Ticket vending system, information provision method, and program

Abstract

To provide information that helps determine which to buy, a regular season ticket or an off-peak season ticket.SOLUTION: A ticket vending system makes it possible to buy a regular season ticket and an off-peak season ticket by a user's operation, and comprises a storage unit, an arithmetic unit, and an output unit. The storage unit stores use history information including the amount and date / time of SF that the user used as a fare in the past. The arithmetic unit calculates, on the basis of the use history information, an estimate total amount that is the amount estimated to be necessary in the future when the user buys an off-peak season ticket. The output unit purchase assistance information including information that is comparable to an amount when a regular season ticket is bought and an estimate total amount when an off-peak search ticket is bought.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a ticket selling system, an information providing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, off-peak commuter passes, which can be used only during off-peak hours outside peak hours such as rush hour and can be purchased at a lower price than regular commuter passes (such as commuter passes), have come into use. In addition, such off-peak commuter passes may be loaded onto IC devices such as transportation IC (Integrated Circuit) cards and smartphones. In such cases, when a user uses the IC device to ride during peak hours, the fare is deducted from the Stored Fare (SF) charged on the IC device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-215214 [Patent Document 2] JP 2022-120867 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] While the cost of a regular commuter pass is fixed according to the period and section of travel, the total cost of an off-peak commuter pass varies over its valid period according to the frequency of travel during peak hours and the section of travel. For this reason, it can be difficult for users to decide whether to purchase a regular commuter pass or an off-peak commuter pass.

[0005] Therefore, an objective of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a ticket sales system, an information provision method, and a program that can provide information that assists in deciding whether to purchase a regular commuter pass or an off-peak commuter pass. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ticket vending system of the embodiment allows a user to purchase a regular commuter pass and an off-peak commuter pass by operation. A regular commuter pass is a commuter pass that can be used during a specific period and in a specific section. An off-peak commuter pass is a commuter pass that can be used during a specific period and in a specific section, and requires payment of a fare in SF for riding during a specific peak time period of a day. The ticket vending system includes a memory unit, a calculation unit, and an output unit. The memory unit stores usage history information including the amount and date and time of SF used by the user as a fare in the past. The calculation unit calculates an estimated total amount, which is an amount estimated to be required in the future if the user purchases an off-peak commuter pass, based on the usage history information. The output unit outputs purchase support information including information that allows a comparison between the amount of the regular commuter pass and the estimated total amount of the off-peak commuter pass. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a ticket vending system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the ticket vending system according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of the usage history information according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of purchase support information according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in the ticket vending system of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of a ticket selling system, an information providing method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a ticket vending system 1 according to an embodiment. The ticket vending system 1 according to the embodiment is a system that allows a user to select and purchase a regular commuter pass or an off-peak commuter pass as a commuter pass to be used when using public transportation such as a train.

[0010] A normal commuter pass is a commuter pass that can be used for a specific period (e.g., one month, three months, or six months) and a specific section (e.g., between station A and station B), and is known as a commuter pass. An off-peak commuter pass is a commuter pass that can be used for a specific period and a specific section, and requires payment of the fare using Stored Fare (SF) for travel during specific peak times of the day (e.g., rush hour on weekdays). SF refers to the unused amount that has been pre-charged as transportation fare, etc., on a transportation IC card or an IC device such as a smartphone.

[0011] The ticket vending system 1 illustrated here includes a ticket vending machine 11, a ticket gate 12, and a server 13.

[0012] The ticket vending machine 11 is a device that allows a user (passenger) P to purchase a commuter pass or a passenger ticket, and to charge an IC device 25 such as a transportation IC card or a smartphone with SF, by operating the user (passenger). The ticket vending machine 11 has an operation unit 21 and a display unit 22 (display device). The operation unit 21 is a unit that accepts operations by the user P, and is configured to include, for example, input buttons, a touch panel, an IC card reader / writer, etc. The display unit 22 is a display or the like that can present various information to the user P. The ticket vending machine 11 also includes a calculation device that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and a communication device that establishes communication with external devices, etc. The calculation device executes processes for issuing commuter passes or passenger tickets in response to operations performed on the operation unit 21, controls the display unit 22, etc.

[0013] The ticket gate 12 is installed at the ticket gate of a transportation facility such as a railway, and is a device that manages the passage of a user P between the ticket gate and a boarding area. The ticket gate 12 includes an IC card reader / writer 31 capable of reading and writing to an IC device 25, a calculation device including a CPU, memory, etc., a communication device that establishes communication with external devices, etc. The calculation device of the ticket gate 12 reads the IC device 25 held by the user P with the IC card reader / writer 31, and performs a passage process that determines whether the user P is allowed to pass through the ticket gate 12.

