JP7326049B2 - Coupon issuing system, coupon management device and its control program - Google Patents

Description

The embodiments of the present invention relate to a coupon issuing system, a coupon management device of this system, and a control program thereof.

Coupon issuing services are used in many stores, in which coupons are issued when the content of purchased products registered in a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal satisfies coupon issuing conditions. Also, at stores that have introduced this type of coupon issue service, the sales promotion effect of coupons has already been verified by tallying the number of coupons issued and the number of coupons used.

However, in the conventional coupon issue service, only one type of coupon design was issued for a plan related to coupon issue. For this reason, even if it was speculated that the sales promotion effect could be further enhanced by issuing multiple types of coupons with different designs for the project, it was difficult to implement it with the current system. Such problems are not limited to paper-based coupons. For example, a coupon may be issued as an electronic medium and transmitted to an information terminal such as a smart fan owned by a shopper.

JP 2010-218483 A

The problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a coupon issuing system that can easily issue a plurality of types of coupons with different designs for a plan, a coupon management device for this system, and a control program for the same. It is something to do.

In one embodiment, the coupon management device comprises acquisition means, selection means, creation means, and control means. The acquisition means acquires transaction data. The selection means selects any one coupon design from a plurality of coupon designs for the project. The creation means creates a coupon of the coupon design selected by the selection means when the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means satisfies coupon issuance conditions. The control means controls issuance of the coupon created by the creation means.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a coupon issuing system according to the present embodiment; FIG. Schematic diagram showing the main data structure of a coupon record stored in a coupon database. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of issuing a coupon; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration of the POS terminal; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the main parts of the coupon management server; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing main procedures of scanning processing executed by the processor of the POS terminal; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing main procedures of subtotal input processing executed by the processor of the POS terminal; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a main procedure of coupon inquiry response processing executed by a processor of the coupon management server; FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing main procedures of effective inquiry response processing executed by a processor of the coupon management server; FIG. The flowchart which shows the principal part procedure of the regular interrupt processing which the processor of a coupon management server performs.

An embodiment of a coupon issuing system capable of easily issuing a plurality of types of coupons with different designs for a plan will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a computer system of a chain store in which a plurality of retail stores are organized under the control of a central headquarters is provided with a function as a coupon issuing system, which is one aspect of a coupon issuing system. .

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a coupon issuing system 1 according to this embodiment. A coupon issuing system 1 includes a coupon management server 2 , a plurality of POS (Point Of Sales) terminals 3 , and a network 4 . The coupon management server 2 is installed in the data center of the central headquarters. A plurality of POS terminals 3 are installed in a plurality of retail stores, respectively. The number of POS terminals 3 installed in one retail store is not particularly limited. One POS terminal 3 may be installed in one retail store, or two or more POS terminals 3 may be installed. The network 4 is a wide area network that can connect the POS terminal 3 of each retail store and the coupon management server 2 of the central headquarters. For example, a computer network such as the Internet or an intranet can be used as the network 4 . A mobile communication network may be used as part of network 4 .

Servers other than the coupon management server 2 are also installed in the central headquarters data center. The server is connected to a network 4 and constitutes a chain store computer system together with the POS terminal 3 . A server that constitutes such a computer system may include the function of the coupon management server 2 . Also, the location of the server is not particularly limited. For example, a server may be placed on a cloud service provided via the Internet.

Each POS terminal 3 has a coupon issuing function 5 for issuing coupons and a coupon accepting function 6 for accepting use of coupons. Details of the coupon issuing function 5 and the coupon accepting function 6 will be described later.

The coupon management server 2 is a computer system for constructing and managing the coupon database 7 . The coupon database 7 may be provided in a storage device built into the coupon management server 2 or may be provided in a storage device externally connected to the coupon management server 2 . The external storage device may be a hard disk device externally attached to the coupon management server 2, an auxiliary storage device such as removable media, or a storage device of another computer connected via a network. good.

The coupon database 7 is a collection of data related to coupons. A coupon is a paper medium that is issued by the coupon issuing function 5 of the POS terminal 3 when the content of the purchased product registered in the POS terminal 3 at the retail store satisfies the coupon issuing conditions.

Here, the details of such coupons will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of issue of coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C. The coupons 9A, 9B, 9C are printed on receipt paper and issued following the purchase receipt 8 describing the details of the commercial transaction including the purchased product. One of the coupons 9A, 9B, 9C is selected and issued together with the purchase receipt 8. Perforation lines CL are formed between the purchase receipt 8 and the coupons 9A, 9B, 9C. The coupons 9A, 9B, 9C may be issued separately from the purchase receipt 8.

Coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C are three types of coupons that are issued for plans that are coupon issue targets with common coupon issue conditions. A plan is to provide preferential treatment information such as discounts and discounts as coupons to specified or unspecified shoppers for a fixed period of time or indefinitely. Coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C, for example, are 50-yen discount coupons for drinks issued for commercial transactions with shoppers who have purchased product ZZZ. As shown in FIG. 3, the coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C have different layout designs. Note that the difference in design is not limited to the difference in layout. This includes cases where the design differs due to differences in fonts, patterns, etc.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, coupon A is defined as a coupon created with a design specified by design code A, coupon B is defined as a coupon created with a design specified by design code B, and coupon C is defined as a coupon created with a design specified by design code C.

