Electronic ticket system and program

Abstract

To provide an electronic ticket system which allows a state of use to be easily confirmed or traced.SOLUTION: A service information providing system includes: a user terminal with a touch panel comprising display means of displaying information and input means superposed on the display means to detect each of positions simultaneously touched, and configured to display an electronic ticket on the display means; and a stamp having a plurality of touch parts for detecting simultaneous touches on the input means. When the user terminal displaying an electronic ticket on the display means is touched by the touch parts of the stamp simultaneously, the input means detects the touch positions. When the detected touch positions satisfy a predetermined condition, an image is drawn which indicates that the electronic ticket has been used.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic ticket system that issues an electronic ticket to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone and recognizes that the electronic ticket has been used. [Background technology]

[0002] Services that offer coupons or points as sales promotion activities aimed at selling products and attracting customers have been implemented in various forms for some time. One example is a form in which coupons are distributed on paper or via the Internet (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this form, when a customer makes a purchase at a retail store, the customer presents a coupon issued by the retail store to a store clerk and receives preferential service according to the content of the coupon. Note that one form of point awarding uses a purchase proof stamp (sticker) and a mount for attaching the stamp. These types of services have the advantage that they do not require a large amount of cost to implement and can be easily implemented by the retail store alone.

[0003] Furthermore, admission tickets for various events such as music, movies, and sports, transportation tickets, and vouchers for products purchased in advance are issued to users' mobile terminals in the form of electronic tickets via the Internet, etc., and a system is being realized that allows users to enjoy services such as entering an event venue or using transportation by presenting the electronic ticket. In the following explanation, electronically issued coupons, stamp cards, event tickets, product vouchers, and other coupons and tickets issued electronically via the Internet, etc. are collectively referred to as "electronic tickets." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-157102 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the format described in Patent Document 1, it is not easy to grasp data such as which customer used which coupon, when and where, sales per customer, and points issued accordingly. For this reason, it is actually difficult for retailers to effectively and efficiently use coupons and points as a method of sales promotion. It is also similarly difficult to confirm and track the usage of event tickets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic ticket system that can solve the above problems. This object is achieved by the combination of features recited in the independent claims in the appended claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous embodiments of the present invention.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electronic ticket system according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a display means for displaying information, a touch panel overlaid on the display means and having input means capable of detecting individual contact positions when touched at multiple positions simultaneously, a user terminal for displaying an electronic ticket on the display means, and a stamp having multiple pressure sections capable of detecting simultaneous contact with the input means, and when the user terminal is displayed with an electronic ticket on the display means and is simultaneously touched by the pressure sections of the stamp, it detects the multiple contact positions using the input means, and if the detected contact positions satisfy a predetermined condition, draws an indication that the electronic ticket has been used.

[0008] The electronic ticket system may further include a server device capable of communicating with the user terminal, and the user terminal may be configured to notify the server device that the electronic ticket has been used when the detected contact position satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0009] In addition, when the electronic ticket system further includes a server device capable of communicating with a user terminal, the server device stores information regarding the arrangement of the multiple pressure sections of the stamp in association with the electronic ticket corresponding to the stamp, and when the user terminal detects by the input means that all pressure sections of the stamp have been contacted simultaneously while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means, the user terminal may inquire of the stamp database of the server device whether the detected contact position corresponds to the displayed electronic ticket, and if there is a response indicating that it does, the display means may draw an indication that the electronic ticket has been used. In this case, when responding to the inquiry from the user terminal indicating that it does, the server device may record that the electronic ticket has been used by the user of the user terminal. In addition, the server device may further include an information providing unit that provides the electronic ticket to the user.

[0010] When the user terminal is touched simultaneously by all of the pressure points of the stamp while the display means indicates a request for an electronic ticket, the user terminal detects the multiple contact positions using the input means and requests the server device to provide an electronic ticket corresponding to the detected contact positions, and in response to the request from the user terminal, the server device provides the electronic ticket corresponding to the contact positions to the user terminal that made the request.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a program according to a second embodiment of the present invention is a program executed on a user terminal having a display means for displaying information, a touch panel having an input means overlaid on the display means and capable of detecting individual contact positions when touched at multiple positions simultaneously, and an information storage unit for storing an electronic ticket to be displayed on the display means of the touch panel, and causes the user terminal to execute the steps of: displaying the electronic ticket on the display means; detecting the contact positions of contacts made simultaneously at multiple positions on the input means while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means; and, if the detected contact positions correspond to the displayed electronic ticket, drawing on the display means an indication that the electronic ticket has been used.

