Bonus Giving Device, Bonus Giving Method, and Bonus Giving Program

Abstract

To provide a sales promotion system which effectively promotes the sales of services.SOLUTION: A benefit granting device 1 includes: a reservation receiving part 111 for receiving facility information of facilities where events are taking place, ticket purchase time price information, and user IDs; a use station specification processing part 114 for determining whether or not a user has used the railway; a price information acquiring part 115 for acquiring current price information of services at an event holding date and time; a difference amount calculating part 116 for calculating a difference amount relating to benefit granting on the basis of the current price information and the purchase time price information; and a communication I / F 13 for outputting difference amount information corresponding to the difference amount to the outside. A user terminal presents the price information according to the difference amount information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sales promotion system, a sales promotion method, and a sales promotion program for products such as electronic tickets.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in order to sell as many tickets (event tickets) for events such as plays, concerts, or sports competitions as possible, event organizers generally conduct promotional advertisements using mass media, Internet sites, and the like.

[0003] Also, Patent Document 1 (paragraph 0025, etc.) described below discloses giving game information storage means related to game content to ticket purchasers as a privilege for ticket purchase to promote ticket sales. Further, Patent Document 2 (paragraph 0033, etc.) described below discloses that when purchasing a train ticket from a ticket vending machine, predetermined music data can also be purchased at the same time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, many users of services (such as theatergoers) use public transportation such as trains to visit the event facilities where the services are provided. In addition, since some trains connect regions and big cities, trains can transport not only users living near event facilities but also residents in a wide geographical area to the event facilities. Therefore, if users of trains can be effectively encouraged to visit event facilities, it is considered that the sales of event tickets can be effectively promoted.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a sales promotion system, a sales promotion method, and a sales promotion program capable of effectively promoting the sales of services.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The sales promotion system is a sales promotion system having a presentation device that presents price information related to a service purchased by a user to the user, and a privilege granting device that grants a privilege based on the price information, The privilege granting device includes a reception processing unit that receives purchase service information corresponding to the purchased service, purchase price information corresponding to the purchase price at the time of purchase of the purchased service, and user identification information corresponding to the user, a determination processing unit that determines whether the user used the train on the service corresponding date and time corresponding to the purchased service, an acquisition processing unit that acquires current price information corresponding to the current price, which is the price of the purchased service at the service corresponding date and time, a calculation processing unit that calculates a difference related to the granting of the privilege based on the current price information acquired by the acquisition processing unit and the purchase price information, and an output unit that presents difference information corresponding to the calculated difference to the presentation device. (2) Further, in the sales promotion system, the determination processing unit determines the use of the train by the user passing through the ticket gate of the train. (3) Also, in the sales promotion system, the railway is associated with the purchase destination of the service. (4) Also, in the sales promotion system, when the determination processing unit determines that a specific railway associated with the service has been used, it determines the use of the railway. (5) Also, in the sales promotion system, when the current price is lower than the purchase price, it further includes a privilege granting unit that grants a privilege based on the difference and the determination result of the determination processing unit. (6) Also, in the sales promotion system, when the current price is higher than the purchase price, the privilege is not granted. (7) Also, in the sales promotion system, when the determination processing unit determines that the user was not using the railway at the service corresponding date and time, the privilege is not granted. (8) Also, in the sales promotion system, the service corresponding date and time is a time range calculated based on the date and time when the service is provided. (9) Also, in the sales promotion system, the current price is a price that varies according to the reservation rate of the service. (10) Also, in the sales promotion system, the current price is the lower of the price when entering the ticket gate of the railway or the price when exiting. (11) Also, in the sales promotion system, the current price is the higher of the price when entering the ticket gate of the railway or the price when exiting. (12) Also, in the sales promotion system, the current price is an amount determined daily based on predetermined conditions. (13) Also, the sales promotion method is a sales promotion method using a presentation device that presents price information related to a service purchased by a user to the user, and a privilege granting device that grants a privilege based on the price information, The privilege granting device receives purchase service information corresponding to the purchased service, purchase price information corresponding to the purchase price at the time of purchase of the purchased service, and user identification information corresponding to the user. Determine whether the user used the railway at the service response date and time corresponding to the purchased service. Obtain current price information corresponding to the current price, which is the price of the purchased service at the service response date and time. Calculate the difference based on the obtained current price information and the purchase price information. Present the difference information corresponding to the calculated difference to the presentation device. (14) Further, the sales promotion program is a sales promotion program for causing a sales promotion system having a presentation device that presents price information related to a service purchased by a user to the user and a privilege granting device that grants a privilege based on the price information to execute. To the privilege granting device, Receive the purchased service information corresponding to the purchased service, the purchase price information corresponding to the purchase price at the time of purchase of the purchased service, and the user identification information corresponding to the user. Determine whether the user used the railway at the service response date and time corresponding to the purchased service. Obtain current price information corresponding to the current price, which is the price of the purchased service at the service response date and time. Calculate the difference based on the obtained current price information and the purchase price information. Execute a process of presenting the difference information corresponding to the calculated difference to the presentation device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sales promotion system, a sales promotion method, and a sales promotion program that can effectively promote the sales of services.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to those embodiments, but extends to the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0011] (Sales Promotion System 100) FIG. 1 schematically shows an example of a sales promotion system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the sales promotion system 100 includes a privilege granting device 1, a facility terminal 2, a railway operator server 3, and a user terminal (display device) 4.

[0012] These privilege granting devices 1, facility terminals 2, railway operator servers 3, and user terminals 4 can communicate via a communication network CN. Although not shown in the figure, examples of the communication network CN include those interconnected via, for example, the Internet, LAN, WAN, public telephone lines, base stations, mobile communication networks, and gateways (including the so-called cloud). Further, an automatic ticket gate (ticket gate) 5 is connected to the railway operator server 3 via a communication network (not shown) operated by the railway operator.

[0013] (Privilege granting device 1) The privilege granting device 1 has a function as a facility information providing site that provides information on at least one facility (facility information as purchase service information). Further, the privilege granting device 1 has a function as a reservation accepting site that accepts reservations for the above-described facilities. Here, regarding the "facility", in addition to simply referring to it as the "facility" below, it may be referred to as an "event facility", a "service facility", or a "target facility".

[0014] Examples of the above-described facilities include those that a user (ticket purchaser) purchases a ticket in advance and uses. And as facilities, for example, facilities where various events are held, such as theaters (where movies, plays, etc. are performed), theater rooms, and concert venues, can be cited. In addition, other facilities include exhibition venues (convention halls), amusement parks, sports stadiums (baseball fields, soccer fields, etc.), festival venues, event venues, and golf courses. And these facilities can be said to be facilities where a service for holding an event (event service) is provided.

[0015] Examples of the aforementioned facility information include facility name, location, telephone number, event holding date and time (service availability date and time), nearest station (access information), business type (genre), etc. Among these, the event holding date and time is information that includes the event start date and time and the event end date and time. Furthermore, the event holding date and time is not defined as a specific moment on the event holding date, but rather is defined with a time range (time span).

[0016] Regarding this event holding date and time, if the target event starts and ends within one day, it is possible to adopt a time range based on information such as the date indicating the holding date, the entry start time, the performance start time, and the performance end time on a daily basis.

[0017] Furthermore, regarding the event holding date and time, when the last train time on the day is late at night (after midnight of the next day), it is also possible to define a time range including the time until the last train and the time after a predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes later) from the last train. Also, since the last train time varies for each station, it is possible to make it different for each station used.

[0018] Furthermore, regarding the event holding date and time, if the target event is held over multiple days, it is possible to adopt the daily information as described above according to the period over multiple days and define the time range.

[0019] For example, users can make a reservation for the target event on the aforementioned reservation acceptance site and purchase tickets (tickets, admission tickets, etc.) for using the event facility. The reservation may be for the target facility or for the target event. Also, the tickets may be electronic data or may be printed on paper media, etc.

[0020] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the price of a ticket has a price (list price) predetermined by a ticket seller or the like. Also, the ticket is not always sold at the list price, and the price of the ticket may vary to a price other than the list price. Furthermore, the purchase of a ticket by a user may be made at the list price or at a price different from the list price.

