Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can efficiently generate profits from providing food and beverages to customers while reducing the burden of inventory management. [Solution] The information processing device 1 includes a facility reservation information acquisition unit 31 that acquires reservation information regarding reservations made by users for the use of restaurants (facilities) 4, a food and beverage presentation unit 32 that presents wines (food and beverages) 6 offered at restaurants 4, a selection acceptance unit 33 that accepts the user's selection of wine 6, a delivery management unit 34 that manages the delivery of wines 6 to the reserved restaurant 4, and a usage status management unit 35 that manages the usage status of wines 6 by associating the wines 6 delivered to restaurants 4 with reservation information.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for providing various types of information for reserving facilities such as restaurants are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes this type of technique.

[0003] Patent Document 1 relates to a reservation support system for making reservations for facilities. The reservation support system of Patent Document 1 includes a search processing unit that searches for facilities that perform immediate reservations to establish a reservation without confirming with the facility at the time of reservation in response to a user's search request, and facilities that perform request reservations to establish a reservation when the facility permits the reservation request at the time of reservation; a reservation processing unit that establishes a reservation for a facility when receiving a reservation request for a facility that performs immediate reservations from a user, and when receiving a reservation request for a first facility that performs request reservations from a user, establishes a reservation for the first facility when the first facility permits the reservation request; and a presentation processing unit that presents to the user a determination result including information indicating that the first facility is unavailable and facility information of a second facility associated with the first facility when the first facility is unavailable for a reservation request for the first facility.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can efficiently obtain profits from providing food and beverages to customers while reducing the burden of inventory management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, one aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: a facility reservation information acquisition means for acquiring reservation information relating to a user's reservation for the use of a facility; a food and beverage presentation means for presenting food and beverages offered at the facility; a selection acceptance means for accepting the user's selection of the food and beverages; a delivery management means for managing the delivery of the food and beverages to the reserved facility; and a usage status management means for managing the usage status of the food and beverages delivered to the facility in association with the reservation information.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is an information processing method performed by an information processing device for managing reservations for food and beverages, comprising: a facility reservation information acquisition step for acquiring reservation information relating to a user's reservation for the use of a facility; a food and beverage presentation step for presenting the food and beverages to be offered at the facility; a selection acceptance step for accepting the user's selection of the food and beverages; a delivery management step for managing the delivery of the food and beverages to the reserved facility; and a usage status management step for managing the usage status of the food and beverages delivered to the facility in association with the reservation information.

[0009] Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer that manages reservations for food and beverages to execute control processing including: a facility reservation information acquisition step of acquiring reservation information relating to a user's reservation for the use of a facility; a food and beverage presentation step of presenting the food and beverages to be offered at the facility; a selection acceptance step of accepting the user's selection of the food and beverages; a delivery management step of managing the delivery of the food and beverages to the reserved facility; and a usage status management step of managing the usage status of the food and beverages by associating the food and beverages delivered to the facility with the reservation information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can efficiently obtain profits from providing food and beverages to customers while reducing the burden of inventory management. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows a food and beverage reservation system to which an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a wine reservation website. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a wine reservation website screen. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the process of managing wine reservations. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the process for handling wine cancellations. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] <System Configuration> First, let's describe the overall system configuration. Figure 1 shows a food and beverage reservation system 100 to which an information processing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. The food and beverage reservation system 100 accepts reservations for food and beverages at facilities from users via a user terminal 2 and provides a service that arranges for the delivery of the reserved food and beverages to the facilities. Facilities include, for example, restaurants, hotel rooms, glamping facilities, rooms provided in private accommodations, rooms used for memorial services, catering locations, etc.

[0014] The facilities and food and beverages covered by the food and beverage reservation system 100 are not particularly limited. Hereinafter, we will describe the food and beverage reservation system 100 as an example, where the target facility is a restaurant 4 and the target food and beverage is wine 6. In this embodiment, the reserved wine 6 is served at the restaurant 4 along with the meal. After the wine 6 is served, upon receiving a report from the restaurant 4, the provider of the wine 6 sends a delivery slip to the restaurant 4 and initiates an invoice process to the restaurant 4.

[0015] User terminal 2 is a computer used by a user (a customer of restaurant 4) to make a reservation for restaurant 4 and for the wine 6 to be served at restaurant 4. User terminal 2 can consist of a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, etc. User terminal 2 may exchange various information with information processing device 1 using a pre-installed program, or it may exchange various information through a web browser.

[0016] The food and beverage reservation system 100 manages wine reservations 6 from users and manages the delivery of wine 6 to restaurants 4 via the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 is a server that provides various information regarding wine reservations 6 to user terminals 2. The information processing device 1 is managed by the wine manager who provides the wine 6 to restaurants 4.

[0017] In the food and beverage reservation system 100 of this embodiment, the information processing device 1 cooperates with a restaurant reservation system 3 that makes reservations for restaurants 4. The cooperation between the information processing device 1 and the restaurant reservation system 3 may use URL parameters including reservation information or may use an API (Application Programming Interface). Through this cooperation, a wine reservation site is presented to the user who has made a reservation for the restaurant 4 in the restaurant reservation system 3.

