JP2024099736A - Program and code output method - Google Patents

Abstract

Conventionally, when a code is displayed on various terminal devices with various screen sizes, it has not been easy to read the code displayed on the screen.
[Solution] A terminal device having a receiving unit that receives identification information that identifies information, an acquisition unit that acquires size information relating to one or more of the following: the screen size and screen resolution of the terminal device, a generation unit that generates a code from which the identification information can be read based on the size information, and an output unit that outputs the code generated by the generation unit, can display a clear code that makes effective use of the screen of the terminal device, making it easier to read the code displayed on the screen.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a terminal device that generates and outputs codes.

Conventionally, there have been apps that provide digital membership cards for use on mobile devices such as smartphones. These digital membership cards display a barcode with embedded membership information on the screen. These barcodes are stored in a library and therefore have a fixed size. On the other hand, mobile devices have different screen sizes. Therefore, in conventional technology, the barcode is enlarged or displayed according to the screen size (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). There have also been apps that display the accepted code at its original size without taking the screen size into consideration.

"T-POINT/T-CARD", [online], [searched on September 23, 2015], Internet [URL: http://tsite.jp/r/mb-tcard/tsutaya/web/index.html]

However, when the barcode is enlarged or reduced to fit the screen size, the jagged edges become prominent, the image becomes blurred, and the code is displayed unnaturally. In addition, when the accepted code is displayed as is, the code cannot be displayed in a way that makes effective use of the terminal device screen.

As a result, in conventional technology, it was not easy to read the displayed barcode. Generally, digital membership cards are presented in front of the cash register, and therefore both the digital membership card member and the store require quick point processing (membership confirmation, point allocation, point consumption, etc.); however, if the barcode is not easy to read, quick point processing is not possible, which is a problem. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a digital membership card that displays a barcode that is easier to read than conventional technology, enabling quick point processing.

The terminal device of the first invention is a terminal device that includes a receiving unit that receives identification information that identifies information, an acquisition unit that acquires size information related to one or more pieces of information among the screen size and the screen resolution of the terminal device, a generating unit that generates a code from which the identification information can be read according to the size information, and an output unit that outputs the code generated by the generating unit.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, making it easier to read the codes displayed on the screen.

The terminal device of the second invention is a terminal device according to the first invention, in which the generation unit includes an acquisition means for acquiring code size information relating to the size of the code corresponding to the size information, and a generation means for generating code according to the code size information acquired by the acquisition means.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, making it easier to read the codes displayed on the screen.

The terminal device of the third invention is a terminal device according to the first or second invention, in which the output unit includes a determination means for determining the output direction of the code according to the size information, and an output means for outputting the code according to the output direction.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, making it easier to read the codes displayed on the screen.

The terminal device of the fourth invention is different from the terminal device of the third invention in that the determining means determines whether the output direction of the code is vertical or horizontal.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, making it easier to read the codes displayed on the screen.

The terminal device of the fifth invention is a terminal device according to any one of the first to third inventions, further comprising an other information output unit that outputs other information, which is information other than the code, to a second area, which is an area within the screen of the terminal device.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, and allows the remaining area to be used to display information other than codes, making the displayed codes easier to read and allowing for effective use of the screen.

The terminal device of the sixth invention is a terminal device according to the fifth invention, in which the other information output unit enlarges or reduces the other information before outputting it.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, and also makes it possible to display information other than codes, making it easier to read the displayed codes and enabling extremely effective use of the screen.

The terminal device of the seventh aspect of the invention is a terminal device according to the fifth or sixth aspect of the invention, in which the other information output unit outputs different information depending on the attributes of the second region.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, and also makes it possible to display information other than codes, making it easier to read the displayed codes and enabling extremely effective use of the screen.

The terminal device of the eighth invention is a terminal device according to the fifth or sixth invention, in which the other information output unit outputs information other than the code in a different display mode depending on the attribute of the second region.

This configuration makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, and also makes it possible to display information other than codes, making it easier to read the displayed codes and enabling extremely effective use of the screen.

The terminal device of the present invention provides a digital membership card that displays an easily readable barcode, enabling quick point processing.

Conceptual diagram of information system 1 according to the first embodiment Block diagram of information system 1 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the terminal device 12. Size information management table Size information management table Member information management table A diagram showing an example of how the code is displayed A diagram showing an image of a membership card A diagram showing an example of how the code is displayed Advertisement information management table A diagram showing an example of how codes are displayed Overview of the computer system Block diagram of the computer system

Embodiments of a terminal device and the like will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that components with the same reference numerals in the embodiments perform similar operations, and therefore may not be described again.

(Embodiment 1)

In this embodiment, we will explain an information system that includes a terminal device that accepts identification information, acquires a screen size, generates a code of a size corresponding to the screen size, and outputs the code.

