Information processing device, method for controlling the information processing device, control program for the information processing device, communication terminal, method for controlling the communication terminal, and control program for the communication terminal

The system addresses underutilization of facilities by providing reservation status and alternative methods, ensuring optimal facility usage through direct user-manager communication.

JP7840103B1Active Publication Date: 2026-04-03SOFTBANK CORPORATION
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-03-12
Publication Date
2026-04-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing systems that allow app-based reservations for office facilities often result in underutilization of facilities that cannot be reserved via the app, as they are not displayed to tenants, leading to idle assets.

Method used

An information processing system that provides users with information on reservation status and alternative reservation methods for facilities not available through the app, allowing users to contact facility managers directly or through other means.

Benefits of technology

Prevents facilities from becoming idle assets by informing users of their availability and enabling reservations through alternative methods, thus optimizing facility usage.

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Abstract

To provide information processing devices, etc., that facilitate the use of facilities installed in a building by users. [Solution] The information processing device for managing reservations for multiple facilities installed in a building includes a reservation means setting unit that accepts the setting of reservation means for each of the multiple facilities and sets a reservation in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal or a reservation means other than a reservation in response to a reservation request; an output unit that outputs information indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and displays a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the multiple facilities; a selection result acquisition unit that acquires the facility selected by the user from the facility display screen; and a reservation acceptance unit that accepts a reservation for the selected facility if the selected facility is available for reservation in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal. The output unit outputs information displaying the reservation means set for the selected facility if a reservation in response to a reservation request for the selected facility is not possible.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method for an information processing apparatus, a control program for an information processing apparatus, a communication terminal, a control method for a communication terminal, and a control program for a communication terminal.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a room rental system that enables people outside the company to make reservation for using conference rooms and reception rooms that were previously only used within the company, thereby promoting the effective utilization of conference rooms and reception rooms within the company (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] An information processing apparatus for managing reservation of a plurality of facilities installed in a building according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reservation means setting unit that receives a setting of reservation means for each of the plurality of facilities, the reservation means setting unit setting at least one of a reservation in response to a reservation request from a user's communication terminal and a reservation means other than the reservation in response to the reservation request; an output unit that outputs information indicating that a plurality of facilities are installed in the building and displays a facility display screen on which at least one of the plurality of facilities can be selected by a user; and a selection result acquisition unit that acquires a facility selected by the user with respect to the facility display screen. The output unit outputs information for displaying a reservation screen of the selected facility when the selected facility can be reserved in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal, and outputs information for displaying the reservation means set for the selected facility when a reservation in response to the reservation request of the selected facility is not possible.

[0005] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reservation means setting unit may accept the setting of a means of contacting the facility manager as a reservation means other than a reservation in response to a reservation request, and the output unit may output information regarding the means of contacting the manager if a reservation in response to the reservation request for the selected facility is not possible.

[0006] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention further comprises a reservation status acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the reservation status from a predetermined storage unit that stores the reservation status of multiple facilities, and an output unit may output information that displays a screen showing the reservation status of multiple facilities as a facility display screen, regardless of whether or not a reservation request can be accepted.

[0007] In an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the output unit may output information relating to at least one of a telephone line and a predetermined messaging service as a means of contacting an administrator.

[0008] An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes an authorization setting unit that accepts the setting of possible reservation methods for each of a plurality of facilities according to the type of reservation authority, and an output unit may output information that displays a screen related to the reservation of the selected facility, based on the reservation method set in the authorization setting unit according to the type of reservation authority of the user.

[0009] A control method for an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, according to one embodiment of the present invention, involves the information processing device receiving the setting of reservation means for each of the multiple facilities and setting at least one of a reservation in response to a reservation request from a user's communication terminal and a reservation means other than a reservation in response to a reservation request; outputting information indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and displaying a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the multiple facilities; acquiring the facility selected by the user from the facility display screen; outputting information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility if the selected facility can be reserved in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal, and outputting information to display the reservation means set for the selected facility if a reservation in response to a reservation request for the selected facility is not possible.

[0010] A control program for an information processing device that manages reservations for multiple facilities installed in a building, according to one embodiment of the present invention, provides the information processing device with the following functions: a function to accept the setting of reservation means for each of the multiple facilities and set at least one of the following: a reservation in response to a reservation request from a user's communication terminal and a reservation means other than a reservation in response to a reservation request; a function to output information indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and displaying a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the multiple facilities; a function to acquire the facility selected by the user from the facility display screen; and a function to output information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility if the selected facility can be reserved in response to a reservation request from a user's communication terminal, and to output information to display the reservation means set for the selected facility if the reservation in response to a reservation request for the selected facility is not possible.

