the server 10 via the communication unit 22 (A1).

[0069] The reservation information transmitted from the representative terminal 20 is received by the communication unit 14 of the server 10 (B1). Based on the reservation information received by the communication unit 14, the control unit 11 of the server 10 generates a reservation completion notification in the reservation completion notification generation unit 112 and generates participant input information in the participant input information generation unit 113 (B2).

[0070] At this time, the reservation completion notification generation unit 112 searches for the reservation destination specified by user R from the reservation destination information 152 stored in the storage unit 15 based on the reservation information. The reservation completion notification generation unit 112 then determines whether the reservation destination can accept the number of planned participants specified by user R at the reservation date and time, and if it can accept them, it generates a reservation completion notification indicating that the reservation has been completed.

[0071] Furthermore, the participant input information generation unit 113 searches for users A, B, C, ... stored in the representative terminal 20 based on the user information 153 stored in the storage unit 15. The participant input information generation unit 113 then generates participant input information that user R can select from the searched users A, B, C, ...

[0072] The participant input information generation unit 113 can generate participant input information in the form of a list of information (name, icon image, etc.) for users A, B, C, etc., not limited to this example. Furthermore, the participant input information generation unit 113 can generate participant input information to be displayed in groups, including user R and the other participants (users A, B, C, etc.).

[0073] Once the reservation completion notification and participant input information are generated in this manner, the control unit 11 transmits the reservation completion notification and participant input information to the representative terminal 20 via the communication unit 14 based on the reservation information (B3). The reservation completion notification and participant input information transmitted from the server 10 are received by the communication unit 22 of the representative terminal 20 (A2).

[0074] Then, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 displays the reservation completion notification and participant input information received by the communication unit 22 on the display unit 24. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 21 can, for example, display a reservation completion notification 61 and a selection button 62a for participant input information on the display unit 24. When the user R presses the selection button 62a, the control unit 21 displays an add button 65 for adding a participant on the display unit 24. The share button 62b is for sharing the reservation completion notification and participant input information with participants.

[0075] When the add button 65 is pressed by user R, the control unit 21 displays participant input information 63, which is a list of user information (name, icon image, etc.), on the display unit 24, as shown in Figure 9. At this time, the control unit 21 displays the participant input information 63 on the display unit 24 for each group, for example, group X, group Y, etc., not as an example but as an example.

[0076] Thus, when participant input information is entered by user R, the control unit 21 performs control to display a list of user information on the display unit 24 of the representative terminal 20.

[0077] Next, when user R presses the participant input button 64, which is displayed in accordance with the user's information, the participant information processing unit 212 of the control unit 21 recognizes that the user has been selected as a participant and inputs the participant information of the selected user into the participant input information 63 (A3). Here, let's assume that users A and C have been selected as participants.

[0078] In this case, participant information is not limited to specifics, but includes, for example, information specified from a group that includes user R and the participant. Furthermore, the control unit 21 can, as an example and not limited to, when the participant input button 64 for group X is pressed, input all users A to D included in group X as participants into the participant input information 63, as shown in Figure 10.

[0079] Once user R has finished selecting participants, the control unit 21 sends the participant information of user A and user C, entered by user R in the participant input information field, to the server 10 (A4).

[0080] The participant information transmitted from the representative terminal 20 is received by the communication unit 14 of the server 10 (B4). The control unit 11 of the server 10 then stores the participant information of users A and C as reserved participants in the storage unit 15. Note that the participant information of user R is not limited to this case, but for example, it can be transmitted along with the reservation information when the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 transmits the reservation information to the server 10, and is already stored in the storage unit 15 of the server 10. As a result, users R, A, and C are registered as participants (B5).

[0081] <Effects of the First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10, upon receiving reservation information, sends a reservation completion notification indicating that the reservation has been completed, and participant input information (not limited to, but an example of information for inputting the participants of the reservation) to the representative terminal 20 via the communication unit 14, and the communication unit 14 receives participant information, which is the participant information entered in the participant input information. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participants can be easily registered simply by entering their information, as this automatically registers the participants for the reservation.

[0082] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, participant information includes information that can identify participants participating in the reservation (not limited to, but an example of participant information). One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participants can be easily registered simply by entering their information, as this automatically registers the participants for the reservation.

[0083] In the first embodiment, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives participant information from the representative terminal 20. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that users R can register participants all at once simply by entering participant information on the representative terminal 20.

[0084] In addition, in the first embodiment, participant information includes user R and information specified by a group including the participant. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that users are displayed together, making it easy to select participants.

[0085] <First variation (1)> In the first embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 generated participant input information to be displayed by group, including user R and participants (user A, user B, user C, ...), as shown in Figure 9. These groups can be groups related to chat.

[0086] For example, when the control unit 11 receives reservation information (B1), it generates participant input information to be displayed separately for each chat-related group, based on pre-stored information about the chat-related group, including user R and participants (user A, user B, user C, ...). The control unit 11 then sends the generated participant input information to the representative terminal 20 along with the reservation completion notification (B3).

[0087] When the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 receives a reservation completion notification and participant input information from the server 10 (A2), it displays the reservation completion notification and participant input information on the display unit 24. In this case, the control unit 21 can, as an example and not limited to, send a reservation completion notification to a predetermined group X, such as a chat room or talk room, in response to an operation by user R. When user R sends a reservation completion notification to the predetermined group X, the control unit 21 can control the display of participant information, such as user A, or information about the predetermined group X including user R and participants such as user A, at the top of the list.

[0088] A chat room can be a virtual space or group created in an instant messaging application or similar, where one or more users (or user accounts) can participate. For example, one or more user accounts can participate in or be included in a chat room and exchange various types of messages, files, etc. with each other. Furthermore, chat rooms can provide VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) voice call functionality, VoIP video call functionality, and live broadcasting functionality (VoIP real-time video transmission functionality), enabling voice calls, video calls, and video streaming between user accounts. This chat room concept includes similar room types such as talk rooms. Furthermore, the group associated with the chat in this modified example is not limited to a chat group; it simply needs to be able to select participants. For example, the group associated with the chat could be a friends list on a social networking service where users register each other.

[0089] Furthermore, when the participant input button 64 for participant input information is pressed by user R, the control unit 21 inputs the participant information of the user who pressed the button into the participant input information (A3). At this time, the control unit 21 inputs the participant information so that it includes identification information related to the participant's chat as information that can identify the participant.

[0090] Next, the control unit 21 transmits the participant information entered in the participant input information field to the server 10 (A4). As a result, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives the participant information, including the information specified by the chat-related group, from the representative terminal 20 (B4).

[0091] <Effects of the first modified example (1)> In the first variation (1), the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives participant information, which includes identification information (not limited to, but an example of identifiable information) related to the participant's chat. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that reservation information is shared within the chat room, allowing for a smoother reservation process.

[0092] Furthermore, in the first variant (1), participant information includes information specified from the group related to the chat (not limited to, but an example of participant information). One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it makes it easier to select participants.

