Information processing system, automated trading device, information processing device and method

Abstract

This reduces the likelihood of forgetting to receive the media. [Solution] An information processing system comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires receipt status information indicating whether or not a medium issued to a customer has been received in an automated trading device; and an incentive control unit that controls the incentive to the customer based on the receipt status information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an automatic transaction device, an information processing device, and a method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, automatic transaction devices typified by ATMs (Automated Teller Machines) of financial institutions are installed in various locations such as banks, inside train stations, and convenience stores. Customers can conduct transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance inquiries by performing various operations on the display screen displayed on the automatic transaction device.

[0003] Such an automatic transaction device can issue various media for the purpose of handing them over to customers in a transaction. For example, the automatic transaction device receives a passbook or a cash card from a customer and returns the passbook or the cash card to the customer after the transaction is completed. Also, in a withdrawal transaction, the automatic transaction device withdraws cash in the amount specified by the customer.

[0004] When a customer forgets to receive the above-mentioned media, it causes costs for the financial institution to handle and inconveniences for the customer. For this reason, devices for preventing customers from forgetting to receive media have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cash automatic transaction device that displays a guidance screen including a reminder regarding forgetting to take a cash card or the like to a customer who has forgotten to take it. Also, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for extending the timeout time when a customer who takes a long time to receive cash is using the cash automatic transaction device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, efforts to reduce the number of people who forget to pick up their mail have stalled, and this remains a challenge for financial institutions.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a technology that makes it difficult for recipients to forget to receive the media. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing system is provided which comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires receipt status information indicating whether or not a medium issued to a customer has been received, and an incentive control unit that controls an incentive to the customer based on the receipt status information.

[0009] The information processing system further includes a storage unit that stores a history of the receipt status information, and the incentive control unit may determine whether predetermined conditions are met based on the history of the receipt status information for each customer, and if the predetermined conditions are met, it may perform control to provide an incentive to the customer.

[0010] The aforementioned predetermined conditions may include the fact that the number of consecutive receipts, which is the number of times the customer has received the media consecutively, has reached a set number.

[0011] An interval may be set for the increment of the number of consecutive receipts.

[0012] The aforementioned specified conditions may include limiting conditions regarding the upper limit of incentives that can be given to customers during a specified period.

[0013] The information processing system may further include a display control unit that causes a first display screen to display on the display unit that shows the predetermined conditions and the incentives to be given to the customer when the predetermined conditions are met.

[0014] The incentive control unit may control the amount of incentive given to the customer according to the timing at which the medium is received by the customer.

[0015] The automated trading device may dispense the medium after an operation is performed by the customer on the first display screen, and the display control unit may cause the display unit to display a second display screen that includes a time display corresponding to the elapsed time since the medium was dispensed.

[0016] The display control unit may, based on the fact that the medium was received by the customer within a predetermined time after it was dispensed, cause the display unit to display a third display screen indicating that the medium was received within the predetermined time.

[0017] The automated trading device may include a communication unit that communicates with a financial institution's host for the purpose of conducting transactions, a media delivery unit that delivers the media to the customer, and a display unit.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, an automated trading device is provided, comprising: a communication unit that communicates with a financial institution's host for the purpose of conducting a transaction; a media delivery unit that delivers a medium to a customer; and a display unit that displays a screen indicating that an incentive will be given to the customer when predetermined conditions for receiving the medium are met.

[0019] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided which is performed by a computer and includes acquiring receipt information indicating whether or not a medium issued to a customer has been received, and controlling incentives to the customer based on the receipt information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention described above, it is possible to make it less likely for recipients to forget to receive the media.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the automatic trading device 20. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the financial institution host 10. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the history of each transaction. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of customer-specific aggregated information. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the point server 30. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of points stored in the storage unit 370. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the information processing system. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example when forgetting a medium occurs. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a forgetting caution screen according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the information processing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram showing an early receipt guidance screen according to a third embodiment. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a return screen. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a result display screen. [Figure 15] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the information processing system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration 90.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0023] The present invention relates to an information processing system having an automated trading device for the exchange of media between customers and the system. Several embodiments of the information processing system are described below.

[0024] <<First Embodiment>> <Configuration of the information processing system> Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an information processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system comprises a financial institution host 10, an automated trading device 20, and a point server 30.

[0025] The financial institution host 10, the automated trading device 20, and the point server 30 are connected via a dedicated network 12. The dedicated network 12 is the financial institution's network and is configured, for example, as an IP-VPN (Internet Protocol-Virtual Private Network). The automated trading device 20 can communicate with the financial institution host 10 and the point server 30 via this dedicated network 12.

[0026] The financial institution host 10 controls various transactions by communicating with the automated trading device 20 via a dedicated network 12. For example, the financial institution host 10 executes monetary transactions (account transaction processing) such as deposits and transfers instructed by the customer in the automated trading device 20. The financial institution host 10 may have a database containing information such as account number, PIN, name, address, age, date of birth, telephone number, occupation, family structure, annual income, and deposit balance (account ledger).

