JP2018139124A - Point management system and point management method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively promote sales of a particular commodity.SOLUTION: In a point management system, a vending machine is able to transmit commodity information on a purchased commodity and place information on the installed place of the vending machine to a mobile terminal in a communication state, and a management server includes: a communication unit for receiving, from the mobile terminal, identification information to identify the mobile terminal, the commodity information, and the place information; a storage unit for storing points held by each user; and a point addition unit for adding, upon receiving the commodity information and the place information, points to points held by a user identified with the identification information, and having the storage unit store points after the addition. The point addition unit identifies a type of commodity on the basis of the commodity information, adds points different according to the identified type of commodity, and adds points different according to the installed place identified from the place information regarding a type of a prescribed commodity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention provides a point management system including a vending machine capable of short-range communication with a mobile terminal having a communication function, and a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal via a network, and a short-range between the mobile terminal The present invention relates to a point management method using a vending machine capable of communication, a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal via a network, and a point management program usable for the mobile terminal used in the point management system. .

  In recent years, for example, JP-A-2006-53922 (Patent Document 1) proposes to give points to purchasers for beverages purchased with vending machines for the purpose of sales promotion. Specifically, vending machines that sell beverages and the like are capable of short-range communication, information on products purchased with vending machines is acquired by mobile terminals such as smartphones via short-range communication, and points are managed for each user. It has been proposed to add a point corresponding to the price of the purchased product to the possessed point of the user stored in the management server by communication between the management server and the portable terminal.

JP, 2006-53922, A

  However, in Patent Document 1, the points to be added are determined according to the price of the product, and are not differentiated between the types of products, and sales of specific types of products such as sales of new products are promoted. It was insufficient when trying to do.

  Therefore, an effective point management system, point management method, and point management program for promoting sales of specific products are desired.

The point management system according to the present invention includes:
A point management system comprising a vending machine capable of short-range communication with a mobile terminal having a communication function, and a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal via a network,
The vending machine is
A near field communication unit capable of near field communication with the mobile terminal;
A vending machine control unit that causes the short-range communication unit to transmit product information related to a product purchased by a user to the mobile terminal in communication with the short-range communication unit;
The management server
A communication unit for receiving identification information for identifying the mobile terminal and the product information from the mobile terminal;
A storage unit that stores points owned by each user for each user;
A point addition unit that, when receiving the product information, adds points to the user's possession points specified by the identification information stored in the storage unit, and stores the added points in the storage unit; With
The point addition unit specifies the type of product based on the product information, and adds different points according to the specified type of product.

  In this configuration, the management server obtains product information related to the product to be purchased from the vending machine via the mobile terminal, and sets a difference in points to be added according to the type of product specified from the product information. It is possible to create a point gap between a specific product that is desired to be promoted, such as a product that is about to be sold, and other products. Thereby, sales promotion about a specific goods can be performed effectively.

  As one aspect, it is preferable that the point addition unit adds different points according to the type of product based on the contribution to the health of the user for each type of product.

  In recent years, products that contribute to the health of users, such as foods for specified health use that have a certain effect on human health, have been sold. According to this configuration, contributions to the health of users in the types of products Depending on the degree, a difference is provided in the points to be added, so that sales of products that contribute to the health of the user can be effectively promoted. In particular, by doing things like the above with vending machines that are frequently used by users who are not interested in health, it is possible to give a chance to purchase food for specified health use etc. for users who are not interested in health, Can raise interest in health and raise awareness.

  As one aspect, the management server converts points of other point services into points stored in the storage unit and stores them in the storage unit in response to an instruction from the user transmitted from the mobile terminal. Point conversion that adds to the user's possession points or subtracts all or part of the user's possession points stored in the storage unit and converts the subtracted points to points of other point services It is preferable to provide a section.

  According to this configuration, the effect of sales promotion can be further enhanced by cooperation with other point services. In particular, when creating a disparity in points to be added according to the degree of contribution to health, it is possible to link the disparity of points according to certain purposes, such as linking with other point services that have been awarded points related to health. If provided, it is possible to further improve the interest and awareness of the user (health, etc.) by linking with other point services related to the user, and the user who uses the vending machine On the other hand, since it is possible to further promote the sale of products related to the purpose and to take in new users who use other point services, it is extremely effective.

  As one aspect, it is preferable that the point addition unit adds different points by combining the type of product and other conditions.

  According to this configuration, more flexible sales promotion can be performed by combining with other conditions.

  As one aspect, the point addition unit acquires time information related to time at the time of product purchase, and for a predetermined product type, the purchase time is set as the other condition to the purchase time specified from the time information. It is preferable to add different points accordingly.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to conduct more flexible sales promotion, such as increasing additional points by purchasing a specific product at a specific time zone, and more effectively promote sales for a specific type of product. It can be carried out.

  As one aspect, the communication unit also receives location information regarding the installation location of the vending machine from the portable terminal as the other condition in addition to the product information, and the point addition unit is a predetermined product type It is preferable to add different points according to the installation location specified from the location information, with the installation location as the other condition.

  According to this configuration, it is particularly important for users in a specific area or users (company employees, workers, students, etc.) who frequently use a specific building / facility (company building, factory, school, etc.). More flexible sales promotion such as addition can be performed, and sales promotion for specific types of products can be more effectively performed.

  As one aspect, when the vending machine control unit receives purchase information indicating that the short-range communication unit purchases a user-specified product from the mobile terminal in a communication state as a consideration for the possession point, The management server can receive consumption information indicating that the communication unit consumes points corresponding to the user-specified product from the portable terminal. When it does, it is suitable to provide the point consumption part which subtracts the point equivalent to a user designation | designated goods from the said user's possession point memorize | stored in the said memory | storage part.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to purchase items by consuming points, and the points accumulated by purchasing products from vending machines can be used in vending machines. Can be carried out effectively. Moreover, in the said structure, since goods are discharged | emitted from a vending machine only with the instruction | indication from a portable terminal, the convenience with respect to a user can be improved.

