JP7680324B2 - Facility customer information management system and facility customer information management method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a facility customer information management system and a facility customer information management method that are suitable for investigating customer satisfaction at facilities such as large shopping malls.

There is a demand for a method of collecting surveys that is inexpensive, labor-saving, and can accurately obtain information on customer satisfaction, etc.

Patent Document 1 discloses technology to provide a survey method and device for displaying and collecting surveys about products purchased by consumers at the same time as the product purchase is registered and payment is made. The technology involves reading the product code attached to the product with a POS terminal device, searching for and visually outputting the survey contents from a survey file that stores the product code and the survey contents, and tallying up the survey response results by product code.

Patent Document 2 also discloses technology that involves installing a survey response input device in a parking lot and connecting it to a processing device that processes the response content via a communication line in order to obtain responses that accurately reflect the respondent's intent without manpower and at low cost, and to obtain survey results immediately. It also mentions an example in which the response input device is configured to be combined with a parking lot fee payment machine, and how the facility usage fee can be changed depending on whether or not the survey is answered, thereby increasing the response rate to the survey.

Patent No. 3189465 JP 2001-312574 A

The technology in Patent Document 1 above makes it possible to display and collect a questionnaire about a product at the same time as the product purchase process (payment), but does not mention any solution for collecting questionnaires about products that the consumer has not purchased or about other categories, or for collecting questionnaires about satisfaction with the store or facility where the product is purchased, at the appropriate time.

In addition, the technology in Patent Document 2 above does indeed allow survey responses to be entered at the parking lot fee payment machine, and it is expected that the response rate can be improved by changing the fee to increase the survey response rate, but it does not go so far as to mention who should appropriately bear the cost of reducing the fee in response to the completion of the survey.
Furthermore, no consideration has been given to the negative effect of adding a questionnaire response input function to the parking lot fee payment machine, which would increase congestion during regular fee payment.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to efficiently and accurately collect information on awareness and trends, such as customer satisfaction levels of the entire facility or individual stores, in parking lots attached to or nearby facilities such as large shopping malls.

1) In order to solve the above problems, a facility customer information management system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises:
A facility customer information management system including an entrance camera and a parking lot management device,
The entrance camera is installed at the entrance of a parking lot of the facility and captures an entrance image including a vehicle number of a vehicle entering the parking lot,
The parking lot management device includes:
storing the captured entrance image;
When or before the vehicle leaves the parking lot, a vehicle number input screen is displayed on the fee settlement means to allow a user of the vehicle to input the vehicle number of the vehicle that is leaving the parking lot;
A search is performed for an entrance image including the vehicle number inputted through the vehicle number input screen from among the stored entrance images;
After the vehicle number is inputted on the vehicle number input screen, a questionnaire survey screen is displayed on the fee settlement means;
After the answer to the questionnaire survey screen is input, the fee settlement means displays an entrance image selection screen that allows the user to select the searched entrance image.

According to 1) above, the questionnaire survey screen is displayed when the user exits the parking lot, so the questionnaire survey can be carried out reliably.

2) The facility customer information management system according to 1 above,
The questionnaire survey screen is displayed on a fee settlement machine when the fee settlement means is a fee settlement machine connected to the parking lot management device and installed in the parking lot, and is displayed on a mobile terminal when the fee settlement means is a mobile terminal capable of communication with the parking lot management device.Facility customer information management system.

According to 2) above, the questionnaire survey screen is displayed whether the fee settlement means is a fee settlement machine installed in the parking lot or the user's mobile terminal, which increases convenience for the user.

3) The facility customer information management system according to 1 or 2 above,
a customer database for storing customer information of the facility;
The customer information is associated with the vehicle number of the vehicle that entered the parking lot and survey identification information indicating the content of the survey answered by the user of the vehicle,
The parking lot management device configures the questionnaire survey screen by excluding the contents of the questionnaire indicated by the questionnaire identification information associated with the vehicle number inputted through the vehicle number input screen.

According to 3) above, the survey screen is constructed by excluding surveys that the user has answered in the past, so survey responses can be collected appropriately.

4) The facility customer information management system according to any one of 1 to 3 above,
The parking lot management device changes the length of the service time depending on at least one of the survey identification information associated with the vehicle number entered on the vehicle number input screen, the number of survey responses on the day, and the current congestion level of the parking lot, and calculates the fee based on the changed service time.Facility customer information management system.

According to 4) above, the length of parking lot service hours can be changed depending on the situation, which can reduce the financial burden on stores and institutions that request survey responses. This is also expected to increase the number of survey question requests. It also improves convenience for users.

5) The facility customer information management system according to any one of 1 to 4 above,
The fee settlement means is the fee settlement machine,
The fee adjustment machine is equipped with a close-range camera that captures an image of the front of the fee adjustment machine,
A facility customer information management system in which the parking lot management device determines the number of questionnaire questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen according to the degree of congestion calculated by analyzing the screen captured by the close-range camera.

According to 5) above, it is possible to increase the number of survey questions in less crowded situations, which is expected to increase the number of survey responses.

6) The facility customer information management system according to any one of 1 to 4 above,
The charge settlement means is the mobile terminal,
A facility customer information management system in which the parking lot management device displays a questionnaire survey screen on the mobile terminal when it receives a request to send the questionnaire survey screen from the mobile terminal at any time that does not involve settlement, separate from the questionnaire survey screen that is displayed on the mobile terminal after the vehicle number is entered.

According to 6) above, if the payment means is a mobile terminal, the questionnaire survey screen can be displayed at any time (at the user's convenience) that does not involve payment, which is expected to increase the number of survey responses. It also improves convenience for users.

7) The facility customer information management system according to any one of 1 to 4 and 6 above,
The charge settlement means is the mobile terminal,
The parking lot management device includes:
Acquire the location of the mobile terminal at the time when the vehicle number is input on the vehicle number input screen;
a facility customer information management system that determines the number of questionnaire questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen according to the distance between the acquired position of the mobile terminal and the position of the parking lot or the parking position of the vehicle in the parking lot.

According to 7) above, the number of survey questions can be changed depending on the distance between the user's location (mobile terminal location) and the vehicle's location (parking location), making it possible to configure a survey screen with an appropriate number of questions.

8) In order to solve the above problems, a facility customer information management method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises:
A facility customer information management method executed by a facility customer information management system,
a step of storing an entrance image including a vehicle license plate number of a vehicle entering the parking lot of the facility, the entrance image being photographed by the entrance photographing means at the entrance of the parking lot of the facility;
a step of displaying a vehicle number input screen on a fee settlement means when the vehicle leaves the parking lot or before the vehicle leaves the parking lot, the vehicle number input screen prompting a user of the vehicle to enter the vehicle number of the vehicle leaving the parking lot;
A step of searching for an entrance image including the vehicle number inputted through the vehicle number input screen from among the stored entrance images;
a step of displaying a questionnaire survey screen on the fee settlement means after the vehicle number is input on the vehicle number input screen;
After the answer to the questionnaire survey screen is input, the fee settlement means displays an entrance image selection screen that allows the user to select the searched entrance image.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently and accurately collect information on customer satisfaction of the entire facility or individual stores in parking lots attached to or nearby facilities such as large shopping malls.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a facility customer information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a facility information management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a parking lot management device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a fee adjustment machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a database according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a functional explanatory diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a functional explanatory diagram of a parking lot management device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a functional explanatory diagram of a fee adjustment machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a functional explanatory diagram of a facility information management device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation screen of a fee adjustment machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation screen of a fee adjustment machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation screen of a fee adjustment machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an operation screen of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an operation screen of the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. 13 is a flowchart showing an entrance process. 10 is a flowchart showing a payment process of a fee payment machine. 13 is a flowchart showing online settlement processing of a mobile terminal. 13 is a flowchart showing a survey information generating process. 13 is a flowchart showing a fee type determination process. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing fee types. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a close-range camera image.

