Information processing device, information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method for efficiently collecting information indicating a consumption tendency of commodities corresponding to commodities stored in a storage. The information processing device includes a control unit, and the control unit performs the following processing, namely: obtaining historical information indicating a history of entry into or exit from the storage of a first commodity detected by a sensor provided in the storage; obtaining first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first commodity of a user associated with the storage based on the historical information; and performing processing related to the delivery of the first commodity to the user based on the first information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method. Background Art

[0002] Currently, there is a publicly available product recommendation system that identifies people with similar preferences to a customer based on the purchase history of preferred products and their evaluations, and makes recommendations to the customer on product purchases of the preferred products with reference to the identified people's purchase history of the preferred products (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior Art Literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-074142 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] An object of one disclosed embodiment is to provide an information processing device, an information processing system, and an information processing method that can efficiently collect information indicating a consumption tendency of a product.

[0008] Methods for solving problems

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device including a control unit that performs the following processing, namely:

[0010] acquiring history information indicating a history of entry or exit of a first product into or from the storage, detected by a sensor provided in the storage;

[0011] acquiring, based on the historical information, first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product by a user associated with the storage;

[0012] A process related to delivery of the first product to the user is performed based on the first information.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing system including a storage and a control unit.

[0014] The storage warehouse is provided with a sensor for detecting the entry or exit of the first product.

[0015] The control unit performs the following processing, namely:

[0016] acquiring history information indicating a history of entry into or exit from the storage of the first product detected by the sensor;

[0017] acquiring, based on the historical information, first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product by a user associated with the storage;

[0018] A process related to delivery of the first product to the user is performed based on the first information.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method, wherein a computer performs the following processing, namely:

[0020] acquiring history information indicating a history of entry or exit of a first product into or from the storage, detected by a sensor provided in the storage;

[0021] acquiring, based on the historical information, first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product by a user associated with the storage;

[0022] A process related to delivery of the first product to the user is performed based on the first information.

[0023] Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, information indicating the consumption tendency of commodities can be efficiently collected. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the storage-in and storage-out management system according to the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the central server and the sensor device according to the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the central server and the sensor device according to the first embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the warehouse entry and exit history information database.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the inventory information database.

[0030] Figure 6 This is an example of a flowchart of the processing when the central server receives the inbound and outbound history information.

[0031] Figure 7This is an example of a flowchart of consumption determination processing of a central server.

[0032] Fig. 8A This is an example of a flowchart for statistical processing of the central server's inbound and outbound inventory history information.

[0033] Figure 8B This is an example of a flowchart for statistical processing of the central server's inbound and outbound inventory history information.

[0034] Fig. 9 It is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the storage and delivery management system according to the second embodiment.

[0035] Fig.10 This is an example of a flowchart of the robot delivery control process of the central server according to the second embodiment.

[0036] Fig.11 This is an example of a flowchart of a process when the central server receives inventory detection information according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device including a control unit. The control unit obtains history information indicating a history of a first product entering or leaving the storage, detected by a sensor provided in the storage. The control unit obtains first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product of a user associated with the storage based on the history information. The control unit performs processing related to the delivery of the first product to the user based on the first information.

[0038] The information processing device is, for example, a server. The control unit is, for example, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage is, for example, a refrigerator, a freezer, a wine cellar, and a predetermined storage rack. The first commodity is a commodity stored in these storages. For example, when the storage is a refrigerator, the first commodity is beverages such as bottled beer, milk, and juice, as well as food. For example, when the storage is a wine cellar, the first commodity is red wine. In addition, the first commodity is not limited to beverages and food, but also includes daily necessities such as detergents and shampoos.

[0039] The sensor installed in the storage warehouse is, for example, an RF tag reader, a barcode or QR code (registered trademark) code reader, or a camera. When a commodity is put into or taken out of the storage warehouse, the sensor installed in the storage warehouse detects the entry or exit of the commodity by reading the barcode or QR code printed or pasted on the commodity. Alternatively, historical information indicating entry or exit is obtained by monitoring the changes of the commodities stored in the storage warehouse read from the electronic tags such as RF tags pasted or loaded on the commodities stored in the storage warehouse using the sensor installed in the storage warehouse.

[0040] In addition, as sensors that are set in the storage and detect the entry or exit of goods, various sensors can be used. For example, in the case where the RF tag, or the barcode or QR code printed or pasted on the product contains the identification information of the product but does not contain the identification information of the individual, it will be impossible to identify the individual. Therefore, in addition to the RF tag, barcode or QR code reader, a sensor that can detect the change in the number of items in the storage due to entry and exit can also be used. Among the sensors that can detect the change in the number of items in the storage due to entry and exit, for example, there are weight sensors, sensors that detect the opening and closing of the door of the storage, or cameras that take pictures inside the storage.

[0041] For example, in the case of using a reader and a weight sensor, when a commodity is detected by the reader and the detection value of the weight sensor increases, the entry of the commodity is detected, and when the detection value of the weight sensor decreases, the exit of the commodity is detected. For example, in the case of using a reader and an opening and closing sensor of a door of a storage, when the opening and closing sensor detects the opening of the door of the storage after the commodity is detected by the reader, the entry of the commodity is detected. On the other hand, for example, when the opening and closing sensor detects the opening of the door of the storage and then the commodity is detected by the reader, the exit of the commodity is detected. For example, in the case of using a reader and a camera, when the commodity is detected by the reader and an increase in the number of commodities in the storage is detected from the camera image of the camera, the entry of the commodity is detected, and when a decrease in the number of commodities in the storage is detected from the camera image of the camera, the exit of the commodity is detected.

[0042] Since the consumption of the first commodity is accompanied by the removal of the first commodity from the storage, the information indicating the consumption tendency of the first commodity can be obtained by analyzing the historical information of the entry or removal of the first commodity. That is, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by using a sensor provided in the storage to detect the entry and removal of the first commodity, and collecting the historical information of the entry or removal of the first commodity, it is possible to efficiently collect information indicating the consumption tendency of the commodities stored in the storage. The "efficiently" mentioned here means that the collection of the historical information of the entry or removal of the first commodity does not require the user to perform actions other than the usual actions such as the opening and closing of the door and the movement of the first commodity.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as a control related to delivery, the control unit may propose to the user to stop the periodic purchase of the first commodity when the periodic purchase of the first commodity is set and the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first commodity is less than the first threshold value. Thereby, it is possible to avoid a situation where the user will additionally purchase the first commodity with a lower consumption frequency due to the delivery of the periodic purchase, for example. Furthermore, in this case, it may be possible that the information processing device further includes a storage unit, which stores the first threshold value for each commodity. The control unit may further perform a process of obtaining the first threshold value corresponding to the first commodity from the storage unit. Since the consumption frequency is different for each commodity, it is possible to flexibly propose to stop the periodic purchase according to the characteristics and consumption frequency of the commodity.

