Information processing device, program, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a program, and an information processing method, with which a user can view vacant information on a store that does not have any exclusive device capable of transmitting vacant information.SOLUTION: In an information processing method, when a vacant information search request is transmitted from a user terminal to a vacant seat management server, the vacant seat management server identifies a store group (a set of stores that satisfy a search condition inputted by a user) on the basis of the position of the user terminal in response to the search request, and transmits vacant information on the stores as well as the store information. The user terminal determines whether the vacant information on each of the stores is official information (vacant information sent from an input terminal of the store) or unofficial information (vacant information posted from a terminal of a user who has visited the store), and places a pin on a map such that official vacant information and unofficial vacant information can be discerned at a glance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] A technology that enables a user to check the vacant seat information of a store online is used to provide vacant seat information of, for example, a restaurant. Patent Document 1 describes a technology that aims to "provide the crowded status of a store to a user before making a reservation to visit the store" and that "an information management system has a store terminal 40 that is installed in a store and transmits congestion information indicating the crowded status of the store, and a server device 10 that manages store data including the congestion information regarding the store in which the store terminal is installed. The server device receives the congestion information transmitted from the store terminal and updates the status of the congestion information included in the store data to the status of the received congestion information. The server device accepts a request from a user who uses the store to check the crowded status of the store, generates screen data indicating the crowded status of the store based on the stored store data, and transmits it to a user terminal 20 carried by the user. The server device makes a reservation to visit the store in response to the user's operation on the transmitted screen data" (see the abstract of the document). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-82946 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology of Patent Document 1 above allows users to check the congestion status of stores that transmit congestion information (vacancy information), but does not allow users to check the congestion status of stores that do not transmit congestion information.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a technique that allows users to view vacancy information for stores that do not broadcast vacancy information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the information processing device disclosed herein is an information processing device that manages vacancy information indicating the vacancy status of a store, and is equipped with a storage means that stores terminal information regarding an input terminal for transmitting the vacancy information in correspondence with the store, a receiving means that receives the vacancy information of the store, and a management means that manages the received vacancy information, and the management means accepts, with respect to a first store whose terminal information is stored in the storage means, the vacancy information transmitted from the input terminal corresponding to the first store as vacancy information of the first store, and with respect to a second store whose terminal information is not stored in the storage means, accepts the vacancy information of the second store via an input image for inputting the vacancy information from a user terminal when a predetermined condition is met.

[0007] Further features related to the present disclosure will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings. Also, the aspects of the present disclosure are achieved and realized by the elements and combinations of various elements and the following detailed description and the appended claims. The description of the present specification is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the technology disclosed herein, users can view vacancy information for stores that do not have dedicated equipment capable of transmitting vacancy information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vacant seat management system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2A] 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a vacant seat management server. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vacant seat management server. [Figure 3A] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a database. [Figure 3B] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a database. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an input terminal. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an input terminal. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a user terminal. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a user terminal. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of vacant information in the vacant seat management server. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vacancy information in a user terminal. [Figure 8] 4 is an example of a display screen of a user terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying detailed store information and a posting screen on a user terminal. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a second detailed store image according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a posting screen for vacancy information according to the first embodiment; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a posting screen for vacancy information according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of updating vacant information in a vacant seat management server according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The same components will be described with the same reference numerals. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the technology of the present disclosure, and all of the combinations of features described in the present embodiment are not necessarily essential to solving the above problem.

[0011] [First embodiment] <Example of Vacancy Management System 1 configuration> In the first embodiment, we will describe a vacant seat management system that distributes to a user terminal vacant seat status (for example, vacant, crowded, full seat: it can also be called a "crowded state", and in this embodiment, both are equivalent) indicating whether there are vacant seats (or vacant tables) available for new customers in a store where seats and tables are installed and food and drink are served.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a vacant seat management system 1 according to a first embodiment. The vacant seat management system 1 is a system for managing information on the vacant seat status (vacant information) of a store, and includes a vacant seat management server 10, an input terminal 20, and a user terminal 30. The input terminal 20 is a computer device such as a smartphone or tablet operated in a store 40 (first store), and is configured to allow a clerk at the store 40 to input the vacant seat status visually confirmed. The input terminal 20 is set in advance as a terminal corresponding to the store 40. The user terminal 30 is a computer device such as a smartphone or tablet, and is a terminal of a user of a service provided by the vacant seat management system 1. In addition, the user terminal 30 is configured to input the vacant seat status of a store 60 (second store) that does not have the input terminal 20 and transmit it to the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 is a server installed outside the store 40 and the store 60, and manages data indicating the vacant seat status received from the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30. The vacant seat management server 10, the input terminal 20, and the user terminal 30 are interconnected via a network 50 such as the Internet. In FIG. 1, one store 40 having an input terminal 20 and one store 60 not having an input terminal 20 are shown, but the number of each of these stores may be multiple.

[0013] The vacant seat management server 10 stores in a database the data indicating the vacant seat status of the store 40 received from the input terminal 20 and the data indicating the vacant seat status of the store 60 received from the user terminal 30. The vacant seat management server 10 updates the database according to the data received from the input terminal 20, thereby managing the latest vacant seat status for each store 40 in the database. The vacant seat management server 10 also updates the database according to the data received from the user terminal 30, thereby managing the latest vacant seat status for each store 60 in the database. Note that "latest" here can be based on the date and time of transmission by the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30.

[0014] A user who is planning to visit any of the stores 40 or 60 can inquire about the vacancy information of the stores 40 and 60 to the vacancy management server 10 via the user terminal 30. The vacancy management server 10 responds to the inquiry and searches for records related to the stores 40 and 60 in the database according to the current location of the user terminal 30 or a location specified on the map by the user, thereby identifying a group of stores that will transmit vacancy information to the user terminal 30, and acquiring vacancy information of each store included in the group of stores. The vacancy management server 10 returns the acquired vacancy information to the user terminal 30 as a response to the inquiry. The user terminal 30 displays the vacancy information received from the vacancy management server 10 on the map (e.g., displaying it as a pin).

