Patent Publication Number: US-2006002413-A1

Title: Control system for controlling turn-waiting queues of queue objects

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a control system for controlling turn-waiting queues of people wishing to use services at queue objects, which are facilities or stores that offer services.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      The control of turn-waiting queues of people wishing to use the services of service providers is performed in a wide variety of fields. In examples of queue control methods of the prior art, in order to receive a desired service, users were compelled to queue and register in stores that offered a service one store at a time and were unable to queue in a plurality of stores at one time. With the development of communication means, however, a user was able to reserve places in lines of a plurality of stores from the user&#39;s terminal, but once the user gained entrance to any store, the problem was encountered that the user was unable to collectively cancel turn-waiting in the other stores that the user, although queued, would not enter, and users without any actual need therefore remained registered in queues. In addition, since there were no queues for desired services that combined the plurality of stores that were able to provide a service, users were compelled to line up in the queue that was prepared for each store that was able to offer a service.  
      Customer introduction systems have been disclosed that include an information-sharing means that allows mutual recognition of the queue states among a plurality of facilities, whereby crowded facilities introduce customers to facilities that are not crowded, the facilities that are thus introduced paying an introduction fee to the facilities that introduced the customers (Refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-054591). Although crowding in a queue can thus be mitigated, the problem still remains that the content of the service that a customer seeks cannot be ascertained by the facility until the customer enters the store.  
      An amusement facility reservation device has been disclosed in which IC cards are prepared for each customer, reservations are coordinated according to the desired time of use and the amusement facilities that are designated by the customers, and when an opening occurs in a designated amusement facility at a designated time, this state is displayed and communicated to the customer&#39;s terminal (Refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-202406). In addition, a reservation system has been disclosed in which a host device is provided for controlling the state of reservations in a plurality of hospitals, whereby, when a desired reservation time and location of a hospital to be reserved are supplied as input from a subscriber&#39;s terminal, the states of reservations in a plurality of relevant hospitals are displayed on the terminal, and the subscriber is thus enabled to select from among these hospitals and make a reservation (Refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-351975).  
      As described above, in order to enable a user to quickly receive a desired service in queue control methods of the prior art that employ terminals, the user was compelled to separately enter and register at a plurality of stores that offer the service. In other words, even when any store that provides a service is adequate as long as desired conditions are met, the user was compelled to take the time and trouble of searching for stores that meet desired conditions and then separately enter and register in each store. To date, a system has not been provided in which, by merely entering desired conditions, a user can enter and register in a plurality of corresponding stores. In the systems of the prior art, moreover, a user was not able to designate in advance the conditions of a service desired by the user, such as no-smoking seating.  
      Furthermore, the service-provider side also lacked any means for learning the conditions desired by users before customers entered and were received in the store and were therefore compelled to question users regarding desired conditions upon their arrival in the store. The service-provider side further lacked a means for collectively investigating the desires of users that were lined up in turn-waiting queues.  
      The entertainment facility reservation device that was disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-202406 enables simultaneous reservations for a plurality of facilities, but does not cancel other queues when a user has been able to use a queue object, and this device therefore does not provide a solution to the problem described above.  
      In the reservation system that is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-351975, a plurality of object candidates are indicated before queuing and one of these candidates is then selected for queuing, but this system also fails to provide a solution to the above-described problem.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is an object of the present invention to provide a queue object control system that can shorten the time that people who wish to use a service must wait for a turn and that, for the service provider, can ease the burden of receiving customers.  
      The queue object control system of the present invention includes: queue object terminals that are established in queue objects; user terminals for queue registration for making reservations of the queue objects; and a control server for both accepting queue registrations from the user terminals and controlling the turn-waiting queues at the queue objects based on the queue registrations that have been accepted; the control server including: queue object groups for controlling, in group units into which the queue objects have been sorted according to prescribed categories, turn-waiting queues of a plurality of the queue objects; a queue object control unit for controlling the states of usability of queue objects that belong to the queue object groups based on states of usability of the queue objects that are received from the queue object terminals; a queue manipulation unit for, upon receiving requests from the user terminals for queue registration to the queue object groups, both registering user information that is based on the queue registration requests in the turn-waiting queues at the queue object groups, and, upon receiving notification from the queue object control unit indicating that a queue object that belongs to the queue object group can be used, selecting the user terminal that is to be the transmission destination based on the user information that has been registered in the turn-waiting queue of the queue object group; and a usability notification unit for transmitting notification of usability regarding the queue objects that can be used to user terminals that have been selected in the queue manipulation unit.  
      The control server may include a user favorite group registration means by which users may register in advance a plurality of queue objects as individual users&#39; groups; and the queue manipulation unit may, upon receiving requests from the user terminals to register to the group turn-waiting queues of users&#39; favorite groups, register in the turn-waiting queues of the users&#39; favorite groups.  
      According to another mode, the user terminals are capable of performing queue registrations directly to the queue object terminals for reserving the use of queue objects; the queue manipulation unit of the control server, upon accepting use reservations for the queue object groups from the user terminals, both registers the use reservations in the turn-waiting queues and reports the use reservations to each of the queue object terminals that are the objects of reservations and transfers the assignment of vacant seating; and these queue object terminals include queue manipulation units that register and control use reservations that have been reported from the control server and direct use reservations from the user terminals in turn-waiting queues and assign vacant seating of the queue objects that correspond to these queue object terminals.  
      The control server may also include a charge information control unit for accumulating charge information for each queue object, and charge information that corresponds to queue objects that become available for use may be updated at the queue object control units.  
      The control server of the present invention is connected by way of a network to queue object terminals that are established at queue objects and to user terminals for making queue registrations for making reservations to the queue objects, and both accepts queue registrations from the user terminals and controls turn-waiting queues at the queue objects based on the queue registrations that have been accepted; the control server including: queue object groups for controlling, in group units into which the queue objects have been sorted according to prescribed categories, the turn-waiting queues in each of a plurality of queue objects; a queue object control unit for controlling the state of usability of queue objects that belong to the queue object groups based on the states of usability of the queue objects that are supplied from the queue object terminals; a queue manipulation unit for, upon receiving queue registration requests from the user terminals for the queue object groups, both registering user information based on the queue registration requests to the turn-waiting queues in the queue object groups and, upon receiving notification from the queue object control unit indicating that queue objects that belong to the queue object groups have become usable, selecting user terminals that are to be the transmission destination based on the user information that has been registered in the turn-waiting queues of the queue object groups; and a usability notification unit for transmitting notification of usability regarding a queue object that has become available for use to the user terminals that have been selected by the queue manipulation unit.  
      The queue object terminals of the present invention are the queue object terminals of a queue object control system in which queue object terminals that are established in queue objects, user terminals for registering in turn-waiting queues to the queue objects, and a control server for controlling the turn-waiting queues are connected by way of a network so as to allow communication; the queue object terminals each including a data processor and a storage unit; the storage unit including a current state information storage unit for storing current state information that includes the current availability of vacant seating and the number of vacant seats; and the data processor including: a current state information acceptance unit for accepting current state information that has been received as input, a current state information updating unit for updating the current state information that is stored in the current state information storage unit in accordance with current state information that has been received as input, and a current state information transmitter for transmitting current state information that has been updated to prescribed transmission destinations.  
      The user terminals of the present invention are the user terminals of a queue object control system in which queue object terminals that are established at queue objects, user terminals for registering in turn-waiting queues to the queue objects, and a control server for controlling the turn-waiting queues are connected by way of a network so as to allow communication; the user terminals each including: a operator input unit for entering information, a queue reservation information production unit for producing queue reservation information by means of information that has been applied as input by the operator input unit, a queue reservation transmitter for transmitting queue reservation information that has been produced to a prescribed output destination, and a summary information acceptance unit for accepting summary information that has been received from the control server and that includes the occurrence of vacant seating relating to queue objects for which queue registration has been carried out. The user terminal may consist of a portable telephone or a portable information terminal, or may consist of a private input/output device.  
      The queue object control method of the present invention is the queue object control method of a queue object control system in which queue object terminals that are established at queue objects, user terminals for registering in turn-waiting queues to the queue objects, and a control server for controlling the turn-waiting queues are connected by way of a network so as to allow communication; the queue object control method including steps wherein: the queue object terminals transmit current state information that includes the state of usability of the queue objects to the control server, the control server collectively stores and controls the current state information that has been received from the queue object terminals; the user terminals transmit prescribed queue reservation requests to queue object groups based on the content that has been entered by users by way of operation units; the control server accepts queue reservation requests from the user terminals and registers the requests in the group turn-waiting queues; the control server recognizes queue objects that have become available for use based on current state information of queue objects that has been stored, selects user terminals that are registered in the group turn-waiting queues of the queue objects, generates, as summary information, vacant seating information relating to the queue objects based on queue object information summarization rules, and transmits the vacant seating information to the user terminals that have been selected; and the user terminals accept the vacant seating information for the queue objects that have been reserved.  