[0044] In addition, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, as a control related to delivery, the control unit may propose to the user to change the setting of at least one of the delivery interval of the first commodity purchased periodically or the shipment amount of one delivery when the first information indicates that the change in the consumption frequency of the first commodity is greater than a predetermined amount. Thus, the user can adjust the delivery interval of the first commodity purchased periodically or the shipment amount of one delivery according to the consumption frequency of the first commodity.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as a control related to delivery, the control unit may propose to the user the periodic purchase of the first product when the periodic purchase of the first product is not set and the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product is greater than the second threshold value. For example, when the user applies for the periodic purchase of the first product, it can help the user's inventory management of the first product.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit may further perform the following processing: when the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product or the product of the category into which the first product is classified is greater than a third threshold value, the user is notified of the introduction of other products of the category into which the first product is classified. Since the consumption frequency of the first product is greater than the third threshold value, it can be expected that the user is also interested in other products of the category into which the first product is classified to some extent, and therefore it can be expected that the sales of the other products can be promoted.

[0047] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit may prompt the user with a questionnaire related to the evaluation of the first commodity based on historical information when it indicates that the consumption of the first commodity has been detected. This allows the collection of information related to the user's preferences with higher accuracy. Furthermore, the control unit may implement the following processing, namely: further executing the processing of receiving the answer results to the questionnaire; and further implementing the processing related to the delivery of the first commodity based on the answer results to the questionnaire. This allows the control of the delivery of the first commodity that is more in line with the user's actual state to be implemented based on the fact of the user's consumption of the first commodity and the user's preference information such as the answer to the questionnaire.

[0048] In addition, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage warehouse may also be provided with a second sensor for detecting a user who enters or leaves the storage warehouse for the first product. The information processing device may further include a second storage unit for storing the association between the storage warehouse and the identification information of multiple users. It may also be configured that the control unit performs the following processing, namely: obtaining the identification information of the user identified by the second sensor together with the historical information; and obtaining the first information for each of the multiple users. In this way, it is possible to control the delivery of the first product or to prompt a questionnaire survey based on the consumption tendency of the first product of each user associated with the storage warehouse.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the control unit may further execute the following processing: instructing the robot to deliver the first product, and instructing the robot to output a suggestion to the user implemented by the processing related to the delivery of the first product. In this way, when the first product is delivered to the user by the robot, a suggestion to the user related to the delivery of the first product can be output. In addition, the robot may be caused to output an introduction to other products and a questionnaire.

[0050] Another aspect of the present disclosure can be determined as an information processing system, which includes a storage and the above-mentioned control unit, wherein the storage includes a sensor for detecting the entry or exit of a first product. The control unit performs the following processing, namely: obtaining historical information indicating the history of entry or exit of the first product into the storage or from the storage detected by the sensor; obtaining first information indicating the consumption tendency of the first product of a user associated with the storage based on the historical information; and performing processing related to the delivery of the first product to the user based on the first information.

[0051] In addition, another aspect of the present disclosure can be determined as an information processing method executed by a computer. The information processing method includes: obtaining historical information indicating the history of storage or delivery of a first product to or from the storage, which is detected by a sensor provided in the storage; obtaining first information indicating the consumption tendency of the first product of a user associated with the storage based on the historical information; and performing processing related to the delivery of the first product to the user based on the first information.

[0052] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative only, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0053] <First embodiment>

[0054] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the in-and-out management system 100 involved in the first embodiment. The in-and-out management system 100 is a system that monitors the in-and-out of goods stored in a storage warehouse and provides services corresponding to the consumption trend of the goods. The in-and-out management system 100 includes, for example, a central server 1 and a cold storage 200 equipped with a sensor device 2. In addition, the cold storage 200 is installed in the user's residence 500. Although a plurality of cold storages 200 can be included in the in-and-out management system 100, Figure 1 For the sake of simplicity, one refrigerator is shown. The refrigerator 200 is an example of a "storage". However, the "storage" is not limited to a refrigerator, and may be, for example, a freezer, a wine cellar, a storage rack, etc.

[0055] In the first embodiment, the sensor device 2 is a control device having a reader of a code such as a barcode or a QR code. The sensor device 2 can be sold as an integral unit with the cold storage 200, or can be sold as a single unit and can be additionally installed in the cold storage 200. The sensor device 2 is connected to the network N1 by, for example, wirelessly connecting to a relay device provided in the residence 500. The central server 1 is also connected to the network N1. The network N1 is, for example, a public line network such as the Internet. The sensor device 2 can communicate with the central server 1 through the network N1.

[0056] For example, a code 3 is printed or pasted on the articles 300 stored in the refrigerator 200. In the first embodiment, the articles 300 are beverages, foods, seasonings, etc. However, in the case where the storage is a storage rack, etc., the articles 300 may also be daily necessities and detergents, etc. For example, when the user puts the articles 300 into or takes them out of the refrigerator 200, the code 3 of the articles 300 is covered on (or brought into contact with) the reader, so that the reader of the sensor device 2 reads the code 3, and then obtains the identification information of the articles 300. The identification information of the articles 300 includes, for example, the identification information of the commodities corresponding to the articles 300 and the individual identification number. The sensor device 2 sends the entry and exit history information including the obtained identification information of the articles 300 to the central server 1. In addition, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that when it is displayed as "article", it indicates an individual. In addition, it is assumed that when it is called "commodity", it indicates a group of individuals with the same commodity name and the same size.

[0057] The central server 1 receives the in-and-out history information of the article 300 from the sensor device 2 and records it. The central server 1 collects statistics on the in-and-out history information within a predetermined period. In the first embodiment, the statistical results of the in-and-out history information are the number of in-and-out times and the frequency of in-and-out times for each commodity corresponding to the article 300 and each type of commodity corresponding to the article 300 classified. The central server 1 implements, for example, services based on the frequency of in-and-out. The services implemented based on the frequency of in-and-out include, for example, processing related to the delivery of commodities and introduction of commodities. The processing related to the delivery of commodities includes, for example, proposals to stop regular purchases, proposals to change the settings of regular purchases, proposals to start regular purchases, etc. In addition to these services, the central server 1 also implements, for example, entrustment of answers to questionnaires, etc.

[0058] The number of times each product or each type of product is in and out of the warehouse and the frequency of in and out of the warehouse are one of the information indicating the consumption tendency of the product. For example, the more times the product is in and out of the warehouse or the higher the frequency of in and out of the warehouse is, the higher the consumption frequency of the product is. For example, the fewer times the product is in and out of the warehouse or the lower the frequency of in and out of the warehouse is, the lower the consumption frequency of the product is. That is, the number of times the product is in and out of the warehouse and the frequency of in and out of the warehouse can be said to be information reflecting the actual consumption status of the user's product.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the central server 1 can efficiently collect the in-and-out history information of the articles stored in the cold storage 200 without placing a burden on the user, and obtain the consumption tendency information indicating the consumption tendency of the user's goods based on the collected in-and-out history information. In addition, the central server 1 can provide more beneficial services that conform to the actual consumption status of the user by implementing services based on the user's consumption tendency information.