[0018] In the wine selection site of this embodiment, the user can select a wine 6 that is not always placed in the restaurant 4. For example, the user can select a wine 6 that has been pre-selected as suitable for the dishes in the reserved restaurant 4, or a premium wine 6 prepared specifically because it is a wine reservation site, according to the user's preferences. As a result, the restaurant 4 does not need to stock all the wines 6 in the limited store space, and the user can specify their favorite wine 6 in advance from a variety of options.

[0019] For example, for a user who is knowledgeable about wine 6, it is possible to save the trouble of communicating their wishes to the sommelier at the restaurant 4 on the day, checking the inventory, and receiving suggestions for alternatives. By carefully selecting a wine 6 that suits their preferences in advance on the wine selection site and ensuring its availability, they can concentrate on their meal without spending time on selecting the wine 6 when they arrive at the store. On the other hand, for a user who does not have sufficient knowledge of wine 6, they can calmly select a wine 6 that suits the dishes in advance through the recommendation function (described later) by the recommendation calculation unit 40. There is no pressure to select in front of the sommelier on the day, and it is possible to make a satisfactory selection while checking the information in advance.

[0020] Also, for the restaurant 4, there are operational advantages in that the wine 6 is reserved in advance. Conventionally, at the restaurant 4, sommeliers and staff had to spend time making proposals for the wine 6 to customers according to the timing, checking the inventory, and making recommendations according to the dishes. In this embodiment, since the user has selected the wine 6 in advance, these proposal operations are not required when the user arrives at the store, reducing the burden on the staff. Also, since it is possible to know in advance which wine 6 will be provided, the preparation and service setup can be planned in advance, making the operation on the day smoother. The free time can be used for other customer service, contributing to the improvement of the overall service quality.

[0021] When the information processing device 1 receives a reservation for the wine 6 provided by the restaurant 4 from the user on the wine reservation site, it performs processing for delivering the reserved wine 6 from the storage location 5 of the wine 6 to the target restaurant 4. In this embodiment, since the wine 6 to be delivered is not the normal inventory of the restaurant 4 but is delivered from the outside, it is not registered in the barcode system or cash register of the restaurant 4. Therefore, in order to manage the wine 6 after delivery, the wine 6 with an IC tag 7 for individual identification is delivered to the restaurant 4.

[0022] Also, the information processing device 1 can present a confirmation screen for the operator to check various information for managing the wine 6. On the confirmation screen, it is possible to perform operations such as checking the wine reservation user information, verifying the cancellation information of the restaurant reservation system 3 that has been induced, confirming the wine delivery date to the reserved store / facility, and sending a cancellation confirmation email at the time of cancellation. Also, when it is confirmed that the reserved wine 6 will be used, the corresponding wine 6 can be selected and an immediate delivery note can be created.

[0023] Also, the information processing device 1 can present a confirmation screen for the restaurant 4 to check various information. On the confirmation screen, it is possible to perform operations such as checking the information of the reserved wine 6 (including the reservation user information).

[0024] <Hardware Configuration> Next, an example of the hardware constituting the information processing device 1 will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 as a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0025] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to the program stored in the ROM 12 or the program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 also stores data necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes. The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14.

[0026] The input / output interface 15 is connected to an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20. The output unit 16 consists of a display, speakers, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 17 consists of a keyboard, mouse, etc., and inputs various information. The storage unit 18 consists of a hard disk, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices via a network, including the Internet.

[0027] The drive 20 is appropriately equipped with removable media 21, which may consist of a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. The removable media 21 can also store various types of data stored in the storage unit 18, just like the storage unit 18.

[0028] The hardware configuration described here is merely an example. The computer described in this embodiment, including the information processing device 1, may have the same configuration as that shown in Figure 2, or it may have a different configuration. Furthermore, the computer may consist of two or more computers. The user terminal 2 and the restaurant reservation system 3 in Figure 1 are, for example, made up of a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer having a configuration similar to the hardware configuration shown in Figure 2.

[0029] <Functional configuration> Next, the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 will be described. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 1 uses the information registered in the storage unit 18, an external storage device, or a database 90 built on the cloud to perform various processes related to the reservation of wine 6.

[0031] Database 90 contains reservation information, facility characteristics information, food and beverage characteristics information, pricing information, usage information, delivery status information, and more.

[0032] Reservation information includes, for example, reservation ID, user, restaurant 4 to which the reservation was made, date and time, reservation status (reserved, visited, future reservation, etc.). Facility characteristics information includes, for example, facility ID, store name, type of restaurant, course meals offered, plans, and whether or not there is a stocking contract. Food and beverage characteristics information includes, for example, product ID, name, standard price, vintage, type, production area, producer, producer information, description of wine 6, taste, and image information such as a map of wine 6 or its production area. Pricing information includes, for example, the ID of restaurant 4 to which the pricing information applies, product ID, price, or price calculation rule. Usage information includes, for example, tag ID as identification information, product ID, and inventory status (reserved or stocked). Delivery status is, for example, status information such as not delivered, in transit, delivered.

[0033] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 includes a facility reservation information acquisition unit 31, a food and beverage presentation unit 32, a selection acceptance unit 33, a delivery management unit 34, a usage status management unit 35, an opening detection unit 36, a billing processing unit 37, a stock management unit 38, a price setting unit 39, and a recommendation level calculation unit 40, all of which are functional units implemented on the processor (CPU 11).