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

<Facility Customer Information Management System>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a facility customer information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The facility customer information management system 1000 includes a facility information management device 300, a mobile terminal 200, a parking lot management device 100, an operator PC 400 of the management institution, a payment server device 500 owned by the payment institution, and a shop terminal 600.

These terminals and devices are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a network. The network is constructed, for example, using the Internet or a wide area communication network. Any WAN (Wide Area Network) or LAN (Local Area Network) may be used within the facility or parking lot, and there are no limitations on the protocol for constructing the network.

The parking lot management device 100 is installed inside or outside the parking lot. The parking lot management device 100 is capable of comprehensively controlling the operation of each device installed in the parking lot. The parking lot management device 100 is also capable of aggregating various information from each device installed in the parking lot and transmitting it to the facility information management device 300, etc. The parking lot management device 100 is also capable of receiving various information from the facility information management device 300, etc. and performing various operations.

The mobile terminal 200 is a terminal used by a user (customer, customer) who uses the parking lot or facility. A smartphone is typically used as the mobile terminal 200, but it is not limited to this and various PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) such as tablet terminals may be used.

The management institution's operator PC 400 is used by an operator of the management institution who has been entrusted by the facility owner with managing the facility's online information. The operator, for example, handles daily inquiries, responds to users, and provides information on maintenance work when various devices in the parking lot break down. The operator can also accept and register survey information desired by each store in the facility. A PC, tablet terminal, etc. is used as the operator PC 400.

In some cases, the facility owner himself may manage the facility information management device 300. In this case, a terminal owned by the owner may function as the operator PC 400. In addition, a management institution entrusted with management operations may own the facility information management device 300 and provide the facility information management service and online parking settlement service related to this embodiment.

The payment institution is, for example, a bank or a credit company, and performs online shopping payments and parking fee payments (settlements) by bank transfer, credit card payment, etc. The facility information management device 300 performs settlement information inquiry processing, such as instructions to the payment server device 500 of the payment institution to pay for products purchased online and instructions to settle online parking fees. Furthermore, the payment server device 500 of the payment institution may perform payment services using electronic money and code payment services.

The store terminal 600 is installed in each store that has a partnership regarding parking lot discount services. For example, a partnership regarding discount services may be formed between a parking lot and a commercial facility near the parking lot, but this is of course not limited to this.

For example, a POS register with a communication function is used as the store terminal 600. As shown in FIG. 1, a reader 610 is connected to the store terminal 600. The reader 610 reads code images such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademark) and obtains information stored in the code images. In this embodiment, a barcode reader capable of reading barcodes attached to products is used as the reader 610. Of course, the specific configurations and types of the store terminal and reader are not limited.

Although not shown, a guide terminal (kiosk terminal) may be installed in the store. The guide device may have functions such as displaying floor information of the store, as well as online parking settlement and questionnaire input for affiliated parking lots, which will be described later.

Each store has a person in charge of managing the terms of contracts with affiliated facilities and discount conditions with affiliated parking lots. If this person is referred to as the store owner, the store owner's PC may be communicatively connected to the network. The store owner's PC may be a notebook PC, smartphone, or tablet. In addition, requests to collect various survey information may be sent from the store owner's PC to the operator PC 400 of the management institution.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a facility information management device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The facility information management device 300 has hardware necessary for configuring a computer, such as a control unit 310 (CPU (Central Processing Unit)), a storage unit 320 (ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an input unit 311, and an output unit 312. The facility information management device 300 also has an external communication unit 330 for communicating with other devices via a network. For example, a wireless LAN module such as WiFi (registered trademark), or a communication device such as a modem or a router is used as the external communication unit 330. For example, any computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) is used as the facility information management device 300.

The facility information management device 300 can provide a guidance service and a parking lot management service as a Web service, which are facility information management services according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the facility information management device 300 is configured with server devices such as a DB server and a Web/API server, and various databases (DBs) are connected to the storage units of these devices.

The DB functions as part of the memory unit 320 and stores various information related to this facility information management service. For example, the DB contains a customer DB 321, a survey information DB 322, a response history DB 323, and a product information DB 324. In addition, various DBs may be constructed, such as a facility guide information DB, an online shopping information DB, and a management information DB.

The various DBs are comprehensively managed by a server (DB server) within the facility information management device 300, and, for example, the following are performed: membership registration and withdrawal of customers who use the facility information management service, registration and storage of owner information of shops within the facility, recording and storage of operating income and expenditure information, etc.

The facility information management service and the online parking settlement service according to this embodiment are provided by a server (Web server) within the facility information management device 300, for example, using a WWW (World Wide Web) system. For example, the Web server creates various Web pages consisting of HTML documents and the like. Hyperlinks to other Web pages and link information (for example, executable file names, URLs, etc.) for executing various processes are embedded in the Web pages.

In addition, the server (Web/API server) within the facility information management device 300 executes various processes in response to various requests. For example, the Web/API server collects and outputs information on whether parking spaces are full or empty, updates survey information from the operator terminal of the management institution, and relays the results.

The web pages generated within the facility information management device 300 are displayed on the screen by the web browser provided in each device shown in FIG. 1. For example, a user (customer, customer) using the facility can view various web pages and use various web applications by operating the mobile terminal 200.

The facility information management device 300 allows users to use parking lots without having to go through the prescribed procedures such as membership registration in advance. Therefore, the configuration and functions of the facility information management device 300 can omit the construction of a membership registration DB and the management of membership registration data.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the parking lot management device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The parking lot management device 100 has a control unit 110 (CPU) and a memory unit 120 (ROM, RAM, HDD, and other hardware necessary for configuring a computer. Furthermore, a plurality of databases (DB) are connected to the memory unit 120. The parking lot management device 100 also has a communication unit 130 for communicating with other devices via a network. For example, a wireless LAN module such as WiFi, or a communication device such as a modem or router is used as the communication unit 130. For example, any computer such as a PC is used as the parking lot management device 100.

The parking lot is equipped with an entrance camera 150, fee payment machines 170 (multiple machines), and an exit camera 160. It is a so-called flapless parking lot. The entrance gate 150G and exit gate 160G can regulate the entry and exit of vehicles. The present invention can also be applied to parking lots that are equipped with a flap device (locking device) or the like that regulates the exit of unpaid parking spaces instead of the entrance gate 150G and exit gate 160G.

The entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160 are, for example, digital cameras equipped with image sensors such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor. Other types of cameras may also be used. In this embodiment, the entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160 function as imaging means for capturing images of entry into the parking lot.

In this case, the entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160 also function as vehicle detection devices, but a separate vehicle detection device and a loop coil for vehicle detection may be embedded in the driving lane.

Multiple fee settlement machines 170 are installed within the parking lot. The number of machines to be installed is determined based on the size of the parking lot, the maximum number of parked cars, the number of payments that the fee settlement machine 170 must process when it is crowded, etc. Of course, one machine is sufficient, and if the parking lot is large, one may be installed for each parking space. In this embodiment, multiple fee settlement machines 170 are installed in the same location to reduce congestion caused by store users at the facility.

The fee payment machine 170, the entrance camera 150, the exit camera 160, and the parking lot management device 100 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a parking lot network installed within the parking lot. Of these, the parking lot management device 100 is connected to the Internet and can communicate with other devices such as the facility information management device 300. Therefore, each device connected to the parking lot network can communicate with devices on the Internet via the parking lot management device 100.

