CN107016533B

CN107016533B - Electronic bill management device and electronic bill management method

Info

Publication number: CN107016533B
Application number: CN201610970098.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 妹尾八郎
Original assignee: Takamitsu Sangyou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Takamitsu Sangyou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2015-10-29
Filing date: 2016-10-27
Publication date: 2020-08-11
Anticipated expiration: 2036-10-27
Also published as: TW201715446A; KR20170051307A; KR20170138384A; PH12016000378B1; TWI596554B; SG10201608836RA; CN107016533A; PH12016000378A1; JP2017084151A; JP5925375B1

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic bill management device. The system comprises an issued bill management table, an assignment management part, a transaction management part and a settlement processing part; the issued ticket management table stores electronic ticket information including a usage upper limit, a user, and a settlement person, and the assignment management unit acquires an assignment request from the settlement person and changes the user in the electronic ticket information stored in the issued ticket management table to a designee in the assignment request; the transaction management part allows the transaction using the electronic bill only when the user uses the electronic bill within the upper limit; the settlement processing unit returns only the difference between the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and the actual amount of use of the electronic ticket in the transaction to the settlement processing of the settlement person of the electronic ticket.

Description

Electronic bill management device and electronic bill management method

Technical Field

The invention relates to an electronic bill management device and an electronic bill management method.

Background

In recent years, electronic settlement services using information communication technology have been becoming popular. For example, in a system described in patent document 1 (japanese patent laid-open No. 2005-135330), a taxi ticket is electronically billed and settlement is performed using the electronic ticket. By using the electronic bill, settlement processing can be simplified.

Disclosure of Invention

In the settlement processing using electronic bills, although there are the above-mentioned advantages, it is difficult to say that the use of electronic bills has widely and widely penetrated into the lives of people in the present situation.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic ticket management apparatus and an electronic ticket management method which are advantageous for facilitating the use of electronic tickets.

The present inventors have focused on the expectation that users will desire to transfer electronic tickets smoothly between users, and have considered that the use of electronic tickets can be facilitated if electronic tickets can be transferred appropriately from one user (1 st user) to another user (2 nd user). Then, the present inventors conceived that the ticket is transferred to the device of the 2 nd user as the electronic ticket management device in response to a request from the 1 st user, the electronic ticket having the usage upper limit set therein. According to the electronic ticket management apparatus, the 1 st user can easily transfer the electronic ticket with the usage upper limit set to the 2 nd user by the electronic ticket management apparatus.

Here, at the stage of transferring the electronic ticket, it is difficult to determine the amount of money actually used by the 2 nd user in many cases. Therefore, the 1 st user needs to set the usage upper limit higher with a margin. Thus, the 1 st user who is the settlement person hesitates to transfer the electronic ticket, and there is a fear that it is difficult to sufficiently promote the use of the electronic ticket.

In this regard, the present inventors have conducted intensive studies and finally found the following facts: the above problem can be solved by an electronic bill management device having the following configuration.

That is, an electronic bill management device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit, an assignment management unit, a transaction management unit, and a settlement processing unit; the storage part stores electronic bill information including the use upper limit amount of the electronic bill, the use right person and the settlement person; the transfer management unit acquires a transfer request from a settlement provider and changes a right-of-use person of the electronic ticket information accumulated in the storage unit to a designee in the transfer request; the transaction management part allows the transaction using the electronic bill only when the user uses the electronic bill within the upper limit; the settlement processing unit performs, when the transaction management unit permits the transaction using the electronic ticket, settlement processing for returning a difference between an upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and an actual amount of use in the transaction to a settlement person who has settled the electronic ticket.

In this electronic ticket management apparatus, the use right holder is changed based on an assignment request from the settlement holder. Then, if the user uses the electronic ticket within the usage upper limit, the use of the electronic ticket is permitted, and the difference between the usage upper limit and the usage amount is returned to the settlement person. Therefore, the lower the use amount of the user and the higher the use upper limit amount of the electronic ticket, the larger amount of money is returned to the settlement person. Therefore, even if the usage upper limit is set higher in the setting stage of the usage upper limit or the purchase amount of the user is low, the settlement person of the electronic ticket is not disadvantaged. This can facilitate the transfer of electronic tickets, and as a result, can facilitate the use of electronic tickets.

In the electronic ticket management apparatus, the electronic ticket information further includes information specifying a use purpose of the electronic ticket, and the transaction management unit may permit the transaction using the electronic ticket when the use authority person uses the electronic ticket within the upper limit of the use, and when the use purpose is within the range of the use purpose. This limits the usage of the electronic ticket, thereby reducing the burden of managing the electronic ticket.

The electronic ticket information may further include an application management unit that acquires an instruction for use from the settlement person and sets the information for use designated in the instruction for use as the content designated in the instruction for use among the electronic ticket information accumulated in the storage unit. This can prevent the electronic ticket from being used for an unintended purpose by the settlement person. This can improve convenience for the settlement person and further promote the use of the electronic ticket.

In the above electronic ticket management apparatus, the electronic ticket information may further include a validity period of the electronic ticket, and the transaction management unit may allow the transaction using the electronic ticket when the usage date and time is within the validity period in a case where the usage right person uses the electronic ticket within the upper limit amount. Thus, the usage period of the electronic ticket can be limited, and the management burden of the electronic ticket can be reduced. Further, for example, in the case where the validity period can be set by the settlement person, the electronic ticket can be prevented from being used during a period that the settlement person does not want. That is, the electronic ticket can be promoted to be used for a period desired by the settlement person. This can improve convenience for the settlement person and further promote the use of the electronic ticket.

In the above-described electronic bill management device, the settlement processing unit may perform the advance settlement only for the use amount limit portion in the advance stage of the settlement processing, and perform the correction processing in accordance with the actual use amount in the settlement processing. By performing the settlement in advance only for the use of the upper limit amount portion, the purchasing power of the electronic ticket and the settlement completion amount can be linked, and the settlement can be further performed according to the actual state.

In the above electronic bill management device, the settlement processing unit may perform post-settlement only for the used amount during the settlement processing. Thus, the settlement can be performed only once after the use amount of the electronic bill is determined, and the settlement can be simplified.

