JP7633649B2 - Information processing device, program, and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an information processing device, a program, and an information processing method.

Technology that allows users to check store vacancy information online is used to provide vacancy information for restaurants, for example. Patent Document 1 addresses the issue of "providing users with information about the congestion status of a store before making a reservation to visit the store," and discloses the following technology: "The information management system has a store terminal 40 that is installed in the store and transmits congestion information indicating the congestion status of the store, and a server device 10 that manages store data including congestion information related to the store in which the store terminal is installed. The server device receives the congestion information transmitted from the store terminal, and updates the status of the congestion information contained in the store data to the status of the received congestion information. The server device accepts a request from a user who uses the store to check the congestion status of the store, generates screen data indicating the congestion status of the store based on the stored store data, and transmits it to a user terminal 20 held by the user. The server device makes a reservation to visit the store in response to the user's operation on the transmitted screen data" (see abstract of the document).

JP 2019-82946 A

However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the user can check the congestion status of a store that transmits congestion information (vacancy information), but cannot check the congestion status of a store that does not transmit congestion information.

Therefore, this disclosure proposes technology that allows users to view availability information for stores that do not publish such information.

In order to solve the above problem, the information processing device disclosed herein is an information processing device that manages availability information indicating the availability status of a store, and includes a storage means that stores terminal information related to an input terminal for transmitting the availability information in association with the store, a receiving means that receives the availability information of the store, and a management means that manages the received availability information, and the management means accepts the availability information transmitted from the input terminal corresponding to the first store as availability information of the first store for a first store whose terminal information is stored in the storage means, and accepts the availability information of the second store via an input image for inputting the availability information from a user terminal when a predetermined condition is met for a second store.

Further features related to the present disclosure will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. Also, aspects of the present disclosure are achieved and realized by the elements and combinations of various elements and the aspects of the following detailed description and the appended claims. The description of this specification is merely a typical example and is not intended to limit the scope or application of the present disclosure in any way.

The technology disclosed herein allows users to view availability information for stores that do not have dedicated equipment capable of transmitting availability information.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vacant seat management system according to a first embodiment. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a vacant seat management server. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a vacant seat management server. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a database. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of data stored in a database. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an input terminal. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an input terminal. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a user terminal. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a user terminal. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of vacant information in the vacant seat management server. 13 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for vacancy information in a user terminal. 4 is an example of a display screen of a user terminal according to the first embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying detailed store information and a posting screen on a user terminal. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a second detailed store image according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vacancy information posting screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a posting screen for vacancy information according to the second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of updating vacant information in a vacant seat management server according to the second embodiment;

The present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Identical configurations will be described with the same reference numerals. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the technology of the present disclosure, and not all of the combinations of features described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential to solving the above problem.

[First embodiment]
<Configuration example of vacant seat management system 1>
In the first embodiment, we will describe a vacant seat management system that distributes to a user terminal vacant seat status (for example, vacant, crowded, full: this can also be referred to as a "crowded state," and in this embodiment, both terms are synonymous) indicating whether or not there are vacant seats (or vacant tables) available for new customers in a store where seats and tables are installed and food and drink are served.

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing a vacant seat management system 1 according to the first embodiment. The vacant seat management system 1 is a system that manages information (vacant information) on the vacant seat status of a store, and includes a vacant seat management server 10, an input terminal 20, and a user terminal 30. The input terminal 20 is a computer device such as a smartphone or tablet operated in the store 40 (first store), and is configured to allow a clerk at the store 40 to input the vacant seat status visually confirmed. The input terminal 20 is set in advance as a terminal corresponding to the store 40. The user terminal 30 is a computer device such as a smartphone or tablet, and is a terminal of a user of the service provided by the vacant seat management system 1. In addition, the user terminal 30 is configured to input the vacant seat status of a store 60 (second store) that does not have an input terminal 20 and transmit it to the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 is a server installed outside the store 40 and the store 60, and manages data indicating the vacant seat status received from the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30. The vacant seat management server 10, the input terminal 20, and the user terminal 30 are interconnected via a network 50 such as the Internet. In FIG. 1, one store 40 having an input terminal 20 and one store 60 not having an input terminal 20 are shown, but there may be more than one of each of these stores.

The vacancy management server 10 stores in a database the data indicating the vacancy status of the store 40 received from the input terminal 20 and the data indicating the vacancy status of the store 60 received from the user terminal 30. The vacancy management server 10 updates the database according to the data received from the input terminal 20, thereby managing the latest vacancy status for each store 40 in the database. The vacancy management server 10 also updates the database according to the data received from the user terminal 30, thereby managing the latest vacancy status for each store 60 in the database. Note that "latest" here can be based on the date and time of transmission by the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30.

A user who is planning to visit any of stores 40 or 60 can inquire about the vacancy information of stores 40 and 60 to the vacancy management server 10 via the user terminal 30. The vacancy management server 10 responds to the inquiry and searches the database for records related to stores 40 and 60 according to the current location of the user terminal 30 or a location on the map specified by the user, thereby identifying a group of stores that will send vacancy information to the user terminal 30, and acquiring vacancy information for each store included in the group of stores. The vacancy management server 10 returns the acquired vacancy information to the user terminal 30 as a response to the inquiry. The user terminal 30 displays the vacancy information received from the vacancy management server 10 on the map (e.g., displaying it as a pin).

<Configuration example of vacant seat management server 10>
2A is a hardware configuration diagram of the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 (information processing device), a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage device 14, and a communication device 15. The CPU 11 realizes the functions provided by the vacant seat management server 10 by executing a program described later. The ROM 12 and RAM 13 hold data used by the CPU 11. The storage device 14 stores a program and a database described later. The communication device 15 communicates with the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30 via a network 50.

Figure 2B is a functional block diagram of the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 includes a receiving unit 111 (receiving means), an updating unit 112 (management means), a searching unit 113, and an output unit 114 as software modules executed by the CPU 11 (functions configured by various programs deployed in the internal memory of the CPU 11). For convenience of description below, these modules may be described as the subject of operations, but since it is the CPU 11 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 11 can also be the subject of operations.

