Information Processing Apparatus and Information Processing Method

Abstract

An information processing apparatus and an information processing method include a control unit that manages the inventory of purchased goods stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on information related to a first product obtained from an electronic tag attached to the first product. The control unit obtains information related to the first product from the electronic tag of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location, obtains the quantity of the first product, and detects a situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or with an unknown presence of an attached electronic tag is mixed into the predetermined storage location based on purchase information indicating the purchase actions of the user. When the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, the control unit manages the inventory of the goods stored in the predetermined storage location based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. In inventory management using electronic tags, accurate inventory management can be performed even when goods without attached electronic tags are mixed in.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] There is disclosed an inventory management system that performs inventory management based on measurement data from a weight sensor that measures the weight of a product placed on the top plate of a housing, and places an order for the product when the remaining quantity becomes less than the appropriate inventory level (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-008331 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in inventory management using an electronic tag such as an RFID, for example, it is considered that a product without an attached electronic tag may be mixed in the storage location, but there is no disclosure of a technique for inventory management in such a case.

[0007] One problem of the disclosed technical solution is to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that can accurately perform inventory management even when a product without an attached electronic tag is mixed in during inventory management using an electronic tag.

[0008] Technical Solution for Solving the Problem

[0009] One technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing apparatus including a control unit that executes: managing the inventory quantity of purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on information related to a first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication with the electronic tag,

[0010] The control unit executes:

[0011] obtaining information related to the first product stored in the predetermined storage location from the electronic tag of the first product, and obtaining the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location,

[0012] detecting a situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or of unknown tag attachment is mixed into the predetermined storage location based on purchase information indicating the purchase actions of the user,

[0013] When the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, the inventory of the products stored in the predetermined storage location is managed based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location.

[0014] Another technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing method, including managing the inventory of the purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on the information related to the first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication with the electronic tag.

[0015] The information processing method includes:

[0016] Obtain information related to the first product stored in the predetermined storage location from the electronic tag of the first product, and obtain the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location.

[0017] Based on the purchase information indicating the purchase behavior of the user, detect the situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or with an unknown presence of an attached electronic tag is mixed into the predetermined storage location.

[0018] When the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, manage the inventory of the products stored in the predetermined storage location based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location.

[0019] Another technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing device, which includes a control unit that executes: managing the inventory of the purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on the information related to the first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication with the electronic tag.

[0020] The control unit,

[0021] Based on the purchase information indicating the purchase behavior of the user, detect the situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or with an unknown presence of an attached electronic tag is mixed into the predetermined storage location.

[0022] When it is detected that the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, notify the user associated with the predetermined storage location of the situation that the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location.

[0023] Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to one technical solution of the present disclosure, in inventory management using electronic tags, even when goods without attached electronic tags are mixed in, inventory management can be accurately performed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 FIG. is an example showing the structure of an inventory management system according to the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 FIG. is an example showing the hardware structure of the management server, sensor device, and user terminal according to the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 FIG. is an example showing the functional configuration of the management server, sensor device, and user terminal according to the first embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 FIG. is an example of information stored in the inventory information database.

[0029] Figure 5 FIG. is an example of a flowchart of the detection process of unlabeled goods by the management server.

[0030] Figure 6 FIG. is an example of a flowchart of the inventory quantity confirmation process of the management server.

[0031] Figure 7 FIG. is a diagram showing a scenario of the change in the number of goods stored in the storage warehouse.

[0032] Figure 8 FIG. is an example showing the change in the number of goods stored in the storage warehouse without considering unlabeled goods.

[0033] Figure 9 FIG. is an example of the change in the number of goods stored in the storage warehouse managed by the inventory management system according to the first embodiment.

[0034] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0035] 1 Management server

[0036] 2 Sensor device

[0037] 3 User terminal

[0038] 4 External server

[0039] 5 RF tag

[0040] 11 Receiver

[0041] 12 Control unit

[0042] 13 Sending Unit

[0043] 14 User Information DB

[0044] 15 Inventory Information DB

[0045] 16 Product Information DB

[0046] 100 Inventory Management System

[0047] 101 CPU

[0048] 102 Memory

[0049] 103 External Storage Device

[0050] 104 Communication Unit

[0051] 200 Vault Detailed Implementation Manner

[0052] One technical solution of the present disclosure is an information processing device, which includes a control unit that executes: managing the inventory quantity of the purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with the user based on the information related to the first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product through short-range wireless communication. The control unit obtains the information related to the first product stored in the predetermined storage location from the electronic tag of the first product, and obtains the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location. The control unit detects the situation where the second product without an electronic tag or of unknown presence of an electronic tag is mixed into the predetermined storage location based on the purchase information indicating the purchase behavior of the user. In addition, when the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, the control unit manages the inventory quantity of the products stored in the predetermined storage location based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location.

[0053] The information processing device is, for example, a server. In addition, the information processing device may also be a PC (Personal Computer) present in the predetermined storage location, a computer connected to the reader of the electronic tag, etc. The predetermined storage location is, for example, a storage rack or a vault in the user's home, office, or factory. The electronic tag is, for example, an RF tag. In one technical solution of the present disclosure, the second product without an electronic tag also includes a product of unknown presence of an electronic tag. In addition, the first product and the second product may be products of the same type but different brands. The purchase information is, for example, the POS data of a physical store, the product order history of an e-commerce merchant, or the product delivery completion report, etc.

[0054] According to one technical solution of the present disclosure, in the inventory management of goods stored in a storage location using electronic tags, even when goods without attached electronic tags are mixed in, the inventory quantity of the goods can be managed more accurately.

[0055] In one technical solution of the present disclosure, the control unit may also execute: when the first inventory quantity obtained by summing the quantity of the first good and the quantity of the second good stored in a predetermined storage location becomes equal to or less than a first threshold value, place an order for the first good or a predetermined good of the same type as the first good. The first threshold value is variable according to the type of the good. Thereby, the inventory quantity of the goods is automatically maintained, and the situation of out-of-stock can be avoided. In addition, the labor involved in inventory management can be reduced.

