Information processing device, information processing method, program, and information processing system

Abstract

To appropriately propose candidates for stores to stop at on a trip from a current location to a destination.SOLUTION: An information processing device (10) includes an acquisition unit (11) that acquires a current location of a user, a destination of the user, and information indicating the degree of congestion at each of a plurality of stores, an identification unit (12) that identifies stores that are candidates for a stopover from the current location to the destination on the basis of the information acquired by the acquisition unit, and an output unit (13) that outputs information based on the stores identified by the identification unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system.

Background Art

[0002] When a user operates an input unit to set a via point and a destination, a navigation device that searches for a route from the current position to the destination including the via point is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a user selects a store to stop by (pass through) from each store of a desired chain store or business format, there is a problem that the convenience may be low.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and an information processing system that can appropriately propose candidates for stores to stop by during the movement from the current position to the destination in view of the above-described problems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In a first aspect according to the present disclosure, an acquisition unit that acquires the current position of a user, the destination of the user, and information indicating the congestion level of each of the plurality of stores, and based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, a specifying unit that specifies candidate stores to stop by from the current position to the destination, and an output unit that outputs information based on the stores specified by the specifying unit are provided.

[0007] Furthermore, a second aspect of the present disclosure provides an information processing method that includes: a process for acquiring the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the level of congestion at each of the multiple stores; a process for identifying candidate stores to visit between the current location and the destination based on the acquired information; and a process for outputting information based on the identified stores.

[0008] Furthermore, in a third aspect relating to this disclosure, a program is provided that causes a computer to perform the following: a process of acquiring the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the level of congestion at each of the multiple stores; a process of identifying candidate stores to visit between the current location and the destination based on the acquired information; and a process of outputting information based on the identified stores.

[0009] Furthermore, in a fourth aspect relating to the present disclosure, an information processing system is provided which includes a user terminal, store terminals installed in each of a plurality of stores, and an information processing device, wherein the information processing device includes an acquisition unit that acquires the user's current location and the user's destination from the user terminal, acquires location information for each of the plurality of stores from a storage device, and acquires information indicating the degree of congestion for each of the plurality of stores from each of the store terminals; an identification unit that identifies candidate stores to visit between the current location and the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an output unit that outputs information based on the stores identified by the identification unit to the user terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] From one perspective, it can appropriately suggest potential stores to stop at on the way from the current location to the destination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 2]This figure shows an example configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for managing the congestion level of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of information stored in the store database according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process of suggesting stores to visit in the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart showing an example of processing performed by the information processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a display screen according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The principles of this disclosure will be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and should be understood as helping those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosures described herein may be implemented in various ways other than those described below. In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) <Structure> Referring to FIG. 1, the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 includes an acquisition unit 11, a specification unit 12, and an output unit 13. Each of these units may be realized by the cooperation of one or more programs installed in the information processing apparatus 10 and hardware such as the processor 101 and the memory 102 of the information processing apparatus 10.

[0014] The acquisition unit 11 acquires various types of information from a storage unit inside the information processing apparatus 10 or an external device. The acquisition unit 11 acquires, for example, the destination of the user and information indicating the congestion level of each of the plurality of stores.

[0015] The specification unit 12 specifies candidate stores that the user may visit from the current position to the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. The output unit 13 outputs information based on the stores specified by the specification unit 12. Thereby, candidates for stores to visit during the movement from the current position to the destination can be appropriately proposed.

[0016] (Embodiment 2) Next, referring to FIG. 2, the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described. <System Configuration> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 2, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing apparatus 10 and a user terminal 20. Further, the information processing system 1 includes store terminals 30A, 30B, and 30C (hereinafter, simply referred to as "store terminal 30" when there is no need to distinguish). In the example of FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10, the user terminal 20, and the store terminal 30 are connected so as to be able to communicate via the network N. Note that the number of the information processing apparatus 10, the user terminal 20, and the store terminal 30 is not limited to the example of FIG. 2.

[0017] Examples of the network N include, for example, the Internet, mobile communication systems, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), LAN, and buses. Examples of mobile communication systems include, for example, the 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), the 6th generation mobile communication system (6G, Beyond 5G), the 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), the 3rd generation mobile communication system (3G), and the like.

