System, method, and program

Abstract

We provide an electronic ticket system that makes it easy to check and track usage. [Solution] A service information provision system is provided which includes a display means for displaying information, a touch panel overlaid on the display means and having an input means capable of detecting individual contact positions when multiple positions are touched simultaneously, a user terminal which displays an electronic ticket on the display means, and a stamp with multiple pressure points which can detect simultaneous contact with the input means, and when the user terminal is simultaneously touched by the pressure points of the stamp while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means, the input means detects the multiple contact positions, and if the detected contact positions satisfy predetermined conditions, a drawing is performed indicating that the electronic ticket has been used.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic ticket system that issues an electronic ticket to a mobile device such as a smartphone and recognizes that the electronic ticket has been used. [Background technology]

[0002] Services that offer coupons or points as sales promotion activities aimed at selling products and attracting customers have been implemented in various forms for some time. One example is a form in which coupons are distributed on paper or via the Internet (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this form, when a customer makes a purchase at a retail store, they present a coupon issued by the retail store to a store clerk, and are then able to receive preferential services according to the content of the coupon. Note that one form of point awarding uses a purchase proof stamp (sticker) and a mount for affixing the stamp. These types of services have the advantage that they do not require a large amount of cost to implement and can be easily implemented by the retail store alone.

[0003] Furthermore, systems are being developed in which admission tickets for various events such as music, movies, and sports, transportation tickets, and vouchers for pre-purchased products are issued to users' mobile devices in the form of electronic tickets via the Internet, etc., and services such as admission to event venues and use of transportation can be enjoyed by presenting the electronic ticket. In the following explanation, electronically issued coupons, stamp cards, event tickets, product vouchers, and other coupons and tickets issued electronically via the Internet, etc., are collectively referred to as "electronic tickets." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-157102 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the system described in Patent Document 1, it is not easy to grasp data such as which customer used which coupon, when and where, sales per customer, and points issued accordingly. For this reason, it is actually difficult for retailers to effectively and efficiently use coupons and points as a sales promotion method. It is also similarly difficult to confirm and track the usage of event tickets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic ticket system that can solve the above-mentioned problems. This object is achieved by the combination of features recited in the independent claims. The dependent claims also define further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the electronic ticket system of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a display means for displaying information, a touch panel overlaid on the display means and having input means capable of detecting individual contact positions when multiple positions are touched simultaneously, a user terminal for displaying an electronic ticket on the display means, and a stamp having multiple pressure sections capable of detecting simultaneous contact with the input means, and when the user terminal is touched simultaneously by the pressure sections of the stamp while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means, it detects the multiple contact positions using the input means, and if the detected contact positions satisfy predetermined conditions, it draws a picture indicating that the electronic ticket has been used.

[0008] The electronic ticket system may further include a server device capable of communicating with the user terminal, and the user terminal may be configured to notify the server device that the electronic ticket has been used when the detected contact position satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0009] Furthermore, if the electronic ticket system further includes a server device capable of communicating with a user terminal, the server device stores information regarding the arrangement of the stamp's multiple pressure points in association with the electronic ticket corresponding to the stamp. When the user terminal detects, via the input means, that all pressure points on the stamp have been simultaneously touched while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means, the user terminal may inquire into the stamp database of the server device whether the detected contact position corresponds to the displayed electronic ticket. If a response indicating that the contact position corresponds is received, the display means may display an image indicating that the electronic ticket has been used. In this case, when the server device responds to the inquiry from the user terminal indicating that the contact position corresponds, the server device may record that the electronic ticket has been used by the user of the user terminal. The server device may also include an information providing unit that provides the electronic ticket to the user.

[0010] When the user terminal is simultaneously touched by all of the pressure points on the stamp while the display means displays a request for an electronic ticket, the user terminal detects multiple contact positions using the input means and requests the server device to provide an electronic ticket corresponding to the detected contact positions, and the server device provides the electronic ticket corresponding to the contact positions to the requesting user terminal in response to the request from the user terminal.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a program according to a second embodiment of the present invention is a program executed on a user terminal having a display means for displaying information, a touch panel overlaid on the display means and having input means capable of detecting individual contact positions when touched at multiple positions simultaneously, and an information storage unit for storing an electronic ticket to be displayed on the display means of the touch panel, and causes the user terminal to execute the following steps: displaying the electronic ticket on the display means; detecting the contact positions of contacts made simultaneously at multiple positions on the input means while the electronic ticket is displayed on the display means; and, if the detected contact positions correspond to the displayed electronic ticket, drawing on the display means an indication that the electronic ticket has been used.