[0011] A communication terminal that communicates with an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a display processing unit that indicates that multiple facilities are installed in the building and displays a facility display screen on a display unit in which the user can select at least one of the multiple facilities, and a selection receiving unit that receives a selection of a facility from the user on the facility display screen, wherein the display processing unit displays the reservation screen for the selected facility if the facility selected by the user can be reserved from the terminal, and displays a reservation means other than reservation from the terminal that is set for the selected facility if the selected facility cannot be reserved from the terminal.

[0012] A control method for a communication terminal that communicates with an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, according to one embodiment of the present invention, involves the communication terminal performing the following steps: displaying a facility display screen on its display unit indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and allowing the user to select at least one of the multiple facilities; receiving a facility selection from the user on the facility display screen; and, if the facility selected by the user can be reserved from the terminal, displaying the reservation screen for the selected facility; and, if the selected facility cannot be reserved from the terminal, displaying reservation means other than reservation from the terminal that are set for the selected facility.

[0013] A control program for a communication terminal that communicates with an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, according to one embodiment of the present invention, causes the communication terminal to function as follows: a function to display a facility display screen on the display unit indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and allowing the user to select at least one of the multiple facilities; a function to accept the user's selection of a facility from the facility display screen; a function to display the reservation screen for the selected facility if the facility selected by the user can be reserved from the terminal, and a function to display reservation means other than reservation from the terminal that are set for the selected facility if the selected facility cannot be reserved from the terminal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the information processing system configuration according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the display screen of an administrator terminal in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a table stored in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figures 4(a) to 4(c) show examples of user terminal display screens in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a) to 5(c) show examples of user terminal display screens in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an example of a functional block diagram of a server (information processing device) and a communication terminal (user terminal) in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the server control flow in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the control flow of a communication terminal in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereafter, an embodiment of the invention described herein (also referred to as the present invention) will be explained using the figures. Note that the figures are examples only, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in the figures. For example, the number of communication terminals (user terminals, administrator terminals), servers (information processing devices), database servers, users, administrators, facilities, spaces, etc., as well as the number of datasets (tables), flowcharts, display screens, etc., shown are examples only, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0016] In recent years, there has been a growing trend to enhance the added value of office buildings by incorporating diverse spaces and facilities such as conference rooms, individual booths, and event spaces. Furthermore, systems have been developed that allow tenants to reserve these facilities via apps (applications). However, while app-based reservations offer high convenience, there are concerns that the facilities may be used in ways that do not align with their original purpose. Due to this concern, office building owners have traditionally sometimes prohibited app-based reservations for certain facilities. As a result, when tenants try to reserve facilities through the app, facilities that cannot be reserved via the app are not displayed, leading to a problem where the existence of these facilities is not made known to tenants, resulting in them becoming underutilized assets.

[0017] In contrast, according to one embodiment of the present invention, even for facilities where reservations cannot be made via the app, tenant users may be provided with information on the reservation status of such facilities and information on reservation methods other than the app through the app. The reservation method other than the app may be a method that allows the user to declare the purpose and use of the facility to the building owner. This makes it possible to realize the desired use of the facility and prevent it from becoming an idle asset.

[0018] FIG. 1 is an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 600 may be a system that realizes a reservation service related to the reservation of a plurality of facilities installed in a building. Hereinafter, as an example, a building (building) in which offices of one or more companies (tenants) are occupied will be described. However, the building in the present invention is not limited to a building, and may include structures such as condominiums, commercial facilities, schools, accommodation facilities (hotels, inns, etc.). Also, regardless of the scale of the building, it may include high-rise buildings, complex commercial buildings, station buildings, etc. Further, the "facility" refers to a facility provided in the building that can be used by users either有偿 or无偿, such as, for example, meeting rooms, reception rooms, individual booths where one or two to three people can work, web conference booths, etc., in addition to facilities related to duties, and facilities related to rest and refreshment such as saunas, gyms, shower rooms, nap rooms, entertainment rooms, shiatsu, beauty salons, theater rooms, etc., and facilities for creating communication such as café spaces, shared lounges, event spaces, audio studios, etc. Note that the facilities are not limited to these. Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the facilities are not limited to those provided inside the building, and may include those provided within the site managed by the building owner outside the building and available for users to use.

[0019] In the present disclosure, the "user" may refer to a user belonging to a company occupying the building, such as an employee (tenant user) such as a regular employee or a commissioned employee who engages in the duties of the company, or an officer. Also, in the present disclosure, the "owner" or "administrator" is a subject that owns and manages the building and leases it to the tenant, and may include natural persons and legal persons. Hereinafter, the communication terminal of the user will also be referred to as the "user terminal", and the communication terminal of the administrator will also be referred to as the "administrator terminal".

[0020] The information processing system 600 may include a server (information processing device) 100, a user terminal (communication terminal) 200, an administrator terminal (communication terminal) 300, and a database server 400. These may be connected via a network 500 and may perform data transmission and reception.

