Reservation systems and programs

Abstract

To provide a reservation system that can reduce the burden on restaurants and allow both customers and restaurants to make reservations with peace of mind by supporting confirmation of customers' allergies, food dislikes, etc. [Solution] A reservation system in which an administrator mediates reservations between customers and restaurants, comprising a server and a customer terminal connected via a network, the server having a control unit, a memory unit for storing customer reservation information, and a transmission unit and a reception unit for sending and receiving information to and from the customer terminal, the reservation information further including question information for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences, and the server further having question generation means for generating further questions using trained artificial intelligence means based on the customer's answers to the questions for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a reservation system and a reservation program, and more particularly to a reservation system and a reservation program specialized in checking food allergies / dislikes at restaurants. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, reservations for restaurants and the like have generally been made by telephone or the Internet. There are also many Internet-based restaurant reservation systems (see, for example, Patent Document 1). These sites are operated as portal sites that list many restaurants, and well-known examples include Tabelog (registered trademark) and Gurunavi (registered trademark).

[0003] Furthermore, when foreigners visiting Japan make reservations at restaurants, they usually do so from abroad before arriving in Japan via one of the portal sites mentioned above, or by contacting the restaurant directly.

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, the number of people with food allergies has been increasing due to changes in dietary habits, etc. If the food or drink consumed by a person with a food allergy contains an allergen, the immune system overreacts, causing various physical symptoms. For people with allergies, whether or not a food or drink contains a specific allergen is not simply a matter of taste, but can also be a serious problem that could cause serious health damage.

[0005] For this reason, it is important for restaurants and other establishments that serve food and beverages to avoid serving food and beverages containing allergens to people with allergies. In particular, when there are ingredients that foreigners visiting Japan dislike, ingredients that are forbidden by religion, or ingredients that are not preferred by citizens of a particular country due to their dietary customs, food will be left over and the ingredients will go to waste. For this reason, there are reservation systems that check for allergies when making reservations at restaurants online (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-271843 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, with the conventional reservation system of Patent Document 1, if a customer has allergies, etc., further questions or confirmations often arise in response to the customer's answers about the allergies, etc., which requires further communication between the restaurant and the customer via email, chat, etc., which requires human interaction, which is labor-intensive and costly. This puts pressure on labor costs, especially in the case of reservation sites aimed at foreigners.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a reservation system that can reduce the burden on restaurants and customers by helping them check customers' allergies, food preferences, etc. on the system, and that allows restaurants and customers to make reservations at their desired restaurants with peace of mind. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A reservation system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: The administrator mediates between customers and restaurants. A restaurant reservation system comprising a server and a customer terminal connected via a network, the server having a control unit, a memory unit for storing reservation page information, and a transmission unit and a reception unit for sending and receiving information to and from the customer terminal, the reservation information further including question information for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences, the server further having a question generation means for generating further questions using a trained artificial intelligence unit based on the customer's answers to the questions for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences.

[0010] According to this configuration, by using AI to communicate with customers about information about ingredients, such as ingredients they are allergic to or don't like, it is possible to generate further questions based on the customer's answers without human intervention, and obtain information about the customer's allergies, etc. This allows allergy information, etc. to be confirmed through communication between the customer and AI when the customer makes a reservation, reducing the workload for both the restaurant and the customer.

[0011] Furthermore, this reservation system is characterized in that the question generation means generates a new question based on pre-registered keywords when the customer's answer contains the keyword. According to this configuration, for example, by pre-registering the keyword "shrimp" and information that "shrimp = crustacean," when a customer answers with the word "shrimp" in the allergy section, a question such as "Shrimp is a crustacean. What about allergies to other crustaceans (crab, lobster, squid)? Also, shellfish are often used in Japanese cuisine, so are there any shellfish allergies?" is generated from the keyword "shrimp."

[0012] This reservation system is also characterized in that the answer calculation means calculates a final answer if the keyword is not included. According to this configuration, if the customer's answer does not include a pre-registered keyword, the question generation means does not generate a question and calculates a final answer. For example, in the above example, if the customer answers "No" to the question, the question is asked, "Thank you for your answer. Is it okay to say that your allergic ingredient is 'shrimp'?" If the customer enters "Yes," the answer is completed as "Allergic ingredient = shrimp," and if the customer enters "No, I'll edit it," the process returns to the beginning and the customer must re-enter the answer.