      The recording medium of the present invention is a recording medium in which a control program is recorded for controlling the control server of a queue object control system in which queue object terminals that are established at queue objects, user terminals for registering in turn-waiting queues to the queue objects, and a control server for controlling the turn-waiting queues are connected by way of a network so as to allow communication; the recording medium recording a program for causing the computer of the control server to execute procedures for: controlling a plurality of queue objects as group turn-waiting queues; receiving states of usability of the queue objects from the queue object terminals and controlling whether any of the queue objects of the queue object groups can be used; receiving requests that have been transmitted from the user terminals for queue registration to the queue object groups and registering in the group turn-waiting queues, and when any of the queue objects of the queue object groups becomes available for use, selecting user terminals that are registered in the group turn-waiting queues; and transmitting notification indicating the ability to use queue objects that have become available for use to the user terminals that have been selected.  
      The present invention according to the foregoing description has the following merits: 
          1) Because joining the turn-waiting queue of a group of queue objects that can provide the same type service has the same effect as joining the turn-waiting queues of each of the queue objects that are included in the queue object group, the present invention reduces the inconvenience for users of joining queues.     2) When vacant seating becomes available in a queue object, the seating is assigned to the user that is at the head of the turn-waiting queue of the queue object group, whereby users are appropriately apportioned to queue objects in which vacant seating has occurred, and queue control is made more efficient.     3) Queue objects that can provide services that meet the conditions demanded by users are organized as groups, whereby the degree of satisfaction of users can be maintained.     4) An order of priority can be established in queue control, whereby good customers can be given priority in processing and favorable service can be provided to users.     5) Because queue objects can be intentionally selected for placement in queue object groups, preferential service can be provided to queue objects, such as placing specific queue objects in queue object groups having long turn-waiting queues.     6) Because information regarding users that are in turn-waiting queues can be provided to the queue object side, queue control can be implemented that more effectively draws customers. 
 
 The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate examples of the present invention.
       

    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing the configuration of a queue object control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the configuration of a queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the configuration of a store terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing the overall flow of processes in the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a schematic explanatory view of the queue object control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention in which there is a single store group;  
       FIG. 7  is a schematic explanatory view of the queue object control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention in which there is a plurality of store groups;  
       FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue object control system according to the second embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue object control system according to the third embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 11  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 10 ;  
       FIG. 12  is a schematic explanatory view of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 10 ;  
       FIG. 13  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue object control system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 14  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 13 ;  
       FIG. 15  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the store group generation unit of the queue control server that is shown in  FIG. 14 ;  
       FIG. 16  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 13 ;  
       FIG. 17  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 18  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the user terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 19  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is the first mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 20  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the store terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is the first mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 21  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is the first mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 22  is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the queue object control system that is the first mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 23  is a schematic view for explaining the operation of another example of the queue object control system that is the first mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 24  is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the queue object control system that is the second mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 25  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is the third mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 26  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the store terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is the fourth mode of the sixth embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 27  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue object control system according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 28  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 27 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      The present invention is a system by which users make applications by way of a communication network to reserve services that are provided by facilities or stores that are the queue objects, and is a system that both enables a reduction of the time that users must spend waiting in turn-waiting queues to receive desired services and that can lighten the reception work in which the wishes of the users are investigated to determine, for example, whether desired seating is available in the queue objects. This system has various levels of service. For example, if a user enters search keywords such as “sushi,” “no smoking,” and “vacant seating available” as conditions for a sushi restaurant having vacant seating in the “no-smoking” section, the system can select a plurality of sushi restaurants from information on sushi restaurants that is registered in a database and register the user in a queue to enter these restaurants.  
      In the present invention, a queue object control system can be provided that controls the queues of queue objects for queue object groups that take as object, for example, queue objects that include the queues of individual venues in an event site. For the sake of simplifying the explanation in the embodiments, stores are taken as the queue objects and store groups are taken as the queue object groups. The queue object groups take in a wide range of groups of businesses that are the objects of queues. For example, a queue object group is a group of objects that have been selected according to conditions indicated by a person requesting service from a list that has been registered in advance. More specifically, queue objects include service-providing businesses that include stores, restaurants, and cafés.  
      The following explanation regards the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  
       FIG. 1  shows the configuration of the queue object control system that is the first embodiment of the present invention. In addition,  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4  each show the configurations of the queue control server, store terminal, and user terminal, respectively, that make up the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      Referring first to  FIG. 1 , queue object control system  1  includes: queue control server  10 , a plurality of store terminals  41   1 - 41   n  and a plurality of user terminals  81   1 - 81   n  that are connected to queue control server  10  by way of communication network  90  to allow mutual communication. Store terminals  41   1 - 41   n  are established at stores  40   1 - 40   n , which are the queue objects, and supply as output current state information that includes the states of usability of each of the stores. User terminals  81   1 - 81   n  are terminals that are used by users  80   1 - 80   n , who are people wishing to use stores  40   1 - 40   n . The users can use the user terminals to register in queues for reserving use of the stores and to obtain current state information of desired stores. Queue control server  10  controls the current state information of stores  40   1 - 40   n  and the store reservation information in units of store groups.  
      In queue control server  10 , the current state information of stores  40   1 - 40   n  is divided into one or more groups and registered. In the example shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the current state information of stores  40   1 - 40   n  is divided into a plurality of store groups  11   1 - 11   n  and registered in queue control server  10 . In addition, although not shown, the operator of queue object control system  1  can access queue control server  10  from an operator terminal by way of communication network  90  and set or alter conditions.  
      Store terminals  41   1 - 41   n  are all terminals that consist of computers.  FIG. 3  shows a schematic configuration of one of these store terminals. Referring to  FIG. 3 , store terminal  41  includes: input unit  401 , output unit  404 , data processor  402 , storage unit  403 , operator input unit  405  by which an operator can enter commands or data, and image display unit  406  that can display data on a screen. Storage unit  403  includes current state information storage unit  421  for storing current state information such as the content of a provided service, whether vacant seating is currently available, and the number of vacant seats. Data processor  402  includes: central processing unit  410  for collecting the processing of each component, current state information acceptance unit  411  for accepting current state information that has been entered by operator input unit  405 , current state information updating unit  412  for updating the current state information that is stored in current state information storage unit  421  based on the current state information that has been accepted, and current state information transmitter  413  for transmitting current state information that has been updated to store group control unit  13  of store group  11  of queue control server  10  to which the store belongs. Current state information control unit  42  consists of current state information acceptance unit  411 , current state information updating unit  412 , current state information transmitter  413 , and current state information storage unit  421 .  
      User terminals  81   1 - 81   n  are all terminals that consist of computers, and for example, may be portable telephones, portable information terminals, or terminals such as private devices.  FIG. 4  shows the schematic configuration of one of these user terminals. Referring to  FIG. 4 , user terminal  81  includes: input unit  801 , data processor  802 , storage unit  803 , output unit  804 , operator input unit  805  that allows an operator to enter commands or data, and image display unit  806  that can display data on a screen.  
      Storage unit  803  includes: store name/store group storage unit  831  for storing the names of stores and the names of store groups that have been acquired and the current state information for the stores and store groups, and summary information storage unit  832  for storing summary information that includes the state of vacant seating of stores that has been transmitted from queue control server  10 . When there is no need for using the store name/store group information that has been stored, store name/store group storage unit  831  may be omitted. When there is no need to store store name/store group information, summary information storage unit  832  may be omitted.  
      Data processor  802  includes: central processing unit  810  for collecting the processing of each unit; queue reservation information production unit  811  for producing queue reservation information from information that the operator has applied as input from operator input unit  805  after, for example, referring to the stored content of store name/store group storage unit  831 ; queue reservation transmitter  812  for transmitting queue reservation information that has been produced to queue control server  10 ; summary information acceptance unit  813  for accepting summary information that includes the occurrence of vacant seating relating to a store for which queue registration has been carried out and that has been received from queue control server  10 ; and summary information display unit  814  for displaying summary information on image display unit  806 . Users are able to learn whether vacant seating has occurred in a registered store based on the summary information.  
