Product provision management system and product provision management method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a product provision management system and a product provision management method that detects the remaining amount of a product that is provided periodically, and determines whether or not the next product will be provided and the usage fee based on the remaining amount. [Solution] The product provision management system disclosed herein is a product provision management system that manages a service for providing products sold by providing them to users on a regular basis and manages the user's usage fees for the service, and is equipped with a product information acquisition device that acquires product information, which is information about the products, and an information processing device that processes the product information, and the product information acquisition device has a detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the product at a predetermined detection timing, and a notification unit that notifies the information processing device of the remaining amount information, which is information about the remaining amount detected by the detection unit, and the information processing device has a judgment unit that judges whether or not to provide the product at the product provision timing, which is the timing to provide the product, based on the remaining amount information.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a product provision management system and a product provision management method for managing a periodic product provision service. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a product provision management system that improves user satisfaction in a service that provides products through regular purchases or subscriptions. This product provision management system is configured using an information processing device, is communicatively connected to a user device that is a user-side information processing device, and includes an inquiry sending unit that sends to the user device an inquiry message of a product desired to be provided on the next scheduled date, a response receiving unit that receives a response message including requested product information that is information indicating the requested product, which is sent from the user device in response to the inquiry message, and a shipping processing unit that processes information regarding shipping of the product to the user based on the requested product information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-194363 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a method for detecting the remaining amount of a product that is periodically provided, and determining the next time the product is provided based on the remaining amount. Possibility A product provision management system and a product provision management method are provided. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The product provision management system according to the present disclosure manages a service for providing a product that is sold by periodically providing the product to a user. doA product provision management system, comprising: a product information acquisition device that acquires product information that is information about the product; and an information processing device that processes the product information. a communication unit that notifies a user information terminal device of the user about the provision of the product; the product information acquisition device has a detection unit that detects a remaining amount of the product at a predetermined detection timing, and a notification unit that notifies the information processing device of remaining amount information that is information on the remaining amount detected by the detection unit, and the information processing device has a determination unit that determines whether or not to provide the product at a regular product provision timing that is a timing for providing the product, based on the remaining amount information. and when the remaining amount included in the remaining amount information is greater than a second reference value set in advance, the communication unit transmits an inquiry notification to the user information terminal device to inquire whether or not to suspend the next supply of the product. .