[0056] In one technical solution of the present disclosure, the control unit may also execute: when the quantity of the first good stored in a predetermined storage location becomes equal to or less than a second threshold value, notify a user associated with the predetermined storage location of an inquiry as to whether to place an order for the first good or a predetermined good of the same type as the first good. Thereby, since the order is placed after obtaining the confirmation of the user, the order of unnecessary goods can be suppressed.

[0057] In one technical solution of the present disclosure, the control unit may also execute: obtain the quantity of the second good newly stored in a predetermined storage location from the purchase information, and update the quantity of the second good stored in the predetermined storage location. The purchase information is based on the fact of the user's purchase action, and by using the purchase information, the quantity of the second good stored in the predetermined storage location can be grasped more accurately.

[0058] In one technical solution of the present disclosure, the control unit may also execute: when confirmation that the second good is not stored in the predetermined storage location is obtained from a user associated with the predetermined storage location, reset the quantity of the second good stored in the predetermined storage location. In addition, the control unit may also execute: subtract the quantity of the second good that has passed a predetermined time since being mixed into the predetermined storage location, and update the quantity of the second good stored in the predetermined storage location. The predetermined period is, for example, the period until the expiration date of the second good. According to these, the quantity of the second good stored in the predetermined storage location can be grasped more accurately.

[0059] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit may also execute: when it is detected that the second product has been mixed into a predetermined storage location, notifying a user associated with the predetermined storage location of the situation that the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location. Thereby, in a situation where there is a possibility that the entry and exit of products with respect to the storage location cannot be accurately grasped due to the mixing of products without tags into the predetermined storage location, the user can be alerted to pay attention to this situation. In addition, through this notification, the user can be motivated to stop storing products without tags in the predetermined storage location.

[0060] In one aspect of the present disclosure, together with the notification of the mixing of the second product into the predetermined storage location, the control unit may also ask the user associated with the predetermined storage location whether to store the second product in the predetermined storage location. Thereby, the mixing of products without tags into the predetermined storage location can be determined.

[0061] Another aspect of the present disclosure may be determined as an information processing method. The information processing method includes: managing the inventory of purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on information related to the first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication with the electronic tag. The information processing method includes: obtaining information related to the first product stored in the predetermined storage location from the electronic tag of the first product, obtaining the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location, detecting the situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or with an unknown presence of an attached electronic tag has been mixed into the predetermined storage location based on purchase information indicating the purchase actions of the user, and when the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location, managing the inventory of products stored in the predetermined storage location based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location.

[0062] In addition, one aspect of the present disclosure may also be an information processing device, which includes a control unit that executes: managing the inventory of purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on information related to the first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication with the electronic tag, the control unit detecting the situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or with an unknown presence of an attached electronic tag has been mixed into the predetermined storage location based on purchase information indicating the purchase actions of the user associated with the predetermined storage location, and when it is detected that the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location, notifying the user of the situation that the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location.

[0063] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configurations of the following embodiments are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments.

[0064] <First Embodiment>

[0065] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of an inventory management system 100 according to the first embodiment. The inventory management system 100 is, for example, a system that manages the inventory of purchased goods stored in a predetermined storage facility, such as the user's home, where the goods are attached with RF tags. The inventory management system 100 includes a management server 1, a sensor device 2 installed in the storage facility 200, and a user terminal 3 of the user associated with the sensor device 2. In addition, in Figure 1 In the example shown, the storage facility 200 is installed inside the user's home. The storage facility 200 is an example of a "predetermined storage location". However, the "predetermined storage location" can also be, for example, a storage facility installed in an office, a factory, or the like.

[0066] The network N1 is, for example, a public line network such as the Internet. The management server 1, the sensor device 2, and the user terminal 3 are connected to the network N1. The sensor device 2 and the user terminal 3 can communicate with the management server 1 via the network N1.

[0067] The sensor device 2 is, for example, a control device equipped with a reader for an RF tag, which is an example of an electronic tag. The sensor device 2 can be either a device sold integrally with the storage facility 200 or a device sold individually and capable of being retrofitted to the storage facility 200. The sensor device 2 is, for example, wirelessly connected to a relay device installed inside the home and then connected to the network N1.

[0068] For example, an RF tag 5 is attached or embedded in the items stored in the storage facility 200. The items stored in the storage facility 200 are, for example, foods such as beverages, foods, and seasonings, daily necessities, and detergents. However, the items stored in the storage facility 200 are not limited to these. The sensor device 2 communicates with the RF tag 5 of the item stored in the storage facility 200 by sending an RFID wireless signal at a predetermined cycle, thereby obtaining the identification information of the item. For example, the identification information of the item obtained from the RF tag 5 includes the identification information of the commodity corresponding to the item and an individual identification number. The sensor device 2 sends inventory detection information to the management server 1, and the inventory detection information includes the identification information of the item stored in the storage facility 200 that has been obtained. When there are multiple items attached with RF tags 5 stored in the storage facility 200, the inventory detection information includes the identification information of these multiple items.

[0069] When the management server 1 receives inventory detection information from the sensor device 2, it compares the received inventory detection information with the inventory information that the management server 1 already has, which includes information on the items stored in the storage vault 200. When the received inventory detection information includes an item that does not exist in the inventory information, the management server 1 detects that the item has been newly stored in the storage vault 200 and adds the information of the item to the inventory information. When the inventory information includes an item that does not exist in the inventory detection information, the management server 1 detects that the item has been removed from the storage vault 200 and deletes the information of the item from the inventory information. In this way, in the inventory management system 100, RFID is used to manage the inventory in the storage vault 200.

[0070] In the first embodiment, when an item 500 of unknown RF tag attachment is mixed in, the inventory is managed considering the quantity of the item 500. Generally, when referring to an item, it means the purchased item, and when referring to a product, it means the item being sold. However, in this specification, these are not distinguished and are all referred to as products. Hereafter, the items and products with RF tags are referred to as tagged products. The items and products without RF tags or of unknown RF tag attachment are referred to as untagged products. The item 500 is an untagged product. Additionally, the quantity of the product is represented by the number, weight, volume, etc. depending on the embodiment.

