Abstract:
A distribution server includes a coupon database for storing a coupon that indicates a privilege for receiving a benefit, the privilege being provided for a mobile terminal, and a coupon transmission section for sending a split coupon obtained by dividing the coupon by the number of mobile terminals to each of the mobile terminals in order to allow a privilege indicated by a ticket, coupon, or the like to be provided for a plurality of users.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a privilege providing device and a privilege providing method. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    With the popularization of the Internet, various tickets, coupons and so forth are electronically issued. Patent Literature 1 discloses that coupon usage history of a user is analyzed and the coupon of a target commodity is preferentially presented at the next purchase time such that the user can easily acquire a desired coupon. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0000]    
       
         Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-243041 
       
     
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0004]    There is a situation in which it is desired to provide a commodity, service, or a special favor using a group of multiple users as a unit, like a pair sheet of a movie theater and a table of a restaurant, and so on. In the related art, however, the issue of an electronic ticket, an electronic coupon, or the like is premised on the distribution to each individual user, and it is not possible to distribute such a coupon to a target group. 
         [0005]    The present invention is made in view of such a background, and it is an object to provide a privilege providing device and privilege providing method that can provide to multiple users a privilege expressed by a ticket, a coupon and so forth. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0006]    The main invention of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problem is a privilege providing device for providing a privilege to be given to multiple users, including: a privilege information storage unit configured to store privilege information that is information to express the privilege to be given to the users; and a privilege information transmission unit configured to transmit to each of user terminals of the users divided information into which the privilege information is divided according to a number of the users. 
         [0007]    Moreover, the privilege providing device of the present invention may further include: a notification transmission unit configured to transmit to the user terminals a notification to give the privilege to the users; and a reception request receiving unit configured to receive reception requests of the privilege, the reception requests transmitted from the user terminals in response to the notification, wherein the privilege information transmission unit specifies reception terminals that are the user terminals having transmitted the reception requests, divides the privilege information according to a number of the reception terminals, and transmits the divided information only to the reception terminals. 
         [0008]    Moreover, in the privilege providing device of the present invention, the privilege information transmission unit may transmit the divided information only when the number of the reception terminals is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. 
         [0009]    Moreover, in the privilege providing device of the present invention, the privilege information storage unit may store the privilege information that varies according to a division number, and the privilege information transmission unit may read out the privilege information corresponding to the number of the reception terminals from the privilege information storage unit and divide the read privilege information according to the number of the reception terminals. 
         [0010]    Moreover, in the privilege providing device of the present invention, positions of the user terminals may be included in the reception requests, and the privilege information transmission unit may determine whether the positions included in the reception requests are included in a predetermined range based on a predetermined position, and specify, among the user terminals having transmitted the reception requests, the user terminals whose positions are included in the predetermined range as the reception terminals. 
         [0011]    Moreover, in the privilege providing device of the present invention, the privilege information transmission unit may transmit a whole of the privilege information only to one first user terminal among the multiple user terminals, and transmit a message to give an instruction to view the privilege information displayed to the first user terminal, to a second user terminal different from the first user terminal. 
         [0012]    Moreover, the privilege providing device of the present invention may further include: a notification transmission unit configured to transmit to each of the user terminal a notification to give the privilege; and a reception request receiving unit configured to receive reception requests of the privilege, the reception requests being transmitted from the user terminals in response to the notification and including positions of the user terminals, wherein the privilege information transmission unit determines whether the positions included in the reception requests are included in a predetermined range based on a position of a first user terminal, and specifies, among the user terminals having transmitted the reception requests, the user terminals whose positions are included in the predetermined range as the reception terminals. 
         [0013]    Another mode of the present invention is a method of providing a privilege to multiple user terminals, the method comprising steps executed by a computer of: storing privilege information that is information to express the privilege to be provided to the user terminals; and transmitting to each of the user terminals without duplication divided information into which the privilege information is divided according to a number of the user terminals. 