[0012] It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention, and subcombinations of these features may also constitute inventions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coupon issuing system 10. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mobile terminal 20. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of a stamp 30. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server 40. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a coupon information database. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure for issuing a coupon using the coupon issuing system 10. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 before a coupon is issued. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of unused coupons displayed on the mobile terminal 20. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart showing the procedure for using the coupon issuing system 10. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of displaying used coupons. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure for using the stamp rally system. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 before stamping. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 after stamping. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20 before stamping. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server 40 in a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] [First embodiment: Example of application to a coupon issuing system] A coupon issuing system 10, which is a first embodiment of an electronic ticket system according to the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] [Configuration of coupon issuing system 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coupon issuing system 10. The coupon issuing system 10 includes a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40. The mobile terminal 20 and the server 40 each execute applications that function as components of the coupon issuing system 10 of the present invention. The mobile terminal 20 and the server 40 are capable of communicating with each other via a network such as the Internet. The stamp 30 is placed in a store where coupons issued by the coupon issuing system 10 can be used, and is used to issue and / or mark coupons as used.

[0016] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of mobile terminal 20. Mobile terminal 20 includes a calculation device 21 such as a CPU that executes the calculation processing of an application, a storage device 22 such as a RAM or a hard disk that stores information, a display device 23 such as a display (screen), a communication device 24 that transmits and receives the processing results of calculation device 21 and the information stored in storage device 22 via a network such as the Internet or a LAN, and a multi-touch touch panel display 25 that identifies the arrangement information of stamps 30. Each function (each means) realized on a computer is executed by loading an instruction(s) for executing the process into calculation device 21. When each function uses information stored in storage device 22 in its processing, it reads the relevant information from storage device 22 and uses the read information appropriately for processing in calculation device 21.

[0017] A multi-touch touch panel display is a touch panel that can detect contact at multiple points with a finger, a pen tip, or the like. A stamp 30 of the present invention is brought into contact with a mobile terminal 20 equipped with this multi-touch touch panel display. Note that the display device 23 may also function as the multi-touch touch panel display 25. Note that there are various contact detection methods for touch panels, but in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the touch panel display is of the capacitive type.

[0018] 3 is a diagram showing the structure of stamp 30. Stamp 30 comprises a main body 30a, an electrode 31, a handle 32, and an imprinting surface 33. The main body 30a of stamp 30 has handle 32 provided on the top, and the bottom surface opposite to the handle 32 forms the imprinting surface 33. The imprinting surface 33 and the cross section of main body 30a parallel to imprinting surface 33 are formed in the shape of a rectangular square stamp.

[0019] The stamp 30 has five electrodes 31, which are pressure plates that detect the arrangement information of the stamp 30 when they are simultaneously touched to the multi-touch touch panel display 25 of the mobile terminal 20. The five electrodes 31 are fixed to the stamp surface 33, maintaining a predetermined positional relationship with each other, and when they are simultaneously touched to the mobile terminal 20, this positional relationship is recognized. Three of the five electrodes 31 are arranged near the three vertices of the rectangle of the stamp surface 33. This arrangement of the electrodes 31 makes it possible to recognize the up, down, left, and right of the stamp 30 regardless of the orientation of the stamp surface 33 of the stamp 30 when it is touched to the touch panel display 25. The electrodes 31 are circular and made of a conductive material, and have a convex structure relative to the stamp surface 33. The electrodes 31 are also made of a conductive material. It is also preferable that the electrodes 31 and the main body 30a are made of a translucent material. Since the electrodes 31 and main body 30a are made of a conductive and translucent material, an image that is displayed when the stamp 30 is pressed against the touch panel display 25 can be drawn on the imprinting surface 33, making it appear as if the drawn image has been imprinted on the mobile terminal 20 when the stamp 30 is brought into contact with the mobile terminal. It is preferable to fill the areas other than the electrodes with an insulating (non-conductive) material such as resin so that the imprinting surface is substantially flat. This prevents rattling during imprinting due to vertices where no electrodes are located, and ensures that all electrodes are in contact with the touch panel display simultaneously. It is preferable that the color of the electrodes and the color of the material filling the areas other than the electrodes are the same (e.g., transparent). This makes it difficult to see the electrode positions, preventing unauthorized copying of the stamp.