An electronic bill management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is an electronic bill management method performed by an electronic bill management apparatus, including: accumulating electronic bill information including the use upper limit amount, the use right person and the settlement person of the electronic bill; acquiring an assignment request from a settlement provider, and changing a user of electronic ticket information accumulated in a storage unit to a designee in the assignment request; only in the case that the user uses the electronic bill within the upper limit of use, the transaction using the electronic bill is allowed; and performing a settlement process of returning a difference between the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and the actual amount of use in the transaction to a settlement person of the electronic ticket in the case where the transaction using the electronic ticket is permitted in the permitting step.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic ticket management apparatus and an electronic ticket management method which are advantageous for facilitating the use of electronic tickets.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration of an electronic ticket management system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the electronic bill management apparatus.

Fig. 3A is a table showing a customer management table.

Fig. 3B is a table showing an electronic ticket management table.

Fig. 4A is a table showing an issued ticket management table.

Fig. 4B is a table showing a purchase management table.

Fig. 4C is a table showing the settlement table determination.

Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an implementation procedure of the electronic ticket management method.

Fig. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an image of electronic ticket management using an application program.

Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an implementation procedure of the electronic ticket management method according to the modified example.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

[ electronic Bill management System ]

As shown in fig. 1, the electronic ticket management system 1 includes an electronic ticket management apparatus 2, a communication network 3,

mobile terminals

4 and 5, a credit card company (card company) terminal 6, and a use company terminal 7. The communication network 3 is, for example, the internet, and the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, the

mobile terminals

4 and 5, the credit card company terminal 6, and the use company terminal 7 are connected to the communication network 3.

The

mobile terminals

4 and 5 are, for example, mobile phones such as smart phones and functional phones, or communication terminals such as tablet terminals. Software (application program) for using the electronic ticket is downloaded to the

mobile terminals

4 and 5. By running the application, communication can be performed between the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 and the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, and users of the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 can use the electronic tickets. Although the electronic ticket is not necessarily used by the application program, the electronic ticket is used by using the application program.

The

mobile terminals

4 and 5 execute an electronic ticket issuing request, review of an issued electronic ticket, change of the use of the electronic ticket, transfer and acceptance of the electronic ticket, and a transaction (purchase of a product or service) using the electronic ticket by running an application. In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 4 is a terminal used by the 1 st user (transferor as a settlement person) who purchases an electronic ticket and transfers it to another person. Further, the mobile terminal 5 is a terminal used by the 2 nd user (assignee) who has been given an electronic ticket from the 1 st user and uses the electronic ticket. Since the 1 st user and the 2 nd user are both persons who can purchase a product or the like using an electronic ticket, they may be collectively described as "consumers".

Note that, for convenience, the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 are described with reference to different symbols, but the functions for using electronic tickets in the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 are not different. Although fig. 1 illustrates one

mobile terminal

4 and 5, the number of

mobile terminals

4 and 5 may be plural, and is not limited to the number.

The credit card company terminal 6 is a terminal of a credit card company that issues a credit card and manages a transaction using the credit card. The credit card company terminal 6 performs credit card settlement related to purchase of an electronic ticket for purchasing a product or service by communicating with the electronic ticket management apparatus 2. The using company terminal 7 is a terminal of a transaction party (using company) that receives a payment for a good in a transaction using an electronic ticket. The transaction partner may be referred to as a "seller" because it is a person who sells a commodity or the like. For example, in the case where the user who takes a taxi uses an electronic ticket, the user terminal 7 is a terminal of a taxi company. The user terminal 7 performs accounting processing in a transaction using an electronic ticket by communicating with the electronic ticket management apparatus 2. The credit card company terminal 6 and the use company terminal 7 are provided for each company, and one or a plurality of the terminals may be provided for each company.

[ electronic Bill management device ]

The electronic ticket management apparatus 2 is a server that issues electronic tickets and manages transactions using the electronic tickets. The electronic ticket management apparatus 2 includes a processor 201, a memory 202, a storage 203, a network adapter 204, and a bus 205 connecting these components. The processor 201 executes a program in cooperation with at least one of the memory 202 and the storage 203, thereby inputting and outputting data through the network adapter 204. This enables various functions of the electronic bill management device 2 to be realized. Note that the structure of the electronic bill management apparatus 2 shown here is an example. The electronic bill management apparatus 2 may be configured as hardware as long as it can realize the functions described below.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the respective functions of the electronic bill management apparatus 2 as virtual components (hereinafter referred to as "functional modules"). These functional modules are merely to divide the functions of the electronic bill management device 2 into a plurality of modules for convenience, and do not mean that the hardware is also divided into such modules.

As shown in fig. 2, the electronic ticket management apparatus 2 includes, as functional blocks, a communication unit 21, a customer information update unit 22, an issue unit 23, a use management unit 24, a ticket information output unit 25, an assignment management unit 26, a transaction management unit 27, a settlement processing unit 28, a customer management table TBL211, an electronic ticket management table TBL212, an issue ticket management table TBL213 (storage unit), a purchase management table TBL214, and a fixed settlement table TBL 215.

The communication unit 21 communicates with and transmits information to and from the

mobile terminals

4 and 5, the credit card company terminal 6, and the use company terminal 7 (hereinafter, the

mobile terminals

4 and 5, the credit card company terminal 6, and the use company terminal 7 may be referred to as "

mobile terminals

4 and 5, etc.). That is, the communication unit 21 receives a predetermined request or the like from the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 or the like, and outputs the request to another function module in the electronic ticket management apparatus 2. The communication unit 21 receives an input of a predetermined request or the like from another function module in the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, and transmits the request or the like to the

mobile terminals

4 and 5.

The customer information update unit 22 receives a customer information update request from the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 or the use company terminal 7 via the communication unit 21, and updates the customer management table TBL 211. Fig. 3A is a table showing the customer management table TBL 211. As shown in fig. 3A, the customer management table TBL211 stores customer information about the user ID, name, user type, notification method, and card number of each customer.