[0071] For example, when a user purchases a product in a physical store or an online store, as the purchase information, the POS data of the physical store, the purchase history information in the online store, or the delivery completion report of the delivery company is sent from the external server 4 that manages this information to the management server 1. When the management server 1 detects that the purchased item indicated by the purchase information is an untagged product, it sends a notice to the user terminal 3 indicating that there is a possibility that the untagged product has been brought home. Along with this notice, the management server 1 also sends an inquiry to the user terminal 3 asking whether to store the untagged product in the storage vault 200.

[0072] When an answer to store the untagged product in the storage vault 200 is received from the user terminal 3, the management server 1 adds information related to the untagged product to the inventory information. Then, the management server 1 monitors the quantity of the untagged products and the tagged products stored in the storage vault 200 to manage the inventory. Hereafter, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, it is assumed that the products stored in the storage vault 200 are of one item. However, as long as the items stored in the storage vault 200 are of the same item, the brand, volume, etc. can also be different. As a specific example, red wine is stored in the storage vault 200, but the brands and volumes of the multiple red wines stored in the storage vault 200 can also be different.

[0073] In the first embodiment, as inventory management, when the total amount of unlabeled products stored in the storage vault 200 and the amount of labeled products becomes equal to or less than a first threshold value, the management server 1 places an order for products of a predetermined brand of the same item with a predetermined store.

[0074] According to the first embodiment, since inventory management is also performed in consideration of the amount of unlabeled products stored in the storage vault 200, it is possible to accurately grasp the amount of products actually stored in the storage vault 200 and perform inventory management.

[0075] Figure 2 FIG. is an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 1, the sensor device 2, and the user terminal 3 according to the first embodiment. As the hardware configuration, the management server 1 includes 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 computer-readable recording media. The management server 1 is an example of an "information processing device".

[0076] 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). Programs stored in the external storage device 103 include, for example, an operating system (OS), a control program for the inventory management system 100, and various other application programs. The control program for the inventory management system 100 is a program for performing inventory management of the storage vault 200.

[0077] The memory 102 is a storage device that provides a storage area for loading programs stored in the external storage device 103 to the CPU 101, a working area, and / or is used as a cache. The memory 102 includes, for example, semiconductor memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0078] The CPU 101 performs execution by loading the OS and various application programs stored in the external storage device 103 into the memory 102, thereby performing various processes. The CPU 101 is not limited to one, and multiple CPUs 101 may be provided. The CPU 101 is an example of a "control unit".

[0079] The communication unit 104 is an interface for inputting and outputting information to and from the network. The communication unit 104 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) card or the like. However, the communication unit 104 is not limited thereto, and for example, it can also be an ONU (Optical Network Unit) interface of an optical circuit. The hardware structure of the management server 1 is not limited to Figure 2 the structure shown.

[0080] 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, and a reader 205. 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.

[0081] The wireless communication unit 204 is an interface for inputting and outputting information to and from the network. The wireless communication unit 204 accesses the network N1, for example, by performing wireless communication such as WiFi or BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), and connects to a relay device such as an access point installed in the user's home, thereby communicating with the management server 1.

[0082] The reader 205 is, for example, a reader for an RF tag. For example, the reader 205 transmits radio waves for short-range wireless communication at a predetermined cycle and receives reflected waves from the RF tag 5. The reflected waves from the RF tag 5 contain identification information recorded on the RF tag 5. When the reader 205 obtains the identification information contained in the reflected waves from the RF tag 5, it outputs the information to the CPU 201.

[0083] Next, as a hardware structure, the user terminal 3 includes a CPU 301, a memory 302, an external storage device 303, a wireless communication unit 304, and a touch panel display 305. The CPU 301, the memory 302, and the external storage device 303 are the same as the CPU 101, the memory 102, and the external storage device 103. A client application program of the inventory management system 100 is stored in the external storage device 303.

[0084] The wireless communication unit 304 is connected to the network N1 by a predetermined wireless communication method. The wireless communication unit 304 performs, for example, mobile body wireless communication methods such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-Advanced, and 5G, or wireless communication such as WiFi.

[0085] The touch panel display 305 accepts operation inputs from the user and outputs them to the CPU 301. In addition, the touch panel display 305 displays images input from the CPU 301. In addition,Figure 2 The hardware configurations of the management server 1, the sensor device 2, and the user terminal 3 shown are an example and are not limited to these.

[0086] Figure 3 FIG. is an example showing the functional configurations of the management server 1, the sensor device 2, and the user terminal 3 according to the first embodiment. First, as the functional configurations, the sensor device 2 includes a receiving unit 21, a control unit 22, and a transmitting unit 23. These functional components are realized by the CPU 201 of the sensor device 2 executing a predetermined program in the external storage device 203.

[0087] The receiving unit 21 and the transmitting unit 23 are interfaces with the management server 1. The transmitting unit 23 transmits the data input from the control unit 22 to the management server 1 via the wireless communication unit 204. The receiving unit 21 receives data from the management server 1 via the wireless communication unit 204 and outputs the received data to the control unit 22.

[0088] The control unit 22 receives the input of the identification information of one or more tagged products read from the RF tag 5 of one or more tagged products stored in the storage 200 at a predetermined cycle from the reader 205. The cycle of the reader 205 transmitting the RFID wireless signal can be arbitrarily set within a range such as several seconds to 1 minute. When the control unit 22 is input with the identification information of one or more tagged products stored in the storage 200 from the reader 205, it generates inventory detection information and transmits it to the management server 1 via the transmitting unit 23. The inventory detection information includes, for example, the identification information of the sensor device 2, a timestamp, and the identification information of one or more tagged products stored in the storage 200.

[0089] Next, as the functional configurations, the management server 1 includes a receiving unit 11, a control unit 12, a transmitting unit 13, a user information DB 14, an inventory information DB 15, and a product information DB 16. These functional components are realized by the CPU 101 executing the control program of the inventory management system 100.

[0090] The receiving unit 11 and the transmitting unit 13 are interfaces with the network N1. The receiving unit 11 receives data from the sensor device 2, the user terminal 3, and the external server 4 via the network N1, for example, and outputs it to the control unit 12. The transmitting unit 13 transmits the data input from the control unit 12 to the user terminal 3 via the network N1.