[0027] The automated trading device 20 is a customer-operated terminal that executes monetary transactions based on operations performed by customers of financial institutions. This automated trading device 20 is installed in a variety of facilities, including financial institution branches, convenience stores, train stations, hotels, shopping centers, hospitals, amusement parks, restaurants, and office buildings.

[0028] The automated transaction device 20 also includes an operation display unit 22, a passbook slot 24, a card slot 26, a receipt output slot 27, a banknote slot 28, and a coin slot 29.

[0029] The operation display unit 22 combines the functions of a display unit that shows a guidance screen for customer operations and an operation detection function that detects customer operations. The display unit functions can be implemented, for example, by a liquid crystal display (LCD) device or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device. The operation detection function can be implemented, for example, by a touch panel and may also include the function of an input unit where information is entered by the customer. In Figure 1, the display unit functions and operation detection functions are shown as an integrated configuration in the automated trading device 20, but the display unit functions and operation detection functions may be configured separately.

[0030] The passbook slot 24 is an opening for inserting and ejecting a customer's passbook. The card slot 26 is an opening for inserting and ejecting a customer's cash card. The receipt ejection slot 27 is an opening for ejecting a receipt on which transaction details are printed. The banknote slot 28 functions as a slot for customers to deposit banknotes and a slot for customers to withdraw banknotes. The coin slot 29 functions as a slot for customers to deposit coins and a slot for customers to withdraw coins. The automated transaction device 20 has sensors inside each of these passbook slots 24, card slots 26, receipt ejection slot 27, banknote slots 28, and coin slots 29 to detect the presence or absence of a medium. For example, the passbook slot 24 may be provided with a sensor to detect the presence or absence of a passbook, the card slot 26 may be provided with a sensor to detect the presence or absence of a cash card, and the banknote slot 28 may be provided with a sensor to detect the presence or absence of banknotes. These sensors can be used to detect whether or not each medium has been received by the customer.

[0031] The automated trading device 20 may, after the financial institution host 10 has completed a monetary transaction, dispense to the customer the medium used in the transaction, such as passbooks and cash cards, as well as monetary medium such as banknotes and coins.

[0032] The point server 30 is an example of an information processing server that communicates with the automated trading device 20 via a dedicated network 12. The point server 30 is responsible for awarding points to each customer and managing the points. The points mentioned above are an example of an incentive for customers and are awarded to customers based on whether they have received the media ejected from the automated trading device, as will be described later.

[0033] The configuration of the information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, the configurations of the automated trading device 20, the financial institution host 10, and the point server 30 will be described in detail.

[0034] <Configuration of the automated trading system 20> Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the automated trading device 20. As shown in Figure 2, the automated trading device 20 includes an operation display unit 22, an interface unit 210, a card reader unit 220, a passbook reader unit 230, an authentication unit 240, a banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 250, a coin deposit / withdrawal unit 260, a storage unit 270, and a control unit 280.

[0035] As explained with reference to Figure 1, the operation display unit 22 combines the functions of a display unit that shows a screen guiding the customer's operations and an operation detection function that detects the customer's operations. The operation display unit 22 may also display a screen that guides the insertion of a card or passbook into the card slot 26 or passbook slot 24. Furthermore, the operation detection function of the operation display unit 22 may also include the function of an input unit where information is entered by the customer. The method for realizing the operation detection function may be a resistive type or an infrared type.

[0036] The interface unit 210 transmits and receives various information with the financial institution host 10 and the point server 30 via the dedicated network 12. For example, the interface unit 210 transmits information indicating the account number read from the cash card by the customer's card reader unit 220, or information indicating the account number read from the passbook by the passbook reader unit 230, to the financial institution host 10, and receives information corresponding to that account number from the financial institution host 10. The interface unit 210 also communicates information for executing a transaction (transaction type, transaction amount, etc.) with the financial institution host 10. The interface unit 210 then transmits a point grant request containing customer identification information (e.g., account information) to the point server 30, and receives a grant execution notification from the point server 30 indicating that the point grant has been executed.

[0037] The card reader 220 reads the magnetic information recorded on the customer's cash card inserted into the card slot 26. The magnetic information may include customer data such as name information, account number, and account type. In this case, the card reader 220 can function as a data acquisition unit that obtains customer data from the cash card.

[0038] The passbook reading unit 230 reads magnetic information recorded on the magnetic stripe formed on the cover paper of the customer's passbook inserted into the passbook insertion slot 24. The magnetic information may include customer data such as name information, account number, and account type. In this case, the passbook reading unit 230 can function as a data acquisition unit that obtains customer data from the passbook. The passbook reading unit 230 may also have a page-turning unit and a printing unit. The passbook reading unit 230 can make entries in the passbook inserted from the passbook insertion slot 24 using the page-turning unit and the printing unit. The page-turning unit opens the entry page of the passbook, and the printing unit prints transaction information on the entry page of the passbook.