[0034] The facility reservation information acquisition unit 31 is a means for acquiring facility reservation information related to reservations made by users for the use of restaurant 4. The reservation information includes, for example, information about the restaurant 4 to which the reservation was made, the date and time schedule, and the name and contact information of the user who made the reservation.

[0035] In this embodiment, the facility reservation information acquisition unit 31 acquires user reservation information via the restaurant reservation system 3 with which it collaborates on reservations. In the food and beverage reservation system 100, the restaurant reservation system 3 functions as a reservation acceptance means that accepts user reservations.

[0036] The food and beverage presentation unit 32 is a food and beverage presentation means that presents the wine 6 offered at the restaurant 4. In this embodiment, the food and beverage presentation unit 32 identifies the restaurant 4 from the reservation information and presents the wine 6 along with the price of the restaurant 4, calculated by the pricing unit 39, to the user via the wine reservation site. On the wine reservation site, the user is shown the price of the wine 6 set for each restaurant 4. For example, for the same wine 6, the displayed price on the wine reservation site accessed after completing a reservation at one restaurant 4 is 24,000 yen, while the displayed price on the wine reservation site accessed after completing a reservation at another restaurant 4 is 20,000 yen.

[0037] Furthermore, the food and beverage display unit 32 can also display wines 6 based on the recommendation score calculated by the recommendation score calculation unit 40. The food and beverage display unit 32 visually highlights wines 6 with high recommendation scores, for example, by using pop-up displays, top-ranking displays, badge displays, etc.

[0038] The selection reception unit 33 is a selection reception means that accepts the selection of wine 6 by the user. The selection reception unit 33 accepts the reservation of wine 6 to be served at restaurant 4 by a user who has made a reservation at restaurant 4 through the wine reservation site described later.

[0039] The delivery management unit 34 is a delivery management system that manages the delivery of wine 6 to the restaurant 4 that has made a reservation. The delivery management unit 34 manages delivery information for wine 6, such as whether it has not been delivered, is in transit, or has been delivered. The delivery management unit 34 may also perform processing such as schedule management based on reservation information and issuing delivery instructions for wine 6.

[0040] The usage status management unit 35 is a usage status management means that manages the usage status of wine 6 delivered to restaurants 4 by associating the wine 6 with reservation information. The usage status management unit 35 stores the wine 6 selected by the user and the reservation information in the database 90.

[0041] Furthermore, the usage management unit 35 in this embodiment manages the identification information individually set for each bottle of wine 6, as well as the opened state of each bottle. The identification information makes it easy to manage reasonably priced wines 6, premium wines 6, etc. The opened state of a wine is determined based on detection by the opened wine detection unit 36. The usage management unit 35 records the opened state of each managed wine 6 in the database 90. The usage management unit 35 may also notify the restaurant 4 of the detection of an opened state. In particular, for rare wines such as premium wines 6, traceability can be ensured by assigning and managing individual-level identification information, making it possible to accurately track which individual bottle was consumed, when, and where.

[0042] The opening detection unit 36 ​​is an opening detection means that detects when the wine bottle 6 has been opened (uncorked). The opening detection unit 36 ​​detects when the wine bottle 6 has been opened by receiving reading notification information indicating that the identification information has been read by the reading device 8 at the restaurant 4.

[0043] In this embodiment, identification information is read using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. The identification information is stored in an IC tag 7 capable of, for example, NFC (Near Field Communication), and attached to the wine bottle 6. A dedicated reader 8 is installed in the restaurant 4, and a work manual is set up to read the IC tag 7 with the reader 8 when the wine bottle 6 is opened. When the IC tag 7 is read by the reader 8, an opening notification is transmitted to the opening detection unit 36 ​​along with the identification information via the communication network.

[0044] Furthermore, the identification information is not limited to the format stored in the IC tag 7. The identification information may also be obtained by reading a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) with a camera. Alternatively, the identification information may be obtained by reading a one-dimensional code such as a barcode with a barcode scanner. In any case, the identification information should be able to be attached to the wine 6.

[0045] The billing processing unit 37 is a billing processing means that executes a billing process to request payment for the wine 6 from the restaurant 4 on behalf of the wine manager, based on the detection of the wine 6 being opened. The billing processing unit 37 also executes a billing process based on the detection of the opening of wine 6 that is managed as stock. This stock is stock managed by the stock management unit 38, which will be described later.

[0046] Furthermore, the billing unit 37 may process a cancellation fee to the user if the reserved wine 6 is canceled before consumption.

[0047] The inventory management unit 38 is an inventory management means that, when the wine 6 delivered to the restaurant 4 meets the predetermined non-use conditions, changes the inventory to the restaurant 4's inventory and switches the ownership of the inventory on the database 90.

[0048] The specified condition for non-use of reserved stock is that the wine 6 reserved by the user is canceled after the delivery process for wine 6 has been completed. The following describes examples of non-use conditions in several patterns.