[0020] The handle 32 is the part that is held when stamping the stamp 30. The handle 32 is made of a conductive material. The stamping surface 33 is the part where the electrodes 31 are placed and is also made of a conductive material. The above-described configuration of the stamp 30 is made of a material and configuration that is suitable for a stamp 30 to be used with a touch panel display that uses a capacitive touch panel. If the mobile terminal 20 employs a touch panel display of another type, the stamp 30 may be made of a material and configuration that has characteristics suitable for that type of touch panel. If conductivity is not required, the stamping surface 33 of the stamp 30 may be provided with multiple non-conductive pressure points that allow simultaneous contact with the touch panel display.

[0021] As described above, the stamp 30 has electrodes 31 arranged on the stamping surface 33 so as to provide the same effect as touching the touch panel display 25 at multiple points with a finger or a pen tip. The arrangement information of the electrodes 31 is set differently for each coupon. Therefore, the type of coupon can be identified based on the arrangement information of the electrodes 31. Furthermore, a coupon can be displayed on the mobile terminal 20, and the coupon can be identified as used by touching the electrodes 31 to the displayed coupon screen. While it is possible to use a fingertip to make contact similar to touching the touch panel display 25 with the electrodes 31 of the stamp 30, it is not appropriate to identify the arrangement information with a fingertip, considering the hygienic aspects of directly touching the mobile terminal 20 and the user's stress over having others directly touch the screen of the mobile terminal 20. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a pen tip to make contact similar to that of the stamp 30, but it is not appropriate to identify the arrangement information with a pen tip. It makes sense to use the stamp 30 to perform the above-mentioned processes from issuing the coupon to checking whether the coupon has been used.

[0022] 4 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of server 40. Server 40 has a terminal information storage unit 41, an array information search processing unit 42, a coupon information search processing unit 44, a coupon information storage unit 45, and a coupon information providing unit 46. These functional blocks are realized by reading and executing instructions (groups) for executing the processing into a calculation device such as a CPU, using the calculation device, storage devices such as RAM and hard disks that store information, and communication devices such as a network interface.

[0023] The terminal information storage unit 41 stores information about the user's mobile terminal 20. The information about the user's mobile terminal 20 includes identification information of the mobile terminal 20, the date and time when communication was received from the mobile terminal 20, location information of the mobile terminal 20, and the like.

[0024] The array information search processing unit 42 receives the array information of the electrodes 31 transmitted from the user's mobile terminal 20, and sends the array information received from the electrodes 31 to the coupon information search processing unit 44. In addition, the array information search processing unit 42 searches for and extracts the requested array information from the array information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45.

[0025] The coupon information search processing unit 44 receives a coupon acquisition request transmitted from the user's mobile terminal 20 or array information transmitted from the array information search processing unit 42, and searches for and extracts the requested coupon information from the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45. As a condition for searching for coupon information, array information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30 that has come into contact with the user's mobile terminal 20 may be obtained from the user's mobile terminal 20 and used. Then, the coupon information storage unit 45 is searched for coupon information corresponding to the obtained array information.

[0026] The coupon information storage unit 45 stores information about coupons (also simply referred to as "coupon information"). FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an example of the coupon information storage unit 45. The information about the coupons includes coupon identification information for identifying the coupons (arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30, an ID for identifying the coupon, a coupon name, etc.), store identification information where the coupon can be used (store name, ID for identifying the store, etc.), details of services that can be enjoyed with the coupon (e.g., 20% off, one free item, one free drink, free for one person, etc.), information about the stores where the coupons can be used (address, telephone number, etc.), event information associated with the coupon, location information of the location where the event is being held, map information showing the route from the location of the event to the store, an image of the coupon face when it is unused, an image of the coupon face after it has been used, a coupon distribution period, a coupon usage period, a coupon usage limit (the number of users who can use the coupon; once the cumulative number of users of the coupon reaches this number, further use of the coupon is no longer possible), and the cumulative number of users of the coupon.

[0027] The coupon information providing unit 46 receives a request to acquire coupon information from the user's mobile terminal 20, and sends the coupon information searched and extracted by the coupon information search processing unit 44 in response to the acquisition request to the user's mobile terminal 20.

[0028] [Registering coupon information in coupon information storage unit 45] The server 40 provides an administrator, such as a coupon issuer, with a registration screen for registering coupon information in the coupon information storage unit 45. The administrator accesses the registration screen via the Internet, for example, and registers the above-mentioned coupon information in the coupon information storage unit 45.