[0012] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention, and any subcombination of these features may also constitute an invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a coupon issuing system 10. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mobile terminal 20. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of a stamp 30. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server 40. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of data stored in a coupon information database. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for issuing a coupon using the coupon issuing system 10. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 before a coupon is issued. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an unused coupon displayed on the mobile terminal 20. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for using the coupon issuing system 10. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a used coupon. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for using the stamp rally system. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 before stamping. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 after a stamp is affixed. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 before stamping. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server 40 in a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] [First embodiment: Example of application to a coupon issuing system] A coupon issuing system 10 which is a first embodiment of an electronic ticket system according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] [Configuration of coupon issuing system 10] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coupon issuing system 10. The coupon issuing system 10 includes a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40. The mobile terminal 20 and the server 40 each execute an application to function as a component of the coupon issuing system 10 of the present invention. The mobile terminal 20 and the server 40 are capable of communicating with each other via a network such as the Internet. The stamp 30 is placed in a store where a coupon issued by the coupon issuing system 10 can be used, and is used to issue the coupon and / or to mark the coupon as used.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the mobile terminal 20. The mobile terminal 20 includes a calculation device 21 such as a CPU that executes calculation processing of an application, a storage device 22 such as a RAM or a hard disk that stores information, a display device 23 such as a display (screen), a communication device 24 that transmits and receives the processing results of the calculation device 21 and information stored in the storage device 22 via a network such as the Internet or a LAN, and a multi-touch touch panel display 25 that identifies the arrangement information of the stamp 30. Each function (each means) realized on a computer is executed by reading an instruction (group) for executing the process into the calculation device 21. When each function uses information stored in the storage device 22 in the process, it reads the corresponding information from the storage device 22 and appropriately uses the read information for the process in the calculation device 21.

[0017] A multi-touch compatible touch panel display is a touch panel that can detect contact at multiple points by a finger, a pen tip, or the like. A stamp 30 of the present invention is brought into contact with a mobile terminal 20 equipped with this multi-touch compatible touch panel display. The display device 23 may also function as the multi-touch compatible touch panel display 25. There are various contact detection methods for touch panels, but in this embodiment, a case where the touch panel display is of a capacitance type will be described as an example.

[0018] 3 is a diagram showing the structure of stamp 30. Stamp 30 comprises a main body 30a, an electrode 31, a handle 32, and an imprinting surface 33. The main body 30a of stamp 30 has handle 32 provided at the top, and the bottom surface opposite to the side where handle 32 is provided forms imprinting surface 33. The imprinting surface 33 and a cross section of main body 30a parallel to imprinting surface 33 are formed in the shape of a rectangular square stamp.

[0019] The stamp 30 has five electrodes 31, which are pressure plates that detect the arrangement information of the stamp 30 by simultaneously contacting the multi-touch touch panel display 25 of the mobile terminal 20. The five electrodes 31 are fixed to the imprint surface 33 to maintain a predetermined positional relationship with each other, and when they are simultaneously contacted with the mobile terminal 20, the positional relationship is recognized. Three of the five electrodes 31 are arranged near three vertices of the rectangle of the imprint surface 33. With such an arrangement of the electrodes 31, the up, down, left, and right of the stamp 30 can be recognized regardless of the orientation of the imprint surface 33 of the stamp 30 when it is contacted with the touch panel display 25. The electrodes 31 are circular, made of a conductive material, and have a convex structure relative to the imprint surface 33. The electrodes 31 are made of a conductive material. In addition, it is preferable that the electrodes 31 and the main body 30a are made of a semi-transparent material. Since the electrodes 31 and the main body 30a are made of a conductive and semi-transparent material, an image to be displayed when the stamp 30 is pressed against the touch panel display 25 can be drawn on the imprinting surface 33, so that when the stamp 30 is brought into contact with the mobile terminal 20, the drawn image appears as if it has been imprinted on the mobile terminal. It is preferable that the parts other than the electrodes are filled with an insulating (non-conductive) material such as resin so that the imprinting surface is substantially flat. This can prevent wobbling during imprinting due to the existence of vertices where the electrodes are not placed, and all the electrodes can be reliably brought into contact with the touch panel display at the same time. It is preferable that the color of the electrodes and the color of the material filling the parts other than the electrodes are the same color (for example, transparent). This makes it difficult to see the electrode positions, and prevents unauthorized copying of the stamp.

