USE SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, USE SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND USE SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT METHOD

Abstract

To provide a technology that can flexibly manage both reservations and waiting lists. [Solution] A schedule management system for managing seat usage schedules that combines reservations that specify entry times and waiting in line for vacant seats, comprising: a waiting order acceptance means for accepting the waiting order; a reservation acceptance means for accepting the reservation and generating a reservation slot that specifies a seat during the time period when the seat is scheduled to be used; a vacant seat prediction means for identifying a predicted vacant time for the seat currently in use; a candidate identification means for accepting an input specifying the waiting order and identifying candidate seats to be used by the waiting order based on the reservation slot and predicted vacant time for each seat; a display means for displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidate seats in a selectable manner; and an allocation means for associating a seat selected via the seating arrangement screen with the waiting order.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a usage schedule management system, a usage schedule management program, and a usage schedule management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been reservations for seats at restaurants that specify the time of entry, and waiting lists for vacant seats. Using these in combination would enable more flexible restaurant management, so technology to combine reservations and waiting lists has been developed.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that calculates the expected time when a seat will be available in a restaurant based on the order details for each seat, and determines and calls seats when providing guidance for both waiting lists and reservations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-242697 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that although it is possible to call customers, it is difficult to flexibly manage both reservations and waiting times according to the store's situation.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a new technology that can flexibly manage both reservations and waiting in line. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a schedule management system for managing seat usage schedules that combine both reservations that specify an entry time and waiting in line for an available seat, and comprises a wait-in-line acceptance means for accepting the wait-in-line, a reservation acceptance means for accepting the reservation and generating a reservation slot that specifies a seat for the time period when the seat is scheduled to be used, a vacant seat prediction means for identifying a predicted vacant seat time for the seat currently in use, a candidate identification means for accepting an input specifying the wait-in-line and identifying candidate seats to be used by the wait-in-line based on the reservation slot and predicted vacant seat time for each seat, a display means for displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidates in a selectable manner, and an allocation means for associating a seat selected via the seating arrangement screen with the wait-in-line.

[0008] With this configuration, it is possible to assist in deciding the seats to which customers are guided to wait in line, taking into consideration the reservation slots. In addition, instead of simply deciding the seats automatically, it is possible to flexibly operate the store in a way that reflects the user's intentions by displaying seat candidates and then accepting input from the user, such as a store clerk, to associate the waiting list with the seats.

[0009] In a preferred form of the present invention, the waiting list reception means accepts input specifying seat conditions for the waiting list, and the candidate identification means identifies as the candidates seats that satisfy the conditions for the waiting list and that do not overlap with the reservation slots within a specified range after the predicted vacant seat time. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent guiding customers who are on the waiting list to a seat when, for example, there is a reservation 10 minutes after the predicted seat vacancy time.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the candidate identification means identifies as a first candidate a vacant seat or a seat with the earliest predicted vacancy time among seats that satisfy the conditions for the waiting list and do not overlap with the reservation slots within a specified range after the predicted vacancy time, and when a request to display the seating arrangement screen is received, the display means displays the seating arrangement screen with the first candidate seat selected. With this configuration, it becomes easy to identify a seat that is already vacant or the next seat to become vacant and to guide a passenger to wait his / her turn at that seat.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seating arrangement screen displays, among the seats that were not selected as candidates, seats that do not overlap with the reservation slots within a predetermined range, separately from the candidates, so as to be selectable. With this configuration, it is possible to present a seat that can be quickly accommodated even if it does not meet the customer's desired conditions. This makes it possible to flexibly guide the customer according to their wishes and the store's situation.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seating arrangement screen includes a number designation section that accepts designation of the number of people for each of the candidate seats so that the total number of people becomes the number of people in the waiting line, and the allocation means regards a seat for which one or more numbers have been input via the number designation section as being selected, and associates it with the waiting line. In addition, by accepting the number of people per seat so that the total number of people matches the number of people waiting in line, it becomes possible to flexibly respond to requests such as splitting a group of eight customers who come to the restaurant into groups of four and guiding them to multiple seats.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the seating arrangement screen includes a time designation section for designating a planned time for the seat to be used due to the waiting list, and the allocation means receives the planned time for the seat to be used due to the waiting list via the time designation section and sets a usage frame. With this configuration, the time when the waiting customers are expected to use the facility can be set arbitrarily, enabling more flexible operation.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display means processes and displays the seating arrangement screen, including the time designation section with the planned usage time specified, with the current time set as the start time of usage if the specified seat is vacant, or the predicted vacancy time of the seat set as the end time of usage if the specified seat is not vacant, and with a time based on the point at which the customer's standard stay time has elapsed from the start time of usage set as the end time of usage. With this configuration, the user can easily and appropriately set the scheduled usage time.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vacant seat prediction means calculates the predicted vacant seat time based on the time of the end of the reservation slot or utilization slot. With this configuration, for example, the time when usage is expected to end, or the time when usage is expected to end plus the time required for cleaning up and preparation, can be calculated as the predicted vacancy time, and the predicted vacancy time can be appropriately identified based on the set reservation and usage slots.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the device further comprises means for displaying and processing a usage schedule screen including a usage schedule which displays the reservation slots and usage slots for each seat along a time axis in a distinguishable manner. With this configuration, users can check both reservation slots and usage slots for each seat in a list. This makes it easy to see the usage status of each seat, the expected end time of usage, and subsequent reservations, greatly improving visibility.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the utilization schedule screen further includes a list of the waiting lists, and the candidate specification means accepts the designation of the waiting list via the utilization schedule screen. With this configuration, it is possible to check the waiting customers along with their usage schedule in a list. Also, after checking the usage schedule, it is possible to guide the waiting customers to appropriate seats.

[0018] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is a schedule management program for managing seat usage schedules that combine both reservations that specify an entry time and waiting in line for an available seat, and causes a computer to function as a waiting in line reception means for accepting the waiting in line, a reservation reception means for accepting the reservation and generating a reservation slot that specifies a seat for the time period when the seat is scheduled to be used, a vacant seat prediction means for identifying a predicted vacant seat time for a seat currently in use, a candidate identification means for accepting an input specifying the waiting in line and identifying candidate seats to be used by the waiting in line based on the reservation slot and predicted vacant seat time for each seat, a display means for displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidates in a selectable manner, and an allocation means for associating a seat selected via the seating arrangement screen with the waiting in line.