[0039] The authentication unit 240 authenticates the customer based on the customer data acquired by the data acquisition unit. The authentication performed by the authentication unit 240 may include multiple decisions. These multiple decisions may include a decision on whether the PIN entered in the operation display unit 22 is correct or not. Specifically, this decision may be a decision on whether the interface unit 210 has received a decision result from the financial institution host 10 indicating that the PIN entered in the operation display unit 22 is correct.

[0040] The banknote deposit / discharge unit 250 includes a banknote transport path, a banknote cassette, and a function to recognize the legitimacy of banknotes. The banknote deposit / discharge unit 250 stores banknotes inserted into the banknote slot 28 into the banknote cassette and discharges banknotes dispensed from the banknote cassette through the banknote slot 28. The coin deposit / discharge unit 260 includes a coin transport path, a coin cassette, and a function to recognize the legitimacy of coins. The coin deposit / discharge unit 260 stores coins inserted into the coin slot 29 into the coin cassette and discharges coins dispensed from the coin cassette through the coin slot 29.

[0041] The storage unit 270 is a storage medium that stores various information used for the operation of the automated trading device 20, and is composed of a hard disk or memory. For example, the storage unit 270 stores programs for the control unit 280 to control the operation display unit 22, interface unit 210, card reader unit 220, passbook reader unit 230, authentication unit 240, banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 250, and coin deposit / withdrawal unit 260, etc.

[0042] The control unit 280 controls the overall operation of the automated trading device 20. For example, the control unit 280 controls the operation of the operation display unit 22, the interface unit 210, the card reader unit 220, the passbook reader unit 230, the authentication unit 240, the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 250, and the coin deposit / withdrawal unit 260. The control unit 280 also controls cash transactions involving deposits into or withdrawals from an account based on the authentication results from the authentication unit 240.

[0043] Furthermore, the control unit 280 controls the ejection of media such as cash cards and cash after the completion of a monetary transaction by the financial institution host 10. After the media are ejected, the control unit 280 determines whether or not each medium has been received by the customer based on the output from the sensors, and causes the interface unit 210 to transmit receipt status information indicating whether or not each medium has been received by the customer to the financial institution host 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the control unit 280 may control the transmission of receipt status information indicating that the medium was not received if the medium is not received at a time when certain conditions are met. For example, the control unit 280 may control the transmission of receipt status information indicating that the medium was received if the medium is received within a predetermined time after it is ejected, and control the transmission of receipt status information indicating that the medium was not received if the medium is not received within a predetermined time after it is ejected (i.e., the medium is not received after the predetermined time has elapsed). Alternatively, if the automated trading device 20 has an imaging device that images the area in front of the automated trading device 20, the control unit 280 can determine whether or not a customer has left the automated trading device 20 based on the image obtained by the imaging device. For this reason, if the control unit 280 determines from the image that a customer has left the automated trading device 20 and the medium has not been received, it may have the interface unit 210 transmit receipt status information indicating that the medium was not received to the financial institution host 10. The receipt status information may include information indicating whether or not each type of medium has been received.

[0045] <Configuration of Financial Institution Host 10> The configuration of the automated trading device 20 has been described above. Next, the configuration of the financial institution host 10 will be described.

[0046] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the financial institution host 10. As shown in Figure 3, the financial institution host 10 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 170, and a control unit 180.

[0047] (Communications Department 110) The communication unit 110 communicates various information with other devices such as the automated trading device 20. For example, the communication unit 110 receives information from the automated trading device 20, such as information for executing a transaction (transaction type, transaction amount, etc.) and information indicating the customer's account number, and transmits the transaction execution results to the automated trading device 20. The communication unit 110 also functions as an information acquisition unit that receives information from the automated trading device 20 regarding whether or not a medium has been received. Furthermore, the communication unit 110 transmits a response to the receipt information to the automated trading device 20. This response is controlled by the incentive control unit 184, described later, and includes information indicating whether or not points have been awarded to the customer.

[0048] (Storage unit 170) The memory unit 170 stores various types of information used in the operation of the financial institution host 10. For example, the memory unit 170 stores a database containing information such as account number, PIN, name, address, age, date of birth, telephone number, occupation, family structure, annual income, and deposit balance (account ledger). The memory unit 170 also stores the history of each transaction. The history of each transaction includes information on whether or not a payment was received for each transaction. Therefore, it can also be said that the memory unit 170 stores a history of whether or not a payment was received. A specific example of the history of each transaction will be explained below with reference to Figure 4.

[0049] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the transaction history. As shown in Figure 4, the transaction history of each transaction is associated with the following: history ID, transaction date and time, account type, account number, transaction type, transaction amount, and receipt status information. A receipt status of "Yes" means that the media was received, and a receipt status of "No" means that the media was not received.

[0050] In the example shown in Figure 4, the transaction ID "1111", transaction date and time "2024 / 10 / 17 10:11", account type "Regular", account number "1234567", transaction type "Deposit", transaction amount "100,000", and receipt status information "Yes" are associated. This indicates that the transaction with transaction ID "1111" was received by a customer with account type "Regular" and account number "1234567".

