A method for operating an unmanned retail device, a storage medium, and an unmanned retail device

Abstract

The embodiment provides a method for operating an unmanned retail device, a storage medium and the unmanned retail device. The method is applied to the unmanned retail device comprising a plurality of item storage rooms. In the method of the application, the diversified item storage needs of users are met by setting a plurality of different storage type item storage rooms in the unmanned retail device, so as to prevent the user's stored items from affecting the quality of the goods in the shelves. Meanwhile, each storage room in the device can serve as an alternative storage room for other storage rooms when the available storage space is insufficient. When any storage room cannot store the target item of the corresponding type, the target item can be temporarily stored in the associated alternative storage room. By maximizing the use of the space of each storage room, the personal items of the user can be effectively stored, and the situation that the user stores personal items in the goods shelves of the device and affects the quality of the goods is prevented, thereby effectively ensuring the shopping experience of other users.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of unmanned retail equipment technology, and in particular to an unmanned retail equipment operating method, storage medium, and unmanned retail equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with unmanned retail machines, users sometimes deposit their personal belongings or food items there. Because these machines lack regulations governing this depositing behavior, the items or food left can potentially affect merchandise already on the shelves. For example, if a user deposits unsealed food, its pungent odor may permeate the machine, impacting the quality of other products and the shopping experience for other users. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on the above problems, this application provides a method for operating unmanned retail equipment, a storage medium, and unmanned retail equipment, aiming to avoid negative impacts on the goods on the shelves and the shopping experience of other users without prohibiting users from depositing items. The embodiments of this application disclose the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for operating an unmanned retail device, applied to an unmanned retail device, wherein the unmanned retail device includes multiple item storage compartments, and each item storage compartment corresponds to a different storage type, the method comprising: In response to an item storage request from a user, a first item storage room is determined; the storage type of the first item storage room matches the target item type. Obtain the volume of the target item and the first available storage space in the first item storage room; If the first available storage space meets the volume of the target item, the first item storage room is set to the open state to receive the target item; If the first available storage space cannot accommodate the target item's volume, a target alternative storage room is determined from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item's volume and type; the target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item's type. Each of the aforementioned storage rooms is associated with at least one other storage room as the pre-selected storage room.

[0004] In one possible implementation, there is a preset selection priority among the pre-selected storage rooms associated with each of the item storage rooms; The step of determining a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item volume and the target item type, includes: Based on the target item volume and the preset selection priority associated with the first item storage room, the available storage space of multiple preset storage rooms is identified sequentially, and the identification of available storage space is stopped when a candidate storage room is determined; the available storage space of the candidate storage room can meet the target item volume. Obtain the internal environmental parameters of the candidate storage rooms; Based on the in-warehouse environmental parameters and the type of the target item, determine whether the pending alternative storage room can be used to store the target item, and generate a storage determination result; The target candidate storage room is determined based on the storage judgment result.

[0005] In one possible implementation, each of the item storage rooms is associated with at least one item storage room as a preset disabled storage room, which cannot store item types that match the associated item storage room. The environmental parameters inside the storage chamber include: gas parameters inside the storage chamber, which are used to characterize at least one gas component in the storage chamber of the items, and the gas concentration associated with the gas component; The step of determining whether the candidate storage room can be used to store the target item based on the warehouse environment parameters and the type of the target item, and generating a storage determination result, includes: Determine the first abnormal environment judgment index for the target item type of the candidate storage room; If the gas parameters inside the storage chamber do not meet the first abnormal environment determination index, the storage determination result is determined to be yes. If the gas parameters inside the storage room meet the first abnormal environment judgment index, the storage judgment result is determined to be no, and the pending alternative storage room is adjusted from the pre-selected storage room to the preset disabled storage room associated with the first item storage room, and marked as a temporarily disabled storage room.

[0006] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: For any of the aforementioned storage rooms, the internal environmental parameters of the multiple pre-selected storage rooms associated with the storage room are periodically acquired; Determine whether the internal environmental parameters of each of the pre-selected storage rooms meet the second abnormal environment judgment index associated with the storage room to which the item belongs, so as to generate an environmental abnormality judgment result for each of the pre-selected storage rooms; The pre-selected storage room with an environmental anomaly determination result of "yes" is adjusted to the preset disabled storage room of the item storage room and marked as the temporary disabled storage room.

[0007] In one possible implementation, after adjusting the pre-selected storage room where the environmental anomaly determination result is yes to the preset disabled storage room of the item storage room, and marking it as the temporarily disabled storage room, the method further includes: For the temporarily disabled storage room in the preset disabled storage room, the internal environmental parameters of the temporarily disabled storage room are periodically acquired; Determine whether the environmental parameters inside the warehouse meet the second abnormal environment judgment index associated with the storage room of the item; If the environmental parameters inside the warehouse do not meet the second abnormal environment judgment index, the temporarily disabled storage room will be readjusted to the pre-selected storage room; Specifically, storage rooms that are not among the temporarily disabled storage rooms in the preset disabled storage rooms cannot be adjusted to be the preset selected storage rooms.