[0060] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the central server 1 and the sensor device 2 according to the first embodiment. As a hardware configuration, the central server 1 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a memory 102, an external storage device 103, and a communication unit 104. The memory 102 and the external storage device 103 are recording media that can be read by a computer. The central server 1 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0061] The external storage device 103 stores various programs and data used by the CPU 101 when executing each program. The external storage device 103 is, for example, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM) and / or a hard disk drive (Hard Disk Drive). The programs stored in the external storage device 103 include, for example, an operating system (OS), a control program for the inbound and outbound storage management system 100, and various other application programs. The control program of the inbound and outbound storage management system 100 is a program for implementing the following processing, namely, collecting historical information of storage in or out of the cold storage 200, obtaining the user's consumption tendency based on the historical information, and providing services based on the user's consumption tendency.

[0062] The memory 102 is a storage device that provides a storage area and a work area for loading a program stored in the external storage device 103 to the CPU 101, or is used as a buffer. The memory 102 includes, for example, semiconductor memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0063] The CPU 101 loads the OS and various application programs stored in the external storage device 103 into the memory 102 and executes the programs, thereby executing various processes. The number of CPUs 101 is not limited to one, and a plurality of CPUs 101 may be provided. The CPU 101 is an example of a "control unit".

[0064] The communication unit 104 is an interface for inputting and outputting information with the network. The communication unit 104 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) card. However, the communication unit 104 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, an ONU (Optical Network Unit) interface of an optical line. The hardware structure of the central server 1 is not limited to Figure 2 The structure shown.

[0065] As a hardware configuration, the sensor device 2 includes a CPU 201, a memory 202, an external storage device 203, a wireless communication unit 204, a touch panel display 205, a reader 206, and a camera 207. The CPU 201, the memory 202, and the external storage device 203 are the same as the CPU 101, the memory 102, and the external storage device 103, respectively.

[0066] The wireless communication unit 204 is an interface for inputting and outputting information with the network. The wireless communication unit 204 implements wireless communication such as WiFi or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), for example, and accesses the network N1 by connecting to a relay device such as an access point installed in the user's residence 500, and further communicates with the central server 1.

[0067] The touch panel display 205 receives operation input from the user and outputs it to the CPU 201. In addition, the touch panel display 205 displays an image input from the CPU 201.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the reader 206 is a QR code or barcode reader. The reader 206 irradiates the code 3 with red light, for example, converts the reflected light into an image, and decodes the image to obtain information.

[0069] The camera 207 is used, for example, to capture a user's facial image. In addition, the camera 207 can also be used as a reader of the code 3 of the article 300. The image captured by the camera 207 is output to the CPU 201.

[0070] in addition, Figure 2 The hardware structure of the central server 1 and the sensor device 2 shown is an example and is not limited thereto. For example, a sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the item 300 may also be provided in the cold storage 200. The sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the item 300 includes, for example, a weight sensor and a camera. When the detection value detected by the weight sensor increases, the entry of the item 300 can be detected. When the detection value detected by the weight sensor decreases, the exit of the item 300 can be detected. When the camera takes a picture of the interior of the cold storage 200, the entry of the item 300 can be detected because the item 300 is newly detected in the camera image. On the other hand, since the item 300 cannot be detected from the camera image, the exit of the item 300 can be detected.

[0071] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the central server 1 and the sensor device 2 according to the first embodiment. First, as a functional configuration, the sensor device 2 includes a receiving unit 21, a control unit 22, and a transmitting unit 23. These functional configuration elements are achieved by causing the CPU 201 of the sensor device 2 to execute a predetermined program in the external storage device 203.

[0072] The receiving unit 21 and the transmitting unit 23 are interfaces with the central server 1. The transmitting unit 23 transmits data input from the control unit 22 to the central server 1 via the wireless communication unit 204. The receiving unit 21 receives data from the central server 1 via the wireless communication unit 204 and outputs the received data to the control unit 22.

[0073] In the first embodiment, the control unit 22 receives input of identification information of the article 300 read from the code 3 from the reader 206. When the article 300 is put into or taken out of the cold storage 200, the reader 206 obtains the identification information of the article 300 and outputs it to the control unit 22. When receiving the input of the identification information of the article 300, the control unit 22 generates entry and exit history information, outputs the information to the transmission unit 23, and transmits it to the central server 1 through the transmission unit 23. The entry and exit history information includes, for example, a time stamp, identification information of the sensor device 2, and identification information of the article 300. The time stamp included in the entry and exit history information is, for example, the time when the identification information of the article 300 is detected.

[0074] In addition, when the refrigerator 200 is provided with a sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the article 300 in addition to the reader 206, the detection result from the sensor is also input to the control unit 22. For example, when a weight sensor is provided as the sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the article 300, the control unit 22 determines that the article 300 is entered into the warehouse when the detection value detected by the weight sensor increases. The control unit 22 determines that the article 300 is exited when the detection value detected by the weight sensor decreases. For example, when a camera that captures the interior of the refrigerator 200 is provided as the sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the article 300, the control unit 22 determines that the article 300 is entered into the warehouse because the article 300 is newly detected in the captured image as the detection value. In addition, the control unit 22 determines that the article 300 is exited because the article 300 is no longer detected from the captured image.

[0075] When the cold storage 200 is provided with a sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the item 300 in addition to the reader 206, the control unit 22 can generate entry and exit history information including information indicating the entry or exit of the item 300 in addition to the timestamp, the identification information of the sensor device 2 and the identification information of the item 300.

[0076] The control unit 22 outputs the proposal, notification, questionnaire, etc. received from the central server 1 via the receiving unit 21 to the touch panel display 205. In addition, for example, the information input via the touch panel display 205 is transmitted to the central server 1 via the transmitting unit 23. The information input via the touch panel display 205 includes, for example, answers to the questionnaire.

[0077] Next, as a functional structure, the central server 1 includes a receiving unit 11, a control unit 12, a transmitting unit 13, a user information database (DB) 14, a storage entry and exit history information DB 15, a stock information DB 16, a product information DB 17, and a questionnaire DB 18. These functional structural elements are realized by causing the CPU 101 to execute a control program of the storage entry and exit management system 100.

[0078] The receiving unit 11 receives the storage entry and exit history information from the sensor device 2 via the network N1. The receiving unit 11 outputs the received information to the control unit 12. The transmitting unit 13 transmits the information input from the control unit 12 to the sensor device 2 via the network N1.

[0079] When the control unit 12 receives the in-and-out history information from the sensor device 2, it stores the information in the in-and-out history information DB 15. In addition, when the control unit 12 receives the in-and-out history information from the sensor device 2, for example, it refers to the in-and-out history information DB 15 to determine whether the in-and-out history information is information at the time of in-warehouse entry or information at the time of out-warehouse exit, and stores the determination result in the inventory information DB 16.

[0080] The control unit 12 collects statistics on the in-and-out history information of a predetermined period at a predetermined time, thereby obtaining consumption tendency information indicating the user's consumption tendency. The consumption tendency information is, for example, the number of in-and-out times and the frequency of in-and-out times for each commodity and each type of commodity within the predetermined period. In the first embodiment, the number of in-and-out times is calculated as the number of in-and-out history information. A large number of in-and-out times indicates that the commodity is used more frequently, and a high frequency of use of the commodity indicates that the commodity is consumed more frequently. The timing for obtaining the consumption tendency information is arbitrarily set in units such as one day, one week, or one month. The period for collecting statistics on the in-and-out history information is arbitrarily set in units such as one day, one week, or one month. In addition, the interval for obtaining the consumption tendency information may be the same as or different from the period for obtaining the in-and-out history information.

