JP7612441B2 - Workspace management device, method and program - Google Patents

Description

One aspect of the present invention relates to a workspace management device, method, and program that has a function of recommending information about workspaces to users who perform their work using remote work, for example.

Remote work, a way of working that is not tied to a specific location, has been attracting attention in recent years as a way to ensure business continuity during disasters and pandemics, and to ease traffic congestion during large-scale international sporting events, and the number of users working outside the office is increasing. However, even if users try to use third places such as coworking spaces and cafes other than their offices or homes, the current situation is that it is difficult to easily secure suitable space.

A service has been proposed that manages information about the facilities and locations of multiple facilities and stores that offer workspaces, such as the availability of power sources, the availability of public wireless LANs (Local Area Networks), seat availability, the nearest train station, etc., on a server, and allows users to access the server using a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone to search for available workspaces and make reservations, etc. (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

By using such services, users can relatively easily secure workspace not only for remote work outside the office or home, but also when they want to work during their free time while out and about.

"Dropin" demonstration experiment begins in earnest ~ Smartly search, reserve, and pay for spaces that can be used immediately as workspaces ~, [online], February 7, 2020, NTT Communications Corporation, [Retrieved January 26, 2021], Internet <URL: https://www.ntt.com/about-us/press-eleases/news/article/2020/0207.html>

However, with previously proposed services, there is a wide variety of facilities and stores to choose from, and information about their facilities and locations alone is not enough to narrow down the user's desired workspace. As a result, the user must check each of the multiple workspace candidates found in the search to select the one they want, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.

In addition, because the user's intended use is not taken into account when searching for workspaces, a workspace that does not match the user's true intended use may be selected. For example, even though the user's intended use varies depending on whether the user is trying to concentrate on work or is trying to do relatively easy work while taking a break, a workspace that does not match the intended use may be selected, leaving issues with matching accuracy.

Furthermore, if the workspace provided does not match the user's intended use, the time spent using the workspace per visit will be short and the rate of repeat visits will decrease. As a result, facilities or stores that provide workspaces tend to keep workspace utilization rates low.

Furthermore, a user's usage is not always constant, but may change over time, for example. However, previously proposed services do not take into account such changes in a user's usage over time.

This invention was made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and in one aspect aims to provide a technology that improves the accuracy of matching between users and workspaces and also increases the utilization rate of workspaces.

In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is to obtain, for each of a plurality of workspaces, information representing a provision condition including at least information related to facilities that the workspace can provide, and obtain, for a user who desires to use the workspace, information representing a usage condition including at least information representing the attribute information and usage purpose of the user. Then, based on the obtained information representing the provision conditions, a first feature amount consisting of a first concentration score indicating a degree of suitability for concentrated work and a first relaxation score indicating a degree of suitability for relaxed work is calculated for the usage purpose of the plurality of workspaces, and based on the obtained information representing the usage conditions, a second feature amount consisting of a second concentration score indicating a degree to which the user desires concentrated work and a second relaxation score indicating a degree to which the user desires relaxed work is calculated for the usage purpose of the user , and a difference between the second concentration score and the second relaxation score and the first concentration score and the first relaxation score is compared with the plurality of first feature amounts, and the workspaces in which the difference is included within a predetermined range are selected as usage candidates, and recommendation information representing the selected usage candidates is output.

According to one aspect of the present invention, first and second characteristic quantities related to the intended use of each workspace are calculated from the provision conditions of the acquired multiple workspaces and the user's usage conditions, and workspaces in which the difference between the first and second characteristic quantities falls within a predetermined range are selected as candidate workspaces for use.

Therefore, even if a wide variety of facilities or stores offer workspaces, it is possible to select a workspace that matches the user's intended use with high matching accuracy. As a result, for the user, the effort and time required to select a workspace is reduced, thereby increasing the convenience of workspace selection. On the other hand, for the facility or store that offers the workspace, the duration of use is extended and the repeat rate increases, making it possible to improve the utilization rate of the workspace.

In other words, according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that improves the matching accuracy between users and workspaces and also improves the utilization rate of workspaces.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system including a workspace management server that functions as a workspace management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the workspace management server shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the software configuration of the workspace management server shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure and the first half of the process contents of the workspace management process executed by the control unit of the workspace management server shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the latter half of the processing procedure and processing contents of the workspace management processing executed by the control unit of the workspace management server shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of template data transmitted from the workspace management server shown in FIG. 3 to the user terminal. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of workspace recommendation information transmitted from the workspace management server shown in FIG. 3 to the user terminal.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[One embodiment]
(Configuration example)
(1) System FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system including a workspace management server SV which functions as a workspace management device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, multiple workspaces WS1 to WSm are installed in the service area of this system. Workspaces WS1 to WSm are provided by various facilities such as rental buildings, hotels, and libraries, or by various stores such as restaurants and karaoke shops. The providers of each workspace WS1 to WSm use information terminals (hereafter referred to as provider terminals) MT1 to MTm, such as personal computers, to enable data communication with the workspace management server SV via the network NW.