The storage device 14 stores a database 141 as a storage unit (storage means). The database 141 manages a store information database 142 including preregistered store information, and a vacancy information database 143 including vacancy information for the stores 40 and 60. The configuration of the database 141 will be described later. The receiving unit 111 receives data indicating the vacancy status of the store 40 from the input terminal 20 via the communication device 15, and receives data indicating the vacancy status of the store 60 from the user terminal 30. The receiving unit 111 also receives a search request for vacancy information from the user terminal 30 via the communication device 15. The update unit 112 identifies a store based on a store ID (identification information) included in the data indicating the vacancy status received by the receiving unit 111, and updates the vacancy information in the database 141. When the search unit 113 receives a search request for vacancy information of a store and current location information (reference location) from the user terminal 30, it identifies a group of stores whose vacancy information should be sent to the user terminal 30 according to the location information.

In addition to a request based on the current location of the user terminal 30, search requests can also take the form of a search request for a store in a specific specified location (for example, the user is in the area around Tokyo Station, but the area around Shibuya Station), a search request specifying a specific type (for example, a cuisine genre such as Japanese or French cuisine, or a price range), or a search request specifying a specific store (in this case, the user wants to know the availability information of a specific store).

The output unit 114 transmits the availability information of each store in the group of stores identified by the search unit 113 to the user terminal 30 via the communication device 15. The user terminal 30 that receives the availability information creates a display UI and displays the status of the availability information there.

3A is a diagram showing the store information database 142 stored in the database 141. The store information database 142 is a data table that manages store information including attribute information used when a user searches for a store, and has, for example, a store ID 1421, a store name 1422, a genre 1423 (attribute information), a store introduction 1424, an address 1425, a latitude and longitude 1426, a telephone number 1427, and business hours 1428 as constituent items. One record in the store information database 142 manages store information for one store. The store information of a store 40 that has an input terminal 20 can be registered in the store information database 142 based on information entered in the input terminal 20, for example, or can be registered in advance by a service provider of the vacant seat management system 1. The store information of a store 60 that does not have an input terminal 20 can be registered in the store information database 142 based on information written in a telephone directory, map information, etc., by a service provider of the vacant seat management system 1, for example.

Store ID 1421 is an ID for identifying each store within database 141. Latitude and longitude 1426 is data indicating the location of the store by latitude and longitude, and even if the stores are located on the same floor of the same facility, different latitude and longitude values may be registered.

Figure 3B is a diagram showing the vacancy information database 143 stored in the database 141. The vacancy information database 143 is a data table that manages the latest vacancy status for each store, and includes, for example, a store ID 1431, vacancy information 1432, official/unofficial flag 1433, received date and time 1434, user ID 1435, user name 1436, and terminal ID 1437 as constituent items. One record in the vacancy information database 143 manages the vacancy status of one store.

The store ID 1431 is data corresponding to the store ID 1421 in the store information database 142, and the store ID 1421 and the store ID 1431 of a certain store are the same. The vacancy information 1432 is data indicating the latest vacancy status transmitted from the input terminal 20 in the store 40, or the latest vacancy status transmitted from the user terminal 30 of a user who visited the store 60 (or is near the store 60). In the example of FIG. 3B, the vacancy information 1432 is indicated by any of "Available", "Slightly busy", or "Fully booked". In another form, the vacancy information 1432 may be indicated by a number, such as "0" if there is a vacant seat, "1" if it is busy, and "2" if it is full. In another form, the vacancy information 1432 may be a number indicating the number of vacant seats or the number of vacant tables.

The official/unofficial flag 1433 is data indicating whether the availability information 1432 is official or unofficial. The official/unofficial flag 1433 is "official" if it is transmitted from the input terminal 20 of the store 40, and is "unofficial" if the availability information 1432 is transmitted from the user terminal 30. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 3B, the store with the store ID 1431 of 001 is a store 40 that has an input terminal 20 because the official/unofficial flag 1433 is "official". The stores with the store IDs 1431 of 002 and 003 are both stores 60 that do not have an input terminal 20 because the official/unofficial flag 1433 is "unofficial". Note that the official/unofficial flag 1433 may be indicated by a number such as "0" for official and "1" for unofficial, instead of being indicated by text such as "official" or "unofficial".

The reception date and time 1434 is data indicating the date and time when the vacancy management server 10 received the vacancy information 1432 from the input terminal 20 or the user terminal 30. The user ID 1435 is an ID for identifying the user who posted the vacancy information 1432 from the user terminal 30. The user name 1436 is data indicating the name or nickname of the user who posted the vacancy information 1432 from the user terminal 30. For a store whose store ID 1431 is 001, the vacancy information is sent from the input terminal 20, so the user ID 1435 and the user name 1436 are blank. The terminal ID 1437 is an identifier of the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30, and can be, for example, the MAC address of the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30. The terminal ID 1437 of the input terminal 20 is identification information previously set as the input terminal corresponding to the store ID 1431, and basically does not change even if the vacancy information 1432 is updated. On the other hand, in the case of unofficial information, each time availability information 1432 is received, the terminal ID 1437 of the user terminal 30 is updated by the received availability information 1432. Note that when availability information 1432 for the same store is sent from the same user terminal 30, the terminal ID 1437 is of course updated with the same identifier.

The database 141 can be constructed, for example, by storing data describing the contents of the records in the storage device 14. Note that in this embodiment, the store information database 142 and the vacancy information database 143 are represented in table format, but this format is not limiting and they can be constructed in any format as long as each piece of data is linked. Therefore, they can also be simply called vacancy management data or vacancy management information.

<Configuration example of input terminal 20>
4A is a hardware configuration diagram of the input terminal 20. The input terminal 20 includes a CPU 21, a display device 22, an input device 23, and a communication device 24. The CPU 21 controls each unit included in the input terminal 20. The communication device 24 communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via a network 50, and receives a GUI screen for inputting vacant information and store information from the vacant seat management server 10. The display device 22 displays the GUI screen received from the vacant seat management server 10. The input device 23 is an interface used by the store clerk to input operation instructions to the input terminal 20. For example, the display device 22 and the input device 23 can be configured integrally by a touch panel or the like.