[0021] Network 500 may include a wireless network or a wired network. Specifically, for example, Network 500 may be a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), code division multiple access (CDMA), long term evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, fourth generation communication (4G), fifth generation communication (5G), and a mobile communication system such as sixth generation communication (6G) and later. Note that Network 500 is not limited to these examples, and may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), an optical line, or the like. Also, Network 500 may be a combination of these.

[0022] Server 100 may be able to execute various processes related to the building reservation service realized by information processing system 600. Note that the various processes related to the reservation service may include a process of receiving a reservation request transmitted from user terminal 200, a process of reserving the use of a facility, a process of starting use (check-in) and ending use (check-out), and the like.

[0023] The database server 400 may function as a storage unit that stores various information (data) used by the information processing system 600. As will be described in detail later, the database server 400 may store facility information, including the capacity of each facility, location, whether reservations can be made from user terminals, and reservation methods other than reservations from user terminals, as well as the reservation status of each facility. For example, the database server 400 may store a dataset as a reservation status, associating a reservation ID (IDentifier) ​​(an example of an identifier) ​​that uniquely identifies each reservation with a facility ID that uniquely identifies the reserved facility, a user ID that uniquely identifies the user who made the reservation, the reservation date, the reservation time slot (start time and end time), participating users, etc. The database server 400 may also store user information, for example, about users who use the reservation service. User information is information for identifying each user and may include, for example, a user ID that uniquely identifies the user, username, email address, the company to which the user belongs, the type of reservation authority, etc.

[0024] The administrator terminal 300 may be a communication terminal of the administrator (building owner) who performs various settings for the reservation service. The administrator terminal 300 may have an application for using the reservation service (hereinafter also referred to as the "reservation app") installed, and the administrator may be able to use the reservation app as a user with the authority to perform various settings for the reservation service. Note that installation of the application on the administrator terminal 300 is not mandatory, and the administrator terminal 300 may access the web page for using the reservation service via a web browser or the like.

[0025] Furthermore, the administrator terminal 300 communicates with the server 100 and, in response to the administrator's operations, may set up reservation methods for each facility, or, for facilities where a user has requested a reservation by a method other than the reservation app, set up the reservation via the reservation app.

[0026] Figure 2 may be an example of a setting screen for the reservation method of each facility displayed on the administrator terminal 300. The administrator may be able to set the reservation method for each of the multiple facilities installed in the building on screen D1. The example in Figure 2 is a setting screen for the reservation method of the facility named "Event Space" located on the "3rd floor" of the building named "○○ Building" identified by building ID "5kl*******p". On the administrator terminal 300, the reservation method for the facility specified in the facility information area 11 may be set in the reservation method setting area 12. At least one of the following can be set as the reservation method: "Reservation via app", "Reservation by other method", and "No reservation". "Reservation via app" refers to a reservation made via a reservation app, and may be a method in which the server 100 can process the reservation in response to a reservation request from the user terminal 200. In other words, "Reservation via app" may be a method in which the user terminal 200 can make a reservation directly. "Reservation by other method" may be a reservation made using a predetermined service other than a reservation app. "Reservations made by other means" may refer to reservations made using designated services used for communication, such as telephone, calling apps, communication apps, email, and text messages. In other words, "reservations made by other means" may refer to reservations for each facility made by means other than the reservation app, allowing the administrator to contact the administrator. If the administrator selects "reservations made by other means," they may allow registration of a phone number in the case of telephone or text messages, registration of the administrator's account in the case of calling apps or communication apps, and registration of an email address in the case of email. Furthermore, "no reservation" may refer to setting the facility so that reservations are not accepted at all. Note that "points consumed" on screen D1 may refer to electronic points that the user must pay to use the facility. In addition, in the following explanation, if "reservations made by app" is set for a facility, it may be expressed as "reservations made by the reservation app are possible," and if "reservations made by other means" or "no reservation" is set, it may be expressed as "reservations made by the reservation app are not possible."

[0027] The reservation method set on the administrator terminal 300 may be stored as a database. Figure 3 may be an example of a facility information table that includes the reservation method for each facility. The facility information table TB10 may store each facility by associating it with a facility ID that uniquely identifies the facility, along with the facility name, location, reservation method, etc. Here, the reservation method may be stored separately according to the user's facility reservation authority. "Facility reservation authority" is information indicating whether or not a user has the authority to reserve a facility using the reservation app, and may be set for each user. For example, an administrator may be a user with "high" reservation authority, and a tenant user may be a user with "low" reservation authority. Although Figure 3 shows examples of two types of reservation authority, "high" and "low," there may be multiple types (levels) of reservation authority. For example, depending on the type of reservation authority, a user may have facilities that can be reserved using the reservation app and facilities that cannot be reserved using the reservation app and can only be reserved by methods other than the reservation app. This makes users who can reserve facilities using the reservation app more reliable users for the administrator, promoting the use of facilities with greater peace of mind for the administrator. For the purposes of this explanation, it is assumed that only administrators have high reservation privileges, while tenant users have low reservation privileges.