[0013] Another feature of this reservation system is that the keywords registered in advance differ depending on the store. For example, the "keywords" registered in advance vary depending on the store or type of store, such as "shrimp" or "shellfish" for a sushi restaurant, or "beef" for a steak restaurant.

[0014] In addition, this reservation system is characterized in that the storage unit of the server stores the exchange of question information, including the question generated by the question generation unit, and answer information from the customer terminal. With this configuration, a person in charge at the restaurant can check the exchange regarding the customer's allergies, etc., and thereby respond even if there is an error in the final information on allergies, etc.

[0015] Furthermore, this reservation system is characterized in that the server further has an answer calculation means for calculating information summarizing the customer's allergies or disliked ingredients, using a trained artificial intelligence unit, from the exchange between the question information including the question generated by the question generation means and the answer information from the customer terminal.

[0016] With this configuration, a final answer can be calculated through interaction between the customer and artificial intelligence regarding information about ingredients such as the customer's allergies, making it possible to obtain information about the customer's allergies without human intervention.

[0017] In addition, this reservation system The question generation means is unable to generate a new question, and If the answer calculation means determines that it cannot calculate a final answer for the customer, it displays an answer on the customer terminal indicating that an administrator will contact them again. With this configuration, even if the artificial intelligence cannot obtain information on allergies, etc., such as when the information on the customer's allergies, etc. is complex, an answer is displayed indicating that a person in charge will contact them again, and the person in charge will contact them again, so that information on allergies, etc. can be obtained reliably.

[0018] Furthermore, this reservation system is characterized in that the question information includes information about food ingredients that should be avoided for religious reasons. With this configuration, it is possible to obtain information about food ingredients that the customer cannot eat for religious reasons.

[0019] Furthermore, in this reservation system, when the question generation means determines that it is not possible to generate a question in response to the answer of the customer, it decides not to generate a question, and the answer calculation means sends to the customer terminal: administrator The system is characterized in that it displays a reply stating that the user will be contacted again.

[0020] Furthermore, this reservation system is characterized in that the storage unit of the server further stores official website information of the restaurant, reservation page information, customer information, ingredient confirmation form information, question information, and answer information.

[0021] Furthermore, this reservation system is characterized in that the server is made up of a plurality of servers, one of which is equipped with the question generation means and the answer calculation means, the other servers transmit pre-stored question information and customer answer information to one of the servers, and the one server transmits the question information generated by the question generation means and information summarizing ingredients such as allergies or dislikes generated by the answer calculation means to the other servers.

[0022] With this configuration, the reservation system can be configured with separate servers for the question generation means and answer calculation means, which are primarily handled by artificial intelligence. This allows the processing that would normally be handled by a single server to be shared and performed in parallel, reducing the load on the single server and improving processing speed.

[0023] The problem with the conventional reservation system that uses portal sites is that it takes time and money to update the portal site with the latest information about restaurants, so the restaurant's opening hours, holidays, menus, prices, etc. are often not up to date. In particular, foreign visitors to Japan end up having to return home without being able to eat at the restaurant of their choice because the information is not up to date, even though they have come all the way to Japan.

[0024] Furthermore, when making reservations directly with restaurants, the majority of them are unable to speak English or other foreign languages, which can result in the reservation being rejected or discrepancies occurring due to a miscommunication. In these cases, foreign visitors to Japan are unable to dine at the restaurant of their choice.

[0025] In addition, a common issue with the reservation systems that use the portal sites mentioned above and with direct reservations to restaurants is that there have been many reports of customers canceling reservations at the last minute or without notice, or arriving significantly late, and the reality is that restaurants often say they would rather not accept reservations from foreigners if possible.

[0026] Therefore, this reservation system is characterized in that the design of the official website and the accompanying foreign language reservation page are created in a common format design. With this configuration, customers can make reservations smoothly and safely from the official website.

[0027] This reservation system is also characterized by having a means for responding to inquiries from customers to the manager in foreign languages. Means for responding in foreign languages ​​include telephone and email responses from customers to the manager. With this configuration, customers can receive support in their foreign language, allowing them to make inquiries with peace of mind when making a reservation or on-site.

