Cash voucher processing system, cash voucher processing server, cash voucher processing method, and cash voucher processing program

Abstract

To provide a configuration that can centrally generate charging data based on data received from an acquisition device in various data formats.SOLUTION: Provided is a cash voucher processing system including: a first acquisition device 20 that acquires first cash voucher information which is information attached to a cash voucher and transmits the information to the outside; second acquisition devices 30, 31 that capture an image of the cash voucher to acquire image data in which the cash voucher is reflected and transmit the image data to the outside; and a cash voucher processing server 10 configured to be capable of acquiring the first cash voucher information from the first acquisition device 20 and configured to be capable of acquiring the image data from the second acquisition devices 30, 31. The cash voucher processing server 10 includes an information extraction unit 11 that extracts second cash voucher information from the image data, and a data generation unit 13 that generates charging data for charging an issue source of the cash voucher upon matching a data format of the first cash voucher information and a data format of the second cash voucher information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a voucher processing system, a voucher processing server, a voucher processing method, and a voucher processing program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the voucher billing data generation system disclosed in Patent Publication No. 2005-85066 (Patent Document 1), an acquisition device (referred to as a "voucher information reading device" in the document) reads the information attached to the voucher, and billing data is generated based on the read information to make a bill to the issuer of the voucher. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-85066 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, acquisition devices for reading information attached to coupons are often expensive. For stores run by sole proprietors, the challenge is how to reduce initial investment and make coupon processing systems easier to use. Furthermore, since the data formats of the information acquired by acquisition devices often vary, a configuration that can generate billing data in response to a wide variety of data formats is desirable.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a configuration capable of generating billing data in a unified manner based on data received from acquisition devices in a wide variety of data formats. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The characteristics of the gift certificate processing system for achieving the above-mentioned objective are that it comprises a first acquisition device that acquires first gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, and transmits it to the outside; a second acquisition device that photographs the gift certificate, acquires image data of the gift certificate, and transmits it to the outside; and a gift certificate processing server that is configured to be able to acquire the first gift certificate information from the first acquisition device and to be able to acquire the image data from the second acquisition device, and the gift certificate processing server is equipped with an information extraction unit that extracts second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data, and a data generation unit that aligns the data format of the first gift certificate information with the data format of the second gift certificate information, and generates billing data to make a bill to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0007] Another feature of the gift certificate processing system according to the present disclosure is that the first acquisition device is used by a first store, and the second acquisition device is used by a second store.

[0008] Another feature of the gift certificate processing system of the present disclosure is that the first acquisition device is configured to transmit the first gift certificate information to the gift certificate processing server along with information about the first store, and the second acquisition device is configured to transmit the image data to the gift certificate processing server along with information about the second store.

[0009] Another configuration of the gift certificate processing system of the present disclosure is that the gift certificate processing server is configured to determine, based on the information received about the second store, whether or not to verify the accuracy of the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit at the second store, and to transmit the second gift certificate information to the second acquisition device in response to a determination that verification should be performed.

[0010] Another feature of the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein is that the second acquisition device is configured to accept a confirmation operation from an operator to confirm the accuracy of the second gift certificate information received from the gift certificate processing server, and to send confirmation result data regarding the confirmation result of the second gift certificate information to the gift certificate processing server upon completion of the confirmation operation by the operator, and the data generation unit is configured to generate the claim data after the gift certificate processing server receives the confirmation result data.

[0011] Another feature of the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein is that when the operator modifies the second gift certificate information received from the gift certificate processing server in conjunction with the confirmation operation, the second acquisition device is configured to send the modified second gift certificate information together with the confirmation result data to the gift certificate processing server, and the data generation unit is configured to generate the claim data using the modified second gift certificate information.

[0012] The characteristics of the gift certificate processing server for achieving the above-mentioned objective are that it is configured to acquire first gift certificate information, which is information attached to a gift certificate, and image data of the gift certificate by photographing the gift certificate, and is equipped with an information extraction unit that extracts second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data, and a data generation unit that aligns the data format of the first gift certificate information with the data format of the second gift certificate information, and generates billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0013] The characteristic of the gift certificate processing method for achieving the above-mentioned object is that it is a gift certificate processing method carried out in a gift certificate processing system, and comprises a first acquisition step of acquiring first gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate; a second acquisition step of photographing the gift certificate and acquiring image data of the gift certificate; an information extraction step of extracting second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data; and a data generation step of matching the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information and generating billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0014] The characteristics of the gift certificate processing program for achieving the above-mentioned objective are that it causes a computer to execute the following functions: a first acquisition function for acquiring first gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate; a second acquisition function for photographing the gift certificate and acquiring image data of the gift certificate; a data extraction function for extracting second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data; and a data generation function for matching the data format of the first gift certificate information with the data format of the second gift certificate information and generating invoice data for making a invoice to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0015] The present disclosure can provide a configuration that can generate billing data in a unified manner based on data received from an acquisition device in a wide variety of data formats. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a gift certificate processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of gift certificate processing. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of gift certificate processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Configuration of the voucher processing system] As shown in Figure 1, the voucher processing system includes a voucher processing server 10, a teller machine 20, portable imaging terminals 30 and 31 with camera functions, and a confirmation terminal 40. The voucher processing server 10, the teller machine 20, the portable imaging terminals 30 and 31 with camera functions, and the confirmation terminal 40 are connected to one another via a wide area network (WAN).

