Queue negotiation system, queue negotiation method, and program

Abstract

To provide a queue negotiation system that appropriately negotiates the exchange of queues, taking into account the attributes of the customers. [Solution] The queue negotiation system according to this disclosure comprises a registration unit, an acquisition unit, a transmission unit, and an exchange processing unit. The registration unit registers customer information, including contact information of customers waiting in line for guidance at a store. The acquisition unit acquires request information indicating that a requester with predetermined attributes is requesting an exchange of queues. The transmission unit transmits at least a portion of the request information to the customer based on the customer information. The exchange processing unit acquires acceptance information from the customer, including whether or not the exchange of queues is accepted, and exchanges queues between the requester and the accepted customer based on the acceptance information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sequential negotiation system, a sequential negotiation method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] When a store has not received a reservation, it usually guides customers in the order of arrival. However, while waiting for the guiding order, a later customer may request to exchange the order with a customer who arrived earlier (hereinafter referred to as the "front customer") for some reason. In this case, negotiating an order exchange individually with the front customer is time-consuming and laborious and can also cause trouble. In addition, requesting an order exchange in front of others has a high psychological barrier. Patent Document 1 describes an information processing device that enables users to exchange their orders in a facility where they wait in order while riding in a vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes that terminals associated with respective vehicles exchange electronic keys of each other's vehicles, and a passenger in a rear vehicle provides a gratuity to a passenger in a front vehicle. However, Patent Document 1 does not describe matching vehicles that exchange their orders based on the attributes of the passengers who request the exchange. Therefore, it is impossible to negotiate an order exchange in consideration of the attributes that customers have.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a sequential negotiation system or the like that suitably negotiates an order exchange in consideration of the attributes that customers have, in view of the above-described problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The queue negotiation system described herein comprises a registration unit, an acquisition unit, a transmission unit, and an exchange processing unit. The registration unit registers customer information, including contact information of customers waiting in line for service at a store. The acquisition unit acquires request information indicating that a requester with predetermined attributes is requesting a queue exchange. The transmission unit transmits at least a portion of the request information to the customer based on the customer information. The exchange processing unit acquires acceptance information from the customer, including whether or not they accept the queue exchange, and exchanges the queues between the requester and the accepted customer based on the acceptance information.

[0007] The queue negotiation method described in this disclosure involves a computer performing the following processes: The computer registers customer information, including contact information of customers waiting in line at the store. The computer obtains request information from requesters who meet certain attributes, indicating that they wish to exchange queues. The computer transmits at least part of the request information to the customer based on the customer information. The computer obtains acceptance information from the customer, including whether or not they accept the queue exchange, and exchanges queues between the requester and the accepted customer based on the acceptance information.

[0008] The program relating to this disclosure causes a computer to perform the following processes: The computer registers customer information, including contact information of customers waiting in line to be served at a store. The computer obtains request information from requesters who meet certain attributes, indicating that they wish to request a change of place in line. The computer transmits at least part of the request information to the customer based on the customer information. The computer obtains acceptance information from the customer, including whether or not they accept the change of place in line, and based on the acceptance information, exchanges the places between the requester and the accepted customer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a queue negotiation system, a queue negotiation system, and a program that suitably negotiates the exchange of order taking into account the attributes of the customer. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]This is an overview diagram of the first queue negotiation system related to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the first queue negotiation system related to this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of the first negotiation method for this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the second queue negotiation system related to this disclosure. [Figure 5] This is an example of a customer information list related to this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is an example of the information requested in this disclosure. [Figure 7] This is a sequence diagram of the second order negotiation method related to this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a computer. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The present disclosure will be described below through embodiments, but the invention claimed is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem. For clarity of explanation, the following descriptions and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations have been omitted where necessary.

[0012] <Embodiment 1> Figure 1 is an overview diagram of the first queue negotiation system 10 relating to this disclosure. Figure 1 shows how the queue negotiation system 10 exchanges the queue order for customers waiting to be served at a store. Here, the store serves customers on a first-come, first-served basis. The queue negotiation system 10 mediates the exchange of queues so that individuals with predetermined attributes can be served sooner. Here, predetermined attributes are, for example, physical or social attributes that require social support, such as being elderly, pregnant, disabled, injured, or with children. The predetermined attributes are not limited to these, and may also be attributes indicating eligibility for preferential treatment, such as being a shareholder or holder of a preferential treatment coupon. Note that the situation shown in Figure 1 is just an example. Therefore, the number of people, the order, and the information and communication situation when the queue negotiation system 10 processes are not limited to this.