[0051] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 4, the transaction ID "1112", transaction date and time "2024 / 10 / 17 10:12", account type "Regular", account number "2222222", transaction type "Withdrawal", transaction amount "50,000", and receipt status information "None" are associated. This indicates that in the transaction with transaction ID "1112", the media was not received by the customer with account type "Regular" and account number "2222222".

[0052] (Control unit 180) The control unit 180 controls the overall operation of the financial institution host 10. For example, the control unit 180 executes monetary transactions (account transaction processing) such as deposits and transfers instructed by customers in the automated trading device 20. In addition, as shown in Figure 3, the control unit 180 has the functions of a memory management unit 182 and an incentive control unit 184.

[0053] The memory management unit 182 manages the storage of information by the memory unit 170. For example, the memory management unit 182 stores the transaction history, as explained with reference to Figure 4, in the memory unit 170 based on information received from the automated trading device 20 by the communication unit 110. Here, the memory management unit 182 may store only the history of completed transactions in the memory unit 170, or it may include information indicating whether or not a transaction was completed in the transaction history. In addition, the memory management unit 182 may aggregate receipt information for each customer and store in the memory unit 170 the number of times each customer has received media consecutively.

[0054] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of customer-specific aggregated information. As shown in Figure 5, customer-specific aggregated information may include customer-specific information such as account type and account number, as well as the number of consecutive receipts. In the example shown in Figure 5, the account type "Regular," the account number "1234567," and the number of consecutive receipts "9" are associated. This indicates that the customer, whose account type is "Regular" and account number is "1234567," has successfully received the media 9 times in a row.

[0055] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 5, the account type "Regular," the account number "2222222," and the number of consecutive receipts "0" are associated. This indicates that a customer with an account type of "Regular" and account number "2222222" did not receive any media in their most recent transaction, and their number of consecutive receipts was reset to 0.

[0056] The memory management unit 182 may set an interval for incrementing the number of consecutive receipts. That is, the memory management unit 182 may limit the transactions subject to incrementing the number of consecutive receipts to once per predetermined period (e.g., one hour, one day). The memory management unit 182 may also limit the transactions subject to incrementing the number of consecutive receipts to transactions with a transaction amount of a predetermined amount (e.g., 10,000 yen) or more. This can deter actions such as making multiple transactions in one day or dividing the transaction amount into small amounts and repeating them in an attempt to increase the number of transactions. Furthermore, the memory management unit 182 may reset the number of consecutive receipts to 0 when it reaches a set number described later.

[0057] The incentive control unit 184 controls the incentives provided to the customer based on information regarding whether the customer has received them. The incentive is something that the customer perceives as valuable, and may be money or something other than money that can serve as payment for goods or services (hereinafter collectively referred to as points). The following explanation will mainly describe an example where the incentive is points. These points may be points in a points program provided by a financial institution or points in a points program provided by another business operator.

[0058] The incentive control unit 184 determines whether predetermined conditions have been met based on the history of receipt information for each customer, and if the predetermined conditions are met, it controls the provision of an incentive to the customer. The predetermined conditions may include conditions related to the number of times a customer has received the media consecutively (number of consecutive receipts), and conditions limiting point accrual.

[0059] For example, the specified conditions include reaching a set number of consecutive receipts in a completed transaction, and limiting conditions. The limiting conditions may also be conditions regarding the upper limit of points awarded over a specified period (such as a day, a week, or a month). Furthermore, since preventing customers from forgetting to receive a specific medium can be useful as a cost-reduction measure for financial institutions, the specified conditions may also include reaching a set number of consecutive receipts of a specific medium. For example, since processing forgotten cash receipts incurs significant costs, cash may be treated as the specific medium mentioned above, while forgotten cash cards do not occur very often, so cash cards may not be treated as the specific medium mentioned above.

[0060] Furthermore, the number of consecutive receipts may be managed separately for each type of transaction, and the set number of receipts applied may differ for each type of transaction. For example, the number of consecutive receipts may be managed separately for transactions that incur fees and transactions that do not incur fees, and the set number of receipts applied to transactions that incur fees may differ from the set number of receipts applied to transactions that do not incur fees. For example, the incentive control unit 184 may, in transactions that generate fee revenue and are conducted using an automated trading device 20 installed in a convenience store, control the system to award points to the customer when the number of consecutive receipts reaches 1 (i.e., every time). Alternatively, the incentive control unit 184 may, in transactions conducted using an automated trading device 20 installed in a bank, control the system to award points to the customer when the number of consecutive receipts reaches 10. In this case, the incentive control unit 184 may reset the number of consecutive receipts to 0, or it may not reset the number of consecutive receipts and instead award points to the customer whenever the number of consecutive receipts becomes a multiple of 10. If the number of consecutive receipts is not reset, the incentive control unit 184 can also award more points than usual when the number of consecutive receipts reaches a specific number, such as 100.

[0061] The incentive control unit 184 causes the communication unit 110 to send a response to the automated trading device 20, which includes information indicating whether or not points will be awarded, based on the judgment result of predetermined conditions. The control of sending this response may correspond to the control of awarding points to the customer. If points are to be awarded, the above information includes the amount of points to be awarded.

