Business support devices and programs

Abstract

To provide an operation support apparatus and a program that can improve operability.SOLUTION: Provided is an operation support apparatus that supports an operation, including: display control means for causing a display area including a display element related to the operation to be displayed in a screen and causing a background of the display area and the display element to be displayed using a display color set in correspondence to an operation type of the operation; receiving means for receiving an instruction to execute processing related to the operation based on the display element; and execution means for executing the processing related to the operation in accordance with the instruction received by the receiving means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a business support device and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in various operations related to commercial transactions, business support devices for supporting operations have been used. For example, in a store handling lottery tickets, a business support device for supporting the lottery ticket sales operation is used. Also, in stores such as retail stores, business support devices such as POS terminals for supporting the product sales operation are used. In a business support device, processing for supporting an operation is executed when an operator operates an operation element (operation button) related to the operation.

[0003] By the way, among operations related to lottery tickets, there are operations different from the sales operation of paying the winning amount. Thus, when operations of different types are mixed, it is preferable to be able to visually identify which operation element the operation relates to from the viewpoint of operability. For example, conventionally, in an automatic transaction device that conducts a transaction related to money, a technique has been proposed in which an operation element for designating a transaction type is displayed in a color corresponding to the transaction type.

[0004] However, the above-described conventional technique only colors the operation elements, and there is room for further improvement in terms of operability.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a business support device and a program capable of improving operability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The business support device according to the embodiment is a business support device for supporting an operation, Common job types display elements related to an operation in identical a display area InsideThe system includes: a display control means that displays the display area and the display elements using display colors set to correspond to the type of work of the work; a receiving means that receives instructions to execute a process related to the work based on the display elements; and an execution means that executes the process related to the work in accordance with the instructions received by the receiving means. Furthermore, if a portion of the display elements to be displayed in the same display area is a display element relating to a different type of business than the common type of business, the display control means will display the display element using a display color corresponding to the other type of business. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a business support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the business support device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of the display color setting table according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the business support device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a screen displayed by the business support device of the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a screen displayed by the business support device of the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a screen displayed by the business support device of the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the process performed by the business support device of the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The embodiments of the business support device and program will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are just one example of the business support device and program, and do not limit their configuration or specifications. The business support device and program of this embodiment are examples of applications to a business support device that assists in lottery sales operations, etc.

[0009] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a business support system according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the business support system 1 includes a business support device 10 and a server device 20. The business support device 10 and the server device 20 are connected to each other via a network N such as the Internet or a public telephone line. The number of business support devices 10 connected to the network N is not particularly limited.

[0010] The business support device 10 is installed in lottery ticket sales outlets and financial institutions such as banks (hereinafter collectively referred to as sales outlets). The business support device 10 supports various lottery-related operations, such as the sale of lottery tickets and the payment of prize money. In this embodiment, the business support device 10 is operated by an operator such as a store employee, but it is not limited to this and may also be operated by a customer.

[0011] The server device 20 is installed, for example, in a financial institution such as a bank that operates and manages lotteries. In this embodiment, the server device 20 manages the winning lottery numbers. Specifically, the server device 20 stores and manages a database (hereinafter also referred to as the winning number DB) that associates the type of lottery, the winning number, and the prize amount.

[0012] The lottery types include, for example, regular lottery tickets (opened tickets), sealed tickets, and number-selection lottery tickets. For example, a winning number database and a corresponding type code are stored. The winning number field stores the winning numbers determined by the draw from the numbers issued for the corresponding lottery (hereinafter also referred to as lottery numbers). The winning number consists of, for example, a group and a number. The winning number may also specify a particular number of digits from the number of digits in the lottery number. The prize amount field stores the amount corresponding to the winning number.

[0013] In the business support system 1 with the above configuration, the business support device 10 performs lottery ticket sales processing according to the operator's operation. Further, the business support device 10 queries the lottery ticket number to the server device 20 according to the operator's operation, and when the lottery ticket number is a winning number, it executes a payment process of paying out the winning amount corresponding to the winning number.

[0014] Next, the hardware of the business support device 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the business support device 10.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the business support device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13.

[0016] The CPU 11 is an example of a processor and comprehensively controls the operation of the business support device 10. The ROM 12 stores various programs. The RAM 13 is a workspace for developing programs and various data.

[0017] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected via a bus or the like to constitute a control unit 100 of a computer configuration. In the control unit 100, the CPU 11 operates according to a program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 19 and developed in the RAM 13, thereby executing various processes.