In the coupon database 7, coupon records 7R (see FIG. 2) created for each plan related to coupon issuance are accumulated in order of a series of record numbers.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the main data structure of the coupon record 7R stored in the coupon database 7. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the coupon record 7R includes a coupon code, ticketing conditions, preferential treatment information, ticketing period, valid period, ticketing ratio of each coupon, design code for each coupon, number of tickets issued, number of tickets used, usage rate, including.

A coupon code is a unique code set for each plan for which a coupon is to be issued. That is, one coupon code is assigned to one plan for which coupons are issued. The ticketing conditions are data representing the conditions for issuing the coupon identified by the corresponding coupon code. A coupon identified by a corresponding coupon code is hereinafter referred to as the coupon.

Ticketing conditions are conditions related to commercial transactions. For example, in the case of a plan to issue a coupon to a shopper who has purchased a product set as a coupon issue target, the ticket issue condition is the identification information of the product set as the coupon issue target. The identification information is the identification code of the product, that is, the so-called product code, when a single product is set as the coupon issue target. The identification information is an identification code of the product classification, that is, a so-called classification code, when the product classification is set as a coupon issue target. A classification code is also called a department code, a group code, or the like. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 3, in the case of a plan to issue a coupon for a commercial transaction with a shopper who has purchased product ZZZ, the ticket issuing condition is the product code of product ZZZ.

Ticketing conditions are not limited to product codes or classification codes. For example, in the case of a plan to issue a coupon when the total amount of one commercial transaction exceeds the threshold amount, the ticket issuing condition is the threshold amount. For example, in the case of a plan to issue coupons to shoppers who shop during a specific time period, the ticket issuance condition is that time period. Here, the ticket issuance conditions are an example of coupon issuance conditions.

The preferential treatment information is information relating to benefits that the shopper can obtain by using the coupon. For example, as described with reference to FIG. 3, in the case of a plan to issue a coupon for a 50-yen discount on drinks, the preferential treatment information is "drinks, 50-yen discount".

The preferential treatment information is not limited to information on discounts. For example, in the case of a project in which a discount coupon is issued, such as a 5% discount on all products, the preferential treatment information is information on the discount rate. For example, in the case of a plan to issue a coupon for receiving a free gift, the preferential treatment information is information on the free gift.

The issue period is data representing the period during which the coupon is issued. The validity period is data representing the period during which the coupon is valid. The valid period is a period that starts on the start date of the ticketing period or a date later than that and ends on a date that is later than the end date of the ticketing period. The validity period may partially overlap with the ticketing period.

The issue ratio is the ratio of the coupon 9A created with the design specified by the design code A, the coupon 9B created with the design of the coupon design B, and the coupon 9C created with the design of the coupon design C. This data defines whether to issue a ticket. For example, if the issue ratio of coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C is 1:1:1, coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C are issued in order. For example, if the issue ratio of coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C is 1:2:1, coupons 9A, 9B, 9B, and 9C are issued in this order. Alternatively, coupons 9B, 9A, 9B, and 9C are issued in this order. It should be noted that the order of issuing tickets described above is merely an example. The point is that the tickets should be issued so that the ticket issue ratio for one cycle is equal to the set value. In this embodiment, it is possible to change the ticket issue rate according to the coupon usage rate.

The design code is a unique code set for each coupon design A, coupon design B, and coupon design C. In the coupon management server 2, different design data are registered in association with each design code. Design data is data having information such as layout, font, and pattern.

The number of coupons issued is a cumulative value of the number of coupons issued by the coupon issuing function 5 of each POS terminal 3 for each of the coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C. The number of used coupons is a cumulative value of the number of coupons accepted by the coupon acceptance function 6 of each POS terminal 3 for each of the coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C. The usage rate is the ratio of the number of used coupons to the number of issued coupons for each of the coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C. For example, if the number of issued tickets is 100 and the number of used tickets is 50, the utilization rate is 50%.

Returning to the description of FIG.
Coupons 9A, 9B, and 9C are printed with bar code BC along with special treatment information indicating that drinks are discounted by 50 yen, expiration date information, and so on. The barcode BC is a symbol representing the coupon code and the design code in one barcode system. Therefore, for example, by analyzing the bar code BC of the coupon 9A, the design code A can be obtained together with the coupon code. Similarly, by analyzing the bar code BC of the coupon 9B, the design code B is obtained along with the coupon code. By analyzing the bar code BC of the coupon 9C, the design code C is obtained along with the coupon code.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration of the POS terminal 3. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the POS terminal 3 includes a processor 3a, a main memory 3b, an auxiliary storage device 3c, a clock 3d, a change dispenser interface 3e, a communication interface 3f, a keyboard 3g, a scanner 3h, a display 3i, a reader 3j, a printer 3k and A system transmission line 3l is provided. The system transmission line 3l includes an address bus, a data bus, control signal lines and the like. System transmission line 3l interconnects processor 3a, main memory 3b, auxiliary storage device 3c, clock 3d, change dispenser interface 3e, communication interface 3f, keyboard 3g, scanner 3h, display 3i, reader 3j and printer 3k. do. A computer of the POS terminal 3 is configured by connecting the processor 3a, the main memory 3b and the auxiliary storage device 3c through a system transmission line 3l.