[0028] The information stored in the facility information table TB10 is not limited to what is shown in the diagram. For example, the facility information table TB10 may also store information such as the facility's capacity, equipment, and the number of points required for use. Furthermore, the facility information table TB10 may be stored in the database server 400.

[0029] The user terminal 200 communicates with the server 100 and may be a communication terminal for a user utilizing the reservation service provided by the information processing system 600. The user terminal 200 may have a reservation application installed. Alternatively, installation of an application on the user terminal 200 is not required, and the user terminal 200 may access a web page for using the reservation service provided by the server 100 via a web browser or the like. The user terminal 200 may display various screens related to facility reservations based on information received from the server 100. The user terminal 200 may also send requests to the server 100 in response to input operations received from the user.

[0030] Figures 4 and 5 may be examples of screens related to facility reservations on a user terminal 200. Note that these figures are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Screen D2 in Figure 4(a) may be an example of a facility display screen indicating that multiple facilities are installed in a building, and allowing the user to select at least one of the multiple facilities. The user may scroll through screen D2 to confirm the buildings installed in the building. In the example of screen D2, a list of facility photos, locations, and facility names is displayed, and the user may select reservation buttons 21 and 22 that display "Reserve". Note that the facility display screen is not limited to those shown; for example, facilities may be displayed as a list using only text, or in the form of a floor map.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the present invention, information about facilities that the administrator has set to "reserve by other means" or "no reservation" may be provided to the user. In other words, according to one embodiment of the present invention, information about facilities that the user cannot reserve using the reservation app may also be provided to the user. For example, suppose the administrator has set "reserve by app" for the "large conference room" and "reserve by other means" for the "event space". In other words, the user can reserve the "large conference room" using the reservation app, but cannot reserve the "event space". In this case, for example, as shown in screen D2, information about the "event space" that cannot be reserved using the reservation app may also be provided to the user. This makes it possible to make users aware of the existence of facilities installed in the building and promote their use, and to prevent facilities from becoming idle assets.

[0032] Screen D3 in Figure 4(b) may be an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 200 when the user selects the reservation button 22 for an "event space" that cannot be reserved using the reservation app on screen D2. The server 100 may display screen D3 on the user terminal 200 based on the facility information table TB10 in Figure 3. That is, since the "event space" is set to "reserve by other means," information 31 regarding the telephone reservation method, which is the reservation method set for the event space, may be displayed on the user terminal 200.

[0033] Although Figure 4(b) shows an example where a phone number is displayed on screen D3, the user terminal 200 may display a reservation method set as "reserve by another method." Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the user selects a reservation method displayed on the user terminal 200, an application related to the set reservation method may be launched. For example, in response to the user selecting a phone number on screen D3 in Figure 4(b), the user terminal 200 may launch a telephone application that allows calling the displayed phone number. Alternatively, for example, the user terminal 200 may display an email address for contacting the administrator, and in response to the user selecting the email address, an email application may be launched with a screen for sending to the displayed email address. Note that the examples of the display screens of the user terminal 200 are not limited to those described above. For example, the email address and phone number may not be displayed, or buttons that allow the user to select a set reservation method, such as "reserve by email" or "reserve by phone," may be displayed along with the email address and phone number. Then, in response to the user selecting a button, the various applications described above may be launched.

[0034] Furthermore, screen D4 in Figure 4(c) may be an example of a screen displayed on the user terminal 200 when the user selects the reservation button 21 for the "Large Conference Room," which can be reserved using the reservation app, on screen D2. Since the Large Conference Room is set to be reservable using the reservation app on the user terminal 200, information to display the reservation screen (reservation button 42) may be displayed on the user terminal 200. Note that displaying screen D4 is not mandatory, and a screen for setting up the reservation (such as screen D7 in Figure 5(c), which will be described later) may be displayed depending on whether the reservation button 42 is selected.

[0035] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, in addition to facilities for which the administrator has set "reservation via app," information on facilities for which "reservation by other methods" has been set, and information on how to reserve such facilities, may be provided to the user. This allows the administrator to manage reservations for facilities for which they wish to restrict free use by users, by checking the purpose and affiliation of users who wish to reserve a facility through a separate reservation method set as "reservation by other methods" and deciding whether or not to allow the reservation. Furthermore, by informing users about what facilities exist in the building, the administrator can prevent facilities from becoming idle assets.

