Information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention relates to an information processing system comprising: an information-carrying medium that can be separated into a first part and a second part and has a radio tag including a detection part for detecting whether or not the first part and the second part are separated; and a communication terminal capable of communicating with the radio tag. The communication terminal acquires, from the radio tag, information on whether or not the first part and second part of the information-carrying medium are separated, and outputs different information according to whether or not the information carrying medium is separated into the parts.

Description

Information processing system and information processing method

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method that utilize an information carrying medium.

[0002] Conventionally, print media have been known as information carrying media incorporating wireless tags.

[0003] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2019-053688 describes a ticket with a display object printed on its surface that incorporates an RFID tag (wireless tag). When this ticket is used as a train ticket, the IC chip in the RFID tag stores information such as the ticket ID and train usage record, and this information is read by a reader / writer when entering or exiting the station.

[0004] When reading information from the above-mentioned voucher, the same information (i.e., the information recorded on the tag at the time of reading) is read regardless of the state of the voucher, which means there is little flexibility in terms of how the voucher can be used.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a variety of information to users from an information carrying medium having a wireless tag.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing system comprising: an information carrying medium configured to be separable into a first part and a second part, the information carrying medium having a wireless tag including a detection unit that detects whether the first part and the second part have been separated; and a communication terminal capable of communicating with the wireless tag, wherein the communication terminal obtains information from the wireless tag regarding whether the first part and the second part of the information carrying medium have been separated, and outputs different information depending on whether the information carrying medium has been separated.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, various information can be provided to a user from an information carrying medium having a wireless tag.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining, in chronological order, how to use a ticket in an information processing system of an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of a user database. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the front and back of a ticket used in an information processing system of an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the front and back of a paper that is used to create the ticket of FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of each device in an information processing system of an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sequence chart showing an example of the operation of an information processing system of an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a service provided to a user via a user terminal in an information processing system of an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of a server of an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of a user database that includes event participation information.

[0009] The embodiments described below are not limited to the drawings illustrated by the brief description of the drawings.

[0010] A first aspect of the present invention is an information processing system comprising: an information carrying medium configured to be separable into a first part and a second part, the information carrying medium having a wireless tag including a detection unit that detects whether the first part and the second part have been separated; and a communication terminal capable of communicating with the wireless tag, wherein the communication terminal obtains information from the wireless tag regarding whether the first part and the second part of the information carrying medium have been separated, and outputs different information depending on whether the information carrying medium has been separated.

[0011] According to a first aspect of the present invention, various information can be provided to a user from an information carrying medium having a wireless tag.

[0012] A second aspect of the present invention is an information processing system according to the first aspect, which includes a server capable of communicating with the communication terminal, and the communication terminal receives and outputs different information from the server depending on whether the information carrying medium has been separated or not.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the information output from the communication terminal is obtained from a server, making it possible to flexibly change or expand the information compared to when the information is stored within the communication terminal.

[0014] A third aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in the first aspect, in which the communication terminal is capable of accessing the Internet and obtains information based on different URLs (Universal Resource Locators) depending on whether the information carrying medium is separated or not.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the information output from the communication terminal is obtained from an external server indicated by the URL, so that the URL itself can be stored in the wireless tag while the output information is obtained from outside the communication terminal.

[0016] A fourth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in any of the first to third aspects, in which when the information output when the information carrying medium is not separated is defined as first information and the information output when the information carrying medium is separated is defined as second information, the amount of the second information is greater than the amount of the first information.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, separating the information-carrying medium increases the amount of information output from the communication terminal, thereby motivating the user of the communication terminal to more actively separate the information-carrying medium in order to obtain more information.

[0018] A fifth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in any of the first to fourth aspects, which includes a server capable of communicating with the communication terminal and storing a database correlating tag identification information of a plurality of wireless tags with user attribute information for a plurality of users to whom printing media containing each wireless tag is provided, wherein the communication terminal acquires the tag identification information of the wireless tags from the wireless tags, and when the information carrying medium is separated, the server refers to the database to identify user attribute information corresponding to the tag identification information acquired from the communication terminal.

[0019] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, attribute information of a user from whom an information carrying medium has been separated can be grasped.

[0020] A sixth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in the fifth aspect, wherein the communication terminal outputs information common to the multiple users when the information carrying medium is not separated, and outputs information corresponding to the attribute information of the user identified by the server when the information carrying medium is separated.

