Use area reservation program, use area reservation device, use area reservation method, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a use area reservation program capable of reserving a use area without securing a place by arranging an object.SOLUTION: A use area reservation program includes an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure. The acquisition procedure associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, so as to acquire them as a group. The generation procedure generates reservation information on a reservation of use of the use area by the user on the basis of the group. The output procedure outputs the reservation information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a use area reservation program, a use area reservation device, a use area reservation method, and a recording medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vacant seat information presentation system that includes an image sensor with an imaging element and a server that can communicate with the image sensor, wherein the image sensor includes a detection unit that detects the positions of seated occupants and objects from image data obtained by capturing an image of the customer area of ​​the store with the imaging element, and the server includes an acquisition unit that acquires the positions of the seated occupants and objects from the image sensor, and a vacant seat information calculation unit that calculates vacant seat information that indicates the vacant seat status of the store based on the acquired positions of the seated occupants and objects. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-148992 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the invention of Patent Document 1, it is possible to display the seat availability of a store based on the presence or absence of seated occupants and objects in the use area. However, the invention of Patent Document 1 is premised on reserving a use area based on the placement of objects. Therefore, the invention of Patent Document 1 does not allow for the reservation of a use area without reserving a place by placing objects.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a use area reservation program, a use area reservation device, a use area reservation method, and a recording medium that enable a use area to be reserved without reserving space by placing objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the use area reservation program of the present disclosure includes: Including an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, The acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a pair; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; the output step outputs the reservation information. The present invention is a program for reserving a use area for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

[0007] The use area reservation device of the present disclosure includes: An acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit, the acquiring unit associates user identification information that can identify a user with use area identification information that can identify a use area, and acquires the user identification information and the use area identification information as a pair; the generation unit generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; The output unit outputs the reservation information.

[0008] The disclosed method for reserving a use area includes: The method includes an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, the acquiring step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a set; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; The output step outputs the reservation information. Each of the steps is a computer-implemented method.

[0009] The recording medium of the present disclosure includes: Including an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, The acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a pair; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; the output step outputs the reservation information. A computer-readable recording medium stores a use area reservation program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reserve a use area without reserving space by placing objects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of a use area reservation device of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a use area reservation device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure according to the use area reservation program of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of a use area reservation device of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure according to the use area reservation program of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of implementation of the use area reservation program of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following drawings, identical parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the descriptions of the embodiments can be used interchangeably unless otherwise specified, and the configurations of the embodiments can be combined unless otherwise specified. In the present disclosure, each drawing may apply to one or more embodiments.

[0013] [Embodiment 1] The use area reservation program disclosed herein is a program for causing a computer to execute an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure. The use area reservation program disclosed herein can also be described as a program for causing a computer to function as the acquisition procedure, the generation procedure, and the output procedure. The use area reservation program disclosed herein can also be described as a program for causing a computer to execute, for example, each step of the use area reservation method described below.

[0014] The acquisition procedure links user identification information that can identify a user with usage area identification information that can identify a usage area and acquires them as a pair, the generation procedure generates reservation information regarding the user's reservation for use of the usage area based on the pair, and the output procedure outputs the reservation information.

[0015] For example, the "procedure" in each of the steps can be read as "processing." The use area reservation program of the present disclosure may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, for example. The recording medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), flash memory (e.g., solid state drive (SSD), USB flash memory, SD / SDHC card, etc.), optical disk (e.g., CD-R / CD-RW, DVD-R / DVD-RW, BD-R / BD-RE, etc.), magneto-optical disk (MO), and floppy disk (FD). The use area reservation program of the present disclosure (also referred to as a programming product or program product) may be distributed from an external computer, for example. The "distribution" may be, for example, via a communication network or a device connected via a wired connection. The use area reservation program of the present disclosure may be installed and executed on the device to which it is distributed, or may be executed without being installed. An information processing device capable of executing the use area reservation program of the present disclosure can be referred to as, for example, a use area reservation device of the present disclosure.

[0016] Next, the configuration of an example of a use area reservation device according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a use area reservation device 10 according to the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as the device 10). As shown in FIG. 1, the device 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a generation unit 12, and an output unit 13. The device 10 may also include, for example, an input unit, an output unit, a display unit, and / or a memory unit, although these are not shown. The acquisition unit 11, the generation unit 12, and the output unit 13 are each capable of executing, for example, an acquisition procedure, a generation procedure, and an output procedure in the use area reservation program according to the present disclosure.

[0017] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the above-described units, or a device in which the units can be connected via a communication network. The device 10 can also be connected to an external device (described later) via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited and any known network can be used, for example, a wired or wireless network. Examples of the communication network include the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), a telephone line, a Local Area Network (LAN), a Storage Area Network (SAN), a Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN), a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWA), and a Local 5G (L5G). Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, and LPWA. Examples of the wireless communication include direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, and indirect communication via an access point. The device 10 may be incorporated into a server as a system. Furthermore, the present device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, for example, desktop or notebook type) on which the program of the present disclosure is installed, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc. The present device 10 may be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the above-mentioned units is located on a server and the other units are located on a terminal.

[0018] 2 shows a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the device 10. The device 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU, GPU, etc.) 101, a memory 102, a bus 103, a storage device 104, an input device 105, an output device 106, and a communication device 107. The components of the device 10 are connected to each other via the bus 103 and their respective interfaces (I / F).

[0019] The central processing unit 101 operates in cooperation with other components via a controller (such as a system controller or an I / O controller) and is responsible for overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the central processing unit 101 executes, for example, the program of the present disclosure (a use area reservation program) and other programs, and also reads and writes various information. Specifically, for example, the central processing unit 101 functions as an acquisition unit 11, a generation unit 12, and an output unit 13. The device 10 may include other arithmetic units such as a CPU, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or a combination thereof as the arithmetic unit.

[0020] The bus 103 can also be connected to, for example, external devices. Examples of the external devices include an external storage device (such as an external database), a printer, an external input device, an external display device, and an external imaging device. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the communication line network) by, for example, a communication device 107 connected to the bus 103, and can also be connected to other devices via the external network.

[0021] The memory 102 may be, for example, a main memory (primary storage device). When the central processing unit 101 performs processing, the memory 102 reads various operating programs, such as the program of the present disclosure, stored in the storage device 104 (described later), and the central processing unit 101 receives data from the memory 102 and executes the programs. The main memory may be, for example, a RAM (random access memory). The memory 102 may also be, for example, a ROM (read only memory).

[0022] The storage device 104 is also referred to as an auxiliary storage device, for example, in contrast to the main memory (primary storage device). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program including the program of the present disclosure. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing data from and to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be, for example, an internal or external type, such as a hard disk (HD), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, flash memory, or memory card. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD) in which the recording medium and drive are integrated. When the device 10 includes the storage unit, the storage device 104 functions as the storage unit, for example. The storage unit can store, for example, user identification information, usage area identification information, reservation information, card identification information, first information, second information, a set, advance reservation conditions, advance reservation information, reservation status information, and purchase information, which will be described later.