The parking lot management device 100 is mainly operated by parking lot attendants, etc., and performs remote operation of each device in the parking lot and management of various data stored in the parking lot DB. In this embodiment, each device in the parking lot operates and data management is performed based on settings input via the parking lot management device 100.

The DB of the parking lot management device 100 stores various data related to the parking lot, such as a vehicle presence DB 121, a fee information DB 122, and other DBs such as an entrance image DB, an exit image DB, a parking history DB, a contracted vehicle DB, and a shopping information DB. In addition, some of the data stored in the DB of the facility information management device 300 shown in Figure 1 may be shared.

As described above, the parking lot management device 100 is capable of comprehensively controlling the operation of each device installed in the parking lot. For example, the entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160 are connected to the parking lot management device 100, and their operation is controlled by the control unit 110 of the parking lot management device 100.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the fee adjustment machine 170.
The fee adjustment machine 170 has a CPU 171, a memory 172, and an interface 174 connected to these via a bus 173. The memory 172 is composed of, for example, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, etc., and stores various data. The interface 174 is connected to a touch panel screen 175, a bill and coin management unit 176, a speaker 177, a communication unit 179, a close-range camera 1710, a card reader/writer 1711, and a receipt printer 1712. The operation of each block is controlled by the CPU 171 which operates according to a predetermined program.

The touch panel screen 175 is a display device that uses, for example, liquid crystal or EL (Electro-Luminescence), and displays web pages related to the facility customer information management service and parking lot management service, as well as various GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces), and functions as a touch panel operation unit.

The banknote and coin management unit 176 counts the number of banknotes and coins inserted, and dispenses any change after settlement. The speaker 177 outputs, for example, audio guidance, alarm sounds, music content, etc.

The communication unit 179 is a communication module for communicating with other devices, such as the facility information management device 300 and the parking lot management device 100, via a network. The close-range camera 1710 is a device that captures images of the vicinity of the fee settlement machine 170 using a CCD method or the like and inputs the image data into the memory 172.

The card reader/writer 1711 is hardware for reading or rewriting the contents of a magnetic or RFID card issued to a user. It may also be a device that optically reads two-dimensional barcodes. The receipt printer 1712 is hardware for printing and outputting a receipt or invoice to be issued after settlement.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile terminal 200 of a user (customer) of a facility or a parking lot.
The mobile terminal 200 has a CPU 201, a memory 202, and an interface 204 connected to them via a bus 203. The memory 202 is composed of, for example, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, etc., and stores various data. The interface 204 is connected to a touch panel screen 205, an operation button 206, a speaker 207, a microphone 208, a communication unit 209, a short-range wireless communication unit 210, a GPS sensor 211, and a camera 212. The operation of each block is controlled by the CPU 201 that operates according to a predetermined program.

The touch panel screen 205 is a display device using, for example, an LCD or EL display, and functions as a touch panel operation unit, displaying web pages and various GUIs related to the facility's customer information management service and parking lot management service. The operation buttons 206 are physical buttons such as a power ON/OFF button and a volume up/down button.

The speaker 207 outputs, for example, telephone voice, voice guidance, alarm sounds, music content, etc. The microphone 208 is used for making telephone calls, inputting voice instructions, etc. The camera 212 is a photographing means.

The communication unit 209 is a communication module for communicating with other devices, such as the facility information management device 300 and the parking lot management device 100, via a network, and may be, for example, a wireless LAN module such as WiFi or a module compatible with a mobile communication system, such as 4G or 5G.

The short-range wireless communication unit 210 is a module for performing short-range wireless communication with other devices. In this embodiment, an NFC module capable of performing NFC (Near Field Communication) communication is provided. The short-range wireless communication unit 210 enables contactless communication with devices that comply with the NFC standard. In addition, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) module or the like may be provided, making it possible to receive a beacon signal that complies with the BLE standard and is transmitted from a beacon device.

The GPS sensor outputs location information of the mobile terminal 200. In addition, a motion sensor such as an acceleration sensor may be installed. In addition to the location information of the mobile terminal 200, it is possible to detect the customer's state, including the attitude and movement of the mobile terminal 200.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a database according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The vehicle presence DB 121 and fee information DB 122 are managed by the parking lot management device 100. The vehicle presence DB 121 stores a parking number, which is a number that uniquely identifies the parking order, the entry date and time, the vehicle number obtained by analyzing the entry image captured by the entrance camera 150, the settlement date and time, and the settlement fee. The fee information DB 122 stores, for each fee type, the hourly rate, maximum fee, entry service time, and exit service time. The entry service time is information that indicates a specified time from entry until the hourly rate is applied. The exit service time is information that indicates a specified time from settlement until the hourly rate is applied again before exiting.

The customer DB321, survey information DB322, response history DB323, and product information DB324 are managed by the facility information management device 300. In the customer DB322, the name, registration date, credit information, vehicle number, etc. are linked and stored for each membership number assigned to each user so that it is unique. In the survey information DB322, the survey content, category, priority, response, etc. are linked and stored for each survey number assigned to each survey so that it is unique. In the response history DB323, the vehicle number of the user who responded is linked and stored for each survey number. In the product information DB324, the product name, product type, and sales price are linked and stored for each product number assigned to each product so that it is unique. The product may be a service.

<Functions of the mobile terminal 200>
FIG. 7 shows an example of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 200.
The mobile terminal 200 has a selection image request unit 251, an online payment request unit 252, a vehicle selection unit 253, a code image reading unit 254, a survey information receiving unit 255, a survey information input unit 256, and a customer information sending unit 257. These functions are configured by the CPU 201 executing a predetermined program, and the parking lot management method according to this embodiment is realized. Note that dedicated hardware such as an IC (integrated circuit) may be used as appropriate to realize each function.

The online settlement request unit 252 requests settlement of parking fees from the parking lot management device 100 via the facility information management device 300 over the Internet. For example, the online settlement request is sent to the parking lot management device 100 via the facility information management device 300 according to the settlement method specified by the customer.

The selection image request unit 251 transmits a request to send a selection image. For example, a customer inputs an operation to display a selection image into the mobile terminal 200. In response to the operation, the selection image request unit 251 transmits a request to send a selection image to the parking lot management device 100 via the facility information management device 300. There are no limitations on the specific operation to display the selection image or the specific format of the signal (data) transmitted as a request to send a selection image.

The vehicle selection unit 253 transmits a selection instruction to select an entering vehicle in the selection image. For example, a customer inputs an operation to select an entering vehicle in the selection image on the mobile terminal 200. In response to the operation, the vehicle selection unit 253 transmits an entering vehicle selection instruction to the parking lot management device 100 via the facility information management device 300. There are no limitations on the specific operation to select an entering vehicle or the specific format of the signal (data) transmitted as the entering vehicle selection instruction.

The code image reader 254 uses the camera of the mobile terminal 200 to read the QR code (registered trademark) or the like on the discount receipt, which will be described later, and requests a discount process for the fee.

The survey information receiving unit 255 receives a survey on the screen of the mobile terminal 200 from the facility information management device 300. The survey information input unit 256 accepts responses to the survey and transmits them to the facility information management device 300.

When logging in using the mobile terminal 200, the customer information transmission unit 257 transmits customer information such as a membership number to the facility information management device 300.

<Functions of parking lot management device 100>
FIG. 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the parking lot management device 100.
The parking lot management device 100 has an image management unit 1011, a fee management unit 1012, a vehicle information reading unit 1013, a vehicle information search unit 1014, a facility use information acquisition unit 1015, a vehicle presence information management unit 1016, a payment reception unit 1017, a selection instruction reception unit 1018, a vehicle entry information transmission unit 1019, a code reception unit 1021, and a camera control unit 1022. These functions are configured by the CPU of the control unit 110 of the parking lot management device 100 executing a predetermined program and cooperating with the hardware resources in the device, thereby realizing the parking lot management method and information processing method according to this embodiment. The method of installing the program in the parking lot management device 100 is not limited.

