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

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of encouraging users to use reusable cups. [Solution] An information processing device is provided that includes an acquisition unit that acquires data linked to a reusable cup used by a user, and an award unit that awards the user an incentive for using the reusable cup based on the data linked to the reusable cup acquired by the acquisition unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a technology is known in which a product is identified based on the product identification information placed in a collection box by a user, incentive information is presented to the user as an incentive for collecting the product based on the user information and the product information of the product, and advertising information related to at least one of the user information, the product information of the product, and the incentive information is presented (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-89931 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When you order a drink at a cafe or fast food restaurant, it is usually served in a paper or plastic cup. These cups are basically disposable, with 500 billion used annually worldwide and around 3 billion in Japan, but most of them are either landfilled or incinerated. Because plastic cups do not return to nature, it has been pointed out that their disposal in landfills has an impact on ecosystems and the climate.

[0005] The reuse of plastics is becoming more common worldwide, with legislation being put in place in Europe and companies in Japan setting targets for reducing waste at their businesses, creating an environment in which to promote reuse. Reusing plastic cups multiple times can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can encourage users to use reusable cups. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing device is provided that includes an acquisition unit that acquires data associated with a reusable cup used by a user, and an award unit that awards the user an incentive for using the reusable cup based on the data associated with the reusable cup acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0008] The acquisition unit may further acquire data linked to the facility where the user used the reusable cup, and the granting unit may grant the user an incentive that can be used at the facility based on the data linked to the reusable cup and the data linked to the facility acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0009] The data linked to the facility may include at least one of the user's usage history of the facility where reusable cups are available and the number of times the user has used the facility where reusable cups are available.

[0010] The data associated with the reusable cup may include at least one of the number of times the user has used the reusable cup, the user's history of returning reusable cups, and the period of time until the user returns the reusable cup.

[0011] The granting unit may grant the user at least one of the following incentives: a coupon that can be used at facilities where reusable cups are available, the right to enter a lottery for using a reusable cup, the gift of a prize for using a reusable cup, points for using a reusable cup, presentation of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced by using a reusable cup on a terminal used by the user, and presentation of the amount of waste reduced by using a reusable cup on a terminal used by the user.

[0012] When the granting unit grants, as the incentive, a coupon that can be used at a facility where reusable cups are available, the granting unit may grant the coupon for a longer period of use as the number of times the reusable cup is used increases.

[0013] The acquisition unit may acquire data linked to the reusable cup at the time of authentication by the user using a terminal used by the user at the facility where the user used the reusable cup or at the location where the user returned the reusable cup.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing method is provided in which a processor acquires data associated with a reusable cup used by a user, and performs a process of granting the user an incentive for using the reusable cup based on the acquired data associated with the reusable cup.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing program is provided that causes a computer to acquire data associated with a reusable cup used by a user and, based on the acquired data associated with the reusable cup, execute a process of granting the user an incentive for using the reusable cup. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can encourage users to use reusable cups. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a reusable cup service using an information processing device according to an embodiment of the disclosed technology. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of information processing by the information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to designate identical or equivalent components and parts. The dimensional proportions of the drawings are exaggerated for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a reusable cup service using an information processing device according to this embodiment. A reusable cup is a plastic cup that is not disposable but is intended to be collected, washed, and reused multiple times. A company providing the reusable cup service in this embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as a provider company) sells reusable cups to companies that use the reusable cup service (hereinafter also referred to as a user company). The user company provides reusable cups to its employees, encouraging them to use reusable cups. Employees are an example of users of the present disclosure. For example, a user company provides reusable cups to its employees by placing them in a designated location within the company. Employees of the user company bring the provided reusable cups to a restaurant within the company or a nearby restaurant and receive a drink. The user company collects the used reusable cups from employees, washes them, and places them back in a designated location. In this way, the reusable cup service reduces the consumption of plastic cups by repeatedly using and collecting reusable cups, making it possible to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.

