WO2023037509A1

WO2023037509A1 - Information processing server, information processing method, and program

Info

Publication number: WO2023037509A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/033375
Authority: WO
Inventors: 穂高向原; 小笛能勢; 晃平野口
Original assignee: 本田技研工業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-09-10
Filing date: 2021-09-10
Publication date: 2023-03-16
Also published as: JPWO2023037509A1

Abstract

An information processing server according to the present disclosure manages payment of a service fee by a user, and comprises: an acquisition means that acquires payment information indicating the amount of payment for the service by the user and usage of points therefor; a point control means that controls increase/decrease of each of a first point that can be accumulated and is given to the user according to the amount of payment exceeding a predetermined reference amount for the service by the user and a second point that can be accumulated and is given to the user according to the amount of usage fee paid by the user for the service; and a storage means that stores the accumulated values of the first point and the second point. When the payment information indicates usage of the first point for a specific purpose, the point control means subtracts, from the accumulated value of the second point held by the user, the point value of the second point that depends on the used point value of the first point.

Description

Information processing server, information processing method and program

The present invention relates to an information processing server, an information processing method, and a program.

Conventionally, there is known a technology that allows users to use points that they have received and accumulated to pay for products purchased by the user or services used by the user (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In the techniques proposed in

Patent Documents

1 and 2, the points given are only used for specific payments, so the range in which the points can be used by the user is limited (that is, the convenience is not high). ). In addition, even for service providers that give points, the more points they give to users, the more they discount the payment for services and products, which may reduce their profits.

In addition, in Patent Document 3, the amount (surplus) paid in excess of the predetermined repayment amount is accumulated, and when the accumulated surplus is used for early repayment, the final repayment date is deleted. A technique has been proposed that can reduce the repayment amount per payment. Also in this technique, the accumulated surplus money is only used for later repayments, and the range of utilization of the surplus money is limited. The user can only use the money previously paid for repayment later for the same purpose of repayment, and it is difficult for the user to feel that the surplus money can be used for another purpose.

JP 2017-4082 A Patent No. 3682438 Patent No. 4208853

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to improve the convenience of the points given to the user for the service, and to reduce the substantial discount by giving the points to the service provider who provides the points. It is to provide the technology that makes it possible.

According to the invention,
An information processing server that manages payment of usage fees for services by users,
Acquisition means for acquiring payment information indicating the amount paid by the user for the service and the use of points;
Accumulable first points given to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service exceeding a predetermined reference amount, and the amount of usage fee paid by the user for the service point control means for controlling respective increases and decreases with the second points that can be accumulated to be awarded to the user in response;
storage means for storing the cumulative value of the first points and the second points;
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for a predetermined purpose, the point control means allows the user to set the number of the second points according to the number of the first points to be used. An information processing server is provided that subtracts from the accumulated value of the second points held.

According to the present invention, the purpose is to develop a technology that makes it possible to provide service users with high convenience of points and, for the service provider side that provides points, to reduce the substantial discount due to the provision of points. become available.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
The figure which shows an example of the information processing system which concerns on this embodiment of this invention. Block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing server according to the present embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the information processing server according to this embodiment; A diagram for explaining an example of data in a user table according to this embodiment. A diagram for explaining an example of data in a payment information table according to the present embodiment A diagram for explaining an example of point table data according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device according to this embodiment; A diagram for explaining advance points, earned points, and liabilities according to the present embodiment. Diagram (1) for explaining an example of awarding advance points when there is no debt according to the present embodiment Diagram (2) for explaining an example of awarding advance points when there is no debt according to the present embodiment A diagram explaining an example of a case in which a liability is incurred according to the present embodiment A diagram explaining an example of granting advance points when there is a debt, according to the present embodiment. Diagram (1) for explaining an example of addition of debt (delinquency amount) when there is a debt according to the present embodiment A diagram for explaining an example of addition of debt (debt amount) when there is debt, according to the present embodiment. Diagram (2) for explaining an example of addition of debt (delinquency amount) when there is a debt according to the present embodiment Flowchart (1) showing a series of operations of point award processing based on payment amount according to the present embodiment Flowchart (2) showing a series of operations of point award processing based on the payment amount according to the present embodiment

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

<System Overview>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system according to this embodiment. An information processing system 10 according to the present embodiment includes, for example, an information processing server 100, communication devices 103, and communication devices 105. FIG. Information processing system 10 may further include vehicle 101 . The information processing server 100 is managed by a service provider that provides goods leasing services, for example, leasing goods such as the vehicle 101, providing maintenance services for the vehicle 101, and selling parts for the vehicle 101. It is an information processing device that

For example, the vehicle 101 is lent (leased) to the user 102 by the goods leasing service. For example, the user 102 drives the vehicle 101 to provide a taxi service, and pays the service provider a lease fee for the vehicle 101 based on the sales of the taxi service. In this embodiment, the case where the article leased by the article leasing service is the two-wheeled vehicle 101 will be described as an example, but the article may be a four-wheeled vehicle. An article may be a part mounted on a vehicle, and an object leased by the article leasing service may be software executed on the vehicle.

The vehicle 101 may be able to communicate with the information processing server 100 . In this case, data such as acceleration (also referred to as traveling data) collected by the sensors of the vehicle 101 is transmitted to the information processing server at any time or at a predetermined timing. The information processing server 100 may use the acquired travel data to calculate the creditworthiness of the driver. For example, the information processing server 100 can determine whether the vehicle 101 is traveling in compliance with safety standards. For example, when the information processing server 100 determines that the vehicle 101 is traveling in compliance with the safety standards, the information processing server 100 may give the user 102 who is the driver predetermined creditworthiness.

