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

Abstract

The purpose is to encourage vehicles to leave the parking lot when it is expected to be full, thereby increasing the turnover rate of the parking lot. [Solution] The system includes: a occupancy rate determination unit that determines when the parking lot is likely to be full; a member information receiving unit that receives member information of a user associated with a vehicle parked in the parking lot when the occupancy rate is high; a response form transmission unit that sends a response form to the user's user terminal in which the user can input information about their planned departure date based on the member information received by the member information receiving unit; a schedule information receiving unit that receives the information about the planned departure date entered in the response form; a departure time receiving unit that receives the departure time of the vehicle; and a preferential data granting unit that grants preferential data to the user based on the time the schedule information receiving unit received the information about the planned departure date and the departure time received by the departure time receiving unit.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a system for reducing the waiting time in a parking lot by increasing the turnover rate of users in the parking lot as much as possible is known. Patent Document 1 discloses that discount service grant data is given to a user according to the remaining time obtained by subtracting the parking time from the allowable parking time (for example, 60 minutes) corresponding to the parking fee.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, according to the conventional technology, it is difficult for a user who has parked a vehicle and left the parking lot to grasp the possibility that the parking lot will become full when it is full. Therefore, there is a problem that when the possibility of being full is high, the vehicle cannot be promoted to leave the warehouse, and the turnover rate of the parking lot cannot be increased.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to promote the departure of a vehicle when the possibility of the parking lot being full is high and increase the turnover rate of the parking lot.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention comprises: a parking lot occupancy rate determination unit that determines when the parking lot is expected to be full; a member information receiving unit that receives member information of a user associated with a vehicle parked in the parking lot when the expected occupancy rate is high; a response form transmission unit that sends a response form to the user's user terminal in which the user can input information about their planned departure date based on the member information received by the member information receiving unit; a schedule information receiving unit that receives the information about the planned departure date entered in the response form; a departure time receiving unit that receives the departure time of the vehicle; and a preferential data granting unit that grants preferential data to the user based on the time the schedule information receiving unit received the information about the planned departure date and the departure time received by the departure time receiving unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, when a parking lot is expected to be full, it is possible to promote the departure of vehicles and increase the turnover rate of the parking lot. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of a user terminal, an information processing device, and a parking terminal. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of member IDs and vehicle numbers included in the member database. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of an input screen displaying the response form according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of an explanation screen on a member site. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of points awarded by the preferential treatment data awarding department. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing procedure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of an input screen displaying the response form according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows another example of an input screen displaying the response form according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing procedure according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of the information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and program will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0010] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 1 of this embodiment comprises user terminals 10, information processing devices 20, and a parking terminal 30 installed in a parking lot P, all connected to each other via a communication network 40 such as the Internet. The parking lot P is assumed to have one or more parking spaces (car rooms).

[0011] User terminal 10 is a terminal used by user 2, and is, for example, a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, or a navigation terminal installed in user 2's vehicle. The information processing device 20 and parking terminal 30 are computers such as a server, a notebook PC (personal computer), or a desktop PC.

[0012] User 2 is a member of the membership site managed by the information processing device 20. A membership site is a site that provides various information to members. On the membership site, for example, instructions regarding the use of parking lots and services are posted. The information processing device 20 notifies User 2 of information regarding the parking lot P via, for example, the membership site application installed on the user terminal 10. Also, the parking lot terminal 30 transmits information (vacancy status information) indicating the vacancy status of the parking lot P where the parking lot terminal 30 is installed to the information processing device 20.

[0013] The vacancy status information is, for example, information (full / empty information) indicating the state of whether the parking lot P is full or empty (full / empty state), information on the number of available spaces, and the like. Here, full means that not all of the passenger compartments in the parking lot P are empty (occupied), and empty means that at least one passenger compartment in the parking lot P is empty. Also, the number of available spaces is the number of empty passenger compartments among the passenger compartments in the parking lot P. The vacancy status information is generated based on vehicle information obtained by, for example, cameras or sensors (inductive loop coils, laser sensors, etc.) installed near the entrance and exit of the parking lot P, or wide-angle cameras installed on the ceiling of the parking lot P.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 10, the information processing device 20, and the parking lot terminal 30. Note that the hardware elements of the user terminal 10, the information processing device 20, and the parking lot terminal 30 are not limited to the configurations illustrated in FIG. 2, and may be in a form including other hardware elements (for example, input devices such as cameras and microphones, speakers, hard disks, etc.).

