RESERVATION SYSTEM, RESERVATION SYSTEM CONTROL METHOD, AND RESERVATION SYSTEM CONTROL PROGRAM

Abstract

To provide a seat reservation system, or the like, configured to allow an employee to reserve a seat for a time zone in which the seat is required by the employee, in free-address system.SOLUTION: A seat reservation system in a free-address office includes: a storage unit which stores reservation information on reservation status of each seat in the office; and a display processing unit which displays, on a terminal device of a user who uses the reservation system, a seat map showing arrangement of the seats, in a mode where the user can identify reservation status of each seat, and displays a map reservation screen including an input region in which a time zone for reserving a seat can be input on a time axis. The display processing unit displays the seat map in a mode based on the reservation status of each seat in a time zone input in the input region by the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reservation system, a control method for a reservation system, and a control program for a reservation system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, free address offices, where employees are not assigned fixed seats in the office and can freely choose the seat they work in, are becoming more common. As a technology related to this free address system, for example, a system that automatically assigns seats according to a predetermined rule is known (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-038552 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Recently, remote work, such as working from home or using satellite offices, has become common, and employees do not necessarily have to come to the office every day. Also, if an employee only needs a desk for work during a certain period of the day, they do not need to reserve a seat in the office all day. In other words, in the free address system, there is a demand for a seat reservation system that allows employees to reserve a seat during the hours they need it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a seat reservation system for an office using a free address system, and comprises a memory unit which stores reservation information relating to the reservation status of each seat in the office, and a display processing unit which, on a terminal device of a user using the reservation system, displays a seat map showing the arrangement of each seat in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish the reservation status of each seat, and displays a map reservation screen which displays an input area in which the time period for reserving a seat can be input on a time axis, and the display processing unit displays the seat map in a manner based on the reservation status of each seat for the time period input by the user in the input area.

[0006] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the memory unit further stores an image of a seat map and position information indicating the position of each seat relative to the office, and the reservation system further includes an object processing unit that displays a first object indicating each seat based on the position information and the reservation information, superimposed on the position of each seat in the image of the seat map in a manner that enables the reservation status of each seat to be determined, and the display processing unit displays an image of a seat map including the first object and an input area as a map reservation screen, and the object processing unit displays the first object on the image of the seat map in a manner based on the reservation status of each seat during the time period input by the user in the input area.

[0007] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a first object displayed in a reservable manner on the map reservation screen is selected by a user, the display processing unit may display a reservation screen for a seat corresponding to the selected first object.

[0008] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the memory unit may further store attribute information regarding the attributes of each seat, and the display processing unit may display a first object on the map reservation screen in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish the attributes of the seat corresponding to the first object.

[0009] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, a display processing unit may display on a user's terminal device a timeline reservation screen which lists the reservation status of each seat along a timeline for each seat, and an object processing unit may display a second object on the timeline reservation screen which indicates that the time period cannot be reserved.

[0010] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a portion of the second object that is not displayed is selected by a user on the timeline reservation screen, the display processing unit may display a reservation screen for the seat corresponding to the portion selected by the user.

[0011] In the reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the display processing unit may switch between displaying a map reservation screen and a timeline reservation screen on the user's terminal device.

[0012] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the memory unit further stores seat identification information associated with each seat and capable of uniquely identifying the seat, and the reservation system further includes an acquisition unit that acquires check-in information including at least the seat identification information transmitted from the user's terminal device and user identification information for identifying the user, and when the object processing unit determines based on the reservation information that the seat identified by the seat identification information is available for use by the user who transmitted the check-in information, it may display the first object and the second object in a manner indicating that the seat identified by the seat identification information is in use.

[0013] In the reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the memory unit may further store history information relating to the usage history of each seat.

[0014] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the display processing unit may display a setting screen on the office manager's manager terminal, which allows the user to set the position information, attribute information, and display mode of a first object to be displayed on an image of a seat map.

[0015] In a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the display processing unit realizes the input area as a time bar on a time axis, where the start and end times of seat use are input at the ends of the time bar, and the user may be able to input the time period for reserving a seat by sliding the end of the time bar.

[0016] In the reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the display processing unit may be capable of varying the scale of the time axis in the input area of ​​the map reservation screen.

[0017] A control method for a seat reservation system in a free address office according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: storing reservation information regarding the reservation status of each seat in the office; displaying, on a terminal device of a user using the reservation system, a seat map showing the arrangement of each seat in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish the reservation status of each seat, and displaying a map reservation screen that displays an input area in which a time period for reserving a seat can be input on a time axis; and displaying the seat map in a manner based on the reservation status of each seat for the time period input by the user in the input area.

[0018] A control program for a seat reservation system in a free address office according to one embodiment of the present invention provides a computer with the following functions: storing reservation information regarding the reservation status of each seat in the office; displaying, on a terminal device of a user using the reservation system, a seat map showing the arrangement of each seat in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish the reservation status of each seat, and displaying a map reservation screen that displays an input area in which the time period for reserving a seat can be entered on a time axis; and displaying the seat map in a manner based on the reservation status of each seat for the time period entered by the user in the input area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a reservation system configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of a server (information processing device), a user terminal (user's terminal device), and an administrator terminal (administrator's terminal device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 4 is an example of a user information table stored in the reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is an example of a seat information table stored in the reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 4 is an example of a reservation information table stored in the reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in the reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in the reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a management screen displayed on an administrator terminal in the reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram between a server and a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal in a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention (also referred to as the present invention) according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings. For example, the illustrated servers, the number of terminal devices of users and administrators, data sets (tables), flow charts, sequence diagrams, and display screens are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0021] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The reservation system 600 may be a system that manages the use of seats in a free address office 10. For example, the reservation system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention may accept a reservation for the use of seats in the office 10 from a user, update information on whether or not each seat is reserved for use, and provide the information to the user. The reservation system 600 may also accept check-in information from a user indicating that the user will start using a seat, and provide information on the real-time use status of each seat. Furthermore, the reservation system 600 may provide information on the user's location in the office 10, such as which seat the user plans to use or is currently using. That is, the reservation system 600 may realize a seat use service in the office 10.

[0022] The office to which the reservation system 600 according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied may be a corporate office that is owned or rented by the company and has seats available for employees (including full-time employees, contract employees, contract employees, etc.). Alternatively, the office may be an office where users who have registered with a service that provides work space, such as a shared office or coworking space (hereinafter referred to as a "shared office, etc."), can use seats. That is, in the following description, employees of the company that introduces the reservation system 600, registered users of a shared office, etc., may be referred to as "users."