[0062] <Configuration of Point Server 30> The configuration of the financial institution host 10 has been explained. Next, the configuration of the point server 30 will be explained.

[0063] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the point server 30. As shown in Figure 6, the point server 30 includes a communication unit 310, a storage unit 370, and a control unit 380.

[0064] (Communications Department 310) The communication unit 310 communicates various information with other devices such as the automated trading device 20. For example, the communication unit 310 receives a point grant request from the automated trading device 20 that includes customer identification information (e.g., account information), and based on control from the control unit 380, sends a grant execution notification to the automated trading device 20 indicating that the point grant has been executed.

[0065] (Storage unit 370) The memory unit 370 stores various types of information used in the operation of the point server 30. For example, the memory unit 370 stores points associated with each customer.

[0066] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of points stored by the memory unit 370. As shown in Figure 7, the memory unit 370 stores points in association with customer-related information such as account type and account number. For example, in the example shown in Figure 7, a customer with an account type of "normal" and an account number of "1234567" is associated with points "3," indicating that a customer with an account type of "normal" and an account number of "1234567" has "3" points.

[0067] In Figure 7, the account type and account number are shown as information corresponding to the customer, but other information corresponding to the customer may be associated with points. For example, the points server 30 may have a conversion table between the account type and account number and the customer ID, and the storage unit 370 may store the customer ID obtained based on the conversion table in association with the points.

[0068] (Control unit 380) The control unit 380 controls the overall operation of the point server 30. For example, the control unit 380 grants points to customers based on the receipt of a point grant request by the communication unit 310. Specifically, the control unit 380 increases the points associated in the storage unit 370 with the account type and account number included in the point grant request. If the point grant request includes information indicating the amount of points to be granted, the control unit 380 may use the amount of points indicated by that information as the amount to increase the points.

[0069] Furthermore, after the control unit 380 has awarded points to the customer, it causes the communication unit 310 to send an award execution notification to the automated trading device 20 indicating that the points have been awarded.

[0070] <Operation of the Information Processing System> The configurations of the automated trading device 20, the financial institution host 10, and the point server 30 have been described above. Next, referring to Figures 8 and 9, the operation of the information processing system having the automated trading device 20, the financial institution host 10, and the point server 30 will be summarized.

[0071] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the information processing system. As shown in Figure 8, when a transaction is executed through communication between the automated transaction device 20 and the financial institution host 10, a medium such as a cash card, passbook, or cash is ejected from the automated transaction device 20 (S200). When the customer receives the medium (S204), the automated transaction device 20 transmits receipt information to the financial institution host 10 to indicate that the medium has been received (S208).

[0072] The memory management unit 182 of the financial institution host 10 stores the transaction history in the memory unit 170 and updates the customer-specific summary information based on the receipt of receipt information. Then, the incentive control unit 184 refers to the customer-specific summary information and determines whether predetermined conditions have been met (S212). Subsequently, based on the determination result of the predetermined conditions, the incentive control unit 184 causes the communication unit 110 to send a response to the automated transaction device 20 that includes information indicating whether or not points have been awarded (S216).

[0073] The subsequent processing of the automated trading device 20 differs depending on whether or not points are to be awarded. If no points are to be awarded (S220 / NO), no further processing is performed and the operation ends. On the other hand, if points are to be awarded (S220 / YES), the automated trading device 20 sends a point award request to the point server 30 (S224).

[0074] Then, the control unit 380 of the point server 30 grants points to the customer based on the receipt of the point grant request (S228). Subsequently, the control unit 380 instructs the communication unit 310 to send a grant execution notification to the automated trading device 20 indicating that the point grant has been executed (S232).

[0075] The above describes an example of what happens when the media is received by the customer. Next, please refer to Figure 9 to see an example of what happens when the media is forgotten.

[0076] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of operation when a medium is forgotten. As shown in Figure 9, when a transaction is executed through communication between the automated transaction device 20 and the financial institution host 10, a medium such as a cash card, passbook, or cash is ejected from the automated transaction device 20 (S200). If the customer forgets to take the medium (S304), the automated transaction device 20 sends information to the financial institution host 10 indicating that the medium was not taken (S312).

[0077] The memory management unit 182 of the financial institution host 10 stores the transaction history in the memory unit 170 and updates the customer-specific summary information based on the reception of receipt status information. Specifically, since receipt status information indicating that the media was not received has been received, the memory management unit 182 resets the number of consecutive receipts for the customer in question to "0" (S316). In this case, the incentive control unit 184 determines that the predetermined conditions are not met and has the communication unit 110 send a response to the automated trading device 20 that includes information indicating that no points will be awarded (S320). The media that was not received is taken into the automated trading device 20 and stored. After that, no further processing is performed in the automated trading device 20, and the operation ends.