[0036] Furthermore, the user may reserve the facility by selecting the reservation button 42 on screen D4. More specifically, in response to the selection of the reservation button 42, the user terminal 200 may transition to screen D7 in Figure 5(c). Screen D7 is a reservation registration screen, where the user may input and confirm information such as the date and time of use, time slot, number of people, and users. The information on screen D7 may then be sent to the server 100, and the facility reservation may be set. Furthermore, unlike the user, the administrator has the authority to reserve the event space, and in response to a request for use from the user via telephone or email, the administrator may set the reservation of the event space using the reservation application when granting permission. In this case, the administrator terminal 300 may display the reservation registration screen D7 for the event space.

[0037] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reservation status may be provided to the user even for facilities where reservations cannot be made via the reservation app. Figure 5(a) may be an example of a screen showing the reservation status of an event space. Screen D5 may be displayed on the user terminal 200 in response to the selection of the "View Reservation Status" button 32 in screen D3 of Figure 4(b). In the example of screen D5, as shown in the reservation area 51, the event space is reserved for "Tuesday, December 17, 2024, from 10:00 to 12:00". When the user selects a time slot on screen D5, screen D6 of Figure 5(b) may be displayed. That is, as shown in the notification area 61 of screen D6, the user may be notified that the event space can be reserved by telephone.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in screen D4 of Figure 4(c), a button 41 to check the reservation status may also be displayed for facilities where reservations can be made via the reservation app. When button 41 is selected, the reservation status of the facility may be displayed, as shown in screen D5 of Figure 5(a). In this case, since reservations can be made via the reservation app, screen D7 shown in Figure 5(c) may be displayed depending on the time slot selected by the user, allowing the user to set the reservation. At this time, the time slot selected in Figure 5(b) may be reflected in the reservation time slot on screen D7 of Figure 4(c).

[0039] Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, even for facilities where reservations cannot be made via a reservation app, information regarding the reservation status may be provided to the user. This eliminates the hassle of checking the reservation status between the user and the administrator, making it easier for users to make reservations.

[0040] <Structure> Figure 6 will be used to explain the hardware and functional configurations of server 100 and user terminal 200.

[0041] <User terminal> (1) Hardware configuration of the user terminal The user terminal 200 comprises a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, a display unit 230, an input / output unit 240, and a storage unit 270.

[0042] The control unit 210 is typically a processor and may be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The control unit 210 may perform the functions and methods shown in each embodiment by reading a program stored in the storage unit 270 and executing code or instructions contained in the program.

[0043] The storage unit 270 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the user terminal 200. The storage unit 270 may include, for example, flash memory. The storage unit 270 may also include memory (such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory)) that provides a working area for the control unit 210.

[0044] The communication unit 220 may be implemented as hardware such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) or network adapter, communication software, or a combination thereof. The communication unit 220 may send and receive various types of data to and from the server 100 via the network 500. If the communication unit 220 is composed of a physically structured circuit, it may be referred to as a communication circuit.

[0045] The display unit 230 is a monitor that displays data according to the display data written to the frame buffer, and may be, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, etc.

[0046] The input / output unit 240 may include an input device for inputting various operations to the user terminal 200, and an output device for outputting processing results processed by the user terminal 200. The input device may include, for example, a touch panel, a touch display, a camera, and a microphone, and the output device may include, for example, a display, a touch panel, a speaker, and the like.

[0047] (2) Functional configuration of user terminals The user terminal 200 may include a display processing unit 212, an input / output processing unit 213, and a determination unit 214 as functions implemented by the control unit 210. Note that some of the functional units shown in Figure 2 that are not essential in each embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processes of each functional unit may be implemented by machine learning or AI (Artificial Intelligence) to the extent feasible. Note that some of the various processes described as being performed by the user terminal 200 may be performed by the server 100.

[0048] The display processing unit 212 may control the display of data on the display unit 230. For example, the display processing unit 212 may, in response to information transmitted from the server 100, display a facility display screen on the display unit 230 indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and allowing the user to select at least one of the multiple facilities. The facility display screen may be, for example, screen D2 in Figure 4(a).

[0049] The input / output processing unit 213 may control the transmission of various types of information to external devices via the input / output unit 240. For example, the input / output processing unit 213 may transmit various types of information to each functional unit in response to user input operations received by the input device, or transmit information from each functional unit to output devices (not shown) such as touch panels, monitors, and speakers. The input / output processing unit 213 may also function as a selection reception unit that receives the user's selection result for a facility on the facility display screen.

[0050] The determination unit 214 may perform various determination processes.

[0051] <server> (1) Server hardware configuration The server 100 may include a control unit 110, a communication unit 120, and a storage unit 170.

[0052] The control unit 110 is typically a processor, and may include a central processing unit (CPU), MPU, GPU, microprocessor, etc., and may be implemented by logic circuits (hardware) or dedicated circuits formed on an integrated circuit chip (IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, LSI (Large Scale Integration)), etc.