[0021] According to a sixth aspect of a certain aspect of the present invention, when a user separates the information carrying medium, information appropriate to the user is output, thereby making it possible to give the user a different experience than before the information carrying medium was separated.

[0022] A seventh aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the communication terminal has a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information, and the server associates user attribute information corresponding to tag identification information acquired from the communication terminal with the location information acquired from the communication terminal when the information carrying medium is separated.

[0023] According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the behavior of a user who has separated an information carrying medium can be grasped.

[0024] An eighth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in the seventh aspect, in which the server determines whether the location information obtained from the communication terminal matches location information that has been previously associated with the information carrying medium.

[0025] According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the server determines whether the location information of the user who separated the information carrying medium matches specific location information, thereby making it possible to determine whether the user has visited a specific location.

[0026] A ninth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in any of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the detection unit of the wireless tag has wiring formed across the first part and the second part, and the wireless tag is configured so that communication function with the communication terminal is not lost even if the wiring is cut.

[0027] According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the detection section of the wireless tag can be configured with a simple structure.

[0028] A tenth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system described in any of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the wireless tag is provided in the first part, main information is attached to the first part, and secondary information related to the main information is attached to the second part.

[0029] According to a tenth aspect of a certain aspect of the present invention, after a user separates an information-carrying medium into a first part and a second part, the main information is attached to the first part, which can function as a wireless tag on its own, so that the user can effectively utilize the information-carrying medium even if the second part is discarded.

[0030] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is an information processing method using an information carrying medium that is configured to be separable into a first part and a second part, and that has a detectable wireless tag that detects whether the first part and the second part have been separated, the information processing method including: a step in which a communication terminal that can communicate with the wireless tag acquires information from the wireless tag regarding whether the first part and the second part of the information carrying medium have been separated; and a step in which the communication terminal outputs different information depending on whether the information carrying medium has been separated.

[0031] According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, various information can be provided to a user from an information carrying medium having a wireless tag.

[0032] In the present disclosure, an "information carrying medium" refers to a medium to which information is attached. The manner in which information is attached to the information carrying medium is not limited as long as the information is attached in a manner that is visible to the user. When information is attached by printing, examples of the information carrying medium include print media on which information is printed, such as labels, tags, wristbands, tickets, and slips. The material of the print medium is not limited to paper, and may be a material other than paper, such as film. In the following description, an NFC tag is given as an example of a wireless tag, but this is not limiting. A BLE tag using Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy or a UHF RFID tag may also be used. The communication protocol used when the wireless tag communicates can be set arbitrarily.

[0033] An information processing system 1 according to an embodiment will now be described. FIG. 1 is a chronological diagram illustrating how a ticket 10 is used in the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes a ticket 10 (an example of an information carrier medium) having an NFC tag T and a user terminal 3 (an example of a communication terminal) capable of wireless communication with the NFC tag T of the ticket 10. The user terminal 3 is a communication terminal carried by a user, and may be a smartphone, tablet, smartwatch, or other wearable device. The user terminal 3 has a communication interface for near-field communication (NFC) with the NFC tag T and displays content based on information acquired from the NFC tag T. NFC is a short-range wireless communication standardized by ISO / IEC. The content to be displayed may be, for example, still image content or video content related to the ticket 10. In one embodiment, the information acquired from the NFC tag T includes a universal resource locator (URL), and the user terminal 3 has a web browser for displaying images based on the URL.

[0034] The ticket 10 used in the information processing system 1 is separable into a first part 11 and a second part 12 (see FIG. 1 ). As described below, the ticket 10 preferably has a perforation formed at the boundary between the first part 11 and the second part 12, allowing the user to easily separate the ticket 10. The NFC tag T included in the ticket 10 has a detection function for detecting whether the ticket 10 has been separated. Wireless tags with tampering detection functions are generally known, and applying this tampering detection function to the NFC tag T can detect whether the ticket 10 has been separated. When communicating with the user terminal 3, the NFC tag T does not necessarily notify the user terminal 3 of the detection result regarding whether the ticket 10 has been separated, but transmits different information to the user terminal 3 depending on whether the ticket 10 has been separated or not. In one embodiment, the NFC tag T transmits different URLs to the user terminal 3 depending on whether the ticket 10 has been separated or not.

[0035] In the present disclosure, what is displayed by the user terminal 3 when the ticket 10 is not separated will be referred to as the "first content," and what is displayed by the user terminal 3 when the ticket 10 is separated will be referred to as the "second content." The first content is an example of first information, and the second content is an example of second information.