[0078] <Effects and Effects> According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, a variety of effects can be obtained. For example, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, points are awarded to the customer based on whether the customer's receipt information history meets predetermined conditions. The awarding of points is expected to motivate customers to receive the media, thereby reducing the number of cases where customers forget to pick up the media.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, an interval is set for the increment of the number of consecutive receipts. This configuration can suppress the occurrence of fraudulent acquisition of points.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined conditions include limiting conditions regarding the upper limit of points that can be given to a customer during a predetermined period. For example, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the transactions subject to the increment of the number of consecutive points received can be limited to once per predetermined period (e.g., one hour, one day, etc.). With such a configuration, concerns that transactions such as deposits and withdrawals will be repeated for the purpose of acquiring points are mitigated. It is expected that a similar effect can be obtained by limiting the transactions subject to the increment of the number of consecutive points received to transactions with a transaction amount of a predetermined amount (e.g., 10,000 yen) or more.

[0081] In the above description, an example was given in which the memory management unit 182 and incentive control unit 184 and the control unit 380 are implemented in different devices. However, the memory management unit 182 and incentive control unit 184 and the control unit 380 may be implemented in the same device (server). For example, the functions of the memory management unit 182 and incentive control unit 184 may be implemented in the point server 30. Also, the functions of the control unit 380 may be implemented in the financial institution host 10. Furthermore, if the predetermined condition described above is that the medium has been received, the automated trading device 20 can determine whether or not the predetermined condition has been met, so the automated trading device 20 may have the functions of the incentive control unit 184.

[0082] Furthermore, while the above explanation assumes that all customers are eligible for point accrual, the eligibility of customers for point accrual may be limited to certain customers. For example, the financial institution host 10 may limit the customers eligible for point accrual to those above a certain age. If forgetting to collect the media frequently occurs among customers above a certain age, limiting the eligible customers may more effectively reduce the number of forgotten media. The financial institution host 10 may also limit eligible customers based on other criteria. For example, the financial institution host 10 may limit eligible customers to those residing in a certain region. In addition, the financial institution host 10 may limit the increment of the consecutive collection count to transactions made by a certain automated trading device 20 (for example, an automated trading device 20 installed in a certain region). With such a configuration, if forgetting to collect the media occurs relatively frequently in a particular region, the number of forgotten media can be effectively reduced.

[0083] <<Second Embodiment>> The first embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment of the present invention relates to a display method to make it more certain that customers will receive the media.

[0084] <Screen reminding you to take your belongings> The control unit 280 of the automated trading device 20 according to the second embodiment functions as a display control unit that displays a reminder screen (first display screen) on the operation display unit 22, which shows the predetermined conditions and the points that will be awarded to the customer when the predetermined conditions are met. A specific example of the reminder screen according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 10.

[0085] Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a forgotten item reminder screen according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 10, the forgotten item reminder screen includes a reminder message 51, a main condition notification message 52, a restriction condition message 53, a special note message 54, and a receive button 55.

[0086] The warning message 51 is, for example, a message such as "Please be careful not to forget your belongings." The control unit 280 may make the warning message 51 more noticeable by blinking it.

[0087] The main condition notification message 52 is the part that shows the predetermined conditions and the points that will be awarded to the customer if the predetermined conditions are met. The restriction condition message 53 is the part that shows the detailed conditions and restriction conditions for point awarding. The special notes message 54 is the part that shows transactions in which points will be awarded exceptionally. The receive button 55 is a button that is selected by the customer, and when the receive button 55 is selected, the automated trading device 20 ejects the media. By having the customer select the receive button 55, it is expected that the customer will understand the contents of the reminder screen about forgetting to pick up the media before proceeding to receive it.

[0088] Furthermore, the reminder screen for forgetting to pick up your item may include a display showing the customer's current number of consecutive pickups. For example, the reminder screen may include a message such as, "You have currently received the item 9 times in a row. If you pick it up this time as well, you will be awarded 1 point." With such a configuration, it is expected that the customer's motivation to pick up the item will be further increased.

[0089] <Operation> Next, with reference to Figure 11, the operation of the information processing system according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0090] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the information processing system according to the second embodiment. As shown in Figure 11, when a transaction is executed through communication between the automated trading device 20 and the financial institution host 10 (S201), the automated trading device 20 displays a reminder screen to prevent forgetting to take your belongings (S202).

[0091] Subsequently, the automated transaction device 20 ejects a medium such as a cash card, passbook, or cash based on the customer's operation on the reminder screen, that is, based on the selection of the receive button 55 (S203). The processes in S204 to S232 are as explained with reference to Figure 8, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0092] <Effects and Effects> According to the second embodiment described above, in addition to the effects and benefits described in the first embodiment, a variety of other effects and benefits can be obtained. For example, according to the second embodiment, on the reminder screen for forgetting to take items, customers can check reminders about forgetting to take items and the conditions for awarding points, so it is possible to further enhance the effect of reducing forgotten items.

[0093] <<Third Embodiment>> The second embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment of the present invention relates to other measures to make it more certain that customers will receive the media.

