Facility Condition Management System, Facility Condition Management Server, and Facility Condition Management Method

Abstract

To flexibly provide information in accordance with the form or the current status of a facility.SOLUTION: A facility status management system includes: a button device having a button to be operated by an operator; an information terminal; and a management server which manages status of a facility on the basis of data transmitted from the button device and the information terminal. The button device is disposed in the facility, and transmits operation information to the management server when the button is pressed. The information terminal is configured to execute setting operation to set an attribute of the button. The management server manages status of the facility in accordance with the operation information and the attribute of the button.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a facility status management system, a facility status management server, and a facility status management method.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for enabling a user to online check information on the congestion status (such as the presence or absence of empty seats, the seat utilization rate, the number of users, etc.) of facilities such as restaurants. The empty seat information can be obtained, for example, by cameras installed in the store or human sensors installed on the tables in the store. When the empty seat information is obtained, the empty seat information is provided to the user's terminal or the like.

[0003] However, conventional systems such as Patent Document 1 only provide information on the presence or absence of empty seats, and there is a problem that they are not sufficiently capable of providing flexible information according to the form and current situation of the store.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In view of such a situation, the present disclosure aims to provide a facility status management system, a facility status management server, and a facility status management method that enable flexible information provision according to the form and current situation of the facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the facility status management system according to the present disclosure includes a device operable by an operator for registering congestion status, an information terminal, and a management server that stores, as a database, candidates for congestion status for each predetermined operation recommended for each category of facilities, and manages the status of the facility based on data transmitted from the device and the information terminal. The device is installed in the facility, and different congested situations represented by different texts are associated with each predetermined operation by the operator. When the predetermined operation is received, operation information is transmitted to the management server. The information terminal is configured to read and present candidates for the expression of the congested situation according to the designated category, and to be able to execute a setting operation for setting the congested situation for each predetermined operation. The management server is configured to manage the latest congested situation of the facility based on the congested situation associated with the operation information.

[0007] Further, the facility information management server according to the present disclosure is a facility status management server that manages the status of a facility. The facility status management server is connected to a button device having buttons operable by an operator and an information terminal, and is configured to manage the status of the facility based on data transmitted from the button device and the information terminal. When a button is pressed in the button device, the operation information is received. When a setting operation for setting the attribute of the button is performed on the information terminal, the setting information in the setting operation is stored in a storage unit. The status of the facility is configured to be managed according to the operation information and the attribute of the button stored in the storage unit.

[0008] Further, the facility information management method according to the present disclosure includes a step of pressing a button in a button device installed in a facility and having buttons operable by an operator and transmitting the operation information to a management server, a step of performing a setting operation for setting the attribute of the button in an information terminal, and a step of managing the status of the facility in the management server according to the operation information and the attribute of the button.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a facility status management system, a facility status management server, and a facility status management method that enable flexible information provision according to the form and current situation of a facility.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, functionally identical elements may sometimes be denoted by the same number. Note that the accompanying drawings show embodiments and implementation examples in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure, but these are for the purpose of understanding the present disclosure and are by no means used for interpreting the present disclosure in a limiting sense. The description in this specification is merely a typical example and does not limit the scope of the claims or application examples of the present disclosure in any way.

[0012] In this embodiment, although the description is made in sufficient detail for those skilled in the art to implement the present disclosure, other implementations and forms are also possible, and it is necessary to understand that changes in configuration and structure and replacement of various elements can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the technical idea of the present disclosure. Therefore, the following description should not be construed as being limited thereto.

[0013] [First Embodiment] In the first embodiment, a method using a button device for collecting the congestion status of each facility will be described with respect to a system for managing and distributing the congestion status of facilities. Further, in the present embodiment, the meaning (expression) corresponding to the button indicating the congestion status in the button device can be changed later. Here, the facilities are facilities such as cafes and restaurants, retail stores such as supermarkets and pharmacies, local government and bank windows, libraries and art museums, etc., where the congestion status changes depending on the number of users. The congestion status indicates the number of people and the utilization rate of seats, and can also be referred to as the vacant state or the availability status. In the first embodiment, the facility status management system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and the like, taking the facility as a store. The facility status means the congestion status of the facility. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a facility status management system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] The facility status management system 10 is a system for managing information (status information) related to the congestion status of facilities, and includes a button device (which can also be referred to as a "facility terminal") 100, a facility status management server 200 (information processing device), at least one user terminal 300, a facility management information terminal (tablet or smartphone) 500, and a digital signage 600. The button device 100, the facility status management server 200, the user terminal 300, the facility management information terminal 500, and the digital signage 600 are configured to be able to transmit and receive data via a network NW.

[0015] The button device 100 is a device managed by an individual or a corporation that utilizes this system and operates facilities such as restaurants. The button device 100 is installed in the facility 400 and is operated by the administrator (such as a store clerk) of the facility. As an example, the button device 100 can be installed near the administrator of the facility, such as beside the register of the facility, at the reception, or around the kitchen within the facility 400. The facilities managed by the facility status management server 200 usually exist in multiple numbers within one system, and the button device 100 is installed in each of the multiple facilities. According to the operation information of the button device 100, the status of each facility is managed in the facility status management server 200.