[0019] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for managing seat usage schedules that combines reservations that specify an entry time and waiting in line for an available seat, and causes a computer to execute the following steps: a waiting in line acceptance step for accepting the waiting in line; a reservation acceptance step for accepting the reservation and generating a reservation slot that specifies a seat for the time period when the seat is scheduled to be used; a vacant seat prediction step for identifying a predicted vacant seat time for the seat currently in use; a candidate identification step for accepting an input specifying the waiting in line and identifying candidate seats to be used by the waiting in line based on the reservation slot and predicted vacant seat time for each seat; a display step for displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidates in a selectable manner; and an allocation step for associating a seat selected via the seating arrangement screen with the waiting in line. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, a novel technique can be provided that allows flexible management of both reservations and waiting lists. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a usage schedule management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of seat information stored in a database DB in an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of waiting list information and reservation information stored in a database DB in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 11 is a flowchart of a scheduled guidance time calculation process in the utilization schedule management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart of a new waiting acceptance process of the utilization schedule management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a reception start screen of the utilization schedule management system in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a waiting reception screen of the utilization schedule management system in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display of a reception content confirmation screen of the utilization schedule management system in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 11 is a diagram showing a display example of a usage schedule screen of the usage schedule management system in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display example of a seating arrangement screen of the utilization schedule management system in the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The following describes the usage schedule management system of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below, and various configurations can be adopted.

[0023] For example, the configuration, operation, etc. of the utilization schedule management system will be described in this embodiment, but methods, devices, computer programs, etc. with similar configurations can also achieve similar effects. The program may be stored in a recording medium. By using this recording medium, the program can be installed in, for example, a computer. Here, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0024] The present invention can be used to manage seat usage status in various facilities, such as restaurants, beauty salons, amusement facilities, banks, medical facilities, public facilities including government offices, etc. In this embodiment, an example of managing vacant seats in a restaurant is shown, but the facilities using the present invention are not limited to this, and the present invention can be used in any type of business.

[0025] In this embodiment, the usage schedule management system manages the usage status and usage schedule for each seat in the store and supports the allocation of seats to customers. In particular, the present invention accepts reservations with a specified entry time in advance, accepts waiting in line when the store is full, and supports optimal guidance for both reservations and waiting in line based on the seat status, usage schedule, and prediction of the time when a seat will become available.

[0026] In the present invention, the standard stay time refers to a standard stay time of a customer. In this embodiment, the standard stay time can be used to set a usage limit that assumes the stay time of customers who enter the store after waiting in line, and the predicted vacancy time is calculated based on the usage limit. For example, the stay time of customers may be recorded and the average value may be used as the standard stay time. In addition, since the average stay time may differ depending on the day of the week, time of day, and number of customers, different standard stay times may be set for each condition such as the date and time of use and the number of customers.

[0027] In this embodiment, the usage limit specified on the seating arrangement screen described later is set for the seat. That is, the usage limit refers to the time period during which a customer who has entered the restaurant after waiting his / her turn is predicted to use the seat. Here, in this embodiment, the usage limit is initially displayed on the seating arrangement screen, starting from the current time or the predicted time when the target seat will be vacant, and ending at the time when the standard stay time has elapsed.

[0028] A reservation slot is set for each reservation. The reservation slot refers to the time period during which the customer who made the reservation will use the seat. The start time of the reservation slot is specified by the customer, and the length of the reservation slot may be determined by the standard stay time, as with customers who enter the restaurant after waiting in line, or may be determined according to the reserved menu specified at the time of reservation. The length of the reservation slot may also be specified by the customer.

[0029] The details of the process will be described later, but in this embodiment, reservations and waiting times are managed so as not to overlap, so that guidance can be provided at the reserved time and waiting customers can be informed of the appropriate scheduled guidance time.

[0030] 1 is a functional block diagram of the utilization schedule management system of this embodiment. As shown in this figure, the utilization schedule management system of this embodiment is configured such that a vacant seat management device 1, a reception terminal 2 that accepts input from customers at the store, and a management terminal 3 are capable of communicating with each other via a network NW, and a database DB is connected to the vacant seat management device 1 by wire or wirelessly. Note that the vacant seat management device 1, the reception terminal 2, the management terminal 3, and the database DB may be configured to be capable of communicating with each other via the network NW.

[0031] The vacant seat management device 1 can be a general computer device such as a server device equipped with an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a main memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), an auxiliary memory device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and various input / output devices including a means for connecting to a network NW.

[0032] The reception terminal 2 and the management terminal 3 may each be any computer device, such as a tablet terminal or a PC (Personal Computer), equipped with various input / output devices including a computing device, a storage device, and a means for connecting to the network NW. Also, a personal computer device, such as a smartphone used by a customer or a store clerk, may function as the reception terminal 2 or the management terminal 3 by installing a browser application or a dedicated application for using a dedicated web page.

[0033] Here, one computer device may function as both the reception terminal 2 and the management terminal 3. For example, a terminal device installed in a store may function as the reception terminal 2 that receives input from customers for waiting in line or making a reservation, and the same computer device may also function as the management terminal 3 by switching to the store clerk mode. Also, there may be multiple reception terminals 2 and multiple management terminals 3.

[0034] The vacant seat management device 1 includes a waiting list acceptance means 11, a reservation acceptance means 12, a vacant seat prediction means 13, a scheduled guide time determination means 14, a candidate specification means 15, an allocation means 16, and a display means 17.

[0035] The waiting reception means 11 receives a waiting request including a designation of the number of people. In addition to the designation of the number of people, the waiting reception means 11 of this embodiment also receives desired seating conditions, contact information, and the like, and stores them in the database DB as waiting information.

[0036] The reservation reception means 12 receives a reservation that specifies an entry time, and generates a reservation slot that specifies a seat for the time period when the seat is scheduled to be used. In this embodiment, the reservation information entered by the customer via the reception terminal 2 is registered in the database DB, and then a store clerk who has confirmed the reservation details inputs a seat specification, and the reservation reception means 12 generates a reservation slot that specifies a seat. Alternatively, a store clerk may ask about a reservation request over the phone, etc., and input the number of people, seat conditions, seat specification, etc. via the management terminal 3, and the reservation reception means 12 may register the reservation information in the database DB and generate a reservation slot.