[0028] This reservation system is also characterized in that the server's storage unit further stores Japanese reservation site information. This reservation system is also characterized in that the server's storage unit further stores foreign language official website information including the reservation page. With this configuration, customers can make reservations with peace of mind, whether they are foreigners or not, and restaurants can avoid losses due to cancellations, significant lateness, etc.

[0029] This reservation system is also characterized in that the server's storage unit further stores portal site information that includes link information to the websites of multiple restaurants. With this configuration, customers can access the portal site to select the restaurant they want from the websites of multiple restaurants, and from there they can conveniently jump to the official website of each restaurant.

[0030] This reservation system is also characterized by the fact that the administrator mediates between customers and inns, shrines, temples, and other facilities, instead of the restaurant. With this configuration, customers can make reservations with peace of mind not only when booking reservations for restaurants, but also for inns, shrines, temples, and other facilities, and the facilities can also accept reservations with peace of mind.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present invention, a reservation program is provided for a restaurant reservation system implemented using a server and a customer terminal connected via a network. The server includes a control unit, a memory unit for storing customer reservation information, and a transmitter and receiver for transmitting and receiving information to and from the customer terminal. The reservation information further includes questions for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences. The program instructs the server to: display questions for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences on a reservation form displayed on the customer terminal; and generate questions using trained artificial intelligence (AI) based on the customer's answers to the questions for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences. By implementing this reservation program on the restaurant's website, the aforementioned reservation system can be implemented. The program may be implemented directly on the website or via an API.

[0032] Furthermore, this reservation program is characterized in that it further causes the server to execute an answer calculation procedure that uses trained artificial intelligence means to calculate information summarizing the customer's allergies or disliked ingredients from the exchange of question information including the question generated by the question generation procedure and answer information from the customer terminal.

[0033] Furthermore, this reservation program is characterized in that the question generation procedure causes the server to generate a question when the customer's answer contains or does not contain each keyword according to the keywords registered in advance.

[0034] The reservation program is also characterized in that the answer calculation step causes the server to calculate a final answer when a new question is not generated in the question generation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] As described above, the reservation system of the present invention can reduce the burden on restaurants and customers by helping customers check their allergies, food preferences, etc. Also, a reservation system is provided that allows customers to make reservations at restaurants and other establishments with peace of mind, and stores to accept reservations with peace of mind. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a device configuration of a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of a reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a top page of an official website according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a reservation page accompanying FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an input field for allergic ingredients on the reservation page shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 shows an ingredient confirmation form accompanying FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the reservation page shown in FIG. 4, showing the conclusion regarding allergenic ingredients in the ingredient confirmation form. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. For example, the following embodiment will be described using a reservation system that mediates reservations between customers and restaurants, but this reservation system may also be implemented on the restaurant's website, allowing customers to make reservations directly on the restaurant's website. Also, in the following embodiment, various processes are performed by multiple servers, but they may also be configured to be performed by a single server.

[0038] <1.Equipment configuration> 1 is a block diagram showing the device configuration of a reservation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. This reservation system mainly comprises a site management server 1 that manages the official website of a restaurant, a reservation management server 2 managed by an administrator that manages customer reservations, a payment execution server 3 that manages payments, an ingredient information confirmation server 4 that handles interactions with customers, such as generating questions about ingredients such as allergies and compiling answers, and a customer terminal 5 for customers using the restaurant. These servers 1 to 4 and customer terminal 5 are configured to be able to communicate via the Internet.

[0039] (site management server) As shown in Figure 1, the functional configuration of the site management server 1 includes a storage unit 11 that stores official Japanese website information for restaurants, and a transmission unit 12 that transmits the official website information to the customer terminal 5 and displays the official website on the customer terminal 5. These functions are realized by a CPU that processes programs, a ROM that stores programs and data in advance, a RAM that temporarily stores the programs and data when the programs are executed, and a HDD that stores programs and a large amount of data. The site management server also includes an interface to which the CPU and HDD are connected, and a display, keyboard, mouse, etc. are connected via the interface.

[0040] The HDD can be any device capable of storing data, including non-volatile SSDs. The interface also includes those for connecting the display and keyboard mentioned above, as well as those for connecting communication devices. Specific examples include USB, LAN, SCSI, and IEEE connections. The CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, and interface are interconnected via a motherboard.