[0023] In the present device 10, the memory 102 and the storage device 104 can also store various information such as log information, information acquired from an external database (not shown) or an external device, information generated by the present device 10, and information used when the present device 10 executes processing. In this case, the memory 102 and the storage device 104 may store, for example, the above-mentioned information on the user of the present device. Note that at least a portion of the information may be stored, for example, in an external server other than the memory 102 and the storage device 104, or may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0024] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 105 and an output device 106. Examples of the input device 105 include pointing devices such as a touch panel, track pad, and mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera and scanner; card readers such as an IC card reader and a magnetic card reader; and audio input means such as a microphone. Examples of the output device 106 include display devices such as an LED display and a liquid crystal display; audio output devices such as a speaker; a printer; and the like. In the first embodiment, the input device 105 and the output device 106 are configured separately, but the input device 105 and the output device 106 may be configured as an integrated device, such as a touch panel display.

[0025] An example of processing by the use area reservation program of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of each procedure of the use area reservation program of the present disclosure.

[0026] The acquisition unit 11 associates user identification information that can identify a user with use area identification information that can identify a use area, and acquires the information as a set (S1, acquisition step).

[0027] The user identification information is, for example, information that can identify the user, such as an identification number. The user identification information may be, for example, identification information of a user terminal or identification information of a user account. The user terminal identification information includes, for example, identification information of a smartphone or a tablet, but is not limited to these, and may be any identification information that can uniquely identify the user terminal. The user account identification information includes, for example, a username, a user ID (user identifier), or a user identification number, but is not limited to these, and may be any identification information that can uniquely identify the user account. The user identification information may be, for example, acquired from a memory unit of the user terminal, or may be acquired from a memory unit of a device other than the user terminal (for example, a user identification information database of the usage area reservation device of the present disclosure).

[0028] The user identification information may be, for example, a personal identification number (e.g., a number with an arbitrary upper and lower limit of digits) corresponding to the use area identification information, or a password (e.g., a combination of alphanumeric characters and symbols with an arbitrary upper and lower limit of digits) corresponding to the use area identification information. In this case, the user identification information may be acquired, for example, by the user terminal or by a use area terminal described below. In the former case, the user acquires the use area identification information, for example, by the user terminal, and then sets the personal identification number or password corresponding to the acquired use area identification information as the user identification information. In the latter case, the user acquires, for example, use area terminal described below, use area identification information previously assigned to the use area terminal, and then sets the personal identification number or password corresponding to the use area identification information as the user identification information. The personal identification number or password may be set, for example, by automatic allocation or by optional input by the user.

[0029] The use area is, for example, an area that the user wishes to use among multiple areas provided in a facility. Preferably, the use area is not assigned to the user by a facility official, but is one that the user can select at will. Examples of the facility include food courts, food halls, grocerants, gourmet festivals, beer gardens, coffee shops, fast food restaurants, fast casual restaurants, eat-in areas, cafeterias, dining halls (e.g., employee cafeterias, student cafeterias), and auto restaurants, which are related to eating and drinking. Examples of the facility other than food and drinking include libraries and study rooms. Examples of the area include tables, counters, tatami rooms, sunken kotatsu tables, booth seats, private rooms, open terraces, desks, and seats.

[0030] The use area identification information is information that can identify the use area, such as an identification number. The display format of the use area identification information may be, for example, the use area identification information itself, such as an identification number, or coded use area identification information obtained by coding the use area identification information. In the latter case, the use area identification information may also be decoded information of the coded use area identification information. The coded use area identification information may be, for example, a one-dimensional code (e.g., a barcode) or a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)). The two-dimensional code may be, for example, a stack format or a matrix format. The display medium of the use area identification information may be, for example, a printed material (e.g., a sticker, a label, a desktop point-of-purchase (POP) sign, etc.) made of paper or film, or a terminal (e.g., a display) such as a smartphone terminal or a tablet terminal. The display medium of the use area identification information may be, for example, a use area terminal, as described below.

[0031] The use area reservation device of the present disclosure links the user identification information and the use area identification information and acquires them as a pair, for example, via a pair acquisition medium. The pair acquisition medium may be, for example, the user terminal or a use area terminal attached to the use area. The use area terminal is, for example, an area terminal attached to the use area among area terminals attached to each area provided in the facility. The use area terminal may be, for example, a smartphone terminal or a tablet terminal, and is a terminal to which the use area identification information has been assigned in advance.

[0032] For example, if the set acquisition medium is the user terminal, the acquisition of the use area identification information may be performed by an input device attached to the user terminal or by a photographing device attached to the user terminal. In the former case, the user terminal may acquire the use area identification information, for example, by the user inputting the use area identification information itself (e.g., an identification number, etc.). In the latter case, the user terminal may acquire the use area identification information, for example, by the user photographing coded use area identification information (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) that encodes the use area identification information. The user terminal, for example, has a decoding function for the coded use area identification information and acquires the use area identification information from the coded use area identification information using the decoding function. For example, if the set acquisition medium is the user terminal, the user identification information may be acquired from a memory unit of the user terminal or from a memory unit of a device other than the user terminal (e.g., a user identification information database of a use area reservation device of the present disclosure, etc.). The user terminal, for example, associates the use area identification information acquired as described above with the user identification information acquired as described above, and transmits the pair to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure. In other words, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure associates the use area identification information with the user identification information, and acquires the pair from the user terminal.

[0033] For example, if the set acquisition medium is the use area terminal, the acquisition of the use area identification information may be performed by the use area terminal acquiring the use area identification information previously assigned to the use area terminal. For example, if the set acquisition medium is the use area terminal, the acquisition of the user identification information may be performed by acquiring the use area identification information as described above and then setting a PIN or password corresponding to the use area identification information. The PIN or password may be set, for example, by automatic allocation or by user input. The use area terminal, for example, associates the use area identification information acquired as described above with the user identification information acquired as described above and transmits them as a set to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure. In other words, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, associates the use area identification information with the user identification information and acquires them as a set from the use area terminal.

[0034] The acquisition as a set means, for example, acquiring the user identification information and the use area identification information in association with each other.

[0035] The generation unit 12 generates reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user based on the set (S2, generation step).