[0016] The facility status management server 200 is installed outside the facility, for example, in a management company that operates this system, and manages data related to the congestion status of the facility 400 (such as the presence or absence of empty seats, information regarding the utilization rate of seats, and other such information). Specifically, when the facility status management server 200 receives the button operation information (ON / OFF) received from the button device 100 and also receives the setting information set in the facility management information terminal 500, it grasps the status of each facility according to these information (operation information, setting information), and manages the grasped data as "status information" indicating the congestion status of each facility.

[0017] The user terminal 300 is a device capable of communicating with the network NW, including, for example, smartphones, tablets, personal computers, etc., and is a terminal used by service recipients of the information - providing service business operated by the facility status management system 10. The digital signage 600 is not an essential component in the facility status management system 10, but is, for example, an information display device installed on the first floor of the building where the facility is located. The digital signage 600 is, as an example, a display device that displays information regarding the facilities existing in the installed building in a visible format.

[0018] As described above, the button device 100 is configured to be operable by, for example, the administrator of the facility 400 or the like. The button device 100 transmits, as operation information, data indicating the situation including the vacant seats in the facility 400 to the facility status management server 200 according to the attributes of the operated buttons.

[0019] A user who is about to visit the facility 400 can inquire about the congestion situation of the facility 400 to the facility status management server 200 via the user terminal 300. The inquiry can be made by specifying the name, genre, etc. of the facility, or by specifying the area (name of the nearest station, building name, district name, etc.).

[0020] In response to the inquiry, the facility status management server 200 searches the status information of the facility 400 in the database and returns the obtained status information to the user terminal 300 as a response (search result) to the inquiry.

[0021] The facility management information terminal 500 is installed, for example, in a location different from the button device 100 in the facility (such as an office at the back of the facility or a living room of the head office that manages a plurality of facilities). When installed outside the facility, the facility management information terminal 500 is connected via a network NW to devices such as cameras and human sensors installed in the facility for detecting customers using the facility. Then, the facility administrator confirms the vacant seat state based on the information from the camera and the human sensor, inputs the information on the vacant seat state to the facility management information terminal 500, and transmits the data indicating the vacant seat state to the facility status management server 200.

[0022] The facility status management server 200 (1) Data indicating the vacant seat state of the facility 400 received from the button device 100 (vacant seat information 1), and (2) Data indicating the vacant seat state received from the facility management information terminal 500 (vacant seat information 2) is stored in the database. Note that, in the following, an example of creating a database using two types of information, seat information 1 and seat information 2, will be described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to configure a database using only seat information 1.

[0023] The facility status management server 200 manages, as information indicating the seat status of the target facility 400, any one of the latest information among seat information 1 and seat information 2. As described above, the facility status management server 200 manages the status of the facility including the seat status of the facility 400 on the database by updating the database according to the data received from the button device 100 and the facility management information terminal 500. Here, the "latest" can be based on the transmission date and time by the button device 100 or the facility management information terminal 500. Further, as another form, when the date and time when the button is pressed in the button device 100 and the date and time when the seat status data is input in the facility management information terminal 500 are transmitted to the facility status management server 200, the newer data of the dates and times can be used as the data indicating the seat status of the facility 400.

[0024] <Example of the external configuration of the button device 100 (1)> FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the button device 100. As an example, the button device 100 includes a first button 111, a second button 112, a first LED (Light Emitting Diode) 121, a second LED 122, and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal 130.

[0025] In a state where the setting operation regarding the attributes of the buttons 111 to 112 is unfinished (default state), the first button 111 is a button for inputting "vacancy" indicating that there is a vacant seat in the facility. Further, the second button 112 is, in the default state, a button for inputting "crowded" indicating that the facility is crowded. Here, "crowded" means a state where there is no vacant seat or there are few vacant seats. As will be described in detail later, the attributes of the first button 111 and the second button 112 can be changed by performing the setting operation.

[0026] When the first button 111 is pressed, the first button 111 turns on and the first LED 121 lights up. Also, when the second button 112 is pressed, the second button 112 turns on and the second LED 122 lights up. The first button 111 and the second button 112 are configured such that when either one of them is pressed by a switching mechanism (not shown), the other is released from the pressed state. Thus, the first button 111 and the second button 112 are prevented from being in the ON state simultaneously. That is, the state of each button can be either (a) the first button 111 is ON and the second button 112 is OFF, (b) the first button 111 is OFF and the second button 112 is ON, or (c) neither the first button 111 nor the second button 112 is operated. Since the LEDs 121 and 122 turn off when the corresponding buttons turn off, the LEDs 121 and 122 of the button device 100 can indicate which of the states (a), (b), or (c) it is in. Note that the LEDs 121 and 122 do not necessarily have to be arranged integrally with the buttons.

[0027] The USB terminal 130 is a terminal for inserting a USB cable (not shown). When a USB cable is inserted into the USB terminal 130, the button device 100 is connected to another device (e.g., a personal computer) via the USB cable and can transmit and receive signals. Also, the button device 100 can receive power supply from another device via the USB cable inserted into the USB terminal 130.