[0013] First, the queue negotiation system 10 acquires and registers customer information of the customers 20 who are waiting in line to be guided in the store, as shown by the solid arrows in the diagram. The customer information includes the contact information of the customers 20. In Figure 1, there are five customers 20, each waiting in line in one of the order from 1 to 5, indicated by the numbers enclosed in circles. At this point, the requester 30, who possesses certain attributes, begins waiting as the sixth customer to be guided. In other words, for the requester 30, the five customers 20 are the customers who arrived earlier (hereinafter referred to as "first customers").

[0014] Next, the requester 30 requests a change of place from the previous customer. The queue negotiation system 10 receives request information from the requester 30 indicating a request for a change of place, as shown by the thick arrow in the diagram, and transmits at least a portion of the request information to the five customers 20.

[0015] As indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1, among the customers 20 who have received the invitation information, the third customer 20 waiting for guidance sends acceptance information indicating acceptance of the order exchange requested by the requester 30 to the order negotiation system 10. When the order negotiation system 10 obtains the acceptance information from the third customer 20 waiting for guidance, based on the acceptance information, it exchanges the guidance order between the requester 30 surrounded by the dotted line in the figure and the third customer 20 waiting for guidance. That is, the order negotiation system 10 changes the guidance order of the customer 20 who was originally waiting in the third place to the sixth place, and changes the guidance order of the requester 30 from the sixth place to the third place.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the first order negotiation system 10 according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the order negotiation system 10. The order negotiation system 10 includes a registration unit 101, an acquisition unit 102, a transmission unit 103, and an exchange processing unit 104.

[0017] The registration unit 101 registers customer information including the contact information of the customers 20 waiting for guidance in order at the store in a storage unit (not shown). Here, the contact information is, for example, the email address of the customer 20, the phone number, the ID (Identification) of an application having a communication function, or the account information of an SNS (Social Network Service), etc. The registration unit 101, for example, obtains and registers the customer information through the guidance waiting procedure by the customer 20. Here, the guidance waiting procedure refers to the customer 20 sending the customer information to the order negotiation system 11 and obtaining the guidance order. The customer information includes identification information for identifying the customer 20. Here, the identification information is the name of the customer 20, the registered name, or the identification number, etc. The registration unit 101 may treat the contact information of the customer 20 as identification information.

[0018] The acquisition unit 102 obtains request information indicating a request for order exchange from a requester 30 having a predetermined attribute. The predetermined attribute is, for example, a physical or social attribute that requires social support such as an elderly person, a pregnant woman, a disabled person, an injured person, or a person with children, but is not limited thereto. The acquisition unit 102, for example, obtains the request information set by the requester 30 along with the guidance waiting procedure.

[0019] The transmitting unit 103 transmits at least a part of the invitation information to the customer 20 based on the customer information. The transmitting unit 103 notifies the customer 20 that there are people with a predetermined attribute queuing up by transmitting the invitation information.

[0020] The exchange processing unit 104 acquires acceptance information including the acceptability of the order exchange from the customer 20 who has received the invitation information. For example, the exchange processing unit 104 acquires the acceptance information by receiving the acceptance information transmitted by the customer 20 who has accepted the order exchange. The acceptance information includes the identification information of the customer 20.

[0021] Furthermore, the exchange processing unit 104 exchanges the order between the requester 30 and the customer 20 who has accepted based on the acceptance information. According to this, the order negotiation system 10 can recruit the customer 20 who is acceptable to the requester 30 for the order, and mediate the order exchange negotiation so that the person with a predetermined attribute can receive the guidance earlier.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the first order negotiation method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows the flow of the first order negotiation method of the order negotiation system 10. The order negotiation method according to the order negotiation system 10 includes the steps from step S11 to step S15.