[0029] The administrator registers the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30 in the coupon information storage unit 45 via the mobile terminal 20. The server 40 provides the administrator with a stamp registration screen for registering the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30. The administrator accesses the stamp registration screen using the mobile terminal 20, for example, via the Internet. The stamp registration screen displays an imprinting area for pressing the stamp to be registered, an input field for coupon identification information of the coupon to be associated with the stamp, a registration button for starting registration, and the like. The administrator enters the coupon identification information in the input field, touches the registration button to enable stamp registration, and then presses the stamp against the imprinting area. The mobile terminal 20 recognizes the arrangement of the electrodes 31 of the pressed stamp 30 using the touch panel display 25, associates the coupon identification information with the arrangement information, and transmits it to the server 40. The server 40 registers the arrangement information in the coupon information storage unit 45 in association with the coupon identification information received from the administrator's mobile terminal 20.

[0030] In the above example, the coupon information and stamp array information are managed together in the coupon information storage unit 45. However, the coupon information and stamp array information may be managed separately, and the coupon identification information may be linked to the stamp identification information corresponding to the coupon in the coupon information storage unit 45. Managing the coupon information and the stamp array information separately makes it easy to assign an already registered stamp to multiple coupons or to reuse the stamp as a stamp for another coupon after the validity period of the coupon has expired.

[0031] [Coupon issuing behavior] Next, referring to FIG. 6, the operation of coupon issuing system 10 when issuing a coupon will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for issuing a coupon by coupon issuing system 10. First, the user launches an application on mobile terminal 20 (step S100). Then, the user operates the application to display a screen before coupon issuance, such as that shown in FIG. 7, on mobile terminal 20 (step S101), and operates the application to request the server to issue a coupon. Specifically, the request is made by touching a stamp to mobile terminal 20 (step S102). Then, mobile terminal 20 requests server 40 to issue a coupon linked to the array information of electrodes 31 (step S104). In server 40, coupon information providing unit 46 receives the request, and array information search processing unit 42 searches for coupon information corresponding to the array information to determine whether the requested coupon information has already been registered in server 40 (step S106). If the coupon information is already registered, the server 40 causes the coupon information providing unit 46 to transmit the coupon information to the mobile terminal 20 (step S108), and the mobile terminal 20 receives the information (step S110). When the mobile terminal 20 receives the coupon information, it causes the touch panel display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 to display a screen after the coupon issuance as shown in Fig. 8 (step S112).

[0032] On the other hand, if the coupon information is not registered in the server 40, the coupon cannot be recognized (step S114), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the coupon cannot be used, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S116). Upon receiving the notification, the mobile terminal 20 displays a message that the coupon is not registered (step S118) and terminates the process. If an unregistered coupon is requested, the user cannot use the coupon. This prevents erroneous use, such as when the coupon is outside its validity period. It also prevents fraud, such as counterfeiting coupons.

[0033] In this way, by using the electronic stamp of the present invention to issue coupons, it is possible to issue coupons that give a premium feel to users. For example, by announcing in advance that coupons will only be distributed if customers visit the store and by having the electronic stamp of the present invention available in the store, it is possible to issue coupons only to those who actually visit the store. This makes it possible to actively motivate customers to visit the store. It also makes it possible to issue coupons only to users who visit the store. This gives users a premium feel that they will not receive coupons unless they visit the store.

[0034] As a search condition for coupon information, when the stamp 30 is brought into contact with the user's mobile terminal 20, the user's mobile terminal 20 acquires arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30, and searches the coupon information storage unit 45 for coupon information based on the arrangement information. The search condition may also include location information of the mobile terminal 20. Other search conditions may also be set.

[0035] The coupon information search processing unit 44 receives a request for searching coupon information from the user's mobile terminal 20, and the coupon information providing unit 46 sends the search results of the relevant coupon information from among the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 to the user's mobile terminal 20. There are three conditions for searching coupon information:

[0036] In the first case, when a user visits a store, a store clerk touches a stamp 30 to the user's mobile terminal 20, and the user's mobile terminal 20 acquires the array information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30. The array information search processing unit 42 then accepts a search processing request for the array information, and the coupon information providing unit 46 sends the relevant coupon information from the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 to the user's mobile terminal 20 as a search result.

[0037] The second is that when a user visits a store, the user's mobile terminal 20 sends a coupon acquisition request to the coupon information search processing unit 44, and the coupon information providing unit 46 sends the relevant coupon information from the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 to the user's mobile terminal 20 as a search result.