[0053] The storage unit 170 stores various programs and data necessary for the server 100 to operate. The storage unit 170 may include, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc. The storage unit 170 may also include memory that provides a workspace for the control unit 110.

[0054] The communication unit 120 may be implemented as hardware such as a NIC or network adapter, communication software, or a combination thereof. The communication unit 120 may send and receive various types of data to and from the user terminal 200 via the network 500.

[0055] (2) Server Functional Configuration The server 100 may include, as functions implemented by the control unit 110, a reservation means setting unit 111, an output unit 112, a selection result acquisition unit 113, a reservation status acquisition unit 114, an authority setting unit 115, and a determination unit 116. Of the functional units shown in Figure 6, functional units that are not essential in each embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, the functions or processing of each functional unit may be implemented by machine learning or AI to the extent that is feasible.

[0056] The reservation method setting unit 111 may receive the setting of reservation methods for each of the multiple facilities installed in the building from the administrator terminal 300. The reservation method may be a reservation made in response to a reservation request from a user terminal 200 via a reservation application, or a reservation method other than a reservation application. The reservation method other than a reservation application may be a means of contacting the facility administrator. The means of contacting the administrator may be at least one of the following: a telephone line, a facsimile, and a predetermined messaging service (a predetermined service used for communication such as telephone, calling application, communication application, email, and short message). The set reservation method may be stored in the database server 400 as, for example, the facility information table TB10 in Figure 3.

[0057] The output unit 112 may output information indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building, and that a facility display screen will be displayed on the user terminal 200, allowing the user to select at least one of the multiple facilities. The facility display screen may be displayed, for example, when the user searches for facilities in the building or makes a reservation for the use of a facility in the reservation application on the user terminal 200. The facility display screen may be, for example, screen D2 in Figure 4(a), but is not limited to this. The selection result acquisition unit 113 may acquire the user's selection result for the facility on the facility display screen.

[0058] Furthermore, the output unit 112 may output information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility on the user terminal 200 if a reservation is possible via the reservation application on the user terminal 200 based on the reservation means set for the facility selected by the user. The reservation screen may be, for example, screen D7 in Figure 5(c), but is not limited thereto. Also, if a reservation is not possible via the reservation application from the user terminal 200, the output unit 112 may output information to display the reservation means set for the selected facility on the user terminal 200. The information displayed on the user terminal 200 may be, for example, screen D3 in Figure 4(b) or the notification area 61 in Figure 5(b), but is not limited thereto.

[0059] The reservation status acquisition unit 114 may acquire information regarding the reservation status from a predetermined storage unit, such as a database server 400, which stores the reservation status of multiple facilities. The output unit 112 may then output information to display a facility display screen, based on the reservation status information, regardless of whether a reservation request can be accepted, that is, regardless of whether a reservation can be made using the reservation application on the user terminal 200. This screen showing the reservation status may be, for example, screen D5 in Figure 5(a), but is not limited to this.

[0060] The authorization setting unit 115 may accept settings for the types of reservation methods available for each of the multiple facilities, depending on the type of reservation authority. For example, the administrator's reservation authority and the tenant user's reservation authority may be of different types, and reservations for "event spaces" using the reservation app may be set to be possible only with the administrator's reservation authority, or reservations for "large conference rooms" using the reservation app may be possible with any reservation authority. There may be multiple types of reservation authority; for example, users belonging to departments with personnel authority may be given different reservation authority than users belonging to departments other than those with personnel authority, and may be able to directly reserve more facilities. The output unit 112 may then output information to display a screen related to the reservation of the selected facility, based on the reservation methods set in the authorization setting unit 115, according to the type of reservation authority the user has.

[0061] The determination unit 116 may perform various determination processes.

[0062] <Server control flowchart> The control method for the server 100 described above will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7. The reservation means setting unit 111 accepts the setting of reservation means for each of the multiple facilities and may set a reservation in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal, or a reservation means other than a reservation in response to a reservation request (step S11). This information may be stored in the database server 400 as the facility information table TB10 described above. The output unit 112 may output information indicating that multiple facilities are installed in the building and displaying a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the multiple facilities (step S12). The selection result acquisition unit 113 may acquire the facility selected by the user from the facility display screen (step S13). The determination unit 117 may determine whether the selected facility can be reserved in response to a reservation request from the user terminal 200, that is, whether a reservation can be made by the reservation application (step S14). If a reservation can be made by the reservation application (YES in step S14), the output unit 112 may output information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility (step S15). If a reservation cannot be made using the reservation app (NO in step S14), the output unit 112 may output information that displays the reservation method set for the selected facility (step S16). Note that the reservation process is omitted.

