Content provision system, content provision method, and program

Abstract

This content provision system comprises: a reception unit that receives transmission data transmitted from a mobile terminal of a customer; an identification unit that identifies the position of the mobile terminal on the basis of the transmission data; an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the mobile terminal from the transmission data; an inference unit that uses the position of the mobile terminal and the identification information of the mobile terminal to infer that a plurality of mobile terminals located close to each other are mobile terminals of the same group; and a provision unit that can provide content for a group to at least one customer among a plurality of customers each possessing a mobile terminal of the group.

Description

Content providing system, content providing method, and program

[0001] [Cross-reference and priority information] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-065535 filed on April 15, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to a content providing system, a content providing method, and a program.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an entrance / exit management device. This entrance / exit management device includes a position identification unit that identifies the positions of two or more people scheduled to enter or exit from a captured image; an entrance / exit candidate group identification unit that identifies an entrance / exit candidate group consisting of people scheduled to enter or exit who are within a predetermined interpersonal distance based on the interpersonal distance between the two or more people scheduled to enter or exit; and an entrance / exit management unit that manages entrance and exit for each entrance / exit candidate group. This entrance / exit management device then estimates the interpersonal relationships (acquaintanceship, family relationship, etc.) between the people scheduled to enter or exit from the interpersonal distance. Patent Document 2 describes a system for an amusement park. This system includes a surveillance camera that captures at least the faces of customers entering the amusement park and a face recognition device that detects the arrival of a suspicious person from the video captured by the surveillance camera. The face recognition device then individually identifies the faces of multiple customers from images capturing the suspicious person, records the individual face data, compares the extracted face data using the suspicious person as a key, and, if the face data matches, determines that the person in the face data is one of the suspicious people. Patent Literature 3 describes a sales information management device. This sales information management device includes a control unit that manages sales information from a ticket vending machine. The control unit acquires sales information for each ticket issued by the ticket vending machine, estimates the timing at which customers dispersed from in front of the ticket vending machine based on captured images of the area around the ticket vending machine, and estimates customer groups and sales information corresponding to those groups based on the timing of dispersion and the timing of ticket issuance. Patent Literature 4 describes a customer purchase analysis system. This customer purchase analysis system analyzes customer behavior based on the detected positions of identification codes in a first image taken at a location subject to behavior analysis, acquires customer information estimated by analyzing a second image including the customer and the identification code detected from the second image, acquires customer purchase information acquired by a payment processing device and the identification code carried by the customer, and aggregates customer behavior, customer information, and purchase information using the identification code as a key.

[0003] JP 2010-211510 A JP 2018-57523 A JP 2023-114074 A Japanese Patent No. 6984957 A

[0004] Techniques for estimating groups using image recognition are known. It is also known to apply such techniques to analyzing customers visiting a store to estimate whether they visited in a group. However, techniques for estimating groups using image recognition are undesirable from the perspective of protecting personal information because they acquire, for example, facial features. Therefore, if content is provided using this technology, it is not possible to provide content that matches customer preferences while ensuring the protection of personal information.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide content that matches customer preferences while ensuring the protection of personal information.

[0006] With this objective in mind, the present invention provides a content provision system comprising a receiving unit that receives transmission data sent from a mobile terminal carried by a customer, an identifying unit that identifies the location of the mobile terminal based on the transmission data, an acquiring unit that acquires identification information of the mobile terminal from the transmission data, an estimating unit that uses the location and identification information of the mobile terminal to estimate that multiple mobile terminals located close to each other are mobile terminals of the same group, and a providing unit that can provide group content to at least one customer out of multiple customers who carry mobile terminals of the group.

[0007] The providing unit may provide group content to a customer possessing a mobile terminal located near the ordering device among multiple customers possessing mobile terminals of the group. The providing unit may provide the group content to at least one customer by delivering the group content to a mobile terminal possessed by at least one customer. In this case, the content providing system may further include a communication unit that establishes a communication connection with the mobile terminal, and the providing unit may deliver the group content to the mobile terminal possessed by the at least one customer using identification information of the mobile terminal. The providing unit may provide the group content to at least one customer by displaying the group content on a screen of the ordering device. The providing unit may provide single-person content to a customer possessing a mobile terminal, of which identification information has been acquired by the acquiring unit and which the estimation unit has not estimated to be in the same group as the other mobile terminals. The providing unit may provide a benefit possessed by any of the multiple customers possessing a mobile terminal of the group as group content to at least one customer. In this case, the content providing system may include a second acquisition unit that acquires customer identification information from at least one of the group's mobile terminals, and a third acquisition unit that uses the customer identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit to acquire a benefit held by any of the multiple customers who own the group's mobile terminal from a storage unit that stores the customer identification information in association with the benefit held by the customer. The acquisition unit may acquire identification information of a mobile terminal located near the ordering device, and the providing unit may provide the group content to a customer who owns a mobile terminal located near the ordering device when the identification information of the mobile terminal acquired by the acquisition unit matches one of the identification information of the group's mobile terminals.

[0008] The present invention also provides a content provision method including the steps of receiving transmission data transmitted from a mobile terminal carried by a customer, identifying the location of the mobile terminal based on the transmission data, acquiring identification information of the mobile terminal from the transmission data, estimating that multiple mobile terminals located close to each other are mobile terminals of the same group using the location and identification information of the mobile terminals, and providing group content to at least one customer among multiple customers who carry mobile terminals of the group.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a program for enabling a computer to perform the following functions: using the location of a mobile terminal identified based on transmission data sent from the mobile terminal held by a customer and identification information of the mobile terminal obtained from the transmission data, to estimate that multiple mobile terminals located close to each other are mobile terminals of the same group; and providing group content to at least one customer out of multiple customers who hold mobile terminals of the group.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide content that matches the preferences of customers while ensuring the protection of personal information.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a content providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information device in the content providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an information device in the content providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a server in the content providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system according to the present embodiment when estimating a group. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of group management information generated in the content providing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system according to the first aspect of the present embodiment when providing content. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of intra-group coupon management information generated in the content providing system according to the second aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system according to the second aspect of the present embodiment when providing content. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of information linking order information and terminal information generated in the content providing system according to the third aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of group unit price information generated in the content providing system according to the third aspect of the present embodiment. FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system according to the third aspect of the present embodiment when providing content.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] [Overall Configuration of Content Providing System] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a content providing system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the content providing system 1 includes a mobile terminal 10, information devices 20 and 30, an ordering device 40, and a server 50. Of these, the information devices 20 and 30 and the ordering device 40 are installed in a store such as a restaurant. The information device 30 and the ordering device 40 are connected via a communication line 81. The information devices 20 and 30 and the server 50 are connected via a communication line 82.