[0008] In one possible implementation, determining the target candidate storage room based on the storage determination result includes: If the storage determination result is yes, the pending alternative storage room is determined as the target alternative storage room; If the storage judgment result is negative, the storage judgment results of the pre-selected storage rooms with a priority lower than the pending candidate storage rooms are generated sequentially, and the pre-selected storage rooms with a storage judgment result of positive are determined as the target candidate storage rooms.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the item storage room includes a camera; the step of determining the target candidate storage room includes: The second item storage room is determined based on the type of target item entered by the user in the item storage request; Obtain the volume of the target item and the second available storage space in the second item storage room; If the second available storage space meets the volume of the target item, the second item storage room is used as the first item storage room, and the first item storage room is set to the open state for the target item to be placed in; After the target item is placed in the first item storage room, the camera captures a storage image of the target item. Based on the stored image, determine whether the actual item type of the target item matches the storage type of the first item storage room; If it is determined that the actual item type of the target item does not match the storage type of the first item storage room, a storage exception command is sent to the user terminal to cancel the second item storage room as the first item storage room, and from the multiple item storage rooms, the item storage room that matches the storage image is determined as the first item storage room, and the first item storage room and the second item storage room are set to the open state.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: In response to a storage item retrieval request from the user terminal, a first storage item associated with the storage item retrieval request is identified, and the item storage room for storing the first storage item is set to an open state; Acquire a first item storage image in the item storage room before the first item is retrieved, and a real-time retrieval image of the first item; Based on the real-time extraction image of the first registered item, monitor whether the first registered item has been extracted; If it is determined that the first deposited item has been retrieved, a second item storage image of the item storage room is obtained after the first deposited item has been retrieved; The images of the first and second stored items are compared and analyzed to confirm whether the user retrieved any other items from the storage room during the process of retrieving the first stored item. If it is determined that the user has retrieved other items from the storage room, an additional retrieval alarm signal is sent to the user's device.

[0011] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide an unmanned retail device, which includes multiple item storage rooms, each corresponding to a different storage type; the unmanned retail device includes: The first determining module is used to determine a first item storage room in response to an item storage request from a user terminal; the storage type of the first item storage room matches the target item type. The acquisition module is used to acquire the volume of the target item and the first available storage space of the first item storage room; The setting module is used to set the first item storage room to an open state to receive the target item when the first available storage space meets the volume of the target item; The second determining module is configured to determine a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item volume and the target item type, when the first available storage space cannot meet the target item volume. The target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item type. Each of the aforementioned storage rooms is associated with at least one other storage room as the pre-selected storage room.

[0012] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements any of the possible unmanned retail device operating methods described in the first aspect.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects: This application provides a method for operating an unmanned retail device, a storage medium, and an unmanned retail device. The method is applied to an unmanned retail device, which includes multiple item storage compartments, each corresponding to a different storage type. The method includes: responding to an item storage request from a user, determining a first item storage compartment; matching the storage type of the first item storage compartment with a target item type; obtaining the target item volume and a first available storage space in the first item storage compartment; and ensuring the target item is stored within the first available storage space. In the case of a given volume, the first item storage room is set to an open state to receive the target item; if the first available storage space cannot accommodate the volume of the target item, a target alternative storage room is determined from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room based on the target item volume and the target item type; the target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item type; wherein, each item storage room is associated with at least one other item storage room as a pre-selected storage room. In the method of this application embodiment, by setting up multiple item storage rooms of different storage types in the unmanned retail equipment, the diverse item storage needs of users are met, thereby preventing the stored items from affecting the quality of goods on the shelves. Meanwhile, each storage compartment within the device can serve as a backup storage compartment when other storage compartments are insufficient in available storage space. When any storage compartment cannot store the corresponding type of target item, the target item can be temporarily stored in its associated backup storage compartment. By maximizing the utilization of space in each storage compartment, it ensures that users' personal items can be effectively stored, preventing users from storing their personal items on the device's merchandise shelves and affecting the quality of the goods, thus effectively protecting the shopping experience of other users. Attached Figure Description

[0014] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0015] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for operating an unmanned retail device, provided as an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining a target candidate storage room provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 Another method for operating unmanned retail equipment provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating another method of operating an unmanned retail device provided in this application embodiment; Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of an unmanned retail device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be particularly noted that the embodiments described in this application are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0017] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this application should have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in the embodiments of this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0018] As described earlier, users sometimes deposit personal belongings or food items into unmanned retail devices. Because these devices currently lack regulations governing this depositing behavior, the items or food deposited may affect the merchandise originally placed on the shelves. For example, when a user deposits unsealed food, its pungent odor may permeate the device, impacting the quality of goods on the shelves and the shopping experience of other users.

[0019] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides an unmanned retail device operation method, storage medium, and unmanned retail device. The method is applied to an unmanned retail device comprising multiple item storage rooms, each corresponding to a different storage type. The method includes: responding to an item storage request from a user terminal, determining a first item storage room; the storage type of the first item storage room matching a target item type; obtaining the target item volume and a first available storage space of the first item storage room; if the first available storage space meets the target item volume, setting the first item storage room to an open state to receive the target item; if the first available storage space cannot meet the target item volume, determining a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room based on the target item volume and the target item type; the target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item type; wherein each item storage room is associated with at least one other item storage room as a pre-selected storage room. In the method of this application embodiment, various types of storage rooms are set up in the unmanned retail equipment to meet the diverse storage needs of users, thereby preventing users' stored items from affecting the quality of goods on the shelves. Simultaneously, each storage room in the equipment can serve as a backup storage room when other storage rooms are insufficient in available storage space. When any storage room cannot store the corresponding type of target item, the target item can be temporarily stored in its associated backup storage room. By maximizing the utilization of space in each storage room, it ensures that users' personal belongings are effectively stored, preventing situations where users store their personal belongings on the equipment's shelves and thus affecting the quality of goods, effectively protecting the shopping experience of other users.