[0014] Server 13 is a computer that executes various information processing to realize the functions of ticket vending system 1, and is configured to include, for example, a calculation device including a CPU and memory, a large-capacity nonvolatile memory (storage device), a communication device that establishes communication with external devices, a user interface such as a keyboard and a display, etc. Server 13 is configured to be able to communicate with ticket vending machines 11 and ticket gates 12 via communication network 15 that is configured using an appropriate LAN (Local Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0015] 1 illustrates an example of a ticket selling system 1 including one each of a ticket vending machine 11, a ticket gate 12, and a server 13, but the configuration of the ticket selling system 1 is not limited to this. An actual ticket selling system 1 typically includes a plurality of ticket vending machines 11 and a plurality of ticket gates 12. Also, the server 13 may take the form of a computer system in which a plurality of computers work together.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the ticket vending system 1 of the embodiment. The ticket gate 12 has a passage processing unit 101 and a communication unit 102. These functional units 101, 102 are realized by cooperation between hardware elements and software elements that make up the ticket gate 12. At least one of these functional units 101, 102 may be configured with dedicated hardware (circuits, etc.). The ticket gate 12 may also have functional units other than these functional units 101, 102.

[0017] The passage processing unit 101 executes passage processing when a user P attempts to pass through the ticket gate 12. The passage processing includes a process of determining whether or not the user P has a valid commuter pass, a process of collecting the fare from the SF charged in the IC device 25 when the user P does not have a valid commuter pass, and a process of prohibiting the user P from passing through when the user P does not have a valid commuter pass and it is impossible to collect the SF.

[0018] The communication unit 102 establishes communication with the server 13, and transmits the result of the passage processing by the passage processing unit 101 (passage processing result) to the server 13. The passage processing result includes information on the use of the SF for each user P, such as an identification number capable of identifying the user P or the IC device 25, the amount used as the fare, the date and time of use, the boarding station, the disembarking station, etc.

[0019] The server 13 has a communication unit 201 and a storage unit 202. These functional units 201, 202 are realized by cooperation between hardware elements and software elements that configure the server 13. At least one of these functional units 201, 202 may be configured by dedicated hardware (circuits, etc.). The server 13 may also have functional units other than these functional units 201, 202.

[0020] The communication unit 201 establishes communication with the ticket gate 12, and receives the result of the passage process (passage process result) performed by the passage processing unit 101. When there are multiple ticket gates 12, the passage process result is received for each ticket gate 12.

[0021] The storage unit 202 generates and stores usage history information 210 based on the passing process results of each ticket gate 12 received by the communication unit 201. The usage history information 210 is information including the amount of SF used by each user P as a fare in the past and the date and time.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the usage history information 210 according to the embodiment. The usage history information 210 illustrated in Fig. 3 is information in which a card ID, a usage date and time, a usage amount, a boarding station, an alighting station, and the like are linked together, and is generated for each card ID.

[0023] The card ID is an identification number assigned to each IC device 25, and can be used to identify the IC device 25 or the user P linked to that IC device 25. The usage date and time indicates the date and time when the SF charged to the IC device 25 was used as a fare. The usage amount indicates the amount of the SF charged to the IC device 25 used as a fare. The boarding station indicates the station where the user boarded the train using the IC device 25. The disembarking station indicates the station where the user disembarked using the IC device 25. The usage history information 210 may also include information other than the above, such as the validity period, travel section, and type (whether it is a regular commuter pass or an off-peak commuter pass, etc.) of the commuter pass held.

[0024] In Fig. 3, the shaded areas (e.g., 2023 / 04 / 10_07:15 for card ID: A0001 and 2023 / 02 / 05_18:40 for card ID: A0002) indicate the use of SF during peak hours. Here, the peak hours are illustrated as weekday rush hour (e.g., 7:00-9:00, 18:00-20:00, etc.).

[0025] Returning to FIG. 2, the communication unit 201 of the server 13 establishes communication with the ticket vending machine 11 and transmits to the ticket vending machine 11 the usage history information 210 generated as described above and stored in the storage unit 202 .

[0026] The ticket vending machine 11 has a communication unit 301, a ticket issuing processing unit 302, a calculation unit 303, and an output unit 304. These functional units 301-304 are realized by cooperation of the hardware elements and software elements that make up the ticket vending machine 11. At least one of these functional units 301-304 may be configured with dedicated hardware (circuitry, etc.). The ticket vending machine 11 may also have functional units other than these functional units 301-304.

[0027] The communication unit 301 establishes communication with the server 13 and receives the usage history information 210 from the server 13 .