      The current state information and the store name and store group name that are stored in store name/store group storage unit  831  are obtained from information from the web server of queue control server  10 . For the production of queue reservation information by queue reservation information production unit  811 , users may directly enter information that includes desired store names and desired conditions through operator input unit  805 . Otherwise, when user terminal  81  transmits a store group name to queue control server  10 , a list having spaces for designating information such as store names and desired conditions may be transmitted from queue control server  10  to user terminal  81 . In this case, store names or conditions are entered in the spaces in the received list on user terminal  81 . The information, i.e., the store names or conditions that have been applied as input, is transmitted from user terminal  81  to queue control server  10 .  
      Reservation request acceptance unit  111  of queue control server  10  may be provided with word extraction software for extracting words from text. In this case, reservation request acceptance unit  111  can convert queue reservation information that is transmitted from queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81  to text by means of the word extraction software.  
      One or a plurality of stores may be designated as the desired store. Alternatively, the desired store may be left to the user&#39;s discretion. Desired conditions may include, for example, the store&#39;s business hours, and further, such desired conditions as articles that are offered, seating in the no-smoking section, seating for four people, lightly air-conditioned seating, or the availability of child-care facilities. When users are registered on a specific member list, this registration or its lack can be included in the queue reservation information. Queue manipulation unit  12  of queue control server  10  makes assignments to group turn-waiting queues of group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113  and assigns vacant seating to users in accordance with assignment/selection rules that are stored in assignment/selection rule storage unit  114 .  
      Queue registration unit  83  is made up by: queue reservation information production unit  811 , queue reservation transmitter  812 , and store name/store group storage unit  831 . Summary information processor  84  is made up from: summary information acceptance unit  813 , summary information display unit  814 , and summary information storage unit  832 .  
      Queue control server  10  is a server that controls information relating to the turn-waiting queues of stores for each store group that is composed according to prescribed standards. The manipulation of user queues in all store groups, the control of current state information that includes the states of vacant seating of stores, the production of summary information that includes vacant seating information, and the dispatch of this information to users are all controlled in this queue control server  10 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , queue control server  10  includes: input unit  101 , output unit  104 , data processor  102 , and storage unit  103 . Each of store groups  11   1 - 11   n  includes: queue manipulation unit  12 , store group control unit  13 , and summary information notification unit  14 . In this case, a plurality of store groups is provided, but a single store group is also possible. In other embodiments, store groups are provided with only group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113 , and the components other than group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113 , i.e., queue manipulation unit  12 , store group control unit  13 , and summary information notification unit  14 , are provided as shared functions.  
      The stores that make up store groups are stores that meet specific conditions. Standards for forming groups include, for example, food categories, popularity, the rate of turnover of users, and the degree of crowding. When the food category is taken as a standard, restaurants belonging to the same food category are placed in groups. When popularity is taken as a standard, stores are grouped according to popularity. When the rate of turnover is taken as a standard, stores are grouped according to the rate of turnover of users. When the degree of crowding is taken as a standard, stores are grouped according to the degree of crowding in the stores. Grouping by these standards is chiefly directed by the thinking on the store side toward improving the customer-drawing effect.  
      When restaurants that belong to the same food category are grouped, users can be introduced in order to restaurants in which vacant seating occurs by registering in the queue of a desired food group. In this way, the time that users must wait can be shortened. For the restaurants as well, the rate of turnover can be increased because users are successively introduced as seating becomes available.  
      In addition, users generally desire stores that are in nearby locations. When developed with objects over a wide area, the queue object control system can combine regional information to produce, for example, a store group of Chinese restaurants within Area A.  
      Users in some cases further desire seating for four persons, seating in the no-smoking section or seating with light air conditioning, or stores provided with child-care facilities. In queue control server  10 , store group control unit  13  comprehends the current state information of each store and therefore, if such conditions are indicated at the time of registering in a queue, introduces stores that meet these conditions when seating becomes available.  
      When a group is divided into a group of stores having no-smoking seating and a group of stores with light air conditioning, the affiliation of a single store can be duplicated in these groups.  
      In addition, stores having a specific characteristic can be added to groups to augment the customer draw of the entire group.  
      As described in the foregoing explanation, a single store can belong to one or a plurality of groups.  
      Although the formation of store groups is normally realized by the operator of queue object control system  1 , users can also form store groups. For example, as will be explained in the fourth embodiment, a user may form a store group according to the user&#39;s own preferences in place of store groups such as “Italian” and “Japanese” that have been prepared according to a fixed format.  
      To control reservation registrations that have been entered by means of user terminals  81  for each store group, storage unit  103  includes: group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113  for registering and storing the user information of registrants in turn-waiting queues; assignment/selection rule storage unit  114  for storing the assignment/selection rules for determining the turn-waiting queues to which users who have requested queue reservations should be assigned, and when seating becomes available in stores, the turn-waiting queues and the users that should be selected and assigned seating; store current state information storage unit  123  for storing the current state information of stores  40  within a group; store information summarization rule storage unit  133  for storing the rules for producing summary information from store current state information that has been stored according to objectives; and summary information storage unit  134  for storing the summary information that has been produced.  
      Data processor  102  includes: central processing unit  110  for collecting the processing of each unit; reservation request acceptance unit  111  for accepting reservation registration to a turn-waiting queue that has been entered from user terminal  81 ; reservation queue control unit  112  for analyzing the content of a reservation request and registering to a reservation queue according to assignment/selection rules that have been stored in assignment/selection rule storage unit  114 , for altering registration content by means of prescribed conditions, and for eliminating registrations from the turn-waiting queue when vacant seating has been introduced to users of the turn-waiting queues; store current state information acceptance unit  121  for accepting store current state information that has been received from store terminals  41 ; store current state information control unit  122  for updating store current state information that is stored in store current state information storage unit  123  in accordance with the store current state information that has been accepted and for reading and transmitting store current state information as necessary; summary information production unit  131  for producing summary information such as vacant seating information from the store current state information according to objectives in accordance with rules for producing summary information that have been stored in store information summarization rule storage unit  133 ; and summary information dispatch unit  132  for both transmitting summary information that has been produced to user terminals  81  and reporting to reservation queue control unit  112 .  
      Reservation request acceptance unit  111 , upon receiving from user terminal  81  a queue reservation request that designates only a group, transmits to user terminal  81  a list having spaces for designating names of stores that belong to the group and desired conditions. Reservation queue control unit  112  both analyzes the content of the reservation request according to the content of the list that is returned from user terminal  81  and implements registration to a turn-waiting queue in accordance with assignment/selection rules. Reservation queue control unit  112  further, in accordance with assignment/selection rules, refers to the store current state information and causes the user information of the next registrant to be selected to be stored in the turn-waiting queue of group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113 . Upon receiving a report of the occurrence of vacant seating from store current state information control unit  122  and the conditions relating to this vacant seating, reservation queue control unit  112  selects the registrant that corresponds to these conditions and reports to summary information control unit  131 . Summary information production unit  131  produces summary information that conforms with the conditions in accordance with the store information summarization rules and then both transmits the produced summary information from summary information dispatch unit  132  to relevant user terminal  81  and reports to reservation queue control unit  112 .  
      In the present embodiment, reservation queue control unit  112  eliminates the user information of the user from the turn-waiting queue when vacant seating has been introduced to that user of the turn-waiting queue. In other embodiments, the user information of the user is deleted when prescribed conditions are met. Alternatively, in other embodiments, each of the store terminals  41  may control the turn-waiting queues and transmit summary information to queue control server  10 .  
      Queue manipulation unit  12  is made up from: reservation request acceptance unit  111 , reservation queue control unit  112 , group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113 , and assignment/selection rule storage unit  114 . Store group control unit  13  is made up from: store current state information acceptance unit  121 , store current state information control unit  122 , and store current state information storage unit  123 . Summary information notification unit  14  is made up from: summary information production unit  131 , summary information dispatch unit  132 , store information summarization rule storage unit  133 , and summary information storage unit  134 .  
      Queue control server  10  operates under the control of a program. The control program for controlling the operation of each component of queue control server  10  may be recorded in a recording medium (not shown). Examples of the recording medium include an FD (flexible disk), a CD-ROM, and a semiconductor memory.  
