Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide service which mitigates a negative expression due to waiting time, with respect to a user waited upon use of a facility.SOLUTION: In an information processing system, a management server comprises: acquisition means which acquires wait time information about wait time when a user waited for use of a facility; determination means which determines reward on the basis of the wait time information; and notification means which notifies the user of the reward determined by the determination means. The determination means determines the reward according to a condition set for each facility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In stores, entertainment facilities, and the like, customers who wish to use the facilities may have to wait in line. For example, there are methods such as having customers line up and guiding them in order from the front, having them write their names in the order in which they arrive, and distributing numbered tickets. Patent Document 1 also discloses a system that allows customers to wait in line via the Internet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-050002 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, waiting time is generally boring for customers, and can cause negative impressions and stress to customers who wish to use the service.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a technology that can provide a service to users who wait to use a facility, which reduces the negative impression caused by the waiting time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the information processing device disclosed herein is characterized by having an acquisition means for acquiring waiting time information regarding the waiting time a user waits to use a facility, a determination means for determining a reward based on the waiting time information, and a notification means for notifying the user of the reward determined by the determination means.

[0007] Further features related to the present disclosure will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings. Also, the aspects of the present disclosure are achieved and realized by the elements and combinations of various elements and the following detailed description and the appended claims. The description of the present specification is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a service that alleviates negative impressions caused by waiting time for users who are waiting to use a facility. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the description of the following embodiment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a management server 10 and a user terminal 30. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a functional configuration diagram of a management server 10 and a user terminal 30. FIG. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example of a facility table and a user table. [Diagram 5] 1 is a sequence diagram between the management server 10 and the user terminal 30. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart of an extraction process for selecting candidate facilities where check-in is possible. [Figure 7] 1 is an example of a UI (user interface) displayed on the user terminal 30. [Figure 8] This is a reward determination process executed by the management server 10. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart of a remuneration determination process. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart of a remuneration determination process. [Figure 11] 1 is a sequence diagram between the management server 10 and the user terminal 30. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart of a remuneration type determination process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may be indicated by the same numbers. Note that the accompanying drawings show embodiments according to the principles of the present disclosure, but these are for understanding the present disclosure and are not to be used to interpret the present disclosure in a limiting manner. The description in this specification is merely a typical example and does not limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any sense.

[0011] In the present embodiment, the description is given in sufficient detail for a person skilled in the art to implement the present disclosure, but it should be understood that other implementations and forms are possible, and that changes in configuration and structure and substitutions of various elements are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical ideas of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be interpreted as being limited thereto.

[0012] [First embodiment] <Example of information processing system configuration> In the first embodiment, a system is described that gives points to users who are waiting in line to use a facility according to the waiting time. Here, the number of points to be given for a given waiting time is set for each facility. A user is a user who registers with this system and wishes to receive a service that allows points to be received according to waiting time. The waiting time is specified by an operation using a terminal owned by the user (hereinafter referred to as a user terminal). In this embodiment, the facility is exemplified by an eating establishment such as a cafe or restaurant.

[0013] 1 is a configuration diagram of an information processing system 1 according to a first embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a management server 10 and a user terminal 30. The management server 10 and the user terminal 30 are interconnected via a network 40 such as the Internet. Also, a QR code (registered trademark) used to detect the end of a waiting time is posted in a facility 20. This QR code is a code converted from a URL uniquely set for the facility.

[0014] The management server 10 holds information about facilities and information about users. In addition, the management server 10 executes a process of transmitting check-in candidates to the user terminal 30 based on information received from the user terminal 30, and a process of determining a reward (here, points) to be given to the user according to the waiting time acquired from the user terminal 30.

[0015] The user terminal 30 is an information processing device with a built-in camera capable of capturing images, such as a smartphone. For convenience, only one user terminal 30 is illustrated here, but in reality, more user terminals 30 may constitute this system. The user terminal 30 can use this system by using a pre-downloaded application or web browser to earn and accumulate points.