Figure 4B is a functional block diagram of the input terminal 20. The input terminal 20 includes a memory unit 211, a communication control unit 212, a setting unit 213, and a display control unit 214 as software modules executed by the CPU 21 (functions configured by various programs deployed in the internal memory of the CPU 21). For convenience of description below, these modules may be described as the subject of operations, but since it is the CPU 21 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 21 can also be the subject of operations.

The storage unit 211 functions as an internal memory of the CPU 21. The communication control unit 212 communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via the communication device 24. Specifically, the communication control unit 212 receives a GUI screen from the vacant seat management server 10. The setting unit 213 accepts vacant information and store information input by the store 40 staff via the input device 23 and the GUI screen. The communication control unit 212 transmits the input vacant information and store information, a terminal ID, and an official flag indicating that the information has been transmitted from the input terminal 20 of the store 40 to the vacant seat management server 10. The terminal ID is identification information of the input terminal 20 itself. The display control unit 214 controls the display of the display device 22. Specifically, the display control unit 214 displays the GUI screen received from the vacant seat management server 10 on the display device 22.

<Configuration example of user terminal 30>
FIG. 5A is a hardware configuration diagram of the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 includes a CPU 31 (information processing device), a display device 32, an input device 33, and a communication device 34. The CPU 31 controls each unit included in the user terminal 30. The communication device 34 communicates with the vacant seat management server 10 via the network 50, transmits a search request for vacant information of the store, and receives vacant information from the vacant seat management server 10. The display device 32 displays the vacant information of the store received from the vacant seat management server 10 and a GUI screen (posting screen) for inputting vacant information. The input device 33 is an interface used by the user to input operation instructions to the user terminal 30. For example, the display device 32 and the input device 33 can be integrally configured by a touch panel or the like.

Figure 5B is a functional block diagram of the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 includes a memory unit 311, a communication control unit 312, a generation unit 313, and a display control unit 314 as software modules executed by the CPU 31 (functions configured by various programs deployed in the internal memory of the CPU 31). For convenience of description below, these modules may be described as the subject of operations, but since it is the CPU 31 that actually executes these modules, the CPU 31 can also be the subject of operations.

The storage unit 311 functions as an internal memory of the CPU 31. The communication control unit 312 (acquisition means) communicates with the vacancy management server 10 via the communication device 34. Specifically, when a user inputs an instruction to inquire about vacancy information via the input device 33, the communication control unit 312 sends a search request to the vacancy management server 10. The communication control unit 312 also receives store information and vacancy information from the vacancy management server 10.

The generating unit 313 (map data reading unit) reads map information (map data) from the storage unit 311 according to the position information of the user terminal 30 and the map magnification ratio specified by the user. The generating unit 313 also reads text data or mark data (text/mark corresponding to vacant seat "0", text/mark corresponding to crowded "1", text/mark corresponding to full seat "2") corresponding to the vacant seat information received from the vacant seat management server 10 from the storage unit 311, and generates UI data (display UI data: pin display, etc.) for superimposing and displaying on the map. Furthermore, the generating unit 313 generates a store detail image and a posting screen for the vacant seat status based on the vacant seat information received from the vacant seat management server 10. Details of the vacant seat information processing method in the generating unit 313 will be described later.

The display control unit 314 (display control means) controls the display of the display device 32. Specifically, the display control unit 314 displays the map read by the generation unit 313, as well as the pins, store detailed images, and vacant seat posting screen generated by the generation unit 313, on the display device 32. The communication control unit 312 transmits the vacant seat information of the store 60 input by the user via the vacant seat posting screen, the store ID, and an unofficial flag indicating that the information has been sent from the user terminal 30 to the vacant seat management server 10.

<Vacancy information processing of vacant seat management server 10>
6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for processing vacant information by the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

(Step S601)
The search unit 113 judges whether the receiving unit 111 has received a search request for availability information from the user terminal 30. If the search request for availability information has been received (Yes), the process proceeds to step S602. The search request includes the current location information of the user terminal 30 (for example, latitude and longitude information acquired from a GPS).

(Step S602)
The search unit 113 obtains the location information included in the search request, and stores it in the RAM 13 or the storage device 14 .

(Step S603)
The search unit 113 identifies the current location of the user terminal 30 from the location information of the user terminal 30, refers to the latitude and longitude 1426 of the store information database 142, identifies a group of stores whose availability information should be transmitted to the user terminal 30 according to the location information, and temporarily stores the information of the group of stores in the RAM 13 or the storage device 14. Specifically, the search unit 113 identifies (determines) a group of stores within a predetermined distance range from the current location of the user terminal 30 (for example, within a 5 km radius from the current location).

(Step S604)
The search unit 113 refers to the store information database 142, extracts store information and vacancy information (including official/unofficial flag and the date and time the vacancy information was received) of each store included in the identified group of stores, and stores the information in RAM 13 or the storage device 14.

(Step S605)
The output unit 114 transmits, via the communication device 15, information on the group of stores identified in step S603, and the store information and availability information (including the official/unofficial flag and the date and time the availability information was received) of each store acquired in step S4 to the user terminal 30 that sent the request.

Although not shown in the figure, the vacancy management server 10 executes an update process for the vacancy information database 143 in parallel with the above-mentioned vacancy information distribution process. In the update process for the vacancy information database 143, the receiving unit 111 receives at least the store ID, data indicating the vacancy status, and the official/unofficial flag from the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30, and the update unit 112 updates the vacancy information database 143. The update of the vacancy information database 143 is executed every time data indicating the vacancy status is received from the input terminal 20 or the user terminal 30.

<Availability information processing of user terminal 30>
7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for processing vacancy information in the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

(Step S701)
The generating unit 313 acquires location information (GPS data) indicating the current location of the user terminal 30 via the communication control unit 312. The generating unit 313 stores the acquired location information in the storage unit 311.