  As one aspect, the vending machine control unit transmits, to the mobile terminal, sales product information that is information on products sold by the vending machine to the short-range communication unit in response to a request from the mobile terminal. It is preferable to do so.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to display on the mobile terminal only commodities that are suitable for the vending machine to be used, so that convenience for the user can be improved.

  As one aspect, when the communication unit receives a request for the number of remaining points from the portable terminal, the point consuming unit determines the number of points owned by the user specified by the identification information from the communication unit to the portable terminal. It is preferable to transmit to.

  According to this configuration, since it is possible to cause the mobile terminal to execute display in accordance with the number of remaining points of the user, convenience for the user can be improved.

The point management method according to the present invention includes:
A point management method using a vending machine capable of short-range communication with a mobile terminal having a communication function, and a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal via a network,
An input step for receiving input of product information related to a product purchased by a user by the vending machine;
A transmission step of transmitting the input product information to the portable terminal in communication with the short-range communication unit;
A receiving step of receiving identification information for identifying the portable terminal and the product information transmitted from the short-range communication unit from the portable terminal by the management server;
A point addition step of adding points to the user's possession points specified by the identification information stored in the management server when the product information is received, and
In the point addition step, the type of product is specified based on the product information, and different points are added according to the specified type of product.

The point management program according to the present invention includes:
A point management program usable for the portable terminal used in a point management system comprising a vending machine capable of short-range communication with a portable terminal and a management server capable of communicating with the portable terminal via a network, ,
A near field communication connection function for bringing the portable terminal into communication with the vending machine;
A purchase information transmission function for causing the mobile terminal to transmit the received product information to the management server when the mobile terminal receives product information related to a type of product to be purchased from the vending machine in a communication state; ,
When the management server adds different points according to the type of product for purchase of the product, the type of product to which advantageous points are given compared to other types of products is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal A sales promotion information notification function,
Is realized in the portable terminal.

  In this configuration, when the management server provides a difference in the points to be added according to the type of the product, the product to which an advantageous point is given is transmitted, so the sales promotion for the specific type of product is effectively performed. be able to.

  As one aspect, according to the input from the user to the portable terminal, the point of another point service is converted into a point stored in the management server and stored in the management server. Point conversion that adds to the user's possession points or subtracts all or a part of the user's possession points stored in the management server and converts the subtracted points to points of other point services It is preferable that the mobile terminal realize a point conversion function that generates information and transmits the point conversion information to the management server.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to easily convert points between points stored in the management server and other point services.

  As one aspect, as the purchase information transmission function, the mobile terminal also transmits time information related to the time of product purchase, and the management server adds different points depending on the product purchase time for a predetermined product type In this case, as the sales promotion information notification function, it is preferable to display on the display unit of the mobile terminal a purchase time zone in which advantageous points are given compared to other time zones.

  As one aspect, when the management server adds different points according to the purchase time of a product for a predetermined product type, the sales promotion information notification function is given an advantageous point compared to other time zones. It is preferable that the mobile terminal is notified to the user when the current time has reached the purchase time zone or the time before the purchase time zone.

  According to these configurations, when the management server provides a difference in the points to be added according to the purchase time, the purchase time to which an advantageous point is given is transmitted, so that the sales promotion can be effectively performed.

  As one aspect, as the purchase information transmission function, the portable terminal is caused to acquire location information regarding the installation location of the vending machine that transmits the product information, and the management server is also configured to transmit the location information. When the management server changes the points to be added according to the purchase location of the product, the sales promotion information notification function displays the purchase location to which advantageous points are given compared to other purchase locations on the mobile terminal. It is suitable to be displayed on the part.

  As one aspect, when the management server changes the points to be added according to the purchase place of the product, as the sales promotion information notification function, a predetermined purchase place to which advantageous points compared with other purchase places are given. When the portable terminal enters the range, it is preferable that the portable terminal is notified to the user.

  According to these configurations, when the management server provides a difference in the points to be added according to the purchase place, the purchase place to which an advantageous point is given is transmitted, so that the sales promotion can be effectively performed.

  As one aspect, based on a user instruction, the mobile terminal is caused to transmit purchase information indicating that a user-specified product is purchased for the vending machine in communication with the holding point as a price. A point corresponding to a user-specified product with respect to the management server with respect to the management server in connection with a product purchase process for causing the vending machine to discharge a user-specified product from the vending machine and the transmission of the purchase information A product purchase / point consumption function for performing point consumption processing for transmitting consumption information indicating that the product is consumed and subtracting points corresponding to the user-specified product from the user's possession points managed by the management server It is preferable that the portable terminal is realized.

  According to this configuration, the communication between the vending machine and the management server by the mobile terminal can be used to consume the possession points and discharge the product from the vending machine only by operating the mobile terminal. And sales can be promoted by using the points in this way.

  As one aspect, sales product information, which is information on products sold by the vending machine, is acquired from the vending machine in a communication state, and sales are performed by the vending machine based on the sales product information. It is preferable that the mobile terminal realize a target product display function for displaying, on the display unit of the mobile terminal, target products that can be purchased by consuming points among the products being sold.

  According to this structure, the goods matched with the vending machine which it is going to use are displayed, and the convenience with respect to a user can be improved.

  As one aspect, in the target product display function, the number of remaining owned points of the user is acquired from the management server, and among the target products, products that can be purchased with the number of remaining owned points of the user are distinguished from others. It is preferable to display it.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to improve convenience for the user by distinguishing and displaying purchaseable products.