[0016] A user who is about to enter a facility will wait in line if the facility is full. The user selects the facility for which the user will wait on the user terminal 30 and performs an operation to start the waiting time. When the user's turn arrives and the user enters the store, the user ends the waiting time by reading a QR code posted in the store with the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 counts the time from the start to the end of the waiting time, and transmits the waiting time information together with the user information to the management server 10. The management server 10 determines a reward to be given to the user based on the received waiting time information and the facility for which the user waited, and transmits the reward to the user terminal 30.

[0017] <Hardware configuration of management server 10 and user terminal 30> 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the management server 10 and the user terminal 20. The management server 10 is an information processing device, and can be a general-purpose server computer or a personal computer. It is also possible to configure the management server 10 using a plurality of computers. As shown in the figure, the management server 10 physically has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) 11 which are processors, a communication unit 14 such as a communication interface for communicating with memory 12, storage 13, and network 40, and an input / output unit 15. The hardware components of the management server 10 are connected to each other via a bus.

[0018] The CPU 11 executes a program previously stored in the storage 13, which will be described later, so that each piece of hardware operates under the control of the CPU 11, and each function of the management server 10 shown in FIG. 3 is realized. The memory 12 temporarily stores the program loaded from the storage 13 and provides a working area for the CPU 11. The memory 12 also temporarily stores various data generated while the CPU 11 is executing the program. The memory 12 includes, for example, a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM). The storage 13 stores various programs. The storage is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD). The communication unit 14 transmits and receives various data to and from an external information processing device via a network. The communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as the communication between the two devices can be performed.

[0019] The input / output unit 15 has an input device that receives inputs from various operations on the management server 10 and transmits information related to the inputs to the CPU 11, and an output device that outputs the processing results of the CPU 11. The input device is realized by a touch panel, a mouse, a keyboard, a microphone, etc., and the output device is a display, a speaker, etc. The input / output unit 15 may be an integrated input device and an output device, such as a touch panel display, or may be separate input device and output device.

[0020] The hardware configuration of the user terminal 30, that is, the CPU 31, memory 32, storage 33, communication unit 34, and input / output unit 35, are similar to the CPU 11, memory 12, storage 13, communication unit 14, and input / output unit 15 of the management server 10, respectively, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. However, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the user terminal 30 has a touch panel display as the input / output unit 35. Also, the imaging unit 36 ​​in the user terminal 30 is a camera capable of acquiring images (still images) and videos. When the imaging unit 36 ​​is started, an image of the subject to be imaged is displayed on the display through the lens, and an image can be captured by tapping an imaging button displayed on a user interface on the display.

[0021] <Management system functional configuration> 3 is a functional block diagram of the management server 10 and the user terminal 30. The functional configuration of the management server 10 will be described first. The management server 10 includes a communication control unit 100, a facility extraction unit 110, a management unit 120, a reward determination unit 130, and a storage unit 140 as software modules executed by the CPU 11 (functions configured by various programs deployed in the internal memory of the CPU 11). For convenience of description, these modules may be described below as the operating subjects, but since it is the CPU 11 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 11 may also be the operating subject.

[0022] The storage unit 140 stores a database related to facilities and a database related to users that are targets managed by the management server 10. The database includes a facility table 141 and a user table 142. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the facility table 141 and the user table 142 stored in the storage unit 140. Note that, in this embodiment, the facility table 141 and the user table 142 are represented in a table format, but the format is not limited to this and they may be constructed in any format as long as each data is linked.

[0023] 4(a) is a data set that stores information about facilities. As an example, one piece of facility information (i.e., one record) is information that associates a facility ID, a name, an address, a location, opening hours, and reward information. "Facility ID" is identification information for uniquely identifying a facility. "Name" indicates the name of the facility. "Address" is information that can identify the location of the facility. "Location" is location information consisting of latitude and longitude. "Opening hours" is information that indicates the hours during which the facility is open. Opening hours can also be considered business hours, or the hours during which a facility is available to users.