(Step S702)
The generation unit 313 acquires the location information of the user terminal 30 from the storage unit 311, generates a search request including the location information, and transmits the search request to the vacant seat management server 10 via the communication control unit 312. Upon receiving the search request, the vacant seat management server 10 executes the above-mentioned process shown in FIG.

(Step S703)
The generation unit 313 reads map information (map data) from the storage unit 311 in accordance with the location information acquired in step S701 and the map magnification ratio specified by the user, and displays a desired map on the display screen of the display device 32 via the display control unit 314. The map magnification ratio may be a fixed value set in advance.

(Step S704)
The generation unit 313 obtains store information and vacancy information (including official/unofficial flag and the date and time of receipt of the vacancy information) of a group of stores corresponding to the location information of the user terminal 30 from the vacancy management server 10 via the communication control unit 312, and stores it in the memory unit 311.

(Step S705)
The generation unit 313 selects any one store as the processing target store from the group of stores received from the vacant seat management server 10. The processing target store selected here may be, for example, the store whose latitude and longitude are closest to the location information of the user terminal 30. In another example, the store with the smallest store ID 1411 may be selected as the processing target store.

(Step S706)
The generating unit 313 judges whether the availability information is official or not by referring to the official/unofficial flag of the processing target store stored in the memory unit 311. If the availability information is official (Yes), the process proceeds to step S707. If the availability information is unofficial (No), the process proceeds to step S708.

(Step S707)
The generating unit 313 refers to the availability information of the processing target store stored in the storage unit 311, selects the object data of the official display pin corresponding to the availability information, and generates official pin data based on the availability information. The object data of the official display pin is color-coded according to the availability information. For example, the object data of the official display pin is blue when the availability information is "available", yellow when the availability information is "slightly busy", and red when the availability information is "full". In addition, the official pin data of each store is generated by superimposing text data corresponding to the availability information on the object data of the official display pin. That is, the pin displayed on the map includes text indicating the availability information of one store. For example, if the availability information of the processing target store is "available", the text "available" is displayed in the pin. If the availability information is "full", the text "full" is displayed. The text included in the official pin data can be, for example, white text.

(Step S708)
If the vacancy information is unofficial, the generating unit 313 refers to the reception date and time of the vacancy information stored in the storage unit 311 and judges whether the reception date and time of the vacancy information (unofficial) is within a predetermined time from the current time (for example, within 30 minutes before the current time). The above-mentioned predetermined time can be changed according to the processing target store. For example, if the processing target store is a cafe, the predetermined time can be 30 minutes, and if the processing target store is an izakaya, the predetermined time can be 1 hour. In another embodiment, the predetermined time may be set for each store according to the user turnover rate of each store, rather than setting a predetermined time for each processing target store. In another embodiment, the above-mentioned predetermined time may be set to the same for all processing target stores. If the reception date and time of the vacancy information is within the predetermined time (Yes), the processing proceeds to step S709. If the reception date and time of the vacancy information is not within the predetermined time (No), the processing proceeds to step S710.

(Step S709)
The generating unit 313 refers to the availability information stored in the memory unit 311, selects from the object data of the unofficial display pins that correspond to the availability information, and generates unofficial pin data based on the availability information. For example, the object data of the unofficial display pin is colorless (white). The unofficial pin data is generated by superimposing text data indicating "unofficial" on the object data of the official display pin. In addition, text data corresponding to the availability information is superimposed on the object data of the unofficial display pin, and the text data can be color-coded according to the availability information.

(Step S710)
If the date and time of receipt of the vacancy information (unofficial) is not within a predetermined time, the generating unit 313 acquires the object data of the white pin stored in the storage unit 311 and generates the white pin data. The white pin data is merely for indicating on the map that a store is located, and does not include text data. In another embodiment, for example, when the magnification of the map is large, text data indicating the name of the store, the type of store, or whether the store is open or closed may be superimposed on the white pin data.

As described in steps S706 to S710, in this embodiment, when the availability information is official, the latest availability information is displayed regardless of the date and time when the official availability information was received (even if the date and time when the latest availability information was received is far from the current time). On the other hand, when the availability information is unofficial, the availability information is displayed only if the current time is within a specified time from the date and time of reception. This is effective from the viewpoint of distributing highly reliable availability information to other users. In the case of a posting by a user (unofficial availability information), it is not known whether the posting user is still present at the store, and it is not known whether the availability status has not changed even after a specified time has passed since the last posting, or whether the posted availability information is not the latest availability status because the user has left the store, so it is not known to what extent the unofficial availability information can be trusted. In contrast, when the availability information is official, it is basically managed by the store staff, and even if it has not been updated for a while, it can be considered that the availability status has not changed. For the above reasons, when the availability information is official, the latest availability information is displayed regardless of the date and time when the availability information was received, and when the availability information is unofficial, it is displayed only if the current time is within a specified time from the date and time of reception.

(Step S711)
The generating unit 313 places the pin data generated in step S707, step S709, or step S710 on the map according to the latitude and longitude of the target store. Note that at this time, the generating unit 313 may delete and not place pin data for stores whose availability information indicates "crowded" or "full," and place only pin data for stores whose availability information indicates "vacant."

(Step S712)
The generating unit 313 generates a first detailed store image including store information and availability information (detailed information) of the target store. For example, the name of the store, availability information, business hours, etc. can be displayed in text form in the first detailed store image.

(Step S713)
The generation unit 313 judges whether or not there are any unprocessed stores among the group of stores received from the vacant seat management server 10. At this time, the generation unit 313 judges that stores other than the store selected in step S705 are unprocessed. If there are any unprocessed stores (Yes), the process returns to step S705, and steps S705 to S713 are executed in the same manner as above. If there are no unprocessed stores (No), the process proceeds to step S714.

