Electronic device, information collection method, and program

Abstract

To enable reliable apparatus or user information to be easily collected and registered to membership.SOLUTION: An electronic apparatus 1 comprises an acquisition unit 1a that acquires feature information by an imaging device that indicates the feature of a use method regarding a nearby apparatus located in the vicinity, a calculation unit 1b that calculates the reliability of the nearby apparatus in accordance with the acquired feature information of the nearby apparatus, and a storage unit 1c that stores the calculated reliability. The electronic apparatus 1 has executably installed therein an application that has the function of membership registration that enables the user of the electronic apparatus to communicate with other users using other electronic apparatuses via a network. The electronic apparatus 1 determines the limit to communication with the other electronic apparatuses in the application on the basis of the reliability stored in the storage unit 1c. The communication refers to communication between a store side using the electronic apparatus 1 and a customer side using the nearby electronic apparatus, and the limit refers to a limit of whether or not a customer can be registered as a member of the store.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, the use of social networking service (SNS) applications has been increasing. When using a service such as an SNS with an electronic device such as a mobile terminal device, if you want to connect with family, friends, or colleagues, you can register by searching on the service or by bringing the device nearby and directly communicating unique information that identifies you to the other person.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a registration device that acquires object identification information that identifies an object from a reading device and registers a user as a member. The registration device described in Patent Document 1 acquires a terminal identifier of a communication terminal that starts wireless communication with a communication device having a wireless communication area that includes the installation location of the reading device within a first period that is determined based on the time of acquisition, and registers the terminal identifier in association with the object identification information. The registration device described in Patent Document 1 can be used by a store that installs the registration device to automatically register users as members. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-053798 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when using electronic devices to connect with family, friends, or colleagues using services such as SNS, the registration process described above is time-consuming. In addition, while the use of SNS is increasing, many incidents and accidents have occurred due to spoofed accounts and friend registrations with accounts of the same name, so security measures to prevent such occurrences are also required.

[0006] The present inventor considered using the registration device described in Patent Document 1 for registration processing in services such as friend registration processing in SNS. However, the registration device described in Patent Document 1 does not allow the store to select users, and basically any user can be registered as a member if the object identification information of an unregistered user is read by a reading device within a certain period of time and the user performs wireless communication. Therefore, even if the registration device described in Patent Document 1 is used for registration processing in the above-mentioned service, unreliable people will also be registered, which creates a security problem.

[0007] Therefore, it would be beneficial to build a system that allows users to register friends and members so that they can use a service only with trusted devices or devices used by trusted people. To achieve this, a system is needed that can easily collect information about trusted devices.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device, an information collection system, an information collection method, and a program that solve the above-mentioned problem. The above-mentioned problem is that it is not possible to easily collect information on a reliable device or user to perform member registration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises an acquisition unit that acquires, using an imaging device, characteristic information indicating characteristics of the usage method of a nearby device, which is a device located in the vicinity, a calculation unit that calculates the reliability of the nearby device based on the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired by the acquisition unit, and a memory unit that stores the reliability calculated by the calculation unit, and an application that enables a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network is executablely incorporated, and based on the reliability stored in the memory unit, a restriction on communication with the other electronic devices in the application is determined, the communication being communication between a store that uses the electronic device and a customer that uses the nearby device, the restriction being a restriction on whether the customer will register as a member of the store, and the application has a function of performing membership registration. An electronic device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure comprises an acquisition unit that acquires user information indicating a user using a nearby device from a nearby device that is a device located in the vicinity, a calculation unit that calculates a trust level for each user indicated by the user information acquired by the acquisition unit, and a memory unit that stores the trust level calculated by the calculation unit, and an application that enables a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network is executablely incorporated in the electronic device, and based on the trust level stored in the memory unit, a restriction on communication with the other electronic devices in the application is determined, the communication being communication between a store that uses the electronic device and a customer that uses the nearby device, the restriction being a restriction on whether the customer will register as a member of the store, and the application has a function of performing member registration.

[0010] An information collection method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is an information collection method in an electronic device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring, by an imaging device, characteristic information indicating characteristics of a usage method for a nearby device, which is a device located in the vicinity of the electronic device; a calculation step of calculating a reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired in the acquisition step; a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step; and a determination step, wherein the electronic device has an application executablely incorporated therein that enables a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network, the determination step determines a restriction on communication with the other electronic devices in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage step, the communication being communication between a store that uses the electronic device and a customer that uses the nearby device, the restriction being a restriction on whether the customer will register as a member of the store, and the application has a function of performing membership registration. An information collection method according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is an information collection method in an electronic device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring user information indicating a user using a nearby device, which is a device located in the vicinity of the electronic device; a calculation step of calculating a reliability for each user indicated by the user information acquired in the acquisition step; a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step; and a determination step, wherein the electronic device has an application executablely incorporated therein that enables a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network, the determination step determines a restriction on communication with the other electronic devices in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage step, the communication being communication between a store that uses the electronic device and a customer that uses the nearby device, the restriction being a restriction on whether the customer will register as a member of the store, and the application has a function of performing member registration.