         [0014]    Other problems and solutions thereof disclosed in the present application are clarified in the Description of Embodiment and the drawings. 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention 
       [0015]    According to the present invention, it is possible to provide to multiple users a privilege expressed by a ticket, a coupon and so forth. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a coupon distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a mobile terminal  10 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example of the mobile terminal  10 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a distribution server  20 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example of the distribution server  20 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of group information stored in a group database  241 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of coupon information stored in a coupon database  242 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a diagram to describe the flow of coupon distribution processing performed in a coupon distribution system of the embodiment. 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a diagram to describe a state in which a coupon notification receiving unit  121  displays a notification message. 
           [0025]      FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating one example of a screen  51  on which a notification message  511  is displayed. 
           [0026]      FIG. 11  is a diagram illustrating one example of the screen  51  on which the notification message  511  is displayed. 
           [0027]      FIG. 12  is a diagram illustrating one example of a screen  52  after the transmission of a coupon reception request. 
           [0028]      FIG. 13  is a diagram to describe the flow of coupon issue processing. 
           [0029]      FIG. 14  is a diagram illustrating an example of screens  531  and  532  displayed to two mobile terminals  10 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 15  is a diagram illustrating an example where part of a coupon is displayed on three mobile terminals  10  respectively. 
           [0031]      FIG. 16  is a diagram illustrating an example where, among three mobile terminals  10 , the entire coupon is displayed on the one of the representative user and the content of the coupon is not displayed on the other mobile terminals  10  at all. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     ==Outline== 
       [0032]    In the following, a coupon distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. The coupon distribution system of the present embodiment is designed to distribute a coupon to multiple users and is designed such that, by dividing a coupon and distributing divided coupons (hereinafter referred to as “divided coupons”) to the respective users, a special benefit according to the coupon cannot be received unless the multiple users cooperate. The coupon distributed in the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment denotes information in which the privilege to receive a special benefit such as the discount of a commodity or service is expressed. 
       ==System Configuration== 
       [0033]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a coupon distribution system according to the present embodiment. The coupon distribution system of the present embodiment is configured including multiple mobile terminals  10  and the distribution server  20 . 
         [0034]    The mobile terminal  10  is a computer operated by a user. In the present embodiment, as the mobile terminal  10 , there is assumed a device such as a so-called smartphone and tablet computer that perform input and output through a touch panel display. 
         [0035]    The distribution server  20  is a computer such as for example a personal computer and a work station which distributes a coupon. In the present embodiment, the distribution server  20  creates a divided coupon and transmits it to the mobile terminal  10 . 
         [0036]    The mobile terminal  10  and the distribution server  20  are connected so as to be able to perform communication through a communication network  30 . The communication network  30  includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network) and a VAN (Value Added Network), and so on, which are configured with, for example, a public telephone network, a mobile phone network, Ethernet (registered trademark) and a radio channel, and so on. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that communication is performed by TCP/IP in the communication network  30 . 
       ==Configuration of Mobile Terminal  10 == 
       [0037]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the mobile terminal  10 . The mobile terminal  10  includes a touch panel display  101 , a display controller  102 , a radio communication machine  103 , a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  104 , a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver  105 , a flash memory  106  and a RAM (Random Access Memory)  107 . The flash memory  106  is a storage device that stores various kinds of data and programs. A storage device such as a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive may be adopted instead of the flash memory  106 . The CPU  104  implements various functions by reading out and executing a program stored in the flash memory  106 , in the RAM  107 . The GPS receiver  105  is a receiver that receives a positioning signal from a GPS satellite. The display controller  102  detects the display of information in the touch panel display  101  or the touch and swipe, and so on, of a finger in the touch panel display  101  and accepts an input of data from the user. 
         [0038]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example of the mobile terminal  10 . The mobile terminal  10  includes a coupon notification receiving unit  121 , a coupon reception instruction input unit  122 , a positioning unit  123 , a coupon reception request transmission unit  124 , a coupon receiving unit  125  and a coupon display unit  126 . The coupon notification receiving unit  121 , the coupon reception instruction input unit  122 , the positioning unit  123 , the coupon reception request transmission unit  124 , the coupon receiving unit  125  and the coupon display unit  126  are implemented by the CPU  104  included in the mobile terminal  10  reading out and executing a program stored in the flash memory  106 , in the RAM  107 . 