      The processes that are realized by the control program include: a process for collectively controlling a plurality of queue objects as a group turn-waiting queue; a process for controlling whether any queue object of a queue object group is available for use; a process for receiving a request to register in a queue that is transmitted in from a user terminal to a queue object group and registering in a group turn-waiting queue; and a process for, when any queue object of a queue object group becomes available for use, selecting a user terminal that is registered in the group turn-waiting queue and transmitting to the user terminal that has been selected in the queue manipulation unit usability notification indicating that the queue object is available for use.  
      The control program is read from the recording medium to data processor  102 . Data processor  102  operates in accordance with this control program that has been read. More specifically, in accordance with the control program, data processor  102  executes: a process for controlling a plurality of queue objects as a group turn-waiting queue; a process for receiving the usability states of queue objects from queue object terminals and controlling whether any queue object of a queue object group can be used; a process for receiving queue registration requests that have been transmitted in from user terminals to queue object groups, registering in group turn-waiting queues, and selecting user terminals that are registered in group turn-waiting queues when any queue object of a queue object group becomes available for use; and a process for transmitting usability notification for queue objects that have become available for use to the user terminals that have been selected by the queue object control unit.  
      The setting or modification of assignment/selection rules in queue manipulation unit  12  is normally carried out by the operator of queue object control system  1 . The operator can give priority to users who are of value to the system and can preferentially assign users to stores that pay higher charges. More specifically, “first in-first out” is adopted as a general rule, but users that have been designated “good customers” (first-class customers) and people with specific membership registrations are raised in rank according to prescribed rules, good customers are given preference over users who have registered for the first time, and frequent users are raised in ranking at designated times. Alternatively, if a user who has registered at a specific store is found to be also registered in the turn-waiting queue of another store and, further, to be at the head of the line at the other store, the rank of that user is raised (the user is pulled to a specific store).  
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing the overall flow of processing of the queue object control system according to the first embodiment. The following explanation regards the details of the processing operations of the queue object control system according to the first embodiment with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 .  
      At the start of queue object control, based on information that has been supplied as input, store terminal  41  first updates and produces current state information such as the content of accommodations of a store, the content of offered services, and the current availability of seating, conditions relating to this seating, and the number of vacant seats (Step S 11 ). Store terminal  41  next transmits the updated current state information to queue control server  10  (Step S 112 ). The processes of these Steps S 111  and S 112  are repeated.  
      Queue control server  10  summarizes the updated current state information from each store terminal  41  (Step S 121 ) and stores the updated current state information in store current state information storage unit  123  (Step S 122 ). At the same time, queue control server  10  determines whether queue registration reservation information has been received from user terminals  81  (Step S 123 ). User terminal  81  produces queue reservation information by means of the input from a user who desires a store service (Step S 131 ) and transmits this queue reservation information that has been produced to queue control server  10  (Step S 132 ).  
      Queue control server  10  receives the queue reservation information from user terminal  81  (“Y” in Step S 123 ), and then performs registration in a turn-waiting queue (Step S 124 ). Queue control server  10  further enters a standby state to receive queue registration reservation information from the next user terminal  81  (Step S 123 ), and further, reads current state information (Step S 125 ) and determines whether vacant seating information exists (Step S 126 ). If there is vacant seating information (“Y” in Step S 126 ), queue control server  10  determines whether this vacant seating corresponds to a queue registrant (whether the registrant is present) (Step S 127 ), and if the registrant is not present, returns to Step S 125  (“N” in Step S 127 ). If the registrant is present (“Y” in Step S 127 ), queue control server  10  produces summary information (Step S 128 ) and transmits the summary information that has been produced to the relevant user terminal  81  (Step S  129 ). After sending the summary information, queue control server  10  deletes the queue registration of that registrant (Step S 130 ).  
      User terminal  81  displays the summary information showing vacant seating that has been received from queue control server  10  (Step S 133 ). The user of user terminal  81  recognizes the store having vacant seating based on the displayed summary information and then enters that store (Step S 134 ).  
      The following explanation regards an outline of the processing operation of the queue object control system according to the first embodiment.  FIG. 6  is a schematic explanatory view of the queue object control system according to the first embodiment in which there is only one store group, and  FIG. 7  is a schematic explanatory view of a queue object control system according to the first embodiment in which there is a plurality of store groups. Reference is next made to the schematic explanatory views of  FIGS. 6 and 7 .  
      In  FIG. 6 , user terminal  81  accesses a reservation site that is provided on the network by web server unit  10   a  of queue control server  10 , whereby the screen of the reservation site is displayed on user terminal  81 . The user registers in the turn-waiting queue of the Japanese Food group on the display screen of user terminal  81 . In queue control server  10 , queue manipulation unit  12  of store group  11  of the Japanese Food group registers the user of user terminal  81  in the group turn-waiting queue. When vacant seating information is supplied from store terminal  41  (store terminals  1 A- 1 C) that belongs to the Japanese Food group to store group control unit  13 , store group control unit  13  activates summary information notification unit  14  and reports the store summary information that contains vacant seating information to user terminal  81  that is next in order.  
      The example that is shown in  FIG. 6  is an example that is provided with only store group  11 , this being the Japanese Food group, but a plurality of store groups  11  is normally provided in queue control server  10  as shown in  FIG. 7 . In the example shown in  FIG. 7 , a Chinese group and an Italian group are provided in addition to the Japanese Food group, but the groups are not limited to these groups. Groups may be provided for different areas and for different types of food. Further, the Japanese Food group may be further divided into groups such as “no-smoking seating” and “chef&#39;s choice.” In this case, a plurality of turn-waiting queues may be provided in parallel for different conditions within the Japanese Food group.  
      Explanation next regards the second embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue object control system according to the second embodiment, and  FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 8 .  
      Queue object control system  2  according to the second embodiment differs from the above-described system of the first embodiment in that current state information relay unit  31  is provided in queue control server  10 . In the system of the first embodiment, store information is transmitted from each store terminal  41  to store group control unit  13  of store group  11  of queue control server  10  as shown in  FIG. 7 . In contrast, in queue object control system  2  of the second embodiment, all store information from each of store terminals  41  is collected in current state information relay unit  31  of queue control server  10  and then transmitted. Current state information condensed data updating unit  312  then updates the current state information condensed data of current state information condensed data storage unit  321  by means of the store information that has been accepted by store-specific current state information acceptance unit  311 , and the updated data are transmitted from current state information condensed data transmitter  313  to store current state information monitor unit  124  of store group  11  that corresponds to stores  40 . The configuration is otherwise equivalent to that of the system of the first embodiment. In  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , constructions that are the same as those of the system of the first embodiment are given the same reference numbers, and explanation regarding equivalent constructions is here omitted in the interest of avoiding redundant explanation.  
      Current state information relay unit  31  that is provided in queue control server  10  includes: store-specific current state information acceptance unit  311 , current state information condensed data updating unit  312 , and current state information condensed data transmitter  313  that are provided in data processor  102  and current state information condensed data storage unit  321  that is provided in storage unit  103 . Store current state information monitor units  124  are provided in each of the store group control units  13  of store groups  11   1 - 11   n . Store current state information monitor unit  124  both monitors the changes in the current state information of affiliated stores in current state information relay unit  31  and reports the monitoring results to queue manipulation unit  12  and summary information notification unit  14 .  
      Current state information control units  42  of store terminals  41  and store current state information monitor unit  124  and current state information relay unit  31  of queue control server  10  can be placed in a presence system having the architecture shown in RFC 2778 as a presentity that offers its own presence information, a watcher that watches this presence information, and an instant messaging and presence service that fetch presence information from the presentity and distribute this information to the watcher, respectively, and can be operated according to the architecture that is shown in RFC 2778. In this case, a request can be made such that notification is performed when a particular item of presence information changes, whereby the communication load can be reduced.  
      The following explanation regards the third embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue object control system according to the third embodiment, and  FIG. 11  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 10 .  FIG. 12  is a schematic explanatory view of the queue control server that is shown in  FIG. 11 .  
      In the systems according to the first and second embodiments, queue manipulation unit  12 , store group control unit  13 , and summary information notification unit  14  were provided for each store group  11 . In contrast, in the queue object control system according to the third embodiment, queue manipulation unit  12 , store group control unit  13 , and summary information notification unit  14  are provided in common for each store group  11 , and only group turn-waiting queue storage units  113   1 - 113   n  are provided in each of store groups  11   1 - 11   n . Store group control unit  13  may be current state information relay unit  31  of the second embodiment. The configuration is otherwise equivalent to that of the system of the first or second embodiment. In  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , constructions that are the same as those in the system of the first or second embodiment are given the same reference numbers. The operation of the queue object control system of the third embodiment is basically the same as the operation of the system of the first or second embodiment, and an explanation of the operation is therefore here omitted to avoid redundant explanation.  