[0081] In addition, although in the first embodiment, the number of in-and-out historical information is counted and the number of in-and-out times is used as consumption tendency information, the information used as consumption tendency information is not limited thereto. For example, the consumption of the item 300 can be judged based on the in-and-out historical information and the historical information of consumption can be maintained, and the consumption frequency can be obtained based on the historical information of consumption as consumption tendency information. For example, whether it is in-warehouse or out-warehouse is determined based on the in-and-out historical information, and the consumption of the item 300 can be judged by the fact that the next in-and-out historical information of the item 300 has not been received even if a predetermined time has passed since the timestamp included in the in-and-out historical information when it was determined to be out-warehouse.

[0082] As a service based on the consumption tendency information, the control unit 12 provides the user with the start of regular purchases, suggestions for setting changes or stops, notification of product introductions, and the sending of questionnaires. These processes of the control unit 12 will be described in detail later.

[0083] The user information DB 14, the in-and-out history information DB 15, the inventory information DB 16, the product information DB 17, and the questionnaire DB 18 are created in the external storage device 103 of the central server 1. The user information DB 14 stores user information, which is information related to the user. The user information includes, for example, the identification information of the user, the name of the user, the address of the user, the identification information of the sensor device 2 used by the user, and information related to regular purchases. The user information stored in the user information DB 14 is registered, for example, when the user registers. The information related to regular purchases includes the identification information of the products set for regular purchase, the delivery interval, and the shipment quantity in one delivery.

[0084] The in-and-out history information DB15 stores the in-and-out history information received from the sensor device 2. The inventory information DB16 stores information related to the items 300 stored in the cold storage 200. The information stored in the in-and-out history information DB15 and the inventory information DB16 will be described in detail below. The product information DB17 stores product information that is information related to the product. The product information stores, for example, identification information of the product, various threshold values ​​used when judging the start, setting change, and stop of regular purchases with respect to the product, etc. The questionnaire DB18 stores answers to questionnaires from users. In addition, the functional configuration of the central server 1 and the sensor device 2 is not limited to Figure 3 The structure shown.

[0085] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the in-and-out history information DB 15. A record in the in-and-out history information DB 15 includes a timestamp, a sensor ID, a product ID, and an individual ID field. The sensor ID field stores identification information of the sensor device 2. The product ID field stores identification information of the product corresponding to the item 300. The individual ID field stores individual identification information of the item 300.

[0086] One record of the in-and-out history information DB 15 corresponds to one in-and-out history information received from the sensor device 2. That is, the values ​​stored in the fields of the timestamp, sensor ID, commodity ID, and individual ID are obtained based on the timestamp, the identification information of the sensor device 2, and the identification information of the article 300 included in the in-and-out history information received from the sensor device 2. In the first embodiment, the identification information of the article 300 included in the in-and-out history information received from the sensor device 2 includes the identification information of the commodity and the individual identification information of the article 300.

[0087] In addition, the information stored in the storage and delivery history information DB 15 is not limited to Figure 4 For example, when the identification information of the item 300 obtained from the QR code or barcode of the item 300 does not include the individual identification information of the item 300 but only includes the identification information of the commodity, one record of the in-and-out history information DB 15 does not include the field of the individual ID.

[0088] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the inventory information DB 16. The inventory information DB 16 stores an inventory information table. The inventory information table is created for each sensor device 2. The inventory information table is a table for managing the entry or exit status of the articles 300 stored in the refrigerator 200 corresponding to the sensor device 2.

[0089] One record of the inventory information DB 16 includes fields for a product ID, an individual ID, a status, and an update date and time. The product ID field stores identification information of the product corresponding to the item 300. The individual ID field stores individual identification information of the item 300.

[0090] The status field stores information indicating whether the item 300 is put in, taken out, or consumed. The information indicating whether the item 300 is put in, taken out, or consumed is, for example, a tag or a code. The update date and time field stores the time when the value of the status field is detected.

[0091] For example, the control unit 12 receives the in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse history information from the sensor device 2, and determines whether the item 300 is in-warehouse or out-of-warehouse based on the in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse history information DB15, and records the determination result in the inventory information DB16. Therefore, the values ​​of the commodity ID and individual ID fields are obtained from the in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse history information when the in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse history information of the corresponding item 300 is initially received. In the status field, the determination result of in-warehouse or out-of-warehouse when the in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse history information of the item 300 was last received is stored. In the update date and time field, the timestamp contained in the last received in-warehouse and out-of-warehouse history information of the item 300 is stored. In addition, the information contained in the inventory information DB16 is not limited to Figure 5 The information shown.

[0092] For example, when the identification information of the item 300 acquired from the QR code or barcode of the item 300 does not include the individual identification information of the item 300 but includes only the identification information of the commodity, one record of the stock information DB 15 does not include the field of the individual ID.

[0093] <Processing Flow>

[0094] Figure 6 This is an example of a flowchart of the processing when the central server 1 receives the storage entry and exit history information. Figure 6 The processing shown is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle. Figure 6 The processing shown is mainly executed by the CPU 101, but for the sake of convenience, the functional components are mainly described. The same applies to the flowcharts below.

[0095] In OP101, the control unit 12 determines whether the in-and-out history information is received from the sensor device 2 via the receiving unit 11. If the in-and-out history information is received from the sensor device 2 (OP101: Yes), the process proceeds to OP102. If the in-and-out history information is not received from the sensor device 2 (OP101: No), the process ends. Figure 6 Processing shown.

[0096] In OP102, the control unit 12 determines whether there is in-and-out history information DB15 that is consistent with the identification information of the item 300 included in the received in-and-out history information. In the case that there is in-and-out history information DB15 that is consistent with the identification information of the item 300 included in the received in-and-out history information (OP102: Yes), the processing proceeds to OP103. In the case that there is no in-and-out history information DB15 that is consistent with the identification information of the item 300 included in the received in-and-out history information (OP102: No), the processing proceeds to OP105, and in OP105, the control unit 12 determines that the received in-and-out history information is information indicating the entry of the item 300.

[0097] In OP103, the control unit 12 determines whether the received entry and exit history information is the even-numbered entry and exit history information of the item 300. In the case where identification information that can identify the individual of the item 300 is obtained from the code 3 of the item 300, it is possible to determine whether the item 300 is entered or exited based on the number of entry and exit history information. This is because, in the entry and exit of the item 300 relative to the cold storage 200, the entry is implemented first, and the exit is implemented after the entry. Therefore, the entry and exit history information created when the entry is implemented will become the odd-numbered entry and exit history information for the item 300. On the other hand, the entry and exit history information created when the exit is implemented will become the even-numbered entry and exit history information for the item 300.