[0041] Furthermore, in response to a request from the customer terminal 5, the transmission unit 12 transmits official website information to the customer terminal 5 and displays the official website on the screen of the customer terminal 5. A request refers to, for example, clicking on a banner on the administrator's portal site (described later) or directly entering a URL.

[0042] The site management server 1 may be configured as multiple servers, one for each official website of each restaurant, or may be configured so that official website information of multiple restaurants is stored on one server, or may be configured to have multiple servers on which official website information of multiple restaurants is stored.

[0043] (Reservation management server) The reservation management server 2 is functionally configured to include a storage unit 21 that stores reservation page information in foreign languages ​​associated with the restaurant's official website, a first transmission unit 22 that transmits the reservation page information to the customer terminal 5 and displays the reservation page on the customer terminal 5, a reception unit 23 that receives the reservation information entered by the customer on the reservation page, a second transmission unit 24 that transmits payment information included in the reservation information to the payment execution server 3, and a third transmission unit 25 that transmits information about the customer's ingredients included in the reservation information to the ingredient information confirmation server 4. Each of these functions is realized by a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. The reservation management server 2 is connected via an interface that connects the CPU and HDD.

[0044] Furthermore, the storage unit 21 stores official website information in foreign languages, including reservation page information, customer information, reservation information, as well as portal site information operated by the reservation management server 2. The portal site is configured with links to the official foreign language websites of each restaurant attached using banners. The customer information includes personal information such as the name and address of the customer making the reservation, while the reservation information includes the name of the restaurant, reservation date and time, number of people making the reservation, reserved dishes, information about the customer's ingredients, payment information such as the price, as well as information on questions about ingredients such as pre-set allergies, and information on ingredients to avoid for allergies or religious reasons.

[0045] Furthermore, in response to a request from the customer terminal 5, the first transmission unit 22 transmits reservation page information, etc. to the customer terminal 5 and displays the reservation page, etc. on the screen of the customer terminal 5. A request refers to, for example, clicking a reservation site tab on the restaurant's official website in a foreign language, or directly entering a URL.

[0046] Furthermore, the receiving unit 23 receives reservation information, customer information, etc. input on the reservation page from the customer terminal 5. Then, the receiving unit 23 stores this information in the storage unit 21.

[0047] The second transmission unit 24 also retrieves from the storage unit 21 the payment information included in the customer reservation information received by the reception unit 23, and transmits it to the payment execution server 3. The payment information is, for example, information on the price to be paid by the customer, and transmits information on the recipient of the price together with this payment information.

[0048] Furthermore, the third transmission unit 25 retrieves question information and customer response information from the storage unit 21 regarding information about customer ingredients included in the customer reservation information received by the reception unit 23, and transmits this information to the ingredient information confirmation server 4. The information about the customer ingredients includes, for example, ingredients to which the customer has allergies, ingredients that the customer dislikes, ingredients to be avoided for religious reasons, etc.

[0049] (Payment execution server) The payment execution server 3 has the following functional configuration: a storage unit 31 that stores payment site information, customer information, payment information (such as the payment amount), and recipient information; a receiving unit 32 that receives the customer's payment information; a payment execution unit 33 that executes prepayment based on the payment information; and a sending unit 34 that sends information about the completion of prepayment to the reservation management server 2. Each of these functions is realized by a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. The payment execution server 3 also has an interface to which the CPU and HDD are connected, and a display, keyboard, mouse, etc. are connected via the interface.

[0050] The receiving unit 32 also receives payment information and the like transmitted from the second transmitting unit 24 of the reservation management server 2. Then, the receiving unit 32 stores this information in the storage unit 31.

[0051] The payment execution unit 33 also executes payment based on the customer information, payment information, and recipient information stored in the storage unit 31. This allows the customer to prepay the fee to the administrator of the reservation management server 2. Note that the actual payment may not be made at the same time.

[0052] The transmitting unit 34 also transmits information that the advance payment has been completed to the receiving unit 23 of the reservation management server 2. As a result, the storage unit 21 of the reservation management server 2 stores advance payment completion information.