(Step S714)
If there are no unprocessed stores, the generating unit 313 determines the order of the first detailed store images of each processing target store. Specifically, for example, the first detailed store images are sorted in order of store proximity to the location information of the user terminal 30. In another embodiment, the order of the first detailed store images may be stores whose availability information is "available", followed by stores whose availability information is "slightly busy", and then stores whose availability information is "full".

(Step S715)
The display control unit 314 displays display pins on the display screen of the display device 32 according to the pin data arranged on the map by the generation unit 313 in step S711. Furthermore, the display control unit 314 displays the first detailed store images, the order of which has been determined by the generation unit 313 in step S714, superimposed on the map.

Once the user terminal 30 has inquired about availability information, it sends a request (re-request) to the vacancy management server 10 at predetermined time intervals (e.g., every 10 seconds) to obtain the latest availability information. In response to the re-request, the vacancy management server 10 obtains the latest availability information from the database 141 and sends it to the user terminal 30. Upon receiving the latest availability information, the user terminal 30 updates the availability information of the group of stores that was obtained in response to the initial request and displayed on the map, and displays it as a pin on the display screen.

The above describes the generation of pin data and the first store detail image on the user terminal 30, but the pin data and the first store detail image may be generated on the vacant seat management server 10 side or on another device for generating display data, and transmitted to the user terminal 30, with the user terminal 30 only performing the display process.

<Example of UI display on a map>
An example of a UI display displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30 according to the first embodiment will be described.

8 is a diagram showing an example of a UI display (pin display) displayed on a map in the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 8, stores A, D, and E are stores 40 that have an input terminal 20, and the pins (official pins) that point to stores A, D, and E are color-coded according to availability information, and the availability information is displayed in white text. Stores B and C are stores 60 that do not have an input terminal 20, and the pins (unofficial pins) that point to stores B and C are white, and the text "unofficial" and text indicating availability information are displayed. This allows the user to recognize at a glance that the availability information of stores A, D, and E is "official" information, and the availability information of stores B and C is "unofficial" information. The pin that points to store F is a white pin and does not include text. This is a pin generated in step S710 described above, and is displayed when there is no availability information posted within a predetermined time from the current time. The color coding of the pins and the color of the text are not limited to those shown in the figure, as long as the user can recognize whether the availability information is "official" or "unofficial".

As described above, in this embodiment, in addition to the store vacancy information managed by the store, some store vacancy information is also accepted from users (general customers) who are not store employees, and used as store vacancy information. This allows users to refer to more store vacancy information. For example, regarding the vacancy information of store B posted by a first user, if the vacancy information by the first user is deemed to be reliable, the vacancy information of store B can be provided to a second user different from the first user. This allows users to refer to more vacancy information for stores that do not transmit vacancy information from the store, in addition to vacancy information transmitted by the store management. Also, the second user can comprehensively view vacancy information transmitted from the store itself and vacancy information transmitted from people other than the store (first user) so as to be able to distinguish between them, and can judge the reliability of the vacancy information.

A first store detail image 80 is displayed superimposed on the map, and swiping left on the first store detail image 80 displays the first store detail image of another store. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the first store detail image 80 of store A (cafe restaurant A) closest to the user's current location 70 is displayed. The first store detail image 80 includes a thumbnail image, the store's name, availability information, the walking time from the current location, business hours, and the like. The store information database 142 of the vacant seat management server 10 may store thumbnail image data showing the store's appearance and service content, and the user terminal 30 can also acquire thumbnail image data when acquiring store information in the above-mentioned step S704, and generate the first store detail image 80 including these thumbnail images in step S712.

<Display process of detailed information on user terminal 30>
9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying the second detailed shop image and the posting screen for vacancy information in the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

(Step S901)
The generating unit 313 accepts the selection of the first detailed shop image by the user.

(Step S902)
The generating unit 313 refers to the official/unofficial flag of the store and determines whether the availability information is official. If the availability information is official (Yes), the process proceeds to step S909. If the availability information is unofficial (No), the process proceeds to step S903.

(Step S903)
The generation unit 313 acquires the location information of the user terminal 30 from the storage unit 311 .

(Step S904)
The generating unit 313 refers to the store information (business hours) stored in the memory unit 311 and judges whether the current time is within the business hours of the store. If it is within the business hours (Yes), the process proceeds to step S905. If it is outside the business hours (No), the process proceeds to step S908. Note that if the store is open 24 hours a day, this step S904 may be omitted and the process may proceed to step S905.

(Step S905)
The generation unit 313 refers to the store information (latitude and longitude) stored in the storage unit 311, and calculates the distance between the store and the location information of the user terminal 30 acquired in step S903.

(Step S906)
The generating unit 313 judges whether the distance between the user terminal 30 and the store is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance can be set, for example, as a range that occurs due to GPS deviation even when the user is in the store. If the GPS deviation can be up to 300 m, the predetermined distance can be set to, for example, 350 m, taking into account the size of the store. If it is equal to or less than the predetermined distance (Yes), the process proceeds to step S907. If it is greater than the predetermined distance (No), the process proceeds to step S908.

(Step S907)
The generating unit 313 generates a posting screen in which each button for the user to post availability information is active. Here, if the current time is within business hours and the distance between the user terminal 30 and the store is short (a predetermined distance or less), it can be considered that the user is highly likely to be inside the store. In this way, by allowing the user to post availability information only when predetermined conditions are met, highly reliable availability information can be obtained.

(Step S908)
If it is determined in step S904 that the business hours are not met, or if it is determined in step S906 that the distance is greater than the predetermined distance, the generation unit 313 generates a posting screen in which each button is inactive. In this way, if the predetermined conditions are not met, the posting of availability information is not accepted. However, by generating a posting screen in which each button is inactive rather than not generating a posting screen, it is possible to implicitly indicate to the user that availability information may be posted if the conditions are met.

(Step S909)
The generating unit 313 generates a second detailed store image including the store information and vacancy information of the store. The second detailed store image has a larger amount of information about the store and a larger display area on the display screen than the first detailed store image.