[0015] <Example of configuration of vacant seat management server 10> 2A is a hardware configuration diagram of the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 (information processing device), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage device 14, and a communication device 15. The CPU 11 realizes the functions provided by the vacant seat management server 10 by executing a program described later. The ROM 12 and RAM 13 hold data used by the CPU 11. The storage device 14 stores a program and a database described later. The communication device 15 communicates with the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30 via a network 50.

[0016] 2B is a functional block diagram of the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 includes a receiving unit 111 (receiving means), an updating unit 112 (management means), a searching unit 113, and an output unit 114 as software modules (functions configured by various programs deployed in the internal memory of the CPU 11) executed by the CPU 11. For convenience of description, these modules may be described below as the subject of operation, but since it is the CPU 11 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 11 may also be the subject of operation.

[0017] The storage device 14 stores a database 141 as a storage unit (storage means). The database 141 manages a store information database 142 including store information registered in advance, and a vacancy information database 143 including vacancy information of the store 40 and the store 60. The configuration of the database 141 will be described later. The receiving unit 111 receives data indicating the vacancy status of the store 40 from the input terminal 20 via the communication device 15, and receives data indicating the vacancy status of the store 60 from the user terminal 30. The receiving unit 111 also receives a search request for vacancy information from the user terminal 30 via the communication device 15. The updating unit 112 identifies a store based on a store ID (identification information) included in the data indicating the vacancy status received by the receiving unit 111, and updates the vacancy information in the database 141. When the searching unit 113 receives a search request for vacancy information of the store and current location information (reference location) from the user terminal 30, it identifies a group of stores whose vacancy information should be transmitted to the user terminal 30 according to the location information.

[0018] Search requests can be in the form of requests based on the current location of the user terminal 30, as well as a search request for stores in a specific specified location (for example, the user is in the area around Tokyo Station, but the area around Shibuya Station), a search request specifying a specific type (for example, a cuisine genre such as Japanese or French cuisine, or a price range), or a search request specifying a specific store (in this case, the user wants to know availability information for a specific store).

[0019] The output unit 114 transmits the availability information of each store in the group of stores identified by the search unit 113 to the user terminal 30 via the communication device 15. The user terminal 30 that receives the availability information constructs a display UI and displays the status of the availability information thereon.

[0020] FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a store information database 142 stored in the database 141. The store information database 142 is a data table that manages store information including attribute information used when a user searches for a store, and has, for example, a store ID 1421, a store name 1422, a genre 1423 (attribute information), a store introduction 1424, an address 1425, a latitude and longitude 1426, a telephone number 1427, and business hours 1428 as constituent items. One record in the store information database 142 manages store information for one store. The store information of a store 40 that has an input terminal 20 can be registered in the store information database 142 based on information input to the input terminal 20, for example, or can be registered in advance by a service provider of the vacant seat management system 1. The store information of a store 60 that does not have an input terminal 20 can be registered in the store information database 142 based on information written in a telephone directory, map information, or the like, by a service provider of the vacant seat management system 1, for example.

[0021] The store ID 1421 is an ID for identifying each store within the database 141. The latitude and longitude 1426 is data indicating the location of the store by latitude and longitude, and even if the store is located in a different location on the same floor of the same facility, different latitude and longitude values ​​may be registered.

[0022] 3B is a diagram showing vacant information database 143 stored in database 141. Vacant information database 143 is a data table that manages the latest vacant seat status for each store, and has, for example, a store ID 1431, vacant information 1432, official / unofficial flag 1433, received date and time 1434, user ID 1435, user name 1436, and terminal ID 1437 as constituent items. One record in vacant information database 143 manages the vacant seat status of one store.

[0023] The store ID 1431 is data corresponding to the store ID 1421 in the store information database 142, and the store ID 1421 and the store ID 1431 of a certain store are the same. The vacancy information 1432 is data indicating the latest vacancy status transmitted from the input terminal 20 in the store 40, or the latest vacancy status transmitted from the user terminal 30 of a user who visited the store 60 (or is near the store 60). In the example of FIG. 3B, the vacancy information 1432 is indicated by any one of "vacant," "slightly busy," or "full." As another form, the vacancy information 1432 may be indicated by a number such as "0" if there is a vacant seat, "1" if it is busy, and "2" if it is full. As another form, the vacancy information 1432 may be a numerical value indicating the number of vacant seats or the number of vacant tables.

[0024] The official / unofficial flag 1433 is data indicating whether the availability information 1432 is official or unofficial. The official / unofficial flag 1433 is "official" if it is transmitted from the input terminal 20 of the store 40, and is "unofficial" if the availability information 1432 is transmitted from the user terminal 30. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3B, the store with the store ID 1431 of 001 is the store 40 that has the input terminal 20 because the official / unofficial flag 1433 is "official". The stores with the store IDs 1431 of 002 and 003 are both stores 60 that do not have the input terminal 20 because the official / unofficial flag 1433 is "unofficial". Note that the official / unofficial flag 1433 may be indicated by a number such as "0" for official and "1" for unofficial, instead of being indicated by text such as "official" or "unofficial".

[0025] The reception date and time 1434 is data indicating the date and time when the vacant seat management server 10 received the vacant information 1432 from the input terminal 20 or the user terminal 30. The user ID 1435 is an ID for identifying the user who posted the vacant information 1432 from the user terminal 30. The user name 1436 is data indicating the name or nickname of the user who posted the vacant information 1432 from the user terminal 30. For the store whose store ID 1431 is 001, the vacant information is transmitted from the input terminal 20, so the user ID 1435 and the user name 1436 are blank. The terminal ID 1437 is an identifier of the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30, and for example, the MAC addresses of the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30 can be used. The terminal ID 1437 of the input terminal 20 is identification information previously set as an input terminal corresponding to the store ID 1431, and basically does not change even if the vacant information 1432 is updated. On the other hand, in the case of unofficial information, every time availability information 1432 is received, the terminal ID 1437 of the user terminal 30 is updated by the received availability information 1432. When availability information 1432 of the same store is transmitted from the same user terminal 30, the terminal ID 1437 is of course updated by the same identifier.