[0053] (Food information confirmation server) The ingredient information confirmation server 4 is functionally configured to include a control unit 41 equipped with a question generation means 43 that generates questions using trained artificial intelligence means 42, an answer calculation means 44 that compiles final answers regarding ingredient information such as allergies through interactions with customers, a memory unit 45 that stores ingredient confirmation form information in foreign languages, question information, and answer information, a receiving unit 46 that receives information about ingredients, question information, and answer information from customers from the reservation management server 2, and a transmitting unit 47 that transmits the question information generated by the question generation means 43 and the answer information calculated by the answer calculation means 44 to the reservation management server 2. Each of these functions is realized by a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, etc. The ingredient information confirmation server 4 also includes an interface to which the CPU and HDD are connected, and a display, keyboard, mouse, etc. are connected via the interface.

[0054] The receiving unit 46 also receives question information and answer information regarding the customer's information on ingredients transmitted from the third transmitting unit 25 of the reservation management server 2. The receiving unit 46 then stores this information in the storage unit 45.

[0055] In addition, the question generation means 43 uses the trained artificial intelligence means 42 to generate new question information based on the question information and answer information about the customer's ingredients stored in the memory unit 45.

[0056] In addition, the answer calculation means 44 uses the trained artificial intelligence means 42 to calculate final answer information regarding the customer's ingredients based on the question information, answer information, new question information, and new answer information regarding the customer's ingredients stored in the memory unit 45.

[0057] The trained artificial intelligence means 42 is configured using an interactive model also called a large-scale language model, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Bing, and may be configured to be installed on one server or multiple servers on the cloud.

[0058] The memory unit 45 stores not only pre-registered question information, but also pre-stored keywords related to ingredients and new question information corresponding to those keywords. The artificial intelligence means 42 is also trained to ask a new question when a customer provides an answer that includes the above keywords. For example, by pre-registering the keyword "shrimp" and the information that "shrimp = crustacean," if a customer provides an answer that includes the word "shrimp" in the allergy section, a question such as "shrimp is a crustacean. What about allergies to other crustaceans (e.g., crab, lobster, squid)? Also, shellfish are often used in Japanese cuisine, so are there any shellfish allergies?" is generated from the keyword "shrimp."

[0059] The keywords include names of ingredients such as various allergenic ingredients, names of preferences such as vegetarian, and names of religions. Furthermore, as learning content for generating new questions, the system has learned "ingredients = related ingredients" (e.g., shrimp = shellfish) and "ingredients = religion, preferences" (e.g., pork = Islam, vegetarian). For example, if the answer contains the word "pork," the system is trained to assume Islam, vegetarianism, etc., based on pork, and generate new questions such as "What about eggs and dairy products?" On the other hand, if the customer's answer does not include the number of people, it can be trained to ask questions such as "How many people have allergies?" to identify the number of people with an allergic ingredient.

[0060] The system is also trained to calculate a final answer if the keyword is not included. In other words, if the customer's answer does not include the above-mentioned pre-registered keyword, a new question is not generated and a final answer is calculated. For example, if the customer answers "No" to the question "Shrimp is a crustacean. What about allergies to other crustaceans (e.g., crab, lobster, squid)?", the answer does not include the above keyword, so the system asks "Thank you for your answer. Is it correct that your allergic food is 'shrimp'?" If the customer enters "Yes," the answer is completed with "Allergic food = shrimp." On the other hand, if the customer enters "No, I'll edit it," the system does not calculate a final answer and the customer returns to the beginning and has to re-enter the information.

[0061] The pre-registered keywords may be configured to vary depending on the restaurant. For example, a sushi restaurant may mainly use keywords such as "shrimp" and "shellfish," while a steak restaurant may use meats such as "beef" and "pork" or vegetables. Furthermore, to accommodate a large number of restaurants and types, all keywords that can be envisioned for each restaurant may be registered in advance.

[0062] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 47 transmits the question information generated by the question generating means 43 using the trained artificial intelligence means 42, the final answer information calculated by the answer calculating means 44, and the like to the receiving unit 23 of the reservation management server 2. Then, the generated final answer information is stored in the memory unit 21 of the reservation management server 2, and is transmitted to the customer terminal 5 and displayed.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 41 uses the question information and answer information stored in the memory unit 45 as learning data to learn the question information and answer information using the trained artificial intelligence means 42. The trained artificial intelligence means 42 has been trained in advance, but periodically or irregularly, the trained artificial intelligence means 42 appropriately updates the learning state of the trained artificial intelligence means 42 using the question information and answer information as learning data.