(Step S910)
If the store's availability information is official, the display control unit 314 displays the second store details image generated in step S909 on the display screen of the display device 32. In this way, when a store employee is updating availability information via the input terminal 20, a posting screen for accepting availability information posted by users is not displayed. This does not induce users to input information that will not be used as availability information. This allows priority to be given to information sent by stores that wish to send their own availability information. This is also effective in cases where the store's business circumstances take priority over the accuracy of availability information, such as when there are currently many vacant seats in the store, but the time to reserve the space is approaching and it is desired to mark the seats as "full."

If the store availability information is unofficial, the display control unit 314 displays the second store details image generated in step S909 and the posting screen generated in step S907 or step S908 on the display screen of the display device 32 in a switchable manner. Switching between the second store details image and the posting screen can be performed, for example, by selecting a tab.

As described above, when the user terminal 30 transmits unofficial availability information about a store, it is only accepted if the distance to the store is short. This prevents the user terminal 30 from transmitting mischievous or inaccurate availability information. When availability information about the store 40 is transmitted from the input terminal 20 of the store 40, the availability information is always accepted without determining whether the distance is short or not, as in step S906. In the case of the input terminal 20 of the store 40, the terminal ID 1437 corresponding to the store 40 is registered in advance so that it is known that the availability information is from the store 40 itself, so it can be considered to be reliable availability information without making a determination based on the distance. Furthermore, even if the input terminal 20 itself is not inside the store, the manager who operates the store 40 may receive a call from a clerk working in the store 40 and transmit availability information, and it can be considered to be availability information about the store 40 regardless of the distance.

<Display example of second store detail image>
Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second store details image 90 displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30. As shown in Fig. 10, the second store details image 90 includes a thumbnail image, the store's name, availability information, the walking time from the current location, business hours, a promotional statement (store introduction), a telephone number, an address, etc. In this way, the second store details image 90 includes more information than the first store details image 80 shown in Fig. 8.

<Example of posting screen>
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a posting screen 91 displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30. FIG. 11 shows a screen displayed when the user selects the first store detailed image of store B (kitchen B). The posting screen 91 is switchable between an availability tab 911 and a detailed information tab 912. In the availability tab 911, buttons 913 to 915 (a "Vacant" button 913, a "Slightly Crowded" button 914, and a "Full" button 915) for the user to select the availability of store B, and a posting button 916 for transmitting the selected availability to the vacant seat management server 10 are displayed. When the user selects one of the buttons 913 to 915 and taps the posting button 916, the selected availability, the unofficial flag, the store ID of store B, and the user information are transmitted to the vacant seat management server 10. Then, the vacant seat management server 10 updates the vacant information database 143 in accordance with the information received from the user terminal 30 (setting the official/unofficial flag 1433 to "unofficial" and updating the vacant information 1432, the reception date and time 1434, the user ID 1435, the user name 1436, and the terminal ID 1437). When the user selects the detailed information tab 912, the screen switches to a second store detailed image as shown in FIG.

Summary of the First Embodiment
In the vacant seat management system 1 according to the first embodiment, when a search request for vacant information is sent from the user terminal 30 to the vacant seat management server 10, the vacant seat management server 10 responds to the search request by identifying a store group (a collection of stores that match the search conditions entered by the user) based on the location of the user terminal 30, and sends the vacant information of the store to the user terminal 30 together with the store information. The user terminal 30 determines whether the vacant information of each store is official (vacant information sent from the input terminal 20 of the store 40) or unofficial (vacant information posted from a user terminal 30 visiting the store 60), and displays pins on a map so that the official vacant information and the unofficial vacant information can be recognized at a glance. This allows the user to recognize the reliability of the vacant information displayed on the map.

For a store 60 that does not transmit vacancy information from the store itself, if the user terminal 30 is recognized to be near the store and the date and time when the vacancy information was received from the user terminal is within a specified time, the vacancy information posted from the user terminal 30 is displayed as vacancy information for the store 60 on another user terminal 30. This allows users to view vacancy information for stores 40 that transmit vacancy information themselves, as well as vacancy information for stores 60 that do not transmit vacancy information themselves, as a reference for deciding whether or not to visit.

The user terminal 30 further displays a detailed store image superimposed on the map. When the user selects a detailed store image of a store, the user terminal 30 displays a posting screen for posting vacancy information if the vacancy information of the store is unofficial and meets certain conditions. In this way, by allowing the user to post vacancy information of stores 60 that do not have an input terminal 20, the user can check both vacancy information of stores 60 that do not have an input terminal 20 and vacancy information of stores 40 that have an input terminal 20. As a result, compared to the case where only vacancy information of stores 40 that have an input terminal 20 is distributed, the vacancy management system 1 of this embodiment can provide the user with more options for stores to visit. In addition, vacancy information can be posted only when certain conditions are met, so vacancy information with low reliability due to pranks, etc. is not accepted.

<Modification of the first embodiment>
When the vacant seat management server 10 transmits the store information and vacant seat status of the group of stores in response to the search request from the user terminal 30 (step S605), the vacant seat management server 10 may determine whether the current time is within the business hours of each store and transmit only the store information and vacant information of stores that are within business hours to the user terminal 30. In this case, the user terminal 30 does not need to determine whether it is within business hours in the above-mentioned step S904.

When the vacancy management server 10 receives vacancy information from the user terminal 30, it updates the vacancy information database 143 to make it vacancy information corresponding to the store, and the user terminal 30 judges whether the date and time of reception of the unofficial vacancy information is within a predetermined time. However, for example, the vacancy management server 10 may periodically monitor the vacancy information database 143 and cancel vacancy information that is unofficial information and has exceeded a predetermined time from the date and time of reception. In this case, the vacancy management server 10 does not transmit unofficial information that is not used as vacancy information of the store in the user terminal 30, so when processing vacancy information in the user terminal 30, the step (S708) of judging whether the date and time of reception of the unofficial information is within a predetermined time is not necessary. Note that when store information is received from the vacancy management server 10, it may happen that the vacancy information and the official/unofficial flag are not attached. In this case, the user terminal 30 may judge whether there is vacancy information or not, and place a pin corresponding to the store only in the store where there is vacancy information, or may execute the step (S710) of generating white pin data when there is no vacancy information.