Overview of the management system according to this embodiment Schematic diagram of vending machine Mobile device block diagram Management server block diagram The figure which shows the flowchart of point addition processing The figure which shows the flowchart of point conversion processing The figure which shows the flowchart of point consumption processing

  Embodiments of a point management system, a point management method, and a point management program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The point management system 1 according to the present embodiment communicates via a vending machine 10 capable of near field communication, a portable terminal 20 capable of near field communication with the vending machine 10, and a portable terminal 20 via a network 40. A possible management server 30.

  The outline will be described. The point management system 1 intends to promote sales by giving points to the user for the products purchased by the vending machine 10. More specifically, the management server 30 manages points for each user, and the portable terminal 20 in communication with the vending machine 10 receives information on the product purchased by the vending machine 10 and uses this information. By transmitting to the management server 30, the points for the purchased product are added to the possessed points of the user. Although not shown in the figure, the vending machine 10 and the portable terminal 20 are not limited to one, and a plurality of vending machines 10 and portable terminals 20 are planned to be used. When a large number of users use each vending machine 10 scattered in various places, their mobile terminals 20 are in communication with the vending machine 10 and the management server 30 to obtain information on their purchased products. By transmitting the vending machine 10 from the vending machine 10 to the management server 30 via the portable terminal 20, the points corresponding to the products purchased by each person are stored by the management server 30 for a large number of users. In particular, in the point management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the points to be added have a difference according to the type of the product, the conversion from the points owned to the points of other point services or other points Conversion from service points to points of the point management system 1 is made possible, and the products of the vending machine 10 can be purchased at the points owned, thereby promoting sales. Hereinafter, the structure of each part is demonstrated concretely.

The vending machine 10 sells a plurality of types of merchandise, and the merchandise to be sold is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, an example of selling a plurality of types of beverages will be described. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the vending machine 10 includes a display unit 11 that displays a product to be sold, an input unit 12 that receives input of information related to the product to be purchased, and a product according to an input to the input unit 12. Is provided with a control unit (equivalent to a vending machine control unit) 13 and the like. The display unit 11 may be one in which product samples are arranged, or one in which products are displayed on a liquid crystal screen. In the present embodiment, the input unit 12 is provided as a push button for each product displayed on the display unit 11, and a unique button ID is set for each input unit 12. A vending machine storage unit (not shown) stores correspondence information in which the button ID is associated with a product ID (corresponding to product information) related to the purchased product corresponding to the button ID.
When the user inserts money and performs input (push operation) on the input unit 12 corresponding to the product to be purchased, the control unit 13 responds to the button ID of the input unit 12 with the input. The product is discharged from the product outlet 14. In addition, the control unit 13 receives purchase information (for example, button ID, product ID) indicating that the short-range communication unit 15 to be described later purchases a user-specified product from the mobile terminal 20 in the communication state as a consideration for the possessed points. When received, a product discharge process for discharging a user-specified product from the product discharge port 14 of the vending machine 10 can be executed.

  Moreover, in the vending machine 10 of this embodiment, in order to enable near field communication with the portable terminal 20, the near field communication unit 15 capable of near field communication with the portable terminal is provided. The near field communication unit 15 may be any device capable of near field communication by some means such as NFC (Near Field Communication), WiFi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, and the like. As an example of the near field communication unit 15, a beacon terminal capable of near field communication according to Bluetooth is used. More specifically, a beacon terminal as a short-range communication unit 15 is incorporated in the vending machine 10 under the control of the control unit 13.

  The operation of the short-range communication unit 15 will be described. The control unit 13 causes the short-range communication unit 15 to transmit a beacon signal including a beacon ID for identifying the short-range communication unit 15 at predetermined intervals. . The beacon ID is associated with the vending machine 10 provided with the beacon terminal and the installation location of the vending machine associated with the beacon terminal (that is, the beacon ID is an automatic transmission for transmitting product information (product ID)). This corresponds to location information regarding the installation location of the vending machine 10). When the user carrying the mobile terminal 20 approaches the vending machine 10, if the mobile terminal 20 receives the transmitted beacon signal and receives a response from the mobile terminal 20, the short-range communication unit 15, the mobile terminal 20, Is connected and enters the communication state. When the short-distance communication unit 15 and the portable terminal 20 are in a communication state, if there is a purchase of a product in the vending machine 10 (that is, if there is an input to the input unit 12), the control unit 13 is not illustrated. The product ID corresponding to the button ID is identified from the correspondence information in the vending machine storage unit, and the short-range communication unit 15 is caused to transmit the product ID to the portable terminal 20 in communication with the short-range communication unit 15. is there. Thereby, information related to the type of purchased product is transmitted to the mobile terminal 20.

  In addition, in the vending machine storage unit (not shown), sales product information that is information on products sold by the vending machine 10 is stored, and the control unit 13 responds to a request from the mobile terminal 20 (more details). The short-range communication unit 15 receives a request for sales merchandise information, which will be described later), sales product information related to information on the products sold to the short-range communication unit 15 by the vending machine (for example, the vending machine). The product ID of each product sold) is transmitted to the mobile terminal 20. As a result, the mobile terminal 20 can be informed of what is being sold by the vending machine 10. At this time, if there is a sold-out product among the products being sold, sales product information reflecting that the product is sold out is transmitted (for example, the product is sold out). And sending information to that effect, deleting the sold-out product from the sales product information, etc.).