[0021] And when varying the price of the ticket, the price of the ticket can be, for example, artificially determined by a ticket seller, a person related to the event hosting, or the like. Also, not limited to this, the price of the ticket can also be automatically determined based on predetermined parameters by arithmetic processing of a computer or the like.

[0022] As the above-mentioned predetermined parameters, for example, various elements such as the remaining number of tickets, the time zone of the event, the location of the event facility, and the weather on the event date, or combinations of these elements can be adopted. Also, it is possible to calculate the reservation rate (booking rate) using the number of seats available for reservation and the remaining number of tickets (or the number of reserved seats). And it is possible to adopt this reservation rate as the above-mentioned predetermined parameter.

[0023] The price of the ticket can be considered separately as the list price and a price other than the list price as described above. Also, regarding the price of the ticket, it can be considered separately as the purchase price at the time of purchase and the non-purchase price at other times than the purchase time. Among these, the purchase price can be the price when the user makes a settlement (including at the time of reservation) regardless of the settlement means (cash, credit card, prepaid, or electronic money, etc.).

[0024] In addition, the non-purchase current price can be divided into the pre-purchase price related to a time point before the purchase time and the post-purchase price related to a time point after the purchase time. Furthermore, the price of the ticket is subject to change even after the purchase. And the price at each point in time during the period when the ticket can be purchased is regarded as the current price. Hereinafter, the relationship between the purchase price and the current price after the purchase will mainly be used for the explanation.

[0025] When the purchase price and the current price (the current price after the purchase) are different, a price difference, which is the difference between the two prices, occurs. And when the price of the ticket drops after the user's purchase and the current price becomes lower than the purchase price, it is considered that the user may regret the purchase timing. Also, it is expected that the user anticipates that the current price will be lower than the purchase price and has a negative image towards early purchase, thus refraining from purchasing the ticket.

[0026] Therefore, in this embodiment, when a difference occurs after the purchase, a predetermined privilege is given to the user based on the difference. And in this embodiment, when the price of the ticket after the purchase fluctuates (here, there is a price drop), the compensation by giving the privilege is carried out.

[0027] Here, as for the event, it is desirable that it is held with some business relationship such as the railway operator's operation, venue provision, or sponsorship. And the railway in this embodiment is assumed to be associated with the service purchaser (the person on the side selling the ticket) with some business relationship.

[0028] That is, in this embodiment, as will be described later, the information of railway users held by the railway operator is linked to the information of ticket purchasers, and the privilege is given based on the difference in the ticket price. The railway operator manages the information (for example, the user ID to be described later) for identifying railway users (railway passengers) and the information of the usage history by railway users (for example, the usage history information D4 to be described later). However, since such information is personal information, it is not preferable to easily provide it to a third party.

[0029] Therefore, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the railway operator and the service purchaser have a business cooperation relationship. For example, when the railway operator has a business segment in the event business field (or distribution business field) in addition to the business segment in the railway business field, the service purchaser and the railway operator can be the same operator, and it is considered that a cooperation relationship can be easily formed. In this case, the railway operator can sell tickets as one of the event businesses (or distribution businesses) and operate the privilege granting device 1.

[0030] Furthermore, examples of the service purchaser can include the operator of the event facility, the event organizer, and the provider of the reservation reception site. When these operators become the service purchaser, for example, based on laws and contracts, they shall form a business relationship with the railway operator and use the information related to the usage history of railway users.

[0031] And when the person who becomes the service purchaser can receive the information for identifying railway users provided by the railway operator (such as the user ID described later) and the information on the usage history by railway users, the service purchaser shall handle these information as necessary. The specific handling of the information related to the usage history in this case will be described later.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the users targeted for privilege granting are assumed to have used a specific public transportation. As the specific public transportation, for example, the subways operated in large cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Kyoto, and Kobe are adopted.

[0033] In this embodiment, by targeting subway users, who are essential for large cities as described above, for privilege grants related to ticket prices, it is possible to expand the geographical range where tickets can be sold and prevent users from having a negative image regarding ticket purchases due to price differences. Further, in this embodiment, privilege grants related to ticket prices can be performed according to the subway usage situation.

[0034] In this way, by performing privilege grants based on the combination of both ticket price fluctuations and railway usage situations, as will be described later, it becomes possible to finely determine the compensation for ticket price fluctuations depending on the combination method. Also, by associating ticket price fluctuations with railway usage situations and granting privileges, it becomes possible not only to promote ticket sales but also to promote railway usage.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the privilege granting device 1 is composed of a server computer including a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication I / F (output unit) 13, and the like. This privilege granting device 1 is an example of an embodiment and is not limited thereto. And the privilege granting device 1 is not limited to a single computer, and may be a computer system in which a plurality of computers cooperate to operate. Also, various processes executed by the privilege granting device 1 may be distributed and executed by one or a plurality of processors.

[0036] Furthermore, the privilege granting device 1 may be composed of a single server device or a plurality of server devices with distributed functions. Also, the privilege granting device 1 may be functionally incorporated into a facility terminal 2 or a railway operator server 3, etc., which will be described later.

[0037] Here, information corresponding to monetary prices such as the aforementioned purchase current price, current price, and difference (price difference) is treated as purchase current price information, current price information, and difference information when used in processing by an information processing device such as a computer. And all of these pieces of information correspond to the price information in the present embodiment.

[0038] The communication I / F 13 is a communication interface that connects the privilege granting device 1 to an external communication network CN either by wire or wirelessly. This communication I / F 13 executes data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the facility terminal 2, the railway operator server 3, and the user terminal 4 via the communication network CN. And this communication I / F 13 outputs toward the user terminal 4 so that, as will be described later, the user terminal 4 can display privileges related to difference information. Note that the communication I / F 13 may output the difference related to the granting of privileges as information that can be displayed on the user terminal 4 and may also transmit it to the user terminal 4 as data. That is, the communication I / F 13 presents the difference related to the granting of privileges to the user terminal 4.

[0039] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage unit including semiconductor memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory) that store various kinds of information, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive). In the storage unit 22, an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, data, and the like used in the processing by the processor (here, the control unit 11) are stored.

[0040] The information stored in the storage unit 12 includes facility information D1, ticket information D2, privilege information D3, and the like. FIG. 6 shows an example of the facility information D1, FIG. 7 shows an example of the ticket information D2, and FIG. 8 shows an example of the privilege information D3.

[0041] Among these pieces of information, the facility information D1 shown in FIG. 6 registers information about a plurality of facilities registered on the aforementioned facility information providing site. In the facility information D1, for each facility, information such as the corresponding "facility ID", "facility name", "location", "nearest station", "business type", and "usage date" is registered.

[0042] Furthermore, among these pieces of information, the "facility ID" is identification information for identifying the event facility. The "facility name" is the name of the event facility. The "location" indicates the location of the event facility. The "nearest station" indicates the station closest to the event facility. Note that for each of a plurality of railway operators, the station closest to the event facility may be stored in the "nearest station".

[0043] The "business type" is a genre indicating the content of the event held at the event facility. The "usage date" indicates the date (or date and time) when the event facility is used, that is, the date (or date and time) of the event. For example, the event start date and time and the event end date and time are registered in the "usage date".

[0044] The ticket information D2 shown in FIG. 7 registers information about the tickets purchased by the user on the reservation acceptance site. In the ticket information D2, for each ticket purchased by the user on the reservation acceptance site, information such as the corresponding "user ID", "facility ID", "purchase date and time", "purchase price at the time of purchase", and "usage date" is registered.

[0045] Among these pieces of information, the "user ID" is identification information (user identification information) of the user who applied for the reservation and purchased the ticket. The "facility ID" is identification information of the event facility that the user applied for the reservation and uses. The "purchase date and time" is the date and time when the ticket was purchased, that is, the date and time when the settlement regarding the ticket price was completed.

[0046] The "purchase current price" is the price of the settlement amount of the ticket and is the amount paid by the user. The "usage date" indicates the date (or date and time) when the event facility is used, that is, the date of the event (or the date and time of the event). For example, the event start date and time and the event end date and time are registered in the "usage date".