[0036] An example of how the ticket 10 is used will be described below with reference to FIG. 1 . In this example, the ticket 10 is used to notify a user of information about an event related to an item P. In FIG. 1 , as shown in step S1, when a user purchases an item P online, the ticket 10 is provided in addition to the item P (the user acquires the ticket 10). Providing the ticket 10 to a user in conjunction with the online purchase of the item P is merely one example of a method of providing the ticket 10 to a user; the ticket 10 alone may also be provided to the user. When the user acquires the ticket 10, the ticket 10 is not separated (undetached). In step S2, when the user holds the user terminal 3 over the undetached ticket 10, the user terminal 3 receives data including a URL from the ticket 10. The web browser of the user terminal 3 displays a web page (first content) based on the acquired URL.

[0037] Then, as shown in step S3, the user or the organizer of the event related to the item P separates (separates) the ticket 10 into the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , even after the ticket 10 is separated, the first portion 11 alone remains valid for participation in the event. The user may arrive at the event with only the first portion 11 in advance, or the event organizer may separate the ticket 10 and return the first portion 11 to the user when the user enters the event. In step S4, when the user holds the user terminal 3 over the first portion 11 of the ticket 10, the user terminal 3 receives data including a URL from the first portion 11. The URL acquired at this time is different from the URL received in step S2. The web browser of the user terminal 3 displays a web page (second content) based on the acquired URL. In other words, the user terminal 3 displays different web pages before and after separating the ticket 10.

[0038] The first content (in this case, a web page displayed when the ticket 10 is not separated) and the second content (in this case, a web page displayed when the ticket 10 is separated) can be set arbitrarily depending on the usage of the ticket 10. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the purpose is to notify the user of information about an event related to the item P, so the first content may be a still image or video providing an overview of the event. The second content is content displayed after it is confirmed that the user intends to participate in the event, so it may be a still image or video providing information about services that can be experienced at the event or benefits that can be obtained at the event. In the information processing system 1, the information obtained from the ticket 10 can be changed depending on the state of the ticket 10 (unseparated or separated), making it possible to provide a variety of information to the user from a single ticket 10.

[0039] A sender of an item P can access a user database containing information about the user to whom the item P is to be shipped. An example of a user database is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, each record in the exemplary user database includes values ​​in the fields "Tag ID," "User ID," "User Attribute Information," and "Access Information." The user attribute information is information associated with a user, such as the user's name, address, and gender. The item P is shipped based on the user attribute information. The "Access Information" field includes subfields for "Ticket Status," "Date and Time," and "Location." The "Ticket Status" subfield includes a value indicating the status of the ticket 10 ("Unseparated" or "Separated"). The "Date and Time" and "Location" subfields include values ​​indicating the date, time, and location when the user held the user terminal 3 over the ticket 10. As will be described later, the user database shown in FIG. 2 is stored on a server 5 (see FIG. 5) that can communicate with the user terminal 3. The sender of the item P and / or an administrator of the ticket 10 can access the user database on the server 5 via their own computer terminal.

[0040] 3 is a diagram showing the front (ticket front) and back (ticket back) of a ticket 10 used in the information processing system 1. As shown in FIG. 3, a mark M1 indicating the position over which the user terminal 3 should be held is preferably printed on the front of the ticket. On the front and back of the ticket, a character string indicating that the ticket is an invitation to a specific event Q is printed, along with a character string explaining that content will be displayed by holding the user terminal 3 over the mark M1. The ticket 10 preferably has a perforation PL formed at the boundary between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. Notches 101 are provided on both ends of the perforation PL, making it easier to separate the ticket 10 along the perforation PL.

[0041] In one embodiment, the NFC tag T is provided on the first portion 11. Primary information is printed on the first portion 11, and secondary information corresponding to the primary information is printed on the second portion 12. Information may be attached to each portion. "Attaching information" does not necessarily mean that the information is printed, but rather that the information is displayed on each portion in a manner that is visible to the user. An alternative to printed information is that a sticker displaying the information is affixed to the surface of each portion. "Primary information" refers to the primary or essential information of the ticket 10. In the example of FIG. 3, the text strings are "2023 Event Q" and "Special Invitation Ticket." "Secondary information" refers to secondary information that supports the primary information. In the example of FIG. 3, the text strings are explanatory text such as "A special invitation ticket will be prepared on the day." By printing the primary information on the first portion 11 provided with the NFC tag T, the user can effectively use the ticket 10 even if the second portion 12 is discarded after the ticket 10 is separated. That is, if the user possesses only the first part 11, the user can display the second content on the user terminal 3 and can also participate in the event.