[0023] The reservation system 600 may include a server (information processing device) 100, a communication terminal 200 of a user 20, an administrator terminal 300 of an administrator 30 of an office 10, and a storage device 400. Here, the office administrator may be a user who manages (maintains, manages, operates, etc.) the office, and the administrator may be a user who can be freely set by the company that introduces the reservation system 600 or the operator of a shared office or the like. Hereinafter, the user's communication terminal may be referred to as a "user terminal", and the administrator's communication terminal may be referred to as an "administrator terminal".

[0024] The server 100 may be capable of executing various processes related to a seat reservation service (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a "reservation service") realized by the reservation system 600. The server 100 may be connected to the user terminal 200 and the administrator terminal 300 via a network 500. The network 500 may include a wireless network or a wired network. Specifically, for example, the network 500 may be a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), integrated service digital networks (ISDNs), wireless LANs, code division multiple access (CDMA), long term evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, fourth generation communication (4G), fifth generation communication (5G), sixth generation communication (6G) or later mobile communication system, etc. Note that the network 500 is not limited to these examples, and may be, for example, a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Bluetooth (registered trademark), an optical line, an Asymmetric Digital Subscriber LINE (ADSL) line, a satellite communication network, etc. Furthermore, the network 500 may be a combination of these.

[0025] 1, only one server 100 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, each function described as being provided by the server 100 may be realized by a plurality of servers. Also, the server 100 may be, for example, a distributed server system that cooperates by communicating via a network, or may be a so-called cloud server. That is, the server 100 is not limited to a physical server, and may also include a virtual server created by software.

[0026] The user terminal 200 may be a communication terminal of a user who uses the reservation service. The user terminal 200 may be connected to the server 100 via a network 500, and may transmit seat usage information, which is information related to seat usage received from the user 20, to the server 100. The seat usage information may refer to information required when reserving a seat or check-in information required when using a seat.

[0027] For example, an application for using the reservation service may be installed in the user terminal 200, and the seat usage information may be transmitted to the server 100 via the application. Alternatively, it is not essential to install an application in the user terminal 200, and the user 20 may access a web page for using the reservation service provided by the server 100 from the user terminal 200 via a web browser or the like, and transmit the seat usage information to the server 100.

[0028] In FIG. 1, a smartphone is shown as the user terminal 200, but the user terminal 200 may be any terminal capable of implementing the functions described in each embodiment described below. For example, the user terminal 200 may be a mobile phone (feature phone), a computer (e.g., tablet, desktop computer, notebook computer), a handheld computer device (e.g., but not limited to, a PDA (personal digital assistant), or a wearable terminal (glasses-type device, watch-type device, etc.). In FIG. 1, only one user terminal 200 is shown, but there may be as many as the number of users who use the reservation service provided by the reservation system 600, and one user may be associated with multiple communication terminals (e.g., a smartphone and a notebook computer). In addition, when one user is associated with multiple communication terminals, the user's identification information may be transmitted to the server 100 by logging in to the service, etc., so that each user may be identifiable.

[0029] When applying the office 10 managed by the administrator 30 to the reservation service, the administrator terminal 300 may transmit seat information regarding the seats in the office 10 to the server 100 via the network 500. The transmission of the seat information to the server 100 may be performed via an application or a web browser for using the reservation service, as with the user terminal 200. For example, when logging in to the reservation service, the server 100 may determine whether or not the user has administrator authority based on the identification information transmitted from the administrator terminal 300 to the server 100, and may enable input and transmission of seat information. The seat information transmitted from the administrator terminal 300 to the server 100 will be described later.

[0030] 1 shows a notebook computer as the administrator terminal 300, the administrator terminal 300 may be any terminal capable of implementing the functions described in the following embodiments. For example, the administrator terminal 300 may be a mobile phone (feature phone), a smartphone, a computer (e.g., a tablet or desktop computer), a handheld computing device (including, but not limited to, a PDA (personal digital assistant), or a wearable device (such as a glasses-type device or a watch-type device).

[0031] The storage device 400 may store (contain) various information (data) used in the reservation system 600. Although only one storage device 400 is shown in FIG. 1, separate from the server 100, the storage device 400 may be integrated into the server 100. That is, the storage device 400 may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory of the server 100. The storage device 400 may be composed of multiple storage devices. The storage device 400 may be connected to the server 100 through a dedicated internal network different from the network 500, or may be connected to the server 100 via the network 500.

[0032] Here, the information stored in the storage device 400 will be described. FIG. 3 is an example of a user information table related to users who use the reservation system 600. The table may be a collection (data set) of various information. In the example of FIG. 3, the user information table TB10 may store, as information for identifying each user who uses the reservation service, a user name, an email address, a company ID (Identifier) ​​(one example of an identifier) ​​for identifying the company to which the user belongs, and the company to which the user belongs in association with a user ID for uniquely identifying the user. The user ID and the company ID are identifiers given to each user and each company by the server 100, for example, and may be composed of alphanumeric characters, symbols, etc. Information such as the user name and email address may be transmitted in advance to the server 100 from the administrator terminal 300 of the company to which the user belongs when using the reservation service.

[0033] The information stored in the user information table TB10 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and the information stored may be more or less than this. For example, the user information table TB10 may further store, but is not limited to, the job title in the company to which the user belongs, a telephone number, a terminal ID that uniquely identifies the user terminal, etc. Also, while the example of FIG. 3 shows a case in which each user ID is associated with a company ID, the user information table may be created, for example, for each company (for each company ID).

[0034] The storage device 400 may store the above-mentioned seat information. FIG. 4 is an example of a seat information table related to seats available by the reservation service. The seat information may be transmitted from the administrator terminal 300 to the server 100, and the setting of the seat information and the method of transmitting the seat information to the server 100 will be described later. The seat information table TB20 may store a seat ID for identifying each seat, in association with a display name, location information, attribute information, position information, and object information. The "display name" may be the name of the seat displayed on the user terminal 200 when using the reservation service. The "location information" may be information indicating the location of the office where the seat is arranged. The "location information" may further include an area (e.g., a northwest area, etc.) when the office is divided. The "attribute information" is information related to the attributes of each seat, and may be, for example, information indicating the type of the seat. The type of seat may be, for example, information indicating the characteristics of the seat, such as a desk with a monitor, a private room, a semi-private room, a wide desk, or a deep desk, and may be set by the administrator 30.