On the other hand, multiple users who wish to use the workspaces WS1 to WSm can use mobile information terminals (hereinafter referred to as user terminals) UT1 to UTn, such as smartphones, tablet terminals, and personal computers, to communicate data with the workspace management server SV via the network NW.

The provider terminals MT1 to MTm and user terminals UT1 to UTn are each equipped with a browser. Using the browser, data required for managing the workspaces WS1 to WSm and data required for using the workspaces WS1 to WSm are sent and received between the workspace management server SV and each of the provider terminals MT1 to MTm and user terminals UT1 to UTn.

The network NW comprises, for example, a wide area network with the Internet at its core, and an access network for accessing this wide area network. Examples of the access network that can be used include a public communication network using wired or wireless connections, a LAN (Local Area Network) using wired or wireless connections, and a CATV (Cable Television) network.

(2) Workspace management server SV
2 and 3 are block diagrams respectively showing the hardware and software configurations of the workspace management server SV.

The workspace management server SV is composed of a server computer located on the web or cloud, for example, and has a control unit 1 that uses a hardware processor such as a central processing unit (CPU). A storage unit having a program storage unit 2 and a data storage unit 3, and a communication I/F 4 are connected to this control unit 1 via a bus 5.

Under the control of the control unit 1, the communication I/F 4 transmits and receives data between the provider terminals MT1 to MTm and the user terminals UT1 to UTn, respectively, using a communication protocol defined by the network NW.

The program storage unit 2 is configured by combining a non-volatile memory such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that can be written to and read from at any time as a storage medium, and a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), and stores middleware such as an OS (Operating System) as well as programs necessary to execute various control processes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The data storage unit 3 is, for example, a combination of a non-volatile memory such as an HDD or SSD, which can be written to and read from at any time, and a volatile memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), as a storage medium, and includes a workspace information storage unit 31, a user information storage unit 32, a usage history information storage unit 33, and a usage candidate information storage unit 34 as the main storage areas required to implement one embodiment of the present invention.

The workspace information storage unit 31 is used to store, in association with the identification information (hereinafter referred to as workspace ID) of the workspaces WS1 to WSm, information representing the provision conditions sent from the provider terminals MT1 to MTm of the workspaces, and a first score representing a feature amount related to the usage purpose of the workspaces WS1 to WSm, which is calculated based on the information representing the provision conditions.

The user information storage unit 32 is used to store information representing the usage conditions sent from the user terminals UT1 to UTn in association with the identification information (hereinafter referred to as user ID) of each user or the user terminals UT1 to UTn used by the user, and a second score representing a feature amount related to the user's intended use, calculated based on the information representing the usage conditions.

The usage history information storage unit 33 is used to store information representing the usage history of workspaces WS1 to WSm used by each user. The information representing the usage history is represented, for example, as information representing the workspace ID and usage date and time of workspaces WS1 to WSm used by the user, associated with the user ID.

The candidate usage information storage unit 34 is used to store information representing the candidate usage of workspaces WS1 to WSm selected for a user by the control unit 1 described below. The information representing the candidate usage is represented, for example, as information representing the workspace ID and the scheduled usage date and time of the workspaces WS1 to WSm selected as the candidate usage, associated with the user ID of the user who made the usage request.

The control unit 1 includes, as processing functions according to one embodiment of the present invention, a workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 11, a first score calculation processing unit 12, a user usage condition acquisition processing unit 13, a second score calculation processing unit 14, a usage history management processing unit 15, a usage status determination processing unit 16, a first selection processing unit 17, a second selection processing unit 18, a third selection processing unit 19, and a recommended information output processing unit 20. All of these processing units 11 to 20 are realized by causing the hardware processor of the control unit 1 to execute a program stored in the program storage unit 2.

When a request to register the provision conditions is sent from the provider terminals MT1 to MTm of the workspaces WS1 to WSm, the workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 11 transmits template data for inputting the provision conditions to the requesting provider terminals MT1 to MTm. Then, the workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 11 receives information representing the provision conditions input according to this template data from the provider terminals MT1 to MTm, and performs processing to store the received information representing the provision conditions in the workspace information storage unit 31 in association with the workspace ID of the requesting workspace WS1 to WSm.

The first score calculation processing unit 12 calculates a first score representing a feature amount related to the usage purpose of the workspace based on the information representing the provision conditions stored in the workspace information storage unit 31 each time the workspace provision condition registration processing unit 11 performs the provision condition registration processing. Then, the first score calculation processing unit 12 performs processing to store the calculated first score in the workspace information storage unit 31 in association with the workspace ID. An example of the first score calculation processing will be described in the operation example.