[0037] The vacant seat prediction means 13 calculates the predicted vacant seat time for each seat in use based on the reservation quota or the usage quota. In this embodiment, for a seat in use by a customer who has entered the store due to waiting in line, the predicted vacant seat time is calculated based on the usage quota when the seat is assigned. For a seat in use by a customer who has entered the store due to reservation, the predicted vacant seat time is calculated based on the reservation quota set in advance.

[0038] Specifically, for example, assuming that a seat becomes available when a reservation slot or a usage slot ends, the end time of the reservation slot or the usage slot may be set as the predicted vacant seat time. Also, since preparations such as clearing up the seat are usually required after a customer leaves the seat, the predicted vacant seat time may be set as a time when a predetermined time has elapsed since the end time of the reservation slot or the usage slot.

[0039] The scheduled guide time determination means 14 determines the scheduled guide time for each group, starting from the group that is the earliest in line, based on the predicted vacancy time of seats that can accommodate customers. For example, if the group at the head of the queue is a group of four, the means 14 identifies the seat that will become vacant earliest from among the seats that can accommodate four people based on the predicted vacancy time, provisionally assigns the waiting group to that seat, and determines the scheduled guide time. Note that the provisional assignment may be limited to seats that can accommodate the number of people waiting, and that further meet the seating conditions accepted by the waiting group acceptance means 11.

[0040] More specifically, for example, if the predicted vacant seat time for the seat that will become vacant earliest is 12:12, the scheduled guidance time determination means 14 may round down the predicted vacant seat time to the nearest 10 minutes and set the scheduled guidance time as 12:10 to 12:20, etc. In this way, it is preferable to determine a time range including both before and after the predicted vacant seat time as the scheduled guidance time.

[0041] Here, when calculating the expected guide time for the second and subsequent waiting people, the person in front of you is assumed to have sat in the target seat at the expected guide time, and the predicted vacancy time updated based on the standard stay time is used. For example, assuming that seat A will become vacant in 5 minutes and the first person in line will sit in seat A in 10 minutes, the time 10 minutes from now plus the standard stay time can be used as the predicted vacancy time for seat A when calculating the expected guide time for the second and subsequent waiting people.

[0042] Here, in the present invention, "determining the scheduled guide time for each group, starting from the group with the earliest order" simply means that after the scheduled guide time for the group with the earliest order (waiting in line) is determined, the scheduled guide time for the next group with the latest order is determined. In other words, it is not necessary to continuously perform the calculation process of the scheduled guide times from the first to the last, and the scheduled guide times may be determined, starting from the group with the earliest order, by determining the scheduled guide time for a newly accepted group each time it is accepted.

[0043] The candidate specification means 15 accepts an input specifying a seat to be used by the person on the waiting list via a usage schedule screen described later, and specifies a candidate seat to be used by the person on the waiting list based on the reservation slots and the predicted vacancy time of each seat. Specifically, the candidate seats are specified as seats that satisfy the seat conditions accepted by the waiting list acceptance means 11 and have no overlapping reservation slots within a predetermined range after the predicted vacancy time. Here, in this embodiment, the predetermined range is determined based on a standard stay time, and for example, the candidate seats may be seats that have no overlapping reservation slots within the current time or the standard stay time after the predicted vacancy time, or seats that have no overlapping reservation slots within the standard stay time plus a fixed reservation time required for cleaning up, etc.

[0044] Here, the candidate specifying means 15 preferentially specifies vacant seats as candidates, and only when there are no vacant seats, specifies seats other than vacant seats as candidates. On the other hand, when there are no vacant seats, the candidate specifying means 15 specifies seats for which there are no reservation slots between the predicted vacant seat time and the standard stay time elapsed for each seat as candidates.

[0045] The candidate specification means 15 also specifies a first candidate that should be given the highest priority among the candidates for seats to which the designated waiting list is to be guided. Specifically, among the seats that satisfy the seat conditions accepted by the waiting list acceptance means 11 and do not overlap with reservation slots within a predetermined range after the predicted vacant seat time, if there is a vacant seat, that vacant seat is specified as the first candidate, or if there is no vacant seat, the seat with the earliest predicted vacant seat time is specified as the first candidate. Here, if there are multiple vacant seats among the candidates, or if there are multiple seats with no vacant seats but the same predicted vacant seat time, the seat with the highest priority among those seats is specified as the first candidate according to the priority order previously set in the seat information.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a combination of multiple seats is specified as a candidate and a first candidate. For example, by storing information that specifies adjacent seats that can be used in combination as seat information for each seat, multiple seats that can be combined can be specified as candidates. Alternatively, the combination of seats may be registered as seat information.

[0047] In this way, when a combination of multiple seats is set as candidates, the latest predicted vacancy time of the seats included in the combination is treated as the predicted vacancy time of the combination. In specifying the first candidate, a seat that can be accommodated by a single seat may be prioritized, or the seat with the earliest predicted vacancy time including the combination may be set as the first candidate.

[0048] The allocation means 16 associates the waiting list with a seat selected via a seating arrangement screen, which will be described later. In this embodiment, when a seat becomes available, a waiter guides the customer to the seat and performs an input for associating the waiting list with the seat via the management terminal 3. The allocation means 16 accepts an input from the waiter via the seating arrangement screen displayed on the management terminal 3, and associates the designated seat with the target waiting list.

[0049] Here, on the seating arrangement screen, a number designation section is displayed that accepts designation of the number of people for each candidate seat so that the total number of people becomes the designated number of people on the waiting list. The allocation means 16 regards a seat for which a number of people of 1 or more is input via the number designation section as selected, and associates it with the waiting list. For example, when 8 people on the waiting list are to be guided to two seats, 4 people each, by designating 4 people for each of the target seats, the waiting list can be associated with these two seats.