[0094] <Controlling the amount of points> In the third embodiment, the incentive control unit 184 of the financial institution host 10 controls the amount of points given to the customer according to the timing of when the medium is received by the customer. For example, if the customer receives the medium within a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) after the automated trading device 20 dispenses the medium, the incentive control unit 184 may give preferential treatment, such as doubling the amount of points given to the customer. The incentive control unit 184 may apply preferential treatment if the medium is received within the predetermined time for all transactions until the number of consecutive receipts reaches a set number, or it may apply preferential treatment if the medium is received within the predetermined time for a predetermined percentage of transactions until the number of consecutive receipts reaches a set number. Furthermore, the above predetermined time may differ depending on the customer's attributes. For example, the older the customer, the longer the above predetermined time may be set.

[0095] The control unit 280 of the automated trading device 20 according to the third embodiment causes the operation display unit 22 to display an early receipt guidance screen that includes information regarding the preferential treatment of the points mentioned above.

[0096] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the early receipt guidance screen according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 12, the early receipt guidance screen according to the third embodiment includes a preferential conditions message 61, a count guidance message 62, and a receipt button 55. The preferential conditions message 61 indicates the conditions under which the point preferential treatment applies and the details of the preferential treatment. The count guidance message 62 includes guidance on counting the time on the return screen that is displayed after the early receipt guidance screen.

[0097] When a customer selects the "Receive" button 55 on the "Remember Me" reminder screen, the control unit 280 of the automated transaction device 20 displays the "Return" screen (second display screen) on the operation display unit 22 and controls the ejection of the media.

[0098] Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a return screen. As shown in Figure 13, the return screen includes a message 71 indicating the conditions under which point benefits are applied, and a time display 72 corresponding to the elapsed time since the media was ejected. In the example shown in Figure 13, the time display 72 shows the remaining time until 10 seconds have elapsed since the media was ejected.

[0099] Then, when the customer receives the media, the control unit 280 of the automated trading device 20 displays the results display screen (third display screen) on the operation display unit 22.

[0100] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the results display screen. As shown in Figure 14, the results display screen includes a message 81 indicating that the media was received within a predetermined time. This allows the customer to confirm that they successfully received the media within the predetermined time.

[0101] <Operation> Next, with reference to Figure 15, the operation of the information processing system according to the third embodiment will be described.

[0102] Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the information processing system according to the third embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, when a transaction is executed through communication between the automated trading device 20 and the financial institution host 10 (S201), the automated trading device 20 displays an early receipt guidance screen (S404).

[0103] Subsequently, the automated transaction device 20 ejects a medium such as a cash card, passbook, or cash based on the customer's operation on the early receipt guidance screen, that is, based on the selection of the receipt button 55 (S408). Furthermore, the automated transaction device 20 displays the return screen as explained with reference to Figure 13 (S412).

[0104] Then, when the customer receives the medium (S416), the automated trading device 20 transmits receipt status information to the financial institution host 10 (S420). This receipt status information includes information indicating whether or not the medium was received within a predetermined time. Furthermore, the automated trading device 20 displays the results display screen described with reference to Figure 14 (S424).

[0105] The memory management unit 182 of the financial institution host 10 stores the transaction history in the memory unit 170 and updates the customer-specific summary information based on the receipt of receipt information. The incentive control unit 184 then refers to the customer-specific summary information and determines whether predetermined conditions have been met and whether or not there are preferential points based on early receipt of the medium (S428). Subsequently, the incentive control unit 184 causes the communication unit 110 to send a response to the automated transaction device 20, which includes information indicating whether or not points have been awarded and information indicating whether or not preferential treatment has been given, based on the determination results of the predetermined conditions and whether or not preferential points have been given (S432).

[0106] The subsequent processing of the automated trading device 20 differs depending on whether or not points are awarded. If no points are awarded (S436 / NO), no further processing is performed and the operation ends. On the other hand, if points are awarded (S436 / YES), the automated trading device 20 sends a point award request to the point server 30 (S440). This point award request may include information indicating whether or not preferential treatment is offered.

[0107] Then, the control unit 380 of the point server 30 grants points to the customer based on the receipt of the point grant request (S444). Subsequently, the control unit 380 instructs the communication unit 310 to send a grant execution notification to the automatic transaction device 20 indicating that the point grant has been executed (S448). Note that the processing from S412 onwards in the case where the customer does not receive the medium is as shown in the processing from S312 to S320 in Figure 9.

[0108] <Effects and Effects> According to the third embodiment described above, in addition to the effects and benefits described in the second embodiment, a variety of other effects and benefits can be obtained. For example, according to the third embodiment, it is expected that customers will receive the medium more quickly, and therefore the waiting time for the automated trading device 20 by other customers will be reduced.

[0109] <<Hardware Configuration>> The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. The information processing, such as determining the above conditions and awarding points, is realized through the cooperation of software and hardware. Below, an example of a hardware configuration that can be applied to the automated trading device 20 and the point server 30 will be described.