The user 102 has a communication device 103, and uses the communication device 103 to access the information processing server 100 to perform necessary payment processing such as a lease fee to the service provider.

The information processing server 100 is a server used for the product leasing service, and manages the payment of usage fees for the leasing service by the user 102 . The information processing server 100 pays not only the lease fee when leasing the vehicle, but also the maintenance fee paid by the user 102 for the vehicle 101 and the payment of the purchase cost of the parts purchased by the user 102. A part may be managed as payment of usage fee.

The information processing server 100 gives several points according to the payment status of the user 102. Both points are issued by the goods leasing service provider. A point is a unit of transaction that can be used for a given payment and can be converted into the currency of the country in which the service is provided, but not the currency. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which two points, advanced points (first points) and acquired points (second points), are used. Acquired points are given to the user according to the usage fee paid by the user 102 . Further, advance points are given to the user according to the amount paid by the user 102 for the service exceeding a predetermined reference amount (determined according to the amount of obligation to pay and the amount of debt, which will be described later).

For example, when the user 102 pays 3,000 currency as the usage fee for the goods leasing service (for example, the lease fee for the vehicle 101), the acquired points are points equivalent to 3,000 currency (in the example of this embodiment, 3000pt) is given. In this case, when the user pays the lease usage fee corresponding to the vehicle price of the vehicle 101, the acquired points corresponding to the vehicle price of the vehicle 101 are obtained. In the article leasing service of this embodiment, when the acquired points are accumulated, the user 102 can pay the acquired points and apply them to the purchase cost of the vehicle 101 leased by the user 102 . By doing so, if the acquired points for the amount paid as the usage fee can be acquired and the acquired points can be applied to the purchase of the vehicle, the user will be highly motivated to pay the usage fee. Acquired points can be used not only for purchasing the vehicle 101 , but also for maintenance costs for the vehicle 101 and purchase costs for parts to be attached to the vehicle 101 . In this way, by using earned points, the user can have the opportunity to substantially purchase the vehicle that he or she is being rented by paying a usage fee on a regular basis.

For example, when the user 102 is required to pay a predetermined payment amount (referred to as the payment obligation amount) as a single payment amount, the advance points are used when the user 102 pays an amount exceeding the predetermined payment amount. When done, the number of points corresponding to the excess amount is awarded. For example, if user 102 is owed currency 400 at time t and user 102 pays currency 1000, then user 102 may be awarded 600 advance points. When the user 102 uses advance points instead of paying the usage fee, the timing of payment of the usage fee at a certain time t can be postponed to a future timing from the timing of payment at time t. This procrastination can be done without penalizing the user 102, such as incurring debt. Deferring payment using such advance points is beneficial for users whose income is not stable. For example, consider a case where the user 102 pays the service provider a lease fee for the vehicle 101 based on the sales of the taxi service every day (of course, it may be every certain day). In such cases, the user 102 may earn more than the applicable payment obligation on average, but the income may be erratic depending on the season, weather, disasters, etc. Income at a given time may not be able to pay the amount due. If payment cannot be deferred at some point, the amount owed usually becomes a liability and can lead to deterioration of the user's creditworthiness. However, by using the advance points, the user 102 can continue to pay the usage fee without incurring debt or damaging creditworthiness even if payment becomes difficult. Accordingly, user 102 may be motivated to make payments in excess of the amount owed in order to obtain such advance points.

On the other hand, there are advantages to using Advance Points for product leasing service providers. In this embodiment, when the advance points are used, the information processing server 100 subtracts the number of acquired points corresponding to the number of advanced points used from the cumulative value of acquired points owned by the user. In this way, the more advanced points are issued by the goods leasing service provider and the more the points are used, the more the service usage fee and purchase cost are effectively discounted, which can be reduced or eliminated. can.

The communication device 103 is a communication terminal used by the user 102 to make payment for the goods leasing service, and is configured to be able to communicate with the information processing server 100 . The communication device 103 transmits to the information processing server 100, based on the operation of the user 102, payment information indicating the amount to be paid by the user 102 for the service and information regarding the use of points. The amount that user 102 pays for the service can be specified by user 102 . The amount to be paid for the service may be specified as an amount payable or an amount in excess of the amount payable to obtain Advance Points. Alternatively, it may be set to an amount less than the payment obligation amount. Information regarding the use of points will be provided later.

The communication device 105 is an information processing terminal for management used by the administrator 104 of the service provider. A service provider administrator 104 changes the settings of the information processing server 100 via the communication device 105 . For example, the administrator 104 can give any number of advance points to the user via the communication device 105 . For example, when the user 102 satisfies a certain condition, the administrator 104 may give the user 102 a predetermined number of advance points. For example, when the user 102 of the vehicle 101 has a predetermined creditworthiness, a predetermined number of advance points may be given to the user. Alternatively, when the user 102 of the vehicle 101 has been able to continue the payment of the payment obligation amount for a predetermined number of times without being in arrears, a predetermined number of advance points are given to the user. good too. Alternatively, when the user 102 accumulates a predetermined number of advance points, a predetermined number of advance points may be given to the user. In response to the above instruction from the administrator 104 or in response to satisfying the above conditions set by the administrator 104, the information processing server 100 additionally adds advance points in accordance with the instructions or conditions. may be given to the user at

<Configuration example of information processing server>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing server 100. As shown in FIG. The control unit 200 includes one or more CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 , ROM (Read Only Memory) 202 , and RAM (Random Access Memory) 203 . The CPU 201 reads and executes a program (computer program) stored in the ROM 202 or storage 206 to control various processes described below. ROM 202 is, for example, a semiconductor memory. The ROM 202 includes a nonvolatile storage area and stores programs corresponding to various processes. A RAM 203 includes a volatile storage area and is used as a work memory, for example. Note that the control unit 200 may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a dedicated circuit.

