JP7285583B2 - Information processing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, an information processing program, and an information processing method that take POI (Post Of Interest) waiting time into account.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a system that, in response to a search request from a customer terminal, presents to a user a store with the shortest sum of store waiting time and travel time among a plurality of stores as a recommended store. .

JP 2012-98981 A

However, in this system, the user cannot grasp the actual waiting time after arriving at the store, and even if the travel time is short, the waiting time at the store may be long.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system, an information processing device, an information processing program, and an information processing method that enable a user to reduce waiting time. It is to be.

According to one aspect of the present invention, POI information acquisition means for acquiring a waiting time until a POI can be used; travel time acquisition means for acquiring travel time to the POI; and information generating means for generating POI information about the POI based on a comparison result.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there are provided POI information acquisition means for acquiring a waiting time until a POI can be used, travel time acquisition means for acquiring travel time to the POI, and the waiting time and the travel. An information processing system is provided, comprising departure time calculation means for calculating a recommended departure time to the POI based on time and information generation means for generating POI information including the recommended departure time.

The user can grasp the result of comparison between the waiting time at the POI and the travel time, or the recommended departure time, which can lead to shortening of the waiting time.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to a first embodiment; FIG. The figure which shows an example of the structure of the POI information database 221. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing operations of the information processing system according to the first embodiment; FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in step S2. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in step S4. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram that is a modification of FIG. 3 ; FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing operations of an information processing system according to the second embodiment; FIG. 4 shows an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in steps S1' and S2'; The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in step S4'. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S4'; FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of processing operations of an information processing system according to the third embodiment; The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in step S1''. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in step S4''. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S4″; The figure explaining the outline|summary of 4th Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to a fourth embodiment; FIG. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in 4th Embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the screen displayed on the output part 13 in 5th Embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

In a preferred form of the present invention, the information processing system according to the present invention utilizes a web reservation system. A web reservation system is a system that allows users to make a reservation online and wait for their turn without actually going to a facility such as a store. The provider of the information processing system according to the present invention may provide the web reservation system, or may cooperate with the web reservation system provided by another business operator.

(First embodiment)
The first embodiment generates POI information for a specific POI based on the result of comparison between the waiting time from the present until the POI can be used and the travel time to that POI.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment of the invention. The information processing system comprises a terminal device 1 and a server 2, which are connected via a network 3 so as to be communicable. The network 3 may be wireless or wired.

The terminal device 1 is used by a user, and may be, for example, a mobile electronic device such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a tablet, or may be a stationary electronic device such as a personal computer or a car navigation device. Below, an example in which the terminal device 1 is a smartphone is mainly shown.
The terminal device 1 has a communication section 11 , an operation input section 12 , an output section 13 and a control section 14 .
The communication unit 11 is a communication interface that transmits and receives information between the control unit 14 and the server 2 via the network 3 .

The operation input unit 12 is an input interface for a user to input operations to the terminal device 1, and is, for example, a touch panel and a microphone in mobile electronic devices, and a keyboard, mouse, and touch pad in stationary electronic devices.

The output unit 13 is an output interface for outputting various information from the terminal device 1 . For example, the output unit 13 is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving operations from the user and a display for displaying various information to the user. Alternatively, the output unit 13 may be a speaker that outputs sound. In addition, the output unit 13 may not directly present information or the like to the user. Alternatively, the data may be output to a printer in the terminal device 1, or the data may be output to and stored in a storage device in the terminal device 1 or an external storage device. An example in which the output unit 13 is a display will be mainly described below.

The control unit 14 has a POI search condition setting unit 141 , a route search condition setting unit 142 , a reservation setting unit 143 , an information transmission unit 144 , an information reception unit 145 and an output data generation unit 146 . Each of these units may be realized by a processor (not shown) of the terminal device 1 executing a predetermined program, or may be implemented by hardware.

The POI search condition setting unit 141 sets POI search conditions in accordance with the user's operation on the operation input unit 12 . POIs to be searched may be various facilities such as restaurants, medical facilities, lodging facilities, various salons, theme parks, and exhibition halls, or may be events held at specific facilities rather than the facilities themselves. There are no particular restrictions, but it is especially targeted for those who have to wait until the start of use. Here, the start of use means, for example, entering a facility or the like, taking a seat at a store or the like, or actually receiving a service.