[0020] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0021] See Figure 1 The figure is a flowchart illustrating a method for operating an unmanned retail device according to an embodiment of this application, specifically including the following steps: S101: In response to an item storage request from the user, a first item storage room is determined; the storage type of the first item storage room matches the target item type.

[0022] In this embodiment, a QR code for opening the cabinet door is provided on the outside of the cabinet door. By scanning the QR code, the user can access the corresponding APP interface associated with the unmanned retail device on their user interface (which can be a mobile terminal). The APP interface displays an open button for initiating a shopping request and an open button for initiating a shopping request + storage request. When the user presses the open button for the shopping request + storage request, the user terminal sends an item storage request to the server of the unmanned retail device, thereby controlling the unmanned retail device to pop out a storage room to provide the user with item storage functionality.

[0023] In this embodiment, the unmanned retail device is equipped with multiple storage compartments for different types of items, including beverages, cooked food, snacks, medicines, cosmetics, and fruits. When a user presses the open button on the device terminal to trigger a storage request, the user interface automatically displays options for the type of item to be stored, which are the same as the storage types set within the unmanned retail device. Once the user confirms the type of item to be stored, a storage request with the target item type is sent to the server of the unmanned retail device, causing the device to open the first storage compartment matching the target item type.

[0024] S102: Obtain the volume of the target item and the first available storage space of the first item storage room.

[0025] After determining the first item storage room that matches the type of target item that the user needs to store, it is necessary to obtain the volume of the target item and the first available storage space of the first item storage room in order to determine whether the remaining storage space in the current first item storage room can support the storage of the target item.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the volume of the target item can be obtained using a camera located outside the retail device. When a user submits an item storage request, the camera is activated to capture an image of the target item's appearance. The actual volume of the target item is then predicted using a pre-installed AI model within the retail device. In another possible implementation, after the user selects the type of item to be stored through their terminal interface, multiple item volume ranges can be displayed for the user to choose from, such as 0.01-0.02 cubic meters, 0.02-0.03 cubic meters, etc. The maximum value within the user-selected volume range is used as the target item volume, providing a margin for determining whether the initial available storage space is sufficient to store the target item.

[0027] On the other hand, the first available storage space of the first item storage room can be obtained through cameras installed in each item storage room. When determining the first item storage room, the server of the unmanned retail device activates the cameras in the first item storage room to obtain images of the items stored there. Subsequently, the server's built-in AI model calculates the first available storage space of the first item storage room, and then determines whether the first item storage room can currently be used to store the target item based on the first available storage space and the volume of the target item.

[0028] S103: If the first available storage space meets the volume of the target item, the first item storage room is set to the open state to receive the target item.

[0029] S104: If the first available storage space cannot meet the volume of the target item, a target alternative storage room is determined from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room based on the volume of the target item and the type of the target item; the target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the type of the target item.

[0030] Each of the item storage rooms is associated with at least one other item storage room as a pre-selected storage room, and there is a preset selection priority among the pre-selected storage rooms associated with each item storage room.

[0031] In real-world item storage scenarios, it's common to find that a significant portion of the storage space in one storage room is occupied, while other storage rooms still have available space. To fully utilize the storage space in each storage room, this embodiment provides pre-selected storage rooms for each type of storage. It's important to note that the pre-selected storage rooms associated with each storage room are the original item storage rooms within the unmanned retail equipment, not additional storage rooms.

[0032] For example, in the case of a pharmaceutical storage room, since pharmaceuticals are usually protected by packaging and do not have a significant impact on the environment, pharmaceutical items can be temporarily stored in the cosmetics or fruit storage rooms. In this case, the cosmetics and fruit storage rooms are considered pre-selected storage rooms within the pharmaceutical storage room. Furthermore, to clarify the screening logic for multiple pre-selected storage rooms, this embodiment sets specific preset selection priorities for each of the multiple pre-selected storage rooms corresponding to each storage room. These preset selection priorities are used to determine the screening order when selecting from multiple pre-selected storage rooms.

[0033] Taking the pre-selected storage rooms (fruit storage room and cosmetics storage room) in the pharmaceutical storage room as an example, compared to the fruit storage room, the cosmetics storage room, similar to pharmaceuticals, usually has tight packaging and is less likely to affect the storage environment. Fruits, on the other hand, are more prone to spoilage and can easily impact the storage environment. Therefore, for the pharmaceutical storage room, the cosmetics storage room has a higher preset selection priority than the fruit storage room. In this implementation, preset selection priorities are set for the multiple pre-selected storage rooms corresponding to each item storage room. When the storage space in any storage room is insufficient, triggering the mechanism of selecting an alternative storage room, the selection is performed sequentially from the multiple pre-selected storage rooms based on the preset selection priority. This ensures the stability of the target item when stored in other types of storage rooms and prevents existing items in other types of storage rooms from affecting the item to be stored.