[0091] When the control unit 12 receives inventory detection information from the sensor device 2 via the receiving unit 11, it compares the inventory information of the corresponding sensor device 2 stored in the inventory information DB 15 with the received inventory detection information, and updates the inventory information DB 15 based on the difference. For example, in the case of a tagged product that does not exist in the inventory information of the sensor device 2 but newly exists in the received inventory detection information, the control unit 12 determines that the tagged product has been newly stored in the storage facility 200, and adds information related to the tagged product to the inventory information DB 15. For example, in the case of a tagged product that exists in the inventory information of the sensor device 2 but does not exist in the received inventory detection information, the control unit 12 determines that the tagged product has been removed from the storage facility 200, and deletes the information related to the tagged product from the inventory information DB 15.

[0092] In addition, when the control unit 12 receives purchase information from the external server 4 via the receiving unit 11, it refers to the product information DB 16 to determine whether the purchased product indicated by the purchase information is a tagged product or a tagless product. The external server 4 is, for example, a server that manages a physical store or an e-commerce merchant where the user has registered as a member. When the user purchases a product, the external server 4 sends purchase information including information related to the purchased product to the management server 1. The purchase information includes, for example, the identification information of the purchased product, the quantity of the purchased product, information related to the purchasing store, and the address of the delivery destination and the scheduled delivery date in the case of a purchase made through an e-commerce merchant.

[0093] In the case where the purchased product indicated by the purchase information is a tagless product and is purchased through an e-commerce merchant, when the delivery destination is the location where the storage facility 200 is installed, that is, the user's home, the control unit 12 detects that the purchased tagless product has been brought into the user's home. The control unit 12 may also obtain the location information of the user terminal 3. In the case where the purchased product indicated by the purchase information is a tagless product, the purchased store indicated by the purchase information is a physical store, and the location information of the user terminal 3 indicates that the user has moved towards the user's home after the purchase, the control unit 12 detects that the purchased tagless product has been brought into the user's home.

[0094] When it is detected that the purchased untagged item has been brought into the user's home, the control unit 12 sends a notice of the mixing-in of the untagged item to the user terminal 3. The notice of the mixing-in of the untagged item notifies the situation that there is a possibility of the untagged item mixing into the storage vault 200. Along with the notice of the mixing-in of the untagged item, an inquiry about the storage confirmation of the untagged item to the storage vault 200 is also sent. When the control unit 12 receives, from the user terminal 3, information indicating the situation of storing the untagged item in the storage vault 200 as a response to the inquiry about the storage confirmation of the untagged item to the storage vault 200, the information related to the untagged item is added to the inventory information DB 15.

[0095] In addition, the control unit 12 confirms the quantity of the items stored in the storage vault 200 at a predetermined timing. The timing for confirming the quantity of the items stored in the storage vault 200 is, for example, a predetermined time at intervals arbitrarily set within the range of 1 day to 1 week and when a predetermined event occurs. The predetermined event is, for example, the detection of the possibility of the mixing-in of an untagged item.

[0096] The control unit 12 obtains the total value M + m of the quantity M (M≥0) of the tagged items and the quantity m (m≥0) of the untagged items as the quantity of the items stored in the storage vault 200. When the quantity M + m of the items stored in the storage vault 200 becomes equal to or less than the first threshold value, the control unit 12 automatically orders the tagged item or a predetermined item of the same item type as the tagged item. In the automatic ordering, the item to be ordered, the quantity of the item to be ordered, and the supplier are set in advance by the user.

[0097] In addition, when the quantity M of the tagged items stored in the storage vault 200 becomes equal to or less than the second threshold value, the control unit 12 sends an inquiry to the user terminal 3 to confirm whether automatic ordering is possible. The second threshold value can be either the same value as the first threshold value or a different value from the first threshold value. When a response permitting automatic ordering is received from the user terminal 3, the control unit 12 performs automatic ordering.

[0098] In addition, when there is information related to an untagged item that has passed a predetermined period since being stored in the storage vault 200 in the inventory information DB 15, the control unit 12 determines that the untagged item has been taken out of the storage vault 200, and deletes the information related to the untagged item from the inventory information DB 15. The predetermined period for determining the deletion of the information related to the untagged item from the inventory information DB 15 is, for example, the period until the expiration date of consumption, the shelf life, or the use period of the untagged item or a predetermined period set in advance by the user.

[0099] The user information DB14, the inventory information DB15, and the product information DB16 are created in the storage area of the external storage device 103 of the management server 1. The user information DB14 holds information related to users. Information related to users includes, for example, the identification information of the users, the identification information of the sensor device 2, the names and home addresses of the users, the information to be the contact target of the user terminal 3, and the information related to automatic ordering. Information related to automatic ordering includes, for example, the identification information of the products for automatic ordering, the quantity of the products for automatic ordering, and the information of the suppliers for automatic ordering. In addition, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the storage vault 200 is set at the user's home. Therefore, the home address of the user included in the user information is the location of the storage vault 200 and is also the delivery destination for automatic ordering. When the storage vault 200 is set outside the user's home, the installation location of the storage vault 200 is included in the user information instead of the home address of the user, and the delivery destination for automatic ordering also becomes the installation location of the storage vault 200.

[0100] The inventory information DB15 holds information related to the products stored in the storage vault 200 of each user. The details of the information held in the inventory information DB15 will be described later. The product information DB16 stores information related to products. Information related to products held in the product information DB16 includes, for example, the identification information of the products, the presence or absence of RF tags, and the expiration date or use period (in the case where an expiration date or use period is set).

[0101] Next, as a functional configuration, the user terminal 3 includes a receiving unit 31, a control unit 32, and a transmitting unit 33. These functional components are implemented by the CPU 301 executing the client application program of the inventory management system 100.

[0102] The receiving unit 31 and the transmitting unit 33 are interfaces with the management server 1. The transmitting unit 33 transmits the data input from the control unit 32 to the management server 1 through the wireless communication unit 304. The receiving unit 31 receives data from the management server 1 through the wireless communication unit 304 and outputs the received data to the control unit 32.

[0103] The control unit 32 displays, for example, the notifications received from the management server 1 through the receiving unit 31 on the touch panel display 305. In addition, the control unit 32 transmits the responses input by the user through the touch panel display 305 to the management server 1 through the transmitting unit 33.