[0011] A program according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute an information collection process, the information collection process including an acquisition step of acquiring, by an imaging device, characteristic information indicating characteristics of a usage method for a nearby device, which is an apparatus located in the vicinity of the computer, a calculation step of calculating a reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired in the acquisition step, a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step, and a determination step, wherein the computer has an application executablely incorporated therein that enables a user of the computer to communicate with other users who use other electronic devices that are different from the computer via a network, the determination step determines a restriction on communication with the other electronic devices in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage step, the communication being communication between a store using the computer and a customer using the nearby device, the restriction being a restriction on whether the customer will register as a member of the store, and the application has a function of performing member registration. A program according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute an information collection process, the information collection process including an acquisition step of acquiring user information indicating a user using a nearby device, which is a device located in the vicinity of the computer, a calculation step of calculating a reliability for each user indicated by the user information acquired in the acquisition step, a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step, and a determination step, wherein the computer has an application executable therein that enables a user of the computer to communicate with other users using other electronic devices that are different from the computer via a network, the determination step determines a restriction on communication with the other electronic devices in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage step, the communication being communication between a store using the computer and a customer using the nearby device, the restriction being a restriction on whether the customer will register as a member of the store, and the application has a function of performing member registration. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electronic device, an information collection system, an information collection method, and a program that solve the above problems. That is, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an electronic device, an information collection system, an information collection method, and a program that can easily collect information on a reliable device or user and perform member registration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an information collecting system including an electronic device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of information collection processing in an information collection system including the electronic device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram showing an example of time zone information of another terminal collected by a certain terminal in the information collection system of FIG. 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a software stack in each smart device in the information collection system of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for explaining an example of an operation of the smart device of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a format of a database in the smart device of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a reliability calculation formula applied in the smart device of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a reliability graph calculated by the smart device of FIG. 5. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted.

[0015] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device according to the first embodiment. 1, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 1a, a calculation unit 1b, and a storage unit 1c. Examples of the electronic device 1 include mobile terminal devices such as mobile phones (including those called smartphones), tablet terminals, and mobile PCs (Personal Computers), but it may also be a stationary device such as a stationary PC.

[0016] The calculation unit 1b can be included in, for example, a control unit that controls the entire electronic device 1. The acquisition unit 1a or a part thereof can also be included in this control unit. This control unit can be realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a working memory, and a non-volatile storage device that stores a program for controlling the entire electronic device 1. This storage device can also function as the storage unit 1c. In addition, this control unit can also be realized, for example, by an integrated circuit.

[0017] The acquisition unit 1a acquires feature information indicating features of a method of use of a nearby device (nearby apparatus) that is a device located (existing) nearby. Here, the device can be an electronic device of the same type as the electronic device 1, but it is also possible to adopt an application example in which the electronic device 1 is a portable type and the nearby device is a stationary type, or vice versa.

[0018] The above characteristic information can refer to characteristic information (characteristics) related to the usage method (way of being used) and usage state of the nearby device, and specific examples will be described later. Whether or not a device is located nearby can be determined, for example, by whether or not the acquisition unit 1a can acquire the characteristic information of the device. In other words, a device whose characteristic information can be acquired by the acquisition unit 1a can be treated as a nearby device. The acquisition unit 1a can also be called a collection unit or a monitoring unit, as it monitors such nearby devices and collects characteristic information.

[0019] The acquisition unit 1a may have, for example, a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with nearby devices. This wireless communication unit may be configured to perform wireless communication based on, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) standard. This wireless communication unit may also be configured to perform wireless communication based on other wireless communication standards such as the IEEE802.15 standard, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark; the same applies below), ZigBee (registered trademark), etc. Examples of Bluetooth include Bluetooth Basic Rate / Enhanced Data Rate (BR / EDR) and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). Therefore, the wireless communication unit may also be configured to perform wireless communication using a short-range wireless communication technology such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). This wireless communication unit may also be configured to perform wireless communication based on a plurality of types of wireless communication standards.

[0020] However, the acquisition unit 1a may have, for example, a wired communication unit other than the wireless communication unit, and may also have a photographing device such as a still image camera or a video camera. When the acquisition unit 1a is a wired communication unit, it can acquire feature information from devices in the same wired LAN as nearby devices. When the acquisition unit 1a has a photographing device, it can be configured to have an extraction unit that extracts feature information of nearby devices from data photographed by the photographing device. The acquisition unit 1a may also be a combination of a plurality of the various examples described above, and the calculation unit 1b described later may appropriately adopt an optimal configuration depending on the feature information required for calculating the reliability.

[0021] The calculation unit 1b calculates the reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired by the acquisition unit 1a. For example, the reliability can be defined as a higher value when the frequency of the device being located in the vicinity is higher, but is not limited thereto.

[0022] The storage unit 1c may have a storage device such as a memory. The storage unit 1c stores the reliability calculated by the calculation unit 1b. In practice, the storage unit 1c stores information indicating the reliability (reliability information). The storage unit 1c may be configured to store the reliability for each nearby device. However, the calculation unit 1b or the like may be provided with a function to identify a user, and the storage unit 1c may be configured to store the reliability for each user (for each user information).

[0023] As described above, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment can acquire feature information from nearby devices and calculate and store the reliability of the information. In this way, the electronic device 1 according to the present embodiment can easily collect information on reliable devices.

[0024] The reliability stored in this manner enables the electronic device 1 to distinguish reliable devices (apparatuses) from the features of nearby devices. Also, the electronic device 1 can distinguish reliable users by storing reliability for each user. In other words, the electronic device 1 according to this embodiment can derive reliable devices or users (e.g., user accounts) from the behavior records of the actual devices (behavior records of users who move around with the devices).

[0025] Thereby, when using a new service, for example, the electronic device 1 can use this reliability as information for automatically judging whether the device (or user) is reliable, and can register the device (or user) based on the reliability. Therefore, for example, when registering for a service in which communication is performed using the electronic device 1, the registration of devices or users that one can trust can be automated, and troublesome authentication processing can be omitted. In other words, the electronic device 1 can be configured to automatically register reliable users and devices using the reliability, and security can be improved when registering friends.

[0026] Moreover, in this embodiment, it is possible to construct an information collection system including a plurality of such electronic devices 1. This information collection system is a system in which a plurality of electronic devices 1 located near each other store their mutual reliability, and one electronic device treats the other nearby electronic device as an electronic device 1 and stores the reliability of the nearby device.