[0093] <First variation (2)> In the first embodiment, when the user R presses the add button 65, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 displays participant input information, which is a list of user information grouped by user, on the display unit 24, as shown in Figure 9. However, it is sufficient and not limited to this, as long as the user's participant information can be entered into the participant input information. For example, as shown in Figure 11, the control unit 21 can display the user information in a predetermined order (such as alphabetical order).

[0094] <Effects of the first modified example (2)> In the first modified example (2), the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 displays the user information in a predetermined order. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participants can be easily selected.

[0095] <First variation (3)> In the first embodiment, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 transmitted user R's participant information along with reservation information to the server 10. However, it is sufficient, and not limited to, that user R's participant information be stored in the storage unit 15 of the server 10. For example, the control unit 21 can transmit user R's participant information along with the participant information of users A and C to the server 10.

[0096] <Effects of the first modified example (3)> As an example of the effects of this modification, server 10 receives participant information for user R along with participant information for user A and user C, allowing it to store participant information together.

[0097] <Second Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 received participant information from the representative terminal 20 (A4), but it is sufficient to receive participant information, and is not limited to this. The second embodiment is one in which the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 transmits participant input information to each member's participant terminal 40 of the group via a chat room associated with the group, and the participant information entered in the participant input information on the participant terminal 40 is received by the communication unit 14 of the server 10. Note that components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the second embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0098] <Functional Configuration> In the representative terminal 20, the representative terminal main processing unit 211 of the control unit 21 performs processing to make participant input information for participant input available to the participant terminal 40. This processing to make the information available includes the processing to transmit the participant input information to the participant terminal 40.

[0099] In server 10, the server main processing unit 111 of the control unit 11 controls the reception of participant information from participant terminals 40 via the communication unit 14.

[0100] Figure 12 shows an example of a function realized by the control unit 41 of the participant terminal 40 in this embodiment. The participant terminal 40 has a participant terminal main processing unit 411 and a participant information processing unit 412 as functions realized by the control unit 41.

[0101] The participant terminal main processing unit 411 has the function of executing participant terminal main processing, which is processing for comprehensively controlling the participant terminal 40, according to the participant terminal main processing program 481 stored in the storage unit 48. Here, the participant terminal main processing unit 411 controls the communication unit 42 to receive a reservation completion notification and participant input information. Then, the participant terminal main processing unit 411 controls the communication unit 42 to transmit the participant information entered in the participant input information to the participant information processing unit 412.

[0102] Furthermore, the participant information processing unit 412 executes participant information processing, which is the process of inputting participant information into the participant input information, according to the participant information processing program 4811 stored in the memory unit 48.

[0103] Figure 13 shows an example of information stored in the memory unit 48 of the participant terminal 40 in this embodiment. The memory unit 48 stores, as an example, a participant terminal main processing program 481 that is read by the control unit 41 and executed as the participant terminal main processing. Furthermore, the participant terminal main processing program 481 includes, as an example and not an exhaustive, a participant information processing program 4811 as a subroutine program, which is read by the control unit 41 and executed as participant information processing.

[0104] Furthermore, the memory unit 48 stores participant information 482, not as an example but as an exception. The participant information 482 includes, not as an example but as an exception, information that can identify participants participating in the reservation. The identifiable information includes, not as an example but as an exception, identification information related to the participant's chat.

[0105] <Information Processing> Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device in this embodiment.

[0106] First, similar to the first embodiment, the communication unit 22 of the representative terminal 20 receives the reservation completion notification and participant input information sent from the server 10 (A2). Subsequently, the reservation completion notification, along with the participant input information, is sent by user R to the chat room of the group including user R and participants (user A and user C) (A11). In other words, the participant input information is sent to the chat room when the reservation completion notification is sent to the chat room by user R. Then, the control unit 11 of the server 10 makes the reservation completion notification sent from the representative terminal 20, along with the participant input information, share in the chat room (B11).

[0107] The control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 sends a reservation completion notification to the chat room when user R presses the share button 62b shown in Figure 8, for example, not as an extension of this. The reservation completion notification shared in the chat room is then sent to participant terminals 40A and 40C by users A and C. At this time, participant input information is also sent to participant terminals 40A and 40C along with the reservation completion notification. In other words, participant input information is sent to participant terminals 40A and 40C based on the fact that the reservation completion notification is sent to participant terminals 40A and 40C. In this way, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 processes the transmission of participant input information to user A's participant terminal 40A and user C's participant terminal 40C via the server 10. That is, the control unit 21 processes the information so that user A's participant terminal 40A and user C's participant terminal 40C can obtain it.

[0108] The reservation completion notification and participant input information sent from server 10 are received by the communication unit 42 of participant terminals 40A and 40C (C11). As shown in Figure 15, the control unit 41 of the participant terminal 40A displays the reservation completion notification 61 received by the communication unit 42 on the display unit 44, not as an example but as an example. Note that the reservation completion notification 61 transmitted to the participant terminal 40 is set to be displayed except for the share button 62b. In other words, the reservation completion notification 61 is set not to be shared on the participant terminal 40.

[0109] When the selection button 62a is pressed by user A, the control unit 41 of the participant terminal 40A displays participant input information 63 on the display unit 44. The participant input information 63 displays an add button 65 for adding oneself as a participant. When user A presses the add button 65, the control unit 41 displays a reservation completion notification 61 and a registration button 66 for the participant input information 63 on the display unit 44, as shown in Figure 16. When user A, having confirmed the reservation completion notification 61 displayed on the display unit 44, presses the registration button 66, the control unit 41 inputs its own participant information into the participant input information 63 (C12). At this time, the control unit 41, not limited to but as an example, controls the system so that when user A, who is a participant, is inputting participant information, it cannot input participant information of other participants, such as user C.

[0110] When the registration button 66 is pressed by user A, the control unit 41 transmits user A's participant information entered in the participant input information to the server 10 (C13). The server's communication unit 14 then receives user A's participant information transmitted from the participant terminal 40A (B12). In other words, the communication unit 14 receives participant information through user A's input into the participant input information. Furthermore, the control unit 41 of participant terminal 40C, similar to the control unit 41 of participant terminal 40A, inputs user C's participant information into the participant input information field and transmits it to the server 10. As a result, the participant information of user C transmitted from participant terminal 40C is also received by the communication unit 14 of the server 10.

[0111] When the participant information of user A and user C is received by the communication unit 14, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores the participant information of user A and user C in the storage unit 15 along with the participant information of user R that was received earlier. As a result, user R, user A, and user C are registered as participants (B5).

[0112] <Effects of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives participant information from a participant terminal 40 that is different from the representative terminal 20. As an example of the effects of this configuration, server 10 can directly obtain participant information from members of the group specified by user R who wish to participate.

[0113] In the second embodiment, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives participant information based on input from participants (users A and C) to the participant input information. As an example of the benefits of this configuration, server 10 can receive participant information directly entered by users A and C who are participating in the reservation, allowing for more appropriate reservation processing.

[0114] In the second embodiment, the reservation completion notification is sent to a chat room that includes user R and the participant. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that reservation completion notifications are shared within the chat room, allowing for a smoother reservation process.