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the user terminal 10, the information processing device 20, and the parking lot terminal 30 include a MPU (Micro Processing Unit) 601, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 602, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 603, a display unit 604, a communication I / F (interface) unit 605, a storage unit 606, and a bus 610.

[0016] By executing a program, the MPU 601 comprehensively controls the operation of the device (any one of the user terminal 10, the information processing device 20, and the parking lot terminal 30) on which it is mounted, and realizes various functions of the device on which it is mounted.

[0017] The ROM 602 is a non-volatile memory and stores various types of information including programs executed by the MPU 601. The RAM 603 is a volatile memory having a working area for the MPU 601. The display unit 604 is a device that displays various types of information, and may be, for example, a display input device having a liquid crystal type touch panel function.

[0018] The communication I / F unit 605 is an interface for connecting to the communication network 40. The storage unit 606 is a storage device such as a flash memory or a hard disk. The MPU 601, the ROM 602, the RAM 603, the display unit 604, the communication I / F unit 605, and the storage unit 606 are communicably connected to each other via the bus 610.

[0019] Next, the functions of the information processing device 20 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 20 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, only the functions necessary for explaining the main part of the present embodiment are illustrated, but the functions of the information processing device 20 are not limited to these.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing device 20 includes, as functional units, an occupancy prediction determination unit 200, a member information reception unit 210, a response form transmission unit 220, a schedule information reception unit 230, a departure time reception unit 240, and a preferential data addition unit 250. The functions of these functional units are realized by executing a program on the MPU 601. Note that the functions of these functional units may be configured to be executed by an arithmetic device such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0021] The occupancy rate determination unit 200 determines the likelihood of the parking lot P being full (occupancy rate). Specifically, it determines (1) the likelihood of the parking lot P becoming vacant when the occupancy rate information indicates it is full (vacancy rate), and (2) the likelihood of the parking lot P becoming full when the occupancy rate information indicates it is vacant (full capacity rate). The occupancy rate determination unit 200 may have both functions (1) and (2), or have either function (1) or (2).

[0022] The occupancy rate determination unit 200 determines the expected occupancy rate of parking lot P at a predetermined time based on, for example, information on the number of available spaces received from the parking terminal 30 of parking lot P, and information on the expected arrival time of vehicles planning to park in parking lot P. The expected arrival time information is obtained, for example, when a member of a member site enters parking lot P as a destination in a navigation system. The predetermined time is the time after a predetermined period of time (for example, 10 minutes or 15 minutes) has elapsed from the current time.

[0023] The occupancy rate determination unit 200 determines whether the parking lot is likely to be full, for example, by using the number of available spaces in parking lot P and the estimated arrival times of each vehicle to parking lot P, when the occupancy rate information indicates that there are vacant spaces (i.e., the occupancy rate status is vacant). In this embodiment, the information used by the occupancy rate determination unit 200 to determine the occupancy rate is referred to as the occupancy rate information.

[0024] Specifically, if there are n available spaces and n or more other vehicles whose estimated arrival time is earlier than the designated time, the likelihood of the parking lot being full is determined to be high. On the other hand, if there are n available spaces in parking lot P and (nm) or fewer other vehicles whose estimated arrival time is earlier than the designated time, the likelihood of parking lot P being full is determined to be low. Here, m is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and represents a margin set according to the location conditions of parking lot P, the date and time of the designated time, etc. For example, m is set to a large value when parking lot P is busy at that time, and to a small value when parking lot P is not busy at that time.

[0025] The occupancy rate determination unit 200 determines whether there is a large number of available spaces when the occupancy rate information indicates that the parking lot is full (i.e., the occupancy rate status is full), for example, by using the parking time of vehicles parked in parking lot P. Specifically, if at a predetermined time there are N or more vehicles whose parking time exceeds time T, it is determined that there is a large number of available spaces. On the other hand, if at a predetermined time there are fewer than N vehicles whose parking time exceeds time T, it is determined that there is a small number of available spaces. Note that T and N are values ​​determined according to the location conditions of parking lot P, the date and time of the predetermined time, etc.

[0026] The occupancy rate determination unit 200 may determine the occupancy rate using occupancy rate information other than that described above. For example, it may determine that the occupancy rate is high when the parking rate is 90% or higher. Here, the parking rate is the ratio of the number of parked vehicles to the number of parking spaces in the parking lot P. The parking rate may be either the parking rate at the current time or the parking rate at a predetermined time. Alternatively, for example, information on the number of vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot may be received from the parking lot terminal 30 and used to determine the occupancy rate. Here, the number of vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot is, for example, the number of vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot acquired by a camera or sensor installed before the entrance to the parking lot P. More specifically, the number of vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot is, for example, the number of vehicles waiting to enter the parking lot acquired by detecting and tracking vehicles included in the image data of a camera or the like.