[0035] The "location information" may be information indicating the location of a seat relative to the office 10. Although details will be described later, in the reservation system 600 according to one embodiment of the present invention, a user may be able to select a seat to reserve on a seat map indicating the arrangement of each seat in the office 10. Therefore, the "location information" may take any form as long as it is information that can identify where each seat is located in the office 10. For example, an xy coordinate plane may be set with an arbitrary point on the seat map image as the origin, and the position coordinates on the xy coordinate plane may be stored as the location information.

[0036] The "object information" may be information about the display shape, size, color, and the like of an object when a seat is displayed as an object on the display unit 230 of the user terminal 200. Note that objects will be described later.

[0037] <User device> The hardware configuration and functional configuration of a user terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] (1) Hardware configuration of user terminal The user terminal 200 may include a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, a display unit 230, an input / output unit 240, and a memory unit 270.

[0039] The control unit 210 is typically a processor, and may include a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like, and may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) or a dedicated circuit formed in an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), or the like. The control unit 210 may execute the functions and methods shown in each embodiment by reading a program stored in the storage unit 270 and executing a code or command included in the read program.

[0040] The storage unit 270 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the user terminal 200. The storage unit 270 may include, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 270 may also include a memory (such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory)) that provides a working area for the control unit 210.

[0041] The communication unit 220 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination of these. The communication unit 220 may transmit and receive various data to and from the server 100 via the network 500. The communication may be performed either wired or wirelessly, and any communication protocol may be used as long as the communication between the two units can be performed. The communication unit 220 may transmit various data to the server 100 in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 210. The communication unit 220 may also receive various data transmitted from the server 100 and transmit the data to the control unit 210. When the communication unit 220 is configured as a physically structured circuit, it may be expressed as a communication circuit.

[0042] Display unit 230 is a monitor that displays data according to the display data written to the frame buffer, and may be, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, or the like.

[0043] The input / output unit 240 may include an input device for inputting various operations to the user terminal 200, and an output device for outputting the processing results processed by the user terminal 200. The input / output unit 240 may be an integrated input device and an output device, or may be separated into an input device and an output device. The input device may be realized by any of all types of devices that can accept an input operation from the user 20 and transmit information related to the input to the control unit 210, or a combination thereof. The input device may include, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, a camera, and a microphone. The output device may output the processing results processed by the control unit 210. The output device may include, for example, a display, a touch panel, a speaker, etc.

[0044] (2) Functional configuration of user terminal The user terminal 200 may include a communication control unit 211, a display control unit 212, and an input / output control unit 213 as functions realized by the control unit 210. Note that each functional unit shown in FIG. 2 is not essential, and in each embodiment described hereinafter, non-essential functional units may not be necessary. Furthermore, the function or process of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI (Artificial Intelligence) to the extent feasible. Note that some of the various processes described hereinafter as being executed by the user terminal 200 may be executed by the server 100.

[0045] The communication control unit 211 may control communication between the communication unit 220 and the server 100 via the network 500, and may cause the communication unit 220 to transmit and receive various types of information.

[0046] The display control unit 212 may control the display of data on the display unit 230. For example, the display control unit 212 may cause the display unit 230 to display a screen according to information transmitted from a display processing unit 112 of the server 100, which will be described later.

[0047] The input / output control unit 213 may control the transmission of various information to and from external devices via the input / output unit 240. For example, the input / output control unit 213 may transmit various information to each functional unit in response to an input operation of the user 20 received by the input device, or transmit information from each functional unit to an output device (not shown), such as a touch panel, a monitor, or a speaker. The input / output control unit 213 may also include a seat usage information input unit 214. The seat usage information input unit 214 may receive input of the above-mentioned seat usage information from the user 20.

[0048] <Administrator terminal> Next, the hardware configuration and the functional configuration of the administrator terminal 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0049] (1) Hardware configuration of the administrator terminal The administrator terminal 300 includes a control unit 310 , a communication unit 320 , a display unit 330 , an input / output unit 340 , and a storage unit 370 .

[0050] The control unit 310 is typically a processor and may be a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 310 may execute the functions and methods shown in each embodiment by reading a program stored in the storage unit 370 and executing a code or instruction included in the read program. The control unit 310 may also include an MPU, a GPU, a microprocessor, a processor core, a multiprocessor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or the like. The control unit 310 may realize each process disclosed in each embodiment by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip, LSI), or a dedicated circuit.

[0051] The storage unit 370 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the administrator terminal 300. The storage unit 370 may include, for example, a flash memory. The storage unit 370 may also include a memory that provides a working area for the control unit 310.

[0052] The communication unit 320 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination of these. The communication unit 320 may transmit and receive various data via the network 500. The communication unit 320 may receive various data transmitted from the server 100 and transmit the data to the control unit 310.

[0053] The input / output unit 340 may include an input device for inputting various operations to the administrator terminal 300, and an output device for outputting the processing results processed by the administrator terminal 300. The input / output unit 340 may be an integrated input device and an output device, or may be separated into an input device and an output device. The input device may be realized by any of all types of devices that can receive input from a user and transmit information related to the input to the control unit 310, or a combination thereof. The input device may include, for example, a touch panel, a camera, and a microphone. The output device may output the processing results processed by the control unit 310. The output device may include, for example, a touch panel, a speaker, etc.

[0054] The display unit 330 is a monitor that displays data according to the display data written to the frame buffer, and may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, an OELD, a head-mounted display, or the like.

[0055] (2) Functional configuration of the administrator terminal The administrator terminal 300 may include a communication control unit 311, a display control unit 312, and an input / output control unit 313 as functions realized by the control unit 310. Note that each functional unit illustrated in FIG. 2 is not essential, and in each embodiment described hereinafter, non-essential functional units may be omitted. Furthermore, the function or process of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI to the extent that it is feasible. Note that some of the various processes described hereinafter as being executed by the administrator terminal 300 may be executed by the server 100.

[0056] The communication control unit 311 may control communication between the communication unit 320 and the server 100 via the network 500, and may cause the communication unit 320 to transmit and receive various types of information.

[0057] The display control unit 312 may control the display of data on the display unit 330. For example, the display control unit 312 may display on the display unit 330 a screen corresponding to information transmitted from the display processing unit 112 of the server 100.