[0028] The ticket issuing processing unit 302 executes a ticket issuing process to issue a regular commuter pass or an off-peak commuter pass in response to an operation by the user P.

[0029] The calculation unit 303 calculates an estimated total amount, which is the amount estimated to be required in the future (during the validity period of the off-peak commuter pass) if the user P who is trying to purchase a commuter pass (operating the ticket vending machine 11) purchases an off-peak commuter pass, based on the usage history information 210 received by the communication unit 301. The estimated total amount can be calculated, for example, based on a peak usage amount, which is the amount of SF used in the past by the user P who is trying to purchase a commuter pass to ride during peak hours, and the number of peak usage days, which is the number of days that the user P rode during peak hours in the past.

[0030] Below is an example of how to calculate the estimated total amount. (1) The peak usage amount is calculated by adding up the amounts of SF used during peak times in the past. For example, for card ID: A0001 in the usage history information 210 shown in Fig. 3, the peak usage amount is the sum of the usage amounts (300+300+550+...) displayed in the shaded rows. (2) The number of days of peak-hour usage is calculated by adding up the number of days of riding during peak hours in the past. For example, in the card ID: A0001 of the usage history information 210 shown in Figure 3, the number of lines displayed with a shaded area is the number of days of peak-hour usage. (3) Based on the peak usage amount and the number of days of peak usage, calculate an estimated peak usage amount, which is the amount of SF estimated to be used during peak hours during the validity period of the off-peak commuter pass to be purchased. If the estimated peak usage amount is A, the peak usage amount is a, the number of days of peak usage is b, and the number of days in the validity period of the off-peak commuter pass to be purchased is c, the estimated peak usage amount A can be calculated, for example, by the following formula (α). A=c / b*a …(α) (4) The estimated total cost of purchasing an off-peak commuter pass is calculated by adding the estimated peak usage amount A to the cost of the off-peak commuter pass itself (commuter pass fee).

[0031] The above calculation method is merely an example, and the estimated total fare may be appropriately determined depending on the data configuration of the usage history information 210 and other conditions. For example, the estimated total fare may be calculated taking into consideration the day of the week (whether it is a weekday or a holiday) on which the user P boarded during the peak time period, whether there was a social event on that day, and the like.

[0032] The output unit 304 outputs purchase support information that supports the user P in determining whether to purchase a regular commuter pass or an off-peak commuter pass, based on the estimated usage amount calculated by the calculation unit 303. The purchase support information may be, for example, information that allows a comparison between the amount of money spent when purchasing a regular commuter pass and the estimated total amount of money spent when purchasing an off-peak commuter pass. The output unit 304 may also output the purchase support information when the user P performs an operation to repurchase an off-peak commuter pass.

[0033] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the purchase support information 220 according to the embodiment. The purchase support information 220 is displayed on the display unit 22 when the user P is performing an operation on the operation unit 21 of the ticket vending machine 11 to purchase a commuter pass.

[0034] 4 is configured to enable a comparison between an estimated total amount 221 estimated to be required in the future if an off-peak commuter pass is purchased and a commuter pass fee 222, which is the amount to be paid if a regular commuter pass (commuter commuter pass) with the same validity period as the off-peak commuter pass is purchased. In addition, the display unit 22 on which the purchase support information 220 is displayed is provided with an operation unit 225 for deciding to purchase an off-peak commuter pass and an operation unit 226 for deciding to purchase a regular commuter pass, so that the user P can decide whether to purchase an off-peak commuter pass or a regular commuter pass by referring to the purchase support information 220.

[0035] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the ticket vending system 1 of the embodiment. When a user P operates the operation unit 21 of the ticket vending machine 11 to purchase a commuter pass, a predetermined commuter pass purchase screen is displayed on the display unit 22 of the ticket vending machine 11 in step S101.

[0036] Then, in step S102, the ticket vending machine 11 (operation unit 21) reads the IC device 25 of the user P, and in step S103, the ticket vending machine 11 (communication unit 301) acquires from the server 13 (storage unit 202) the usage history information 210 corresponding to the IC device 25. Then, in step S104, the ticket vending machine 11 (calculation unit 303) calculates, based on the usage history information 210, an estimated total amount 221 for when the user P purchases an off-peak commuter pass.

[0037] Then, in step S105, the ticket vending machine 11 (output unit 304) generates purchase support information 220 based on the calculated estimated total amount 221, and displays it on the display unit 22. Thereafter, when user P performs an operation to purchase an off-peak commuter pass or a normal commuter pass with reference to the purchase support information 220, in step S106, the ticket vending machine 11 (ticket issuance processing unit 302) executes an issuance process to issue a commuter pass in accordance with user P's operation.