The customer is a person who performs a transaction using an electronic ticket by communicating with the electronic ticket management apparatus 2. That is, the customers are consumers who purchase goods or services using electronic tickets (i.e., users who use the mobile terminals 4, 5), and sellers who collect payment for goods or services through electronic tickets (i.e., using companies using the company terminal 7). The user ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies a user. The name is the name of the user. The user category is a category of the user, and is set to, for example, "1" or "2". A user category of "1" indicates that the user is a seller and "2" indicates that the user is a consumer. The notification mode is the contact mode of the user, namely the contact mode used in communication with the electronic bill management device. As a notification method, for example, an E-mail address or a telephone number is registered. The card number is the credit card number of the user. The card number is used in the settlement process. Note that the name and the card number may not be set in the customer management table TBL 211.

The customer information update unit 22 adds, deletes, and edits customer information as an update process of the customer management table TBL 211. That is, if a customer information update request is received from a

mobile terminal

4 or 5 or the like that does not store customer information, the customer information update unit 22 adds customer information related to the terminal to the customer management table TBL 211. In this case, the customer information update request includes information indicating a name, a user type, a notification method, and a card number. The customer information update unit 22 associates each piece of information included in the customer information update request with an arbitrarily determined user ID to create customer information, and adds the customer information to the customer management table TBL 211.

Further, the customer information update unit 22 deletes the customer information related to the

mobile terminal

4 or 5 if a customer information update request including a deletion request of the customer information is received from the

mobile terminal

4 or 5 or the like. Further, the customer information update unit 22, upon receiving a customer information update request including an edit request of the customer information from the

mobile terminals

4 and 5, edits the customer information related to the

mobile terminals

4 and 5. Editing of the customer information means changing, for example, the name, notification method, card number, and the like. The customer information update unit 22, if the update process is completed, can transmit a completion notification to the

mobile terminals

4 and 5 via the communication unit 21.

The issuing unit 23 receives an electronic ticket issuing request from the mobile terminal 4 via the communication unit 21, and issues an electronic ticket. More specifically, if the issuing unit 23 receives an electronic ticket issuing request and further receives a report of completion of the prior settlement processing (to be described later in detail) from the settlement processing unit 28, the electronic ticket is issued. The electronic ticket issuance request includes information (ticket ID) specifying an electronic ticket to be issued, an upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket, a validity period of the electronic ticket, and a user ID. The issuing unit 23 refers to the electronic ticket management table TBL212 and issues the electronic ticket based on the information included in the electronic ticket issuing request. Specifically, the issuing unit 23 stores (adds) the electronic ticket corresponding to the designated information in the issued ticket management table TBL 213.

Fig. 3B is a table showing the electronic ticket management table TBL 212. As shown in fig. 3B, the electronic ticket management table TBL212 stores the ticket IDs, the uses, the use company IDs, and the settable amounts of all electronic tickets in association with one another. The ticket ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies the category of the electronic ticket. The designated ticket ID (e.g., "99999") may be an identifier of an electronic ticket whose usage, company ID, and settable amount are set to "free". The use purpose or the like is "arbitrary", meaning that the user can freely designate the use purpose or the like (to be discussed later in detail). The purpose is the use way of the electronic bill. The use company ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies a use company (seller) that can be a target of use of the electronic ticket. A plurality of IDs may be set in the company ID. The settable amount is a range of money amount that can be set as the use upper limit amount of the electronic ticket. Note that the electronic ticket management table TBL212 does not necessarily have to be set with a settable amount.

Fig. 4A is a table showing the issued ticket management table TBL 213. As shown in fig. 4A, the issued ticket management table TBL213 stores (accumulates) electronic ticket information associating an issued ticket ID, a usage upper limit, a validity period, a settlement person ID, a usage right person ID, and a usage completion flag of an electronic ticket issued by the issuer 23.

The issued ticket ID is an identifier of a uniquely specified issued electronic ticket. The ticket ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies the category of the electronic ticket. The usage upper limit is the usage upper limit set in the electronic ticket. The validity period is a valid period of the electronic ticket (a period during which the electronic ticket can be used). In fig. 4A, the expiration date is set to daily, but may be set to time. The payer ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies a person who performs settlement related to purchase of the electronic ticket. The user ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies a person who can purchase a product or the like using the electronic ticket. The use completion flag is a flag indicating whether or not the electronic ticket is completely used, and is set to "1" when the use is completed and set to "0" when the use is not completed.

It is clear from the electronic ticket management table TBL212 shown in fig. 3B that the use of the ticket ID corresponds to the use company ID (hereinafter, the use and the use company ID may be referred to as "use"). That is, the electronic ticket information in the issued ticket management table TBL213 includes a ticket ID as information for specifying the use of the electronic ticket.

The issuing unit 23 specifies the ticket ID, the usage upper limit, the validity period, the payer ID, and the use right ID of the issued electronic ticket based on the information of the electronic ticket management table TBL212 and the information included in the electronic ticket issuing request. That is, when the ticket ID included in the electronic ticket issuance request is present in the electronic ticket management table TBL212, the issuing unit 23 specifies the ticket ID as the ticket ID of the electronic ticket to be issued. When the upper usage limit included in the electronic ticket issuance request is within the settable limit range in the electronic ticket management table TBL212, the issuing unit 23 specifies the upper usage limit as the upper usage limit of the electronic ticket to be issued.

The issuing unit 23 specifies the validity period included in the electronic ticket issuing request as the validity period of the electronic ticket to be issued. Further, the issuing unit 23 specifies the user ID included in the electronic ticket issuing request as the payer ID and the use right ID of the electronic ticket to be issued. When issuing an electronic ticket, the issuing unit 23 specifies that the usage completion flag of the issued electronic ticket is "0". The issuing unit 23 stores (adds) an electronic ticket in which an arbitrarily set issued ticket ID is associated with the specific information in the issued ticket management table TBL 213. The issuing unit 23 may transmit a completion notification to the mobile terminal 4 via the communication unit 21 after the issuance process is completed.

The usage management unit 24 sets (changes) the ticket ID, which is information specifying the usage of the electronic ticket stored in the issued ticket management table TBL213, in accordance with the usage designation from the 1 st user who is the settlement person of the issued electronic ticket. Specifically, the usage management unit 24 receives a designation of a usage purpose from the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user as a settlement person via the communication unit 21. The use purpose designation includes an issued ticket ID of an electronic ticket for which a changed ticket ID is designated, and a changed ticket ID. The usage purpose designation may include a usage upper limit and/or a valid period after the ticket ID is changed. The usage management unit 24 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213, and changes the ticket ID of the electronic ticket specified by the issued ticket ID included in the usage destination designation to the ticket ID included in the usage destination designation. In addition, when the usage purpose designation includes the usage upper limit, the usage upper limit may be changed together with the ticket ID.