[0036] The reservation information is, for example, information regarding the user's reservation of the use area. The reservation information includes, for example, reservation content information, reservation identification information, use period, validity period, reservation status information, purchase information, and advance reservation information. The reservation content information is, for example, information regarding a pair linking the user identification information and the use area identification information. The reservation identification information is, for example, information capable of identifying each use reservation, such as an identification number. The use period is, for example, information indicating the period during which the user desires to use the use area. The use period is, for example, set by an advance reservation information generation unit (described later), and the following description can be used. The validity period is, for example, information indicating the period during which the use reservation is valid. The validity period may be, for example, a period starting from the start time of the use period or from the time the reservation information is generated. In the former case, the validity period is preferably, for example, shorter than the use period. The validity period is, for example, set by a setting unit 14 (described later), and the following description can be used. The reservation status information is, for example, information indicating whether the reservation information is valid or invalid. The reservation status information may be set to invalid, for example, when the reservation information is not generated by the generation unit 12. The reservation status information may be set to valid, for example, when the reservation information is generated by the generation unit 12. The reservation status information may be changed from valid to invalid, for example, when a later-described invalidation unit invalidates the reservation information. The purchase information is, for example, information indicating a purchase of a product by the user. The purchase information is, for example, acquired by an extension unit described later, and the description below can be used. The advance reservation information is, for example, acquired by a later-described advance reservation information generation unit, and the description below can be used. The reservation information may be stored in a storage unit such as the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device disclosed herein, or in a storage unit other than the device disclosed herein. The storage unit may be, for example, a database, and the type of the database may be, for example, a hierarchical type, a network type, or a relational type.

[0037] The output unit 13 outputs the reservation information (S3, output procedure).

[0038] The output unit 13 may output the information generated based on the reservation information in any one of an image format, a text format, an audio format, or a format that combines these formats, for example.

[0039] The output unit 13 may output the reservation information to a storage unit such as the memory 102 or the storage device 104 of the device of the present disclosure, or to a storage unit other than the device of the present disclosure. The output unit 13 may store the output reservation information in the storage unit, for example.

[0040] Furthermore, the use area reservation device 10 may include, for example, an extraction unit in addition to the configuration of the use area reservation device 10 of embodiment 1. The hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 is the same as, for example, the hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 in FIG. 1, except that the central processing unit 101 includes the configuration of the extraction unit. The processing of the extraction unit will be described below. The processing of the extraction unit can be inserted at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 3 described in embodiment 1, but it is preferable that the processing of the extraction unit be inserted, for example, between S1 and S2.

[0041] The acquiring unit 11 executes S1, for example, in the same manner as S1 in embodiment 1. In this case, the acquiring unit 11 associates card identification information capable of identifying a card with the user identification information and acquires the associated information as first information, and also associates the card identification information with the use area identification information and acquires the associated information as second information (S1A, acquisition procedure).

[0042] The card is, for example, a card to which the card identification information is previously assigned. The card may have the card identification information assigned in one display format (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) or an RFID tag, etc.), or may have the card identification information assigned in multiple display formats (for example, a QR code (registered trademark) and an RFID tag, etc.). The display format can be, for example, the same as the description of the display format of the card identification information described below.

[0043] The card identification information is information that can identify the card, such as an identification number. The display format of the card identification information may be, for example, the card identification information itself, such as an identification number, coded card identification information obtained by coding the card identification information, or frequency-enhanced card identification information obtained by converting the card identification information into radio frequency. The display format of the card identification information may be, for example, one of the display formats (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) or an RFID tag) or multiple of the display formats (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) and an RFID tag). When the display format is the coded card identification information, the card identification information can also be referred to as, for example, information obtained by decoding the coded card identification information. When the display format is the frequency-enhanced card identification information, the card identification information can also be referred to as, for example, information obtained by decoding the frequency-enhanced card identification information. The coded card identification information includes, for example, a one-dimensional code (e.g., a barcode) or a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)). The two-dimensional code may be in a stack format or a matrix format, for example. The frequency-coded card identification information may include, for example, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag. The type of RFID tag may be, for example, a passive tag, a semi-active tag, or an active tag. The RFID frequency band may be, for example, a low frequency (LF) band, a high frequency (HF) band, an ultra high frequency (UHF) band, or a microwave band. When the display format of the card identification information is the frequency-coded card identification information, it is preferable that the use area is equipped with a reader (e.g., an RFID reader) for the frequency-coded card identification information. The reader may be, for example, a device (e.g., an RFID reader / writer) having a write function for the frequency-coded card identification information. The reader is, for example, a device to which the use area identification information is previously assigned.The reading device may be, for example, built into the use area itself or may be installed in the use area.

[0044] The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, links the user identification information and the card identification information via a first information acquisition medium and acquires the linked information as the first information. The first information acquisition medium may be, for example, the user terminal. The first information acquisition medium may, for example, transmit the user identification information and the card identification information included in the first information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure in the form of URL parameters. The first information may be stored in a storage unit such as the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of the present disclosure, or may be stored in a storage unit other than the device of the present disclosure. The storage unit may be, for example, a database, and the type of the database may be, for example, a hierarchical type, a network type, or a relational type.

[0045] For example, when the first information acquisition medium is the user terminal, the card identification information may be acquired by an input unit attached to the user terminal or by a photographing unit attached to the user terminal. In the former case, the user terminal may acquire the card identification information, for example, by the user inputting the card identification information itself (e.g., an identification number, etc.). In the latter case, the user terminal may acquire the card identification information, for example, by the user photographing coded card identification information (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) that encodes the card identification information. The user terminal, for example, has a decoding function for the coded card identification information and acquires the card identification information from the coded card identification information using the decoding function. For example, when the first information acquisition medium is the user terminal, the user identification information may be acquired from a memory unit of the user terminal or from a memory unit of a device other than the user terminal (e.g., a user identification information database of a use area reservation device of the present disclosure, etc.). The user terminal, for example, associates the card identification information acquired as described above with the user identification information acquired as described above and transmits the associated information as the first information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure. In other words, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure associates the card identification information with the user identification information and acquires the associated information as the first information from the user terminal.

[0046] The use area reservation device of the present disclosure may, for example, link the use area identification information and the card identification information via a second information acquisition medium and acquire the linked information as the second information. The second information acquisition medium may, for example, be the reading device. The second information acquisition medium may, for example, transmit the use area identification information and the card identification information included in the second information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure in the form of URL parameters. The second information may, for example, be stored in a storage unit such as the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of the present disclosure, or may be stored in a storage unit other than the device of the present disclosure. The storage unit may, for example, be a database, and the type of the database may, for example, be a hierarchical type, a network type, or a relational type.

[0047] For example, if the second information acquisition medium is the reading device, the acquisition of the card identification information may be performed by a reading unit attached to the reading device. In this case, the reading device may acquire the frequency-converted card identification information (e.g., an RFID tag) obtained by converting the card identification information into a radio frequency from the card when the user places the card within a readable range. The reading device may have a decoding function for the frequency-converted card identification information and acquire the card identification information from the frequency-converted card identification information using the decoding function. For example, if the second information acquisition medium is the reading device, the acquisition of the use area identification information may be performed by the reading device acquiring the use area identification information previously assigned to the reading device. For example, the reading device associates the card identification information acquired as described above with the use area identification information acquired as described above and transmits the second information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure. In other words, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, associates the card identification information with the use area identification information and acquires it from the use area terminal as the second information.

[0048] The extraction unit links the user identification information and the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts them as a set (extraction procedure).