      Although a Japanese Food group, a Chinese group, and an Italian group are shown in the example that is shown in  FIG. 12 , the groups are not limited to these categories. The groups may be provided according to area or food type. In addition, the Japanese Food group may be further divided into such groups as “chefs choice” and “no-smoking seating.” In such a case, a plurality of turn-waiting queues may be provided for different conditions within the Japanese Food group.  
      The following explanation regards the fourth embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  FIG. 13  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue object control system according to the fourth embodiment, and  FIG. 14  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system that is shown in  FIG. 13 .  FIG. 15  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the store group generation unit of the queue control server that is shown in  FIG. 14 , and  FIG. 16  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the user terminal that is shown in  FIG. 13 .  
      Queue object control system  4  of the fourth embodiment of the present invention enables the setting of new store groups that are users&#39; favorite groups and that conform to store conditions that are desired by the users. Queue control server  10  includes store group generation unit  51 , and user terminal  81  includes store desired condition report unit  86 .  
      In queue object control system  4 , store group generation unit  51  searches current state information of store terminals that correspond to desired conditions of stores that have been supplied from user terminal  81  and extracts stores that conform to the desired conditions. Store group generation unit  51  then generates a new store group that is a favorite group of the user and that relates to stores that conform to desired conditions. Queue object control system  4  differs from the above-described first embodiment in that store group generation unit  51  is provided in queue control server  10  and store desired condition report unit  86  is provided in user terminal  81 . In the configurations that are shown in FIGS.  13  to  16 , constructions that are the same as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numbers. Explanation regarding the operation of identical constructions is omitted in the interest of avoiding redundant explanation. Further, in this embodiment, constructions for generating new store groups (store group generation unit  51  and store desired condition report unit  86 ) have been added to the system of the first embodiment, but this configuration can also be similarly applied to the systems of the second and third embodiments.  
      Typically, store groups that relate to restaurants or cafés are frequently grouped in food categories such as “Japanese Food,” “sushi,” “Chinese,” and “Italian.” In addition, brand-name stores or fashion boutiques at which turn-waiting queues can be expected may also be grouped. However, the conditions that users desire of stores includes limited conditions that cannot be handled by such typical groupings. Limited conditions may include, for example, the desire for “no-smoking seating” or “four-person seating,” and the desire for child-care facilities. Using a store group that satisfies the condition “restaurants having no-smoking seating” eliminates the need for a user to check for no-smoking seating when entering a store.  
      A single store can belong to a plurality of store groups. For example, one store may belong to each of a store group in which no limited conditions are set regarding no-smoking seating or four-person seating, a store group having no-smoking seating, and a store group having four-person seating. In this case, the store terminal transmits the current state information corresponding to store groups to each store group. In this way, detailed conditions requested by a user can be accommodated.  
      The settings of a store group that satisfies the above-described limited conditions can also be generated according to the demands of stores, but making settings of store groups based on users&#39; desires enables the setting of store groups that are favorable to users.  
      User terminal  81  includes: store desired condition production unit  818  for producing desired conditions of stores based on information that is supplied from users, and store desired condition transmitter  819  for transmitting the desired conditions that have been produced to store group generation unit  51  of queue control server  10 . Store desired condition report unit  86  is made up from store desired condition production unit  181  and store desired condition transmitter  819 .  
      Storage unit  103  of store group generation unit  51  includes: desired condition storage unit  521  for accumulating and storing desired conditions of stores that have been transmitted from user terminal  81 , and new store group composition storage unit  522  for storing the composition of new store groups that have been generated.  
      Data processor  102  of store group generation unit  51  includes: desired condition acceptance unit  511  for accepting desired conditions of stores that are transmitted from user terminal  81 ; current state information search unit  512  for searching among the current state information of each store that has been accumulated for the information of stores that meet the desired conditions that have been accepted; relevant store selection unit  513  for selecting relevant stores based on the current state information that has been searched; new store group composition production unit  514  for producing the composition of a new store group; and new store group composition output unit  515  for supplying as output the new store group composition that has been produced according to prescribed procedures and building a new store group.  
      Store group generation unit  51  is composed of desired condition acceptance unit  511 , current state information search unit  512 , relevant store selection unit  513 , new store group composition production unit  514 , new store group composition output unit  515 , desired condition storage unit  521 , and new store group composition storage unit  522 .  
      The following explanation regards the operation of queue object control system  4  according to the fourth embodiment. The operation other than the generation of new store groups is equivalent to that of the systems of the first to third embodiments, and redundant explanation is therefore here omitted.  
      In store group generation unit  51 , when desired condition acceptance unit  511  accepts desired conditions of stores that have been transmitted from user terminal  81 , current state information search unit  512  searches among the current state information of each store that has been accumulated for the information of stores that meet the desired conditions that have been accepted. Relevant store selection unit  513  then selects relevant stores based on the current state information that has been searched, new store group composition production unit  514  produces the new store group composition that is composed of the stores that have been selected, and new store group composition output unit  515  supplies as output the composition of the new store group that has been produced. Based on the output from this new store group composition output unit  515 , a new store group is constructed in queue control server  10 .  
      The following explanation regards the fifth embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  
      In the systems of the first to third embodiments, the following operation is carried out in queue control server  10 : When reservation queue control unit  112  stores, in group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113 , the user information of a registrant that is to be selected next in accordance with store current state information according to prescribed rules and receives notification of the occurrence of vacant seating and conditions relating to this vacant seating from store current state information control unit  122 , reservation queue control unit  112  selects a registrant that corresponds to these conditions and notifies summary information production unit  131 . Summary information production unit  131  produces summary information that conforms to these conditions in accordance with the store information summarization rules and both transmits the store information summary that has been produced to the relevant user terminal  81  by way of summary information dispatch unit  132  and notifies reservation queue control unit  112 . Reservation queue control unit  112 , upon receiving notification from summary information production unit  131 , deletes the user information of the relevant registrant from the turn-waiting queue.  
      In contrast to the above-described operation, the queue object control system according to the fifth embodiment is configured so as to delete the user information of the registrant from the turn-waiting queue after confirming that user terminal  81  has received the summary information. The configuration is otherwise equivalent to that of the system of the first to third embodiments.  
       FIG. 17  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system of the fifth embodiment.  FIG. 18  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of a user terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system of the fifth embodiment. In  FIGS. 17 and 18 , constructions that are the same as those of the system of the first to third embodiments are given the same reference numbers. Explanation regarding constructions that are the same is here omitted in the interest of avoiding redundant explanation.  
      User terminal  81  includes reception confirmation information dispatch unit  815  for transmitting reception confirmation information to queue control server  10  when vacant seating information of the queue object in which queue registration has been performed is received as summary information in summary information acceptance unit  813  from queue control server  10 .  
      Queue control server  10  includes in summary information notification unit  14 : reception confirmation information acceptance unit  135  for accepting reception confirmation information from user terminal  81 , and timer/counter unit  136 . Timer/counter unit  136  counts the time that elapses from the transmission of summary information and the number of transmissions. Timer/counter unit  136  resets the count values upon receiving reception confirmation information from user terminal  81 , and reports to reservation queue control unit  112  that transmission of summary information to user terminal  81  has been successful (successful communication). When the reception confirmation information cannot be received from user terminal  81  within a prescribed amount of time, timer/counter unit  136  resets the count values and summary information notification unit  14  resends the summary information to user terminal  81 . Timer/counter unit  136  begins counting the time that elapses from the time of resending the summary information. This operation of resending summary information is repeated, and when the number of transmission attempts reaches a prescribed value, timer/counter unit  136  notifies reservation queue control unit  112  of the failure to transmit the summary information. Reservation queue control unit  112 , having received notification of the success or failure of communication, deletes the user information of the relevant registrant from the turn-waiting queue of group turn-waiting queue storage unit  113 .  
      According to the above-described operation, the communication of summary information to user terminal  81  (for example, the communication of the state of vacant seating) can be reliably performed, thereby providing a solution to the problem that registered users were made to wait needlessly. In addition, the problem of users not coming to stores due to the failure to notify users that vacant seating has become available can also be solved. As a result, the control of reservation queues can be more smoothly implemented.  
