MERCHANDISE PURCHASE SUPPORT SYSTEM, MERCHANDISE PURCHASE SUPPORT METHOD, AND PROGRAM

1 : A product purchase assistance system, which is configured to assist in purchase of a product sold by a vending machine, the product purchase assistance system comprising a server,

wherein the server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of the server instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor of the server to overate to:

acquire a list of products sold by a plurality of vending machines within a predetermined range from a mobile terminal; and

perform control for displaying product information on each product included in the list on display means of the mobile terminal.

2 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 1 , further comprising the mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of the mobile terminal instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor of the mobile terminal to operate to:

perform short-range wireless communication, and

wherein the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to acquire, from each of a plurality of vending machines within a communicable short-range wireless communication range from the mobile terminal, a list of the products sold by the each of plurality of vending machines, via the short-range wireless communication.

3 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 1 , further comprising the mobile terminal,

wherein the mobile terminal comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of the mobile terminal instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor of the mobile terminal to operate to:

receive a selection operation of selecting as a purchase product at least one product included in the list; and

request execution of purchase processing of purchasing the at least one product selected as the purchase product, and

wherein the server instructions further cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to notify a user of a purchase product provision machine, which is a vending machine from among the plurality of vending machines that is to dispense and provide to the user the at least one product selected as the purchase product.

4 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to notify the user of the purchase product provision machine by displaying on the display means a guidance screen guiding to a position of the purchase product provision machine.

5 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to acquire a list of products sold by a plurality of vending machines within a predetermined first range from the mobile terminal, and

wherein the mobile terminal instructions cause the at least one processor of the mobile terminal to operate to receive the selection operation of selecting as the purchase product a product sold by one of the plurality of vending machines when the one of the plurality of vending machines is within a second predetermined range narrower than the predetermined first range from the mobile terminal.

6 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 3 ,

the mobile terminal instructions further cause the at least one processor of the mobile terminal to operate to determine whether the mobile terminal is in proximity to the purchase product provision machine; and

the server instructions further cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to perform when it is determined that the mobile terminal is in proximity to the purchase product provision machine after completion of the purchase processing, control for causing the purchase product provision machine to dispense the at least one product selected as the purchase product.

7 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 3 ,

wherein the mobile terminal instructions cause the at least one processor of the mobile terminal to overate to:

receive a first selection operation of selecting as a purchase candidate at least one product included in the list; and

receive a second selection operation of selecting the at least one product selected as the purchase candidate as a product to be purchased, and

wherein the server instructions further cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to acquire selection information on the selection of the purchase candidate and the selection of the product to be purchased.

8 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to perform, when the same product is sold by a plurality of vending machines, control for displaying on the display means the product information on the same product under a state in which the same product sold by each of the plurality of vending machines is aggregated as one product.

9 : The product purchase assistance system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to acquire stock information on stock of products in each of the plurality of vending machines, and

wherein the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to set, based on the stock information, a display priority of the product information on each product included in the list.

10 : A product purchase assistance method for assisting in purchase of a product sold by a vending machine, the product purchase assistance method comprising:

a server, wherein the server comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device that stores a plurality of the server instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor of the server to operate to:

acquire a list of products sold by a plurality of vending machines within a predetermined range from a mobile terminal; and

perform control for displaying product information on each product included in the list on display means of the mobile terminal.

11 : A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of server instructions, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the plurality of the server instructions cause the at least one processor of the server to:

acquire a list of products sold by a plurality of vending machines within a predetermined range from a mobile terminal; and

perform control for displaying product information on each product included in the list on display means of the mobile terminal.