[0049] The extraction of a set is, for example, a process of linking the user identification information and the use area identification information linked to the same card identification information from the first information and the second information and extracting them as a set. The extraction of a set may be performed, for example, all at once. In this case, the extraction of a set may be performed, for example, by linking the user identification information linked to specific card identification information and the use area identification information linked to the specific card identification information from the first information and the second information and extracting them as a set. The extraction of a set may be performed, for example, in separate steps. In this case, the extraction of a set may be performed by, for example, acquiring the user identification information linked to the specific card identification information from the first information, acquiring the use area identification information linked to the specific card identification information from the second information, linking the acquired user identification information and the acquired use area identification information, and extracting them as a set.

[0050] The generation unit 12 executes S2, for example, similarly to S2 in embodiment 1. In this case, the generation unit 12 generates reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user, for example, based on the extracted set (S2A, generation procedure).

[0051] The output unit 13 executes S3 in the same manner as S3 in the first embodiment, for example.

[0052] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reserve a use area without reserving a spot by placing an object. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, for example, because a use area is reserved via the card, it is possible to reserve the use area in the same way as reserving a spot by placing an object. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, for example, by placing the card in the use area, it is possible to visually notify other users that the use area has been reserved. Even in this case, the purpose of placing the card in the use area is, for example, merely to generate the reservation information, and not to reserve a spot by placing an object.

[0053] Furthermore, the use area reservation device 10 may, for example, include an advance reservation information generation unit in addition to the configuration of the use area reservation device 10 of embodiment 1. The hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 is the same as, for example, the hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 in FIG. 1 except that the central processing unit 101 includes the configuration of the advance reservation information generation unit. The processing of the advance reservation information generation unit will be described below. The processing of the advance reservation information generation unit can be inserted, for example, at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 3 described in embodiment 1, but it is preferable that the processing of the advance reservation information generation unit be inserted, for example, as an alternative procedure to S1 and S2.

[0054] The advance reservation information generation unit, for example, determines whether the user satisfies the advance reservation conditions, and if it is determined that the user satisfies the advance reservation conditions, generates advance reservation information regarding the user's reservation for use of the usage area (advance reservation information generation procedure).

[0055] The advance reservation conditions are, for example, conditions for generating the advance reservation information for the user. The advance reservation conditions include, for example, advance purchase conditions related to the user's advance purchase of a product and fee payment conditions related to the user's payment of a fee. The advance purchase conditions are, for example, conditions related to whether the user has pre-purchased a product at the facility. For example, when the advance reservation conditions are the advance purchase conditions, the advance reservation information generation unit may determine whether the user has pre-purchased a product, and if it is determined that the user has pre-purchased the product, determine that the user satisfies the advance reservation conditions. The determination of whether the product has been purchased may be performed, for example, when the user purchases the product on the user terminal, by the user terminal linking advance purchase information indicating that the user has pre-purchased the product with the user identification information and transmitting the pre-purchase information to the use area reservation device disclosed herein. The fee payment conditions are, for example, conditions related to whether the user has paid a fee required to reserve the use area. For example, if the advance reservation condition is the fee payment condition, the advance reservation information generation unit may determine whether the user has paid the fee, and if it is determined that the user has paid the fee, determine that the user satisfies the advance reservation condition. The determination of whether the fee has been paid may be performed, for example, when the user has paid the fee on the user terminal, by the user terminal linking fee payment information indicating that the user has paid the fee with the user identification information and transmitting the information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure.

[0056] The advance reservation information generation unit may, for example, set a usage period for the advance reservation information regarding the usage reservation. The usage period may be set by the user at will, or may be a predetermined period set in advance. For example, if the usage period is a predetermined period, the usage period may be a fixed period for all areas, or may be a different period for each area. In the latter case, the usage period may be set according to the popularity of the area, for example, and a shorter period may be set for a more popular area. For example, if the usage period is a predetermined period, the usage period may be set by presetting a plurality of usage periods with different time periods as options, and the user may arbitrarily select one of the options.

[0057] The advance reservation information is, for example, information regarding the user's reservation of use of the use area. The advance reservation information may be generated, for example, by a facility employee (e.g., a store clerk, a security guard, a cleaner, etc.) placing the card in the use area. Specifically, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure associates the user identification information with the card identification information corresponding to the card before placing the card in the use area, and acquires the associated information as the first information. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure associates the use area identification information with the card identification information by placing the card within a readable range of the reader attached to the use area, and acquires the associated information as the second information. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure associates the user identification information with the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts the associated information as a pair. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure generates the advance reservation information regarding the user's reservation of use of the use area based on the pair. The advance reservation information may, for example, be included in the reservation information.

[0058] According to the present disclosure, a use area can be reserved without reserving a spot by placing an object. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the user can reserve the use area in advance by, for example, satisfying the advance reservation conditions. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the revenue of the facility can be increased, for example, through the purchase of a product that is subject to the advance reservation conditions or the payment of a fee.

[0059] Furthermore, the use area reservation device 10 may include, for example, a reservation status output unit in addition to the configuration of the use area reservation device 10 of embodiment 1. The hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 is the same as, for example, the hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 in FIG. 1, except that the central processing unit 101 is equipped with the configuration of the reservation status output unit. The processing of the reservation status output unit will be described below. The processing of the reservation status output unit can be inserted, for example, at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 3 described in embodiment 1, but it is preferable that the processing of the reservation status output unit be inserted, for example, as an alternative procedure to S3.

[0060] For example, when the use area reservation device 10 includes a reservation status output unit in addition to the configuration of the use area reservation device 10 of embodiment 1, it may also include at least one of the extraction unit and the advance reservation information generation unit described above.

[0061] The reservation status output unit outputs reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each of the use areas based on the reservation information (reservation status output procedure), for example.

[0062] The reservation status information is, for example, information indicating the reservation status of the area provided in the facility. The reservation status of the area is, for example, the status of reservations for use of the area. The reservation status of the area may be determined, for example, based on whether the area has the reservation information, or based on whether the reservation status information for the area is valid or invalid. The reservation status output unit may generate the reservation status information based on the determination result. The reservation status information may be output, for example, by outputting a display image that simulates the layout of the areas in the facility, reflecting the determination result regarding the reservation status of the area. For example, if the reservation information is advance reservation information, the reservation status output unit may output reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each use area based on the advance reservation information included in the reservation information.

[0063] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reserve a use area without reserving a spot by placing an object. Also, according to the present disclosure, the user can, for example, understand the reservation status of the area provided in the facility without visiting the facility. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, the user can, for example, move to the area when an opening becomes available in the reservation status.

[0064] The use area reservation method of the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as the method of the present disclosure) is a method implemented, for example, by replacing each "procedure" in the program of the present disclosure with a "process." Specifically, the method of the present disclosure includes an acquisition process, a generation process, and an output process. The acquisition process associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the pair. The generation process generates reservation information regarding the user's reservation for use of the use area based on the pair. The output process outputs the reservation information. The method of the present disclosure can be implemented, for example, using the device 10 of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. Note that the method of the present disclosure is not limited to a method using the device 10 of the present disclosure. For example, the description of the program and the device of the present disclosure can be used to implement the method of the present disclosure.