[0027] The member information receiving unit 210 receives member information of user 2 associated with a vehicle parked in parking lot P. The member information receiving unit 210, for example, refers to the member DB (Database) stored in the storage unit 606 of the information processing device 20 to search for the member ID (Identification) based on the vehicle number of the parked vehicle, and receives the searched member ID as member information. The vehicle number is obtained, for example, by the parking terminal 30 from an image of the license plate taken by a camera installed in parking lot P using character recognition, and transmitted to the information processing device 20.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of member IDs and vehicle numbers included in the member database. As shown in Figure 4, member IDs and vehicle numbers are linked in the member database, and the member information receiving unit 210 can obtain the member ID of user 2 associated with the vehicle number from the vehicle number. Note that the vehicle number may be, for example, the vehicle number of the vehicle that user 2 is using for car sharing.

[0029] The response form transmission unit 220 sends a response form to the user terminal 10, in which the user can input information about the scheduled shipment, based on the member information received by the member information reception unit 210. The scheduled shipment information is, for example, information indicating how long from the current time user 2 is scheduled to ship the goods. The scheduled shipment information may also include information indicating that the scheduled shipment is undecided.

[0030] The schedule information receiving unit 230 receives the scheduled shipment information entered by user 2 in the response form.

[0031] The departure time receiving unit 240 receives the departure time of each vehicle. The departure time is, for example, the time when a camera installed near the exit of the parking lot P photographs the departing vehicle, and is the departure time of the vehicle corresponding to the vehicle number obtained from the image taken by the camera. The parking terminal 30 transmits the vehicle number and departure time in association to the information processing device 20, and the departure time receiving unit 240 receives the vehicle number and departure time transmitted from the parking terminal 30. Note that the departure time received by the departure time receiving unit 240 does not have to be transmitted from the parking terminal 30. For example, the parking terminal 30 may transmit only the vehicle number to the information processing device 20, and the departure time receiving unit 240 may receive the time when the information processing device 20 received the vehicle number as the departure time.

[0032] The preferential data granting unit 250 grants preferential data to user 2, who is a member, based on the time the scheduled departure information receiving unit 230 receives departure information (responses entered in the response form) (response time) and the departure time received by the departure time receiving unit 240. Here, preferential data is, for example, points that user 2 can accumulate linked to their member ID. Depending on the number of points, user 2 can receive benefits such as discounts on parking fees or increased parking time. The benefits that user 2 receives may also be, for example, discounts on car sharing fees or benefits for affiliated services. The preferential data is not limited to points; for example, it may be an actual discount on parking fees or a coupon for a commercial facility that is affiliated with the parking lot P. Furthermore, the provider of the preferential data may be a parking lot operator, a commercial facility that is affiliated with the parking lot P, or even another user waiting to enter the parking lot P.

[0033] Figure 5 shows an example of an input screen 400 displaying an answer form according to the first embodiment. The answer form is transmitted from the answer form transmission unit 220 to the user terminal 10 as described above, and the input screen 400 is the screen displayed on the display unit 604 of the user terminal 10. As shown in Figure 5, the input screen 400 has an answer area 410 including radio buttons 411 and an answer button 420. User 2 can, for example, touch the screen with their finger or a pen to select the desired answer from the radio buttons 411 and press the answer button 420 to send the information about the scheduled shipment to the information processing device 20. In the example in Figure 5, "Scheduled to be shipped in 10 minutes" is selected as the answer.

[0034] Figure 6 shows an example of an explanation screen 500 on a member site. The explanation screen 500 is a member site screen displayed on the display unit 604 of the user terminal 10, and as shown in Figure 6, it contains an explanation of the points awarded to members who provide information about their planned departure time. User 2 can, for example, display the explanation screen 500 on the display unit 604 on the member site page and answer the response form to check what kind of points will be awarded before using the parking lot P. Also, as shown in Figure 5, if a link to the explanation screen 500 is provided on the input screen 400, User 2 can check what kind of points will be awarded by clicking on the link when they receive the response form.