In this embodiment, an information system including a terminal device that determines the display direction (vertical or horizontal) according to the screen size and outputs a code in that direction will be described. Note that the display direction according to the screen size also includes the display direction according to the shape of the screen.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, an information system including a terminal device that controls the display of information other than the code in an area other than the code display area is described.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an information system 1 in this embodiment. The information system 1 includes a server device 11 and one or more terminal devices 12. The server device 11 is, for example, a server that stores information to be displayed on the terminal device 12. The server device 11 may be any type, such as a so-called cloud server. The terminal device 12 may be, for example, a so-called smartphone, tablet terminal, personal computer, etc., and may be any type.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the information system 1 in this embodiment.

The server device 11 includes a server storage unit 111, a server receiving unit 112, a server processing unit 113, and a server transmitting unit 114.

The terminal device 12 includes a storage unit 121, a reception unit 122, a transmission unit 123, a reception unit 124, an acquisition unit 125, a generation unit 126, an output unit 127, and an other information output unit 128.

The generation unit 126 includes an acquisition means 1261 and a generation means 1262.

The output unit 127 includes a determination means 1271 and an output means 1272.

The server storage unit 111 constituting the server device 11 may store various types of information. The various types of information include, for example, identification information and other information described below. The server storage unit 111 may store, for example, one or more pieces of user information. The user information is information about a user, and includes, for example, identification information, the user's name, a password, etc.

The server receiving unit 112 receives various information and instructions from the terminal device 12. The various information and instructions are, for example, a user ID, identification information, a password, an instruction to send identification information, an instruction to permit display of the membership card, etc. An instruction to send identification information is an instruction to send identification information. An instruction to permit display of the membership card is an instruction requesting permission to display the membership card on the terminal device 12, and includes, for example, a user ID. An instruction to permit display of the membership card may be considered to be a type of instruction to send identification information.

The server processing unit 113 performs various types of processing. For example, various types of processing are processing to obtain identification information from the server storage unit 111 in response to an instruction to permit display of the membership card. For example, various types of processing are processing to obtain identification information from the server storage unit 111 in response to an instruction to transmit the identification information.

The server transmission unit 114 transmits various information to the terminal device 12. The various information is, for example, identification information acquired by the server processing unit 113.

The storage unit 121 constituting the terminal device 12 may store various types of information. The various types of information are, for example, size information. The size information is, for example, the screen size or screen resolution of the terminal device. The size information may be information having the screen size and screen resolution of the terminal device. In addition, the various types of information are, for example, a correspondence table of size information, code size information, and output direction. Details of the correspondence table will be described later. The code size information is information about the size of the code. The code size information is, for example, the number of pixels of the thick lines and the number of pixels of the thin lines constituting the barcode. The code size information is, for example, the vertical length and horizontal length of the code.

The reception unit 122 receives identification information that identifies information. Any identification information can be used as long as it identifies information. Examples of identification information include a user identifier that identifies a user, a product identifier that identifies a product, and a URL. Examples of user identifiers include a membership number and a user ID. Examples of identification information include a numeric string, a character string, and the like, and the type of information does not matter. In addition, reception here usually refers to reception from the server device 11. However, reception is a concept that includes reception of information input from an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel, transfer from other processing units, and reception of information read from recording media such as optical disks, magnetic disks, and semiconductor memories.

The transmission unit 123 transmits various instructions, information, etc. to the server device 11. The various instructions, information, etc. are, for example, an instruction to transmit identification information.

The receiving unit 124 receives other information, which is information other than the identification information. The receiving unit 124 typically receives one or more pieces of other information from the server device 11. The other information is, for example, advertising information, news information indicating news, information for constituting a digital membership card, etc. The other information is, for example, a still image, a video, a character string, information combining these, etc., and the data type does not matter. The other information is, for example, assigned one or more attribute values. The one or more attribute values are, for example, size information, shape information, etc. Note that the information for constituting a digital membership card is typically an image, but the data structure may be any, such as XML, HTML, etc.

The acquisition unit 125 acquires size information of the terminal device 12. The acquisition unit 125 usually reads out the size information from the storage unit 121. The size information is, for example, the number of inches of the screen, the vertical and horizontal sizes of the screen, the screen resolution, a terminal device identifier that identifies the terminal device 12 (for example, the product number of the terminal device 12, etc.). The size information may also be information that is the source of acquiring information about the screen size (for example, the terminal device identifier, etc.). The technology for acquiring size information is publicly known technology. For example, a function for acquiring size information is provided by the OS as a library.