[0065] As described above, according to the use area reservation program of the present disclosure, an acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area and acquires the associated pair; a generation step generates reservation information regarding the user's reservation of the use area based on the pair; and an output step outputs the reservation information. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, a use area can be reserved without reserving a space by placing an object. Furthermore, for example, when reserving a space by placing the user's belongings in the use area, there is a possibility that the user's belongings may be stolen or mistaken for lost property, resulting in the use area not being reserved. According to the present disclosure, for example, since there is no need to place the user's belongings in the use area, the use area can be more reliably reserved. Furthermore, for example, when reserving a space by having a companion sit in the use area, there is a possibility that the use area cannot be reserved unless the companion is present. According to the present disclosure, for example, the use area can be reserved even when the user is not accompanied.

[0066] [Embodiment 2] Another example of the use area reservation device of the present disclosure will be described.

[0067] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of use area reservation device 10A. As shown in FIG. 4, use area reservation device 10A includes a setting unit 14 in addition to the configuration of use area reservation device 10 of embodiment 1. The hardware configuration of use area reservation device 10A is the same as that of use area reservation device 10 of FIG. 2, except that central processing unit 101 includes the configuration of use area reservation device 10A of FIG. 4 instead of the configuration of use area reservation device 10 of FIG. 1. The processing of setting unit 14 will be described below using FIG. 5. The processing of setting unit 14 can be inserted, for example, at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 3 described in embodiment 1, but as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable that the processing of setting unit 14 be inserted, for example, between S2 and S3.

[0068] S1 and S2 are executed in the same manner as S1 and S2 in the first embodiment.

[0069] The setting unit 14 sets a validity period for the use reservation for the reservation information (S4, setting step). The setting unit 14 may set a validity period for the use reservation for the advance reservation information included in the reservation information, for example.

[0070] The validity period is, for example, information indicating the period during which the use reservation is valid. As described above, the validity period may be, for example, a period starting from the start time of the use period, or may be a period starting from the time when the reservation information is generated. In the former case, it is preferable that the validity period is, for example, a period shorter than the use period. The validity period may be, for example, a predetermined period set in advance. The validity period may be, for example, a fixed period for all the areas, or may be a different period for each of the areas. In the latter case, the validity period may be set according to, for example, the popularity of each of the areas, and a shorter period may be set for the more popular the area.

[0071] S3 is executed in the same manner as S3 in the embodiment 1. In this case, the output unit 13 outputs the reservation information in which the validity period related to the reservation for use is set.

[0072] Furthermore, use area reservation device 10A may include, for example, an extension unit in addition to the configuration of use area reservation device 10A in embodiment 2. The hardware configuration of use area reservation device 10A is the same as, for example, the hardware configuration of use area reservation device 10 in FIG. 1, except that central processing unit 101 further includes the configuration of an extension unit in addition to setting unit 14 (not shown). The processing of the extension unit will be described below. The processing of the extension unit can be inserted, for example, at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 5 described in embodiment 2, but it is preferable that the processing of the extension unit be inserted, for example, after S4.

[0073] The extension unit may, for example, acquire purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user, and extend the validity period for the advance reservation information based on the acquired purchase information (extension procedure). The extension unit may, for example, acquire purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user, and extend the validity period for the advance reservation information included in the reservation information based on the acquired purchase information.

[0074] The purchase information is, for example, information indicating a purchase of a product by the user. The display format of the purchase information may be, for example, the purchase information itself, such as an identification number, coded purchase information (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)) obtained by encoding the purchase information, or frequency-coded purchase information (e.g., an RFID tag) obtained by converting the purchase information into a radio frequency. When the display format is coded purchase information, the purchase information can also be referred to as, for example, information obtained by decoding the coded purchase information. When the display format is frequency-coded purchase information, the purchase information can also be referred to as, for example, information obtained by decoding the frequency-coded purchase information. The coded purchase information includes, for example, a one-dimensional code (e.g., a barcode) or a two-dimensional code (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark)). The two-dimensional code may be, for example, a stack format or a matrix format. The frequency-coded purchase information includes, for example, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag. The RFID tag may be, for example, a passive tag, a semi-active tag, or an active tag. The RFID frequency band may be, for example, the low frequency (LF) band, the high frequency (HF) band, the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, or the microwave band. The purchase information or the coded purchase information may be attached, for example, to a receipt received when purchasing the product. The coded purchase information may be attached, for example, to a container on which the product is placed (e.g., tableware (e.g., a plate, bowl, pot, or the like)) or to a tray on which the container is placed. The coded purchase information may be referenced, for example, to the above-mentioned description of the coded card identification information, with the coded card identification information being read as coded purchase information. The frequency-coded purchase information may be referenced, for example, to the above-mentioned description of the frequency-coded card identification information, with the frequency-coded card identification information being read as frequency-coded purchase information. When the display format of the purchase information is the frequency-coded purchase information, it is preferable that the usage area be equipped with a device for reading the frequency-coded purchase information (e.g., an RFID reader, etc.).The reading device may be, for example, a device (such as an RFID reader / writer) that has a function for writing the frequency-coded purchase information. The reading device may be, for example, a device to which the use area identification information has been assigned in advance. The reading device may be, for example, built into the use area itself, or may be installed in the use area.

[0075] The use area reservation device of the present disclosure acquires the purchase information as third information by linking it to the user identification information or the use area identification information via a purchase information acquisition medium. The purchase information acquisition medium may be, for example, the user terminal or the reading device. The purchase information acquisition medium may transmit the purchase information and the user identification information included in the third information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure in the form of URL parameters. The purchase information acquisition medium may also transmit the purchase information and the use area identification information included in the third information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure in the form of URL parameters. The purchase information may be stored in a storage unit, such as the memory 102 or storage device 104 of the device of the present disclosure, or in a storage unit other than the device of the present disclosure. The storage unit may be, for example, a database, and the type of the database may be, for example, a hierarchical type, a network type, or a relational type.

[0076] For example, if the purchase information acquisition medium is the user terminal, the acquisition of the purchase information may be performed by an input device attached to the user terminal or by a photographing device attached to the user terminal. In the former case, the user terminal may acquire the purchase information, for example, by the user inputting the purchase information itself (e.g., an identification number). In the latter case, the user terminal may acquire the purchase information, for example, by photographing coded purchase information obtained by encoding the purchase information by the user. The user terminal, for example, has a decoding function for the coded purchase information and acquires the purchase information from the coded purchase information using the decoding function. For example, the user terminal associates the acquired purchase information with the user identification information and transmits it to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure as third information. In other words, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure acquires the purchase information from the user terminal as the third information, for example, by associating it with the user identification information.

[0077] For example, if the purchase information acquisition medium is the reading device, the acquisition of the purchase information may be performed by a reading unit attached to the reading device. In this case, the reading device may acquire the frequency-encoded purchase information (e.g., an RFID tag) obtained by converting the purchase information into a radio frequency from the container or tray when the user places the container or tray within a readable range. The reading device may have a decoding function for the frequency-encoded purchase information and acquire the purchase information from the frequency-encoded purchase information using the decoding function. For example, the reading device may associate the acquired purchase information with the use area identification information and transmit it to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure as third information. In other words, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure may associate the purchase information with the use area identification information and acquire it from the use area terminal as the third information.