The power supply unit 204 is a part that supplies power to the information processing server 100 from the outside. The communication unit 205 is a part for communicating with the vehicle 101, the communication device 105, and the like via a communication network, and the communication method, communication protocol, and the like are not particularly limited.

The storage 206 includes, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and includes programs executed by the control unit 200, an operating system, and data in the user information DB 313, which will be described later. can store at least one of

<Software configuration of information processing server>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the software configuration of the information processing server 100 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, each processing unit is implemented by the CPU 201 reading and executing a computer program stored in the ROM 202, the storage 206, or the like. Further, each DB (database) is configured in the storage 206, for example. It should be noted that the software configuration shows only configuration examples necessary for implementing the present embodiment, and each software configuration such as firmware, OS, middleware, and web service modules is omitted.

The user information providing unit 301 provides user information indicating the user's payment status to the communication device 103 in response to a request from the communication device 103 . The user information indicating the user's payment status includes the total payment amount that the user has paid so far for the leased object, the user's payment obligation, the current number of acquired points, the current number of advanced points, and at least one of liabilities (delinquent amount and debt amount). The amount in arrears is, for example, the amount that the user 102 is in arrears in payment of the amount due. The amount of debt is, for example, the amount of purchase costs for predetermined parts and maintenance costs that have not yet been paid.

The payment information acquisition unit 302 acquires payment information transmitted from the communication device 103. The payment information acquisition unit 302 acquires the amount paid by the user 102 for the service and information on the use of points by the user 102 from the payment information. The payment information acquisition unit 302 determines, from the payment information, whether or not the user uses points, whether the user uses acquired points or advanced points, and for what purpose the points are used. (allocation to lease fee, maintenance cost, or part purchase cost) and how many points are to be used.

The point control unit 303 controls the increase or decrease of the points owned by the user 102, including the granting of points to the user 102, according to the content of the user's 102 payment information. For example, the point control unit 303 calculates an increase or decrease in the number of advanced points and the number of acquired points, and updates the point table 312 (of the user information DB 313) based on the calculated points. The point control unit 303 converts the amount paid by the user 102 into the number of acquired points, and gives the converted number of points to the user 102 . Further, the point control unit 303 converts the amount to be paid in excess of the payment obligation amount into the number of advance points, and gives the converted number of points to the user 102 . The point control unit 303 stores the awarded points in the point table 312 (of the user information DB 313) for each user.

For example, virtual currency issued and managed by a product leasing service provider may be used for earned points and advanced points. In this case, the user 102 may settle the rental fee and maintenance fee with the provided virtual currency. The virtual currency may be, for example, one whose value is not linked to the currency used for normal transactions. Of course, general-purpose virtual currency other than the virtual currency provided by the goods leasing service provider may be used for the points. The points are not limited to the above example, and may be points that can be converted into money at a predetermined ratio with the currency used for normal transactions.

The payment processing unit 304 performs payment processing for the user 102 according to the content of the payment information. The payment process may be, for example, a process of withdrawing the payment amount from an account held by the user 102, or a process of making a payment using virtual currency. If the driver wishes to use the given points to pay the rental fee or maintenance fee, the payment processing unit 304 performs payment processing by reflecting the points in the payment.

User information DB 313 stores information about users, and includes user table 311 , payment information table 312 and point table 313 . User information, payment information, and point information are stored in order in these tables. Each piece of information will be described below.
<User Information>
The user table 310 stores user information. User information includes, for example, the information shown in FIG. User information includes, for example, user ID 401 , user attribute 402 , belonging group 403 , and creditworthiness 404 . A user ID 401 is a user identifier. User attributes 402 include information unique to the user, such as the user's date of birth, contact phone number, address, and the like. The group 403 to which the user belongs indicates, for example, a group of 3 or 5 people to which the user belongs. When applying the method of payment by group, the users jointly and severally pay for the payment of the amounts owed by the users in the group. Trustworthiness 404 may include, for example, a degree of trust in an individual and a degree of trust in a group. The creditworthiness of an individual is calculated, for example, based on travel data transmitted from the vehicle 101 driven by the user 102 to the information processing server 100 according to the number of times and days of travel that meet safety standards. Alternatively, an individual's creditworthiness may be set so as to increase when the amount of repayment obligation is paid more than a predetermined number of times without delinquency, or when the accumulation of advance points reaches a certain level or more. The calculated degree of creditworthiness may be converted into points, for example.

<Payment information>
The payment information table 311 stores payment information. The payment information includes, for example, the information shown in FIG. Payment information includes information on individual leases provided in the goods leasing service. For example, payment information includes lease ID 501 , lease information 502 , repayment information 503 , debt information 504 and target user 505 . Lease ID 501 is an identifier that identifies the provided lease. The lease information 502 includes a lease start date, a scheduled repayment end date, a lease amount indicating the total lease amount, and the like. The repayment information 503 includes the payment amount that has been paid so far, the final payment date that indicates the most recent payment date, and the like. The debt information 504 includes the amount of arrears and the amount of debt. As described above, the amount in arrears is, for example, the amount that user 102 is behind in paying the amount due. The amount of debt is, for example, the amount of purchase costs for predetermined parts and maintenance costs that have not yet been paid. A target user 505 represents a user who uses the lease.