The route search condition setting unit 142 sets route search conditions up to the POI. The route search conditions are, for example, the place of departure, the time of departure, the means of transportation to be used, and the like. The route search condition setting unit 142 may be set each time a route search is performed according to the operation of the operation input unit 12 by the user, or may be set in advance. Also, at least part of the search conditions may be set without the user's instruction. You may set it as the departure time.

The reservation setting unit 143 sets a POI use reservation instruction in accordance with the user's operation on the operation input unit 12 . The number of people, service contents, and other detailed conditions may be set in the reservation for use.

The information transmission unit 144 transmits various information set in the terminal device 1 , such as the POI search conditions, route search conditions, and usage reservation instructions, from the communication unit 11 to the server 2 via the network 3 .
The information receiving unit 145 receives various types of information from the server 2 , such as POI information, which will be described later, from the communication unit 11 via the network 3 .

The output data generation unit 146 generates output data for the output unit 13 to output information based on the operation of the operation input unit 12 and various information from the server 2 . When the output unit 13 is a display, the output data is image data.
On the other hand, the server 2 has a communication section 21 , a storage section 22 and a control section 23 .
The communication unit 21 is a communication interface that transmits and receives information between the control unit 23 and the terminal device 1 via the network 3 .

The storage unit 22 is, for example, a hard disk, and stores the POI information database 221 . In the POI information database 221, for example, reservation information of each POI held by the Web reservation system is acquired by the server 2 and stored in the server 2 (or in a storage device in a separate device connected via the network 3).

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the POI information database 221. As shown in FIG. As shown, the POI information database 221 associates and stores the ID, category, name, location information, waiting time, number of people waiting, etc. of each POI. In addition, business hours, average budget, etc. of each POI may be associated. The waiting time indicates the time required to start using the POI when waiting in line for the POI. That is, the waiting time indicates the time required to start using the POI currently reserved for use via the Web reservation system and waiting for its turn. The number of people waiting may not necessarily be in units of people, but may be in units of groups (sets). The waiting time and the number of people waiting may be updated at predetermined time intervals, or may be updated in real time each time a reservation is added or canceled.

Also, the waiting time and the number of people waiting in the POI information database 221 may be data for each service content. For example, in a restaurant with separate smoking areas, the waiting time and number of people waiting for smoking seats and the waiting time and number of people waiting for non-smoking seats may be stored separately. In a medical facility, the information may be stored for each clinical department such as otolaryngology or internal medicine. In a bank, it may be stored for each transaction such as withdrawal and investment consultation. In a cell phone shop, the information may be stored for each item such as model change or repair.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the control section 23 has a POI information acquisition section 231 , a travel time acquisition section 232 , a reservation section 233 , an information generation section 234 , an information reception section 235 and an information transmission section 236 . Each of these units may be implemented by a processor (not shown) of the server 2 executing a predetermined program, or may be implemented by hardware.

The POI information acquisition unit 231 acquires POI information from the POI information database 221 or another database (not shown). More specifically, the POI information acquisition unit 231 searches for POIs that match the POI search conditions set in the terminal device 1, and acquires position information and waiting time for certain POIs.

The travel time acquisition unit 232 acquires the time required to travel from the departure point to the POI based on the route search conditions set in the terminal device 1 and the POI information database 221 . Although there is no particular limitation on the acquisition method, as an example, the travel time acquisition unit 232 searches for routes to POIs based on route search conditions set in the terminal device 1 and POI position information in the POI information database 221. Get the travel time by doing As another example, the travel time acquisition unit 232 calculates the travel time using a database that stores the travel time for each combination of a predetermined location such as a stop place of a transportation system, a POI, and a transportation means without searching for a route. may be obtained.

The reservation unit 233 reserves the use of POI using the Web reservation system in response to the use reservation instruction from the terminal device 1 . At this stage, the reservation unit 233 may update the waiting time and the number of people waiting in the POI information database 221 .

The information generator 234 generates POI information about POIs. In this embodiment, the POI information is generated based on the result of comparison between the waiting time of a particular POI and the travel time to that POI.
FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing operations of the information processing system according to the first embodiment;

First, according to an instruction from the user, the POI search condition setting unit 141 sets POI search conditions (step S1). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user has already determined the POI, and the POI search condition is the name of the POI, such as the store name. Service contents (smoking seat or non-smoking seat, etc.) may additionally be specified. This POI search condition is transmitted to the server 2 by the information transmitting section 144 and received by the information receiving section 235 thereof.