[0104] In addition, the functional configurations of the management server 1, the sensor device 2, and the user terminal 3 are not limited to Figure 3 the functional configurations shown. For example, the sensor device 2 may also perform a part of the processing of the management server 1.

[0105] Figure 4This is an example of the information stored in the inventory information DB15. In the inventory information DB15, an inventory information table is maintained for each user. The inventory information table includes fields for product ID, individual ID, label, and update date and time.

[0106] The product identification information is stored in the field of the product ID. The individual identification information of the product is stored in the field of the individual ID. Information indicating the presence or absence of an RF tag is stored in the field of the label. The last time when it was confirmed that the product was stored in the storage 200 is stored in the field of the update date and time.

[0107] In the case of a tagged product, the product identification information and the individual identification information are obtained from the RF tag 5 and notified by the inventory detection information from the sensor device 2. Therefore, the identification information notified by the inventory detection information is stored in the fields of both the product ID and the individual ID respectively. In addition, in the case of a tagged product, information indicating the presence of a tag is stored in the field of the label. In the case of a tagged product, the time stamp included in the inventory detection information of the product is stored in the field of the update date and time.

[0108] In the case of a non-tagged product, the product identification information and the individual identification information are obtained from the purchase information. Therefore, the product identification information notified by the purchase information is stored in the fields of the product ID and the individual ID. In the case where the purchase information does not include the individual identification information of the product, the control unit 12 assigns an individual identification information to the non-tagged product, and this individual identification information is stored in the field of the individual ID. In addition, in the case of a non-tagged product, information indicating the absence of a tag is stored in the field of the label. In the case of a non-tagged product, for example, the date and time when the purchase information including the product was received is stored in the field of the update date and time.

[0109] When the control unit 12 receives the inventory detection information from the sensor device 2, for the tagged products that exist in both the inventory detection information and the inventory information table, the field of the update date and time in the inventory information table is updated with the time stamp included in the inventory detection information. For the tagged products that exist in the inventory detection information but do not exist in the inventory information table, the control unit 12 registers the tagged products in the inventory information table. At this time, the control unit 12 stores the product identification information, the individual identification information, and the value of the time stamp included in the inventory detection information in the fields of the product ID, the individual ID, and the update date and time respectively. In addition, the control unit 12 stores information indicating the presence of a tag in the field of the label. For the tagged products that exist in the inventory information table but do not exist in the inventory detection information, the control unit 12 deletes the entry of the tagged products from the inventory information table.

[0110] When the control unit 12 receives purchase information from the external server 4 and receives a response indicating storage in the storage vault 200 from the user terminal 3 regarding the tagless item included in the purchase information, the control unit 12 registers the tagless item in the inventory information table. At this time, the control unit 12 stores the identification information of the item included in the purchase information and the individual identification information included in the purchase information or the individual identification information assigned by the control unit 12 in the fields of the item ID and the individual ID, respectively. In addition, the control unit 12 stores information indicating tagless in the field of the tag. Further, the control unit 12 stores, for example, the reception date and time of the purchase information or the reception date and time of the response from the user terminal 3 in the field of the update date and time.

[0111] In addition, when the control unit 12 receives a response from the user terminal 3 indicating that no tagless item is stored in the storage vault 200, the control unit 12 deletes all entry items of the tagless item from the inventory information table. Further, the control unit 12 deletes the entry items of the tagless item that have passed a predetermined period since the date and time indicated by the value in the field of the update date and time from the inventory information table.

[0112] In addition, the information stored in the inventory information table is not limited to Figure 4 the information shown. In addition, the method of registering, updating, and deleting entry items in the inventory information table is not limited to the above method.

[0113] <Process flow>

[0114] Figure 5 This is an example of a flowchart of the detection process of tagless items by the management server 1. Figure 5 The process shown is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle. Figure 5 The execution subject of the process shown is the CPU 101, but for ease of explanation, the functional components are used as the subject for explanation. The same applies to the subsequent flowcharts.

[0115] In OP101, the control unit 12 determines whether purchase information is received from the external server 4 by the reception unit 11. When purchase information is received from the external server 4 (OP101: Yes), the process proceeds to OP102. When purchase information is not received from the external server 4 (OP101: No), the process proceeds to OP105.

[0116] In OP102, the control unit 12 determines whether there is a possibility that a tagless commodity has been mixed into the storage vault 200 based on the received purchase information. Specifically, the control unit 12 refers to the commodity information DB16 to determine whether the purchased commodity indicated by the received purchase information is a tagless commodity. In addition, when the received purchase information includes the address of the delivery destination, the control unit 12 determines whether the address of the delivery destination is the home address of the user included in the user information DB14. When the purchased commodity indicated by the received purchase information is a tagless commodity and the address of the delivery destination is the home address of the user included in the user information DB14, the control unit 12 determines that there is a possibility that a tagless commodity has been mixed into the storage vault 200. In addition, the control unit 12 may obtain the location information of the user terminal 3, and when the purchased commodity indicated by the purchase information is a tagless commodity, the purchased store indicated by the purchase information is a physical store, and the situation indicated by the location information of the user terminal 3 shows that the user has moved towards their home after the purchase, it detects that the purchased tagless commodity has been brought into the user's home.

[0117] When it is determined that there is a possibility that a tagless commodity has been mixed into the storage vault 200 (OP102: Yes), the process proceeds to OP103. When it is not determined that there is a possibility that a tagless commodity has been mixed into the storage vault 200 (OP102: No), the process proceeds to OP105.

[0118] In OP103, the control unit 12 sends a notice of the mixing of the tagless commodity and an inquiry about the storage confirmation of the tagless commodity to the storage vault 200 to the user terminal 3. In OP104, the control unit 12 sets the waiting response flag to 1. The waiting response flag being 1 indicates a state of waiting for a response from the user terminal 3.

[0119] In OP105, the control unit 12 determines whether the waiting response flag is 1. When the waiting response flag is 1 (OP105: Yes), the process proceeds to OP106. When the waiting response flag is 0 (OP105: No), Figure 5 The process shown ends.