The generating unit 126 generates a code according to the size information. The code according to the size information is a code of a size corresponding to the size information. That is, the generating unit 126 generates a code according to the code size information corresponding to the size information. For example, the generating unit 126 uses the screen resolution and the actual size of the screen (for example, the vertical size and horizontal size of the screen) to determine the number of pixels of the thick lines and the number of pixels of the thin lines of the barcode, and generates an image of a barcode having thick lines and thin lines corresponding to the number of pixels and having identification information embedded therein. Note that this code is a code from which identification information can be read. The generating unit 126 usually generates an image of a code. It can be said that this image of the code is an image in which identification information is embedded. It can also be said that this image of the code is an image having a size corresponding to the size information, for example. It can also be said that the code here is usually a barcode, but may be another code such as a QR code. It is sufficient that the identification information of the code can be read by a code reader such as a barcode reader. Furthermore, the technology of generating a code by providing identification information and size information is a publicly known technology.

The acquisition means 1261 acquires code size information corresponding to the size information using the size information. For example, the acquisition means 1261 uses the size information to determine the number of pixels of the thick lines and the number of pixels of the thin lines of the barcode. In this case, the number of pixels of the thick lines and the number of pixels of the thin lines are the code size information. The size acquired by the acquisition means 1261 has, for example, the vertical length and the horizontal length of the code. However, the size may be either the vertical length or the horizontal length. For example, the acquisition means 1261 refers to a correspondence table between size information and code size information to acquire code size information corresponding to the size information. In addition, the acquisition means 1261 may acquire code size information by substituting the acquired size information into an arithmetic expression having size information (for example, resolution and actual size of the screen) as a parameter and executing the arithmetic expression. In this case, the correspondence table between size information and code size information and the arithmetic expression are stored in the storage unit 121.

The generating means 1262 generates a code according to the code size information acquired by the acquiring means 1261. This code is a code from which the identification information accepted by the accepting unit 122 can be read.

The output unit 127 outputs the code generated by the generation unit 126. Output usually means displaying it on the screen. The area where the code is output may be called the first area. The first area may be a predetermined position on the screen, or may be dynamically determined according to size information. The first area may be a part of an area of other information, such as a membership card.

The determining means 1271 determines the output direction of the code according to the size information. The determining means 1271 determines, for example, the output direction according to the size information, either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. The determining means 1271 may determine, for example, a diagonal direction (the diagonal direction of the screen) as the output direction according to the size information. Here, the output direction is the direction in which the code is output relative to the screen. The output direction is, for example, "vertical", "horizontal", or "diagonal".

The output means 1272 outputs the code according to the output direction determined by the determination means 1271. Output here usually means display on a screen.

The other information output unit 128 outputs other information, which is information other than the code, to a second area, which is an area within the screen of the terminal device 12. It is preferable that the second area is an area other than the area where the output unit 127 outputs the code, but the second area may overlap with the first area where the code is output, or may be included in the first area. The other information that is output is usually other information received by the receiving unit 124.

The other information output unit 128 outputs different information depending on the attributes of the second region. The other information output unit 128 typically selects information that matches the attributes of the second region and outputs it to the second region. The attributes of the second region here include, for example, size, shape (square, rectangle, vertical, horizontal, etc.), number of regions, etc.

When outputting information other than the code, the other information output unit 128 outputs the information in a different display mode depending on the attribute of the second region. Here, the other information output unit 128 normally outputs the information other than the code in a display mode corresponding to the attribute of the second region. Here, different display modes include, for example, different sizes, different orientations, different background colors, etc.

It is preferable that the other information output unit 128 enlarges or reduces the other information before outputting it. It is preferable that the other information output unit 128 enlarges or reduces the other information before outputting it so that it fits the screen size indicated by the size information. In other words, the other information output unit 128 may enlarge or reduce the other information before outputting it so that it fits the screen size indicated by the size information, and the output means 1272 may output the generated code. After being output, the code is read by a code reader, but the other information is usually only viewed by a person. Therefore, it is considered that it is not a big problem if the other information is slightly blurred, etc.

Furthermore, the other information output unit 128 may, for example, output an image of the membership card, and the output means 1272 may output the code as part of the image of the membership card (on top of the image of the membership card).Furthermore, the other information output unit 128 may, for example, output an enlarged or reduced image of the membership card, and the output means 1272 may output the generated code as part of the image of the membership card (on top of the image of the membership card).

The server storage unit 111 and the storage unit 121 are preferably non-volatile recording media, but can also be realized using volatile recording media.

The process by which information is stored in the server storage unit 111, etc. is not important. For example, information may be stored in the server storage unit 111, etc. via a recording medium, information transmitted via a communication line, etc. may be stored in the server storage unit 111, etc., or information inputted via an input device may be stored in the server storage unit 111, etc.

The server receiving unit 112, the acceptance unit 122, and the receiving unit 124 are typically implemented using wireless or wired communication means, but may also be implemented using means for receiving broadcasts.

The server processing unit 113, acquisition unit 125, generation unit 126, acquisition means 1261, generation means 1262, and decision means 1271 can usually be realized by an MPU, memory, etc. The processing procedures of the server processing unit 113, etc. are usually realized by software, and the software is recorded in a recording medium such as a ROM. However, they may also be realized by hardware (dedicated circuitry).