[0026] The database 141 can be constructed, for example, by storing data describing the contents of records in the storage device 14. Note that, although the store information database 142 and vacant information database 143 are expressed in table format in this embodiment, they are not limited to this format and may be constructed in any format as long as each data is linked. Therefore, they may be simply called vacant seat management data or vacant seat management information.

[0027] <Example of configuration of input terminal 20> 4A is a hardware configuration diagram of the input terminal 20. The input terminal 20 includes a CPU 21, a display device 22, an input device 23, and a communication device 24. The CPU 21 controls each unit included in the input terminal 20. The communication device 24 communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via the network 50, and receives a GUI screen for inputting vacant information and store information from the vacant seat management server 10. The display device 22 displays the GUI screen received from the vacant seat management server 10. The input device 23 is an interface used by the store clerk to input operation instructions to the input terminal 20. For example, the display device 22 and the input device 23 can be configured as an integrated unit using a touch panel or the like.

[0028] 4B is a functional block diagram of the input terminal 20. The input terminal 20 includes a storage unit 211, a communication control unit 212, a setting unit 213, and a display control unit 214 as software modules (functions configured by various programs expanded in the internal memory of the CPU 21) executed by the CPU 21. For convenience of description, these modules may be described below as the subject of operations, but since it is the CPU 21 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 21 may also be the subject of operations.

[0029] The storage unit 211 functions as an internal memory of the CPU 21. The communication control unit 212 communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via the communication device 24. Specifically, the communication control unit 212 receives a GUI screen from the vacant seat management server 10. The setting unit 213 accepts the vacant information and store information input by the clerk of the store 40 via the input device 23 and the GUI screen. The communication control unit 212 transmits the input vacant information and store information, the terminal ID, and an official flag indicating that the information is transmitted from the input terminal 20 of the store 40 to the vacant seat management server 10. The terminal ID is identification information of the input terminal 20 itself. The display control unit 214 controls the display of the display device 22. Specifically, the display control unit 214 displays the GUI screen received from the vacant seat management server 10 on the display device 22.

[0030] <Configuration example of user terminal 30> FIG. 5A is a hardware configuration diagram of the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 includes a CPU 31 (information processing device), a display device 32, an input device 33, and a communication device 34. The CPU 31 controls each unit included in the user terminal 30. The communication device 34 communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via the network 50, transmits a search request for vacant information of a store, and receives vacant information from the vacant seat management server 10. The display device 32 displays the vacant information of a store received from the vacant seat management server 10 and a GUI screen (posting screen) for inputting vacant information. The input device 33 is an interface used by the user to input operation instructions to the user terminal 30. For example, the display device 32 and the input device 33 can be integrally configured by a touch panel or the like.

[0031] 5B is a functional block diagram of the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 includes a storage unit 311, a communication control unit 312, a generation unit 313, and a display control unit 314 as software modules (functions configured by various programs expanded in the internal memory of the CPU 31) executed by the CPU 31. For convenience of description, these modules may be described below as the subject of operations, but since it is the CPU 31 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 31 may also be the subject of operations.

[0032] The storage unit 311 functions as an internal memory of the CPU 31. The communication control unit 312 (acquisition means) communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via the communication device 34. Specifically, when a user inputs an instruction to inquire about vacant information via the input device 33, the communication control unit 312 transmits a search request to the vacant seat management server 10. In addition, the communication control unit 312 receives store information and vacant information from the vacant seat management server 10.

[0033] The generating unit 313 (map data reading unit) reads map information (map data) from the storage unit 311 according to the position information of the user terminal 30 and the magnification rate of the map specified by the user. The generating unit 313 also reads text data or mark data (text / mark corresponding to vacant seat "0", text / mark corresponding to crowded "1", text / mark corresponding to full seat "2") corresponding to the vacant information received from the vacant seat management server 10 from the storage unit 311, and generates UI data (display UI data: pin display, etc.) for superimposing and displaying on the map. Furthermore, the generating unit 313 generates a store detail image and a posting screen for the vacant seat status based on the vacant information received from the vacant seat management server 10. Details of the vacant information processing method in the generating unit 313 will be described later.

[0034] The display control unit 314 (display control means) controls the display of the display device 32. Specifically, the display control unit 314 displays the map read by the generation unit 313, as well as the pins, store detailed images, and vacant seat status posting screen generated by the generation unit 313, on the display device 32. The communication control unit 312 transmits the vacant seat information of the store 60 input by the user via the vacant seat status posting screen, the store ID, and an unofficial flag indicating that the information is transmitted from the user terminal 30 to the vacant seat management server 10.

[0035] <Vacancy information processing of vacancy management server 10> 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for processing vacant information by the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0036] (Step S601) The search unit 113 judges whether the receiving unit 111 has received a search request for availability information from the user terminal 30. If the search request for availability information has been received (Yes), the process proceeds to step S602. Note that the search request includes the current location information of the user terminal 30 (for example, latitude and longitude information acquired from a GPS).

[0037] (Step S602) The search unit 113 acquires the location information included in the search request, and stores it in the RAM 13 or the storage device 14 .

[0038] (Step S603) The search unit 113 identifies the current location of the user terminal 30 from the location information of the user terminal 30, refers to the latitude and longitude 1426 of the store information database 142, identifies a group of stores whose availability information should be transmitted to the user terminal 30 according to the above location information, and temporarily stores information on the group of stores in the RAM 13 or the storage device 14. Specifically, the search unit 113 identifies (determines) a group of stores within a predetermined distance range from the current location of the user terminal 30 (for example, within a 5 km radius from the current location).

[0039] (Step S604) The search unit 113 refers to the store information database 142, extracts store information and availability information (including official / unofficial flag and date and time of receipt of the availability information) of each store included in the identified group of stores, and stores it in RAM 13 or the storage device 14.

[0040] (Step S605) The output unit 114 transmits, via the communication device 15, information on the group of stores identified in step S603, and the store information and availability information (including the official / unofficial flag and the date and time the availability information was received) of each store acquired in step S4 to the user terminal 30 that sent the request.

