Abstract:
An information processor includes: a recognition section that recognizes a customer; an average payment amount obtaining section that obtains an average payment amount of the recognized customer; and a free-gift information determination section that determines free-gift information based on the average payment amount.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 119 of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-115448 filed on Jun. 8, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an information processor, an information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium. 
         [0003]    A conventional coupon issuing device issues a coupon when the number of purchases of a customer reaches a predetermined number. The conventional coupon issuing device, however, issues a coupon only based on the number of purchases, and does not consider an average payment amount of the customer (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-52816). 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention has been made in view of problems of conventional techniques, and provides an information processor, an information processing method, and a computer-readable storage medium that can determine free-gift information based on an average payment amount. 
         [0005]    An information processor includes: a recognition section that recognizes a customer; an average payment amount obtaining section that obtains an average payment amount of the recognized customer; and a free-gift information determination section that determines free-gift information based on the average payment amount. 
         [0006]    According to the present invention, free-gift information can be determined based on an average payment amount. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a configuration of a coupon issuing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a POS register according to the embodiment. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to the embodiment. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a POS register according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a POS register according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a mobile terminal according to the second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates a configuration of a coupon issuing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The coupon issuing system according to the present embodiment includes a POS register  1  and a mobile terminal  2  that communicates with the POS register  1  wirelessly. The POS register  1  and the mobile terminal  2  communicate with each other wirelessly based on Bluetooth (registered trademark) low energy (hereinafter referred to as BLE). The BLE is a standard (mode) developed in order to reduce power consumption in a near-field wireless communication standard called Bluetooth (registered trademark). 
         [0016]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the POS register  1  includes a control section  11 , a display section  12 , a scanner  13 , a communication section  14 , and a storage section  15 . The storage section  15  includes a customer information storage unit  151 , an average price storage unit  152 , and a coupon information storage unit  153 . 
         [0017]    The control section  11  is constituted by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), and includes a CPU that executes programs stored in the storage section  15  to perform a predetermined computation and control the other sections and a memory that serves as a work area in executing programs (both not shown). 
         [0018]    The display section  12  is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays information transmitted from the control section  11 . The scanner  13  scans bar codes of products and transmits a result of scanning to the control section  11 . 
         [0019]    The communication section  14  transmits and receives radio signals based on BLE through an unillustrated antenna, and transmits coupon information to the mobile terminal  2 . The storage section  15  includes the customer information storage unit  151  that stores membership information on customers and grades of the customers, the average price storage unit  152  that stores average prices of products purchased by customers, and the coupon information storage unit  153  that stores coupon information. 
         [0020]    The customer recognition section  16  includes a card reader (not shown) that reads a membership card of a customer and recognizes the customer based on the read-out membership card. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the mobile terminal  2 . The mobile terminal  2  includes a control section  21 , a display section  22 , an input section  23 , a communication section  24 , a storage section  25 , and a printing section  26 . The input section  23  includes a touch panel  231 . The storage section  25  includes a coupon information storage unit  251 . 
         [0022]    The control section  21  is constituted by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) and includes a CPU that executes programs stored in the storage section  25  to perform a predetermined computation and control the other sections and a memory that serves as a work area in executing programs (both not shown). 
         [0023]    The display section  22  is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an electroluminescence (EL) display. 
         [0024]    The input section  23  is an interface including the touch panel  231 , disposed in an upper surface of the display section  21 , and used for inputting the type of an operation by a user. The touch panel  231  incorporates, for example, an unillustrated transparent electrode, and when a finger of a user contacts the touch panel  231 , detects a position where a voltage changes as a contact position and outputs information on this contact position to the control section  21  as an input instruction. In the present embodiment, the touch panel  231  is used for a scratch process for erasing a scratch image displayed on the display section  22  based on the detected contact position. 
         [0025]    The communication section  24  transmits and receives a radio signal based on BLE through an unillustrated antenna, and receives coupon information from the POS register  1 . 
         [0026]    The storage section  25  includes the coupon information storage unit  251 . The coupon information storage unit  251  stores coupon information received by the communication section  24 . The printing section  26  prints coupon information displayed after a scratch process described later. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0027]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing a coupon issuing process of the POS register  1  according to the first embodiment. 
         [0028]    First, the POS register  1  determines whether the customer recognition section  16  recognizes a customer based on a membership card of the customer (step S 11 ). If the customer recognition section  16  does not recognize the customer (No in step S 11 ), step S 11  is repeated. 
         [0029]    If the customer recognition section  16  recognizes the customer (Yes in step S 11 ), the control section  11  refers to the customer information storage unit  151  and determines a discount rate based on a grade of the customer (step S 12 ). For example, in a case where the recognized customer makes two or more purchases weekly, the customer is defined as a premium member so that the customer has a discount rate of 20%. In a case where the recognized customer makes one purchase monthly, the customer has a discount rate of 5%. 
         [0030]    Then, an average price of the recognized customer is obtained from the average price storage unit  152  (step S 13 ). 
         [0031]    After step S 13 , an accounting process is performed with the scanner  13  (step S 14 ), and an average price of the customer is calculated based on a result of the accounting process and the obtained average price (step S 15 ). 
         [0032]    Based on the discount rate determined in step S 12  and the calculated average price, the type of a coupon is determined (step S 16 ). For example, in a case where the discount rate is 20% and the average price is X yen (Japanese yen), the control section  11  refers to a price range storage section  154  and selects a coupon for a product whose price after 20% discount is in the same price range as X yen. 