The server transmission unit 114 and the transmission unit 123 are typically implemented using wireless or wired communication means, but may also be implemented using broadcasting means.

The output unit 127, the output means 1272, and the other information output unit 128 may or may not include an output device such as a display. The output unit 127, etc. may be realized by driver software for an output device, or by a combination of driver software for an output device and an output device, etc.

Next, the operation of the information system 1 will be described. First, an example of the operation of the server device 11 will be described.

The server receiving unit 112 of the server device 11 receives an instruction to transmit identification information from the terminal device 12. Next, the server processing unit 113 acquires identification information corresponding to the instruction to transmit identification information from the server storage unit 111. Then, the server transmitting unit 114 transmits the identification information acquired by the server processing unit 113 to the terminal device 12. Note that the server transmitting unit 114 may also transmit other information stored in the server storage unit 111 to the terminal device 12.

Next, an example of the operation of the terminal device 12 will be described using the flowchart in Figure 3.

(Step S301) The terminal device 12 determines whether or not an instruction to transmit identification information has been accepted. If an instruction to transmit identification information has been accepted, the process proceeds to step S302. If an instruction to transmit identification information has not been accepted, the process returns to step S301.

(Step S302) The transmission unit 123 transmits an instruction to transmit the identification information to the server device 11.

(Step S303) The reception unit 122 determines whether or not identification information has been received from the server device 11. If identification information has been received, the process proceeds to step S304; if identification information has not been received, the process returns to step S303.

(Step S304) The receiving unit 124 determines whether other information has been received from the server device 11. If other information has been received, the process proceeds to step S306; if not, the process proceeds to step S305.

(Step S305) The receiving unit 124 determines whether or not a timeout has occurred. If a timeout has occurred, the process proceeds to step S306. If not, the process returns to step S304.

(Step S306) The acquisition unit 125 reads the size information from the storage unit 121.

(Step S307) The acquisition means 1261 acquires code size information corresponding to the size information read in step S306.

(Step S308) The generating means 1262 generates a code that corresponds to the code size information determined in step S307 and that has the identification information received in step S303 embedded therein.

(Step S309) The determination means 1271 determines the output direction according to the size information or code size information, and determines whether the output direction is vertical or horizontal.

(Step S310) The output means 1272 displays the code generated in step S308 on the screen according to the output direction determined in step S309.

(Step S311) The other information output unit 128 determines whether or not a second area in which other information should be displayed exists on the screen of the terminal device 12. If a second area exists, the process proceeds to step S312, and if a second area does not exist, the process returns to step S301.

(Step S312) The other information output unit 128 determines whether other information has been received. If other information is present, the process proceeds to step S313; if other information is not present, the process returns to step S301.

(Step S313) The other information output unit 128 outputs the received other information. Return to step S301. Note that it is preferable that the other information output unit 128 outputs the received one or more pieces of other information to one or more second areas according to the attributes of the second areas. It is also preferable that the other information output unit 128 outputs the received one or more pieces of other information to one or more second areas in a display mode according to the attributes of the second areas.

In the flowchart in Figure 3, processing ends when the power is turned off or an interrupt occurs to end processing.

The specific operation of the information system 1 in this embodiment will be described below. A conceptual diagram of the information system 1 is shown in FIG. 1. In the following specific examples, the code is a barcode. Furthermore, five specific examples will be described below.

Specific example 1 is a case where the size of the barcode is determined from the size information by referring to a size information management table. Specific example 2 is a case where all or part of the size information is substituted into an arithmetic formula to determine the size of the barcode. Specific example 3 is a case where other information is also output, and the other information is information that constitutes a membership card. Specific example 4 is an example where only a barcode is displayed on a watch-type terminal with a small screen size. In other words, in specific example 4, the other information cannot be displayed due to the small screen size. Specific example 5 is a case where two or more pieces of other information are also output, and one piece of other information is information that constitutes a membership card, and the other pieces of other information are advertising information.
(Specific Example 1)

Now, the storage unit 121 holds the size information management table shown in FIG. 4. The size information management table is a correspondence table between size information, barcode code size information, and output direction. The size information management table also stores one or more records each having an "ID", "size information", "code size information", and "output direction". The "ID" is information for identifying a record. The "size information" has a "screen size" and a "resolution". The " _w1 x _h1 " in the "screen size" indicates a screen size of width " _w1 " and height " _h1 ". The " _x1 x _y1 " in the "resolution" indicates a resolution of " _x1 x _y1 ". The "code size information" also has a "thick line pixel count" and a "thin line pixel count". The "thick line pixel count" indicates the pixel count of the thick line of the barcode, and the "thin line pixel count" indicates the pixel count of the thin line of the barcode. The "horizontal" in the "output direction" indicates that the barcode is output horizontally, and the "vertical" indicates that the barcode is output vertically.