[0049] The first pattern is when a user cancels a reservation at restaurant 4 before arriving at the restaurant using the restaurant reservation system 3. In this case, the cancellation information is sent from the linked restaurant reservation system 3 to the information processing device 1. The inventory management unit 38 determines that the non-use condition has been met if it receives the cancellation information while the delivery status of the wine 6 is in transit or has been delivered.

[0050] The second pattern is when a user who made a reservation does not show up at restaurant 4. In this case, cancellation information is sent from a computer (not shown) in restaurant 4 to the information processing device 1. When the inventory management unit 38 receives this cancellation information, it determines that the non-use condition has been met.

[0051] The third pattern is when the wine 6 in question is not opened even after a certain period of time has elapsed since the reservation date and time associated with the reservation information. For example, this could be the case when a user visits the restaurant but cancels their order for wine 6. In this case, the inventory management unit 38 sends a confirmation notice to the restaurant 4's computer (not shown) after a certain period of time has elapsed since the reservation date and time, and if it receives a response from the restaurant 4 confirming that the wine 6 was not consumed, it determines that the non-use condition has been met.

[0052] In this embodiment, even after the wine bottle 6 has been subject to inventory management by the inventory management unit 38, the opening detection unit 36 ​​detects that the wine bottle 6 has been opened. This allows consumption after the reserved date and time to be accurately tracked at the individual wine bottle level using the IC tag 7.

[0053] Furthermore, the determination of whether the prescribed non-use conditions are met can also be made for each restaurant 4. For example, the inventory management department 38 can determine whether the prescribed non-use conditions are met only for restaurants 4 that have a contract for inventory management. In this case, even if wine 6 is not used at the reserved time in a restaurant 4 that does not have a contract, it will not be managed as inventory. Whether or not a restaurant 4 enters into this contract is at their discretion.

[0054] The pricing unit 39 is a pricing means that calculates the price at which wine 6 is offered at restaurant 4 based on multiple candidate restaurants 4 and the pricing information set for restaurant 4. The price of wine 6 presented to the user on the wine reservation site will correspond to that of restaurant 4.

[0055] Pricing information can also be set for each restaurant 4. For example, pricing information can be set in a table format in a price list (price master) for each restaurant 4. In this case, when the pricing unit 39 identifies a restaurant 4 from the user's reservation information, it refers to the table-formatted price list and obtains the price corresponding to restaurant 4 for each wine 6. Pricing information may also be a markup amount (for example, 5,000 yen) set for each restaurant 4 on top of the base price (the price set for wine 6). Pricing information may also be a markup rate (for example, 1.5 times) on the cost (the price set for wine 6) or a specified profit amount (10,000 yen) on top of the cost.

[0056] In this way, the pricing unit 39 allows for different prices to be set for each restaurant 4, enabling flexible pricing strategies tailored to each store's brand value, location, customer base, and service level. Furthermore, since prices for multiple stores can be centrally managed on a single wine selection site, there is no need to build and operate separate sites for each store, thus reducing system operating costs.

[0057] The recommendation calculation unit 40 is a recommendation calculation means that acquires facility characteristic information indicating the characteristics of restaurant 4 and food and beverage characteristic information indicating the characteristics of wine 6, and calculates a recommendation score based on the restaurant characteristic information and food and beverage characteristic information. Facility characteristic information includes the cuisine genre, course contents, etc. Food and beverage characteristic information includes taste, origin, compatibility with food, etc. For example, if restaurant 4 is a yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) restaurant, a high recommendation score will be set for full-bodied red wines, Bordeaux wines, California wines, etc. If restaurant 4 is a sushi restaurant, a high recommendation score will be set for dry white wines, champagnes, etc.

[0058] The recommendation calculation unit 40 calculates the recommendation score for facility characteristics information and food and beverage characteristics information based on a rule base that sets the compatibility between pre-set restaurant characteristics information and food and beverage characteristics information. In the rule base, the recommendation score for wine 6 for a specific course of a specific dish is set. The recommendation calculation unit 40 may also set the recommendation score using AI built using machine learning or the like.

[0059] Furthermore, the recommendation calculation unit 40 can also calculate the recommendation score by referring to user information. For example, if the user enters information such as a birthday or other special occasion, the recommendation score may be calculated so that wines 6 that match the special occasion are displayed preferentially.

[0060] The food and beverage display unit 32 prioritizes display based on the recommendation level calculated by the recommendation level calculation unit 40. The food and beverage display unit 32 visually emphasizes the highly recommended wines 6 by displaying them as pop-ups, assigning badges to the highly recommended wines 6, or displaying them in a higher or more visible position.

[0061] <Wine Reservation Website> Next, we will explain the wine reservation site presented by the food and beverage presentation unit 32. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the wine reservation site.

[0062] When a user makes a reservation through the user terminal 2 using the restaurant reservation system 3, a URL is generated in the restaurant reservation system 3 containing the user's reservation information. This URL includes URL parameters for transferring reservation information. The reservation information transferred here includes, for example, a reservation number, restaurant information, date, and customer information (name, contact information, email address). The URL is displayed as a banner link on the reservation completion page, the user's My Page, and in the reservation completion email, etc., displayed after a reservation is made in the restaurant reservation system 3. The user transitions to the wine reservation site by selecting the banner link. The reservation information is transmitted and shared from the restaurant reservation system 3 directly or via the wine reservation site to the information processing device 1.