[0020] The handle 32 is a portion to be held when stamping the stamp 30. The handle 32 is made of a conductive material. The stamping surface 33 is a portion for arranging the electrodes 31, and is made of a conductive material. The above-described configuration of the stamp 30 is a suitable material and configuration for the stamp 30 to be used with a touch panel display using a capacitive touch panel. If the mobile terminal 20 employs a touch panel display of another type, the stamp 30 may be made of a material and configuration having characteristics suitable for the type of touch panel. If conductivity is not required, the stamping surface 33 of the stamp 30 may be provided with a plurality of non-conductive pressing portions that enable simultaneous contact with the touch panel display.

[0021] As described above, the electrodes 31 are arranged on the stamp surface 33 of the stamp 30 so as to give the same effect to the touch panel display 25 as touching multiple points with a finger or a pen tip. The arrangement information of the electrodes 31 is provided so as to be different for each coupon. Therefore, the type of coupon can be identified by the arrangement information of the electrodes 31. Also, the coupon can be identified as used by displaying the coupon on the mobile terminal 20 and touching the electrodes 31 to the screen of the displayed coupon. Although it is possible to make a touch similar to touching the touch panel display 25 with the electrodes 31 of the stamp 30 with a fingertip, it is not appropriate to identify the arrangement information with a fingertip, considering the hygienic aspect of directly touching the mobile terminal 20 and the stress of the user that another person touches the screen of the mobile terminal 20 directly. Also, it is possible to make a touch similar to that of the stamp 30 with a pen tip, but it is not appropriate to identify the arrangement information with a pen tip. It is meaningful to use the stamp 30 to perform the above-mentioned processes from coupon issuance to confirmation of coupon use.

[0022] 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of server 40. Server 40 has a terminal information storage unit 41, an array information search processing unit 42, a coupon information search processing unit 44, a coupon information storage unit 45, and a coupon information providing unit 46. These functional blocks are realized by reading and executing an instruction (group) for executing the processing into a calculation device such as a CPU, using the calculation device, a storage device such as a RAM or a hard disk for storing information, and a communication device such as a network interface.

[0023] The terminal information storage unit 41 stores information about the user's mobile terminal 20. The information about the user's mobile terminal 20 includes identification information of the mobile terminal 20, the date and time when communication was received from the mobile terminal 20, location information of the mobile terminal 20, and the like.

[0024] The array information search processing unit 42 receives the array information of the electrodes 31 transmitted from the user's mobile terminal 20, and sends the array information received from the electrodes 31 to the coupon information search processing unit 44. In addition, the array information search processing unit 42 searches for and extracts the requested array information from the array information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45.

[0025] The coupon information search processing unit 44 receives a coupon acquisition request transmitted from the user's mobile terminal 20 or array information transmitted from the array information search processing unit 42, and searches for and extracts the requested coupon information from the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45. As a condition for searching for coupon information, it is preferable to obtain, from the user's mobile terminal 20, array information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30 that has come into contact with the user's mobile terminal 20, and use this. Then, the coupon information storage unit 45 is searched for coupon information corresponding to the obtained array information.

[0026] The coupon information storage unit 45 stores information about coupons (also simply referred to as "coupon information"). FIG. 5 shows an example of the coupon information storage unit 45. The information about the coupon includes coupon identification information for identifying the coupon (arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30, an ID for identifying the coupon, a coupon name, etc.), store identification information where the coupon can be used (store name, ID for identifying the store, etc.), content of the service that can be enjoyed with the coupon (for example, 20% off, one free item, one free drink, free for one person, etc.), information about the store where the coupon can be used (address, telephone number, etc.), event information to which the coupon is associated, location information of the place where the event is held, map information showing the route from the place where the event is held to the store, an image of the coupon face when it is unused, an image of the coupon face after it has been used, a coupon distribution period, a coupon use period, a coupon use upper limit (the number of users who can use the coupon; when the cumulative number of users of the coupon reaches this number, further use is no longer possible), and the cumulative number of users of the coupon.