[0120] In OP106, the control unit 12 determines whether a response including information indicating storage of the tagless commodity in the storage vault 200 has been received from the user terminal 3. When a response including information indicating storage of the tagless commodity in the storage vault 200 has been received from the user terminal 3 (OP106: Yes), the process proceeds to OP107. When a response including information indicating storage of the tagless commodity in the storage vault 200 has not been received from the user terminal 3 (OP106: No), the process proceeds to OP109.

[0121] In OP107, the control unit 12 updates the quantity m of the tagless products stored in the storage vault 200 by adding the quantity of the purchased tagless products indicated by the purchase information to the current value of m. In OP108, the control unit 12 adds the information related to the tagless products indicated by the purchase information to the inventory information DB15.

[0122] In OP109, the control unit 12 determines whether a response containing information indicating that the tagless products are not to be stored in the storage vault 200 is received from the user terminal 3. If a response containing information indicating that the tagless products are not to be stored in the storage vault 200 is received from the user terminal 3 (OP109: Yes), the process proceeds to OP110. If no response is received from the user terminal 3 and a predetermined time has elapsed (OP109: No), Figure 5 the process shown ends.

[0123] In OP110, the control unit 12 sets the waiting-for-response flag to 0. Thereby, the state of waiting for a response from the user terminal 3 is released. Then, Figure 5 the process shown ends.

[0124] Figure 6 This is an example of a flowchart of the inventory quantity confirmation process of the management server 1. Figure 6 The process shown is executed at a predetermined timing. The execution timing of the inventory quantity confirmation process is, for example, a predetermined moment at intervals arbitrarily set within the range of 1 day to 1 week and when a predetermined event occurs. The predetermined event refers to, for example, the detection of the possibility of the mixing-in of tagless products.

[0125] In OP201, the control unit 12 obtains the quantity M of the tagged products stored in the storage vault 200. The quantity M of the tagged products stored in the storage vault 200 can be obtained, for example, by referring to the inventory information DB15 as the number of entry items in which information indicating tagged products is stored in the fields of the tags, or by counting the quantity of products included in the latest inventory detection information received from the sensor device 2.

[0126] In OP202, the control unit 12 sends, via the sending unit 13, an inquiry to the user terminal 3 regarding whether tagless products are mixed in the storage vault 200. In OP203, the control unit 12 determines whether a response containing information indicating that tagless products are mixed in the storage vault 200 is received from the user terminal 3 via the receiving unit 11.

[0127] In the case where a response containing information indicating that no untagged items are mixed in the storage vault 200 is received from the user terminal 3 (OP203: No), the process proceeds to OP204. In OP204, the control unit 12 updates the quantity m of the untagged items stored in the storage vault 200 to 0.

[0128] In the case where a response containing information indicating that untagged items are mixed in the storage vault 200 is received from the user terminal 3, or in the case where no response is received from the user terminal 3 even after a predetermined time has elapsed (OP203: Yes), the process proceeds to OP205. In OP205, the control unit 12 refers to the inventory information DB15 and determines whether there are any untagged items that have passed a predetermined time since the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field.

[0129] In the case where there are untagged items that have passed a predetermined time since the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field (OP205: Yes), the process proceeds to OP206. In OP206, the control unit 12 updates the quantity m of the untagged items stored in the storage vault 200 by subtracting the quantity of the untagged items that have passed a predetermined time since the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field. In the case where there are no untagged items that have passed a predetermined time since the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field (OP205: No), the process proceeds to OP208.

[0130] In OP207, the control unit 12 deletes all information on untagged items from the inventory information DB15 (in the case where OP203 is No), or deletes the entry items of the untagged items that have passed a predetermined time since the time indicated by the value of the update date and time field (in the case where OP205 is Yes).

[0131] In OP208, the control unit 12 determines whether the quantity M + m of the items stored in the storage vault 200 is equal to or less than the first threshold value. In the case where the quantity M + m of the items stored in the storage vault 200 is equal to or less than the first threshold value (OP208: Yes), the process proceeds to OP209. In OP209, the control unit 12 performs automatic ordering of the tagged item or a predetermined item of the same product category set in the user information DB14. In the automatic ordering, the control unit 12 sends, via the sending unit 13, an instruction to an external server 4 that manages the store designated by the user, the instruction being to deliver to the user's home the predetermined quantity of the product designated by the user. Then, Figure 6 The processing shown ends.

[0132] When the quantity M + m of the goods stored in the storage vault 200 is greater than the first threshold value (OP208: No), the process proceeds to OP210. In OP210, the control unit 12 determines whether the quantity M of the tagged goods stored in the storage vault 200 is equal to or less than the second threshold value. When the quantity M of the tagged goods stored in the storage vault 200 is equal to or less than the second threshold value (OP210: Yes), the process proceeds to OP211. In OP211, the control unit 12 sends an inquiry for confirming whether automatic ordering is possible to the user terminal 3 through the sending unit 13. When a response permitting automatic ordering is received from the user terminal 3, the control unit 12 refers to the user information DB14 and performs automatic ordering. Then, Figure 6 The processing shown ends.

[0133] When the quantity M of the tagged goods stored in the storage vault 200 is greater than the second threshold value (OP210: No), Figure 6 The processing shown ends.

[0134] In addition, the processing of the management server 1 is not limited to Figure 5 and Figure 6 the processing shown, and can be appropriately changed according to the embodiment. For example, in OP202, when inquiring the user terminal 3 about whether there are untagged goods mixed in the storage vault 200, the quantity of the untagged goods stored in the storage vault 200 can also be inquired. When an answer regarding the quantity of the untagged goods stored in the storage vault 200 is obtained from the user terminal 3, the control unit 12 can also use the answered quantity as the quantity of the untagged goods, perform the processing after OP208, and / or update the inventory information DB15.

[0135] Using Figure 7 - Figure 9 , a specific example of the change in the quantity of the goods stored in the storage vault 200 based on the inventory management of the inventory management system 100 is described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing a scenario of the change in the number of goods stored in the storage vault 200. Figure 7 The curve and table shown represent the change in the total number M + m of the tagged goods and the untagged goods in the storage vault 200. Times T0 to T5 are timings for periodically executing the confirmation process of the number of goods stored in the storage vault 200. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The scenario of the change in the quantity of the goods stored in the storage vault 200 common to

[0136] (1) The threshold for automatic ordering is 1 piece. When automatically ordering, 3 tagged goods are ordered.