[0019] In this embodiment, a voucher is a voucher that can be traded for money in a form similar to actual currency, such as a gift certificate, various gift certificates, or book vouchers.

[0020] The cash register 20 ("first acquisition device") is located in the cash register room of the commercial complex. The confirmation terminal 40 is located in the management office of the commercial complex. The confirmation terminal 40 may be a general-purpose PC (personal computer), a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. The commercial complex also has stores A, B, C, D, and E. In many cases, rents for tenants in a commercial complex are paid on a commission basis, which varies depending on sales. In such cases, the tenants' daily sales are deposited into the cash register 20, and once the owner (developer) has accurately determined the tenants' sales, the tenants receive the remaining amount minus rent. The commercial complex may also be an entertainment complex.

[0021] In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, stores A, B, and C ("first stores") are tenants, and daily sales proceeds from stores A, B, and C are deposited into a cash register 20. The cash register 20 counts the banknotes and coins deposited from each store A, B, and C and stores them in an internal storage. At this time, if sales are made using gift certificates at stores A, B, and C, the gift certificates are deposited into the cash register 20.

[0022] The cash dispenser 20 is also equipped with a scanner and an OCR (optical character recognition) function that recognizes characters, graphic codes, etc. from image data read by the scanner. Therefore, the cash dispenser 20 reads the voucher with the scanner and acquires the information attached to the voucher (hereinafter referred to as "first voucher information") using the OCR function. The cash dispenser 20 acquires the first voucher information attached to the voucher and transmits it to the externally located voucher processing server 10. The OCR function of the cash dispenser 20 may be configured to be able to verify whether the voucher is genuine or counterfeit.

[0023] Specifically, the cash register 20 reads the voucher with a scanner and performs OCR processing to obtain text information indicating the brand name, voucher type code, amount, etc. written on the voucher. The cash register 20 edits the obtained text information into a predetermined processing format and sends it to the cash register processing server 10 as first voucher information. The processing format may be, for example, a table format in which characters are arranged in a matrix, or a format in which characters are arranged separated by delimiters (such as commas). The first voucher information may be a compilation of information on multiple vouchers, or may be information on a single voucher. The first voucher information may include information indicating which store the sales were from. The first voucher information may also include the number of vouchers.

[0024] In the configuration shown in Fig. 1, stores D and E ("second stores") are stores that do not need to deposit daily sales revenues into the cash register 20, such as directly managed stores of the owner (developer), tenants with lease agreements other than a commission-based system, or tenants located in an annex far from the cash register. In such stores, a portable imaging terminal 30 ("second acquisition device") is used.

[0025] The portable imaging terminal 30 is, for example, a smartphone or tablet terminal, and is equipped with, for example, a CMOS camera module. Therefore, when a sale is made using a gift certificate at stores D and E, the gift certificate is captured by the camera module of the portable imaging terminal 30. The portable imaging terminal 30 captures an image of the gift certificate, obtains image data of the gift certificate, and transmits the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 located externally.

[0026] Stores F, G, H, and I ("second stores") are, for example, street-front stores or freestanding stores. For this reason, stores F, G, H, and I are often smaller stores than those in commercial complexes and are run by individual business owners. A portable imaging terminal 31 ("second acquisition device") is also used in such stores. The portable imaging terminal 31 is a terminal similar to the portable imaging terminal 30, such as a smartphone or tablet terminal. When a sale is made using a gift certificate at stores F, G, H, and I, the gift certificate is captured by the camera module of the portable imaging terminal 31. In this case as well, the portable imaging terminal 31 captures an image of the gift certificate, acquires image data of the image of the gift certificate, and transmits the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 located externally.

[0027] The voucher processing server 10 is configured to be able to receive first voucher information from the teller machine 20, and also to be able to receive image data from each of a plurality of portable imaging terminals 30, 31. Note that only one teller machine 20 is shown in FIG. 1. However, this is not limited to this configuration, and a plurality of teller machines 20 may be provided in a commercial complex, and the voucher processing server 10 may be configured to receive first voucher information from each of the plurality of teller machines 20. Furthermore, the voucher processing server 10 may be configured to receive first voucher information from teller machines 20 located in each of a plurality of different commercial complexes.

[0028] The gift certificate processing server 10 includes an information extraction unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a data generation unit 13. The gift certificate processing server 10 stores text data of the first gift certificate information received from the cashier 20 and image data received from the portable imaging terminals 30 and 31 in the storage unit 12. The information extraction unit 11 has an OCR function that recognizes characters, graphic codes, and the like from the image data. In other words, the information extraction unit 11 extracts information attached to the gift certificate (hereinafter referred to as "second gift certificate information") from the image data. Specifically, the information extraction unit 11 acquires text information indicating the brand name, gift certificate type code, amount, and the like written on the gift certificate through OCR processing from the image data of the gift certificate. Note that the OCR function of the information extraction unit 11 may be configured to be able to verify whether the gift certificate is genuine or counterfeit.