[0063] <Flowchart of the user terminal> The control method for the user terminal 200 described above will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8. The display processing unit 212 may indicate that there are multiple facilities installed in the building and display a facility display screen on the display unit 230 in which the user can select at least one of the multiple facilities (step T11). The input / output processing unit (selection reception unit) 213 may accept a facility selection from the user on the facility display screen (step T12). The determination unit 214 may determine whether the selected facility can be reserved from the terminal, that is, whether it can be reserved using a reservation application (step T13). If it is possible to reserve using a reservation application (YES in step T13), the display processing unit 212 may display the reservation screen for the selected facility (step T14). If it is not possible to reserve using a reservation application (NO in step T13), the display processing unit 212 may display reservation methods other than reservations from the terminal that are set for the selected facility (step T15).

[0064] While the present invention has been described based on various drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component, step, etc., can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components or steps, etc., can be combined into one or divided. Furthermore, the configurations shown in the above embodiments may be combined as appropriate. For example, each component described as being provided by server 100 may be implemented by multiple servers in a distributed manner. Also, each process described as being performed by user terminal 200 may be performed by server 100. Conversely, each process described as being performed by server 100 may be performed by user terminal 200.

[0065] The above describes cases where reservations are required to use a facility. However, according to one embodiment of the present invention, information about facilities that do not require reservations may also be provided to the user through the reservation app. That is, information such as the existence of facilities that do not require reservations and their level of congestion may be provided to the user. For example, a user may confirm that the "public bath" is available without a reservation and then use the public bath without making a reservation.

[0066] Furthermore, although only one server 100 is shown in Figure 1, it is not limited to this. That is, each function described as being provided by server 100 may be implemented by multiple servers. Also, server 100 may be a distributed server system that operates cooperatively by communicating over a network, for example, or it may be a so-called cloud server. In other words, server 100 may include not only a physical server but also a virtual server created by software.

[0067] Furthermore, although only one database server 400 is shown separately from server 100 in Figure 1, it may be integrated with server 100. That is, the database server 400 may be the volatile or non-volatile memory of server 100. Also, the database server 400 may consist of multiple storage devices. The database server 400 may be connected to server 100 via a dedicated internal network different from network 500, or it may be connected to server 100 via network 500.

[0068] Furthermore, the user terminal 200 and administrator terminal 300 are not limited to those shown in Figure 1, and may be any terminal capable of realizing the functions of each embodiment. For example, the user terminal 200 and administrator terminal 300 may be computers (e.g., tablets, desktop computers, laptop computers) or wearable devices (glasses-type devices, watch-type devices, etc.). A single user or administrator may also use multiple communication terminals (e.g., a smartphone and a laptop computer).

[0069] The programs of each embodiment of this disclosure may be provided stored in a storage medium readable by a server, which is an information processing device. The storage medium is a "non-temporary tangible medium" capable of storing programs. The programs include, for example, software programs and information processing device programs. When each functional unit of the server 100 is implemented by software, the server 100 functions as a reservation means setting unit 111, an output unit 112, a selection result acquisition unit 113, a reservation status acquisition unit 114, an authority setting unit 115, and a determination unit 116 by having the processor execute a program loaded into memory. Similarly, when each functional unit of the user terminal 200 is implemented by software, the user terminal 200 functions as a display processing unit 212, an input / output processing unit 213, and a determination unit 214 by having the processor execute a program loaded into memory.

[0070] The storage medium may, where appropriate, include one or more semiconductor-based or other integrated circuits (ICs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), hard disk drives (HDDs), hybrid hard drives (HHDs), optical disks, optical disk drives (ODDs), magneto-optical disks, magneto-optical drives, floppy diskettes, floppy disk drives (FDDs), magnetic tape, solid-state drives (SSDs), RAM drives, secure digital cards or drives, any other suitable storage medium, or two or more suitable combinations thereof. The storage medium may, where appropriate, be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile.

[0071] Furthermore, the program disclosed herein may be provided to the server 100 via any transmission medium capable of transmitting the program (such as a communication network or broadcast waves).

[0072] Furthermore, each embodiment of this disclosure can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, where the program is embodied by electronic transmission. The programs of this disclosure may be implemented using, for example, scripting languages ​​such as JavaScript® and Python, C language, Go language, Swift®, Koltin®, Java®, etc.