  The mobile terminal 20 can be any communication device capable of short-range communication with the vending machine 10 and having a communication function capable of communicating with the management server 30 via the network 40. For example, a mobile phone such as a smartphone is preferable. In the present embodiment, an example in which a smartphone is used as the mobile terminal 20 will be described. In the present embodiment, the mobile terminal 20 has a display unit 21 including a display, an input unit 22 including a touch panel, a control unit 23 including a CPU, a terminal storage unit 24 including a memory, and a Bluetooth communication function. A communication unit 25 is provided. Although omitted in FIG. 3, the mobile terminal 20 is equipped with hardware and software for realizing basic functions as a mobile phone such as a call function. As will be described in detail later, the terminal storage unit 24 stores an application AP (corresponding to a point management program) necessary for the point management system 1 as an example of the point management program according to the present embodiment. . And the control part 23 makes the portable terminal 20 perform operation required for utilization of this point management system 1 according to application AP. The application AP can be downloaded from a predetermined server, and the point management system 1 can be used when the user downloads the application AP to his / her mobile terminal 20.

  Various functions that the application AP causes the mobile terminal 20 to execute will be described later. The mobile terminal 20 receives the beacon ID and the product ID from the vending machine 10 according to the application AP, and receives the received beacon ID and the product ID. The information is transmitted to the management server 30. In addition to the received beacon ID and product ID, the mobile terminal 20 transmits to the management server 30 a terminal ID for identifying the mobile terminal 20 (corresponding to identification information) and time information regarding the time when the product is purchased. It has become.

  The management server 30 is for managing points for the products purchased by the user for each user, and is composed of a general server machine. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the management server 30 includes a communication unit 31 that includes a communication device that can communicate with the mobile terminal 20 via the network 40, and a CPU that performs various data processing. The unit 32 and a storage unit 33 made of, for example, a hard disk are provided. The management server 30 receives the beacon ID, the product ID, the terminal ID, and the time information transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 by the communication unit 31, and based on the information stored in the storage unit 33, the control unit 32 Various processes are performed. Hereinafter, the process executed by the management server 30 will be specifically described.

  First, the storage unit 33 stores the points owned by each user for each user. Specifically, the registration information is acquired from the user through the application AP, and the registration information of the user is sequentially stored in the database on the storage unit 33 in association with the terminal ID. And according to the process of the point addition part 34 mentioned later, the point according to the purchased goods is added with respect to the user corresponding to received terminal ID. In addition to the number of points held by the user, for each product purchase, the purchased product and the type of product, the purchase location, and the purchase time are also stored and stored. In addition, the storage unit 33 stores the installation location of the vending machine 10 corresponding to the beacon ID in association with each beacon ID. Thereby, by acquiring the beacon ID and the product ID, it is possible to know which product is purchased by the vending machine 10 at which installation location. Further, the storage unit 33 also stores point consumption information regarding which products can be purchased by consuming points and the number of consumption points of each product that can be purchased by consuming points. If the mobile terminal 20 acquires the point consumption information, the mobile terminal 20 displays a purchase screen that displays only products that are sold by the vending machine 10 that is about to be used and that can be purchased using the points. Can be displayed on the display unit 21. The point consumption information may be stored in the terminal storage unit 24 of the mobile terminal 20 by incorporating it into the application AP itself.

  The control unit 32 includes various functional units such as a point addition unit 34, a point conversion unit 35, and a point consumption unit 36. Each functional unit will be described. When the point addition unit 34 receives a product ID, the point addition unit 34 adds points to the user's possession points specified by the terminal ID stored in the storage unit 33, and points after the addition Is stored in the storage unit 33. And in this embodiment, the point addition part 34 specifies the kind of goods based on goods ID (specifically, after specifying the goods corresponding to goods ID, it specifies the kind of goods), and specifies It is possible to add different points depending on the type of product. In other words, instead of giving points regardless of the type of product, such as giving points according to the price of the product or giving a certain point regardless of the type of product, only a specific type of product It is possible to give points that are advantageous to.

  Here, the types of products are those classified by beverage varieties such as tea, water, coffee, soft drinks, special beverages described later, and new products or specific seasons regardless of beverage varieties. There is no particular limitation as long as it is classified according to a predetermined standard, such as a seasonal product that is only sold, or a product that is classified in a category related to the sales period. According to such a point addition unit, it is possible to set a point gap between a specific product that is desired to be promoted, such as a product to be newly sold, and other products, and for a specific type of product. Can be promoted effectively. In addition, if you want to promote sales to a specific place (school, factory, company, etc.), or sell products for a certain time zone (such as morning), point to make more flexible sales promotion The adding unit 34 acquires time information and a beacon ID, and adds different points according to the purchase time specified from the time information and the beacon ID and the installation location of the vending machine 10 for a predetermined product type. Is also possible.

In order to perform the processing as described above, specifically, in the storage unit 33, point information necessary for calculating the number of added points in the point adding unit 34 (a classification table indicating which type each product belongs to) , The number of points added for each product type for a single product purchase, the presence or absence of changes in the number of points added according to the purchase time and place of purchase for each product, and the purchase if there is a change in purchase time or place of purchase Time, place of purchase and number of points added at that time).
Then, the point addition unit 34 identifies the purchased product, purchase location, and purchase time based on the received beacon ID, product ID, and time information, and identifies the specified product, purchase location, purchase time, and storage unit 33. Based on the stored point information, the number of points added for the product purchase at that time is calculated, and the calculated number of added points is added to the user's possessed points specified from the terminal ID. is there.

  About such a point addition part 34, especially in this embodiment, the point addition part 34 adds different points according to the kind of goods based on the contribution to the health of the user for every kind of goods. It is. Specifically, in recent years, so-called special beverages that have been approved for foods for specified health use that have a certain effect on human health have been sold. As a product that contributes to the health of the user as a product that contributes to the health of the user, for example, a point that is given 1 point for each purchase of a normal product, The point addition unit 34 is set so as to give points more advantageous than other types of products, such as 5 points when purchasing a product (in other words, the above points stored in the storage unit 33) Information is set up that way). In addition, as to disparate points based on the degree of contribution to the user's health, it is also possible to give advantageous points when purchasing generally healthy products such as tea and mineral water in addition to special insurance beverages. Further, it may be further classified based on the contribution to the health of the user.