The usage management unit 24 may change the ticket ID only when the ticket ID of the target electronic ticket is a predetermined ID. Specifically, the usage management unit 24 may change the ticket ID described above only for an electronic ticket whose usage is set to "arbitrary" ticket ID "99999". If the change of the ticket ID is completed, the usage management section 24 may transmit a completion notification to the mobile terminal 4 through the communication section 21.

The ticket information output unit 25 outputs information on an electronic ticket of which the user is at least one of a settlement person and a use right person, in response to a viewing request from the user. Specifically, the ticket information output unit 25 receives a viewing request from the mobile terminal 4 or the mobile terminal 5 via the communication unit 21. The viewing request includes an issued ticket ID for specifying the electronic ticket to be viewed. The ticket information output unit 25 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213 and specifies the electronic ticket information related to the issued ticket ID included in the viewing request. Further, the ticket information output unit 25 refers to the electronic ticket management table TBL212, and specifies the use and company ID corresponding to the ticket ID of the specific electronic ticket information. Then, the ticket information output unit 25 transmits the information on the specific electronic ticket to the mobile terminal 4 or the mobile terminal 5 that is the transmission source of the viewing request through the communication unit 21.

The transfer management unit 26 acquires a transfer request from the 1 st user who is a settlement person of the issued electronic ticket, and changes the use right person of the electronic ticket to a designated person in the transfer request. Specifically, the assignment management unit 26 receives an assignment request from the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user, which is a settlement person, via the communication unit 21. The transfer request includes an issue ticket ID of an electronic ticket designating the right-to-use person to be changed and a user ID of the 2 nd user designating the right-to-use person (i.e., the transferee) after the change. Then, the assignment management unit 26 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213, and changes the usage right ID of the electronic ticket specified by the issued ticket ID included in the assignment request to the user ID of the 2 nd user included in the assignment request. The assignment management unit 26 may transmit a notification indicating that the change (rewriting) of the user right is completed to the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user and the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user via the communication unit 21.

The transaction management unit 27 manages transactions using electronic tickets by users. The transaction management section 27 permits a transaction using the electronic ticket only in a case where the user uses the electronic ticket within the upper limit of use. In the case where the user uses the electronic ticket within the upper usage limit, the transaction management section 27 is further defined to allow the transaction using the electronic ticket in the case where the purpose of use is within the range of the use (i.e., the use and the use company ID) of the electronic ticket and the date and time of use is within the validity period of the electronic ticket.

Specifically, the transaction management unit 27 receives an accounting request from the user company terminal 7 through the communication unit 21. The accounting request is a request output by using the company terminal 7 in response to an accounting request from the 2 nd user who performs a transaction using the electronic ticket with the seller related to using the company terminal 7 as a transaction party. The accounting request includes the use amount of the electronic ticket, the commodity and the service name of the transaction. The accounting request includes a user ID for specifying the seller related to the use company terminal 7, the use amount and the product and the service name included in the accounting request, and the use date and time when the transaction using the electronic ticket is performed. The date and time of use for the transaction is, for example, the date when the accounting request from the 2 nd user is received by using the company terminal 7.

The transaction management unit 27 that receives the accounting request performs authentication of the use company terminal 7 that transmitted the accounting request. Specifically, the transaction management unit 27 refers to the customer management table TBL211, and confirms that the user ID included in the accounting request is present in the customer management table TBL211 and that the user category corresponding to the user ID of the customer management table TBL211 is "1" (the user is a seller). After the authentication is completed, the transaction management unit 27 associates information included in the accounting request and stores the information in the purchase management table TBL 214.

Fig. 4B is a table showing purchase management table TBL 214. As shown in fig. 4B, the purchase management table TBL214 stores purchase information associating a usage company ID, a usage amount, a commodity, a service name, a usage date and time, and a payment code (payment code) in each transaction using an electronic ticket. The use company ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies the use company (seller) in a transaction using the electronic ticket. The amount of use is the amount paid by the electronic ticket in the transaction. The goods and services name is the name of the goods or services associated with the transaction. The date and time of use is the date and time the transaction was conducted. The payment code is an identifier that uniquely specifies the transaction.

The transaction management unit 27 specifies the user ID, the use amount, the product, the service name, and the use date and time included in the accounting request, and stores purchase information (purchase information in which a payment code is issued) in which the specified information is associated with an arbitrarily set payment code in the purchase management table TBL 214. After the storage, the transaction management unit 27 transmits a code issuance notification indicating that the payment code has been issued, to the user company terminal 7 via the communication unit 21. The code issuance notice includes the issued payment code.

The user company terminal 7 that has received the code issuance notification transfers the code issuance notification to the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user. The transfer of the code issuance notice to the mobile terminal 5 by using the company terminal 7 may be realized by displaying the payment code on the application program and presenting the payment code to the 2 nd user, may be realized by displaying a graphic such as a QR code, a barcode, or a color code and presenting the payment code to the 2 nd user, or may be realized by using short-range communication. Alternatively, the forwarding of the code issuance notice may be performed by orally communicating the payment code to the 2 nd user by the user using the company terminal 7. And, the 2 nd user who confirmed the payment code inputs the payment code from the mobile terminal 5. The input of the payment code by the 2 nd user may be performed by manual input into a code input field of the application program, or may be performed by reading a graphic such as a QR code by a camera function provided in the mobile terminal 5. The transaction management unit 27 acquires the payment code input to the mobile terminal 5 and the user ID specifying the 2 nd user who inputs the payment code through the communication unit 21.

The transaction management unit 27 that acquires the payment code and the like from the mobile terminal 5 performs a validity determination process of the transaction. In the validity determination process, the transaction management unit 27 performs various processes such as code confirmation, use right confirmation, and money confirmation. In the case where the predetermined condition is satisfied in all of the above-described various processes, the transaction management section 27 determines that the transaction using the electronic ticket is valid.