The processor 3a corresponds to the central portion of the computer. The processor 3a controls each part to realize various functions of the POS terminal 3 according to an operating system or application program. The processor 3a is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

The main memory 3b corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer. The main memory 3b includes a nonvolatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The main memory 3b stores an operating system or application programs in a non-volatile memory area. The main memory 3b may store data necessary for the processor 3a to execute processing for controlling each part in a non-volatile or volatile memory area. The main memory 3b uses a volatile memory area as a work area in which data is appropriately rewritten by the processor 3a. The non-volatile memory area is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). A volatile memory area is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory).

The auxiliary storage device 3c corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer. For example, EEPROM (Electric Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like can be the auxiliary storage device 3c. The auxiliary storage device 3c stores data used when the processor 3a performs various types of processing, data created by processing in the processor 3a, and the like. The auxiliary storage device 3c may store the above application programs.

The application programs stored in the main memory 3b or the auxiliary storage device 3c include a control program describing information processing executed by the POS terminal 3. FIG. The method of installing the control program in the main memory 3b or the auxiliary storage device 3c is not particularly limited. The control program can be recorded in a removable recording medium, or distributed through communication via a network, and installed in the main memory 3b or the auxiliary storage device 3c. The recording medium may be of any form, such as CD-ROM, memory card, etc., as long as it can store the program and can be read by the device.

The clock 3 d functions as a time information source for the POS terminal 3 . The processor 3a measures the current date and time based on the time information kept by the clock 3d.

The change machine interface 3e performs data communication with the automatic change machine. The change dispenser interface 3e receives data on the amount of money inserted, data on the number of stored coins, and the like from the automatic change dispenser. The change dispenser interface 3e transmits change data to the automatic change dispenser.

The communication interface 3f performs data communication with the coupon management server 2 or the like connected via the network 4 according to a predetermined communication protocol.

A keyboard 3 g functions as an input device for the POS terminal 3 . The keyboard 3g has ten keys, a clear key, a multiplication key, a subtotal key, a deposit/cash total key, a credit key, an electronic money key, etc., as keys necessary for inputting data relating to transactions and settlement of transactions. A deposit/cash key, a credit key, and an electronic money key are closing keys for declaring the closing of a transaction. The deposit/cash total key is a closing key for cash payment transactions. A credit key is a closing key for transactions by credit card payment. The electronic money key is a closing key for transactions by electronic money payment.

A scanner 3 h functions as an input device for the POS terminal 3 . The scanner 3h is an example of a reading device that reads code symbols such as bar codes and two-dimensional data codes. For example, the scanner 3h can read the data of the bar code by holding the bar code attached to the product over the reading section of the scanner 3h. For example, by holding the bar code BC printed on the coupons 9A, 9B, 9C over the reading unit, the scanner 3h can read the data of the bar code BC. The scanner 3h may be of a type that reads code symbols by scanning with laser light, or of a type that reads code symbols from an image captured by an imaging device.

The display 3 i functions as a display device for the POS terminal 3 . The display 3i displays information to the clerk who is the operator of the POS terminal 3. FIG. The displays 3i may include those that display information to the customer. As this type of display 3i, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display, or the like can be used. The display 3i may have a touch panel.

The reader 3j functions as an input device for the POS terminal 3. FIG. The reader 3j is an example of a reading device that reads data recorded on a card medium such as an IC card or magnetic card. The reader 3j may be a device that reads RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) data without contact.

The printer 3k issues receipts, coupons 9A, 9B, 9C, etc. by printing various character strings or images on receipt paper. A thermal printer, a dot impact printer, or the like, for example, can be used as this type of printer 3k.

The POS terminal 3 having such a configuration functions as a coupon issuing machine by having the coupon issuing function 5 . Also, the POS terminal 3 has a coupon reception function 6 and thus functions as a coupon utilization reception machine.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main circuit configuration of the coupon management server 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the coupon management server 2 comprises a processor 2a, a main memory 2b, an auxiliary storage device 2c, a clock 2d, a communication interface 2e, a user interface 2f and a system transmission line 2g. The system transmission line 2g includes an address bus, a data bus, control signal lines and the like. A system transmission line 2g interconnects the processor 2a, the main memory 2b, the auxiliary storage device 2c, the clock 2d, the communication interface 2e and the user interface 2f. A computer of the coupon management server 2 is configured by connecting the processor 2a, the main memory 2b and the auxiliary storage device 2c through a system transmission line 2g.

The processor 2a corresponds to the central portion of the computer. The processor 2a controls each part to realize various functions as the coupon management server 2 according to the operating system or application program. The processor 2a is, for example, a CPU.

The main memory 2b corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer. Main memory 2b includes a nonvolatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The main memory 2b stores an operating system or application programs in a non-volatile memory area. The main memory 2b may store data necessary for the processor 2a to control each part in a non-volatile or volatile memory area. The main memory 2b uses a volatile memory area as a work area in which data is appropriately rewritten by the processor 2a. The non-volatile memory area is, for example, ROM. A volatile memory area is, for example, a RAM.