[0020] The information processing device 10 is a device that executes processing related to the reusable cup service and is configured in the form of a server, such as a cloud server, connected to the network 1. A cloud server refers to a computing environment configured using virtualization technology to provide distributed computing resources. A cloud server includes a system that virtualizes computer hardware and software resources and provides them to users on demand over a network. A cloud server has the ability to share and manage resources for multiple users and applications simultaneously. Cloud servers are implemented based on different service models, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

[0021] The information processing device 10 communicates with a smartphone 20 used by an employee of a user company and has a function of providing an incentive to the employee who uses a reusable cup. The smartphone 20 is an example of a terminal disclosed herein. When an employee of a user company uses a reusable cup to purchase a beverage at a restaurant or return the reusable cup, the employee authenticates at the restaurant or at a return location, and the smartphone 20 transmits the usage history and return history of the reusable cup to the information processing device 10. The employee may be authenticated, for example, by scanning a barcode using the smartphone 20, scanning a two-dimensional code using the smartphone 20, authenticating the employee's fingerprint, authenticating the employee's face, or reading an IC card held by the employee that has a radio frequency identifier (RFID) function, a near field communication (NFC) function, or another proximity contactless communication function. FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the smartphone 20 transmits the usage history and return history of the reusable cup to the information processing device 10 by scanning a two-dimensional code using the smartphone 20.

[0022] Although the details of the processing performed by the information processing device 10 will be described later, the information processing device 10 has a function of granting an employee of a user company a coupon that can be used at a restaurant as an incentive when the employee uses a reusable cup at the restaurant. The coupon may be usable at the same restaurant as the restaurant where the employee used the reusable cup, or it may be usable at a different restaurant in the same chain as the restaurant where the employee used the reusable cup. The information processing device 10 also has a function of granting points or other incentives to the employee when the employee returns the reusable cup. By granting an incentive to employees who use reusable cups, the information processing device 10 can motivate employees to use reusable cups. By motivating employees to use reusable cups, the information processing device 10 can reduce the consumption of plastic cups, which can lead to significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0024] 2, the information processing device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface (I / F) 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0025] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each component. That is, the CPU 11 reads programs from the ROM 12 or storage 14 and executes the programs using the RAM 13 as a work area. The CPU 11 controls the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs recorded in the ROM 12 or storage 14. In this embodiment, the ROM 12 or storage 14 stores an information processing program that provides incentives to employees for using reusable cups.

[0026] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured with a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory, and stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

[0027] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various inputs.

[0028] The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display unit 16 may also function as the input unit 15 by adopting a touch panel system.

[0029] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as smartphones 20 used by employees of the user company, and uses standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0030] When executing the above information processing program, the information processing device 10 uses the above hardware resources to realize various functions. The functional configuration realized by the information processing device 10 will be described.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG.

[0032] 3, the information processing device 10 has, as functional components, an acquisition unit 101 and an assignment unit 102. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 11 reading and executing an information processing program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14.

[0033] The acquisition unit 101 acquires data linked to a reusable cup used by an employee of a user company from the smartphone 20 used by the employee. As described above, when an employee of a user company uses a reusable cup to purchase a beverage at a restaurant or return the reusable cup, the employee scans a two-dimensional code posted at the restaurant or at the return location with the smartphone 20, and the smartphone 20 transmits data linked to the reusable cup used by the employee to the information processing device 10. The data linked to the reusable cup may include at least any of the number of times the employee has used the reusable cup, the employee's record of returning reusable cups, and the period until the employee returns the reusable cup.

[0034] The acquiring unit 101 may also acquire data linked to a facility where an employee of a user company has used a reusable cup from the smartphone 20 used by the employee. Here, the data linked to a facility where the employee has used a reusable cup may include at least one of the employee's usage record of the facility where the reusable cup can be used and the number of times the employee has used the facility where the reusable cup can be used.