In the code confirmation process, the transaction management unit 27 determines whether or not the payment code acquired from the mobile terminal 5 is a correct payment code for which the settlement request is being made. Specifically, the transaction management unit 27 determines whether or not the acquired payment code is the payment code stored in the purchase management table TBL 214. The transaction management unit 27 is considered to satisfy the condition specified in the code confirmation process only when the payment code is determined to be the correct payment code for which the settlement request is being made.

In the user right confirmation process, the transaction management unit 27 determines whether or not the 2 nd user can become a user right. Specifically, the transaction management unit 27 determines whether or not the electronic ticket in which the acquired user ID of the 2 nd user is the use right ID is stored in the issued ticket management table TBL 213. The transaction management unit 27 is considered to satisfy the specification condition in the user right confirmation process only when it is judged that the 2 nd user can become the user right. In this case, the transaction management unit 27 specifies an electronic ticket in which the user ID of the 2 nd user is the use right ID.

In the confirmation process of the amount of money or the like, the transaction management unit 27 determines whether the amount of money used in the transaction is within the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket, whether the purpose of use of the transaction is within the range of use of the electronic ticket, and whether the date and time of use of the transaction is within the expiration date of the electronic ticket, respectively. Specifically, the transaction management unit 27 refers to the purchase management table TBL214, and specifies the use company ID, the use amount, the product, the service name, and the use date and time corresponding to the payment code acquired from the mobile terminal 5. The use purpose is specified by the use company ID, the product name, and the service name.

Then, the transaction management unit 27 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213, and determines whether or not there is an electronic ticket that satisfies the following condition among the electronic tickets designated in the use right person confirmation processing: the upper limit of use is larger than the use amount, the use is consistent with the use purpose, and the use date and time is contained in the valid period. Here, as described above, the issued ticket management table TBL213 stores the ticket ID as information for specifying the use of the electronic ticket, and the electronic ticket management table TBL212 stores the use and company ID as the use of the electronic ticket in association with the ticket ID. Therefore, the transaction management unit 27 compares the usage and the use company ID as the usage of the electronic ticket designated in the user right confirmation process with the product, the service name, and the use company ID as the usage destination corresponding to the payment code, and determines whether or not there is an electronic ticket whose usage matches the usage destination.

The transaction management unit 27 is considered to satisfy the specification condition in the confirmation process of the amount of money or the like only when it is judged that the electronic ticket exists. In this case, the transaction management unit 27 designates one electronic bill that satisfies the condition for confirmation processing such as the amount of money. In the case where there are a plurality of electronic tickets satisfying the condition, the transaction management unit 27 may preferentially designate, for example, an electronic ticket having a small upper limit. Further, the information of the electronic ticket designated for use input from the 2 nd user may be accepted, and one electronic ticket may be designated in accordance with the input.

The transaction management unit 27 determines that the transaction is valid by using the electronic ticket designated in the confirmation processing of the amount of money and allows the transaction if it is determined that the designated condition is satisfied in all the processing of the code confirmation processing, the user confirmation processing, and the amount of money and the like confirmation processing. In this case, the transaction management unit 27 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213, and changes the electronic ticket usage completion flag designated in the confirmation process of the amount of money or the like to "1". After the use completion flag is changed, the transaction management unit 27 outputs a correction settlement request to the settlement processing unit 28. The correction settlement request includes an issue ticket ID designating the electronic ticket with the changed use completion flag and a payment code related to the transaction.

When the transaction management unit 27 permits a transaction using an electronic ticket, the settlement processing unit 28 performs settlement processing for returning a difference between the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and the actual amount of use in the transaction to a settlement person who has settled the electronic ticket. Specifically, the settlement processing unit 28 performs the prior settlement only on the upper limit amount in the prior stage of the settlement processing (more specifically, the prior stage of issuing the electronic ticket), and performs the correction processing of the use amount according to the transaction in the settlement processing.

In the prior settlement processing, the settlement processing unit 28 first receives an electronic ticket issuance request from the mobile terminal 4 via the communication unit 21. The electronic ticket issuance request includes information indicating the upper limit of use of the electronic ticket to be issued and the user ID of the 1 st user. The settlement processing unit 28 refers to the customer management table TBL211 to specify the card number of the 1 st user, and then communicates with the credit card company terminal 6 via the communication unit 21, and performs settlement (advance settlement) only for the use ceiling amount portion of the electronic ticket to be issued using the credit card of the user. The settlement processing unit 28 outputs a report of completion of the advance settlement processing to the issuing unit 23 if the advance settlement processing is completed.

In the correction processing (settlement processing), the settlement processing unit 28 first receives a correction settlement request from the transaction managing unit 27, and acquires the issue ticket ID and the payment code included in the correction settlement request. The settlement processing unit 28 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213 to specify the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket indicated by the acquired issued ticket ID, and refers to the purchase management table TBL214 to specify the amount of use in the transaction indicated by the acquired payment code. Then, the settlement processing unit 28 designates the difference obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the designated usage upper limit as the return amount to the 1 st user as the settlement person. The settlement processing unit 28 refers to the customer management table TBL211 to specify the card number of the 1 st user, then communicates with the credit card company terminal 6 via the communication unit 21, and performs the refund settlement only for the returned amount portion using the credit card of the user. Alternatively, the settlement processing unit 28 may perform a process of correcting the amount of money previously settled to the usage amount. By such correction processing, the settlement amount finally related to the transaction is equal to the amount of use in the transaction.

When the correction process (settlement process) is completed, the settlement processing unit 28 transmits an accounting completion notification to the right of use (the 2 nd user) and the settlement person (the 1 st user) of the electronic ticket indicated by the issued ticket ID included in the correction settlement request, and transmits an accounting completion notification to the use company (seller) of the transaction indicated by the payment code. Finally, the settlement processing unit 28 updates the settlement table TBL215

Fig. 4C is a table showing the settlement table TBL 215. As shown in fig. 4C, the fixed settlement table TBL215 stores fixed settlement information in which the settlement amount, the payment code, and the settling person ID related to the settlement processing performed by the settlement processing unit 28 are associated with each other. The payer ID is an identifier that uniquely specifies a payer of an electronic ticket related to settlement. The payment code is an identifier that uniquely specifies the transaction. The settlement amount is the final settlement amount in the transaction. The settlement processing section 28 associates the settlement person ID, the payment code, and the settlement amount (i.e., the amount of use in the transaction) and stores the same in the settlement table TBL215 as settlement specifying information.