[0035] In the example in Figure 6, points are awarded to the first three users based on the time between response and departure: 500 points for departure within 5 minutes of response, 100 points for departure within 10 minutes of response, and 10 points for departure within 20 minutes of response. In this way, the reward data awarding unit 250 awards reward data (e.g., points) to the responding user 2, with the reward level (e.g., points) increasing the shorter the time between response and departure, thus encouraging user 2 to depart the vehicle. Furthermore, by including conditions such as "first three users" in the awarding conditions, the likelihood of receiving reward data increases with earlier response times, departure can be further encouraged.

[0036] Furthermore, the reward data granting unit 250 may grant points to the responding user 2 other than points corresponding to the time from response to dispatch. In the example in Figure 6, even if the conditions shown on the explanation screen 500 are not met, the reward data granting unit 250 grants 5 points to the responding user 2. In other words, the reward data granting unit 250 may grant reward data to user 2 based on the receipt of dispatch schedule information.

[0037] Figure 7 shows an example of points awarded by the preferential data awarding unit 250. In the example in Figure 7(a), members with member IDs aaa, bbb, and ccc (hereinafter referred to as member aaa, etc.) have taken their items out of the warehouse 9 minutes, 18 minutes, and 2 minutes after the response time, respectively. In this case, the preferential data awarding unit 250 awards members aaa, bbb, and ccc 100 points, 10 points, and 500 points, respectively, according to the conditions in Figure 6. On the other hand, members ddd and eee do not meet the conditions in Figure 6, but have responded to the response form, so the preferential data awarding unit 250 awards each member 5 points.

[0038] In the example in Figure 7(b), members aaa, ccc, and eee departed their inventory 9 minutes, 2 minutes, and 15 minutes after the response time, respectively. In this case, the reward data awarding unit 250 awards members aaa, ccc, and eee 100 points, 500 points, and 10 points, respectively, according to the conditions in Figure 6. On the other hand, members bbb and eee do not meet the conditions in Figure 6, but since they have responded to the response form, the reward data awarding unit 250 awards each member 5 points.

[0039] The response form shown in Figure 5 is just an example, and the number of options and the duration of each option may differ from those shown in Figure 5. Similarly, the point awarding conditions shown in Figure 6 are just an example, and the relationship between time to exit and points, as well as the number of first-come, first-served participants, may differ from those shown in Figure 6. Furthermore, the condition of the number of first-come, first-served participants is not required. The content of the response form and the point awarding conditions may differ from one parking lot to another, or they may be the same for all parking lots.

[0040] Furthermore, the preferential data awarding unit 250 may award points based on the absolute value of the difference between the scheduled dispatch time and the actual dispatch time, along with the time from the response time to the dispatch time, or instead of the time from the response time to the dispatch time. Here, the scheduled dispatch time is the time obtained by adding the scheduled dispatch time (for example, 5 minutes if the response is "dispatch within 5 minutes of response") to the response time. The preferential data awarding unit 250 can award higher points to members who have provided accurate dispatch information by, for example, calculating higher points when the absolute value of the difference is smaller.

[0041] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the information processing procedure according to the first embodiment. First, the occupancy rate determination unit 200 determines whether the parking lot P is expected to be full (step S100). If the occupancy rate is not expected to be full (step S100: No), the occupancy rate determination unit 200 repeats the determination in step S100. In step S100, if the occupancy rate information indicates that the parking lot is empty, the number of available spaces in the parking lot P and the expected arrival time of each vehicle are used to determine whether the occupancy rate is high or low. If the occupancy rate information indicates that the parking lot is full, the parking time of the vehicles parked in the parking lot P is used to determine whether the occupancy rate is high or low. On the other hand, if the occupancy rate is high (step S100: Yes), the member information receiving unit 210 receives member information (member ID) retrieved from the member DB stored in the storage unit 606 (step S101).

[0042] Next, the response form transmission unit 220 transmits the response form to the user terminal 10 of each member who has parked their vehicle in the parking lot P (step S102), and the schedule information receiving unit 230 receives the scheduled departure information entered in the response form from the user terminal 10 (step S103).

[0043] Next, the departure time receiving unit 240 receives the departure time of each vehicle from the parking terminal 30 (step S104), and the preferential data granting unit 250 grants preferential data (points, etc.) to members who have already left the parking lot after responding with information about their planned departure (step S105). In step S105, a preferential day is granted to the member user 2 based on the time the scheduled information receiving unit 230 received the information about the planned departure (response time) and the departure time received by the departure time receiving unit 240.