[0029] The characters and numbers extracted by the OCR function may be recognized incorrectly, or may be skipped over without being recognized as characters or numbers. For this reason, for example, an operator at the management office of a commercial complex may use a confirmation terminal 40 to check whether the coupon information (a collective term for the first coupon information and the second coupon information) is misrecognized (misread, unread). If the coupon information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 is misrecognized, the operator may use the confirmation terminal 40 to correct the coupon information.

[0030] 1, the commercial complex is equipped with a confirmation terminal 40, but stores F, G, H, and I are not equipped with a confirmation terminal 40. Therefore, at stores F, G, H, and I, operators etc. use the portable imaging terminal 31 to confirm the accuracy of the second voucher information, and if there is an error in recognition, they use the portable imaging terminal 31 to correct the second voucher information.

[0031] Based on the voucher information that has been verified for accuracy by an operator or the like, the data generation unit 13 generates request data for requesting cash from the issuer of the voucher. The data generation unit 13 matches the data format of the second voucher information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 to the data format of the first voucher information acquired by the cash dispenser 20. Specifically, the data generation unit 13 processes the second voucher information and changes it to the processing format for the first voucher information described above. The data generation unit 13 then generates request data for requesting cash from the issuer of the voucher based on the first voucher information and the second voucher information, and outputs the request data to the outside via encrypted communication.

[0032] The output billing data is sent to the issuing server 60 via the transaction processing server 50. The issuing server 60 is the server of the business that issued the gift certificate. The transaction processing server 50 is the server of the business that provides online payment services for credit cards, prepaid cards, and a wide variety of gift certificates, and executes payment processing for the gift certificate based on the billing data.

[0033] The flow of the process for generating billing data for processing payment for gift certificates will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 2 and 3. In the flowchart of Figure 2, steps #01 to #04 show the process performed by the teller machine 20 in the commercial complex, and steps #11 to #12 show the process performed by the portable imaging terminal 30 in the commercial complex.

[0034] In the flowchart of Fig. 3, steps #21 to #26 show the processing performed by the portable imaging terminal 31 outside the commercial complex, and steps #31 to #42 show the processing performed by the gift certificate processing server 10. Note that the "gift certificate information" shown in steps #37 and #40 of Fig. 3 collectively refers to the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0035] [When scanning a voucher at the cashier machine] When a voucher is inserted into the cash register 20, the cash register 20 scans the voucher (step #01) and extracts first voucher information from the scanned data using an OCR function (step #02). The cash register 20 then generates text data representing the first voucher information formatted in the processing format described above (step #03) and transmits the text data, along with information about the store, to the cash register processing server 10 via encrypted communication (step #04). Steps #02 and #03 are the first acquisition steps in the cash register processing method and the first acquisition function in the cash register processing program. The information about the store is information such as the store ID of the store A, B, or C that deposited the voucher in the cash register 20. The text data may be in text format or binary format, for example.

[0036] When the voucher processing server 10 receives data from the cash register 20 (step #31), it determines whether the data type is text data or image data (step #32). The data received from the cash register 20 is text data (step #32: text data). Therefore, the voucher processing server 10 stores the first voucher information indicated in the text data in the memory unit 12 (step #37). Note that the processing of step #31 may be configured to perform authentication processing to determine whether the sender is the cash register 20.

[0037] The target characters extracted by the OCR function may not be extracted accurately due to misreading or non-reading. For this reason, the first coupon information extracted by the OCR function of the cash dispenser 20 is subject to confirmation by an operator at the management office of the commercial complex. For this reason, the operator at the management office confirms the accuracy of the first coupon information (step #38).

[0038] The contents of step #38 will be explained in detail. An operator at the management office uses the confirmation terminal 40 to request the first voucher information stored in the memory unit 12, and the voucher processing server 10 transmits the first voucher information to the confirmation terminal 40. As a result, the first voucher information is displayed on the browser screen of the confirmation terminal 40. The operator at the management office performs at least one of the following tasks: either keeping the actual voucher at hand, or reading the scanned data of the voucher scanned by the cash register 20 and displaying it on the browser screen of the confirmation terminal 40. The operator then compares the first voucher information displayed on the browser screen with the content shown on the actual voucher. In other words, the operator of the confirmation terminal 40 uses the confirmation terminal 40 to confirm whether the first voucher information extracted by the OCR function of the cash register 20 is the information written on the voucher.

[0039] If there is an error in the first voucher information displayed on the browser screen, the operator corrects the first voucher information by operating the confirmation terminal 40 while checking the browser screen. While the operator's confirmation of the accuracy of the first voucher information has not been completed (step #39: No), the voucher processing server 10 accepts the operator's confirmation of the accuracy of the first voucher information based on step #38.