[0024] "Reward information" is information used in the process of determining rewards according to waiting times. In this embodiment, the waiting time is evaluated into four stages using three thresholds, and points are set for each stage, as described in detail below. Therefore, here, information indicating the first threshold, the second threshold, and the third threshold is stored as the reward information. The average waiting time differs depending on the facility. When the number of available people (seats in the case of a store) is small, or in a popular facility, the waiting time is likely to be long. Therefore, in this embodiment, for facilities with long average waiting times, the threshold group is set high, and for facilities with short average waiting times, the threshold group is set low.

[0025] 4(b) is a data set that stores information about users to whom points are granted by the system. As an example, one piece of user information is information that associates a user ID, a user name, an address, authentication information, a waiting status, a start time, and points.

[0026] "User ID" is identification information for uniquely identifying a user. "User name" is the user's name. "Address" is the user's email address, and "authentication information" is information used to authenticate a user, such as a password. "Waiting status" indicates whether the user is waiting in line to use a facility. "Points" is information indicating the points the user currently possesses. The user ID, user name, address, and authentication information are stored in the database based on information previously registered via the user terminal 30.

[0027] Returning to Fig. 3, the communication control unit 100 receives location information, waiting time information, and the like transmitted from the user terminal 30, and transmits to the user terminal 30, in response to a request from the user terminal 30, information on a group of candidate facilities where the user can check in and information on points to be awarded to the user.

[0028] The facility extraction unit 110 extracts facilities where the user may be waiting from the facility table 141 based on the location information transmitted from the user terminal 30. The management unit 120 accesses the facility table 141 and the user table 142 to register and update various information. The reward determination unit 130 determines points (reward) to be awarded to the user based on the waiting time information and the facility information for which the user is waiting transmitted from the user terminal 30.

[0029] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the user terminal 20. The user terminal 20 has a communication control unit 300, a position acquisition unit 310, a counting unit 320, a display control unit 330, and an imaging control unit 340. Each function or process of the user terminal 30 is realized by a CPU 31 included in the user terminal 30 executing various programs.

[0030] The communication control unit 300 communicates with the management server 10, downloads a predetermined program from the management server 10, and receives various information. The communication control unit 300 also transmits information such as location information, authentication information, and waiting time to the management server 10. The location acquisition unit 310 acquires location information of the user terminal 30. For example, the location acquisition unit 310 acquires location information by GPS. The counting unit 320 counts the elapsed time from the time when the waiting for turn started. The display control unit 330 generates and displays a GUI screen based on screen data for a GUI (graphic user interface) that is stored in advance. The display control unit 22 also accepts operations by the user via the GUI screen. The imaging control unit 340 starts the camera that is the imaging unit 36, and controls the imaging operation.

[0031] <Processing flow between the user terminal 30 and the management server 10> A series of flows from when a user starts queuing at a certain facility, until the user is guided to the end of the queue, until points are awarded using the information processing system of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram between the management server 10 and the user terminal 30 from when the user starts queuing to when points are awarded. Each process (step) executed by the user terminal 30 and the management server 10 executes a program capable of realizing the process shown in FIG. 5. When the user queues up to use (enter) a certain facility, the user starts an application or web browser previously installed on the user terminal 30 and opens the initial screen of this system, which then executes the following process. Each step is denoted as "S".

[0032] In S501, the position acquisition unit 310 of the user terminal 30 acquires position information of the user terminal 30, and in S502, the communication control unit 300 transmits the position information to the management server 10.

[0033] In S503, the facility extraction unit 110 in the management server 10 extracts candidate facilities that can accept check-in (start of waiting) based on the received location information. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the extraction process for selecting candidate facilities where check-in is possible. First, the facility extraction unit 110 acquires the location information in S601, and in S602 refers to the facility table 141 to search for facilities located within a radius of 20 m from the location information.