[0038] Third, the server pushes coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 to the user's mobile terminal 20. The notification is performed by matching information about the user's mobile terminal 20, such as the location information of the mobile terminal 20 sent to the terminal information storage unit 41, with the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45. If matching information is found, the server 40 sends a notification of the coupon information to the user's mobile terminal 20. For example, if the location information of the mobile terminal 20 acquired by the mobile terminal 20 is in front of Shibuya Station, the coupon information stored in the coupon information storage unit 45 will send a coupon for the location information of a store issuing a coupon in front of Shibuya Station to the mobile terminal 20. If the user previously registers the type of coupon desired (for example, type of cuisine (Japanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Italian cuisine, French cuisine, etc.), type of restaurant (family restaurant, fast food, rice bowl restaurant, izakaya, kappo restaurant, bar, Chinese restaurant, Italian restaurant, etc.), price range of the restaurant, etc.), these may be included as search conditions.

[0039] To issue a coupon, first, the stamp information, which is information about the arrangement of electrodes 31 of stamp 30 and the content of the coupon, is registered in server 40. Then, an application installed on mobile terminal 20 obtains this stamp information from server 40 via a network such as the Internet and receives the coupon information. The corresponding coupon is then displayed on the application running on mobile terminal 20.

[0040] In addition to the request made by pressing the stamp 30 as described above, the coupon itself or access information (such as a URL) to the coupon download page may be distributed from the server 40 to the registered user by means of e-mail or the like. The registered users to whom the coupons are distributed may be narrowed down based on the registered user's attribute information, past coupon usage history, etc. Furthermore, when an application is launched on the mobile terminal 20, coupons within the distribution period may be automatically downloaded.

[0041] [Behavior when using coupons] Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the operation when using a coupon issued by the coupon issuing system 10 will be described.

[0042] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure for using a coupon issued by the coupon issuing system 10. First, the user launches an application on the mobile device 20 (step S200). Then, the user operates the application to display a screen of unused coupons on the mobile device 20, as shown in FIG. 8 (step S202). If a limit is placed on the number of coupons that can be used, the screen may display the remaining number of coupons, such as "5 remaining." The screen is then presented at a store where the coupon can be used. A store employee touches the imprint surface of a stamp, which contains the store's unique arrangement information, to the screen of the mobile device 20. That is, with the screen of unused coupons displayed, the employee touches the stamp 30 of the present invention to the touch panel display 25 (step S204). The mobile device 20 then recognizes the arrangement information arranged on the stamp 30, as shown in FIG. 3 (step S206). The recognized arrangement information is transmitted from the mobile device 20 to the server 40 via a network, such as the Internet (step S208). The server 40 receives the sequence information through the sequence information search processing unit 42, searches for coupon information corresponding to the sequence information through the coupon information search processing unit 44, and determines whether the coupon information is registered in the coupon information storage unit 45 (step S210). If the sequence information is registered in the server 40, the server 40 recognizes the corresponding coupon from the registered sequence information (step S212), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 via the coupon information providing unit 46 that the user has used the coupon, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S214). Upon receiving the notification, the mobile terminal 20 displays (draws) an indication that the coupon has been used, as shown in FIG. 10 (step S216), and terminates the process. This allows the user to use the coupon displayed on the mobile terminal 20. In this way, when a registered coupon is used, the terminal information storage unit 41 keeps track of when, who, and at which store the coupon was used, and stores this information. The store can use this information for marketing and sales promotion activities or to plan new coupons.

[0043] As a variation of the above steps S208 to S216, the mobile terminal 20 may store coupon information and the corresponding array information in advance (for example, when the coupon is issued) in association with each other, and when it recognizes the array information of the stamp 30 that has been pressed, it may compare it with the array information that corresponds to the coupon currently being displayed, and if it determines that the corresponding stamp 30 has been pressed, it may display that the coupon has been used and send a notification to the server that the coupon has been used.

[0044] As yet another example, the mobile terminal 20 may transmit coupon information (e.g., coupon identification information) of the coupon being displayed (that is to be used) and arrangement information of the stamp 30 that has been pressed to the server 40, and the server 40 may search for arrangement information corresponding to the coupon that is to be used and compare it with the arrangement information of the stamp 30 that has been pressed, and if it determines that the corresponding stamp 30 has been pressed, it may notify the mobile terminal 20 to display that the coupon has been used.