[0058] The input / output control unit 313 may receive an input operation from a user via the input / output unit 340, such as a touch panel or a camera. The input / output control unit 313 may also control an output device, such as a touch panel, a monitor, or a speaker, to output information from each functional unit. The input / output control unit 313 may also include a seat information input unit 314. The seat information input unit 314 may receive an input of the above-mentioned seat information from the manager 30. The seat information input unit 314 may also receive an input of a seat map image to be used in a seat map from the manager 30, as the seat information.

[0059] <Server> Next, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the server 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0060] (1) Server hardware configuration The server 100 may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a memory unit 170.

[0061] The control unit 110 is typically a processor, and includes a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor, a processor core, a multiprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., and may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) or a dedicated circuit formed in an integrated circuit (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), etc. Note that the server 100 preferably has a processor with high computing power for processing the above-mentioned large amount of data.

[0062] The storage unit 170 stores various programs and various data required for the operation of the server 100. The storage unit 170 may include, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 170 may also include a memory that provides a working area for the control unit 110.

[0063] The communication unit 120 may be implemented as hardware such as a network adapter, communication software, or a combination of these. The communication unit 120 may transmit and receive various data to and from the user terminal 200 and the administrator terminal 300 via the network 500. The communication unit 120 may transmit various data to the user terminal 200 and the administrator terminal 300 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 110. The communication unit 120 may also receive various data transmitted from the user terminal 200 and the administrator terminal 300, and transmit the data to the control unit 110.

[0064] (2) Server Functionality Configuration The server 100 may include a communication control unit 111, a display processing unit 112, an object processing unit 113, a map setting unit 114, and a reservation processing unit 115 as functions realized by the control unit 110. Note that each functional unit shown in FIG. 2 is not essential, and in each embodiment described hereinafter, non-essential functional units may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit may be realized by machine learning or AI to the extent that they can be realized.

[0065] The communication control unit 111 may control communication with the user terminal 200 and the administrator terminal 300 via the communication unit 120 .

[0066] The map setting unit 114 may set the seat map to be displayed on the user terminal 200 based on the seat information transmitted from the administrator terminal 300. The setting of the seat map by the administrator will be described later.

[0067] The reservation processing unit 115 may execute processing related to the reservation and use of a seat. For example, the reservation processing unit 115 may acquire information required for reserving a seat as seat usage information from the user terminal 200. The information required for reserving a seat may include at least the designation of the seat to be reserved, the reservation date and time, and information regarding the user who will use the seat. The reservation processing unit 115 may set a seat reservation based on the information required for reserving a seat acquired from the user terminal 200. The reservation set for the seat may be stored in the storage device 400 as reservation information. A reservation method by the reservation system 600 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described later.

[0068] 5 is an example of a reservation information table related to the reservation status of seats stored in the storage device 400. For example, the reservation information table TB30 may store information related to the date, time period, user, and seat ID for a reservation ID that can uniquely identify each reservation. For example, referring to the reservation information table TB30, a user identified by user ID "user_001" has reserved a seat identified by seat ID "4F_001" on the date "2021 / 10 / 04" and the time period "9:00-15:00" as a reservation identified by reservation ID "rsv_001".

[0069] The reservation information table is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 5, and may be stored in any manner as long as each reservation can be identified. The information stored in the reservation information table is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be more or less than this. The reservation information table TB30 may be updated each time a reservation is set by the reservation processing unit 115.

[0070] The display processing unit 112 may execute processes such as generating and updating information to be displayed on the display unit 230 of the user terminal 200 and the display unit 330 of the administrator terminal 300. That is, the display processing unit 112 may transmit information to be displayed on the user terminal 200 and the administrator terminal 300. Furthermore, the object processing unit 113 may execute processes such as generating and updating objects to be displayed on the display unit 230 of the user terminal 200 and the display unit 330 of the administrator terminal 300.

[0071] <Seat map reservation screen> For example, the display processing unit 112 may display a seat map showing the arrangement of each seat in a manner that allows the reservation status of each seat to be identified on the user terminal 200, and may display a map reservation screen that displays an input area in which a time period for reserving a seat can be input on a time axis. Furthermore, the display processing unit 112 may display the seat map in a manner based on the reservation status of each seat in the time period input by the user in the input area.

[0072] 6(a) and (b) show examples of map reservation screens displayed on the display unit 230 of the user terminal 200. Note that from here on, map reservation screens will be assigned reference numbers in the 40s, and different map reservation screens will be distinguished by alphabetical characters, such as 40a and 40b. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between map reservation screens, they will be described using only numbers without alphabetical characters.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 6(a) and (b), the map reservation screen 40 may include a map area 42 that displays a seat map showing the arrangement of each seat in the office, and an input area 43 that is a UI (User Interface) that allows input of a time period for reserving a seat. Here, the input area 43 may display a time axis displayed at a predetermined scale and a time bar 47 that is displayed superimposed on the time axis. In the input area 43, the ends (right end 47R, left end 47L) of the time bar 47 may be displayed so as to be slidable by the user 20. In addition, the input area 43 may display a time period display 48 that displays the time period specified by the time bar 47. In the example of FIG. 6(a), the time axis is displayed on a 12-hour scale from 10:00 to 22:00. In addition, the time bar 47a specifies a time period from 10:00 (right end 47aR) to 21:00 (left end 47aL), and the time period display 48a displays the time period from 10:00 to 21:00.

[0074] The time period can be specified by the time bar 47 at intervals of, for example, 15 minutes or 30 minutes, depending on the scale of the time axis described later, but is not limited thereto. The time bar 47 and the time period display 48 are linked, and when the user slides the end of the time bar 47 to change the time period for reserving a seat, the time period display 48 may also change in conjunction with the time period. The user may also input the time period for reserving a seat using the time period display 48. For example, the time period display 48 may be a UI that allows the user to select a time using a drum roll. The time interval that can be specified by the time period display 48 is smaller than the interval by the time bar 47, and may be, for example, 1 minute or 5 minutes. This allows for more precise time specification. That is, by combining the time bar 47 and the time period display 48, the convenience of the reservation operation for the user can be improved. When the time period for reserving a seat is specified by the time period display 48, the time bar 47 may also change in conjunction with the time period.