[0034] Furthermore, in S603, the facility extraction unit 110 determines whether the current time is within the opening hours (business hours or check-in hours) for each of the facilities found in the search results in S602, excludes facilities whose opening hours are outside the current time, and extracts a group of candidate facilities for check-in.

[0035] In S504, the communication control unit 100 of the management server 10 transmits to the user terminal 30 facility information for each of the group of facilities that are check-in candidates. In S505, the user terminal 30 generates and displays a GUI based on information about a group of facilities that are check-in candidates. Fig. 7(a) shows an example of a display image displaying a group of facilities that are check-in candidates. A list 701 displays a group of facilities that are considered to be where the user may be waiting in line based on the location information of the user terminal 30. The display control unit 330 generates the image shown in Fig. 7(a) so that a tap (touch) can be received on an area including the name of each facility.

[0036] When the user selects one facility by tapping on the UI on the screen of the user terminal 30, the display control unit 330 generates and displays a GUI for check-in reception in S506. FIG. 7(b) is a diagram showing the GUI for check-in reception displayed after the user selects "cafe restaurant A". In this system, points are awarded according to the waiting time, so the text for explaining the conditions and rules for awarding points includes a message saying "You cannot earn points if you can sit down immediately". In addition, the check-in reception GUI (FIG. 7(b)) includes a button 702 for starting the waiting time. When the user taps on the area of ​​the button 702 on the display screen of the user terminal 30, the display control unit 330 detects the tap and accepts the check-in.

[0037] In S507, the counting unit 320 counts the elapsed time from the time when the check-in is accepted as the start time. In addition, in S508, the display control unit 330 generates and displays a waiting UI. Fig. 7(c) is a diagram showing an example of the waiting UI. The waiting UI includes the elapsed time, an explanation of the rules for earning points, a button 703 for starting the camera, and a button 704 for stopping waiting.

[0038] When the user's turn comes, the user enters the facility (store) and taps the button 703 to read the QR code posted in the store. Then, the imaging control unit 340 starts up the imaging unit 36 ​​in S510. In S510, the imaging control unit 340 reads the QR code from the captured image, and in S511, the communication control unit 100 accesses the URL indicated by the QR code, stops the counting by the counting unit 320, and determines the elapsed time (waiting time) since the counting started. In S512, the communication control unit 100 transmits the user information, the facility where the user checked in, and waiting time information indicating the waiting time to the management server 10.

[0039] In S514, the management server 10 determines points based on the checked-in facility and waiting time information. Details of the processing in S514 will be described later. In S515, the communication control unit 100 of the management server 10 transmits the determined point information to the user terminal 30. Note that the point information here includes the points determined in S514 and the user's points that have already been accumulated.

[0040] In S516, the display control unit 330 of the user terminal 10 generates and displays a completion UI based on the received point information. Fig. 7(d) is a diagram showing an example of the completion UI. The completion UI shown in Fig. 7(d) includes text indicating that the waiting time has ended, the points acquired during this waiting time, and the total owned points.

[0041] <Reward determination process> The details of the process in S514 will now be described. Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the reward determination process executed by the management server 10. When information including waiting time information is received from the user terminal 30, the following process is executed.

[0042] In S801, the reward determination unit 130, based on the received user information, obtains the accumulated points of the user from the user table 142. In addition, in S802, the reward determination unit 130 refers to the facility table 141 to obtain and set reward information (here, three thresholds) corresponding to the facility where the user waited.

[0043] In S803, the reward determination unit 130 compares the user's waiting time with a first threshold. If the waiting time is less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to S804, where the points to be awarded for this waiting time are determined to be 10 points. If the reward determination unit 130 determines in S803 that the user's waiting time is not less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to S805.

[0044] In S805, the reward determination unit 130 further compares the waiting time with a second threshold and determines whether the waiting time is less than the second threshold. If the waiting time is less than the second threshold, the process proceeds to S806, where the reward determination unit 130 determines the number of points to be awarded as 20 points. If the waiting time is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the process proceeds to S807.