[0042] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the front (paper front surface) and back (paper back surface) of a sheet of paper 100 that is used to produce the ticket of Figure 3. The sheet of paper 100 has a perforation PL formed at the boundary between the first sheet portion 110 and the second sheet portion 120. The front surface of the paper is the printed surface on which a predetermined character string or mark M1 is printed. An adhesive 102 is applied to the back surface of the paper. When mass-producing the sheet of paper 100, a single sheet of paper 100 shown in Figure 4 is obtained by printing character strings or the like on a continuous sheet of paper extending in the horizontal direction of Figure 4 and sequentially cutting it in the vertical direction of Figure 4.

[0043] The NFC tag T includes an IC chip 201, a communication antenna 202, and wiring 203. The NFC tag T is attached to the back surface of a sheet of paper so that the position of the mark M1 on the front surface is aligned with the position of the communication antenna 202. The communication antenna 202 has a meandering conductor of a predetermined length for communication at a frequency corresponding to NFC, and both ends of the conductor are connected to the IC chip 201. The wiring 203 is a conductor for disconnection detection that forms a closed loop and is formed across the first sheet portion 110 and the second sheet portion 120 when the NFC tag T is attached to the back surface of a sheet of paper. Both ends of the wiring 203 are connected to the IC chip 201. By using the wiring 203, the NFC tag T can detect whether the ticket 10 has been separated into the first part 11 and the second part 12 with a simple structure. Even if the wiring 203 is disconnected, NFC communication still functions thanks to the IC chip 201 and the communication antenna 202. In other words, the NFC tag T is configured so that the communication function with the user terminal 3 is not lost even if the wiring 203 is cut. After the NFC tag T is attached to the back surface of the paper 100, the paper 100 is folded along the fold line L1 (a mountain fold line on the front surface of the paper and a valley fold line on the back surface of the paper) and adhesive 102 is adhered to the paper 100, thereby obtaining a ticket 10 with an embedded NFC tag T, as shown in FIG.

[0044] Next, the configuration of each device in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a block diagram including the hardware configuration of the NFC tag T, the user terminal 3, and the server 5 in the information processing system 1 of this embodiment.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 5 , the NFC tag T includes a control unit 21, a memory 22, and an NFC communication unit 23. The control unit 21, the memory 22, and the NFC communication unit 23 are implemented on an IC chip 201 ( FIG. 4 ). A program for executing signal processing in the NFC tag T is embedded in the control unit 21. Execution of the program causes the control unit 21 to function as a detection unit 211 and a parameter change unit 212. The detection unit 211 detects whether or not the wiring 203 ( FIG. 4 ) is broken, thereby detecting whether or not the ticket 10 has been separated into the first part 11 and the second part 12. The detection unit 211 monitors the resistance values ​​at both ends of the wiring 203, and if the resistance values ​​at both ends are greater than a predetermined threshold, determines that the wiring 203 has been broken (i.e., the first part 11 and the second part 12 have been separated).

[0046] The parameter change unit 212 changes parameters included in the data sent to the user terminal 3 when the user terminal 3 is held over the NFC tag T, based on the detection result of whether the ticket 10 has been separated into the first part 11 and the second part 12. If a URL is included in the data sent to the user terminal 3, the parameter change by the parameter change unit 212 includes changing the URL. For example, if the URL sent to the user terminal 3 when the ticket 10 is not separated is the following URL_X, the URL sent to the user terminal 3 when the ticket 10 has been separated is changed to the following URL_Y. In other words, the user terminal 3 receives and outputs different information specified by the URL depending on whether the ticket 10 has been separated. (URL_X) https: / / www.xxxxx.info / ?id=1DBD0123456789x00010 (URL_Y) https: / / www.xxxxx.info / ?id=1DBD0123456789y00010

[0047] The memory 22 is a non-volatile memory that stores a tag ID, which is identification information unique to the NFC tag T, and the URL_X. This NFC tag T is configured to obtain output information from outside the user terminal 3 and store the URL itself in the NFC tag T. The NFC communication unit 23 is a communication interface that cooperates with the communication antenna 202 (FIG. 4) to perform NFC communication with an external communication device (such as the user terminal 3).