When a request to register usage conditions is sent from a user terminal UT1 to UTn, the user usage condition acquisition processing unit 13 transmits template data for inputting usage conditions to the requesting user terminal UT1 to UTn. Then, it receives information representing the usage conditions input according to this template data from the user terminal UT1 to UTn, and performs processing to store the received information representing the usage conditions in the user information storage unit 32 in association with the requesting user ID.

The second score calculation processing unit 14 calculates a second score representing a feature amount related to the intended use of the user based on the information representing the above-mentioned usage conditions stored in the above-mentioned user information storage unit 32 each time the above-mentioned user usage condition acquisition processing unit 13 performs the registration processing of the usage conditions. Then, the second score thus calculated is stored in the above-mentioned user information storage unit 32 in association with the user ID. An example of the calculation processing of the second score will also be described in the operation example.

When the usage history management processing unit 15 receives a request from a user terminal UT1 to UTn to reserve a desired workspace for use among workspaces WS1 to WSm presented to the user, the processing unit 15 performs processing to store information representing the workspace ID and usage date and time of the workspace in association with the user ID of the requesting user in the usage history information storage unit 33.

When a request to use workspaces WS1-WSm is sent from user terminals UT1-UTn, the usage status determination processing unit 16 reads out past usage history information relating to the requesting user from the usage history information storage unit 33, and performs processing to determine past usage status based on the read out usage history information. In the usage status determination processing, it is determined whether the number of past uses or frequency of use exceeds a threshold value, and whether the workspace has been used within a recent specified period, for example today.

When the usage status determination processing unit 16 determines that the number of past uses or the frequency of use exceeds a threshold value, the first selection processing unit 17 compares the second score for the corresponding user stored in the user information storage unit 32 with the first scores for the multiple workspaces WS1 to WSm stored in the workspace information storage unit 31. Then, the first selection processing unit 17 selects workspaces with high similarity, in which the difference between the scores falls within a predetermined range, as candidates for use, and performs processing to temporarily store them in the candidate usage information storage unit 34.

When the usage status determination processing unit 16 determines that the number of past uses or frequency of use exceeds a threshold value and that there has been no use within a recent specified period, the second selection processing unit 18 performs a process of selecting, as a next candidate for use, a workspace whose difference from the first score for a workspace previously used by the user is within a specified range, based on the usage history information of the user stored in the usage history information storage unit 33, and temporarily storing the selected workspace in the usage candidate information storage unit 34.

When the usage status determination processing unit 16 determines that the number of past uses or frequency of use is less than a threshold value and that the workspace has been used within a specified period of time, the third selection processing unit 19 performs a process of selecting a workspace as a next candidate for use where the difference between the second score for the user and the first score for a workspace previously used by the user exceeds a specified range, i.e., the workspace is not similar, and temporarily stores the selected workspace in the candidate usage information storage unit 34.

The recommended information output processing unit 20 reads out information representing the candidate workspaces stored in the candidate usage information storage unit 34 from the workspace information storage unit 31, and also reads out information indicating the user's residential area from the user information storage unit 32, and generates recommended workspace information that displays this information on map data. Then, it performs processing to transmit the generated recommended workspace information to the user terminals UT1 to UTn that have made the request.

(Example of operation)
Next, an example of the operation of the workspace management server SV configured as above will be described below. Figures 4 and 5 are flow charts showing the processing procedure and contents of workspace management processing by the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV.

(1) Registration of workspace information (1-1) Registration of provision conditions In step S10, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV monitors the reception of provision condition registration requests transmitted from the provider terminals MT1-MTm of workspaces WS1-WSm under the control of the workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 11. In this state, when a provision condition registration request transmitted from the provider terminal MT1, for example, is received, in step S11, the workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 11 executes a process of registering the provision conditions of workspace WS1 as follows.

That is, the workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 11 first reads template data for inputting the provision conditions from the workspace information storage unit 31, and then transmits the read template data to the requesting provider terminal MT1 via the communication I/F 4.

The template data includes attribute information such as the name, location, contact information, and business hours of the facility or store, as well as input fields for facility information that can be provided. In this example, facility information includes, but is not limited to, whether WiFi (registered trademark) is available, whether power outlets are available, the type of work space (open/private) and the number of rooms, the type of workspace (coworking space/cafe), whether free drinks are available, whether food can be ordered, and the degree of congestion.

When the workspace operator inputs the attribute information and facility information according to the template data on the provider terminal MT1 and performs a send operation, each piece of information described in the template data is sent to the workspace management server SV.