The auxiliary storage device 2c corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer. For example, an EEPROM, HDD, SSD, or the like can be the auxiliary storage device 2c. The auxiliary storage device 2c stores data used when the processor 2a performs various types of processing, data created by processing in the processor 2a, and the like. The auxiliary storage device 2c may store the above application programs.

The application programs stored in the main memory 2b or the auxiliary storage device 2c include control programs describing information processing executed by the coupon management server 2. FIG. The method of installing the control program in the main memory 2b or the auxiliary storage device 2c is not particularly limited. The control program can be recorded in a removable recording medium, or distributed through communication via a network, and installed in the main memory 2b or the auxiliary storage device 2c. The recording medium may be of any form, such as CD-ROM, memory card, etc., as long as it can store the program and can be read by the device.

The clock 2 d functions as a time information source for the coupon management server 2 . The processor 2a measures the current date and time based on the time information kept by the clock 3d.

The communication interface 2e performs data communication with each POS terminal 3 connected via the network 4 according to a predetermined communication protocol.

The user interface 2f is a device used for exchanging information between the coupon management server 2 and the user. Input devices such as keyboards, pointing devices and touch panels and output devices such as displays and printers correspond to the user interface 2f.

The coupon management server 2 having such a configuration functions as a coupon management device of the coupon issuing system 1 .

Next, the operation of the POS terminal 3 by the coupon issue function 5 and the coupon reception function 6 and the operation of the coupon management server 2 responding to these functions will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 to 9. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the main procedure of the scanning process executed by the processor 3a in the POS terminal 3 when the barcode is read by the scanner 3h. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a main procedure of subtotal input processing executed by the processor 3a in the POS terminal 3 in response to input of the subtotal key. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a main procedure of coupon inquiry response processing executed by the processor 2a in the coupon management server 2 in response to receipt of a coupon inquiry command from the POS terminal 3. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a main procedure of validity inquiry response processing executed by the processor 2a in the coupon management server 2 in response to receipt of a validity inquiry command from the POS terminal 3. As shown in FIG.

The procedures shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7 represent the procedures of processing executed by the processor 3a, which is the main part of the computer, according to the control program of the POS terminal 3. FIG. The procedures shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9 represent the procedures of processing executed by the processor 2a, which is the main part of the computer, according to the control program of the coupon management server 2. FIG. It should be noted that the procedures and the contents of the processes shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 and described below are examples. As long as similar results can be obtained, the procedure and contents of the processing are not particularly limited.

When the processor 3a of the POS terminal 3 detects that the barcode has been scanned by the scanner 3h, it starts the scanning process of FIG. Processor 3a parses the scanned barcode as ACT1. Then, in ACT2, the processor 3a confirms whether or not the bar code is a bar code BC containing a coupon code. If the bar code BC does not include a coupon code, the processor 3a determines NO in ACT2 and proceeds to ACT3. In ACT3, the processor 3a confirms whether or not the bar code contains a product code. If the barcode does not include a product code, the processor 3a determines NO in ACT3 and executes other processing.

If the barcode contains a product code, the processor 3a determines YES in ACT3 and proceeds to ACT4. The processor 3a executes product registration processing based on the product code obtained from the bar code as ACT4. Since the product registration process is a well-known process executed in the existing POS terminal 3, the description thereof will be omitted here.

The processor 3a controls the communication interface 3f so as to transmit a coupon inquiry command to the coupon management server 2 as ACT5. By this control, a coupon inquiry command is transmitted to the network 4 from the communication interface 3f with the coupon management server 2 as the destination. The coupon inquiry command includes the product code obtained from the bar code as transaction data and the classification code to which the product identified by the product code belongs. The coupon inquiry command is transmitted via network 4 and received by coupon management server 2 .

When the processor 2a of the coupon management server 2 receives the coupon inquiry command via the communication interface 2e, it starts the coupon inquiry response process of FIG. The processor 2a acquires transaction data from the coupon inquiry command as ACT41. That is, the processor 2a acquires the product code or classification code included in the coupon inquiry command.

The processor 2a refers to the coupon database 7 as ACT 42 and determines whether or not the coupon issue conditions are satisfied. Specifically, the processor 2a confirms whether or not there is a coupon record 7R having the product code or classification code acquired as the transaction data as the ticket issuing condition. If it exists, the processor 2a determines that the coupon issuing condition is satisfied. If not, the processor 2a determines that the coupon issue conditions are not satisfied.

In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that there is no duplicate coupon record 7R that satisfies the ticket issuing conditions. By the way, if there are multiple coupon records 7R that satisfy the ticket issuing conditions, the coupon record 7R whose preferential treatment information is more beneficial to the shopper may be selected.

If the coupon issue condition is satisfied, the processor 2a determines YES in ACT42 and proceeds to ACT43. The processor 2a determines whether or not the current date measured by the clock 2d as ACT 43 is within the coupon record 7R issue period that satisfies the coupon issue condition. If the current date is within the ticketing period, the processor 2a determines YES in ACT43 and proceeds to ACT44. The processor 2a reads the coupon record 7R that satisfies the coupon issue condition as ACT44. The coupon record 7R read from the coupon database 7 in ACT 44 is hereinafter referred to as a coupon record 7R1.