[0040] Once the operator has completed the confirmation, he / she performs a confirmation or completion operation on the confirmation terminal 40. As a result, confirmation result data indicating the confirmation information or completion information is transmitted from the confirmation terminal 40 to the gift certificate processing server 10 via encrypted communication. At this time, if any corrections are made to the first gift certificate information on the confirmation terminal 40, the corrected first gift certificate information is transmitted to the gift certificate processing server 10 together with the confirmation result data.

[0041] Once the operator at the management office has confirmed the accuracy of the first voucher information (step #39: Yes), the voucher processing server 10 stores the confirmed first voucher information in the memory unit 12 (step #40). The data generation unit 13 of the voucher processing server 10 then generates billing data for billing the issuer of the voucher based on the first voucher information (step #41). Step #41 is a data generation step in the voucher processing method, and is a data generation function in the voucher processing program. The voucher processing server 10 then outputs the billing data to the transaction processing server 50 via encrypted communication (step #42).

[0042] [When taking a photo of a gift certificate using a mobile imaging device and checking its authenticity on another device] In recent years, commercial complexes have been forced to further reduce operational costs due to factors such as intensifying competition with neighboring rival facilities. Furthermore, while it is conceivable to build new annex buildings to increase customer attraction, it may not be easy to install equipment such as a cash dispenser 20 in expanded facilities. For this reason, the voucher processing system disclosed herein enables payment processing of vouchers using a general-purpose smartphone or the like as the portable imaging terminal 30, thereby reducing operational costs in commercial complexes.

[0043] In the portable imaging terminal 30 installed in store D or E, an operator of store D or E captures an image of the gift certificate using the camera module of the portable imaging terminal 30 (step #11). This acquires image data of the gift certificate. Step #11 is the second acquisition step in the gift certificate processing method, and is the second acquisition function in the gift certificate processing program. The portable imaging terminal 30 then transmits the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 via encrypted communication (step #12). At this time, the portable imaging terminal 30 transmits the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 together with information about the store. The information about the store is information such as the store ID of the store D or E that corresponds to the portable imaging terminal 30 that acquired the image data.

[0044] When the gift certificate processing server 10 receives data from the portable imaging terminal 30 located in stores D and E (step #31), it determines whether the data type is text data or image data (step #32). The data received from the portable imaging terminal 30 is image data (step #32: image data). Therefore, the information extraction unit 11 of the gift certificate processing server 10 extracts the second gift certificate information from the image data using the OCR function (step #33). Step #33 is an information extraction step in the gift certificate processing method, and is an information extraction function in the gift certificate processing program.

[0045] In the process of step #31, authentication processing to determine whether the sender is the portable imaging terminal 30 or not may be executed.

[0046] In this embodiment, patterns for checking the accuracy of the second coupon information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 include a pattern in which the check is made by a worker at the management office of a commercial complex, and a pattern in which the check is made by an operator who has taken an image of the coupon with the portable imaging terminal 30. Therefore, when the second coupon information is extracted by the information extraction unit 11 in step #33, a determination is made as to whether or not the accuracy of the second coupon information will be checked at the store (step #34).

[0047] Stores D and E are stores that belong to a commercial complex. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a sale is made using a gift certificate at stores D and E, an operator at the management office checks the accuracy of the second gift certificate information by comparing the gift certificate with the second gift certificate information obtained from the gift certificate. That is, the operator of confirmation terminal 40 checks, using confirmation terminal 40, whether the second gift certificate information extracted by information extraction unit 11 is the same as the information written on the gift certificate. In this case, the judgment in step #34 is No.

[0048] If the determination in step #34 is No, the gift certificate processing server 10 stores the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 in the storage unit 12 (step #37). Then, as described above, the processes of steps #38 to #42 are performed.

[0049] [When capturing an image of a gift certificate with a portable imaging device and verifying its authenticity using the same portable imaging device] Stores F, G, H, and I are often individually owned businesses with limited financial resources, and the owners of stores F, G, H, and I tend to hesitate to install equipment such as a cash dispenser 20. The gift certificate processing system disclosed herein enables gift certificate payment processing using a general-purpose smartphone or the like as the portable imaging terminal 31, making it easy to install the gift certificate processing system even in small stores. Such small stores do not have a separate operator or the like to confirm the accuracy of the second gift certificate information. For this reason, in this embodiment, the operator at stores F, G, H, and I photographs the gift certificate with the portable imaging terminal 31 and then confirms the accuracy of the second gift certificate information on the portable imaging terminal 31.

[0050] An operator at each store F, G, H, or I captures an image of the gift certificate using the camera module of the portable imaging terminal 31 (step #21). This captures image data of the gift certificate. Step #21 is the second acquisition step in the gift certificate processing method and the second acquisition function in the gift certificate processing program.

[0051] The portable imaging terminal 31 then transmits the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 by encrypted communication (step #22). At this time, the portable imaging terminal 31 transmits the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 together with information about the store. The information about the store is information such as the store ID of the store corresponding to the portable imaging terminal 31 that acquired the image data, out of stores F, G, H, and I. After this, the portable imaging terminal 31 enters a waiting state as determined in step #23.