<Point information>
The point table 312 stores point information. Point information includes, for example, the information shown in FIG. The point information includes, for example, a user ID 601 and awarded points 602 . The user ID is the same information as the user ID 401 and is a user identifier. The awarded points 602 include the number of acquired points described above and the number of advance points described above.

<Configuration of communication device>
Next, a configuration example of the communication device 103 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, a smartphone is used as an example of a communication device, but the communication device 103 may be another electronic device such as a personal computer or a tablet terminal. Note that each of the functional blocks described with reference to the subsequent drawings may be integrated or separated, and the functions described may be realized by separate blocks. Also, what is described as hardware may be implemented in software, and vice versa.

The communication unit 701 includes, for example, a communication circuit and the like, and connects to the Internet via mobile communication such as LTE and 5G, or connects to a network via wireless LAN communication, and communicates with the information processing server 100. communication.

The control unit 702 includes a CPU 710 , a ROM 711 and a RAM 712 , and controls the operation of each unit in the communication device 103 by the CPU 710 executing computer programs recorded in the ROM 711 or the storage 707 , for example.

The operation unit 703 includes buttons and a touch panel provided in the communication device 103, and the user 102 can operate GUIs for various operations displayed on the display unit 706. A power supply unit 704 includes, for example, a battery, and provides power to each unit of the communication device 103 .

The imaging device 705 is, for example, a camera mechanism including an imaging device, and performs imaging according to instructions from the control unit 702 . The display unit 706 includes a display device such as LCD or OLED. The display unit 706 displays user information received from the information processing server 100 according to an instruction from the control unit 702 . For example, the display unit 706 displays the total payment amount that the user 102 has paid so far for the leased object, the payment obligation of the user 102, the current number of acquired points held, the current number of advanced points held, and , and/or debt (amount in arrears and amount owed). In addition, the display unit 706 may changeably display the amount that the user 102 pays for the service and the points that the user 102 uses, which are set by the user 102 .

The storage 707 includes a non-volatile memory such as a semiconductor memory, for example, and holds computer programs executed by the control unit 702 and setting values. Computer programs held in the storage 707 include an operating system and various applications for realizing various functions of the communication device 103 .

The voice input device 708 includes, for example, a microphone, and inputs voice uttered by the user 102 using the communication device 103 . The voice input device 708 may have the function of not only inputting the voice uttered by the user 102, but also recognizing the voice uttered by the user 102 and inputting input information to the application. For example, user 102 may use voice to enter the amount to pay for a service or the number of points to use.

<Configuration of communication device 105>
The configuration of communication device 105 may be substantially similar to that of communication device 103 . Note that the CPU 710 of the communication device 105 controls the operation of each unit in the communication device 105 by executing a computer program recorded in the storage 707 of the communication device 105, for example.

<Example of point award processing for payment amount>
Next, with reference to FIG. 8A, an example of giving earned points and advanced points according to the present embodiment and using the points will be described. Note that the control unit 200 of the information processing server 100 controls the increase/decrease in points, payment amount, and debt, which will be described below.

Stage 800a shows a case where the user 102 has made payments of 3000 currency multiple times, and has been given 3000 points (points) for the payments. At this stage, user 102 has not been awarded advance points and user 102 has no debt. The daily payment obligation that the user 102 must pay for the lease is set at 400 currency.

If, at step 800a, the user 102 paid 1000 currency (for example, due to good sales for the day), the total payment amount would be 4000 currency, as shown at step 800b. For example, since the user 102 is given the same amount of earned points as the payment amount, the earned points of the user 102 are 4000pt. Since the due amount for the day is 400, the user 102 has paid 600 currency over the due amount. For this reason, the user 102 is awarded 600pt of advance points.

Next, consider a case where the user misses the taxi service for a day or there is no sales at all the day after step 800b. At this time, the user 102 must pay 400 currency as the payment obligation. In this case, the user 102 can postpone the payment of the payment due on the day to the next day by paying the 400pt advance points already held. In other words, there is no need to pay the amount due on the day. Step 800c shows the user 102 having paid 400pt of Advance Points after step 800b. The number of Advance Points has been reduced by 400 points to 200 points. At this time, when the payment of the payment obligation is postponed, the number of acquired points is not subtracted. The granted advance points can be applied to payment of maintenance fees for maintenance provided in the goods leasing service, in addition to the use of being able to postpone the payment of the payment obligation. For example, in step 800c, if a maintenance fee of 400 currency was paid with advance points, then step 800d would occur. At step 800d, the advance points run out and become zero. In addition, since the amount of advance points held was not enough for the maintenance cost of 400 currency, the liability was added by 200 currency. If Advance Points are used to pay maintenance fees for maintenance provided in the goods leasing service, earned points will be subtracted by the amount of Advance Points consumed.

If the payment of the payment obligation is postponed (due to the payment of advance points), although the payment of the lease fee by the user 102 is delayed, the debt does not increase. less risk of delinquency in payments. In addition, if the advance points are used up when the payment of the payment obligation is postponed, it does not mean that the service provider is providing any service at a discount. On the other hand, if the user 102 uses advance points to pay the maintenance fee, the maintenance fee may be discounted by the amount of the advanced points given. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the amount of advance points used by the user for maintenance costs is subtracted from the acquired points. By doing so, it is possible for the service provider side that provides points to avoid a substantial discount due to the provision of advance points. On the other hand, for the user 102, the advance points can be used to postpone the repayment of the lease or to pay maintenance costs, so the points are more convenient.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 8B to 8H, a more detailed specific example of point award processing will be described. In these examples as well, the control unit 200 of the information processing server 100 controls the increase/decrease in points, the payment amount, and the liability to be described.