         [0039]    The coupon notification receiving unit  121  receives notification to issue a coupon (hereafter referred to as “coupon notification”), from the distribution server  20 . The coupon notification includes information showing the issued coupon (hereafter referred to as “coupon ID”) and a message related to the coupon (hereafter referred to as “notification message”). 
         [0040]    The coupon reception instruction input unit  122  accepts an instruction as to whether the user receives the coupon. The coupon reception instruction input unit  122  displays the notification message received by the coupon notification receiving unit  121  on the touch panel display  101  to notify to the user that the coupon is issued, and accepts an input as to whether to receive the coupon. 
         [0041]    The positioning unit  123  measures the current position of the mobile terminal  10 . It is assumed that the positioning unit  123  measures the current position of the mobile terminal  10  on a map by a well-known technique on the basis of a positioning signal received by the GPS receiver  105 . For example, the current position measured by the positioning unit  123  is expressed by latitude and longitude. 
         [0042]    The coupon reception request transmission unit  124  transmits a request of the coupon (hereafter referred to as “coupon reception request”) to the distribution server  20 . In the coupon reception request, the coupon ID included in the coupon notification, the user ID showing the user of the mobile terminal  10  and the current position of the mobile terminal  10  measured by the positioning unit  123  are set. 
         [0043]    The coupon receiving unit  125  receives a coupon transmitted from the distribution server  20 . As described above, the coupon received by the coupon receiving unit  125  is a divided coupon into which an issued coupon is divided. Here, as described later, there is a case where the entire coupon is transmitted only to the mobile terminal  10  of the representative user of the group as a divided coupon and an empty divided coupon is transmitted to other mobile terminals  10 , and, in this case, a message to see the coupon of the representative user is displayed on other mobile terminals  10 . 
         [0044]    The coupon display unit  126  displays the coupon received by the coupon receiving unit  125 . The coupon display unit  126  turns out to display the divided coupon. When each of the mobile terminals  10  belonging to the group displays the divided coupon, the whole of the coupon is displayed as a whole. 
       ==Configuration of Distribution Server  20 == 
       [0045]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the distribution server  20 . The distribution server  20  includes a CPU  201 , a memory  202 , a storage device  203 , a communication interface  204 , an input device  205  and an output device  206 . The storage device  203  is, for example, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or a flash memory, which stores various kinds of data and programs. The CPU  201  implements various functions by reading out and executing a program stored in the storage device  203 , in the memory  202 . The communication interface  204  is an interface to connect with the communication network  30 , and is, for example, an adaptor to connect with Ethernet (registered trademark), a modem to connect with a public telephone network, or a radio communication machine to connect with a radio communication network. The input device  205  is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a track ball, a touch panel, or a microphone, which accepts an input of data. The output device  206  is, for example, a display, a printer, or a speaker, which outputs data. The distribution server  20  can be designed to include multiple input devices  205  and output devices  206 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a software configuration example of the distribution server  20 . The distribution server  20  includes a coupon notification transmission unit  221 , a coupon reception request receiving unit  222 , a reception terminal determination unit  223 , a coupon determination unit  224 , a coupon dividing unit  225 , a coupon transmission unit  226 , the group database  241  and the coupon database  242 . The coupon notification transmission unit  221 , the coupon reception request receiving unit  222 , the reception terminal determination unit  223 , the coupon determination unit  224 , the coupon dividing unit  225  and the coupon transmission unit  226  are implemented by the CPU  201  included in the distribution server  20  reading out and executing a program stored in the storage device  203  in the memory  202 , and the group database  241  and the coupon database  242  are implemented as parts of storage areas provided by the memory  202  and the storage device  203 . 
         [0047]    The group database  241  stores information on the group (hereafter referred to as “group information”).  FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the group information stored in the group database  241 . The group information includes the group ID identifying the group, the user ID identifying the user who represents the group (representative user), and the user ID showing members belonging to the group. In a case where the representative user is not set to the group, “-” is set to the representative user. Multiple user IDs are set to the members. 