[0047] In the privilege information D3 shown in FIG. 8, information regarding the privileges granted to users who use the railway is registered. In the privilege information D3, information such as "facility ID", "privilege ID", and "privilege granting conditions" is registered for each facility that grants privileges to users.

[0048] Among these pieces of information, the "facility ID" is identification information for identifying the facility. The "privilege ID" is identification information for identifying the privileges granted to railway users. As privileges, for example, privileges where points having a monetary value (including miles, etc.) are granted are adopted. As this privilege, for example, various incentives that can give incentives for ticket purchase (general meanings such as motivation and inducement) to demanders can be adopted.

[0049] Also, as privileges, it is possible to adopt privileges such as a privilege where the purchase amount of the ticket is discounted, a privilege where the railway usage fee (fare) is discounted, and a privilege where a coupon such as a discount coupon is granted.

[0050] The "privilege granting conditions" are the conditions under which a privilege is granted to a user. These privilege granting conditions are such that the user is using the railway at the service response date and time. If it is determined that the user is not using the railway at the service response date and time, the privilege will not be granted. And the privilege granting conditions are, for example, "a user who has purchased a ticket for an event facility has used the railway on the event day and got off at the nearest station to the event facility", "a user who has purchased a ticket for an event facility has used the railway on the event day and got off at the nearest station to the event facility before the end time of the event", "a user who has purchased a ticket for an event facility has used the railway on the event day, got off at the nearest station to the event facility, and then stayed at the event facility for a predetermined time", etc.

[0051] Note that part or all of the facility information D1, ticket information D2, and privilege information D3 may be stored in another server accessible from the privilege granting device 1 via the communication network CN. In this case, the control unit 11 of the privilege granting device 1 may acquire various information from the server as necessary and execute each process such as the privilege granting process (see FIG. 10) described later.

[0052] Also, part or all of the facility information D1, ticket information D2, and privilege information D3 may be stored in the facility terminal 2. In this case, the control unit 11 of the privilege granting device 1 may acquire various information from the facility terminal 2 as necessary and execute each process such as the privilege granting process (see FIG. 10) described later. Further, part or all of the facility information D1, ticket information D2, and privilege information D3 may be stored in both the privilege granting device 1 and the facility terminal 2.

[0053] Stored in the aforementioned storage unit 12 are control programs such as a privilege granting program for causing the control unit 11 to execute the privilege granting process (see FIG. 10) described later. The privilege granting program is recorded, for example, on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or DVD drive provided in the privilege granting device 1 and stored in the storage unit 12.

[0054] The control unit 11 includes control devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and an OS (Operating System) for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 11 controls the privilege granting device 1 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 12.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 11 includes various processing units such as a reservation reception processing unit (reception processing unit) 111, a facility acquisition processing unit 112, a usage history acquisition processing unit 113, a usage station identification processing unit (determination processing unit) 114, a price information acquisition processing unit (acquisition processing unit) 115 that acquires information (current price information) related to the current price of a ticket, a difference calculation processing unit (calculation processing unit) 116 that calculates difference information corresponding to the difference between the purchase price and the current price, and a privilege granting processing unit 117 that grants a privilege to the user based on the difference.

[0056] Here, the control unit 11 executes various processes according to the privilege granting program using the aforementioned CPU and functions as the various processing units described above. Part or all of the processing units included in the control unit 11 may be configured by electronic circuits. Note that the privilege granting program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as various processing units.

[0057] The aforementioned reservation reception processing unit 111 receives a reservation for an event facility corresponding to a ticket when a user makes a reservation (purchase) of a ticket on the aforementioned reservation reception site. Then, the reservation reception processing unit 111 acquires information such as the "user ID", "facility ID", "purchase date and time", "purchase price", and "usage date" shown in FIG. 7 and performs a process of storing this information so as to be the original data of the ticket information D2.

[0058] The facility acquisition processing unit 112 acquires the facility information of the event facility used by the user who purchased the ticket. For example, when the user makes a reservation for the target event facility on the reservation acceptance site and purchases a ticket, the facility acquisition processing unit 112 refers to the facility information D1 (see FIG. 6) and acquires the facility information of the event facility.

[0059] The usage history acquisition processing unit 113 acquires the usage history information of the railway used by the user. For example, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 receives the usage history information of the user's railway from the railway operator server 3 through the communication network CN. FIG. 9 shows an example of the usage history information D4 stored in the storage unit 32 of the railway operator server 3.

[0060] In the usage history information D4, information regarding the users who have used the railway in the past and their boarding sections is registered. In the usage history information D4, each time a user uses the railway, information such as "user ID", "boarding station", "boarding date and time", "alighting station", and "alighting date and time" is recorded. These pieces of information are recorded as usage history information D4 based on the information of the IC card (not shown) read by the automatic ticket gate 5 installed at each railway station.

[0061] Here, the above-mentioned IC card is a so-called transportation system IC card issued by a railway operator, and is a value medium having a commuter pass function and an electronic money function. In addition, the IC card may also have a credit card function, an identity certificate function, and the like.

[0062] Note that, in order not to complicate the explanation here, the IC card is described as an example, but the IC card may be replaced with a user terminal 4 or the like in which application software (hereinafter referred to as "transportation system IC card application") that exhibits the function of the transportation system IC card is installed. In this case, the user terminal 4 or the like can be said to have made the transportation system IC card mobile and to exhibit the same functions as the transportation system IC card using information such as the user ID.

[0063] Among the various types of information in the usage history information D4, the "user ID" is, as described above, the identification information of the user who applied for a reservation and purchased a ticket. And the "user ID" is the identification information for identifying railway users (that is, the owners of IC cards). As this "user ID", in addition to information that can identify an individual user (personal ID), for example, it is also possible to use identification information for each IC card assigned to the IC card (IC card ID). Also, privilege granting may be performed using both the personal ID and the IC card ID.

[0064] The "boarding station" is the station where the user boarded the train. The "boarding date and time" is the date and time when the user boarded the train (more precisely, the date and time when the IC card was read by the automatic ticket gate 5 installed at the boarding station). The "alighting station" is the station where the user got off the train. The "alighting date and time" is the date and time when the user got off the train (more precisely, the date and time when the IC card was read by the automatic ticket gate 5 installed at the alighting station).

[0065] The usage history acquisition processing unit 113 transmits identification information (such as a user ID) for identifying a facility user to the railway operator server 3. The railway operator server 3 extracts the usage history information of the user corresponding to the identification information (such as the user ID) from the usage history information D4 and transmits it to the privilege granting device 1.

[0066] For example, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 refers to the facility information D1 (see FIG. 6) and the ticket information D2 (see FIG. 7), obtains the user ID of the record whose current date matches the facility usage date (event holding date), and transmits the user ID to the railway operator server 3. When the railway operator server 3 receives the user ID, it extracts the usage history information D4 (see FIG. 9) corresponding to the user ID from the usage history information D4 and transmits it to the privilege granting device 1.

[0067] Here, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 may transmit the user ID of a record whose current date and time (current date and time) is a predetermined time before the event start date and time of the facility (for example, 3 hours before, 24 hours before, etc.) to the railway operator server 3, and acquire the usage history information corresponding to the user ID.

[0068] Note that the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 may receive, from the user terminal 4, position information such as GPS (Global Positioning System) periodically recorded in the user terminal 4 (that is, information indicating the movement route of the user terminal 4) as railway usage history information. Then, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 may determine the boarding station, boarding date and time, alighting station, alighting date and time, etc. based on the position information. In this case, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 may calculate the movement speed of the user terminal 4 based on the position information, and determine whether the user used the railway based on the movement route and movement speed of the user terminal 4.

[0069] Also, a two-dimensional code posted inside the station (for example, a two-dimensional code including station identification information) may be photographed by a camera (not shown) of the user terminal 4. Then, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 may receive the information included in the two-dimensional code from the user terminal 4 as railway usage history information.