[0048] 5 , the user terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage 32, an operation input unit 33, a display unit 34, a position data acquisition unit 35, a communication unit 37, and an NFC communication unit 38. The control unit 31 is mainly configured with a CPU and controls the processing of the user terminal 3. For example, the CPU included in the control unit 31 loads and executes programs (including a web browser) recorded in the storage 32 and displays the execution results on the display unit 34. The storage 32 is a non-volatile memory, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) such as a flash memory. The storage 32 stores the execution results of the programs, data acquired from the NFC tag T, and the like.

[0049] The operation input unit 33 is, for example, a touch panel input device provided on the display panel of the user terminal 3. The operation input unit 33 notifies the control unit 31 of operation input to the display panel. The display unit 34 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL panel, and displays the results of program execution (for example, a web page displayed by a web browser). The location data acquisition unit 35 (an example of a location information acquisition unit) acquires location data (an example of location information) indicating the location of the user terminal 3 using a Global Positioning System (GPS).

[0050] The communication unit 37 is a communication interface for communicating with the server 5. The communication protocol between the user terminal 3 and the server 5 is not limited, but may be HTTPS, for example. The NFC communication unit 38 is a communication interface for performing short-range wireless communication using NFC. When a user holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T of the ticket 10, the NFC communication unit 38 communicates with the NFC tag T and receives data from the NFC tag T. When the control unit 31 receives data including a URL from the NFC tag T, it requests a web page specified by the URL from the server 5. The control unit 31 may automatically request a web page from the server 5 when receiving data from the NFC tag T, or may request a web page from the server 5 in response to a predetermined operation by the user (for example, an operation on the screen for a URL displayed on the user terminal 3).

[0051] The server 5 can communicate with the user terminal 3 via the network NW and, as shown in FIG. 5 , includes a control unit 51, a storage 52, and a communication unit 53. The control unit 51 is mainly configured with a CPU and controls the processing of the server 5. For example, the CPU included in the control unit 51 loads and executes a server program recorded in the storage 52. The storage 52 is a large-scale storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and stores a user database (user DB; see FIG. 2 ). The communication unit 53 is a communication interface for communicating with the user terminal 3. The communication protocol between the server 5 and the user terminal 3 is not limited, but may be HTTPS, for example. When the control unit 51 receives data including a URL from the user terminal 3, it obtains the web page specified by the URL from an external server and provides it to the user terminal 3.

[0052] Next, the operation of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a sequence chart showing an example of the operation of the information processing system 1. This sequence chart shows the chronological processing after the user acquires the ticket 10.

[0053] 6 , when a user who has acquired the ticket 10 holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T of the ticket 10 while the ticket 10 is still intact, the NFC tag T detects that the ticket 10 is still intact. As a result, the NFC tag T transmits data including the tag ID and URL_X to the user terminal 3 (step S10). The user terminal 3 transmits the tag ID and URL_X received in step S10, as well as the location data of the user terminal 3, to the server 5 (step S12). The server 5 obtains the web page identified by the URL_X from an external server and transmits it to the user terminal 3 (steps S14 and S16). The user terminal 3 displays the web page received in step S16 as the first content (step S18).

[0054] Based on the series of processes in steps S12 to S16, the server 5 updates the value of the "Access Information" field of the record corresponding to the target tag ID in the user database (step S20). In this case, the value of the "Ticket Status" subfield is set to "Unseparated," the value of the "Date and Time" subfield is set to the date and time when the data was received in step S12, and the value of the "Location" subfield is set to the location data received in step S12.

[0055] It is assumed that the user then separates the ticket 10. When the user holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T of the first portion 11 of the ticket 10 while the ticket 10 is separated, the NFC tag T detects that the ticket 10 has been separated. As a result, the NFC tag T switches the URL data (step S22) and transmits data including the tag ID and URL_Y to the user terminal 3 (step S24). The user terminal 3 transmits the tag ID and URL_Y received in step S24, as well as the location data of the user terminal 3, to the server 5 (step S26). The server 5 obtains the web page identified by the URL_Y from an external server and transmits it to the user terminal 3 (steps S28 and S30). The user terminal 3 displays the web page received in step S30 as the second content (step S32).