[0006] The product provision management method according to the present disclosure is a product provision management method for managing a service for providing a product sold by periodically providing the product to a user, the method comprising: The product information acquisition device A product information acquisition step of acquiring product information which is information on the product; By the information processing device, an information processing step of processing the product information; By the Communications Department, a communication step of notifying a user information terminal device of the user about the provision of the product, the product information acquisition step comprising: The detection unit: The method includes a step of detecting a remaining amount of the product at a predetermined timing, and the information processing step includes: The determination unit: The communication step includes a determination step of determining whether or not to provide the product at a regular product provision timing based on the remaining amount, the communication step including: The communication unit: If the remaining amount is greater than a preset second reference value, an inquiry notice is transmitted to the user information terminal device inquiring whether or not the next supply of the product should be suspended. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The product provision management system and the product provision management method disclosed herein quantitatively detect the remaining amount of a product, and determine the next product provision based on the remaining amount. Possibility Therefore, the right amount of products is provided to the user. This makes it possible. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Product provision management system diagram [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a product information acquisition device; [Diagram 3] Block diagram showing the configuration of the product provision management system [Figure 4] Flowchart of the product provision management system according to the first embodiment [Diagram 5] Flowchart of the product provision management system according to the second embodiment [Figure 6] Flowchart of the product provision management system according to the third embodiment [Figure 7] Flowchart of the product provision management system according to the fourth embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (The knowledge and other information that formed the basis of this disclosure) At the time when the inventors came up with the present disclosure, regular purchase services were common, in which a user could receive regular products from a business operator by paying a specified usage fee to the business operator, and the user could use the services provided by the business operator. Such services were used in the sale of health foods, cosmetics, magazines, etc., and were highly convenient for users because the products were provided on a regular basis. In addition, the so-called subscription business model, which allows unlimited viewing of movies and other videos or music for a specified period of time for a fixed fee, was also widely accepted. However, for example, when a product is provided periodically, there is a problem that the user is unable to consume the product due to circumstances on the user's side, and the next product is provided while there is still a considerable amount remaining, which causes problems in storing the product. Although there was a procedure in which the user contacted the business operator when there was a remaining amount and temporarily stopped the provision of the product, the inventors discovered problems in that the user forgot to contact the business operator or the procedure was complicated, and came to constitute the subject of the present disclosure in order to solve the problem. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a product provision management system that can quantitatively detect the remaining amount of a product and determine whether or not to provide the product next time and the usage fee based on the remaining amount. Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, more detailed explanation than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed explanation of already well-known matters or duplicate explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming more redundant than necessary and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, a product provision management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. [1-1. Configuration] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a product provision management system 1. The product provision management system 1 is a product provision management system that manages a service for providing a product P for sale by periodically providing the product P to a user U and manages the user U's usage fee for the service, and includes a product information acquisition device 20 that is a device for acquiring product information, which is information about the product P. The product provision management system 1 also includes an information processing device 10, which receives product information acquired by a product information acquisition device 20 via a wireless device 15 or a network 5, and determines whether or not to provide a product at the product provision timing, which is the timing for providing the product based on the product information, and executes the determination. In Fig. 1, a user U who is at home is indicated by a dotted line, and a user U who has left the house is indicated by a solid line. The connection between the information processing device 10, the product information acquisition device 20, and the user information terminal device 25 is shown by an example of a wireless connection 11 with dotted arrows in Fig. 1, but a wired connection may also be used. The wireless connection 11 may be a general wireless standard, specifically, for example, WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or may be another communication standard. The information processing device 10 notifies the user information terminal device 25 of the user U about the product provision via the wireless connection 11. The product information acquisition device 20 is preferably, for example, a weight measuring device that measures the weight of the product P. Other aspects of the product information acquisition device 20 may be a camera that optically recognizes product images, or a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a product. The sensor that detects the presence or absence of a product may be an ultrasonic sensor or a mechanical switch. The product information acquisition device 20 may be disposed in the refrigerator 7, or may be placed in a room where the user U lives. The product P may be, for example, food, cosmetics, fresh food, health food, etc., but is not limited to these. The information processing device 10 may be a so-called server, which is an entire set of computers and programs that process, store, and organize data in response to requests from a user U. It is desirable for the information processing device 10 to be managed by a business operator. The user information terminal device 25 is, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The user information terminal device 25 is not limited to a tablet type, and may be a laptop type or a desktop type. An application program related to the product provision management system 1 is installed in the user information terminal device 25, and the user information terminal device 25 communicates with the information processing device 10 by the function of the application.

[0011] 2 is a perspective view of the commodity information acquisition device 20. A user U places a commodity P on the upper surface 22 of the commodity information acquisition device 20. In this embodiment, the commodity information acquisition device 20 is a weight measuring device, and a detection unit 35 that detects the weight includes a sensor element such as a strain gauge type or an electrical resistance wire type, and detects the weight of the commodity P placed on the upper surface 22.