[0023] In step S11, the registration unit 101 of the order negotiation system 10 registers the customer information of the customer 20 waiting for the order. The customer information includes contact information such as the email address, phone number, application ID, or SNS account information of the customer 20.

[0024] In step S12, the acquisition unit 102 of the order negotiation system 10 acquires invitation information indicating that the requester 30 requests an order exchange. The requester 30 has a predetermined attribute. Here, the predetermined attribute is, for example, a physical or social attribute that requires social support such as an elderly person, a pregnant woman, a disabled person, an injured person, or a person with children. In step S13, the transmitting unit 103 of the order negotiation system 10 transmits at least a part of the invitation information to the customer 20 based on the customer information.

[0025] In step S14, the exchange processing unit 104 of the queue negotiation system 10 obtains acceptance information, including whether or not the queue exchange is accepted, from the customer 20 that received the request information. The exchange processing unit 104 may obtain acceptance information from all customers 20 that sent the request information, or it may obtain acceptance information only from customers 20 that have accepted the queue exchange.

[0026] In step S15, the exchange processing unit 104 exchanges the queue between the requester 30 and the customer 20 who has accepted the queue exchange, based on the acceptance information. For example, the exchange processing unit 104 exchanges the queue between the requester 30 and the customer 20 who has the earliest turn among the customers 20 who have accepted the queue exchange. The exchange processing unit 104 is not limited to this, and may exchange the queue between the requester 30 and the customer 20 whose acceptance was confirmed the earliest. Alternatively, it may exchange the queue between the requester 30 and a customer 20 randomly selected from among the customers 20 who have accepted the queue exchange.

[0027] As described above, the queue negotiation system 10 obtains request information from a requester 30 who has predetermined attributes and requests an exchange of queues, and transmits it to the customer 20 based on customer information, thereby exchanging queues between the requester 30 and the accepted customer 20. Therefore, the queue negotiation system 10 can suitably negotiate the exchange of queues by taking into account the attributes possessed by the customer.

[0028] The sequence negotiation system 10 may also have a processor and a memory device, although these are not shown in the diagram. The memory device of the sequence negotiation system 10 may include, for example, a non-volatile memory such as flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive). In this case, the memory device stores a computer program (hereinafter also simply referred to as a program) for executing the above-described method. The processor loads the computer program from the memory device into a buffer memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and executes the program.

[0029] Each component of the queue negotiation system 10 may be implemented with dedicated hardware. Furthermore, some or all of each component may be implemented by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or combinations thereof. These may be implemented by a single chip or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of each component of each device may be implemented by a combination of the aforementioned circuits, etc., and programs. Processors include CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), etc. Also, at least a portion of the processing performed by the queue negotiation system 10 may be provided as SaaS (Software as a Service). Furthermore, the queue negotiation system 10 may be implemented on a single device. The configurations described herein may also apply to other systems described below in this disclosure.

[0030] <Embodiment 2> Figure 4 is a block diagram of the second queue negotiation system 11 according to this disclosure. Figure 4 shows the configuration of the queue negotiation system 11. Note that the queue negotiation system 11 has some of the same configuration as the queue negotiation system 10 described with reference to Figure 2. Therefore, the configuration that performs processing that overlaps with the queue negotiation system 10 will not be described. The queue negotiation system 11 comprises a registration unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, a transmission unit 113, and an exchange processing unit 114. The store that uses the queue negotiation system 11 here is a restaurant. The queue negotiation system 11 is not limited to this, and may be used in entertainment facilities such as movie theaters or amusement parks, shops, or facilities such as hospitals.

[0031] The customer information registered by the registration unit 111 includes the customer's settings for receiving request information. These settings pertain to permission to receive request information. Based on this, the queue negotiation system 11 can confirm and register whether the customer intends to accept a queue exchange request.

[0032] Furthermore, the reception settings may include reception conditions set by the customer. Reception conditions indicate the conditions under which the customer permits the reception of request information. Reception conditions may include, for example, conditions relating to the acceptable waiting time or the attributes of the requester. In this way, the queue negotiation system 11 can register the reception conditions for request information that the customer can accept.