[0050] In this embodiment, the number of people available for each seat and the minimum number of people are registered in advance in the database DB as seat information. For example, when it is crowded, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of turnover to guide a group of two people to a seat that can seat six people. Therefore, the allocation means 16 in this embodiment associates a waiting person with a seat when the number of people specified on the seating arrangement screen described later is equal to or less than the number of people available for the seat and is not below the minimum number of people. Note that the minimum value may not be applied when one waiting person is associated with multiple seats.

[0051] The display means 17 displays and processes the scheduled guide time and various other information and transmits the processing results in order to display various screens on the reception terminal 2 and the management terminal 3. The display means 17 of this embodiment displays and processes calculation results such as the number of seats in use and the number of customers in use, seat information, waiting list information, and reservation information, and transmits them to the management terminal 3, and a scheduled guide screen described below is displayed on the management terminal 3. In addition, the display means 17 displays and processes the seat candidates identified by the candidate identification means 15, and transmits them to the management terminal 3, and a seat allocation screen described below is displayed on the management terminal 3. Here, when displaying the screen for starting the waiting reception, it is preferable that the display means 17 displays and processes the scheduled guide time under the conditions that allow the customer to enter the store earliest if they are lined up at the end of the waiting list at that time.

[0052] It is not necessary for one computer device to have all of these means, and multiple computers may work together to function as the vacant seat management device 1 of this embodiment. Also, the reception terminal 2 and the management terminal 3 may be configured to have some or all of the above-mentioned means.

[0053] 2 is a diagram showing an example of seat master information among the seat information stored in the database DB. In this embodiment, the database DB stores, as the seat master information, the seat number, the number of available seats, the minimum number of available seats (minimum capacity), seat conditions, and seats that can be combined to indicate seats that can be combined and used. In addition to this, any information such as a priority order for the candidate specification means 15 to specify a first candidate may be further stored.

[0054] Furthermore, although not shown, in this embodiment, transaction information related to seats is further stored as seat information in addition to the seat master information shown in Fig. 2. The transaction information is recorded as information such as the number of people using the seat, the waiting ID or reservation ID of the customer using the seat, the start time of use, the time of guidance, and the predicted time of seat vacancy, all linked to the seat master information by the seat number, etc. Such transaction information is recorded in the database DB every time any information is changed.

[0055] In the transaction information, the waiting list ID or reservation ID identifies information entered by the customer, such as the desired seating conditions, number of people using the seat, and contact information. The number of people currently using the seat in the transaction information may be identified from the waiting list information or reservation information identified by the waiting list ID or reservation ID. This makes it possible to identify the seat status, such as the number of people currently using each seat, and the currently used waiting list or reservation, by referring to the latest transaction information.

[0056] In this embodiment, the time of the first order is stored. The time when the customer was seated and the start and end times of the reservation or usage slot are specified by the queue information or reservation information.

[0057] 3 is a diagram showing an example of waiting information and reservation information stored in the database DB. In this embodiment, the waiting information stored includes a waiting ID, a serial number used to call a customer, the number of people, desired seat conditions, status, assigned or provisionally assigned seat number, provisional allocation flag, usage frame, guide time, and record of the time of first order (FO). In addition, contact information such as telephone numbers of customers who are waiting, and a user ID for linking with user information registered in advance are stored. The waiting information is registered by the waiting reception means 11 based on information input via the reception terminal 2.

[0058] As reservation information, information such as a reservation ID, a serial number used to call the customer, number of people, desired seating conditions, reservation slots, and associated seat numbers are stored. In addition, similar to waiting list information, the database DB may store records of status, guided time, and first order time, customer contact information, user ID, etc. Reservation information is registered by the reservation reception means 12 based on information input via the reception terminal 2 or management terminal 3.

[0059] As the waiting-line information and reservation information, various other information may be recorded. For example, in this embodiment, when a customer who is waiting in line or has made a reservation arrives at the store, the customer checks in to input that fact. Therefore, although not shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the presence or absence of check-in and the check-in time can be stored as the waiting-line information and reservation information, respectively.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the scheduled guidance time calculation process by the scheduled guidance time determination means 14. In this embodiment, such a process is executed at any timing, such as when a vacant seat occurs, when a customer is guided, when a new reservation or waiting order is accepted, etc. Also, the process shown in FIG. 4 may be executed repeatedly at a predetermined interval. As a result, even if the scheduled guidance time calculated when accepting a reservation or waiting order (described later) deviates because the actual stay time of the customer differs from the standard stay time, it can be updated to an appropriate scheduled guidance time depending on the situation. Note that the scheduled guidance time is calculated in order from the group that is the earliest in line, and at the start of the process, the first waiting order is the subject of calculation of the scheduled guidance time.

[0061] First, in step S11, the scheduled guide time determination means 14 acquires the number of people from the waiting information for which the scheduled guide time is to be calculated. Then, in step S12, seats that can accommodate the waiting people are extracted based on the number of people acquired in step S11 and the available number of people and the minimum number of people in the seat information for each seat.

[0062] More specifically, seats with an available capacity equal to or greater than the number of people on the waiting list and a lower limit capacity equal to or less than the number of people on the waiting list are extracted. Here, the application of the lower limit capacity may be determined based on the time period, seat availability, reservation and waiting list status, etc. For example, the lower limit may not be applied to less crowded time periods, and if the number of people using the seat is equal to or greater than the number of people on the waiting list, the seat may be considered as being able to accommodate people on the waiting list. The lower limit may also be varied depending on the time period. Here, only seats that meet the seating conditions accepted by the waiting list acceptance means 11 in addition to being able to accommodate the number of people on the waiting list may be extracted as seats that can accommodate people on the waiting list.

[0063] Here, it is preferable to set an additional condition that the waiting slot does not overlap with the reservation slot. For example, for a seat with the earliest predicted vacant time, if the reservation slot overlaps with the range from the predicted vacant time to the time obtained by adding the standard stay time to the time of the predicted vacant time, the waiting customer cannot be guided to that seat of the reservation slot. Therefore, in this embodiment, in calculating the scheduled guide time, the scheduled guide time determination means 14 extracts the target seat under the condition that there is no overlap with the reservation slot. Note that, if the range from the predicted vacant time to the time obtained by adding the standard stay time to the time of the reservation slot overlaps with the time of the reservation slot, the predicted vacant time of the seat may be updated to the end time of the reservation slot.