[0041] Although not shown in the figure, the vacant seat management server 10 executes an update process of the vacant information database 143 in parallel with the above-mentioned distribution process of the vacant information. In the update process of the vacant information database 143, the receiving unit 111 receives at least the store ID, data indicating the vacant seat status, and the official / unofficial flag from the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30, and the update unit 112 updates the vacant information database 143. The update of the vacant information database 143 is executed every time data indicating the vacant seat status is received from the input terminal 20 or the user terminal 30.

[0042] <Availability information processing of user terminal 30> 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for processing vacancy information in the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0043] (Step S701) The generating unit 313 acquires location information (GPS data) indicating the current location of the user terminal 30 via the communication control unit 312. The generating unit 313 stores the acquired location information in the storage unit 311.

[0044] (Step S702) The generation unit 313 acquires the location information of the user terminal 30 from the storage unit 311, generates a search request including the location information, and transmits the search request to the vacant seat management server 10 via the communication control unit 312. Upon receiving the search request, the vacant seat management server 10 executes the above-mentioned process shown in FIG.

[0045] (Step S703) The generation unit 313 reads map information (map data) from the storage unit 311 according to the location information acquired in step S701 and the map magnification ratio specified by the user, and displays a desired map on the display screen of the display device 32 via the display control unit 314. The map magnification ratio may be a fixed value set in advance.

[0046] (Step S704) The generation unit 313 obtains store information and vacancy information (including official / unofficial flag and date and time of receipt of the vacancy information) of a group of stores corresponding to the location information of the user terminal 30 from the vacancy management server 10 via the communication control unit 312, and stores it in the memory unit 311.

[0047] (Step S705) The generating unit 313 selects any one store as the processing target store from the group of stores received from the vacant seat management server 10. The processing target store selected here may be, for example, the store whose latitude and longitude are closest to the location information of the user terminal 30. In another example, the store with the smallest store ID 1411 may be selected as the processing target store.

[0048] (Step S706) The generating unit 313 judges whether the availability information is official or not by referring to the official / unofficial flag of the processing target store stored in the memory unit 311. If the availability information is official (Yes), the process proceeds to step S707. If the availability information is unofficial (No), the process proceeds to step S708.

[0049] (Step S707) The generating unit 313 refers to the availability information of the processing target store stored in the storage unit 311, selects the object data of the official display pin corresponding to the availability information, and generates official pin data based on the availability information. The object data of the official display pin is color-coded according to the availability information. For example, the object data of the official display pin is blue when the availability information is "available", yellow when the availability information is "slightly busy", and red when the availability information is "full". In addition, the official pin data of each store is generated by superimposing text data corresponding to the availability information on the object data of the official display pin. That is, the pin displayed on the map includes text indicating the availability information of one store. For example, if the availability information of the processing target store is "available", the text "available" is displayed in the pin. If the availability information is "full", the text "full" is displayed. The text included in the official pin data can be, for example, white text.

[0050] (Step S708) If the vacancy information is unofficial, the generating unit 313 refers to the reception date and time of the vacancy information stored in the storage unit 311 and judges whether the reception date and time of the vacancy information (unofficial) is within a predetermined time from the current time (for example, within 30 minutes before the current time). The above-mentioned predetermined time can be changed according to the store to be processed. For example, if the genre of the store to be processed is a cafe, the predetermined time can be 30 minutes, and if the genre of the store to be processed is an izakaya, the predetermined time can be 1 hour. In another embodiment, the predetermined time may not be set for each genre of the store to be processed, but may be set for each store according to the user turnover rate of each store. In another embodiment, the above-mentioned predetermined time may be set to the same for all stores to be processed. If the reception date and time of the vacancy information is within the predetermined time (Yes), the process proceeds to step S709. If the reception date and time of the vacancy information is not within the predetermined time (No), the process proceeds to step S710.

[0051] (Step S709) The generating unit 313 refers to the availability information stored in the memory unit 311, selects from the object data of the unofficial display pins that corresponds to the availability information, and generates unofficial pin data based on the availability information. For example, the object data of the unofficial display pin is colorless (white). The unofficial pin data is generated by superimposing text data indicating that the pin is "unofficial" on the object data of the official display pin. In addition, text data corresponding to the availability information is superimposed on the object data of the unofficial display pin, and the text data can be color-coded according to the availability information.

[0052] (Step S710) If the date and time of receipt of the vacancy information (unofficial) is not within a predetermined time, the generating unit 313 acquires the object data of the white pin stored in the memory unit 311 and generates the white pin data. The white pin data is merely for indicating on the map that a store is located, and does not include text data. In another embodiment, for example, when the magnification of the map is large, text data indicating the name of the store, the type of store, or whether the store is open or closed may be superimposed on the white pin data.

[0053] As described in steps S706 to S710, in this embodiment, when the availability information is official, the latest availability information is displayed regardless of the date and time when the official availability information was received (even if the date and time when the latest availability information was received is far from the current time). On the other hand, when the availability information is unofficial, the availability information is displayed only when the current time is within a predetermined time from the date and time of reception. This is effective from the viewpoint of distributing reliable availability information to other users. In the case of a posting by a user (unofficial availability information), it is not known whether the posting user is still present in the store, and it is not known whether the availability status has not changed even after a predetermined time has passed since the last posting, or whether the posted availability information is not the latest availability status because the user has left the store, so it is not known to what extent the unofficial availability information can be continuously trusted. In contrast, when the availability information is official, it is basically managed by the store staff, and it can be considered that the availability status has not changed even if it has not been updated for a while. For the above reasons, when the availability information is official, the latest availability information is displayed regardless of the date and time when the availability information was received, and when the availability information is unofficial, it is displayed only when the current time is within a predetermined time from the date and time of reception.

[0054] (Step S711) The generating unit 313 places the pin data generated in step S707, step S709, or step S710 on the map according to the latitude and longitude of the store to be processed. Note that at this time, the generating unit 313 may delete and not place pin data for stores whose availability information indicates "crowded" or "full," and place only pin data for stores whose availability information indicates "vacant."

[0055] (Step S712) The generating unit 313 generates a first store details image including store information and availability information (detailed information) of the processing target store. For example, the store name, availability information, business hours, etc. can be displayed in text form in the first store details image.