[0045] On the other hand, if the sequence information is not registered in the server 40, the coupon cannot be recognized (step S218), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the coupon cannot be used, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S220). Upon receiving the notification, the mobile terminal 20 displays a message that the coupon is not registered (step S222) and terminates the process. If an unregistered coupon is presented, the user cannot use the coupon. This prevents erroneous use, such as when the coupon is outside its validity period. It also prevents fraud, such as counterfeiting coupons.

[0046] [Second embodiment: Example of application to a stamp rally system] Next, a stamp rally system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 11. The stamp rally system is configured in the same manner as the coupon issuing system 10 described in the first embodiment, with a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40. Although there are differences in operation and usage procedures, the rest of the system is the same as the coupon issuing system 10, so a description of the common parts will be omitted here.

[0047] The stamp rally system, like the coupon issuing system 10 of the first embodiment described above, includes a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40. Explanation of matters common to the first embodiment described above will be omitted here. A stamp 30 is provided at each of a plurality of checkpoints in the stamp rally.

[0048] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the usage procedure when the stamp 30 is applied to a stamp rally system. Before starting this procedure, a stamp rally participant selects the stamp rally they wish to participate in from among multiple stamp rallies available in an application installed on the mobile device 20. The procedure shown in the flowchart begins when the stamp rally participant arrives at a checkpoint. First, the application is launched on the mobile device 20 (step S300). Then, the application is operated to display a pre-stamp rally screen on the mobile device 20, as shown in FIG. 12 (step S302). The participant touches the stamp surface of the stamp 30, which has checkpoint-specific arrangement information and is placed at the checkpoint, to the screen of the mobile device. That is, with the pre-stamp rally screen displayed, the participant touches the stamp 30 to the touch panel display 25 (step S304). Then, the mobile device 20 recognizes the arrangement information of the electrodes 31 arranged on the stamp 30, as shown in FIG. 3 (step S306). The recognized sequence information is transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 to the server 40 via a network such as the Internet (step S308). The server 40 receives the sequence information, searches for coupon information corresponding to the sequence information using the coupon information search processing unit 44, and determines whether the sequence information has been registered with the server 40 (step S310). At this time, the server 40 may receive, along with the sequence information, information identifying the participating stamp rally, information identifying the participant, information identifying the checkpoint, etc. If the sequence information has been registered with the server 40, the server 40 recognizes the corresponding checkpoint from the registered sequence information (step S312), and notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the user has arrived at the checkpoint, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S314). Note that if the checkpoint recognized based on the sequence information does not correspond to the information identifying the stamp rally or the information identifying the checkpoint received from the mobile terminal, the server 40 may not notify the user that they have arrived at the checkpoint.The server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 and records when, who, and at which checkpoint the user arrived. Upon receiving the notification, the mobile terminal 20 displays a message indicating that the checkpoint has been reached (step S316) as shown in FIG. 13, and terminates the process. This allows the user to record that they have arrived at the checkpoint displayed on the mobile terminal 20. In this way, when a checkpoint is reached, the server 40 knows when, who, and at which checkpoint the user arrived, and can store this information.

[0049] 12 and 13, only one checkpoint is displayed on one screen of the mobile terminal 20, but multiple checkpoints may be displayed on one screen, as in the modified example shown in Fig. 14. Displaying multiple checkpoints on one screen makes it possible to present to the participant an intuitive and easy-to-understand indication of the degree of progress toward the goal.

[0050] The stamp rally system 11 does not require ink when stamping, and can easily create a drawing that looks like a proper stamp on the mobile terminal 20 without having to consider stamping errors or the orientation of the stamp. Furthermore, the checkpoints themselves do not need to be equipped with power sources, communication devices, or other equipment, making it easy to set up checkpoint locations. For these reasons, even in facilities such as retail stores where it is difficult to set up space for a stamp rally, a large number of checkpoints can be easily set up, allowing customers to roam around the store.

[0051] On the other hand, if the sequence information is not registered in the server 40, the checkpoint cannot be recognized (step S318), and the server 40 notifies the mobile terminal 20 that the checkpoint cannot be recognized, which the mobile terminal 20 receives (step S320). Upon receiving the notification, the mobile terminal 20 displays a message that the checkpoint is not registered (step S322) and terminates the process. If a screen of an unregistered checkpoint is presented, the participant cannot stamp 30. Therefore, for example, if there is a mismatch between the checkpoint that the participant has actually arrived at and the screen displayed on the mobile terminal 20, the stamp 30 will not be stamped by mistake. This also prevents fraud, such as falsifying arrival at a checkpoint.