As ACT45, the processor 2a acquires the ticket issue ratio from the coupon record 7R1. Then, the processor 2a selects one of the design codes as ACT 46 according to the issue rate. For example, as described above, the coupon 9A, the coupon 9B, and the coupon 9C are issued at a ratio of 1:1:1, and the coupon 9A, the coupon 9B, and the coupon 9C are issued in order. If issued, the processor 2a selects the design code of the coupon 9C.

After selecting the design code, the processor 2a generates coupon data as ACT47. Specifically, the processor 2a acquires the design data of the design code selected in the process of ACT46. The processor 2a also acquires the preferential treatment information, the ticketing period, etc. from the coupon record 7R1. Then, the processor 2a edits the preferential treatment information, the issue period, etc. based on the design data, and generates coupon data.

After generating the coupon data in this manner, the processor 2a controls the communication interface 2e so as to transmit a response command indicating that there is a coupon as ACT 48 to the POS terminal 3 that has sent the coupon inquiry command. By this control, a response command indicating that there is a coupon is transmitted from the communication interface 2e to the network 4 with the POS terminal 3, which is the source of the coupon inquiry command, as the destination. The coupon-present response command includes the coupon data generated by the processing of ACT47. The coupon-present response command is transmitted via the network 4 and received by the POS terminal 3, which is the source of the coupon inquiry command.

In ACT49, the processor 2a of the coupon management server 2 that controls the transmission of the coupon data adds "1" to the number of issued tickets corresponding to the design code selected in the processing of ACT46 among the number of issued tickets of the coupon record 7R1. Then, the processor 2a overwrites the coupon record 7R1 in the coupon database 7 and saves it. With this, the processor 2a ends the coupon inquiry response process.

If there is no coupon record that satisfies the ticketing condition in ACT42, or if the current date is outside the ticketing period in ACT43, the processor 2a determines NO and proceeds to ACT50. The processor 2a controls the communication interface 2e so as to transmit a no-coupon response command as ACT 50 to the POS terminal 3 that sent the coupon inquiry command, and ends the coupon inquiry response process. By this control, a no-coupon response command is transmitted from the communication interface 2e to the network 4 with the POS terminal 3 as the transmission source of the coupon inquiry command as a destination. The no-coupon response command is sent via the network 4 and received by the POS terminal 3 that sent the coupon inquiry command.

Returning to the description of FIG.
After controlling transmission of the coupon inquiry command, the processor 3a of the POS terminal 3 waits for a response command as ACT6. When the processor 3a receives the no-coupon response command, the processor 3a determines NO in ACT6 and terminates the scanning process.

On the other hand, when a response command with a coupon is received, the processor 3a determines YES in ACT6 and proceeds to ACT7. The processor 3a acquires the coupon data from the response command as ACT7. Then, the processor 3a stores the coupon data in the coupon buffer as ACT8, and ends the scanning process. The coupon buffer is an area formed in the volatile memory area of the main memory 3b for temporarily storing coupon data.

On the other hand, when the bar code BC containing the coupon code is scanned, the processor 3a determines YES in ACT2 and proceeds to ACT9. The processor 3a controls the communication interface 3f so as to transmit a valid inquiry command to the coupon management server 2 as ACT9. By this control, the validity inquiry command is transmitted to the network 4 from the communication interface 3f with the coupon management server 2 as the destination. Valid inquiry commands include coupon codes and design codes obtained from barcodes. The validity inquiry command is transmitted via the network 4 and received by the coupon management server 2 .

When the processor 2a of the coupon management server 2 receives the valid inquiry command via the communication interface 2e, it starts the valid inquiry response process of FIG. The processor 2a acquires the coupon code from the valid inquiry command as ACT61. Then, the processor 2a refers to the coupon database 7 as ACT62 to check whether there is a coupon record 7R including the coupon code acquired from the validity inquiry command. If the corresponding coupon record 7R exists, the processor 2a determines YES in ACT62 and proceeds to ACT63. The processor 2a determines whether or not the current date clocked by the clock 2d as ACT63 is within the effective period of the coupon record 7R.

If the current date is within the validity period, the processor 2a determines YES in ACT63 and proceeds to ACT64. The processor 2a reads the coupon record 7R from the coupon database 7 as ACT64. The coupon record 7R read from the coupon database 7 in ACT64 is hereinafter referred to as a coupon record 7R2.

The processor 2a controls the communication interface 2e so as to transmit a coupon validity response command as an ACT 65 to the POS terminal 3 that sent the validity inquiry command. By this control, a coupon validity response command is transmitted to the network 4 from the communication interface 2e to the POS terminal 3, which is the source of the validity inquiry command, as a destination. The coupon valid response command includes the preferential treatment information of the coupon record 7R2. The coupon validity response command is transmitted via the network 4 and received by the POS terminal 3 that sent the validity inquiry command.

The processor 2a of the coupon management server 2 that has controlled transmission of the response command acquires the design code from the valid inquiry command as ACT66. Then, as ACT67, the processor 2a adds "1" to the number of coupons used corresponding to the design code acquired in the process of ACT66, among the number of coupons used in the coupon record 7R2. The processor 2a also calculates the usage rate corresponding to the design code acquired in the process of ACT66. Then, the processor 2a overwrites the coupon database 7 with the coupon record 7R2 in which the number of coupons used and the usage rate are updated. Processor 2a then ends the valid inquiry response process.