[0056] (Step S713) The generation unit 313 judges whether or not there is an unprocessed store among the group of stores received from the vacant seat management server 10. At this time, the generation unit 313 judges that stores other than the store selected in step S705 are unprocessed. If there is an unprocessed store (Yes), the process returns to step S705, and steps S705 to S713 are executed in the same manner as above. If there is no unprocessed store (No), the process proceeds to step S714.

[0057] (Step S714) If there are no unprocessed stores, the generating unit 313 determines the order of the first store detail images of each processing target store. Specifically, for example, the first store detail images are sorted in order of store proximity to the location information of the user terminal 30. In another embodiment, the order of the first store detail images may be stores whose availability information is "available", followed by stores whose availability information is "slightly busy", and then stores whose availability information is "full".

[0058] (Step S715) The display control unit 314 displays display pins on the display screen of the display device 32 according to the pin data arranged on the map by the generation unit 313 in step S711. Furthermore, the display control unit 314 displays the first detailed store images, the order of which has been determined by the generation unit 313 in step S714, superimposed on the map.

[0059] Once the user terminal 30 has inquired about vacant information, it transmits a request (re-request) to the vacant seat management server 10 at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every 10 seconds) to acquire the latest vacant information. In response to the re-request, the vacant seat management server 10 acquires the latest vacant information from the database 141 and transmits it to the user terminal 30. Upon receiving the latest vacant information, the user terminal 30 updates the vacant information of the group of stores acquired in response to the initial request and displayed on the map, and displays it as pins on the display screen.

[0060] The above describes the generation of pin data and the first store detail image in the user terminal 30. However, the pin data and the first store detail image may be generated on the vacant seat management server 10 side or in another device for generating display data and transmitted to the user terminal 30, and the user terminal 30 may only perform the display process.

[0061] <Example of UI display on a map> An example of a UI display displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a UI display (pin display) displayed on a map in the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 8, stores A, D, and E are stores 40 that have an input terminal 20, and the pins (official pins) that point to stores A, D, and E are color-coded according to availability information, and the availability information is displayed in white text. Stores B and C are stores 60 that do not have an input terminal 20, and the pins (unofficial pins) that point to stores B and C are white, and the text "unofficial" and the text indicating availability information are displayed. This allows the user to recognize at a glance that the availability information of stores A, D, and E is "official" information, and the availability information of stores B and C is "unofficial" information. The pin that points to store F is a white pin and does not include text. This is a pin generated in the above-mentioned step S710, and is displayed when there is no availability information posted within a predetermined time from the current time. The color coding of the pins and the color of the text are not limited to those shown in the figure, as long as the user can recognize whether the availability information is "official" or "unofficial".

[0063] As described above, in this embodiment, in addition to the store vacancy information managed by the store, some store vacancy information is also accepted from users (general customers) who are not store employees, and is used as the store vacancy information. This allows users to refer to more store vacancy information. For example, regarding the vacancy information of store B posted by a first user, if the vacancy information by the first user is deemed to be reliable, the vacancy information of store B can be provided to a second user different from the first user. This allows users to refer to more vacancy information about stores that do not transmit vacancy information from the store, in addition to vacancy information transmitted by the store management. Also, the second user can comprehensively view vacancy information transmitted from the store itself and vacancy information transmitted from people other than the store (first user) so as to be able to distinguish between them, and can judge the reliability of the vacancy information.

[0064] A first store detail image 80 is displayed superimposed on the map, and by swiping left on the first store detail image 80, the first store detail image of another store is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the first store detail image 80 of the store A (cafe restaurant A) closest to the user's current location 70 is displayed. The first store detail image 80 includes a thumbnail image, the store's name, vacancy information, the walking time from the current location, business hours, and the like. The store information database 142 of the vacant seat management server 10 may store thumbnail image data showing the appearance and service contents of the store, and the user terminal 30 can also acquire thumbnail image data when acquiring store information in the above-mentioned step S704, and generate the first store detail image 80 including these thumbnail images in step S712.

[0065] <Display process of detailed information on user terminal 30> 9 is a flowchart showing a display procedure for the posting screen for the second detailed shop image and vacancy information in the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0066] (Step S901) The generating unit 313 accepts the selection of the first detailed shop image by the user.

[0067] (Step S902) The generating unit 313 refers to the official / unofficial flag of the store and determines whether the availability information is official. If the availability information is official (Yes), the process proceeds to step S909. If the availability information is unofficial (No), the process proceeds to step S903.

[0068] (Step S903) The generation unit 313 acquires the location information of the user terminal 30 from the storage unit 311 .

[0069] (Step S904) The generating unit 313 refers to the store information (business hours) stored in the memory unit 311 and judges whether the current time is within the store's business hours. If it is within the business hours (Yes), the process proceeds to step S905. If it is outside the business hours (No), the process proceeds to step S908. Note that if the store is open 24 hours a day, this step S904 may be omitted and the process may proceed to step S905.

[0070] (Step S905) The generation unit 313 refers to the store information (latitude and longitude) stored in the storage unit 311, and calculates the distance between the store and the location information of the user terminal 30 acquired in step S903.

[0071] (Step S906) The generation unit 313 judges whether the distance between the user terminal 30 and the store is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance can be set, for example, as the range that occurs due to GPS deviation even when the user is in the store. If the GPS deviation can be up to 300 m, the predetermined distance can be set to, for example, 350 m, taking into account the size of the store. If it is equal to or less than the predetermined distance (Yes), the process proceeds to step S907. If it is greater than the predetermined distance (No), the process proceeds to step S908.

[0072] (Step S907) The generating unit 313 generates a posting screen in which each button for the user to post availability information is active. Here, if the current time is within business hours and the distance between the user terminal 30 and the store is short (a predetermined distance or less), it can be considered that the user is highly likely to be inside the store. In this way, by allowing the user to post availability information only when predetermined conditions are met, it is possible to obtain highly reliable availability information.

[0073] (Step S908) If it is determined in step S904 that the business hours are not met, or if it is determined in step S906 that the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the generation unit 313 generates a posting screen in which each button is inactive. In this way, if the predetermined conditions are not met, the posting of availability information is not accepted. However, by generating a posting screen in which each button is inactive rather than not generating a posting screen, it is possible to implicitly indicate to the user that availability information may be posted if the conditions are met.