         [0048]    The coupon database  242  stores information including a coupon (hereinafter referred to as “coupon information”).  FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the coupon information stored in the coupon database  242 . The coupon information includes a notification message, a reference position, the minimum number of persons, the number of persons and a coupon by the number of persons, in association with the coupon ID. The notification message is a message showing that a coupon is issued to the user. For example, the notification message can be written by HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). The reference position is a position that becomes a base to determine a range to decide that the users are in the same place (hereafter referred to as “determination range”), and can be expressed by latitude and longitude. As described later, multiple users have to be in the same place to cause a coupon to be issued, and, for example, the determination range can be assumed to be a range within a predetermined distance from the reference position. In a case where “-” is set to the reference position, the determination range is determined with reference to the current position of the representative user. Moreover, in a case where “-” is set to the reference position and “-” is set to the representative user of the group information, the determination range is determined on the basis of the current position of the user included in the members. The minimum number of persons is the number of persons who use the coupon, which is required to issue a coupon. As described later, the coupon is issued only in a case where the number of mobile terminals  10  having transmitted a coupon reception request in the determination range exceeds the minimum number of persons. A coupon by the number of persons includes a coupon associated with the number of persons. The coupon by the number of persons can include multiple coupons. By this means, coupons of different content according to the number of persons who use the coupon can be registered. 
         [0049]    The coupon notification transmission unit  221  transmits a coupon notification to the mobile terminal  10 . The coupon notification transmission unit  221  accepts the designation of the coupon ID associated with a coupon to distribute and a group to be a notification destination, reads out group information on the specified group from the group database  241 , reads out coupon information corresponding to designated coupon ID from the coupon database  242 , and transmits a coupon notification in which the coupon ID and notification message of the read coupon information are set, to the mobile terminal  10  of the user specified by the user ID included in the members of the read group information. Here it is assumed that the mobile terminal  10  can be specified from the user ID by, for example, making the user ID be an email address and so forth. 
         [0050]    The coupon reception request receiving unit  222  receives a coupon reception request transmitted from the mobile terminal  10  in response to the coupon notification. The reception terminal determination unit  223  determines the mobile terminal  10  to which a coupon is issued. Among the mobile terminals  10  having transmitted the coupon reception request, the reception terminal determination unit  223  of the present embodiment determines the one as a reception terminal whose current position is included in the determination range. 
         [0051]    The coupon determination unit  224  determines a coupon distributed to the mobile terminal  10 . It is assumed that the coupon determination unit  224  acquires a coupon corresponding to the number of reception terminals from the coupon database  242  in the present embodiment, but, for example, a rule to create a coupon may be stored so as to create a coupon according to the rule. 
         [0052]    The coupon dividing unit  225  creates the divided coupons by dividing the coupon determined by the coupon determination unit  224 , according to the number of reception terminals. The division of the coupon can be performed by an arbitrary technique. For example, the coupon dividing unit  225  may extract a character string by an integral number of characters which is the entire character number of the coupon divided by the number of reception terminals, assign it to each reception terminal and assign the remaining characters to the last reception terminal. Moreover, the coupon dividing unit  225  may store division information showing a position in the coupon to divide according to the division number and perform division according to the division information, or may insert a character showing a predetermined divisional position into the coupon and perform division in the position. The divided coupon is transmitted to the reception terminal by the coupon transmission unit  226 . 
       ==Distribution Processing of Coupon== 
       [0053]      FIG. 8  is a diagram to describe the flow of coupon distribution processing performed in a coupon distribution system of the present embodiment. 
         [0054]    First, in the distribution server  20 , the coupon notification transmission unit  221  determines a coupon to be issued (S 401 ). The coupon notification transmission unit  221  may, for example, accept an input of the coupon ID from an operator or select coupon information at random. Moreover, the issue date and time may be included in coupon information and coupon information that is not distributed yet before the current date and time may be determined. Next, the coupon notification transmission unit  221  determines a group as issue destination (S 402 ). The coupon notification transmission unit  221  may, for example, accept an input of the group ID from the operator or select group information at random. Moreover, making the group information include the attribute of the group and making the coupon include the attribute of a target commodity (including service), the one having high attribute association may be selected. 