      The following explanation regards the sixth embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  
      Although queue control server  10  controlled the reservation registrants of the turn-waiting queues of each store in the systems according to the first to third embodiments, the queue object control system according to the sixth embodiment is configured such that queue reservation registrants relating to a particular store are also controlled by that store terminal. The configuration is otherwise equivalent to that of the system of the first embodiment. In this case, explanation regards a case of applying the configuration of the sixth embodiment to the system of the first embodiment. The configuration of the sixth embodiment can be applied to the systems of the first or second embodiment.  
      The queue object control system according to the sixth embodiment has four modes, and explanation first regards the first mode.  
      The configurations of each of the queue control server, store terminals, and user terminals that make up the queue object control system that is the first mode of the sixth embodiment are shown in  FIGS. 19, 20 , and  21 , respectively. In  FIGS. 19-21 , constructions that are the same as those in the system of the first embodiment are given the same reference numbers, and explanation of identical constructions is here omitted in the interest of avoiding redundant explanation.  
      User terminal  81  includes store current state information observation unit  85  that is composed of store current state information condensed data acceptance unit  816  and store current state information condensed data display unit  817 . Store current state information condensed data acceptance unit  816  accepts current state information condensed data that include vacant seating information of store terminal  41  by way of store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) for each store group of queue control server  10 . Store current state information condensed data display unit  817  displays on image display unit  806  the store current state information condensed data that have been accepted in store current state information condensed data acceptance unit  816 . By means of this store current state information observation unit  85 , a user is always able to directly observe on user terminal  81  the state of vacant seating of stores in which queue reservations have been made.  
      In addition, queue reservation object selection unit  815   a  is provided in queue registration unit of user terminal  81 . Queue reservation object selection unit  815   a  designates either queue control server  10  or store terminal  41  as the transmission destination of the queue reservation information that has been produced in queue reservation information production unit  811 . Queue reservation transmitter  812  transmits queue reservation information to a transmission destination that is designated by queue reservation object selection unit  815   a . When making a queue reservation directly to store terminal  41 , store terminal  41  is designated as the transmission destination by queue reservation object selection unit  815   a , and queue reservation transmitter  812  transmits the queue reservation information directly to store terminal  41 . In place of this direct transmission, queue reservation transmitter  812  may transmit the queue reservation information to store terminal  41  by way of store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group  11 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 19 , user information transmitter  115  is provided in queue manipulation unit  12  of queue control server  10 . When accepting reservations for use of one or more stores from user terminal  81 , queue manipulation unit  12  both registers the user information (including information that can specify the user that has made the reservation for use) of the registrant in the turn-waiting queue until the store is available for use, and transmits information in which an identifier of the relevant store group has been conferred to the user information that has been registered to each store terminal  41  by way of user information transmitter  115 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 20 , store terminal  41  includes queue manipulation unit  44  that is composed of: reservation request acceptance unit  415 , reservation queue controller  416 , registrant deletion request transmitter  417 , and turn-waiting queue storage unit  422 . Reservation request acceptance unit  415  is a part for accepting use reservations directly from user terminals  81 . Reservation queue controller  416  registers the user information to which the store group identifier has been attached that has been received from queue control server  10  and the user information that is acquired when accepting the use reservation directly from user terminals  81  in the turn-waiting queue of turn-waiting queue storage unit  422  and controls the turn-waiting queue until its own store can be used. Reservation queue controller  416  assigns use according to a prescribed procedure, and both deletes the user information of a user to whom vacant seating has been assigned and determines whether that user information is the user information to which the identifier of the store group has been attached. When the user information is the user information to which the identifier of the store group has been attached, reservation queue controller  416  transmits a request by way of registrant deletion request transmitter  417  to queue control server  10  to delete that user information.  
      The following explanation regards the operation of the queue object control system according to the first mode.  FIG. 22  is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the queue object control system of the first mode.  FIG. 22  shows the registrant turn-waiting queue in queue manipulation unit  12  of store group A (store group  11   1  of queue control server  10 ) and the registrant turn-waiting queue in queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41  that is established in store  1 .  
      As shown in  FIG. 20 , store terminal  41  includes queue manipulation unit  44  and current state information control unit  42 . Queue manipulation unit  44  includes reservation queue controller  416  and turn-waiting queue storage unit  422 . In  FIG. 22 , the turn-waiting queue of store  1  schematically shows the turn-waiting queue that is stored in turn-waiting queue storage unit  422 . Reservation queue controller  416  refers to the current state information and assigns vacant seating to registrants in the turn-waiting queue. In addition to this operation, reservation queue controller  416  determines the store groups to which the registrants belong based on the store group identifiers that are attached to the user information of the registrants in the turn-waiting queue.  
      As shown in  FIG. 21 , user terminal  81  includes store current state information observation unit  85  in addition to queue registration unit  83  and summary information processor  84 . Store current state information observation unit  85  enables observation of the current state information that includes vacant seating information of each store by way of store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of queue control server  10 . Store group control unit  13  of store group A of queue control server  10  directly monitors the current state information that includes the vacant seating information of store  1  (when applied to the second embodiment, store group control unit  13  monitors the current state information that includes the vacant seating information of store  1  by way of current state information relay unit  31 ).  
      In the queue object control system of the first mode, store terminal  41  of store  1  issues the current state information “no vacant seating” in the initial state. It is here assumed that no registrants are registered in either of the queues of store terminal  41  of store  1  and store group A of queue control server  10  and that the queues are all in a vacant state. Users X, Y, and Z each use different user terminals. In this case, the user terminals of users X, Y, and Z are  81 X,  81 Y, and  81 Z, respectively.  
      (6-1-1) User X uses user terminal  81 X to register in the queue of store group A of queue control server  10 . This queue registration is carried out through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 X.  
      (6-1-2) In queue control server  10 , queue manipulation unit  12  of store group A fetches the store lists that are currently being monitored from store group control unit  13  and transmits through user information transmitter  115  the user information of user X to which is attached the identifier of store group A to queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41  of the store that is the reservation object and requests addition to the queue.  
      (6-1-3) User Y uses user terminal  81 Y to realize directly queue registration to store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1 . This queue registration is carried out through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 Y.  
      (61-1-4) User Z uses user terminal  81 Z to carry out queue registration in store group A of queue control server  10 . This queue registration is realized through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 Z.  
      (6-1-5) In queue control server  10 , the same operation as the above-described (6-1-2) is carried out for user Z.  
      (6-1-6) Store  1  enters the “vacant seating” state.  
      (6-1-7) Queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41  of store  1  notifies store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10  that the store group to which the customer X at the head of the queue of turn-waiting queue storage unit  422  belongs is store group A.  
      (6-1-8) Store terminal  41  of store  1  transmits the current state information “vacant seating available” and “a user that belongs to the queue of store group A is at the head of the line of store  1 ” to store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10 .  
      (6-1-9) Store group A of queue control server  10  transmits the summary information “store  1 , vacant seating available” to user terminal  81 X of user X that is the registrant at the head of the queue. In addition, store terminal  41  and store group A of queue control server  10  delete the registration of user X from the turn-waiting queue. User terminal  81 X receives the summary information. User X, based on the summary information, enters store  1 .  
      (6-1-10) Since the registration of user X has been deleted from the turn-waiting queue, at this point in time, user Z takes the head of the queue of store group A of queue control server  10 .  
      (6-1-11) The queue of store terminal  41 - 1  has the order user Y and user Z starting from the head of the line.  
      (6-1-12) Store  1 , having reverted to the “no seating available” state, changes to the “vacant seating available” state.  
      (6-1-13) Queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41  of store  1  notifies store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10  that user Y at the head of the queue of turn-waiting queue storage unit  422  does not belong to any store group.  
      (6-1-14) Store terminal  41  of store  1  transmits to store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10  the current state information “vacant seating available” and “user Y that does not belong to the queue of a store group is at the head of the queue of store  1 .” 
      (6-1-15) Through store current state information observation unit  85  of user terminal  81 Y, user Y confirms the current state information that has been obtained through store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10 . Based on this current state information, user Y recognizes that he has obtained the right to enter store  1  for which he has registered in a queue.  
      The following explanation regards another example of the operation of the queue object control system of the first mode.  
       FIG. 23  is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the queue object control system of the first mode.  FIG. 23  shows the turn-waiting queue of registrants in queue manipulation unit  12  of store group A (store group  11   1  of queue control server  10 ), the turn-waiting queue of registrants in queue manipulation unit  12  of store group B (store group  11   2  of queue control server  10 ), the turn-waiting queue of registrants in queue manipulation unit  44  of the store terminal (hereinbelow noted as store terminal  41 - 1 ) that is established in store  1 , and the turn-waiting queue of registrants in queue manipulation unit  44  of the store terminal (hereinbelow noted as store terminal  41 - 2 ) that is established in store  2 .  