[0027] The acquisition unit 1a can also be configured to have a detection unit that detects nearby devices (detects the presence of nearby devices). This detection unit can be realized by constantly operating the wireless communication unit, wired communication unit, photographing device, or a combination of them as described above, and periodically executing detection. In other words, in the case of the acquisition unit 1a having a detection unit, when a device is located near the electronic device 1 and becomes a nearby device, characteristic information of the nearby device is acquired, and information on the reliability of the nearby device can be collected on a regular basis.

[0028] In this way, by providing a detection unit in the acquisition unit 1a and constantly monitoring devices located nearby, the electronic device 1 can regularly collect information on the status of nearby devices and store a value (reliability) indicating whether the devices are trustworthy or not based on several pieces of characteristic information.

[0029] <Embodiment 2> 2 to 9, the second embodiment will be described with a focus on the differences from the first embodiment, but the various examples described in the first embodiment can also be applied. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration example of an information collecting system including an electronic device according to the second embodiment.

[0030] 2, the information collection system according to the present embodiment may include an electronic device 10 in which a setting unit 1d and a transmission unit 1e, which will be described later, are added to the electronic device 1, and an electronic device (neighboring device) 20 having a configuration similar to that of the electronic device 10. The acquisition unit 2a, the calculation unit 2b, the storage unit 2c, the setting unit 2d, and the transmission unit 2e in the neighboring device 20 may have functions similar to those of the acquisition unit 1a, the calculation unit 1b, the storage unit 1c, the setting unit 1d, and the transmission unit 1e in the electronic device 10, respectively. The number of neighboring devices 20 for which the reliability is to be stored in the electronic device 10 is not limited to one, and may be multiple.

[0031] The acquisition unit 1a can be configured to acquire, as the characteristic information, at least one of the following: location information of the nearby device 20, time period information indicating the time period when the nearby device 20 was located in the vicinity of the electronic device 10, the strength of the radio waves emitted from the nearby device 20, and the acceleration of the nearby device 20.

[0032] The acquisition unit 1a can acquire, as the location information, location information (information of latitude and longitude) acquired by a location information acquisition unit using a GPS (Global Positioning System) system or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) technology provided in the nearby device 20. The acquisition unit 1a can also calculate the location information from an image of the nearby device 20 captured by an imaging device.

[0033] The acquisition unit 1a can be configured to acquire, as the feature information, at least one of location information in a situation where the nearby device 20 is not located in the vicinity of the electronic device 10 and location information in a situation where the nearby device 20 is located in the vicinity of the electronic device 10. In at least the former case, the acquisition unit 1a can acquire location information (past location information in this case) from the nearby device 20 by communication. By taking into account the past location information, the calculation unit 1b can calculate the reliability based on the movement of the nearby device 20 not only when it is located in the vicinity of the electronic device 10.

[0034] The acquisition unit 1a can acquire time zone information from the nearby device 20, but is not limited to this. For example, the acquisition unit 1a can acquire information that the device is located nearby (e.g., device information) and add a time to the information to make it a part of the characteristic information. That is, the acquisition unit 1a can acquire, as the time zone information, for example, the time when the acquisition unit 1a was able to acquire some information such as location information from the value of an internal clock. Note that the acceleration can be information acquired by an acceleration sensor provided in the nearby device 20, for example.

[0035] Also, the calculation unit 1b can be configured to calculate the reliability for each device or for each user. That is, the calculation unit 1b can be configured to calculate the reliability for each nearby device 20, and the storage unit 1c can be configured to store the reliability for each nearby device 20. In this case, the storage unit 1c stores the device information of the nearby device 20 and the reliability calculated therefor in association with each other. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 1a can be configured to acquire user information indicating the user of the nearby device 20 from which the feature information is acquired, the calculation unit 1b calculates the reliability for each user indicated by the user information, and the storage unit 1c stores the reliability for each user. In this case, the storage unit 1c stores the user information of the nearby device 20 in association with the reliability calculated for the user.

[0036] Therefore, the acquiring unit 1a may be configured to acquire device information or user information at the same time as acquiring feature information. The device information may be any one or more pieces of information such as the serial number, MAC (Media Access Control) address, or telephone number of the device, as long as the device can be identified.

[0037] The user information may be any information that can identify a user, such as a name. When the nearby device 20 is a device capable of incorporating an application program, it is preferable that the acquisition unit 1a acquires an application ID list as the user information. Here, the application ID list refers to a list of IDs (user IDs) used in each application incorporated in the nearby device 20. An application can be an application program that is executed to utilize a certain service. This application ID list preferably includes an ID for an application for executing a communication service.

[0038] The setting unit 1d sets at least one of the type of characteristic information to be acquired by the acquisition unit 1a and the type of reliability to be calculated by the calculation unit 1b (such as which information is to be considered as having higher reliability). The electronic device 10 does not need to include the setting unit 1d, but having the setting unit 1d allows the setting related to the collection of reliability to be changed, so that reliability that better matches the intention of the user of the electronic device 10 can be stored.

[0039] The transmitting unit 1e collects information about its own device and distributes it to nearby electronic devices (nearby device 20 in this example) spontaneously, or transmits it upon request from the acquiring unit 2a. The information about its own device may be characteristic information or information that is the source of the characteristic information, such as a MAC address, location information, or an application ID list. By including such a transmitting unit 1e, the electronic device 20 can also acquire characteristic information about the electronic device 10 and store the reliability of the electronic device 10.

[0040] The transmission unit 1e can be configured to have a wireless transmission unit, and in that case, if the acquisition unit 1a has a wireless communication unit, the wireless communication unit can be used. Note that even if the electronic device 10 does not have the transmission unit 1e, the electronic device 20 can collect information by having a photographing device or the like as the acquisition unit 2a.

