Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To make a reservation for a service using a network through a simple operation.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus includes: a setting unit which sets reservation access information for a service provided by a service provider on the basis of identification information of the service provider; a display control unit which displays a reservation page with a designation of identification information of the service provider corresponding to the reservation access information when an access is made through the reservation access information; and a reservation receiving unit which receives a reservation for a service provided by the service provider for a designated reservation time and date, in accordance with designation operation of a user for the reservation time and date displayed in the reservation page.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A person (user) who wishes to use a service can reserve the service via a network by, for example, accessing a service reservation page such as the homepage of an individual or store that provides the service. An example of a technology related to service reservations via a network is the technology described in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The technology of Patent Document 1 accepts reservation-related information input by a user of a mobile terminal who is permitted to log in to the reservation processing system in accordance with operational instructions from the user. Logging in to the reservation processing system is performed via a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that is issued by accepting a phone number input by the user of the mobile terminal. After logging in to the system, a reservation application process is executed, and reservation-related information is stored in association with the phone number of the mobile terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-157010 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional service reservations using a network, including the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, require users to individually enter information such as the desired service provider and the date and time of service provision, making service reservations time-consuming. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for making a service reservation using a network with a simpler operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a setting unit that sets reservation access information for a service provided by a service source based on identification information of the service source, a display control unit that, when access is made through the reservation access information, displays a reservation page that specifies the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information, and a reservation acceptance unit that accepts reservations for a service provided by the service source for a specified reservation date and time in accordance with a user's selection operation for the reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a user can access a reservation page for a service provided by a service provider through the access information and reserve a service provided by the service provider for the designated date and time by specifying one of the available reservation dates and times displayed on the reservation page. This allows a user to reserve a service with a simpler operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a communication system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying a service reservation page. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating functions of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of service registration information. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of reservation status management information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of reservation history information. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when a service reservation is accepted. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that recommends an alternative service. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a flow of setting reservation access information. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the flow of a user reserving a service (part 1). [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of a user reserving a service (part 2). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <<Service reservation using this invention>> A service reservation using the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a service reservation according to the present invention) will be outlined below. A service reservation according to the present invention is made by a person who wishes to use a service via a network such as the Internet or a mobile communication line.

[0010] In the present invention, a "service" refers to a service (labor) provided by a service provider for a user, and is available at a predetermined location. The location of the service is a store or facility, and specific examples include beauty salons, esthetic salons, fitness clubs, cultural schools, cram schools, hospitals, medical clinics, and the like.

[0011] A service provision source is a human or material resource (so-called resource) that provides a service at a service provision location.Specific examples include store staff, space for providing the service (seats, etc.), and specialized equipment and machines used to provide special services.

[0012] During the period of service usage, the service provider is time-constrained. Therefore, when using the service, a person who wishes to use the service operates their own terminal (strictly speaking, a user terminal, described later) to make a service reservation. Specifically, the person accesses the reservation page for the desired service and inputs the information necessary for the service reservation. Examples of the information necessary for the reservation include the location of the service, the service provider, the type of service (menu), and the reservation date and time. According to the present invention, the effort required to input these items can be simplified, making it easier to reserve a service from the service provider at the desired date and time.

[0013] Hereinafter, an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely an example given to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. In other words, the present invention may be modified or improved from the embodiment described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0014] Furthermore, the screen examples referred to in the following explanation are merely examples, and the screen configuration examples, the content of the information displayed, and the GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc. can be freely designed according to the system design specifications and user preferences, and can be changed as appropriate.

[0015] In the following description, the term "device" is not limited to a single device, but also includes devices configured from multiple devices operating in cooperation while separated from each other. In other words, the information processing device of the present invention may be configured from a single computer or multiple computers.

[0016] In the following, a "hairdresser" will be used as a specific example of a service provider, and a case of reserving a service (beauty service) by a hairdresser will be described. However, this case is merely an example, and the present invention can be applied to other cases as well. In the following description, for convenience, a person who wishes to use a service and makes a reservation for the service will be referred to as a "user."

[0017] <<About the information processing device of this embodiment>> The configuration of the information processing device of this embodiment will be described. The information processing device of this embodiment is configured by a computer, more strictly speaking, a server computer (hereinafter referred to as a reservation processing server 10). As shown in Figure 1, the reservation processing server 10 is communicably connected via a network 18 to a server for operating an SNS (Social Networking Service) (hereinafter referred to as an SNS server 12), a service provider terminal 14 used by hairdressers, and a user terminal 16 used by users. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 1 shows one provider terminal 14 and one user terminal 16, but the number of each terminal is not particularly limited.

[0018] The reservation processing server 10 executes a series of information processes related to reservations for services (beauty services) provided by hairdressers. Specifically, the reservation processing server 10 registers information related to beauty services, generates a reservation page for the beauty services, and accepts reservations from users through the reservation page. The reservation processing server 10 also sets (issues) reservation access information for generating the reservation page for the beauty services. The reservation access information is information including a URL for accessing the reservation page, and in this embodiment is text information indicating the URL.