[0033] Figure 5 shows an example of the customer information list 1111 related to this disclosure. The customer information list 1111 is a list that compiles customer information of customers awaiting notification. The registration unit 111 registers the acquired customer information in the customer information list 1111. The customer information list 1111 includes information such as "order," "contact information," "registered name," and "reception settings."

[0034] In Figure 5, "Order" indicates the order in which customers are guided. "Order" is not included in the customer information that the order negotiation system 11 obtains from customers, but is determined and assigned by the order negotiation system 11. In addition, to manage the order of guidance, the order negotiation system 11 updates the "Order" by, for example, deleting customer information corresponding to customers who have already been guided.

[0035] "Contact information" refers to the customer's contact details. "Contact information" is included in the customer information that the queue negotiation system 11 obtains from the customer. "Contact information" may include, for example, the customer's email address, phone number, or account identification information for an application or social networking service that has a contact function.

[0036] Next, "Registered Name" is customer identification information and indicates the registered name in the queue negotiation system 11. "Registered Name" is included in the customer information that the queue negotiation system 11 obtains from the customer. Alternatively, "Registered Name" may be obtained from an application or SNS based on "Contact Information". Furthermore, the customer information list 1111 may not include "Registered Name" and may use "Contact Information" as customer identification information.

[0037] "Reception settings" are information relating to whether or not a customer can receive request information. This "reception settings" information is included in the customer information that the queue negotiation system 11 obtains from the customer. "Reception settings" include "reception permission" and "reception conditions." "Reception permission" and "reception conditions" are set by the customer. "Reception permission" indicates whether the customer allows the receipt of request information. "Reception conditions" indicate the conditions under which the customer allows the receipt of request information. "Reception conditions" may include, for example, rewards, acceptable waiting time, or requester attributes. Details regarding rewards will be described later.

[0038] In Figure 5, customer information list 1111 contains customer information for five customers waiting for guidance. Here, "Contact" is the application ID. Specifically, customer "A", who is "1st" in the guidance order, has "12-345" specified as the "Contact" and has set "Receiving Status" to "Yes" without setting any "Receiving Conditions" for request information. Customer "B", who is "2nd" in the order, has "00-000" specified as the "Contact" and has set "Receiving Status" to "Yes" if the "Receiving Conditions" for request information are "with reward".

[0039] Next, the customer with the "number" of "3" and the "registered name" "C" has specified "34-765" as the "contact number" and has set the "reception settings" for request information to "cannot receive". The customer with the "number" of "4" and the "registered name" "D" has specified "98-123" as the "contact number" and has set the "reception conditions" for request information to "can receive" if their estimated "waiting time" is within "1 hour". Finally, the customer with the "number" of "5" and the "registered name" "E" has specified "55-777" as the "contact number" and has set the "reception settings" for request information to "cannot receive".

[0040] Referring again to Figure 4, the acquisition unit 112 includes attribute verification means 1121. The attribute verification means 1121 verifies whether the requester's attributes include predetermined attributes. Here, predetermined attributes include at least attributes that require social support. Attributes requiring social support include, for example, the elderly, pregnant women, disabled people, injured people, or people with children.

[0041] The attribute verification means 1121 verifies whether the applicant's attributes meet the specified requirements by, for example, reading a predetermined sticker, notebook, or certificate indicating the attributes. Alternatively, the attribute verification means 1121 verifies whether the applicant's attributes meet the specified requirements by reading an identification number or registration number indicating approval for use. Approval for use is issued, for example, by a public institution or cooperating institution. This allows the queue negotiation system 11 to appropriately encourage consideration for applicants who require social support.

[0042] The request information acquired by the acquisition unit 112 includes the reason why the requester is requesting a change of place in line. Based on this, the customer who receives the request information can decide whether to agree to the change of place in line, taking into account the reason for the request. Therefore, the line negotiation system 11 can politely encourage the customer to change their place in line.

[0043] Here, the reason for the request may include an explanation relating to a predetermined attribute. According to this, the queue negotiation system 11 can suitably negotiate the exchange of the queue for requesters who require social support. Therefore, the queue negotiation system 11 can more effectively encourage consideration for requesters who require social support.