         [0055]    The coupon notification transmission unit  221  reads out coupon information corresponding to the coupon ID from the coupon database  242  (S 403 ), creates a coupon notification in which the coupon ID and notification message included in the read coupon information are set (S 404 ), and, regarding each of user IDs included in the members of the group information, transmits the coupon notification to mobile terminals  10  of users shown by the user IDs (S 405 ). For example, in a case where the user ID is an email address, the coupon notification transmission unit  221  can transmit the coupon notification by email addressed to the user ID. Moreover, a user information storage unit that stores the address (information that becomes destination in an arbitrary communication protocol such as email, chat and short message service) of the mobile terminal  10  corresponding to the user ID may be installed, and a destination address may be acquired from the user information storage unit. 
         [0056]    The coupon notification receiving unit  121  of the mobile terminal  10  displays the notification message included in the coupon notification received from the distribution server  20  (S 406 ).  FIG. 9  is a diagram to describe a state where the coupon notification receiving unit  121  displays the notification message. As an example, the screen  51  is a screen example in a state where a coupon notification  511  is displayed during the execution of a messenger program. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there is a group of two (or three or more) users who are performing a chat by the use of the messenger program and the coupon notification is transmitted to both of them at the same time. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , only part of the notification message is displayed on the screen  51 . In the example of  FIG. 9 , only the upper part is displayed by performing display such that a coupon ticket is shifted and bent. 
         [0057]    When a graphic  512  that covers the lower part of the notification message is tapped in the screen  51 , the whole of the notification message  511  is displayed as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , and a slider  513  to accept an instruction to receive a coupon is displayed on the lower part of the notification message  511 . When a swipe is performed on the touch panel display  101  on the slider  513  and the slider  513  is slid in a horizontal direction, an instruction to receive the coupon turns to be input. In a case where there are two members in a group, the slider  513  to give an instruction to perform a swipe to the right as illustrated in  FIG. 10  is displayed for one user while the slider  513  to give an instruction to perform a swipe to the left as illustrated in  FIG. 11  is displayed for the other user. By this means, it is possible to guide the users to perform a swipe so as to physically arrange the mobile terminals  10 . 
         [0058]    When the slider  513  has been slid, the coupon reception instruction input unit  122  accepts an input to receive the coupon (S 407 ). Here, in a case where the slider  513  is not slid within a predetermined time, the coupon reception instruction input unit  122  can determine that an input not to receive the coupon is performed. Moreover, when an icon  514  is tapped, it may be determined that an input not to receive the coupon is performed. The positioning unit  123  measures the current position of the mobile terminal  10  (S 409 ), and the coupon reception request transmission unit  124  transmits to the distribution server  20  a coupon reception request in which the coupon ID included in the coupon notification, the user ID showing the user of the mobile terminal  10  and the current position of the mobile terminal  10  measured by the positioning unit  123  are set (S 410 ). 
         [0059]    In the distribution server  20 , the coupon reception request receiving unit  222  receives the coupon reception request transmitted from the mobile terminal  10  (S 411 ). If the coupon reception request is not received from all mobile terminals  10  to which the coupon notification is transmitted in step S 405  (S 412 : NO), the step proceeds to step S 411  and waits for the coupon reception request from the mobile terminal  10  until the lapse of a predetermined time (S 413 : NO). As described above, in the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment, since the coupon is not issued until the coupon reception request is received from mobile terminals  10  corresponding to the minimum number of persons or more in the same place, a standby screen  52  as illustrated in  FIG. 12  is displayed on the mobile terminal  10  until the coupon reception request is received from all mobile terminals  10  to which the coupon notification is transmitted or the above-mentioned predetermined time is lapsed. In the example of the standby screen  52  in  FIG. 12 , a message  521  to give an instruction to wait until the time other partners (other members belonging to the group) transmit the coupon reception request is displayed. 
         [0060]    In a case where the coupon reception request is received from all mobile terminals  10  to which the coupon notification is transmitted (S 412 : YES) or the above-mentioned predetermined time passes (S 413 : YES), the reception terminal determination unit  223  determines the mobile terminals  10  whose coupon reception request is received, as reception terminals that are to be issue destination of the coupon (S 414 ), and performs coupon issue processing illustrated in  FIG. 13  (S 415 ). 