[ electronic Bill management program ]

Next, as an example of the electronic ticket management method, a management program of an electronic ticket by the electronic ticket management apparatus 2 will be described with reference to fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows the following example: an electronic ticket is issued in response to a request from a 1 st user (steps S101 to 107), the user of the electronic ticket is changed to a 2 nd user in response to the request from the 1 st user (steps S109 to 115), and settlement processing is performed in response to the use of the electronic ticket by the 2 nd user (steps S117 to 139). In the steps described above, although step S117 and step S125 are not processes in the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, they are processes necessary for describing electronic ticket management, and therefore the description is incorporated herein.

First, an electronic ticket issuance request transmitted from the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user is received by the issuing unit 23 and the settlement processing unit 28 via the communication unit 21 (step S101). The electronic ticket issuing request includes a ticket ID of an electronic ticket desired to be issued, a use upper limit amount of the electronic ticket, a validity period of the electronic ticket, and a user ID.

Then, the settlement processing unit 28 performs a preliminary settlement process (step S103). That is, the settlement processing unit 28 refers to the customer management table TBL211 to specify the card number of the 1 st user, and then communicates with the credit card company terminal 6 via the communication unit 21, and performs settlement (advance settlement) only for the use upper limit portion of the electronic ticket to be issued using the credit card of the user. The settlement processing unit 28 outputs a report of completion of the advance settlement processing to the issuing unit 23 if the advance settlement processing is completed.

Then, the issuing unit 23, which has received the electronic ticket issuing request from the mobile terminal 4 and the report of completion of the prior settlement processing from the settlement processing unit 28, issues the electronic ticket and stores (accumulates) the electronic ticket in the issued ticket management table TBL213 (step S105: accumulation step). That is, the issuing unit 23 specifies the ticket ID, the usage upper limit, the validity period, the payer ID, and the use right ID of the issued electronic ticket based on the information of the electronic ticket management table TBL212 and the information included in the electronic ticket issuing request, and stores the electronic ticket in which the specific information is associated with the arbitrarily set issued ticket ID in the issued ticket management table TBL 213. After the electronic ticket is issued, the issuing unit 23 transmits an issue completion notification to the mobile terminal 4 (step S107).

In the electronic ticket issuing process shown in the above steps S101 to S107, a management image of an electronic ticket using an application program is shown in fig. 6A. Fig. 6A shows an example in which a transaction party (a using company) in a transaction using an electronic ticket is a taxi company (the same applies to fig. 6B and 6C described later). In the example shown in fig. 6A, 6B and 6C, a dedicated application program for using an electronic ticket with a taxi company as a transaction party is downloaded to the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user, the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user and the use company terminal 7 of the taxi company.

Fig. 6A shows an electronic ticket management image using an application when the 1 st user as a settlement person purchases an electronic ticket. The 1 st user starts a dedicated application program of a taxi company from the mobile terminal 4, inputs information specifying an electronic ticket to be purchased, a usage upper limit, and the like, and performs input instructing purchase (see an application program display image of "before purchase" in fig. 6A). Based on the input, the electronic ticket issuance request is transmitted to the electronic ticket management apparatus 2. Then, if the prior settlement and issuance process of the electronic ticket is completed, the 1 st user can check information on the issued electronic ticket in the dedicated application (see the application display image "after purchase" in fig. 6A).

Returning to fig. 5, the change process of the user right will be described. After the electronic ticket is issued, an electronic ticket transfer request is transmitted from the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user, which is the settlement provider who performs the prior settlement, and the transfer request is received by the transfer management unit 26 via the communication unit 21 (step S109). The transfer request includes an issue ticket ID specifying an electronic ticket of the user who wants to change the usage rights, and a user ID specifying the 2 nd user who is the user who has changed the usage rights (i.e., the transferee).

Then, the transfer management unit 26 changes the use right holder of the electronic ticket in accordance with the transfer request (step S111, change step). That is, the assignment management unit 26 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213, and changes the usage right ID of the electronic ticket specified by the issued ticket ID included in the assignment request to the user ID of the 2 nd user included in the assignment request. After the user right is changed, the assignment management unit 26 transmits a notification indicating that the change (rewriting) of the user right is completed to the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user and the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user (steps S113 and S115).

After (or when) the notification indicating that the change of the user right is completed in steps S113 and S115 is made, the electronic ticket may be transmitted and received between the 1 st user and the 2 nd user using the application program. Fig. 6B shows an electronic ticket management image using an application when an electronic ticket is transferred from the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user to the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user.

When the 1 st user approaches the 2 nd user, the information indicating the electronic ticket to be transferred (the user right is rewritten) may be directly transmitted from the mobile terminal 4 of the 1 st user to the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user by short-range communication (see the application indication image "when the 2 nd user is nearby" in fig. 6B). In this case, information indicating the electronic ticket transmitted and received by the short-range communication is transmitted from both the mobile terminal 4 and the mobile terminal 5 to the electronic ticket management apparatus 2.

In the case where the 1 st user is far from the 2 nd user, information indicating the electronic ticket to be transferred (the user right is rewritten) may be transmitted from the mobile terminal 4 to the electronic ticket management apparatus 2 via the communication network 3, for example, or the information may be transmitted from the electronic ticket management apparatus 2 to the mobile terminal 5 (see the application program indication image "in the case where the 2 nd user is far" in fig. 6B).

Returning to fig. 5, the calculation process will be explained. After the transfer of the electronic ticket, if the 2 nd user who is the transferee performs the transaction using the electronic ticket, the mobile terminal 5 of the 2 nd user transmits an accounting request to the using company terminal 7 which is the transaction party (step S117). The accounting order includes the use amount of the electronic bill and the name of the commodity and service of the transaction. Note that the transmission of the accounting request may be realized by short-range communication, or may be realized by reading a figure such as a QR code or a barcode using the company terminal 7. Alternatively, the authorization for accounting may be performed orally by the 2 nd user to the user who uses the company terminal 7. The user terminal 7 that has received the accounting request transmits an accounting request to the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, and the accounting request is received by the transaction management unit 27 via the communication unit 21 (step S119). The accounting request includes a user ID for specifying the seller related to the use company terminal 7, the use amount and the product and the service name included in the accounting request, and the use date and time when the transaction using the electronic ticket is performed.