[0019] The SNS server 12 is a known SNS server that receives posts to the SNS from posters and distributes the received posts to viewers. In this embodiment, a hairdresser corresponds to a poster, and a user corresponds to a viewer.

[0020] The provider terminal 14 communicates with the reservation processing server 10 and the SNS server 12 in accordance with the hairdresser's operation. The hairdresser can register information about the beauty services that he or she provides to the reservation processing server 10 via the provider terminal 14.

[0021] Furthermore, when the reservation processing server 10 sets reservation access information for beauty services by a single hairdresser, the reservation access information is sent to the hairdresser's service provider terminal 2. This reservation access information is information specifically for reserving beauty services by the above-mentioned hairdresser. Therefore, by using the reservation access information, a user can directly reserve beauty services by a single hairdresser. To put it simply, for example, a user can reserve a service by a single hairdresser corresponding to the reservation access information from among multiple hairdressers working at a certain salon, eliminating the need to go to the trouble of finding the appropriate hairdresser from among multiple hairdressers when making a reservation.

[0022] Furthermore, hairdressers can notify users of reservation access information (specifically, the URL to the reservation page) for the beauty services they provide via the SNS. Specifically, when a hairdresser starts an application program for the SNS on their service provider terminal 14 and posts an article containing reservation access information to the SNS, the SNS server 12 distributes the posted article to a specific user terminal 16. The specific user terminal 16 corresponds to, for example, the user terminal of a user who is registered as a friend (a friend on the SNS) of the hairdresser who sent the article.

[0023] The recipients of the reservation access information are not limited to the above users, but may be, for example, users who belong to a specific community on an SNS (specifically, a beauty community, etc.), or unspecified users. Furthermore, the method of notifying the reservation access information is not limited to notification via an SNS, but may be other notification methods, such as notification via email or short message service.

[0024] The user terminal 16 is a terminal equipped with an input device that accepts user operations and a display device that displays a reservation page, SNS posts, etc., and is configured, for example, by a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC, a television set that allows information input, a wearable terminal, etc. The user terminal 16 in this embodiment is configured, for example, by a smartphone or tablet terminal that has a display with a touch panel, etc.

[0025] When a user performs a predetermined operation on the reservation access information, for example, touching the reservation access information, while a posted article containing the reservation access information is being displayed on the user terminal 16, the user terminal 16 accepts the operation and transmits access data to the reservation processing server 10. When the reservation processing server 10 receives the access data from the user terminal 16, it generates a reservation page based on the touched reservation access information and displays the reservation page on the user terminal 16 that sent the data. This allows the user to access the reservation page via the reservation access information. In addition, assuming that the user will access the reservation page again after accessing it, the user may bookmark the reservation page (register it as a favorite) on the user terminal 16, and may also create a shortcut icon to make it easier to access the reservation page and display it on the display of the user terminal 16.

[0026] The reservation page (hereinafter referred to as reservation page Pr) of this embodiment is a web page for accepting reservations for a predetermined menu of services provided by a hairdresser at a predetermined salon, as shown in Fig. 2. In the case shown in Fig. 2, reservations are accepted for a beauty service menu of "cut and color" provided by hairdresser A at salon Ta where he works. In other words, the reservation page Pr is a page generated by specifying the reservation access information, the corresponding hairdresser's identification information, the salon where the service is provided, and the type of service (menu). For example, the reservation access information includes the identification information of hairdresser A, the store Ta where the service is provided, and the cut and color service items (menu), such as "http: / / AAAA.com / reserve?shop=store Ta&resource=hairdresser A&menu=cut&color." When an access operation is performed using this reservation access information, the web page "http: / / AAAA.com" is accessed, and a reservation page Pr is generated with "reserve?shop=store Ta&resource=hairdresser A&menu=cut&color" specified.

[0027] The user performs a service reservation operation on a display that displays the reservation page Pr. To explain the service reservation operation with reference to FIG. 2, the reservation page Pr displays beauty services by a hairdresser, more specifically, a predetermined service category (menu) at the salon where the hairdresser works, with available reservation dates and times displayed so that they can be specified. "Displayed so that they can be specified" means that the display is in a manner that accepts the user's operation to specify one of the dates and times. In the case shown in FIG. 2, "O" is displayed in the available reservation date and time column, while "X" is displayed in the unavailable reservation date and time column because the reservation has already been made. The user selects one of the available reservation dates and times and touches the O mark displayed in the date and time column. This operation of specifying a date and time corresponds to the service reservation operation.

[0028] When a date and time specification operation is performed as a service reservation operation, the user terminal 16 generates data indicating the specified date and time (hereinafter referred to as specified date and time data) and transmits it to the reservation processing server 10. The reservation processing server 10 receives the specified date and time data and accepts the service reservation made by the user. The service reservation at this time is a reservation for a specified menu of beauty services provided by a hairdresser at a specified salon on the specified available date and time. When the reservation is accepted, a reservation acceptance screen (see FIG. 8) is displayed on the display of the user terminal 16.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, the user can reserve the desired service simply by specifying the available date and time displayed on the reservation page Pr. In other words, in this embodiment, the reservation operation is simplified because there is no need to separately input the store where the service is provided, the hairdresser, the service menu, and the reservation date and time. This allows the user to more easily reserve a beauty service from a specific hairdresser.