[0045] In S807, the reward determination unit 130 further compares the waiting time with a third threshold and determines whether the waiting time is less than the third threshold. If the waiting time is less than the third threshold, the process proceeds to S808, where the reward determination unit 130 determines the points to be awarded as 30 points. If the waiting time is equal to or greater than the third threshold, the process proceeds to S809, where the points to be awarded are determined as 40 points. This completes the reward determination process for determining the points to be awarded to the user.

[0046] In this embodiment, if the waiting time from when the user starts waiting until the user's turn arrives is less than the first threshold, 10 points are given, if the waiting time is equal to or greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, 20 points are given, if the waiting time is equal to or greater than the second threshold and less than the third threshold, 30 points are given, and if the waiting time is equal to or greater than the third threshold, 40 points are given. Furthermore, the first threshold, the second threshold, and the third threshold are set for each facility. For example, in the case of a store where the average waiting time is 15 minutes, the first threshold is set to 5 minutes, the second threshold is set to 10 minutes, and the third threshold is set to 15 minutes. On the other hand, in the case of a store where the average waiting time is 5 minutes, the first threshold is set to 2 minutes, the second threshold is set to 4 minutes, and the third threshold is set to 5 minutes. This means that if the same threshold is set for stores with different average waiting times, the store with the longer waiting time will be given higher points, and users who try to use a store with a shorter waiting time will be less likely to be given points. As a result, this will motivate people to line up at facilities with long waiting times, and the number of people lining up at stores with long waiting times will increase, leading to further prolonged waiting times. Therefore, as described above, by setting a threshold value for each facility based on the waiting time trends for each facility, the user's waiting time is converted into points without increasing the waiting time at the facility.

[0047] <Summary of the First Embodiment> In this embodiment, a reward (points) is given according to the waiting time of the user, and the negative impression caused by the waiting time can be alleviated. Furthermore, since the waiting time varies depending on the facility, the conditions for giving the reward are set for each facility. If there are too many people waiting in line, the waiting area will need to be improved, and the negative impression may lead to complaints. If a uniform threshold is set for all facilities, only facilities with long queues will be given high points, which may lead to further prolongation of the waiting queue. Therefore, by setting appropriate conditions for giving the reward for each facility, it is possible to prevent the waiting time at the facility from worsening.

[0048] <Modification of the first embodiment> In the above explanation, the management server 10 executes the reward determination process, but the user terminal 30 may execute the reward determination process. In this case, after the user terminal 30 starts waiting in line, it obtains reward information corresponding to the facility for which it is waiting in line from the management server 10, and executes the reward determination process shown in Fig. 8. The user terminal 30 transmits points, which are the determination result, together with the user information to the management server 10, and the management server 10 updates the point information in the user table 142 by adding the points to the information.

[0049] In the above description, the waiting time is evaluated in four stages at each facility, and four different points are awarded, but this is not limited to the above. The evaluation may be in two or three stages, and the number of thresholds may differ depending on the facility. Furthermore, instead of evaluating the waiting time by a threshold, the points may be calculated by a formula with the waiting time as a variable. Also, although points are always awarded for the waiting time, a system may be adopted in which no reward is awarded if the waiting time exceeds a certain time (for example, twice the average waiting time) in order to motivate waiting in line when there are few people waiting. Also, the longer the waiting time, the higher the points. For example, a reward may be awarded to encourage waiting in line during relatively less crowded hours by awarding higher points when the waiting time is less than the average waiting time than when the waiting time is greater than the average waiting time.

[0050] In addition, as the setting of the reward judgment process for each facility, only the threshold value is set for each facility, but this is not limited to this. For example, the reward range itself may be changed so that a reward is given in the range of 1 to 10 points at one facility and a reward is given in the range of 10 to 30 points at another facility. In the above description, points are awarded as the reward, but the reward itself may be different for each facility. One facility may award points, while another facility may award benefits such as content or discount coupons depending on the waiting time. In this case, the reward information for each facility stores the content of the reward to be awarded and the reward depending on the waiting time.