The size information management table may be the table shown in Fig. 5. In this case, " _w1 x _h1 " in "size information" indicates that the screen size is width " _w1 " and height " _h1 ". " _a1 x _b1 " in "code size information" indicates that the barcode width is " _a1 " and the barcode height is " _b1 ". "Horizontal" in "output direction" indicates that the barcode is output horizontally, and "vertical" indicates that the barcode is output vertically.

It is also assumed that the server storage unit 111 of the server device 11 stores the member information management table shown in FIG. 6. The member information management table is a table for managing member information. The member information management table stores one or more records each having an "ID", "user ID", "password", and "identification information". An "ID" is information for identifying a record. A "user ID" is information for identifying a user, and is used during login authentication to the server device 11. A "password" is used together with a "user ID" during login authentication. Here, it is assumed that the "identification information" is a member number.

In this situation, assume that user A inputs an instruction to transmit identification information having the user ID "1234" and the password "abcd" into his/her smartphone. Next, the transmission unit 123 transmits the instruction to transmit the identification information to the server device 11. Note that a smartphone is a type of terminal device 12.

Next, the server receiving unit 112 of the server device 11 receives an instruction to send the identification information from the terminal device 12. Next, the server processing unit 113 obtains the identification information "12345670" that pairs with the user ID "1234" and password "abcd" contained in the instruction to send the identification information from the member information management table (Figure 6). Then, the server transmitting unit 114 transmits the identification information obtained by the server processing unit 113 to the terminal device 12.

Next, the reception unit 122 of the terminal device 12 receives the identification information "12345670" from the server device 11. The reception unit 124 determines that no other information has been received from the server device 11.

Next, the acquisition unit 125 reads out the screen size “w ₂ ×h ₂ ” and the resolution “x ₂ ×y ₂ ” from the storage unit 121 .

Next, the acquiring unit 1261 acquires the code size information "a ₂ , b ₂ " corresponding to the screen size "w ₂ ×h ₂ " and the resolution "x ₂ ×y ₂ " from the size information management table (FIG. 4).

Next, the generating means 1262 generates a barcode corresponding to the code size information " _a2 , _b2 " acquired by the acquiring means 1261, and having the identification information "12345670" embedded therein. Note that the barcode corresponding to the code size information " _a2 , _b2 " is a barcode with a thick line pixel count of " _a2 " and a thin line pixel count of " _b2 ". Note that the processing performed by the generating means 1262 is well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the determination means 1271 obtains the output direction "vertical" contained in the record with ID "2" that corresponds to the obtained size information from the size information management table (Figure 4).

Next, the output means 1272 displays the generated barcode on the screen in accordance with the output direction "vertical." An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 7.

The other information output unit 128 determines that a second area exists on the screen of the terminal device 12. This is because there is an empty area on the screen. The other information output unit 128 also determines that no other information has been received. This is because no other information has been received. Thus, no other information is displayed on the screen.
(Specific Example 2)

Now, let us say that the storage unit 121 stores the formulas "a = f(w,h,x,y)" and "b = g(w,h,x,y)" that determine the number of pixels of the thick lines (a) and the number of pixels of the thin lines (b) of the barcode. Furthermore, "f" and "g" are functions with w (screen width), h (screen height), and resolution (x x y) as parameters. However, "f" and "g" may also be functions with one to three of w, h, x, and y as parameters.

The server storage unit 111 of the server device 11 stores the member information management table shown in FIG. 6.

In this situation, assume that user A inputs an instruction to transmit identification information having the user ID "1234" and the password "abcd" into his/her smartphone. Next, the transmitting unit 123 transmits the instruction to transmit the identification information to the server device 11.

Next, the server receiving unit 112 of the server device 11 receives an instruction to send the identification information from the terminal device 12. Next, the server processing unit 113 obtains the identification information "12345670" that pairs with the user ID "1234" and password "abcd" contained in the instruction to send the identification information from the member information management table (Figure 6). Then, the server transmitting unit 114 transmits the identification information obtained by the server processing unit 113 to the terminal device 12.

Next, the reception unit 122 of the terminal device 12 receives the identification information "12345670" from the server device 11. The reception unit 124 determines that no other information has been received from the server device 11.

Next, the acquiring unit 125 reads the size information “w ₂ ×h ₂ ” and “x ₂ ×y ₂ ” from the storage unit 121 .

Next, it is assumed that the acquisition unit 1261 executes "f( _w2 , h2 _{, x2} , _y2 )" to obtain " _a2 ". It is also assumed that the acquisition unit 1261 executes "g( _w2 , h2 _{, x2} , _y2 )" to obtain " _b2 ".