[0115] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when participant information is entered by a participant, it cannot be entered by anyone other than the participant (other than themselves). One example of the benefits of this configuration is that user R can keep track of the participants in a reservation, thus ensuring reliable reservation management.

[0116] <Second variation (1)> In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 sent participant input information to the chat room (A11), but it is sufficient, and not limited to, that participant input information be sent to the participant terminals 40A and 40C of users A and C.

[0117] For example, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 can transmit a reservation completion notification and participant input information to the participant terminals 40A and 40C of users A and C via a short-range communication unit (A11). The control unit 21 can transmit the reservation completion notification and participant input information to the participant terminal 40 via a short-range communication unit such as infrared or Bluetooth (registered trademark), not limited to these, but as an example. As a result, the reservation completion notification and participant input information are transmitted directly from the representative terminal 20 to the participant terminal 40 without being shared with the server 10 (B11).

[0118] <Effects of the second modified example (1)> One example of the effects of this modified version is that participant input information can be easily transmitted.

[0119] <Second variation (2)> In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 sent participant input information to the group chat room including user R and participants (user A and user C) (A11), but it may also send it to the 1:1 chat room between user R and the participant. That is, the control unit 21 can send participant input information to the chat room of user R and user A, and to the chat room of user R and user C, respectively.

[0120] <Second variation (3)> In this embodiment, when a participant, such as user A, inputs participant information (C12), the control unit 41 of the participant terminal 40 controls the input of participant information other than that of itself. However, it may also control the input of participant information other than that of itself. For example, the control unit 41 of participant terminal 40A can be controlled to allow user A to input participant information of user C, another user.

[0121] <Effects of the second modified example (3)> One example of the benefits of this modified version is that participants can easily make reservations because they can input participant information for other participants.

[0122] <Third Embodiment> In the second embodiment, participant input information is sent to the participant terminal 40 based on the fact that a reservation completion notification is sent to the participant terminal 40 (A11), but is not limited to being able to be sent to the participant terminal 40. The third embodiment, as shown in Figure 17, is an embodiment in which participant terminals 40 acquire participant input information 63 based on the participant terminal 40 reading code information displayed on representative terminal 20. Note that components identical to those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the third embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0123] <Functional Configuration> In the representative terminal 20, the representative terminal main processing unit 211 of the control unit 21 has a function to generate code information including participant input information.

[0124] <Information Processing> Figure 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device in this embodiment.

[0125] First, similar to the first implementation, the communication unit 22 of the representative terminal 20 receives the reservation completion notification and participant input information transmitted from the server 10 (A2). Then, the representative terminal main processing unit 211 of the control unit 21 generates code information including the reservation completion notification and participant input information received from the server 10 (A21). Here, the code information may include, but is not limited to, one-dimensional code information, two-dimensional code information, etc. One-dimensional code information may include, but is not limited to, barcodes, etc. Two-dimensional code information is a code with a display method that has information in the horizontal and vertical directions, and includes matrix-type codes which are arranged vertically and horizontally, and stack-type codes which are stacked vertically and horizontally. Two-dimensional code information may include, but is not limited to, QR code (registered trademark), SP code, Vericode, Maxicode, CP code, Chameleon code, etc. The connection address information may include, but is not limited to, URL (Uniform Resource Locator) which indicates the internet address (web page address) of the e-commerce site, etc.

[0126] Next, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 processes the operation of user R to display code information on the display unit 24. As shown in Figure 17, when the code information displayed on the display unit 24 is read by the participant terminals 40A and 40C of users A and C who are participating in the reservation, the participant terminals 40A and 40C of users A and C receive a reservation completion notification and participant input information (C21).

[0127] As a result, the control units 41 of participant terminals 40A and 40C input their own participant information into the participant input information (C12), similar to the second embodiment. At this time, the control unit 41, not limited to but as an example, controls the system so that when a participant inputs participant information, they cannot input participant information other than their own.

[0128] When participant information is entered into the participant input information field, the control unit 41 transmits that participant information to the server 10 (C13). Here, user R enters participant information into the participant input information field transmitted to the representative terminal 20, similar to the first embodiment, for users who participated in the reservation but did not read the code information. At this time, when user R who made the reservation enters participant information, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 controls the system so that participant information of users other than user R can also be entered. Then, the communication unit 22 of the representative terminal 20 transmits the participant information entered by user R to the server 10.

[0129] The server's communication unit 14 receives participant information transmitted from participant terminals 40 and representative terminals 20 (B12). As a result, the communication unit 14 receives participant information through input by participants into the participant input information field, similar to the second embodiment.

[0130] <Effects of the Third Embodiment> In the third embodiment, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives participant information from a participant terminal 40 that is different from the representative terminal 20. As an example of the effects of this configuration, server 10 can directly receive participant information from participant terminals 40A and 40C of users A and C who are participating in the reservation, thereby reducing the likelihood of incorrect participant registration and enabling the reservation to be processed correctly.

[0131] In the third embodiment, participant input information is acquired by the participant terminal 40 based on the participant terminal 40 reading the code information displayed on the representative terminal 20. As an example of this configuration, participant input information can be easily obtained.

[0132] In the third embodiment, the communication unit 14 of the server 10 receives participant information based on input from participants (users A and C) to the participant input information. As an example of the benefits of this configuration, server 10 can receive participant information directly entered by users A and C who are participating in the reservation, allowing for more appropriate reservation processing.

[0133] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when participant information is entered by a participant, it cannot be entered by anyone other than the participant (other than themselves). One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it can further reduce the number of participants who register incorrectly.

[0134] <Third variation> In the third embodiment, the representative terminal 20 displays code information, but it is sufficient, and not limited to, that the participant terminal 40 can acquire the information to obtain participant input information. The representative terminal 20 can, for example, transmit the acquired information to the participant terminal 40 using a short-range communication unit such as infrared or Bluetooth (registered trademark), similar to the second modified example (1) described above.

[0135] <Effects of the third modified example> One example of the benefits of this modification is that participant input information can be easily obtained.

[0136] <Fourth Embodiment> In the first to third embodiments, participant information was sent to the server 10 (A4, C13) to complete the reservation, but new services can be provided based on that participant information. The fourth embodiment is one in which the control unit 11 of the server 10 associates the set points with the participants based on the participant information. Note that components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the fourth embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0137] <Functional Configuration> Figure 19 shows an example of a function realized by the control unit 11 of the server 10 in this embodiment. The control unit 11 includes a server main processing unit 111, a reservation completion notification generation unit 112, a participant input information generation unit 113, and a point association processing unit 114.

[0138] The point association processing unit 114 generates point information indicating that the set points have been associated with the participant based on the reception of participant information, and controls the transmission of this point information by the communication unit 14. Here, points may be awarded to participants of reservations by a company that provides reservation services using the funds of the reservation destination as the source, and can also be used for payments for services or for using services. As an example, points can be set to have a value equivalent to 1 yen per point and can be used for payments at stores such as restaurants or for purchasing goods. Also, as an example, points can be exchanged for gift certificates or goods, or they can be converted into cash and used for payments in payment applications.