The POI information acquisition unit 231 of the server 2 searches for POIs that match the POI search conditions (step S11). In this search, the POI information database 221 may be referred to, or may be searched by other methods. Here, it is assumed that one POI is obtained by searching. Then, the POI information acquisition unit 231 refers to the POI information database 221 to determine the waiting time until the acquired POI can be used (hereinafter, simply referred to as POI waiting time). (step S12). This waiting time is the time from the present until the POI can be used, assuming that the POI is currently reserved for use, and is distinguished from the "substantial waiting time" described later. Also, the POI information acquisition unit 231 may acquire the number of people waiting as necessary. If the POI information database 221 contains data for each service, the waiting time may be obtained for each service.
Information indicating the acquired POI and its waiting time is transmitted to the terminal device 1 by the information transmitting section 236 and received by the information receiving section 145 thereof.

The output data generation unit 146 of the terminal device 1 generates output data for outputting information indicating the POI and its waiting time, and the information is output from the output unit 13 (step S2).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 (display) in step S2. The figure shows an example in which the POI is a store, and in addition to the telephone number and address of the store, it is shown that there are currently 5 groups of people waiting and the waiting time is about 30 minutes. Furthermore, a 'waiting time calculation' icon for calculating the 'actual waiting time' when the reservation is made at the present time is displayed. "Substantial waiting time" means the time to wait at the POI after arrival at the POI, in other words, the time from the present until the POI can be used minus the travel time.

When the user selects (touches) the "waiting time calculation" icon on the operation input unit 12 (touch panel), the route search condition setting unit 142 sets the route search condition with the acquired POI as the destination (step S3). The starting point may be the current location or may be arbitrarily set by the user. Similarly, the departure time may be the current time or may be arbitrarily set by the user. In addition, a means of transportation such as a car or a train may be set. The route search condition is transmitted to the server 2 by the information transmitting section 144 and received by the information receiving section 235 thereof.

The travel time acquisition unit 232 of the server 2 searches for a route based on the route search conditions, and acquires the travel time from the departure point to the POI (destination) acquired in step S11 (step S13). Travel time is the difference between the estimated time of arrival and the current time in the route search results. Subsequently, the information generation unit 234 compares the travel time with the waiting time acquired in step S12 to calculate the actual waiting time (step S14). The actual waiting time is expressed by the following formula.
Actual waiting time = waiting time - traveling time (if waiting time ≥ traveling time)
= 0 (when waiting time < travel time)
In the example of FIG. 4, the POI wait time is 30 minutes. Assuming that the travel time is 25 minutes, the actual waiting time is 5 minutes.

Subsequently, the information generation unit 234 generates POI information regarding the POI based on the actual waiting time (step S15). The POI information is transmitted to the terminal device 1 by the information transmitting section 236 and received by the information receiving section 145 thereof.
The output data generation unit 146 of the terminal device 1 generates output data for outputting the POI information, and the information is output from the output unit 13 (step S4).

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 (display) in step S4. Using the above numerical example, it is shown that the effective waiting time after POI arrival is 5 minutes. More detailed information shows that the travel time and waiting time are 25 and 30 minutes, respectively. Also, a link of "route confirmation" may be provided so that the route from the departure point to the POI can be confirmed. Furthermore, the actual waiting time for each service of the POI may be displayed. Further, as the information on the available time, the time when the POI can be used may be displayed, or the number of minutes after the present time when the POI can be used may be displayed.

A user who sees this screen can understand that if he makes a reservation at this POI and moves to it, he can start using the POI five minutes after arriving at the POI. Considering the actual waiting time, the user can consider whether or not to use this POI. A user who decides to use the service can select the "reserve now" icon on the same screen. In this way, it is convenient for the user to arrange the actual waiting time and the reservation icon on one screen.

In response to the user's selection of the "immediate reservation" icon, the reservation setting unit 143 of the terminal device 1 sets the POI use reservation instruction (step S5 in FIG. 3). The POI utilization reservation instruction is transmitted to the server 2 by the information transmitting section 144 and received by the information receiving section 235 thereof.