[0018] The information processing device 10 is, for example, a device such as a server, cloud, personal computer, or smartphone. The information processing device 10 transmits information on stores that meet the conditions to the user terminal 20 of a user who is moving to a destination, for example.

[0019] The user terminal 20 is, for example, a terminal such as a smartphone, tablet, or car navigation device that the user possesses. Note that the user terminal 20 may have, for example, a smartphone and a car navigation device. In this case, the smartphone and the car navigation device may transmit and receive information by wireless communication such as BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy). The user terminal 20 displays a display screen based on the information received from the information processing device 10, for example.

[0020] The store terminal 30 is, for example, a terminal such as a personal computer, tablet, or smartphone installed in the store. The store terminal 30 transmits information indicating the congestion level of the store to the information processing device 10.

[0021] <Hardware Configuration> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 3, the information processing device 10 (computer 100) includes a processor 101, a memory 102, and a communication interface 103. These components may be connected by a bus or the like. The memory 102 stores at least a part of the program 104. The communication interface 103 includes an interface necessary for communication with other network elements.

[0022] When program 104 is executed in cooperation with the processor 101 and memory 102, etc., the computer 100 performs at least some of the processing of embodiments of this disclosure. Memory 102 may be any type suitable for a local technology network. Memory 102 may, in non-limiting examples, be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. Memory 102 may also be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory. Although only one memory 102 is shown for computer 100, computer 100 may have several physically different memory modules. Processor 101 may be any type. Processor 101 may include one or more general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and, in non-limiting examples, processors based on multicore processor architectures. Computer 100 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-dependent to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0023] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or in dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device.

[0024] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as instructions contained in a program module, and is executed on a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the processes or methods of this disclosure. The program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The functionality of the program module may be combined or divided among the program module as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program module can be executed on a local or distributed device. On a distributed device, the program module can reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0025] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes are provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing device. When the program code is executed by the processor or controller, the functions / operations in the flowchart and / or block diagrams it implements are performed. The program code may run entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, partially as a standalone software package, partially on a machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0026] Programs can be stored and supplied to a computer using various types of non-temporary computer-readable media. Non-temporary computer-readable media include various types of tangible recording media. Examples of non-temporary computer-readable media include magnetic recording media, magneto-optical recording media, optical disc media, and semiconductor memory. Magnetic recording media include, for example, flexible disks, magnetic tapes, and hard disk drives. Magneto-optical recording media include, for example, magneto-optical disks. Optical disc media include, for example, Blu-ray discs, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R (Recordable), and CD-RW (ReWritable). Semiconductor memory includes, for example, solid-state drives, mask ROMs, PROMs (Programmable ROMs), EPROMs (Erasable PROMs), flash ROMs, and RAMs (random access memory). Programs may also be supplied to a computer using various types of temporary computer-readable media. Examples of temporary computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. Temporary computer-readable media can supply programs to a computer via wired communication channels such as electric wires and optical fibers, or via wireless communication channels.

[0027] <Processing> <<Processing to manage congestion levels>> Next, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, an example of the process for managing the congestion level of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process for managing the congestion level of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the information stored in the store DB (database) 501 according to the embodiment. Note that the process in Figure 4 may be executed at regular intervals, for example, for each store terminal 30.

[0028] In step S101, each store terminal 30 transmits information indicating the level of congestion at the store where the store terminal 30 is installed to the information processing device 10. The level of congestion may be, for example, the estimated time (estimated waiting time) from when a customer starts queuing at the drive-thru or register until they receive their ordered items.

[0029] Here, the store terminal 30 may transmit, for example, an image taken to determine the number of vehicles lined up at the drive-thru. The store terminal 30 may also transmit, for example, an image taken to determine the number of customers lined up at the cash register inside the store. The store terminal 30 may also transmit, for example, information measured by sensors such as vehicle sensors and human presence sensors. The store terminal 30 may also transmit, for example, information on orders for which the goods have not yet been handed over. The store terminal 30 may also calculate the degree of congestion based on, for example, information measured by a camera or sensors and information on orders for which the goods have not yet been handed over, and transmit this to the information processing device 10.