Then, the transaction management unit 27 performs authentication for using the company terminal 7 in response to the accounting request (step S121). That is, the transaction management unit 27 refers to the customer management table TBL211, and confirms that the user ID included in the accounting request is present in the customer management table TBL211 and that the user type corresponding to the user ID of the customer management table TBL211 is "1" (the user is a seller). When the authentication is completed, the transaction management unit 27 stores purchase information in which information included in the accounting request is associated with an arbitrarily set payment code in the purchase management table TBL 214. After the storage, the transaction management unit 27 transmits a code issuance notification indicating that the payment code has been issued to the user company terminal 7 (step S123), and further, transfers the code issuance notification from the user company terminal 7 to the mobile terminal 5 (step S125). The transfer of the code issuance notification to the mobile terminal 5 by using the company terminal 7 may be realized by displaying the payment code on the application program and presenting the payment code to the 2 nd user, may be realized by displaying a graphic such as a QR code, a barcode, or a color code and presenting the payment code to the 2 nd user, or may be realized by using short-range communication. Alternatively, the forwarding of the code issuance notice may be realized by orally communicating the payment code to the 2 nd user using the user of the company terminal 7.

Then, the 2 nd user who confirmed the payment code inputs the payment code from the mobile terminal 5, and the payment code and the user ID of the 2 nd user who specified the input of the payment code are received at the transaction management section 27 through the communication section 21 (step S127).

Then, the transaction management unit 27, which acquires the payment code or the like from the mobile terminal 5, determines the validity of the transaction, and permits the transaction using the electronic ticket only when a condition such as an upper limit of use is satisfied (step S129, permitting step). That is, the transaction management unit 27 performs each process of code confirmation, use right confirmation, amount confirmation, and the like, and when all of the above processes satisfy a predetermined condition, determines that the transaction using the electronic ticket is valid, and permits the transaction of the electronic ticket.

If the transaction using the electronic ticket is permitted, the transaction management section 27 updates the electronic ticket to the use completion (step S131). That is, the transaction management unit 27 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213, and changes the use completion flag of the electronic ticket designated as the electronic ticket used in the transaction to "1". After changing the use completion flag, the transaction management unit 27 outputs a correction settlement request to the settlement processing unit 28. The correction settlement request includes an issue ticket ID specifying the electronic ticket whose usage completion flag has been changed, and a payment code relating to the transaction.

Then, the settlement processing unit 28 performs a modified settlement process of returning the difference between the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and the actual amount of use in the transaction to the settlement owner of the electronic ticket (step S133, a step of performing the settlement process). That is, the settlement processing unit 28 refers to the issued ticket management table TBL213 to specify the upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket indicated by the acquired issued ticket ID, and refers to the purchase management table TBL214 to specify the amount of use in the transaction indicated by the acquired payment code. Then, the settlement processing unit 28 designates a difference obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the designated usage upper limit as a return amount to the 1 st user who is the settlement person. The settlement processing unit 28 refers to the customer management table TBL211 to specify the card number of the 1 st user, then communicates with the credit card company terminal 6 via the communication unit 21, and performs refund settlement only for the refund amount portion (or a process of correcting the amount of money previously settled to the amount of use) using the credit card of the user.

After the settlement processing, the settlement processing unit 28 transmits an accounting completion notification to the mobile terminal 5 of the user (the 2 nd user) who issued the electronic ticket indicated by the ticket ID included in the correction settlement request and the mobile terminal 4 of the settlement user (the 1 st user) (steps S135 and S136). Further, the settlement processing unit 28 transmits an accounting completion notification to the use company terminal 7 of the seller who has made the transaction indicated by the payment code (step S137). Finally, the settlement processing unit 28 updates the settlement table TBL215 (step S139). That is, the settlement processing unit 28 associates the settlement person ID, the payment code, and the settlement amount (i.e., the amount of money used in the transaction) and stores the result in the settlement table TBL215 as settlement specifying information.

The method (payment time) by which the credit card company pays the user company is not limited. For example, the payment of the amount by the preliminary settlement may be made from the credit card company to the use company at the time of the preliminary settlement, and the payment of the amount by the correction settlement (refund or the like) may be made between the credit card company and the use company at the time of the correction settlement. The "time of advance settlement" may be a time when advance settlement is performed, or may be, for example, a deadline (closedate) of a credit card of the user. In addition, in the case of the prior settlement, the payment from the credit card company to the use company is not required, and in the case of the corrected settlement, the payment may be made only for the settlement amount from the credit card company to the use company.

Fig. 6C shows an image of electronic ticket management using an application when the 2 nd user performs a transaction using the transferred electronic ticket. The 2 nd user inputs an amount corresponding to a taxi fee from the mobile terminal 5 and inputs an instruction for payment. In response to this input, the accounting request is transmitted to the use company terminal 7 of the taxi company, and an input instructing accounting is made in the use company terminal 7. In response to this input, an accounting request is sent to the electronic ticket management apparatus 2. Note that the accounting request may be performed orally by the 2 nd user to the user who uses the company terminal 7. After the electronic ticket management apparatus 2 authenticates the taxi company as the use company, the payment code is issued, and when the 2 nd user inputs the payment code from the application program, the electronic ticket management apparatus 2 performs the settlement processing.

[ Effect of the present embodiment ]

Next, the operation and effects of the electronic bill management device 2 will be described.

In the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, the user of the electronic ticket is changed based on the transfer request from the 1 st user as the settlement user. Then, if the 2 nd user as the usage right uses the electronic ticket within the usage upper limit, the usage of the electronic ticket is permitted, and the difference between the usage upper limit and the usage amount is returned to the 1 st user. Therefore, the lower the usage amount of the 2 nd user and the higher the usage upper limit amount of the electronic ticket, the larger amount will be returned to the 1 st user. Therefore, when the 1 st user sets the usage upper limit to be high or the 2 nd user has a low purchase amount in the setting stage of the usage upper limit, the 1 st user is not inconvenienced. This can facilitate the transfer of electronic tickets, and as a result, can facilitate the use of electronic tickets.