[0052] When the gift certificate processing server 10 receives data from the portable imaging terminal 31 located in stores F, G, H, and I (step #31), it determines whether the data type is text data or image data (step #32). The data received from the portable imaging terminal 31 is image data (step #32: image data). Therefore, the information extraction unit 11 of the gift certificate processing server 10 extracts the second gift certificate information from the image data using an OCR function (step #33). Note that the processing of step #31 may be configured to perform authentication processing to determine whether the sender is the portable imaging terminal 31.

[0053] When the second coupon information is extracted by the information extraction unit 11 in step #33, a determination is made as to whether or not the authenticity of the second coupon information will be verified at the store (step #34). In this embodiment, if a sale using a coupon is made at stores F, G, H, or I, the operator who captured the image of the coupon will verify its authenticity using the same portable imaging terminal 31. In this case, the determination in step #34 is Yes.

[0054] If the determination in step #34 is Yes, the gift certificate processing server 10 transmits the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 to the portable imaging terminal 31 by encrypted communication (step #35). After this, the gift certificate processing server 10 enters a waiting state as determined in step #36.

[0055] In other words, based on the information about the received store (either store F, G, H, or I), the gift certificate processing server 10 is configured to determine whether or not to check the accuracy of the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 at that store, and to transmit the second gift certificate information to the portable imaging terminal 31 if it is determined that the check should be carried out.

[0056] After transmitting the image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 in step #22, the portable imaging terminal 31 determines whether or not it has received second gift certificate information from the gift certificate processing server 10 (step #23). While it has not received second gift certificate information from the gift certificate processing server 10 (step #23: No), the portable imaging terminal 31 continues to make the determination in step #23.

[0057] When the second gift certificate information is received from the gift certificate processing server 10 (step #23: Yes), the second gift certificate information is displayed on the screen of the portable imaging terminal 31. The operator operating the portable imaging terminal 31 compares the second gift certificate information displayed on the screen with the content shown on the actual gift certificate. That is, after capturing an image of the gift certificate, the operator of the portable imaging terminal 31 uses the portable imaging terminal 31 to confirm whether the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 is the same information as that written on the gift certificate.

[0058] If there is an error in the second voucher information displayed on the screen, the operator corrects the second voucher information by operating the portable imaging terminal 31. While the operator has not completed the confirmation work (step #25: No), the portable imaging terminal 31 accepts confirmation of the accuracy of the second voucher information by the operator based on step #24.

[0059] When the operator has completed the confirmation (step #25: Yes), he or she performs a confirmation operation or a completion operation on the portable imaging terminal 31. At this time, the portable imaging terminal 31 transmits confirmation result data indicating confirmation information or completion information as the confirmation result to the gift certificate processing server 10 via encrypted communication (step #26). At this time, if the second gift certificate information is corrected on the portable imaging terminal 31, the corrected second gift certificate information is transmitted to the gift certificate processing server 10 together with the confirmation result data. In other words, the portable imaging terminal 31 is configured so that when the operator corrects the second gift certificate information received from the gift certificate processing server 10 in conjunction with the confirmation operation, the corrected second gift certificate information is transmitted to the gift certificate processing server 10 together with the confirmation result data.

[0060] In this way, the portable imaging terminal 31 is configured to accept a confirmation operation from the operator to confirm the accuracy of the second voucher information received from the voucher processing server 10, and to transmit confirmation result data regarding the confirmation result of the second voucher information to the voucher processing server 10 upon completion of the confirmation operation by the operator.

[0061] When the gift certificate processing server 10 receives the confirmation result data from the portable imaging terminal 31 (step #36: Yes), the gift certificate processing server 10 stores the confirmed second gift certificate information in the memory unit 12 (step #40). At this time, if the operator or the like modifies the second gift certificate information on the portable imaging terminal 31 in step #24, the gift certificate processing server 10 stores the modified second gift certificate information in the memory unit 12. Then, the processing of steps #41 and #42 described above is performed. That is, the data generation unit 13 is configured to generate invoice data after the gift certificate processing server 10 receives the confirmation result data from the portable imaging terminal 31. At this time, if the operator or the like modifies the second gift certificate information on the portable imaging terminal 31 in step #24, the data generation unit 13 is configured to generate invoice data using the modified second gift certificate information.

[0062] When the cash voucher is scanned by the cash register 20 (flow from step #01), when the cash voucher is photographed by the portable imaging terminal 30 (flow from step #11), or when the cash voucher is photographed by the portable imaging terminal 31 (flow from step #12), when the processing of step #41 is performed, the data generation unit 13 matches the data format of the first cash voucher information acquired by the cash register 20 with the data format of the second cash voucher information extracted by the information extraction unit 11. Specifically, the data generation unit 13 processes the second cash voucher information and changes it to the processing format for the first cash voucher information described above. Then, the data generation unit 13 generates billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the cash voucher based on the first cash voucher information and the second cash voucher information that have been matched to the same data format. This allows the voucher processing server 10 to automatically generate centralized data that can be billed to the business that issued the voucher, even if the reception format of the data from the cash register 20, the reception format of the data from the portable imaging terminal 30, and the reception format of the data from the portable imaging terminal 31 are different.