  Furthermore, it is also possible to add different points by combining the type of product and other conditions. For example, if the type of special beverage is particularly effective when taken during a certain period of time (for example, morning, noon, evening, evening, or after a meal before meals), purchase at that time. In such a case, it may be set to give more advantageous points. In addition, when there is a product of a type that specifically targets a person having a certain type of business, occupation, or lifestyle, the type of the product is installed in a vending machine 10 that is installed in a place that those people use daily or frequently. More advantageous points may be given when the product is purchased. In addition, if the target special insurance beverage is expected to be effective by taking continuously every day or taking it at a fixed time every day, it can be purchased for a predetermined number of days. A more advantageous point may be given when a symmetrical type of product is purchased for a predetermined number of days in the same time period. In addition, a difference is provided in the points to be added according to user registration information (gender, age, etc.), and a specific user group such as a specific age group (30s, 40s, seniors, etc.) or a specific sex When there is a product aimed at, a more advantageous point may be given to the user of the age group or the group corresponding to the sex.

  In this way, according to the contribution to the health of the user for each type of product, it is possible to effectively promote the sale of the product that contributes to the health of the user by providing a difference in the points to be added. By doing this with the vending machine 10 that is frequently used by users who are not interested in health, it is possible to give a chance to purchase special beverages to users who are not interested in health. Raise awareness and raise awareness.

  In addition, the point addition unit 34 is configured to add points specially according to the total purchase cumulative number at the time of initial registration or regardless of the cumulative purchase number or type of a predetermined type of product. The cumulative number of purchases may be a cumulative number within a predetermined period such as during a campaign period, or may be a cumulative number not divided by a period.

  Note that various information such as point information and point consumption information stored in the storage unit 33 can be rewritten by the administrator accessing the management server 30, and on what basis points are added appropriately. It can be changed. For this reason, in addition to creating a disparity in points to be added based on the degree of contribution to the health of the user, disparate points to be added for new products and seasonal products when selling new products or seasonal products In this case, it is also possible to provide a difference in points according to purchase time or the like in the same way as the degree of contribution to the user's health.

  The point conversion unit 35 converts points of other point services into points stored in the storage unit 33 in accordance with an instruction (point conversion information to be described later) transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 and stored in the storage unit 33. Is added to the user's possession points stored in the list, or all or part of the user's possession points stored in the storage unit 33 is subtracted, and the subtracted points are converted to points of other point services. To do. The effect of sales promotion can be further enhanced by cooperation with such other point services. In particular, in the present embodiment, since there is a difference in the points to be added according to the degree of contribution to health, other point services that give points in relation to the user's health (for example, KENPOS (registered trademark)) Etc.) in order to be able to perform point conversion in both directions or in one direction (conversion from possession points stored in the storage unit 33 to other point service points or vice versa). It is. In addition, when there is a difference in points according to a certain purpose, bidirectional or one-way point conversion can be performed in cooperation with another point service related to the purpose. As a result, it is possible to further improve the interest and awareness of the user's purpose (health, etc.), further promote the sale of products related to the purpose to the user who uses the vending machine 10, and Users who are using the point service can be newly taken in. For example, the point conversion is performed by transmitting necessary information to the point service management server specified by the user, and storing it when a response is received from the point service management server. One example is addition / subtraction of points.

  The point consumption unit 36 performs processing when the user purchases a product from the vending machine 10 by consuming the points owned by the user. Specifically, when the communication unit 31 receives a request for the number of remaining points from the mobile terminal 20 as a stage before receiving the transmission of the point consumption instruction from the mobile terminal 20, the point consumption unit 36 uses the identification information. The number of possessed points of the identified user is transmitted from the communication unit to the portable terminal. Thereby, since the user can know the commodities which can be purchased by consuming points, convenience for the user is improved. Then, the communication unit 25 consumes the points owned by the user from the user's mobile terminal 20, and an instruction to purchase the product from the vending machine (consumption that consumes the point corresponding to the user-specified product) When (information) is received, the point corresponding to the product designated by the user is subtracted from the possessed points of the user stored in the storage unit 33.

  In addition, the point addition unit 34, the point conversion unit 35, and the point consumption unit 36 are configured to cause the communication unit 21 to transmit the stored points after addition / conversion / subtraction to the mobile terminal 20. Thereby, the user can know the possession points after addition, conversion, and subtraction.

  Next, the application AP will be described. The application AP is for causing the mobile terminal 20 to execute an operation necessary for using the point management system 1. When using the point management system 1, the short-range communication connection function, the purchase information transmission function, the possession point The portable terminal 20 is caused to execute a notification function, a near field communication disconnection function, a sales promotion information notification function, a point conversion function, a target product display function, a product purchase / point consumption function, and the like.

  Each function will be described. In the near field communication connection function, the mobile terminal 20 is brought into communication with the vending machine 10. More specifically, when the communication unit 25 receives a beacon signal from the short-range communication unit 15, automatically or in response to an instruction from the user, the communication unit 25 includes a beacon ID included in the beacon signal, A terminal ID (corresponding to identification information) for identifying the mobile terminal 20 is transmitted to the management server 30. When the communication unit 25 receives authentication including a key necessary for communication with the short-range communication unit 15 as a response from the management server 30, the mobile terminal 20 is made to respond to the short-range communication unit 15. The communication state is established by connecting to the short-range communication unit 15. Note that the short-range communication connection function may be executed only when the application AP is started up, or the communication unit 25 receives a beacon from the short-range communication unit 15 even when the application AP is not started up. It may be automatically executed when a signal is received. Further, when the communication unit 25 receives a beacon signal from the short-range communication unit 15, the user may be notified.