         [0061]    In a case where a reference position is set to coupon information (S 421 : NO), the reception terminal determination unit  223  assumes the reference position of the coupon information to be P (S 423 ). In a case where the reference position of the coupon information is “-” (S 421 : YES), if the representative user of group information is “-” (S 423 : YES), the reception terminal determination unit  223  assumes the current position set to the firstly received coupon reception request to be P (S 424 ), but if the user ID is set to the representative user of the group (S 423 : NO), the reception terminal determination unit  223  assumes the current position set to the coupon reception request received from the mobile terminal  10  of the representative user (that is, user shown by the user ID set to the representative user of the group information) to be P (S 425 ). Here, in a case where the coupon reception request is not received from the mobile terminal  10  of the representative user, processing may be ended without issuing the coupon. 
         [0062]    Regarding each of the reception terminals, the reception terminal determination unit  223  calculates the distance between the current position included in the coupon reception request received from the reception terminal and P (S 426 ), and excludes the mobile terminal  10  in which the distance exceeds a predetermined threshold from the reception terminals (S 427 ). By this means, only the mobile terminal  10  whose current position is included in the determination range can be identified as a reception terminal. The reception terminal determination unit  223  counts the number of reception terminals narrowed in this way as the reception number (S 428 ). 
         [0063]    In a case where the reception number is less than the minimum number of persons of the coupon information (S 429 : NO), the coupon transmission unit  226  transmits to the reception terminals a message that a coupon is not issued (S 430 ). On the other hand, in a case where the reception number is equal to or greater than the minimum number of persons of the coupon information (S 429 : YES), if multiple coupons by the number of persons are included in the coupon information (S 431 : YES), the coupon determination unit  224  extracts a coupon corresponding to the reception number from the coupon information and assumes it to be a transmission coupon (S 432 ), and, if only one coupon is included in the coupon information (S 431 : NO), it determines the coupon as a transmission coupon (S 433 ). 
         [0064]    In a case where the representative user is set to the group information (S 434 : YES), the coupon dividing unit  225  determines the whole of the transmission coupon as a divided coupon corresponding to the user ID shown by the representative user (S 435 ) and determines a message to give an instruction to refer to the coupon of the representative user (for example, message “Check manager&#39;s ticket!”) as a divided coupon corresponding to other reception terminals than the reception terminal of the representative user (S 436 ). On the other hand, in a case where the representative user is not set to the group information, (S 434 : NO), the coupon dividing unit  225  determines the divided coupon assigned to each reception terminal by dividing the transmission coupon by the reception number (S 437 ). The coupon dividing unit  225  can, for example, assign characters to the reception terminals in order from the head of the transmission coupon and assign the all remaining characters to the last reception terminal. For example, in a case where coupon “30% OFF!” is assigned to three reception terminals, “30” is assigned to the first reception terminal, “%” is assigned to the second reception terminal, and “OFF!” is assigned to the third reception terminal. Here, it is assumed that the coupon dividing unit  225  assigns the divided coupons to the reception terminals without duplication. The coupon transmission unit  226  transmits the assigned divided coupons to respective reception terminals (S 438 ). 
         [0065]    Returning to  FIG. 8 , in the mobile terminal  10 , the coupon receiving unit  125  receives the divided coupon (S 416 ) and the coupon display unit  126  display the divided coupon (S 417 ).  FIGS. 14 to 16  are diagrams to describe a state where divided coupons are displayed.  FIG. 14  illustrates an example of the screens  531  and  532  displayed to two mobile terminals  10 , where a divided coupon  533  of “50%” is displayed on the screen  531  displayed to one mobile terminal  10  and a divided coupon  534  of “OFF!” is displayed on the screen  532  displayed to the other mobile terminal  10 . Therefore, coupon content “50% OFF” turns out only after these two mobile terminals  10  are arranged. Since two mobile terminals  10  are in the same place, it become possible to display the entire coupon by arranging the screens  531  and  532  in this way. 