[0030] In this embodiment, the user can decide the salon, hairdresser, menu, and date and time for the service to be reserved simply by selecting one of the available dates and times displayed on the reservation page Pr, but the items to be decided are not limited to the above. For example, for a hairdresser who only offers one menu of services, the items to be decided when reserving a service from that hairdresser are the salon, hairdresser, and date and time, and the menu is omitted. Items other than those mentioned above may also be included. For example, if multiple courses with different required times are set for the same menu, the user may also decide which course to choose.

[0031] <<Configuration example of information processing device>> An example of the configuration of the reservation processing server 10, which is an information processing device of this embodiment, will be described. First, the hardware configuration of the reservation processing server 10 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 3, the reservation processing server 10 has a processor 21, a memory 22, a communication interface 23, a storage 24, an input device 25, and an output device 26, and these devices are electrically connected via a bus 27.

[0032] Furthermore, the reservation processing server 10 has installed therein, as software, a program for the operating system (OS) and an application program for service reservation processing. These programs correspond to the "programs" of the present invention. When the processor 21 operates in accordance with the above programs, the reservation processing server 10 functions as an information processing device of the present invention and executes a series of processes related to service reservations.

[0033] The processor 21 may be configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro-Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), TPU (Tensor Processing Unit), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The memory 22 may be configured by semiconductor memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The communication interface 23 may be configured by, for example, a network interface card, a communication interface board, etc. The standard of data communication by the communication interface 23 is not particularly limited, and examples include communication by a wireless LAN based on Wi-fi (registered trademark), communication by a 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication system, or communication based on LTE (Long Term Evolution). Storage24 supports flash memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), FD (Flexible Disc), MO disk (Magneto-Optical disc), CD The storage 24 may be configured by a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), a Secure Digital card (SD card), a Universal Serial Bus memory (USB memory), or the like. The storage 24 may be built into the housing of the reservation processing server 10, or may be attached to the server main body in an external format. Furthermore, the storage 24 may be configured by an external computer (for example, a database server) or the like connected to the main body of the reservation processing server 10 so as to be able to communicate with it. The input device 25 may be configured by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. The output device 26 may be configured by, for example, a display and a speaker, etc.

[0034] To explain the configuration of the reservation processing server 10 from a functional perspective, as shown in Figure 4, the reservation processing server 10 has a registration information receiving unit 31, a setting unit 32, a display control unit 33, a reservation acceptance unit 34, a notification processing unit 35, and a recommendation unit 36. These functional units are implemented by the hardware devices of the reservation processing server 10 and the software installed on the reservation processing server 10. This is achieved through collaboration with (Program).

[0035] The reservation processing server 10 also has a storage unit 40 that stores various information and data. The storage unit 40 is configured by a storage medium built into the reservation processing server 10, or a database server communicably connected to the reservation processing server 10. As shown in Fig. 4, the storage unit 40 stores information related to service reservations, such as service registration information R1, reservation status management information R2, and reservation history information R3.

[0036] The service registration information R1 is information registered regarding services provided by hairdressers, and includes, for example, as shown in Fig. 5, the store where the service is provided, the hairdresser's identification information, the service menu (items), the required time for the service according to the menu, the service provision period, and the price. This information is entered by the hairdresser through the provider terminal 14, and then transmitted from the provider terminal 14 to the reservation processing server 10, where it is registered in the reservation processing server 10. Furthermore, for hairdressers who offer multiple menus of services, the service registration information R1 is registered for each menu. In this case, the required time for the service and the service provision period are set for each menu. In this specification, "identification information" includes the name (including pseudonyms or pen names) of the person to be identified, ID information such as a number assigned to that person, that person's login information (account information), and the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the terminal used by that person.

[0037] The reservation status management information R2 is information related to a service reservation accepted by the reservation processing server 10 (strictly speaking, the reservation acceptance unit 34), and includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the identification information of the user who made the service reservation, the identification information of the hairdresser who will provide the reserved service, the menu of the reserved service, and the reservation date and time. Every time the reservation processing server 10 accepts a service reservation, one record's worth of reservation status management information R2 is newly stored in the storage unit 40. Furthermore, the reservation status management information R2 for a reserved service that the user has already used is deleted from the storage unit 40.

[0038] The reservation history information R3 is information relating to the user's past reservation history for services, and includes, for example, the identification information of the existing user, the hairdresser and store providing the service reserved by the existing user, the menu of the service reserved by the existing user, and the reservation date and time, as shown in Fig. 7. Here, an existing user is a user whose reservation has been accepted by the reservation processing server 10 (strictly speaking, the reservation acceptance unit 34) in the past, and in particular, in this embodiment, is a user who has reserved a service at store Ta in the past. The reservation history information R3 is stored in the storage unit 40 every time the reservation processing server 10 (strictly speaking, the reservation reception unit 34) receives a service reservation, and is accumulated in the storage unit 40. In this manner, in this embodiment, the storage unit 40 functions as a "reservation history storage unit."