[0012] 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the product provision management system 1. The product information acquisition device 20 includes a detection unit 35 that detects the remaining amount of the product P at a predetermined detection timing, and a notification unit 30 that notifies the information processing device 10 of remaining amount information, which is information on the remaining amount detected by the detection unit 35. Of course, the product information acquisition device 20 may have a product information acquisition device control unit (not shown) that controls the entire device, and the notification unit 30 may include a communication interface that includes a configuration related to communication such as a wireless circuit and an antenna according to a predetermined communication standard. The product information acquisition device 20 is connected to the information processing device 10 and the user information terminal device 25 via a wireless connection 11 and a network 5. The user information terminal device 25 comprises a terminal communication unit 40 for transmitting and receiving data to and from external devices, an input unit 45 through which the user U inputs information, and an output unit 50 through which the user U recognizes the data. The user information terminal device 25 also has a terminal control unit 55 for controlling the terminal, and the terminal control unit 55 has a terminal processor 60 for performing calculations and data processing, and a terminal storage unit 65 for storing programs related to data and applications. Specifically, the terminal processor 60 is a processor that executes a program such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro-processing Unit). The terminal storage unit 65 includes a storage medium that stores data, and examples of the storage medium include a hard disk and a flash memory. The terminal control unit 55 may be wired logic that does not allow rewriting of programs. Using wired logic as the terminal control unit 55 is effective in improving the processing speed. Examples of wired logic include ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The terminal control unit 55 may be realized by combining a processor and wired logic. If the terminal control unit 55 is realized by combining a processor and wired logic, the processing speed can be improved while increasing the degree of freedom in software design. The terminal control unit 55 and a circuit having a function different from that of the terminal control unit 55 may be configured by one semiconductor element. Examples of the circuit having a function different from that of the terminal control unit 55 include an A / D·D / A conversion circuit. The terminal control unit 55 may be configured by one semiconductor element or by multiple semiconductor elements. When configured with multiple semiconductor elements, each control described in the claims may be realized by different semiconductor elements. Furthermore, the terminal control unit 55 may be configured by including semiconductor elements and passive components such as resistors or capacitors.

[0013] The information processing device 10 is a so-called server, and has a control unit 12 that controls the entire device, and a communication unit 18 that transmits and receives data to and from external devices. The control unit 12 has a processor 14 that performs arithmetic processing of data, and a memory unit 16 that stores data. The processor 14 is a processor that executes programs such as a CPU or MPU. The memory unit 16 includes a storage medium 17. Examples of the storage medium 17 include a hard disk and an SSD (solid state drive). The communication unit 18 may include a communication interface equipped with a configuration related to communication, such as a wireless circuit and an antenna that comply with a predetermined communication standard. By executing a program stored in the memory unit 16, the processor 14 realizes the function of a determination unit 70 that determines whether or not to provide the product P at the product provision timing, which is the timing to provide the product P, based on remaining amount information about the remaining amount of the product P notified from the product information acquisition device 20. Similarly, the processor 14 realizes the function of a settlement processing unit 75 that processes settlement of the usage fee associated with the provision of the product to the user. Detailed operations of the determination unit 70 and the settlement processing unit 75 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 7.

[0014] [1-2. Operation] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the product supply management system 1 according to the embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the product supply management system 1 according to the embodiment 1. For example, in this embodiment, the business operator periodically provides the product P to the user U once a month. The user U pays the business operator a fixed monthly usage fee. Specifically, for example, the product is delivered to the user U on the 15th of each month, and at 6 a.m. every day, a determination is made as to whether or not to suggest an additional purchase to the user. If the date and time of this determination is called the detection timing, when the product information acquisition device 20 reaches the detection timing (step SA1: YES), the detection unit 35 detects the remaining amount of the product P (step SA2). Specifically, the detection unit 35 is a weight measuring device, and the detection unit 35 measures the weight of the product P placed on the upper surface 22 of the product information acquisition device 20. The notification unit 30 notifies the information processing device 10 of the remaining amount information (step SA3). Of course, at this time, the notification unit 30 may also notify the user information terminal device 25 of the remaining amount information.