         [0066]    Moreover,  FIGS. 15 and 16  illustrate examples of screens displayed to three mobile terminals  10 ,  FIG. 15  illustrates an example where part of a coupon is displayed to each mobile terminal  10  in a similar way to  FIG. 14 , and  FIG. 16  illustrates an example where the whole of a coupon is displayed to the mobile terminal  10  of the representative user and none of the content of the coupon is displayed to other mobile terminals  10 . In  FIG. 15 , a divided coupon  544  of “30” is displayed on a screen  541  displayed to the first mobile terminal  10 , a divided coupon  545  of “%” is displayed on a screen  542  displayed to the second mobile terminal  10 , and a divided coupon  546  of “OFF!” is displayed on a screen  543  displayed to the third mobile terminal  10 . Therefore, coupon content “30% OFF” turns out only after these three mobile terminals  10  are arranged. Even in the example of  FIG. 15 , it becomes possible to display the whole of the coupon by arranging three mobile terminals  10  in a similar way. Meanwhile, in  FIG. 16 , the whole of a coupon is displayed as a divided coupon  554  on a screen  551  displayed to the mobile terminal  10  of the representative user, and messages  555  and  556  to give an instruction to view the screen of the representative user (manager) are displayed on screens  552  and  553  displayed to the mobile terminals  10  of other users. By this means, other members than the representative user can understand the content of the coupon by seeing the screen  551  of the mobile terminal  10  of the representative user in the same place. 
       ==Effect== 
       [0067]    As described above, according to the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment, it is possible to issue a coupon to a group of multiple users. Therefore, it becomes possible to promote a commodity and service to a group as a unit. Consequently, it becomes possible to improve the advertising effect and the customer collection effect and so forth using the coupon. Moreover, it comes to provide a commodity and service related to the coupon as a common topic between the users in the group, and it is possible to activate communication between the users. 
         [0068]    Moreover, since a coupon notification in a folded form is displayed as illustrated in  FIG. 9  in the coupon distribution system of the embodiment, it is possible to prevent the coupon notification from completely interrupting the execution of a program, such as a messenger program. 
         [0069]    Moreover, since a coupon notification arrives at each of users who are performing a chat at the same time in the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment, in a case where coupon content attracts the interest, it is expected that the coupon as a topic is communicated between the users. By this means, it is possible to activate the communication between the users. Moreover, it is assumed that the motivation to use a coupon becomes large when communication is performed, and therefore it is possible to improve the advertising effect and customer collection effect with respect to an object of the coupon. 
         [0070]    Moreover, in the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment, since a coupon is transmitted only to the mobile terminal  10  having transmitted a coupon reception request according to a coupon notification, it is possible to positively distribute the coupon to the user with a strong intention to use the coupon. Therefore, it becomes possible to further improve the customer collection effect and the advertising effect using the coupon. 
         [0071]    Moreover, in the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment, among mobile terminals  10  having transmitted a coupon reception request according to a coupon notification, it is possible to distribute a coupon only to the one existing in a determination range based on a reference position. Therefore, since it is possible to reliably distribute the coupon to the mobile terminal  10  existing in the same place, it is possible to further improve the customer collection effect and the advertising effect using the coupon. Moreover, since the user with a strong intention to use the coupon exists in the same place, there is a high possibility that a topic related to the coupon is orally taken up in a direct manner. By this means, user&#39;s communication is activated and a word-of-mouth effect by the user can be expected. 
         [0072]    Moreover, in the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment, it is possible to transmit a divided coupon to each user without duplication. Since the user having received the divided coupon has to see the screens of all group members together (only persons having transmitted a coupon reception request in the embodiment) to see the content of the entire coupon, the users in the group are expected to act to decipher the content of the entire coupon in cooperation, and, by this means, it is possible to improve a sense of solidarity between users belonging to the group. 
       Modification Example 
       [0073]    Here, the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment is premised on the distribution of a coupon, but it is not limited to this, and it can be used as a system that distributes information in which some privileges are expressed. For example, the coupon distribution system of the present embodiment can be operated as a system that distributes a ticket such as an admission ticket to the movie theater, distributes a gold note such as a gift certificate and distributes a key to access the Web service. Even in this case, information in which various privileges as mentioned above are expressed is transmitted to each reception terminal as divided information which are divided. For example, in a case where the reservation number is issued as a ticket, it is possible to divide a character string expressing the reservation number and perform transmission. 