[0063] On user terminal 2, the wine reservation website displays a wine list menu. This menu includes reservation information. The wine list menu also contains links to pages for specific commercial transactions and terms of service.

[0064] Figure 5 shows an example of the screen display of a wine reservation website. In the example in Figure 5, a list of wines selectable by the user (new wines, recommended wines), the price of wine 6, a search box for wine 6, and details of reserved restaurants are displayed. Among the wine list, recommended wines are displayed based on the recommendation score calculated by the recommendation score calculation unit 40. As mentioned above, the recommendation score is calculated for each restaurant 4, so even for the same user, the recommended wines may not be the same for each restaurant 4. For example, wine 6 that has a recommendation score of a certain level or higher for a restaurant 4 is presented as a recommended wine by the food and beverage presentation unit 32. The wine reservation website has a store-specific price display function. The price of the wine is set by the price setting unit 39 and is displayed corresponding to the restaurant 4 in the reservation information. That is, the price of wine 6 is dynamically changed according to the restaurant 4. The search box for wine 6 has an input field for accepting keyword searches by the user and a selection section for sorting by color (red, white, sparkling), type, price, etc.

[0065] The reserved restaurant information displays the reservation date and time and the name of the restaurant 4, which are included in the reservation information received from the restaurant reservation system 3. The wine reservation site has a function to retain reservation information for each user terminal 2 used by the user for a certain period of time (for example, 24 hours), and to automatically delete the reservation information retained for each user terminal 2 after a timeout period has elapsed. The deletion of reservation information here refers to the wine reservation site, and does not delete the reservation information from the database 90 of the information processing device 1. By the wine reservation site retaining reservation information for each user, even if the wine reservation site is accessed by a method other than accessing it through a banner link displayed on the reservation completion page or in an email indicating reservation completion, the reservation information can be displayed to the user for a certain period of time using cookies, etc. Furthermore, since the reservation information for that user is deleted after a certain period of time has elapsed, it is possible to avoid a situation where the amount of reservation information displayed increases each time the user makes a reservation, and the user becomes confused about the relationship between the wine 6 and the restaurant 4.

[0066] When a user selects a wine (6) from the wine list menu, the selected wine (6) is added to their cart. Selecting wine (6) also displays detailed information about the wine, including a description of the product, a map of its region, and a description of its taste. A vintage chart may also be displayed on the screen.

[0067] After the user confirms their selections on the cart page, the reservation information input page is displayed when the user proceeds to the next step. On the reservation information input page, the user's information for reserving Wine 6 is entered. In this embodiment, the merchant performs an authorization (provisional approval) process of 1 yen or a small amount to verify the validity of the credit card on the reservation information input page. The user then enters their credit card information. This registration of credit card information is a provisional payment used to charge for the delivery and cancellation fees of Wine 6 if the user cancels the reservation. This ensures that the expected profit is secured in the event of a reservation cancellation.

[0068] The actual payment for Wine 6 is made at Restaurant 4 along with the payment for food and other services. This single payment process is stress-free for the user. Once the single payment is made at Restaurant 4, the credit card pre-payment is cancelled. In other words, the reservation deposit is effectively 0 yen. Restaurant 4 also directly benefits from the single payment made on-site and does not need to wait for payment from the wine reservation website. Furthermore, the reservation information input page includes a privacy policy and terms agreement screen, allowing for prior confirmation of the customer's payment intention and payment information, thus deterring no-shows. On the other hand, since the actual payment is made at Restaurant 4, the user can secure Wine 6 in advance with virtually no deposit, minimizing psychological burden.

[0069] After the user enters their reservation information on the reservation information input page, a reservation information confirmation screen is displayed. By confirming on the reservation information confirmation screen, the user completes their reservation for Wine 6, a reservation completion message is displayed, and a reservation ID is assigned. The user is also notified by email that their reservation for Wine 6 is complete. The usage status management unit 35 may also set up an automatic reminder email to be sent a certain period before the reservation date and time (for example, 5 days or 1 week before the reservation date).

[0070] The reservation information for wine 6 is shared with the information processing device 1. The completion of the wine 6 reservation is also notified to restaurant 4. Furthermore, if the reservation for restaurant 4 is canceled by the user via the restaurant reservation system 3 before the customer arrives at restaurant 4, the cancellation information is also shared with the information processing device 1.

[0071] Furthermore, the wine reservation site can also display a standard price (default) to the user. For example, if a user accesses the address directly without reservation information, the standard price may be displayed to user terminal 2.

[0072] <Processing flow> Next, we will explain the flow of the reservation management process for wine 6, referring to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the reservation management process for wine 6.

[0073] In step S1, the facility reservation information acquisition unit 31 acquires reservation information for restaurants 4 that have been reserved by users in the restaurant reservation system 3.

[0074] In step S2, the food and beverage display unit 32 displays a list of wines 6 available at the restaurant 4 corresponding to the reservation information via the wine reservation site to the user terminal 2. As shown in Figure 5, the wine reservation site displays the price corresponding to the restaurant 4 of the reservation information, which is dynamically set by the pricing unit 39, and also displays recommended wines 6 based on the recommendation score calculated by the recommendation score calculation unit 40.