If the coupon record 7R in which the coupon code included in the validity inquiry command is set does not exist in the coupon database 7 in ACT62, or if the current date is outside the valid period in ACT63, the processor 2a The communication interface 2e is controlled so as to transmit the invalid response command to the POS terminal 3 that sent the valid inquiry command. By this control, a coupon invalid response command is transmitted from the communication interface 2e to the network 4 with the POS terminal 3 as the transmission source of the validity inquiry command as a destination. The coupon invalidation response command is transmitted via the network 4 and received by the POS terminal 3 that sent the validity inquiry command. The processor 2a that has controlled transmission of the response command ends the valid inquiry response process.

Returning to the description of FIG.
After controlling the transmission of the validity inquiry command, the processor 3a of the POS terminal 3 waits for a response command as ACT10. When receiving a response command indicating that the coupon is invalid, the processor 3a determines NO in ACT10 and performs error processing. Error handling includes handling to notify the shopper that the coupon cannot be used.

On the other hand, when a coupon valid response command is received, the processor 3a determines YES in ACT10 and proceeds to ACT11. The processor 3a executes coupon processing as ACT11. This process is a well-known process of applying the preferential treatment information included in the coupon valid response command. For example, if the preferential treatment information is a 50-yen discount on drinks, the process is to select a product belonging to the drink category from among the products purchased by the shopper and subtract 50-yen from the price of the product. By executing the coupon processing specified by the coupon code in this way, the coupon identified by the coupon code is used. After completing the coupon processing, the processor 3a ends the scanning processing.

When the processor 3a of the POS terminal 3 detects that the subtotal key of the keyboard 3g has been input, it starts the subtotal input processing of FIG. The processor 3a calculates the subtotal amount of the merchandise registered as the purchased merchandise of one transaction by the merchandise registration processing described above in ACT21. After calculating the subtotal amount, the processor 3a controls the communication interface 3f so as to transmit a coupon inquiry command to the coupon management server 2 as ACT22. By this control, a coupon inquiry command is transmitted to the network 4 from the communication interface 3f with the coupon management server 2 as the destination. The coupon inquiry command includes a subtotal amount as transaction data. The coupon inquiry command is transmitted via network 4 and received by coupon management server 2 .

When the processor 2a of the coupon management server 2 receives the coupon inquiry command via the communication interface 2e, it executes the coupon inquiry process of FIG. At this time, in ACT 41, the processor 2a acquires the subtotal amount included in the coupon inquiry command as transaction data. Then, in ACT 42, the processor 2a determines whether or not there is a coupon record 7R in which a threshold amount less than or equal to the subtotal amount acquired as the transaction data is set as the ticket issuing condition. The processing procedure after ACT42 is the same as the case described above.

Returning to the description of FIG.
After controlling transmission of the coupon inquiry command, the processor 3a of the POS terminal 3 waits for a response command as ACT23. Then, when the response command with the coupon is received, the processor 3a determines YES in ACT23 and proceeds to ACT24. The processor 3a acquires the coupon data from the response command as ACT24. The processor 3a then stores the coupon data in the coupon buffer as ACT25. On the other hand, when receiving the no-coupon response command, the processor 3a skips the processing of ACT24 and ACT25.

The processor 3a waits for input of the closing key of the keyboard 3g as ACT26. Then, when detecting that the closing key has been input, the processor 3a executes transaction closing processing as ACT27. For example, when the deposit/cash total key is entered, the processor 3a executes cash transaction closing processing. When the credit key is entered, the processor 3a executes credit card transaction closing processing. When the electronic money key is entered, the processor 3a executes closing processing for the electronic money transaction. Since these closing processes are well-known processes executed in the existing POS terminal 3, description thereof will be omitted here.

The processor 3a executes a receipt printing process as ACT 28 after completing the transaction closing process. By this process, the printer 3k is driven and the receipt data is printed on the receipt paper. The receipt data includes transaction date and time, POS terminal identification number, transaction number, product name of purchased product, number of purchased items, purchase amount, subtotal amount, tax amount, total amount including tax, payment data, and the like.

After completing the receipt printing process, the processor 3a checks in ACT 29 whether or not the coupon data is stored in the coupon buffer. If the coupon data is stored, the processor 3a determines YES in ACT29 and proceeds to ACT30. The processor 3a executes a coupon printing process as ACT30. By this process, the printer 3k is driven to print the coupon data on the receipt paper. After printing the coupon data, the processor 3a proceeds to ACT31. On the other hand, if the coupon data is not stored, the processor 3a determines NO in ACT29, skips the processing of ACT30, and proceeds to ACT31.

The processor 3a issues a ticket by long-feeding the receipt paper as ACT31. Thus, when no coupon data is stored, only the purchase receipt 8 is issued. When the coupon data of the design code A is stored, the purchase receipt 8 and the coupon 9A are issued. When the coupon data of the design code B is stored, the purchase receipt 8 and the coupon 9B are issued. When the coupon data of the design code C is stored, the purchase receipt 8 and the coupon 9C are issued.