[0030] Next, the information processing device 10 updates the information in the store database 501 based on the information received from each store terminal 30 (step S102). The store database 501 may be stored in the internal storage device of the information processing device 10, or it may be stored in an external storage device (for example, a database server).

[0031] In the example shown in Figure 5, the store database 501 stores store information, location information, and congestion level, associated with the store ID. The store ID is the identification information of the store. The store information is information about the store. Store information may include, for example, the name of the chain store to which the store belongs, and the type of store (e.g., fast food, Western restaurant, etc.). The location information is the location information of the store. The congestion level is information about the time it takes for a customer to receive their ordered goods from the time they start queuing at the drive-thru or checkout counter.

[0032] The store ID, store information, and location information may be pre-set (registered) by the administrator (operator) of the information processing device 10. The level of congestion may be calculated (inferred, estimated) using AI (Artificial Intelligence) such as deep learning based on images taken at the store, for example.

[0033] <<Process to suggest stores to visit>> Next, with reference to Figures 6 to 8, an example of the process of suggesting stores to visit in the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the process of suggesting stores to visit in the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen according to the embodiment.

[0034] In step S201, the user terminal 20 receives an operation from the user to specify a destination. Here, the user terminal 20 may, for example, receive an operation to specify the location information of the destination on the map screen of a navigation (route guidance) application.

[0035] Next, the user terminal 20 receives an operation from the user to specify the type of store (step S202). Here, the user terminal 20 may also receive an operation from the user to specify, for example, the name of the chain store company to which the store belongs, or the type of business the store operates. Alternatively, the user terminal 20 may also receive an operation from the user to launch an application provided by the chain store company. In this case, the application may obtain information such as the destination from a navigation application.

[0036] Next, the user terminal 20 transmits its current location, destination, and designated store type to the information processing device 10 (step S203). The user terminal 20 may also determine and transmit its current location using a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System).

[0037] Next, the identification unit 12 of the information processing device 10 identifies stores that meet the conditions as candidate stores to visit, based on the user's current location (the current location of the user terminal 20), the user's destination, and the congestion level of each store (step S204).

[0038] Next, the output unit 13 of the information processing device 10 transmits information about the identified store to the user terminal 20 (step S205). Subsequently, the user terminal 20 notifies the user of the received information about the store (step S206). This presents the user with information about stores suitable for visiting.

[0039] Next, referring to Figure 7, an example of the process of identifying candidate stores to visit in step S204 of Figure 6 will be described. Note that Figure 7 is just one example, and the order of each process may be changed or some of the processes may be omitted, as long as it does not contradict the previous example.

[0040] In step S2001, the identification unit 12 selects one of the multiple stores as the "store to be processed".

[0041] Next, the identification unit 12 estimates (calculates) the expected arrival time at the destination if the user stops at the store to be processed, based on the user's current location, the user's destination, and the congestion level of the store to be processed (step S2002). Here, the identification unit 12 may calculate the first required time for travel from the user's current location to the store to be processed, the second required time for travel from arrival at the store to receiving the goods, and the third required time for travel from the store to the destination. Here, the identification unit 12 may determine that the second required time is longer the higher the congestion level of the store to be processed.

[0042] Furthermore, the identification unit 12 may calculate the estimated arrival time at the destination when the user makes a stop at the store to be processed by adding the sum of the first required time, the second required time, and the third required time to the current time. In addition, the identification unit 12 may calculate the estimated stop time at the store to be processed when the user makes a stop at the store to be processed by adding the first required time to the current time.

[0043] Furthermore, the identification unit 12 may estimate the expected congestion level at the time of the expected visit (when the user visits the store) based on the congestion level of the store to be processed (current congestion level, recent congestion level), etc. In this case, the identification unit 12 may, for example, use a trained model generated by a recurrent neural network (RNN) to estimate the expected congestion level at the time of the expected visit based on the changes in the congestion level of the store to be processed at each point in time. In this case, the trained model may be generated by an RNN using data on the congestion level of the store to be processed at each past point in time as training data.