[0051] <Second embodiment> In the second embodiment, a system that provides rewards according to the number of times a user waits within a certain period of time in a complex facility with multiple waiting spots will be described. Here, a system that provides rewards according to the number of times a user waits from entry to exit will be described, taking an amusement park with multiple attractions as an example. In the case of attractions, since users need to ride a ride or enjoy content as soon as their turn arrives, a QR code is posted near the exit where users will always pass after the play is over. Users are expected to scan the QR code when they leave the attraction facilities, not when they finish waiting in line.

[0052] In addition, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The process of S513 is different from the reward determination process executed by the management server 10.

[0053] In this embodiment, first, the management server 10 registers information about the facilities in the amusement park in advance. In S503, the facility extraction unit 110 of the management server 10 extracts, as candidate facilities for check-in, attractions in the amusement park that the user has entered and facilities within a predetermined range of location information. It is preferable to have the user terminal 30 be able to accept registration for entry to the amusement park in advance. For example, a known method can be used for registering tickets online.

[0054] In the second embodiment, when the user reads the identification information posted near the exit of the attraction using the user terminal 30 (S510), the user terminal 30 accesses the URL indicated by the QR code. At this time, the user terminal 30 transmits to the management server 10 information indicating that the user has left the facility where the user checked in, together with the user information. Furthermore, the display control unit 330 in the user terminal 30 displays a park exit confirmation UI (not shown) for confirming the leaving of the park. The park exit confirmation UI displays a button for selecting "Yes" and a button for selecting "No" along with the text "Do you want to leave the park?". When the user presses the "Yes" button or the "No" button on the display screen of the user terminal 30, the communication control unit 300 of the user terminal 30 transmits information indicating whether or not the user is leaving the park to the management server 10.

[0055] When the management server 10 receives information from the user terminal 30 indicating that the user will not leave the park, it counts up the number of times the user has waited after entering the park. On the other hand, when the management server 10 receives information from the user terminal 30 indicating that the user will leave the park, it executes a reward determination process for determining a reward according to the number of times the user has waited (S614) instead of S514. Details of the reward determination process (S614) in this embodiment will be described later. The management server 10 transmits the determined point information to the user terminal 30, similar to S515.

[0056] In S516, the display control unit 330 of the user terminal 30 generates and displays a completion UI based on the received point information. In the completion UI in this embodiment, the number of waits, the acquired points, and the total owned points are displayed.

[0057] 9 is a flowchart of the reward determination process in the second embodiment. When the management server 10 receives a notification from the user terminal 30 that the user has selected to leave the park, the management server 10 executes the following process. In S901, the reward determination unit 130 acquires the number of times the user has waited based on the user information. Here, the number of times the user has waited after entering the park on the same day is counted.

[0058] In S902, the reward determination unit 130 acquires a group of thresholds as reward information for the amusement park the user has entered. In this embodiment, two thresholds (a first threshold and a second threshold) are acquired and set. As an example, the target amusement park has 10 facilities (attractions), the first threshold is 3, and the second threshold is 5.

[0059] In S903, the reward determination unit 130 compares the number of times the user has waited that day with a first threshold. If the number of times the user has waited is less than the first threshold, the process proceeds to S904, where the reward determination unit 130 determines that the number of points to be awarded is 10 points. If the number of times the user has waited is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the process proceeds to S905.

[0060] In S905, the reward determination unit 130 compares the number of waits with the second threshold. If the number of waits is less than the second threshold, the process proceeds to S906, where the reward determination unit 130 determines the number of points to be awarded as 29 points. If the number of waits is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the reward determination unit 130 determines the number of points to be awarded as 30 points in S906.

[0061] As described above, in this embodiment, the reward is determined according to the number of times the visitor waits within a certain period of time. This has the effect of encouraging the visitor to visit more waiting spots and turning the waiting time itself into an enjoyable experience.