[0139] <Information Processing> Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device in this embodiment.

[0140] First, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores the participant information of user R and participants (users A and C) received by the communication unit 14 in the storage unit 15 and registers the reserved participants (B5).

[0141] Next, the point association processing unit 114 of the control unit 11 sets the points to be awarded to the registered user R and participants (users A and C) based on the point setting conditions agreed upon in advance with the reservation store. For example, if the total points from the reservation are 300 points, the point association processing unit 114 divides those 300 points equally among user R and participants (users A and C), setting 100 points per person.

[0142] The point association processing unit 114 associates the set 100 points with user R and participants (users A and C), respectively, and generates point information indicating that the association has been made (B31). Note that the point information is not limited to this and, for example, can be the points themselves that have been associated with the users.

[0143] The control unit 11 then transmits point information to participant terminals 40A and 40C via the communication unit 14, indicating that 100 points have been associated with each participant (users A and C) (B32). The control unit 11 also transmits point information to the representative terminal 20 via the communication unit 14, indicating that 100 points have been associated with user R who made the reservation (B32). Furthermore, point information is not limited to any specific method; for example, it may be sent via the official account of the booking destination, from the official account of the company providing the booking service, or through notification functions of application software.

[0144] In this way, point information indicating that users A and C have been associated based on the reservation is received by the communication units 42 of participant terminals 40A and 40C, respectively (C31). As a result, the display unit 44 of participant terminal 40 will display point information 67 indicating that 100 points have been awarded to the participant, as shown in Figure 21 (not limited to this example). Similarly, point information indicating that user R has been associated based on the reservation is received by the communication unit 22 of representative terminal 20 (A31).

[0145] <Effects of the 4th Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs control to send point information (an example of information indicating that points are associated with a participant, not limited to specific points) to the participant terminal 40 via the communication unit 14, based on the reception of participant information. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that points are associated not only with user R who made the reservation, but also with participants users A and C, thus ensuring a fair distribution of points.

[0146] Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs control to transmit point information (an example of information indicating that points are associated with user R who made the reservation, not limited to points) to the representative terminal 20 via the communication unit 14, based on the reception of participant information. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that points are associated with the user R who made the reservation, allowing for a fairer distribution of points.

[0147] <Fourth variation (1)> In this embodiment, the number of participants received (users R, A, and C) is the same as the number of planned participants (3) entered by user R who made the reservation, but there may be cases where the number is different. For example, if user A did not register participant information among users R, A, and C who ultimately participated in the reservation (3 participants), the number of participants (users R and C) will be less than the number of planned participants (3).

[0148] The control unit 11 of server 10, as an example but not limited to, associates points with user R based on the number of planned participants and the number of participants based on the participant information if the received participant information is less than the number of planned participants entered by user R. For example, as shown in Figure 22, if the number of planned participants is 3 and the received participant information is for 2 people, user R and user C, the control unit 11 divides the 300 points for the number of participants (3 people) equally among the planned number of participants (3 people) and associates 200 points for 2 people (user R and user A) with user R. The control unit 11 also associates 100 points for 1 person with user C.

[0149] The control unit 11 then controls the communication unit 14 to transmit point information indicating that 200 points have been associated with user R to the representative terminal 20. The control unit 11 also controls the communication unit 14 to transmit point information indicating that 100 points have been associated with user C to the participant terminal 40C.

[0150] <Effects of the 4th modified example (1)> In the fourth modified example (1), if the received participant information is less than the number of planned participants entered by user R who made the reservation, the control unit 11 of the server 10 sends point information via the communication unit 14 to the representative terminal 20 indicating that points based on the number of planned participants and the number of participants based on the participant information have been associated with user R. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that all points for each participant can be associated with the user, ensuring that points are awarded reliably. Furthermore, user R may receive a larger number of points, allowing for point allocation commensurate with the effort put into making the reservation.

[0151] <Fourth variation (2)> In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 associated the points so that the total points from the reservation were equally divided between user R and participants (users A and C), but it is sufficient as long as the points can be associated, and is not limited to this. The control unit 11 can, for example, associate the points so that user R has more points than participants (users A and C). As an example of the effects of this configuration, points can be associated in various proportions, such as awarding 50 points each to participant users A and C, while awarding 200 points to user R.

[0152] <Fourth variation (3)> In this embodiment, after registering the participants of the reservation (B5), the control unit 11 of the server 10 divides the total points from the reservation equally among the number of participants. For example, it divides the total points of 300 points equally among user R and participants (users A and C), setting 100 points per person. However, it is sufficient to set points, and is not limited to this. As an example, the control unit 11 can also set a fixed 100 points for each of the users R and participants (users A and C) who have joined the reservation. This allows the control unit 11 to associate the set 100 points with user R and participants (users A and C) respectively (B31).

[0153] <Fifth Embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 can also transmit reservation information to the reservation destination device 50 where the reservation was made. The fifth embodiment is an embodiment in which the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs control to transmit information based on participant information to the reservation destination device 50 where the reservation was made, via the communication unit 14, after the reservation participant has been registered (B5). Note that components identical to those in the fourth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the fifth embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0154] <Information Processing> Figure 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by each device in this embodiment. Step B5 is the step after receiving participant information from the representative terminal 20 or the participant terminal 40.

[0155] First, similar to the fourth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores the participant information of user R and participants (users A and C) received by the communication unit 14 in the storage unit 15 and registers the reserved participants (B5).

[0156] Furthermore, the control unit 11 controls the communication unit 14 to transmit reservation details information based on participant information to the reservation destination device 50 where the reservation was made (B41). The reservation details information is not limited to this and may include, for example, the number of planned participants entered by the user R who made the reservation. When the reservation destination device 50 receives the reservation details information from the control unit 11, it stores that reservation information (D41). Then, the employee at the reservation destination provides services based on the reservation details information stored in the reservation destination device 50.

[0157] Next, the control unit 11 sets points to associate with the registered user R and participants (users A and C) based on the point setting conditions agreed upon in advance with the reservation store. Then, the control unit 11 requests approval from the reservation destination device 50 regarding the association of points with user R and participants (users A and C) (B42). The control unit 11 may, but is not limited to, request approval for points after the reservation date and time has elapsed. For example, if the reservation date and time is between 12:00 and 14:00 on April 2nd, the control unit 11 may request approval for points after 14:00 on that day.

[0158] Here, the employee of the reservation provider confirms the number of participants who visit the store on the reservation date and time (3 people: User R, User A, and User C) and enters that number into the reservation provider device 50. When the reservation provider device 50 receives a point approval request from the server 10, it determines whether the points set by the server 10 are appropriate based on the number of participants on the reservation date and time (D42). Then, if the points are appropriate, the reservation provider device 50 approves associating the points with User R and the participants (Users A and C) (D43). In this way, points are set based on the number of participants entered by the reservation provider (the number of participants who visited the store on the reservation date and time) and the number of participants based on the participant information (the number of participants registered with the server 10).