[0070] The used station identification processing unit 114 identifies the alighting station where the user alighted on the usage date of the facility based on the railway usage history information acquired by the usage history acquisition processing unit 113. The usage date of the facility is included in the facility information D1 (see FIG. 6) acquired by the facility acquisition processing unit 112. Also, the used station identification processing unit 114 identifies the usage section from the user's boarding station to the alighting station. Here, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 and the used station identification processing unit 114 are described separately by different blocks, but it is also possible to include the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 in the used station identification processing unit.

[0071] The price information acquisition processing unit 115 acquires various price information. The price information acquired here is purchase price information and current price information. Details of the acquired current price information will be described later.

[0072] The difference calculation processing unit 116 calculates the difference between the purchase price and the current price (purchase price - current price) using the acquired price information and the purchase price information. Further, the difference calculation processing unit 116 determines whether the obtained difference is other than 0, and if the difference is not 0, determines whether the difference is a positive (plus) value or a negative (minus) value. Also, the difference calculation processing unit 116 performs a comparison between the difference and a predetermined amount of money.

[0073] Next, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user who purchased the ticket based on the railway usage history information acquired by the usage history acquisition processing unit 113 and the privilege information D3 shown in FIG. 8.

[0074] Examples of the privileges granted to the user include privileges where points (including miles, etc.) having a monetary value are granted as described above. In addition, other examples include various privileges such as a privilege where the purchase amount of the ticket is discounted retrospectively, and a privilege where the railway fare (boarding fare) is discounted.

[0075] For example, when the privilege granted to the user by the privilege granting processing unit 117 is a privilege where points are granted, the privilege granting processing unit 117 transmits information on points corresponding to the difference between the purchase price and the current price described above to the railway operator server 3. Thereby, the railway operator server 3 adds points to the IC card or the like when the user uses the railway next time.

[0076] In addition, when the privilege granted to the user by the privilege granting processing unit 117 is a privilege in which the purchase amount of the ticket is discounted retrospectively, the privilege granting processing unit 117 refunds (cashbacks) an amount corresponding to a part of the purchase amount (for example, 10%) to the user. Further, the privilege granting processing unit 117 transfers the refund amount to the designated account of the user.

[0077] Also, when the privilege granted to the user by the privilege granting processing unit 117 is a privilege in which the railway fare (boarding fare) is discounted, the privilege granting processing unit 117 refunds an amount corresponding to a part of the boarding fare (for example, 10%) to the user. Then, the privilege granting processing unit 117 transmits information indicating the refund amount to the railway operator server 3. As a result, the railway operator server 3 refunds (charges) the amount to the IC card or the like when the user uses the railway next time.

[0078] Here, it is also possible to consider the privilege separately from cash (including prepaid and electronic money, etc.) so that there is no (or little) room for interpretation that the privilege is cash by a third party. In that case, it is effective to use the above-mentioned points (including miles) as privileges. And it is conceivable that this point can be used only for shopping at stores related to a specific operator (including e-commerce stores). In addition, examples of privileges other than cash can include electronic data that becomes an exchange ticket for a specific item.

[0079] Furthermore, regarding the current price, as described below, it is possible to adopt the ticket price when a predetermined current price determination condition is satisfied as the current price.

[0080] For example, the ticket price at the time of using the automatic ticket gate 5 at the station is adopted as the current price. As the time of using the automatic ticket gate 5, for example, it is possible to use the price at the time when the automatic ticket gate 5 at the boarding station is used (the time when entering the ticket gate) or the price at the time when the automatic ticket gate 5 at the alighting station is used (the time when leaving the ticket gate). In this case, the current price determination condition is satisfied by using either one of the boarding station and the alighting station.

[0081] Furthermore, it is also possible to determine the current price based on the correlation between the price at the time of using the automatic ticket gate 5 at the boarding station and the ticket price at the time of using the automatic ticket gate 5 at the alighting station. For example, it is possible to adopt the lower one of the two prices as the current price. Also, not limited to this, for example, it is also possible to adopt the higher one of the two prices as the current price.

[0082] In this case, the ticket price information at the time of using the boarding station and the time of using the alighting station is acquired by the privilege granting device 1, the respective ticket prices are compared, and the lower one (or the higher one) is determined, thereby satisfying the current price determination condition.

[0083] Furthermore, the current price is not limited to the ticket price at the time of using the automatic ticket gate 5, and it is also possible to set it as an amount determined daily (in daily units). For example, it is also possible to set the current price according to the ratio of reserved tickets (the aforementioned reservation rate) until the day before the event date. In this case, when the ticket sales are good and the reservation rate is high, the current price can be set relatively high (for example, 90% of the list price, etc.), and when the ticket sales are not so good and the reservation rate is low, the current price can be set relatively low (for example, 60% of the list price, etc.).

[0084] And as the timing for determining the reservation rate, it is possible to adopt a fixed time within a day. Furthermore, as the fixed time within a day, for example, one or more of 0:00 am, 10:00 am, 0:00 pm, 18:00, 22:00, etc. can be adopted. In this case, when the timing for determining the reservation rate arrives, the current price determination condition is satisfied.

[0085] Also, the current price can be determined based on the relationship with the reserved ticket. For example, the current price can be set to the price at the time when ticket reservation becomes non-cancellable (the time when the cancellation deadline has passed). In this case, if the cancellation deadline is set to 0:00 am on the event day, the current price determination condition is satisfied when this time is reached.

[0086] Among these various current price determination conditions, when any one of them is adopted and the current price determination condition is satisfied, the current price information is registered, for example, in the privilege granting device 1. The registration of the current price information is performed by the current price registration process (see FIG. 11), which will be described later.

[0087] When registering the current price information, regardless of which of the above-described current price determination conditions is adopted, the time is referred to. When referring to the time, it is possible to use the clock function by a real-time clock (also referred to as a calendar clock, etc.). As this real-time clock, the real-time clock generally provided in a computer can be used.

[0088] In this embodiment, it is possible to use the real-time clock of the privilege granting device 1 in which the current price information is registered. And when the time by the timekeeping of the real-time clock reaches the usage time of the above-described automatic ticket gate 5, the determination timing of the reservation rate, or the current price when the cancellation deadline has passed, etc., it is possible to adopt it for the calculation of the difference.

[0089] Note that the registration destination of the current price information is not limited to the privilege granting device 1, and may be, for example, the facility terminal 2, the railway operator server 3, or other devices.

[0090] Subsequently, the privilege granting processing unit 117 determines the difference between the purchase price of the ticket and the current price. Further, if the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user when the privilege granting condition of the privilege information D3 (see FIG. 8) is satisfied.

[0091] As for the relationship between the purchase price and the current price of the ticket, the difference between the purchase price and the current price is used. This is the same whether the current price is determined artificially or automatically. For example, when the list price of the ticket is set and the price of the ticket fluctuates up and down with respect to the list price, the information indicating the list price of the ticket (list price information) is input into the privilege granting device 1 and stored in the storage unit 12. Further, the current price of the ticket is also input into the privilege granting device 1 and stored in the storage unit 12.

[0092] The list price information and the current price can be input from the privilege granting device 1 or the facility terminal 2. It is also possible to arrange an input device (not shown) that can input the list price information and the current price for the railway operator. Also, although not shown in the figure, it is also possible to arrange an input device that can input the list price information and the current price for the organizer who hosts the event.

[0093] The privilege granting processing unit 117 calculates the difference between the purchase price and the current price (purchase price - current price), and when it is determined that the obtained difference is not zero, is a positive (plus) value, and is further equal to or more than a predetermined amount (for example, 1 yen, 10 yen, 100 yen, or 1000 yen, etc.), it determines that the difference determination condition (described later) is satisfied. Further, when the difference determination condition is satisfied, it determines whether the privilege granting condition is satisfied, and if the privilege granting condition is satisfied, it executes the granting of the privilege as described above.

[0094] As described above, the privilege granting condition is that the user is using the railway at the service corresponding date and time. If it is determined that the user is not using the railway at the service corresponding date and time, no privilege is granted.

[0095] For example, it is possible to set the privilege granting condition as "the user who purchased the ticket got off at the nearest station to the event facility by using the railway on the usage date (event holding date)". In this case, when the getting-off station specified by the usage station specifying unit 114 is the nearest station to the event facility included in the facility information, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user.