[0034] Based on the above explanation of the concept of the pre-selected storage room, step S104 involves comparing the target item volume and the first available storage space of the first item storage room after obtaining them to determine whether the first item storage room can be used to store the target item. If it is determined that the first available storage space meets the target item volume, the first item storage room is set to the open state to receive the target item that the user needs to store.

[0035] If it is determined that the first available storage space cannot meet the size of the target item, a target alternative storage room can be selected from multiple pre-selected storage rooms associated with the first item storage room based on the actual situation of the target item (i.e., the size and type of the target item). This allows the target item to be stored in other storage rooms when the storage room for the corresponding item type cannot be used, thereby maximizing the use of the storage space of each storage room and ensuring that the user's items can be stored.

[0036] On the other hand, based on the concept of pre-selected storage rooms, it can be understood that one storage room can serve as an alternative storage room for another (e.g., a cosmetics storage room can serve as a pre-selected storage room for a medicine storage room). Therefore, there will inevitably be situations where one storage room cannot serve as an alternative storage room. Again, taking a medicine storage room as an example, due to the special nature of medicines, the pungent odors in a cooked food storage room often cannot be stored with medicines. Therefore, a cooked food storage room cannot serve as a pre-selected storage room for a medicine storage room. Based on this, this embodiment, in addition to configuring corresponding pre-selected storage rooms for each storage room, also sets preset disabled storage rooms for each storage room. Pre-disabled storage rooms are used to indicate storage rooms that cannot serve as alternative storage rooms when the available storage space in a certain storage room is insufficient, triggering the option to select an alternative storage room. By setting clear pre-selected and pre-restricted storage rooms for each storage room, it is possible to prevent the arbitrary selection of alternative storage rooms when determining alternative storage rooms for a particular storage room, which could affect the storage of items.

[0037] Next, the process of determining the target candidate storage room in step S103 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of specific embodiments. See Figure 2 The figure is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a target candidate storage room according to an embodiment of this application, specifically including the following steps: S1031: Based on the target item volume and the preset selection priority associated with the first item storage room, the available storage space of the multiple preset storage rooms is identified sequentially, and the identification of available storage space is stopped when a candidate storage room is determined; the available storage space of the candidate storage room can meet the target item volume.

[0038] The target alternative storage room for storing the target item needs to be selected from multiple pre-selected storage rooms associated with the first item storage room. As described above regarding the preset selection priority among the multiple pre-selected storage rooms, determining whether a pre-selected storage room can be used to store the target item based on a specific priority can ensure the stability of the target item when it is stored using other types of storage rooms. Therefore, it is first necessary to identify the available storage space of multiple pre-selected storage rooms in turn based on the preset selection priority corresponding to the first item storage room, and stop the process of determining the available storage space in the candidate storage room where the available storage space meets the volume of the target item.

[0039] Taking a pharmaceutical storage room as an example, the pre-selected storage rooms are prioritized as follows: cosmetics storage room - beverage storage room - fruit storage room. First, the available storage space in the cosmetics storage room is identified. If the available storage space in the cosmetics storage room is insufficient to accommodate the target item's volume, the available storage space in the beverage storage room is then assessed, and so on. If it is determined that the available storage space in the beverage storage room can accommodate the target item's volume, the available storage space identification step is stopped, and the availability of the fruit storage room is not assessed. The assessment then continues to determine whether the actual environment within the beverage storage room can support the storage of pharmaceutical items.

[0040] S1032: Obtain the internal environmental parameters of the candidate storage room; S1033: Based on the in-warehouse environmental parameters and the type of the target item, determine whether the pending alternative storage room can be used to store the target item, and generate a storage determination result.

[0041] In practical applications, even if a storage room is a pre-selected storage room, the items inside may still affect the target item to be placed there. Take, for example, the target item being medicine, and the candidate storage room being a fruit storage room. Under normal circumstances, because the environment inside a fruit storage room typically doesn't have strong odors or liquids, it won't significantly affect the storage of medicine. Therefore, a fruit storage room can be used as a pre-selected storage room for medicine. However, if the fruit stored in the fruit storage room rots, the rotting fruit will release high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas, which could potentially affect the stored medicine. Therefore, during the selection process of potential storage rooms, even if a suitable storage room with sufficient storage space to accommodate the target item's volume is selected, it is still necessary to determine whether the potential storage room can be used to store the target item based on the type of the target item and the specific internal environmental parameters of the potential storage room. This process generates a storage decision result, ensuring the quality assurance of the target item when using other storage rooms for storage. Specifically, the process of generating the storage decision result involves the following three steps: Step 1: Determine the first abnormal environment judgment index for the target item type of the candidate storage room.

[0042] First, it is necessary to determine the primary abnormal environment criterion for the target item type in the candidate storage rooms. This primary abnormal environment criterion is strongly correlated with the actual type of the target item (i.e., the storage type of the primary storage room). Taking pharmaceuticals as an example, when the candidate storage room is a fruit storage room, because pharmaceuticals have high requirements for external environmental gases, the primary abnormal environment criterion for the fruit storage room could be the concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas. When the concentration of hydrogen sulfide gas in the fruit storage room exceeds the threshold specified in the primary abnormal environment criterion, the fruit storage room is determined to be unsuitable as a candidate storage room for the target item, and the corresponding storage judgment result can be determined as negative.