[0027] The coupon information providing unit 46 receives a request for coupon information from the user's mobile terminal 20, and sends the coupon information searched and extracted by the coupon information search processing unit 44 in response to the request to the user's mobile terminal 20.

[0028] [Registration of coupon information in coupon information storage unit 45] The server 40 provides an administrator, such as a coupon issuer, with a registration screen for registering coupon information in the coupon information storage unit 45. The administrator accesses the registration screen via the Internet, for example, and registers the above-mentioned coupon information in the coupon information storage unit 45.

[0029] The administrator registers the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30 in the coupon information storage unit 45 via the mobile terminal 20. The server 40 provides the administrator with a stamp registration screen for registering the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30. The administrator uses the mobile terminal 20 to access the stamp registration screen, for example, via the Internet. The stamp registration screen displays an imprinting area for pressing the stamp to be registered, an input field for coupon identification information of the coupon to be associated with the stamp, a registration button for starting registration, and the like. The administrator inputs the coupon identification information in the input field, touches the registration button to make the stamp available for registration, and then presses the stamp against the imprinting area. The mobile terminal 20 recognizes the arrangement of the electrodes 31 of the pressed stamp 30 by the touch panel display 25, and transmits the coupon identification information and the arrangement information to the server 40 in association with each other. The server 40 registers the arrangement information in the coupon information storage unit 45 in association with the coupon identification information received from the mobile terminal 20 of the administrator.

[0030] In the above example, the coupon information and stamp array information are managed collectively in the coupon information storage unit 45, but the coupon information and stamp array information may be managed separately, and the coupon identification information may be linked to the stamp identification information corresponding to the coupon in the coupon information storage unit 45. Managing the coupon information and the stamp array information separately makes it easy to assign an already registered stamp to multiple coupons or to reuse a stamp as a stamp for another coupon after the validity period of the coupon has expired.

[0031] [Coupon issuing behavior] Next, referring to FIG. 6, the operation of issuing a coupon in the coupon issuing system 10 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the procedure for issuing a coupon by the coupon issuing system 10. First, the user starts an application on the mobile terminal 20 (step S100). Then, the user operates the application to display a screen before coupon issuance as shown in FIG. 7 on the mobile terminal 20 (step S101), and operates the application to request a coupon issuance request from the server. Specifically, the request is requested by contacting the mobile terminal 20 with a stamp (step S102). Then, the mobile terminal 20 requests the server 40 to issue a coupon linked to the array information of the electrodes 31 (step S104). In the server 40, the coupon information providing unit 46 receives the request, and the array information search processing unit 42 searches for coupon information corresponding to the array information, and it is determined whether the requested coupon information has been registered in the server 40 (step S106). If the coupon information is already registered, the server 40 transmits the coupon information to the mobile terminal 20 via the coupon information providing unit 46 (step S108), and the mobile terminal 20 receives the information (step S110). When the mobile terminal 20 receives the coupon information, it displays a screen after the coupon issuance as shown in Fig. 8 on the touch panel display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 (step S112).

[0032] On the other hand, if the coupon information is not registered in the server 40, the coupon cannot be recognized (step S114), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the coupon cannot be used, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S116). The mobile terminal 20 that receives the notification displays that the coupon is not registered (step S118) and ends the process. If an unregistered coupon is requested, the user cannot use the coupon. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous use, such as when the coupon is outside of its validity period. It also makes it possible to prevent fraud, such as counterfeiting of coupons.

[0033] In this way, by using the electronic stamp of the present invention to issue coupons, it is possible to issue coupons that give a sense of premium to users. For example, by announcing in advance that coupons will only be distributed if customers visit the store and by providing the electronic stamp of the present invention in the store, it is possible to issue coupons only to those who actually visit the store. This makes it possible to actively motivate customers to visit the store. It is also possible to issue coupons only to users who visit the store. This gives users a sense of premium that they will not receive coupons unless they visit the store.

[0034] As a search condition for coupon information, when the stamp 30 is brought into contact with the user's mobile terminal 20, the user's mobile terminal 20 acquires arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30, and searches the coupon information from the coupon information storage unit 45 based on the arrangement information. The search condition may also include location information of the mobile terminal 20. Other conditions may also be set as the search condition.