[0018] Further, the business support device 10 includes a display unit 14, an operation unit 15, a reading unit 16, a communication unit 18, a storage unit 19, and the like.

[0019] The display unit 14 is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Under the control of the CPU 11, the display unit 14 displays various kinds of information. The operation unit 15 is an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device. The operation unit 15 outputs the operation content input via the input device to the CPU 11. Note that the operation unit 15 may be a touch panel provided on the display unit 14.

[0020] The reading unit 16 is a reading device that reads the lottery number attached to the lottery ticket. Here, the reading unit 16 can use a device according to the method of reading the lottery number. For example, when reading the lottery number by a technology such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition), as the reading unit 16, a digital camera having an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used. Also, when the lottery number is attached in the form of a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code, as the reading unit 16, a code reading device capable of reading the code symbol can be used. Further, when the lottery number is attached in the form of a wireless tag such as an RFID tag, as the reading unit 16, a wireless tag reader device capable of reading information from the wireless tag can be used.

[0021] The deposit / withdrawal unit 17 is a deposit / withdrawal device having a function of accepting the insertion of currency (banknotes or coins), sorting them by denomination, and storing them in a storage bin, and a function of paying out change from the currency stored in the storage bin.

[0022] The communication unit 18 is a wireless communication interface connectable to the network N. The communication unit 18 communicates with external devices such as the server device 20 via the network N.

[0023] The memory unit 19 has a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, and retains its contents even when the power is cut off. The memory unit 19 stores programs that the CPU 11 can execute. The memory unit 19 also stores display screen data 191 and a display color setting table 192.

[0024] The display screen data 191 stores information about various operation screens displayed by the business support device 10. The display screen data 191 stores the GUI (Graphical User Interface) elements that make up the operation screen for each operation screen.

[0025] Here, GUI elements include, for example, display areas, controls, text boxes, and messages, and their placement within the operation screen is also stored. A display area is used to demarcate a portion of the operation screen. GUI elements such as controls and text boxes can also be displayed within a display area. Note that the GUI elements displayed within a display area are just examples of display elements.

[0026] An operator is an operation button or similar device that receives instructions from the operator. Operators store associated information such as link information indicating the destination screen and commands for instructing the process to be executed. A text box is an area for displaying numbers or characters. A text box is an area for displaying numbers, etc. For example, a text box is provided when displaying monetary amounts.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each GUI element is associated with and stored a business attribute, described later, which indicates the type of business related to that GUI element. Here, "business" refers to a business that can be performed by the business support device 10, and is classified into the following four types, for example.

[0028] The first is the business related to the sale of lottery tickets (hereinafter also referred to as the first business). The second is the business related to the payment of prize money (hereinafter also referred to as the second business). The third is the business related to the cancellation of issued lottery tickets (hereinafter also referred to as the third business). The fourth is the business other than the first to third businesses mentioned above (hereinafter also referred to as the fourth business).

[0029] In this embodiment, each GUI element of the display screen data 191 is associated with a business attribute indicating one of the first to fourth business operations described above. For example, a GUI element related to the lottery ticket sales operation is assigned the business attribute of the first business operation. A GUI element related to the prize money payment operation is assigned the business attribute of the second business operation. A GUI element related to the lottery ticket cancellation operation is assigned the business attribute of the third business operation. A GUI element that does not fall under any of the first to third business operations is assigned the business attribute of the fourth business operation.

[0030] Furthermore, the classification of operations is not limited to the above example and may be based on other criteria. For example, the fourth operation may not be defined, and only the classifications of the first to third operations may be used. Also, the number of classifications may be increased or decreased by changing the granularity of the classification. Alternatively, the first and second operations may be classified based on the exchange of money between the customer and the retailer. In this case, the first operation could be defined as the operation related to receiving money that customers pay to the retailer, and would mainly include operations related to the sale of lottery tickets. The second operation could be defined as the operation related to disbursing money that retailers pay to customers, and would mainly include operations related to the payment of prize money.

[0031] Furthermore, the business attributes assigned to GUI elements can be set arbitrarily. However, when placing GUI elements within a display area, it is preferable to include GUI elements with the same business attributes as the display area from the standpoint of usability. In other words, it is preferable to group GUI elements related to common business processes within the same display area. If the purpose of a GUI element placed within a display area deviates from the classification definition of the business attributes of the display area, business attributes appropriate to that GUI element may be added.