[0159] The approval information from the reservation destination device 50 is received by the communication unit 14 of the server 10. As a result, the control unit 11 of the server 10 associates the set points with user R and participants (users A and C) respectively, in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment (B31). The control unit 11 then transmits point information indicating that the points have been associated with participants (users A and C) respectively to participant terminals 40A and 40C via the communication unit 14 (B32). The control unit 11 also transmits point information indicating that the points have been associated with user R who made the reservation to the representative terminal 20 via the communication unit 14 (B32).

[0160] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 23, if the reservation device 50 determines that the points set by the server 10 are inappropriate (D42), it sends the number of participants who visited the store on the reservation date and time to the server 10 (D44), as shown in Figure 24. When the server 10 receives a request to change participant information (B43), it checks the difference between the number of participants entered by the reservation provider and the number of participants registered in the server 10, and if there is a difference, it sends a request to change participant information to the representative terminal 20 (B44). The change request sent from the server 10 is received by the representative terminal 20 (A41). For example, if the number of participants entered by the reservation provider is less than the number of participants registered in the server 10 (the number obtained from the participant information), the communication unit 22 of the representative terminal 20 receives information regarding the deletion of participants.

[0161] Then, user R, having confirmed the request to change participant information, operates the representative terminal 20 to change the current participant information to that of the participant who visited on the reserved date and time (A42). For example, if user C is absent on the reserved date and time, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 deletes user C's participant information. Subsequently, the communication unit 22 of the representative terminal 20 sends information to the server 10, based on user R's operation, that the participant has been deleted (A43).

[0162] When the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives information from the representative terminal 20 that a participant has been deleted, it requests point approval from the reservation destination device 50 again (B42), and repeats steps D42, D44, B43, B44, A41, A42, and A43 until the reservation destination device 50 determines that the points are appropriate. As a result, the server 10 registers participant information for user R and user A who visited the store on the date and time of their visit.

[0163] <Effects of the Fifth Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 controls the communication unit 14 to transmit reservation details information (not limited to, but an example of information based on participant information) based on participant information to the reservation destination device 50 where the reservation was made. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that employees at the booking location can reliably recognize booking details such as the number of expected participants, enabling them to provide appropriate service to the booked participants.

[0164] In the fifth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives participant information and approval information, and then controls the communication unit 14 to transmit point information indicating that the set points have been associated with the participant to the participant terminal 40. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that, since the point association is approved by the booking provider, points can be appropriately associated with the participants of the booking.

[0165] In the fifth embodiment, if the number of planned participants differs from the number of participants who actually show up at the reserved time, the control unit 11 of the server 10 sends a request to the representative terminal 20 to change the participant information. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participant information is registered for each participant who visits the store at the scheduled time, allowing points to be appropriately associated with that participant.

[0166] <Fifth variation (1)> In this embodiment, if the control unit 11 of the server 10 does not change the participant information (steps A42 and A43 are not performed) even after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since sending a request to change participant information to the representative terminal 20 (B44), it forcibly deletes the participant information of user R. As a result, points are associated with users A and C, who are participants other than user R. One example of the effects of this configuration is that points can be appropriately linked to the number of participants who visit the store on the reserved date and time.

[0167] <Fifth variation (2)> In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 25, the control unit 11 of the server 10 can determine whether it has received the changed participant information from the representative terminal 20 after sending a request to change participant information (B44) (B45). The control unit 11 repeats the determination in step B45 until a predetermined period has elapsed since sending the request to change participant input information (B44). If the participant information has been changed within the predetermined period, the control unit 11 requests the reservation destination device 50 to approve the points (B42).

[0168] On the other hand, if the participant information is not changed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the control unit 11 deletes the participant information (B46), and sends participant input information to the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 to request them to input the participant information again (B47). As a result, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 inputs user R's participant information into the participant input information field based on user R's operation (A44). The control unit 21 transmits the participant information entered into the participant input information field to the server 10 (A45). In addition, the control unit 41 of the participant terminal 40 inputs its own participant information into the participant input information field based on the operation of user A or others (C41). The control unit 41 transmits the participant information entered into the participant input information field to the server 10 (C42).

[0169] The control unit 11 of the server 10 receives participant information from the representative terminal 20 and participant terminals 40 (B48), and stores that participant information in the storage unit 15 to register the participants (B49). At this time, the control unit 11 terminates participant registration when it has entered the same number of participant information entries as the number of participants who visited on the reservation date and time. Then, the control unit 11 associates points with the registered participants (B31).

[0170] One example of the effects of this configuration is that points can be appropriately linked to the number of participants who visit the store on the reserved date and time.

[0171] <Fifth variation (3)> In this embodiment, in order to determine whether the points set by the server 10 are appropriate (D42), an employee of the reservation location confirmed the number of participants who came to the store on the reservation date and time. However, it is sufficient to confirm the number of participants, and is not limited to this. The control unit 11 of the server 10 can, for example, confirm the number of participants who came to the store on the reservation date and time based on information read by the representative terminal 20 and participant terminal 40 from code information installed at the reservation location.

[0172] For example, as shown in Figure 26, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 transmits participant information to the server 10 (A4), and then reads the code information installed at the reservation location based on the operation of user R who visits the store at the reservation date and time (A46). In addition, the control units 41 of participant terminals 40A and 40C read the code information installed at the reservation location based on the operation of users A and C who visit the store at the reservation date and time (C43).

[0173] When the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40A and 40C read the code information, they automatically send arrival information indicating their visit to the reservation location to the server 10 (A47, C44). Then, the control unit 11 of the server 10 sends the number of participants who visited the reservation location at the reservation date and time to the reservation location device 50, based on the arrival information sent from the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40A and 40C.

[0174] Here, if the code information is not read at the reservation date and time, that is, if information about the visit to the reservation location is not received, the control unit 11 acquires the location information of the representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40A, and participant terminal 40C using a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Based on the location information of the representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40A, and participant terminal 40C, the control unit 11 calculates the number of participants who have come to the reservation location and transmits that number of participants to the reservation location device 50.

[0175] In this way, the number of participants who visit the store on the reserved date and time is stored in the reservation device 50. Next, similar to this embodiment, a point approval request is sent from the server 10 to the reservation destination device 50 (B42), and the reservation destination device 50 determines whether the points set by the server 10 are appropriate based on the number of participants for the stored reservation date and time (D42).

[0176] <Effects of the fifth modified example (3)> In the fifth variation (3), the control unit 11 of the server 10 confirms the number of participants who visited the store on the reservation date and time based on the information read by the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 from the code information installed at the reservation location. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it allows for easy confirmation of the number of participants who arrive at the reserved time.

[0177] Furthermore, in the fifth modified example (3), the control unit 11 of the server 10 obtains the location information of the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 using a satellite positioning system if the code information is not read. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that even if the code information is not read, the number of participants who visited the store on the reservation date and time can be easily confirmed.

[0178] <Fifth variation (4)> In this embodiment, in order to determine whether the points set on the server 10 are appropriate (D42), an employee of the reservation destination confirmed the number of participants who came to the store on the reservation date and time. However, it is also possible to send a visit confirmation notice to the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 and confirm the number of participants who came to the store on the reservation date and time based on the response to the visit confirmation notice.