[0043] For example, again taking medicine as the target item type, when the candidate storage room is a cosmetics storage room, since cosmetics may have some liquids spilled, the corresponding first abnormal environment judgment index can be set as the liquid area. When the liquid area in the cosmetics storage room exceeds the area threshold specified in the first abnormal environment judgment index, it can be determined that the cosmetics storage room cannot be used as a candidate storage room for the target item, and the corresponding storage judgment result can be determined as negative.

[0044] Step 2: If the gas parameters inside the warehouse do not meet the first abnormal environment judgment index, determine that the storage judgment result is yes; Step 3: If the gas parameters in the storage room meet the first abnormal environment judgment index, determine whether the storage judgment result is negative, and change the pending alternative storage room from the pre-selected storage room to the preset disabled storage room associated with the first item storage room, and mark it as a temporary disabled storage room.

[0045] Specifically, since air quality plays a significant role in actual storage scenarios, the environmental parameters within the storage compartment include gas parameters. These gas parameters characterize at least one gaseous component within the storage compartment, along with its associated concentration (similar to the hydrogen sulfide concentration mentioned earlier). In determining whether a candidate storage compartment can be used to store the target item, if the gas parameters do not meet the first abnormal environment criteria for the candidate storage compartment, the storage decision is affirmative; otherwise, it is negative.

[0046] For example, assuming the first abnormal environment judgment index is that the hydrogen sulfide gas concentration exceeds 0.3 mg / m³, then when the gas parameters in the warehouse meet this index, the corresponding storage judgment result can be determined as yes, otherwise it is no.

[0047] If the storage decision is negative, it indicates that the internal environment of the candidate storage room is abnormal and it cannot be used as a candidate storage room for its associated items. Therefore, it needs to be added to the list of pre-set disabled storage rooms to prevent it from being mistakenly identified as a suitable storage room for the target item during subsequent decisions. Correspondingly, since the reason this storage room cannot store the target item is due to the abnormal internal environment, it can be reclassified as a pre-set candidate storage room once the internal environment returns to normal. Therefore, it needs to be marked as a temporarily disabled storage room at this time to facilitate real-time monitoring of its internal environment and to revert to a pre-set candidate storage room when the internal environment recovers.

[0048] S1034: Determine the target candidate storage room based on the storage judgment result.

[0049] Finally, based on the storage judgment results of the target alternative storage rooms, it is determined whether the pending alternative storage rooms can be used as target alternative storage rooms for storing the target items.

[0050] If the storage judgment result is yes, it indicates that the internal environmental parameters of the pending candidate storage room do not meet the first abnormal environment judgment index. At this time, the pending candidate storage room can be determined as the target candidate storage room.

[0051] Conversely, if the storage judgment result is negative, the system continues to generate storage judgment results for pre-selected storage rooms with a preset selection priority lower than the pending candidate storage room, in turn determining whether the pre-selected storage rooms after the second candidate storage room can be used as target candidate storage rooms for storing the target item. Taking the preset selection priority of cosmetics storage room - beverage storage room - fruit storage room as an example, if the storage judgment result of cosmetics storage room is negative, the system then determines whether the available storage space of beverage storage room meets the volume of the target item and whether its internal environmental parameters meet the corresponding first abnormal environment judgment index. If both are met, the beverage storage room is determined as the target candidate storage room for storing the target item; if either is not met, the system proceeds to the judgment stage for fruit storage room. Accordingly, if all the pre-selected storage rooms of a storage room cannot be used to store the target item, it means that the unmanned retail equipment cannot currently store the target item, and a message indicating that storage is not possible will be sent to the user.

[0052] The above is an introduction to the method flow for determining target candidate storage rooms in the embodiments of this application. Next, other aspects will be introduced.

[0053] As discussed earlier regarding the environmental parameters and abnormal environment criteria, even a pre-selected storage room within a specific item storage area may become temporarily unavailable due to changes in the items being stored (e.g., excessively high hydrogen sulfide gas concentration or spilled liquid cosmetics). Therefore, to ensure the accuracy of the multiple pre-selected storage rooms corresponding to each item storage area, this application can also monitor the internal environment of each pre-selected storage room in real time. When any pre-selected storage room exhibits an abnormal environment, it can be promptly classified as a pre-restricted prohibited storage room for the item storage area, thereby preventing items from being mistakenly stored in a storage room with an abnormal environment.

[0054] This process is implemented through the following three steps: Step 1: For any of the aforementioned item storage rooms, periodically acquire the internal environmental parameters of the multiple pre-selected storage rooms associated with the item storage room; Step 2: Determine whether the internal environmental parameters of each of the pre-selected storage rooms meet the second abnormal environment judgment index associated with the storage room to which the item belongs, so as to generate an environmental abnormality judgment result for each of the pre-selected storage rooms. Step 3: Adjust the pre-selected storage room with the environmental anomaly determination result as the preset disabled storage room of the item storage room, and mark it as the temporarily disabled storage room.

[0055] For any pre-selected storage room associated with any item storage room, it is necessary to define the second abnormal environment judgment index for each pre-selected storage room. Simultaneously, it is necessary to periodically check whether the internal environmental parameters of each pre-selected storage room meet the second abnormal environment judgment index. When it is determined that the internal environmental parameters of any pre-selected storage room meet the judgment index, it indicates that the internal environment of that pre-selected storage room is abnormal. In this case, it needs to be classified as a pre-restricted prohibited storage room of its associated item storage room to prevent the target item from being mistakenly stored there.