[0035] The acquisition unit 101 acquires data associated with a reusable cup when an employee of a user company performs authentication at a facility where the employee used the reusable cup or at a location where the employee returned the reusable cup. Authentication by the employee can be, for example, scanning a barcode using the smartphone 20, scanning a two-dimensional code using the smartphone 20, fingerprint authentication of the employee, facial authentication of the employee, or reading an IC card held by the employee that has a radio frequency identifier (RFID) function, a near field communication (NFC) function, or other proximity contactless communication function. For example, the acquisition unit 101 acquires data associated with a reusable cup when the smartphone 20 used by the employee of the user company reads a two-dimensional code posted at a facility where the employee used the reusable cup or at a location where the employee returned the reusable cup.

[0036] By the acquisition unit 101 acquiring data linked to the reusable cup from the smartphone 20, it is possible to record data on who used the reusable cup and where, who returned the reusable cup, and how many days it took for that person to return it.

[0037] The granting unit 102 grants an incentive to an employee of the user company who used the reusable cup, based on the data linked to the reusable cup acquired by the acquiring unit 101. When the acquiring unit 101 acquires the data linked to the reusable cup and the data linked to the facility where the reusable cup was used, the granting unit 102 grants an incentive to the employee of the user company who used the reusable cup, which can be used at a facility where reusable cups are accepted.

[0038] The granting unit 102 grants, as an incentive for using a reusable cup, at least one of a coupon that can be used at a facility where reusable cups are available, a right to enter a lottery for using a reusable cup, a prize according to the number of times the reusable cup is used, points for using a reusable cup, a presentation of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced for using a reusable cup, and a presentation of the amount of waste reduced for using a reusable cup.

[0039] When the granting unit 102 grants a coupon that can be used at facilities that accept reusable cups as an incentive for using a reusable cup, the granting unit 102 may grant a coupon for a longer period of use as the number of times the reusable cup is used increases. For example, when an employee uses a reusable cup for the first time at a coffee shop, the granting unit 102 may grant the employee a coupon that can be used only on that day, but when the employee uses a reusable cup at the coffee shop five or more times, the granting unit 102 may grant the employee a coupon that can be used for five days from the date of use.

[0040] When the granting unit 102 grants a coupon that can be used at facilities that accept reusable cups as an incentive for using a reusable cup, the granting unit 102 may grant the coupon with a larger discount amount or discount rate as the number of times the reusable cup is used increases. For example, when an employee uses a reusable cup for the first time at a certain coffee shop, the granting unit 102 may grant the employee a coupon for a 20 yen discount on coffee, but when the employee uses a reusable cup at the coffee shop five or more times, the granting unit 102 may grant the employee a coupon for a 40 yen discount on coffee.

[0041] When granting an incentive for returning a reusable cup as an incentive for using a reusable cup, the granting unit 102 may grant points that can be used in the reusable cup service to the employee. The granting unit 102 may vary the points to be granted as an incentive depending on the number of days from when the reusable cup is used at the facility until it is returned. For example, the granting unit 102 may grant an incentive such as 1 point for returning a reusable cup, 1 point for returning a reusable cup on the same day it was used, and 0 points for returning a reusable cup three days or later after it was used. The points that can be used in the reusable cup service are, for example, points that can be used in a lottery in which employees of the using company can participate.

[0042] The information processing device 10 may send an alert to the smartphone 20 of an employee who has not returned a reusable cup for a predetermined number of days or more since using it at the facility, urging the employee to return the cup. By sending an alert to the smartphone 20 of the employee who has not returned the cup, the information processing device 10 can urge the employee to return the reusable cup.

[0043] With this configuration, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can provide incentives for employees who use reusable cups. By providing incentives for employees to use reusable cups, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can motivate employees to use reusable cups. By motivating employees to use reusable cups, the information processing device 10 can reduce the consumption of plastic cups, which can lead to significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.

[0044] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 will be described.

[0045] 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of information processing by the information processing device 10. The CPU 11 reads out an information processing program from the ROM 12 or the storage 14, loads it into the RAM 13, and executes it, thereby performing information processing.

[0046] When an employee of a user company uses a reusable cup to purchase a drink at a restaurant, the employee scans a two-dimensional code posted at the restaurant or at a return location with smartphone 20, and in step S101, smartphone 20 transmits data associated with the reusable cup used by the employee to information processing device 10. The data associated with the reusable cup may include the number of times the employee has used the reusable cup.