The camera control unit 1022 controls the operation of the entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160. For example, the camera control unit 1022 transmits a trigger signal for photographing, and the entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160 photograph the entering and exiting vehicles. This generates an entry image and an exit image.

The trigger signal may be, for example, the output of a first entrance loop coil and a first exit loop coil (not shown) that are used as trigger signals for the entrance camera 150 and the exit camera 160, respectively, but a separate trigger sensor may be installed, or the camera itself may generate a shooting trigger by detecting a moving object.

The image management unit 1011 manages the entry images taken in the parking lot, and writes and deletes entry image information to the vehicle image DB 121. It also manages exit images, and moves images of exiting vehicles to a DB that manages their history.

The vehicle information reading unit 1013 extracts vehicle information about the entering vehicle based on the entry image. For example, the vehicle information extracted includes at least a portion of the vehicle number, vehicle name information, vehicle color information, vehicle manufacturer information, etc.

At least some of the information in the vehicle number (such as the name of the local transport bureau, classification number, hiragana, and four-digit serial number) can be read using techniques such as image processing that extracts a portion of the license plate or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing. Of course, any other technique may be used.

Vehicle information, etc. may be registered by the user upon application at the time of customer registration, but if the information is not registered, any algorithm, etc. may be used to extract vehicle information. Machine learning, etc. may also be performed. Vehicle information inquiries, etc. may also be performed via the Internet, etc.

As vehicle information, at least a portion of the vehicle number information, vehicle name information, vehicle color information, and/or vehicle manufacturer information may be extracted. Of course, other information different from the information listed here may also be extracted as vehicle information.

The facility usage information acquisition unit 1015 acquires store usage information including the user's facility usage status at each store in the facility affiliated with the parking lot. For example, when a user goes shopping at store A, the shopping information is transmitted from the store terminal 600 to the parking lot management device 100 via the facility information management device 300, and the shopping information transmitted from the store terminal 600 is received.

<Functions of the fee settlement machine 170>
FIG. 9 shows an example of the functional configuration of the fee adjustment machine 170.
The fee adjustment machine 170 is configured to include a selection image request unit 1721 , a vehicle selection unit 1722 , a code image reading unit 1723 , an investigation information receiving unit 1724 , an investigation information input unit 1725 , and an adjustment processing unit 1726 .

The selection image request unit 1721 transmits a request to send a selection image. For example, a customer inputs an operation to display a selection image on the touch panel screen 175 of the fee settlement machine 170. In response to the operation, the selection image request unit 1721 transmits a request to send a selection image to the parking lot management device 100. There are no limitations on the specific operation to display the selection image or the specific format of the signal (data) transmitted as a request to send a selection image.

The vehicle selection unit 1722 transmits a selection instruction to select an entering vehicle in the selection image. For example, a customer inputs an operation to select an entering vehicle in the selection image on the touch panel screen 175 of the fee settlement machine 170. In response to the operation, the vehicle selection unit 1722 transmits an instruction to select an entering vehicle to the parking lot management device 100. There are no limitations on the specific operation to select an entering vehicle or the specific format of the signal (data) transmitted as an instruction to select an entering vehicle.

The code image reader 1723 uses the close-range camera 1710 to read the QR code (registered trademark) on the discount receipt (described below) and requests a discount on the fee.

The survey information receiving unit 1724 receives the survey from the facility information management device 300 via the parking lot management device 100. The survey information input unit 1725 accepts the survey responses and transmits them to the facility information management device 300 via the parking lot management device 100.

The settlement processing unit 1726 processes the settlement of parking fees. The settlement completion transmission unit 1727 transmits the completion of the settlement of parking fees to the parking lot management device 100.

The customer detection unit 1728 detects a customer standing in front of the fee adjustment machine 170 and accepts payment. The customer detection unit may also function as a congestion determination unit that determines whether or not there is congestion around the front of the fee adjustment machine 170.

<Functions of facility information management device 300>
FIG. 10 shows an example of the functional configuration of the facility information management device 300.
The facility information management device 300 is configured to include a selection instruction receiving unit 3011, a selection image generating unit 3012, a code receiving unit 3013, an image transmitting unit 3014, an online payment processing unit 3015, a survey information management unit 3016, a customer information management unit 3017, and a product information management unit 3018.

The selection instruction receiving unit 3011 receives a selection instruction sent from the vehicle selection unit 253 of the mobile device 200.

The selection image generating unit 3012 generates multiple pieces of entrance image information as selection images, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the selection image generating unit 3012 is capable of generating a web page that includes the selection images.

The code acceptance unit 3013 accepts a request for discount processing based on a QR code or the like read by the camera 212 of the mobile terminal 200.

The image transmission unit 3014 transmits the selection image generated by the selection image generation unit 3012 to the mobile device 200. In this embodiment, the image transmission unit 3014 can transmit a web page including the selection image.

In this embodiment, the image transmission unit 3014 transmits a selection image to the mobile terminal 200 based on a request to transmit a selection image transmitted from the selection image request unit 251 of the mobile terminal 200. For example, a customer inputs an operation to select a URL associated with a web page including the selection image. In response to this operation, a transmission request is transmitted from the selection image request unit 251 to the parking lot management device 100 via the facility information management device 300.

The online settlement processing unit 3015 functions as a settlement processing unit that executes settlement of parking fees for a parked vehicle selected via the customer's mobile terminal 200 based on a settlement request input via the mobile terminal 200.

As the survey information management unit 3016, a survey information generation unit, a survey information transmission unit, a survey response reception unit, etc. are added as characteristic functions of the present invention.

A customer information receiving unit, a customer information search unit, etc. are added as the customer information management unit 3017.

The product information management section 3018 includes an online shopping information generation section, a facility information provision section, and other sections.

The information processing of the configuration of this embodiment described above will be explained below with reference to example display screens and a flow chart. Figures 11 to 13 are example display screens of the toll settlement machine 170, and Figures 14 and 15 are example display screens of the mobile terminal 200. First, the entry image and investigation information will be explained, followed by the entry process for photographing the entry image and storing it in a database, and the settlement process when the vehicle exits. In this embodiment, there are two types of settlement processes: processing by the toll settlement machine 170 and online settlement processing using the mobile terminal 200.

<About the entrance image>
12B, which will be described later, is a diagram showing an example of the entrance image information stored in the entrance image DB. The entrance information is information managed by the parking lot. The entrance image DB is a part of the vehicle presence DB 121.

The entry information includes the entry image ID attached to the entry image and the entry image itself. It also includes the settlement status, entry date and time, exit date and time, vehicle number, and vehicle-related information such as vehicle model and color. The settlement status is information about the settlement status of the parking fee. For example, "paid" or "unpaid" can be included. (See Figure 6, vehicle DB 121)

The method of specifying the date and time of entry into the parking lot is not limited. In this embodiment, the date and time when the entrance image was captured by the entrance camera 150 is stored as the entry date and time. Of course, if an entrance gate is used, the date and time when the gate is opened, or the date and time when the entrance gate is closed after the vehicle has passed, may be stored as the entry date and time. Note that if a date and time different from the date and time of the image capture is used as the entry date and time, the date and time of the image capture may be stored separately as entry information.

Similarly, the method of specifying the date and time of exit from the parking lot is not limited. In this embodiment, the date and time of the image of the exiting vehicle captured by the exit camera 160 is stored as the date and time of exit. Other date and time information may be stored as the date and time of exit as appropriate. In this case, the date and time of the image of the exiting vehicle may be stored separately as entry information. Note that if a certain condition is satisfied after the date and time of exit is stored in the entry information, the information is stored in the history DB.