[0014] The mobile terminal 10 is a terminal device carried by a customer. The customer visits a store carrying the mobile terminal 10. The mobile terminal 10 is capable of wireless communication with the information devices 20 and 30.

[0015] The information devices 20 and 30 are terminal devices capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal 10. The information devices 20 and 30 transmit, for example, a beacon signal to the mobile terminal 10. The information devices 20 and 30 also receive, from the mobile terminal 10, terminal information identifying the mobile terminal 10, for example, via Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The information device 20 is installed at the entrance of the store and functions to estimate the group of the mobile terminals 10. The information device 30 is installed at the ordering device 40 and functions to provide content to customers in the vicinity of the ordering device 40.

[0016] The ordering device 40 is a terminal device that accepts orders for products or services from customers. After accepting an order for a product or service from a customer, the ordering device 40 performs payment for the product or service. After payment is made, the ordering device 40 performs ticketing, which issues a ticket that the customer uses to receive the product or service. In this example, the ordering device 40 is installed in a store such as a restaurant, and therefore accepts orders for products such as food and beverages. The ordering device 40 then performs ticketing, which issues a ticket that the customer uses to receive the product.

[0017] The server 50 is a server computer that receives terminal information from the information devices 20 and 30 and performs group estimation, etc. The server 50 may store content to be provided to customers of the store. The server 50 may be realized by a general-purpose computer, etc.

[0018] The communication lines 81 and 82 are not particularly limited as long as they are lines used for data communication between devices. The communication lines 81 and 82 may be wired or wireless, or a combination of both may be used. The communication line 81 may be, for example, the Internet or a wide area network (WAN). The communication line 82 may be, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a universal serial bus (USB).

[0019] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information device 20 in the content providing system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information device 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a display unit 23, an operation unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

[0020] The control unit 21 controls the entire device. Details of the control unit 21 will be described later. The storage unit 22 stores data and the like. The storage unit 22 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive (HDD).

[0021] The display unit 23 displays information to be notified to the user. The display unit 23 may be an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Alternatively, the display unit 23 may be a display device that displays still images, moving images, etc. The display device may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The operation unit 24 accepts input operations from the user. The operation unit 24 may be, for example, a button, a switch, a touch panel, etc.

[0022] The communication unit 25 communicates between the mobile terminal 10 and the server 50. The communication unit 25 may be a communication interface for connecting to the mobile terminal 10 via wireless communication. Here, the wireless communication may be, for example, communication via BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 25 may also be a communication interface for connecting to the server 50 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0023] The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a ROM (Read Only Memory) (not shown), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown). The ROM stores a basic program (operating system) executed by the CPU, various settings, etc. The CPU uses the RAM as a working area and executes application programs read from the ROM or the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 has a receiving unit 211, an information acquiring unit 212, and a transmitting unit 213.

[0024] The receiving unit 211 receives a response signal from the mobile terminal 10 in response to the request signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 213. The receiving unit 211 receives the response signal, for example, via Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Here, the response signal includes terminal information for identifying the mobile terminal 10. The terminal information may be, for example, a MAC (Media Access Control) address. The response signal also includes the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) of the request signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 213. The response signal is an example of transmission data transmitted from a mobile terminal held by a customer. The function of the receiving unit 211 is also an example of a receiving unit that receives transmission data.

[0025] The information acquisition unit 212 acquires location information indicating the location of the mobile terminal 10. For example, the information acquisition unit 212 determines the distance to the mobile terminal 10 from the RSSI included in the response signal received by the receiving unit 211. The information acquisition unit 212 also determines the direction of the mobile terminal 10 relative to the information device 20 by estimating the direction of arrival of radio waves using the AoA (Angle of Arrival) method. Then, the information acquisition unit 212 uses this distance and direction to acquire location information indicating the position of the mobile terminal 10. This function of the information acquisition unit 212 is an example of an identification unit that identifies the location of the mobile terminal based on transmission data.

[0026] Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 212 acquires terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 from the response signal received by the receiving unit 211. The terminal information is an example of identification information of the mobile terminal. Furthermore, this function of the information acquisition unit 212 is an example of an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the mobile terminal from the transmission data.

[0027] The transmitter 213 transmits a request signal requesting terminal information to the mobile terminal 10. The transmitter 213 transmits a beacon signal as the request signal using, for example, BLE.

[0028] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 213 transmits the terminal information and location information acquired by the information acquiring unit 212 to the server 50 .

[0029] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information device 30 in the content providing system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a display unit 33, an operation unit 34, and a communication unit 35.

[0030] The control unit 31 controls the entire device. The control unit 31 will be described in detail later. The storage unit 32 stores data and the like. The storage unit 32 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory or a HDD.

[0031] The display unit 33 displays information to be notified to the user. The display unit 33 may be an LED. Alternatively, the display unit 33 may be a display device that displays still images, moving images, etc. The display device may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The operation unit 34 accepts input operations from the user. The operation unit 34 may be, for example, a button, a switch, a touch panel, etc.

[0032] The communication unit 35 communicates between the mobile terminal 10, the ordering device 40, and the server 50. The communication unit 35 may be a communication interface for connecting to the mobile terminal 10 via wireless communication. Here, the wireless communication may be, for example, communication via BLE or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The communication unit 35 may also be a communication interface for connecting to the ordering device 40 and the server 50 via wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 35 is an example of a communication unit that establishes a communication connection with a mobile terminal.