In step S11, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV, under the control of the workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 112, receives the above information via the communication I/F 4, associates the received information with the workspace ID of the requester, and stores this as provision condition information in the workspace information storage unit 31. The provision condition information of each of the other workspaces WS2 to WSm is registered in the same manner.

(1-2) Calculation of the First Score When the provision condition information of workspaces WS1 to WSm is registered, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV then reads the provision condition information from the workspace information storage unit 31 in step S12 under the control of the first score calculation processing unit 12. Then, based on the read provision condition information, a first score representing a feature amount related to the usage purpose of the workspace is calculated, for example, as follows.

In other words, users may use workspaces for a variety of purposes, including work that requires concentration (such as creating documents), light work (such as checking email), or a change of pace (such as reading while drinking coffee), but these can be evaluated along the axis of "whether they want to concentrate" and "whether they want to relax." In this example, a "concentration score" and a "relaxation score" are defined for workspaces WS1 to WSm in terms of whether they have a space suitable for concentrated work or a space suitable for relaxing, and these scores are calculated based on the facility information included in the provision condition information.

First, the concentration score SWx is calculated by adding up a score x, which is preset in the range of 0 to 1 for each of multiple parameters that affect concentration work among the multiple parameters included in the equipment information, weighted by a coefficient w set according to the degree of influence on concentration. The formula and an example of the preset score x and coefficient w are shown below.

SWx=w1・x1 +w2・x2 +w3・x3 +w4・x4 +w5・x5
x1: WiFi availability (0 for no WiFi, 1 for good WiFi)
x2: Availability of power outlets (0 if no outlets, 1 if all seats have power outlets)
x3: Type of work space (0 for open space, 1 for private rooms, 0.5 for all seats with partitions, if these seats are mixed, weighted average according to the ratio of seats)
x4: Score calculated from user reviews x5: Type of workspace (1 for coworking space, 0 for cafe)
w1: 0.2
w2: 0.2
w3: 0.2
w4: 0.3
w5: 0.1
Next, the relaxation score SWy is a score y, which is preset in the range of 0 to 1 for each of a plurality of parameters that affect relaxation among a plurality of parameters included in the equipment information, and is calculated by dividing the score y by the effect on relaxation. The score is calculated by weighting the score by a coefficient w set according to the degree of the score and adding the weighted score. An example of the calculation formula and the score y and coefficient w set in advance is shown below.

SWy=w1・y1 +w2・y2 +w3・y3 +w4・y4 +w5・y5
ｙ1: Free drinks (1 if yes, 0 if no)
y2: Whether food can be ordered (1 if yes, 0 if no)
y3: Degree of congestion y4: Score calculated from aggregated user reviews y5: Type of workspace (0 for coworking space, 1 for cafe)
w1: 0.2
w2: 0.1
w3: 0.2
w4: 0.4
w5: 0.1
The scores x4 and y4 obtained from the above user review aggregation are not registered by the workspace manager, but are calculated by the workspace management server SV based on reviews submitted by users and added to the facility information. Moreover, the score values x and y set for each parameter above are merely examples and can be changed arbitrarily.

(2) Registration of User's Use Conditions (2-1) Registration of Use Conditions The control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV monitors the reception of a use condition registration request transmitted from the user terminals UT1 to UTn in step S13 under the control of the user use condition acquisition processing unit 13. In this state, when a use condition registration request transmitted from the user terminal UT1, for example, is received, the user use condition acquisition processing unit 13 executes a process of registering the user's use condition information in step S14 as follows.

That is, the user usage condition acquisition processing unit 13 first reads template data for entering usage conditions from the user information storage unit 32, and then transmits the read template data to the requesting user terminal UT1 via the communication I/F 4.

As shown in Figs. 6(a), (b) and (c), for example, the template data includes an occupation input field A1, a usage purpose input field A2 and an input field A3 for the place of work and area of residence. Of these, the usage purpose input field A2 has four options prepared: "concentrated work alone", "video conference", "break/meal" and "miscellaneous tasks", allowing the user to specify the option they plan to use.

When the user selects and inputs information into each input field A1, A2, and A3 according to the template data on his/her user terminal UT1 and then presses the setting completion button B3, each piece of information input in the template data is sent to the workspace management server SV. Note that B1 and B2 in Figures 6(a) and (b) are page forward buttons.

In step S14, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV, under the control of the user usage condition acquisition processing unit 13, receives the above information via the communication I/F 4, associates the received information with the requesting user ID, and stores this as usage condition information in the user information storage unit 32. The usage condition information of each of the other users is registered in the same manner.

(2-2) Calculation of the Second Score When the use condition information of the user is registered, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV then reads out the use condition information from the user information storage unit 32 in step S15 under the control of the second score calculation processing unit 14. Then, based on the read out use condition information, a second score representing a feature amount related to the usage purpose of the user is calculated, for example, as follows.