[0137] (2) At time point T0, there are 2 tagged items stored in the storage vault 200.

[0138] (3) During the period from time T0 to time T1, 1 untagged item is added to the storage vault 200.

[0139] (4) During the period from time T1 to time T2, 1 tagged item is taken out from the storage vault 200.

[0140] (5) During the period from time T2 to time T3, 1 tagged item is taken out from the storage vault 200.

[0141] At Figure 7 In the example shown, the threshold for automatic ordering is 1. Therefore, during the period from time T3 to time T4, automatic ordering is performed and 3 tagged items are added to the storage vault 200.

[0142] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the change in the number of items stored in the storage vault 200 without considering untagged items. In Figure 8 In the example shown, the tagged items stored in the storage vault 200 are detected by RFID, but even if untagged items are mixed in the storage vault 200, they cannot be detected. The numbers in parentheses indicate the total number of tagged and untagged items stored in the storage vault 200.

[0143] In scenario (3), during the period from time T0 to time T1, 1 untagged item is added to the storage vault 200, but in Figure 8 In the example shown, the untagged item is not detected. Therefore, at time T1, the number of items stored in the storage vault 200 detected by RFID remains unchanged at 2 from time T0 and is directly recognized as the number of items stored in the storage vault 200. At this time point, a difference occurs between the actual number of items stored in the storage vault 200 (3) and the number of items stored in the storage vault 200 recognized on the system side (2).

[0144] In scenario (4), when 1 tagged item is taken out from the storage vault 200 during the period from time T1 to time T2, in Figure 8In the example shown, at time T2, the number of products stored in storage vault 200 detected by RFID becomes 1. Therefore, at time T2, the number of products stored in storage vault 200 recognized on the system side becomes 1, which is below the threshold for automatic ordering. Although the actual number of products stored in storage vault 200 is a total of 2, namely 1 tagged product and 1 untagged product, on the system side, 3 tagged products will be automatically ordered. As a result, during the period from time T2 to time T3, 3 tagged products are added to storage vault 200. At time T3, although the actual number of products stored in storage vault 200 is a total of 5, namely 4 tagged products and 1 untagged product, on the system side, the number of products stored in storage vault 200 is recognized as 4 tagged products stored in storage vault 200.

[0145] Figure 9 is a diagram showing an example of the change in the number of products stored in storage vault 200 managed by inventory management system 100 according to the first embodiment. In Figure 9 the example shown, the solid curve represents the change in the number M of tagged products. The dashed curve represents the change in the total number M+m of tagged and untagged products. The number in parentheses represents the total number of tagged and untagged products stored in storage vault 200. Additionally, in Figure 9 the example shown, it is assumed that both the first threshold and the second threshold are 1.

[0146] In scenario (3), when 1 untagged product is added to storage vault 200 during the period from time T0 to time T1, information related to this untagged product is registered in inventory information DB15 (for example, refer to Figure 5 ). Therefore, at time T1, the number of products stored in storage vault 200 recognized by management server 1 becomes the sum of the quantity of 2 tagged products detected by RFID and the quantity of 1 untagged product, which matches the actual number of products stored in storage vault 200 (3).

[0147] In scenario (4), when 1 tagged product is removed from storage vault 200 during the period from time T1 to time T2, in Figure 9 the example shown, at time T2, the quantity of tagged products stored in storage vault 200 detected by RFID becomes 1. Therefore, at time T2, the number of products stored in storage vault 200 recognized by management server 1 becomes the sum of 1 tagged product and 1 untagged product, which is 2. At time T2, the actual number of products stored in storage vault 200 (2) matches the number of products stored in storage vault 200 recognized by management server 1.

[0148] At time T2, the number M of tagged items stored in storage facility 200 becomes equal to or less than the second threshold value (= 1 item). Therefore, the management server 1 sends an inquiry to the user terminal 3 to confirm whether automatic ordering is possible. Since there are actually a total of 2 items (1 tagged item and 1 untagged item) stored in storage facility 200, the user selects to reject automatic ordering and sends a response rejecting automatic ordering from the user terminal 3 to the management server 1. Therefore, no automatic ordering is performed at time T2.

[0149] In scenario (5), when one tagged item is taken out of storage facility 200 during the period from time T2 to time T3, in Figure 9 the example shown, at time T3, the number of items stored in storage facility 200 detected by RFID becomes 0. Therefore, at time T3, the number of items stored in storage facility 200 recognized by the management server 1 becomes a total of 1 item (0 tagged items and 1 untagged item), which is equal to or less than the first threshold value for automatic ordering. Therefore, the management server 1 automatically orders 3 tagged items. As a result, during the period from time T3 to time T4, 3 tagged items are added to storage facility 200.

[0150] At time T4, the number of items stored in storage facility 200 detected by RFID becomes 3. Therefore, at time T4, the number of items stored in storage facility 200 recognized by the management server 1 becomes a total of 4 items (3 tagged items and 1 untagged item), which matches the actual number of items stored in storage facility 200 (4 items).

[0151] According to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , by taking into account the quantity of untagged items mixed into storage facility 200, inventory management can be performed without discrepancy from the actual quantity of items stored in storage facility 200. In addition, for automatic ordering based on the inventory level, in Figure 8 the case where the quantity of untagged items is not considered as shown, ordering is also performed at a timing when it is actually not yet necessary, and as a result, the quantity of items stored in storage facility 200 becomes excessive. However, in Figure 9 the inventory management performed by the inventory management system 100 as shown, automatic ordering is performed at an appropriate timing, and it is possible to prevent the quantity of items stored in storage facility 200 from becoming excessive.

[0152] <Effect of the First Embodiment>

[0153] In the first embodiment, the possibility of unlabeled goods being mixed into the storage vault 200 is detected based on the fact of the user's purchase behavior. When unlabeled goods are mixed into the storage vault 200, inventory management is performed based on the total quantity of labeled goods and unlabeled goods. Thereby, the management server 1 can perform inventory management that is more matched with the quantity of goods actually stored in the storage vault 200.