         [0074]    Moreover, a coupon is assumed to be a character string in the present embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and it may be a still image and a moving image, and so forth. For example, an image encoding the content of the coupon in a form of bar code or QR code (registered trademark) may be prepared to divide this image and transmit a divided coupon. In this case, when an encoded image such as a bar code and a QR code (registered trademark) cannot be read at the time screens on which the image is displayed are arranged, it is preferable to set the user ID to the representative user of group information, transmit the encoded image only to the representative user and transmit a message to give an instruction to refer to the screen of the presentative user, to other members. 
         [0075]    Moreover, in the embodiment, a divided coupon is assumed to be distributed, among mobile terminals  10  having transmitted a coupon reception request according to a coupon notification, only to the one whose current position is included in a determination range, but it is not limited to this. Divided coupons divided according to the number of users belonging to a group may be directly transmitted to mobile terminals  10  of the users belonging to the group without requesting the reception of the coupon notification or the coupon reception request according thereto, or all of mobile terminals  10  having transmitted a coupon reception request according to a coupon notification may be determined as reception terminals without place limitation. Even in this case, since the user cannot understand the content of the coupon unless all of users belonging to the group come together, it is possible to give motivation such that the users come together in the same place, it becomes possible to distribute a coupon for multiple users who come together in the same place in this way, and it becomes possible to improve a sense of solidarity between the users and activate communication between the users. 
         [0076]    Moreover, a range within a predetermined distance centering on a reference position (predetermined position or current position of the representative user) is assumed to be a determination range in the present embodiment, but it is not limited to this. For example, a polygon expressed by three or more latitude/longitude points may be included in coupon information as information showing the determination range, and whether the current position of each mobile terminal  10  is included in this polygon may be decided. 
         [0077]    Moreover, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the whole of a coupon is necessarily transmitted only to a representative user in a case where the representative user is set, but, for example, a flag showing whether to transmit the coupon only to the representative user may be included in coupon information and processing may diverge according to the flag in step S 434  of  FIG. 13 . 
         [0078]    Moreover, the distribution server  20  is assumed to be one computer in the embodiment, but, it is not limited to this, and it may be configured with multiple computers. For example, one virtual computer can be formed with multiple computers, or at least one of the group database  241 , and the coupon database  242  may be managed by another database server such that the distribution server  20  accesses the database server. 
         [0079]    Moreover, the measurement of the position of the mobile terminal  10  is assumed to use GPS in the embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and, for example, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) different from GPS may be used, or the measurement may be performed using a giro, an acceleration sensor and Bluetooth (registered trademark), and so forth, in addition to GPS or in place of GPS. Moreover, the mobile terminal  10  may not specify its own position, and the distribution server  20  may record the positions of routers, base stations and so forth beforehand, identify a router, a base station and so forth accessed by the mobile terminal  10 , and, from the position thereof, estimate the position of the mobile terminal  10 . That is, it is possible to use an arbitrary technique if it is possible to measure the position of the mobile terminal  10 . 
         [0080]    Moreover, the coupon notification transmission unit  221  accepts the identification of a group in the present embodiment, but it is not limited to this, and the coupon notification transmission unit  221  may determine a group to which a coupon is distributed. In this case, for example, it is possible to register the attribute of the user or group in the distribution server  20  beforehand and determine a group of coupon distribution destination according to this attribute. 
         [0081]    The embodiment has been described above, but the above-mentioned embodiment is provided to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, and is not provided to limit the interpretation of the present invention. The present invention may be changed and improved without departing from the scope, and its equivalent may be included in the present invention. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       [0000]    
       
           10  Mobile terminal 
           20  Distribution server 
           30  Communication network 
           121  Coupon notification receiving unit 
           122  Coupon reception instruction input unit 
           123  Positioning unit 
           124  Coupon reception request transmission unit 
           125  Coupon receiving unit 
           126  Coupon display unit 
           221  Coupon notification transmission unit 
           222  Coupon reception request receiving unit 
           223  Reception terminal determination unit 
           224  Coupon creation unit 
           225  Coupon dividing unit 
           226  Coupon transmission unit 
           241  Group database 
           242  Coupon database