[0039] Next, we will explain each of the functional units of the reservation processing server 10 other than the storage unit 40. In order to explain each functional unit in an easy-to-understand manner, we will explain the case where a user, Mr. U, makes a reservation for a service menu called "cut and color" by hairdresser Mr. A at shop Ta as a specific example.

[0040] (Registration information receiving section) When hairdresser A operates his / her provider terminal 14 to input service registration information R1 for the services he / she provides, the registration information receiving unit 31 receives the input service registration information R1 from hairdresser A's provider terminal 14. The received service registration information R1 is stored and accumulated in the memory unit 40. As mentioned above, the service registration information R1 includes the required time for the service according to the menu. The required time may be input by hairdresser A, but if the correspondence between the menu and the required time for the service is predetermined, the required time can be determined from the menu, so the input of the required time by hairdresser A may be omitted.

[0041] (Settings section) When the registration information receiving unit 31 receives the service registration information R1 from hairdresser A, the setting unit 32 sets reservation access information for the service by hairdresser A based on various information included in the service registration information R1. Specifically, for the service menu "Cut & Color" by hairdresser A at shop Ta, the setting unit 32 sets a URL to a reservation page for that service. The set URL includes character strings corresponding to the identification information of hairdresser A, shop Ta where the service is provided, and "Cut & Color" which is a menu item of the service.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the setting unit 32 sets reservation access information based on the service provision location, service type, and service provider identification information. The set reservation access information is then transmitted to hairdresser A's service provider terminal 14 via the network 18. After that, when hairdresser A receives the reservation access information, hairdresser A posts an article containing the reservation access information on the SNS, and the SNS server 12 distributes hairdresser A's post to user U. As a result, user U is notified of the reservation access information (i.e., the URL to the reservation page) for the beauty services provided by hairdresser A.

[0043] In this embodiment, as described above, a URL is set that includes character strings corresponding to the identification information of hairdresser A, the salon Ta, and the service menu "Cut & Color." However, any known setting method can be used to set a URL that includes specific character strings in this way. It is also preferable that the notified URL is set as a hyperlink, so that the reservation page can be easily accessed by touching or clicking the URL.

[0044] (Display control unit) When there is access through the reservation access information, the display control unit 33 displays a reservation page Pr for beauty services by hairdresser A on the user terminal 16 of user U. Specifically, the display control unit 33 generates the reservation page Pr using the access through the reservation access information as a trigger, and transmits display data of the generated reservation page Pr to the user terminal 16 of user U.

[0045] To explain the procedure for controlling the display of the reservation page Pr, while viewing the posted article containing the above URL on the display of the user terminal 16, the user U touches the area where the URL is written. When the user terminal 16 accepts the touch operation, it transmits access data to the reservation processing server 10. When the display control unit 33 receives the access data from the user terminal 16, it identifies the URL touched by the user U and, from that URL, determines the hairdresser A, the shop Ta, and the service menu "Cut & Color."

[0046] The display control unit 33 also references the service registration information R1 stored in the memory unit 40 to identify the required time and provision period for the service of the menu "Cut & Color" by hairdresser A at the salon Ta. Furthermore, the display control unit 33 sets multiple available appointment dates and times for the service within the provision period based on the identified required time and provision period for the service. For example, if the required time for the menu "Cut & Color" is two hours, the available appointment dates and times are set at two-hour intervals for each day during the service provision period (see FIG. 2). Here, the time intervals between the available appointment dates and times displayed on the reservation page vary depending on the service menu, more specifically, the required time for each menu item. In other words, the display control unit 33 sets multiple available dates and times for the service by hairdresser A at time intervals that correspond to the service menu.

[0047] After going through the above steps, the display control unit 33 generates a reservation page Pr for beauty services by hairdresser A based on the details about the service identified from the URL and the multiple available dates and times that have been set. At this time, the display control unit 33 generates the reservation page Pr so that the multiple available dates and times that have been set are displayed in a specifiable state. Note that, of the multiple available dates and times that have been set, dates and times that have already been reserved are displayed on the reservation page Pr in a state where they cannot be specified. In this case, the display control unit 33 references the reservation status management information R2 stored in the memory unit 40 and checks the dates and times that have already been reserved for the "Cut & Color" service menu by hairdresser A at shop Ta.

[0048] The display data for the generated reservation page Pr is then transmitted to user U's user terminal 16 via network 18 and displayed by user terminal 16. As a result, reservation page Pr as shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display of user terminal 16. As a result of the above, user U can access reservation page Pr for beauty services by hairdresser A via the URL, which is the reservation access information.

[0049] (Reservations Department) The reservation reception unit 34 accepts reservations for services by hairdresser A for the specified available date and time in response to a user's specification operation (date and time specification operation) for the available date and time displayed on the reservation page Pr for beauty services by hairdresser A.