[0028] <Example of the external configuration of the button device 100 (2)> FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing another example of the external configuration of the button device 100. The button device 100 in FIG. 2B includes, as an example, a third button 113 in addition to the first button 111 and the second button 112 described in FIG. 2A. A third LED 123 is arranged on the third button 113.

[0029] Similar to the case of FIG. 2A, only one of the first button 111, the second button 112, and the third button 113 is configured to be fixed in the ON state. That is, the state of each button is one of the following: (a) the first button 111 is ON, the second button 112 and the third button 113 are OFF; (b) the first button 111 and the third button 113 are OFF, the second button 112 is ON; (c) the first button 111 and the second button 112 are OFF, the third button 113 is ON; (d) none of the three buttons are operated.

[0030] In the state where the setting operation described later is incomplete (default state), the first to third buttons 111 to 113 are set as buttons indicating "vacancy", "crowded", and "full", which are data types indicating the vacancy state, respectively. Here, "crowded" means that there are few vacancies in the facility but new guidance is possible, and "full" means that there are no vacancies in the facility and a waiting time occurs for new guidance. However, "vacancy", "crowded", and "full" are not clearly distinguishable, and the judgment is left to the operator of the button device 100 (facility manager). This is the same even after the setting operation described later is completed, and among the buttons 111 to 113, which one matches the current situation of the facility is determined by the operator of the button device 100. Also, the attributes of each button 111 to 113 in the default state are not limited to the above, and may be, for example, "vacancy", "queue present", and "full".

[0031] Also, in FIGS. 2A and 2B, an example with two or three buttons is shown. However, for example, only one type of "vacancy" button may be provided, and when the button is pressed, it becomes a state with vacancies, and when the button press is released, it becomes a crowded state (the reverse is also okay). Also, the number of buttons can be four or more.

[0032] <Example of the internal configuration of the button device 100> Figure 2C is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration (circuit configuration) of the button device 100. The example of Figure 2C is an example of the internal configuration of the button device 100 having three buttons 111 to 113, as in Figure 2B. The button device 100 includes, as an example, in addition to the configuration described in Figure 2B, a control circuit 140, a power supply circuit 150, a communication module 160 (communication device), and a storage unit 170. The control circuit 140 and other components can be interconnected by, for example, general-purpose input / output (GPIO) or wiring.

[0033] The control circuit 140 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit, which can be simply referred to as a "processor") or the like, and controls each component included in the button device 100. The power supply circuit 150 receives power from another device via a USB cable or the like connected to the USB terminal 130, and supplies the power to the control circuit 140 and other devices. The power supply circuit 150 can be composed of, for example, a UART-USB conversion circuit or the like.

[0034] The communication module 160 is a device for communicating with other devices outside the button device 100 by wireless communication. The communication module 160 can be composed of, for example, an LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication module or the like.

[0035] When the button device 100 is first started up, it transmits information indicating that it has been started up to the facility status management server 200, and the identification information (serial ID, for example, MAC address) of the button device 100. Thereby, the facility status management server 200 can recognize the operating state of the button device 100.

[0036] Also, when the button device 100 is first started up, the buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 are not operated, and the LEDs 121 to 123 are OFF. When any one of the buttons 111 to 113, for example, the first button 111, is pressed, the control circuit 140 receives the ON / OFF signal from the first button 111.

[0037] When the control circuit 140 receives ON / OFF signals from buttons 111 to 113, it transmits, via the communication module 160, an operation signal (e.g., numerical value "0") indicating that the first button 111 has been pressed, to the facility status management server 200. Further, the control circuit 140 turns on the first LED 121 (lights it) and turns off the second LED 122 and the third LED 123.

[0038] Similarly, when the second button 112 is pressed, the control circuit 140 transmits, to the facility status management server 200, an operation signal (e.g., numerical value "1") indicating that the second button 112 has been pressed, and turns off the first LED 121 and the third LED 123 and turns on the second LED 122.

[0039] Furthermore, when the third button 113 is pressed, the control circuit 140 transmits, to the facility status management server 200, an operation signal (e.g., numerical value "2") indicating that the third button 113 has been pressed, and turns off the first LED 121 and the second LED 122 and turns on the third LED 122.

[0040] The network address, TCP port number, etc. of the facility status management server 200 are stored in advance in the storage device 170. In this embodiment, the button device 100 can be configured to transmit the same data again when the button that is ON is pressed again, but it is not limited to this. For example, even if the state of a certain button being pressed continues for a predetermined time, the button device 100 can be configured to transmit the same data (data "0" indicating that there is a vacant seat) to the facility status management server 200 intermittently at predetermined time intervals. Note that in the button device 100, the LED corresponding to the last button pressed among the three buttons will continue to light.

[0041] The control circuit 140 transmits, via the communication module 160, the identification information of the button device 100 to the outside, together with the data indicating the states of the respective buttons 111 to 113. Here, the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the communication module 160 is used as the identification information of the button device 100. However, as long as the button device 100 can be identified, the identification information may be data in any format.