Vehicle-related information includes any vehicle information other than the vehicle number. For example, the vehicle name information, body color information, vehicle manufacturer information, etc., mentioned above, are stored as vehicle-related information.

<Survey information = Questionnaire function>
The facility customer information management system 1000 of this embodiment has a function of helping to improve customer satisfaction by investigating the product awareness and satisfaction of customers who use the facility, as well as their satisfaction with store and parking lot services, and reviewing the survey results not only with the facility owner but also with the owners and staff of each store.

In the past, surveys have been presented to customers in facilities, stores, and parking lots using web apps. However, there have been complaints about the need to register as a member or being asked the same questions multiple times, making it difficult to efficiently conduct surveys and collect responses.

Therefore, in the facility customer information management system 1000 of this embodiment, first, as shown in FIG. 6, the survey contents are recorded collectively in the survey information DB 322. In the survey information DB 322, a unique survey number is assigned to each question in the survey, and the survey contents (question text, image, etc.), category (new product, user satisfaction, customer attributes), priority, and collected responses are recorded for each survey number. In the response history DB 323, the vehicle number of the customer who received the response is recorded for each survey number.

Customer DB321 contains items that were entered in advance when registering as a member via a web app or the like. Customer DB321 pre-stores information such as a member number (a unique number generated by the facility customer information management system), name, registration date (application date), credit information, and vehicle number.

Although the product information DB 324 is not directly related to the facility customer information management system of the present invention, it incorporates the so-called EC (electronic commerce) system that is widely used in web applications and the like for stores that do not have physical stores or for selling products in parallel with physical stores. In this case, an online payment system is always incorporated, so it is easy to introduce online payment for parking fees, which will be described later.

<Admission process>
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an entrance process according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Under the control of the parking lot management device 100, it is monitored whether or not an entering vehicle is detected by the entrance camera 150 (step 101). If an entering vehicle is detected (YES in step 101), an entrance image is taken by the entrance camera 150 (step 102).

When the entry of a vehicle is detected (step 103: YES), the entry image and entry date and time information (current date and time) are sent to the parking lot management device 100 (step 104), and the entry process to the parking lot is completed.

When the parking lot management device 100 receives the entry image and entry date and time information (step 106), it reads the vehicle number from the entry image using image recognition processing such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing (step 107), converts it to data to generate entry information (step 109), and records it in the vehicle presence DB 121 together with a unique number (which may be a serial number) as a parking number (step 110). The entry image may also be recorded in the vehicle presence DB 121, but only the image ID is recorded in the vehicle presence DB 121, and the entry image is recorded separately in the image DB together with the image ID.

If the vehicle does not enter after being detected (NO in step 103) and backs out, it is determined that the vehicle has exited (YES in step 105), and processing ends.

In addition, to confirm whether the digitized vehicle number is that of a customer who has already been registered, the facility customer information management device queries the customer DB 321 to extract the membership number from the customer information (step 108) and records it in the vehicle DB 121.

During the aforementioned vehicle number reading process, image recognition processing may be performed to determine vehicle-related information such as vehicle model and color, and the recognition results may be recorded.

<Payment process by fee settlement machine 170>
Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the settlement process of the fee settlement machine 170 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Also, Figs. 11 to 13 are explanatory diagrams of the operation screen of the fee settlement machine 170 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11(1) shows a screen that is displayed on the touch panel display 175 when a settlement start key on a guide screen (not shown) of the fee settlement machine 170 is pressed.
A customer who wishes to settle the parking fee on this screen presses the numeric keypad 1752 to input the four digits of his/her vehicle number into the four square boxes 1754 displayed below the message display section 1751 (step S1).
When the user presses the search button 1753, the fee adjustment machine 170 simultaneously transmits a search request for the vehicle number to the parking lot management device 100 and the facility information management device 300 (step S2).
First, when the parking lot management device 100 receives a search request for a vehicle number (step S12), it searches the vehicle DB 121 (step S13) and transmits entering vehicle information with the corresponding four-digit number together with each entry image (step S14).
The toll adjustment machine 170 receives the search results (step S3). However, if there are many incoming vehicle information targets with the same four-digit number, it may take some time to transmit all the information including the images.

Prior to that, when the facility information management device 300 receives the vehicle number search request (step S17) when sending the vehicle number search request described above, it searches the response history DB 323 (step S18) and extracts the survey number in which the same four-digit vehicle number is recorded.
Next, the survey information DB 322 is searched (step S19), and a survey number is determined from survey numbers other than the extracted survey number, taking into consideration priority, etc., and the survey content of the survey number is generated as a text explanation and answer input control data as survey information (step S20).
At the same time, the fee type and parking fee are determined as fee information, and in the initial state, the fee type is set as a number of pieces of information that can be selected according to the survey information responses, and transmitted (step S21).
The fee adjustment machine 170 receives the investigation information and fee type information (step S4).

Figure 11 (2) shows the operation screen of the toll settlement machine 170 in this state. On the screen of the touch panel type screen 175, the message display section 1751 displays a message indicating that a vehicle is being searched for, while at the same time, the survey information display section 1755 displays questions about the customer's age and the purpose of their visit, as a request for their cooperation in filling out a survey. In this example, two questions are presented.

When the user has finished inputting the survey information (step S6 is YES), the screen transitions to the operation screen shown in FIG. 12 (1), where the entrance image display section 1756 of the screen displays the entrance image 17561 and entrance information 17562 of the target vehicle (step S7). When the user selects his/her own vehicle from the images, the display screen of the toll payment machine 170 transitions to the operation screen of FIG. 12 (2). In this operation screen, the entrance image display section 1756 displays an enlarged version of the selected entrance image. When the user presses the "Pay for this vehicle" key on this operation screen, the toll payment machine 170 determines that the vehicle selection has been confirmed (step S8 is YES). First, the response information is sent to the facility information management device 300 (step S9), the facility information management device 300 receives the response information (step S22), the response history DB 323 is updated (step S23), and the processing of the facility information management device 300 ends.

The charge settlement machine 170 then shifts to the operation screen shown in Fig. 13(1), where the parking fee is displayed in the message display section 1751 next to the entrance image display section 1756 where the selected entrance image is displayed, and the charge settlement process is carried out according to the payment method selected by the customer (step S10). When the charge settlement process is completed, the display shifts to Fig. 13(2), where the operation key section 1758 and the time display section 1757 are displayed, and after a certain period of time, the display returns to the initial screen. Furthermore, the settlement information is transmitted (step S11), and the parking lot management device 100 receives the settlement information (step S15), and updates the vehicle presence DB 121 with the settled and settled fee records (step S16), and all processing is completed.
In addition, in the charge settlement machine 170, the "Please leave within 10 minutes" displayed on the operation screen of FIG. 13(2) indicates the leaving service time included in the charge type.
Details of this will be provided later.

<Participation process>
Although the exit process is not shown, the exit camera 160 takes an image of the vehicle that has left the depot within the above-mentioned exit service time, and rewrites the contents of the vehicle presence DB 121 to the history DB, and the process ends. Note that if a vehicle leaves the depot after the exit service time or if an image of a vehicle that has left the depot without paying the fee is taken, the information is rewritten to an unadjusted depot DB (not shown).

The information processing performed by each device included in the facility customer information management system 1000 from the time a vehicle enters the parking lot until the time it leaves may be integrated or separated. In this embodiment, the information processing (such as database search) performed by the facility information management device 300 may be performed by the parking lot management device 100.