[0032] For example, if we classify the first and second operations based on the exchange of money between the customer and the retailer as described above, the payment of change when selling lottery tickets can also be classified as belonging to the second operation. In such a case, a text box for displaying the amount of change, with attribute information for the second operation, may be included within the display area that has the operation attributes for the first operation.

[0033] The display color setting table 192 is an example of setting information. The display color setting table 192 defines the display color for each type of business performed by the business support device 10. Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of the display color setting table 192. As shown in Figure 3, the display color setting table 192 stores the display color in association with business attributes.

[0034] In Figure 3, the business attribute "01" corresponds to the first business and is associated with the display color "orange". The business attribute "02" corresponds to the second business and is associated with the display color "blue". The business attribute "03" corresponds to the third business and is associated with the display color "red". Furthermore, the business attribute "04" corresponds to the fourth business and is associated with the display color "none".

[0035] Note that the hardware configuration of the business support device 10 is not limited to that shown in Figure 2. For example, the business support device 10 may include a card reader device capable of reading credit cards.

[0036] Next, the functional configuration of the business support device 10 will be described. Figure 4 shows an example of the functional configuration of the business support device 10.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, the business support device 10 is functionally configured to include a display control unit 101, an operation reception unit 102, a business processing unit 103, and a setting change unit 104.

[0038] In this embodiment, the functional configuration of the business support device 10 is a software configuration realized through the cooperation of the business support device 10's processor (e.g., CPU 11) and a program. However, some or all of the functional configuration of the business support device 10 may be realized as a hardware configuration using dedicated circuits, etc.

[0039] The display control unit 101 is an example of a display control means. Based on the display screen data 191, the display control unit 101 displays various operation screens related to the operation of the business support device 10 on the display unit 14. In addition, based on the display color setting table 192, the display control unit 101 displays each GUI element constituting the operation screen in a display color corresponding to the business attribute of the GUI element.

[0040] The operation reception unit 102 is an example of a reception means. The operation reception unit 102 receives operator operations via the operation unit 15. Specifically, the operation reception unit 102 receives operations on various operation screens displayed by the display control unit 101. For example, the operation reception unit 102 receives operations related to lottery sales and operations related to the payment of prize money.

[0041] The business processing unit 103 is an example of an execution means. The business processing unit 103 executes various business-related processes in response to operation instructions from the operator received by the operation reception unit 102.

[0042] For example, when an operation related to the sale of lottery tickets is performed, the business processing unit 103 calculates the total amount (payment amount) of lottery tickets to be sold to the customer based on the type and number of tickets entered from the operation unit 15, etc. Then, the business processing unit 103 executes a settlement process to settle the calculated payment amount with the amount received from the customer.

[0043] Furthermore, for example, when an operation related to the payment of winnings is performed, the business processing unit 103 drives the reading unit 16 to read lottery information, including the lottery type and lottery number, from the lottery ticket presented by the customer. The business processing unit 103 then sends a verification request containing the read lottery information to the server device 20 to confirm the winning result.

[0044] On the other hand, when the server device 20 receives a matching request from the business support device 10, it matches the lottery type and lottery number included in the lottery information with the winning number database to determine whether it is a win or not, and sends the result of the determination back to the business support device 10 that sent the request. For example, if the server device 20 confirms that the lottery information is registered in the winning number database, it determines that it is a winning ticket and sends the lottery information of the winning ticket and the corresponding prize amount registered in the winning number database to the business support device 10. If the lottery information is not registered in the winning number database, the server device 20 determines that it is a losing ticket and sends the lottery information of the losing ticket and information indicating that it is a losing ticket to the business support device 10.

[0045] Based on the judgment result returned from the server device 20, the business processing unit 103 determines that the lottery information it has read is a winning ticket, and executes a payment process to pay the winning amount to the customer.

[0046] The basic operation of the business support device 10 is realized through the cooperation of the display control unit 101, the operation reception unit 102, and the business processing unit 103 described above. Here, an example of the operation of the business support device 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figures 5 to 7 show an example of a screen displayed by the business support device 10 (display control unit 101).

[0047] First, let's explain the task selection screen with reference to Figure 5. Task selection screen A is an operation screen for selecting tasks to be performed using the task support device 10. Task selection screen A corresponds, for example, to the top screen (home screen) of the task support device 10.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, the task selection screen A has a first display area Aa, a second display area Ab, and a third display area Ac.