Then, the reservation unit 233 of the server 2 uses the Web reservation system to execute the POI use reservation (step S16). It should be noted that between the time the waiting time is acquired in step S12 and the time the reservation is actually made in step S16, the waiting time may increase or decrease due to a third party making a reservation or canceling the reservation. It is also conceivable that Therefore, when the waiting time is determined by actually making a reservation for use, the POI information acquiring unit 231 acquires the waiting time again, the information generating unit 234 updates the POI information, and transmits and outputs the POI information to the terminal device 1. good too. This allows the user to know a more accurate real waiting time.
After that, the terminal device 1 and the server 2 use the route search result in step S13 to provide the user with route guidance to the POI (step S6).

Thus, in the first embodiment, the actual waiting time based on the comparison between the waiting time of a specific POI and the travel time to that POI is output as POI information. Therefore, the user can know the actual waiting time after arrival of the POI. Therefore, the user can determine whether or not to use the POI by considering the actual waiting time at each POI, and the user can reduce the waiting time after arriving at the store by using the POI with the short actual waiting time. can.

In FIG. 3, after the POI information including the actual waiting time is output from the terminal device 1 (step 4), the reservation is set (step S5). However, as described below as a modified example, the actual waiting time may be output after setting the reservation.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram that is a modification of FIG. A brief description will be given centering on the differences from FIG. The POI information acquired by the POI search based on the search conditions from the terminal device 1 is output from the output unit 13 of the terminal device 1 (steps S1, S11, S2'). At this time, the POI information acquisition unit 231 may not acquire the waiting time of this POI.

Subsequently, when the user makes a reservation setting (step S5), the reservation unit 233 makes a use reservation (step S16). Then, the POI information acquiring unit 231 acquires the waiting time at the time when the waiting time is fixed after making the reservation for use (step S12).

On the other hand, the user also sets the route search conditions before and after setting the reservation (step S3). The travel time acquisition unit 232 searches for a route and acquires the travel time to the POI (step S13).
. Then, the information generator 234 compares the travel time and the waiting time to calculate the actual waiting time (step S14), and generates POI information (step S15). This POI information is output from the output unit 13 of the terminal device 1 (step S4), and guidance to the POI is performed (step S6).

Some users may want to make a reservation for use regardless of the waiting time (even if the waiting time is long). In such a case, the aspect of this modified example that omits the output of the actual waiting time before setting the reservation is also effective.

(Second embodiment)
The first embodiment described above outputs the actual waiting time for a specific POI. On the other hand, in a second embodiment described below, among a plurality of POIs, a POI with a short substantial waiting time is preferentially output.
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing operations of an information processing system according to the second embodiment. The following description focuses on differences from the first embodiment.

First, the POI search condition setting unit 141 sets a POI search condition (step S1'). This embodiment assumes that the user has not yet decided on a POI. Therefore, the POI search conditions are such that a plurality of POIs can be retrieved by POI search, and are, for example, keywords for category search, price range, business hours, area, and station. POI search conditions may also include service details (such as smoking seats or non-smoking seats).

Further, the route search condition setting unit 142 sets route search conditions (step S3'). However, at this point, which POI to go to, that is, the destination has not been determined. Therefore, the means of transportation, the place of departure (for example, the current location) and the time of departure (for example, the current time) are set, but the setting of the destination is unnecessary.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in steps S1' and S3'. In order to set the POI search conditions, the user can enter a free word in the keyword input field, or select one of the predetermined areas from the "search from area" button. , You can enter any station from the "search around station" button, and you can also set conditions such as fare range and business hours from the "search by conditions" button. These conditions may be combined.

In order to set the route search condition, the user can also set the means of transportation, and can set the departure point and departure time (not shown). As a condition for both the POI search condition and the route search condition, it may be possible to set which means of transportation is used and how much travel time is required to search for POIs that can be traveled. Each setting can be, for example, a format selected from a pull-down. In the figure, being within a five-minute walking distance is set as the POI search condition, and walking is set as the route search condition. POI search conditions and route search conditions are transmitted from the terminal device 1 to the server 2 by selecting the "search" button.