In addition, for the input terminal 20 of the store 40, the vacancy management server 10 sets the terminal ID 1437 as the input terminal 20 of the store 40 in advance, and the terminal ID 1437 is not updated in conjunction with the vacancy information 1432. For example, the vacancy information may be sent from the input terminal 20 only if the store clerk logs in using the account information of the store 40 before inputting the vacancy information via the GUI screen. In this case, the vacancy management server 10 manages the account information (e.g., email address and password) corresponding to the store 40, and there is no need to set the terminal ID 1437 in advance. In this case, the vacancy information sent from the account corresponding to the store 40 will be used as official information. In addition, when vacancy information is sent using multiple input terminals 20, the terminal ID 1437 corresponding to the store 40 will be updated each time.

The vacancy management server 10 stores the official vacancy information and the unofficial official information in the same table together with a flag for identifying each, but they may be stored in separate tables. The GUI screen provided to the input terminal 20 by the vacancy management server 10 and the posting screen provided to the user terminal 30 are different images, and the vacancy information sent by operations on the GUI screen and the vacancy information sent by operations on the posting screen can be transmitted to the vacancy management server 10 so that they can be identified. In this case, for example, a terminal owned by the store clerk for personal use can be used as both the input terminal 20 and the user terminal 30. Even if the vacancy information is transmitted from the same terminal, if it is transmitted via a GUI screen that accepts vacancy information from the store 40, the vacancy management server 10 accepts it as official information, and if it is transmitted via a posting screen for users to post vacancy information, the vacancy management server 10 accepts it as unofficial information.

In the above embodiment, vacancy information for restaurants has been described as an example, but this is not limiting. For example, the technology of this embodiment can be applied to vacancy information for facilities other than restaurants, such as movie theaters, sports stadiums, and parking lots. The vacant seat management system 1 of this embodiment may also manage the congestion status of users in facilities where seats are not provided but the number of people fluctuates. Specifically, it may manage information indicating the congestion status of, for example, supermarkets, sports gyms, local government and bank counters, hot spring facilities, and the like. In this case, for example, the vacant seat management server 10 manages and distributes congestion information represented by either "vacant," "slightly crowded," or "crowded."

Second Embodiment
In the above-described first embodiment, it has been described that when a predetermined condition is met (when the current time is outside business hours and the location of the user terminal 30 is within a predetermined distance from the store), posting of availability information from the user terminal 30 is accepted. In the second embodiment, in order to improve the reliability of the posted availability information, a technique is proposed in which a user attaches an image (photo) of the store when posting availability information.

<Example of posting screen>
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a posting screen 92 displayed on the display screen of the display device 32 of the user terminal 30. In the posting screen 92, the same buttons as those in the posting screen 91 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 12, the posting screen 92 differs from the posting screen 91 of the first embodiment in that it further includes an "Add Photo" button 921. When the user taps the "Add Photo" button 921, the user can select to select a photo from the photo library and upload it, or to start the camera and take a photo. If the posting button 916 is tapped even though no photo has been uploaded, text such as "Please add a photo of the store" is displayed. In another embodiment, the posting button 916 may be activated when a photo is uploaded. The posting screen 92 may include text that guides the user as to what kind of photo to attach, such as text "Please attach a photo of the store, such as a photo of the store's exterior, signboard, or table in the store" or text "It does not matter what the photo is taken of, such as a table, a view inside the store, the ground, or the ceiling."

<Update process of vacant information of vacant seat management server 10>
13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for updating vacant information in the vacant seat management server 10. The vacant seat management server 10 executes a program for implementing the flowchart shown in FIG.

(Step S1301)
The receiving unit 111 of the vacant seat management server 10 receives the vacant information entered by the user on the posting screen 92 and the image information of the attached photo from the user terminal 30. The image information includes not only the image data (photo), but also data indicating the date and time of shooting and the location information of the shooting location, such as EXIF data.

(Step S1302)
The update unit 112 refers to the image information (photographing date and time) received by the receiving unit 111 and determines whether the photo was photographed within a predetermined time from the current time (for example, within 30 minutes before the current time). If the photo was photographed within the predetermined time (Yes), the process proceeds to step S1303. If the photo was photographed not within the predetermined time (No), the process proceeds to step S1305.

(Step S1303)
The update unit 112 refers to the image information (location information of the photo location) received by the receiving unit 111 and judges whether the distance between the photo location and the store is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance can be set, for example, in the same manner as in step S906 described in the first embodiment. If it is equal to or less than the predetermined distance (Yes), the process proceeds to step S1304. If it is greater than the predetermined distance (No), the process proceeds to step S1305.

(Step S1304)
The update unit 112 updates the availability information database 143 based on the availability information received by the receiving unit 111 .

(Step S1305)
If the time when the photo was taken is not within a predetermined time from the current time, or if the distance between the location where the photo was taken and the store is not equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the reliability of the user's post can be considered low. Therefore, the update unit 112 does not update the vacancy information database 143.

<Summary of the second embodiment>
In the second embodiment, the vacant seat management server 10 receives image information including image data, the date and time of photographing, and the photographing location together with vacant seat information from the user terminal 30, and updates the vacant seat information database 143 if the photographing time of the photo is within a predetermined time from the current time and the distance between the photographing location and the store is within a predetermined distance. In this way, the vacant seat management server 10 updates the vacant seat information database 143 when it is determined that the user is in the store based on the image information received from the user terminal 30. This makes it possible to register only highly reliable vacant seat information in the vacant seat information database 143.

Even if location information cannot be obtained from the user terminal 30, for example, when the user is using the service of the vacant seat management system 1 via a web browser rather than via an application dedicated to the service of the vacant seat management system 1, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine the location of the user terminal 30 based on the location information included in the image information. Note that the technology of the first embodiment and the technology of the second embodiment can be combined, and even if location information can be obtained from the user terminal 30, it is possible to receive image information including location information of the shooting location from the user terminal 30 and determine the shooting location.