[0064] (Customer terminal) Although the processing speed and capacity of the customer terminal 5 differ, like the servers 1 to 4, it is equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, HDD, interface, etc., and is connected to a display, keyboard, mouse, etc. via the interface. The customer terminal 5 is configured as a personal computer, but it may also be a terminal with an integrated display and operation unit, such as a tablet terminal or smartphone. There are a large number of customer terminals 5, the number of which corresponds to the number of customers who wish to make reservations at each restaurant. These multiple customer terminals 5 and the servers 1 to 4 are connected via an internet line.

[0065] <2. Flow> Next, the flow of the reservation system of this embodiment will be described. As an example, let us assume that Customer A is an American who plans to travel from the United States to Japan. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the flow of the reservation system of this embodiment.

[0066] As shown in Figure 2, before traveling to Japan, Customer A uses his / her own terminal in the United States to access a restaurant portal site operated by the administrator. Then, from among the banners of multiple restaurants displayed on the portal site, he / she clicks on the banner of Restaurant A, where he / she wants to eat.

[0067] Doing so will take you from the portal site to Restaurant A's official English website (see Figure 3). The banner above usually links to the official English page, which includes the English reservation page. Additionally, by clicking on JP (Japanese) at the top of the official English website, you can move to the official Japanese website, which has a common format design.

[0068] On the other hand, if a customer accesses the official Japanese website directly without going through a portal site, they can change the language on the official Japanese website from JP to English to move to the official English website. Customer A then checks the menu, prices, opening hours, etc. on Restaurant A's official website and considers whether to make a reservation at Restaurant A or another restaurant. At this time, Customer A can check various information on the restaurant's official Japanese or English website, and since it is an official website, it is always updated with the latest information and there are no errors in the menu, prices, opening hours, etc.

[0069] After Customer A decides to make a reservation at Restaurant A, he or she clicks on Reservation on the official website to display the reservation page (see Figure 4). At this time, the reservation page displayed on Customer A's screen has the same design format as the official website's top page, so Customer A can proceed to the reservation page without any discomfort.

[0070] At this time, the Japanese official website and the English official website and reservation page have the same design format on Customer A's screen, so the customer can proceed from the official website to the reservation page without any discomfort. However, in reality, Customer A is accessing the English official website and reservation page sent from Reservation Management Server 2 instead of the Japanese official website sent from Site Management Server 1.

[0071] Then, on this reservation page, Customer A enters personal information such as name, gender, country, address, telephone number, email address, etc., as well as the date and time of their visit to Restaurant A, the number of people, and the reserved menu.

[0072] Next, Customer A enters the allergy information into the input field for ingredients on the reservation page (see Figure 5). The input field for allergy information includes information items such as "People with food allergies," "People who don't like certain ingredients," "People who cannot eat certain ingredients for religious reasons," and "All guests can eat anything," and Customer A selects the appropriate option using the radio button.

[0073] If customer A has any allergies to ingredients, customer A enters the specific allergy ingredients in the text in the input field for ingredients to which he or she is allergic or cannot eat.

[0074] When Customer A enters specific allergies, etc., a foreign language ingredient confirmation form will pop up on the reservation page. For example, if Customer A enters "I'm allergic to shrimp" in the allergy or inedible food entry field on the reservation page, an ingredient confirmation form will pop up on the reservation page and ask the question "If you're allergic to shrimp, are you also allergic to other crustaceans (crab, squid, etc.)?" to see if the customer has any other allergies besides the ingredients they entered.

[0075] If Customer A answers, "No, just shrimp," a question will appear on the ingredient confirmation form to confirm the number of customers with allergies, such as, "I understand. Is it just one person who is allergic to shrimp, or are there others?"

[0076] If Customer A answers "Only one person," the ingredient confirmation form will ask if there are any other allergies or food allergies, for example, "Thank you. We have confirmed that one person has a shrimp allergy (but not other shellfish). Do you have any other allergies or food allergies?"

[0077] If Customer A answers "Yes," the ingredient confirmation form displays a final consent confirmation screen stating, "One person has a shrimp allergy, but no other shellfish allergies," and the customer clicks the OK button or the button to add more information (see Figure 6).