         [0033]    After the coupon is selected, the POS register  1  transmits coupon information based on the selected coupon to the mobile terminal  2  using the communication section  14 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing a coupon issuing process of the mobile terminal  2  according to the first embodiment. 
         [0035]    First, the mobile terminal  2  determines whether coupon information is received from the POS register  1  or not (step S 21 ). If coupon information is not received (No in step S 21 ), step S 21  is repeated until coupon information is received. 
         [0036]    If coupon information is received (Yes in step S 21 ), a lottery process is performed (step S 22 ). In the lottery process, a random number of 0 to 1 is generated. If the random number is greater than or equal to 0.8, the customer wins, and otherwise, the customer loses. 
         [0037]    The result of the lottery in step S 22  is determined as a secret image for scratching (step S 23 ), and a scratch image is displayed. The scratch image is a secret image concealed with an image that is to be erased by a scratch process described later. 
         [0038]    After the scratch image is displayed, the scratch process is performed (step S 24 ). The scratch process is a process in which the user uses the touch panel  231  for a scratch image displayed on the display section  22  and specifies a position so that an image at the specified position is erased and a secret image at this position is displayed. 
         [0039]    After all the secret images are displayed in the scratch process, it is determined whether the lottery result in step  22  is winning or not (step S 25 ). If the customer loses (No in step S 25 ), the coupon issuing process is finished. 
         [0040]    If the lottery result is winning (Yes in step S 25 ), a coupon is issued from the printing section  26  (step S 26 ). 
         [0041]    As described above, in the first embodiment, coupon information can be changed based on an average price. 
       Second Embodiment 
       [0042]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a coupon issuing process of a POS register  1  according to a second embodiment. 
         [0043]    First, the POS register  1  determines whether a customer recognition section  16  recognizes a customer based on a membership card of the customer (step S 31 ). If the customer recognition section  16  does not recognize the customer (No in step S 31 ), step S 31  is repeated. 
         [0044]    If the customer recognition section  16  recognizes the customer (step S 31 ), an average price of the recognized customer is obtained from the average price storage unit  152  (step S 32 ). 
         [0045]    Then, an accounting process is performed (step S 33 ). After the accounting process, a current payment amount is obtained (step S 34 ). 
         [0046]    Then, it is determined whether the current payment amount obtained in step S 34  is higher than the average price obtained in step  32  by X 1  (step S 35 ). If the current payment amount is higher than the average price by X 1  (Yes in step S 35 ), the winning probability is increased (step S 36 ), and the process proceeds to step S 39 . For example, suppose the lottery process of the mobile terminal  2  is similar to that in the first embodiment, the customer wins if the random number is greater than or equal to 0.8 in general. In a case where the winning probability is increased in step S 36 , the customer wins if the generated random number is greater than or equal to 0.7, and 0.7 is stored as winning probability information. 
         [0047]    If it is not determined that the current payment amount is higher than the average price by X 1  in step S 35  (No in step S 35 ), the process proceeds to step S 37 , and the current payment amount is determined to be lower than the average price by X 2  (step S 37 ). 
         [0048]    If it is determined that the current payment amount is lower than the average price by X 2  in step S 37  (Yes in step S 37 ), the winning probability is reduced (step S 38 ), and the process proceeds to step S 39 . For example, in the case where the winning probability is reduced, the customer wins if the generated random number is greater than or equal to 0.9, and 0.9 is stored as winning probability information. 
         [0049]    If it is not determined that the current payment amount is lower than the average price by X 2  in step S 37  (No in step S 37 ), the process proceeds to step S 39 . 
         [0050]    In step S 39 , the communication section  14  transmits winning probability information determined based on the average price and the current payment amount to the mobile terminal  2 . If the winning probability is neither increased nor reduced, 0.8 is transmitted to the mobile terminal  2  as winning probability information. 
         [0051]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing a coupon issuing process of a mobile terminal  2  according to the second embodiment. 
         [0052]    First, the mobile terminal  2  determines whether winning probability information is received from the POS register  1  or not (step S 41 ). If it is determined that no coupon information is received (No in step S 41 ), step S 41  is repeated until coupon information is received. 
         [0053]    If it is determined that coupon information is received (Yes in step S 41 ), a lottery process is performed (step S 42 ). In the lottery process, a random number of 0 to 1 is generated. If the random number is larger than the received winning probability information, the customer wins, and otherwise, the customer loses. 
         [0054]    The result of the lottery in step S 42  is included in a secret image for scratching (step S 43 ), and a scratch image is displayed. The scratch image is a secret mage concealed with an image that is to be erased by a scratch process described later. 
         [0055]    After the scratch image is displayed, the scratch process is performed (step S 44 ). The scratch process is a process in which the user uses the touch panel  231  for a scratch image displayed on the display section  22  and specifies a position so that an image at the specified position is erased and a secret image at this position is displayed. 
         [0056]    After all the secret images are displayed in the scratch process, it is determined whether the lottery result in step  42  is winning or not (step S 45 ). If the customer loses (No in step S 45 ), the coupon issuing process is finished. 
         [0057]    If the lottery result is winning (Yes in step S 45 ), a coupon is issued from the printing section  26  (step S 46 ). 
         [0058]    As described above, in the second embodiment, the winning probability can be changed based on the average price and the current payment amount of a customer. 
         [0059]    In the first embodiment, the coupon information is changed, whereas the winning probability is changed in the second embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and free-gift information may be changed. 
         [0060]    In the first and second embodiments, the printing section  26  is provided in the mobile terminal  2  to obtain a coupon. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and a coupon may be obtained by the communication section  24 . 
         [0061]    Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, and may include the scope and its equivalent range as defined by the appended claims.