<Modification of the second embodiment>
In the second embodiment, the location of the user terminal 30 is determined based on the location information included in the image information received from the user. In another embodiment, the image information may not include the location information of the shooting location. In this case, the vacant seat management server 10 determines whether the photo is related to the store by analyzing the image data using any machine learning method or the like. In analyzing the image data, the vacant seat management server 10 can, for example, calculate the similarity between a photo (e.g., a photo of the exterior, interior, signboard, etc.) related to a store registered in advance and the photo received from the user terminal 30, and determine the reliability of the received photo. Note that the analysis of the image data may be performed using another analysis device instead of the vacant seat management server 10.

The vacancy management server 10 may transmit the photos received from the user terminal 30 to the user terminal 30 together with vacancy information, etc., in the above-mentioned step S605. The user terminal 30 may then include a list of photos posted by the user in the first store detail image or the second store detail image (step S712 or step S909).

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, the method of acquiring the position of the user terminal 30 as position information and identifying a group of stores based on the position of the user terminal 30 has been described, but the position information is not limited to this. For example, if the display device 32 in the user terminal 30 is a touch panel display and also functions as an input unit, the user may specify position information by tapping a position on a map displayed on the display device 32, and the specified position information (reference position) may be transmitted to the vacant seat management server 10. In this case, the vacant seat management server 10 specifies a group of stores according to the specified position information.

In the above embodiment, when availability information is sent from a terminal registered in advance as a store terminal (when there is official availability information), the posting of availability information from a user terminal is not accepted. However, when the predetermined conditions in the above embodiment are met, it is also possible to accept posting of availability information by users for stores with official availability information. In this case, for stores with official availability information, availability information by users may not be made public to other users, and the official availability information may be used for availability information made public to users. For example, when it is recognized that the user terminal 30 is near a store, posting of availability information for the store 40 is also accepted. However, the posted availability information at this time may be used to notify the store 40 or to accumulate as past data, and not used for distributing real-time availability information, thereby realizing distribution of availability information equivalent to that of the first embodiment.

In the above embodiment, a computer device is used as the input terminal 20, but the input terminal 20 may also be a sensor that detects the vacancy status of the store 40 in real time, such as a camera or a motion sensor. When the input terminal 20 is a camera, the camera is configured to detect people in the store 40 or in the waiting line, determine the vacancy status, and transmit the result to the vacancy management server 10. In another embodiment, the vacancy management server 10 may determine the vacancy status using video data from the camera. When the input terminal 20 is a motion sensor, the motion sensor is installed, for example, at each seat, and is configured to transmit the detection results of all the motion sensors to the vacancy management server 10.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the user terminal 30 displays the vacant seat status of nearby stores on a screen, but instead, the vacant seat management server 10 may always inquire about the vacant seat status of only a specific store. Furthermore, the user terminal 30 may specify attributes of the store for which the vacant seat status is inquired (e.g., store category information such as genre 1423). In this case, the output unit 114 returns to the user terminal 30 only the vacant seat information of stores that match the specified attributes.

In the above embodiments, the user terminal 30 does not necessarily have to be a terminal carried by the user. For example, a communication device such as a computer installed in a specific location may be used as the user terminal 30. For example, a digital signage terminal that is fixedly installed in a location with a lot of foot traffic may be configured as the user terminal 30. In this case, it is not necessarily necessary to display availability information about stores in the vicinity of the digital signage terminal, and availability information about stores in a location desired by the terminal installer may also be displayed.

As described above, the technology disclosed herein can be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and run the program. It may also be realized by a circuit that realizes one or more functions.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present disclosure, and it is not necessary to include all of the configurations described. Furthermore, a part of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment. Furthermore, the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, for part of the configuration of each embodiment, part of the configuration of another embodiment can be added, deleted, or replaced.

Reference Signs List 1... Vacant seat management system 10... Vacant seat management server 20... Input terminal 30... User terminal 40, 60... Store 50... Network

Claims (9)

An information processing device that manages vacancy information indicating the vacancy status of a store,
a storage means for storing terminal information relating to an input terminal for transmitting the vacancy information in association with the store;
A receiving means for receiving the vacancy information of the store;
a management means for managing the received vacancy information,
The management means includes:
With respect to a first store whose terminal information is stored in the storage means, vacancy information transmitted from the input terminal corresponding to the first store is accepted as vacancy information of the first store;
With regard to a second store whose terminal information is not stored in the storage means, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the information processing device accepts the vacancy information of the second store via an input image for inputting the vacancy information from a user terminal. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is whether or not the location of the user terminal is within a predetermined distance from the second store. The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined condition is whether the current time is within the business hours of the store. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is whether or not a captured image of the second store has been transmitted from the user terminal together with the availability information. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined condition is a condition indicating whether the captured image was captured within a predetermined time from the current time and whether the location where the captured image was captured is within a predetermined distance from the second store. Further, a display control means for displaying the input image is provided,
The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the display control means is configured not to transmit the input image for inputting the availability status of the first store to the user terminal. the management means records the vacancy information of the second store when the photographed image is photographed within a predetermined time from a current time and the location where the photographed image is photographed is within a predetermined distance from the second store;
5. An information processing device as described in claim 4, which does not record the vacancy information of the second store if the captured image was not taken within a predetermined time from the current time or if the location where the captured image was taken is not within a predetermined distance from the second store. A program that causes a computer to function as an information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An information processing method executed by an information processing device that manages vacancy information indicating vacancy status of a store,
storing terminal information relating to an input terminal for transmitting the vacancy information in association with the store;
receiving the vacancy information of the store;
Managing the received availability information;
The managing step includes:
With respect to a first store whose terminal information is stored, accepting vacancy information transmitted from the input terminal corresponding to the first store as vacancy information of the first store;
With regard to a second store for which the terminal information is not stored, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, accepting the vacancy information of the second store via an input image for inputting the vacancy information from a user terminal.

Images