[0074] (Step S909) The generating unit 313 generates a second store details image including store information and vacancy information of the store. The second store details image has a larger amount of information about the store and a larger display area on the display screen than the first store details image.

[0075] (Step S910) If the store's availability information is official, the display control unit 314 displays the second store details image generated in step S909 on the display screen of the display device 32. In this way, when a store clerk is updating availability information via the input terminal 20, a posting screen for accepting availability information posted by users is not displayed. This does not induce users to input information that will not be used as availability information. This allows priority to be given to information sent by stores that wish to send their own availability information. This is also effective in cases where the store's business circumstances take priority over the accuracy of availability information, such as when there are currently many vacant seats in the store, but the time to reserve the space is approaching and it is desired to mark the seats as "full."

[0076] If the store vacancy information is unofficial, the display control unit 314 displays the second store details image generated in step S909 and the posting screen generated in step S907 or step S908 in a switchable manner on the display screen of the display device 32. Switching between the second store details image and the posting screen can be performed, for example, by selecting a tab.

[0077] As described above, when the user terminal 30 transmits vacancy information (unofficial) of a store, it is accepted only when the distance to the store is close. This prevents the user terminal 30 from transmitting mischievous or inaccurate vacancy information. When vacancy information of the store 40 is transmitted from the input terminal 20 of the store 40, the vacancy information is always accepted without determining whether the distance is close or not as in step S906. In the case of the input terminal 20 of the store 40, the terminal ID 1437 corresponding to the store 40 is registered in advance so that it is known that the vacancy information is from the store 40 itself, so it can be considered to be reliable vacancy information without determining according to the distance. Furthermore, even if the input terminal 20 itself is not inside the store, the manager who operates the store 40 may receive a call from a clerk working in the store 40 and transmit vacancy information, and it can be considered to be vacancy information of the store 40 regardless of the distance.

[0078] <Example of the second store detail image> Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second store details image 90 displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30. As shown in Fig. 10, the second store details image 90 includes a thumbnail image, the store's name, availability information, the walking time from the current location, business hours, a promotional message (store introduction), a telephone number, an address, etc. In this way, the second store details image 90 includes more information than the first store details image 80 shown in Fig. 8.

[0079] <Example of posting screen> FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a posting screen 91 displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30. FIG. 11 shows a screen displayed when the user selects the first store detailed image of store B (kitchen B). The posting screen 91 is switchable between an availability tab 911 and a detailed information tab 912. The availability tab 911 displays buttons 913 to 915 (a "Available" button 913, a "Slightly Crowded" button 914, and a "Fully Booked" button 915) for the user to select the availability of store B, and a posting button 916 for transmitting the selected availability to the vacant seat management server 10. When the user selects one of the buttons 913 to 915 and taps the posting button 916, the selected availability, the unofficial flag, the store ID of store B, and the user information are transmitted to the vacant seat management server 10. Then, the vacant seat management server 10 updates the vacant information database 143 according to the information received from the user terminal 30 (sets the official / unofficial flag 1433 to "unofficial" and updates the vacant information 1432, the reception date and time 1434, the user ID 1435, the user name 1436, and the terminal ID 1437). When the user selects the detailed information tab 912, the screen switches to a second store detailed image as shown in FIG.

[0080] <Summary of the First Embodiment> In the vacant seat management system 1 according to the first embodiment, when a search request for vacant information is sent from the user terminal 30 to the vacant seat management server 10, the vacant seat management server 10 responds to the search request by identifying a group of stores (a collection of stores that match the search conditions entered by the user) based on the location of the user terminal 30, and sends the vacant information of the stores together with the store information to the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 determines whether the vacant information of each store is official (vacant information sent from the input terminal 20 of the store 40) or unofficial (vacant information posted from a user terminal 30 that visited the store 60), and displays pins on a map so that the official vacant information and the unofficial vacant information can be recognized at a glance. This allows the user to recognize the reliability of the vacant information displayed on the map.

[0081] For a store 60 that has not transmitted vacancy information from the store itself, if the user terminal 30 is recognized to be near the store and the date and time when the vacancy information was received from the user terminal is within a predetermined time, the vacancy information posted from the user terminal 30 is displayed on another user terminal 30 as vacancy information for the store 60. As a result, in addition to vacancy information for stores 40 that transmit vacancy information themselves, vacancy information for stores 60 that have not transmitted vacancy information from the store itself can be viewed as a reference for deciding whether or not to visit.

[0082] The user terminal 30 further displays the store details image superimposed on the map. When the user selects a store details image of a certain store, the user terminal 30 displays a posting screen for posting vacancy information if the vacancy information of the store is unofficial and meets a predetermined condition. In this way, by allowing the user to post vacancy information of the store 60 that does not have the input terminal 20, the user can check both the vacancy information of the store 60 that does not have the input terminal 20 and the vacancy information of the store 40 that has the input terminal 20. As a result, the vacancy management system 1 of this embodiment can provide the user with more options for stores to visit, compared to the case where only the vacancy information of the store 40 that has the input terminal 20 is distributed. In addition, since vacancy information can be posted only when a predetermined condition is met, vacancy information with low reliability due to mischief or the like is not accepted.

[0083] <Modification of the first embodiment> When the vacant seat management server 10 transmits the store information and vacant seat status of the group of stores in response to the search request from the user terminal 30 (step S605), the vacant seat management server 10 may determine whether the current time is within the business hours of each store and transmit only the store information and vacant information of stores that are within business hours to the user terminal 30. In this case, the user terminal 30 does not need to determine whether it is within business hours in the above-mentioned step S904.