[0044] Next, the identification unit 12 determines whether or not there are any stores that have not been extracted from among the multiple stores (step S2003). If there are stores that have not been extracted (YES in step S2003), the identification unit 12 extracts one of the stores that has not been extracted as the store to be processed (step S2004), and proceeds to the process in step S2002.

[0045] On the other hand, if there are no unextracted stores (NO in step S2003), the identification unit 12 determines a score for each store based on the estimated arrival time to the destination estimated for each store (step S2005). Here, the identification unit 12 may, for example, determine a higher score value for stores with earlier estimated arrival times. This allows the system to present (suggest) to the user as candidates stores that can reduce delays in arrival time at the destination due to stops at the store.

[0046] Next, the identification unit 12 determines (corrects, changes) a score for each store based on the estimated expected visit times to each store (step S2006). Here, the identification unit 12 may assign a higher score to stores that can be visited at times that meet the conditions specified by the user. In this case, for example, the user terminal 20 may accept an input operation for the conditions of the visit time desired by the user and transmit it to the information processing device 10. In this case, the user terminal 20 may transmit information to the information processing device 10 indicating the conditions of the visit time, such as after a specified time (e.g., 30 minutes) has elapsed from the current time, within a specified time period (e.g., from 12:00 to 13:00), and at a time specified (e.g., 30 minutes) earlier than the expected arrival time at the destination. This allows the system to present (suggest) stores that the user can visit at the time period desired by the user as candidates.

[0047] Furthermore, the specific unit 12 may assign a higher score to stores that can be visited a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes) earlier than the expected arrival time at the destination. This allows the system to present (suggest) to the user stores where they can have a meal in their car or elsewhere before arriving at their destination.

[0048] Next, the identification unit 12 identifies candidate stores to visit based on the score of each store (step S2007) and terminates the process. Here, the identification unit 12 may, for example, identify each store with a score above a threshold as a candidate store to visit. Alternatively, the identification unit 12 may identify a specific number of stores in descending order of score as candidate stores to visit.

[0049] Next, referring to Figure 8, we will explain an example of the process of informing (suggesting) the user of potential stores to visit in steps S205 and S206 of Figure 6.

[0050] In the example shown in Figure 8, the display screen 801 shows display areas 811, 812, and 813 for each of the candidate stores A, B, and C that the user might want to visit. Display area 811 also shows the name of store A 821, the address of store A 822, the distance from the user's current location to store A 823, and an icon 824 indicating the type of store A.

[0051] As shown in Figure 8, the output unit 13 may display information based on the estimated arrival time to the destination when visiting each of the candidate stores. In the example of the display area 811, the difference (time required for a stop) 825 between the estimated arrival time to the destination when visiting store A and when not visiting store A is displayed.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the output unit 13 may display information indicating the expected level of congestion at the time of visit (expected visit time), associated with each candidate store to be visited. In the example of display area 811, the expected visit time 826 and the expected congestion level 827 for store A are displayed. In addition, the display areas 812 and 813 for stores B and C also display information for the same items as in the display area 811 for store A. The output unit 13 may also display the expected congestion level using an icon or color corresponding to the numerical value of the expected congestion level, or in addition to a numerical value.

[0053] The output unit 13 may display information associated with a store if the route from the current location to the destination, including a stop at the store, meets certain conditions. In this case, the output unit 13 may display specific graphics, etc., if, for example, an additional toll road fee is incurred due to the stop at the store, or if a traffic accident or the like has occurred on the route to the destination when stopping at the store. In the example in Figure 8, the output unit 13 displays an exclamation mark icon 851 associated with the display area 813 of store C. The user terminal 20 may, for example, display the amount of the additional toll road fee and the traffic accident information notified by the output unit 13 on the screen when the display area 813 is tapped by the user.

[0054] In the example shown in Figure 8, the output unit 13 displays the display areas 811, 812, and 813 for each store A, B, and C, starting from the top of the display screen 801, in order of the smallest difference between the estimated arrival time at the destination with and without a store visit. This allows the system to prioritize presenting (suggesting) stores to the user that can reduce delays in arrival time at the destination due to a store visit.