[0064] Next, in step S13, the scheduled guidance time determination means 14 identifies the seat with the earliest predicted vacant seat time from among the seats extracted in step S12, and provisionally assigns the waiting time to be calculated to that seat. Then, in step S14, the scheduled guidance time for the waiting time is calculated based on the predicted vacant seat time of that seat. For example, a method of rounding down the predicted vacant seat time to 10 minutes is conceivable. Also, taking into account the time required for seat preparation, a time period that is further increased by a predetermined time may be set as the scheduled guidance time. In this way, it is preferable to determine a time period with a range that includes both before and after the predicted vacant seat time as the scheduled guidance time. The scheduled guidance time in the waiting information is updated based on the determined scheduled guidance time.

[0065] In step S15, the predicted vacant seat time of the seat identified in step S13 is updated. For example, assuming that the first person in line is guided to the seat with the earliest predicted vacant seat time at the time of step S13, the second person in line cannot be guided to that seat. Therefore, here, the predicted vacant seat time of the seat tentatively assigned in step S13 is updated based on the time before the update of the predicted vacant seat time of the seat tentatively assigned in step S13 plus the standard stay time (the predicted time when the first person in line is guided and leaves the seat). Specifically, for example, the new predicted vacant seat time may be the time before the update plus the standard stay time, or the new predicted vacant seat time may be the time added a predetermined time taking into account the time required for clearing the seat and preparing.

[0066] When the calculation of the scheduled guide time for the waiting line and the update of the predicted seat vacancy time are completed in this way, in step S16, the scheduled guide time determination means 14 checks whether there is a subsequent waiting line. If there is a subsequent waiting line, in step S17, the calculation target is changed to the next waiting line, and steps S11 to S15 are repeated. Then, when there is no subsequent waiting line, the process ends.

[0067] In this way, by determining the scheduled guide time in order from the head of the queue based on the predicted seat vacancy time, it is possible to present a detailed scheduled guide time that reflects the situation within the facility, and the effect of improving the accuracy of the scheduled guide time can be expected. Note that it is not essential to calculate the scheduled guide time as shown in Figure 4 except when accepting a new reservation or waiting in line, which will be described later. In other words, the scheduled guide time determination means 14 may be configured to calculate the scheduled guide time based on the predicted seat vacancy time at that time only when accepting a new reservation or waiting in line, and thereafter not to update the scheduled guide time for waiting lines that have already been accepted.

[0068] Fig. 5 is a process flow chart when the waiting reception means 11 receives input of a new waiting order. As described above, the process of Fig. 4 is repeatedly executed at any timing for registered waiting orders, and at the start of the process of Fig. 5, the predicted vacancy time for each seat is stored in the latest transaction information, taking into account registered waiting orders.

[0069] The process of FIG. 5 starts when an input for starting the waiting reception is received via a reception start screen as shown in FIG. 6. On the reception start screen, the "shortest expected guide time" is displayed as a result of the display means 17 performing a display process of the expected guide time. In calculating the shortest expected guide time, the expected guide time determination means 14 executes only steps S12 to S14 in the process of FIG. 4 with the new waiting as the calculation target in a state where the predicted vacant seat time considering the registered waiting is stored, thereby making it possible to determine the shortest expected guide time for the case of waiting from now on. Note that, since the number of people waiting is unknown here, in the execution of step S12, the number of people is not taken into consideration, and seats that can accommodate the waiting are extracted under the condition that there is no overlap with the reservation slot.

[0070] Instead of the estimated guide time calculated as above, it may be calculated and displayed more simply by multiplying the number of groups waiting by the waiting time per group. Also, it may be possible to set for each store whether to display the estimated guide time or the waiting time. The waiting time per group can be set arbitrarily for each store. For example, if the waiting time per group is set to 5 minutes and there are 3 groups waiting yet to be guided, the waiting time for the new group will be 5 x 3 = 15 minutes.

[0071] When accepting a new waiting order, first, in step S21, input of the number of people waiting is accepted. Then, in step S22, seats that can accommodate the waiting order are extracted in the same manner as in step S12 of Fig. 4, and in step S23, the seat with the earliest predicted vacancy time is identified. Fig. 7(a) is an example of a screen for accepting input of the number of people in step S21.

[0072] In step S24, the scheduled guidance time determination means 14 calculates the scheduled guidance time in the same manner as in step S14 in Fig. 4. Then, in step S25, the display means 17 displays the scheduled guidance time taking into account the number of people, and a confirmation screen such as that shown in Fig. 7(b) is displayed on the reception terminal 2. Customers who wish to wait their turn can now check the scheduled guidance time taking into account the number of people, and choose whether or not to continue waiting.

[0073] When "Next" is selected on the confirmation screen, the waiting acceptance continues, and in step S26, the waiting acceptance means 11 accepts the input of other waiting information. In this embodiment, the input of seating conditions such as non-smoking or smoking, counter, table, or window seat preference, and the customer's contact phone number are accepted.

[0074] When the input is completed, the display means 17 displays the input information, and a reception content confirmation screen as shown in Fig. 8(a) is displayed. If "OK" is selected here, the waiting reception means 11 stores the waiting information in the database DB in step S27, and the process ends.

[0075] Here, the customer can check the scheduled guide time in the case of waiting in line on the confirmation screen of Fig. 7(b) and can interrupt the waiting and make a reservation. In this embodiment, when the customer selects the displayed scheduled guide time, the reservation reception means 12 accepts the input for making a reservation and displays candidates for available time slots.

[0076] The available time slots displayed here may be determined based on a preset range, or may be determined based on the predicted vacancy time of each seat, taking into account registered waiting lists, within a range that does not overlap with the available waiting slots and the reservation slots. In this case, it is preferable to specify the available time slots by limiting the available seats to those that can be accommodated.

[0077] Once the time slot has been selected, input of non-smoking or smoking, seating conditions (counter or table, etc.), and the customer's contact phone number is accepted in the same way as for waiting in line reception. Then, once all input has been completed, the display means 17 displays the input information, and a reservation details confirmation screen such as that shown in Fig. 8(b) is displayed. If "OK" is selected here, the reservation reception means 12 stores the reservation information in the database DB, and the process ends.