[0056] Taking the pharmaceutical storage room as an example, the pre-selected storage rooms for pharmaceuticals are the fruit storage room and the cosmetics storage room. During environmental monitoring of these two pre-selected storage rooms, the gas composition and concentration in the fruit storage room are periodically measured, and the indoor liquid area in the cosmetics storage room is also periodically measured. If the gas composition and concentration in the fruit storage room reach the prescribed second abnormal environment judgment index, the fruit storage room needs to be changed from a pre-selected storage room for pharmaceuticals to a pre-restricted storage room for pharmaceuticals, and marked as a temporarily restricted storage room. This is to prevent items from being mistakenly stored in the pre-selected storage room with an abnormal environment.

[0057] Based on this, continuous monitoring can be carried out on this type of storage room that has been changed from a pre-selected storage room to a pre-disabled storage room. If the monitoring shows that the environment inside the storage room has returned from abnormal to normal, it can be restored to the original pre-selected storage room.

[0058] For example, based on the aforementioned pre-set disabled storage room for converting fruit storage rooms into medicine storage rooms, the internal environmental parameters of the fruit storage room are periodically acquired. If it is determined that the internal environmental parameters have returned to a level that does not trigger the second abnormal environment judgment indicator, it indicates that the internal environment of the fruit storage room has returned to normal, and it can be reconfigured as a pre-selected storage room for medicine storage rooms.

[0059] It should be noted that any of the pre-selected storage rooms in any baggage storage area may be temporarily classified as a temporarily prohibited storage room due to its own internal environment. However, storage rooms that were originally classified as prohibited storage rooms cannot be classified as pre-selected storage rooms.

[0060] This section details the process of reverting from a preset disabled storage room to a preset selected storage room, which is implemented through the following three steps, and will not be elaborated upon in this embodiment: Step 1: For the temporarily disabled storage room in the preset disabled storage room, periodically acquire the internal environmental parameters of the temporarily disabled storage room; Step 2: Determine whether the environmental parameters inside the warehouse meet the second abnormal environment judgment index associated with the storage room of the item; Step 3: If the environmental parameters inside the warehouse do not meet the second abnormal environment judgment index, the temporarily disabled storage room shall be readjusted to the pre-selected storage room; Specifically, storage rooms that are not among the temporarily disabled storage rooms in the preset disabled storage rooms cannot be adjusted to be the preset selected storage rooms.

[0061] The above is an introduction to the monitoring process of the storage environment in each storage room of the unmanned retail equipment. Next, we will introduce how to ensure that the stored items are accurately placed in the corresponding type of storage room before and after the user puts them in, and how to ensure that the user does not take away any additional stored items.

[0062] First, we will introduce methods to ensure that stored items are accurately placed in the corresponding type of storage compartment. (See [link to documentation]). Figure 3 The figure illustrates another method for operating unmanned retail equipment provided in this application embodiment, specifically including the following steps: S201: Determine the second item storage room based on the target item type entered by the user in the item storage request; S202: Obtain the volume of the target item and the second available storage space of the second item storage room; S203: If the second available storage space meets the volume of the target item, the second item storage room is used as the first item storage room, and the first item storage room is set to the open state for the target item to be placed in; S204: After the target item is placed in the first item storage room, the storage image of the target item is acquired through the camera; S205: Based on the stored image, determine whether the actual item type of the target item matches the storage type of the first item storage room; S206: If it is determined that the actual item type of the target item does not match the storage type of the first item storage room, a storage exception instruction is sent to the user terminal to cancel the second item storage room as the first item storage room, and the item storage room that matches the storage image is determined from the multiple item storage rooms as the first item storage room, and the first item storage room and the second item storage room are set to the open state.

[0063] In the initial stage, the second item storage room, which is the second available storage space that meets the target item, will be designated as the first item storage room for storing the target item, and the target item will be received through the first item storage room.

[0064] To ensure that the target item placed by the user matches the first item storage compartment used for storing the target item, this embodiment has a camera installed inside each storage compartment. When a target item is detected being placed in the first item storage compartment, the camera is immediately activated to capture a storage image of the target item, and image recognition is performed to determine whether the actual item type matches the storage type of the first item storage compartment.

[0065] If it is determined that the actual item type of the target item does not match the storage type of the first item storage room, a storage error command is immediately sent to the user's terminal to prompt the user to transfer the target item to a storage room with a matching storage type. Simultaneously, the second item storage room is removed as the first item storage room, and from among the multiple item storage rooms, the item storage room that matches the storage image is selected as the first item storage room, thereby ensuring accurate item storage.

[0066] The following section describes methods to ensure that users do not take any additional stored items. (See [link to documentation]). Figure 4 The figure is a flowchart illustrating another method for operating unmanned retail equipment provided in this application embodiment, specifically including the following steps: S301: In response to a storage item retrieval request from the user terminal, determine the first storage item associated with the storage item retrieval request, and set the item storage room for storing the first storage item to the open state; S302: Obtain a first item storage image in the item storage room before the first item is retrieved, and a real-time retrieval image of the first item; S303: Monitor whether the first registered item has been extracted based on the real-time extracted image of the first registered item; S304: If it is determined that the first deposited item has been retrieved, acquire a second item storage image of the item storage room after the first deposited item has been retrieved; S305: Compare and analyze the first item storage image with the second item storage image to confirm whether the user retrieved other items in the item storage room during the process of retrieving the first stored item. S306: If it is determined that the user has retrieved other items in the item storage room, an additional retrieval alarm signal is sent to the user terminal.