[0042] When the button device 100 is restarted, for example, by inserting and removing a USB cable from the USB terminal 130, the control circuit 140 stores the states of the buttons 111 to 113 at that time in the storage unit 170, reads this from the storage unit 170 after restart, and restores the data. In this case, each time the buttons 111 to 113 are operated, the control circuit 140 stores the button state data indicating the state of each button in the storage device 170 and reads out this data at startup. After the button device 100 is restarted and before any button is operated, the communication module 160 transmits the button state data read from the storage unit 170 to the outside as the current state of the button. Note that when the button device 100 is restarted, an operation may be automatically performed to return each button to a state where none of them are pressed (initial state).

[0043] In addition to when the buttons 111 to 113 are operated, the control circuit 140 transmits, at a predetermined cycle (for example, every 5 minutes), data indicating the current state of the buttons (which button is ON, or which was the last button to be turned ON) to the facility status management server 200 via the communication module 160. This data is the same as that transmitted when each button is turned ON. In addition to this, when the button device 100 is restarted, the control circuit 140 can also transmit data indicating the current button state to the facility status management server 200. Alternatively, when starting up, the latest status held by the facility status management server 200 may be read and reflected in the button state.

[0044] After any one of the buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 is first pressed, in principle, one of the buttons is always in a pressed state. That is, the storage device 170, after any one of the buttons is first pressed, in principle, always holds button state data indicating that one of the buttons is pressed. If it is desirable to reset the button state, for example, periodically, instead of this, the control circuit 140 may initialize (delete, etc.) the button state data at a predetermined time every day.

[0045] <Example of the hardware configuration of the facility management information terminal 500> FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the facility management information terminal 500. The facility management information terminal 500 includes, as an example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 510, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 520, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 530, a storage device 540, a communication device 550, an input device 560, and an output device 570.

[0046] The CPU 510 controls the operations of each component (520 to 570) included in the facility management information terminal 500. The ROM 520 and the RAM 530 hold data used by the CPU 510. The storage device 540 stores a program for operating the facility management information terminal 500.

[0047] The communication device 550 communicates with the facility status management server 200 via the network NW. The input device 560 is composed of a keyboard, a numeric keypad, a mouse, a touch panel, etc., and is used for the administrator of the facility 400 to input data, instructions, and setting information. As an example, the input device 560 is used to perform a setting operation for inputting the attributes of the buttons 111 to 113. The output device 570 is composed of a printer, a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs (displays) the screen and data generated by the CPU 510.

[0048] <Example of the functional configuration of the facility management information terminal 500> FIG. 3B is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the facility management information terminal 500. The facility management information terminal 500 includes a control unit 511, a storage unit 512, a communication unit 513, and an input / output unit 514 as software modules (functions configured by various programs being expanded in the internal memory of the CPU 510) executed by the CPU 510. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, these modules may be described with the modules as the operating entities. However, since it is actually the CPU 210 that executes these modules, the CPU 510 can also be used as the operating entity.

[0049] The control unit 511, for example, reads the management screen configuration data of the facility management information terminal 500 from the storage device 540, generates a management screen described later, and outputs (displays) it to the display of the output device 570 via the input / output unit 514. Further, the control unit 511 acquires an instruction input by the administrator of the facility 400 using the input device 560 via the input / output unit 514, and in response thereto, causes the information input on the management screen on the display to be displayed.

[0050] Furthermore, when data related to the facility or data indicating the vacancy status is input from the input device 560 by the administrator of the facility 400, the control unit 511 stores the data in the RAM 530 and the storage device 540 via the storage unit 512 together with the input date and time data. Then, the control unit 511 transmits the data and the identification information (serial ID: for example, MAC address) of the facility management information terminal 500 to the facility status management server 200 via the communication unit 513.

[0051] When data indicating the vacancy status is stored in the storage device 540, and there has been no update of the vacancy status by the administrator for a predetermined time, the control unit 511 can acquire the data indicating the latest vacancy status from the storage device 540 via the storage unit 512 and transmit it to the facility status management server 200 again. The time interval for determining the re-acquisition of data may be the same as the time interval of the button device 100 or may be a different time interval.

[0052] The management screen is a screen used by the facility manager to give instructions to the facility status management server 200, and can be provided, for example, in the form of a web application. The web application is generated by the facility status management server 200, transmitted to the facility management information terminal 500, and displayed on the display screen of the output device 570.

[0053] Also, when information is notified from the facility status management server 200, the control unit 511 acquires the information via the communication unit 513 and the input / output unit 514, and outputs (displays) the information to the display unit of the output device 570.

[0054] <Hardware Configuration Example of Facility Status Management Server 200> FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a hardware configuration example of the facility status management server 200. The facility status management server 200 includes, as an example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 210, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 220, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 230, a storage device 240, and a communication device 250.

[0055] The CPU 210 realizes the functions provided by the facility status management server 200 by executing a program described later. The ROM 220 and the RAM 230 hold data used by the CPU 210. The storage device 240 stores a program described later. The communication device 250 communicates with the button device 100 and the facility management information terminal 500 via the network NW.

[0056] <Functional Configuration Example of Facility Status Management Server 200> Figure 4B is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the facility status management server 200. The facility status management server 200 includes a reception unit 211, a facility status management unit 212, a detection unit 213, and a notification unit 214 as software modules (functions configured by various programs being expanded in the internal memory of the CPU 210) executed by the CPU 210. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, these modules may be described with the modules as the operating entities. However, since it is actually the CPU 210 that executes these modules, the CPU 210 can also be used as the operating entity. The storage device 240 stores a database 241. The database 241 manages the vacancy status of the facility 400. The configuration of the database 241 will be described later.