[0041] It has been explained that it is desirable for the application ID list to include an ID for an application for a communication service. In this case, an application that enables a user of the electronic device 10 to communicate with other users who use other electronic devices via a network such as the Internet is built in the electronic device 10 in an executable manner.

[0042] In this case, it is preferable that the electronic device 10 determines the restriction of communication with the other electronic devices in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage unit 1c. Here, the restriction of communication can refer to at least one of whether communication is possible and the degree of restriction. This allows automatic friend registration processing in the communication application, such as registering only highly reliable users as friends. The degree of restriction can also include group restrictions.

[0043] In this way, the restriction on communication with the other electronic devices of the electronic device 10 can include whether or not communication with the other electronic devices is possible. That is, the electronic device 10 can determine whether or not communication with the other electronic devices in the application is possible based on the reliability stored in the storage unit 1c. In the electronic device 10, if the application has a function of registering the user of the other electronic device determined to be communication possible as a communication target user, the application can perform the automatic registration process as described above.

[0044] Regarding the determination of the restriction, for example, the application can determine the restriction on communication with other electronic devices based on the reliability stored in the storage unit 1c, and can execute a process such as an automatic friend registration process according to this determination. Alternatively, the electronic device 10 can be configured to provide the application with information indicating the restriction on communication with other electronic devices determined based on the reliability stored in the storage unit 1c.

[0045] In addition, restrictions on communication with other electronic devices can be imposed by restricting communication with the user (user ID, etc.) of the other electronic device in question, that is, restrictions on the device can be imposed by such user restrictions.

[0046] In this way, the electronic device 10 can automatically build a relationship for a certain service by using the reliability of the nearby devices 20. In addition, in a form in which the reliability of each user is stored, the electronic device 10 can determine a relationship with the user in the service for each user. In a form in which the reliability of each nearby device is stored, the electronic device 10 can determine a relationship with the device in the service for each device.

[0047] A specific example of the friend registration process as described above will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 9. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of information collection process in an information collection system including an electronic device according to embodiment 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of time zone information of other terminals collected by a certain terminal b in the information collection system of Fig. 3.

[0048] The information collection system shown in Fig. 3 is used in a world where six communities 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, and 106, A to F, exist. The community referred to here means a group of people who share location information with a small degree of accuracy for a certain period of time. The descriptions in parentheses in Fig. 3, namely, homes 1 to 3, school, workplace, and circle, are concrete examples of communities.

[0049] There is no specific information about the community itself, but it is a concept formed between terminals that share location information with small error for a certain period of time. Here, terminals as examples of the electronic devices 10 and 20 can be smart devices such as smartphones and wearable terminals. For example, terminal a (111) of community A (101) also belongs to communities D (104) and F (106). This represents a case where terminal a (111) belongs to each community during different time periods. In addition, FIG. 3 illustrates terminal b (112), terminal c (113), terminal d (114), and terminal e (115).

[0050] 3, for example, the smart device 121 not described with the letters a, b, etc. indicates a terminal that has not shared location information with small error with other terminals a and b for a certain period of time. The smart devices 122, 123, and 124 are similar to the smart device 121. In this way, even if a device temporarily enters a community, it can be determined that it does not belong to that community, that is, it can be stored as having low reliability.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows community affiliation information for a certain week based on the location information of each terminal. For example, information 202 of terminal c (113) and information 203 of terminal d (114) show that they belong to the same community from night to dawn (211) on a weekday. Information 201 of terminal a (111), information 203 of terminal d (114), and information 204 of terminal e (115) show that they belong to the same community on Thursday evening (212). The hatching in FIG. 4 shows the hatching illustrated inside each of the communities 101 to 106 in FIG. 3, and represents the time period during which each smart device belongs to each community. In this way, each smart device can show the state of affiliation to a certain community during a certain time period based on location information.

[0052] Here, a certain terminal (e.g., terminal a) can determine other terminals belonging to each community to which it moves by storing its own location information as well. In other words, the terminal can be configured to calculate the reliability of other terminals for each piece of its own location information (actually, for each piece of location information having a certain range). More specifically, the terminal can classify terminals into groups based on their own location information, and calculate and store the reliability for each group (i.e., for each belonging state).

[0053] Next, an example of a software stack in the electronic device 10 exemplified as a smart device will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a software stack in each smart device in the information collection system of Fig. 3.

[0054] 5, a smart device 301, which is an example of the electronic device 10, may have an application layer 302, a middleware layer 303, a driver layer 304, and a hardware layer 305. A collection module 306 as a range of software related to information collection related to the acquisition unit 1a, the calculation unit 1b, the storage unit 1c, the setting unit 1d, and the transmission unit 1e corresponds to the following parts. That is, the collection module 306 has a setting screen 307 of the application layer 302, and a controller 308, a database 309, an event handler 310, a producer 311, and a config (configuration information) 312 of the middleware layer 303.

[0055] The setting screen 307 may have a graphical user interface (GUI) related to the setting unit 1d. The controller 308 controls the entire collection module 306. The database 309 stores the collected characteristic information and device information (or user information) and reliability information calculated therefrom. The event handler 310 controls a proximity sensor driver 314 (described later) to acquire characteristic information of nearby devices and passes it to the controller 308. The controller 308 stores this characteristic information temporarily or semi-permanently in the database 309. The producer 311 calculates reliability by referring to the characteristic information in the database 309 according to a configuration 312 describing the settings set from the setting screen 307, and stores reliability information indicating the reliability in the database 309. The configuration 312 is information describing the settings set from the setting screen 307.

[0056] The hardware layer 305 may have a proximity sensor 313, and the driver layer 304 may have a proximity sensor driver 314, which function as an example of the acquisition unit 1a. The proximity sensor 313 detects nearby devices based on, for example, Bluetooth.