[0096] The nearest station mentioned here is the station where the user who purchased the ticket got off on the usage date (event holding date) of the event facility. If the user got off at the above-mentioned nearest station on the day of the event, it can be determined that the user is highly likely to visit the event facility. Therefore, when the privilege granting condition is satisfied, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user. In addition, by adding the event holding date to the privilege granting condition, it is possible to prevent privileges from being granted without limit to users who routinely use the railway for commuting, going to school, etc.

[0097] In addition, when there are multiple railway lines entering the nearest station and multiple railways can be used to get off at the nearest station, "using a specific railway" may be added to the privilege granting condition at this time. Thereby, the number of users of a specific railway can be increased.

[0098] In addition to this, the privilege granting condition may be, for example, "the user who purchased the ticket got off at the nearest station to the event facility by using the railway before the event end time on the usage date (event holding date)".

[0099] That is, when the date and time when the user got off at the nearest station is during the event (between the event start date and time and the event end date and time), the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user. If the user got off at the nearest station before the event ended, it can be determined that the user is highly likely to visit the event facility. Therefore, when the privilege granting condition is satisfied, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user.

[0100] In this way, the privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant a privilege to the user on the condition that the use date and time of the event facility (for example, the event holding date and time) and the date and time when the user gets off at the nearest station to the event facility satisfy predetermined conditions.

[0101] By the way, it is also assumed that users who use the nearest station to the event facility for commuting, going to school, etc. may use the event facility during break times. In such a case, a large time difference may occur between the event start date and time and the date and time when getting off at the nearest station. On the other hand, when the user uses the nearest station only for visiting the event facility, a large time difference does not occur between the event start date and time and the date and time when getting off at the nearest station.

[0102] Therefore, the privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant a privilege to the user on the condition that, for example, the time difference between the event start date and time and the date and time when the user gets off at the nearest station to the event facility is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. Thereby, granting privileges to users who routinely use the nearest station for commuting, going to school, etc. (that is, users who do not contribute to the increase in the number of railway users) is suppressed, so it is possible to efficiently increase the number of railway users. Note that the threshold in this case may be set individually for each event facility. For example, the threshold may be set or changed according to information such as the distance or route between the event facility and the nearest station.

[0103] Also, the privilege granting conditions may be, for example, "the user who purchased a ticket used the railway to get off at the nearest station to the event facility on the event holding date and then stayed at the event facility for a predetermined time".

[0104] That is, when the user gets off at the nearest station and visits the event facility and uses the event facility, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a privilege to the user. In this case, the privilege granting processing unit 117 may determine whether the user has stayed at the event facility for a predetermined time based on the location information of the user terminal 4. Also, when the facility terminal 2 can acquire the entry / exit times through the user's IC card or the user terminal 4, the privilege granting processing unit 117 may determine whether the user has stayed at the event facility for a predetermined time based on the information on the user's entry / exit times.

[0105] The privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant different privileges to the user according to the time the user has stayed at the event facility (facility stay time) on the day of using the event facility. For example, the privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant a more advantageous privilege (such as increasing the discount rate of the ticket purchase amount) to a user with a relatively long facility stay time than to a user with a relatively short facility stay time. Thereby, the number of users of the railway and the facility can be increased.

[0106] The privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant different privileges to the user according to the usage section from the boarding station to the alighting station specified by the usage station specifying processing unit 114. The usage station specifying processing unit 114 specifies the boarding station where the user boarded based on the railway usage history information D4 (see FIG. 9) acquired by the usage history acquisition processing unit 113. Then, the privilege granting processing unit 117 grants a more advantageous privilege (such as increasing the discount rate of the railway usage fee) to a user with a relatively long usage section than to a user with a relatively short usage section. Thereby, the number of users with a longer railway usage section can be efficiently increased.

[0107] The privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant a privilege to the user when the user uses the event facility after getting off the railway at the nearest station and then boards the railway at the nearest station after using the event facility.

[0108] Users of the event facility may use the railway when visiting the event facility, while they may use other means of transportation (such as buses, taxis, etc.) when returning home from the event facility. In such cases, the number of railway users will decrease. In contrast, by using the information related to a series of actions including getting off the train at the nearest station, using the event facility, and getting on the train as described above, benefits can be provided to users on the condition that they use the nearest station to the event facility for both the outbound and inbound trips. Therefore, the number of railway users can be increased.

[0109] Note that the benefit granting processing unit 117 may grant benefits to users on the condition that the traveling direction of the train on which the user gets off at the nearest station is opposite to the traveling direction of the train on which the user gets on at the nearest station. Alternatively, the benefit granting processing unit 117 may grant benefits to users on the condition that the boarding station where the user boards the train on which the user gets off at the nearest station is the same as the alighting station where the user alights from the train on which the user gets on at the nearest station.

[0110] Thereby, benefits are not granted to users who once get off at the nearest station on the way from the boarding station to the original destination station by train and use the event facility (users who do not contribute to the increase in the number of railway users), and benefits can be granted only to users who turn back at the nearest station (users who use the railway only for the purpose of using the event facility). Thereby, it is possible to efficiently increase the number of railway users.

[0111] The benefit granting processing unit 117 grants different benefits to users according to the ticket purchase date ("Purchase Date and Time" in FIG. 7). For example, the benefit granting processing unit 117 may grant more favorable benefits (such as increasing the discount rate of the ticket purchase amount) to users with a relatively early purchase date compared to users with a relatively late purchase date. Thereby, users of the railway and the facility can be secured early.

[0112] The privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant a privilege to the user on the condition that the usage frequency of the nearest station of the event facility by the user satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, the privilege granting processing unit 117 may grant a privilege to the user on the condition that the usage frequency of the nearest station of the event facility by the user (for example, the number of usage times in the past one month) is lower than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 15 days).

[0113] As a result, the granting of privileges to users who routinely use the nearest station for commuting, going to school, etc. (that is, users who do not contribute to the increase in the number of railway users) is suppressed, so it is possible to efficiently increase the number of railway users.

[0114] Also, in the present embodiment, the privilege granting processing unit 117 is configured not to grant a privilege when the current price is higher than the purchase price and the difference is a negative value (minus). By doing so, it is possible to prevent a privilege from being granted to a user who purchases more tickets than necessary for the purpose of reselling.

[0115] Note that the privilege granting device 1 provided with the reservation reception processing unit 111, the facility acquisition processing unit 112, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113, the usage station identification processing unit 114, the price information acquisition processing unit 115, the difference calculation processing unit 116, and the privilege granting processing unit 117 is merely an example and is not limited to what has been described so far. For example, some or all of the processing units of the reservation reception processing unit 111, the facility acquisition processing unit 112, the usage history acquisition processing unit 113, the usage station identification processing unit 114, the price information acquisition processing unit 115, the difference calculation processing unit 116, and the privilege granting processing unit 117 may be provided in the facility terminal 2.

[0116] (Facility terminal 2) As shown in FIG. 3, the facility terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, a communication I / F 24, and the like. The facility terminal 2 is arranged in the facility and operated by the staff of the facility. The facility terminal 2 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, a tablet PC (Personal Computer), a wearable computer, or the like. Note that the facility terminal 2 may be provided for each staff member. For example, one stationary terminal and a plurality of mobile terminals carried by the staff may be arranged in the facility as the facility terminal 2.

[0117] The communication I / F 24 is a communication interface that connects the facility terminal 2 to the communication network CN by wire or wirelessly. The communication I / F 24 executes data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the privilege granting device 1 via the communication network CN.

[0118] The operation display unit 23 is a user interface including a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel for receiving operations.

[0119] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a flash memory for storing various information. For example, the storage unit 22 stores a control program such as a facility terminal program for transmitting and receiving various information to and from the privilege granting device 1. For example, the facility terminal program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or a DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or a DVD drive electrically connected to the facility terminal 2 and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0120] The control unit 21 includes control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are pre-stored. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 21 controls the facility terminal 2 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22.