[0057] The reception unit 211 receives data indicating the vacancy status of the facility 400 from each of the button device 100 and the facility management information terminal 500 via the communication device 250. From the button device 100, data indicating the status of each button included in the button device 100 is received. From the facility management information terminal 500, for example, data indicating the vacancy status input after confirmation by the facility manager via cameras or human sensors installed in the facility or after actual visual confirmation at the storefront is received.

[0058] The facility status management unit 212 identifies the facility based on the ID (identification information) of the button device 100 or the facility management information terminal 500 included in the data received by the reception unit 211, and updates the data on the facility status (presence or absence of vacancies, etc.) in the database 241. Note that for the same facility 400, if there is a deviation in time (for example, any of the generation date and time (button press date and time / input date and time), transmission date and time, reception date and time) between the data received from the button device 100 and the data received from the facility management information terminal 500, the facility status management unit 212 updates the database 241 with the data indicating the latest vacancy status.

[0059] The detection unit 213 detects, for example, that the button device 100 may be in the power-off state or may be faulty when data has not been received from the button device 100 for a predetermined time.

[0060] When the status of the facility in the database 241 is updated according to the data received from the button device 100, the notification unit 214 notifies the updated data to the facility management information terminal 500 and reflects the updated data on the management screen of the facility management information terminal 500. On the other hand, when the status of the vacancy state in the database 241 is updated according to the data received from the facility management information terminal 500, the notification unit 214 notifies the updated data to the button device 100, changes the LEDs 121 to 123 to be lit, and changes the pressed states of the buttons 111 to 113.

[0061] Also, when the receiving unit 211 receives a request to check the vacancy status of a specific facility or a facility in the vicinity of the user terminal 300 from the user terminal 300, the notification unit 214 transmits the latest status of the corresponding one or more facilities together with the UI data for data display to the target user terminal 300. The user terminal 300 that has received these data constructs a display UI and displays the status thereon.

[0062] <Configuration example of facility status management table> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a facility status management table and a status information expression table stored and managed in the database 241. The status information expression is an expression (text) indicating the congestion status of the facility distributed by the facility. The database 241 can be configured, for example, by storing the expression of the status information registered for each facility as a facility status management table in the storage device 240. The data (e.g., text data) regarding the expression of the congestion facility status registered for each facility is stored in the status information expression table in association with the facility ID, facility ID, and button identification information. In the present embodiment, the database 241 is represented in a table format, but it is not limited to this format, and any format can be used as long as each data is associated.

[0063] The facility status management database (facility status management table) 2410 is a data table that manages the attribute information used when a user searches for a facility and the latest status (such as the availability of vacant seats) for each facility. The facility status management database 2410 has, for each facility, for example, a facility ID 2411, an information terminal ID 2412, a button device ID 2413, a name 2414, a genre 2415, a facility introduction 2416, a location 2417, a contact (such as a phone number) 2418, and the latest vacant seat information 2419 as constituent items. One record in the facility status management table indicates the status of one facility, and the facility status management database 2410 manages such status information.

[0064] The facility ID 2411 is an ID for identifying each facility within the database 241. The information terminal ID 2412 is an ID for identifying the facility management information terminal 500 that manages the facility corresponding to the facility ID 2411, and is, for example, the MAC address of the communication unit (communication module) 513.

[0065] The button device ID 2413 is an ID for identifying the button device 100 installed in the facility corresponding to the facility ID 2411, and is, for example, the MAC address of the communication module 160. The latest vacant seat information 2419 indicates the latest vacant seat status of the facility corresponding to the facility ID 2411. As an example, the vacant seat information 2419 "0" indicates that the first button 111 has been pressed, "1" indicates that the second button 112 has been pressed, and "2" indicates that the third button 113 has been pressed. Note that in this embodiment, the expression of the status information in the default state is set such that the first button is "vacant", the second button is "crowded", and the third button is "full". Therefore, in the default state, "0" indicates that there are vacant seats in the corresponding facility, "1" indicates that the facility is crowded, and "2" indicates that the facility is full.

[0066] In the example shown in FIG. 5, the facility status management unit 212 stores, as the latest vacancy information 2419, the data indicating the vacancy status of the facility 400 received from the button device 100 or the facility management information terminal 500. When none of the buttons of the button device 100 are pressed and no vacancy status data is input on the management screen of the facility management information terminal 500, the vacancy information 2419 is set to a value indicating that (for example, blank, NULL, etc.).

[0067] As described above, when the buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 are pressed, the information provided to the facility status management server 200 is different. In the default state (when provided) where the setting operation is incomplete, when the buttons 111 to 113 are pressed, for the corresponding facilities, they provide information of "vacant", "crowded", and "full", respectively.