[0057] The communication application can be held executable as a plurality of applications 315, 316, etc. in the application layer 302. Each of the applications 315, 316 can access the database 309, and each performs a process of registering friends, etc. by referring to reliability information and stores the information in the database 309.

[0058] Next, an example of the operation of the smart device 301 in Fig. 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 9. Fig. 6 is a flow diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the smart device 301. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the format of the database 309, Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a reliability calculation formula applied by the smart device 301, and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a reliability graph calculated by the smart device 301.

[0059] The user 401 of the smart device 301 specifies the activation of the search function for nearby devices (nearby terminals) from the setting screen 307 (step S11). After specifying the activation, the collection module 306 saves the setting for enabling the search function for nearby terminals in the configuration 312 (step S12), and starts the producer 311 and the controller 308 (steps S13 and S16).

[0060] The controller 308 starts the event handler 310 for receiving an event from the proximity sensor driver 314 (step S14). The started producer 311 checks the setting of the search function for nearby terminals by referring to the config 312 (step S17), and if it is valid, periodically monitors the nearby terminals.

[0061] First, the producer 311 collects information (MAC address, location information, application ID list) distributed by its own terminal (step S18). After that, the producer 311 reads information (MAC address, location information, application ID list, reliability) of a terminal (here represented as "A") that was in the vicinity at the current time from the database 309 (step S19), and obtains that information (step S20).

[0062] The database 309 is stored, for example, in a format as shown in Fig. 7. For simplicity of explanation, the database 309 is described in KVS (Key-Value Store). However, the database 309 may be described in other formats, such as RDBMS (Relational Database Management System).

[0063] 7 has two lists, a reliable device list (reliable_devices) 5001 and a likely reliable device list (candidate_devices) 5002. The elements in both lists 5001 and 5002 have the same components. The components include a MAC address (mac) 5011 of the terminal, a registration time (registered_at) 5012, an update time (updated_at) 5013, and an estimated time period (approx_period) 5014. Furthermore, the components include a latitude (lat) 5015, a longitude (lng) 5016, a previously calculated latitude difference (d_lat) 5017, a previously calculated longitude difference (d_lng) 5018, and a reliability (reliability) 5019.

[0064] The estimated time period (approx_period) 5014 is in map format and holds a start time (begin) 5101, an end time (end) 5102, and continuity (continuity) 5103.

[0065] Continuity 5103 counts how many times the device has appeared consecutively during the estimated time period. Counting the number of times the device has appeared consecutively for a certain period of time serves as a basis for determining whether the device should move (transition) from the list of likely reliable devices (candidate_devices) 5002 to the list of reliable devices (reliable_devices) 5001.

[0066] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 6, the estimated time period during which a certain terminal A is thought to have been in proximity is stored as estimated time period (approx_period) 5014 in the database 309, so processing is performed for the terminal group that includes the current time. The producer 311 transmits the collected information (information on terminal A) to terminal A (step S21). The producer 311 can receive the latest characteristic information of terminal A (information including location information and application ID list) as a response (step S22).

[0067] Furthermore, when the event handler 310 receives characteristic information of terminal A (information including location information and application ID list) as a response to step S21 (step S23), it transfers the operation to the controller 308 (step S24). The controller 308 checks the state of terminal A by referring to the database 309 (step S25), calculates the reliability from the time and location information, and updates the database 309 to that value (step S26).

[0068] The reliability can be calculated, for example, using the formula in Fig. 8. In this formula, the reliability can take a value in the range of 0≦Reliability≦1.

[0069] For example, if the amount of change in two elements (latitude, longitude) is within the tolerance, the reliability of each can be calculated as 1. As shown in the example of latitude in FIG. 9, if the tolerance is exceeded and the value is below the threshold, the reliability decreases. If the threshold is exceeded, the reliability of each can be calculated as 0. The same applies to longitude. In the formula in FIG. 8, a i is the gradient of each element function, which can be made different for latitude and longitude, and when other elements are used, the gradients of those elements can also be made different.

[0070] The producer 311 can also transmit the information of its own terminal collected in step S18 to nearby terminals (step S27). When the event handler 310 receives a response from an unknown terminal (here, represented as "B") (step S28), it transfers the operation to the controller 308 (step S29). The controller 308 checks the status of terminal B by referring to the database 309 (step S30), and if it does not exist in reliable_devices5001, it registers it in candidate_devices5002 (step S31). When the continuity 5103 of approx_period 5014 of terminal B exceeds a certain period (for example, two weeks (14 days)), the information of terminal B is moved to reliable_devices5001.

[0071] That is, the controller 308 calculates the reliability of the terminal B from the time zone information such as the time and the location information, checks it with the database 309, and updates the reliability as necessary. Of course, if it is unnecessary to compare the information acquired in step S30 with the information in the database 309 (if the information is the same), it is not necessary to calculate the reliability.

[0072] As described above, the smart device 301 can, for example, manage the estimated time period (start / end time, number of continuations) of nearby devices and register the reliability (whether the device is reliable or not, or whether the device seems reliable or not) based on the amount of change in location information (latitude / longitude). The smart device 301 can also update the reliability based on newly acquired characteristic information. The smart device 301 can also have a function of automatically registering the nearby device 20 as a friend when a communication application is installed if the nearby device 20 is a reliable device.

[0073] When installing a new community application, it is often troublesome to manually search for friend relationship information registration or to register while physically nearby. However, by applying this embodiment, it is possible to easily collect information on reliable devices, and by constantly maintaining a highly reliable device in one's own terminal, friend registration can be completed automatically after the application installation is completed.