[0049] The first display area Aa is an example of a display area. The first display area Aa is assigned the business attributes of the first business, and GUI elements related to the lottery ticket sales business are displayed within it. Figure 5 shows an example in which the first display area Aa displays operation buttons Aaa for instructing the sale of a set of lottery tickets (e.g., regular tickets, sealed tickets), operation buttons Aab for instructing the issuance of number-selection lottery tickets, and operation button Aac for instructing the sale of lottery tickets (e.g., regular tickets, sealed tickets) one ticket at a time. Each of the operation buttons Aaa to Aac is assigned the business attributes of the first business.

[0050] The second display area Ab is an example of a display area. The second display area Ab is assigned the business attributes of the second business, and GUI elements related to the payment of prize money are displayed within it. Figure 5 shows an example in which the operation button Aba for instructing the payment of prize money is displayed within the second display area Ab. It is assumed that the operation button Aba is assigned the business attributes of the second business.

[0051] The third display area, Ac, is an example of a display area. The third display area, Ac, is associated with the business attributes of the third business, and GUI elements related to the lottery ticket cancellation process are displayed within it. Figure 5 shows an example where the operation button Aca for instructing the cancellation of a ticket is displayed within the third display area, Ac. It is assumed that the operation button Aca is associated with the business attributes of the third business.

[0052] Here, the backgrounds of the first display area Aa, the second display area Ab, and the third display area Ac are displayed in the display color corresponding to the business attribute assigned to each display area, based on the display color setting table 192. Specifically, the background of the first display area Aa is displayed in orange, corresponding to the first business. The background of the second display area Ab is displayed in blue, corresponding to the second business. The background of the third display area Ac is displayed in red, corresponding to the third business. In Figure 5, the hatching applied to each area represents the color coding.

[0053] Furthermore, GUI elements displayed in the first display area Aa, the second display area Ab, and the third display area Ac are also displayed in a display color corresponding to the business attribute attached to that GUI element. Specifically, the operation buttons Aaa to Aac in the first display area Aa are displayed in orange, corresponding to the first business. The operation button Aba in the second display area Ab is displayed in blue, corresponding to the second business. The operation button Aca in the third display area Ac is displayed in red, corresponding to the third business. In Figure 5, the image within the operation button and the edges of the operation button are represented in the display color of the business attribute, but this is not limited to this, and the entire operation button may be represented in the display color of the business attribute.

[0054] Furthermore, the task selection screen A includes a Help button (Ad) and a Settings button (Ae). The Help button (Ad) is used to display explanatory text describing how to operate the system. The Settings button (Ae) is used to change various settings.

[0055] The Help button (Ad) and the Settings button (Ae) do not belong to any of the first, second, or third tasks, and therefore are associated with the task attributes of the fourth task. As a result, the Help button (Ad) and the Settings button (Ae) are displayed without color, as shown in Figure 5.

[0056] In this way, the business support device 10 displays GUI elements with common business attributes using a common display color. Furthermore, the business support device 10 visually distinguishes the business attributes of GUI elements displayed within a display area by color-coding the background color of the display area. As a result, the operator can easily recognize the display area and controls related to the desired business by looking at the color-coded display area.

[0057] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the lottery ticket sales screen will be described. When the display control unit 101 receives an operation from, for example, the operation button Aac of the first display area Aa shown in Figure 5, it displays the sales screen B shown in Figure 6 on the display unit 14.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, the sales screen B has a first display area Ba, a second display area Bb, and a third display area Bc.

[0059] The first display area Ba is an example of a display area. The first display area Ba displays information showing the breakdown of the lottery tickets to be sold. For example, the first display area Ba displays information such as the number of tickets sold and the total amount for each type of lottery ticket. Here, the number of tickets sold is information entered, for example, through operations via the operation unit 15. The total amount is the amount obtained by multiplying the price of the lottery ticket by the number of tickets sold, and is calculated, for example, by the business processing unit 103. Note that the breakdown of the lottery tickets to be sold may also be displayed in a text box provided within the first display area Ba.

[0060] Furthermore, a details button Baa is provided in the first display area Ba. The details button Baa is an operator used to display the lottery ticket details in more detail. When the details button Baa is pressed, the display control unit 101 displays more detailed information (for example, the price per ticket) for the lottery ticket for which the number of tickets sold has been entered, via a pop-up or the like.