That is, in this case, similar to the calculation process of the first score described above, a "concentration score" and a "relaxation score" are defined as second scores representing characteristics related to the user's intended use, and these scores are calculated based on information representing the type of occupation and the type of intended use contained in the user's condition of use information.

First, the concentration score SUx is calculated by using the above-mentioned type of occupation and type of usage as parameters, and setting in advance scores S1x and S2x in the range of 0 to 1 for each parameter of the type of occupation and type of usage, respectively. Then, the average value of the above scores S1x and S2x is calculated as SUx=(S1x+S2x)/2
The obtained value is set as the concentration score SUx of the user.

Next, for the relaxation score SUy, scores S1y and S2y, which indicate the degree of relaxation in the range of 0 to 1, are set in advance for the parameters indicating the type of occupation and the type of use. Then, the average value of the scores S1y and S2y is calculated as SUy=(S1y+S2y)/2
The obtained value is set as the concentration score SUy of the user.

Below is an example of the concentration score S1x and relaxation score S1y set for the above occupation types, and the concentration score S2x and relaxation score S2y set for the type of usage.

(1) Occupation type: Engineer: S1x, S1y = (0.8, 0.2)
Sales: S1x, S1y = (0.5, 0.5)
(2) Type of use Concentrated work by one person: S2x, S2y = (1, 0)
Video conference: S2x, S2y = (0.8, 0.2)
Break/meal: S2x, S2y = (0, 1)
Miscellaneous: S2x, S2y = (0.3, 0.7)
If "sales activities/appointments" is prepared as a type of usage, for example, S2x, S2y are set as (0.5, 0.5). If other types of usage are prepared, the concentration score and relaxation score are set according to the characteristics of each of these other types.

(3) Recommendations in response to a user's usage request (3-1) Determination of past usage status The control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV monitors the reception of requests to register the workspace provision condition information and requests to register the user's usage condition information, while at the same time monitoring the reception of usage requests sent from the user terminals UT1 to UTn in step S16. Then, when a usage request is received, for example, from user terminal UT1 in this state, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV first determines, under the control of the usage status determination processing unit 16, the past usage history of the user in question as follows:

That is, the usage status determination processing unit 16 first reads out past usage history information related to the relevant user from the usage history information storage unit 33 in step S17. Then, based on the read out past usage history information, it determines whether the number of past uses exceeds a threshold value, and if the number of past uses exceeds the threshold value, whether the workspace was used within the most recent specified period, for example, today. Note that instead of the number of past uses, a usage frequency indicating the number of uses per unit time in the past may be used.

(3-2) First Selection Process Let us assume that the usage status determination processing unit 16 has determined that the number of past uses does not exceed the threshold value. In this case, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV determines that this is the first time that the user has used the workspace, or that the number of times that the user has used the workspace has been small, and proceeds from step S18 to step S19. Then, under the control of the first selection processing unit 17, the workspace selection process is carried out as follows.

That is, the first selection processing unit 17 compares the second score for the relevant user from the user information storage unit 32 with the first scores for the multiple workspaces WS1 to WSm stored in the workspace information storage unit 31. Then, it selects workspaces with high similarity, where the difference between the scores is within a predetermined range, as candidates for use.

In this case, if there are multiple workspaces whose difference from the user's second score falls within a specified range, all of these may be selected as candidates for use, or a certain number of workspaces may be selected as candidates for use from the multiple workspaces in order of decreasing score difference, or even only one workspace with the smallest score difference may be selected as a candidate for use.

Thus, for a user who is using a workspace for the first time or who has used it infrequently, a workspace with facilities that match the characteristics of the user's intended use is selected as a candidate for use.

(3-3) Second Selection Process Suppose that the usage status determination processing unit 16 determines that the number of past uses exceeds a threshold value, and also determines that the workspace has not been used within a recent specified period, for example today. In this case, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV determines that the user has used the workspace many times in the past, but has not used it recently, and proceeds from step S20 to step S21. Then, under the control of the second selection processing unit 18, in step S21, workspace usage candidates are selected as follows:

That is, the second selection processing unit 18 reads out the usage history information related to the user from the usage history information storage unit 33. Then, the second selection processing unit 18 selects, as a candidate for next use, a workspace whose difference from the first score related to a previously used workspace recorded in the read-out usage history information is within a predetermined range.

In this case, one or more of the previously used workspaces recorded in the usage history information may be selected as is. Also, from among the workspaces registered in the workspace information storage unit 31 that are not recorded in the usage history, a workspace that has a similar score difference within a predetermined range with a workspace recorded in the usage history may be selected, and the selected workspace may be used as the candidate for use instead of or in addition to the workspace with the usage history. The number of workspaces to be selected in this case may be set arbitrarily.