[0068] Status information such as "vacant", "crowded", and "fully occupied" may, depending on the type of facility, need to be distributed in other expressions of the facility's situation. For example, in a store with a high turnover of customers (such as a ramen shop), even when it is fully occupied, customers may be able to enter the store within a few minutes of waiting. There is a need to distribute not only the fact that it is "fully occupied" but also whether there are people waiting in line and how many people are waiting. On the other hand, in a store with a long average stay time of customers (such as an izakaya) or a store where it is difficult to predict the stay time of customers (such as a coffee shop), it may be difficult to appropriately display the waiting time when it is fully occupied. Therefore, simply indicating "fully occupied" may not be sufficient as information provided to customers. On the other hand, the expression "fully occupied" may not be preferred by the facility owner because it may cause customers to make a decision to give up using the store. Also, in a restaurant with a fixed number of seats, "fully occupied" can occur, but in a toilet facility or a karaoke box, the expression "fully occupied" is preferred. In a retail store such as a supermarket or a pharmacy, even if the number of customers exceeds the ideal capacity, it is preferably expressed as "crowded" rather than "fully occupied". Or even within the same business format, depending on the policy of the facility (for example, a two-hour limit, a restriction on long stays after meals, etc.), the situation of the facility's staff, the characteristics of the customers visiting the store, etc., the average stay time of the customers visiting the store may vary, and even with the same level of congestion, the recognition of the facility manager may differ.

[0069] In such a situation, if the settings of buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 are fixed, the facility manager cannot set the facility's situation to the expression they desire, and as a result, a problem may occur where the user (customer visiting the store) cannot accurately select the facility. Also, the facility owner cannot give an accurate attraction to the customers.

[0070] In view of such problems, the system of this embodiment is configured to be able to execute a setting operation of changing the settings of each of the buttons 111 to 113 by operating the facility management information terminal 500.

[0071] Referring to the flowchart of FIG. 6, the procedure of the setting operation for changing the settings (status information representation) of each of the buttons 111 to 113 will be described. The administrator of the facility 400 causes the management screen exemplified in FIG. 7 and subsequent figures to be displayed on the display of the facility management information terminal 500 (step S11). Then, the facility management information terminal 500 accepts a registration operation for changing the status information representation corresponding to each of the buttons 111 to 113 on this management screen (step S12). Information regarding the representation corresponding to each of the buttons 111 to 113 registered by the registration operation is transmitted as setting information to the facility status management server 200 (step S13).

[0072] The facility status management server 200 receives this setting information via the communication device 250 (step S14), performs predetermined data processing, and then stores it in the storage device 240 (database 241) (step S15). Thereafter, in accordance with the setting information stored in this storage device 240, the status information of the facility according to the operations of the buttons 111 to 113 is managed and provided.

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, an example of the management screen and an example of the setting operation using the management screen will be described. The initial screen of the management screen includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, function display blocks 161 to 163 indicating the functions of the buttons 111 to 113, pull-down menu display parts 171 to 173, and a registration icon 180.

[0074] The function display blocks 161 to 163 are blocks that display the status information representation currently set for the buttons 111 to 113. FIG. 7 is an example of the screen display ("available", "crowded", "full") when the setting operation is unfinished and the buttons 111 to 113 are still in the default state.

[0075] The pull-down menu display sections 171 to 173 are respectively displayed below the function display blocks 161 to 163 on the management screen. When the pull-down menu display sections 171 to 173 are clicked with a mouse or the like, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the attributes given to the buttons 111 to 113 (the types of status information expressions provided when the buttons 111 to 113 are pressed) are displayed as a menu (for example, in addition to the default "available", "no wait", "somewhat crowded", "full", "waiting for n minutes", etc., a plurality of candidates are displayed and one of them can be selected). Also, when "free input" is selected in the menu of the pull-down menu display sections 171 to 173, any character as the above-mentioned attribute can be selected using a keyboard or the like. In this way, when the input of the attributes of the buttons 111 to 113 is completed, the setting operation is completed by clicking the registration icon 180 with a mouse or the like. Note that when the attributes (status information expressions) of the respective buttons 111 to 113 are changed by the setting operation, a sticker or the like with the changed attributes written in characters may be created and pasted on the buttons 111 to 113.

[0076] After the registration operation for the attributes of the respective buttons 111 to 113 is completed as described above, the facility search operation using the present system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. First, the facility status management server 200 receives a facility search request from the user terminal 300 (step S21). The search request may include information such as the position information of the user terminal 300 and the position information specified by tapping the screen of the user terminal 300, as well as information such as the genre of the facility.

[0077] When a search request is received, the facility status management server 200 identifies data of a group of facilities that match the location information included in the search request from the facility status management table in the database 241 (step S22). If data of a group of facilities that match the search request is found, for each piece of data of one facility, the latest vacancy information 2419 is acquired (step S23). Then, text data corresponding to the acquired latest vacancy information is acquired from the status information expression table (lower part of FIG. 5) (step S24). The data in steps S23 to S25 above is executed for each piece of data of one facility, and the process is repeated until there is no data of unprocessed facilities (step S25). When there is no data of unprocessed facilities, the data of the processed facilities is transmitted to the user terminal 300 as a search list (step S26).