[0074] Furthermore, when a plurality of different applications are embedded in an executable manner in the electronic device 10 such as the smart device 301 as exemplified by the applications 315 and 316, the following restrictions can be imposed. That is, first, the calculation unit 1b calculates the reliability of nearby devices according to the characteristic information acquired by the acquisition unit 1a for each predetermined time period. Then, the electronic device 10 determines the restriction on communication with other electronic devices for each application based on the reliability for each time period stored in the storage unit 1c. That is, the electronic device 10 can determine the type of community, such as family, based on the reliability for each time period and determine the restriction on communication.

[0075] For example, by estimating what kind of community the community is based on the time period in which the community is formed, it is possible to set the community as a group that is generally realized in a communication application. For example, if a community is formed from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. every weekday, the community can be estimated to be a "family." Furthermore, if the acceleration of the terminal can be acquired, and the amount of change in acceleration is almost zero during the late night hours, it can be more strongly estimated to be a "family" (the terminal is left unattended and the user is in the middle of sleeping). Therefore, the terminal can group nearby terminals according to the time period information among the characteristic information of the terminals, calculate and store the reliability for each group, and determine whether or not each group is reliable.

[0076] More specifically, application 315 can be a communication application, and after being installed in smart device 301, it refers to reliable_devices 5001 in database 309 in the terminal. A terminal that exists in reliable_devices 5001 is considered to be a terminal that has maintained a high reliability state for a certain period of time with the community to which the terminal belongs, and therefore can be automatically registered as a friend. Application 316 is similar to application 315, but can perform friend registration processing based on the reliability of different groups (reliability calculated for different time periods).

[0077] In this way, it is preferable that the calculation unit 1b calculates the reliability of the nearby terminal according to the characteristic information acquired by the acquisition unit 1a within a predetermined period. Whether or not the information was acquired within a predetermined period (for example, a predetermined time period) can be obtained from time period information, which is one type of characteristic information, but even if the information is of another type, it is sufficient to confirm and store the acquisition time. By setting a certain period for measuring the reliability of the nearby terminal in this way, the terminals or users can be divided into groups.

[0078] In this case, the electronic device 10 such as the smart device 301 may further include a period setting unit that sets the predetermined period. For example, the period setting unit may be included in the setting unit 1d.

[0079] Furthermore, the applications 315 and 316 can be configured to perform friend registration processing using different thresholds for a common reliability, in which case one of them will be registered as a friend more often than the other.

[0080] Furthermore, the degree of communication restriction may include group restriction as described above. Group restriction may be implemented by dividing devices into groups based on a common reliability (reliability for each device or each user) and setting a restriction for each group. Alternatively, as described above, the electronic device 10 may divide devices into groups based on its own location information, calculate and store a reliability for each group (i.e., for each belonging state), and determine whether each group is trustworthy. Both time zone information and location information may be used for grouping.

[0081] <Embodiment 3> The third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the second embodiment. However, the third embodiment can appropriately apply various examples described in the first and second embodiments.

[0082] In this embodiment, the communication described in the second embodiment is communication between the store side using the electronic device 10 and the customer side using a nearby device. The communication can be restricted by restricting whether or not the customer registers as a member of the store. The application used in this case has a function for customer registration (member registration, regular customer registration, etc.). Thus, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment allows the store side to execute a process for automatically registering customers who frequently visit the store as members.

[0083] Also in this embodiment, the calculation unit 1b can calculate the reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information acquired by the acquisition unit 1a within a predetermined period. As a result, according to the electronic device 10 of this embodiment, the store side can execute a process of automatically registering customers who frequently visit the store within a certain period as members. On the other hand, from the customer's perspective, the electronic device used by the customer may be configured so that this function can be set to be enabled / disabled. That is, also in this embodiment, the electronic device 10 and the customer's electronic device may be provided with the setting unit 1d. As a result, the store can set whether or not to perform automatic registration, and if the customer sets it to disabled, unauthorized registration can be avoided, and if the customer sets it to enabled, the customer can be registered as a member without registration work and can enjoy the benefits of various services. Also in this embodiment, the setting unit 1d may be provided with a period setting unit.

[0084] <Embodiment 4> The fourth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the second embodiment. However, the fourth embodiment can appropriately apply various examples described in the first to third embodiments.

[0085] In this embodiment, the communication described in the second embodiment is a notification in the event of a breakdown or loss. In this embodiment, the nearby devices are stationary devices, and the electronic device 10 is moved by the user, for example by carrying it. In other words, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment is a traveling device.

[0086] The electronic device 10 according to the present embodiment further includes a notification unit that attempts to acquire feature information of a nearby device with high reliability stored in the storage unit 1c by the acquisition unit 1a, and notifies the user of the electronic device 10 if the acquisition is unsuccessful. This notification unit only needs to notify the user of the electronic device 10, and can also transmit the notification to other devices by the transmission unit 1e.

[0087] In this embodiment, for example, all terminals (terminals that can be nearby devices) are fixedly installed, and one roaming terminal, the electronic device 10, is automatically registered and moves. If a certain terminal is registered in reliable_device at a certain location, but its presence cannot be confirmed, it is possible that the terminal is broken or lost. If the electronic device 10 can acquire radio waves from nearby devices, it can confirm their presence, but by detecting that the radio wave strength is different from normal, it can infer that the nearby device has "disconnected and fallen". Therefore, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment calculates and stores the reliability, and notifies the user of such a failure or loss depending on the reliability. This is considered to be effective for devices such as IoT devices installed in mountains, on the sea, in piping, etc.

[0088] Also in this embodiment, the calculation unit 1b can calculate the reliability of the nearby device according to the feature information acquired by the acquisition unit 1a within a predetermined period. Also, the electronic device 10 according to this embodiment can include a setting unit 1d, and the setting unit 1d can include a period setting unit.

[0089] <Embodiment 5> The fifth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the second embodiment. However, the fifth embodiment can also appropriately apply various examples described in the first to fourth embodiments.