[0075] In step S3, the selection reception unit 33 obtains information on the wine 6 selected by the user on the wine reservation site and sends a reservation confirmation email to the user terminal 2. At this time, a provisional payment is made by credit card to charge a cancellation fee in case the wine 6 is canceled.

[0076] In step S4, the selection reception unit 33 performs a confirmation and matching process of reservation information with both the restaurant reservation system 3 and the restaurant 4. As a result of the confirmation and matching, it sends a reservation completion email to the user terminal 2 of the user whose reservation has been confirmed to be appropriate.

[0077] In step S5, the delivery management unit 34 starts managing the delivery of wine 6 to the restaurant 4 that made the reservation. The delivery management unit 34 sequentially changes the status of wine 6 to not delivered, in transit, delivered, etc., according to the actual delivery status of wine 6.

[0078] In step S6, the usage management unit 35 triggers a reminder by sending a reservation confirmation notice for wine 6 to the user terminal 2 when a certain period of time has passed since the reservation date (for example, one week before the reservation date).

[0079] In step S7, the inventory management unit 38 determines whether or not wine 6 was canceled before the reservation date. If wine 6 is canceled, the process moves to the cancellation processing in step S20 (step S7; No). After the cancellation processing in step S20, the process ends. The cancellation processing in step S20 will be described later with reference to Figure 7.

[0080] If wine 6 is not canceled, the process proceeds to step S8 (step S7; Ye). In step S8, when the user visits restaurant 4 at the reserved date and time, and the wine 6 reserved with the food is served at restaurant 4, the identification information of the IC tag 7 is read by the reader 8, and the reader 8 transmits an opening notification information containing the identification information of the wine 6, which is detected by the opening detection unit 36.

[0081] In step S9, the usage status management unit 35 sets the status of the wine 6 corresponding to the identification information detected by the opening detection unit 36 ​​to "opened" and processes the delivery slip for the wine 6 to be sent to the restaurant 4. The delivery slip may be sent automatically or manually.

[0082] In step S10, the billing processing unit 37 executes the billing process from the wine management company to the restaurant 4 for the opened wine 6, and cancels the provisional payment made at the time of wine reservation. The billing process includes processing for issuing an invoice, etc. The invoice may be sent automatically or manually.

[0083] The above describes an example of the reservation management process for a restaurant 4 using the information processing device 1 of this embodiment. As mentioned above, payment for the food and wine 6 will be made separately by the user at the restaurant 4.

[0084] Next, we will explain the processing flow when wine 6 is canceled and managed as reserve inventory. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cancellation processing for wine 6. The processing in Figure 7 is a subroutine of step S20 in Figure 6.

[0085] In step S21, the inventory management unit 38 obtains cancellation information for wine 6. The cancellation information includes, for example, the reservation number and reservation date included in the reservation information, as well as the date the cancellation was made.

[0086] In step S22, the billing processing unit 37 determines whether the conditions for payment of a cancellation fee are met. The conditions for payment of a cancellation fee include, for example, when the wine 6 has been delivered to the restaurant 4 or when the cancellation is made after the cancellation deadline (for example, 3 days before the reservation date). If the conditions for payment of a cancellation fee are met, the process proceeds to step S23 (step S22; Yes); otherwise, the process proceeds to step S24 (step S22; No).

[0087] In step S23, the billing processing unit 37 processes the charge for the cancellation of the canceled wine 6 based on the credit card registered for provisional payment. After the processing in step S23, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0088] In step S24, the inventory management unit 38 checks the delivery status and determines whether the wine 6 in question has not been delivered or not. If it has not been delivered, the process proceeds to step S25 (step S24; Yes); if it has been delivered, the process proceeds to step S26 (step S24; No).

[0089] In step S25, the delivery management unit 34 cancels the delivery of the undelivered wine 6. As a result, the wine 6 will not be delivered to the restaurant 4.

[0090] In step S26, the inventory management unit 38 determines whether the restaurant 4 from which the wine 6 was canceled is a store with an inventory contract. If it is a store with an inventory contract, the process proceeds to step S27 (step S26; Yes); if it is not a store with an inventory contract, the process proceeds to step S31 (step S26; No).

[0091] In step S27, the inventory management unit 38 processes the canceled wine 6 to change its inventory to that of the restaurant 4 that has an inventory contract.

[0092] In step S28, when the identification information of the IC tag 7 for the wine 6, which is managed as inventory, is read by the reader 8, the reader 8 transmits an opening notification information containing the identification information of the wine 6, and the opening detection unit 36 ​​detects this.

[0093] In step S29, the inventory management unit 38 sets the status of the wine 6 corresponding to the identification information detected as opened in the inventory to "opened" and processes the delivery slip to send to the restaurant 4.

[0094] In step S30, the billing processing unit 37 executes the billing process from the wine management company to the restaurant 4 for the opened wine 6. The billing process includes tasks such as issuing an invoice. The invoice may be sent automatically or manually. After the processing in step S30, the process ends.

[0095] If there is no inventory contract for the canceled wine 6, in step S31, the delivery management department 34 processes the retrieval of the delivered wine 6 from the restaurant 4. After the processing in step S31, the process is completed.