[0061] The second display area Bb is an example of a display area. The second display area Bb displays the payment method for the lottery ticket. For example, when cash is deposited into the deposit / withdrawal unit 17, the display control unit 101 displays a message or image in the second display area Bb indicating that the lottery ticket has been paid for in cash, as shown in Figure 6.

[0062] In this embodiment, the business attributes of the first display area Ba and the second display area Bb are set to the fourth business. Therefore, the first display area Ba and the second display area Bb are displayed without color, as shown in Figure 6. However, the business attributes of the first display area Ba and the second display area Bb are not limited to this. For example, the business attributes of the first business may be assigned to both or either of the first display area Ba and the second display area Bb, so that they are displayed in the display color corresponding to the first business.

[0063] The third display area Bc is an example of a display area. The third display area Bc displays information related to the sale of lottery tickets. Specifically, the third display area Bc has a total payment area Bca, a received amount area Bcb, and a total payment area Bcc.

[0064] The payment total area Bca is an example of a text box. The payment total area Bca displays the total amount (payment amount) of the lottery tickets sold to the customer. In Figure 6, the total amount of ¥1,000 for five "Regular Ticket A" lottery tickets displayed in the first display area Ba is displayed in the payment total area Bca.

[0065] The "Amount Received" area Bcb is an example of a text box. The "Total Payment" area Bca displays the amount paid by the customer. Specifically, the "Amount Received" area Bcb displays the amount paid using the payment method in the second display area Bb (¥5,000).

[0066] The payment total area Bcc is an example of a text box. The payment total area Bcc displays the amount of change that the store will pay to the customer. Specifically, the payment total area Bcc displays the remaining amount (but greater than or equal to 0) obtained by subtracting the amount in the payment total area Bca from the amount in the receipt area Bcb.

[0067] Here, the third display area Bc displays information related to the lottery sales conducted in the first business. Therefore, the third display area Bc is assigned the business attributes of the first business, and the background of the third display area Bc is displayed in orange, which corresponds to the business attributes of the first business. In other words, the third display area Bc is displayed inheriting the display color of the first display area Aa of the business selection screen A from which the operation originates.

[0068] This allows operators to intuitively recognize the display area within sales screen B that includes GUI elements related to the task selected on task selection screen A when transitioning from task selection screen A to sales screen B.

[0069] Furthermore, among the GUI elements (text boxes) displayed within the third display area Bc, the payment total area Bca is used to display the amount the customer pays to the retailer. Therefore, the payment total area Bca is assigned the business attribute of the first business, and its background is displayed in orange, corresponding to the first business. In Figure 6, the background colors of the third display area Bc and the payment total area Bca are differentiated in terms of shade to facilitate identification.

[0070] On the other hand, the total payment area Bcc is used to display the amount that the retailer pays to the customer. Therefore, Figure 6 shows an example in which the background of the total payment area Bcc is displayed in blue, corresponding to the second business, by adding the business attributes of the second business to the total payment area Bcc.

[0071] Thus, even within the third display area Bc related to the first business, if the GUI elements relate to different business operations, the display color of the GUI elements can be color-coded according to the business within the same display area by attaching the business attribute related to that GUI element. This allows operators to easily recognize which business each GUI element displayed within the display area relates to.

[0072] Note that the amount received area Bcb does not directly represent the amount the customer pays, and therefore has the business attribute of the fourth business applied to it. For this reason, the amount received area Bcb is displayed without color. However, the display color of the amount received area Bcb is not limited to this example; by applying the business attribute of the first business to the amount received area Bcb, it can be displayed in the display color corresponding to the first business.

[0073] Furthermore, sales screen B is equipped with a back button Bd and a checkout button Be. The back button Bd is an operator used to instruct the user to return to the previous screen. When the display control unit 101 receives an operation on the back button Bd, it displays the business selection screen A again.

[0074] The settlement button Be is an operator used to initiate settlement. When the settlement button Be is pressed, the business processing unit 103, described later, executes the settlement process displayed in the third display area Bc. Specifically, the business processing unit 103 settles the payment amount displayed in the total payment area Bca with the amount received displayed in the amount received area Bcb, thereby dispensing the payment amount displayed in the total payment area Bcc as change.

[0075] The Back button Bd and the Settlement button Be do not belong to any of the first, second, or third tasks, and therefore are associated with the task attributes of the fourth task. For this reason, the Back button Bd and the Settlement button Be are displayed without color, as shown in Figure 6.