Returning to FIG. 7, the POI information acquisition unit 231 of the server 2 searches for POIs that match the POI search conditions (step S11'). If the POI search conditions include service content, the POI information acquisition unit 231 searches for POIs in consideration of service content as well. Here, it is assumed that multiple POIs are acquired. Note that the POI information acquisition unit 231 may search only for POIs within a certain range from the departure point, such as POIs whose traveling time or linear distance is less than or equal to a predetermined value. Then, the POI information acquisition unit 231 acquires the waiting time of each POI by referring to the POI information database 221 (step S12'). Further, the travel time acquisition unit 232 performs a route search using each acquired POI as a destination in addition to the search conditions set by the route search condition setting unit 142,
The travel time to each POI is obtained (step S13').

Subsequently, the information generator 234 compares the waiting time of each POI with the travel time to each POI to calculate the actual waiting time of each POI (step S14'). Then, the information generator 234 generates POI information based on the calculated actual waiting time (step S15').

For example, the POI information may associate each POI with its effective waiting time. Also, the POI information may be selected from a predetermined number of POIs with a short actual waiting time. Furthermore, the POI information may be selected POIs whose actual waiting time is within a predetermined time (for example, 0 minutes). The predetermined number and predetermined time may be determined in advance, or may be set by the user as POI search conditions. Based on such POI information, the output data generation unit 146 of the terminal device 1 generates output data and outputs it from the output unit 13 (step S4'). Subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S4'. The figure shows a list in which the information of 10 POIs acquired by the POI search is associated with the respective actual waiting times. These 10 cases are lined up under a predetermined condition. However, only the top three cases are displayed on the screen, and the other seven cases are sequentially displayed by the user scrolling this screen downward. The order of arrangement may be in ascending order of actual waiting time, in descending order of travel time from the starting point, or in each category.

The output data generator 146 may update this screen according to the user's operation on the operation input unit 12 . For example, when the user selects a certain condition, the output data generator 146 may update and display the order of POIs according to the selected condition.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S4'. In the figure, the position of each POI and its actual waiting time are displayed on the map. Also, the starting point and current location may be indicated on the map so that the distance to each POI can be intuitively understood.

This screen may also be updated according to user operations. For example, when the user selects a certain category, the output data generator 146 may display only the POIs of that category and hide the other POIs. Alternatively, when the user selects conditions such as actual waiting time and travel time, a predetermined number of POIs may be displayed in ascending order of these conditions.

In addition, although FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show the actual waiting time, the time at which the POI can be used may be displayed, or the number of minutes after the present time the POI can be used may be displayed. Furthermore, the travel time to the POI may be displayed.

Thus, in the second embodiment, the actual waiting time is calculated for each of a plurality of POIs. Therefore, a POI with a substantially short waiting time can be preferentially output, and the user can select a POI with a substantially short waiting time.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment to be described next, the user sets a desired time of use, which is how long (for example, within how many minutes) the user wants to use the POI, and performs the POI search.
FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of processing operations of an information processing system according to the third embodiment. The following description focuses on differences from the second embodiment.

First, the POI search condition setting unit 141 sets a POI search condition (step S1''). The POI search conditions of this embodiment include the desired use time set by the user in addition to the POI search conditions described in the second embodiment. By subsequent processing, POIs that can be used within the desired time period from the current time, in other words, POIs that can be used until the current time plus the desired time period are output to the terminal device 1 .

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S1''. In this example, the user can set the desired use time, which indicates how many minutes within which the user wants to be seated, by operating the operation input unit 12 . This setting may be selected from a pull-down menu as shown, or may be arbitrarily input by the user.

Returning to FIG. 11, the route search condition setting unit 142 sets route search conditions (step S3'). Then, the POI information acquisition unit 231 of the server 2 searches for POIs that match the POI search conditions (step S11'). At this point, POI search is performed in the same manner as in the second embodiment without considering the desired time of use. Then, the POI information acquisition unit 231 acquires the waiting time of each POI (step S12'). In addition to the route search conditions set by the route search condition setting unit 142, the travel time acquisition unit 232 performs a route search using each acquired POI as a destination, and acquires the travel time to each POI (step S13').

Then, the information generator 234 calculates the availability time of each POI (step S14a). The available time is expressed by the following formula, assuming that the vehicle departs at the current time and that a reservation for using the POI has been made at this time.
Available time = current time + travel time (if travel time ≥ waiting time)
= current time + waiting time (when waiting time ≥ travel time)
That is, each POI can be used at the time obtained by adding the larger one of the travel time and the waiting time to the current time.