The above is an embodiment in which the fee settlement means is the fee settlement device 170. Below is an embodiment in which the fee settlement means is the mobile terminal 200 and online settlement processing is performed.

<Online settlement processing via mobile terminal>
Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing the online settlement process of the mobile terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figs. 14 and 15 are explanatory diagrams of operation screens of the mobile terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 (1) shows a web page displaying facility information provided by the facility customer information management system 1000 on the touch panel screen 205 of the mobile terminal 200. It is typically the official website of a large shopping mall, and displays floor information for the large shopping mall, information on online shopping for products from related stores from this site, membership registration information, a request to fill in a survey, and a touch area for switching to the function of online parking settlement. A login key area for when a member is registered is also displayed. Figure 14 (1) shows the state when the user is not logged in, and when logged in, the user's name is displayed in the "login" key area.

When the user clicks on "Online Parking Payment," in the flow of Figure 18, if the user is not logged in, the result is NO in step 41, and the screen transitions to the operation screen of Figure 14 (2), where the user enters the four-digit number of the user's vehicle number and presses the "Number Search" key (step S43), which sends a search request for the vehicle number (step S44).

First, when the facility management device 300 receives a vehicle number search request, it is immediately transferred to the parking lot management device 100 (step S63). When the parking lot management device 100 receives the vehicle number search request (step S81), it searches the vehicle DB 121 (step S82) and transmits the entering vehicle information with the corresponding four-digit number together with the respective entry image to the facility management device 300 (step S83).

The facility management device 300 immediately transfers the information to the mobile terminal 200 (step S68), and the mobile terminal 200 receives the search results (step S47). However, in this case, if there are many objects in the information of entering vehicles with the same four-digit number, it may take some time to send all the information, including the images.

Before that, when the facility information management device 300 receives a vehicle number search request (step S63) during the transmission of the vehicle number search request described above, it searches the response history DB 323 (step S64) and extracts the survey number for which a vehicle number with the same four digits is recorded.

Then, the survey information DB 322 is searched (step S65), and a survey number is determined from survey numbers other than the extracted survey number, taking into consideration priorities, etc., and the survey content of the survey number is generated as survey information in the form of a text description and answer input control data (step S66). At the same time, the fee type and parking fee are determined as fee information, and in the initial state, the fee type is set as multiple pieces of information that can be selected depending on the answer to the survey information, and is then transmitted (step S67).

The survey information and fee information are received by the mobile terminal 200 and are output to the operation screen (step S45). Figure 14 (3) shows the operation screen of the mobile terminal in this state. The screen is provided with a questionnaire display section 2051, which displays questions about the customer's age and purpose of visit as a request for cooperation in filling out the questionnaire. In this example, two questions are presented.

When inputting the survey information is finished (step S46 is YES), the screen transitions to the operation screen shown in FIG. 14 (4), where the entry image and entry information of the target vehicle are displayed on the screen. When the user selects his/her own vehicle from among these images (by scrolling up and down the screen several times as needed), a dialogue box stating "Pay for this vehicle" is displayed, and when the user presses the confirmation key, the vehicle selection is confirmed (step S48 is YES), and first the response information is sent to the facility information management device 300 (step S49), the facility information management device 300 receives the response information (step S69), and the response history DB 323 is updated (step S70).

The mobile terminal then transitions to the operation screen of FIG. 15 (1), where the parking fee is displayed. When a type of online payment (not shown) is selected, payment information is sent (step S50), the facility information management device 300 receives the payment information (step S71), and the online payment process is carried out according to the payment method selected by the customer, as shown in FIG. 15 (2) (step S72).

When the online settlement process is complete, settlement completion information is sent simultaneously to the mobile terminal and the parking lot management device 100 (step S73), and the processing of the facility information management device 300 ends. The settlement information is received by the mobile terminal (step S51), and the screen transitions to FIG. 15 (3), and after a certain period of time, the screen returns to the initial screen. The settlement information is also received by the parking lot management device 100 (step S84), and the vehicle presence DB 121 is updated to indicate that settlement has been completed, the settlement fee record, etc. (step S85), and all processing ends.

In addition, in the charge settlement machine 170, the "Please leave within 10 minutes" message displayed on the operation screen of FIG. 15(3) indicates the leaving service time included in the charge type.
Details of this will be provided later.

<Online payment processing/login via mobile device>
If the user is logged in to the facility's website using a mobile terminal and clicks on online parking settlement, the result in step 41 in the flow of Figure 18 becomes YES and a customer information search request is sent together with the membership number specified at the time of login. The facility information management device 300 receives the customer information search request (step S61), searches customer DB 321 (step S62), and transmits the vehicle number linked to the membership number extracted from customer DB 321 without the user having to enter the four-digit number of the user's own vehicle number (step S63).
From this point on, the flow will be the same as if you were not logged in.

Next, we will explain the survey information generation process and fee type determination process executed by the facility information management device 300 in step 20 of FIG. 17 in the case of settlement using the fee settlement machine 170, and in step 66 of FIG. 18 in the case of online settlement using the mobile terminal 200.

<Survey information generation process and fee type determination process>
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the investigation information generation process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As described above, multiple pieces of survey information, i.e., questionnaires, are recorded in advance. In the survey information generation process, first, survey numbers that are not in the response history linked to the vehicle number are extracted (step S201). At this time, the number of hits differs depending on whether or not the user has logged in.

Next, the investigation number related to the customer information is removed (step S201). This is because when logging in, the customer information is already clear, so there is no need to conduct an investigation related to the customer information. Therefore, by performing this step, the investigation content can be simplified.

Next, the congestion degree is confirmed (step S203). The congestion degree is generally determined based on whether or not the station is crowded. An intermediate value may be used. A typical example of this method is that in this embodiment, two fee adjustment machines 170 are installed in the same location, so if both machines are being used for settlement processing, it can be determined that the station is crowded, and if at least one of the machines is free, it can be determined that the station is not crowded.
Other determination methods will be described later.

However, in the case of online payment using a mobile terminal, since the payment machine 170 is not operated, it is basically determined that there is no congestion. The number of surveys is determined taking into consideration these judgment results. For example, if there is congestion, the number of surveys may be one, if there is no congestion, the number of surveys may be two, and the number may also be changed depending on other factors. The number of surveys refers to the number of questions in the questionnaire.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the fee type determination process according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The fee information is determined based on the fee type and the parking time, and the fee type in a broad sense includes the hourly rate, the maximum fee, the service time when entering the parking lot, and the service time when leaving the parking lot.

The fee type determination process first checks the day of the week and time period from the date and time information included in the entry information (step S301). In detail, the facility information management device 300 queries the vehicle presence DB 121 of the parking lot management device 100. This process may be executed by the parking lot management device 100.

Next, the survey response status is confirmed (step S302). In detail, the response history DB323 is searched, and the survey number for which the target vehicle number is recorded in the response history is extracted. Taking into account the results of these confirmations, the fee type is determined.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing fee types according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Indicators for determining detailed fee types include the day of the week, the time period, the response status of the survey information, and the number of responses to the survey information on the same day.
The day of the week is checked based on whether it is a weekday, holiday, or special day.
The time periods are checked as night, normal, and peak hours. "Peak hours" are included in the "normal" hours, and generally not included in "night."
The response status is checked as high, medium, or low. The response status is checked by the number of survey numbers recorded in the response history linked to the target vehicle number.
Same-day responses are the number of survey responses given on the same day.
Based on these indicators,
Hourly rates are determined by the day of the week and time of day (regular/night).
The maximum charge is determined by the day of the week and time of day (regular/night).
The service time upon arrival will be determined based on the response status.
The service time upon leaving the depot is determined based on whether there are any congestions and the number of responses on that day.