[0084] Furthermore, when the vacant seat management server 10 receives vacant information from the user terminal 30, it updates the vacant information database 143 to make it vacant information corresponding to the store, and the user terminal 30 judges whether the date and time of reception of the unofficial vacant information is within a predetermined time. However, for example, the vacant seat management server 10 may periodically monitor the vacant information database 143 and cancel vacant information that is unofficial information and has exceeded a predetermined time from the date and time of reception. In this case, the vacant seat management server 10 does not transmit unofficial information that is not used as vacant information of the store in the user terminal 30, so that the step (S708) of judging whether the date and time of reception of the unofficial information is within a predetermined time when processing vacant information in the user terminal 30 is not required. Note that when store information is received from the vacant seat management server 10, it may happen that the vacant information and the official / unofficial flag are not attached. In this case, the user terminal 30 may judge whether there is vacant information or not, and place a pin corresponding to the store only in the store where there is vacant information, or may execute the step (S710) of generating white pin data in the case where there is no vacant information.

[0085] In addition, for the input terminal 20 of the store 40, the vacant seat management server 10 sets the terminal ID 1437 as the input terminal 20 of the store 40 in advance, and the terminal ID 1437 is not updated in conjunction with the vacant information 1432. For example, the vacant information may be sent from the input terminal 20 only when a store clerk logs in using the account information of the store 40 before inputting the vacant information via the GUI screen. In this case, the vacant seat management server 10 manages the account information (e.g., email address and password) corresponding to the store 40, and it is not necessary to set the terminal ID 1437 in advance. In this case, the vacant information sent from the account corresponding to the store 40 is used as official information. In addition, when vacant information is sent using multiple input terminals 20, the terminal ID 1437 corresponding to the store 40 is updated each time.

[0086] The vacant seat management server 10 stores the official vacant information and the unofficial official information in the same table together with a flag for identifying each of them, but they may be stored in separate tables. The GUI screen provided to the input terminal 20 by the vacant seat management server 10 and the posting screen provided to the user terminal 30 are different images, and the vacant information transmitted by an operation on the GUI screen and the vacant information transmitted by an operation on the posting screen may be transmitted to the vacant seat management server 10 so as to be distinguishable from each other. In this case, for example, a terminal owned by a store clerk for personal use may be used as both the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30. Even if the vacant information is transmitted from the same terminal, if it is transmitted via a GUI screen that accepts vacant information from the store 40, the vacant seat management server 10 accepts it as official information, and if it is transmitted via a posting screen for users to post vacant information, the vacant seat management server 10 accepts it as unofficial information.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the vacant seat information of a restaurant is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the technology of the present embodiment can be applied to vacant seat information of facilities other than restaurants, such as movie theaters, sports stadiums, and parking lots. The vacant seat management system 1 of the present embodiment may also manage the crowded state of users in facilities where seats are not provided but the number of people fluctuates. Specifically, the system may manage information indicating the crowded state of, for example, supermarkets, sports gyms, counters at local governments and banks, hot spring facilities, and the like. In this case, for example, the vacant seat management server 10 manages and distributes crowded information represented by any of "vacant," "slightly crowded," and "crowded."

[0088] [Second embodiment] In the above-described first embodiment, it has been explained that posting of availability information from the user terminal 30 is accepted when a predetermined condition is met (when the current time is outside business hours and the location of the user terminal 30 is within a predetermined distance from the store). In the second embodiment, a technique is proposed in which a user attaches an image (photo) of the store when posting availability information in order to improve the reliability of the posted availability information.

[0089] <Example of posting screen> FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a posting screen 92 displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30. In the posting screen 92, the same buttons as those in the posting screen 91 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 12, the posting screen 92 differs from the posting screen 91 of the first embodiment in that it further includes an "Add Photo" button 921. When the user taps the "Add Photo" button 921, the user can select to select a photo from the photo library and upload it, or to start the camera and take a photo. If the posting button 916 is tapped even though no photo has been uploaded, text such as "Please add a photo of the store" is displayed. In another embodiment, the posting button 916 may be activated when a photo has been uploaded. The posting screen 92 may include text that guides the user as to what kind of photo to attach, such as text "Please attach a photo related to the store, such as a photo of the store's exterior, signboard, or table in the store" or text "It does not matter what the subject of the photo is, such as a table, a view inside the store, the ground, or the ceiling."

[0090] <Update process of vacant information in vacant seat management server 10> 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for updating vacant information in the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0091] (Step S1301) The receiving unit 111 of the vacant seat management server 10 receives the vacant information input by the user from the posting screen 92 and the image information of the attached photo from the user terminal 30. The image information includes not only the image data (photo), but also data indicating the date and time of shooting and the location information of the shooting location, such as EXIF ​​data.

[0092] (Step S1302) The update unit 112 refers to the image information (photographing date and time) received by the receiving unit 111 and determines whether the photo was photographed within a predetermined time from the current time (for example, within 30 minutes before the current time). If the photo was photographed within the predetermined time (Yes), the process proceeds to step S1303. If the photo was photographed not within the predetermined time (No), the process proceeds to step S1305.

[0093] (Step S1303) The update unit 112 refers to the image information (position information of the photography location) received by the receiving unit 111 and judges whether the distance between the photography location of the photo and the store is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance can be set, for example, in the same manner as in step S906 described in the first embodiment. If it is equal to or less than the predetermined distance (Yes), the process proceeds to step S1304. If it is greater than the predetermined distance (No), the process proceeds to step S1305.

[0094] (Step S1304) The update unit 112 updates the availability information database 143 based on the availability information received by the reception unit 111 .

[0095] (Step S1305) If the time when the photo was taken is not within a predetermined time from the current time, or if the distance between the photo's location and the store is not equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the reliability of the user's post can be considered low. Therefore, the update unit 112 does not update the vacancy information database 143.

[0096] <Summary of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, the vacant seat management server 10 receives image information including image data, photo date and time, and photo location together with vacant information from the user terminal 30, and updates the vacant information database 143 if the photo time is within a predetermined time from the current time and the distance between the photo location and the store is within a predetermined distance. In this way, the vacant seat management server 10 updates the vacant information database 143 when it can be determined that the user is in the store based on the image information received from the user terminal 30. This makes it possible to register only highly reliable vacant information in the vacant information database 143.

[0097] For example, even if location information cannot be obtained from the user terminal 30, such as when the user uses the service of the vacant seat management system 1 via a Web browser rather than via an application dedicated to the service of the vacant seat management system 1, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine the location of the user terminal 30 based on the location information included in the image information. Note that the technology of the first embodiment and the technology of the second embodiment can be combined, and even if location information can be obtained from the user terminal 30, it is possible to receive image information including location information of the shooting location from the user terminal 30 and determine the shooting location.