[0062] <Modification of the second embodiment> In the above description, the number of waiting times from entering to leaving the park is used, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the number of waiting times in one day may be used. In this case, there is no need to display a UI on the user terminal 30 to confirm whether or not to leave the park, and the reward determination process shown in FIG. 9 may be executed when the date changes (or when the business hours of the facilities end). Also, although a leisure land has been described as an example of an area having multiple waiting spots, it may also be, for example, a commercial facility or a tourist spot.

[0063] Also, the reward according to the number of times of waiting may be replaced with a reward according to the total waiting time. In this case, when the user terminal 30 finishes waiting in line, it transmits the waiting time to the management server 10, and the management server 10 stores the received waiting time. Furthermore, when executing the reward determination process, the management server 10 calculates the total waiting time by summing up the waiting times within a certain period, and determines the reward according to the total waiting time according to a rule set in advance. Furthermore, the reward can be determined based on both the number of times of waiting and the total waiting time. For example, if the operator of the facility expects the visitor to visit more waiting spots with less waiting time, the reward is determined so that a higher benefit can be obtained when the number of times of waiting is large and the total waiting time is short.

[0064] <Third embodiment> In the third embodiment, a system is described that calculates the difference between the actual waiting time and the predicted waiting time, and provides a reward according to the difference. The management server 10 is assumed to be capable of estimating the waiting time of the facility using a known method. Below, a reward determination process executed by the management server 10, which is different from that of the first embodiment, is described.

[0065] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the remuneration determination process in the third embodiment. In S1011, the remuneration determination unit 130 acquires the waiting time received from the user terminal 30. In S1012, the remuneration determination unit 130 acquires the predicted waiting time at the time the user checks in for the facility to which the user has checked in.

[0066] In S1003, the reward determination unit 130 subtracts the predicted waiting time from the waiting time. In S1004, the reward determination unit 130 determines whether the result of subtracting the predicted waiting time from the waiting time calculated in S1003 is 0 or more. If the waiting time is less than the predicted waiting time (the difference is less than 0), the reward determination unit 130 proceeds to S1005 and determines to award 10 points. If the waiting time is longer than the predicted waiting time (the difference is 0 or more), the reward determination unit 130 proceeds to S1006 and determines to award 30 points.

[0067] As described above, in the third embodiment, a reward is determined according to the difference between the user's waiting time and the predicted waiting time. When a user waits for a longer than predicted waiting time, the user becomes more stressed. Therefore, in this system, a higher point (reward) is awarded when the waiting time exceeds the predicted waiting time at the time of starting to wait, thereby reducing the stress caused by the waiting time.

[0068] <Fourth embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, an information processing system that provides different types of rewards depending on the predicted waiting time will be described. Specifically, when the user starts waiting, if the predicted waiting time is a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) or more, entertainment content (videos, games, etc.) is delivered to the user in addition to providing points. If the predicted waiting time is less than the predetermined time, only points according to the waiting time are provided.

[0069] The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the processing performed after a check-in (start of waiting) is accepted from the user terminal 30. Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram between the user terminal 30 and the management server 10 of the information processing system in the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the processing in S1101 and S1102 is executed. Furthermore, when the user terminal 30 accepts the check-in in S506, it transmits to the management server 10 information indicating that waiting has started and the facility at which the user will be waiting.

[0070] When the management server 10 receives information indicating that the user terminal 30 has started waiting for its turn from the user terminal 30, it executes a process of determining a reward type in S1101. Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the reward type determination process executed by the management server 10 in S1101. When the reward determination unit 130 of the management server 10 receives information indicating that the check-in has been accepted from the user terminal 30, it executes the following process.