[0078] The extension of the validity period is, for example, a process of extending the validity period of the reservation to a predetermined period when the validity period begins at the time the reservation information is generated. In this case, the validity period may be extended for a fixed period across all areas, or for different periods for each area. In the latter case, the validity period may be set, for example, according to the popularity of the area, with the more popular the area, the shorter the extension period may be set. In the latter case, the validity period may be set, for example, according to the capacity of the area, with the larger the capacity of the area, the longer the extension period may be set. In the latter case, the validity period may be set, for example, according to the number of purchase information items acquired by the purchase information acquisition medium, with the larger the number of purchase information items, the longer the extension period may be set.

[0079] Furthermore, the use area reservation device disclosed herein may include, for example, a recommendation unit. The recommendation unit may, for example, associate the purchase information of the user with the user identification information of the user and store the associated purchase history information regarding the user's product purchase history. The recommendation unit may, for example, generate recommended product information regarding the product recommended for purchase by the user based on the purchase history information of the user. The recommendation unit may, for example, output the recommended product information to the user terminal of the user, and the user terminal may, for example, output information based on the acquired recommended product information. Note that, for example, if the third information is the purchase information and the user identification information, the purchase history information may be information obtained by associating the purchase information with the user identification information included in the third information. For example, if the third information is the purchase information and the use area identification information, the purchase history information may be information obtained by associating the purchase information with the user identification information associated with the use area identification information included in the third information. According to the present disclosure, for example, products that match the user's preferences can be recommended, thereby promoting sales activities for the products.

[0080] Furthermore, the recommendation unit may, for example, associate the user identification information of the user with friend information about other users who have friendship relationships with the user and store the associated information. In this case, for example, when the recommendation unit acquires information associating the other user identification information of the other users with the use area identification information through the above-described steps, the recommendation unit may store the friend information by associating the other user identification information of the other users with the user identification information of the user associated with the same use area identification information. For example, the recommendation unit may generate recommended gift product information regarding the product recommended for the user to purchase as a gift for the other users based on the purchase history information of the other users. For example, the recommendation unit may output the recommended gift product information to the user's user terminal, and the user terminal may output information based on the acquired recommended gift product information. According to the present disclosure, for example, products that match the preferences of the other users can be recommended to the user, which can help the user consider the product as a gift for the other users, thereby promoting sales activities for the product.

[0081] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reserve a use area without reserving a spot by placing an object. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, for example, the purchase of a product is a condition for extending the validity period of the reservation information, so that users who wish to continue using the use area can be encouraged to purchase the product. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, for example, the validity period of the reservation information cannot be extended unless the product is purchased, so that it is possible to suppress use of the use area for purposes other than purchasing a product.

[0082] Furthermore, use area reservation device 10A may include, for example, an invalidation unit in addition to the configuration of use area reservation device 10A of embodiment 2. The hardware configuration of use area reservation device 10A is similar to the hardware configuration of use area reservation device 10 of FIG. 1, for example, except that central processing unit 101 includes an invalidation unit in addition to setting unit 14. The processing of the invalidation unit will be described below. The processing of the invalidation unit can be inserted, for example, at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 5 described in embodiment 2, but it is preferable that the processing of the invalidation unit be inserted, for example, after S4.

[0083] Furthermore, the use area reservation device 10A may include, for example, an invalidation unit in addition to the configuration and extension unit of the use area reservation device 10A of embodiment 2. The hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10A is the same as, for example, the hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 in FIG. 1, except that the central processing unit 101 further includes an invalidation unit configuration in addition to the setting unit 14 and extension unit (not shown). The processing of the invalidation unit will be described below. The processing of the invalidation unit can be inserted, for example, at any position in the flowchart of FIG. 5 described in embodiment 2, but it is preferable that the processing of the invalidation unit be inserted, for example, after the extension procedure.

[0084] The invalidation unit may, for example, determine whether the validity period has expired, and invalidate the reservation information if it is determined that the validity period has expired (invalidation procedure). The invalidation unit may, for example, determine whether the validity period has expired, and invalidate the advance reservation information included in the reservation information if it is determined that the validity period has expired.

[0085] The determination of whether the validity period has expired can be performed by a known method, for example, by determining whether the current time coincides with the end time of the validity period.

[0086] The invalidation of the reservation information may be, for example, a process of deleting the reservation information, or a process of changing the reservation status information included in the reservation information from valid to invalid.

[0087] For example, when it is determined that the validity period has expired, the invalidation unit may invalidate the PIN corresponding to the use area identification information or the password corresponding to the use area identification information in addition to invalidating the reservation information.

[0088] For example, when the reservation information is invalidated, the invalidation unit may output invalidation information notifying that the reservation information has been invalidated. The person to whom the invalidation is notified may be, for example, the user, or a user other than the user. In the former case, the invalidation unit may output the invalidation information to, for example, the user terminal, and the user terminal may output information based on the acquired invalidation information. In the latter case, the invalidation unit may output the invalidation information to, for example, the use area terminal attached to the use area, and the use area terminal may output information based on the acquired invalidation information. The output format of the information based on the invalidation information may be, for example, at least one of a text format, an image format, an audio format, and a format combining these.

[0089] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reserve a use area without reserving a spot by placing an object. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, for example, the reservation information can be invalidated, so that the use area whose reservation information has been invalidated can be used by another user, and the use area can be used by more users.

[0090] The use area reservation method of the present disclosure (hereinafter also referred to as the method of the present disclosure) is a method implemented, for example, by replacing each "procedure" in the program of the present disclosure with a "step." Specifically, in addition to the method of the present disclosure of embodiment 1, the method of the present disclosure further includes a setting step, in which a validity period for the use reservation is set for the reservation information. The method of the present disclosure can be implemented, for example, using the device 10A of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 4 or the use area reservation device 10A of FIG. 4 provided as the central processing unit 101 in the hardware configuration of the use area reservation device 10 of FIG. 2. Note that the method of the present disclosure is not limited to methods using the device 10A of the present disclosure. For example, the description of the program and the device of the present disclosure can be used for the method of the present disclosure.

[0091] As described above, the use area reservation program of the present disclosure allows a validity period for the use reservation to be set for the reservation information through a setting procedure. Therefore, the present disclosure allows a use area to be reserved without reserving space by placing objects. Furthermore, the present disclosure also allows, for example, a validity period to be set for the use area reservation, so that the user can be encouraged to use the use area within the validity period and the user can be prevented from staying in the use area for an extended period.

[0092] [Embodiment 3] An example of how the device of the present disclosure is used will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. In the following description, a case where a user (person A) reserves a table (the table in Fig. 6) in a food court will be used as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to the following description in any way.