FIG. 8B shows an example in which advance points are given according to the user's payment amount. In this example, at a certain timing (at the time of the tth day), the payment amount 801 for this day (due to good sales on the day) by the user exceeds the payment obligation. In this example, the user has no debt, and the payment obligation is the same as the daily lease payment 802 . Therefore, the user is given advance points 804 for the excess 803 of the payment amount 801 .

Fig. 8C shows an example of a method of allocating advance points already held. This example shows an example where the user uses the advance points to pay the amount due. In this example, on day t, the user has advance points 804 because he paid the payment 801 such that he has a surplus 803 . On the next day (t+1), the payment amount 805 does not reach the payment obligation amount, for example, because the sales on that day were poor. In this case, the user can apply the advance points so that the payment amount becomes the payment obligation amount. If advance points are used to apply the payment obligation, the user's advance points are reduced by the number of advanced points applied, such as advance points 806 .

Fig. 8D shows an example where the payment amount decreases on the next day, the t+2nd day. In this example, even if all the advanced points 806 owned by the user are used for the payment, the amount of repayment obligation is not satisfied. For this reason, the shortfall is posted as arrears 809 (that is, debt), and the advanced points 808 after use become zero.

Next, an example of awarding points when the user has debts will be explained. In the example shown in FIG. 8E, as a prerequisite, the user has liabilities 810 that include delinquent amounts and debt amounts. In this case, part of the debt 810 is added as the repayment obligation amount 811 to the payment obligation amount. That is, the repayment obligation amount is set higher than the lease payment. In this situation, on day t, the user has paid more than the amount owed. This payment amount is greater than the sum of the lease payment and the liability 810 . In this case, the user has paid off all the debts he originally had (debt repayments 813 ) and has a surplus 812 . In this case, the amount of surplus 812 is given to the user as advance points.

Next, FIG. 8F shows a case where the payment amount on the tth day is lower than the example shown in FIG. 8E under the same preconditions as shown in FIG. 8E. The payment amount shown in FIG. 8F is enough to pay the lease fee, but not enough to pay off the full amount of the debt. In this case, the information processing server 100 first applies the payment amount of the user to the payment of the debt amount, and then applies it to the payment of the delinquency amount. For the goods leasing service provider, the delinquent amount will extend the period of full payment of the lease fee, but even if this is done, the effect on the profit rate will be negligible. On the other hand, the risk is increased by the goods leasing service provider, as the debt will be leasing in addition to leasing the vehicle. For this reason, the debt processing is controlled so that the debt amount is preferentially repaid over the delinquent amount. In the example shown in FIG. 8F, the lease payment and the debt are repaid with the payment amount on the tth day, and the remaining arrears amount 815 that cannot be repaid with the payment amount becomes the new debt amount.

FIG. 8G shows a case where the payment amount on the tth day is even lower than the example shown in FIG. 8F under the same preconditions as in FIGS. 8E and 8F. In this example, the debt repayment amount 813 that can be repaid is even smaller. In the example shown in FIG. 8G, only a portion of the debt 810 is repayable. Therefore, the information processing server 100 calculates the remaining debt 816 that could not be paid with the payment amount as the next day's debt. Also, if the user fails to pay more than the repayment obligation amount (newly calculated by adding a portion of the liability 810), the user is awarded points representing a penalty count. For example, when the penalty points have been counted up to a predetermined value, the information processing server 100 may determine that the user's creditworthiness is gone and terminate the continuation of the lease.

FIG. 8H shows a case where the payment amount on the tth day is even lower than the example shown in FIG. 8G under the same preconditions as in FIGS. 8E to 8G. In this example, the payment amount is lower than the lease payment. In this case, the information processing server 100 gives the unpaid lease fee to the liability 816 as an additional delinquency amount.

<A series of operations of point grant processing for payment amount>
Next, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, a series of operations of point award processing for the payment amount will be described. This processing is implemented by, for example, reading and executing a computer program stored in the ROM 202 or the storage 206 by the CPU 201 of the information processing server 100 . Each step described below is realized by the operation of each unit such as the point control unit 303 shown in FIG. 200 will be described generically. Note that this processing is started when the user 102 accesses the information processing server 100 via the communication device 103 and completes predetermined personal authentication.

In S402, the control unit 200 generates user information indicating the current payment status, and transmits the generated user information to the communication device 103 of the user. The user information indicating the payment status includes, as described above, the total payment amount that the user has paid so far for the leased object, the user's payment obligation, the number of points currently acquired, and the number of advanced points currently held. At least one of the number of points and debt (amount of delinquency and amount of debt) may be included.

In S404, the control unit 200 acquires from the communication device 103 the information indicating the amount of payment transmitted to the server and the advance points to be used. In the description of FIG. 9, it is assumed that the user inputs the payment amount and advance points for the payment of the lease fee. The payment amount corresponds to, for example, the lease payment shown in FIG. 8A, the payment amount 801 shown in FIG. 8B, or the payment amount 805 shown in FIG. 8C. The payment amount is the amount that the user has determined and entered into the communication device 103 as the amount to be paid for the payment obligation for that day. Also, the advance points correspond to, for example, the advance points shown in FIG. 8A, the advance points 804 shown in FIG. 8C, or the advance points 806 shown in FIG. 8D. The number of advance points is the number of points that the user has determined and input to the communication device 103 as the number of points to be used on that day. If the user does not use the advance points, the advance points to be used should be set to 0 in the communication device 103 .

In S406, the control unit 200 determines whether the acquired payment amount is greater than or equal to the payment obligation amount. If the payment amount is equal to or greater than the payment obligation amount, the process proceeds to S408; otherwise, the process proceeds to S420.