[0044] Furthermore, the request information may include information about the reward to be given to customers who accept the queue exchange. The reward may be, for example, a service item, points usable at the store or affiliated stores, or a voucher. This allows the queue negotiation system 11 to present the customer with the benefits of queue exchange. Therefore, the queue negotiation system 11 can effectively encourage customers to exchange queues. The reward may be arbitrarily set by the store or the requester and registered in the queue negotiation system 11. The queue negotiation system 11 may also determine the reward based on at least one of the customer's expected increase in waiting time during queue exchange and the request information. This allows the queue negotiation system 11 to more effectively encourage customers to exchange queues.

[0045] Figure 6 shows an example of request information 1122 relating to this disclosure. Request information 1122 is information indicating a request for queue exchange obtained by the queue negotiation system 11 from the requester. In this case, the requester is the customer whose "Registered Name" is "E," as explained with reference to Figure 5. Request information 1122 includes information on "Queue," "Contact Information," "Registered Name," "Attributes," "Reason for Request," and "Reward."

[0046] Here, "Ranking," "Contact Information," and "Registered Name" are the same information as those described in Figure 5, except that they are the requester's information. The queue negotiation system 11 can provide the customer with information to decide whether to accept the queue exchange by sending request information including the "Ranking" information. The queue negotiation system 11 omits the "Contact Information" from the request information sent to the customer. The queue negotiation system 11 may also omit the "Registered Name" from the request information sent to the customer.

[0047] "Attributes" indicate the social or physical attributes of the requester. "Attributes" are included in the request information that the queue negotiation system 11 obtains from the requester. Alternatively, the acquisition unit of the queue negotiation system 11 may obtain pre-entered information about "Attributes" from a storage unit (not shown) or external storage device based on "Contact Information". The queue negotiation system 11 transmits the request information if the "Attributes" include predetermined attributes. Here, predetermined attributes include at least attributes that require social support. The queue negotiation system 11 may also transmit the request information to the customer after omitting the "Attributes".

[0048] The "Reason for Request" indicates the reason for the requester's request to change the queue order. The "Reason for Request" is included in the request information that the queue negotiation system 11 obtains from the requester. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 112 of the queue negotiation system 11 may obtain pre-entered information about the "Reason for Request" from a storage unit (not shown) or external storage device based on the "Contact Information". The queue negotiation system 11 may obtain the "Reason for Request" as free-form text information, or in a format where the reason is selected from predetermined options. Furthermore, the "Reason for Request" may also include an explanation relating to the "Attributes". The queue negotiation system 11 sends the request information, including the "Reason for Request," to the customer.

[0049] "Reward" refers to the content of the reward given to a customer who accepts a queue exchange request. The content of the reward is included in the request information obtained by the queue negotiation system 11 from the requester. Alternatively, the queue negotiation system 11 may determine the content of the reward based on at least one of the customer's expected increase in waiting time during the queue exchange and the request information. The queue negotiation system 11 may also allow the customer to choose the content of the reward from multiple options.

[0050] In Figure 6, Request Information 1122 shows the information of the person who requested the change of order. Here, "Contact Information" is the application ID. Specifically, the person whose "Registered Name" is "E" and whose "Order" for the guidance is "5" has specified "55-777" as their "Contact Information" and their "Attribute" is "Elderly". The person also listed "Knee pain due to aging" as the "Reason for Request". Furthermore, Request Information 1122 indicates that the "Reward" for accepting the change of order with the person who requested the guidance and becoming the 5th person in line is the provision of "one drink".

[0051] Referring again to Figure 4, the transmission unit 113 transmits request information based on the receiving settings included in the customer information. This allows the queue negotiation system 11 to transmit request information to customers who intend to accept a queue exchange request. Therefore, the queue negotiation system 11 can suitably provide queue exchange request information.

[0052] Furthermore, the transmission unit 113 may transmit the request information if the request information satisfies the reception conditions included in the reception settings. This allows the queue negotiation system 11 to transmit the request information when the conditions are acceptable to the customer. Therefore, the queue negotiation system 11 can more effectively provide queue exchange request information.