[0035] The coupon information search processing unit 44 accepts a search processing request for coupon information from the user's mobile terminal 20, and the coupon information providing unit 46 sends the corresponding coupon information from among the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 as a search result to the user's mobile terminal 20. There are three conditions for searching coupon information:

[0036] In the first case, when a user visits a store, a store clerk touches stamp 30 to the user's mobile terminal 20, and the user's mobile terminal 20 acquires the array information of the electrodes 31 arranged on stamp 30. The array information search processing unit 42 accepts a search processing request for the array information, and the coupon information providing unit 46 sends the relevant coupon information from the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 to the user's mobile terminal 20 as the search result.

[0037] Second, when a user visits a store, a coupon acquisition request is sent from the user's mobile terminal 20 to the coupon information search processing unit 44, and the coupon information providing unit 46 sends the corresponding coupon information from the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 to the user's mobile terminal 20 as a search result.

[0038] The third method is to push the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 from the server to the user's mobile terminal 20. As a condition for notification, the information of the user's mobile terminal 20, such as the location information of the mobile terminal 20 sent to the terminal information storage unit 41, is matched with the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45, and if there is matching information, the server 40 sends a notification of the coupon information to the user's mobile terminal 20. For example, if the location information of the mobile terminal 20 acquired by the mobile terminal 20 is in front of Shibuya Station, the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 sends the coupon for the location information of the store issuing the coupon in front of Shibuya Station to the mobile terminal 20. In addition, if the type of coupon desired by the user (for example, the genre of cuisine (Japanese food, Chinese food, Italian food, French food, etc.), the type of restaurant (family restaurant, fast food, rice bowl restaurant, pub, kappo, bar, Chinese restaurant, Italian restaurant, etc.), the price range of the restaurant, etc.) is registered in advance, these may be included as search conditions.

[0039] To issue a coupon, first, the stamp information, ie, the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 of the stamp 30 and the contents of the coupon, are registered in the server 40. Then, the application installed in the mobile terminal 20 obtains the stamp information from the server 40 via a network such as the Internet, and receives the coupon information. The corresponding coupon is then displayed on the application running on the mobile terminal 20.

[0040] In addition to the request made by pressing the stamp 30 as described above, the server 40 may distribute the coupon itself or access information (such as a URL) to a download page for the coupon to the registered user by means of e-mail or the like. The registered users to whom the coupons are distributed may be narrowed down based on the registered user's attribute information, past coupon usage history, etc. Also, when an application is started on the mobile terminal 20, coupons that are within the distribution period may be automatically downloaded.

[0041] [Coupon usage behavior] Next, the operation when using a coupon issued by the coupon issuing system 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure for using a coupon issued by the coupon issuing system 10. First, the user starts an application on the mobile terminal 20 (step S200). Then, the user operates the application to display a screen of unused coupons on the mobile terminal 20 as shown in FIG. 8 (step S202). If an upper limit is set for the number of coupons that can be used, the screen may display the remaining number of coupons to be used, such as "5 remaining". Then, the screen is presented at a store where the coupon can be used. The store employee touches the imprinting surface of a stamp on which the store's unique arrangement information is arranged to the screen of the mobile terminal 20. That is, with the screen of unused coupons displayed, the employee touches the stamp 30 of the present invention to the touch panel display 25 (step S204). Then, the mobile terminal 20 recognizes the arrangement information arranged on the stamp 30 as shown in FIG. 3 (step S206). The recognized arrangement information is transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 to the server 40 via a network such as the Internet (step S208). The server 40 receives the sequence information through the sequence information search processing unit 42, searches for coupon information corresponding to the sequence information through the coupon information search processing unit 44, and judges whether the coupon information is registered in the coupon information storage unit 45 (step S210). If the sequence information is registered in the server 40, the server recognizes the corresponding coupon from the registered sequence information (step S212), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 through the coupon information providing unit 46 that the user has used the coupon, and the mobile terminal 20 receives this (step S214). The mobile terminal 20 that has received the notification displays (draws) an indication that the coupon has been used as shown in FIG. 10 (step S216), and ends the process. This allows the user to use the coupon displayed on the mobile terminal 20. In this way, when a registered coupon is used, the terminal information storage unit 41 grasps when, who, and at which store the coupon was used, and the terminal information storage unit accumulates this information. The store can use this information to carry out marketing and sales promotion activities, or to plan new coupons.