      Each of store terminals  41 - 1  and  41 - 2  includes queue manipulation unit  44  and current state information control unit  42 . Queue manipulation unit  44  includes reservation queue controller  416  and turn-waiting queue storage unit  422 . In  FIG. 23 , the turn-waiting queue of store  1  is a schematic representation of the turn-waiting queue that is stored in turn-waiting queue storage unit  422  of store terminal  41 - 1 , and the turn-waiting queue of store  2  is a schematic representation of the turn-waiting queue that is stored in turn-waiting queue storage unit  422  of store terminal  41 - 2 . Each of reservation queue controllers  416  of store terminals  41 - 1  and  41 - 2  refers to the current state information and then assigns vacant seating to the registrants of the turn-waiting queues, and further, determines the store groups to which the registrants belong based on the identifiers that are attached to the user information of the registrants of the turn-waiting queues.  
      User terminals  81  each include queue registration unit  83 , summary information processor  84 , and store current state information observation unit  85 . Each store current state information observation unit  85  enables the observation of the current state information that includes the vacant seating information of each store by way of store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31 ) of store group A of queue control server  10 .  
      Store  1  belongs to store group A, and store  2  belongs to both store group A and store group B. Store group control unit  13  of store group A monitors the current state information that includes the vacant seating information of store  1  and store  2 . Store group control unit  13  of store group B monitors the current state information that includes the vacant seating information of store  2 .  
      In the initial state, each of store terminals  41 - 1  and  41 - 2  transmits the current state information “no seating available” to queue control server  10 . It is here assumed that no registrants are registered in any of the queues of store terminals  41 - 1  and  41 - 2  and the queues of store group A and store group B of queue control server  10  and the queues are all vacant. Users X, X′, Y, Y′, and Z each use different user terminals. In this case, users X, X′, Y, Y′, and Z use user terminals  81 X,  81 X′,  81 Y,  81 Y′, and  81 Z, respectively.  
      (6-2-1)-User X′ uses user terminal  81 X′ to make a queue registration in store group B of queue control server  10 . This queue registration is realized through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 X′.  
      (6-2-2) Queue manipulation unit  12  of store group B of queue control server  10  fetches the lists of stores that are currently monitored from store group control unit  13 , transmits to queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 2  of store  2  the user information of user X′ to which is attached the identifier of store group B through user information transmitter  115 , and requests addition to the queue.  
      (6-2-3) User X uses user terminal  81 X to carry out queue registration in store group A of queue control server  10 . This queue registration is carried out through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 X.  
      (6-2-4) Queue manipulation unit  12  of store group A of queue control server  10  fetches the lists of stores that are currently monitored from store group control unit  13 , transmits the user information of user X to which the identifier of store group A has been attached through user information transmitter  115  to each queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  and store terminal  41 - 2  of store  2 , and requests addition to queues.  
      (6-2-5) User Y uses user terminal  81 Y to carry out direct queue registration to store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1 . This queue registration is realized through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 Y.  
      (6-2-6) User Z uses user terminal  81 Z to carry out queue registration to store group A of queue control server  10 . This queue registration is realized through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 Z.  
      (6-2-7) Queue manipulation unit  12  of store group A of queue control server  10  fetches the store lists that are currently monitored from store group control unit  13 , transmits through user information transmitter  115  the user information of user Z to which the identifier of store group A has been attached to each queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  and store terminal  41 - 2  of store  2 , and requests addition to the queues.  
      (6-2-8) User Y′ uses user terminal  81 Y′ to carry out queue registration to store group B of queue control server  10 . This queue registration is realized through queue registration unit  83  of user terminal  81 Y′.  
      (6-2-9) Queue manipulation unit  12  of store group B of queue control server  10  fetches the store lists that are currently monitored from store group control unit  13 , transmits through user information transmitter  115  the user information of user Y′ to which the identifier of store group B has been attached to queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 2  of store  2  and requests addition to the queue.  
      (6-2-10) At this point in time, the turn-waiting queue of store  1  has the order, starting from the head of the queue, of: user X who belongs to store group A, user Y who does not belong to any store group, and user Z who belongs to store group A. The turn-waiting queue of store  2  has the order, starting from the head of the queue, of: user X′ who belongs to store group B, user X who belongs to store group A, user Z who belongs to store group A, and user Y′ who belongs to store group B. The turn-waiting queue of store group A has the order, starting from the head of the queue, of: user X who belongs to store group A, and user Z who belongs to store group A. The turn-waiting queue of store group B has the order, starting from the head of the queue, of: user X′ who belongs to store group B, and user Y′ who belongs to store group B.  
      (6-2-11) Store  1  enters the state “vacant seating available.” 
      (6-2-12) Queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  notifies store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10  that the store group, to which belongs user X who is at the head of the queue of turn-waiting queue storage unit  422 , is store group A.  
      (6-2-13) Store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  transmits the current state information “vacant seating available” and “a user that belongs to the queue of store group A is at the head of the queue of store  1 ” to store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10 .  
      (6-2-14) Store group A of queue control server  10  transmits the summary information “store  1 , vacant seating available” to user terminal  81 X of user X that is the registrant at the head of the queue. In addition, store group A of queue control server  10 , store terminal  41 - 1 , and store terminal  41 - 2  delete the registration of user X from the turn-waiting queue. User terminal  81 X receives the summary information. User X, based on the summary information that has been received, enters store  1 .  
      (6-2-15) Since the registration of user X has been deleted from the turn-waiting queue, user Z is now at the head of the queue of store group A of queue control server  10 .  
      (6-2-16) The queue of store terminal  41 - 1  is now in the order, starting from the head of the queue, of: user Y who does not belong to any group, and user Z who belongs to store group A. The queue portion of store terminal  41 - 2  is now in the order, starting from the head of the queue, of: user X′ who belongs to store group B, user Z who belongs to store group A, and user Y′ who belongs to store group B.  
      (6-2-17) Store  1  enters the state “no seating available” and then changes to the state “vacant seating available.” 
      (6-2-18) Queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  notifies each store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A and store group B of queue control server  10  that user Y at the head of the queue portion of turn-waiting queue storage unit  422  does not belong to any store group.  
      (6-2-19) Store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  transmits the current state information “vacant seating available” and “user Y that does not belong to the queue of a store group is at the head of the queue of store  1 ” to each store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A and store group B of queue control server  10 .  
      (6-2-20) Through store current state information observation unit  85  of user terminal  81 Y, user Y obtains the current state information that has been obtained through each store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A and store group B of queue control server  10 . Based on this obtained current state information, user Y learns that he has obtained the right to enter registered store  1 .  
      The following explanation regards the second mode of the sixth embodiment. The second mode is similar to the first mode but differs on the following points: In the first mode, queue manipulation unit  12  of a store group, upon accepting a reservation request for stores of one or more locations from user terminal  81 , registers the user information of the registrant in the turn-waiting queues until the stores become available for use. Queue manipulation unit  12  then transmits, through user information transmitter  115  and to each of the store terminals  41 , information in which the identifier of its own store group is attached to the user information of the registrant. In the second mode, queue manipulation unit  12  transmits only the identifier of its own store group to each of store terminals  41  and does not transmit user information of the registrant. In the store terminals  41 , the reception of the identifier of the store group indicates that a registrant who has performed queue registration in the store group of queue control server  10  is in the turn-waiting queue.  
       FIG. 24  is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the queue object control system according to the second mode.  FIG. 24  shows: the turn-waiting queue of the registrants in queue manipulation unit  12  of store group A (store group  11   1  of queue control server  10 ); the turn-waiting queue of the registrants in queue manipulation unit  44  of the store terminal (hereinbelow noted as store terminal  41 - 1 ) that is established in store  1 ; and the turn-waiting queue of registrants in queue manipulation unit  44  of the store terminal (hereinbelow noted as store terminal  41 - 2 ) that is established in store  2 .  
      In the turn-waiting queue of store  1 , three users who do not belong to any store group follow the identifier of store group A. In the turn-waiting queue of store  2 , two users who do not belong to any store group are followed by the identifier of store group A, and after this identifier, by two users who do not belong to any store group. In the turn-waiting queue portion of store group A, the order is: user P who is queued in the turn-waiting queue portion of store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1 , and user Q who is queued in the turn-waiting queue of store terminal  41 - 2  of store  2 .  