[0047] In step S102, the CPU 11 acquires data associated with the reusable cup used by the employee of the user company from the smartphone 20 used by the employee.

[0048] Following step S102, in step S103, the CPU 11 provides an incentive for the use of the reusable cup to the employee of the user company who used the reusable cup, based on the data associated with the reusable cup acquired in step S102.

[0049] When an employee of a user company returns a reusable cup, the employee scans the two-dimensional code posted at the return location with smartphone 20, and in step S104, smartphone 20 transmits data associated with the reusable cup used by the employee to information processing device 10. The data associated with the reusable cup may include at least one of the employee's past record of returning reusable cups and the period until the employee returns the reusable cup.

[0050] In step S105, the CPU 11 acquires data associated with the reusable cup used by the employee from the smartphone 20 used by the employee of the user company.

[0051] Following step S105, in step S106, the CPU 11 provides an incentive to the employee of the user company who used the reusable cup for returning the reusable cup, based on the data associated with the reusable cup acquired in step S102.

[0052] By executing this process, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can provide incentives for employees who use reusable cups. By providing incentives for employees to use reusable cups, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment can motivate employees to use reusable cups. By motivating employees to use reusable cups, the information processing device 10 can reduce the consumption of plastic cups, which can lead to significant reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it is understood that these modifications or alterations also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0054] Furthermore, the effects described in the above embodiments are explanatory or exemplary and are not limited to those described in the above embodiments. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that are obvious to a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure from the description in the above embodiments, in addition to or instead of the effects described in the above embodiments.

[0055] In the above embodiments, the information processing performed by the CPU after reading the software (program) may be performed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of such processors include programmable logic devices (PLDs) whose circuit configuration can be changed after fabrication, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and dedicated electrical circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to perform specific processing. The information processing may be performed by one of these processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0056] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the information processing program is described as being pre-stored (installed) in a ROM or storage, but this is not limiting. The program may be provided in a form recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10. Information processing equipment 20. Smartphone 101 Acquisition Department 102 Granting Department

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires data associated with a reusable cup used by a user; an incentive granting unit that grants the user an incentive for using the reusable cup based on the data associated with the reusable cup acquired by the acquisition unit; An information processing device comprising:

2. The acquisition unit further acquires data associated with a facility where the user used a reusable cup, the granting unit grants the user an incentive that can be used at the facility based on the data associated with the reusable cup and the data associated with the facility acquired by the acquiring unit. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The information processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the data linked to the facility includes at least one of a usage record of the user of the facility where reusable cups are available and a number of times the user has used the facility where reusable cups are available.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the data associated with the reusable cup includes at least one of the number of times the user has used the reusable cup, the user's history of returning the reusable cup, and the period until the user returns the reusable cup.

5. The information processing device of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the granting unit grants the user at least one of the following incentives to the user: a coupon that can be used at facilities where reusable cups are available, the right to enter a lottery for using a reusable cup, the gift of a prize for using a reusable cup, points for using a reusable cup, presentation of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced by using a reusable cup on a terminal used by the user, and presentation of the amount of waste reduced by using a reusable cup on a terminal used by the user.

6. 6. The information processing device according to claim 5, wherein when the incentive is a coupon that can be used at a facility where reusable cups are used, the granting unit grants the coupon with a longer usable period as the number of times the reusable cup is used increases.

7. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires data linked to the reusable cup at the time of authentication by the user at a terminal used by the user at a facility where the user used the reusable cup or at a location where the user returned the reusable cup.

8. The processor: Obtain data related to the reusable cup used by the user, Based on the acquired data linked to the reusable cup, an incentive is given to the user in association with the use of the reusable cup. A method for processing information.

9. On the computer, Obtain data related to the reusable cup used by the user, Based on the acquired data linked to the reusable cup, an incentive is given to the user in association with the use of the reusable cup. An information processing program that executes processing.

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