At S408, the control unit 200 determines whether the user has any debt. For example, the control unit 200 refers to the payment information table 311 of the user information DB 313 and determines that the user has a debt when the user's debt is greater than zero. If the control unit 200 determines that the user has a debt, the process proceeds to S410; otherwise, the process proceeds to S416.

At S410, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the amount of debt acquired at S404 can be paid in full. For example, the control unit 200 subtracts the repayment amount from the payment amount acquired in S404, and if the remaining amount is larger than the user's 102 debt amount, determines that the debt amount can be paid off. If the debt amount can be paid off, it corresponds to, for example, the state of the tth day shown in FIG. 8E. If the control unit 200 determines that the amount of debt can be paid in full, the process proceeds to S414; otherwise, the process proceeds to S412.

In S412, the control unit 200 reduces the debt amount prior to the delinquency amount, and updates the debt amount. Specifically, the state in which the payment amount obtained in S404 cannot pay off the debt amount corresponds to the state in FIGS. 8F and 8G described above. As shown in FIGS. 8F and 8G, when part of the debt can be repaid, the control unit 200 gives priority to repayment of the debt amount over repayment of the delinquent amount. The control unit 200 updates the payment information table 311 of the user information DB 313 according to the new user's payment amount and debt amount.

In S414, the control unit 200 updates the debt amount to 0. That is, the control unit 200 updates the payment information table 311 of the user information DB 313 according to the new user's payment amount and debt amount.

At S416, the control unit 200 updates the advance points and acquired points. For example, the control unit 200 calculates new advance points according to the payment amount, advance points, and debt amount acquired in S404 and updates the point table 312 of the user information DB 313 . For example, when there is an amount to be paid (that is, a surplus amount) that exceeds the payment obligation amount, the control unit 200 gives advance points to the user according to the excess amount. Also, the control unit 200 calculates the acquired points according to the payment amount acquired in S404 and updates the point table 312 of the user information DB 313 . In addition, in the explanation of FIG. 9, the case where the user inputs the payment amount and the advance points for the payment of the lease fee is explained, but when the user uses the advance points to pay the maintenance fee (step 800c in FIG. 8A) 800d), the control unit 200 subtracts the number of acquired points according to the number of used advance points. The control unit 200 then ends this process.

At S420, the control unit 200 determines whether the user has a debt. For example, the control unit 200 refers to the payment information table 311 of the user information DB 313 and determines that the user has a debt when the user's debt is greater than zero. If the control unit 200 determines that the user has a debt, the process proceeds to S424; otherwise, the process proceeds to S422.

At S422, the control unit 200 determines whether the amount due can be paid using the advanced points held. For example, the control unit 200 determines whether the sum of the payment amount and the held advance points is equal to or greater than the payment obligation amount. If the sum of the payment amount and the held advance points is equal to or greater than the payment obligation amount, the control unit 200 advances the process to S426; otherwise, the process advances to S424.

In S424, the control unit 200 sets the difference between the payment amount and the payment obligation amount as the delinquency amount, and updates the payment information table 311 of the user information DB 313 (for example, corresponding to the state shown in FIG. 8D).

At S426, the control unit 200 updates at least one of the advance points and the earned points. For example, the control unit 200 calculates new advance points according to the payment amount, advance points, and debt amount acquired in S404 and updates the point table 312 of the user information DB 313 . Also, the control unit 200 calculates the acquired points according to the payment amount acquired in S404 and updates the point table 312 of the user information DB 313 . The control unit 200 then ends this series of processes.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the information processing server 100 that manages the user's payment of the usage fee for the service acquires from the communication device 103 the payment information indicating the user's payment amount and use of points. In addition, the information processing server 100 provides accumulative advance points given to the user according to the amount the user has paid for the service exceeding a predetermined reference amount (the amount of payment and the amount of the liability), It controls the respective increases and decreases with the accumulative earned points given to the user according to the amount of the usage fee paid. At this time, when the user uses the advance points for a predetermined purpose such as maintenance costs, the information processing server 100 sets the number of acquired points corresponding to the number of advanced points used to the number of acquired points owned by the user. Changed to subtract from cumulative value. By doing so, it is possible for the service provider side that provides points to avoid a substantial discount due to the provision of advance points. On the other hand, for the user 102, the advance points can be used to pay maintenance costs in addition to repaying the lease, so the points are more convenient. Further, in the present embodiment, when a user uses advance points to pay a predetermined usage fee such as a lease fee, the information processing server 100 uses a predetermined amount of advance points so that the timing of payment is set later than the current day, for example. I tried to procrastinate to the timing of In this case, the control unit 200 does not subtract the number of acquired points corresponding to the number of advanced points used from the accumulated acquired points owned by the user. By doing so, the user can use the advance points acquired by the advance payment to postpone the payment timing of the payment obligation (such as the lease fee). That is, the user can fulfill the payment obligation without paying money (using points). For the product leasing service provider, the user's payment is delayed for, for example, about one day, and the service is not discounted, so it is possible to provide the user with a low-risk incentive to use points. .

<Summary of embodiment>
1. The information processing server (for example, 100) of the above embodiment is an information processing server that manages payment of usage fees for services by users,
Acquisition means (e.g., 302) for acquiring payment information indicating the amount paid by the user for the service and the use of points;
accumulative first points (advance points) awarded to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service in excess of a predetermined threshold; and usage paid by the user for the service Point control means (for example, 303) for controlling the increase and decrease of second points (acquired points) that can be accumulated to the user according to the amount of fees;
storage means (e.g., 312) for storing the cumulative value of the first point and the second point;
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for a predetermined purpose, the point control means allows the user to set the number of the second points according to the number of the first points to be used. An information processing server characterized by subtracting from the accumulated value of the second points held (for example, steps 800c to 800d in FIG. 8A).