[0154] In addition, in the first embodiment, even when the storage vault 200 does not have sensors other than the RF tag reader, inventory management can be performed considering the mixed-in unlabeled goods. Sensors other than the RF tag reader are, for example, weight sensors or cameras.

[0155] In addition, in the first embodiment, when there is a possibility of unlabeled goods being mixed into the storage vault 200 and when the quantity of labeled goods stored in the storage vault 200 becomes equal to or less than the second threshold, the user is notified. Thereby, the user can be reminded of the inventory level in the storage vault 200. For example, when the user is notified of the possibility of unlabeled goods being mixed into the storage vault 200, the user may give up storing the unlabeled goods in the storage vault 200 and may start using them without storing them. In such a case, the mixing-in of unlabeled goods into the storage vault 200 can be suppressed. For example, when the quantity of labeled goods stored in the storage vault 200 becomes equal to or less than the second threshold and an inquiry about whether to automatically order is received, the user can choose the timing of automatic ordering by himself / herself and can be aware of the fact that the quantity of goods stored in the storage vault 200 has decreased.

[0156] <Other Embodiments>

[0157] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention can be appropriately modified and implemented without departing from its gist.

[0158] In the first embodiment, it has been described on the premise that the goods stored in the storage vault 200 are of the same item, but multiple items of goods can also be stored in the storage vault 200. When multiple items of goods are stored in the storage vault 200, by performing the processing described in the first embodiment for each item, inventory management of goods considering the mixing-in of unlabeled goods can be performed for each item.

[0159] The processes and units described in the present disclosure can be freely combined and implemented as long as there is no technical contradiction.

[0160] In addition, the processes described as being performed by one device may also be performed by a plurality of devices in a distributed manner. Alternatively, the processes described as being performed by different devices may also be performed by a single device. The hardware structure (server structure) in the computer system for implementing each function can be flexibly changed.

[0161] The present invention can also be implemented by providing a computer program that installs the functions described in the above embodiments to a computer, and causing one or more processors included in the computer to read and execute the program. Such a computer program can be provided to the computer by a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can be connected to the system bus of the computer, or can be provided to the computer via a network. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium includes, for example, any type of disk such as a magnetic disk (e.g., a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.), an optical disk (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD disk, a Blu-ray disk, etc.), a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an EPROM, an EEPROM, a magnetic card, a flash memory, an optical card, and any type of medium suitable for storing electronic commands.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus includes a control unit that performs: managing the inventory of purchased goods stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on information related to a first product obtained from an electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication. The control unit performs: obtaining information related to the first product stored in the predetermined storage location from the electronic tag of the first product, and obtaining the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location. Based on purchase information indicating the purchase behavior of the user sent from an external server, detecting a situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or with an unclear presence of an attached electronic tag is mixed into the predetermined storage location, obtaining the location information of the user terminal, and detecting that the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location when the purchased product indicated by the purchase information is a tagless product, the purchase store indicated by the purchase information is a physical store, and the location information of the user terminal indicates that the user has moved to the predetermined storage location after purchase. The external server manages the purchase information including POS data of physical stores, purchase history records of e-commerce merchants, or delivery completion reports of delivery companies. When the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, managing the inventory of goods stored in the predetermined storage location based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. The control unit performs: obtaining the quantity of the second product newly stored in the predetermined storage location from the purchase information, and updating the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. The control unit performs: resetting the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location when confirmation that the second product is not stored in the predetermined storage location is obtained from the user associated with the predetermined storage location. The control unit performs: subtracting the quantity of the second product after a predetermined time has elapsed since it was mixed into the predetermined storage location, and updating the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. The control unit performs: when detecting that the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, notifying the user associated with the predetermined storage location of the situation where the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location. Together with the notification, the control unit asks the user associated with the predetermined storage location whether to store the second product in the predetermined storage location.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The control unit performs: when the first inventory obtained by summing the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location is equal to or less than a first threshold, placing an order for the first product or a predetermined product of the same type as the first product.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit executes: when the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location becomes equal to or less than a second threshold, it notifies the user associated with the predetermined storage location of an inquiry as to whether to order the first product or a predetermined product of the same type as the first product.

4. An information processing method, which is a method executed by an information processing device, including managing the inventory of purchased products stored in a predetermined storage location associated with a user based on information related to the first product obtained from the electronic tag of the first product with an attached electronic tag through short-range wireless communication. The information processing method includes: obtaining information related to the first product stored in the predetermined storage location from the electronic tag of the first product, and obtaining the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location. Based on purchase information indicating the purchase behavior of the user sent from an external server, it detects a situation where a second product without an attached electronic tag or of unknown tag attachment status is mixed into the predetermined storage location, obtains the location information of the user terminal, and when the purchased product indicated by the purchase information is a tagless product, the purchased store indicated by the purchase information is a physical store, and the location information of the user terminal indicates that the user has moved to the predetermined storage location after purchase, it detects that the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location. The external server manages the purchase information including the POS data of physical stores, the purchase history of e-commerce merchants, or the delivery completion reports of delivery companies. When the second product is mixed into the predetermined storage location, it manages the inventory of products stored in the predetermined storage location based on the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. Obtaining the quantity of the second product newly stored in the predetermined storage location from the purchase information, and updating the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. When confirmation is obtained from the user associated with the predetermined storage location that the second product is not stored in the predetermined storage location, it resets the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. Subtracting the quantity of the second product after a predetermined time has elapsed since it was mixed into the predetermined storage location, and updating the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location. When it detects that the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location, it notifies the user associated with the predetermined storage location of the situation that the second product has been mixed into the predetermined storage location. Together with the notification, it asks the user associated with the predetermined storage location whether to store the second product in the predetermined storage location.

5. The information processing method according to claim 4, includes: When the first inventory obtained by summing the quantity of the first product and the quantity of the second product stored in the predetermined storage location falls below the first threshold, an order for the first product or a predetermined product of the same type as the first product is placed.

6. The information processing method according to claim 4 or 5, comprising: When the quantity of the first product stored in the predetermined storage location falls below the second threshold, a user associated with the predetermined storage location is notified of an inquiry as to whether to order the first product or a predetermined product of the same type as the first product.

Images