[0055] (Example of ordering in advance when visiting a store) The output unit 13 may also transmit the user's order information to the store terminal 30 at a timing appropriate to the store's congestion level when the user visits the store. This can reduce the waiting time for the user to receive their goods when they visit the store.

[0056] In this case, the user terminal 20 may, for example, display the menu of a store and accept an operation to specify the items to be purchased when the user has selected a store to visit from the candidates on the display screen shown in Figure 8. The user terminal 20 may then send the order information of the items selected by the user to the information processing device 10. The output unit 13 of the information processing device 10 may then send the order information to the store terminal 30 at a timing that corresponds to the user's current location and the store's congestion level (for example, the current congestion level or the expected congestion level). In this case, the output unit 13 may, for example, send the order information to the store's store terminal 30 when the difference between the expected time of arrival at the store and the current time becomes less than or equal to the store's expected waiting time.

[0057] <Variation> The information processing device 10 may be a device contained in a single enclosure, but the information processing device 10 of this disclosure is not limited to this. Each part of the information processing device 10 may be implemented by cloud computing, for example, consisting of one or more computers. Alternatively, the information processing device 10 and the user terminal 20 may be housed in the same enclosure and configured as an integrated information processing device. Furthermore, at least one of the user terminal 20 and the store terminal 30 may perform processing on at least some of the functional parts of the information processing device 10. Such information processing devices 10 are also included as examples of the "information processing device" of this disclosure.

[0058] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0059] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) An acquisition unit that acquires the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the congestion level of each of multiple stores. Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, the identification unit identifies candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, An output unit that outputs information based on the store identified by the identification unit, An information processing device having (Note 2) The acquisition unit acquires images taken at each of the multiple stores as information indicating the level of congestion at each of the multiple stores. The information processing device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The identification unit estimates the expected arrival time at the destination based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, assuming that the user stops at each of the multiple stores between the current location and the destination, and identifies candidate stores to visit based on each estimated arrival time. The information processing device described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) The output unit displays information based on the estimated time of arrival at the destination, assuming that the user stops at the store identified by the identification unit, from the current location to the destination. The information processing device described in Appendix 3. (Note 5) The identification unit estimates the expected level of congestion at each of the multiple stores when visiting each of the multiple stores from the current location, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, and identifies candidate stores to visit based on the estimated expected level of congestion. An information processing device as described in any one of the items 1 to 4 of the appendix. (Note 6) The output unit displays information indicating the expected level of congestion at the store identified by the identification unit, based on the current location when visiting the store. The information processing device described in Appendix 5. (Note 7) The identification unit identifies, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, at least one of the stores that can be visited at a time that matches the conditions specified by the user, and a store that can be visited at a predetermined time earlier than the expected time of arrival at the destination, as candidate stores to visit. An information processing device as described in any one of the items 1 to 6 of the appendix. (Note 8) The output unit transmits the user's order information to the store at a timing that corresponds to the user's current location and the congestion level of the store designated by the user from among the candidate stores to visit. An information processing device as described in any one of the items 1 to 7 of the appendix. (Note 9) A process for obtaining the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the congestion level of each of several stores. Based on the acquired information, a process is performed to identify candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, A process that outputs information based on the identified store, An information processing method that performs the following. (Note 10) A process for obtaining the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the congestion level of each of several stores. Based on the acquired information, a process is performed to identify candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, A process that outputs information based on the identified store, A program that causes a computer to execute something. (Note 11) An information processing system including a user terminal, individual store terminals installed in each of multiple stores, and an information processing device, The aforementioned information processing device is An acquisition unit that acquires the user's current location and the user's destination from the user terminal, acquires location information for each of the multiple stores from a storage device, and acquires information indicating the congestion level of each of the multiple stores from each store terminal, Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, the identification unit identifies candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, An output unit that outputs information based on the store identified by the identification unit to the user terminal, An information processing system having (Note 12) The acquisition unit acquires images taken at each of the multiple stores as information indicating the level of congestion at each of the multiple stores. The information processing system described in Appendix 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1. Information Processing System 10 Information Processing Devices 11 Acquisition Department 12 Specific part 13 Output section 20 User Terminals 30 store terminals