[0063] [Effects of the embodiment] The gift certificate processing system disclosed herein is equipped with a first acquisition device (treasury machine 20) that acquires first gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, and transmits it to the outside; a second acquisition device (portable imaging terminal 30, 31) that captures an image of the gift certificate, acquires image data of the gift certificate, and transmits it to the outside; and a gift certificate processing server 10 that is configured to be able to acquire the first gift certificate information from the first acquisition device and to be able to acquire image data from the second acquisition device.The gift certificate processing server 10 is equipped with an information extraction unit 11 that extracts second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data, and a data generation unit 13 that aligns the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information and generates invoice data to make a invoice to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0064] With the above configuration, the gift certificate processing server 10 is configured to acquire image data of a gift certificate captured by the second acquisition device and extract second gift certificate information from the image data. Therefore, for example, if an operator or the like captures an image of a gift certificate with the second acquisition device, the second gift certificate information is extracted by the gift certificate processing server 10, and the gift certificate processing server 10 can generate billing data based on the second gift certificate information. This reduces the effort required of operators or the like to input information written on the gift certificate. Furthermore, while the gift certificate processing server 10 can acquire first gift certificate information from the first acquisition device and generate billing data based on the first gift certificate information, the above configuration allows the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information to be converted into the same format. This provides a configuration that can centrally generate billing data based on data received from acquisition devices in a variety of data formats.

[0065] In the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein, the first acquisition device (cash dispenser 20) is used by the first store (stores A, B, C), and the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminals 30, 31) is used by the second store (stores D, E, F, G, H, I).

[0066] The above configuration allows the store to selectively use the first acquisition device and the second acquisition device depending on the size of the store. The second acquisition device can be, for example, a general-purpose smartphone, as long as it is capable of capturing an image of a gift certificate and transmitting the image data to an external device. This reduces the introduction cost of a gift certificate processing system, especially for small stores. In other words, stores can introduce acquisition devices that are commensurate with the scale of their investment.

[0067] In the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein, the first acquisition device (treasury machine 20) is configured to transmit first gift certificate information to the gift certificate processing server 10 along with information about the first store (stores A, B, C), and the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminals 30, 31) is configured to transmit image data to the gift certificate processing server 10 along with information about the second store (stores D, E, F, G, H, I).

[0068] With the above configuration, the gift certificate processing server 10 can generate billing data after appropriately acquiring gift certificate information according to information about the store.

[0069] In the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein, the gift certificate processing server 10 is configured to determine, based on the received information about the second store (stores D, E, F, G, H, I), whether or not to verify the accuracy of the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 at the second store, and to transmit the second gift certificate information to the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminal 31) in response to a determination that verification should be performed.

[0070] With the above configuration, after taking an image of the gift certificate, the operator of the second acquisition device can use the second acquisition device to confirm whether the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit 11 is the same as the information written on the gift certificate.

[0071] In the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein, the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminal 31) is configured to accept a confirmation operation from an operator to confirm the accuracy of the second gift certificate information received from the gift certificate processing server 10, and to send confirmation result data regarding the confirmation result of the second gift certificate information to the gift certificate processing server 10 upon completion of the operator's confirmation operation, and the data generation unit 13 is configured to generate billing data after the gift certificate processing server 10 receives the confirmation result data.

[0072] With the above configuration, the billing data is generated after the operator of the second acquisition device has confirmed the second coupon information. This further ensures the accuracy of the billing data and reduces the risk of receiving notification of an error in the billing data from the coupon issuer. As a result, labor costs are reduced.

[0073] In the gift certificate processing system disclosed herein, the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminal 31) is configured to transmit the corrected second gift certificate information to the gift certificate processing server 10 together with the confirmation result data when the operator corrects the second gift certificate information received from the gift certificate processing server 10 in conjunction with a confirmation operation, and the data generation unit 13 is configured to generate claim data using the corrected second gift certificate information.

[0074] With the above configuration, the billing data is generated based on the data that the operator of the second acquisition device has confirmed and corrected the second voucher information. This further ensures the accuracy of the billing data and reduces the risk of receiving notification of an error in the billing data from the issuer of the voucher. As a result, labor costs are reduced.

[0075] The gift certificate processing server 10 disclosed herein is configured to acquire first gift certificate information, which is information attached to a gift certificate, and image data of the gift certificate captured by photographing the gift certificate, and is equipped with an information extraction unit 11 that extracts second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data, and a data generation unit 13 that aligns the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information and generates invoice data for making a invoice to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0076] With the above configuration, the gift certificate processing server 10 is configured to acquire image data of the gift certificate and extract second gift certificate information from the image data. Therefore, for example, if an operator or the like captures an image of the gift certificate, the second gift certificate information is extracted by the information extraction unit 11, and the data generation unit 13 can generate billing data based on the second gift certificate information. This reduces the time and effort required for the operator or the like to input information written on the gift certificate. Furthermore, while the data generation unit 13 can acquire first gift certificate information and generate billing data based on the first gift certificate information, with the above configuration, the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information can be converted to the same format. This provides a configuration that can centrally generate billing data based on data received from an acquisition device in a variety of data formats.