[0076] Next, with reference to Figure 7, the payment screen for the payment of the winnings will be described. When the display control unit 101 receives an operation of the operation button Aba in the second display area Ab shown in Figure 5, for example, it displays the payment screen C shown in Figure 7 on the display unit 14.

[0077] As shown in Figure 7, the payment screen C has a first display area Ca, a second display area Cb, and a third display area Cc.

[0078] The first display area Ca is an example of a display area. The first display area Ca displays information showing the details of the winning lottery ticket. For example, the first display area Ca may have a type area Caa for displaying the type of lottery ticket and an ID area Cab for displaying the lottery ticket number. The type area Caa and the ID area Cab are examples of text boxes.

[0079] Specifically, the category area Caa and ID area Cab display the lottery type and lottery number of the lottery ticket that the business processing unit 103 has determined to be a winning ticket. Although Figure 7 shows an example where the lottery type and lottery number are displayed for one winning ticket, if there are multiple winning tickets, a category area Caa and an ID area Cab will be provided for each winning ticket.

[0080] The second display area Cb is an example of a display area. The second display area Cb displays messages and images indicating the payment method for the winnings. Figure 7 shows an example of dispensing the winnings from a deposit / withdrawal device (not shown). For example, when a payment method is specified via the operation unit 15, the specified payment method is displayed in the second display area Cb.

[0081] In this embodiment, the business attributes of the first display area Ca and the second display area Cb are set to the fourth business. Therefore, the first display area Ca and the second display area Cb are displayed without color, as shown in Figure 7. However, the business attributes of the first display area Ca and the second display area Cb are not limited to this. For example, the business attributes of the second business may be assigned to both or either of the first display area Ca and the second display area Cb, so that they are displayed in the display color corresponding to the second business.

[0082] The third display area Cc is an example of a display area. The third display area Cc displays information regarding the winning amount. Specifically, the third display area Cc has a deposit count area Cca, a subtotal payment area Ccb, and a total payment area Ccc.

[0083] The "Number of Tickets Received" area Cca is an example of a text box. The number of winning tickets is displayed in the "Number of Tickets Received" area Cca. In Figure 7, the number of winning tickets "1" displayed in the first display area Ca is displayed in the "Number of Tickets Received" area Cca.

[0084] The subtotal payment area Ccb is an example of a text box. The subtotal of the winning amount is displayed in the subtotal payment area Ccb. Figure 7 shows an example where the subtotal of the winning amount is ¥20,500 in the subtotal payment area Ccb. If there are multiple types of lottery tickets in the winning ticket, a subtotal payment area Ccb will be provided for each type of lottery ticket, and the subtotal for each type of lottery ticket will be displayed.

[0085] The payment total area Ccc is an example of a text box. The payment total area Ccc displays the total amount of winnings. Specifically, the payment total area Ccc displays the sum of the subtotals shown in the payment subtotal area Ccb. In Figure 7, the ¥20 and ¥500 from the payment subtotal area Ccb are displayed in the payment total area Ccc.

[0086] Here, the third display area Cc displays information regarding the payment of winnings in the second business. Therefore, the third display area Cc is assigned the business attributes of the second business, and the background of the third display area Cc is displayed in blue, corresponding to the business attributes of the second business. In other words, the third display area Cc is displayed inheriting the display color of the second display area Ab of the business selection screen A from which the operation originated.

[0087] This allows operators to intuitively recognize the display area within payment screen C that includes GUI elements related to the task selected on task selection screen A when transitioning from task selection screen A to payment screen C.

[0088] Furthermore, among the GUI elements (text boxes) displayed within the third display area Cc, the total payment area Ccc is used to display the amount that the retailer pays to the customer. Therefore, the total payment area Ccc is assigned the business attribute of the first business, and the background of the total payment area Bca is displayed in blue, corresponding to the second business. In Figure 7, the background colors of the third display area Cc and the total payment area Bca are differentiated in terms of shade to make them easier to distinguish.

[0089] Note that the deposit count area Cca and the payment subtotal area Ccb do not directly represent the amount paid by the retailer, and therefore are assigned the business attributes of the fourth business. For this reason, both the deposit count area Cca and the payment subtotal area Ccb are displayed without color. However, the display color of the deposit count area Cca and the payment subtotal area Ccb is not limited to this example; by assigning the business attributes of the second business to either or both of the deposit count area Cca and the payment subtotal area Ccb, they may be displayed in the display color corresponding to the second business.