According to this embodiment, for the service provider side that provides points, it is possible not to give a substantial discount due to the granting of advanced points. On the other hand, for the user 102, the advance points can be used to postpone the repayment of the lease or to pay maintenance costs, so the points are more convenient.

2. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
The payment includes a payment in which the user is obliged to pay a predetermined usage fee at each predetermined payment timing,
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for payment of the predetermined usage fee, the point control means adjusts the predetermined payment timing to the predetermined amount by using a predetermined amount of the first points. The payment timing is postponed to a future timing, and the number of the second points corresponding to the number of the first points used is not subtracted from the accumulated value of the second points.

According to this embodiment, the advance points acquired by the user through prepayment can be used to postpone the payment timing of the payment obligation (such as the lease fee). In other words, the user can fulfill the payment obligation using points that do not require monetary payment. For the product leasing service provider, the user's payment is delayed for, for example, about one day, and the service is not discounted, so it is possible to provide the user with a low-risk incentive to use points. .

3. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
When the payment information indicates that an amount exceeding the predetermined usage fee to be paid by the user at a first timing of the predetermined payment timings, the point control means controls the amount exceeding the predetermined usage fee. The number of points of the first points corresponding to the number of points is given to the user.

According to this embodiment, the user is more motivated to pay an amount that exceeds the payment obligation (usage fee) considering the benefits of being awarded points. On the other hand, on the side of the product leasing service provider, the payment of the usage fee is promoted, so the risk of non-payment and bad debt is reduced.

4. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
The point control means responds to an instruction from an administrator of the information processing server or according to satisfaction of a condition set by an administrator of the information processing server, according to the instruction or according to the condition A first point number of points can also be awarded to the user.

According to this embodiment, incentives can be given to the user by the goods leasing service provider when the user performs some kind of good deed. Also, if advance points are given, the service provider does not take money out. Even if the user uses the advance points, the number of acquired points according to the use is subtracted from the accumulated value of acquired points, so that the user can be given an incentive without taking money out of the service provider side.

5. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
The predetermined use is payment of a maintenance fee for a predetermined article different from the usage fee for the service,
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for payment of the maintenance cost of the predetermined goods, the point control means reduces the number of used first points to the maintenance cost of the predetermined goods. Appropriate for payment.

According to this embodiment, advance points can be used for services other than payment of usage fees, such as vehicle maintenance services, thereby improving convenience for the user.

6. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
The point control means controls that the sum of the payment amount for the predetermined usage fee to be paid at the predetermined payment timing in the payment information and the number of the first points allocated by the user is equal to the predetermined payment timing. is smaller than the predetermined usage fee, the storage means further stores the shortfall.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to record and manage the shortfall that the user could not pay by the amount of money paid and the number of advanced points.

7. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
When the deficit occurs, the point control means adds at least part of the deficit to the predetermined usage fee to calculate the amount to be paid at the future timing.

According to this embodiment, the shortfall that the user could not pay is carried over to the next time, so the lease service provider can more reliably collect the usage fee from the user.

8. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
At least part of the shortfall amount can be set to be less than a predetermined upper limit amount.

According to this embodiment, the debt can be divided and repaid little by little, so the user's motivation for payment is improved.

9. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
When the deficit occurs, the point control means applies the amount to be paid by the user at the future timing to the payment of the predetermined usage fee and then to the payment of the deficit.

According to this embodiment, even if non-payment of the usage fee is a condition for canceling the lease contract (for example, two days in arrears), the payment of the usage fee is preferentially executed, so the payment amount is compared. Even users with a small number of users can easily continue to pay the usage fee.

10. The information processing server of the above embodiment,
The deficit includes a first deficit as a delinquent usage fee and a second deficit as a debt due to the use of services or the purchase of goods,
When the amount paid by the user at the future timing is to be applied to the payment of the shortfall, the point control means applies the amount paid by the user to the payment of the second shortfall before the first Appropriate to pay the shortfall.

According to this embodiment, delinquency only delays the payment period, so the impact on the profit margin of the leasing service provider is suppressed. Debt, on the other hand, increases the risk for the leasing service provider, as it lends money on top of leasing the vehicle. As in this embodiment, when there is a user's payment, the loan risk can be reduced by prioritizing debt repayment over delinquency.

11. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
If the user is unable to pay an amount equal to or greater than the amount obtained by adding at least part of the shortfall to the predetermined usage fee at the predetermined payment timing, the user is given points for counting penalties.

According to this embodiment, the user's creditworthiness can be appropriately evaluated.

12. In the information processing server of the above embodiment,
The second points can be applied to the purchase cost of a predetermined article.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to use acquired points (for example, having a value equal to the amount paid) to purchase goods. It is possible to provide the user with the merit that the user can purchase the item when the item is accumulated. Since the user will eventually own the item, the user will be more motivated to pay the lease fee.

13. The information processing method in the above embodiment is an information processing method executed by an information processing server that manages payment of usage fees for services by users,
obtaining payment information indicating the amount the user pays for the service and the use of points;
accumulative first points (advance points) awarded to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service in excess of a predetermined threshold; and usage paid by the user for the service controlling the respective increases and decreases with accumulative second points (acquired points) given to the user according to the amount of the charge;
storing the cumulative value of the first point and the second point;
Controlling the increase/decrease of each of the first points and the second points means that if the payment information indicates that the first points will be used for a predetermined purpose, the number of the first points used will be The corresponding number of second points is subtracted from the cumulative value of the second points held by the user.