Next, the generating unit 1262 generates a barcode that corresponds to the code size information "a _{2 ,} b ₂ " acquired by the acquiring unit 1261 and has the identification information "12345670" embedded therein.

Next, the determination means 1271 determines the output direction to be "vertical" based on the size information and the size of the barcode. This is because the entire area of the barcode would not be displayed in landscape mode.

Next, the output means 1272 displays the generated barcode on the screen in accordance with the output direction "vertical." An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 7.

The other information output unit 128 determines that the second area exists within the screen of the terminal device 12. The other information output unit 128 also determines that the received other information does not exist. Then, the other information is not displayed on the screen.
(Specific Example 3)

Now, let us assume that the server storage unit 111 of the server device 11 stores an image of the membership card shown in FIG. 8. Also, the storage unit 121 of the terminal device 12 holds the size information management table shown in FIG. 4.

In this situation, assume that user A inputs an instruction to transmit a membership card having user ID "1234" and password "abcd" into his/her smartphone. Next, the transmission unit 123 transmits the instruction to transmit the membership card to the server device 11.

Next, the server receiving unit 112 of the server device 11 receives an instruction to send the membership card from the terminal device 12. Next, the server processing unit 113 obtains the identification information "12345670" that pairs with the user ID "1234" and password "abcd" contained in the instruction to send the membership card from the member information management table (Figure 6). The server transmitting unit 114 then transmits the identification information "12345670" obtained by the server processing unit 113 to the terminal device 12. Furthermore, the server transmitting unit 114 transmits an image of the membership card in Figure 8 to the terminal device 12.

Next, the reception unit 122 of the terminal device 12 receives the identification information "12345670" from the server device 11. In addition, the reception unit 124 receives an image of the membership card in FIG. 8 (a type of other information) from the server device 11.

Next, the acquiring unit 125 reads the size information “w ₂ ×h ₂ ” and “x ₂ ×y ₂ ” from the storage unit 121 .

Next, the obtaining unit 1261 obtains the code size information "a ₂ , b ₂ " corresponding to the size information "w ₂ ×h ₂ " and "x ₂ ×y ₂ " from the size information management table (FIG. 4).

Next, the generating means 1262 generates a barcode that corresponds to the code size information "a _{2 ,} b ₂ " acquired by the acquiring means 1261 and has the identification information "12345670" embedded therein.

Next, the determination means 1271 obtains the output direction "vertical" corresponding to the obtained size information from the size information management table (Figure 4).

Next, the output means 1272 displays the generated barcode on the screen according to the output direction "vertical".

Further, the other information output unit 128 uses the size information " _w2 x _h2 " and " _x2 x _y2 " to enlarge the image of the membership card in Fig. 8 received so that it is displayed across the entire screen of the terminal device 12. The other information output unit 128 then displays the enlarged image of the membership card vertically across the entire screen of the terminal device 12. It is to be noted that the other information output unit 128 outputs the image of the membership card so that the image of the membership card becomes the background of the barcode. An example of such output is shown in Fig. 8.

In this specific example, after displaying the enlarged image of the membership card, the barcode may be displayed at a predetermined position on the membership card. The other information output unit 128 may also combine the enlarged image of the membership card with the barcode to form a single image and output the single image. In other words, the display order and display algorithm of the other information and the code are not important.
(Specific Example 4)

Now, let us assume that the server storage unit 111 of the server device 11 stores an image of the membership card shown in FIG. 8. Also, the storage unit 121 of the terminal device 12 holds the size information management table shown in FIG. 4.

Let us say that user A inputs an instruction to send a membership card with user ID "1234" and password "abcd" into his/her smartwatch (watch-type terminal). Next, the transmission unit 123 sends the instruction to send the membership card to the server device 11. Note that the smartwatch (watch-type terminal) is an example of the terminal device 12.

Next, the server receiving unit 112 of the server device 11 receives an instruction to send the membership card from the terminal device 12. Next, the server processing unit 113 obtains the identification information "12345670" that pairs with the user ID "1234" and password "abcd" contained in the instruction to send the membership card from the member information management table (Figure 6). The server transmitting unit 114 then transmits the identification information "12345670" obtained by the server processing unit 113 to the terminal device 12. Furthermore, the server transmitting unit 114 transmits an image of the membership card in Figure 8 to the terminal device 12.

Next, the reception unit 122 of the terminal device 12 receives the identification information "12345670" from the server device 11. In addition, the reception unit 124 receives the image of the membership card in FIG. 8 from the server device 11.

Next, the acquiring unit 125 reads out the size information “w ₃ ×h ₃ ” and “x ₃ ×y ₃ ” from the storage unit 121 .

Next, the obtaining unit 1261 obtains the code size information "a ₃ , b ₃ " corresponding to the size information "w ₃ ×h ₃ " and "x ₃ ×y ₃ " from the size information management table (FIG. 4).