[0121] When, for example, a user visits an event facility, the control unit 21 acquires ticket information and user information from a paper medium related to the ticket held by the user or a user terminal 4 on which electronic data related to the ticket is displayed, and transmits the information to the privilege granting device 1. Further, when, for example, a user leaves the event facility, the control unit 21 acquires ticket information and user information and transmits the information to the privilege granting device 1. That is, the facility terminal 2 can function as a management server that manages the entry and exit of users to and from the facility.

[0122] (Railway operator server 3) As shown in FIG. 4, the railway operator server 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication I / F 33, etc. The railway operator server 3 is a server managed by a railway operator. Information on an IC card read by the automatic ticket gate 5 is uploaded to the railway operator server 3 from, for example, a client terminal installed at each railway station.

[0123] The communication I / F 33 is a communication interface that connects the railway operator server 3 to the communication network CN by wire or wirelessly. The communication I / F 33 executes data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the privilege granting device 1 via the communication network CN.

[0124] The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the usage history information D4 shown in FIG. 9 is stored in the storage unit 32. Further, the storage unit 32 stores a control program or the like for collecting various types of information from client terminals installed at each station of the railway and recording it as the usage history information D4.

[0125] The control unit 31 includes control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 31 controls the railway operator server 3 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 32.

[0126] The control unit 31 can extract the usage history information of an arbitrary user from the usage history information D4 stored in the storage unit 32 in response to a request from the privilege granting device 1 and transmit it to the privilege granting device 1.

[0127] Here, although not shown in the figure, the IC card system constructed by the railway operator includes, in addition to the railway operator server 3, devices such as in-station servers, in-station LANs, automatic ticket gates 5, ticket vending machines, IC card issuing machines, and IC card payment machines. The railway operator server 3 and the in-station server are normally operated online, but are switched to offline operation in the event of a communication failure or the like. Further, the railway operator server 3 is configured by network-connecting servers related to the operation of IC cards and the like, as well as servers for electronic money.

[0128] (User terminal 4) As shown in FIG. 5, the user terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, an operation display unit 43, a communication I / F 44, and the like. The user terminal 4 is a mobile terminal owned by a user who uses the facility, and is, for example, an information processing device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a tablet terminal. Further, the user terminal 4 may be, for example, a tablet PC, a notebook PC, an e-book reader, a wearable computer, or a portable game machine. Note that the user terminal 4 is an example of a presentation device.

[0129] The communication I / F 44 is a communication interface that connects the user terminal 4 to the communication network CN by wire or wirelessly. The communication I / F 44 executes data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the privilege granting device 1 via the communication network CN.

[0130] The operation display unit 43 is a user interface including a display unit 45 such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display that displays various kinds of information, and an operation unit 46 such as a touch panel and buttons that accepts operations. The display unit 45 of the operation display unit 43 displays a moving image according to the moving image data supplied from a processor (here, the control unit 41), a still image according to the still image data, and the like.

[0131] The operation unit 46 is a pointing device such as a touch panel or a mouse. The operation unit 46 may be an input key or a game controller device. When the operation unit 46 is a touch panel, the operation unit 46 can detect various touch operations such as a user's tap, double-tap, drag, swipe, pinch-in, pinch-out, long press, flick, and touch-off. The touch panel may be provided with a capacitance type proximity sensor and configured to be able to detect a non-contact operation of the user.

[0132] The user can input characters, numbers, symbols, or the position on the display screen of the display unit using the operation unit 46. When the operation unit 46 is operated by the user, it generates a signal corresponding to the operation. Then, the operation unit 46 supplies the generated signal to the control unit 41 as the user's instruction.

[0133] It is possible to purchase a ticket by operating the operation unit 46. For example, the user makes a reservation for a desired facility and purchases a ticket on the reservation reception site displayed on the display unit 45. Also, when the user terminal 4 acquires the electronic data corresponding to the ticket from the privilege granting device 1, the information related to the ticket is displayed on the display unit 45. Here, the user terminal 4 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, etc., and an application software related to the facility information providing site and the reservation reception site (hereinafter referred to as "service purchase destination app") is installed on this user terminal 4, and it is also possible to provide the user with the service related to privilege granting using this service purchase destination app.

[0134] The display unit 45 displays the difference information between the purchase price and the current price of the ticket. This difference information is transmitted from the privilege granting device 1 to the user terminal 4, which is an external device having the display unit 45. Then, the user can recognize the difference by visually recognizing the difference information displayed on the display unit 45. Here, examples of the difference information include directly displaying the difference as a numerical value and displaying the content of the privilege given to the user. Also, in addition to the difference, it is possible to display the purchase price and the current price respectively.

[0135] The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a flash memory that stores various types of information. Various control programs for causing the control unit 41 to execute various processes are stored in the storage unit 42.

[0136] The control unit 41 includes control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 41 controls the user terminal 4 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 42.

[0137] Here, the user terminal 4 may be one installed with application software for cooperation with a transportation IC card (hereinafter referred to as "card cooperation application"). The card cooperation application enables the user's usage history information stored in the transportation IC card to be displayed on a mobile terminal having an antenna function such as a smartphone by bringing the transportation IC card into contact with the mobile terminal.

[0138] By using such a card cooperation application, the user can easily confirm information such as at which station and at what time the automatic ticket gate was passed, and how much the remaining charge is. In addition to the remaining balance, the usage history of electronic money can also be confirmed. Further, although a deposit (guarantee money) is recorded in the transportation IC card, in the case of the card cooperation application, the amount of this deposit can be considered to be added to the electronic money.

[0139] It is also possible to display on the card cooperation application the presence or absence of a difference related to ticket purchase and information on benefits given according to the railway usage history (such as points added and the remaining point balance after addition) together with the railway usage history and the name of the event to which the benefit is given. By doing so, the convenience for the user associated with the giving of benefits is improved.

[0140] (Benefit giving process) Next, based on FIG. 10, the privilege granting process executed by the control unit 11 of the privilege granting device 1 will be described. First, when a user purchases a ticket, the user becomes a target person who may be granted a privilege as described above. The control unit 11 of the privilege granting device 1 starts executing the above-described privilege granting program to determine whether to grant a privilege to the user.

[0141] Note that when each of a plurality of users purchases a ticket, the control unit 11 may individually and concurrently execute the privilege granting process for each user. Also, although not shown in the figure, prior to starting the execution of the privilege granting program, the control unit 11 determines whether the timing to execute the privilege granting program has arrived.

[0142] The timing to start the execution of the privilege granting program is after the event for which the privilege is to be granted has ended. Furthermore, the timing to start the execution of the privilege granting program can be the timing after a predetermined time (for example, 3 hours, etc.) has elapsed since the event ended (or from the scheduled end time). Also, the timing to start the execution of the privilege granting program can be the timing after the day following the event holding date.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 10, when the privilege granting program is executed, in step S11, the control unit 11 refers to the facility information D1 (see FIG. 6) and acquires the facility information of the event facility.

[0144] Next, in step S12, the control unit 11 requests the railway operator server 3 for the user's usage history information. For example, the control unit 11 refers to the facility information D1 (see FIG. 6) and the ticket information D2 (see FIG. 7), acquires the user ID of the record whose current date matches the usage date (event holding date), and transmits the user ID to the railway operator server 3. When the railway operator server 3 receives the user ID, it extracts the usage history information corresponding to the received user ID from the usage history information D4 and transmits it to the privilege granting device 1.

[0145] In step S13, the control unit 11 acquires the usage history information of the user from the railway operator server 3. Further, in step S14, the control unit 11 specifies the station where the user got off on the usage date of the facility based on the usage history information.

[0146] In steps S15 to S17, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the above-described difference determination condition is satisfied. That is, in S15, the control unit 11 calculates the difference (purchase current price - current price) between the purchase current price and the current price of the ticket. When there is a difference (when the calculation result is not 0), the control unit 11 determines that there is a difference (S15: YES), and the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, when there is no difference (S15: NO), the privilege granting process ends.

[0147] In step S16, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the difference is positive. When the difference is positive (S16: YES), the current price is lower than the purchase current price (the current price is cheaper than the purchase current price), and the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, when the difference is not positive (S16: NO), the current price is higher than the purchase current price (the current price is higher than the purchase current price), and the privilege granting process ends.