Further, the information generator 234 calculates the desired time of use (step S14b). The desired use time is the time by which the user wishes to start using the POI, and is commonly expressed by the following formula for all POIs.
Desired time of use = Current time + Desired time of use

If necessary, the information generation unit 234 may calculate the actual waiting time of each POI as in the second embodiment. Then, the information generator 234 generates POI information based on the desired time of use and the available time of each POI (step S15''). More specifically, the information generation unit 234 generates POI information that satisfies the POI search condition, that is, POI that has a available time earlier than the desired time of use. Subsequent processing is the same as in the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S4''. The figure shows a list in which 10 POIs acquired by the POI search are associated with their available (sitting) available times. These 10 cases are lined up under a predetermined condition. The order of arrangement may be in order of earliest available time, in order of shortest travel time from the starting point, or for each category.

The output data generator 146 may update this screen according to the user's operation on the operation input unit 12 . For example, when the user selects a certain condition, the output data generator 146 may update and display the order of POIs according to the selected condition.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the screen displayed on the output unit 13 in step S4''. In the figure, the position of each POI and its available time are displayed on the map. In addition, the current waiting time, the time required for movement, and the like may be displayed. Also, the starting point and current location may be indicated on the map so that the distance to each POI can be intuitively understood.

This screen may also be updated according to user operations. For example, when the user selects a certain category, the output data generator 146 may display only the POIs of that category and hide the other POIs. Alternatively, when the user selects conditions such as actual waiting time and travel time, a predetermined number of POIs may be displayed in ascending order of these conditions.

As described above, in the third embodiment, the user designates the desired usage time. Therefore, it is possible to preferentially output POIs that can be used within the desired time of use, thereby reducing the actual waiting time.

In the present embodiment, the desired use time is set by the user and the desired use time is calculated by the information generator 234, but the desired use time may be directly set by the user as a condition regarding the desired use time of the POI. Also, in the present embodiment, POIs with available times earlier than the desired time of use are output. Conversely, POIs with available times later than the desired time of use may be output in order of availability. For example, it is useful when you have a schedule for 30 minutes from now, but you want to eat as soon as possible after that.

Further, in step S1', the actual waiting time may be set as the POI search condition. Generate POI information about the POI.

(Fourth embodiment)
A fourth embodiment, which will be described next, calculates a recommended departure time in consideration of waiting time and travel time so that POIs can be used with a short actual waiting time.

FIG. 15 is a diagram explaining the outline of the fourth embodiment. Assume that the current time is 15:00, the travel time to a certain POI is 45 minutes, and the current waiting time at that POI is 60 minutes. If you leave immediately, you will need to arrive at that POI at 15:45 and wait 15 minutes at the POI, as shown as "Pattern 1". That is, the actual waiting time is 15 minutes.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the recommended departure time at which the actual waiting time is 0 is calculated based on the following equation (1), and the result of 15:15 is presented to the user as the recommended departure time.
Recommended departure time = current time + POI current waiting time - travel time (1)

As a result, the departure time can be delayed from the current time, and the time until the departure time can be spent meaningfully at the current location such as at home rather than simply spending waiting time at the POI.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an information processing system according to the fourth embodiment. As a difference from FIG. 1, the control unit 23a of the server 2a has a departure time calculation unit 237 that calculates the above recommended departure time.

This embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the first to third embodiments. As a specific recommended departure time calculation method, for example, in step S3 of FIG. Using the POI's current waiting time, the recommended departure time can be calculated from equation (1) above. According to this method, the recommended departure time can be easily calculated because the route search is performed with the departure time as the current time.
As another example, the departure time calculation unit 237 sets the arrival time based on the following formula (2) instead of the departure time set by the route search condition setting unit 142 as the route search condition.
Arrival time = current time + current waiting time of POI (2)

The departure time calculator 237 may set the departure time of the route obtained by this route search condition as the recommended departure time. According to this method, the actual traffic conditions at the time of travel are considered, and the recommended departure time can be calculated with high accuracy. It should be noted that the arrival time in the route search condition may be based on the calculation result of the above formula (2), and the arrival time (by the user or the departure time calculation unit 237) finely adjusted the calculation result of the above formula (2). It may be the time.