[0098] When the received in-and-out history information is the even-numbered in-and-out history information of the item 300 (OP103: Yes), the process proceeds to OP104, and in OP104, the control unit 12 determines that the received in-and-out history information is information indicating the outbound of the item 300. When the received in-and-out history information is the odd-numbered in-and-out history information of the item 300 (OP103: No), the process proceeds to OP105, and in OP105, the control unit 12 determines that the received in-and-out history information is information indicating the inbound of the item 300.

[0099] In OP106, the control unit 12 records the received inbound and outbound history information in the inbound and outbound history information DB 15, and records the judgment result of OP103 in the inventory information DB 16. Then, Figure 6 The shown processing ends.

[0100] In addition, if the cold storage 200 is provided with a sensor capable of determining the entry or exit of the item 300 in addition to the reader 206, and information indicating the entry or exit is stored in the entry and exit history information received from the sensor device 2, the processing of OP102 to OP105 will be omitted.

[0101] Figure 7 This is an example of a flowchart of the consumption determination process of the central server 1. The consumption determination process is a process for determining whether the item 300 is consumed. Figure 7 The processing shown is performed in a predetermined cycle of, for example, one hour or one day. Figure 7 The illustrated processing is executed for each record of the inventory information DB 16 .

[0102] In OP201, the control unit 12 determines whether the value of the status field of the object record of the inventory information DB 16 is information indicating out of stock. If the value of the status field of the object record of the inventory information DB 16 is information indicating out of stock (OP201: Yes), the process proceeds to OP202. If the value of the status field of the object record of the inventory information DB 16 is not information indicating out of stock (OP201: No), Figure 7 The shown processing ends.

[0103] In OP202, the control unit 12 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field of the target record in the inventory information DB 16. The predetermined time used in OP202 is set to a value in the range of, for example, several hours to one day. In addition, the predetermined time used in OP202 may also vary depending on the product of the target record in the inventory information DB 16. In this case, the predetermined time used in OP202 may also be stored in the product information DB 17.

[0104] If the predetermined time has elapsed from the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field of the target record in the inventory information DB 16 (OP 202: Yes), the process proceeds to OP 203. If the predetermined time has not elapsed from the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field of the target record in the inventory information DB 16 (OP 202: No), Figure 7 The shown processing ends.

[0105] In OP203, the control unit 12 determines that the item 300 of the target record in the inventory information DB 16 has been consumed. In OP204, the control unit 12 updates the state field of the target record to information indicating that it has been consumed.

[0106] In OP205, the control unit 12 determines whether the condition has been met. The conditions used in OP205 are, for example, that the consumption quantity in the inventory information DB16 of the commodity corresponding to the record of the object of the inventory information DB16 of the user is greater than the predetermined quantity, or the number of times the commodity corresponding to the record of the object of the inventory information DB16 of the user is in and out of the warehouse is greater than the predetermined number of times. If the condition has been met (OP205: Yes), the processing proceeds to OP206. If the condition has not been met (OP205: No), Figure 7 The shown processing ends.

[0107] In OP206, the control unit 12 sends a questionnaire to the sensor device 2. The content of the questionnaire, for example, relates to the evaluation of the commodity corresponding to the article 300. More specifically, for example, the degree of satisfaction with the commodity corresponding to the article 300 includes five options: "unsatisfied", "not very satisfied", "average", "relatively satisfied", and "satisfied". In addition, the questionnaire may also include multiple questions. The questionnaire sent to the sensor device 2 is displayed on the touch panel display 205 of the sensor device 2, and the user inputs the answer to the questionnaire on the touch panel display 205. When the user inputs the answer to the questionnaire through the touch panel display 205, the sensor device 2 sends the answer to the questionnaire to the central server 1.

[0108] In OP207, the control unit 12 receives the answers to the questionnaire from the sensor device 2 and records the answers to the questionnaire in the questionnaire DB 18. Figure 7 The shown processing ends.

[0109] Fig. 8A as well as Figure 8B FIG. 1 is an example of a flowchart of statistical processing of the warehouse entry and exit history information of the central server 1 . Fig. 8A as well as Figure 8B The processing shown is performed at intervals set in units of, for example, one day, one week, or one month. Fig. 8A as well as Figure 8B The processing shown is performed for one sensor device 2 .

[0110] In OP301, the control unit 12 counts the in-and-out history information including the identification information of the object sensor device 2 within a predetermined period, for example, for each commodity and each type of commodity. The period that becomes the object of statistics is, for example, a period set in units of the previous day, week, or month. For example, in the case of alcoholic beverages, the types of commodities correspond to the category names such as beer, sparkling wine, sake, fruit wine, whiskey, brandy, and liqueur. However, the granularity of the classification of the types of commodities is not limited to this, but can be arbitrarily determined and preset.

[0111] The processing from OP302 to OP309 is performed for the statistical result of each commodity in OP301. In OP302, the control unit 12 determines whether the target commodity is a commodity set for periodic purchase. The identification information of the commodity set for periodic purchase by the user is stored in the user information DB 14, for example. If the target commodity is a commodity set for periodic purchase (OP302: Yes), the processing proceeds to OP303. If the target commodity is not set for periodic purchase (OP302: No), the processing proceeds to OP307.

[0112] In OP303, the control unit 12 determines whether the frequency of the object's goods entering and leaving the warehouse is less than the first threshold value. The frequency of the object's goods entering and leaving the warehouse is calculated as the number of times of entering and leaving the warehouse per time unit, for example, by dividing the number of historical information of the object's goods entering and leaving the warehouse (= the number of times of entering and leaving the warehouse) within a predetermined period by the number of predetermined time units included in the predetermined period. The time unit is set, for example, in the range of one hour to one day. The frequency of the object's goods entering and leaving the warehouse can also be said to be a numerical value that reflects the consumption frequency of the object's goods. In addition, since the first threshold value varies depending on the object's goods, the control unit 12 obtains the first threshold value of the object's goods from the goods information DB17.

[0113] When the frequency of the entry and exit of the target commodity is less than the first threshold value (OP303: Yes), the process proceeds to OP304. In OP304, since the frequency of the entry and exit of the target commodity set for periodic purchase is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 12 determines that the periodic purchase of the target commodity is stopped, and sends the proposal to the sensor device 2. For example, in the case of an item 300 that is stored in the cold storage 200 and has not been consumed for a long time, the number of entry and exit history information within a predetermined period becomes small, and as a consumption tendency of the commodity corresponding to the item 300, it is indicated that the consumption frequency is low and does not meet the user's preference. In this case, when the frequency of the entry and exit of the commodity corresponding to the item 300 is less than the first threshold value and the periodic purchase is set, the proposal to stop the periodic purchase will be implemented.

[0114] When the frequency of entry and exit of the target commodity is greater than the first threshold value (OP303: No), the process proceeds to OP305. In OP305, the control unit 12 determines whether the frequency of entry and exit of the target commodity has a change of more than ±α. For example, the frequency of entry and exit of each commodity is stored as a history in a predetermined storage area of ​​the external storage device 103, and the control unit 12 compares the average value of the frequency of entry and exit of the target commodity for a predetermined number of times before with the frequency of entry and exit of the target commodity obtained this time. In addition, the value α representing the range of change in the frequency of entry and exit is different for each commodity, for example, so that the α value of the target commodity is obtained from the commodity information DB17.