[0075] Here, the display processing unit 112 may display whether or not a reservation has been set for each seat in a distinguishable manner according to the reservation status of each seat in the time period input by the user in the input area 43. For example, in the map reservation screen 40a of FIG. 6(a), the time period "10:00-21:00" is input in the input area 43a, and the map area 42a displays whether or not a reservation has been set for each seat in a distinguishable manner according to the reservation status of "10:00-21:00". That is, the display processing unit 112 may refer to the reservation information table TB30 and display a seat including a time period in which a reservation has been set in "10:00-21:00" differently from a seat in which a reservation has not been set in "10:00-21:00". Note that the example of FIG. 6 shows a case in which a seat in which a reservation has been set is displayed in color, and a seat in which a reservation has not been set is displayed in white. However, the display mode of the seats is not limited to that shown in the figure, and any form is acceptable as long as the user can recognize whether or not a reservation has been set.

[0076] Furthermore, when the user changes the time period for reserving a seat in the input area 43, the display processing unit 112 may display the display mode of the map area 42 according to the reservation status of each seat in the changed time period. For example, in FIG. 6(a), the map area 42a is displayed according to the reservation status of "10:00-21:00", but when the user slides the end of the time bar to input the time period of "13:00-17:00" as shown in FIG. 6(b), the display processing unit 112 may refer to the reservation information table TB30 and display each seat according to the reservation status of each seat in the time period of "13:00-17:00". In the example of FIG. 6(b), it can be seen that the display modes of the map area 42a and the map area 42b are different. Specifically, seat 44a, which includes the time period "10:00-21:00" for which a reservation has been made and is displayed in color in map area 42a in FIG. 6(a), is not displayed in color in map area 42b in FIG. 6(b), as shown by seat 44b, and it can be identified that no reservations have been made in the period "13:00-17:00."

[0077] As described above, according to the reservation system 600 of one embodiment of the present invention, since each seat is displayed in the form of a seat map, a reservation service can be provided in which the user can easily grasp the position of the seat and can immediately determine whether each seat is reserved or not. Furthermore, since the user can input the time period during which he / she would like to use the seat on the time axis, and the display mode of the seat on the seat map changes depending on the reservation status for the input time period, it is possible to provide a reservation service that is intuitive and highly usable for the user.

[0078] The display mode of the map reservation screen is not limited to that shown in Fig. 6. In the reservation system 600 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the object processing unit 113 may display a first object indicating each seat by superimposing it on the position of each seat in the image of the seat map in a manner that allows the reservation status of each seat to be determined based on the seat information table TB20 and the reservation information table TB30.

[0079] Fig. 7 shows an example of a map reservation screen in which a circle object is displayed as the first object. In the example of Fig. 7, the circle object superimposed on a seat for which a reservation has been set is displayed in color, and the circle object superimposed on a seat for which no reservation has been set is displayed in white. However, the display form of the object is not limited to that shown in the figure, and any form is acceptable as long as the user can recognize whether or not a reservation has been set.

[0080] Furthermore, when the user changes the time period in the input area 43, the display processing unit 112 may display the first object on the map image according to the reservation status of each seat in the changed time period. For example, in FIG. 7(a), a map area 42c according to the reservation status of "10:00-21:00" is displayed. When the user slides the end of the time bar from this state to input the time period of "13:00-17:00" as shown in FIG. 7(b), the display processing unit 112 may refer to the reservation information table TB30 and change the manner of the first object superimposed on each seat according to the reservation status of each seat in the time period of "13:00-17:00". In the example of FIG. 7, it can be seen that the display manner of the map area 42c and the map area 42d is different. Specifically, circular object 44c, which includes the time period "10:00-21:00" for which reservations have been made and is displayed in color in map area 42c of Figure 7(a), is not displayed in color in map area 42d of Figure 7(b) as shown by circular object 44d, and it can be identified that no reservations have been made for the seat corresponding to circular object 44 from "13:00-17:00".

[0081] As described above, according to the reservation system 600 of one embodiment of the present invention, a first object showing each seat may be displayed on the map seat image in such a manner that the reservation status of each seat can be determined. Furthermore, when the time slot in the input area is changed, the first object may be displayed in a manner according to the reservation status of the changed time slot. This makes it possible to provide a reservation system with high usability.

[0082] As described above, the display processing unit 112 may display the input area as a time bar on a time axis, in which the user can input the start time and end time of seat use by sliding the ends of the time bar. This allows intuitive input of the time period, providing an easy-to-use reservation system.

[0083] The display processing unit 112 may be capable of changing and displaying the scale of the time axis in the input area 43 of the map reservation screen. For example, the display processing unit 112 may display a scale selection button 46 capable of changing the scale of the time axis in the input area 43 of the map reservation screen 40 of FIG. 6 or FIG. 7. The user may be able to change the scale of the time axis by selecting any of the scale selection buttons 46. For example, FIG. 7(a) shows a time period from 10:00 to 22:00 when the scale of the time axis is "12h (12 hours)", while FIG. 7(b) shows a time period from 12:00 to 18:00 when the scale of the time axis is "4h (4 hours)". The display processing unit 112 may also change the display of the time bar 47 in accordance with the change in the scale. That is, for example, the display processing unit 112 may also change the width of the time bar 47 in accordance with the change in the width of the scale.

[0084] In this way, according to the reservation system 600 of one embodiment of the present invention, the scale of the time axis for inputting the time slot to be reserved may be changeable. This makes it possible to display a time axis that matches the scale of the time slot in which the user requires a seat, making it easy to input the time slot to be reserved.

[0085] Furthermore, the display processing unit 112 may display the above-mentioned first object on the map reservation screen 40 in a manner that allows the attributes of the seat corresponding to the first object to be distinguished. That is, the display processing unit 112 may display the first object in a different display manner, such as a color or a size, according to the attribute information stored in the seat information table TB20. For example, the first object of a seat having attribute information of "desk with monitor" may be displayed in "red," and the first object of a seat having attribute information of "private room" may be displayed in "blue." Furthermore, the attribute information may be displayed by selecting a "legend" button on the map reservation screen 40. Note that the association between the attribute information and the display manner of the first object may be stored in advance as master information in a table not shown, and the first object to be displayed automatically may be set according to the selection of the attribute information in the setting of the seat information described later.

[0086] In this way, according to the reservation system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first object may be displayed in a manner that allows the attributes (characteristics) of the seat to be identified. This allows the user to quickly identify the desired seat.

[0087] <Time axis reservation screen> In the reservation system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the display processing unit 112 may display a time axis reservation screen on the user terminal 200, which displays a list of the reservation status of each seat along a time axis for each seat. Then, the object processing unit 213 may display a second object indicating that the time period is unavailable for reservation on the time axis reservation screen, based on the reservation information.