[0050] Specifically, user U accesses reservation page Pr, selects one of the available reservation dates and times displayed on reservation page Pr in a selectable state (dates and times marked with a circle in the column in the case of FIG. 2), and touches the display column (marked with a circle) for that date and time. User U's user terminal 16 recognizes the touched date and time as the available reservation date and time designated by user U, generates designated date and time data indicating that date and time, and sends it to the reservation processing server 10. By receiving the designated date and time data, the reservation acceptance unit 34 accepts user U's service reservation, specifically, a reservation for the "Cut & Color" service menu, which is one of the services provided by hairdresser A at shop Ta at the designated available reservation date and time.

[0051] Upon accepting the reservation, a reservation acceptance screen such as that shown in Figure 8 is displayed on user U's user terminal 16, and user U can check the details of the accepted reservation (hairdresser, store, menu, reservation date and time, etc.).

[0052] (Notification processing unit) When the reservation receiving unit 34 receives a new reservation from an existing user, if the content of the new reservation differs from the content of the existing user's past reservations indicated by the reservation history information R3 (i.e., reservation history) stored in the storage unit 40, the notification processing unit 35 executes a notification process to notify the existing user of this fact. More specifically, if at least one of the hairdresser providing the service and the service menu differs between the new reservation received from the existing user and the past reservation, the notification processing unit 35 executes a notification process to the existing user. To give an example, if user U has previously reserved services from a hairdresser other than A, and user U makes a new reservation for a beauty service from hairdresser A, the notification processing unit 35 executes a notification process to user U.

[0053] As described above, in this embodiment, if at least one of the hairdresser and the menu is different between a new reservation and a previous reservation, a notification process is executed to notify the existing user, which allows the existing user to check whether there are any errors in the reservation details for the service reservation that is different from the previous reservation, thereby avoiding reservation mistakes, etc. The manner in which the notification process is executed is not particularly limited, and for example, a warning message indicating that the contents of the new reservation differ from those of a previous reservation may be displayed on the display of the user terminal 16, or a sound informing the user of the above may be generated on the user terminal 16 side.

[0054] (Recommended section) If a predetermined condition is met at the time when user U accesses the reservation page Pr for a service in one menu (hereinafter also referred to as the target menu) by hairdresser A, the recommendation unit 36 ​​recommends another service by hairdresser A to user U as an alternative service. More specifically, if the number (remaining number) of available reservation dates and times that can be specified at the time of accessing the reservation page Pr among the available reservation dates and times displayed on the reservation page Pr for the service in the target menu is less than a predetermined number, the recommendation unit 36 ​​recommends a service in a menu other than the target menu to user U as an alternative service (other service).

[0055] In this embodiment, the alternative service recommended by the recommendation unit 36 ​​is a service that takes less time than the target menu. For example, if user U accesses a reservation page Pr for a "cut and color" menu service by hairdresser A, and the number of available reservation dates and times for the service at that time is less than a predetermined number (e.g., 0), the recommendation unit 36 ​​recommends as an alternative service a menu service that takes less time than the "cut and color" menu, which takes 2 hours. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the alternative service may be a menu service that takes the same or longer time as the target menu.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, when user U accesses the reservation page Pr for a service of a target menu by hairdresser A, if that service is fully booked, an alternative service of a menu that takes less time than the target menu by the same hairdresser A is recommended to user U. As a result, user U who desires one service of a menu by hairdresser A can be encouraged to use other services by hairdresser A, thereby promoting the use of services.

[0057] The manner in which an alternative service is recommended is not particularly limited, and for example, as shown in Fig. 9, while a reservation page Pr for a service in the target menu is displayed, a display window W of a message recommending an alternative service may be displayed in a pop-up format superimposed on the reservation page Pr. Alternatively, the reservation page Pr for the service in the target menu may be switched to the reservation page Pr for the alternative service and displayed. By the way, reserving an alternative service is the same as reserving a service in the target menu. By selecting one of the available dates and times displayed on the alternative service reservation page Pr, you can reserve an alternative service for the specified date and time.

[0058] <<About the flow of information processing according to this embodiment>> Next, the flow of information processing related to service reservations (hereinafter referred to as reservation processing) according to this embodiment will be described. The reservation processing employs the information processing method of the present invention. In other words, the following description of the reservation processing is an example of the information processing method of the present invention. In the following, as in the case described above, a specific example will be given in which a user U makes a reservation for the "Cut & Color" service menu offered by hairdresser A at salon Ta.

[0059] The reservation process is divided into a process of setting a URL as reservation access information for the "Cut & Color" service offered by hairstylist A at salon Ta (hereinafter referred to as the URL setting process), and a process of displaying the reservation page Pr for that service and accepting the reservation (hereinafter referred to as the main processing process). Below, we will explain the URL setting process and the main processing process separately.

[0060] (URL setting process) The URL setting process proceeds according to the flow shown in Figure 10. In the URL setting process, first, hairdresser A operates his provider terminal 14 to access the service registration site (S001). This initiates communication between hairdresser A's provider terminal 14 and the reservation processing server 10. Hairdresser A enters service registration information R1 relating to the "Cut & Color" menu service that he will provide at his salon Ta on the service registration site (S002). The entered service registration information R1 is stored in the memory unit 40 of the reservation processing server 10 (S003).