[0038] As described above, according to this embodiment, when user P attempts to purchase an off-peak commuter pass, the estimated total amount 211 that is estimated to be required in the future if the off-peak commuter pass is purchased is calculated based on user P's past SF usage history information 210, and purchase support information 220 based on the estimated total amount 211 is presented to user P. This enables user P to appropriately determine whether to purchase an off-peak commuter pass or a normal commuter pass by referring to the purchase support information 220.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the output unit 304 outputs the purchase support information 220 when the user P performs an operation to renew the off-peak commuter pass. This enables the user P to appropriately determine whether to renew the off-peak commuter pass or switch to a normal commuter pass, based on the purchase support information 220 generated based on the usage status of the off-peak commuter pass that he / she has owned up until now.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the calculation unit 303 calculates the peak hour usage fee, which is the amount of SF used by the user P to ride in the peak hour in the past, and the number of days of peak hour usage, which is the number of days the user rode in the peak hour in the past, based on the usage history information 210, and calculates the estimated total amount 211 based on the peak hour usage fee and the number of days of peak hour usage. This makes it possible to accurately calculate the estimated total amount 211.

[0041] (Modification) The above embodiment assumes a case where a user purchases an off-peak commuter pass or a regular commuter pass using a ticket vending machine installed at a station, etc., but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the above-mentioned purchase support information can be provided to a user even in a system where an off-peak commuter pass or a regular commuter pass can be purchased using an application installed on a smartphone or the Internet.

[0042] The program for causing a computer to realize the functions of the ticket vending system 1 as described above may be configured to be provided by recording it on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a digital versatile disk (DVD) in an installable or executable format.

[0043] Furthermore, the program may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the program executed in the present embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0044] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiment is included in the scope and gist of the invention, and is included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...ticket vending system, 11...ticket vending machine, 12...ticket gate, 13...server, 21...operation unit, 22...display unit, 25...IC device, 31...IC card reader / writer, 101...passage processing unit, 102...communication unit, 201...communication unit...202...storage unit, 210...usage history information, 220...purchase support information, 301...communication unit, 302...ticket issuing processing unit, 303...calculation unit, 304...output unit, P...user

Claims

1. A ticket vending system that allows a user to purchase, by operation of the user, a normal commuter pass that can be used in a specific period and a specific section, and an off-peak commuter pass that can be used in a specific period and a specific section and requires a fare to be paid by SF for riding during a specific peak time period of a day, A storage unit that stores usage history information including the amount and date and time of SF used by the user as a fare in the past; A calculation unit that calculates an estimated total amount based on the usage history information, the amount being an estimated amount that will be required in the future if the user purchases the off-peak commuter pass; an output unit that outputs purchase support information including information that allows a comparison between the amount of money spent when purchasing the normal commuter pass and the estimated total amount of money spent when purchasing the off-peak commuter pass; A ticket vending system comprising:

2. The output unit outputs purchase support information when the user performs a repurchase operation for the off-peak commuter pass. The ticket vending system according to claim 1.

3. the calculation unit calculates a peak hour usage fee, which is the amount of SF used by the user to ride during peak hours in the past, and a peak hour usage number, which is the number of days that the user rode during peak hours in the past, based on the usage history information, and calculates the estimated total amount based on the peak hour usage fee and the peak hour usage number. A ticket selling system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. An information providing method for providing information to assist a user in deciding whether to purchase a regular commuter pass that can be used in a specific period and a specific section, or an off-peak commuter pass that can be used in a specific period and a specific section and requires payment of a fare at a SF for riding during a specific peak time period of a day, comprising: storing in a storage device usage history information including the amount and date and time of SF used by the user as a fare in the past; A step of calculating an estimated total amount based on the usage history information, the amount being an estimated amount that the user will need in the future if he or she purchases the off-peak commuter pass; a step of outputting purchase support information including information enabling a comparison between the amount of money to be spent when purchasing the normal commuter pass and the estimated total amount of money to be spent when purchasing the off-peak commuter pass by a display device; Methods of providing information, including:

5. A computer controls a ticket sales system that allows a user to purchase a regular commuter pass that can be used in a specific period and a specific section, and an off-peak commuter pass that can be used in a specific period and a specific section and requires a fare to be paid by SF for riding during a specific peak time period of a day, A process of storing usage history information including the amount and date and time of SF used by the user as a fare in the past; A process of calculating an estimated total amount based on the usage history information, which is an amount estimated to be required in the future if the user purchases the off-peak commuter pass; A process of outputting purchase support information including information that allows a comparison between the amount of money spent when purchasing the normal commuter pass and the estimated total amount of money spent when purchasing the off-peak commuter pass; A program that executes the following.

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