[0088] FIG. 8 shows an example of a time-axis reservation screen. The display processing unit 112 may display, on the user terminal 200, a screen in which the name list 52 of each seat is arranged vertically and the time axis 53 is arranged horizontally as the time-axis reservation screen 50, and the reservations set for each seat are displayed on a day-by-day basis. Here, the object processing unit 113 may display, as a second object, a bar object 54 that displays the reservations set for each seat on the time axis based on the reservation information table TB30. In the example of FIG. 8, it may be shown that the seat with the seat name "4F001" is reserved for "9:00-11:00" and "12:00-". It may also be shown that the seat with the seat name "4F003" is reserved for the time period "9:00-12:00". As shown in FIG. 8, information about the user who made the reservation may be displayed on the bar object 54. It is not necessary to display the user name depending on the user's settings. Also, the time period to be displayed on the timeline reservation screen 50 may be selectable by sliding the timeline area.

[0089] In addition, the seat attributes may be displayed in a distinguishable manner in the seat name list 52. For example, the display processing unit 112 may change the color of the seat name portion depending on attribute information such as whether each seat has a monitor, a private room, or the size of the desk. In addition, the legends may be the same on the timeline reservation screen 50 and the map reservation screen 40, and the same attribute information may be displayed in the same color. In addition, in the timeline reservation screen 50, the display order of the seats may be rearranged depending on the seat attributes.

[0090] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a screen that allows an overview of reservations set for each seat may be displayed on the user terminal 200. Therefore, it is possible to provide a reservation service that meets the needs of users who do not care about the seat location but would like to search for seats that have no reservations set during the time period they wish to use.

[0091] The map reservation screen 40 and the timeline reservation screen 50 described above may be switchable between the two screens on the user terminal 200. The display processing unit 112 may display display switch buttons 41 and 51 on the map reservation screen 40 and the timeline reservation screen 50, respectively. That is, the display control unit 212 of the user terminal 200 may switch between the map reservation screen 40 and the timeline reservation screen 50 in response to the user 20 selecting the display switch buttons 41 and 51.

[0092] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the user terminal 200 may be able to switch between a reservation screen using a map image and a reservation list screen showing the time axis of each seat. This allows the user to switch between a search screen showing the location of the seat in the office and a search screen showing the time period when the seat can be reserved, making it possible to search for a seat that meets the user's needs.

[0093] The display processing unit 112 may display the first object on the map reservation screen 40 so that it can be selected by the user 20. When the first object displayed in a reservable manner on the map reservation screen 40 is selected by the user, the display processing unit 112 may display a reservation screen for a seat corresponding to the selected first object. FIG. 9 shows an example of the map reservation screen 40c when the first object is selected. The user 20 may be able to select, for example, the first object 49c displayed in a reservable manner and select a "reserve" button on the screen. The display processing unit 112 may display the reservation screen on the user terminal 200 in response to the selection of the reservation button.

[0094] FIG. 10 may be an example of the reservation screen 60. The reservation screen 60 may include at least the name and location of the seat selected by the user on the map reservation screen 40, the time period of the reservation (the start time and end time of use defined by the end positions of the time bar) input by the user in the input area on the map reservation screen, and information on the person who made the reservation. The reservation screen 60 may also include items such as whether or not the reservation is repeated, whether or not it is made public to other users, adding and editing attendees, and setting the notification time, and the user may be able to edit each item on the reservation screen 60. The user can transmit information required for reserving a seat to the server 100 by selecting the "Save" button on the reservation screen 60. The reservation processing unit 115 of the server 100 may update the reservation information table TB30 based on information received from the user terminal 200. In response to the update of the reservation information table TB30, the display processing unit 112 may change the display mode of the first object displayed on the map reservation screen 40 to the mode in which the reservation has been set.

[0095] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a reservation screen on which the information required for reservation is input may be displayed on a user terminal simply by selecting a first object displayed on the map reservation screen. This reduces the time and effort required for reservation operations, and provides a more efficient reservation system.

[0096] In addition, multiple first objects may be selectable on the map reservation screen 40. In this case, users who will use the selected multiple seats may be added by selecting the "Add / Edit Attendees" item on the reservation screen 60. This allows multiple seats to be reserved by a single user with a simple reservation operation even when reserving seats together with other users, such as for discussing and working together.

[0097] In addition, if the time slot to be reserved is changed in the input area 43 after the first object is selected on the map reservation screen 40, the selection of the seat may be cancelled. For example, when the end of the time bar 47 is slid by the user 20 from the state in which the first object 49c is selected as shown in FIG. 9(a), the display processing unit 112 may display a pop-up 90 indicating that the selection of the seat is cancelled, as shown in FIG. 9(b). When the time slot to be reserved is changed, depending on the reservation status of each seat, there is a possibility that a reservation has been set for the seat corresponding to the selected first object. Therefore, when a change in the time slot to be reserved is detected, the selection of the seats is cancelled uniformly, thereby reducing the processing load of the server 100.

[0098] When a portion of the time axis reservation screen 50 where the second object (bar object) is not displayed is selected by the user, the display processing unit 112 may display a reservation screen for the seat corresponding to the portion selected by the user. Here, the reservation screen may be the same as the reservation screen 60 shown in FIG. 10. When transitioning from the time axis reservation screen 50 to the reservation screen 60, the maximum range of seats that can be reserved for the seat corresponding to the portion selected by the user may be set as the time slot to be reserved. Alternatively, the time slot that the user has set in advance may be set as the time slot to be reserved, with the time corresponding to the portion selected by the user as the start time.

[0099] In this way, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the user can transition from the timeline reservation screen to the reservation screen by simply selecting a portion of the second object that is not displayed. This makes it possible to provide a more user-friendly reservation system.

[0100] <Setting seat information on the administrator's terminal> Next, a description will be given of the setting of seat information in the manager terminal 300. Fig. 11 is an example of a setting screen displayed on the manager terminal 300. The setting screen 70 may be a screen that allows the manager 30 to input information required for applying the reservation service to the office 10.

[0101] First, the seat information input unit 314 of the manager terminal 300 may receive an input of the name of the seat to be used in the reservation service from the manager 30 on another setting screen (not shown). The inputted seat name may be transmitted to the server 100 and stored as a display name in the seat information table TB20 of the storage device 400.