[0110] Figure 16 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration 90. The hardware configuration 90 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, and a host bus 904. The hardware configuration 90 also includes a bridge 905, an external bus 906, an interface 907, an input device 908, a display device 909, an audio output device 910, a storage device (HDD) 911, a drive 912, and a network interface 915.

[0111] The CPU 901 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and control unit, controlling the overall operation according to various programs. The CPU 901 may also be a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901 and parameters that change as needed during its execution. These are interconnected by a host bus 904, which consists of a CPU bus and other components. Through the cooperation of the CPU 901, ROM 902, RAM 903, and software, functions such as those of the control unit 180, control unit 280, and control unit 380 can be realized.

[0112] The host bus 904 is connected to an external bus 906, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 905. It is not always necessary to configure the host bus 904, bridge 905, and external bus 906 separately; these functions may be implemented on a single bus.

[0113] The input device 908 consists of input means for the user to input information, such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, buttons, microphone, sensor, switch, and lever, and an input control circuit that generates input signals based on the user's input and outputs them to the CPU 901. By operating the input device 908, the user can input various types of data and instruct processing operations.

[0114] The display device 909 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a projector device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device, and a lamp. The audio output device 910 includes an audio output device such as a speaker and headphones.

[0115] The storage device 911 is a data storage device configured as an example of a storage unit according to this embodiment. The storage device 911 may include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deletion device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage device 911 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a memory having equivalent functionality. This storage device 911 drives the storage and stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and various data.

[0116] Drive 912 is a reader / writer for storage media and is either built into or external to the hardware configuration 90. Drive 912 reads information recorded on removable storage media 84, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, and outputs it to RAM 903 or storage device 911. Drive 912 can also write information to the removable storage media 84.

[0117] The network interface 915 is a communication interface composed of, for example, a communication device for connecting to the dedicated network 12. Furthermore, the network interface 915 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible communication device or a wired communication device for wired communication.

[0118] <<Additional Information>> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0119] For example, each step in the processing of the information processing system described herein does not necessarily have to be processed chronologically in the order described in the sequence diagram. For example, each step in the processing of the information processing system may be processed in an order different from the order described in the sequence diagram, or may be processed in parallel.

[0120] Furthermore, it is possible to create computer programs that enable the hardware, such as the CPU, ROM, and RAM, built into the financial institution host 10, automated trading device 20, and point server 30 to perform functions equivalent to those of the aforementioned configurations of the financial institution host 10, automated trading device 20, and point server 30. A non-temporary storage medium on which such computer programs are stored is also provided. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0121] 10 Financial Institution Hosts 110 Communications Department 170 Storage section 180 Control Unit 182 Memory Management Department 184 Incentive Control Unit 12 Dedicated net 20 Automated trading device 22 Operation display section 24 Passbook slot 26 card slots 27 Receipt outlet 28 Bill slot 29 coin slots 210 Interface section 220 Card reader 230 Passbook reading unit 240 Authentication Department 250 Banknote deposit and withdrawal section 260 Coin deposit and withdrawal section 270 Storage section 280 Control Unit 30 Point Server 310 Communications Department 370 Storage section 380 Control Unit

Claims

1. An information acquisition unit in an automated trading device that acquires information indicating whether or not a medium issued to a customer has been received, An incentive control unit controls the incentives to the customer based on the information regarding whether or not the customer has received the incentives, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The information processing system further includes a storage unit that stores a history of the receipt status information, The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the incentive control unit determines whether predetermined conditions are met based on the history of receipt information for each customer, and if the predetermined conditions are met, it controls the provision of an incentive to the customer.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition includes the number of consecutive receipts, which is the number of times the customer has received the medium consecutively, reaching a set number.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein an interval is set for the increment of the number of consecutive receipts.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined conditions include limiting conditions regarding the upper limit of incentives given to customers during a predetermined period.

6. The information processing system according to claim 2, further comprising a display control unit that causes a display unit to display a first display screen indicating the predetermined conditions and an incentive to be given to the customer when the predetermined conditions are met.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein the incentive control unit controls the amount of incentive given to the customer according to the timing at which the medium is received by the customer.

8. The automated trading device dispenses the medium after an operation is performed by the customer on the first display screen. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display a second display screen that includes a time display corresponding to the elapsed time since the medium was dispensed.

9. The information processing system according to claim 8, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display a third display screen indicating that the medium was received by the customer within a predetermined time after the medium was dispensed.

10. A communications department that communicates with the financial institution's host and conducts transactions, A media delivery unit that dispenses the aforementioned media to the customer, The display unit and, The information processing system according to claim 9, comprising the automated trading device comprising the aforementioned.

11. A communications department that communicates with the financial institution's host and conducts transactions, The media delivery department that distributes media to customers, A display unit that displays a screen indicating that an incentive will be given to the customer when predetermined conditions for receiving the aforementioned medium are met, An automated trading device equipped with the following features.

12. In an automated trading system, obtaining information on whether or not a medium issued to a customer has been received, Based on the information regarding whether or not the customer has received the payment, the incentives given to the customer will be controlled. A method performed by a computer, including [this].

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