[0043] As a variation of steps S208 to S216 described above, the mobile terminal 20 may previously (for example, when the coupon is issued) associate coupon information with array information corresponding to the coupon and store the information in association with the coupon. When the mobile terminal 20 recognizes the array information of the pressed stamp 30, it compares it with the array information corresponding to the coupon being displayed, and if it determines that the corresponding stamp 30 has been pressed, it may display that the coupon has been used and send a notification to the server that the coupon has been used.

[0044] As yet another example, the mobile terminal 20 may transmit coupon information (e.g., coupon identification information) of the coupon being displayed (to be used) and array information of the pressed stamp 30 to the server 40, and the server 40 may search for array information corresponding to the coupon to be used and compare it with the array information of the pressed stamp 30, and if it determines that a corresponding stamp 30 has been pressed, it may notify the mobile terminal 20 to display that the coupon has been used.

[0045] On the other hand, if the array information is not registered in the server 40, the coupon cannot be recognized (step S218), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the coupon cannot be used, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S220). The mobile terminal 20 receives the notification, displays that the coupon is not registered (step S222), and ends the process. If an unregistered coupon is presented, the user cannot use the coupon. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous use, such as when the coupon is outside of its validity period. It also makes it possible to prevent fraud, such as counterfeiting of coupons.

[0046] [Second embodiment: Example of application to a stamp rally system] Next, a stamp rally system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The stamp rally system is configured in the same manner as the coupon issuing system 10 described in the first embodiment, with a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40, and although there are differences in operation and usage procedures, the rest of the system is the same as the coupon issuing system 10, so a description of the common parts will be omitted here.

[0047] The stamp rally system includes a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40, similar to the coupon issuing system 10 of the first embodiment described above. Explanations of matters common to the first embodiment described above will be omitted here. A stamp 30 is provided at each of a plurality of checkpoints in the stamp rally.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the usage procedure when the stamp 30 is applied to a stamp rally system. Before starting this procedure, a participant of the stamp rally selects a stamp rally to participate in from among a plurality of stamp rallies that can be selected in the application installed on the mobile terminal 20. When the participant of the stamp rally arrives at a checkpoint, the procedure shown in the flowchart starts. First, the application is started on the mobile terminal 20 (step S300). Then, the application is operated to display a screen of the stamp rally before stamping as shown in FIG. 12 on the mobile terminal 20 (step S302). The participant touches the stamp surface of the stamp 30, which is placed at the checkpoint and has unique arrangement information for the checkpoint, to the screen of the mobile terminal. That is, with the screen of the stamp rally before stamping displayed, the participant touches the stamp 30 to the touch panel display 25 (step S304). Then, the mobile terminal 20 recognizes the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30 as shown in FIG. 3 (step S306). The recognized sequence information is transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 to the server 40 via a network such as the Internet (step S308). The server 40 receives the sequence information, searches for coupon information corresponding to the sequence information by the coupon information search processing unit 44, and determines whether the sequence information is registered in the server 40 (step S310). At this time, the server 40 may receive information identifying the participating stamp rally, information identifying the participant, information identifying the checkpoint, etc. together with the sequence information. In the case of sequence information registered in the server 40, the server 40 recognizes the corresponding checkpoint from the registered sequence information (step S312), and notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the user has arrived at the checkpoint, and the mobile terminal 20 receives this (step S314). Note that if the checkpoint recognized based on the sequence information does not correspond to the information identifying the stamp rally or the information identifying the checkpoint received from the mobile terminal, the server 40 may not notify that the user has arrived at the checkpoint.The server 40 records when, who, and which checkpoint was reached, along with the notification to the mobile terminal 20. The mobile terminal 20 that receives the notification displays a message indicating that the checkpoint has been reached, as shown in FIG. 13 (step S316), and ends the process. This allows the user to record that they have arrived at the checkpoint displayed on the mobile terminal 20. In this way, when a checkpoint is reached, the server 40 knows when, who, and which checkpoint was reached, and can store this information.