[0102] Furthermore, the seat information input unit 314 may receive input of a map image to be used on the map reservation screen 40 from the manager 30 on the setting screen 70. The input map image may be transmitted to the server 100, and may be stored in the storage device 400 in association with an office ID that can uniquely identify the office 10. Furthermore, on the setting screen 70, the manager 30 may be able to set the position information, attribute information, and display mode of the first object to be displayed on the seat map. For example, the manager may select the "New Addition" button to display an object 73 with a dotted line indicating that it is being set on the seat map. Next, the manager 30 may set the position information of the first object on the seat map by moving the object 73 onto the seat where the first object is to be set. Furthermore, the manager 30 may be able to select the shape of the first object by a shape selection menu. Furthermore, the manager may be able to select the legend to be set for the object 73 by a legend selection menu. As described above, the legend and attributes are set in advance as master information, and for example, if it is a desk with a monitor, the color of the first object may be automatically set to "red (diagonal lines in the drawing)." When the "Register" button is selected on the setting screen 70, a selection screen (not shown) for a display name to be associated with the object 73 from among the display names stored in advance in the storage device 400 may be displayed on the administrator terminal 300. Then, when the display name of the object 73 is selected by the administrator 30, the selected display name and various information entered on the setting screen 70 may be transmitted to the server 100. As a result, a seat information table TB20 may be generated.

[0103] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a user interface that can be intuitively operated by the administrator 30 when inputting information necessary to set up a map image to be used on the map reservation screen 40 can be realized on the administrator terminal 300.

[0104] <Sequence when using a seat> Next, a process when the user 20 uses a seat will be described. In the reservation system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention, each seat in the office 10 may be associated with information related to seat identification information (seat ID) that can uniquely identify the seat. "Associate" may mean that a seat identified by a seat ID in the seat information table TB20 and an actual seat are associated on a one-to-one basis, and for example, a QR code (registered trademark), an RFID tag, or the like, containing information related to the seat ID may be affixed to each seat. For simplicity, hereinafter, the QR code (registered trademark), an RFID tag, or the like, which is associated with a seat and contains information related to the seat ID, will also be referred to as a "seat ID."

[0105] FIG. 12 shows an example of a sequence between the user terminal 200 and the server 100 when a seat is used. First, the server 100 may store the above-mentioned user information, seat information, and reservation information in the storage device 400 (step P11). The user 20 may read the seat ID of the seat he / she wishes to use with the input / output unit 240 of the user terminal 200, and transmit check-in information including the seat ID and user identification information for identifying the user to the server 100 (step P12). Note that a camera, short-distance wireless communication, etc. may be used to read the seat ID. Also, at the same time as reading the seat ID, an application for using the reservation service may be started, and user information associated with the application may be transmitted as user identification information. Based on the check-in information, the server 100 may determine whether the user is a reserving user of the seat identified by the seat ID (step P13). Note that the determination of whether the user is a reserving user may also include a determination of whether the transmission time of the check-in time corresponds to the time period in which the reservation is set.

[0106] If it is determined that the user is a reserving user (YES in step P13), server 100 may notify user terminal 200 that the seat is available for use (step P17). In response to the notification from server 100, user terminal 200 may be notified that the seat is available for use (step P18). In addition, the fact that the seat is being used by the user who sent the check-in information may be stored as a usage history in storage device 400 (step P19). In other words, storage device 400 may store information regarding the usage history of each seat.

[0107] Since the check-in information is stored as the usage history, the real-time seat usage status may be determined by selecting the time bar and the display date on the map reservation screen 40 and the timeline reservation screen 50 of the user terminal 200. For example, when it is determined that the seat is available for use by the user who transmitted the check-in information, the first object and the second object corresponding to the seat for which the check-in information was transmitted may be displayed on the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen in a manner indicating that the seat is in use. In this way, by storing the history information, it is possible to provide the user with information regarding the real-time seat usage status, and to provide information useful for selecting a seat to use.

[0108] If it is determined in step P13 that the user is not a reserving user (NO in step P13), the server 100 may refer to the reservation information table TB30 to determine whether or not a subsequent reservation has been set for the seat included in the check-in information (step P14). If a reservation has been set (YES in step P14), the server 100 may notify the user terminal 200 that the seat is unavailable (step P15). In response to the notification from the server 100, the user terminal 200 may be notified that the seat is unavailable (step P16).

[0109] If it is determined in step P14 that no reservation has been set (NO in step P14), the server 100 may notify the user terminal 200 that the seat is available for use (step P17). In response to the notification from the server 100, the user terminal 200 may be notified that the seat is available for use (step P18). In addition, the fact that the seat is being used by the user who transmitted the check-in information may be stored as a usage history in the storage device 400 (step P19).

[0110] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when a user wishes to use a seat that is not currently in use, even if the user has not reserved it, the user can start using the seat simply by performing the simple operation of sending check-in information. This makes it possible to provide a reservation service with high usability, which does not require the user to go to the trouble of making a reservation in order to use an empty seat right in front of them.

[0111] In addition, when check-in information is sent by a user without a reservation, if a reservation has been set for a seat but there is more than a predetermined time until the start time of use related to the reservation, a notification such as "Available until XX o'clock" may be displayed on the user terminal 200 to notify the user that a reservation has been set and to permit use until the start time of use related to the reservation.

[0112] <Server control flow chart> A control method of the server 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 13. First, the server 100 may store reservation information relating to the reservation status of each seat in a free address office in the storage device 400 (step S11). The reservation information may be stored in the storage device 400 as the above-mentioned reservation information table TB30. Note that the reservation information table TB30 may be updated each time according to the reservation information transmitted from the user terminal 200 to the server 100 via the above-mentioned reservation screens (map reservation screen 40, time axis reservation screen 50).

[0113] The reservation processing unit 115 may display the seat map in a manner that allows the reservation status of each seat to be identified on the terminal device (user terminal) 200 of the user who uses the reservation system, and may display a map reservation screen that displays an input area in which the time period for reserving a seat can be input on a time axis (step S12). The reservation processing unit 115 may also display the seat map in a manner based on the reservation status of each seat in the time period input by the user in the input area (step S13). The map reservation screen may be as shown in Figs. 6, 7, etc.

[0114] <User search> According to an embodiment of the present invention, it may be possible to search for a seat that a user is planning to use and when, or a seat that the user is currently using. FIG. 14(a) is an example of a search result screen 80a displayed on the user terminal 200. As shown in the search result screen 80a, a list of the user's reservations may be displayed by inputting information that can identify the user, such as a user name, a user ID, or contact information, in the search area. That is, the display processing unit 112 may extract a reservation ID associated with the user ID of the user input in the search area according to the reservation information, and display a list of the reservation date, the reserved seat, the time period, and the like. The display processing unit 112 may display information on the real-time seat used by the user input in the search area on the search result screen 80a based on the usage history.