Thus, for a user who has used a workspace many times in the past but has not used it recently, workspaces that have been used in the past or workspaces with scores similar to these are selected as candidates for use, to make it easier for the user to use.

(3-4) Third Selection Process Suppose that the usage status determination processing unit 16 determines that the number of past uses exceeds a threshold value, and also determines that the workspace has been used within a recent specified period, for example, today. In this case, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV determines that the user has used the workspace many times in the past and is using it again today, and proceeds from step S20 to step S22. Then, under the control of the third selection processing unit 19, in step S22, workspace usage candidates are selected as follows:

That is, the third selection processing unit 19 reads out the second score information for the user from the user information storage unit 32, and also reads out the past usage history information for the user from the usage history information storage unit 33. Then, the third selection processing unit 19 searches the workspace information storage unit 31 for workspaces for which the score difference between the second score for the user and the first score for the workspace recorded in the past usage history information exceeds a predetermined range, i.e., for workspaces that are not similar, and selects a candidate for use from among the searched workspaces.

Thus, for a user who frequently uses a workspace and is using it today, a workspace suitable for a different purpose than the user's previous usage is intentionally selected. For example, for a user who has been concentrating on work up until now, a workspace suitable for relaxation is selected to encourage a change of mood.

In addition, new uses for workspaces are promoted by taking into account changes in users' usage patterns over time. This increases the utilization rate of workspaces for facilities and stores that provide them.

In step S23, the first, second and third selection processing units 17, 18 and 19 store the workspace ID corresponding to the selected workspace candidate in the candidate information storage unit 34 in association with the user ID of the user who made the usage request.

(4) Output of workspace recommendation information Once the process of selecting workspace usage candidates is completed, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV, under the control of the recommendation information output processing unit 20, executes a process of generating and transmitting workspace recommendation information in step S24 to present the selected workspace usage candidates to the user.

That is, the recommendation information output processing unit 20 reads out the workspace ID and user ID corresponding to the candidate workspace from the candidate usage information storage unit 34. Then, based on these IDs, it reads out workspace attribute information and information representing the user's residential area from the workspace information storage unit 31 and the user information storage unit 32, respectively.

Then, the recommended information output processing unit 20 generates workspace recommendation information in which location information indicating the location included in the workspace attribute information and location information indicating the user's residential area are displayed on map data acquired from a map database (not shown). At this time, the map data may also display information indicating the name of the workspace, usage time, and contact information. The generated workspace recommendation information is then transmitted from the communication I/F 4 to the requesting user terminal UT1.

Thus, the above workspace recommendation information is displayed on the user terminal UT1. Figure 7 shows an example of the workspace recommendation information that is displayed, and in this example, five workspace candidates WS1 to WS5 are displayed together with information UT1 indicating the location of the user's residential area.

When generating the workspace recommendation information, instead of information indicating the user's residential area, location information may be obtained from the user terminal UT1, and the user's current location may be displayed on the map data based on this location information.

(5) Acceptance of Reservations and Updating of Usage History Information When the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV has finished transmitting the workspace recommendation information, it monitors in step S25 whether a reservation registration request has been received from the user terminal UT1. When the user in this state selects a desired workspace from the multiple workspace candidates displayed and performs a reservation operation, a reservation registration request is transmitted from the user terminal UT1 to the workspace management server SV.

In response to this, when the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV receives the above-mentioned request to register the reservation for use in step S25, it executes a reservation acceptance process for the workspace in accordance with the registration request in step S26. In the reservation acceptance process, a process is performed in which information indicating the reservation details is notified to the provider terminal (e.g., MT1) of the workspace to be used.

In addition, in step S27, the control unit 1 of the workspace management server SV, under the control of the usage history management processing unit 15, stores in the usage history information storage unit 33 the workspace ID corresponding to the workspace to be used specified by the above-mentioned usage reservation registration request and information indicating the usage date and time in association with the user ID of the user who will use it. In other words, the usage history information is updated.

(Action and Effects)
As described above, in one embodiment, the workspace management server SV calculates a first score representing the characteristics of each intended use based on the provision condition information of multiple workspaces registered as targets for use, and calculates a second score representing the characteristics of the intended use based on the use condition information of the user who wishes to use the workspace, and stores them. Then, when a use request is received from a user terminal UT1-UTn, the past usage status is determined based on the usage history information of that user, and for each determined past usage status, a workspace suitable for the intended use desired by the user is selected using the second score of the user and the first score of the workspace, and presented to the user.

Therefore, even if a wide variety of facilities or stores offer workspaces, it is possible to select and present with high accuracy a workspace with facilities suited to the user's intended use. This allows the user to reduce the effort and time required to select a workspace, improving convenience. Furthermore, for the facility or store offering the workspace, the duration of use will be longer and the repeat rate will increase, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the workspace.