[0078] In addition, on the management screen, in addition to changing the attributes of each button 111 to 113, it is also possible to make it possible to input the maximum time (maximum continuous time) for continuously displaying the status information given by pressing each button. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the third button 113 is pressed and the status information "congested" is to be displayed, the time (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.) for which the display is continuous can be set on the management screen (see reference numeral 182, reference numerals W1 to W3). When the store is congested, the button 113 indicating "congested" is pressed, but then, even though the number of customers has decreased, the operations of the buttons 111 to 113 are forgotten and the display remains "congested". In order to prevent such a situation, it is preferable to set such a maximum continuous time.

[0079] FIG. 11 shows an example of the display state of the management screen when "waiting for n minutes" is selected in the pull-down menu display units 171 to 173. In this case, in the window W1, the characters "n minutes elapsed" that are selected are displayed, and further, windows W4 and W5 for prompting the input of the numerical value of "n" are displayed below it. Also, for this "waiting for n minutes", similar to the case of FIG. 10, it is also possible to input the maximum continuous time (windows W6, W7).

[0080] When the maximum continuous time as shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11 is input, the data of the maximum continuous time is stored in the database 241 in association with, for example, the reception date and time of the operation information of buttons 111 to 113 as the data in the facility status management table. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 12, when buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 are pressed, the operation information is transmitted to the facility status management server 200, the database 241 is updated based on the operation information, and the reception date and time is recorded in the database 241 (step S31).

[0081] Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the continuous display time of the predetermined status information displayed based on the pressing of buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 exceeds the maximum continuous time (step S32). If it exceeds the maximum continuous time, the current status information is forcibly switched to other status information (step S33). For example, when 30 minutes have elapsed since the status information of "congested" with a set maximum continuous time of 30 minutes is set, the status information of "congested" of the facility is forcibly changed to another status information (for example, "slightly congested").

[0082] FIG. 13 shows an example of the screen display of the management screen when "free input" is selected in the pull-down menu display units 171 to 173. When "free input" is selected, for example, in window W8, a cursor is displayed together with the characters of "free input", and the input of any characters using the keyboard KB or the like is prompted. For example, regarding the first button 111, by inputting "available (one-link service)" instead of "available", not only can it be indicated that there are vacant seats in the facility and it is available, but also the fact that one drink is free can be displayed as status information.

[0083] As described above, according to the system of this first embodiment, it is possible to change the expression (text data) of the status information provided by the buttons 111 to 113 of the button device 100 from the default state to information that matches the form of the facility and the wishes of the owner. Thus, according to this system, the owner of the facility can more efficiently attract customers to the store, and the users of this system can accurately find the available facilities.

[0084] In the above description, the case where the same expression can be set for each of the buttons 111 to 113 has been described as an example. In this case, it is also possible to set the same status information expression for the buttons 111 to 113. However, it is desirable that the congestion information (status) that the facility can originally distribute has different statuses according to the degree of congestion. Therefore, for example, the candidate groups of the status information expressions corresponding to each of the buttons 111 to 113 may be made different. Specifically, the candidate status information expressions for button 111 are displayed in the pull-down menu display section 171 only with expressions indicating that there are not many users, such as "vacant", "available", "no waiting", and "no crowding", as the congestion status of the facility. Also, as candidates for the status information expression of button 112, "slightly congested", "no waiting", "crowded", "full", "crowded", and "waiting for n minutes" are displayed in the pull-down menu display section 172. Note that since "no waiting" can be selected as a candidate for the status information expression for both button 111 and button 112, it is desirable that it cannot be selected for the other when it is selected for either one. Furthermore, as candidates for the status expression of button 113, "fully occupied", "full", "waiting", and "waiting for n minutes" are displayed in the pull-down menu display section 173. In this way, it is more preferable to make the status information expressions associated with each of the buttons 111 to 113 different so that they are distributed according to the stepwise situation as the status information indicating the availability, and not allow the same expression to be set for multiple buttons.

[0085] [Second Embodiment] The facility status management system according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14. The overall configuration of the facility status management system of this second embodiment, the configuration of the button device 100, the hardware configuration and the functional configuration example of each part may be the same as those of the first embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 5), so duplicate explanations will be omitted below. In this second embodiment, the method of setting the functions of the buttons 111 to 113 is different from that of the first embodiment.

[0086] FIG. 14 shows an example of a management screen for setting the functions of the buttons 111 to 113 in the facility status management system according to the second embodiment. Since the function display blocks 161 to 163, the pull-down menu display parts 171 to 173, and the registration icon 180 are the same as those of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] The management screen of this second embodiment includes a facility ID input part 191 for inputting the facility ID of the facility 400, a facility name input part 192 for inputting the facility name, and a category input part 193 for inputting the category (type, business form) of the facility. Similar to the first embodiment, the attributes of the buttons 111 to 113 can also be changed at one's own discretion using the pull-down menu display parts 171 to 173. In this second embodiment, by using the facility ID input part 191, the facility name input part 192, and the category input part 193, the functions of the buttons 111 to 113 that are more suitable for the business form of one's own facility can be easily selected.