[0015] The information processing device 10, which has been notified of the remaining amount information, determines how to provide the product based on the remaining amount information. Specifically, when the determination unit 70 determines that there is absolutely no remaining amount of the product P based on the remaining amount information (step SA4: YES), the information processing device 10 performs processing to transmit a proposal notification proposing the purchase of an additional product to the user information terminal device 25 (step SA5). When additional purchase information, which is information in response to the proposal notification and is information regarding whether or not an additional product can be purchased, is input through the input unit 45 in the user information terminal device 25 which has received the proposal notification, the user information terminal device 25 transmits the additional purchase information to the information processing device 10 (step SA11). The information processing device 10 that has received the additional purchase information may provide the additional product P to the user U in addition to the product P that is provided on a regular basis, and the settlement processing unit 75 may add the usage fee for the additional purchase. Of course, when adding a product P within a predetermined amount, the service may be continued without adding a new usage fee. If the remaining amount is not zero (step SA4: NO), proceed to step SA6.

[0016] Now, assuming that the product is delivered to the user U on the 15th of every month, a date and time is set for determining whether or not to provide the product a predetermined period of time before that, and this is called the regular product delivery timing. For example, the regular product delivery timing is 6:00 AM on the 12th of every month. When the regular product delivery timing arrives (step SA6: YES), the product delivery management system 1 acquires remaining amount information of the product P detected by the notification unit 30 of the product information acquisition device 20, and the determination unit 70 determines whether the remaining amount is greater than the second reference value (step SA7). Specifically, for example, the number of products P provided periodically is six, and the second reference value is a state in which there are three products P. If the remaining amount is greater than the second reference value, the product supply management system 1 performs processing to suspend the next regular product supply without inquiring of the user (step SA8). Then, the settlement processing unit 75 of the product supply management system 1 performs settlement processing to not incur a usage fee for the next regular product supply (step SA9). If the remaining amount is not greater than the second reference value (step SA7: NO), the next regular product supply is performed (step SA10). If it is not the time for regular product supply (step SA6: NO), the product supply management system 1 returns to judging whether it is the detection time or not (step SA1). This operation is repeated thereafter.

[0017] (Modified embodiment) In a modified embodiment, in step SA4, a determination may be made to compare the remaining amount with a predetermined first reference value rather than to determine whether the remaining amount is zero. Specifically, for example, the number of products P provided periodically is six, and the state in which there are two products P is the first reference value. If the remaining amount is equal to or less than the first reference value, specifically, for example, if the remaining amount detected by the detection unit 35 of the product information acquisition device 20 is the amount of one product P, a suggestion notification suggesting the purchase of an additional product may be transmitted to the user information terminal device 25 (step SA5). Similarly, if the remaining amount is greater than the first reference value, the operation of step SA5 is skipped and step SA6 is executed. In other words, the above-mentioned determination as to whether the remaining amount is zero (step SA4) corresponds to setting the first reference value to zero. As another variant embodiment, it is also conceivable that the product provision management system 1 may manage the situation such that, if it is determined that the remaining amount is zero or below a first reference value, the business operator has a salesperson visit the user U's home to provide the product P.

[0018] In this embodiment, the first reference value and the second reference value may be set by the user U. Specifically, the user U may input setting information for the first reference value and the second reference value using an application included in the user information terminal device 25 and transmit the setting information to the information processing device 10.

[0019] [1-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, the product provision management system 1 of this embodiment is a product provision management system that manages a service for providing products sold by providing them to users on a regular basis and manages the user's usage fees for the service, and is equipped with a product information acquisition device 20 that is a device for acquiring product information, which is information on the product P, and an information processing device 10 that processes the product information, and the product information acquisition device 20 has a detection unit 35 that detects the remaining amount of the product at a predetermined detection timing, and a notification unit 30 that notifies the information processing device 10 of remaining amount information, which is information on the remaining amount detected by the detection unit 35, and the information processing device 10 has a judgment unit 70 that judges whether to provide the product at the regular product provision timing, which is the timing for providing the product P, based on the remaining amount information. This allows the remaining amount of the product to be quantitatively detected, and the next time the product is provided, the amount of the product to be provided and the usage fee can be determined based on the remaining amount, so that the appropriate amount of product is provided to the user.