In one embodiment, the first, second and third selection processing units 17, 18 and 19 perform different selection processes depending on the user's past usage.
First, if the number of past uses is equal to or less than a threshold value, the first selection processing unit 17 compares the second score of the user with the first score of each workspace, and selects the workspace with the smallest difference as a candidate for use. Therefore, even for a user who has used a workspace for the first time or has used it only a few times, it becomes possible to select and present a workspace suitable for the characteristics of the user's intended use as a candidate for use.

In addition, if it is determined that the number of past uses exceeds the threshold value and that there has been no use within a recent specified period, for example today, the second selection processing unit 18 selects a workspace whose difference from the first score of the workspace used in the past is similar within a specified range as a candidate for next use. Therefore, for a user who has used a workspace many times in the past but has not used the workspace recently, it is possible to select and present a workspace that has been used in the past or a workspace with a score close to that as a candidate for use, so that the user can easily use it.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of past uses exceeds the threshold value and that the workspace has been used within a recent specified period, for example today, the third selection processing unit 19 selects and presents as a candidate for use a workspace whose score difference with both the user's second score and the first score of the workspace used in the past exceeds a specified range, i.e., is not similar.

For this reason, for users who use workspaces frequently and have been using them recently, it is possible to select and present a workspace suitable for a different purpose than the user's previous use. As a result, for example, for a user who has been concentrating on work up until now, a recommendation can be made that takes into account the user's most recent usage, such as selecting and presenting a workspace suitable for relaxation to encourage a change of mood. In addition, for facilities and stores that provide workspaces, new use can be promoted by taking into account changes in users' usage over time, which can further increase the utilization rate of workspaces.

Furthermore, in one embodiment, when acquiring workspace provision condition information and user use condition information, template data is provided, and information selected and input according to this template data is acquired. This makes it possible to acquire sufficient and consistent use condition information and provision condition information from users and providers of each workspace, thereby maintaining high accuracy in the calculation of the first and second scores related to usage purposes.

[Other embodiments]
In the above embodiment, the first score and the second score are both calculated by the workspace management server SV. However, the first score and the second score may be calculated by the user terminal UT and the provider terminal MT, respectively, and the user terminal UT and the provider terminal MT may transmit the calculated scores to the workspace management server SV.

In addition, the functional configuration, processing procedure and processing content of the workspace management device, the type of information included in the provision condition information and the use condition information, the method of calculating the first and second scores, the processing procedure and processing content for selecting workspace usage candidates, etc. can be modified and implemented without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the above description is merely an example of the present invention in every respect. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, when implementing the present invention, specific configurations according to the embodiment may be appropriately adopted.

In short, this invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and in the implementation stage, the components can be modified and embodied without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

SV: workspace management server UT1 to UTn: user terminal NW: network 1: control unit 2: program storage unit 3: data storage unit 4: communication I/F
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5: Bus 11: Workspace provision condition acquisition processing unit 12: First score calculation processing unit 13: User usage condition acquisition processing unit 14: Second score calculation processing unit 15: Usage history management processing unit 16: Usage status determination processing unit 17: First selection processing unit 18: Second selection processing unit 19: Third selection processing unit 20: Recommended information output processing unit 31: Workspace information storage unit 32: User information storage unit 33: Usage history information storage unit 34: Usage candidate information storage unit

Claims (6)