[0148] In step S17, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the difference is a value equal to or greater than a predetermined value (for example, 100 yen). When the difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (S17: YES), the process proceeds to step S18. On the other hand, when the difference is less than the predetermined value (S17: NO), the privilege granting process ends.

[0149] Note that each of the conditions in S15 to S17 is a difference determination condition, but the conditions related to S15 to S17 may be collectively referred to as the difference determination condition. When a negative (NO) determination is made in any of S15 to S17, the control unit 11 may transmit information indicating that no privilege is granted to the user to the user terminal 4.

[0150] Next, in step S18, the control unit 11 determines whether the usage history information satisfies predetermined privilege granting conditions. The privilege granting conditions are, for example, the conditions included in the "privilege granting conditions" of the event facility in the privilege information D3 (see FIG. 8).

[0151] In step S18, the control unit 11 determines whether the user who purchased the ticket got off at the nearest station to the event facility by using the railway on the event holding date. If it is determined that the usage history information satisfies the privilege granting conditions (S18: YES), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if it is determined that the usage history information does not satisfy the privilege granting conditions (S18: NO), the privilege granting process ends. Note that when it is determined that the privilege granting conditions are not satisfied (S18: NO), the control unit 11 may transmit information indicating that no privilege is granted to the user to the user terminal 4.

[0152] In step S19, the control unit 11 grants a privilege to the user. Specifically, the control unit 11 grants the privilege corresponding to the privilege ID of the event facility shown in the privilege information D3 (see FIG. 8) to the user. In the present embodiment, a privilege to which the privilege ID corresponding to the event facility is assigned is granted to the user of the target event facility. Also, the control unit 11 performs processing so that the difference information related to the privilege is output to the user terminal 4 which is an external device having the display unit 45. In the present embodiment, the privilege granted as compensation for the occurrence of a ticket difference is, for example, the granting of points corresponding to the difference. And it is possible to set the correspondence rate between the difference and the points, for example, 100 points for a difference of 100 yen.

[0153] Incidentally, the present invention can be regarded as an invention of a privilege granting method for executing one or more steps included in the above-described privilege granting process. Also, one or more steps included in the privilege granting process may be appropriately omitted. Furthermore, the execution order of each step in the privilege granting process may be different as long as the same operational effects are produced. Here, the case where each step in the privilege granting process is executed by the control unit 11 has been described as an example, but each step in the privilege granting process may be executed in a distributed manner by a plurality of processors.

[0154] Furthermore, heretofore, the description has been made by taking one facility registered in the privilege information D3 as an example. However, as described above, a plurality of facilities are registered in the privilege information D3. And in the present embodiment, a plurality of types of privileges identified by privilege IDs are assigned to a plurality of facilities. However, for example, if the privilege is defined as only one type of points, the same type of privilege (points here) can be given to the users of the events of any facility (including events with different dates and times, events with different types and contents).

[0155] Similarly, regarding a plurality of facilities, for example, points are given to the users of the event facilities with facility IDs A001 to A006 and A010 to A015, and coupons are given to the users of the event facilities with facility IDs A007 to A009 and A016 to A021. It is also possible to give different types of privileges to each group of grouped facilities. In this case, a plurality of types of privileges different from cash are given.

[0156] (Current price registration process) FIG. 11 shows an example of the current price registration process. In this current price registration process, in step S21, it is determined whether the current price determination condition is satisfied. If the current price determination condition is satisfied (S21: YES), the process proceeds to step S22, and the current price information is registered. On the other hand, if there is no difference (S21: NO), the privilege granting process ends.

[0157] As described above, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the difference between the purchase price and the selling price of the ticket is obtained, and the difference related to the privilege grant is presented to the user according to whether the user of the event facility uses the railway or not. For this reason, the user can confirm the difference related to the privilege grant according to the use of the railway. And by providing a new service of "presenting" the difference information related to the privilege grant according to the use of the railway, it becomes possible to promote ticket sales.

[0158] Also, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the privilege granting device 1 can determine whether to grant a privilege corresponding to the difference based on the use of the railway. For this reason, it becomes possible to provide a new service such as granting a privilege for the difference generated in ticket sales to users living in a wide geographical area. And by providing a new service of granting a privilege corresponding to the difference based on the use of the railway, it becomes possible to promote ticket sales.

[0159] Since the sales promotion system 100 according to the present embodiment grants privileges using the railway usage history, for example, compared with the case of only advertising the event using a large display device on the street and notifying the granting of privileges corresponding to the difference, it is more certain that it is possible to compensate users living in a wide area according to the difference. And such an advantage becomes even more prominent by using the subway as the railway.

[0160] Furthermore, the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment enables compensation for price fluctuations over time for tickets of an event related to one event facility (or a plurality of facilities where the same type of event is held). And when the type of privilege is one (here, point granting), compared with the case where there are a plurality of types of privileges (points and cash, etc.), the design of the control program for sales promotion becomes easier.

[0161] In addition, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, by determining the presence or absence of railway use by the user using the usage history of automatic ticket gates, it is possible to quickly and surely provide a service for granting a privilege that links the price difference information and the presence or absence of railway use.

[0162] Furthermore, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, since the railway is associated with the service purchase destination, it is easier to create an environment for sharing personal information such as facility use information and railway use history information compared to the case where there is no business partnership, etc. And according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, when it is determined that a specific railway associated with the service has been used, since the railway use is determined, it is possible to more effectively utilize the railway use history of the user.

[0163] Here, the "specific railway" means not only a railway associated with the service purchase destination, but also means a subway among multiple types of railways such as JR, private railways, and subways, or a specific subway line among multiple subway lines. Also, for example, for a route where a certain subway and a certain private railway are mutually connected, it is also possible to collectively regard the railways running on that route as the "specific railway".

[0164] In addition, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, when the current price is lower than the purchase price, the privilege granting device 1 grants a privilege to the user based on the price difference. Therefore, it becomes possible to surely compensate for the price difference generated in the ticket for users living in a geographically wide area.

[0165] In addition, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, by not granting a privilege when the current price is higher than the purchase price, it is possible to more surely grant a privilege only when the current price is lower than the purchase price. Also, by doing so, it is possible to more surely prevent the resale of tickets in the case where the ticket price has increased due to the hoarding by some users.

[0166] Also, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, when the usage station identification processing unit (determination processing unit) 114 determines that the user is not using the railway at the event holding date and time (service corresponding date and time), no privilege is granted. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably grant privileges according to the difference between the purchase price and the current price and the railway usage history.

[0167] Also, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the event holding date and time (service corresponding date and time) is a time range calculated based on the date and time when the service is provided. Therefore, this also makes it possible to more reliably grant privileges according to the difference between the purchase price and the current price and the railway usage history. Furthermore, by doing so, it becomes possible to perform various railway usage determinations.

[0168] Also, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the current price is a price that varies according to the reservation rate of the service. Therefore, it becomes possible to grant privileges according to the actual sales situation of the service.

[0169] Also, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the current price is the lower of the price when entering the automatic ticket gate 5 or the price when exiting the automatic ticket gate 5. Therefore, it is possible to determine the current price in various ways. Furthermore, the difference can be made as large as possible, and it becomes possible to grant more privileges.

[0170] Also, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the current price can also be set to the higher of the price when entering the automatic ticket gate 5 or the price when exiting. Even in this case, it is possible to determine the current price in various ways. Furthermore, the difference can be made as small as possible, and it becomes possible to suppress the amount of privileges granted.

[0171] Moreover, according to the sales promotion system 100 of the present embodiment, the current price can also be set to an amount determined daily based on predetermined conditions. In this case, it becomes possible to more appropriately associate with the event holding date and time (service response date and time) and grant benefits corresponding to the price difference and railway usage.

[0172] In addition, in the benefit granting device 1, when the number of tickets purchased by the user is for multiple persons, the benefit granting processing unit 117 may grant benefits for multiple persons to the user. For example, when one user purchases multiple tickets, corresponding benefits may be granted to one user based on the calculation result of the product of the price difference and the number of tickets. In this case, it is conceivable to attach a common user ID to the multiple tickets purchased by the user and grant benefits corresponding to the product of the price difference and the number of tickets on the condition of railway usage.