  In the purchase information transmission function, when the communication unit 25 receives the product ID transmitted from the near field communication unit 15 in the communication state, the communication unit 25 manages the product ID automatically or according to an instruction from the user. The received product ID is transmitted to the server 30. In addition, as the purchase information transmission function, time information related to the time of product purchase (along with the transmission of the product ID in this embodiment) is also transmitted. In addition, although it is performed by the short-range communication connection function, it is also possible to acquire a beacon ID (corresponding to location information related to the installation location of the vending machine 10) and transmit the beacon ID to the management server 30. Included in the information transmission function. The purchase information transmission function causes the management server 30 to transmit product information related to the purchased product, time information at the time of purchase, and location information related to the installation location of the vending machine 10 that transmits the product information.

  In the possession point notification function, after the point is added to the possession point of the user stored in the management server 30 with the execution of the purchase information transmission function, or after the point conversion or point consumption is performed in the management server 30, When a notification to that effect is received from the management server 30, the number of points after addition / conversion / subtraction or the number of points added / converted / subtracted is displayed on the display unit 21.

  In the short-distance communication disconnection function, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, such as when a holding point is transmitted from the management server 30 as a response to the transmission of the product ID and time information, the communication unit 25 and the short-range communication unit 15 Disconnect the connection. Note that the predetermined condition is not limited to when the holding point is notified from the management server 30. In addition, when a predetermined time has passed since the near field communication connection, or when an instruction from the user is given, For example, when the signal strength from the short-range communication unit 15 falls below a predetermined value due to the user leaving the vending machine 10 or the like.

  In the sales promotion information notification function, when the management server 30 adds different points according to the type of product to the purchase of the product, the type of product to which advantageous points are given compared to other types of products is carried. It is displayed on the display unit 21 of the terminal 20. In addition, when the management server 30 adds different points depending on the purchase time and purchase place of the product, the purchase time zone in which advantageous points are given compared to other time zones is displayed on the display unit of the mobile terminal. Or when the current time has arrived at the time of purchase or at a time before the purchase time zone where advantageous points are given compared to other time zones, or when compared to other purchase locations. When the mobile terminal 20 enters the predetermined purchase place, the mobile terminal 20 is notified of the user.

  Specifically, in the point addition unit 34 in the management server 30 to be described later, when there is a type of product, a purchase time zone, or a purchase place that gives an advantageous point compared to others, the information is acquired. Remember. Then, information such as a product that gives an advantageous point compared to others, purchase time, purchase place, etc. is displayed on the screen displayed on the display unit 21 by executing the application AP, or is periodically notified to the user. When the purchase time that gives an advantageous point compared to others is reached, or when a time that is a certain time later than the purchase time is reached, a point advantageous to the purchase time is given to the user. When a user (mobile terminal 20) visits a purchase location that gives a process of notifying that the user has given a point more advantageous than others, or when the user (mobile device 20) enters a predetermined range of the purchase location. In addition, the mobile terminal 20 is caused to execute a process for notifying the user that a point advantageous for the purchase time is given. In particular, if information such as a product that gives points more advantageous than others, purchase time, purchase place, etc. is displayed after communication between the mobile terminal 20 and the vending machine 10 is connected, a specific product Can be further promoted.

  The point conversion function is a function for converting a point managed by the management server 30 to a point of another point service or converting a point of another point service to a point of the point management system 1. In the point conversion function, in accordance with a user instruction, necessary information such as information on other affiliated point services is acquired from the management server 30, and an instruction screen for transmitting point conversion information is displayed on the display unit 21. To display. Thereafter, in accordance with the input from the user to the input unit 22, point conversion information (the points owned by the user stored in the management server 30 by converting points of other point services into points stored in the management server 30. Or subtracting all or part of the user's possession points stored in the management server 30 and generating information for converting the subtracted points into points for other point services), The communication unit 25 transmits the point conversion information. The user instruction includes an instruction for a screen displayed on the display unit 21 by executing the application AP (for example, selection of a tab menu for performing a point conversion function). The contents of the instruction screen include, for example, (a) which point service is selected as another point service to be converted into points, and (b) from the point owned to another point service point. (A) to (c) of (c) how many points are to be used for the conversion, i.e., conversion from the points of other point services to points of the point management system 1 ) Is displayed, and in this case, the selection results of (a) to (c) are the contents of the point conversion information.

  The target product display function is a function for displaying a purchase screen when purchasing a product of the vending machine 10 at a point managed by the management server. In general, not all vending machines 10 sell the same type of product, and not all products can be purchased using points. A purchase screen is displayed on the display unit 21, which is a product sold by the vending machine 10 and can be purchased using points.

  Specifically, in the target product display function, in response to a user instruction to display a purchase screen, the sales unit information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 20 to the vending machine 10 in communication with the communication unit 25. And requesting the management server 30 to transmit the remaining point number to the management server 30 via the communication unit 25, and the management server 30 to request the remaining possessed points of the user. Get the number. That is, the information regarding the product which can be purchased from the vending machine 10 is acquired, and whether the point for purchasing the product is sufficient is acquired from the management server 30. And the portable terminal 20 is made to acquire point consumption information from the management server 30 with acquisition of the number of remaining possession points beforehand, and based on the acquired sales merchandise information and point consumption information, with the said vending machine Among target products, target products that can be purchased (points can be used) are identified by the consumption of points, and a purchase screen in which only the target products are displayed on the display unit 21 of the mobile terminal 20 is generated. Display. Further, on the purchase screen, among the target products, products that can be purchased with the remaining points of the user may be displayed separately from others (for example, only products that can be purchased with the remaining points are highlighted and displayed. Or make a cross mark on products that cannot be purchased with the remaining points, or not display them).