[0053] The exchange processing unit 114 includes a billing means 1141. The billing means 1141 bills the store operator for the cost of the reward for accepting the request to exchange queues. In this way, the queue negotiation system 11 can contribute to building a society with abundant social support where people are considerate of each other and make concessions. The billing means 1141 may also bill the requester for the cost of the reward. In this way, the queue negotiation system 11 can negotiate queue exchanges appropriately. Alternatively, the billing means 1141 may bill the store operator and the requester for the cost of the reward in a predetermined proportion.

[0054] Figure 7 is a sequence diagram of the second queue negotiation method relating to this disclosure. Figure 7 shows the exchange of information between the queue negotiation system 11, the customer terminal 21, and the requester terminal 31. The queue negotiation system 11 communicates with the customer terminal 21 and the requester terminal 31, respectively.

[0055] Customer terminal 21 is the customer's personal terminal. Requester terminal 31 is the requester's personal terminal. Here, personal terminals are, for example, smartphones, smartwatches, or tablets. Personal terminals connect to a predetermined website and communicate with the queue negotiation system 11, for example. Alternatively, personal terminals may be equipped with a predetermined application, and communication with the queue negotiation system 11 may be handled through that application. Requester terminal 31 also communicates with the queue negotiation system 11 as customer terminal 21.

[0056] The second queue negotiation method shown in Figure 7 includes steps S21 to S29. In step S21, the customer terminal 21 transmits the customer information entered by the customer to the queue negotiation system 11. Here, the customer information includes the customer's contact information and the customer's set settings for receiving request information. The receiving settings are settings that permit communication regarding the request information. The receiving settings may also include the customer's set receiving conditions.

[0057] In step S22, the registration unit 111 of the queue negotiation system 11 acquires and registers customer information from the customer terminal 21. The queue negotiation system 11 adds the guidance order information to the customer information acquired from the queue customer and registers it. Here, the process in steps S21 and S22 in which the queue negotiation system 11 assigns a guidance order to a customer is also called the guidance waiting procedure.

[0058] Steps S21 and S22 may be performed in advance, except for the assignment of information regarding the order of service. In this case, the queue negotiation system 11 reads the customer information based on the identification information such as contact information obtained through the waiting procedure by the customer terminal 21, assigns the order of service information, and registers it.

[0059] In step S23, the requester terminal 31 transmits the request information for order exchange entered by the requester, who possesses predetermined attributes, to the order negotiation system 11. In step S24, the acquisition unit 112 of the order negotiation system 11 acquires the request information from the requester terminal 31. Here, the request information may include the reason for the requester's request for order exchange.

[0060] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 112 may use the attribute verification means 1121 to verify the attributes of the requester. Here, the predetermined attributes include at least attributes that require social support, and the reason for the request may include an explanation of the predetermined attributes.

[0061] In step S25, the transmission unit 113 of the queue negotiation system 11 transmits request information to the customer terminal 21 based on the reception settings included in the customer information. For example, the transmission unit 113 transmits the request information to the customer terminal 21 if the request information meets the reception conditions. The transmission unit 113 also extracts and transmits information from the request information such as the requester's current place in line, attributes, reason for the request, and information related to the acceptance decision, such as the reward.

[0062] In step S26, the customer terminal 21 receives the request information 1122 received from the queue negotiation system 11 and accepts whether the customer has confirmed and decided to accept the queue exchange request. If the customer terminal 21 receives acceptance permission from the customer, it starts step S27. If the customer terminal 21 receives rejection of acceptance from the customer, it may interrupt the process. In step S27, the customer terminal 21 transmits acceptance information to the queue negotiation system 11. Here, the acceptance information includes, for example, the information of the accepted permission and terminal identification information such as the contact information of the customer terminal 21.

[0063] In step S28, the exchange processing unit 114 of the queue negotiation system 11 obtains acceptance information from the customer terminal 21. Based on the obtained acceptance information, the exchange processing unit 114 determines which customer will exchange the queue with the requester. In step S29, the exchange processing unit 114 exchanges the order of service between the determined customer and the requester. The exchange processing unit 114 may use the billing means 1141 to bill the store operator for the costs incurred for the reward.

[0064] As explained above, the queue negotiation system 11 communicates the queue exchange request of a requester with attributes requiring social support to other customers and encourages them to exchange places with the requester. Therefore, the queue negotiation system 11 can negotiate queue exchanges more favorably by taking into account the attributes of the customers.