[0173] Also, even when one user purchases multiple tickets, it is possible to grant only the benefits for one ticket. Furthermore, instead of limiting the amount of benefits to that for one ticket, it is possible to grant benefits for multiple tickets with an upper limit. Examples of the upper limit here include 2 tickets assuming a 2-person household, and 3 to 6 tickets assuming a 3-person to 6-person household.

[0174] Also, instead of attaching a common user ID to multiple tickets, different user IDs of other users who actually use the tickets may be attached to the different tickets. In this case, it is conceivable to have the user, for example, input information associating each individual ticket with each individual user (user having a user ID) by using the aforementioned reservation reception site or other sites.

[0175] And since the sales promotion system 100 according to the present embodiment grants benefits based on the price difference of tickets on the basis of railway usage, for example, even if a user purchases more tickets than necessary and resells the surplus, the price difference information is not associated with the information related to railway usage, so the user cannot receive the benefits.

[0176] Also, as described above, in the case where the service purchaser (the person selling the tickets) receives information on the railway usage history of the user from the railway operator, the handling of the information on the usage history in such a case can be as follows.

[0177] For example, when the railway operator provides the service purchaser with the user's usage history information, the railway operator shall send it only to the service purchaser for the usage history information of the users who have registered the user ID at the service purchaser. Here, the user ID is the aforementioned IC card ID which is the identification information assigned to each IC card, and it is assumed that the IC card ID is registered at the service purchaser.

[0178] Also, for the IC card ID registered at the service purchaser, the railway operator shall be notified in advance of the already registered IC card ID, and the railway operator shall request the service purchaser's equipment (here, the privilege granting device 1, the facility terminal 2, etc.) to provide the usage history information related to the notified IC card ID.

[0179] However, it is conceivable that the target for which the railway operator provides the usage history information to the service purchaser is not all IC card IDs but some IC card IDs. For example, only the IC card IDs of the users who have installed and used the aforementioned transportation system IC card application or the card-linked application may be the target for providing the usage history information.

[0180] In this case, it is conceivable that the IC card ID is linked with the aforementioned service purchaser application, and when the user passes through the automatic ticket gate 5, a predetermined message is push-delivered (here, it means information delivery where the message is displayed without the user's operation) to the user terminal 4 of the user corresponding to the registered IC card ID.

[0181] More specifically, in the case of a transportation IC card application, on the user terminal 4, the transportation IC card application and the service purchase destination application are linked, and the user's IC card ID is transmitted from the user terminal 4 to the railway operator server 3 via the service purchase destination application. Then, on the railway operator server 3, it is possible to provide the usage history information related to the registered IC card ID to the service purchase destination.

[0182] Also, in the case of an IC card, it is possible to transmit the user's IC card ID to the railway operator server 3 via the automatic ticket gate 5, and provide the usage history information related to the registered IC card ID from the railway operator server 3 to the service purchase destination.

[0183] And these information provisions can be performed more in real-time even when privileges are granted to the user by someone other than the railway operator by performing immediate linkage between the transportation IC card application and the service purchase destination application, and immediate communication of the IC card ID (which may also be the user ID). And by these, it becomes possible to further improve the convenience of the service related to privilege granting.

[0184] Note that the sales promotion system 100 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the sales promotion system 100 of the present invention may be configured by only the privilege granting device 1, or may be configured by only the facility terminal 2 including each processing unit of the control unit 11. Also, the sales promotion system 100 of the present invention may be configured by only the railway operator server 3 including each processing unit of the control unit 11, or may be configured by at least two of the privilege granting device 1, the facility terminal 2, and the railway operator server 3.

[0185] Also, the automatic ticket gate 5 constituting the sales promotion system 100 of the present invention may have a face recognition function in addition to the authentication function for an IC card or the like. In this case, the automatic ticket gate 5 can acquire the image information (face information) of the face of the user passing through the ticket gate passage of the automatic ticket gate 5, and use this face image for acquiring the user ID.

[0186] The prompting device can also include terminal devices installed in facilities such as retail stores, and terminal devices such as ticket vending machines installed at railway stations. These terminal devices may be the facility terminal 2 or the railway operator server 3 that constitutes the sales promotion system 100 of the present invention. Also, the automatic ticket gate 5 can also serve as a prompting device. When displaying the difference information etc. presented on these devices as a prompting device, it is possible to display it on various displays of these devices, or to display it on paper (paper medium) using a printer. Thus, as the prompting device, at least one of the user terminal 4, the terminal device, the facility terminal 2, the railway operator server 3, and the automatic ticket gate 5 is used. Note that instead of or in addition to these devices, any device that can be used in the sales promotion system 100 may be used as the prompting device.

Explanation of Signs

[0187] 1 Privilege granting device 2 Facility terminal 3 Railway operator server 4 User terminal 11 Control unit 12 Storage unit 13 Communication I / F 100 Sales promotion system 111 Reservation reception processing unit 111 (reception processing unit) 112 Facility acquisition processing unit 113 Usage history acquisition processing unit 114 Usage station identification processing unit (judgment processing unit) 115 Price information acquisition processing unit (acquisition processing unit) 116 Difference calculation processing unit (calculation processing unit) 117 Privilege granting processing unit

Claims

1. A privilege granting device that grants a privilege based on price information related to a service purchased by a user, a reception processing unit that receives purchase service information corresponding to the purchased service, purchase price information corresponding to the purchase price at the time of purchase of the purchased service, and user identification information corresponding to the user; a determination processing unit that determines whether the user used a railway associated with the purchase destination of the service on the service-corresponding date and time corresponding to the purchased service; an acquisition processing unit that acquires current price information corresponding to the current price that is the price of the purchased service on the service-corresponding date and time; a calculation processing unit that calculates a difference related to the granting of the privilege based on the current price information acquired by the acquisition processing unit and the purchase price information; and a privilege granting unit that grants a privilege based on the difference when it is determined that the user used the railway and the current price is lower than the purchase price. A privilege granting device characterized by the above.

2. The determination processing unit determines the use of the railway based on the information read by the ticket gate when the user passes through the ticket gate of the railway. The privilege granting device according to claim 1.

3. The service-corresponding date and time is a time range calculated based on the date and time when the service is provided. The privilege granting device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The current price is a price that varies according to the reservation rate of the service. The privilege granting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The current price is the lower one of the price at the time of entering the ticket gate of the railway or the price at the time of leaving. The privilege granting device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The current price is the higher one of the price at the time of entering the ticket gate of the railway or the price at the time of leaving. The privilege granting device according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The current price is an amount determined daily based on predetermined conditions. The privilege granting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A privilege granting method that grants a privilege based on price information related to a service purchased by a user, receiving purchase service information corresponding to the purchased service, purchase price information corresponding to the purchase price at the time of purchase of the purchased service, and user identification information corresponding to the user, Determine whether the user used the railway associated with the purchase destination of the service at the service response date and time corresponding to the purchased service. Obtain current price information corresponding to the current price, which is the price of the purchased service at the service response date and time. Calculate the difference based on the obtained current price information and the purchase price information. If it is determined that the user used the railway and the current price is lower than the purchase price, grant a privilege based on the difference. A privilege granting method executed by a computer, characterized by the above.

9. A privilege granting program for causing a privilege granting device that grants a privilege based on price information related to a service purchased by a user to execute, The privilege granting device, receives the purchased service information corresponding to the purchased service, the purchase price information corresponding to the purchase price at the time of purchase of the purchased service, and the user identification information corresponding to the user. Determine whether the user used the railway associated with the purchase destination of the service at the service response date and time corresponding to the purchased service. Obtain current price information corresponding to the current price, which is the price of the purchased service at the service response date and time. Calculate the difference based on the obtained current price information and the purchase price information. If it is determined that the user used the railway and the current price is lower than the purchase price, cause the process of granting a privilege based on the difference to be executed. A privilege granting program, characterized by the above.

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