[0179] For example, as shown in Figure 27, when the reservation date and time arrives, the control unit 11 of the server 10 sends a visit confirmation notice to the representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40A, and participant terminal 40C based on the participant information (B51). This visit confirmation notice confirms the visit of users R, A, and C, and can send a message such as "Thank you for visiting." The representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40A, and participant terminal 40C display the received visit confirmation notice, and when users R, A, and C click on the visit confirmation notice, they send the visit information back to the server 10 (A48, C45).

[0180] When the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives visit information from the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40A and 40C, it acquires the location information of the representative terminal 20, participant terminals 40A and 40C using a satellite positioning system such as GPS (B52). Based on the acquired location information, the control unit 11 calculates the number of participants who have come to the reservation location and transmits that number of participants to the reservation destination device 50 (B50).

[0181] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 26, the control unit 11 may or may not confirm the number of participants based on the visit information transmitted to the control unit 11 after the code information is read by the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 (A46, C43), in conjunction with the confirmation in the visit confirmation notification mentioned above.

[0182] In this way, the number of participants who visit the store on the reserved date and time is stored in the reservation device 50. Next, similar to this embodiment, a point approval request is sent from the server 10 to the reservation destination device 50 (B42), and the reservation destination device 50 determines whether the points set by the server 10 are appropriate based on the number of participants for the stored reservation date and time (D42).

[0183] <Effects of the fifth modified example (4)> In the fifth modified example (4), the control unit 11 of the server 10 confirms the number of participants who visited the store on the reserved date and time based on the responses to the visit confirmation notices sent to the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it allows for easy confirmation of the number of participants who arrive at the reserved time.

[0184] Furthermore, in the fifth modified example (4), when the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives a response to the store visit confirmation notification, it acquires the location information of the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 using a satellite positioning system. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it allows for accurate confirmation of the number of participants who arrive at the reserved time.

[0185] <Fifth variation (5)> In this embodiment, in order to determine whether the points set on the server 10 are appropriate (D42), an employee of the reservation location confirmed the number of participants who came to the store on the reservation date and time. However, it is also possible to obtain the location information of the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminals 40 using a satellite positioning system such as GPS and confirm the number of participants who came to the store on the reservation date and time.

[0186] For example, when the reservation date and time arrives, the control unit 11 of server 10 acquires the location information of the representative terminal 20, participant terminal 40A, and participant terminal 40C based on the participant information. At this time, the control unit 11 acquires location information multiple times during the reservation time, not limited to but as an example. Based on the acquired location information, the control unit 11 calculates the number of participants who have come to the reservation location and transmits that number of participants to the reservation destination device 50 (B50).

[0187] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 26, the control unit 11 may or may not confirm the number of participants based on the store visit information transmitted to the control unit 11 after the code information is read by the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 (A46, C43), in conjunction with the confirmation by the satellite positioning system described above. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 27, the control unit 11 may or may not send a visit confirmation notice at the reserved date and time (B51) and confirm the number of participants by receiving visit information replies from the representative terminal 20 and participant terminals 40 (A48, C45), in conjunction with the confirmation by the satellite positioning system described above.

[0188] In this way, the number of participants who visit the store on the reserved date and time is stored in the reservation device 50. Next, similar to this embodiment, a point approval request is sent from the server 10 to the reservation destination device 50 (B42), and the reservation destination device 50 determines whether the points set by the server 10 are appropriate based on the number of participants for the stored reservation date and time (D42).

[0189] <Effects of the fifth modified example (5)> In the fifth modified example (5), the control unit 11 of the server 10 acquires location information of the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 using a satellite positioning system. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it allows for easy confirmation of the number of participants who arrive at the reserved time.

[0190] Furthermore, in the fifth modified example (5), the control unit 11 of the server 10 acquires location information of the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 multiple times during the reserved time. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it allows for accurate confirmation of the number of participants who arrive at the reserved time.

[0191] <Fifth variation (6)> In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 controls the system so that if the reservation is for a set course meal, it associates points with the participant according to the price of the meal, and if the reservation is not for a set course meal, it associates a fixed number of points with the participant. For example, the control unit 11 associates 500 points with a participant for a set course meal costing 1000 yen, and 1000 points with a participant for a set course meal costing 2000 yen. On the other hand, if the reservation is not for a set course meal, it associates a fixed number of 100 points with the participant.

[0192] In this case, if the number of participants who actually show up at the restaurant on the reservation date and time (e.g., 2 people) is less than the planned number of participants (e.g., 3 people), the control unit 11 associates points for the course meal corresponding to the number of participants who showed up at the restaurant on the reservation date and time (2 people). For example, if the 2 participants who showed up at the restaurant on the reservation date and time have reserved a 1000 yen course meal, 500 points will be associated with each of those 2 participants. On the other hand, if the number of participants who actually show up at the restaurant on the reservation date and time (e.g., 4 people) is more than the planned number of participants (e.g., 3 people), the control unit 11 associates points corresponding to the course meal with all participants, even if the additional participant (1 person) does not order a course meal. For example, if the 3 participants who made the reservation have reserved a 1000 yen course meal, 500 points will be associated with each of the 4 participants who showed up at the restaurant on the reservation date and time, even if the additional participant does not order a course meal.

[0193] One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it makes it easy to associate points with participants.

[0194] <Sixth Embodiment> In the first to fifth embodiments, the control unit 11 of the server 10 can accept changes to the number of planned participants included in the reservation information after registering participants (B5). The sixth embodiment is one in which, when the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives information to change the number of planned participants, it cancels the reservation and then controls the system to allow the registration of changes to the participants. Note that components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the sixth embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0195] <Information Processing> First, as shown in Figure 28, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores the participant information of user R and participants (users A and C) received by the communication unit 14 in the storage unit 15 and registers the reserved participants (B5).

[0196] Next, if user R wishes to change the number of participants registered with server 10, they operate the representative terminal 20 to send new reservation information indicating the change in the number of participants to server 10 (A51). When the control unit 11 of server 10 receives the new reservation information indicating the change in the number of participants from the representative terminal 20, it sends information to cancel the reservation to the reservation destination device 50 (B53). When the reservation destination device 50 receives the information to cancel the reservation, it cancels the reservation and sends a completion notification to server 10 indicating that the cancellation is complete (D51).

[0197] When the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives a cancellation completion notification from the reservation destination device 50, it re-determines whether the reservation destination can accept the changed number of participants by user R, based on the updated reservation destination information 152 (B54). At this time, it is assumed that the number of participants has been changed from 3 to 4 by user R. If the reservation destination can accept the changed number of participants (4), the control unit 11 sends a new reservation completion notification and participant input information to the representative terminal 20 (B55). As an example, the control unit 11 sends participant input information and a reservation completion notification to the representative terminal 20, with all participant information entered before the change deleted.