[0073] According to each aspect of this disclosure described above, by providing users with a more user-friendly work environment, we can contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and inclusive, safe [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 100 Servers (Information Processing Devices) 110 Control Unit 111 Reservation method setting unit 112 Output section 113 Selection Result Acquisition Unit 114 Reservation Status Acquisition Section 115 Permissions Setting Section 116 Judgment section 120 Communications Department 170 Storage section 200 User terminals (communication terminals) 210 Control Unit 212 Display Processing Unit 213 Input / Output Processing Unit 214 Judgment section 220 Communications Department 230 Display section 240 Input / output section 270 Storage section 300 Administrator terminal (communication terminal) 400 Database Servers 500 Networks 600 Information Processing Systems

Claims

1. An information processing device for managing reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, A reservation means setting unit that receives the setting of reservation means for each of the aforementioned plurality of facilities, and sets at least one of the following: a reservation in response to a reservation request from a user's communication terminal, and a reservation means other than a reservation in response to the reservation request. An output unit that outputs information indicating that the aforementioned multiple facilities are installed in the aforementioned building, and that displays a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the aforementioned multiple facilities, A selection result acquisition unit that acquires the facility selected by the user from the facility display screen, Equipped with, The output unit outputs information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility if the selected facility is available for reservation in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal, and outputs information to display the reservation means set for the selected facility if the selected facility is unavailable for reservation in response to the reservation request.

2. The reservation means setting unit accepts the setting of a means of contacting the facility manager as a reservation means other than the reservation in response to the reservation request. The output unit outputs information regarding means of contacting the administrator if it is not possible to make a reservation in accordance with the reservation request for the selected facility. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a reservation status acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the reservation status from a predetermined storage unit that stores the reservation status of the multiple facilities, The output unit outputs information to display a screen showing the reservation status of the multiple facilities, regardless of whether the reservation request can be accepted or not, as the facility display screen. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The output unit outputs information regarding at least one of a telephone line and a predetermined messaging service as a means of contacting the administrator. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The aforementioned plurality of facilities further includes an authority setting unit that accepts the setting of possible reservation methods according to the type of reservation authority, The output unit outputs information to display a screen related to the reservation of the selected facility, based on the reservation means set in the permission setting unit, according to the type of reservation authority of the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A control method for an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, Information processing device, The steps include receiving the setting of reservation means for each of the aforementioned multiple facilities, and setting at least one of the reservation means other than the reservation in response to the reservation request from the user's communication terminal, The steps include: outputting information indicating that the building has the aforementioned multiple facilities installed, and displaying a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the aforementioned multiple facilities; The steps include: obtaining the facility selected by the user from the facility display screen; If the selected facility is available for reservation in response to the user's communication terminal, the system outputs information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility; if the selected facility is unavailable for reservation in response to the user's reservation request, the system outputs information to display the reservation method set for the selected facility. A method for controlling an information processing device to perform the following actions.

7. A control program for an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, In an information processing device, The function accepts the setting of reservation means for each of the aforementioned multiple facilities, and sets at least one of the following: a reservation in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal, and a reservation means other than a reservation in response to the aforementioned reservation request. A function that outputs information indicating that the aforementioned multiple facilities are installed in the aforementioned building, and that displays a facility display screen in which the user can select at least one of the aforementioned multiple facilities, A function to acquire the facility selected by the user from the aforementioned facility display screen, If the selected facility can be reserved in response to a reservation request from the user's communication terminal, the function outputs information to display the reservation screen for the selected facility; if the selected facility cannot be reserved in response to the reservation request, the function outputs information to display the reservation method set for the selected facility. A control program for an information processing device that makes this possible.

8. A communication terminal that communicates with an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, A display processing unit that indicates that the aforementioned multiple facilities are installed in the aforementioned building and displays a facility display screen on the display unit in which the user can select at least one of the aforementioned multiple facilities, A selection receiving unit that receives facility selections from the user for the facility display screen, Equipped with, The display processing unit is a communication terminal that, if the facility selected by the user can be booked from its own terminal, displays the booking screen for the selected facility, and if the selected facility cannot be booked from its own terminal, displays the booking methods other than booking from its own terminal that are set for the selected facility.

9. A method for controlling a communication terminal that communicates with an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, The communication terminal, The steps include: indicating that the building has the aforementioned multiple facilities installed, and displaying a facility display screen on the display unit in which the user can select at least one of the aforementioned multiple facilities; The steps include: receiving a selection of a facility from the user on the facility display screen; If the facility selected by the user can be booked from their own device, the booking screen for the selected facility is displayed; if the selected facility cannot be booked from their own device, the other booking methods available for the selected facility are displayed. A method for controlling a communication terminal to perform the following actions.

10. A control program for a communication terminal that communicates with an information processing device that manages reservations for the use of multiple facilities installed in a building, Communication terminals, A function to indicate that the aforementioned multiple facilities are installed in the aforementioned building, and to display a facility display screen on the display unit in which the user can select at least one of the aforementioned multiple facilities, A function that accepts the user's selection of a facility from the aforementioned facility display screen, If the facility selected by the user can be booked from their own device, the reservation screen for the selected facility will be displayed. If the selected facility cannot be booked from the user's own device, the reservation method other than booking from the user's own device will be displayed for the selected facility. A control program for communication terminals that enables them to function as such.

Citation Information

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