[0093] First, a user reserves a table they wish to use, for example, by using a seat reservation ticket. Specifically, the user obtains the seat reservation ticket corresponding to the card, for example, from a ticket stand located in the food court. The seat reservation ticket is, for example, the card to which card identification information that can uniquely identify the seat reservation ticket is previously assigned. The seat reservation ticket is, for example, assigned with the card identification information in two display formats, for example, coded card identification information (QR code (registered trademark)) that encodes the card identification information, and frequency-converted card identification information (RFID tag) that converts the card identification information into radio frequency.

[0094] The user, for example, acquires the QR code (registered trademark) attached to the seat reservation ticket using a photographing device of a smartphone terminal corresponding to the user terminal, and acquires the card identification information from the QR code (registered trademark) using a decoding function of the smartphone terminal. The smartphone terminal, for example, associates the acquired card identification information with user identification information, which is identification information of the smartphone terminal acquired from a memory unit of the smartphone terminal, and transmits the associated information as first information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, stores the acquired first information in a database.

[0095] The tables provided in the food court are each equipped with, for example, an RFID reader (RFID reading device) compatible with the frequency-converted card identification information reading device. The user places the seat reservation card on the table top of the table they wish to use. The RFID reader, for example, acquires the RFID tag 1 from the seat reservation card and acquires the card identification information from the RFID tag 1 using a decoding function. The RFID reader, for example, associates the acquired card identification information with use area identification information previously assigned to the RFID reader and transmits the acquired card identification information to the use area reservation device of the present disclosure as second information. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure stores the acquired second information in the database, for example.

[0096] The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, extracts, from the database, a pair of the user identification information linked to the card identification information and the use area identification information linked to the card identification information, linking them from the first information and the second information. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, generates reservation information regarding the user's reservation of use of the table based on the extracted pair. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, sets a validity period for the reservation information, during which the use reservation is valid. In this case, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure may, for example, set the time when the reservation information is generated as the start point of the validity period, and set the time obtained by adding the validity period to the start point time as the end point of the validity period. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, stores the reservation information with the set validity period in a reservation information database.

[0097] Next, the user extends the validity period of the reservation information, for example, by purchasing ramen at a store in the food court. Specifically, the user purchases ramen at a store in the food court within the validity period and places the bowl of ramen on the tabletop. The bowl of ramen is provided with, for example, frequency-converted purchase information (RFID tag) that converts purchase information indicating the user's purchase of ramen into a radio frequency. The table provided in the food court is equipped with, for example, an RFID reader that corresponds to a reader for the frequency-converted purchase information. The RFID reader acquires, for example, the RFID tag from the placed bowl of ramen and acquires the purchase information from the RFID tag using a decoding function. The RFID reader, for example, associates the acquired purchase information with the area identification information previously assigned to the RFID reader and transmits the acquired purchase information as third information to the use area reservation device disclosed herein. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, identifies, in the reservation information database, the reservation information including the user identification information linked to the use area identification information included in the acquired third information, and extends the validity period set for the identified reservation information. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure, for example, stores the reservation information whose validity period has been extended in the reservation information database.

[0098] Alternatively, the user may reserve a desired table without using the seat reservation ticket. In this case, the table may be provided with, for example, a tablet terminal corresponding to the use area terminal. The tablet terminal may be, for example, a terminal capable of displaying coded use area identification information (QR code (registered trademark)) on its display, which is a coded use area identification information for identifying the table. The user may, for example, acquire the QR code (registered trademark) displayed on the display of the tablet terminal using a photographing device of the smartphone terminal, and acquire the use area identification information from the QR code (registered trademark) using a decoding function of the smartphone terminal. The smartphone terminal may, for example, associate the acquired use area identification information with user identification information, which is identification information of the smartphone terminal, from its memory, and transmit the paired information to the use area reservation device disclosed herein. The use area reservation device disclosed herein may, for example, generate reservation information regarding the user's reservation of the table based on the paired information. The use area reservation device disclosed herein may, for example, set a validity period for the reservation information, during which the use reservation is valid. In this case, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure may, for example, set the time when the reservation information is generated as the start point of the validity period, and set the time obtained by adding the validity period to the start point time as the end point of the validity period. The use area reservation device of the present disclosure may, for example, store the reservation information with the set validity period in a reservation information database.

[0099] When the table is reserved without using the seat reservation ticket, the use area reservation device of the present disclosure stores a pair of the user identification information and the use area identification information linked together in the reservation information database, just as in the case where the table is reserved using the seat reservation ticket. Therefore, even when the table is reserved without using the seat reservation ticket, the process for extending the validity period of the reservation information can be performed in the same way as in the case where the table is reserved using the seat reservation ticket.

[0100] According to the present disclosure, a use area can be reserved without reserving a spot by placing an object. Furthermore, for example, when reserving a use area by placing the user's belongings in the use area, there is a possibility that the user's belongings may be stolen or mistaken for a forgotten item, resulting in the use area not being reserved. According to the present disclosure, for example, since there is no need to place the user's belongings in the use area, the use area can be more reliably reserved. Furthermore, for example, when reserving a spot by having a companion sit in the use area, there is a possibility that the use area cannot be reserved unless the companion is present. According to the present disclosure, for example, the use area can be reserved even when the companion is not present. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, for example, a validity period is set for the use area reservation, so that the user can be encouraged to use the use area within the validity period and the user can be prevented from staying in the use area for an extended period.