[0198] As a result, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 receives a reservation completion notification from the server 10, which changes the number of reservations to 4 people, and new participant input information, as shown in Figure 29 (A52). When user R presses the selection button 62a, an add button 65 for adding participants is displayed on the display unit 24. When this add button 65 is pressed, as in the first embodiment, participant input information 63, which is a list of user information, is displayed on the display unit 24, and three participants can be entered into the participant input information 63. At this time, the control unit 21 controls the group information, including the participants of the previously registered reservation, to be displayed at the top of the participant input information 63 list, not as an example but as an example. For example, as shown in Figure 30, if group X is located below group Y, the control unit 21 controls the group X to be displayed at the top.

[0199] Next, user R re-enters their participant information into the participant input information received from server 10 (A53) and sends the new participant information back to server 10 (A54). When the control unit 11 of server 10 receives the new participant information from representative terminal 20 (B56), it stores the changed user participant information in the storage unit 15, and the participant for that reservation is registered again (B57).

[0200] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 31, if the reservation destination cannot accept the number of participants changed in step B54, the control unit 11 sends a reservation failure notification to the representative terminal 20 indicating that the reservation cannot be made.

[0201] <Effects of the 6th Embodiment> In the sixth embodiment, when the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives information that the number of planned participants will be changed, it cancels the reservation and then controls the system to allow the registration of changes to the participants. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that, by canceling the reservation, participants can be appropriately adjusted to match the number of people the venue can accommodate.

[0202] In the sixth embodiment, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 controls the group information, including the participants of the previously registered reservation, to be displayed at the top of the list of participant input information 63. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that user R can easily change the participants in a reservation.

[0203] <Sixth variation (1)> In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 canceled the reservation and changed the participant in step B53, as shown in Figure 28, but it is sufficient and not limited to being able to change the participant. The control unit 11 can also control the registration of participant changes without canceling the reservation.

[0204] For example, if user R wants to change the number of scheduled participants registered with server 10, they press the selection button 62a shown in Figure 8 to display participant input information 63 on the display unit 24 of the representative terminal 20. Then, by pressing the participant input button 64 of the participant whose reservation is to be changed, they can add or remove participants.

[0205] The control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 transmits the participant information to the server 10 once the user R has finished changing the participant. The control unit 11 of the server 10 then receives the participant information from the representative terminal 20 (B56) and stores that participant information in the storage unit 15. As a result, the participant in the reservation is registered as changed (B57).

[0206] Furthermore, if the control unit 11 registers a change in participant without canceling the reservation, it may or may not perform the process in step B55 shown in Figure 28. For this reason, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 may or may not perform the processes in steps A52 and A53 shown in Figure 28.

[0207] Next, if the control unit 11 deletes a participant's registration in step B57, it sends a registration deletion notification to the participant terminal 40 of the deleted user. For example, if the control unit 11 deletes user C's registration, it sends a registration deletion notification to user C's participant terminal 40C.

[0208] <Effects of the 6th modified example (1)> In the sixth modified example (1), the control unit 11 of the server 10 controls the system to allow changes to the participant registration without canceling the reservation. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participants can be easily changed.

[0209] Furthermore, in the sixth modified example (1), the control unit 11 of the server 10 sends a registration deletion notification to the participant terminal 40 of the user whose registration has been deleted when the participant registration of the participant is deleted. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that users can recognize that they have been removed from the reservation group through a registration deletion notification, thus reducing misunderstandings among users.

[0210] <Sixth variation (2)> In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives changes to the planned number of participants and participant information from the representative terminal 20 in steps A51 and A54, but it is sufficient to be able to change the planned number of participants and participant information, and is not limited to this. The control unit 11 can also, for example, directly receive changes to the planned number of participants and participant information from the participant terminal 40, without limitation. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that the planned number of participants and participant information can be easily changed.

[0211] <Sixth variation (3)> In this embodiment, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 inputs participant information of participants participating in the reservation into the participant input information in step A53 shown in Figure 28. However, it is sufficient to input participant information, and is not limited to this. The control unit 21 can also, for example, input participant input information of participants who will not be participating in the reservation into the participant input information and send it to the server 10. As a result, the control unit 11 of the server 10 removes the participants entered into the participant input information from the registered participants, and the remaining participants are registered as participants in the reservation.

[0212] <Seventh Embodiment> In the sixth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 can, in step A51 as shown in Figure 28, control the system to register more participants than the number of participants initially entered by the user R who made the reservation, without canceling the reservation, if new reservation information is transmitted within the set period. Note that components identical to those in the sixth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the seventh embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0213] <Information Processing> First, similar to the sixth embodiment, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 transmits new reservation information (A51) indicating a change in the planned number of participants, as shown in Figure 28, and this reservation information is received by the server 10. At this time, the control unit 11 of the server 10 is assumed to have received reservation information to change the number of participants to exceed the planned number, that is, reservation information to change the number of participants to increase.

[0214] When the control unit 11 receives reservation information that will be changed to exceed the planned number of participants, it determines whether the information was received within a pre-set period, for example, within a few hours before or after the reservation date and time. If the control unit 11 receives information that will change the planned number of participants within the set period, it controls the system to allow registration of participants exceeding the planned number without canceling the reservation.

[0215] The control unit 11, as an example (though not limited to this case), sends code information to the representative terminal 20 to add participant information if reservation information to change the planned number of participants is received during the set period. As a result, the control unit 21 of the representative terminal 20 displays the code information on the display unit 24, and that code information is read by the participant terminal 40 of the newly joining participant. As a result, the participant information of the new participant is sent from the participant terminal 40 to the server 10.

[0216] When the control unit 11 of the server 10 receives participant information for a new participant (B56), it requests the reservation destination device 50 to approve the changed number of planned participants. If the changed number of planned participants is approved, the control unit 11 sends a message to the representative terminal 20 indicating that the change in the number of planned participants has been approved. The control unit 11 also stores the participant information of the new participant in the storage unit 15 and registers the new participant (B57).

[0217] <Effects of the 7th Embodiment> In the seventh embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 controls the system to allow registration of participants exceeding the number of participants entered by the user R who made the reservation, without canceling the reservation for a set period of time. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participants can be easily added without having to cancel reservations.

[0218] <7th variation (1)> In this embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 transmits code information to the representative terminal 20, but it is sufficient and not limited to obtaining participant information of new participants. For example, the control unit 11 can send a notification to the participant terminal 40 of the new participant requesting participant information, and the participant information of the new participant can be obtained from the participant terminal 40 when the new participant approves the notification. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that participants can be easily added without having to cancel reservations.

[0219] <Eighth Embodiment> In the first to seventh embodiments, the control unit 11 of the server 10 can perform control to transmit information related to a reservation to the participant terminal 40 by the communication unit 14 based on the reservation. The eighth embodiment is an embodiment in which the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs control to transmit an advertisement related to a reservation to the participant terminal 40 by the communication unit 14 based on the reservation. Regarding the same configurations as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and repeated explanations are omitted. The content described in the eighth embodiment is applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0220] <Information Processing> First, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 32, the control unit 11 of the server 10 stores the participant information of the user R and the participants (users A and C) received by the communication unit 14 in the storage unit 15 and registers the participants of the reservation (B5). Subsequently, the control unit 11 searches the storage unit 15 to obtain information on the reservation destination where the participant has participated, and based on the information on the reservation destination, selects an advertisement related to the reservation, for example, an advertisement of a store that the participant is interested in, from a plurality of pre-stored advertisements (B61). Then, the control unit 11 transmits the advertisement related to the reservation to the representative terminal 20 and the participant terminal 40 respectively based on the participant information of the participants stored in the storage unit 15. As a result, advertisements of stores that the participants who have participated in the reservation are interested in are displayed on the display unit 24 of the representative terminal 20 and the display unit 44 of the participant terminal 40 respectively (A61, C61).