[0033] The control unit 31 includes a CPU (not shown), a ROM (not shown), and a RAM (not shown). The control unit 31 includes a receiving unit 311, an information acquiring unit 312, and a transmitting unit 313.

[0034] The receiving unit 311 receives a response signal from the mobile terminal 10 in response to the request signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 313. The receiving unit 311 receives the response signal, for example, via Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Here, the response signal includes terminal information that identifies the mobile terminal 10. The terminal information may be, for example, a MAC address. The response signal also includes the RSSI of the request signal transmitted by the transmitting unit 313. Furthermore, in the second aspect, the response signal also includes customer information that identifies the customer who owns the mobile terminal 10. The customer information may be, for example, an app ID of a dedicated app installed on the mobile terminal 10.

[0035] The receiving unit 311 also receives content from the server 50. Here, the content is an advertisement in the first and third aspects, and a coupon in the second aspect. However, the content may be any information other than an advertisement or a coupon.

[0036] The information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information indicating the location of the mobile terminal 10. For example, the information acquisition unit 312 determines the distance to the mobile terminal 10 from the RSSI included in the response signal received by the receiving unit 311. The information acquisition unit 312 also determines the direction of the mobile terminal 10 relative to the information device 30 by estimating the direction of arrival of radio waves using the AoA method. The information acquisition unit 312 then acquires location information indicating the location of the mobile terminal 10 using this distance and direction. As a result, the information acquisition unit 312 identifies mobile terminals 10 in the vicinity of the information device 30, i.e., in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. Here, the following mobile terminals 10, for example, can be considered as mobile terminals 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. First, a mobile terminal 10 located within a certain range from the ordering device 40. Second, a mobile terminal 10 closest to the ordering device 40. Third, a certain number of mobile terminals 10 in a group of mobile terminals 10 that are closer to the ordering device 40.

[0037] Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 from the response signal received by the receiving unit 311. In particular, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information about the mobile terminal 10 that has been identified as being located near the ordering device 40. This function of the information acquisition unit 312 is an example of an acquisition unit that acquires identification information of a mobile terminal located near the ordering device.

[0038] Furthermore, in the second aspect, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires customer information that identifies the customer from the response signal received by the receiving unit 311. In particular, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires customer information for the mobile terminal 10 identified as being located near the ordering device 40. The customer information is an example of customer identification information. This function of the information acquisition unit 312 is also an example of a second acquisition unit that acquires customer identification information from at least one mobile terminal among the mobile terminals in the group.

[0039] Furthermore, in the third aspect, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires, from the ordering device 40, order information relating to an order that has been placed by a customer and for which payment has already been made.

[0040] The transmitter 313 transmits a request signal requesting terminal information to the mobile terminal 10. The transmitter 313 transmits a beacon signal as the request signal using, for example, BLE.

[0041] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 313 transmits information to the server 50 regarding the mobile terminal 10 that the information acquiring unit 312 has identified as being located near the ordering device 40. Specifically, in a first mode, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information acquired by the information acquiring unit 312 to the server 50. In a second mode, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information and customer information acquired by the information acquiring unit 312 to the server 50. Furthermore, in a third mode, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information and order information acquired by the information acquiring unit 312 to the server 50.

[0042] Furthermore, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the content received by the receiving unit 311 from the server 50 to the mobile terminal 10 .

[0043] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 50 in the content providing system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the server 50 includes a control unit 51, a storage unit 52, a display unit 53, an operation unit 54, and a communication unit 55.

[0044] The control unit 51 controls the entire device. Details of the control unit 51 will be described later. The memory unit 52 stores data, etc. The memory unit 52 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory or a HDD. The memory unit 52 stores group management information for managing groups of mobile terminals 10. The memory unit 52 also stores content to be transmitted to the mobile terminals 10. In particular, in the first and third aspects, the memory unit 52 stores advertisements, which are content that notifies customers of products or services. Specifically, the memory unit 52 stores advertisements separately as group advertisements and single-person advertisements. In the second aspect, the memory unit 52 stores coupons, which are content that provides benefits to customers. In this case, the memory unit 52 first stores overall coupon management information for managing all coupons. The overall coupon management information is information that associates customer information with coupon content for all customers based on their past store usage records. The memory unit 52 also stores group coupon management information for managing coupons within a group. The group coupon management information is a portion of the overall coupon management information that includes customer information transmitted together with mutually adjacent location information. In the following description, coupons are managed by associating customer information with coupon content, but this is not limited to this. Coupons may also be managed by associating terminal information with coupon content. This function of the memory unit 52 is an example of a memory unit that stores customer identification information and benefits held by customers in association with each other. Furthermore, in a third aspect, the memory unit 52 stores group unit price information indicating a group unit price. Here, the group unit price refers to the amount paid by the group representative for accompanying persons.

[0045] The display unit 53 displays information to be notified to the user. The display unit 53 may be a display device that displays still images, moving images, etc. The display device may be, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The operation unit 54 accepts input operations from the user. The operation unit 54 may be, for example, a button, a switch, a touch panel, etc.

[0046] The communication unit 55 communicates with the information device 20 and the information device 30. The communication unit 55 may be a communication interface for connecting with the information device 20 and the information device 30 via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0047] The control unit 51 includes a CPU (not shown), a ROM (not shown), and a RAM (not shown). The control unit 51 includes a receiving unit 511, a group estimation unit 512, a determination unit 513, a content acquisition unit 514, and a transmission unit 515.

[0048] The receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information and the position information of the mobile terminal 10 from the information device 20 during group estimation.

[0049] Furthermore, when providing content, the receiving unit 511 receives information about the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40 from the information device 30. Specifically, in a first mode, the receiving unit 511 receives terminal information of the mobile terminal 10. In a second mode, the receiving unit 511 receives terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 and customer information of the customer who owns the mobile terminal 10. Furthermore, in a third mode, the receiving unit 511 receives terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 and order information in the ordering device 40.