[0078] In the above explanation, the process is described when the customer does not specify an individual seat, but in this embodiment, the waiting list reception means 11 and the reservation reception means 12 accept the seat specification by the customer by changing the settings. In this case, it is not necessary to accept the input of seat conditions for both the waiting list and the reservation. That is, in this embodiment, instead of accepting seat conditions such as non-smoking or smoking, counter or table, etc., it is possible to set so that a specific seat can be specified.

[0079] When accepting a seat designation by a customer, the selection of the seat is further accepted in step S21. Then, steps S22 and S23 are omitted, and in step S24, the scheduled guide time is calculated based on the predicted vacancy time of the selected seat. Also, the input of seat conditions in step S26 is not performed.

[0080] Once the customer's turn has been accepted, the customer can move freely and visits the facility based on the scheduled guide time. If the scheduled guide time displayed in step S25 of Fig. 5 at the time of reception has changed, it is preferable to notify the customer of this change.

[0081] For example, in this embodiment, when a customer currently using a seat that is scheduled to be used by a group of people on the waiting list does not leave the seat even after the usage or reservation slot has passed, a notification is sent to the customer's contact information specified by the waiting information that the guidance may be delayed. Here, in this embodiment, the notification is sent to the waiting list that is affected by the delay caused by the delayed departure time of the seat, that is, the first waiting list among the waiting lists to which a similar notification has not been sent. Specifically, for example, a message such as "The time was approaching, but the scheduled guidance time may be delayed due to continued congestion" may be sent using a message function such as email, SMS, or other SNS. The timing of the notification is determined arbitrarily, but it is assumed that, for example, the end time of the standard stay time of the customer currently using the seat or the timing when a predetermined time has passed since the initial scheduled guidance time, etc.

[0082] Also, if the scheduled presentation time is updated by the process of Fig. 4 and has changed from the scheduled presentation time displayed in step S25 of Fig. 5 at the time of reception, it is preferable to notify the user of this fact. For example, if the scheduled presentation time displayed at the time of reception has changed by a predetermined time, for example, by 10 minutes or more, the updated scheduled presentation time may be notified. Furthermore, if the scheduled presentation time is subsequently updated and has changed by more than the predetermined time, another notification may be made. In addition, in order to avoid sending notifications frequently, the change in the scheduled presentation time may be notified only to a predetermined number of groups from the head of the queue or to groups within a predetermined time until the scheduled presentation time.

[0083] Next, the use schedule screen and seat allocation screen on the management terminal 3 and seat allocation for waiting will be described with reference to Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the use schedule screen W1. The use schedule screen W1 displays a use schedule for each seat, including a time zone display section TT that displays time zones on the horizontal axis, and a seat display section W12 on the vertical axis that identifies seats. Note that, although the time zone display section TT displays the time axis in 30-minute increments in Fig. 9, this can be changed arbitrarily to 15-minute increments, 10-minute increments, etc., depending on the settings.

[0084] In the usage schedule, the current time PT is displayed at the position of the current time on the time axis. In addition to the seat number, the seat display section W12 displays the seat condition (non-smoking / smoking), the number of available seats, and the number of people currently using the seat. For example, in the example of Fig. 9, for table A, "non-smoking" indicating the condition, "table A" indicating the seat number, the number of available seats in the denominator, and "4 / 4" indicating the number of people currently using the seat in the numerator are displayed. The same is true for the other seats.

[0085] The seat total W11 is displayed at the top of the seat display section W12, and displays the total number of seats, the number of seats currently in use, the total number of available seats at all seats, and the total number of people currently using them. The seat total W11 and the seat display section W12 are displayed based on the aggregated values ​​of the seat information and transaction information.

[0086] In the usage schedule, the usage slots and reservation slots are displayed so that they can be identified for each seat. In FIG. 9, the frames shown in dark colors represent usage slots, the frames shown in solid white lines represent reservation slots, and the numbers in circles at the right end of each slot represent the number of people waiting or making reservations. In each slot, a serial number indicating the target reservation information or waiting information, or a customer name is displayed. In addition, in the usage slots and reservation slots, any information related to the usage slots and reservation slots, such as information included in waiting information or reservation information, may be further displayed. In addition, in each of the usage slots and reservation slots, a user such as a store clerk may be able to select the information to be displayed. In addition, when a combination of multiple seats is used, the reservation slots and usage slots are displayed across multiple seats.

[0087] After the usage quota and reservation quota, the reserved time is displayed as the time required to clean up after a customer leaves and prepare to welcome the next customer. The reserved time is a fixed value that is set in advance, and is set according to the number of customers and the number of store staff on shift at that time. The reserved time can be set both before and after the usage quota and reservation quota, and the set reserved time is displayed on the usage schedule.

[0088] In this embodiment, the history of use of seats that have already been cleared is also displayed, but in this case, it is preferable to display the actual usage time regardless of the reservation slot or usage slot. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the usage slots of the provisionally allocated waiting list are also displayed. In FIG. 9, the provisionally allocated waiting list is shown in a dashed frame, and the number surrounded by a circle at the right end of each slot indicates the number of people waiting or making a reservation. The provisional allocation is different from the allocation by input via the seating arrangement screen described later, and refers to a provisional correspondence between the waiting list and the seats performed for calculating the scheduled time of guidance or for confirming the schedule. In this embodiment, the provisional allocation is performed according to the procedure described in steps S11 to S13 of FIG. 4, and the provisionally allocated waiting list is displayed in a form different from the reservation slot and usage slot in the usage schedule.

[0089] In this embodiment, instead of using the scheduled guide time, it is possible to calculate the time by simply multiplying the number of groups waiting by the waiting time per group, but even in this case, it is preferable to perform a provisional allocation process to confirm the schedule. The provisional allocation procedure is as shown in steps S11 to S13 in Fig. 4, and based on the number of people waiting and the number of available seats, the seat that becomes vacant first among the seats that can accommodate the waiting group is provisionally allocated to the waiting group. Here, only seats that can accommodate the waiting group and that further meet the seating conditions accepted by the waiting group acceptance means 11 may be extracted as seats that can accommodate the waiting group.

[0090] The provisionally allocated waiting time slot is displayed based on the standard stay time. For example, the time slot may be a time period from the predicted vacancy time to the time when the standard stay time has elapsed, or a time period from the predicted vacancy time to the time when the standard stay time has elapsed plus a predetermined time, such as 10 minutes, may be used as the usage slot.