[0061] Thereafter, the computer constituting the reservation processing server 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as the computer) references the service registration information R1 stored in the storage unit 40 and sets reservation access information for the "Cut & Color" menu service by hairdresser A at shop Ta (S004). In step S004, the computer sets a URL as reservation access information based on the identification information of hairdresser A indicated in the service registration information R1. More specifically, the computer sets a URL including character strings corresponding to the identification information of hairdresser A, shop Ta, and the "Cut & Color" menu service.

[0062] The set URL is sent from the computer to hairdresser A's salon terminal 14 (S005) and displayed on the display of salon terminal 14. Hairdresser A checks the displayed URL and posts an article including the URL to the SNS (S006). The posted article with the URL is then distributed by the SNS server 12 to each user, including user U, and the above URL, i.e., the reservation access information, is notified to user U (S007). The URL setting process then ends with the notification of the reservation access information.

[0063] (Main processing process) The main processing steps proceed according to the flow shown in Figures 11 and 12. More specifically, when user U accesses reservation page Pr using the reservation access information notified via the SNS (S021), this triggers the start of the main processing steps.

[0064] In the main processing step, first, the computer receives access data from user U's user terminal 16 (S022). As described above, the access data is generated by user U's user terminal 16 when user U touches the reservation access information, i.e., the URL, displayed on the display of the user terminal 16, and is sent to the reservation processing server 10. The computer analyzes the received access data to identify the URL touched by user U, and further determines the identification information of hairdresser A, the shop Ta, and the service menu from the identified URL (S023).

[0065] Based on the information determined in step S023, the computer generates a reservation page Pr for beauty services by hairdresser A and displays it on user terminal 16 of user U (S024). The reservation page Pr displayed in step S024 specifies a URL, which is reservation access information, and corresponding service information, specifically, the hairdresser's identification information, the store where the service is provided, and the service menu, and in other words, it accepts reservations for the menu "Cut & Color" by hairdresser A at store Ta.

[0066] In step S024, the computer generates a reservation page Pr so that available reservation dates and times can be specified for the service menu "Cut & Color" by hairdresser A at salon Ta. At this time, the computer references reservation status management information R2 stored in storage unit 40, checks whether there are any reservations currently in progress for the above service by hairdresser A, and generates the reservation page Pr so that dates and times for which reservations have already been made cannot be specified, and dates and times for which no reservations have yet been made can be specified.

[0067] The generated reservation page Pr is displayed on the display of the user terminal 16, and the user U accesses the reservation page Pr for the above-mentioned service by hairdresser A via the URL, which is the reservation access information.

[0068] On the other hand, the computer identifies the number of available reservation dates and times (remaining number) that can be specified for the above service from the reservation status management information R2 stored in the memory unit 40, and determines whether the remaining number is equal to or greater than a predetermined number (S025).

[0069] If it is determined that the remaining number is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (Yes in S025), user U can reserve the "Cut & Color" service menu by hairdresser A at shop Ta. Specifically, user U selects one of the multiple available reservation dates and times displayed in a specifiable state on reservation page Pr (S026). user U's user terminal 16 generates designated date and time data indicating the designated date and time, and the computer receives the designated date and time data and accepts user U's reservation for the "Cut & Color" service menu by hairdresser A at shop Ta (S027).

[0070] The computer also references the reservation history information R3 stored in the storage unit 40 to identify the history of user U's previous service reservations and determines whether the details of the current reservation differ from those of past reservations (S028). Specifically, it determines whether the hairdresser providing the reserved service between the current reservation and past reservations is a hairdresser other than A, and whether the service menu is a menu other than "cut and color." If at least one of these two determination items is met (Yes in S028), the computer executes a notification process to notify user U of this fact (S029). This allows user U to realize that the details of the current reservation differ from those of past reservations, and if the reservation was made due to an error, he or she can cancel the reservation.

[0071] On the other hand, if none of the determination items apply in step S028, i.e., if the content of the current reservation is the same as the content of the previous reservation (No in S028), the notification process is skipped. If the number of remaining available reservation dates and times is equal to or greater than the predetermined number in step S025, the main process ends when the above steps are completed.

[0072] If the remaining number is less than the predetermined number in step S025 (No in S025), the computer recommends to user U an alternative service that takes less time than the "Cut & Color" menu among the services provided by hairdresser A at salon Ta (S030). As a result, a message recommending the alternative service is displayed on user U's user terminal 16 as shown in FIG. 9 (S031), and if user U wishes to use the alternative service, he or she can make a reservation for the alternative service using the same procedure as described above (S032). In other words, user U can reserve the alternative service for the specified date and time by accessing the reservation access page for the alternative service from the reservation access information (URL) displayed on user terminal 16 and selecting and specifying one of the available dates and times for the alternative service displayed on the reservation page.