[0115] If the frequency of entry and exit of the target product changes by more than ±α (OP305: Yes), the process proceeds to OP306. In OP306, the control unit 12 determines that a proposal is made to change the setting of the periodic purchase of the target product, and transmits the proposal to the sensor device 2. The setting change of the periodic purchase of the target product includes, for example, a change in the interval of delivery and / or a change in the shipment quantity in one delivery.

[0116] If the frequency of entry and exit of the target product does not vary by more than ±α (OP305: No), the process proceeds to OP302 for the next product, or if the processes from OP302 to OP309 have been performed on all products, the process proceeds to OP303. Figure 8B The OP401 advances.

[0117] The processing from OP307 to OP309 is the processing when the target product is a product that is not set to be purchased regularly. In OP307, the control unit 12 determines whether the frequency of entry and exit of the target product is greater than the second threshold. Since the second threshold varies depending on the target product, the control unit 12 obtains the second threshold of the target product from the product information DB 17. The second threshold is, for example, a value greater than the first threshold.

[0118] If the frequency of entry and exit of the target product is greater than the second threshold (OP307: Yes), the process proceeds to OP308. If the frequency of entry and exit of the target product is less than the second threshold (OP307: No), the process proceeds to OP302 for the next product, or if the processes from OP302 to OP309 have been performed on all products, the process proceeds to OP308. Figure 8B The OP401 advances.

[0119] In OP308, the control unit 12 refers to the questionnaire DB 18 and determines whether the user's questionnaire result satisfies the condition. The condition in OP308 is, for example, that the questionnaire result indicating the user's evaluation of the target product is "satisfied" or "relatively satisfied". However, the condition in OP308 is not limited to this, and can be set according to the content and answer of the questionnaire.

[0120] If the user's questionnaire survey result satisfies the condition (OP308: Yes), the process proceeds to OP309. If the user's questionnaire survey result does not satisfy the condition (OP308: No), the process proceeds to OP302 for the next product, or if the process from OP302 to OP309 has been performed for all products, the process proceeds to OP309. Figure 8B The OP401 advances.

[0121] In OP309, the control unit 12 determines that it is a suggestion to start the regular purchase of the target product, and transmits it to the sensor device 2. Then, the process proceeds to OP302 for the next product, or, when the processes from OP302 to OP309 have been performed for all products, proceeds to OP303. Figure 8B The OP401 advances.

[0122] Figure 8B The processing shown is a processing performed on the statistical results of each type of goods. In OP401, the control unit 12 determines whether the frequency of entry and exit of the target type of goods is greater than the third threshold. Since the third threshold varies depending on the type of the target goods, the control unit 12 obtains the third threshold of the type of the target goods from the product information DB 17.

[0123] If the frequency of entry and exit of the target commodity type is greater than the third threshold value (OP401: Yes), the process proceeds to OP402. If the frequency of entry and exit of the target commodity type is less than the third threshold value (OP401: No), the process proceeds to OP401 for the next commodity type, or if the processes from OP401 to OP402 have been implemented for all commodity types, Figure 8B The processing is finished.

[0124] In OP402, the control unit 12 determines that a new product of the type of product to be processed is introduced, and transmits it to the sensor device 2. Then, the process proceeds to OP401 for the next type of product, or, when the process from OP401 to OP402 has been performed for all types of products, Figure 8B The processing is finished.

[0125] in addition, Figures 6 to 8B The processing shown can be appropriately changed according to the implementation. For example, Figure 7 The condition for determining whether to send the questionnaire in OP205 may also be that the number of times the corresponding product is in and out of the warehouse is greater than a predetermined value. Fig. 8A In the case of determining whether to stop the periodic purchase and to propose a setting change, the control unit 12 may further refer to the answers to the questionnaire from the user. For example, even if the number of in-and-out times for a predetermined product is less than the first threshold, if the answers to the questionnaire are favorable for the predetermined product, the proposal to stop the periodic purchase may not be implemented.

[0126] <Functions and Effects of First Embodiment>

[0127] In the first embodiment, the sensor device 2 provided in the refrigerator 200 obtains the historical information of the entry and exit of the article 300 into or from the refrigerator 200, and obtains the information indicating the user's consumption tendency of the commodity corresponding to the article 300 based on the entry and exit historical information of the article 300. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, the information indicating the user's consumption tendency of the commodity can be obtained efficiently without troubling the user.

[0128] In addition, in the first embodiment, a suggestion to start, change or stop the periodic purchase of the product is implemented based on information indicating the consumption tendency of the product by the user. Thus, it is possible to implement a suggestion related to the periodic purchase that is more in line with the actual consumption status of the product by the user, and it is also possible for the user to easily manage the inventory of the product.

[0129] In addition, in the first embodiment, a questionnaire is sent to the user regarding the commodity whose consumption is detected. This makes it easy to obtain evaluations of the commodity from users who actually consumed the commodity.

[0130] In addition, in the first embodiment, the threshold used in the judgment of the proposal of starting, changing, or stopping the periodic purchase implemented based on the historical information of the goods in and out of the warehouse is prepared for each commodity and each type of commodity. The tendency of consumption frequency, the relationship between consumption and in and out of the warehouse, and the length of the consumption period are different for each commodity. Therefore, by preparing the threshold for each commodity and each type of commodity, it is possible to implement judgment according to the characteristics of the commodity, and it is also possible to implement a more beneficial proposal for the user.

[0131] <Second embodiment>

[0132] In the first embodiment, suggestions related to periodic purchases, introductions to commodities, and questionnaires from the central server 1 are sent to the sensor device 2 and output to the touch panel display 205 of the sensor device 2. In the second embodiment, instead of this, suggestions related to periodic purchases, introductions to commodities, and questionnaires from the central server 1 are sent to a delivery robot that delivers the periodic purchased commodities, and are output to the display of the delivery robot when the commodities are delivered.

[0133] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of the system structure of the inbound and outbound management system 100B involved in the second embodiment. In the inbound and outbound management system 100B, in addition to the structure of the inbound and outbound management system 100 involved in the first embodiment, a delivery robot 4 is also included. The delivery robot 4 is a robot that loads goods and drives to a predetermined delivery location to implement delivery. The delivery robot 4 has a wireless communication function and can communicate with the central server 1 through the network N1. In addition, the delivery robot 4 has a touch panel display 401, and outputs suggestions related to regular purchases, introductions to goods, and questionnaires received from the central server 1.

[0134] In the second embodiment, the central server 1 executes the same as the first embodiment. Figures 6 to 8B The control unit 12 of the central server 1 instructs the delivery robot 4 to output the above contents when the delivery is performed due to the regular purchase of the product, and when there are suggestions related to the regular purchase, introduction of the product, and questionnaire survey, etc., regarding the product.

[0135] Fig.10 This is an example of a flowchart of the robot delivery control process of the central server 1 according to the second embodiment. Fig.10 The shown processing is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle. Fig.10 The processing shown is executed for each user, for example.