In the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, the electronic ticket information includes information specifying the use of the electronic ticket, and when the second user, which is the user authorized to use the electronic ticket, uses the electronic ticket within the upper limit, the transaction management unit 27 allows the transaction using the electronic ticket if the use purpose is within the range of the use. This limits the usage of the electronic ticket, and reduces the management load of the electronic ticket.

Further, the electronic ticket issuing system includes an application management unit that sets (changes) ticket ID, which is information specifying the application of the electronic ticket stored in the issued ticket management table TBL213, in accordance with the designation of the purpose of use from the 1 st user who is the settlement person of the issued electronic ticket. This can prevent the electronic ticket from being used for an application which the 1 st user who is the settlement person does not desire. Therefore, convenience for the settlement person can be improved, and use of the electronic ticket can be further promoted.

In the electronic ticket management apparatus 2, the electronic ticket information further includes a valid period of the electronic ticket, and when the second user, which is the righter, uses the electronic ticket within the upper limit of use, the transaction management unit 27 permits the transaction using the electronic ticket, to be limited to the case where the date and time of use is within the valid period. Thus, the usage period of the electronic ticket can be limited, and the management burden of the electronic ticket can be reduced. Further, since the validity period can be set by the settlement person, it is possible to facilitate the use of the electronic ticket for a period desired by the settlement person. Therefore, convenience for the settlement person can be improved, and use of the electronic ticket can be further promoted.

In the electronic bill management device 2, the settlement processing unit 28 may execute the prior settlement only for the use amount limit portion at a stage prior to the settlement processing, and perform the correction processing in accordance with the actual use amount in the settlement processing. Through only settling in advance with using the upper limit amount part, can make the purchasing power and the linkage of settlement completion amount of electronic ticket to can settle accounts according to actual condition more. That is, when an electronic ticket with an upper usage limit set is issued, the electronic ticket can be used to purchase a product or the like at the maximum upper usage limit. Therefore, by performing the prior settlement using the upper limit portion, the purchasing power (maximum purchase amount) of the electronic ticket can be matched with the amount of money to be settled.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, although the settlement processing unit 28 has been described as a method of performing a prior settlement using the ceiling amount portion in a stage prior to the settlement processing and performing a correction processing in accordance with an actual amount of use in the settlement processing, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the settlement processing unit 28 may perform the post-settlement only for the used amount portion in the settlement processing without performing the pre-settlement. Thus, the settlement can be performed only once after the use amount of the electronic bill is determined, and the settlement can be simplified. Note that, even when settlement is performed only once (after-settlement), the settlement is performed only for the use amount, and thus the right corresponding to the difference between the use upper limit amount and the use amount can be substantially reserved (returned) to the 1 st user. That is, in the right to use the electronic ticket, a part of the difference between the usage upper limit and the usage amount is returned to the 1 st user.

Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an execution procedure of the electronic bill management method according to the above-described modification in which post-settlement is performed only for the use amount portion. The processes shown in fig. 7 are basically the same as those in the case of performing the prior settlement shown in fig. 5, and steps S101, S105 to S131, and S135 to 139 in fig. 5 correspond to steps S201, S205 to S231, and S235 to 239 in fig. 7, respectively. On the other hand, while the advance settlement processing is performed in response to the electronic ticket issuance request in the processing of fig. 5 (step S103), the advance settlement processing is not performed in the processing of fig. 7. In addition, in fig. 7, a settlement process for performing post settlement is executed (step S234) instead of the correction settlement process (step S133) performed in fig. 5. In this manner, in the processing relating to the modification shown in fig. 7, the settlement is performed only once (post-settlement) in the settlement processing.

Description of the symbols

2 electronic bill management device

23 issue department

24 purpose management part

26 assignment management section

27 transaction management section

28 settlement processing part

The TBL213 issues a ticket management table.

Claims

1. An electronic bill management apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit that stores electronic ticket information including an upper limit of use of an electronic ticket, a right of use person, and a settlement person, and information specifying a use of the electronic ticket;

an application management unit that acquires an application designation from a 1 st user that is the settlement person, and sets or changes information designating the application in the electronic ticket information accumulated in the storage unit to the content designated in the application designation;

an assignment management unit that acquires an assignment request from the 1 st user that is the settlement owner, and changes the user authorized to use in the electronic ticket information accumulated in the storage unit to the 2 nd user specified in the assignment request;

a transaction management unit that allows a transaction using the electronic ticket when the usage of the electronic ticket is limited to the use upper limit by the 2 nd user, which is the right of use, and when a purpose of use is within the range of the use; and

and a settlement processing unit that performs, when the transaction management unit permits a transaction using the electronic ticket, settlement processing for returning a difference between an upper limit amount of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and an actual amount of use in the transaction to the 1 st user, which is the payer of the electronic ticket.

2. The electronic ticket management apparatus of claim 1,

the electronic ticket information further includes a validity period of the electronic ticket,

in the case where the user uses the electronic ticket within the usage upper limit, the transaction management section is further defined to allow the transaction using the electronic ticket if the usage date and time is within the validity period.

3. The electronic ticket management apparatus of claim 1 or 2,

the settlement processing unit performs a prior settlement only for the upper use amount portion in a prior stage of the settlement processing, and performs a correction processing in accordance with an actual use amount in the settlement processing.

4. The electronic ticket management apparatus of claim 1 or 2,

the settlement processing unit performs post-settlement only for the use amount portion in the settlement processing.

5. An electronic bill management method performed by an electronic bill management apparatus, comprising:

accumulating electronic ticket information including an upper limit of use of an electronic ticket, a right of use person, a settlement person, and information specifying a use of the electronic ticket;

acquiring a designation of a usage purpose from a 1 st user who is the settlement person, and setting or changing information designating the usage purpose in the accumulated electronic ticket information to the content designated in the designation of the usage purpose;

acquiring an assignment request from the 1 st user, which is the settlement owner, and changing the user right in the electronic ticket information to the 2 nd user designated in the assignment request;

in the case where the electronic ticket is used within the usage upper limit only by the user of the right of use, that is, the 2 nd user, it is further defined that the transaction using the electronic ticket is permitted in the case where the purpose of use is within the range of the use;

if a transaction using the electronic ticket is permitted in the permitting step, a settlement process is performed in which a difference between the upper limit of use of the electronic ticket used in the transaction and an actual use amount in the transaction is returned to the 1 st user, which is the settlement person of the electronic ticket.