[0056] Based on the series of processes in steps S26 to S30, the server 5 updates the value of the "Access Information" field of the record corresponding to the target tag ID in the user database (step S34). In this case, the value of the "Ticket Status" subfield is set to "Separated," the value of the "Date and Time" subfield is set to the date and time the data was received in step S26, and the value of the "Location" subfield is set to the location data received in step S26.

[0057] As described above, according to the information processing system 1 of one embodiment, when the ticket 10 is not separated, a web page (first content) identified by URL_X is displayed on the user terminal 3 by holding the user terminal 3 over the ticket 10. When the ticket 10 is separated by the user, a web page (second content) identified by URL_Y is displayed on the user terminal 3 by holding the user terminal 3 over the first portion 11 of the ticket 10. In other words, the information processing system 1 can change the information obtained from the ticket 10 depending on the state of the ticket 10 (unseparated or separated), making it possible to provide a variety of information to a user from a single ticket 10.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the information processing system 1 of one embodiment, the information obtained by the user changes before and after separating the ticket 10. Therefore, the value experienced by the user changes stepwise between the time when the user receives the ticket 10, the time when the user views the content obtained by the ticket 10 before separating the ticket 10, and the time when the user views the content obtained by the ticket 10 after separating the ticket 10. This has the effect of gradually increasing the experience the user has before and after separating the ticket 10 (i.e., the value received by the user).

[0059] In one embodiment, when the ticket 10 is detached, the server 5 refers to the user database to identify the user attribute information corresponding to the tag ID acquired from the user terminal 3. When the user holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T while the ticket 10 is detached, the server 5 sets the value of the "Ticket Status" subfield in the user database to "Separated" in step S34 of FIG. 6 . This allows the server 5 to grasp the user attribute information of the user who detached the ticket 10. For example, if the ticket 10 is detached at the time of entry to the event, the server 5 can grasp the user attribute information of users who have attended the event, which can serve as marketing information (such as information that people who live in a certain area attended a specific event).

[0060] In one embodiment, the user terminal 3 outputs information common to all users if the ticket 10 is not separated, and outputs information corresponding to the attribute information of the user who separated the ticket 10 if the ticket 10 is separated. In this case, the user who separated the ticket 10 and the user's attribute information are identified by the server 5 as described above. "Information common to all users" refers to the same information output to the user terminal 3 regardless of which user holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T. For example, this information is an image providing an overview of the event corresponding to the ticket 10, or an image showing a product introduction or catalog targeted to all users, and is unrelated to the user's attributes. "Information corresponding to the user's attribute information" is information corresponding to the user's attributes, such as address and gender, and is information targeted to individual users that may vary depending on the user's attributes. For example, this information is an image providing information about another event being held near the user's address, or an image showing a product introduction tailored to the user's gender. According to this embodiment, when a user separates the ticket 10, information tailored to the user is output, thereby providing each user with a unique experience.

[0061] In one embodiment, when the ticket 10 is separated, the server 5 associates the user attribute information corresponding to the tag ID acquired from the user terminal 3 with the location data acquired from the user terminal 3. When the user holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T while the ticket 10 is separated, in step S34 of FIG. 6 , the server 5 sets the value of the "Ticket Status" subfield in the user database to "Separated" and the value of the "Location" subfield to the value of the location data received from the user terminal 3. Therefore, the server 5 can associate the user attribute information of the user who separated the ticket 10 with the user's location information in the user database. This association is recorded in the user database every time the user holds the user terminal 3 over the ticket 10 after separating the ticket 10. Therefore, it is possible to understand the behavior of the user who separated the ticket 10 and obtain marketing information about the user's behavior.

[0062] (Other Embodiments) In the above-described embodiment, the first and second contents before and after separating the ticket 10 are obtained as web pages from a server other than the server 5 specified by a URL. However, this is not limited to this. The first and second contents may be obtained from the server 5 without specifying a URL. In this case, the NFC tag T does not need to store a URL. When the user holds the user terminal 3 over the ticket 10, the NFC tag T transmits a parameter indicating the state of the ticket 10 (unseparated or separated) to the user terminal 3. The user terminal 3 transmits the parameter to the server 5, and the server 5 transmits content to the user terminal 3 that is pre-associated with the state of the ticket 10 based on the parameter. The server 5 associates different URLs (e.g., URL_X and URL_Y) with each parameter indicating the state of the ticket 10, and obtains content based on the URL associated with the received parameter from an external server. Note that if an application program (application) that operates in conjunction with a server from which the content is obtained is installed on the user terminal 3, the content may be output in a display format appropriate for the application.