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the congestion level of each of multiple stores. Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, the identification unit identifies candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, An output unit that outputs information based on the store identified by the identification unit, It has, The specified part is, Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, the first required time for travel from the current location to each of the multiple stores, the second required time for travel from arrival at each of the multiple stores to receiving the goods, and the third required time for travel from each of the multiple stores to the destination are calculated, and the estimated arrival time at the destination when visiting each of the multiple stores is estimated based on the sum of the first, second, and third required times and the current time. Based on the estimated arrival times for each of the aforementioned stores, calculate the respective scores for each store. Based on the calculated score, identify potential stores to visit. Information processing device.

2. The information processing device according to Claim 1, wherein the identifying unit calculates the second required time based on information indicating the degree of congestion of each of the plurality of stores.

3. The acquisition unit acquires images taken at each of the multiple stores as information indicating the level of congestion at each of the multiple stores. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The output unit displays information based on the estimated time of arrival at the destination, assuming that the user stops at the store identified by the identification unit, from the current location to the destination. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The identification unit estimates the expected level of congestion at each of the multiple stores when visiting each of the multiple stores from the current location, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, and identifies candidate stores to visit based on the estimated expected level of congestion. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The output unit displays information indicating the expected level of congestion at the store identified by the identification unit, based on the current location when visiting the store. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The identification unit identifies, based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, at least one of the stores that can be visited at a time that matches the conditions specified by the user, and a store that can be visited at a predetermined time earlier than the expected time of arrival at the destination, as candidate stores to visit. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A process for obtaining the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the congestion level of each of several stores. Based on the acquired information, a process is performed to identify candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, A process that outputs information based on the identified store, Execute, The process to be identified is, Based on the acquired information, the process calculates the first required time for travel from the current location to each of the multiple stores, the second required time for travel from arrival at each of the multiple stores to receiving the goods, and the third required time for travel from each of the multiple stores to the destination. Based on the sum of the first, second, and third required times and the current time, the process estimates the expected arrival time at the destination when visiting each of the multiple stores. A process to calculate the score for each of the aforementioned stores based on the estimated arrival times, This process includes identifying potential stores to visit based on the calculated score. Information processing methods.

9. A process for obtaining the user's current location, the user's destination, and information indicating the congestion level of each of several stores. Based on the acquired information, a process is performed to identify candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, A process that outputs information based on the identified store, Have the computer run it, The process to be identified is, Based on the acquired information, the process calculates the first required time for travel from the current location to each of the multiple stores, the second required time for travel from arrival at each of the multiple stores to receiving the goods, and the third required time for travel from each of the multiple stores to the destination. Based on the sum of the first, second, and third required times and the current time, the process estimates the expected arrival time at the destination when visiting each of the multiple stores. A process to calculate the score for each of the aforementioned stores based on the estimated arrival times, This process includes identifying potential stores to visit based on the calculated score. program.

10. An information processing system including a user terminal, individual store terminals installed in each of multiple stores, and an information processing device, The aforementioned information processing device is An acquisition unit that acquires the user's current location and the user's destination from the user terminal, acquires location information for each of the multiple stores from a storage device, and acquires information indicating the congestion level of each of the multiple stores from each store terminal, Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, the identification unit identifies candidate stores to stop at between the current location and the destination, An output unit that outputs information based on the store identified by the identification unit to the user terminal, It has, The specified part is, Based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, the first required time for travel from the current location to each of the multiple stores, the second required time for travel from arrival at each of the multiple stores to receiving the goods, and the third required time for travel from each of the multiple stores to the destination are calculated, and the estimated arrival time at the destination when visiting each of the multiple stores is estimated based on the sum of the first, second, and third required times and the current time. Based on the estimated arrival times for each of the aforementioned stores, calculate the respective scores for each store. Based on the calculated score, identify potential stores to visit. Information processing system.

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