Here, in the POS terminal 3, the processor 3a executes the processing of ACT5 to ACT8 in FIG. 6 and the processing of ACT29 to ACT31 in FIG. Further, the processor 3a implements the coupon acceptance function 6 by executing the processing of ACT1, ACT2 YES, and ACT9 to ACT11 in FIG.

On the other hand, in the coupon management server 2, the processor 2a implements an acquisition means by executing the processing of ACT41 in FIG. That is, the processor 2a acquires, for example, a product code, a classification code, or a subtotal amount as transaction data from the coupon inquiry command.

Further, the processor 2a implements selection means by executing the processes of ACT45 and ACT46 of FIG. In other words, the processor 2a selects a plurality of coupon designs A.C. for a plan related to coupon issuance so as to satisfy the issuance ratio for each design code. B. Select any one coupon design from C.

Further, the processor 2a implements the creating means by executing the process of ACT47 in FIG. That is, the processor 2a creates a coupon of the coupon design selected by the selection means when the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means satisfies the coupon issue conditions.

Further, the processor 2a implements the control means by executing the processing of ACT48 in FIG. That is, the processor 2a controls coupon issuing by transmitting the coupon data created by the creating means to the POS terminal 3 having the coupon issuing function 5. FIG.

Further, the processor 2a implements the performance acquisition means by executing the processes of ACT66 and ACT67 in FIG. That is, the processor 2a acquires the number of used coupons created with a coupon design for each of a plurality of coupon designs for a plan related to coupon issuance as usage history data.

Next, regular interrupt processing executed by the processor 2a of the coupon management server 2 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the procedure of regular interrupt processing. This process is started when the time measured by the clock 2d reaches a predetermined time, for example, midnight. The processor 2a resets the addition counter n to "0" as ACT71. Next, the processor 2a counts up the addition counter n by "1" as ACT72. Then, as ACT 73, the processor 2a checks in the coupon database 7 whether or not the coupon record 7R having the record number equal to the count value of the addition counter n, ie, the n-th coupon record 7Rn exists. If the n-th coupon record 7Rn exists, the processor 2a determines YES in ACT73 and proceeds to ACT74. Processor 2a reads that coupon record 7Rn from coupon database 7 as ACT74.

The processor 2a acquires the usage rate of each design code A, B, and C from the coupon record 7Rn as ACT75, and calculates the ratio. For example, if the usage rate of design code A is 52%, the usage rate of design code B is 25%, and the usage rate of design code C is 23%, the usage rates of design codes A, B, and C are: The ratio becomes 52:25:23.

The processor 2a determines the ticket issuing ratio for each design based on the utilization rate ratio as ACT76. For example, the processor 2a selects the minimum value among the utilization ratio values. Then, the processor 2a divides the value of each utilization rate ratio by the minimum value, and sets the integer of the quotient as the ticket issue rate. According to this method, if the ratio of usage rates of design codes A, B, and C is 52:25:23, the ticket issuing ratio of design codes A, B, and C is 2:1:1.

As ACT77, the processor 2a updates the ticket issue ratio of the coupon record 7Rn to the ticket issue ratio set in the processing of ACT76. Then, the processor 2a overwrites and saves the coupon record 7Rn with the updated ticket issue ratio in the coupon database 7. FIG.

The processor 2a then returns to ACT72. That is, the processor 2a counts up the addition counter n by "1". The processor 2a then reads the next coupon record 7Rn from the coupon database 7 and executes the processing of ACT75 to ACT77 based on the coupon record 7Rn.

Thus, the processor 2a executes the processing of ACT74 to ACT77 for all the coupon records 7R accumulated in the coupon database 7. FIG. Then, when it is confirmed in ACT 73 that the n-th coupon record 7Rn does not exist, the processor 2a determines NO and ends the scheduled interrupt processing.

Here, in the coupon management server 2, the determination means is realized by the processor 2a executing the processing of ACT71 to ACT77 in FIG. That is, the processor 2a determines the ticket issuance ratio based on the usage record data for each coupon design acquired by the record acquisition means.

As described in detail above, the coupon management server 2 of this embodiment includes the acquisition means, selection means, creation means, and control means described above. With such a configuration, each POS terminal 3 automatically selects a plurality of types of coupons A, B, or C, which have different designs, in this embodiment, three types of coupons for plans related to issuing coupons. Tickets will be issued. Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the coupon issue system 1 that can easily issue a plurality of types of coupons with different designs for a plan related to coupon issue.

The effect of such action becomes remarkable by using, for example, a popular character as a design. In other words, by repeatedly purchasing products related to the issuance of coupons, shoppers can obtain more coupons printed with characters having different designs. Therefore, since shoppers' willingness to purchase is increased, it leads to sales promotion. In this case, by returning used coupons to the customers, the usage rate of the coupons increases, so that the effect is more remarkable.