For example, if there are two vehicles that enter the parking lot on the same day and time and park for the same amount of time, the hourly fee and maximum fee will be the same, but the vehicle with more response status (number of survey responses) will be assigned a fee type with a longer entrance service time. The entrance service time is the grace period from entry until the start of calculation of the hourly fee. A vehicle that is assigned a fee type with a longer entrance service time is useful for customers, as it can be used as a time period after entering the parking lot without incurring parking fees if the vehicle exits without making any purchases at the facility.

For example, if there are two vehicles that enter the parking lot on the same day and time and park for the same amount of time, the hourly fee and maximum fee will be the same, but the vehicle with more responses (number of survey responses) on the day will be assigned a fee type with a longer exit service time. The exit service time is the grace period from payment until exiting the parking lot until the hourly fee calculation begins again. A vehicle that is assigned a fee type with a longer exit service time is useful for customers, as it is a period during which no parking fee will be charged even if the vehicle remains in the facility after payment when exiting the parking lot. Furthermore, this extension of the exit service time may only be effective when the parking lot is crowded.

Figure 22 is an explanatory diagram of an image captured by a close-range camera 1710 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The close-range camera 1710 is installed on the front of the payment machine 170 and acts as a human presence sensor, and also reads the QR code on a service voucher presented by a customer, and functions as a code reader when two-dimensional code payment is selected as the payment method.

The close-range camera 1710 also has the function of detecting the degree of congestion around the payment machine 170. For example, in the case of an image capture screen such as that shown in FIG. 22(1), the faces of three people are recognized as customers, but the movement of each face prior to that is also recognized, and if the three people move into the screen in a roughly similar manner, it is determined that they are acting as the same group, and the degree of congestion is determined to be low (none) as one family.

On the other hand, in the case of an image capture screen like that shown in Figure 22 (2), multiple faces of other people are recognized behind the customer who is processing the payment. Furthermore, the previous movement state of each of these multiple faces is also recognized, and if each person moves into the screen on a different path or at a different time, it is determined that they are acting as a different group, and the level of congestion is determined to be high (present), with two or three families.

In this way, the close-range camera 1710 can be effectively used to determine the degree of congestion even in a parking lot where only one toll payment machine 170 is installed. Even in a parking lot where multiple toll payment machines 170 are installed in the same location, the degree of congestion of each payment machine can be determined in this way.

When logging in and paying with the mobile terminal 200, only one vehicle image is extracted by the parking lot management device 100. In addition, by searching the response history DB 323, it is possible to reliably extract survey information that has already been answered. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of information to be excluded from the survey information, and allows appropriate selection of survey questions.

In addition, if the customer is logged in using the mobile terminal 200, the customer can directly access the survey information in that state and increase the number of responses. In other words, even if the customer responds to a survey without using the parking lot, the survey will not overlap with a survey that is presented when the customer uses the parking lot, and the customer's response status will be determined to be high when the customer uses the parking lot, so a fee type that is advantageous to the customer will be determined.

<Summary of features of this embodiment>
In this way, the facility customer information management system of this embodiment is located in a parking lot that is attached to or located close to a facility that provides products and services, or in a parking lot where providing the parking lot itself is the purpose of providing the service, and comprises an entrance camera 150 that captures the vehicle number when entering the parking lot, a parking lot management device 100 that stores the entrance image captured by the entrance camera 150, and a fee settlement means that displays the entrance image stored in correspondence with the vehicle number, selects the vehicle to be settled from the entrance image, and performs settlement processing, and is characterized in that the fee settlement means outputs a questionnaire survey screen after the vehicle number is input, and displays the entrance image after a response is input to the questionnaire survey screen.

This ensures that the questionnaire survey can be carried out reliably when settling the bill.

The fee settlement means is settlement by a fee settlement machine 170 connected to the parking lot management device 100 and installed in the parking lot, and online settlement by a user's mobile terminal 200 that can be directly or indirectly connected online to the parking lot management device 100, and the fee settlement for use of the parking lot is carried out by either settlement process.

This provides convenience for users.

It also has a facility information management device 300 that is connected to the parking lot management device 100 and stores customer information for the facility, and survey identification information indicating the survey content for which the answer was entered is stored in a memory unit (database) of the facility information management device 300 in correspondence with the vehicle number associated with the customer information, and the control unit of the facility information management device 300 controls the device to exclude survey content that has already been answered in response to the input of the vehicle number.

This allows for proper collection of survey responses.

The control unit of the parking lot management device 100 is also provided with a fee type determination unit, which controls the fee calculation process using a variable fee type setting that changes the entry service time or exit service time depending on the survey identification information stored in the memory unit of the facility information management device 300, the number of survey responses on the day, and the current congestion level of the parking lot, in addition to the standard fee type setting based on the day and time of day.

This is expected to increase the number of survey questions requested without requiring the stores and institutions requesting responses to bear any costs.

The fee settlement machine 170 is also equipped with a close-range camera 1710 that captures an image of the front of the device, an image analysis unit that analyzes the image from the close-range camera 1710, and a control unit that determines the number of questions in the questionnaire. The number of questions in the questionnaire when operating the fee settlement machine 170 is determined by calculating the degree of congestion around the fee settlement machine 170 using the image analysis unit, and the control unit determines the number of questions according to the degree of congestion.

This will allow for a larger number of survey questions to be asked in less crowded situations, which is expected to lead to an increase in the number of survey responses.

The facility information management device 300 also has an online payment acceptance function for the mobile terminal, as well as an operation acceptance function dedicated to questionnaires.

This will encourage customers to enter their survey responses.

Furthermore, the facility customer information management method according to one embodiment of this embodiment is also within the scope of the rights to be implemented by a computer for each processing step of the above system.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to efficiently and accurately collect information on customer satisfaction for the entire facility or individual stores in parking lots attached to or nearby facilities such as large shopping malls.

<Modifications of the embodiment>
The above-described embodiment may be modified as follows, for example.
In the above embodiment, the vehicle number search result reception in step 3 in Fig. 17 and the investigation information and fee type reception in step 4 are processed in this order, but this order may be reversed. Since the process of searching for images in the vehicle DB 121 may be a relatively heavy process compared to the investigation information generation process and the fee type determination process (step 20), there is a possibility that the user will be made to wait until the vehicle number search result is displayed. Therefore, by implementing this modified process, the investigation information (questionnaire) can be output relatively quickly.

In the above embodiment, the timing for executing the online settlement process (FIG. 18) by the mobile terminal 200 is when the user leaves the facility, similar to settlement by the fee settlement machine 170. In addition to this configuration, the survey screen may be displayed on the mobile terminal 200 when a request to send a survey screen is received from the mobile terminal 200 at any time other than when the user leaves the facility (not involving settlement). The request to send the survey screen may be generated, for example, when the user clicks on a specific URL (Uniform Resource Locator) linked from the facility's homepage or campaign site. This modified configuration can increase the opportunities for users to respond to surveys, increasing the number of responses to survey questions and thus increasing the number of survey requests from affiliated stores, etc.

In the above embodiment, in the case of payment using the fare adjustment machine 170, the facility information management device 300 executes a survey information generation process in step 20 of FIG. 17 to determine the number of survey questions to be included in the survey screen according to the degree of congestion calculated by analyzing the screen captured by the close-range camera 1710. This allows an appropriate number of questionnaire survey information and survey screens to be generated.