[0090] The electronic device 10 according to this embodiment performs the following process. That is, the acquisition unit 1a acquires characteristic information while the electronic device 10 is installed. The calculation unit 1b calculates a higher reliability for a nearby device whose characteristic information is acquired more frequently by the acquisition unit 1a. The electronic device 10 according to this embodiment includes a notification unit that issues a warning to a nearby device with a high reliability, which is often located near the installation location of the electronic device 10.

[0091] The electronic device 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to only register nearby devices (it does not distribute its own terminal information) and is installed in a location where crimes are likely to occur. This allows the police using the electronic device 10 to identify suspicious electronic devices (neighboring devices) and issue a warning or use the information in an investigation.

[0092] Also in this embodiment, the calculation unit 1b can calculate the reliability of nearby devices according to the feature information acquired by the acquisition unit 1a within a predetermined period. This allows the police using the electronic device 10 to identify suspicious electronic devices in places and times when crimes are likely to occur, issue warnings, or use the information in investigations. The electronic device 10 according to this embodiment can also include a setting unit 1d, and the setting unit 1d can include a period setting unit.

[0093] <Other embodiments> [a] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the functions of each part of the electronic device have been described, but it is sufficient that the electronic device can realize these functions. As a supplement, a case where there is only one device that can be a neighboring device of the electronic device in the information collection system will be described. In this case, the electronic device can be configured to calculate the reliability of the one neighboring device and update it. As a result, the electronic device can be configured to perform a process such as executing a predetermined process when the reliability of the neighboring device exceeds a predetermined value.

[0094] [b] The electronic device according to each embodiment may have the following hardware configuration. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic device according to each embodiment. The same applies to the other embodiment [a].

[0095] 10 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, and a communication interface 1003. The communication interface 1003 includes a wireless communication interface. The functions of each unit described in each embodiment are realized by the processor 1001 reading a program stored in the memory 1002 and executing the program while using the communication interface 1003.

[0096] In the above example, the program can be stored and provided to a computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. The non-transitory computer readable media includes various types of tangible storage media. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives) and magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks). Further, this example includes CD-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R, and CD-R / W. Further, this example includes semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be provided to a computer by various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of the transitory computer readable media include electric signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The transitory computer readable media can provide the program to a computer via a wired communication path such as an electric wire and an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0097] [c] Furthermore, just as the various embodiments described above exemplify the procedure of the information collection process in an electronic device or an information collection system, the present disclosure may also take the form of an information collection method in an electronic device. This information collection method has an acquisition step, a calculation step, and a storage step as follows. The acquisition step acquires feature information indicating features of a usage method for a nearby device that is a device located in the vicinity of the electronic device. The calculation step calculates the reliability of the nearby device according to the feature information of the nearby device acquired in the acquisition step. The storage step stores the reliability calculated in the calculation step. Other examples are as described in the various embodiments described above.

[0098] The above program can be said to be a program for causing a computer, such as a general-purpose computer such as a PC, or a computer inside an electronic device, to execute the above-mentioned information collection method. In this case, the nearby device is a device located near the computer, for example, a device located near the electronic device (i.e., near the computer inside it).

[0099] The present disclosure is not limited to the various embodiments described above, and may be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In addition, the present disclosure may be implemented by appropriately combining the respective embodiments.

[0100] A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes. <Additional Notes>

[0101] (Appendix 1) An acquisition unit that acquires feature information indicating features of a method of use of a nearby device that is a device located nearby; a calculation unit that calculates a reliability of the nearby device in accordance with the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired by the acquisition unit; A storage unit that stores the reliability calculated by the calculation unit; Equipped with electronic equipment.

[0102] (Appendix 2) The acquisition unit includes a detection unit that detects the nearby device. 2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0103] (Appendix 3) The acquisition unit acquires, as the characteristic information, at least one of location information of the nearby device, time period information indicating a time period when the nearby device was located near the electronic device, strength of radio waves emitted from the nearby device, and acceleration of the nearby device. 3. An electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0104] (Appendix 4) The acquisition unit acquires, as the feature information, at least one of location information in a situation where the neighboring device is not located near the electronic device and location information in a situation where the neighboring device is located near the electronic device. 3. An electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

[0105] (Appendix 5) The calculation unit calculates the reliability for each of the neighboring devices, The storage unit stores the reliability for each of the neighboring devices. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0106] (Appendix 6) the acquisition unit acquires user information indicating a user of the nearby device from which the feature information is to be acquired; The calculation unit calculates the reliability for each user indicated by the user information, The storage unit stores the reliability for each of the users. 6. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0107] (Appendix 7) an application for enabling a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network is embedded in the electronic device in an executable manner; determining a restriction on communication with the other electronic device in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage unit; 7. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0108] (Appendix 8) The restriction on communication with the other electronic device includes whether or not communication with the other electronic device is possible, the application has a function of registering the user of the other electronic device, which is determined to be available for communication, as a communication target user; 8. The electronic device according to claim 7.

[0109] (Appendix 9) A plurality of different applications are embedded in the computer in an executable manner; The calculation unit calculates a reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information acquired by the acquisition unit for each predetermined time period, determining a restriction on communication with the other electronic device for each of the applications based on the reliability for each of the time periods stored in the storage unit; 9. The electronic device according to claim 7 or 8.

[0110] (Appendix 10) The communication is between a store side using the electronic device and a customer side using the nearby device, The restriction is a restriction on whether or not the customer can register as a member of the store, The application has a function of performing member registration. 9. The electronic device according to claim 7 or 8.

[0111] (Appendix 11) the calculation unit calculates the reliability of the nearby device in accordance with the characteristic information acquired by the acquisition unit within a predetermined period of time. 11. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0112] (Appendix 12) Further comprising a period setting unit that sets the predetermined period, 12. The electronic device according to claim 11.