[0096] Next, we will explain how to handle the situation when cork taint occurs, which causes deterioration in the quality of wine 6. If deterioration (cork taint) of wine 6 is discovered during tasting after the opening detection unit 36 ​​has detected the opening, wine 6 will be collected with approximately 80% of its contents remaining. In this case, the billing processing unit 37 will not charge the restaurant 4. Nor will the user be billed. The reader 8 may have a function to report the wine 6 on the IC tag 7 it has read as a defective product. The status of wine 6 may also be managed as a defective product. Furthermore, if a defective product report is made within a certain period after the reader 8 has read the IC tag 7, the billing process may be automatically canceled. In this case, the status may be changed, such as changing the opened status to exclude it from billing.

[0097] As described above, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment includes a facility reservation information acquisition unit 31 that acquires reservation information regarding reservations made by users for the use of a restaurant (facility) 4, a food and beverage presentation unit 32 that presents wine (food and beverage) 6 to be offered at the restaurant 4, a selection acceptance unit 33 that accepts the user's selection of wine 6, a delivery management unit 34 that manages the delivery of wine 6 to the reserved restaurant 4, and a usage status management unit 35 that manages the usage status of wine 6 by associating the wine 6 delivered to the restaurant 4 with the reservation information.

[0098] Furthermore, the information processing method of this embodiment includes a facility reservation information acquisition step of acquiring reservation information regarding a user's reservation to use the facility, a food and beverage presentation step of presenting wine 6 to be offered at the restaurant 4, a selection acceptance step of accepting the user's selection of wine 6, a delivery management step of managing the delivery of wine 6 to the reserved restaurant 4, and a usage status management step of managing the usage status of wine 6 by associating the wine 6 delivered to the restaurant 4 with the reservation information.

[0099] Furthermore, the program of this embodiment causes the information processing device 1, which is a computer that manages the reservation of wine 6, to execute control processing including a facility reservation information acquisition step of acquiring reservation information regarding the user's reservation to use the facility, a food and beverage presentation step of presenting the wine 6 to be offered at the restaurant 4, a selection acceptance step of accepting the user's selection of wine 6, a delivery management step of managing the delivery of wine 6 to the restaurant 4 where the reservation was made, and a usage status management step of managing the usage status of wine 6 by associating the wine 6 delivered to the restaurant 4 with the reservation information.

[0100] In this way, the information processing device 1, information processing method, or program is configured to enable linked management of reservations for restaurants (facilities) 4 and wine (food and beverages) 6. Before a user arrives at restaurant 4, wine 6 can be delivered from a storage location 5 managed by a different business operator (for example, the operator of the food and beverage reservation system 100) according to the user's wishes. For restaurant 4, encouraging wine 6 reservations can increase the average customer spending. Also, it eliminates the need to recommend wine 6 to each customer upon arrival, as it can be prepared in advance, allowing for maximum hospitality to be provided to customers. Furthermore, since restaurant 4 can provide wine 6 according to reservations, it can reduce the amount of wine 6 in stock and lower management costs. For users, it also allows them to select the wine 6 they want to be served at restaurant 4 in advance, enabling them to prepare wine 6 in advance for anniversaries and events, and receive wine 6 smoothly without having to choose upon arrival.

[0101] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment further includes an opening detection unit 36 ​​that detects when the wine 6 has been opened, and a billing processing unit 37 that executes billing processing based on the detection of the opening of the wine 6.

[0102] This allows for proper billing management based on actual consumption. Since no charge will be incurred if wine 6 is not consumed, restaurants 4 can use the food and beverage reservation system 100 with peace of mind.

[0103] In this embodiment, the usage status management unit 35 manages identification information that is individually set for each bottle of wine 6, and the opening detection unit 36 ​​detects that a bottle of wine 6 has been opened by receiving reading notification information indicating that the identification information has been read by the reading device 8 at the restaurant 4.

[0104] As a result, the reading of identification information by the reader 8 triggers an automatic opening report, eliminating the need for manual tasks such as photo reporting, and streamlining the management of wine consumption and inventory. In addition, since each bottle of wine 6 is assigned identification information, the consumption of wine 6 can be accurately managed, and misuse can be suppressed.

[0105] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment further includes a stock management unit 38 that manages wine 6 delivered to a restaurant 4 as stock at the restaurant 4 when it meets predetermined non-use conditions, and the billing processing unit 37 executes billing processing based on the detection of opening of the wine 6 managed as stock.

[0106] This means that even if a user cancels their order after delivery of wine 6, the restaurant does not need to retrieve the delivered wine 6 from restaurant 4, thus reducing logistics costs. The restaurant can also utilize the wine 6 as inventory and sell it on another occasion.

[0107] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment further includes a pricing unit 39 that calculates the price at which wine 6 is served at a restaurant 4 based on a plurality of candidate restaurants 4 for reservations and pricing information set in the restaurants 4. The food and beverage presentation unit 32 identifies a restaurant 4 from the reservation information and presents the price at the restaurant 4, calculated by the pricing unit 39, along with the wine 6.

[0108] This allows for different pricing to be displayed for each of the four restaurants (in-store prices) on a single website (wine reservation site). Furthermore, it allows for flexible adaptation to changes in in-store prices, aligning with each restaurant's pricing strategy. Since only one website needs to be managed, system operation can also be streamlined.