[0090] Furthermore, payment screen C is provided with a back button Cd and a payment button Ce. The back button Cd is an operator used to instruct the user to return to the business selection screen A. When the display control unit 101 receives an operation on the back button Cd, it displays the business selection screen A again.

[0091] The payment button Ce is an operator used to instruct the start of payment of the winning amount. When the payment button Ce is operated, the business processing unit 103 executes a process to pay out the amount displayed in the total payment area Ccc using the payment method displayed in the second display area Cb.

[0092] In this way, on each business screen, sales screen B and payment screen C, the display area containing GUI elements related to that business is highlighted with a display color determined for each business. In addition, GUI elements directly related to the business are highlighted within the display area of ​​the business screen. As a result, the business support device 10 can improve the operability related to the business on each business screen.

[0093] In addition, while the lottery sales and prize payment operations were described above, the lottery cancellation operation will also be displayed on a similar operation screen. Specifically, when the operation button Aca is pressed, the operation screen for cancellation will be displayed. Furthermore, among the display areas that make up the operation screen for cancellation, the display area related to the cancellation operation will be assigned the business attribute of the third operation, and its background will be displayed in the display color corresponding to the third operation.

[0094] Returning to Figure 4, the setting change unit 104 is an example of a means for making changes. The setting change unit 104 configures the business support device 10 according to the operator's actions. Specifically, the setting change unit 104 executes a process to change the settings of the display screen data 191 and the display color setting table 192 according to the operation of the setting button Ae, etc., as shown in Figure 5.

[0095] For example, the setting change unit 104, in cooperation with the display control unit 101, displays the settings of the display screen data 191 on the display unit 14, thereby accepting operations to change the relationship between GUI elements and business attributes set in the display screen data 191. When the relationship between GUI elements and business attributes is changed, the setting change unit 104 updates the settings by reflecting the changes in the display screen data 191.

[0096] Furthermore, for example, the setting change unit 104, in cooperation with the display control unit 101, accepts operations to change the relationship between business attributes and display colors by displaying the settings of the display color setting table 192 on the display unit 14. When the relationship between business attributes and display colors is changed, the setting change unit 104 updates the settings by reflecting the changes in the display color setting table 192.

[0097] This allows, for example, GUI elements related to each of the first to fourth tasks to be displayed in any color. In this embodiment, the tasks supported by the business support device 10 are classified into four categories, but the number of classifications is not limited to this, and it is possible to further simplify or subdivide the classification.

[0098] The following describes the processes performed by the business support device 10, with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the processes performed by the business support device 10.

[0099] First, the display control unit 101 displays a business selection screen (see, for example, Figure 5) on the display unit 14, color-coded according to business attributes, based on the display screen data 191 and the display color setting table 192 (step S11).

[0100] Next, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not the operator for the first to third tasks displayed on the task selection screen has been operated (step S12). If no operation is accepted (step S12; No), the system proceeds to step S15. If an operation is accepted (step S12; Yes), the system proceeds to step S13.

[0101] In step S13, the display control unit 101 identifies the business screen to be displayed based on the link information associated with the operated operator (step S13). Next, the display control unit 101 displays the identified business screen on the display unit 14, color-coded based on the display screen data 191 and the display color setting table 192 (see, for example, Figures 6 and 7) (step S14).

[0102] Next, the display control unit 101 determines whether or not it has been instructed to return to the task selection screen (step S15). If it has been instructed to return to the task selection screen (step S15; Yes), the display control unit 101 returns to step S11, thereby displaying the task selection screen on the display unit 14.

[0103] If the user is not instructed to return to the task selection screen (Step S15; No), the task processing unit 103 determines whether or not the execution of the task-related process has been instructed by operating the operator that instructs the execution of the process displayed on the task screen (Step S16). If the execution of the process is not instructed here (Step S16; No), the process returns to Step S12.

[0104] Furthermore, if the execution of a process is instructed in step S16 (step S16; Yes), the business processing unit 103 executes the instructed process (step S17) and returns the process to step S11.

[0105] As described above, the business support device 10 displays a display area containing GUI elements related to the business on the screen, and displays the background of the display area and the GUI elements using display colors set to correspond to the type of business of the business. The business support device 10 also receives instructions to execute business-related processes based on the GUI elements and executes the instructed processes.

[0106] As a result, the operator of the business support device 10 can easily recognize which business the display area relates to by looking at the display area. In addition, the operator can easily recognize which business a GUI element relates to from the display color of the GUI element displayed within the display area. Therefore, the business support device 10 can improve operability.