In step S15, the information generator 234 generates POI information including the recommended departure time. The POI information may further include route information for departing at the recommended departure time.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in the fourth embodiment. This example corresponds to FIG. 15, and FIG. 17(a) shows that the actual waiting time is about 15 minutes when the current departure time (15:00) is reached, and the recommended departure time is 15:15. indicates that there is As a basis for this, it also shows that the travel time is about 45 minutes and the current waiting time is about 60 minutes. Then, when the user touches the icon "Leave to arrive at the time of use", a detailed route for departing at the recommended departure time, such as boarding station, boarding time, alighting station, alighting time, fare, etc., is displayed on another screen. (FIG. 17(b)).

In addition to the recommended departure time, the difference between the recommended departure time and the current time may be calculated and displayed such as "Please depart in 15 minutes from now." Furthermore, if the travel time is longer than the POI's current wait time, the recommended departure time will be earlier than the current time. In this case, since the recommended departure time has already passed, it is desirable to display "Please depart now" instead of outputting the recommended departure time as it is.

Further, when combined with the second and third embodiments, route search conditions may be set as described above in step S3' of FIG. 7 or FIG. In this case, recommended departure times are calculated for each of the plurality of POIs. Therefore, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 17 may be displayed for each POI, or recommended departure times may be displayed for each POI on screens such as those shown in FIGS.

In the first to third embodiments, the calculation and output of the recommended departure time may be performed after making the reservation (step S17). That is, before receiving the reservation setting from the user (step S5), the information generating section 234 generates POI information including the actual POI waiting time, and outputs the POI information from the output section 13. FIG. After receiving the reservation settings and executing the reservation (step S17), the departure time calculation unit 237 calculates the recommended departure time, and the information generation unit 234 generates POI information including the recommended departure time, and outputs the POI information from the output unit 13. . As a result, the POI information output from the output unit 13 is changed before and after the reservation. Since the recommended departure time is calculated after the reservation is made and the waiting time is fixed, a more accurate recommended departure time can be presented to the user.

Also, the recommended departure time may be calculated independently of the first to third embodiments. In this case, first, the POI information acquisition unit 231 acquires POI position information and waiting time. By performing the above route search, the departure time calculator 237 can calculate the recommended departure time at which the actual waiting time is zero.
Thus, in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to output a recommended departure time that reduces the actual waiting time based on the current time and the current waiting time of the POI.

If the actual waiting time cannot be set to exactly 0 due to reasons such as operation intervals of transportation facilities, the departure time of the route that minimizes the actual waiting time may be set as the recommended departure time. Further, the departure time calculation unit 237 may calculate a plurality of departure times in order of shortening the actual waiting time.

(Fifth embodiment)
In the fifth embodiment described below, when the actual waiting time changes after setting the reservation, a push notification is sent to the terminal device 1 to that effect. This embodiment can be combined with the first to fourth embodiments.

In this embodiment, after setting the reservation (step S16 in each sequence diagram), the POI information acquisition unit 231 accesses the POI information database 221 periodically or at an arbitrary timing to check the waiting time and the number of people waiting. . When the actual waiting time changes due to some factor, for example, when the waiting time or the number of people waiting decreases due to cancellation of a reservation, the information generation unit 234 generates (updates) POI information indicating that fact, and updates the POI information. The information transmission unit 236 transmits to the terminal device 1 . This information is output from the output unit 13 by the output data generation unit 146 .

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the output unit 13 in the fifth embodiment. The figure shows an example in which POI information is sent to the terminal device 1 by mail. The figure shows that one set of cancellations has occurred and the waiting time has been shortened. For this mail, for example, a fixed phrase may be prepared by a person involved in the operation of the POI so that only the number of cancellation groups can be appropriately set. Also, the mail may be sent from the server 2 (2a), in which case the provider of the information processing system may be the sender. Alternatively, the system on the POI side that accepts the reservation may send the e-mail, in which case the person involved in the operation of the POI may be the sender. Also, the notification may be sent to the terminal device 1 in a form different from the e-mail.

Such notification may be made when the reservation is cancelled, or when the actual waiting time changes due to the fact that the number of waiting people is naturally consumed earlier or later than expected. Alternatively, guidance to the POI (step S6) may be performed when the user's movement is earlier or later than the result of the route search and the actual waiting time changes.