[0088] Although illustration is omitted, for each category of facilities, the status information expression of the recommended button (the characters provided to the system when the button is pressed) is stored in the database in this system of the second embodiment. When the facility ID and facility name are input from the facility ID input unit 191 and the facility name input unit 192, and the category of the facility is input from the category input unit 193 in the facility management information terminal 500, the notation of the recommended status information corresponding to the facility ID, facility name, and category is retrieved from the database and presented on the management screen (reference numeral 195). Note that multiple combinations of recommended status information can be stored in the database for each category. In the example of FIG. 14, one of the recommended combinations is selected and displayed (e.g., for the business type “café”, “available”, “somewhat crowded”, “full”). When the user wants to select this recommended combination, the registration icon 180 is clicked. When the user wants to select another recommended combination, the change icon 195 is clicked to display another combination on the screen.

[0089] As described above, the system of this second embodiment can also obtain the same effects as those of the first embodiment. In addition, in the second embodiment, since a combination of status information recommended according to the form of the facility is provided, the facility owner can more accurately select the status information.

[0090] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various other modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

[0091] For example, the control circuit 140 can be constituted by an arithmetic circuit such as a microcomputer. Instead of or in combination with this, an arithmetic device such as a CPU may execute software to perform an operation equivalent to that of the control circuit 140. Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the user terminal 300 displays the vacant seat state of the peripheral facilities on the screen has been described. Instead of this, the user terminal 300 may always inquire only about the vacant seat state of a specific facility to the facility status management server 200. Further, the user terminal 300 may specify the attribute of the facility for which the vacant seat state is to be inquired (for example, the category information of the facility such as the genre 2413). In this case, the notification unit 214 returns only the vacant seat information of the facility that matches the specified attribute to the user terminal 300.

[0092] Also, the user terminal 300 does not necessarily have to be a terminal carried by the user. For example, a communication device such as a computer installed at a specific location may be used as the user terminal 300. For example, a digital signage terminal fixedly installed in a place with a lot of pedestrian traffic may be configured as the user terminal 300. In this case, it is not necessarily required to display the vacant seat information regarding the peripheral facilities of the digital signage terminal, and the vacant seat information regarding the facilities at the location desired by the terminal installer can also be displayed.

[0093] The technology of the present disclosure can be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and by a process in which one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and operate the program. Further, it may be realized by a circuit that realizes one or more functions.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0094] 10 Facility Status Management System 100 Button Device 111 First Button 112 Second Button 113 Third Button 130 USB Terminal 140 Control Circuit 150 Power supply circuit 160 Communication module 170, 240, 540 Memory device 200 Facility status management server 211 Receiver 212 Facility status management section 213 Detection section 214 Notification section 241 Database 300 User terminal 400 Facility 500 Information terminal for facility management

Claims

1. equipment operable by an operator for registering a congestion situation, an information terminal, a management server that stores, as a database, candidates for congestion situations for each predetermined operation recommended for each category of facilities and manages the situation of the facility based on data transmitted from the equipment and the information terminal, the equipment is installed in the facility, different congested situations expressed in different texts are associated with each predetermined operation by the operator, and when the predetermined operation is received, operation information is transmitted to the management server, the information terminal is configured to be able to read out and present candidates for the expression of the congestion situation according to the designated category, and execute a setting operation for setting the congestion situation for each predetermined operation, the management server manages the latest congestion situation of the facility based on the congestion situation associated with the operation information, a facility situation management system.

2. The information terminal is configured to be able to set, by the setting operation, a maximum continuous time that is the maximum time for continuing the display of the congestion situation of the facility selected by the predetermined operation, the facility situation management system according to claim 1.

3. The information terminal is configured to be able to display a plurality of candidates selectable as the expression of the congestion situation in the setting operation and select at least one of them, the facility situation management system according to claim 1.

4. The information terminal is configured to be able to input any character as the congestion situation in the setting operation, the facility situation management system according to claim 1.

5. the equipment is an equipment including at least one button, the congestion situation corresponding to each operation on the button can be registered in the management server, the facility situation management system according to claim 1.

6. A management server for managing the situation of a facility, the management server, is connected to equipment operable by an operator for registering a congestion situation and an information terminal, stores, as a database, candidates for congestion situations for each predetermined operation recommended for each category of facilities, and is configured to manage the latest congestion situation of the facility based on data transmitted from the equipment and the information terminal, is configured to receive operation information regarding the predetermined operation when the predetermined operation is received in the equipment, When a setting operation for setting the congestion status for each predetermined operation of the device is performed on the information terminal by reading out and presenting candidates for expressing the congestion status according to the category specified in the information terminal, the setting information in the setting operation is configured to be stored in the storage unit. A management server configured to manage the congestion status of the facility according to the operation information and the congestion status for each predetermined operation stored in the storage unit.

7. A program for causing a computer to function as the management server according to claim 6.

8. In the management server, candidates for the congestion status for each predetermined operation recommended for each category of the facility are stored as a database. In a device installed in a facility and operable by an operator for registering the congestion status, when receiving a predetermined operation by the operator, transmitting operation information regarding the predetermined operation to a management server. In an information terminal, reading out and presenting candidates for expressing the congestion status according to the specified category, and executing a setting operation for setting the congestion status for each predetermined operation of the device. In the management server, managing the congestion status of the facility according to the operation information and the congestion status for each predetermined operation. A facility status management method including the above steps.

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