[0067] Similar to the process of users depositing items, users can initiate a retrieval request by scanning a QR code on the outside of the device and retrieve their deposited items by having a corresponding storage compartment pop up. However, in actual storage scenarios, there may sometimes be other users' deposited items in the storage compartment. To prevent users from taking other users' deposited items, during the initial user deposit phase, a photo of the first item placed in the storage compartment is taken and saved, and then linked to the user's identity or account information.

[0068] When a user initiates a storage item retrieval request, the system uses the user's identification or account information in the retrieval request to determine the first item the user originally placed in the storage room. Simultaneously, it acquires an image of the first item stored in the storage room, encompassing all stored items, at the time the user initiates the retrieval request. (This first item storage image can be obtained through video data, which will not be elaborated here.) Based on this, the system acquires a real-time retrieval image of the user retrieving their own first stored item to monitor whether the user has retrieved their original first stored item.

[0069] Once it is confirmed that the user has retrieved the first stored item, an image of the second stored item in the storage room after the user has completed the retrieval is acquired. The image of the first stored item before retrieval is compared and analyzed with the image of the second stored item after retrieval to determine whether the user retrieved any other items from the storage room during the retrieval of the first stored item. If the comparison and analysis of the first and second stored item images determine that other items were retrieved besides the first stored item placed by the user, an additional retrieval alarm signal is immediately sent to the user's device to prevent the user from retrieving other users' stored items.

[0070] This application provides a method for operating an unmanned retail device, a storage medium, and the unmanned retail device itself. The method is applied to an unmanned retail device, which includes multiple item storage rooms, each corresponding to a different storage type. The method includes: responding to an item storage request from a user, determining a first item storage room; the storage type of the first item storage room matching a target item type; obtaining the target item volume and a first available storage space of the first item storage room; if the first available storage space meets the target item volume, setting the first item storage room to an open state to receive the target item; if the first available storage space cannot meet the target item volume, determining a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room based on the target item volume and the target item type; the target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item type; wherein each item storage room is associated with at least one other item storage room as a pre-selected storage room. In the method of this application embodiment, various types of storage rooms are set up in the unmanned retail equipment to meet the diverse storage needs of users, thereby preventing users' stored items from affecting the quality of goods on the shelves. Simultaneously, each storage room in the equipment can serve as a backup storage room when other storage rooms are insufficient in available storage space. When any storage room cannot store the corresponding type of target item, the target item can be temporarily stored in its associated backup storage room. By maximizing the utilization of space in each storage room, it ensures that users' personal belongings are effectively stored, preventing situations where users store their personal belongings on the equipment's shelves and thus affecting the quality of goods, effectively protecting the shopping experience of other users.

[0071] The following describes an unmanned retail device provided by an embodiment of this application. The unmanned retail device described below and the working method of the unmanned retail device described above can be referred to and correspond to each other.

[0072] See Figure 5 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of an unmanned retail device provided in an embodiment of this application, which specifically includes the following modules: The first determining module 100 is used to determine a first item storage room in response to an item storage request from a user terminal; the storage type of the first item storage room matches the target item type. The acquisition module 200 is used to acquire the volume of the target item and the first available storage space of the first item storage room; Setting module 300 is used to set the first item storage room to an open state to receive the target item when the first available storage space meets the volume of the target item; The second determining module 400 is configured to determine a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item volume and the target item type, when the first available storage space cannot meet the target item volume. The target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item type. Each of the aforementioned storage rooms is associated with at least one other storage room as the pre-selected storage room.

[0073] Based on the same inventive concept, corresponding to the methods of any of the above embodiments, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing the computer to perform the unmanned retail device operation method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0074] The computer-readable media in this application embodiment includes permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and information storage can be implemented by any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transfer medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device.

[0075] The computer instructions stored in the storage medium of the above embodiments are used to cause the computer to execute the unmanned retail device working method as described in any of the above embodiments, and have the beneficial effects of the corresponding method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0076] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the methods, unmanned retail devices, and media are basically similar to the method embodiments, so the descriptions are relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the method embodiments. The methods, unmanned retail devices, and media described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components indicated as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of the solution in this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.