[0065] The requester may register their attributes and reason for request in the queue negotiation system 11 in advance. In this case, the queue negotiation system 11 obtains identification information such as contact information from the requester terminal 31 that has completed the waiting procedure at the store, generates request information by reading the information registered in advance based on the identification information, and sends it to other customers who are ahead of them. In other words, steps S23 and S24 may be processed in advance, and the processing of step S25 may start after step S22.

[0066] Furthermore, the queue negotiation system 11 may generate and acquire acceptance information based on acceptance conditions such as an acceptable waiting time or acceptance target attributes set in advance by the customer 20. In this case, the customer information includes acceptance conditions instead of reception settings and reception conditions. In addition, the queue negotiation system 11 omits the processing from steps S25 to S28 and performs the generation of acceptance information based on the acceptance conditions and notifies the customer of the queue exchange.

[0067] <Example hardware configuration> The following describes examples of how each functional configuration of the queue negotiation system described herein can be implemented using a combination of hardware and software.

[0068] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a computer. The sequence negotiation system according to this disclosure can realize the above-described functions using a computer 500 including the hardware configuration shown in the figure. The computer 500 may be a portable computer such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, or a stationary computer such as a PC. The computer 500 may be a dedicated computer designed to realize each device, or it may be a general-purpose computer. The computer 500 can realize the desired functions by installing a predetermined application.

[0069] Computer 500 includes a bus 502, a processor 504, memory 506, a storage device 508, an input / output interface (I / F) 510, and a network interface (I / F) 512. Bus 502 is a data transmission path for the processor 504, memory 506, storage device 508, input / output interface 510, and network interface 512 to send and receive data to and from each other. However, the method of connecting the processor 504 and other components to each other is not limited to bus connection.

[0070] Processor 504 is various types of processors such as CPUs, GPUs, or FPGAs. Memory 506 is main memory implemented using RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

[0071] The storage device 508 is an auxiliary storage device implemented using a hard disk, SSD, memory card, or ROM (Read Only Memory). The storage device 508 stores a program for realizing a desired function. The processor 504 reads this program into memory 506 and executes it to realize each functional component of each device.

[0072] The input / output interface 510 is an interface for connecting the computer 500 to input / output devices. For example, input devices such as keyboards and output devices such as display devices are connected to the input / output interface 510. The network interface 512 is an interface for connecting the computer 500 to a network.

[0073] While this disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments, it is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various modifications to the structure and details of this disclosure are possible, as can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0074] Each drawing is merely illustrative to illustrate one or more embodiments. Each drawing may be associated with one or more other embodiments rather than with only one specific embodiment. As those skilled in the art will understand, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings, for example, to create embodiments not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing to illustrate an exemplary embodiment are necessarily required, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps shown in any of the drawings may be changed as appropriate.

[0075] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) A registration section where customer information, including contact information, is registered for customers waiting in line to be served at the store, An acquisition unit that acquires request information indicating that a requester possessing certain attributes is requesting an exchange of turns, A transmission unit that transmits at least a portion of the request information to the customer based on the customer information, We obtain acceptance information from the aforementioned customer, including whether or not they accept the change of order. An exchange processing unit that, based on the acceptance information, exchanges the order between the requester and the accepted customer, A queue negotiation system equipped with the following features. (Note 2) The aforementioned request information includes the reason for the requester's request to change the order. The queue negotiation system described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The acquisition unit includes attribute verification means for verifying whether the attributes of the requester possess the predetermined attributes, The aforementioned predetermined attributes include at least attributes that require social support, Based on the aforementioned request, including an explanation relating to the aforementioned predetermined attribute, The queue negotiation system described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The aforementioned request information includes reward information for the reward given to the customer who accepted the exchange of orders. The order negotiation system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 in the appendix. (Note 5) The exchange processing unit includes a requesting means, The aforementioned billing method involves billing the store operator for the expenses related to the aforementioned gratuity. The queue negotiation system described in Appendix 4. (Note 6) The customer information includes the customer's settings for receiving the requested information, The transmitting unit transmits the request information based on the receiving settings. The order negotiation system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 in the appendix. (Note 7) The aforementioned reception settings include the reception conditions set by the customer, The transmitting unit transmits the request information when the request information satisfies the reception conditions. The queue negotiation system described in Appendix 6. (Note 8) The aforementioned store is a restaurant. The order negotiation system described in any one of the items 1 to 3 in the appendix. (Note 9) Computers Register customer information, including contact details, for customers waiting in line at the store. Obtain request information indicating that a requester possessing certain attributes is requesting an exchange of turns. Based on the customer information, at least a portion of the request information is sent to the customer. We obtain acceptance information from the aforementioned customer, including whether or not they accept the change of order. Based on the aforementioned acceptance information, the order is exchanged between the requester and the accepted customer. How to negotiate the order of arrival. (Note 10) On the computer, Register customer information, including contact details, for customers waiting in line at the store. Obtain request information indicating that a requester possessing certain attributes is requesting an exchange of turns. Based on the customer information, at least a portion of the request information is sent to the customer. We obtain acceptance information from the aforementioned customer, including whether or not they accept the change of order. Based on the aforementioned acceptance information, the order is exchanged between the requester and the accepted customer. A program that makes something happen.