[0020] The product provision management system 1 according to the present embodiment collects a predetermined amount of money from a user U as a usage fee for the periodic provision of a product P, the usage fee corresponding to a predetermined period. This allows business operators to limit the amount of product P provided within a predetermined period to a certain range, making it easier to adjust inventory levels. Also, users U can receive a predetermined amount of product P within a predetermined period. This makes business operators' business easier, and users' satisfaction with product purchases can also increase.

[0021] The product provision management system 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a settlement processing unit 75 that performs settlement so as not to incur a usage fee for the next product provision to the user U for the product P when the judgment unit 70 decides not to provide the product P. As a result, if the product P is not provided, the user U does not have to pay the usage fee. This eliminates the unreasonable situation of having to pay the usage fee when the product P is not provided, and can improve the user U's satisfaction with the product purchase.

[0022] The product provision management system 1 of this embodiment includes a communication unit 18 that notifies a user information terminal device 25 owned by a user U about product provision, and when the remaining amount included in the remaining amount information is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference value, the communication unit 18 transmits a suggestion notification to the user information terminal device 25 suggesting the purchase of an additional product. This makes it easier for user U to choose to purchase additional products if the remaining quantity of product P decreases faster than expected, providing businesses with sales opportunities and allowing user U to avoid running out of product P.

[0023] In the product provision management system 1 of this embodiment, when the remaining amount included in the remaining amount information is greater than a preset second reference value, the communication unit 18 sends an inquiry notification to the user information terminal device 25 to inquire whether or not to suspend the next product provision. As a result, if the remaining quantity of the product P is greater than expected, the user U will no longer need to hold an excess of the product. This can improve the user's satisfaction with product purchases.

[0024] (Embodiment 2) The second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0025] [2-1. Configuration] The product provision management system 1 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 3), and therefore a description of the configuration will be omitted.

[0026] [2-2. Operation] FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the product provision management system 1 according to the second embodiment. A business operator regularly provides a product P to a user U once a month. The user U pays a fixed monthly usage fee to the business operator. Specifically, for example, assuming that the product is delivered to the user U on the 15th of each month, a decision is made every day at 6 a.m. as to whether or not to suggest an additional purchase to the user. The product provision management system 1 according to the second embodiment performs operations similar to those from step SA1 to step SA5 in FIG. 4, which explains the operation of the first embodiment described above. Specifically, for example, a decision is made every day at 6 a.m. as to whether or not the remaining amount is zero, and if it is zero, a suggestion is made to the user U to purchase an additional amount (step SB1). Let us say that the product is delivered to user U on the 15th of every month, and a date and time is set for determining whether or not to provide the product a certain period of time before that date, and this date and time is called the regular product delivery timing. For example, the regular product delivery timing is 6:00 a.m. on the 12th of every month. When the regular product supply time arrives (step SB2: YES), the product supply management system 1 acquires remaining amount information of the product P detected by the notification unit 30 of the product information acquisition device 20, and the judgment unit 70 judges whether the remaining amount is greater than a second reference value (step SB3). As a result of the determination, if the remaining amount is greater than the second reference value (step SB3: YES), the user U is inquired as to whether or not to cancel the next regular supply. Specifically, the communication unit 18 of the information processing device 10 transmits an inquiry notice inquiring about the next regular supply of the product to the user information terminal device 25 (step SB4). In response to this, the determination unit 70 determines whether or not a reply from the user U has been received within a predetermined period (step SB5). Specifically, for example, it is determined whether or not a reply from the user U has been received within 24 hours after the information processing device 10 transmits the inquiry notice to the user information terminal device 25. If continuation information indicating that the product supply will not be suspended is received from the user information terminal device 25 within the predetermined period (step SB6: YES), the product supply management system 1 performs the next regular supply of the product (step SB7). If the information processing device 10 does not receive a reply from the user within the predetermined period (step SB5: NO), the product supply management system 1 performs the next regular supply of the product in the same manner (step SB7). At this time, the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement as usual to collect the monthly usage fee corresponding to the next product provision from the user. If the product provision management system 1 receives from the user U suspension information indicating that the product provision will be suspended, rather than continuation information indicating that the product provision will not be suspended (step SB6: NO), the determination unit 70 of the product provision management system 1 decides not to provide the next regular product provision (step SB8).Then, the settlement processing unit 75 settles the account so as not to incur a usage fee equivalent to the next regular product provision (step SB9). If the result of the determination is that the remaining amount is equal to or less than the second reference value (step SB3: NO), the next regular product delivery is performed (step SB7). At this time, the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement as usual, collecting the monthly usage fee equivalent to the next product delivery from the user. [2-3. Effects, etc.]