  By displaying such a purchase screen, a purchase screen on which products that can be purchased using points are displayed on the display unit 21 among the products sold by the vending machine 10 to be used. The Examples of the user instruction in the target product display function include an instruction for a screen displayed on the display unit 21 by executing the application AP (for example, selection of a tab menu for performing the target product display function). The format of the purchase screen is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a screen on which images or product names of target products are listed and displayed together with the number of consumption points.

  The product purchase / point consumption function is a function for purchasing the product of the vending machine 10 with the points managed by the management server. The product purchase / point consumption function is displayed by executing the target product display function. Based on the user's instruction for the purchase screen, the mobile terminal 20 is sent to the vending machine 10 in the communication state to transmit purchase information indicating that the user-specified product is to be purchased with the possession point as a price. The product corresponding to the user-designated product is consumed by the portable terminal 20 with respect to the management server 30 in accordance with the product purchase process for causing the machine 10 to eject the product designated by the user from the vending machine 10 and the transmission of purchase information. Point that causes consumption information to be transmitted and subtracts the point corresponding to the user-specified product from the user's possession point managed by the management server 30 And consumption process, to perform. This makes it possible to purchase commodities with point consumption. As an instruction of the user in the product purchase / point consumption function, selecting a product to be purchased from the target products listed on the purchase screen on the display unit 21 may be mentioned. The purchase information includes a product ID corresponding to the type of product input by the user for the vending machine 10, and the consumption information includes information regarding the type of product input by the user and the number of points consumed. And so on.

  Next, the flow of processing performed by the point management system 1 as a whole will be described using the flowcharts of FIGS.

  First, the point addition process in the point management system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The short-range communication unit 15 (beacon terminal) in the vending machine 10 transmits a beacon signal including a beacon ID at every predetermined interval (# 10), and a user carrying the mobile terminal 20 that has downloaded the application AP. When approaching the vending machine 10 and entering the beacon signal reachable range, the portable terminal 20 receives the beacon signal. When receiving the beacon signal, the portable terminal 20 transmits the beacon ID and the terminal ID to the management server 30 automatically or in response to an instruction from the user by executing the short-range communication function (# 11 ). When the management server 30 receives the beacon ID and the terminal ID, the management server 30 inquires whether the beacon ID and the terminal ID exist in the storage unit 33. If either of them does not exist, an error message is transmitted to the mobile terminal 20; If it exists, an authentication signal including a key necessary for communication with the short-range communication unit 15 is transmitted to the portable terminal 20 (# 12). When the mobile terminal 20 receives the authentication signal, short-range communication between the mobile terminal 20 and the vending machine 10 (short-range communication unit 15) is connected, and the mobile terminal 20 and the vending machine 10 enter a communication state. (# 13).

  Thereafter, when the user purchases a product from the vending machine (when there is an input to the input unit 12) (# 14), the product ID is transmitted from the vending machine 10 to the portable terminal 20 (# 15). Then, the mobile terminal 20 that has received the product ID transmits to the management server 30 time information at the time of product purchase (for example, the time when the mobile terminal 20 received the product ID) together with the product ID (# 16). When the management server 30 receives the product ID and the time information, the point addition unit 34 calculates the number of points added to the product purchase using the received beacon ID, product ID, and time information as described above, and the calculated addition. The number of points is added to the possessed points of the user specified from the terminal ID (# 17). When the point addition is completed, the management server 30 notifies the portable terminal 20 of the possessed point (# 18), and when the portable terminal 20 receives the retained point notification, the management server 30 performs short-range communication with the vending machine 10. Disconnect (# 19). Thereby, the point addition process is completed.

  Next, the point conversion process in the point management system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, as a login request, a terminal ID is transmitted from the portable terminal 20 to the management server 30 (# 20), and when the terminal ID exists in the storage unit 33, an authentication signal is transmitted from the management server 30 to the portable terminal 20 ( # 21). Thereafter, when there is a point conversion instruction from the user to the mobile terminal 20 (# 22), point conversion information corresponding to the user's input is transmitted from the mobile terminal 20 to the management server 30 (# 23). The point conversion unit executes a process according to (# 24). Then, when the point conversion is completed, the management server 30 notifies the portable terminal 20 of the possessed points (# 25), and the point addition process ends.

  Finally, point consumption processing in the present point management system 1 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. Here, since # 30 to # 33 are the same as # 10 to # 13 in the point addition process, they are omitted and will be described from # 34. After the mobile terminal 20 and the vending machine 10 are in a communication state (# 33), when the user instructs the mobile terminal 20 to display a purchase screen (# 34), the mobile terminal 20 automatically The vending machine 10 is requested to transmit sales merchandise information (# 35), and in response to this, the vending machine 10 transmits the sales merchandise information to the portable terminal 20 (# 36). Thereafter, a transmission request for the number of remaining points is made from the portable terminal 20 to the management server 30 (# 37), and in response to this, the management server 30 transmits the number of remaining points (number of possessed points) to the portable terminal 20 (#). 38). The mobile terminal 20 that has received the sales product information and the remaining point number displays a purchase screen displaying the target product on the display unit 21 (# 39). When the user gives an instruction on the purchase screen displayed on the display unit 21 to purchase which product to consume points (# 40), the mobile terminal 20 purchases information on the vending machine 10. Transmission of (information on which products to purchase) and transmission of consumption information (information on how much points are consumed) to the management server 30 are performed simultaneously (# 41). The vending machine 10 receiving the purchase information discharges the product corresponding to the purchase information (product ID) (# 42), and the management server 30 receiving the consumption information subtracts the point corresponding to the consumption information. (# 43). When the point subtraction is completed, the management server 30 notifies the portable terminal 20 of the possessed point (# 44), and when the portable terminal 20 receives the possessed point notification, the management server 30 performs near field communication with the vending machine 10. Disconnect (# 45). As a result, the point consumption process ends.