[0091] The waiting list WL is displayed on the left side of the usage schedule screen W1. As the waiting list WL, a list of each waiting list is displayed, and each list shows the reference number, customer name, number of customers, and seating conditions. When a waiting list to which a seat is to be assigned is selected from the list, the display means 17 accepts a display request for the seating arrangement screen, and the seating arrangement screen is displayed by superimposing the usage schedule screen on W1, and the allocation means 16 allocates seats to the waiting list in accordance with the user's input.

[0092] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the seating arrangement screen W2. The seating arrangement screen W2 displays information on waiting in line at the top, and includes a time designation section W21, a seating arrangement display section W22, a number of people designation section W23, and a contact display section W24. Note that although seating arrangement for waiting in line will be described below, in this embodiment, input is also accepted on the same screen when a waiter performs an operation to designate a seat for reservation information. That is, the reservation reception means 12 associates the reservation information with a seat via the seating arrangement screen W2, and generates a reservation slot that specifies the start time and end time of use of the seat.

[0093] When the specified seat is vacant, the time designation section W21 displays the usage frame selected with the current time as the usage start time and the time when the standard stay time has elapsed from the usage start time as the usage end time. When the specified seat is not vacant, the time designation section W21 displays the usage frame selected with the predicted vacancy time of the seat as the usage start time and the time when the standard stay time has elapsed from the usage start time as the usage end time. Note that when there is a vacant seat, the usage frame may always be displayed as the time from the current time to the time when the standard stay time has elapsed.

[0094] The user can change the date, start time, and end time of the usage slot by operating the time designation section W21. When the seats are changed by operating the number of people designation section W23, the selection state of the time designation section W21 is updated accordingly. When allocating seats for waiting, the date of the usage slot may be set not to be changeable.

[0095] At this time, the system is controlled so that a time slot that overlaps with a reservation slot or usage slot already associated with a seat selected in the number-of-persons designation section W23 (one or more people have been input) cannot be specified. Specifically, if "Guide" is selected when a time slot that overlaps with a reservation slot or usage slot is selected, an error message is displayed. In addition, the system may be controlled so that a time slot that overlaps with a reservation slot or usage slot associated with a selected seat cannot be selected in the time designation section W21.

[0096] The seating arrangement display unit W22 displays the seats and the usage slots specified in the time designation unit W21 and the number of people designation unit W23 in the left column. Here, when the seating arrangement screen W2 is displayed, the candidate designation means 15 designates the first candidate, and the first candidate seat is selected in the number of people designation unit W23. Therefore, the usage slot determined according to the vacancy status or the predicted vacancy time of the first candidate seat is initially input in the time designation unit W21, and the seating arrangement display unit W22 is displayed according to these contents. When "Guide" is selected in the seating arrangement screen W2, the allocation means 16 accepts the contents designated in the time designation unit W21 and the number of people designation unit W23, i.e., the contents displayed in the seating arrangement display unit W22, associates the waiting list with the selected seat, and sets the usage slot.

[0097] In this example, we assume that a new waiting list that has not yet been announced is to be announced, but it is also possible to change the reservation slot, usage slot, or seat for an already announced waiting list or reservation. In that case, the reservation slot or usage slot before the change, the assigned seat, and the number of people are displayed on the right side of the seating arrangement display section W22.

[0098] The number-of-persons designation unit W23 separately displays candidate seats and seats other than the candidate seats that can accommodate the number of people on the waiting list and do not overlap with the reservation slots in a predetermined range after the predicted vacant seat time. In Fig. 10, tables A to H are non-smoking seats (seats that meet the conditions for waiting) and are displayed as candidate seats that can accommodate the number of people on the waiting list.

[0099] In the example of Fig. 10, all of these seats are currently vacant, and no reservation slots exist between the current time and the standard stay time. In this manner, in this embodiment, the candidate specification means 15 specifies seats other than vacant seats as candidates only when there are no vacant seats. On the other hand, when there are no vacant seats, the candidate specification means 15 specifies seats that do not have reservation slots between the predicted vacant seat time and the standard stay time as candidates.

[0100] In addition, in the number-of-persons designation section W23, tables I to L are displayed in an area separate from the candidate seats A to H as smoking seats that do not satisfy the conditions for waiting but can accommodate the number of people waiting. Tables I to L are seats that were not candidates and were identified by the candidate identification means 15 as seats for which no reservation slots exist between the current time or the predicted vacant seat time and the standard stay time.

[0101] In addition, even if there are vacant seats, the candidate specification means 15 may specify seats that are not currently vacant but have no reservation slots between the predicted vacant seat time and the standard stay time, and display them in the number of people specification section W23 separately from vacant seat candidates. At this time, it is preferable to display the predicted vacant seat time for each seat as well.

[0102] The user can select the number of people to be guided to for each seat displayed in the number of people designation section W23. In FIG. 10, it is designated that all four people on the waiting list be guided to table A. At this time, the designation of the number of people for each seat is accepted so that the total number of people is the number of people on the waiting list. Specifically, if the total number of people at each seat is different from the number of people on the waiting list, a warning is displayed on the seating arrangement screen W2, and if "Guide" is selected in this state, an error message is displayed.

[0103] On the other hand, if, for example, two people are specified for table A and two people are specified for table B and "Guide" is selected, the target queue will be associated with tables A and B, and customers will be guided in pairs.

[0104] The contact display section W24 shows notes about the target waiting line or reservation, and is used to share information among store staff. For example, there may be cases where seats that can be provided to customers with strollers or wheelchairs are limited. In anticipation of such cases, when a note about the target is selected in the contact display section W24, notes about the waiting line or reservation customer are registered in the waiting line information or reservation information. The selected note is then displayed in an identifiable manner. In the example of FIG. 10, the items about lateness and strollers are registered and highlighted in the contact display section W24.

[0105] When information regarding seat allocation is input as described above, it is reflected in the usage schedule screen W1 shown in FIG. 9, and the assigned waiting list or reservation is displayed in a solid line frame on the usage schedule.