[0050] The group estimation unit 512 estimates that mobile terminals 10 located close to each other are mobile terminals 10 in the same group. Specifically, the group estimation unit 512 makes such an estimation when it receives terminal information and location information from the information device 20. The group estimation unit 512 also makes such an estimation based on the terminal information and location information received from the information device 30. The group estimation unit 512 then stores group management information for managing the estimated group in the storage unit 52. The group estimation unit 512 is an example of an estimation unit that estimates that multiple mobile terminals located close to each other are mobile terminals in the same group using the locations of the mobile terminals and the identification information of the mobile terminals.

[0051] The determination unit 513 determines whether or not a mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40 is estimated to be in the same group as another mobile terminal 10. Specifically, when the determination unit 513 receives terminal information from the information device 30, it determines whether or not the terminal information is included in the group management information.

[0052] The determination unit 513 also determines whether an order placed by one customer on the ordering device 40 is for multiple people. That is, the determination unit 513 determines whether the group representative has also placed an order for accompanying persons. For example, if the group representative has ordered multiple items from the same category, the determination unit 513 determines that the group representative has also placed an order for accompanying persons. Alternatively, if the group representative has ordered multiple set menus, the determination unit 513 determines that the group representative has also placed an order for accompanying persons. Then, the determination unit 513 stores group unit price information indicating the amount paid by the group representative for the accompanying persons in the storage unit 52.

[0053] The content acquisition unit 514 acquires content to be transmitted to a mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40 from the storage unit 52. For example, suppose the determination unit 513 determines that the mobile terminal 10 is estimated to belong to the same group as other mobile terminals 10. Then, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires content for the group. Also, suppose the determination unit 513 determines that the mobile terminal 10 is not estimated to belong to the same group as other mobile terminals 10. Then, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires content for one person. Specifically, in the first and third aspects, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires advertisements as content. Also, in the second aspect, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires coupons as content. Assume that coupons are managed in association with either terminal information or customer information acquired when the customer previously used a store. Therefore, in the second aspect, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires coupons based on the customer information received by the receiving unit 511. This function of the content acquisition unit 514 is an example of a third acquisition unit that uses the customer identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit to acquire from the memory unit the benefits held by any of multiple customers who own a mobile terminal in the group.

[0054] The transmitting unit 515 transmits the content acquired by the content acquiring unit 514 and provides it to the customer.

[0055] For example, suppose the determination unit 513 determines that a mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40 is estimated to belong to the same group as another mobile terminal 10. Specifically, suppose the determination unit 513 determines that the terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40 is included in the group management information. Then, the transmission unit 515 provides the group content acquired by the content acquisition unit 514 to the customer who owns that mobile terminal 10. This function of the transmission unit 515 is an example of a providing unit that can provide group content to customers who own mobile terminals in the group. This function of the transmission unit 515 is also an example of a providing unit that provides group content to a customer who owns a mobile terminal located near the ordering device among multiple customers who own mobile terminals in the group. Furthermore, this function of the transmission unit 515 is an example of a providing unit that provides group content to a customer who owns a mobile terminal located near the ordering device when the identification information of the mobile terminal acquired by the acquisition unit matches one of the identification information of the mobile terminals in the group.

[0056] In this case, the transmitting unit 515 may provide the group content to the customer by delivering it to the mobile terminal 10 owned by the customer. For example, the transmitting unit 515 may transmit the group content to the information device 30 and have the mobile terminal 10 deliver it using the terminal information. This function of the transmitting unit 515 is an example of a providing unit that provides the group content to the customer by delivering it to the mobile terminal owned by the customer. Furthermore, this function of the transmitting unit 515 is an example of a providing unit that delivers the group content to the mobile terminal owned by the customer using the identification information of the mobile terminal.

[0057] Alternatively, the transmitting unit 515 may provide the group content to the customer by displaying it on an ordering device 40 near the customer. For example, the transmitting unit 515 may transmit the group content to the information device 30 and cause the ordering device 40 to display it. This function of the transmitting unit 515 is an example of a providing unit that provides the group content to the customer by displaying it on the screen of the ordering device.

[0058] Furthermore, it is assumed that the determination unit 513 determines that the mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40 is not estimated to be in the same group as the other mobile terminals 10. Specifically, it is assumed that the determination unit 513 determines that the terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40 is not included in the group management information. Then, the transmission unit 515 provides the content for one person acquired by the content acquisition unit 514 to the customer who owns the mobile terminal 10. This function of the transmission unit 515 is an example of a provision unit that provides the content for one person to a customer who owns a mobile terminal that the estimation unit has not estimated to be in the same group as the other mobile terminals, among the mobile terminals for which the acquisition unit has acquired identification information.

[0059] In this case, the transmitting unit 515 may provide the content for one person to the customer by distributing the content to the mobile terminal 10 held by the customer. For example, the transmitting unit 515 may transmit the content for one person to the information device 30, and have the information device 30 distribute the content to the mobile terminal 10 using the terminal information.

[0060] Alternatively, the transmitting unit 515 may provide the content for one person to the customer by displaying it on an ordering device 40 near the customer. For example, the transmitting unit 515 may transmit the content for one person to the information device 30 and cause the ordering device 40 to display it.

[0061] Specifically, in the first and third aspects, the transmitting unit 515 provides advertisements as content. In this case, the content for the group may be an advertisement for the group. The content for one person may be an advertisement for one person. Furthermore, in the second aspect, the transmitting unit 515 provides coupons as content. In this case, the content for the group may be a coupon held by one of the customers in the group. As a result, if the companion is identified before issuance by the ordering device 40, the representative of the group can use the companion's coupon even if the companion is not nearby. Furthermore, the content for one person may be a coupon held by a customer who visits the store alone. This function of the transmitting unit 515 is an example of a providing unit that provides a benefit held by one of multiple customers who own a mobile terminal in the group to the customer as group content.

[0062] [Example of Operation of Content Providing System of First Aspect] The content providing system 1 of the first aspect of this embodiment provides advertisements as content. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of operation of the content providing system 1 of the first aspect of this embodiment when estimating a group.

[0063] As shown in the figure, first, in the information device 20, the transmitting unit 213 transmits a request signal to a plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 201). Here, the request signal is a signal requesting terminal information, as described above.