[0027] As described above, the product provision management system 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a settlement processing unit 75 that performs settlement by reducing the usage fee for the next product provision of the product P to the user U when the judgment unit 70 decides not to provide the product P. This allows the product provision management system 1 to prevent the usage fee from being charged when regular product provision is not performed. This prevents the user U from having to pay the usage fee even though the product has not been provided, which is an unreasonable situation, and the user U's satisfaction with product purchases can be improved.

[0028] In the product provision management system 1 of this embodiment, when the communication unit 18 does not receive user response information, which is a response to an inquiry notification inquiring of the user U as to whether or not to suspend the next product provision, from the user information terminal device 25 within a specified period of time, or when the communication unit 18 receives continuation information from the user information terminal device 25 including information that the next product provision will not be suspended, the judgment unit 70 decides on the next product provision of the product P to the user U. In this way, the product provision management system 1 can provide a regular product provision service to the user U. This prevents the business operator from having excess inventory, and allows the user U to continue providing the product independently.

[0029] (Embodiment 3) Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] [3-1. Configuration] The product provision management system 1 according to the third embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 3), and therefore a description of the configuration will be omitted.

[0031] [3-2. Operation] FIG. 6 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the product supply management system 1 according to the third embodiment. The product supply management system 1 according to the third embodiment performs the same operations as steps SA1 to SA5 in FIG. 4, which explains the operation of the first embodiment described above. However, in this embodiment, the business operator regularly provides the user U with a product P once a week. The user U pays a fixed monthly usage fee to the business operator. Specifically, the remaining amount of the product P is detected at 6 a.m. every day, and if the remaining amount is equal to or less than a first reference value, the purchase of an additional product is suggested (step SC1). Now, assuming that the product is delivered to the user U every Monday, a date and time is set for determining whether or not to provide the product a predetermined period of time before that, and this is called the regular product provision timing. For example, the regular product provision timing is 6:00 a.m. on Friday three days before the Monday on which the product is provided. When the regular product provision timing arrives (step SC2: YES), the product provision management system 1 acquires the remaining amount information of the product P detected by the notification unit 30 of the product information acquisition device 20, and the determination unit 70 determines whether the remaining amount is greater than the second reference value (step SC3). As a result of the determination, if the remaining amount is greater than the second reference value (step SC3: YES), the product provision management system 1 does not inquire of the user U and does not provide the next regular product provision (step SC4). Then, the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement with a reduced usage fee (step SC5). If the remaining amount is equal to or less than the second reference value (step SC3: NO), the product provision management system 1 provides the user U with the next regular product provision (step SC6). At this time, the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement to collect the monthly usage fee from the user as usual. Regarding the usage fee, when the provision of a product for one week is suspended, for example, the settlement processing unit 75 may deduct a certain percentage, for example 25%, from the usage fee.

[0032] [3-3. Effects, etc.] As described above, in the product provision management system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the remaining amount included in the remaining amount information is greater than the preset second reference value, the next regular product provision is not provided, and the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement by deducting the usage fee equivalent to the next regular product provision. On the other hand, when the remaining amount is equal to or less than the second reference value, the product provision management system 1 performs the next regular product provision. This allows the product provision management system 1 to decide whether to provide the next regular product and perform settlement processing without waiting for the user U's decision. This makes processing easier for the business operator, and the user U can receive product provision according to the remaining amount without any hassle.