[0073] In the case where the remaining number of available reservation dates and times is less than the predetermined number, when the reservation for the alternative service by user U is accepted by the computer (S033), the main process ends at that point. Note that user U does not necessarily have to reserve the recommended alternative service, and although this is not reflected in Figures 10 and 11, he can refuse to reserve the alternative service if he does not want to use it.

[0074] <<Summary>> The information processing device of the present invention has a setting unit 32, a display control unit 33, and a reservation acceptance unit 34. The setting unit 32 sets reservation access information for a service provided by a service source based on identification information of the service source. When access is made through the reservation access information, the display control unit 33 displays a reservation page specifying the reservation access information and the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information. The reservation acceptance unit 34 accepts a reservation for a service provided by the service source for the specified reservation available date and time in response to a user's operation specifying an available date and time displayed on the reservation page. With the above configuration, the user can reserve a service from a service provider at a desired date and time with a simpler operation.

[0075] To explain the above effects in more detail, conventional service reservations made over a network require the user to specify each item, such as the service provider and the available reservation date and time, which is time-consuming, and also involves the need to switch screens for each item to be specified, which is cumbersome. In contrast, in the present invention, a service can be reserved by a service provider for a specified date and time simply by specifying the available date and time on the reservation page that specifies the service provider's identification information. This allows a service to be reserved with simpler operations without screen transitions.

[0076] In the information processing device of the present invention, the setting unit 32 may set reservation access information based on the location (store) where the service is provided by the service provider, the type of service (menu), and the identification information of the service provider. In this case, the reservation accepting unit 34 preferably accepts a reservation for the above-mentioned type of service from the service provider at the above-mentioned location on the specified reservation available date and time in response to a user's operation specifying the reservation available date and time. With the above configuration, a user can reserve a desired type of service from among the services provided by a service provider that can be used at a specified location on a desired date and time simply by accessing the reservation page and specifying the available date and time. In other words, the user can reserve a service more easily without having to individually specify the service location and type, the service provider, and the reservation date and time.

[0077] In addition, in the information processing device of the present invention, the display control unit 33 may display on the reservation page a plurality of reservation available dates and times set at time intervals according to the type of service provided by the service provider in a specifiable manner. According to the above configuration, the reservation page displays the available reservation dates and times for the service at time intervals according to the type of service, so that the user can specify the desired date and time to make a reservation for the service while understanding the required time for the service.

[0078] Furthermore, the information processing device of the present invention may further include a reservation history storage unit (the storage unit 40 in the above embodiment) and a notification processing unit 35. In this case, the reservation history storage unit stores the user's past reservation history for the service, and the notification processing unit 35 preferably executes notification processing for the existing user when the reservation receiving unit 34 receives a new reservation from an existing user who has received a reservation in the past and the content of the new reservation differs from the content of the existing user's past reservation indicated in the reservation history. According to the above configuration, if the content of a new reservation made by an existing user differs from the content of a past reservation, the existing user can be notified of this fact and made aware of it, thereby preventing users from making mistakes in reservations, etc.

[0079] In the above configuration, the notification processor 35 may execute a notification process for the existing user when at least one of the service provider source and the type of service provided by the service provider source is different between a new reservation accepted from the existing user and a past reservation. In this case, when either the service provider source or the type of service is different between the content of the new reservation made by the existing user and the content of the past reservation, the user can be notified of this fact and made aware of it.

[0080] The information processing device of the present invention may further include a recommendation unit 36. When the number (remaining number) of available reservation dates and times that can be specified at the time of accessing the reservation page among the available reservation dates and times displayed on the reservation page for one service provided by the service provider source is less than a predetermined number, the recommendation unit 36 ​​may recommend another service provided by the service provider source to the user. According to the above configuration, when the number of available reservation dates and times (remaining dates) for a service provided by a service provider that a user wishes to reserve is low, other services provided by the same service provider can be recommended as alternative services, thereby promoting service use by users.

[0081] In the above configuration, it is preferable that the time required for the other service (alternative service) recommended by the recommendation unit 36 ​​is shorter than the time required for the one service (the service that the user originally intended to reserve). In this case, the service with the shorter time required can be recommended as the alternative service. This, for example, is expected to encourage the user to use the alternative service in their free time, thereby further promoting the use of services.

[0082] The information processing method of the present invention is characterized by comprising the steps of: a computer setting reservation access information for a service provided by a service source based on identification information of the service source; a computer displaying a reservation page specifying the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information when access is made through the reservation access information; and a computer accepting a reservation for a service provided by the service source for a specified reservation date and time in response to a user's operation specifying the reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page. According to the above method, when reserving a service using a network, a service can be reserved by a service provider at a desired date and time with a simpler operation.

[0083] The information processing method of the present invention can be realized by an information processing device alone or in combination with related devices (for example, a provider terminal 14 and a user terminal 16). Here, the information processing device of the present invention may be a server computer for an ASP (Application Service Provider), SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). In this case, the above-mentioned series of information processes (excluding the input and display of information) are executed by the server computer, so that the provider terminal or user terminal only needs to input information to be passed to the server computer and display information distributed from the server computer.