[0063] In one embodiment, the user terminal 3 may not acquire the first and second contents from an external server, including the server 5. In this case, the user terminal 3 receives a parameter indicating the state (unseparated or separated) of the ticket 10 from the NFC tag T. Based on the parameter, the user terminal 3 reads from the storage 32 content that has been previously associated with the state of the ticket 10 and displays it. At this time, if an application program (application) is installed on the user terminal 3, the content may be output in a display format appropriate for the application. Note that receiving content based on a URL included in the data transmitted from the NFC tag T or receiving content from the server 5 allows for more flexible modification and expansion of the content than using content stored within the user terminal 3.

[0064] FIG. 7 shows an example of the display of content linked to an application. FIG. 7 shows an example of the display of content displayed by an application installed on the user terminal 3 when the user holds the user terminal 3 over the ticket 10 after the ticket 10 has been separated. In this example, the application displays content for participating in a stamp rally at an event that can be entered with the ticket 10. This content includes a screen G1 for collecting stamps. NFC tags for acquiring stamps are installed in multiple locations at the event venue. This application is configured so that when a sufficient number of stamps are collected to apply for a special offer, the screen transitions to screens G2 to G4, allowing the user to apply for the special offer.

[0065] In another example, the displayed content may be linked to an application, may be linked to Augmented Reality (AR) technology, or may include images and additional decorative designs, such as in the form of a photo frame.

[0066] In one embodiment, the type of content is not limited, and may be, for example, an email provided by the server 5. For example, when the user terminal 3 notifies the server 5 that the ticket 10 has been separated, the server 5 may periodically or irregularly send emails related to one or more items or events to the user terminal 3. The emails displayed by the user terminal 3 may include images or URLs related to the items or events.

[0067] In one embodiment, the amount of second content displayed when the ticket 10 is separated is greater than the amount of first content displayed when the ticket 10 is not separated. In this case, separating the ticket 10 increases the amount of content output from the user terminal 3, which can motivate the user of the user terminal 3 to more actively separate the ticket 10 in order to obtain more information. If the location where the ticket 10 is separated is the entrance to the event venue, this can also motivate the user to actively participate in the event in order to obtain more information. An example of a case where the amount of second content is greater than the amount of first content is when the first content is a still image and the second content is a video. Another example is when the number of images (still images or video) displayed in the first content is greater than the number of images (still images or video) displayed in the second content.

[0068] In one embodiment, it is preferable to determine whether a user who has acquired the ticket 10 actually attended the event indicated by the ticket 10. Once it is known that the user attended the event, information about users who visited the event and the area where the event is held can be obtained based on the user database. To determine whether the user actually attended the event indicated by the ticket 10, the server 5 references the data recorded in the "access information" field in the user database. Since the location data of the location where the event is held (i.e., the location data pre-associated with the ticket 10) is known, it is determined whether the location data matches the location data indicated by the "location" field in the access information in the user database when the ticket status is "separated." A match between the two location data means that the distance between the two location data is less than a predetermined threshold. If the location data match, it can be determined that the target user attended the event.

[0069] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing by the server 5, which is executed, for example, after an event has ended. The server 5 processes the user database of FIG. 9 from the first record to the last record (i.e., for all tags) in order (step S46). The user database of FIG. 9 differs from that shown in FIG. 2 in that an "Event Participation Information" field has been added. For the tag ID being processed, if the value of the "Ticket Status" subfield is "Separated" (step S40: YES) and the value of the "Location" subfield (access location) matches the known event location (the location where the event is held) (step S42: YES), the server 5 determines that the user corresponding to the tag ID being processed has participated in the event (i.e., attended the event), and updates the user database (step S44). Specifically, the value of the "Event Participation Information" field is set to "Participated." Conversely, for the tag ID being processed, if the value of the "Ticket Status" subfield is "Unseparated" (step S40: NO), or if the value of the "Location" subfield (access location) does not match a known event location (step S42: NO), the value of the "Event Participation Information" field is set to "Not Attended." By performing the above process for all tag IDs, it is possible to identify users who attended the event.