      When vacant seating becomes available in store  1 , in which a user who carries only the identifier of a store group is at the head of the queue, queue manipulation unit  44  of store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  deduces the store group to which the user at the head of the queue belongs based on the identifier. Store terminal  41 - 1  of store  1  transmits to store group control unit  13  (current state information relay unit  31  when applied to the second embodiment) of store group A of queue control server  10  the current state information “vacant seating available” and “a user belonging to the queue portion of store group A is at the head of the queue portion of store  1 .” 
      Store group A of queue control server  10  transmits through summary information dispatch unit  132  the summary information “store  1 , vacant seating available” to user terminal  81  of user P that is the registrant located at the head of the queue portion. In addition, store group A deletes the registration of user P, and store terminal  41 - 1  deletes the identifier of store group A from the turn-waiting queue portion. User terminal  81  receives the summary information. User P, based on the summary information that has been received, enters store  1 .  
      The following explanation regards the third mode of the sixth embodiment.  
       FIG. 25  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue control server that makes up a part of the queue object control system according to the third mode. In the second mode, the order of the transfer of queue reservation registrants, for whom control was transferred from queue control server  10  to queue manipulation unit  44  of each store terminal  41 , was fixed in queue manipulation unit  44  of each store terminal  41 . In addition, the store groups of queue control server  10  reported to each store terminal  41  only identifiers that indicate store groups, and in each store terminal  41  the order was established by the identifiers. By increasing or decreasing the identifiers, the order alone can be secured in a separate frame from specific users. In the third mode, store groups of queue control server  10  are configured to allow addition and reduction in the order as separate frames.  
      Queue control server  10  of the queue object control system according to the third mode includes store queue addition rule storage unit  116  and store queue deletion rule storage unit  117  in queue manipulation unit  12 . Store queue addition rule storage unit  116  stores store queue addition rules, and store queue deletion rule storage unit  117  stores store queue deletion rules. Reservation queue control unit  112  is able to add or delete the identifiers in queue manipulation unit  44  of each store terminal  41  in accordance with these rules.  
      The store queue addition rules are rules for adding frames of users having only group information to each store. One example of a store queue addition rule is a rule for adding one identifier to each store, changing the number of identifiers added to each store according to the number of users in the queue of each store group, and changing the number of identifiers added according to the number of users of the queue of each store. The store queue deletion rules are rules for deleting from each store frames of users having only group information. One example of a store queue deletion rule is a rule for deleting frames of users having only group information that have been added to each store according to the number of users of the queue portion of a store group, and deleting frames of users having only group information that have been added to each store according to the number of users of the queue of each store. In this case, both store queue addition rule storage unit  116  and store queue deletion rule storage unit  117  have been provided, but a configuration is also possible in which only one of these storage units is provided.  
      The following explanation regards the fourth mode of the sixth embodiment.  
       FIG. 26  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the store terminal that makes up a part of the queue object control system according to the fourth mode. In the first to third modes, a user that made a direct reservation registration to store terminal  41  directly observed, through store current state information observation unit  85  of user terminal  81 , the occurrence of vacant seating of a store in which a reservation was registered. In the fourth mode, summary information that includes vacant seating information is further transmitted from store terminal  41  to user terminal  81 .  
      Store terminal  41  has a configuration in which summary information notification unit  45  is added to the configuration shown in  FIG. 20 . Summary information notification unit  45  has the same configuration as summary information notification unit  14  of queue control server  10  and performs the same operation. Summary information notification unit  45  includes in storage unit  403  store information summarization rule storage unit  423  for storing rules for producing summary information from store current state information according to objectives, and includes in data processor  402  summary information production unit  418  and summary information dispatch unit  419 . Summary information production unit  418  produces summary information according to objectives from store current state information in accordance with the rules that are stored in store information summarization rule storage unit  423 . Summary information dispatch unit  419  transmits summary information that has been produced in summary information production unit  418  to user terminal  81  according to objectives, and further, notifies reservation queue controller  416 .  
      In store terminal  41 , when vacant seating occurs and becomes available for use in its own store, queue manipulation unit  44  assigns the use of the store to a registrant of the turn-waiting queue based on prescribed use assignment. Summary information production unit  418  then produces summary information that indicates that vacant seating has occurred in the store and can be used, and summary information dispatch unit  419  then transmits this summary information that has been produced to summary information processor  84  of user terminal  81  of the registrant to which the vacant seating has been assigned. In user terminal  81 , store current state information observation unit  85  not only fetches the vacant seating information of the store, but also directly receives the notification as summary information, whereby the vacant seating information can be rapidly and reliably provided to the user.  
      The following explanation regards the seventh embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying figures.  FIG. 27  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue object control system according to the seventh embodiment.  FIG. 28  is a block diagram showing a schematic view of the configuration of the queue control server shown in  FIG. 27 .  
      Queue control server  10  of queue object control system  7  of the seventh embodiment is provided with charge information accumulation unit  61 . Queue object control system  7  is configured such that charges for using the system are paid from the store to the operator of the store group in accordance with charge rules for charging users that have become the registrants of a reservation queue according to the use of a store. Other than the provision of charge information accumulation unit  61  in queue control server  10 , queue object control system  7  has the same configuration as the system of the first embodiment. In  FIG. 27  and  FIG. 28 , constructions that are the same as constructions in the first embodiment are given the same reference numbers, and explanation regarding constructions that are the same is here omitted in the interest of avoiding redundant explanation. The configuration of this charge information accumulation unit  61  can also be applied to the systems of the second to sixth embodiments.  
      Charge information accumulation unit  61  includes: charge rule storage unit  621  and store-specific charge totalization storage unit  622  in storage unit  103 , and includes time-of-use store charge calculation unit  611 , store-specific charge information production unit  612 , and charge information output unit  613  in data processor  102 .  
      Predetermined charge rules are stored in charge rule storage unit  621 . Store-specific charge totalization data that are produced and updated by store-specific charge information production unit  612  are stored in store-specific charge totalization storage unit  622 . Time-of-use store charge calculation unit  611 , upon receiving from reservation queue control unit  112  information that includes a store identifier and that indicates that a reservation queue registrant has been introduced to a store and the registrant deleted, calculates the charge amount for that store in accordance with charge rules that are stored in charge rule storage unit  621 . Store-specific charge information production unit  612  updates the store-specific charge totalization data that are stored in store-specific charge totalization storage unit  622  by means of the charge amount that has been calculated by time-of-use store charge calculation unit  611 . Charge information output unit  613  supplies the store-specific charge totalization data as output according to prescribed rules.  
      Time-of-use store charge calculation unit  611  may calculate charges by means of assignment information through store identifiers from summary information production unit  131 . The store-specific charge totalization data are usually transmitted to the terminal (not shown) of the operator of queue object control system  7 .  
      The provision of charge rules enables the operator of queue object control system  7  to perform the control of store groups  11  as a business for intermediating customers and services. The charge rules are normally set by the operator of the queue object control system  7 .  
      In addition, the operator of the customer intermediary service can also set higher charges for specific stores. In this case, charge rules that include information regarding stores for which higher charges have been set are stored in charge rule storage unit  621 . Thus, when there is a plurality of stores with vacant seating, operation can be carried out in which summary information production unit  131  refers to the charge rules that have been stored in charge rule storage unit  621 , preferentially selects stores that pay higher charges, and produces corresponding summary information. Reservation queue control unit  112  then preferentially introduces these stores.  
      The following explanation regards the operation of queue object control system  7 . Other than the charge operations, the operation of this embodiment is the same as that of the first to sixth embodiments, and this explanation is therefore here omitted. In queue control server  10 , time-of-use store charge calculation unit  611  of charge information accumulation unit  61  receives information from reservation queue control unit  112  indicating that a reservation queue registrant has been introduced to a store and deleted, whereupon time-of-use store charge calculation unit  611  calculates the amount of charges for that store in accordance with charge rules for a prescribed store that are stored in charge rule storage unit  621 . Store-specific charge information production unit  612  next updates the store-specific charge totalization data that are stored in store-specific charge totalization storage unit  622  based on the charge amount that has been calculated by time-of-use charge calculation unit  611 . Charge information output unit  613  then transmits the store-specific charge totalization data that have been stored in store-specific charge totalization storage unit  622  to the terminal of the operator of queue object control system  7  according to a prescribed procedure.  
      While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.