[0044] As described above, this embodiment facilitates vehicle departure when the parking lot is expected to be full, thereby increasing the turnover rate of the parking lot. In the above description, the information processing device 20 is assumed to have a fullness determination unit 200, a member information receiving unit 210, a response form transmission unit 220, a schedule information receiving unit 230, a departure time receiving unit 240, and a preferential data assignment unit 250, but the configuration of this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the parking terminal 30 may have a fullness determination unit 200, a member information receiving unit 210, a response form transmission unit 220, a schedule information receiving unit 230, a departure time receiving unit 240, and a preferential data assignment unit 250, and the information processing device 20 may be configured to transmit member information to the parking terminal 30. In this case, the parking terminal 30 is an example of an information processing device, and the information processing device 20 is an example of a server.

[0045] (Second Embodiment) In this embodiment, the response form transmission unit 220 transmits a response form that includes information indicating the conditions for granting preferential data (granting condition information). For example, by including information in the response form that indicates the conditions for granting more points when parking lot P is expected to be full, it is possible to further encourage vehicles to leave the parking lot. In the following description of the second embodiment, the explanation of parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted, and the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be explained.

[0046] Figure 9 shows an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 20 according to the second embodiment. Note that Figure 9 only illustrates the functions necessary for explaining the main parts of this embodiment, but the functions of the information processing device 20 are not limited to these. The difference from the first embodiment is that the response form transmission unit 220 has an assignment condition information creation unit 221 and transmits a response form including the created assignment condition information.

[0047] The granting condition information creation unit 221 creates granting condition information. The response form transmission unit 220 then transmits the response form containing the granting condition information created by the granting condition information creation unit 221 to the user terminal 10.

[0048] Figure 10 shows an example of an input screen 400 displaying a response form according to the second embodiment. The difference from Figure 5 is that the input screen 400 further includes an assignment condition information area 430.

[0049] The granting condition information area 430 displays the granting condition information created by the granting condition information creation unit 221. In the example in Figure 10, the same information as the explanatory screen 500 shown in Figure 6 is created and displayed as granting condition information. As a result, user 2, who receives the response form, can check the granting conditions for preferential data such as points without having to access the member site.

[0050] The awarding condition information creation unit 221 may create awarding condition information based on the likelihood that the parking lot P will be full or empty. For example, the awarding condition information creation unit 221 may create awarding condition information indicating that more points will be awarded when the likelihood of fullness is high, or awarding condition information indicating that fewer points will be awarded when the likelihood of fullness is low.

[0051] The awarding condition information created based on the expected occupancy rate will be explained using Figure 11. Figure 11 shows another example of the input screen 400 displaying the answer form according to the second embodiment. The awarding condition information creation unit 221 creates the condition information shown in Figure 11(a) instead of the awarding condition information shown in Figure 10 when, for example, the number of vehicles waiting to enter parking lot P is 5 or more but less than 10. Also, the awarding condition information creation unit 221 creates the condition information shown in Figure 11(b) instead of the awarding condition information shown in Figure 10 when, for example, the number of vehicles waiting to enter parking lot P is 10 or more. In other words, the more vehicles waiting to enter, the more points are awarded to encourage them to leave the parking lot.

[0052] Furthermore, the degree of expected occupancy and the departure time and number of points included in the assigned condition information, which the assigned condition information creation unit 221 uses to create the assigned condition information, are not limited to those described above. For example, the assigned condition information creation unit 221 may create the condition information shown in Figure 11(a) when the parking rate is 125% or more but less than 150%, and create the condition information shown in Figure 11(b) when the parking rate is 150% or more.

[0053] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing procedure according to the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that a step S202 for creating assignment condition information is added, and a response form containing the assignment condition information is sent. The processing in steps S200 to S201 and S204 to S206 in Figure 12 is the same as the processing in steps S100 to S101 and S103 to S105 in Figure 8, so the explanation is omitted.

[0054] The assignment condition information creation unit 221 creates assignment condition information (step S202). Then, the response form transmission unit 220 transmits the response form containing the created assignment condition information (step S203).

[0055] Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to promote vehicle departure when the parking lot is expected to be full, thereby increasing the turnover rate of the parking lot. Furthermore, by including information in the response form that indicates the conditions under which more points will be awarded when the parking lot is expected to be full, vehicle departure can be further promoted.

[0056] Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For example, an information processing system including an information processing device 20 and a parking terminal 30 may be configured to perform the information processing of each embodiment by communicating with a user terminal 10. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These novel embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. Furthermore, components from different embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate.