[0071] In S1201, the reward determination unit 130 acquires a predicted waiting time based on the facility where the user terminal 30 accepted the waiting order and the date and time when the user terminal 30 received information indicating that the user terminal 30 accepted the check-in. The predicted waiting time can be calculated by analyzing data related to past waiting orders. A known method can be used to calculate the predicted waiting time, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0072] In S1202, the reward determination unit 130 compares the predicted waiting time with a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) to determine what kind of reward to give to the user according to the predicted waiting time. If the predicted waiting time is equal to or less than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to S1203, where the reward determination unit 130 determines that the reward to be given to the user is only points.

[0073] If the predicted waiting time is longer than the predetermined time, the process proceeds to S1204, where the reward determination unit 130 determines to distribute the content in addition to providing points. Note that the content to be distributed at this time is registered in advance in the storage unit 14 of the management server 10. Furthermore, it is preferable that the content to be distributed here is one that will end in less than the predetermined time or less than the predicted waiting time.

[0074] Returning to Fig. 11, when the management server 10 determines the reward type according to the predicted waiting time, the communication control unit 100 transmits the reward content in S1102. If it is determined in S1101 that content is to be distributed, the content is also distributed here.

[0075] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the type of reward delivered to the user is switched depending on the predicted waiting time. When it is predicted that the waiting time will be long, content is delivered to the user on the user terminal 30 so that the user can kill time. As a result, the user's experience of the waiting time can be shortened and the negative impression caused by a long waiting time can be alleviated. The fourth embodiment is particularly effective when it is necessary to wait near a facility, since the user cannot visit or move to other places during the waiting time.

[0076] <Modification of the Fourth Embodiment> In the above description, content is distributed only when the predicted waiting time is long, but content according to the predicted waiting time may be distributed. For example, a moving image (video) that can be viewed within the predicted waiting time may be distributed, or a game or quiz with a difficulty level according to the predicted waiting time may be distributed. Furthermore, when the management server 10 distributes content, the management server 10 may also refer to user information to determine the content to be distributed.

[0077] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, the start of the waiting order is accepted by the user operation of the user terminal 30, and the end of the waiting order is accepted by reading the posted QR code. However, the start and end of the waiting order can be accepted by other methods. For example, not only the start of the waiting order but also the end of the waiting order may be determined based on location information. In addition, a system that accepts the waiting order from an online or in-store terminal and manages the waiting order online may be used. In this case, the people waiting in line are called in order, and when the waiting order ends, the facility staff ends the waiting order of the called user through a management terminal for the facility (such as a tablet or smartphone). In such a system, the management server that manages the waiting order stores the time when the waiting order was accepted and the time when the waiting order was ended, and it is possible to obtain the waiting time for each user. In this way, it is also possible to obtain the waiting time without using the user terminal 30. It is also possible to use NFC, RFID, beacons, etc. to detect users who arrive at the site, or to use face authentication or fingerprint authentication to accept the waiting order.

[0078] As described above, the technology of the present disclosure can be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and run the program. It may also be realized by a circuit that realizes one or more functions.

[0079] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and it is not necessary to include all of the configurations described. In addition, a part of an embodiment can be replaced with a configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, a configuration of another embodiment can be added to a configuration of an embodiment. Furthermore, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with a part of the configuration of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Information processing system 10…Administration server 20...Facilities 30...User terminal 40…Network

Claims

1. An acquisition means for acquiring waiting time information regarding a waiting time a user waits to use a facility; A determination means for determining a reward based on the waiting time information; and a notification means for notifying the user of the reward determined by the determination means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means determines a remuneration according to a waiting time by referring to a condition set for each of the facilities.

3. The acquiring means acquires waiting frequency information indicating the number of times the user has waited to use a facility within a certain period of time from among a group of facilities including a plurality of facilities, The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means determines the remuneration based on the waiting time information and the number of waiting times information.

4. The acquisition means acquires predicted waiting time information regarding a waiting time predicted when the user starts waiting, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination means determines the remuneration based on the waiting time information and the predicted waiting time information.

5. A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Acquire waiting time information regarding the waiting time a user waits to use a facility; determining a reward based on the waiting time information; The information processing method further comprises notifying the user of the reward.

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