By the way, even if the coupon is a plan related to issuing a coupon, the usage rate of the coupon may change due to the different design. In other words, coupons designed to motivate shoppers have a high usage rate, while coupons that do not have a low usage rate. However, it is not possible to unconditionally decide what kind of design will increase the willingness of shoppers to use it. It is presumed that the willingness to use will change depending on the customer base, local characteristics, etc.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a coupon issue rate is set for a plurality of coupon designs for a plan related to coupon issue, and the coupon management server 2 selects a coupon design so as to satisfy the ticket issue rate. With such a configuration, it is possible to simply increase the frequency of issuing coupons with a design that is presumed to have a high usage rate. Alternatively, by reducing the frequency of issue of coupons designed with characters of high rarity value, it is possible to easily implement an operation in which customers' willingness to purchase is increased.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the coupon management server 2 is provided with a record acquisition means, and acquires usage record data for each coupon design. Therefore, there is an effect that the usage rate can be easily obtained for each coupon with a different design. By acquiring the usage rate, the coupon manager can change the ticket issue rate to an appropriate value.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the coupon management server 2 is provided with determination means, and the coupon management server 2 determines the ticket issue rate based on the actual usage data. Therefore, it is possible to automatically increase the frequency of issuing coupons with a design that has a high usage rate without burdening the coupon manager. As a result, it becomes possible to issue a large number of coupons designed with a high usage rate without being conscious of customer bases, local characteristics, and the like.

Although the embodiment of the coupon issuing system 1 has been described above as one aspect of the coupon issuing system, the coupon issuing system is not limited to the coupon issuing system 1 .
Coupons are not limited to paper-medium coupons. The coupon may be issued as an electronic medium and transmitted to an information terminal such as a smart fan owned by the shopper. In this case, the process of transmitting electronic coupon data to the information terminal is defined as issuing a coupon.

In the above-described embodiment, the coupon issuing system 1, that is, the function as the coupon issuing system, is applied to the computer system of the chain store. Regarding this point, for example, the function as a coupon issuing system may be applied to the POS system of one store. In this case, the POS server can be the coupon management device, and the POS terminal can be the issuer. Alternatively, the POS terminal may share the function of the coupon management device and the function of the issuer.

Issuing machines are not limited to POS terminals. A terminal that can print and issue coupons or a terminal that can transmit electronic coupon data can function as an issuer. Also, the issuing machine does not necessarily have to function as a usage accepting machine. In other words, the ticket issuing machine and the reception machine may be of different models.

In the above embodiment, the coupon usage rate is updated in ACT68 of FIG. The timing of updating the coupon usage rate is not limited to this. The coupon usage rate may be calculated for each coupon with a different design before calculating the usage rate ratio in ACT 75 of FIG.

In FIG. 3, the barcodes BC printed on the coupons 9A, 9B, 9C may be replaced with other symbols such as two-dimensional data codes.

Additionally, while several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.
The invention described in the original claims of the present application is added below.
[1] Acquisition means for acquiring transaction data, selection means for selecting any one coupon design from a plurality of coupon designs for a project, and the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means for issuing a coupon. A coupon management device comprising: creation means for creating a coupon of the coupon design selected by the selection means when a condition is satisfied; and control means for controlling issuance of the coupon created by the creation means.
[2] The coupon according to appendix [1], wherein an issue ratio is set for a plurality of coupon designs for the plan, and the selection means selects a coupon design so as to satisfy the issue ratio. management device.
[3] The coupon management device according to appendix [2], further comprising, for each of a plurality of coupon designs for the plan, record acquisition means for acquiring record usage data of coupons created with that coupon design.
[4] The coupon management apparatus according to appendix [3], further comprising determining means for determining the issuance ratio based on the usage record data for each coupon design acquired by the record acquisition means.
[5] A coupon issuing system comprising: the coupon management device according to any one of notes [1] to [4]; and an issuing machine that issues a coupon in response to control by the control means.
[6] The computer of the coupon management device has a function of acquiring transaction data, a function of selecting any one coupon design from a plurality of coupon designs for a project, and issuing a coupon based on the acquired transaction data. A control program for realizing a function of creating a coupon of the selected coupon design and a function of controlling issuance of the created coupon when conditions are satisfied.

1 Coupon issuing system 2 Coupon management server 3 POS terminal 4 Network 5 Coupon issuing function 6 Coupon receiving function 7 Coupon database 8 Purchase receipt 9A, 9B, 9C Coupon .

Claims (5)

an acquisition means for acquiring transaction data;
selection means for selecting any one coupon design from among a plurality of coupon designs for a plan so as to satisfy an issuance ratio set for the plurality of coupon designs;
creation means for creating a coupon of the coupon design selected by the selection means when the transaction data acquired by the acquisition means satisfies the coupon issuance conditions;
a control means for controlling the issuance of coupons created by the creation means;
A coupon management device comprising: performance acquisition means for acquiring, for each of a plurality of coupon designs for the plan, usage performance data of coupons created with the coupon design;
The coupon management device according to claim 1 , further comprising: determination means for determining the issuance ratio based on usage record data for each coupon design acquired by the record acquisition means;
3. The coupon management device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a coupon management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
an issuing machine that issues a coupon in response to control by the control means;
coupon issuing system. on the computer of the coupon management device,
Ability to retrieve transaction data,
A function of selecting any one coupon design from among a plurality of coupon designs for a project so as to satisfy the issuance ratio set for the plurality of coupon designs;
a function of creating a coupon with the selected coupon design when the acquired transaction data satisfies coupon issuance conditions;
a function of controlling the issuance of the created coupon;
Control program for realizing