[0084] The program of the present invention also causes a computer to perform the following steps: setting reservation access information for a service provided by a service source based on the identification information of the service source; when access is made through the reservation access information, displaying a reservation page specifying the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information; and accepting a reservation for a service provided by the service source for a specified reservation date and time in response to a user's operation specifying the reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page. By having a computer execute the above program, when reserving a service using a network, it is possible to reserve a service from a service provider at a desired date and time with a simpler operation.

[0085] The above program may be obtained by reading it from a computer-readable recording medium, or may be obtained by receiving (downloading) it via a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0086] <<Other embodiments>> Up to this point, the information processing device, information processing method, and program of the present invention have been described using specific examples, but the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and other embodiments may be considered.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the reservation processing server 10 functions as the information processing device of the present invention, but some of the functions of the reservation processing server 10 may be provided in the user terminal 16. For example, the function of the notification processing unit 35 may be provided in the user terminal 16. In that case, the user terminal 16 stores the user's past reservation history, and when a new service reservation is made, it refers to the past reservation history and determines whether the new reservation content is the same as the past reservation content.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the reservation access information set by the reservation processing server 10 is notified to the user through a post on the SNS by the service provider. Specifically, the reservation access information is notified to the user through an article posted on the SNS by the hairdresser, but this is not limited to this. For example, the reservation access information may be sent directly from the reservation processing server 10 to the SNS server 12 without going through the hairdresser, and then distributed to the user from the SNS server 12. Alternatively, the reservation access information may be distributed to the user without going through the SNS server 12; for example, the reservation access information may first be notified to the hairdresser, and the hairdresser may then contact the user with the reservation access information by email or the like.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the reservation access information is information including a URL, and more specifically, is text information indicating a URL. However, the reservation access information is not limited to this, and may be symbolic or image information indicating a URL, such as image information such as a two-dimensional barcode.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the reservation page Pr accessed through the reservation access information displays the available reservation time for the service in a state where it is possible to specify the reservation time. (For example, the type of service) is displayed in a fixed and unselectable state. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the type of service may be displayed on the reservation page Pr in a selectable state using a display format such as a pull-down menu. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10 Reservation processing server (information processing device) 12 SNS Server 14. Vendor terminal 16 User terminals 18 Network 21 processors 22 Memory 23 Communication Interface 24 Storage 25 Input Devices 26 Output Devices 27 Bus 31 Registration information receiving unit 32 Setting section 33 Display control unit 34 Reservations Department 35 Notification processing section 36 Recommendation section 40 Storage section Pr Reservation Page R1 Service Registration Information R2 Reservation status management information R3 Reservation History Information W Display window

Claims

1. a processor, the processor comprising: When an access is made through reservation access information for a service provided by the service source based on the identification information of the service source, a reservation page is displayed which specifies the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information; accepts a reservation for a service from the service provider source at the designated available reservation date and time in response to a user's designation operation for the available reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page; When the service provision source is a human resource or a material resource that provides a service at a service provision location, the reservation page for the human resource or the material resource that is determined at the time of displaying the reservation page is displayed as the reservation page for the service by the human resource or the material resource that corresponds to the reservation access information, and the reservation page is displayed in a state in which the designation operation for the available reservation date and time can be accepted. Information processing device.

2. a processor, when an access is made through reservation access information for a service provided by the service source based on the identification information of the service source, causing a reservation page to be displayed, the reservation page specifying the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information; a processor, in response to a user's designation operation for an available reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page, accepting a reservation for a service from the service provider source for the designated available reservation date and time; If the service provision source is a human resource or a material resource that provides a service at a service provision location, the processor displays, as the reservation page for the service by the human resource or the material resource that corresponds to the reservation access information, the reservation page for the human resource or the material resource that is determined at the time of displaying the reservation page, in a state in which the designation operation for the available reservation date and time can be accepted. Information processing methods.

3. When an access is made through reservation access information for a service provided by the service source based on the identification information of the service source, a reservation page is displayed which specifies the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information; accepts a reservation for a service from the service provider source at the designated available reservation date and time in response to a user's designation operation for the available reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page; When the service provision source is a human resource or a material resource that provides a service at a service provision location, the reservation page for the human resource or the material resource that is determined at the time of displaying the reservation page is displayed as the reservation page for the service by the human resource or the material resource that corresponds to the reservation access information, and the reservation page is displayed in a state in which the designation operation for the available reservation date and time can be accepted. A program that causes a processor to execute a process.

4. A server and a terminal are provided, The server When an access is made from the terminal through reservation access information for a service provided by the service source based on the identification information of the service source, a reservation page specifying the identification information of the service source corresponding to the reservation access information is displayed on the terminal; accepts a reservation for a service from the service provider source at the designated available reservation date and time in response to a user's designation operation for the available reservation date and time displayed on the reservation page; When the service provision source is a human resource or a material resource that provides a service at a service provision location, the reservation page for the human resource or the material resource that is determined at the time of displaying the reservation page is displayed on the terminal as the reservation page for the service by the human resource or the material resource that corresponds to the reservation access information, and the reservation page is displayed in a state in which the designation operation for the available reservation date and time can be accepted. system.

Images