[0098] <Modification of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, the location of the user terminal 30 is determined based on the location information included in the image information received from the user. In another embodiment, the image information may not include the location information of the shooting location. In this case, the vacant seat management server 10 determines whether the photo is related to the store by analyzing the image data using any machine learning method or the like. In analyzing the image data, the vacant seat management server 10 can, for example, calculate the similarity between a photo (e.g., a photo of the exterior, interior, signboard, etc.) related to the store registered in advance and the photo received from the user terminal 30, and determine the reliability of the received photo. Note that the analysis of the image data may be performed using another analysis device instead of the vacant seat management server 10.

[0099] The vacant seat management server 10 may transmit the photo received from the user terminal 30 together with the vacant information, etc., to the user terminal 30 in the above-mentioned step S605. Then, the user terminal 30 may include a list of the photos posted by the user in the first store details image or the second store details image (step S712 or step S909).

[0100] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the method of acquiring the position of the user terminal 30 as position information and identifying a group of stores based on the position of the user terminal 30 has been described, but the position information is not limited to this. For example, if the display device 32 in the user terminal 30 is a touch panel display and also functions as an input unit, the user may specify position information by tapping a position on a map displayed on the display device 32, and the specified position information (reference position) may be transmitted to the vacant seat management server 10. In this case, the vacant seat management server 10 specifies a group of stores according to the specified position information.

[0101] In the above embodiment, when availability information is sent from a terminal registered in advance as a store terminal (when there is official availability information), the posting of availability information from a user terminal is not accepted. However, when a certain condition in the above embodiment is met, it is also possible to accept posting of availability information by a user for a store with official availability information. In this case, for a store with official availability information, availability information by a user may not be made public to other users, and the official availability information may be used as availability information to be made public to the user. For example, when it is recognized that the user terminal 30 is near a store, posting of availability information for the store 40 is also accepted. However, the posted availability information at this time is notified to the store 40 or is used to accumulate as past data, and is not used for distributing real-time availability information, thereby realizing distribution of availability information equivalent to that of the first embodiment.

[0102] In the above embodiment, a computer device is used as the input terminal 20, but the input terminal 20 may be a sensor that detects the vacant seat status of the store 40 in real time, such as a camera or a motion sensor. When the input terminal 20 is a camera, the camera is configured to detect people in the store 40 or in the waiting line, determine the vacant seat status, and transmit the result to the vacant seat management server 10. In another embodiment, the vacant seat management server 10 may determine the vacant seat status using video data from the camera. When the input terminal 20 is a motion sensor, the motion sensor is installed, for example, at each seat, and is configured to transmit the detection results of all the motion sensors to the vacant seat management server 10.

[0103] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the user terminal 30 displays the vacant seat status of nearby stores on the screen, but instead of this, the vacant seat management server 10 may always inquire only about the vacant seat status of a specific store. Furthermore, the user terminal 30 may specify attributes of the store for which the vacant seat status is inquired (e.g., store category information such as genre 1423). In this case, the output unit 114 returns to the user terminal 30 only the vacant seat information of stores that match the specified attributes.

[0104] In the above embodiments, the user terminal 30 does not necessarily have to be a terminal carried by a user. For example, a communication device such as a computer installed in a specific location may be used as the user terminal 30. For example, a digital signage terminal fixedly installed in a location with a lot of foot traffic may be configured as the user terminal 30. In this case, it is not necessarily necessary to display availability information about stores in the vicinity of the digital signage terminal, and availability information about stores in a location desired by the terminal installer may also be displayed.

[0105] As described above, the technology of the present disclosure can be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and run the program. It may also be realized by a circuit that realizes one or more functions.

[0106] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and it is not necessary to include all of the configurations described. In addition, a part of an embodiment can be replaced with a configuration of another embodiment. In addition, a configuration of another embodiment can be added to a configuration of an embodiment. In addition, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with a part of the configuration of another embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1. Vacancy management system 10…Vacancy management server 20...Input terminal 30...User terminal 40, 60…stores 50…Network

Claims

1. An information processing device that manages vacancy information indicating the vacancy status of a store, a storage means for storing terminal information relating to an input terminal for transmitting the vacancy information in association with the store; A receiving means for receiving the vacancy information of the store; a management means for managing the received vacancy information, The management means includes: With respect to a first store whose terminal information is stored in the storage means, vacancy information transmitted from the input terminal corresponding to the first store is accepted as vacancy information of the first store; With regard to a second store whose terminal information is not stored in the storage means, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the information processing device accepts the vacancy information of the second store via an input image for inputting the vacancy information from a user terminal.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is whether or not the user terminal is located within a predetermined distance from the second store.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is whether or not the current time is within the business hours of the store.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition is whether or not a captured image relating to the second store has been transmitted from the user terminal together with the vacancy information.

5. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition indicating whether the captured image was captured within a predetermined time from a current time and whether the location where the captured image was captured is within a predetermined distance from the second store.

6. Further, a display control means for displaying the input image is provided, The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the display control means is configured not to transmit the input image for inputting the availability status of the first store to the user terminal.

7. the management means records the vacancy information of the second store when the photographed image is photographed within a predetermined time from a current time and the location where the photographed image is photographed is within a predetermined distance from the second store; 5. An information processing device as described in claim 4, wherein the vacancy information of the second store is not recorded if the captured image is not taken within a predetermined time from the current time or if the location where the captured image was taken is not within a predetermined distance from the second store.

8. A program for causing a computer to function as the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An information processing method executed by an information processing device that manages vacancy information indicating vacancy status of a store, storing terminal information relating to an input terminal for transmitting the vacancy information in association with the store; receiving the vacancy information of the store; Managing the received availability information; The managing step includes: With respect to a first store whose terminal information is stored, accepting vacancy information transmitted from the input terminal corresponding to the first store as vacancy information of the first store; With regard to a second store for which the terminal information is not stored, an information processing method includes accepting the vacancy information of the second store via an input image for inputting the vacancy information from a user terminal when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

Images