[0064] As a result, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 receives a request signal from the information device 20 (step 101). Then, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 transmits a response signal to the request signal received in step 101 to the information device 20 (step 102). Here, the response signal includes the terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it. The response signal also includes the RSSI of the request signal received by the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it.

[0065] As a result, in the information device 20, the receiving unit 211 receives a response signal from each of the plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 202).

[0066] Next, the information acquisition unit 212 acquires location information based on the response signal received in step 202 (step 203). At this time, the information acquisition unit 212 acquires location information for each of the multiple mobile terminals 10. For example, the information acquisition unit 212 determines the distance to each mobile terminal 10 from the RSSI included in the response signal. The information acquisition unit 212 also determines the direction of each mobile terminal 10 by estimating the direction of arrival of radio waves using the AoA method. The information acquisition unit 212 then acquires location information for each mobile terminal 10 based on this distance and direction.

[0067] Next, the information acquisition unit 212 acquires the terminal information from the response signal received in step 202 (step 204). At this time, the information acquisition unit 212 acquires the terminal information of each of the plurality of mobile terminals 10.

[0068] Then, the transmitting unit 213 transmits the terminal information and the location information to the server 50 (step 205). At that time, the transmitting unit 213 transmits the terminal information and the location information for each of the multiple mobile terminals 10. Here, the terminal information is the information acquired in step 204, and the location information is the information acquired in step 203.

[0069] As a result, in server 50, receiving unit 511 receives terminal information and location information from information device 20 (step 501). At that time, receiving unit 511 receives terminal information and location information for multiple mobile terminals 10. Next, group estimation unit 512 generates group management information for managing a group of mobile terminals 10 (step 502). Specifically, group estimation unit 512 generates group management information for managing mobile terminals 10 that are located close to each other as the same group. Group estimation unit 512 generates the group management information based on the location information of each mobile terminal 10 received in step 501. Next, group estimation unit 512 stores the group management information generated in step 502 in storage unit 52 (step 503).

[0070] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of group management information generated by the content providing system 1 according to the first aspect of the present embodiment. As illustrated, the group management information associates group information with terminal information. Here, a group ID is used as an example of group information, and a MAC address is used as an example of terminal information. The diagram illustrates, for example, a group with a group ID of "G1" that includes mobile terminals 10 with MAC addresses "32-28-6D-51-16-AF," "0A-FF-K4-19-20-XX," "52-XK-6D-5S-13-BN," and "36-98-6D-99-75-3M." Note that the group management information is assumed to be information for one day only and is reset when the date changes. However, the group management information may be information spanning multiple days so that it is not reset when the date changes. In this case, it is preferable to further associate the date with the group management information.

[0071] 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system 1 according to the first aspect of the present embodiment when providing content. Note that the description here will be made taking as an example a case where content is provided by being distributed from the information device 30 to the mobile terminal 10.

[0072] As shown in the figure, first, in the information device 30, the transmitter 313 transmits a request signal to a plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 351). Here, the request signal is a signal requesting terminal information, as described above.

[0073] As a result, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 receives a request signal from the information device 30 (step 151). Then, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 transmits a response signal to the request signal received in step 151 to the information device 30 (step 152). Here, the response signal includes the terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it. The response signal also includes the RSSI of the request signal received by the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it.

[0074] As a result, in the information device 30, the receiving unit 311 receives a response signal from each of the plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 352).

[0075] Next, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information based on the response signal received in step 352 (step 353). At this time, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information for each of the multiple mobile terminals 10. For example, the information acquisition unit 312 determines the distance to each mobile terminal 10 from the RSSI included in the response signal. The information acquisition unit 312 also determines the direction of each mobile terminal 10 by estimating the direction of arrival of radio waves using the AoA method. The information acquisition unit 312 then acquires location information for each mobile terminal 10 based on this distance and direction.

[0076] Next, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information from the response signal received in step 352 (step 354). At that time, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 that is in the vicinity of the ordering device 40, among the multiple mobile terminals 10. The information acquisition unit 312 may identify the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40 based on the location information acquired in step 353.

[0077] Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information to the server 50 (step 355). At that time, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information for the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. Here, the terminal information is the information acquired in step 354. It should be noted that the transmitting unit 313 holds the terminal information in order to transmit the advertisement received from the server 50 thereafter to the mobile terminal 10.

[0078] As a result, in the server 50, the receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information from the information device 30 (step 551). At that time, the receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information for the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. Next, the determining unit 513 determines whether the terminal information received in step 551 is included in the group management information (step 552).

[0079] If it is determined in step 552 that the terminal information is included in the group management information, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires an advertisement for the group from the storage unit 52 (step 553).

[0080] Assume that it is determined in step 552 that the terminal information is not included in the group management information. In this case, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires an advertisement for one person from the storage unit 52 (step 554).

[0081] Then, the transmitting unit 515 transmits the advertisement acquired in step 553 or step 554 to the information device 30 (step 555).

[0082] As a result, in the information device 30, the receiving unit 311 receives the advertisement from the server 50 (step 356). Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the advertisement received in step 356 to the mobile terminal 10 (step 357). Specifically, the transmitting unit 313 uses the terminal information stored in step 355 to identify a mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40. Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the advertisement to this mobile terminal 10.

[0083] As a result, the mobile terminal 10 receives the advertisement from the information device 30 (step 153).Then, the mobile terminal 10 displays the advertisement received in step 153 on the screen (step 154).

[0084] [Example of Operation of Content Providing System of Second Aspect] The content providing system 1 of the second aspect of this embodiment provides coupons as content. An example of operation of the content providing system 1 of the second aspect of this embodiment during group estimation is substantially the same as that shown in FIG. 5 . However, in the content providing system 1 of the second aspect of this embodiment, the response signal also includes customer information. Furthermore, in the content providing system 1 of the second aspect of this embodiment, the information device 20 also transmits the customer information to the server 50. Furthermore, in the content providing system 1 of the second aspect of this embodiment, the server 50 generates intra-group coupon management information using the customer information and location information.