[0052] The stamp rally system may award a coupon or a prize to a participant who has stamped 30 at all checkpoints according to the procedure shown in Fig. 11. For example, when the server 40 confirms that stamps 30 have been stamped at all checkpoints, the coupon may be automatically provided to the mobile terminal 20 of the participant. Alternatively, the participant may receive a prize or coupon when the participant presents a screen indicating that all stamps have been stamped to the organizer of the stamp rally, etc. Once all stamps have been stamped, the server 40 may provide the mobile terminal 20 with ranking information indicating the participant's place among all participants in reaching all checkpoints, and the participant may be given a coupon or prize according to the ranking information.

[0053] [Third embodiment: Example of application to a ticket processing system] Next, a ticket processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The ticket processing system issues various tickets, such as admission tickets for various events such as music, movies, and sports, and transportation passes, and then clears them as used. The ticket processing system is configured in the same way as the coupon issuing system 10 described in the first embodiment, with a mobile terminal 20, a stamp 30, and a server 40. Although there are differences in operation and usage procedures, the ticket processing system is otherwise similar to the coupon issuing system 10, and therefore a description of the common parts will be omitted here.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 15, the server 40 of this embodiment includes a terminal information storage unit 41, a ticket information storage unit 47, a stamp information storage unit 48, a ticket issuance processing unit 49, and the like.

[0055] The ticket information storage unit 47 stores, in association with ticket identification information, the name of the ticket, information on the face of the ticket (images and text information before and after use), the price of the ticket, the period during which the ticket is used, the seat location in the event, stamp identification information of the stamp 30 associated with the ticket, etc. An individual ticket may be associated with multiple stamp identification information. Also, a common stamp identification information may be assigned to multiple tickets.

[0056] The stamp information storage unit 48 stores the stamp identification information in association with arrangement information indicating the arrangement of electrodes arranged on the stamp 30. The method for registering the stamp 30 in the stamp information storage unit 48 may be the same as the method for registering the stamp 30 in the coupon information storage unit 45 in the coupon issuing system of the first embodiment.

[0057] The ticket issuance processing unit 49 issues and transmits ticket information to the user's mobile terminal 20. The ticket issuance processing unit 49 may issue tickets free of charge to many users using a method similar to that of the coupon issuance system of the first embodiment, or may issue tickets only to users who have completed the ticket purchase procedure. In this case, the ticket issuance processing unit 49 of the server 40 transmits ticket information (e.g., ticket name, ticket face information (image and text information), ticket price, seat location at the event, etc.) or the URL of a ticket data download site to users who have completed the purchase procedure.

[0058] The following describes how to use the ticket processing system, taking as an example the case of issuing admission tickets to a music event and using the issued tickets at the event venue.

[0059] A user purchases a ticket through a predetermined procedure and imports the ticket information of the purchased ticket into an application on the mobile device 20. Then, when the ticket needs to be presented, the user displays and presents the ticket on the touch panel display of the mobile device 20. An event staff member who cancels the admission ticket stamps the event-specific stamp on the touch panel display where the ticket is displayed, thereby marking the admission ticket as used. When performing the cancellation process, the server 40 and the mobile device 20 exchange information about the cancelled ticket, the date and time of the cancellation, the location of the cancellation, and so on. Then, it is determined whether the displayed ticket matches the stamped stamp, whether the time of the cancellation is within the ticket's validity period, and so on. Cancellation is performed only when all conditions are met. The conditions may be determined by the mobile device 20 or the server 40. Alternatively, some of the determinations may be performed by the mobile device 20 and the rest by the server 40. If the conditions are not met, an error notification may be displayed, sound, vibration, or the like. This prevents unauthorized entry.

[0060] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the claims that such modifications and improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the array information and the corresponding coupon information, checkpoints, or ticket information are stored in association with each other in the server 40, and the server 40 determines whether the correspondence between the array information received from the mobile terminal 20 and the coupon information, checkpoints, or ticket information is appropriate. However, the array information and the corresponding coupon information or checkpoint information may be stored in the mobile terminal 20, and the mobile terminal 20 may itself check whether the correspondence is appropriate.