[0077] The above description is merely one specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for operating an unmanned retail device, characterized in that, The method, applied to unmanned retail equipment, which includes multiple item storage compartments and each compartment corresponding to a different storage type, comprises: In response to an item storage request from a user, a first item storage room is determined; the storage type of the first item storage room matches the target item type. Obtain the volume of the target item and the first available storage space in the first item storage room; If the first available storage space meets the volume of the target item, the first item storage room is set to the open state to receive the target item; If the first available storage space cannot accommodate the target item's volume, a target alternative storage room is determined from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item's volume and type; the target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item's type. Each of the aforementioned storage rooms is associated with at least one other storage room as the pre-selected storage room.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is a preset selection priority among the pre-selected storage rooms associated with each of the aforementioned item storage rooms; The step of determining a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item volume and the target item type, includes: Based on the target item volume and the preset selection priority associated with the first item storage room, the available storage space of multiple preset storage rooms is identified sequentially, and the identification of available storage space is stopped when a candidate storage room is determined; the available storage space of the candidate storage room can meet the target item volume. Obtain the internal environmental parameters of the candidate storage rooms; Based on the in-warehouse environmental parameters and the type of the target item, determine whether the candidate storage room can be used to store the target item, and generate a storage determination result. The target candidate storage room is determined based on the storage judgment result.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned item storage rooms is associated with at least one item storage room as a preset disabled storage room, and the preset disabled storage room cannot store item types that match the associated item storage room; The environmental parameters inside the storage chamber include: gas parameters inside the storage chamber, which are used to characterize at least one gas component in the storage chamber of the items, and the gas concentration associated with the gas component; The step of determining whether the candidate storage room can be used to store the target item based on the warehouse environment parameters and the type of the target item, and generating a storage determination result, includes: Determine the first abnormal environment judgment index for the target item type of the candidate storage room; If the gas parameters inside the storage chamber do not meet the first abnormal environment determination index, the storage determination result is determined to be yes. If the gas parameters inside the storage room meet the first abnormal environment judgment index, the storage judgment result is determined to be no, and the pending alternative storage room is adjusted from the pre-selected storage room to the preset disabled storage room associated with the first item storage room, and marked as a temporarily disabled storage room.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: For any of the aforementioned storage rooms, the internal environmental parameters of the multiple pre-selected storage rooms associated with the storage room are periodically acquired; Determine whether the internal environmental parameters of each of the pre-selected storage rooms meet the second abnormal environment judgment index associated with the storage room to which the item belongs, so as to generate an environmental abnormality judgment result for each of the pre-selected storage rooms; The pre-selected storage room with an environmental anomaly determination result of "yes" is adjusted to the preset disabled storage room of the item storage room and marked as the temporary disabled storage room.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, After adjusting the pre-selected storage room with the environmental anomaly determination result as yes to the preset disabled storage room of the item storage room, and marking it as the temporarily disabled storage room, the method further includes: For the temporarily disabled storage room in the preset disabled storage room, the internal environmental parameters of the temporarily disabled storage room are periodically acquired; Determine whether the environmental parameters inside the warehouse meet the second abnormal environment judgment index associated with the storage room of the item; If the environmental parameters inside the warehouse do not meet the second abnormal environment judgment index, the temporarily disabled storage room will be readjusted to the pre-selected storage room; Specifically, storage rooms that are not among the temporarily disabled storage rooms in the preset disabled storage rooms cannot be adjusted to be the preset selected storage rooms.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The step of determining the target candidate storage room based on the storage judgment result includes: If the storage determination result is yes, the pending alternative storage room is determined as the target alternative storage room; If the storage judgment result is negative, the storage judgment results of the pre-selected storage rooms with a priority lower than the pending candidate storage rooms are generated sequentially, and the pre-selected storage rooms with a storage judgment result of positive are determined as the target candidate storage rooms.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage room for items includes a camera; The determination of target candidate storage rooms includes: The second item storage room is determined based on the type of target item entered by the user in the item storage request; Obtain the volume of the target item and the second available storage space in the second item storage room; If the second available storage space meets the volume of the target item, the second item storage room is used as the first item storage room, and the first item storage room is set to the open state for the target item to be placed in; After the target item is placed in the first item storage room, the camera captures a storage image of the target item. Based on the stored image, determine whether the actual item type of the target item matches the storage type of the first item storage room; If it is determined that the actual item type of the target item does not match the storage type of the first item storage room, a storage exception command is sent to the user terminal to cancel the second item storage room as the first item storage room, and from the multiple item storage rooms, the item storage room that matches the storage image is determined as the first item storage room, and the first item storage room and the second item storage room are set to the open state.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to a storage item retrieval request from the user terminal, a first storage item associated with the storage item retrieval request is identified, and the item storage room for storing the first storage item is set to an open state; Acquire a first item storage image in the item storage room before the first item is retrieved, and a real-time retrieval image of the first item; Based on the real-time extraction image of the first registered item, monitor whether the first registered item has been extracted; If it is determined that the first deposited item has been retrieved, a second item storage image of the item storage room is obtained after the first deposited item has been retrieved; The images of the first and second stored items are compared and analyzed to confirm whether the user retrieved any other items from the storage room during the process of retrieving the first stored item. If it is determined that the user has retrieved other items from the storage room, an additional retrieval alarm signal is sent to the user's device.

9. An unmanned retail device, characterized in that, The unmanned retail equipment includes multiple item storage compartments, each corresponding to a different storage type; the unmanned retail equipment includes: The first determining module is used to determine a first item storage room in response to an item storage request from a user terminal; the storage type of the first item storage room matches the target item type. The acquisition module is used to acquire the volume of the target item and the first available storage space of the first item storage room; The setting module is used to set the first item storage room to an open state to receive the target item when the first available storage space meets the volume of the target item; The second determining module is configured to determine a target alternative storage room from at least one pre-selected storage room associated with the first item storage room, based on the target item volume and the target item type, when the first available storage space cannot meet the target item volume. The target alternative storage room is used to store the target item, and the storage type of the target alternative storage room does not match the target item type. Each of the aforementioned storage rooms is associated with at least one other storage room as the pre-selected storage room.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the program is executed by the processor, it implements the unmanned retail device operation method as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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