[0078] If Customer A clicks the OK button, the conclusion of the ingredient confirmation form will be displayed in the input field for ingredients that the customer has allergies or cannot eat on the reservation page (see Figure 7). Customer A can also click the Add button to enter any new information about ingredients that the customer has allergies to.

[0079] On the other hand, if the artificial intelligence means 42 determines that it is not possible to generate a new question in response to Customer A's answer and that it is not possible to obtain final answer information, it displays a message such as "This exchange may not be complete, so the administrator will review this exchange and if there are any further questions or matters to be confirmed, we will confirm them separately by email, etc." and ends the exchange with Customer A.

[0080] If a final response cannot be obtained as described above, the exchanges with customer A up to that point are sent as text information to the reservation management server 2, allowing the restaurant's site administrator to check the exchanges with customer A. After checking this, the administrator will contact customer A by email or phone to confirm any allergies, etc. Furthermore, confirmation of allergies, etc. can be done either before or after the restaurant reservation is completed.

[0081] After completing the entry on this reservation page, Customer A clicks the confirmation button. The information entered by Customer A is then sent to the manager's reservation management server 2. The manager then confirms the reservation information, including information on Customer A's allergies, and passes this information on to the restaurant to make a tentative reservation. The manager can make the tentative reservation by any method, such as telephone, fax, or email.

[0082] Once the provisional reservation for the restaurant is complete, the administrator will notify Customer A by email or other means that the provisional reservation has been completed. At this time, the email will display a message stating that the provisional reservation has been completed, along with a URL for credit card payment and the payment deadline. If the provisional reservation for the restaurant cannot be made for that date and time, a message stating that the reservation was not possible will be sent to Customer A.

[0083] After receiving the email from the administrator confirming the completion of the tentative reservation, Customer A clicks on the credit card payment URL to access the credit card payment page. Then, Customer A enters their credit card information and presses the send button on the credit card payment page. This will then execute the credit card payment, and the payment will be credited to the administrator.

[0084] After confirming Customer A's payment, the manager notifies the restaurant that the reservation will be changed from provisional to actual, completing the reservation, and then promptly makes payment to the restaurant. This completes Customer A's reservation at the restaurant, and the manager sends Customer A an email informing them that the reservation has been completed. In this way, Customer A's reservation at the restaurant is completed, and Customer A can go to the restaurant on the reserved date and time and dine.

[0085] In addition, the reservation information includes various information about Customer A's ingredients, such as allergies, dislikes, and religious restrictions, and this information is communicated to the restaurant through the administrator, so Customer A can dine at the restaurant with peace of mind.

[0086] If customer A cancels the reservation in advance from the reservation page, the fee will be refunded to customer A if it is within a specified period, such as three days before. On the other hand, if the cancellation is made after the specified period, the fee will not be refunded to customer A.

[0087] Furthermore, if customer A has any inquiries about restaurants or reservations, the customer can contact the administrator. The administrator has multiple staff members who can speak various foreign languages, including English, and can respond to the various languages ​​of each customer. Customer inquiries can be made by phone or email. This not only makes reservations for customers, but also provides follow-up until the customer dines at the restaurant, allowing customers to make reservations with peace of mind from the time they make a reservation to the time they dine.

[0088] By going through the above steps, Customer A's reservation at the restaurant is completed, and the administrator sends Customer A an email informing him or her that the reservation has been completed. In this way, Customer A's reservation at Restaurant A is completed, and Customer A can go to Restaurant A on the reserved date and time to eat.

[0089] <3. Effects of this embodiment> According to the reservation system of this embodiment, customers' allergies and disliked ingredients can be confirmed through interaction with artificial intelligence at the time of reservation, so that, except in some cases, there is no need for further communication via email or chat, reducing the burden on both the restaurant and the customer.

[0090] Furthermore, in the unlikely event that interaction with the artificial intelligence makes it impossible to calculate allergens, disliked ingredients, etc., a message will be displayed to the effect that the answer cannot be calculated, and the administrator can again contact the customer via email or chat to obtain an answer regarding the customer's allergens, disliked ingredients, etc. This reduces the workload for both the restaurant and the customer, and ensures that information regarding the customer's allergens and disliked ingredients can be obtained, allowing the customer to enjoy their meal with peace of mind.