[0033] (Embodiment 4) Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0034] [4-1. Configuration] The product provision management system 1 according to the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 3), and therefore a description of the configuration will be omitted.

[0035] [4-2. Operation] FIG. 7 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the product supply management system 1 according to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, a business operator regularly supplies a product P to a user U once a week. The user U pays a fixed monthly usage fee to the business operator. The product supply management system 1 according to the fourth embodiment performs operations similar to steps SA1 to SA5 in FIG. 4, which explains the operation of the first embodiment described above. Specifically, the remaining amount of the product P is detected at 6 a.m. every day, and if the remaining amount is equal to or less than a first reference value, an additional product purchase is suggested (step SD1). Now, assuming that the product is delivered to the user U every Monday, a date and time is set for determining whether or not to provide the product a predetermined period of time before that, and this is called the regular product delivery timing. For example, the regular product delivery timing is 6:00 a.m. on Friday three days before the Monday on which the product is to be provided. When the regular product delivery timing arrives (step SD2: YES), the product delivery management system 1 obtains remaining amount information of the product P detected by the notification unit 30 of the product information acquisition device 20, and the determination unit 70 determines whether the remaining amount is greater than a second reference value (step SD3). As a result of the determination, if the remaining amount is greater than the second reference value (step SD3: YES), the user U is inquired as to whether or not to cancel the next regular supply. Specifically, the communication unit 18 of the information processing device 10 transmits an inquiry notice inquiring about the next regular supply of the product to the user information terminal device 25 (step SD4). In response to this, the determination unit 70 determines whether or not a reply from the user U has been received within a predetermined period (step SD5). Specifically, for example, it is determined whether or not a reply from the user U has been received within 24 hours after the information processing device 10 transmits the inquiry notice to the user information terminal device 25. If continuation information indicating that the product supply will not be suspended is received from the user information terminal device 25 within the predetermined period (step SD6: YES), the product supply management system 1 performs the next regular supply of the product (step SD7). If the information processing device 10 does not receive a reply from the user within the predetermined period (step SD5: NO), the product supply management system 1 performs the next regular supply of the product in the same manner (step SD7). At this time, the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement to collect the monthly usage fee from the user as usual. Furthermore, if the user U receives suspension information indicating that product provision will be suspended, rather than continuation information indicating that product provision will not be suspended (step SD6: NO), the judgment unit 70 of the product provision management system 1 decides not to provide the next regular product provision (step SD8). The settlement processing unit 75 then performs settlement by deducting the usage fee equivalent to the next regular product provision (step SD9). Regarding the usage fee, when product provision for one week is suspended, for example, the settlement processing unit 75 may deduct a certain percentage, for example 25%, from the usage fee. If the determination unit 70 determines that the remaining amount is equal to or less than the second reference value (step SC3: NO), the product provision management system 1 performs the next regular product provision (step SD7). At this time, the settlement processing unit 75 performs settlement to collect the monthly usage fee equivalent to the next product provision from the user as usual. [4-3. Effects, etc.]

[0036] As described above, the product provision management system 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a settlement processing unit 75 that performs settlement by reducing the usage fee for the next product provision of the product P to the user U when the judgment unit 70 decides not to provide the product P. This allows the product provision management system 1 to prevent the usage fee from being charged when regular product provision is not performed. This prevents the user U from having to pay the usage fee even though the product has not been provided, which is an unreasonable situation, and the user U's satisfaction with product purchases can be improved.

[0037] (Embodiment 5) The fifth embodiment will now be described.

[0038] The product provision management method of the fifth embodiment is a product provision management method that manages a service for providing a product P sold by providing the product P to a user U on a regular basis, and manages the user U's usage fees for the service, and includes a product information acquisition step of acquiring product information, which is information about the product P, and an information processing step of processing the product information, where the product information acquisition step includes a detection step of detecting the remaining amount of the product P at a predetermined timing, and the information processing step includes a determination step of determining whether or not to provide the product P based on the remaining amount at the regular product provision timing, which is the timing for providing the product P.