[0136] In OP501, the control unit 12 determines whether it is the delivery time of the product set for periodic purchase. Information related to periodic purchase is stored in the user information DB 14. If it is the delivery time of the product set for periodic purchase (OP501: Yes), the process proceeds to OP502. If it is not the delivery time of the product set for periodic purchase (OP501: No), the process ends. Fig.10 Processing shown.

[0137] In OP502, the control unit 12 sends a delivery instruction to the delivery robot 4. In OP503, the control unit 12 determines whether there is a notification of a suggestion related to the regular purchase, a product introduction, a questionnaire survey, etc., regarding the regular purchase product of the user. The above determination is performed, for example, by using Fig. 8A as well as Figure 8B In the case where a notification such as a proposal related to a regular purchase, a product introduction, or a questionnaire survey is judged by the processing, it is implemented by causing the control unit 12 to record the information indicating the meaning in a predetermined storage area of ​​the memory 102, and judging whether the judgment result of the corresponding notification has been recorded.

[0138] If there is a notification of a suggestion related to the regular purchase, introduction of the product, or questionnaire survey related to the regular purchase of the product by the user (OP503: Yes), the process proceeds to OP504. If there is no notification of a suggestion related to the regular purchase, introduction of the product, or questionnaire survey related to the regular purchase of the product by the user (OP503: No), Fig.10 The shown processing ends.

[0139] In OP504, the control unit 12 instructs the delivery robot 4 to implement notifications such as suggestions related to the regular purchases, product introductions, and questionnaires, etc., with respect to the regular purchases of the user. Fig.10 The processing shown ends. When delivering the regularly purchased merchandise, the delivery robot 4 outputs a notification of the instruction to the touch panel display 401 .

[0140] In the second embodiment, since the user is notified of suggestions related to the regularly purchased goods, product introductions, and questionnaires regarding the regularly purchased goods of the user at the time of delivery of the regularly purchased goods, these notifications can be implemented at a time when the user's awareness is focused on the goods. This can improve the effectiveness of the suggestions and the collection rate of the answers to the questionnaires.

[0141] <Third embodiment>

[0142] In the third embodiment, RFID is used as a sensor for detecting the article 300 stored in the refrigerator 200. That is, in the third embodiment, the reader 206 provided on the sensor device 2 is a reader of an RF tag, and the RF tag 3 is attached or incorporated on the article 300 instead of the code 3. In the third embodiment, except for the use of RFID, the same as the first and second embodiments are used. The description repeated with the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0143] In the third embodiment, the reader 206 is an RF tag reader. For example, the reader 206 transmits radio waves for short-range wireless communication at a predetermined period, and receives reflected waves from the RF tag 3. The reflected waves from the RF tag 3 include identification information recorded in the RF tag 3. When the reader 206 obtains the identification information included in the reflected waves from the RF tag 3, it outputs it to the CPU 201. The transmission period of the reader 206 can be arbitrarily set in units of 1 second within a range of 1 second to 10 minutes, for example.

[0144] That is, the reader 206 receives identification information of the articles 300 stored in the refrigerator 200 from the RF tags 3 stored in the refrigerator 200. A plurality of articles 300 are stored in the refrigerator 200, and the reader 206 obtains identification information of all or part of the articles 300 when receiving reflected waves from the RF tags 3 of all or part of the articles 300.

[0145] In the third embodiment, the control unit 22 of the sensor device 2 receives input of identification information of one or more items 300 read from the RF tag 3 from the reader 206. When receiving the input of identification information of one or more items 300 from the reader 206, the control unit 22 generates inventory detection information and sends it to the transmission unit 23, and transmits it to the central server 1 through the transmission unit 23. The inventory detection information includes, for example, a timestamp, identification information of the sensor device 2, and identification information of the one or more detected items 300.

[0146] In the third embodiment, when the control unit 12 of the central server 1 receives the inventory detection information from the sensor device 2, it stores the information in a predetermined storage area of ​​the memory 102. In addition, the control unit 12 compares the inventory detection information received last time with the inventory detection information received this time, and records the difference as the in-and-out history information in the in-and-out history information DB 15 and the inventory information DB 16.

[0147] Fig.11 This is an example of a flowchart of the processing when the central server 1 receives the inventory detection information according to the third embodiment. Figure 6 The processing shown is executed Fig.11 Processing shown. Fig.11 The shown processing is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle.

[0148] In OP601, the control unit 12 determines whether the inventory detection information is received from the sensor device 2 via the receiving unit 11. If the inventory detection information is received from the sensor device 2 (OP601: Yes), the process proceeds to OP602. If the inventory detection information is not received from the sensor device 2 (OP601: No), Fig.11 The shown processing ends.

[0149] In OP602, the control unit 12 compares the inventory detection information received this time with the inventory detection information received last time, and determines whether there is a difference compared with the inventory detection information received last time. If there is a difference compared with the inventory detection information received last time (OP602: Yes), it means that the item 300 has been put into or taken out of the cold storage 200, and the process proceeds to OP603. If there is no difference compared with the inventory detection information received last time (OP602: No), it means that the item 300 has not been put into or taken out of the cold storage 200, so Fig.11 The shown processing ends.

[0150] In OP603, the control unit 12 determines the newly detected item 300 as a warehoused item based on the inventory detection information received this time, and determines the item 300 that was included in the inventory detection information received last time but becomes undetectable in the inventory detection information received this time as a warehoused item.

[0151] In OP604, the control unit 12 records the article 300 determined to be in or out of the warehouse in OP603 in the in-warehouse and out-warehouse history information DB15 and the inventory information DB16. The timestamps in the in-warehouse and out-warehouse history information DB15 and the inventory information DB16 of the article 300 determined to be in or out of the warehouse use the timestamps included in the inventory detection information received this time. In addition, the inventory detection information received this time is stored in a predetermined storage area of ​​the memory 102. At this time, the inventory detection information received last time can be overwritten and updated by the inventory detection information received this time, or both inventory detection information can be maintained.

[0152] The following processing is similar to that of the first embodiment. Figures 7 to 8B In the third embodiment, Figure 4 The in-and-out history information DB15 shown, Figure 5 The inventory information DB16 shown, Figures 7 to 8B as well as Fig.11 The processes shown are just examples, and they can be changed appropriately according to the implementation.

[0153] For example, instead of Fig.11 In the processing shown in FIG. 1 , the sensor device 2 may also obtain the difference between the inventory detection information received this time and the inventory detection information received last time as the in-and-out history information, and send the in-and-out history information to the central server 1. In this case, the central server 1 may also implement the same Figure 6 The same processing as shown.

[0154] According to the third embodiment, even when RFID is used, it is possible to acquire the history information of the entry and exit of articles into and from the refrigerator 200.