[0049] Although only one checkpoint is displayed on the screens displayed on the mobile terminal 20 shown in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, multiple checkpoints may be displayed on one screen as in the modified example shown in Fig. 14. By displaying multiple checkpoints on one screen, the progress toward the goal can be presented to the participant in an easy-to-intuitive manner.

[0050] The stamp rally system 11 does not require ink when stamping, and can easily draw a picture on the mobile terminal 20 as if the correct stamp had been stamped, without having to consider stamping errors or the direction of the stamp. Also, there is no need to provide equipment such as a power source or communication device at the checkpoint itself, making it easy to set up checkpoint locations. From the above points, even in facilities such as retail stores where it is difficult to provide space for a stamp rally, it is possible to easily set up a large number of checkpoints, allowing customers to roam around the store.

[0051] On the other hand, if the sequence information is not registered in the server 40, the checkpoint cannot be recognized (step S318), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the checkpoint cannot be recognized, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S320). The mobile terminal 20 receives the notification, displays that the checkpoint is not registered (step S322), and ends the process. If a screen of an unregistered checkpoint is presented, the participant cannot stamp 30. Therefore, for example, if there is a mismatch between the checkpoint that has actually been reached and the screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20, the stamp 30 will not be stamped by mistake. It is also possible to prevent fraud, such as falsifying arrival at a checkpoint.

[0052] The stamp rally system may provide a coupon or a prize to a participant who has stamped 30 at all checkpoints according to the procedure shown in Fig. 11. For example, when the server 40 confirms that stamps 30 have been stamped at all checkpoints, a coupon may be automatically provided to the mobile terminal 20 of the participant. Also, a prize or coupon may be given when a screen indicating that all stamps have been stamped is presented to the organizer of the stamp rally or the like. When all stamps have been stamped, ranking information indicating the rank of the participant among all participants who reached all checkpoints may be provided from the server 40 to the mobile terminal 20, and a coupon or prize may be given according to the ranking information.

[0053] [Third embodiment: Example of application to a ticket processing system] Next, a ticket processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The ticket processing system issues various tickets, such as admission tickets for various events such as music, movies, and sports, and tickets for transportation, and performs cancellation as used. The configuration of the ticket processing system is the same as that of the coupon issuing system 10 described in the first embodiment, and includes a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40. Although there are differences in operation and usage procedures, the rest of the system is the same as that of the coupon issuing system 10, so a description of the common parts will be omitted here.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 15, the server 40 of this embodiment includes a terminal information storage unit 41, a ticket information storage unit 47, a stamp information storage unit 48, a ticket issuance processing unit 49, and the like.

[0055] The ticket information storage unit 47 stores, in association with the ticket identification information, the name of the ticket, information on the face of the ticket (images and text information before and after use), the price of the ticket, the period during which the ticket is used, the seat location in the event, stamp identification information of the stamp 30 associated with the ticket, etc. Each ticket may be associated with multiple stamp identification information. Also, a common stamp identification information may be assigned to multiple tickets.

[0056] The stamp information storage unit 48 stores the stamp identification information in association with array information indicating the array of electrodes arranged on the stamp 30. The method of registering the stamp 30 in the stamp information storage unit 48 may be the same as the method of registering the stamp 30 in the coupon information storage unit 45 in the coupon issuing system of the first embodiment.

[0057] The ticket issuance processing unit 49 issues and transmits ticket information to the user's mobile terminal 20. The ticket issuance processing unit 49 may issue tickets free of charge to many users using a method similar to that of the coupon issuance system of the first embodiment, but may also issue tickets only to users who have completed the ticket purchase procedure. In this case, the ticket issuance processing unit 49 of the server 40 transmits ticket information (for example, the name of the ticket, information on the face of the ticket (image and text information), the ticket amount, seat location at the event, etc.) or the URL of a download site for ticket data to users who have completed the purchase procedure.

[0058] The following describes how to use the ticket processing system, taking as an example the case of issuing admission tickets to a music event and using the issued tickets at the event venue.