[0221] <Effects of the Eighth Embodiment> In the eighth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs control to transmit information related to a reservation to the participant terminal 40 by the communication unit 14 based on the reservation. As an example of the effect of such a configuration, information suitable for the participant can be easily provided. In addition, since the tendency of the events participated in by the participants can be grasped, marketing such as advertisement distribution can be carried out, and new services can be provided to the participants.

[0222] In the eighth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 performs control to transmit advertisements related to reservations (not limited to, but an example of information related to reservations). One example of the benefits of this configuration is that it allows for easy delivery of advertisements tailored to the participants.

[0223] <Ninth Embodiment> In the first to eighth embodiments, the control unit 11 of the server 10 can be controlled to display multiple service plans for reservations by price range. Furthermore, components identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their further explanation is omitted. The contents described in the ninth embodiment are applicable to any of the other embodiments.

[0224] <Information Processing> The control unit 11 of the server 10 retrieves the service plan of the reservation destination from multiple reservation agents that have partnered with the reservation destination. Conventionally, as shown in Figure 33, the control unit 11 controlled the display unit 24 of the representative terminal 20 to display the service plans (Plan A, Plan B, Plan C) obtained from the reservation agents (Company X, Company Y, Company Z) in a vertical order, for example, by price. As a result, it was difficult to quickly determine that, for example, the two Plan A's were the same except for the reservation agent Company X and Company Y, and that other details (reservation destination L, price, service details, etc.) were the same, making it difficult to compare Plans A to C. Also, it was difficult to quickly understand that the two Plan C's were the same in terms of reservation destination N and service details, but differed in price.

[0225] Therefore, the control unit 11 of the server 10 controls the display unit 24 of the representative terminal 20 to display the multiple service plans for which reservations have been made, categorized by price range. For example, as shown in Figure 34, the control unit 11 can control the display unit 24 to display multiple service plans A to E, divided into price ranges of 2,000 yen to 3,000 yen, 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen, and 5,000 yen to 10,000 yen. In this case, the control unit 11 controls the display to show plans A and B, which are in the 2,000 yen to 3,000 yen price range, side by side, and plans C and D, which are in the 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen price range, side by side. The control unit 11 also displays two plans A with the same service content adjacent to each other, and displays two plans C with the same service content adjacent to each other. Furthermore, the control unit 11 controls the display to move sequentially between the multiple service plans A to E arranged side by side using a horizontal swipe operation.

[0226] <Effects of the 9th Embodiment> In the ninth embodiment, the control unit 11 of the server 10 controls the display of multiple reserved service plans by price range. One example of the benefits of this configuration is that service plans can be easily compared. For instance, two identical Plan A options are displayed side-by-side, making it easy to distinguish them as the same Plan A. Similarly, identical Plan C options with different service contents are displayed side-by-side, making it easy to select Plan C, which offers better service.

[0227] <Other> While embodiments of this disclosure have been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of this disclosure. Not limited to, but as an example, the functions, etc., included in each means, each step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple means, steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided. Furthermore, the configurations shown in each embodiment may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0228] 1 System 10 servers 20 Representative terminals 30 Networks 40 Participant terminals 50 Reserved device

Claims

1. It is a server, A communication unit that transmits information for entering reservation participants to the terminal of the second user based on the first user's designation of the second user, The system includes a control unit that registers the second user as a participant in the reservation based on the second user's input indicating their desire to participate in the information for inputting participants in the reservation, The control unit, After registering the participants for the reservation, if information is received from the first user's terminal to change the planned number of participants for the reservation, the reservation is canceled and information for entering the participants for the reservation is sent to the first user's terminal.

2. A server according to claim 1, Based on the designation of a specific group including the first user, the communication unit transmits information for inputting the participants of the reservation to the terminal of the second user who is included in the specific group.

3. A server according to claim 1, The communication unit transmits information to the terminal of the second user for inputting the participants of the reservation, based on the designation of the second user from among multiple users included in a specific group.

4. A server according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The communication unit transmits a reservation completion notice, including the details of the reservation, along with information for the second user to input the participants of the reservation, to the second user's terminal.

5. A server according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The input indicating the second user's desire to participate includes information entered for the button that registers the second user as a participant in the reservation.

6. A server according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The communication unit receives reservation information relating to the reservation from the first user's terminal, and the second user is designated based on the reservation information.

7. A server according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The control unit, based on the registration of the second user as a participant, will determine the new reservation based on the reservation. The information about the service is sent to the terminal of the second user.

8. The server according to claim 7, The information for the new service includes information indicating that the set points have been associated with the second user.

9. The server according to claim 8, The control unit associates the points, which are divided according to a set ratio, with respect to the first user and the second user.

10. A server according to claim 8 or claim 9, The control unit determines the points based on the number of participants reserved by the first user and the number of second users registered as participants in the reservation.

11. A server according to claim 8 or claim 9, The control unit determines the points based on the number of participants entered by the reservation provider.

12. A server information processing method, Based on the designation of the second user by the first user, the server's communication unit transmits information for entering the participants of the reservation to the second user's terminal. Based on the input from the second user indicating their desire to participate in the information for inputting participants in the aforementioned reservation, the control unit of the server registers the second user as a participant in the aforementioned reservation. After registering the participants for the reservation, if the server receives information from the first user's terminal to change the planned number of participants for the reservation, the server's control unit cancels the reservation and sends information to the first user's terminal for inputting the participants for the reservation.

13. A program executed by a server, Based on the designation of the second user by the first user, the server's communication unit transmits information for entering the participants of the reservation to the second user's terminal. Based on the input from the second user indicating their desire to participate in the information for inputting participants in the aforementioned reservation, the control unit of the server registers the second user as a participant in the aforementioned reservation. After registering the participants for the reservation, if the server receives information from the first user's terminal to change the planned number of participants for the reservation, the server cancels the reservation and sends information to the first user's terminal via the server's control unit.

14. It is a system, A server that transmits information for entering the participants of a reservation based on the designation of the second user by the first user, The system includes a terminal that receives information for inputting participants for the aforementioned reservation, and transmits the participant information of the second user to the server based on the input of the second user indicating their desire to participate in the information for inputting participants for the aforementioned reservation. Based on the participant information, the server registers the second user as a participant in the reservation. After registering the participant in the reservation, if it receives information from the terminal to change the planned number of participants in the reservation, it cancels the reservation and sends information to the terminal for inputting the participant in the reservation.

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