[0155] <Other embodiments>

[0156] The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present disclosure can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0157] It is also possible to register multiple users for one cold storage 200. In this case, the facial image of each user is pre-registered in the user information DB 14 as one of the user information. When the item 300 is put into or taken out of the cold storage, the facial image of the user is photographed by the camera 207, and the photographed image is sent to the central server 1, and the user is identified by comparing it with the facial image registered in the user information DB 14. The user's identification information is added to the in-and-out history information, and the in-and-out history information of each commodity is counted for each user. Then, for each user, for example, Figures 6 to 8BThus, it is possible to implement suggestions related to regular purchases, introductions to products, and questionnaires based on the consumption tendency of each user's products. In this case, the facial image of the user captured by the camera 207 is an example of "user identification information".

[0158] The processes and methods described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a freely combined manner unless technical contradictions arise.

[0159] Furthermore, a process described as being implemented by one device may be shared and executed by multiple devices. Alternatively, a process described as being implemented by different devices may be executed by one device. In a computer system, the hardware structure (server structure) used to implement each function can be flexibly changed.

[0160] The present disclosure can also be implemented in the following manner, that is, a computer program with the functions described in the above-mentioned embodiment is provided to a computer, and one or more processors of the computer are read and executed. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer via a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or it can be provided to the computer via a network. Non-temporary computer-readable storage media include, for example, any type of disk (floppy disk (registered trademark), hard disk drive (HDD)), optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD optical disk, Blu-ray disc, etc.), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), EPROM, EEPROM, magnetic card, flash memory, optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic commands.

[0161] Explanation of symbols

[0162] 1…Central Server

[0163] 2…Sensor device

[0164] 3…Code, RF tag

[0165] 14…User information DB

[0166] 15…In and out storage history information DB

[0167] 16…Inventory information DB

[0168] 17…Product Information DB

[0169] 18…Questionnaire survey DB

[0170] 100, 100B…Inbound and outbound management system

[0171] 101, 201…CPU

[0172] 102, 202…Memory

[0173] 103, 203…External storage device

[0174] 104…Ministry of Communications

[0175] 200…cold storage

[0176] 204…Wireless Communications Department

[0177] 205…Touch panel display

[0178] 206…Reader

[0179] 207…Camera

[0180] 300…items.

Claims

1. An information processing device, wherein: A control unit is provided, and the control unit performs the following processing, namely: acquiring history information indicating a history of entry or exit of a first product into or from the storage, detected by a sensor provided in the storage; acquiring, based on the historical information, first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product by a user associated with the storage; performing processing related to delivery of the first product to the user based on the first information; Based on the historical information, when it is indicated that consumption of the first commodity has been detected and the consumption quantity of the first commodity is greater than a predetermined quantity or the number of times the first commodity has been in and out of the warehouse is greater than a predetermined number of times, prompting the user to complete a questionnaire survey related to the evaluation of the first commodity; Receiving the answer result of the questionnaire survey; Furthermore, based on the answer results of the questionnaire, a process related to the delivery of the first product is performed.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein: As a process related to the delivery, the control unit proposes to the user to stop the periodic purchase of the first product when the periodic purchase of the first product is set and the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product is less than a first threshold value.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein: further comprising a storage unit for storing the first threshold value for each commodity, The control unit further executes a process of acquiring the first threshold value corresponding to the first product from the storage unit.

4. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: As a processing related to the delivery, the control unit proposes to the user to change the setting of at least one of the delivery interval for periodic purchases of the first commodity or the shipment quantity for one delivery, when periodic purchases of the first commodity are set and the first information indicates that the change in the consumption frequency of the first commodity is greater than a predetermined amount.

5. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: As a process related to the delivery, the control unit proposes periodic purchase of the first product to the user when periodic purchase of the first product is not set and the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product is equal to or greater than a second threshold value.

6. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control unit further performs the following processing: when the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product or a product of the category into which the first product is classified is greater than a third threshold, notifying the user of an introduction to other products of the category into which the first product is classified.

7. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The storage is provided with a second sensor, the second sensor detecting a user who enters or takes out the first product. The information processing device further includes a second storage unit that stores associations between the repository and identification information of a plurality of users. The control unit performs the following processing, namely: acquiring identification information of a user identified by the second sensor together with the history information, The first information is obtained for each of the plurality of users.

8. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The control unit further executes a process of instructing the robot to deliver the first product and outputting a proposal to the user implemented by the process related to the delivery of the first product.

9. An information processing system, wherein: Equipped with storage and control department, The storage warehouse is provided with a sensor for detecting the entry or exit of the first product. The control unit performs the following processing, namely: acquiring history information indicating a history of entry into or exit from the storage of the first product detected by the sensor; acquiring, based on the historical information, first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product by a user associated with the storage; performing processing related to delivery of the first product to the user based on the first information; Based on the historical information, when it is indicated that consumption of the first commodity has been detected and the consumption quantity of the first commodity is greater than a predetermined quantity or the number of times the first commodity has been in and out of the warehouse is greater than a predetermined number of times, prompting the user to complete a questionnaire survey related to the evaluation of the first commodity; Receiving the answer result of the questionnaire survey; Furthermore, based on the answer results of the questionnaire, a process related to the delivery of the first product is performed.

10. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein: As a process related to the delivery, the control unit proposes to the user to stop the periodic purchase of the first product when the periodic purchase of the first product is set and the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product is less than a first threshold value.

11. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein: further comprising a storage unit for storing the first threshold value for each commodity, The control unit further executes a process of acquiring the first threshold value corresponding to the first product from the storage unit.

12. The information processing system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: As a processing related to the delivery, the control unit proposes to the user to change the setting of at least one of the delivery interval for periodic purchases of the first commodity or the shipment quantity for one delivery, when periodic purchases of the first commodity are set and the first information indicates that the change in the consumption frequency of the first commodity is greater than a predetermined amount.

13. The information processing system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: As a process related to the delivery, the control unit proposes periodic purchase of the first product to the user when periodic purchase of the first product is not set and the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product is equal to or greater than a second threshold value.

14. The information processing system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The control unit further performs the following processing: when the first information indicates that the consumption frequency of the first product or a product of the category into which the first product is classified is greater than a third threshold, notifying the user of an introduction to other products of the category into which the first product is classified.

15. The information processing system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The storage further includes a second sensor for detecting a user who enters or takes out the first product. further comprising a second storage unit for storing associations between the storage and identification information of a plurality of users, The control unit performs the following processing, namely: acquiring identification information of a user identified by the second sensor together with the history information; The first information is obtained for each of the plurality of users.

16. The information processing system according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: There are also robots, The control unit further executes a process of instructing the robot to deliver the first product and outputting a proposal to the user implemented by the process related to the delivery of the first product.

17. An information processing method, wherein: The following processing is performed by a computer, namely: acquiring history information indicating a history of entry or exit of a first product into or from the storage, detected by a sensor provided in the storage; acquiring, based on the historical information, first information indicating a consumption tendency of the first product by a user associated with the storage; Based on the historical information, when it is indicated that consumption of the first commodity has been detected and the consumption quantity of the first commodity is greater than a predetermined quantity or the number of times the first commodity has been in and out of the warehouse is greater than a predetermined number of times, prompting the user to complete a questionnaire survey related to the evaluation of the first commodity; receiving a result of answering the questionnaire; and further performing a process related to delivery of the first product to the user based on the first information and the result of answering the questionnaire.

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