[0107] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate by changing some of the configurations or functions of the business support device 10 described above. Therefore, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. In the following, we will mainly describe the differences from the above-described embodiment, and will omit detailed explanations of points that are common with what has already been described. In addition, the modifications described below may be implemented individually or in combination as appropriate.

[0108] (Variation 1) In the embodiment described above, the system is configured to first display a task selection screen, and then transition to the screen for each task in response to operations performed on the controls included in the task selection screen. However, the system is not limited to this configuration.

[0109] For example, the system may initially display the sales screen described in Figure 6 or the payment screen described in Figure 7, and then display the business selection screen in response to the user pressing the back button. In this case, it is preferable to display the screen for the most frequently used business first.

[0110] Furthermore, the system may be configured to display a business-specific screen corresponding to a task when a process or operation directly related to the task is performed, such as displaying the payment screen explained in Figure 7 when the reading unit 16 reads lottery information.

[0111] In any case, similar to the embodiments described above, the same effects as in the embodiments described above can be achieved by displaying the GUI elements in different colors according to the corresponding business process.

[0112] (Modification 2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the display color is dynamically changed when the setting change unit 104 changes the display color. However, the system is not limited to this, and a static change configuration is also possible. For example, a GUI element may be prepared for each of the predetermined number of display colors, and a change in the display color may be accepted within that range of colors. In this case, the setting change unit 104 accepts the change in the display color within the predetermined range of colors, and the display control unit 101 displays various screens using the GUI element corresponding to the changed display color.

[0113] (Variation 3) In the above embodiment, a business support device 10 that assists in the sale of lottery tickets was used as an example, but the devices, industries, and business types to which it can be applied are not limited to this. For example, it may also be applied to a product sales data processing device (hereinafter also referred to as a POS terminal) used in retail stores such as supermarkets.

[0114] In the case of POS terminals, the main focus is on sales-related operations, but other operations such as product returns and currency exchange also exist. In this case, it is preferable to classify operations into sales-related operations, product return-related operations, and currency exchange-related operations, and assign different display colors to each operation. This allows for improved operability in POS terminals, similar to the embodiments described above.

[0115] The program executed by the business support device 10 in the above-described embodiment is provided pre-installed in a ROM or storage unit. The program executed by each device in the above-described embodiment may also be provided as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk).

[0116] Furthermore, the program executed by the business support device 10 of the above-described embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by downloading it via the network. Alternatively, the program executed by the business support device 10 of the above-described embodiment may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0117] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments and their variations can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 1. Business support system 10 Business support equipment 20 Server Devices 100 Control Unit 101 Display Control Unit 102 Operation Reception Unit 103 Business Processing Department 104 Settings Change Section 191 Display screen data 192 Display Color Settings Table [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0119] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-268258

Claims

1. A business support device that assists in business operations, A display control means that displays display elements related to tasks of the same type within the same display area, and displays the background of the display area and the display elements using display colors set to correspond to the task type of the task, A receiving means for receiving instructions to execute the process related to the business based on the display elements, An execution means that executes the processing related to the business in response to the instructions received by the reception means, Equipped with, The display control means is a business support device that, when a portion of the display elements to be displayed in the same display area is a display element relating to a business of a different business type than the common business type, causes the display element to be displayed using a display color corresponding to the other business type.

2. The display control means displays a screen for selecting tasks, in which multiple display areas are arranged for each task of the same type. When the receiving means receives an instruction to execute a process related to the task, it displays an execution screen related to the execution of the task, and displays the background of the execution screen with the display color of the background of the display area that displays the display elements related to the task for which the execution instruction was received. The business support device according to claim 1.

3. It further includes a storage means for storing setting information that associates business type with display color, The display control means determines the display color based on the setting information. The business support device according to claim 1.

4. The system further includes a means for changing the relationship between the business type and the display color set in the configuration information in response to user operation. The business support device according to claim 3.

5. The computer of the business support device that assists with business operations, A display control means that displays display elements related to tasks of the same type within the same display area, and displays the background of the display area and the display elements using display colors set to correspond to the task type of the task, A receiving means for receiving instructions to execute the process related to the business based on the display elements, An execution means that executes the processing related to the business in response to the instructions received by the reception means, and make it work The display control means is a program that, if a portion of the display elements to be displayed in the same display area is a display element relating to a different business type than the common business type, causes the display element to be displayed using a display color corresponding to the other business type.

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