[0115] In response to the selection of an item included in the list on the search result screen 80a, the display processing unit 112 may transition to a display screen of a seat map 80b as shown in Fig. 14(b) and display the seat corresponding to the selected item on the seat map 80b. Here, the reservation status of other seats during the reservation time period corresponding to the selected item may be displayed on the seat map 80b.

[0116] Thus, according to the reservation system of one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to transition from the search screen to a seat map that displays seats that the user has reserved for use and seats that are currently in use, making it possible to easily identify the user's location.

[0117] Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component, each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to cause logical contradictions, and multiple components, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided. In addition, the configurations shown in the above embodiments may be appropriately combined. For example, each component described as being included in the server 100 may be realized by being distributed among multiple servers.

[0118] Moreover, the processes described above as being performed by the server 100 may be executed by the user terminal 200 or the administrator terminal 300.

[0119] Also, in the above description, the check-in information is transmitted from the user terminal 200 that reads the seat ID attached to the seat. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, depending on the reservation settings, identification information including the reservation ID (e.g., a QR code, hereinafter referred to as a "reservation ID") may be transmitted to the user terminal 200. Then, the check-in information may be transmitted to the server 100 by having a reading device provided on each seat read the reservation ID transmitted to the user terminal 200.

[0120] In addition, the authority according to the department or position to which the user belongs may be given to the user, and the seats that can be used and those that cannot be used may be set according to the authority. This allows the seats to be close to each other for each department, making it possible to improve the efficiency of work even in a free address system.

[0121] Furthermore, people flow data including the above-mentioned usage history may be stored in the storage device 400. The people flow data may be data that makes it possible to grasp how many people are using seats in a space. This makes it possible to grasp the space utilization rate, and to identify unused and redundant areas, and to utilize the data to optimize the office environment, such as by adjusting air conditioning and lighting.

[0122] The programs of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided in a state stored in a storage medium readable by an information processing device. The storage medium can store the programs in a "non-transitory tangible medium." The programs include, for example, software programs and control programs. When each functional unit of the server 100 is realized by software, the server 100 functions as a communication control unit 111, a display processing unit 112, an object processing unit 113, a map setting unit 114, and a reservation processing unit 115 by the processor executing the programs loaded on the memory.

[0123] The storage medium may, where appropriate, include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific ICs (ASICs), etc.), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tapes, solid state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other suitable storage media, or any suitable combination of two or more of these. The storage medium may, where appropriate, be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0124] Furthermore, the program of the present disclosure may be provided to the server 100 via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) capable of transmitting the program.

[0125] In addition, each embodiment of the present disclosure may be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which a program is embodied by electronic transmission. The program of the present disclosure may be implemented using, for example, a script language such as JavaScript (registered trademark) or Python, C language, Go language, Swift, Koltin, Java (registered trademark), or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 100 Server (information processing device) 110 Control section 111 Communication control section 112 Display processing unit 113 Object Processing Unit 114 Map setting section 115 Reservation Processing Unit 120 Communications Department 170 Storage device 200 User terminal (terminal device) 210 Control section 211 Communication Control Unit 212 Display control unit 213 Input / Output Control Unit 214 Seat usage information input section 220 Communications Department 230 Display section 240 Input / output section 270 Storage section 300 Administrator terminal 310 Control section 311 Communication Control Unit 312 Display control unit 313 Input / Output Control Unit 314 Seat information input section 320 Communications Department 330 Display section 340 Input / output section 370 Storage section 400 storage device 500 Network 600 Reservation System

Claims

1. A seat reservation system for a free address office, comprising: A storage unit that stores reservation information regarding the reservation status of each seat in the office; a display processing unit that displays, in a terminal device of a user using the reservation system, a map reservation screen showing the arrangement of each seat and displaying the reservation status of each seat in a specified time period on a map, and also displays a bar that is an input area on a time axis in which the user can input the use start time and use end time of the seat as a time period for reserving the seat by sliding at least a part of the bar, and a time axis reservation screen that lists the reservation status of each seat along the time axis for each seat, and displays the map reservation screen showing seats that can be reserved by the user and seats that cannot be reserved by the user in the time period input by the user in the input area based on the reservation status of each seat, The display processing unit switches between displaying the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen on the user's terminal device.

2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the display processing unit displays a display switching button on each of the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen, and switches between the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen in response to the user selecting the display switching button.

3. The reservation system according to claim 2, wherein the display processing unit, when switching from the map reservation screen to the timeline reservation screen, displays the reservation status of each of the seats in the area displayed on the map reservation screen in a distinguishable manner.

4. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the display processing unit displays attribute information relating to each seat that is commonly displayed on both the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen using the same legend on both the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen.

5. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the display processing unit displays attribute information relating to each seat that is commonly displayed on both the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen in the same color on both the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen.

6. A method for controlling a seat reservation system in a free address office, comprising the steps of: storing reservation information regarding the reservation status of each seat in the office; a step of displaying, on a terminal device of a user using the reservation system, a map reservation screen showing the arrangement of each seat and displaying the reservation status of each seat in a specified time period on a map, and displaying a bar that is an input area on a time axis in which the user can input the start and end times of use of the seat as the time period for reserving the seat by sliding at least a portion of the bar, and a time axis reservation screen that lists the reservation status of each seat along the time axis for each seat, and displaying the map reservation screen showing seats that can be reserved by the user and seats that cannot be reserved by the user in the time period input by the user in the input area based on the reservation status of each seat; and switching between displaying the map reservation screen and the timeline reservation screen on the user's terminal device.

7. A control program for a seat reservation system in a free address office , to the computer, A function for storing reservation information regarding the reservation status of each seat in the office; a function is realized in a terminal device of a user using the reservation system to display on a map the arrangement of each seat and the reservation status of each seat in a specified time period, and to display a map reservation screen which displays a bar that is an input area on a time axis in which the user can input the start and end times of use of the seat as the time period for reserving the seat by sliding at least a portion of the bar, and a time axis reservation screen which lists the reservation status of each seat along the time axis for each seat, and to display the map reservation screen which shows seats that can be reserved by the user and seats that cannot be reserved by the user in the time period input by the user in the input area based on the reservation status of each seat, The display function is a control program of a reservation system that switches between displaying the map reservation screen and the time axis reservation screen on the user's terminal device.

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