[0106] This allows flexible seat allocation via the intuitively operable seating arrangement screen W2. In particular, in this embodiment, the reservation slots are taken into consideration and candidate seats that do not overlap with reservations are identified and displayed on the seating arrangement screen W2, so that the user can more easily allocate waiting lists to appropriate seats. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1: Vacant seat management device 2: Reception terminal 3: Management terminal 11: Reception method 12: Reservation acceptance method 13: Seat vacancy prediction method 14: Means for determining scheduled guidance time 15:Candidate identification means 16: Allocation method 17:Display means EPARK: Inc. NW: Network PT: Current time TT: Time zone display W1: Usage schedule screen W11: Total seats W12: Seat display section W2: Seating arrangement screen W21: Time specification section W22: Seating display section W23: Number of people designated W24: Contact display section

Claims

1. A schedule management system for managing seating schedules that combines a reservation with a designated entry time and a waiting list for vacant seats, a waiting order receiving means for receiving the waiting order together with an input specifying seat conditions for the waiting order; an allocation means for associating the seat with the waiting seat by setting a usage limit for the seat, the usage limit being set based on a standard stay time for the seat due to the waiting seat; a reservation receiving means for receiving the reservation and generating a reservation frame that specifies a seat during a time period when the seat is to be used; a vacant seat prediction means for determining a predicted vacant time of the seat being used based on the end time of the reservation frame or the usage frame of the customer who is using the seat; a candidate specification means for receiving an input specifying the waiting list, and specifying, from among a plurality of combinations of seats that can be combined and used, a combination that satisfies the conditions for the waiting list and in which the reservation slots do not overlap within a predetermined range after the latest predicted vacancy time of the seats included in the combination, as a candidate for a seat to be used by the waiting list; A display means for displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidates in a selectable manner; The allocation means is means for associating a seat selected via the seating arrangement screen with the waiting list.

2. the candidate specification means specifies, as a first candidate, a combination of vacant seats or a combination of seats with the earliest predicted vacant seat time among the seats that satisfy the condition for the waiting list and do not overlap with the reservation slots within a predetermined range after the predicted vacant seat time, 2. The utilization schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein said display means, when a request to display said seating arrangement screen is received, processes to display said seating arrangement screen in a state in which said first candidate seat is selected.

3. 3. The utilization schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the seating arrangement screen displays, among the seats that were not selected as candidates, seats that do not overlap with the reservation slots within a predetermined range, separately from the candidates, so as to be selectable.

4. the seating arrangement screen includes a number-of-persons designation unit that accepts designation of the number of people for each of the candidate seats so that the total number of people becomes the number of people on the waiting list; 4. The utilization schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the allocation means regards a seat for which one or more people have been input via the number-of-people designation unit as being selected, and associates the seat with the waiting list.

5. the seating arrangement screen includes a time designation section for designating a scheduled time for using the seat due to the waiting list, 5. The utilization schedule management system according to claim 1, wherein the allocation unit receives a scheduled utilization time of the seat due to the waiting list via the time designation unit, and sets a utilization frame.

6. 6. The seating schedule management system of claim 5, wherein the display means processes the seating arrangement screen to display the current time if the specified seat is vacant, or the predicted vacancy time for the seat if the specified seat is not vacant, and includes the time designation section in a state in which the scheduled usage time is specified, with the current time being set as the usage start time if the specified seat is vacant, and with the predicted vacancy time for the seat being set as the usage end time based on the point at which the customer's standard stay time has elapsed from the usage start time being set as the usage end time.

7. 7. The utilization schedule management system according to claim 5, wherein the vacant seat prediction means calculates the predicted vacant seat time based on an end time of the reservation slot or utilization slot.

8. 8. The utilization schedule management system according to claim 5, further comprising a display processing means for displaying a utilization schedule screen including a utilization schedule table that displays the reservation slots and utilization slots for each seat in an identifiable manner along a time axis.

9. The usage schedule screen further includes the waiting list, The utilization schedule management system according to claim 8 , wherein the candidate specification means accepts the designation of the waiting list via the waiting list on the utilization schedule screen.

10. A schedule management program for managing a schedule of seats using both a reservation with a designated entry time and a waiting list for a vacant seat, a waiting order receiving means for receiving the waiting order together with an input specifying seat conditions for the waiting order; an allocation means for associating the seat with the waiting seat by setting a usage limit for the seat, the usage limit being set based on a standard stay time for the seat due to the waiting seat; a reservation receiving means for receiving the reservation and generating a reservation frame that specifies a seat during a time period when the seat is to be used; a vacant seat prediction means for determining a predicted vacant time of the seat being used based on the end time of the reservation frame or the usage frame of the customer who is using the seat; a candidate specification means for receiving an input specifying the waiting list, and specifying a combination of seats that satisfies the condition for the waiting list and does not overlap with the reservation slot within a predetermined range after the latest predicted vacancy time of the seats included in the combination, from among a plurality of combinations of seats that can be used in combination, as a candidate for a seat to be used by the waiting list; A display means for displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidates in a selectable manner; The allocation means includes an allocation means for associating a seat selected via the seating arrangement screen with the waiting list; A schedule management program that enables a computer to function as a

11. A method for managing a schedule of seats that uses both a reservation with a designated entry time and a waiting list for a vacant seat, comprising the steps of: a waiting order acceptance step of accepting the waiting order together with an input specifying seat conditions for the waiting order; an allocation step of associating the seat with the waiting list by setting a usage limit for the seat, the usage limit being set based on a standard stay time for the seat due to the waiting list; a reservation acceptance step of accepting the reservation and generating a reservation frame that specifies a seat during a time period when the seat is to be used; a vacancy prediction step of determining a predicted vacancy time of the seat being used based on the end time of the reservation frame or the usage frame of the customer who is using the seat; a candidate specification step of accepting an input specifying the waiting list, and specifying a candidate seat for the waiting list to be used from among a plurality of combinations of seats that can be combined and used, the combination satisfying the condition for the waiting list and the reservation slot not overlapping within a predetermined range after the latest predicted vacancy time of the seats included in the combination; a display step of displaying a seating arrangement screen that displays the candidates in a selectable manner, The allocation step of this utilization schedule management method corresponds a seat selected via the seat allocation screen to the waiting list.

Images