[0076] Some or all of the elements (e.g., configuration and function) described in Appendices 2 to 8 that are dependent on Appendice 1 may also be dependent on Appendices 9 and 10 in the same manner as those described in Appendices 2 to 8. Some or all of the elements described in any appendice may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means, systems, and methods for recording software. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10, 11 Queue negotiation system 20 customers 21 Customer terminals 30 Requesters 31 Requester's terminal 101, 111 Registration Department 102, 112 Acquisition Department 103, 113 Transmitter 104, 114 Replacement Processing Unit 1111 Customer Information List 1121 Attribute confirmation method 1122 Request Information 1141 Billing means 500 Computers Bus 502 504 Processors 506 memory 508 Storage Devices 510 Input / Output Interfaces 512 Network Interfaces

Claims

1. A registration section where customer information, including contact information, is registered for customers waiting in line to be served at the store, An acquisition unit that acquires request information indicating that a requester possessing certain attributes is requesting an exchange of turns, A transmission unit that transmits at least a portion of the request information to the customer based on the customer information, We obtain acceptance information from the aforementioned customer, including whether or not they accept the change of order. An exchange processing unit that, based on the acceptance information, exchanges the order between the requester and the accepted customer, A queue negotiation system equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned request information includes the reason for the requester's request to change the order. The order negotiation system according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition unit includes attribute verification means for verifying whether the attributes of the requester possess the predetermined attributes, The aforementioned predetermined attributes include at least attributes that require social support, Based on the aforementioned request, including an explanation relating to the aforementioned predetermined attribute, The order negotiation system according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned request information includes reward information for the reward given to the customer who accepted the exchange of orders. The order negotiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The exchange processing unit includes a requesting means, The aforementioned billing method involves billing the store operator for the expenses related to the aforementioned gratuity. The order negotiation system according to claim 4.

6. The customer information includes the customer's settings for receiving the requested information, The transmitting unit transmits the request information based on the receiving settings. The order negotiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The aforementioned reception settings include the reception conditions set by the customer, The transmitting unit transmits the request information when the request information satisfies the reception conditions. The order negotiation system according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned store is a restaurant. The order negotiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. Computers Register customer information, including contact details, for customers waiting in line at the store. Obtain request information indicating that a requester possessing certain attributes is requesting an exchange of turns. Based on the customer information, at least a portion of the request information is sent to the customer. We obtain acceptance information from the aforementioned customer, including whether or not they accept the change of order. Based on the aforementioned acceptance information, the order is exchanged between the requester and the accepted customer. How to negotiate the order of arrival.

10. On the computer, Register customer information, including contact details, for customers waiting in line at the store. Obtain request information indicating that a requester possessing certain attributes is requesting an exchange of turns. Based on the customer information, at least a portion of the request information is sent to the customer. We obtain acceptance information from the aforementioned customer, including whether or not they accept the change of order. Based on the aforementioned acceptance information, the order is exchanged between the requester and the accepted customer. A program that makes something happen.

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