[0077] The gift certificate processing method disclosed herein is a gift certificate processing method carried out in a gift certificate processing system, and includes a first acquisition step of acquiring first gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate; a second acquisition step of photographing the gift certificate to acquire image data of the gift certificate; an information extraction step of extracting second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data; and a data generation step of matching the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information and generating invoice data for making a invoice to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0078] With the above configuration, the coupon processing method acquires image data of the coupon and extracts second coupon information from the image data. Therefore, for example, an operator can simply capture an image of the coupon, extract the second coupon information in the information extraction step, and generate billing data based on the second coupon information in the data generation step. This reduces the operator's effort to input information written on the coupon. Furthermore, while the data generation step can acquire first coupon information and generate billing data based on the first coupon information, the above configuration allows the data format of the first coupon information and the data format of the second coupon information to be converted into the same format. This provides a configuration that can centrally generate billing data based on data received from an acquisition device in a variety of data formats.

[0079] The gift certificate processing program disclosed herein causes a computer to execute a first acquisition function that acquires first gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate; a second acquisition function that photographs the gift certificate and acquires image data of the gift certificate; a data extraction function that extracts second gift certificate information, which is information attached to the gift certificate, from the image data; and a data generation function that aligns the data format of the first gift certificate information with the data format of the second gift certificate information and generates invoice data for making a invoice to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

[0080] The above configuration is a program configuration that acquires image data of a gift certificate and extracts second gift certificate information from the image data. Therefore, for example, an operator can simply take an image of a gift certificate, and the second gift certificate information can be extracted by the information extraction function, and the data generation function can generate billing data based on the second gift certificate information. This reduces the operator's effort in inputting information written on the gift certificate. Furthermore, while the data generation function can acquire first gift certificate information and generate billing data based on the first gift certificate information, the above configuration can process the data format of the first gift certificate information and the data format of the second gift certificate information into the same format. This provides a configuration that can centrally generate billing data based on data received from an acquisition device in a variety of data formats.

[0081] [Another embodiment] The present disclosure is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, and other representative embodiments of the present disclosure will be exemplified below.

[0082] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the first acquisition device (treasury machine 20) is used by the first store (stores A, B, and C), and the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminals 30 and 31) is used by the second store (stores D, E, F, G, H, and I). This embodiment is not limiting, and for example, the first store may be configured to use both the first acquisition device and the second acquisition device, or may be configured to use only the second acquisition device. Furthermore, the second store may be configured to use both the first acquisition device and the second acquisition device, or may be configured to use only the first acquisition device.

[0083] (2) In the above embodiment, the cash register 20 is exemplified as the first acquisition device. However, the first acquisition device is not limited to this configuration, and may be, for example, a portable scanner or camera with an OCR function (including a portable terminal with a camera module).

[0084] (3) In the above-described embodiment, a smartphone or a tablet terminal is exemplified as the second acquisition device. However, the second acquisition device is not limited to this configuration, and may be, for example, a portable scanner, a laptop computer with a camera module, or a business-use PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

[0085] (4) In the above embodiment, when a sale is made using a gift certificate at stores D and E, an operator at the management office checks the authenticity of the second gift certificate information by comparing the gift certificate with the second gift certificate information acquired from the gift certificate. This embodiment is not limited to this, and a configuration may also be adopted in which, when a sale is made using a gift certificate at stores D and E, an operator at stores D and E checks the authenticity of the second gift certificate information using the second acquisition device (portable imaging terminal 30). In this case, the determination in step #34 is Yes.

[0086] (5) In the above embodiment, when a sale is made using a gift certificate at stores F, G, H, and I, the operator who photographed the gift certificate confirms the authenticity of the information using the same portable imaging terminal 31. This embodiment is not limited to this, and stores F, G, H, and I may be configured to outsource the confirmation of the authenticity of the second gift certificate information to another company. In this case, the determination in step #34 will be No.

[0087] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the cash register 20 scans the coupon and extracts the first coupon information from the scanned data using the OCR function. This embodiment is not limited to this, and the cash register 20 may be configured to scan the coupon and transmit the scanned data directly to the coupon processing server 10. In the processing of the coupon processing server 10, the scanned data may be treated as image data (step #32: image data), and the information extraction unit 11 may extract the coupon information from the scanned data (step #33). In this case, the process of extracting coupon information using OCR processing may be integrated into the information extraction unit 11 of the coupon processing server 10.

[0088] (7) The cash voucher processing server 10 and the transaction processing server 50 shown in Figure 1 may be configured as an integrated unit. In addition, the cash voucher processing server 10 may be configured by multiple servers including a server corresponding to the information extraction unit 11, a server corresponding to the memory unit 12, and a server corresponding to the data generation unit 13.