a first acquisition processing unit that acquires, for each of a plurality of workspaces, information that represents a provision condition including at least information related to a facility that the workspace can provide;
a second acquisition processing unit that acquires, for a user who desires to use the workspace, information representing a usage condition including at least attribute information of the user and information representing a usage purpose;
a first calculation processing unit that calculates, based on the information representing the provision conditions, first feature amounts including a first concentration score indicating a degree to which the workspaces are suited to concentrated work and a first relaxation score indicating a degree to which the workspaces are suited to relaxed work , with respect to the uses of the workspaces;
a second calculation processing unit that calculates, based on the information representing the usage conditions, second feature amounts including a second concentration score indicating a degree to which the user desires to concentrate on a task and a second relaxation score indicating a degree to which the user desires to relax in relation to the user's intended use ;
a first selection processing unit that selects, as a candidate for use, a workspace in which a difference between the second concentration score and the second relaxation score and a difference between the first concentration score and the first relaxation score are included within a predetermined range;
an output processing unit that generates recommendation information indicating the selected utilization candidates, and outputs the generated recommendation information. a first acquisition processing unit that acquires, for each of a plurality of workspaces, information that represents a provision condition including at least information related to a facility that the workspace can provide;
a second acquisition processing unit that acquires, for a user who desires to use the workspace, information representing a usage condition including at least attribute information of the user and information representing a usage purpose;
a first calculation processing unit that calculates a first feature amount related to a usage purpose of each of the plurality of workspaces based on information representing the provision conditions;
a second calculation processing unit that calculates a second feature amount related to a usage purpose of the user based on the information representing the usage condition;
a first selection processing unit that compares the second feature amount with the first feature amounts of the plurality of workspaces and selects workspaces whose difference is within a predetermined range as candidates for use;
an output processing unit that generates recommendation information representing the selected utilization candidates and outputs the generated recommendation information;
a usage history management processing unit that manages information representing a usage history of the user with respect to the workspace;
a determination processing unit that, when receiving a usage request from the information terminal of the user, determines whether or not a past usage situation of the user exceeds a predetermined determination condition based on information representing the usage history, and, when the past usage situation does not exceed the determination condition, causes the first selection processing unit to select the usage candidate of the workspace;
a second selection processing unit that selects the workspace candidate for use based on information representing the usage history when the past usage status exceeds the judgment condition,
The second selection processing unit is
a processing unit that determines whether the user has used the workspace within a recent predetermined period based on information representing the usage history;
a processing unit that, when the workspace has not been used within the most recent predetermined period, selects, as the candidate for use, a workspace in which the first feature amount is similar within a predetermined range to the workspace previously used by the user, based on information representing the usage history;
and a processing unit that, when the workspace has been used within the most recent specified period, selects, as the candidate for use, a workspace whose value of the first feature is not similar within a specified range to either the second feature of the user or the first feature of the workspace previously used by the user, based on information representing the second feature of the user and the usage history. The second acquisition processing unit includes:
a processing unit that transmits template data describing menu information indicating a plurality of options related to the attribute information and usage to an information terminal used by the user who wishes to use the workspace;
3. The workspace management device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a processing unit that receives, from the information terminal, selection information selected by the user from among the plurality of candidates shown in the menu information described in the template data. A workspace management method executed by a workspace management device having a processor, comprising:
acquiring information representing a provision condition including at least information related to facilities that can be provided by each of the plurality of workspaces;
acquiring information representing conditions of use, including at least attribute information of the user who desires to use the workspace and information representing the intended use of the workspace;
calculating, based on the information representing the provision conditions, first feature amounts each including a first concentration score indicating a degree to which the workspace is suited to a concentrated task and a first relaxation score indicating a degree to which the workspace is suited to a relaxed task , for each of the plurality of workspaces;
calculating a second feature amount based on the information representing the usage conditions, the second feature amount including a second concentration score indicating a degree to which the user desires to concentrate on a task and a second relaxation score indicating a degree to which the user desires to relax in a task, with respect to the user's intended use ;
selecting, as a candidate for use, the workspace in which the difference between the second concentration score and the second relaxation score and the first concentration score and the first relaxation score, respectively, falls within a predetermined range;
generating recommendation information representative of the selected candidate utilization information and outputting the generated recommendation information;
A workspace management method comprising: A workspace management method executed by a workspace management device having a processor, comprising:
acquiring information representing a provision condition including at least information related to facilities that can be provided by each of the plurality of workspaces;
acquiring information representing a condition of use, including at least attribute information of the user and information representing a purpose of use, for the user who desires to use the workspace;
calculating a first feature amount associated with each of the plurality of workspaces based on information representing the provision conditions;
calculating a second feature amount related to the intended use of the user based on the information representing the usage conditions;
a first selection step of comparing the second feature amount with the first feature amount of the plurality of workspaces and selecting the workspaces whose difference is within a predetermined range as candidates for use;
generating recommendation information representative of the selected candidate utilization information and outputting the generated recommendation information;
managing information representing a usage history of the user with respect to the workspace;
a step of determining whether or not the past usage of the user exceeds a predetermined judgment condition based on information representing the usage history when a usage request is received from the information terminal of the user, and selecting the usage candidate of the workspace by the first selection step if the past usage does not exceed the judgment condition;
a second selection step of selecting the workspace candidate for use based on information representing the usage history when the past usage exceeds the judgment condition;
The second selection process includes:
determining whether the user has used the workspace within a recent predetermined period based on information representing the usage history;
selecting, as the candidate for use, a workspace in which the first feature amount is similar within a predetermined range to the workspace previously used by the user based on information representing the usage history when the workspace has not been used within the most recent predetermined period;
and when the workspace has been used within the most recent specified period, selecting, based on information representing the second feature of the user and the usage history, as the candidate for use, a workspace in which the value of the first feature is not similar within a specified range to either the second feature of the user or the first feature of the workspace previously used by the user. 3. A program for causing a processor of a workspace management device to execute processes performed by each processing unit of the workspace management device according to claim 1 .