[0113] (Appendix 13) A setting unit that sets at least one of a type of the feature information to be acquired by the acquisition unit and a type of the reliability to be calculated by the calculation unit, 13. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

[0114] (Appendix 14) A transmitting unit is further provided for transmitting information of the own device to the neighboring device. 14. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

[0115] (Appendix 15) The nearby device is a stationary device, The electronic device further includes a notification unit that attempts to acquire the characteristic information of the nearby device having the high reliability stored in the storage unit by the acquisition unit, and notifies the user when the acquisition is unsuccessful. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0116] (Appendix 16) The acquisition unit acquires the feature information in a state in which the electronic device is installed, The calculation unit calculates the reliability of the neighboring device to be higher as the acquisition unit acquires the characteristic information of the neighboring device more frequently. The electronic device further includes a notification unit that issues a warning to the neighboring device having a high reliability as a device that is often located near an installation location of the electronic device. 7. The electronic device according to claim 1.

[0117] (Appendix 17) the calculation unit calculates the reliability of the nearby device in accordance with the characteristic information acquired by the acquisition unit within a predetermined period of time. 17. The electronic device according to claim 15 or 16.

[0118] (Appendix 18) Further comprising a period setting unit that sets the predetermined period, 18. The electronic device according to claim 17.

[0119] (Appendix 19) A setting unit that sets at least one of a type of the feature information to be acquired by the acquisition unit and a type of the reliability to be calculated by the calculation unit, 19. The electronic device according to any one of appendix 15 to 18.

[0120] (Appendix 20) 15. An information collection system comprising a plurality of electronic devices according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the plurality of electronic devices located in close proximity to each other store the reliability of each other.

[0121] (Appendix 21) An information collection method in an electronic device, comprising: An acquisition step of acquiring characteristic information indicating characteristics of a method of use of a nearby device that is a device located near the electronic device; a calculation step of calculating a reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired in the acquisition step; a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step; The information gathering method includes:

[0122] (Appendix 22) On the computer, An acquisition step of acquiring characteristic information indicating characteristics of a method of use of a nearby device that is a device located near the computer; a calculation step of calculating a reliability of the nearby device according to the characteristic information of the nearby device acquired in the acquisition step; a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step; A program for executing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1, 10, 1000 electronics 1a Acquisition part 1b Calculation part 1c storage section 1d Setting section 1e Transmitter 2a Acquisition part 2b Calculation part 2c storage section 2d Settings 2e Transmitter 20 Electronic equipment (nearby equipment) 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106 Community 121, 122, 123, 124 Smart Devices 301 Smart Devices 302 Application Layer 303 Middleware Layer 304 Driver Layer 305 Hardware Layer 306 Collection Module 307 Setting screen 308 Controller 309 Database 310 Event Handlers 311 Producer 312 Config 313 Proximity Sensor 314 Proximity Sensor Driver 315, 316 Applications 1001 Processor 1002 Memory 1003 Communication Interface

Claims

1. An electronic device, an acquisition unit that acquires user information indicating a user who uses a nearby device from the nearby device, the nearby device being a device located nearby; a calculation unit that calculates a reliability for each user indicated by the user information acquired by the acquisition unit; A storage unit that stores the reliability calculated by the calculation unit; Equipped with an application for enabling a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network is embedded in the electronic device in an executable manner; determining a restriction on communication with the other electronic device in the application based on the reliability stored in the storage unit; The communication is between a store side using the electronic device and a customer side using the nearby device, The restriction is a restriction on whether or not the customer can register as a member of the store, The application has a function of performing member registration. electronic equipment.

2. The user information is an ID used in an application for using the communication service.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1.

3. The restriction on communication with the other electronic device includes whether or not communication with the other electronic device is possible, the application has a function of registering the user of the other electronic device, which is determined to be available for communication, as a communication target user; 3. The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. An information collection method in an electronic device, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring user information indicating a user who uses a nearby device from a nearby device that is a device located near the electronic device; a calculation step of calculating a reliability for each user indicated by the user information acquired in the acquisition step; a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step; A decision step; Equipped with the electronic device is embedded with an application capable of being executed, the application enabling a user of the electronic device to communicate with other users using other electronic devices via a network; The determining step determines a restriction on communication with the other electronic device in the application based on the reliability stored in the storing step; The communication is between a store side using the electronic device and a customer side using the nearby device, The restriction is a restriction on whether or not the customer can register as a member of the store, The application has a function of performing member registration. How information is collected.

5. The user information is an ID used in an application for using the communication service. The information gathering method according to claim 4.

6. The restriction on communication with the other electronic device includes whether or not communication with the other electronic device is possible, the application has a function of registering the user of the other electronic device, which is determined to be available for communication, as a communication target user; 6. The information gathering method according to claim 4 or 5.

7. A program for causing a computer to execute an information collection process, The information collection process includes: an acquisition step of acquiring user information indicating a user who uses a nearby device from a nearby device that is a device located near the computer; a calculation step of calculating a reliability for each user indicated by the user information acquired in the acquisition step; a storage step of storing the reliability calculated in the calculation step; A decision step; Including, the computer is embedded with an application capable of being executed, the application enabling a user of the computer to communicate with other users using other electronic devices that are electronic devices different from the computer via a network; The determining step determines a restriction on communication with the other electronic device in the application based on the reliability stored in the storing step; the communication is between a store side using the computer and a customer side using the nearby device, The restriction is a restriction on whether or not the customer can register as a member of the store, The application has a function of performing member registration. program.

8. The user information is an ID used in an application for using the communication service. The program according to claim 7.

9. The restriction on communication with the other electronic device includes whether or not communication with the other electronic device is possible, the application has a function of registering the user of the other electronic device, which is determined to be available for communication, as a communication target user; The program according to claim 7 or 8.

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