[0089] (8) In the above-described embodiment, the data generation unit 13 is configured to generate billing data after the gift certificate processing server 10 receives confirmation result data from the confirmation terminal 40 or the portable imaging terminal 31. This embodiment is not limited to this. The data generation unit 13 may be configured to generate billing data in response to receiving text data from the cash register 20, even if the confirmation result data has not been received, and to generate billing data in response to the information extraction unit 11 extracting the second gift certificate information. In this case, the data generation unit 13 may be configured to modify the generated billing data in response to receiving a modification request signal from the confirmation terminal 40 or the portable imaging terminal 30, 31.

[0090] (9) In the above-described embodiment, the data generation unit 13 processes the second voucher information and changes it to the format for processing the first voucher information. The data generation unit 13 may process both the first voucher information and the second voucher information and change them to the same data format. Note that the data format of the voucher information (first voucher information, second voucher information) may differ depending on the type or brand of the voucher.

[0091] (10) The billing data generated by the data generation unit 13 may be derived only from the first voucher information, may be derived only from the second voucher information, or may be derived from both the first voucher information and the second voucher information.

[0092] The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0093] The present disclosure is applicable to a voucher processing system, a voucher processing server, a voucher processing method, and a voucher processing program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 10: Voucher processing server 11: Information extraction part 13: Data generation section 20: Teller machine (first acquisition device) 30: Portable imaging terminal (second acquisition device) 31: Portable imaging terminal (second acquisition device) A: Store (first store) B: Store (first store) C: Store (first store) D: Store (second store) E: Store (second store) F: Store (second store) G: Store (second store) H: Store (second store) I: Store (second store)

Claims

1. a first acquisition device that acquires first coupon information, which is information attached to the coupon, and transmits it to an external device; a second acquisition device that captures an image of the gift certificate, acquires image data of the gift certificate, and transmits the image data to an external device; A coupon processing server configured to be able to acquire the first coupon information from the first acquisition device and to acquire the image data from the second acquisition device is provided. The voucher processing server, an information extraction unit that extracts second coupon information, which is information attached to the coupon, from the image data; A voucher processing system that is equipped with a data generation unit that aligns the data format of the first voucher information with the data format of the second voucher information, and generates billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the voucher based on the first voucher information and the second voucher information.

2. the first acquisition device is used by a first store; The gift certificate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the second acquisition device is used by a second store.

3. the first acquisition device is configured to transmit the first coupon information together with information about the first store to the coupon processing server; The gift certificate processing system according to claim 2 , wherein the second acquisition device is configured to transmit the image data together with information about the second store to the gift certificate processing server.

4. The gift certificate processing system described in claim 3, wherein the gift certificate processing server is configured to determine whether or not to verify the accuracy of the second gift certificate information extracted by the information extraction unit at the second store based on the information received about the second store, and to transmit the second gift certificate information to the second acquisition device in response to a determination that verification will be performed.

5. The second acquisition device is configured to receive from an operator a confirmation operation to confirm the accuracy of the second voucher information received from the voucher processing server, and to transmit confirmation result data regarding the confirmation result of the second voucher information to the voucher processing server upon completion of the confirmation operation by the operator, 5. The cash voucher processing system according to claim 4, wherein the data generation unit is configured to generate the billing data after the cash voucher processing server receives the confirmation result data.

6. the second acquisition device is configured to transmit the second voucher information after correction to the voucher processing server together with the confirmation result data when the operator corrects the second voucher information received from the voucher processing server in accordance with the confirmation operation, The gift certificate processing system according to claim 5, wherein the data generation unit is configured to generate the claim data using the corrected second gift certificate information.

7. A voucher processing server configured to acquire first voucher information, which is information attached to a voucher, and image data of the voucher by capturing an image of the voucher, an information extraction unit that extracts second coupon information, which is information attached to the coupon, from the image data; A voucher processing server equipped with a data generation unit that aligns the data format of the first voucher information with the data format of the second voucher information, and generates billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the voucher based on the first voucher information and the second voucher information.

8. A cash voucher processing method performed in a cash voucher processing system, A first acquisition step of acquiring first coupon information which is information attached to the coupon; a second acquisition step of capturing an image of the gift certificate and acquiring image data of the gift certificate; an information extraction step of extracting second coupon information, which is information attached to the coupon, from the image data; A voucher processing method comprising a data generation step of matching the data format of the first voucher information with the data format of the second voucher information, and generating billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the voucher based on the first voucher information and the second voucher information.

9. A first acquisition function that acquires first coupon information that is information attached to the coupon; a second acquisition function of capturing an image of the gift certificate and acquiring image data of the gift certificate; A data extraction function for extracting second coupon information, which is information attached to the coupon, from the image data; A gift certificate processing program that causes a computer to execute a data generation function that aligns the data format of the first gift certificate information with the data format of the second gift certificate information, and generates billing data for making a bill to the issuer of the gift certificate based on the first gift certificate information and the second gift certificate information.

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