[Another embodiment]
In the present embodiment, the terminal ID is used as an example of identification information, the product ID is used as an example of product information, and the beacon ID is used as an example of location information. However, various types of information shown in the above embodiment are implemented. Any information may be used as long as it is related to various types of information. For example, the storage unit 33 stores the name of the product sold by the vending machine 10 corresponding to the beacon ID and its price, and the correspondence table between the name of the product sold there and the button ID in association with each beacon ID. In addition, the button ID as the product information is transmitted from the vending machine 10 to the management server 30 via the portable terminal 20, and on the management server 30 side, based on the beacon ID, the button ID, and the correspondence table. You may make it identify the purchased goods.

  Further, the sales product information transmitted from the vending machine 10 to the mobile terminal 20 is not limited to the product ID of each product sold, and the product sold by the vending machine 10 can be specified. That's fine. For example, the beacon ID may be sales product information, the beacon ID may be transmitted to the mobile terminal 20, and the mobile terminal 20 may identify the product sold by the vending machine 10 based on the beacon ID. For example, the management server 30 stores a correspondence table in which information on each product sold by the vending machine 10 corresponding to the beacon ID is associated with each beacon ID, and the beacon ID acquired from the vending machine 10 is stored in the management table 30. Based on the management server 30, information on each product sold by the vending machine 10 is acquired, or the mobile terminal 20 acquires the correspondence table in advance, and the mobile terminal 20 itself sells the vending machine 10 The information of each product is specified. In addition, the vending machine storage unit (not shown) of the vending machine 10 also stores information on products that can be used for points out of the products sold by the vending machine, and the vending machine stores the vending machine information as sales product information. In addition to information on products sold on the machine, only information on which products can use points or information on products that can use points may be transmitted.

  In addition, the order and timing of exchanging information among the vending machine 10, the portable terminal 20, and the management server 30 are not limited to those described in the above-described embodiment and FIGS. These can be changed as appropriate.

  In addition, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereby. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, other embodiments modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for managing points given by products purchased with a vending machine.

1 Point management system 10 Vending machine 13 Control unit (vending machine control unit)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Short-range communication part 20 Portable terminal 21 Display part 30 Management server 31 Communication part 33 Storage part 34 Point addition part 35 Point conversion part 36 Point consumption part 40 Network

Claims (11)

A point management system comprising a vending machine capable of short-range communication with a mobile terminal having a communication function, and a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal via a network,
The vending machine is
A near field communication unit capable of near field communication with the mobile terminal;
A vending machine control unit that causes the short-range communication unit to transmit, to the mobile terminal in communication with the short-range communication unit, product information related to a product purchased by a user and location information related to the installation location of the vending machine. And comprising
The management server
A communication unit that receives identification information for identifying the mobile terminal, the product information, and the location information from the mobile terminal;
A storage unit that stores points owned by each user for each user;
When the product information and the location information are received, points are added to the user's possession points specified by the identification information stored in the storage unit, and the added points are stored in the storage unit A point addition unit,
The point addition unit specifies a product type based on the product information, adds different points according to the specified product type, and sets a predetermined product type to an installation location specified from the location information. A point management system that adds different points according to your needs.   The point management system according to claim 1, wherein the point addition unit adds different points according to the type of product based on a contribution to the health of the user for each type of product.   In response to an instruction from the user transmitted from the mobile terminal, the management server converts points of other point services into points stored in the storage unit and stores the points stored in the storage unit. A point conversion unit that adds to a possession point or subtracts all or part of the possession point of the user stored in the storage unit and converts the subtracted point to a point of another point service. The point management system according to 1 or 2.   The said point addition part is a point management system as described in any one of Claims 1-3 which adds a different point combining the kind of goods, the installation place of the said vending machine, and other conditions.   The point addition unit acquires time information related to time at the time of product purchase, and uses a purchase time as the other condition for a predetermined product type, and sets different points according to the purchase time specified from the time information. The point management system according to claim 4, wherein the points are added.   6. The point management system according to claim 4, wherein the point addition unit adds different points according to a user layer, with a user layer based on user registration information as the other condition, for a predetermined product type.   The point management system according to claim 6, wherein the user registration information includes at least one of gender, age, business type, and job type. The vending machine control unit, when the short-range communication unit receives purchase information indicating that a user-specified product is purchased from the portable terminal in a communication state as a consideration for a possession point, It is possible to execute the product discharge process to discharge from the vending machine,
When the communication unit receives consumption information indicating that the point corresponding to the user-specified product is consumed from the mobile terminal, the management server specifies the user designation from the user's possession points stored in the storage unit The point management system according to claim 1, further comprising a point consumption unit that subtracts points corresponding to the product.   The said vending machine control part makes the said short-distance communication part transmit the sales merchandise information regarding the information of the goods currently sold with the said vending machine to the said portable terminal according to the request | requirement from the said portable terminal. Point management system.   The point consumption unit, when the communication unit receives a request for the number of remaining points from the mobile terminal, causes the mobile unit to transmit the number of points owned by the user specified by the identification information to the mobile terminal. 9. The point management system according to 9. A point management method using a vending machine capable of short-range communication with a mobile terminal having a communication function, and a management server capable of communicating with the mobile terminal via a network,
An input step for receiving input of product information related to a product purchased by a user by the vending machine;
A transmission step of transmitting the input product information and location information regarding the installation location of the vending machine to the mobile terminal in communication with the short-range communication unit of the vending machine;
A receiving step of receiving identification information for identifying the portable terminal and the product information and the location information transmitted from the short-range communication unit from the portable terminal by the management server;
A point addition step of adding points to the possession points of the user specified by the identification information stored in the management server when the product information and the location information are received,
In the point addition step, the type of product is specified based on the product information, and different points are added according to the specified type of product, and the predetermined product type is set to the installation location specified from the location information. A point management method that adds different points depending on the situation.

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