[0101] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0102] <Additional Notes> Some or all of the above embodiments can be described as, but not limited to, the following supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) Including an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, The acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a pair; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; the output step outputs the reservation information. A use area reservation program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures. (Appendix 2) Further, the method includes an extraction step, The acquisition step includes associating card identification information capable of identifying a card with the user identification information and acquiring the associated card identification information as first information; and linking the card identification information with the use area identification information and acquiring the linked information as second information; the extraction step links the user identification information and the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts them as a pair; Use area reservation program as described in Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) Further, a procedure for generating advance reservation information is included, The advance reservation information generation step includes determining whether the user satisfies an advance reservation condition; If it is determined that the user satisfies the advance reservation condition, advance reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user is generated. Use area reservation program as described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) Furthermore, a reservation status output procedure is included, the reservation status output step outputs reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each of the use areas based on the reservation information. 4. The use area reservation program according to any one of appendices 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) Additionally, it includes setup instructions, the setting step includes setting a validity period for the reservation of use for the reservation information. 5. The use area reservation program according to any one of appendices 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) Further, including an extension procedure, The extension step includes acquiring purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user; extending the validity period for the reservation information based on the acquired purchase information; Use area reservation program as described in Appendix 5. (Appendix 7) Further, it includes a deactivation procedure, The revocation procedure includes determining whether the validity period has expired; If it is determined that the validity period has expired, invalidate the reservation information. Use area reservation programs as described in Appendix 5 or 6. (Appendix 8) An acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit, the acquiring unit associates user identification information that can identify a user with use area identification information that can identify a use area, and acquires the user identification information and the use area identification information as a pair; the generation unit generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; The output unit outputs the reservation information. (Appendix 9) Further, an extracting unit is included, the acquiring unit associates card identification information capable of identifying a card with the user identification information, and acquires the associated card identification information as first information; and linking the card identification information with the use area identification information and acquiring the linked information as second information; the extraction unit links the user identification information and the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts them as a pair; 9. The use area reservation device according to claim 8. (Appendix 10) Further, the system includes an advance reservation information generating unit, the advance reservation information generation unit determines whether the user satisfies an advance reservation condition; If it is determined that the user satisfies the advance reservation condition, advance reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user is generated. 10. The use area reservation device according to claim 8 or 9. (Appendix 11) Further, a reservation status output unit is included, the reservation status output unit outputs reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each of the use areas based on the reservation information. 11. A usage area reservation device according to any one of appendices 8 to 10. (Appendix 12) Further, a setting unit is included, the setting unit sets a validity period for the reservation of use for the reservation information. 12. The use area reservation device according to any one of appendices 8 to 11. (Appendix 13) Further comprising an extension, the extension unit acquires purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user; extending the validity period for the reservation information based on the acquired purchase information; 13. The use area reservation device according to claim 12. (Appendix 14) Further, the invalidation unit is included, The invalidation unit determines whether the validity period has expired, If it is determined that the validity period has expired, invalidate the reservation information. 14. The use area reservation device according to claim 12 or 13. (Appendix 15) The method includes an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, the acquiring step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a set; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; The output step outputs the reservation information. A method for reserving a use area by causing a computer to execute each of the steps. (Appendix 16) Further, the method includes an extraction step, The acquiring step associates card identification information capable of identifying the card with the user identification information and acquires the associated information as first information; and linking the card identification information with the use area identification information and acquiring the linked information as second information; the extracting step links the user identification information and the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts them as a pair; How to reserve an area for use as described in Appendix 15. (Appendix 17) Further, it includes an advance reservation information generating step, The advance reservation information generating step determines whether the user satisfies an advance reservation condition, If it is determined that the user satisfies the advance reservation condition, advance reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user is generated. How to reserve an area for use as described in Appendix 15 or 16. (Appendix 18) Further, it includes a reservation status output step, The reservation status output step outputs reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each of the use areas based on the reservation information. 18. A method for reserving an area of ​​use according to any one of appendices 15 to 17. (Appendix 19) Further, a setting step is included, The setting step sets a validity period for the reservation of use for the reservation information. 19. A method for reserving an area of ​​use according to any one of appendices 15 to 18. (Appendix 20) Further, the method includes an extension step, The extension step acquires purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user, extending the validity period for the reservation information based on the acquired purchase information; How to reserve an area for use as described in Appendix 19. (Appendix 21) Further, it includes a deactivation step, The invalidation step includes determining whether the validity period has expired, If it is determined that the validity period has expired, invalidate the reservation information. A method for reserving an area for use as described in Appendix 19 or 20. (Appendix 22) Including an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, The acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a pair; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; the output step outputs the reservation information. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a use area reservation program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures. (Appendix 23) Further, the method includes an extraction step, The acquisition step includes associating card identification information capable of identifying a card with the user identification information and acquiring the associated card identification information as first information; and linking the card identification information with the use area identification information and acquiring the linked information as second information; the extraction step links the user identification information and the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts them as a pair; 23. The recording medium according to claim 22. (Appendix 24) Further, a procedure for generating advance reservation information is included, The advance reservation information generation step includes determining whether the user satisfies an advance reservation condition; If it is determined that the user satisfies the advance reservation condition, advance reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user is generated. 24. The recording medium according to claim 23. (Appendix 25) Furthermore, it includes a reservation status output procedure, the reservation status output step outputs reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each of the use areas based on the reservation information. 25. A recording medium according to any one of appendices 22 to 24. (Appendix 26) Additionally, it includes setup instructions, the setting step includes setting a validity period for the reservation of use for the reservation information. 26. A recording medium according to any one of appendices 22 to 25. (Appendix 27) Further, including an extension procedure, The extension step includes acquiring purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user; extending the validity period for the reservation information based on the acquired purchase information; 27. A recording medium as described in Appendix 26. (Appendix 28) further comprising a deactivation step; The revocation procedure includes determining whether the validity period has expired; If it is determined that the validity period has expired, invalidate the reservation information. 28. A recording medium according to claim 26 or 27. [Industrial Applicability]

[0103] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to reserve a use area without reserving space by arranging objects. Therefore, the present disclosure can be widely and usefully used in fields where area reservation is required. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 10, 10A Use area reservation device 11 Acquisition Department 12 Generation part 13 Output section 14 Setting section 101 Central Processing Unit 102 memory 103 Bus 104 Storage device 105 Input Device 106 Output Device 107 Communication Devices

Claims

1. Including an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, The acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a pair; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; the output step outputs the reservation information. A use area reservation program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

2. Further, the method includes an extraction step, The acquisition step includes associating card identification information capable of identifying a card with the user identification information and acquiring the associated card identification information as first information; and The card identification information and the use area identification information are linked and acquired as second information; the extraction step links the user identification information and the use area identification information from the first information and the second information based on the card identification information, and extracts them as a pair; 2. The use area reservation program according to claim 1.

3. Further, a procedure for generating advance reservation information is included, The advance reservation information generation step includes determining whether the user satisfies an advance reservation condition; If it is determined that the user satisfies the advance reservation condition, advance reservation information regarding the reservation of use of the use area by the user is generated.

2. The use area reservation program according to claim 1.

4. Furthermore, it includes a reservation status output procedure, the reservation status output step outputs reservation status information indicating the reservation status of each of the use areas based on the reservation information.

4. The use area reservation program according to claim 1.

5. Additionally, it includes setup instructions, the setting step includes setting a validity period for the reservation of use for the reservation information.

4. The use area reservation program according to claim 1.

6. Further, including an extension procedure, The extension step includes acquiring purchase information indicating a purchase of a product by the user; extending the validity period for the reservation information based on the acquired purchase information; 6. The use area reservation program according to claim 5.

7. further comprising a deactivation step; The revocation procedure includes determining whether the validity period has expired; If it is determined that the validity period has expired, invalidate the reservation information.

7. The use area reservation program according to claim 5 or 6.

8. An acquisition unit, a generation unit, and an output unit, the acquiring unit associates user identification information that can identify a user with use area identification information that can identify a use area, and acquires the user identification information and the use area identification information as a pair; the generation unit generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; The output unit outputs the reservation information.

9. The method includes an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, the acquiring step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a set; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; The output step outputs the reservation information. A method for reserving a use area by causing a computer to execute each of the steps.

10. Including an acquisition step, a generation step, and an output step, The acquisition step associates user identification information capable of identifying a user with use area identification information capable of identifying a use area, and acquires the information as a pair; the generating step generates reservation information regarding a reservation for use of the use area by the user based on the set; the output step outputs the reservation information. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a use area reservation program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

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