[0059] A user purchases a ticket through a predetermined procedure, and imports the ticket information of the purchased ticket into an application on the mobile terminal 20. Then, when the ticket needs to be presented, the ticket is displayed on the touch panel display of the mobile terminal 20 and presented. An event staff member who cancels the admission ticket presses a stamp for the event on the touch panel display on which the ticket is displayed, and the admission ticket is considered to be used. When performing the canceling process, the server 40 and the mobile terminal 20 transmit and receive information on the cancelled ticket, the date and time of the canceling, the location of the canceling, and the like. Then, it is determined whether the displayed ticket and the pressed stamp correspond, whether the time of the canceling is within the admission ticket's usage period, and the like, and the canceling is executed only when all the conditions are met. The conditions may be determined by the mobile terminal 20 or the server 40. Also, part of the determination may be performed by the mobile terminal 20, and the rest by the server 40. When the conditions are not met, an error notification may be given by display, sound, vibration, or the like. This can prevent unauthorized entry.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the array information and the corresponding coupon information, checkpoints, or ticket information are stored in correspondence with each other in the server 40, and the server 40 determines whether the correspondence between the array information received from the mobile terminal 20 and the coupon information, checkpoints, or ticket information is appropriate. However, the array information and the corresponding coupon information or checkpoint information may be stored in the mobile terminal 20, and the mobile terminal 20 may itself check whether the correspondence is appropriate.

[0062] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the case where a stamp is pressed against the coupon or ticket to mark it as used is described as an example, but a method other than pressing a stamp may be selectable as an operation for executing the deleting process. For example, a method may be selectable such as inputting a predetermined PIN, reading a barcode or two-dimensional code (e.g., QR code (registered trademark)), inputting a sound of a predetermined pattern or wavelength from a microphone, or performing a predetermined operation for executing the deleting process on the touch panel display of the mobile terminal 20. For example, the deleting method to be used may be stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 or the ticket information storage unit 47 in association with the identification information of the coupon or ticket. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Coupon issuing system 20 Mobile Devices 30 Stamps 40 Servers

Claims

1. a user terminal having a display means for displaying information and a touch panel provided over the display means and having input means capable of detecting individual touch positions when multiple positions are touched simultaneously, the user terminal displaying an electronic ticket on the display means; a stamp having a plurality of pressing portions capable of detecting simultaneous contact with the input means; The electronic ticket system is characterized in that when the user terminal is simultaneously touched by the pressure parts of the stamp while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means, the input means detects multiple contact positions, and if the detected contact positions satisfy predetermined conditions, a drawing is performed to indicate that the electronic ticket has been used.

2. Further comprising a server device capable of communicating with the user terminal, 2. The electronic ticket system according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal notifies the server device that the electronic ticket has been used when the detected contact position satisfies a predetermined condition.

3. The method further includes a server device capable of communicating with the user terminal, the server device storing information regarding the arrangement of the plurality of pressure sections of the stamp and the electronic ticket corresponding to the stamp in association with each other, The electronic ticket system described in claim 1, characterized in that when the user terminal detects via the input means that all of the pressing parts of the stamp have been touched simultaneously while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means, it queries the server device as to whether the detected contact position corresponds to the displayed electronic ticket, and if there is a response that it does, it displays a drawing on the display means indicating that the electronic ticket has been used.

4. The electronic ticket system according to claim 3, characterized in that when the server device responds to an inquiry from the user terminal, it records that the electronic ticket has been used by the user of the user terminal.

5. 5. The electronic ticket system according to claim 2, wherein the server device further comprises an information providing unit that provides an electronic ticket addressed to the user.

6. when all of the pressing portions of the stamp are touched simultaneously while the display means is displaying a message indicating a request for the electronic ticket, the user terminal detects a plurality of contact positions by the input means and requests the server device to provide the electronic ticket corresponding to the detected contact positions; 6. The electronic ticket system according to claim 5, wherein the server device, in response to a request from the user terminal, provides the user terminal that has made the request with an electronic ticket that corresponds to the contact position.

7. a touch panel having a display means for displaying information and an input means provided over the display means and capable of detecting individual touch positions when multiple positions are touched simultaneously; and an information storage unit that stores an electronic ticket so as to display the electronic ticket on a display means of the touch panel. The user terminal, displaying the electronic ticket on the display means; detecting contact positions of contacts made simultaneously at a plurality of positions on the input means while the electronic ticket is being displayed on the display means; a step of displaying an indication that the electronic ticket has been used on the display means when the detected contact position corresponds to the electronic ticket being displayed; A program that executes the following.

Images