[0085] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of intra-group coupon management information generated by the content providing system 1 according to the second aspect of the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the intra-group coupon management information associates customer information with coupon details. Here, app IDs are used as an example of customer information. The figure shows, for example, that customers who own mobile terminals 10 on which apps with app IDs "A1" to "A4" are installed form a group. It also shows that a customer who owns a mobile terminal 10 on which an app with app ID "A2" is installed has a coupon. The coupon details indicate a discount of XX%. The intra-group coupon management information is a portion of the overall coupon management information. Here, the overall coupon management information is information that associates customer information with coupon details for all customers based on their past store usage records. The portion refers to a portion that includes customer information transmitted together with location information indicating proximity to each other.

[0086] Here, assume that the customer who owns the mobile terminal 10 on which the app with the app ID "A4" is installed is the group representative. In other words, assume that this customer also places an order for the other three accompanying people on behalf of the group. In this case, the group representative can use the coupon of the customer who owns the mobile terminal 10 on which the app with the app ID "A2" is installed.

[0087] The group management information generated in the content providing system 1 according to the second aspect of this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 6, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system 1 according to the second aspect of the present embodiment when providing content. Note that, again, the case where content is provided by being distributed from the information device 30 to the mobile terminal 10 will be described as an example.

[0089] As shown in the figure, first, in the information device 30, the transmitter 313 transmits a request signal to a plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 361). Here, the request signal is a signal requesting terminal information, as described above.

[0090] As a result, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 receives a request signal from the information device 30 (step 161). Then, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 transmits a response signal to the request signal received in step 161 to the information device 30 (step 162). Here, the response signal includes the terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it. The response signal also includes the RSSI of the request signal received by the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it. Furthermore, the response signal also includes customer information of the customer who owns the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it.

[0091] As a result, in the information device 30, the receiving unit 311 receives a response signal from each of the plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 362).

[0092] Next, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information based on the response signal received in step 362 (step 363). At this time, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information for each of the multiple mobile terminals 10. For example, the information acquisition unit 312 determines the distance to each mobile terminal 10 from the RSSI included in the response signal. The information acquisition unit 312 also determines the direction of each mobile terminal 10 by estimating the direction of arrival of radio waves using the AoA method. The information acquisition unit 312 then acquires location information for each mobile terminal 10 based on this distance and direction.

[0093] Next, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information and customer information from the response signal received in step 362 (step 364). At that time, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires the terminal information and customer information of the mobile terminal 10 that is in the vicinity of the ordering device 40, among the multiple mobile terminals 10. The information acquisition unit 312 may identify the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40 based on the location information acquired in step 363.

[0094] Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information and customer information to the server 50 (step 365). At that time, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information and customer information for the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. Here, the terminal information and customer information are the information acquired in step 364. Note that the transmitting unit 313 retains the terminal information in order to transmit coupons received from the server 50 thereafter to the mobile terminal 10.

[0095] As a result, in the server 50, the receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information and customer information from the information device 30 (step 561). At that time, the receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information and customer information for the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. Next, the determining unit 513 determines whether the terminal information received in step 561 is included in the group management information (step 562).

[0096] Assume that it is determined in step 562 that the terminal information is included in the group management information. In this case, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires coupons within the group from the storage unit 52 (step 563). Specifically, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires from the storage unit 52 intra-group coupon management information including the customer information received in step 561. The content acquisition unit 514 then determines whether a coupon is linked to any of the customer information in the intra-group coupon management information. If it is determined that a coupon is linked to any of the customer information, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires that coupon.

[0097] Assume that it is determined in step 562 that the terminal information is not included in the group management information. In this case, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires the coupon for the user from the storage unit 52 (step 564). Specifically, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires the overall coupon management information from the storage unit 52. Then, the content acquisition unit 514 determines whether a coupon is linked to the customer information received in step 561 in the overall coupon management information. If it is determined that a coupon is linked to the customer information, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires the coupon.

[0098] Then, the transmitting unit 515 transmits the coupon acquired in step 563 or step 564 to the information device 30 (step 565).

[0099] As a result, in the information device 30, the receiving unit 311 receives the coupon from the server 50 (step 366). Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the coupon received in step 366 to the mobile terminal 10 (step 367). Specifically, the transmitting unit 313 uses the terminal information stored in step 365 to identify a mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40. Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the coupon to this mobile terminal 10.

[0100] As a result, the mobile terminal 10 receives the coupon from the information device 30 (step 163). Then, the mobile terminal 10 displays the coupon received in step 163 on the screen (step 164). Here, the coupon may include, for example, a QR code (registered trademark). Then, in the ordering device 40, the coupon may be used by reading the QR code with a code reader (not shown).

[0101] [Example of Operation of Content Providing System of Third Aspect] The content providing system 1 of the third aspect of this embodiment calculates the group unit price from the order information input to the ordering device 40. The example of operation of the content providing system 1 of the third aspect of this embodiment when estimating a group is the same as that shown in Fig. 5, so a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the group management information generated by the content providing system 1 of the third aspect of this embodiment is the same as that shown in Fig. 6, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0102] 10 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information between order information and terminal information generated by the content providing system 1 according to the third aspect of the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the order information associates an order ID, a product, a category, a set flag, and a price. The order information is also linked to a MAC address as an example of terminal information. In the figure, the area enclosed by an encircling line E1 indicates that the group representative purchased multiple products of the same category. Furthermore, the area enclosed by an encircling line E2 indicates that the group representative purchased multiple set menus.

[0103] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of group unit price information generated by the content providing system 1 according to the third aspect of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the group unit price information associates an order ID, a group unit price, and the number of people in the group. In the figure, the total price of items purchased with the same order ID is stored as the group unit price. Note that the order IDs "P3" and "P4" in FIG. 10 do not correspond to the purchase of multiple items of the same category, nor to the purchase of multiple set menus. Therefore, it is determined that each group member has placed an order (paid for their own payment), and the group unit price is not calculated.

[0104] 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the content providing system 1 according to the third aspect of the present embodiment when providing content. Note that, again, the case where content is provided by being distributed from the information device 30 to the mobile terminal 10 will be described as an example.

[0105] As shown in the figure, first, in the information device 30, the transmitter 313 transmits a request signal to a plurality of mobile terminals 10 (step 371). Here, the request signal is a signal requesting terminal information, as described above.