Next, the generating unit 1262 generates a barcode that corresponds to the size "a ₃ , b ₃ " acquired by the acquiring unit 1261 and has the identification information "12345670" embedded therein.

Next, the determining unit 1271 obtains the output direction "landscape" corresponding to the size information "w ₃ , h ₃ " from the size information management table (FIG. 4).

Next, the output means 1272 displays the generated barcode on the screen in accordance with the output direction "landscape." An example of such a display is shown in FIG. 9.

Next, the other information output unit 128 determines that the second area does not exist on the screen of the terminal device 12. In other words, the other information output unit 128 determines that the area other than the first area in which the barcode is displayed is not an area equal to or larger than the threshold required to display the other information (this is equivalent to "the second area does not exist"). Then, the other information output unit 128 does not display the image of the membership card.
(Specific Example 5)

Now, let us say that the server storage unit 111 of the server device 11 stores an image of the membership card shown in FIG. 8. Let us also say that the server storage unit 111 stores the advertising information management table shown in FIG. 10. The advertising information management table stores one or more records having an "ID," "advertising information," and "attribute value." In this case, the "attribute value" is shape, but it may be other types of attribute values (for example, size, color, genre of advertising information, etc.).

In this situation, assume that user A inputs an instruction to transmit a membership card having user ID "1234" and password "abcd" into his/her smartphone. Next, the transmission unit 123 transmits the instruction to transmit the membership card to the server device 11.

Next, the server receiving unit 112 of the server device 11 receives an instruction to send the membership card from the terminal device 12. Next, the server processing unit 113 obtains the identification information "12345670" that pairs with the user ID "1234" and password "abcd" contained in the instruction to send the membership card from the member information management table (Figure 6). The server transmitting unit 114 then transmits the identification information "12345670" obtained by the server processing unit 113 to the terminal device 12. Also, it is assumed that the server transmitting unit 114 transmits an image of the membership card in Figure 8 to the terminal device 12. Furthermore, it is assumed that the server transmitting unit 114 transmits one or more pairs of advertising information and attribute values stored in the advertising information management table in Figure 10 (for example, information for all pairs in the advertising information management table) to the terminal device 12.

Next, the reception unit 122 of the terminal device 12 receives the identification information "12345670" from the server device 11. The reception unit 124 also receives an image of the membership card in FIG. 8 (a type of other information) from the server device 11. Furthermore, the reception unit 124 receives one or more pairs of advertising information and attribute values.

Next, the acquiring unit 125 reads the size information “w ₂ ×h ₂ ” and “x ₂ ×y ₂ ” from the storage unit 121 .

Next, the obtaining unit 1261 obtains the barcode size "a ₂ , b ₂ " corresponding to the size information "w ₂ ×h ₂ " and "x ₂ ×y ₂ " from the size information management table (FIG. 4).

Next, the generating unit 1262 generates a barcode that corresponds to the size "a ₂ , b ₂ " acquired by the acquiring unit 1261 and has the identification information "12345670" embedded therein.

Next, the determining unit 1271 obtains the output direction "vertical" corresponding to the size information "w ₂ , h ₂ " from the size information management table (FIG. 4).

Next, the output means 1272 displays the generated barcode on the screen according to the output direction "vertical".

Furthermore, using the size information " _w2 x _h2 " and " _x2 x _y2 ", the other information output unit 128 enlarges the image of the membership card in Fig. 8 received so that it is displayed across the entire screen of the terminal device 12. The other information output unit 128 then displays the enlarged image of the membership card vertically across the entire screen of the terminal device 12. It is to be noted that the other information output unit 128 outputs the image of the membership card so that the image of the membership card becomes the background of the barcode.

The other information output unit 128 also determines that a second area exists on the screen of the terminal device 12. Here, the second area is assumed to be area 1001 of the membership card image.

Next, the other information output unit 128 determines that other information has been received.

Next, the other information output unit 128 acquires the attribute value "vertical" of the second region. Note that the attribute value of the second region here is the shape of the region, and is one of "vertical," "horizontal," or "square."

Next, the other information output unit 128 acquires, from the received advertising information, advertising information (an image of a book) that corresponds to the attribute value "portrait" of the second area. The other information output unit 128 then displays the advertising information in the second area 1001. An example of such output is shown in FIG. 11.

As described above, this embodiment allows an easily readable code to be displayed on the screen.

In addition, this embodiment makes effective use of the terminal device's screen to display clear codes, and can also display information other than codes, making it easier to read the displayed codes and enabling effective use of the screen.

In this embodiment, when the size information management table in the above specific example is that shown in FIG. 5, for example, the screen size is acquired, the size of the barcode is determined to be the code size information that pairs with the size information that matches the screen size, and a barcode with embedded identification information and a size that corresponds to the size of the barcode is generated. The generated barcode is then output in the direction indicated by the output direction.