[0039] This allows the remaining amount of the product to be quantitatively detected, and the next time the product is provided, the amount of the product to be provided and the usage fee can be determined based on the remaining amount, so that the appropriate amount of product is provided to the user.

[0040] As described above, the first to fifth embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to these, and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. In addition, it is also possible to combine the components described in the first to fifth embodiments to create new embodiments.

[0041] For example, the step units of the operation shown in Figs. 4 to 7 are divided according to the main processing contents in order to facilitate understanding of the operation of each part of the product provision management system 1, and the present invention is not limited by the manner in which the processing units are divided or the names thereof. The operation may be divided into more step units according to the processing contents. Also, one step unit may be divided so as to include more processing. The order of the steps may be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention. Also, each step may be executed by any of the information processing device 10, the product information acquisition device 20, and the user information terminal device 25. [Industrial Applicability]

[0042] The present disclosure is applicable to a product provision management system 1 that periodically provides products. Specifically, the present disclosure is applicable to any business that provides a certain amount of products in exchange for paying a predetermined usage fee for a predetermined period of time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 Product provision management system 5. Network 7. Refrigerator 10. Information processing device 11 Wireless connection 12 Control section 14 processors 15 Radio equipment 16 Memory section 17 Storage medium 18 Communications Department 20 Product information acquisition device 22 Top side 25 User information terminal device 30 Notification Department 35 Detection unit 40 Terminal communication unit 45 Input section 50 Output section 55 Terminal control unit 60 Terminal Processors 65 Terminal memory section 70 Judgment section 75 Settlement Processing Section P product U User

Claims

1. A product provision management system for managing a service for providing a product, the service comprising: A product information acquisition device that acquires product information, which is information about the product; an information processing device that processes the product information; a communication unit that notifies a user information terminal device of the user about the provision of the product; Equipped with The product information acquisition device, A detection unit that detects the remaining amount of the product at a predetermined detection timing; a notification unit that notifies the information processing device of remaining amount information, which is information on the remaining amount detected by the detection unit; having The information processing device includes: a determination unit that determines whether or not to provide the product at a regular product provision timing based on the remaining amount information; having The communication unit is if the remaining amount included in the remaining amount information is greater than a preset second reference value, transmitting an inquiry notice to the user information terminal device to inquire whether or not to suspend the next supply of the product; Product provision management system.

2. If the communication unit does not receive user response information, which is a response to the inquiry notification, from the user information terminal device within a predetermined period of time, Or, When the communication unit receives continuation information including information that the next product provision will not be suspended from the user information terminal device, The product provision management system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the next product provision to the user for the product.

3. A product provision management system as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the communication unit sends a first notification different from the inquiry notification to the user information terminal device when the remaining amount included in the remaining amount information is equal to or less than a first reference value which is smaller than the second reference value.

4. The product provision management system according to claim 3 , wherein the first notification is a suggestion notification that suggests an additional product purchase.

5. The product provision management system according to claim 4 , wherein the second reference value and the first reference value are set by the communication unit receiving the second reference value and the first reference value from the user information terminal device.

6. A product provision management method for managing a service for providing a product sold by providing the product to a user on a regular basis, comprising: a product information acquisition step of acquiring product information, which is information on the product, by a product information acquisition device; an information processing step of processing the product information by an information processing device; a communication step of notifying a user information terminal device of the user of the provision of the product by a communication unit; Equipped with The product information acquisition step includes: A detection step of detecting a remaining amount of the product at a predetermined timing by a detection unit, The information processing step includes: a determining step of determining, by a determining unit, whether or not to provide the product at a regular product providing timing, which is a timing for providing the product, based on the remaining amount. Including, The communication step includes transmitting, by the communication unit, an inquiry notification to the user information terminal device inquiring whether or not to suspend the next supply of the product when the remaining amount is greater than a preset second reference value. How to manage product provision.

Images