[0106] As a result, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 receives a request signal from the information device 30 (step 171). Then, each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 transmits a response signal to the request signal received in step 171 to the information device 30 (step 172). Here, the response signal includes the terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it. The response signal also includes the RSSI of the request signal received by the mobile terminal 10 that transmitted it.

[0107] As a result, in the information device 30, the receiving unit 311 receives a response signal from each of the multiple mobile terminals 10 (step 372). Here, it is assumed that the information acquiring unit 312 acquires order information related to a settled order from the ordering device 40 (step 373).

[0108] Then, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information based on the response signal received in step 372 (step 374). At this time, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires location information for each of the multiple mobile terminals 10. For example, the information acquisition unit 312 determines the distance to each mobile terminal 10 from the RSSI included in the response signal. The information acquisition unit 312 also determines the direction of each mobile terminal 10 by estimating the direction of arrival of radio waves using the AoA method. The information acquisition unit 312 then acquires location information for each mobile terminal 10 based on this distance and direction.

[0109] Next, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information from the response signal received in step 372 (step 375). At that time, the information acquisition unit 312 acquires terminal information of the mobile terminal 10 that is in the vicinity of the ordering device 40, among the multiple mobile terminals 10. The information acquisition unit 312 may identify the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40 based on the location information acquired in step 374.

[0110] Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information and the order information to the server 50 (step 376). At that time, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the terminal information and the order information for the mobile terminal 10 in the vicinity of the ordering device 40. Here, the terminal information is the information acquired in step 375. It should be noted that the transmitting unit 313 retains the terminal information in order to transmit the advertisement received from the server 50 thereafter to the mobile terminal 10. It should be noted that the order information is the information acquired in step 373.

[0111] As a result, in the server 50, the receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information and order information from the information device 30 (step 571). At this time, the receiving unit 511 receives the terminal information and order information for the mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40. The information received here is the portion of the information shown in FIG. 10 that includes the order ID for the current order. Next, the determining unit 513 determines whether the terminal information received in step 571 is included in the group management information (step 572). If the group management information is information spanning multiple days, it is conceivable that the terminal information will be included in multiple pieces of group management information. In this case, it is advisable to include the date in both the order information and the group management information. The determining unit 513 then compares these dates to narrow down the groups.

[0112] Assume that it is determined in step 572 that the terminal information is included in the group management information. In this case, the determination unit 513 determines whether the order information indicates that an order has been placed for multiple people (step 573). Specifically, the determination unit 513 refers to the order information received in step 571. Then, the determination unit 513 determines whether multiple products of the same category or multiple set menus have been ordered.

[0113] Assume that step 573 determines that an order for multiple people has been placed. In this case, the determination unit 513 generates group unit price information (step 574). Here, the group unit price information is information that associates an order ID, a group unit price, and the number of people in the group. First, the determination unit 513 acquires the order ID included in the order information. Next, the determination unit 513 acquires the price of each product in the same category or each set menu in multiple set menus from the order information. The determination unit 513 then calculates the group unit price by summing these prices. Next, the determination unit 513 acquires terminal information from the order information. Then, the determination unit 513 calculates the number of people in the group that includes the terminal information from the group management information. This makes it possible to analyze the relationship between the group unit price and the number of people in the group. Then, the determination unit 513 stores the group unit price information in the storage unit 52 (step 575). Note that the information stored here is the portion of the information shown in FIG. 11 that includes the order ID of the current order.

[0114] If it is determined in step 573 that the order does not indicate that multiple servings have been ordered, the determining unit 513 does not perform the processes in steps 574 and 575.

[0115] Thereafter, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires the advertisement for the group from the storage unit 52 (step 576).

[0116] Assume that it is determined in step 572 that the terminal information is not included in the group management information. In this case, the content acquisition unit 514 acquires an advertisement for one person from the storage unit 52 (step 577).

[0117] Then, the transmitting unit 515 transmits the advertisement acquired in step 576 or step 577 to the information device 30 (step 578).

[0118] As a result, in the information device 30, the receiving unit 311 receives the advertisement from the server 50 (step 377). Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the advertisement received in step 377 to the mobile terminal 10 (step 378). Specifically, the transmitting unit 313 uses the terminal information stored in step 376 to identify a mobile terminal 10 near the ordering device 40. Then, the transmitting unit 313 transmits the advertisement to this mobile terminal 10.

[0119] As a result, the mobile terminal 10 receives the advertisement from the information device 30 (step 173).Then, the mobile terminal 10 displays the advertisement received in step 173 on the screen (step 174).

[0120] Incidentally, in the operation example of FIG. 12 , the ordering device 40 transmits the order information to the server 50 via the information device 30, but this is not limited to this. The ordering device 40 may transmit the order information directly to the server 50. On the other hand, the information device 30 may transmit the terminal information to the server 50. In this case, the linking of the terminal information and the order information may be performed by checking the time. Here, the time of the terminal information may be the time when the information device 30 installed on the ordering device 40 received the terminal information (contact time). Furthermore, the time of the order information may be the time of payment for the order. In this case, these times will not match perfectly, so a certain degree of discrepancy may be tolerated.

[0121] Here, the data image of each piece of information is as follows: The data transmitted from the information device 30 to the server 50 associates terminal information with contact time. The terminal information may be, for example, a MAC address. A specific example of the data is the association of the MAC address "36-98-6D-99-75-3M" with the contact time "2024 / 4 / 1 12:00:00." The data transmitted from the ordering device 40 to the server 50 associates order information with the payment time. The order information may include, for example, an order ID, a product name, etc. A specific example of the data is the association of the order ID "P1," the product name "Burger," etc., with the payment time "2024 / 4 / 1 12:00:43." In this case, the data after linking is, for example, the association of the order ID, the product name, etc., with the MAC address. A specific example of data would be an order ID "P1", a product name "burger", etc., associated with a MAC address "36-98-6D-99-75-3M".

[0122] In the above description, the information device 30 transmits terminal information to the server 50, but this is not limiting. The information device 30 may transmit customer information to the server 50. The customer information may be, for example, an application ID. In this case, a specific example of the data may be the above example in which the MAC address "36-98-6D-99-75-3M" is replaced with the application ID "A1."