Furthermore, the processing in this embodiment may be realized by software. This software may be distributed by software download or the like. This software may also be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed. This also applies to other embodiments in this specification. The software that realizes the terminal device 12 in this embodiment is a program as described below. In other words, this program causes a computer to function as a reception unit that receives identification information that identifies information, an acquisition unit that acquires size information related to one or more pieces of information among the screen size and screen resolution of the terminal device, a generation unit that generates a code from which the identification information can be read and has a size corresponding to the size information, and an output unit that outputs the code generated by the generation unit.

In the above program, it is preferable that the generation unit is a program that causes a computer to function by including an acquisition means that uses the size information to acquire code size information related to the size of the code corresponding to the size information, and a generation means that generates code according to the code size information acquired by the acquisition means.

In the above program, it is preferable that the program causes a computer to function as follows: the output unit has an output direction according to the size information, a determination means for determining whether the output direction is vertical or horizontal, and an output means for outputting the code according to the output direction.

It is also preferable that the above program further causes the computer to function as an other information output unit that outputs other information, which is information other than the code, to a second area, which is an area within the screen of the terminal device.

In the above program, it is preferable that the other information output unit is a program that causes a computer to function as a program that enlarges or reduces the other information and outputs it.

In the above program, it is preferable that the other information output unit is a program that causes a computer to function as outputting different information depending on the attributes of the second region.

In addition, in the above program, it is preferable that the other information output unit is a program that causes a computer to function such that, when outputting information other than the code, the other information output unit outputs the information in a different display format depending on the attributes of the second region.

FIG. 12 shows the appearance of a computer that executes the programs described in this specification to realize the terminal device 12 and the like of the various embodiments described above. The above-mentioned embodiments can be realized by computer hardware and a computer program executed thereon. FIG. 12 is an overview of this computer system 300, and FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the system 300.

In FIG. 12, computer system 300 includes computer 301, which includes CD-ROM drive 3012, keyboard 302, mouse 303, and monitor 304.

In FIG. 13, computer 301 includes a CD-ROM drive 3012, an MPU 3013, a bus 3014 connected to the CD-ROM drive 3012 and MPU 3013, a ROM 3015 for storing programs such as a boot-up program, a RAM 3016 connected to MPU 3013 for temporarily storing instructions for application programs and providing temporary storage space, and a hard disk 3017 for storing application programs, system programs, and data. Although not shown here, computer 301 may further include a network card that provides connection to a LAN.

A program that causes the computer system 300 to execute the functions of the terminal device 12 or the like in the above-described embodiment may be stored on the CD-ROM 3101, inserted into the CD-ROM drive 3012, and then transferred to the hard disk 3017. Alternatively, the program may be sent to the computer 301 via a network (not shown) and stored on the hard disk 3017. The program is loaded into the RAM 3016 when executed. The program may be loaded directly from the CD-ROM 3101 or the network.

The program does not necessarily have to include an operating system (OS) that causes the computer 301 to execute the functions of the terminal device 12 of the above-described embodiment, or a third-party program. The program only needs to include an instruction portion that calls appropriate functions (modules) in a controlled manner to obtain the desired results. How the computer system 300 operates is well known, and a detailed description will be omitted.

The computer that executes the above program may be a single computer or multiple computers. In other words, it may perform centralized processing or distributed processing.

It goes without saying that in each of the above embodiments, two or more communication means present in one device may be physically realized by a single medium.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, each process (each function) may be realized by centralized processing in a single device (system), or may be realized by distributed processing in multiple devices.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible, and it goes without saying that these are also included within the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the terminal device of the present invention has the effect of being able to display clear codes by effectively utilizing the screen, making it easier to read the codes displayed on the screen, and is useful as a terminal device that displays codes, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information system 11 Server device 12 Terminal device 111 Server storage unit 112 Server receiving unit 113 Server processing unit 114 Server transmitting unit 121 Storage unit 122 Accepting unit 123 Transmitting unit 124 Receiving unit 125 Acquiring unit 126 Generating unit 127 Output unit 128 Other information output unit 1261 Acquiring means 1262 Generating means 1271 Determining means 1272 Output means

Claims (2)

A terminal device outputs a code having embedded therein identification information for identifying a membership card, the code being read by a code reader.
A program that causes the terminal device to display the code and other information other than the code on a screen of the terminal device,
A program characterized by displaying the code and the other information when the terminal device is a smartphone, and displaying the code but not the other information when the terminal device is a smart watch. A code output method in a terminal device that outputs a code having embedded therein identification information for identifying a membership card and that is read by a code reader, comprising the steps of:
receiving an instruction to output the membership card;
A code output method comprising the steps of displaying the code and other information other than the code when the terminal device is a smartphone, and displaying the code and not displaying the other information when the terminal device is a smart watch.

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