[0070] Other methods can be used to determine whether a user who acquired the ticket 10 actually attended the event indicated by the ticket 10. For example, a reading device that reads the NFC tag T of the ticket 10 may be installed at the event venue. The reading device is capable of communicating with the server 5. In this case, when a user holds the first portion 11 of the ticket 10, which has been separated from the ticket 10, over the reading device at the event venue, the reading device transmits the tag ID of the read NFC tag T and a parameter indicating the status of the ticket 10 (separated) to the server 5. The server 5 thereby recognizes that the user with the user ID corresponding to the tag ID received from the reading device has attended the event. A signboard displaying a two-dimensional code may be installed at the event. In this case, in response to a user's operation, the user terminal 3 reads the two-dimensional code displayed on the signboard and transmits information corresponding to the two-dimensional code (predetermined decoded information) to the server 5 in association with the user ID. The server 5 thereby recognizes that the user with the user ID associated with the received predetermined decoded information has attended the event.

[0071] 2, based on the user database, the server 5 can count the number of times each user holds the user terminal 3 over the NFC tag T. Therefore, the server 5 can know how frequently each user views the content, and can grasp the user's level of interest in the event.

[0072] In one embodiment, one or more user IDs included in the user database may be grouped together, and in this case, marketing information can be obtained for each group based on the frequency of browsing content in the group.

[0073] Although the embodiments of the information processing system and information processing method of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, various improvements and modifications to the above embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the individual technical features described in each of the above embodiments can be combined in part or in whole with other embodiments as appropriate, as long as no technical contradiction exists. For example, in the above embodiments, a perforation PL is formed at the boundary between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 to facilitate separation of the ticket 10, but this is not limited to this. Slits or other structures may also be used at the boundary between each portion. In the above embodiments, since the tag ID and user ID are associated as shown in FIG. 2, when an information-carrying medium such as the ticket 10 is separated, the user who separated the information-carrying medium may be authenticated as the owner of the information-carrying medium.

[0074] The present invention is related to patent application No. 2023-182924, filed with the Japan Patent Office on October 25, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into the specification of this application.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising: an information carrying medium configured to be separable into a first part and a second part, the information carrying medium having a wireless tag including a detection unit that detects whether the first part and the second part have been separated; and a communication terminal capable of communicating with the wireless tag, wherein the communication terminal obtains information regarding whether the first part and the second part of the information carrying medium have been separated from the wireless tag, and outputs different information depending on whether the information carrying medium has been separated.

2. An information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a server capable of communicating with said communication terminal, said communication terminal receiving and outputting different information from said server depending on whether said information carrying medium has been separated or not.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the communication terminal is capable of accessing the Internet and acquires information based on a different URL (Universal Resource Locator) depending on whether the information carrying medium is separated or not.

4. An information processing system as described in claim 1, wherein when information output when the information carrying medium is not separated is defined as first information and information output when the information carrying medium is separated is defined as second information, the amount of the second information is greater than the amount of the first information.

5. An information processing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a server capable of communicating with the communication terminal and storing a database correlating tag identification information of a plurality of wireless tags with user attribute information for a plurality of users to which printing media containing each wireless tag is provided, wherein the communication terminal acquires the tag identification information of the wireless tags from the wireless tags, and when the information carrying medium is separated, the server refers to the database to identify the user attribute information corresponding to the tag identification information acquired from the communication terminal.

6. An information processing system as described in claim 5, wherein the communication terminal outputs information common to the multiple users when the information carrying medium is not separated, and outputs information corresponding to attribute information of the user identified by the server when the information carrying medium is separated.

7. An information processing system as described in claim 5, wherein the communication terminal has a location information acquisition unit that acquires location information, and the server associates user attribute information corresponding to tag identification information acquired from the communication terminal with the location information acquired from the communication terminal when the information carrying medium is separated.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein the server determines whether or not the location information acquired from the communication terminal matches location information previously associated with the information carrying medium.

9. An information processing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection unit of the wireless tag has wiring formed across the first part and the second part, and the wireless tag is configured so that the communication function with the communication terminal is not lost due to the wiring being cut.

10. An information processing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the wireless tag is provided in the first portion, primary information is attached to the first portion, and secondary information for the primary information is attached to the second portion.

11. An information processing method using an information carrying medium configured to be separable into a first part and a second part, the information carrying medium having a detectable wireless tag that detects whether the first part and the second part have been separated, the information processing method including the steps of: a communication terminal capable of communicating with the wireless tag acquiring information from the wireless tag regarding whether the first part and the second part of the information carrying medium have been separated; and a communication terminal outputting different information depending on whether the information carrying medium has been separated.

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