[0123] [Modification] In the above, the information device 20 installed at the entrance of the store acquired the terminal information for group estimation. However, the information device 20 installed in any location may acquire the terminal information for group estimation. For example, the information device 20 installed at each table may acquire the terminal information for group estimation.

[0124] In the above description, the information device 30 installed in the ordering device 40 acquires the terminal information for providing content. However, the information device 30 installed in any location may acquire the terminal information for providing content. For example, the information device 30 installed at the exit of a store may acquire the terminal information for providing content.

[0125] In the above example, multiple information devices are installed in a store. One information device acquires terminal information for group estimation, and another information device acquires terminal information for content provision. However, only one information device may be installed in a store. This one information device may acquire terminal information for group estimation and terminal information for content provision. For example, this one information device may be installed at the entrance of the store. In this case, both group estimation and content provision are performed simultaneously when a customer visits the store.

[0126] In the above description, the server 50 provides the content to the customer via the information device 30. However, the server 50 may provide the content to the customer without going through the information device 30. For example, the server 50 may transmit the content directly to the ordering device 40 without going through the information device 30. Alternatively, the server 50 may transmit the content directly to the mobile terminal 10 without going through the information device 30. In the latter case, the server 50 can provide the content to the customer even after the customer has left the store.

[0127] In the above description, the content provision system 1 provides content to customers in a group who are near the ordering device 40. However, the content provision system 1 may provide content to all customers in the group. Alternatively, the content provision system 1 may provide content to at least one customer in the group. In this case, the content provision system 1 may deliver different content to the representative and companions of the group. For example, the content provision system 1 may deliver an advertisement for the representative to the representative and an advertisement for the companion to the companion.

[0128] Furthermore, in the above description, the information device 20 acquires the terminal information and the location information. Then, the server 50 performs the group estimation and the content provision. However, the information device 20 may perform the processes from acquiring the terminal information and the location information to estimating the group.

[0129] In the above, the server 50 performs both group estimation and content provision. However, one server may perform only group estimation, and another server may perform only content provision.

[0130] Furthermore, in the above description, the content providing system 1 is applied to a store such as a restaurant. However, the content providing system 1 may be applied to any other facility. For example, the content providing system 1 may be applied to an outdoor facility. In this case, the mobile terminal 10 may include location information acquired by a Global Positioning System (GPS) in the response signal. The information device 20 may then acquire this location information from the response signal.

[0131] [Summary] The content provision system of this embodiment uses the location and identification information of the mobile devices to estimate that multiple mobile devices located close to each other belong to the same group. Furthermore, the content provision system of this embodiment provides group content to at least one customer among multiple customers who own the group's mobile devices. Therefore, the content provision system of this embodiment makes it possible to provide content tailored to customer preferences while ensuring the protection of personal information.

[0132] 1... Content providing system, 10... Mobile terminal, 20, 30... Information device, 40... Ordering device, 50... Server, 211, 311, 511... Receiving unit, 212, 312... Information acquisition unit, 213, 313, 515... Transmitting unit, 512... Group estimation unit, 513... Determination unit, 514... Content acquisition unit

Claims

1. A content provision system comprising: a receiving unit that receives transmission data transmitted from a mobile device possessed by a customer; an identifying unit that identifies the location of the mobile device based on the transmission data; an acquiring unit that acquires identification information of the mobile device from the transmission data; an estimating unit that uses the location and identification information of the mobile device to estimate that multiple mobile devices located close to each other are mobile devices of the same group; and a providing unit that can provide group content to at least one customer out of multiple customers possessing mobile devices of the group.

2. The content provision system according to claim 1, wherein the provision unit provides the content for the group to a customer who possesses a mobile terminal located near the ordering device among a plurality of customers who possess mobile terminals of the group.

3. The content provision system of claim 1, wherein the provision unit provides the content for the group to the at least one customer by distributing the content for the group to a mobile terminal carried by the at least one customer.

4. The content provision system of claim 3, further comprising a communication unit that establishes a communication connection with a mobile terminal, wherein the provision unit uses identification information of the mobile terminal to deliver the content for the group to the mobile terminal held by the at least one customer.

5. The content providing system according to claim 1, wherein the providing unit provides the content for the group to the at least one customer by displaying the content for the group on a screen of an ordering device.

6. A content provision system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the provision unit provides content for one person to a customer who owns a mobile terminal from which the acquisition unit has acquired identification information and which the estimation unit has not estimated to be in the same group as other mobile terminals.

7. A content provision system as described in claim 1, wherein the provision unit provides a benefit held by any one of a plurality of customers who owns a mobile terminal in the group to the at least one customer as content for the group.

8. A content provision system as described in claim 7, comprising: a second acquisition unit that acquires customer identification information from at least one of the mobile terminals of the group; and a third acquisition unit that uses the customer identification information acquired by the second acquisition unit to acquire benefits held by any of multiple customers who own a mobile terminal of the group from a memory unit that stores customer identification information in association with benefits held by the customer.

9. The content provision system described in claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires identification information of a mobile terminal located near the ordering device, and the provision unit provides content for the group to a customer possessing a mobile terminal located near the ordering device if the identification information of the mobile terminal acquired by the acquisition unit matches one of the identification information of the mobile terminals in the group.

10. A content provision method comprising the steps of: receiving transmission data transmitted from a mobile terminal possessed by a customer; determining the location of the mobile terminal based on the transmission data; acquiring identification information of the mobile terminal from the transmission data; using the location and identification information of the mobile terminal to estimate that multiple mobile terminals located close to each other are mobile terminals of the same group; and providing group content to at least one customer among multiple customers possessing mobile terminals of the group.

11. A program for implementing in a computer the following functions: estimating that multiple mobile terminals located close to each other belong to the same group of mobile terminals, using the location of the mobile terminal identified based on transmission data sent from the mobile terminal held by the customer and the identification information of the mobile terminal obtained from the transmission data; and providing group content to at least one customer out of multiple customers who hold mobile terminals in the group.

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