[0091] Customers can also smoothly make reservations with one-stop access to various information on the restaurant's official website. Customers can also rest assured that the official website reflects the latest restaurant information, such as opening hours, menus, and prices. Customers can also make inquiries in English and other foreign languages, from the time they make a reservation through to the time they eat at the restaurant, making it highly convenient. Customers will also not be turned down for being foreigners.

[0092] <4. Other embodiments> As described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, various additions, modifications, or deletions are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, while the above-described embodiment is an example of a reservation system between foreign customers and restaurants, the system can also be applied to Japanese customers and reservations for facilities other than restaurants. Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment is described as an example of a reservation system that mediates reservations between customers and restaurants, the reservation system can also be implemented on the restaurant's website, allowing customers to make reservations directly on the restaurant's website.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example using multiple servers is shown, but this is not limiting, and a configuration in which the processing of multiple servers is operated by a single server may also be used. Therefore, such a configuration is also included within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 Site Management Server 11 Storage section 12 Transmitter 2. Reservation management server 21 Memory section 22 First Transmission Unit 23 Receiving unit 24 Second Transmission Unit 25 Third Transmission Unit 3. Payment execution server 31 Storage section 32 Receiving unit 33 Payment Execution Department 34 Transmitter 4. Food ingredient information confirmation server 41 Control Unit 42 Artificial Intelligence Means 43 Question generation means 44 Answer calculation means 45 Storage section 46 Receiving unit 47 Transmitter 5. Customer terminal

Claims

1. A restaurant reservation system in which an administrator mediates reservations between customers and restaurants, A server and a customer terminal connected via a network, The server has a control unit, a storage unit that stores customer reservation information, and a transmission unit and a reception unit that transmit and receive information to and from the customer terminal, The reservation information further includes question information for confirming the customer's allergies or food preferences, The server further comprises a question generation means for generating a further question using a trained artificial intelligence means based on the customer's answer to a question to confirm food ingredients such as allergies or dislikes, The design of the restaurant's official website and the design of the foreign language reservation page accompanying the official website are created in a common format design, Further, we will provide a means for handling inquiries from customers to the administrator in foreign languages. The manager makes a reservation at a restaurant based on the reservation information, which includes information on the customer's allergies, etc. The server further has an answer calculation means that uses trained artificial intelligence means to calculate information summarizing the customer's allergies or food dislikes from the exchange of question information including the question generated by the question generation means and answer information from the customer terminal, and if the question generation means determines that it is unable to generate a new question and the answer calculation means determines that it is unable to calculate a final answer for the customer, it displays an answer on the customer terminal indicating that an administrator will contact the customer again.

2. 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said question generating means generates a new question based on pre-registered keywords when said keyword is included in the customer's answer.

3. 3. The reservation system according to claim 2, wherein said answer calculation means calculates a final answer when said keyword is not included.

4. 3. The reservation system according to claim 2, wherein the keywords to be registered in advance differ depending on the store.

5. The server 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein said storage unit stores exchanges between said question information including the question generated by said question generating means and answer information from the customer terminal.

6. The reservation system according to claim 1 , wherein the question information includes information about food ingredients that should be avoided in a religious sense.

7. the question generation means determines not to generate a question when it determines that a question cannot be generated in response to the answer of the customer; 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein a reply is displayed on the customer terminal to inform the customer that the manager will contact the customer again.

8. The server 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit further stores official website information of the restaurant, reservation page information, customer information, ingredient confirmation form information, question information, and answer information.

9. The server is composed of a plurality of servers, a server including the question generation means and the answer calculation means; The other server transmits pre-stored question information and customer answer information to the one server, 9. The reservation system according to claim 8, wherein the one server transmits to the other server the question information generated by the question generation means and the information summarizing ingredients such as allergies or dislikes generated by the answer calculation means.

10. 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit of said server further stores reservation site information in Japanese.

11. 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the server's storage unit further stores official website information in a foreign language that includes the reservation page.

12. 2. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit of said server further stores portal site information including link information to websites of a plurality of restaurants.

13. 13. The reservation system according to claim 1, wherein an administrator mediates between customers and hotels, shrines, temples, or other facilities, instead of the restaurant.

Images