[0062] In addition, in the above-described embodiments, the deactivation process for marking a coupon or ticket as used by stamping the coupon or ticket has been described as an example. However, methods other than stamping may be selected as an operation for executing the deactivation process. For example, methods may be selected such as entering a predetermined personal identification number, reading a barcode or two-dimensional code (e.g., QR Code (registered trademark)), inputting a sound of a predetermined pattern or wavelength through a microphone, or performing a predetermined operation for executing the deactivation process on the touch panel display of the mobile terminal 20. For example, the coupon information storage unit 45 or the ticket information storage unit 47 may store the deactivation method to be used in association with the identification information of the coupon or ticket. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 Coupon issuing system 20 Mobile devices 30 stamps 40 servers

Claims

1. 1. A system having a server with a processor, The processor of the server: means for receiving location information of a mobile device; a means for identifying information about a plurality of electronic coupons corresponding to the location information received from the mobile terminal by comparing the location information received from the mobile terminal with location information associated with each of the plurality of electronic coupons, from information about the plurality of electronic coupons stored in association with electrode arrangement information of a stamp having a plurality of electrodes; and a means for outputting information about the identified electronic coupon to a mobile terminal, The system detects the use of the electronic coupon by stamping a stamp having the plurality of electrodes onto the input screen of the mobile terminal, whereby the arrangement information of the electrodes is detected by the mobile terminal, and the detected arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal.

2. A system having a server with a processor, The processor of the server: a means for receiving a request for obtaining an electronic coupon, the request including information on the arrangement of the electrodes of a stamp having a plurality of electrodes; a means for identifying information about the electronic coupon corresponding to the received array information from information about a plurality of electronic coupons stored in association with the electrode array information; and a means for outputting information about the identified electronic coupon to a mobile terminal, The system detects the use of the electronic coupon by stamping a stamp having the plurality of electrodes onto the input screen of the mobile terminal, whereby the arrangement information of the electrodes is detected by the mobile terminal, and the detected arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal.

3. The system described in Claim 1, wherein the means for identifying information regarding the electronic coupon identifies the electronic coupon that can be used in the area of the location information received from the mobile terminal.

4. The processor further comprises: means for acquiring time information when a user starts an application relating to the electronic coupon; The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a means for transmitting information about the electronic coupon, the time information of which corresponds to a pre-registered distribution period, to the mobile terminal of the user.

5. A method executed by a server having a processor, comprising: The processor of the server: receiving location information of the mobile device; a step of identifying information about a plurality of electronic coupons corresponding to the location information received from the mobile terminal by comparing the location information received from the mobile terminal with location information associated with each of the plurality of electronic coupons, from information about the plurality of electronic coupons stored in association with electrode arrangement information of a stamp having a plurality of electrodes; outputting information about the identified electronic coupon to a mobile terminal; The method includes the steps of: pressing a stamp having the plurality of electrodes onto an input screen of the mobile terminal, detecting arrangement information of the electrodes by the mobile terminal; and detecting use of the electronic coupon based on the fact that the detected arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal.

6. A program executed on a server having a processor, the processor of the server, receiving location information of the mobile device; a step of identifying information about a plurality of electronic coupons corresponding to the location information received from the mobile terminal by comparing the location information received from the mobile terminal with location information associated with each of the plurality of electronic coupons, from information about the plurality of electronic coupons stored in association with electrode arrangement information of a stamp having a plurality of electrodes; outputting information about the identified electronic coupon to a mobile terminal; The program detects the use of the electronic coupon based on the fact that the electrode arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal when a stamp having the plurality of electrodes is stamped on the input screen of the mobile terminal, and the detected arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal.

7. A method executed by a server having a processor, comprising: The processor of the server: receiving a request for obtaining an electronic coupon, the request including information on the arrangement of the electrodes of a stamp having a plurality of electrodes; identifying information about the electronic coupon corresponding to the received array information from information about a plurality of electronic coupons stored in association with the electrode array information; outputting information about the identified electronic coupon to a mobile terminal; The method includes the steps of: pressing a stamp having the plurality of electrodes onto an input screen of the mobile terminal, detecting arrangement information of the electrodes by the mobile terminal; and detecting use of the electronic coupon based on the fact that the detected arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal.

8. A program executed on a server having a processor, the processor of the server, receiving a request for obtaining an electronic coupon, the request including information on the arrangement of the electrodes of a stamp having a plurality of electrodes; identifying information about the electronic coupon corresponding to the received array information from information about a plurality of electronic coupons stored in association with the electrode array information; outputting information about the identified electronic coupon to a mobile terminal; The program detects the use of the electronic coupon based on the fact that the electrode arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal when a stamp having the plurality of electrodes is stamped on the input screen of the mobile terminal, and the detected arrangement information is linked to the electronic coupon displayed on the mobile terminal.

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