When making online payments using the mobile terminal 200, the mobile terminal 200 is equipped with a GPS 211, and the location of the mobile terminal 200 can be accurately determined. The parking lot management device 100 or the facility information management device 300 acquires the parking location of the vehicle in the parking lot, and acquires the location of the mobile terminal 200 at the time the vehicle number is entered on the vehicle number input screen using the GPS 211. Next, the number of questions in the survey to be included in the survey screen is determined according to the distance between the location of the mobile terminal 200 and the parking location. For example, if the distance is far, it will take a relatively long time for the user to arrive at the vehicle, so the number of questions is set to be large, and conversely, if the distance is short, the number of questions is set to be small. With this modified configuration, a survey with an appropriate number of questions can be presented to the user.

The parking position of the vehicle in the parking lot is identified, for example, by performing a matching search between an image of the vehicle in images taken by in-park cameras installed at various points in the parking lot and an image of the vehicle in the entry image.
In addition, even if the parking location is not specified, the location of the entire parking lot can be set using predetermined latitude and longitude information, and the number of survey questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen can be determined by comparing this information with the location information of the mobile terminal 200.
In addition, in these modified examples, the number of survey questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen is determined according to the relative positions of the mobile terminal 200 and the vehicle, but the number of survey questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen may also be determined according to the distance between the parking position of the vehicle and the exit of the parking lot.
Either modified configuration makes it possible to present a questionnaire survey with an appropriate number of questions to the user.

<Other features>
In addition, a fee settlement system using the fee settlement machine 170 and an online settlement system using the mobile terminal 200 may be mixed, or either fee settlement system may be combined as appropriate. For example, the two systems may be separated so that cash settlement is performed by the fee settlement machine 170, and credit card settlement and electronic money settlement are performed by the user's mobile terminal 200.

In the embodiment of the present technology, vehicles can be managed regardless of whether they are regular cars or large cars, or motorcycles as well. That is, in this disclosure, vehicles are not limited to cars, but also include bicycles and motorcycles (motorcycles). Furthermore, a parking lot is a concept that includes bicycle parking lots for parking bicycles and motorcycles (motorcycles). That is, the present technology is not limited to parking lots where cars can be parked, but can also be applied to bicycle parking lots, etc.

Similarly, the facility customer information management method according to the present invention may be executed by a single computer, or may be executed by multiple computers working together. That is, acquisition of entrance images, generation of selection images, settlement, condition determination, etc. may be executed by a single computer, or each process may be executed by a different computer. Furthermore, execution of each process by a specific computer includes having another computer execute part or all of the process and obtaining the results. For example, the information processing method and program according to the present technology can also be applied to a cloud computing configuration.

The mobile terminal of the customer that performs the online settlement described in the embodiment of the present invention may be a dedicated terminal that does not have a cash settlement function installed near the parking lot, or another terminal that performs some of the functions installed in a store affiliated with the parking lot. For example, as a guidance device, devices that provide various information about the parking lot and this facility customer information management system may be installed in various places within the facility, and a device that has a display device or the like and can display guidance information is used as the guidance device. The guidance device may have a reader for electronic money or code payment for vending machines, have no cash handling function, and do not have a login function to identify individual customer information, and have the function of a large display version of a mobile terminal guidance device.

The facility information management device 300, the store, the parking lot, the mobile terminal 200, the parking lot management device 100, the vehicle entry image information, each processing flow, etc. described with reference to each drawing are merely one embodiment, and can be modified as desired without departing from the spirit of this technology. In other words, any other configuration, algorithm, etc. for implementing this technology may be adopted.

It is also possible to combine at least two of the characteristic features of the present invention described above. In other words, the various characteristic features described in each embodiment may be combined in any way, without distinction between the embodiments. Furthermore, the various effects described above are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may be achieved.

The present invention may be modified as appropriate without going against the gist or concept of the invention as can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and facility customer information management systems and the like that accompany such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention.

The technology of the present invention can be ideally used in parking lots attached to or near large facilities such as shopping malls.

100...Parking lot management device 200...Mobile terminal 170...Fee adjustment machine 150...Entrance camera 160...Exit camera 1000...Facility customer information management system 300...Facility information management device

Claims (8)

A facility customer information management system including an entrance camera and a parking lot management device,
The entrance camera is installed at the entrance of a parking lot of the facility and captures an entrance image including a vehicle number of a vehicle entering the parking lot,
The parking lot management device includes:
storing the captured entrance image;
When or before the vehicle leaves the parking lot, a vehicle number input screen is displayed on the fee settlement means to allow a user of the vehicle to input the vehicle number of the vehicle that is leaving the parking lot;
A search is performed for an entrance image including the vehicle number inputted through the vehicle number input screen from among the stored entrance images;
After the vehicle number is inputted on the vehicle number input screen, a questionnaire survey screen is displayed on the fee settlement means;
after the answer to the questionnaire survey screen is input, an entrance image selection screen that allows the user to select the searched entrance image is displayed on the fee settlement means. 2. The facility customer information management system according to claim 1 ,
a customer database for storing customer information of the facility;
The customer information is associated with the vehicle number of the vehicle that entered the parking lot and survey identification information indicating the content of the survey answered by the user of the vehicle,
The parking lot management device configures the questionnaire survey screen by excluding the contents of the questionnaire indicated by the questionnaire identification information associated with the vehicle number inputted through the vehicle number input screen. 3. The facility customer information management system according to claim 1 ,
The parking lot management device changes the length of the service time depending on at least one of the survey identification information associated with the vehicle number entered on the vehicle number input screen, the number of survey responses on the day, and the current congestion level of the parking lot, and calculates the fee based on the changed service time.Facility customer information management system. 4. The facility customer information management system according to claim 1 ,
The questionnaire survey screen is displayed on a fee settlement machine when the fee settlement means is a fee settlement machine connected to the parking lot management device and installed in the parking lot, and is displayed on a mobile terminal when the fee settlement means is a mobile terminal capable of communication with the parking lot management device.Facility customer information management system. 5. The facility customer information management system according to claim 4 ,
The fee settlement means is the fee settlement machine,
The fee adjustment machine is equipped with a close-range camera that captures an image of the front of the fee adjustment machine,
A facility customer information management system in which the parking lot management device determines the number of questionnaire questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen according to the degree of congestion calculated by analyzing the screen captured by the close-range camera. 5. The facility customer information management system according to claim 4 ,
The charge settlement means is the mobile terminal,
A facility customer information management system in which the parking lot management device displays a questionnaire survey screen on the mobile terminal when it receives a request to send the questionnaire survey screen from the mobile terminal at any time that does not involve settlement, separate from the questionnaire survey screen that is displayed on the mobile terminal after the vehicle number is entered. 7. The facility customer information management system according to claim 4 or 6 ,
The charge settlement means is the mobile terminal,
The parking lot management device includes:
Acquire the location of the mobile terminal at the time when the vehicle number is input on the vehicle number input screen;
a facility customer information management system that determines the number of questionnaire questions to be included on the questionnaire survey screen according to the distance between the acquired position of the mobile terminal and the position of the parking lot or the parking position of the vehicle in the parking lot. A facility customer information management method executed by a facility customer information management system,
a step of storing an entrance image including a vehicle license plate number of a vehicle entering the parking lot of the facility, the entrance image being photographed by the entrance photographing means at the entrance of the parking lot of the facility;
a step of displaying a vehicle number input screen on a fee settlement means when the vehicle leaves the parking lot or before the vehicle leaves the parking lot, the vehicle number input screen prompting a user of the vehicle to enter the vehicle number of the vehicle leaving the parking lot;
A step of searching for an entrance image including the vehicle number inputted through the vehicle number input screen from among the stored entrance images;
a step of displaying a questionnaire survey screen on the fee settlement means after the vehicle number is input on the vehicle number input screen;
after a response to the questionnaire survey screen is input, displaying on the fee settlement means an entrance image selection screen that allows the user to select the searched entrance image.

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