Furthermore, when the reservation status changes, taking into consideration the change in waiting time, the actual waiting time is acquired and the recommended departure time is calculated again, the POI information is updated, and the display screen of the output unit 13 is updated. good.
Thus, in the fifth embodiment, the terminal device 1 is notified of changes in reservation status. As a result, highly accurate information can be presented to the user even after the reservation is set.

In addition, although each embodiment has taken into consideration the use of the Web reservation system, it is not always necessary to use the Web reservation system, as long as the POI information database 221 can be referred to. If the number of people waiting does not increase much from the current time, it is possible to acquire the actual waiting time and calculate the recommended departure time with a certain degree of accuracy without the reservation function.

1 and 16, part of the terminal device 1 may be provided in the server 2 (2a), or part of the server 2 (2a) may be provided in the terminal device 1. Alternatively, a stand-alone device that integrates the functions of the terminal device 1 and the server 2 may be used. Also, at least part of the information processing system may be an information processing system configured by one or more computers. Further, each unit in the server 2 may be distributed among a plurality of information processing devices that are communicatively connected.

At least part of the information processing system described in the above embodiments may be configured with hardware or software. When configured with software, a program that implements at least part of the functions of the information processing system may be stored in a recording medium and read and executed by a computer. The recording medium is not limited to a detachable one such as a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and may be a fixed recording medium such as a hard disk device or memory.

Also, a program that implements at least part of the functions of the information processing system may be distributed via a communication line (including wireless communication) such as the Internet. Further, the program may be encrypted, modulated, or compressed, and distributed via a wired line such as the Internet or a wireless line, or stored in a recording medium and distributed.

Furthermore, the information processing system may be operated by one or a plurality of information processing devices that are communicatively connected. When a plurality of information processing devices are used, one or more of the information processing devices may be a computer, and the computer may implement a function as at least one means of the information processing system by executing a predetermined program.

Based on the above description, those skilled in the art may conceive additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but aspects of the present invention are limited to the individual embodiments described above. isn't it. Various additions, changes, and partial deletions are possible without departing from the conceptual idea and spirit of the present invention derived from the content defined in the claims and equivalents thereof.

1 Terminal device 11 Communication unit 12 Operation input unit 13 Output unit 14 Control unit 141 POI search condition setting unit 142 Route search condition setting unit 143 Reservation setting unit 144 Information transmission unit 145 Information reception unit 146 Output data generation units 2, 2a Server 21 Communication unit 22 Storage unit 221 POI information database 23 Control unit 231 POI information acquisition unit 232 Travel time acquisition unit 233 Reservation unit 234 Information generation unit 235 Information reception unit 236 Information transmission unit 237 Departure time calculation unit

Claims (10)

POI information acquisition means for acquiring the time required to start using a POI currently reserved for use and waiting for a turn ;
a travel time acquiring means for acquiring travel time to the POI;
information generating means for generating POI information about the POI including information about waiting time after arrival at the POI based on the result of comparison between the time required to start use and the travel time;
Departure time calculation means for calculating a recommended departure time to the POI based on the time required to start use and the travel time;
An information processing system comprising 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein said information generating means generates said POI information relating to POIs satisfying a predetermined condition regarding waiting time after arrival at said POI based on said comparison result. The POIs satisfying the predetermined condition are selected from a predetermined number of POIs with a short waiting time after arriving at the POI, or selected POIs with a waiting time within a predetermined time after arriving at the POI. 3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein: A reservation means for making a reservation for using the POI,
4. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said POI information acquisition means acquires the time required until said POI is started to be used when said POI is currently reserved for use by said reservation means. 5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein said information generating means updates said POI information after said reservation means reserves the use of said POI. 6. The information generating means according to claim 4, wherein said information generating means updates said POI information according to a change in waiting time after arrival at said POI after said reservation means makes a reservation for use of said POI. Information processing system. The information generating means generates the POI information including information on the availability time of the POI and information on waiting time after arrival at the POI based on the comparison result,
7. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said departure time calculation means sets a departure time obtained by searching for said available time as an arrival time of a route search condition as a recommended departure time for said POI. . 8. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said information generating means generates said POI information further including said recommended departure time. The departure time calculation means sets an arrival time based on a time obtained by adding the time required to start use to the current time, and calculates the recommended departure time based on the result of searching for a route to the POI. 9. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . 10. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein said departure time calculation means calculates said recommended departure time so as to minimize waiting time after arrival at said POI.

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