14. The computer program in the above-described embodiment is a computer program for causing a computer to function as each means of an information processing server that manages payment of usage fees for services by users, wherein the information processing server:
means for obtaining payment information indicating the amount the user pays for the service and the use of points;
accumulative first points (advance points) awarded to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service in excess of a predetermined threshold; and usage paid by the user for the service means for controlling increase or decrease of second points (acquired points) that can be accumulated to the user according to the amount of charge;
means for storing the cumulative value of the first points and the second points;
The means for controlling the increase and decrease of the first points and the second points, when the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for a predetermined purpose, determines the number of the first points to be used. a computer program for subtracting the number of second points according to the second points from the cumulative value of the second points owned by the user.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

100 information processing server, 103 communication device, 105 communication device, 301 user information providing unit, 302 payment information acquisition unit, 303 point control unit, 304 payment processing unit, 310 user table, 311 payment information table, 312 point table

Claims

An information processing server that manages payment of usage fees for services by users,
Acquisition means for acquiring payment information indicating the amount paid by the user for the service and the use of points;
Accumulable first points given to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service exceeding a predetermined reference amount, and the amount of usage fee paid by the user for the service point control means for controlling respective increases and decreases with the second points that can be accumulated to be awarded to the user in response;
storage means for storing the cumulative value of the first points and the second points;
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for a predetermined purpose, the point control means allows the user to set the number of the second points according to the number of the first points to be used. An information processing server characterized in that the second points are subtracted from the accumulated value of the held second points.
The payment includes a payment in which the user is obliged to pay a predetermined usage fee at each predetermined payment timing,
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for payment of the predetermined usage fee, the point control means adjusts the predetermined payment timing to the predetermined amount by using a predetermined amount of the first points. The payment timing is postponed to a future timing, and the number of the second points corresponding to the number of the first points used is not subtracted from the accumulated value of the second points. The information processing server according to claim 1.
When the payment information indicates that an amount exceeding the predetermined usage fee to be paid by the user at a first timing of the predetermined payment timings, the point control means controls the amount exceeding the predetermined usage fee. 3. The information processing server according to claim 2, wherein the number of points of the first points according to the number of points is given to the user.
The point control means responds to an instruction from an administrator of the information processing server or according to satisfaction of a condition set by an administrator of the information processing server, according to the instruction or according to the condition 4. The information processing server according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a first point of the number of points can be further given to said user.
The predetermined use is payment of a maintenance fee for a predetermined article different from the usage fee for the service,
When the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for payment of the maintenance cost of the predetermined goods, the point control means reduces the number of used first points to the maintenance cost of the predetermined goods. 5. The information processing server according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the money is applied to payment.
The point control means controls that the sum of the payment amount for the predetermined usage fee to be paid at the predetermined payment timing in the payment information and the number of the first points allocated by the user is equal to the predetermined payment timing. 3. The information processing server according to claim 2, further storing the shortage amount in said storage means when the usage fee is smaller than said predetermined usage fee.
4. The point control means, when the shortage occurs, adds at least part of the shortage to the predetermined usage fee to calculate the amount to be paid at the future timing. 7. The information processing server according to 6.
The information processing server according to claim 7, characterized in that at least a portion of the shortfall amount can be set at an amount smaller than a predetermined upper limit amount.
The point control means applies the amount to be paid by the user at the future timing to the payment of the predetermined usage fee and then to the payment of the shortage when the shortage occurs. 9. The information processing server according to claim 8.
The deficit includes a first deficit as a delinquent usage fee and a second deficit as a debt due to the use of services or the purchase of goods,
When the amount paid by the user at the future timing is to be applied to the payment of the shortfall, the point control means applies the amount paid by the user to the payment of the second shortfall before the first 10. The information processing server according to claim 9, wherein the money is appropriated for payment of the shortfall.
If the user is unable to pay an amount equal to or greater than the amount obtained by adding at least part of the shortfall to the predetermined usage fee at the predetermined payment timing, the user is given points for counting penalties. The information processing server according to any one of claims 7 to 10.
The information processing server according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the second points can be applied to purchase costs of predetermined goods.
An information processing method executed by an information processing server that manages payment of a usage fee for a service by a user,
obtaining payment information indicating the amount the user pays for the service and the use of points;
Accumulable first points given to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service exceeding a predetermined reference amount, and the amount of usage fee paid by the user for the service controlling a respective increase or decrease with a second accumulative point awarded to the user accordingly;
storing the cumulative value of the first point and the second point;
Controlling the increase/decrease of each of the first points and the second points means that if the payment information indicates that the first points will be used for a predetermined purpose, the number of the first points used will be An information processing method, wherein the number of second points according to the user's request is subtracted from the cumulative value of the second points held by the user.
A computer program for causing a computer to function as each means of an information processing server that manages payment of usage fees for services by users, the information processing server comprising:
means for obtaining payment information indicating the amount the user pays for the service and the use of points;
Accumulable first points given to the user according to the amount paid by the user for the service exceeding a predetermined reference amount, and the amount of usage fee paid by the user for the service means for controlling a respective increase or decrease with a second accumulative point awarded to said user accordingly;
means for storing the cumulative value of the first points and the second points;
The means for controlling the increase and decrease of the first points and the second points, when the payment information indicates that the first points are to be used for a predetermined purpose, determines the number of the first points to be used. a computer program for subtracting the number of second points according to the second points from the cumulative value of the second points owned by the user.