[0057] The apparatus described in each embodiment represents only one of several computing environments for carrying out the embodiments disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the information processing device 20 and the parking terminal 30 include multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The multiple computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network or shared memory, and perform the processing disclosed herein.

[0058] In each embodiment, the information processing device 20 and parking terminal 30 are not limited to servers, notebook PCs, desktop PCs, etc., as long as they are devices equipped with communication functions. The information processing device 20 and parking terminal 30 may be, for example, smartphones or tablet terminals.

[0059] The program executed by the MPU601 in this embodiment is provided as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0060] Furthermore, the program executed on the MPU601 of this embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading it via the network. Alternatively, the program executed on the MPU601 of this embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0061] Alternatively, the program to be executed by the MPU601 in this embodiment may be pre-installed and provided in ROM or the like.

[0062] The program executed by the MPU601 in this embodiment is configured as a module that includes the above-mentioned functional units (occupancy forecast determination unit 200, member information receiving unit 210, response form transmission unit 220, schedule information receiving unit 230, departure time receiving unit 240, preferential data assignment unit 250, etc.). In actual hardware, the MPU601 (processor) reads the program from the above-mentioned recording medium and executes it, thereby loading and generating the above-mentioned functional units on the main memory. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1. Information Processing System 2 users 10 User terminals 20 Information Processing Devices 30 Parking terminals 40 Communication Networks 200 Occupancy Expectation Determination Unit 210 Member Information Receiving Section 220 Response Form Submission Section 221 Grant Condition Information Creation Department 230 Schedule Information Receiving Unit 240 Departure Time Receiving Unit 250 Special Offer Data Distribution Department

Claims

1. A unit that determines whether the parking lot is expected to be full, and When the expected number of vehicles to be full is high, the member information receiving unit receives member information of users associated with vehicles parked in the parking lot, Based on the member information received by the member information receiving unit, the response form sending unit sends a response form to the user terminal of the user in which the user can input information about the scheduled shipment date. A schedule information receiving unit that receives the information on the scheduled shipment date entered in the aforementioned response form, A departure time receiving unit that receives the departure time of the aforementioned vehicle, A preferential data granting unit grants the user preferential data with a greater degree of preferential treatment the shorter the time between the time the schedule information receiving unit receives the scheduled dispatch information and the dispatch time receiving unit receives the dispatch time, An information processing device characterized by comprising:

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preferential data assignment unit further assigns preferential data based on the receipt of the information regarding the scheduled shipment date.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the response form transmission unit transmits a response form that includes information indicating the conditions for granting the preferential treatment data.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preferential data provision unit further provides preferential data based on the degree to which the occupancy status is likely to become full or vacant.

5. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A user terminal that receives the response form from the information processing device, A parking terminal that transmits information about the vehicle to the information processing device, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

6. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A user terminal that receives the response form from the information processing device, A server that transmits the member information to the information processing device, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

7. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A parking terminal that transmits information about the vehicle to the information processing device, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

8. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A server that transmits the member information to the information processing device, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

9. An information processing method performed by an information processing device, A process for determining the expected occupancy status of a parking lot, which determines when it is likely to be full, When the expected number of vehicles to be full is high, the process includes receiving member information of users associated with vehicles parked in the parking lot, A response form transmission step is performed to send a response form to the user terminal of the user, in which the user can input information about the scheduled shipment date, based on the member information received in the member information receiving step. A process for receiving scheduled information, which involves receiving the information on the scheduled shipment date entered in the aforementioned response form, A departure time receiving step for receiving the departure time of the vehicle, A preferential data granting step grants preferential data to the user based on the time the scheduled dispatch information was received in the scheduled dispatch information receiving step and the dispatch time received in the dispatch time receiving step. An information processing method characterized by including

10. Computers, A means for determining the expected occupancy status of a parking lot, which determines when the parking lot is expected to be full. When the expected number of vehicles to be full is high, a means for receiving member information is provided to receive member information of users associated with vehicles parked in the parking lot. A response form transmission means sends a response form to the user terminal of the user, in which the user can input information about the scheduled shipment, based on the member information received by the member information receiving means. A schedule information receiving means that receives the information on the scheduled shipment date entered in the aforementioned response form, Departure time receiving means for receiving the departure time of the vehicle, A preferential data granting means grants preferential data to the user based on the time at which the schedule information receiving means receives the information on the scheduled dispatch and the dispatch time receiving means receives the dispatch time; A program characterized by being designed to function as such.

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