[0109] Furthermore, the information processing device 1 of this embodiment acquires facility characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the restaurant 4 and food and beverage characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the wine 6. A recommendation score calculation unit 40 calculates a recommendation score based on the restaurant 4 characteristic information and the food and beverage characteristic information, and a food and beverage presentation unit 32 presents the wine 6 based on the recommendation score calculated by the recommendation score calculation unit 40.

[0110] This allows us to assist users in making choices, such as suggesting wines that pair well with dishes, thereby improving customer satisfaction.

[0111] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc. that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0112] For example, in the above embodiment, if the wine 6 delivered to restaurant 4 is canceled, a decision is made as to whether or not to manage it as inventory. However, the configuration is not limited to this. The decision as to whether or not to manage it as inventory can be omitted, and if the wine 6 is canceled, it may be uniformly collected at a later date instead of being managed as inventory.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the information processing device 1 is configured to work in conjunction with the restaurant reservation system 3, but this configuration is not the only one. For example, it can be linked with a travel booking site, and the food and beverages provided as room service in hotel rooms can be included as reservation targets. Moreover, it is not always necessary for the systems to work together; the configuration of this embodiment can also be applied to a platform where a wine reservation site and the restaurant reservation system 3 are operated as a single integrated system.

[0114] Furthermore, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration described above is merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. That is, it is sufficient that the information processing device 1 is equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example above. Also, the location of the functional block is not particularly limited and can be arbitrary. For example, the functional block of the information processing device 1 may be transferred to another device, etc. Conversely, the functional block of another device may be transferred to a server, etc. Also, a single functional block may be composed of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0115] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0116] Such recording media containing programs may consist not only of removable media (not shown) distributed separately from the main device to provide the programs, but also of recording media provided pre-installed in the main device. Since programs can be distributed via a network, the recording media may be installed on or accessible from a computer connected to or capable of connecting to a network.

[0117] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1. Information Processing Device 2 User terminals 3. Restaurant reservation system 4. Restaurants (facilities) 6. Wine (Food and Drink) 31 Facility Reservation Information Acquisition Department 32 Food and Beverage Presentation Department 33 Selection Reception Department 34 Delivery Management Department 35. Usage Management Department 36 Opening detection unit 37. Billing Processing Unit 38. Inventory Management Department 39 Pricing Section 40 Recommendation Calculation Section 100 Food and Beverage Reservation System

Claims

1. A means for obtaining reservation information regarding reservations made by users for the use of facilities, A food and beverage presentation means for presenting food and beverages to be offered at the aforementioned facility, A selection receiving means for receiving the selection of food and beverages by the user, A delivery management means for managing the delivery of the aforementioned food and beverages to the aforementioned facility where the reservation was made, A usage status management means for managing the usage status of food and beverages delivered to the facility by associating the food and beverages with the reservation information, An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. An opening detection means for detecting that the food or beverage has been opened, A billing processing means that performs billing processing based on the detection of opening of the food or beverage, It also has, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned usage status management means is: The system manages the identification information that is individually assigned to each of the aforementioned food and beverages. The opening detection means detects that the food or beverage has been opened by receiving reading notification information indicating that the identification information has been read by a reader at the facility. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The facility further comprises a means for managing the food and beverages delivered to the facility as stockpiled inventory when they meet predetermined non-use conditions, The aforementioned billing processing means is The billing process is executed based on the detection of opening of the food and beverages that are managed as inventory. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The system further comprises a pricing means for calculating the price of food and beverages provided at a facility based on a plurality of candidate facilities for the reservation destination and pricing information set at the facility. The aforementioned food and beverage presentation means is The system identifies the facility from the reservation information and presents the user with the price of the food and beverages, calculated by the pricing means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A recommendation calculation means that acquires facility characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the facility and food and beverage characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the food and beverage, and calculates a recommendation score based on the facility characteristic information and the food and beverage characteristic information, The aforementioned food and beverage presentation means is The food and beverages are presented based on the recommendation level calculated by the recommendation level calculation means. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. An information processing method performed by an information processing device that manages reservations for food and beverages, A facility reservation information acquisition step that obtains reservation information regarding facility usage reservations made by users, A food and beverage presentation step in which the food and beverages provided at the aforementioned facility are presented, A selection acceptance step for accepting the user's selection of food and beverages, A delivery management step that manages the delivery of the aforementioned food and beverages to the aforementioned facility where the reservation was made, A usage status management step involves associating the food and beverages delivered to the facility with the reservation information and managing the usage status of the food and beverages, Information processing methods including

8. The computer that manages food and beverage reservations, A facility reservation information acquisition step that obtains reservation information regarding facility usage reservations made by users, A food and beverage presentation step in which the food and beverages provided at the aforementioned facility are presented, A selection acceptance step for accepting the user's selection of food and beverages, A delivery management step that manages the delivery of the aforementioned food and beverages to the aforementioned facility where the reservation was made, A usage status management step involves associating the food and beverages delivered to the facility with the reservation information and managing the usage status of the food and beverages, A program that executes control processes, including those mentioned above.

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