Commodity information management device

Abstract

This invention generates a master database of products updated with the latest information. The product information management device of this invention includes a storage unit that associates and stores product identification information, first item information, and second item information for each product; a unit that extracts product identification information and first item information from an image medium through image recognition processing; a unit that accesses a database stored in an external device and extracts product identification information and second item information; a unit that determines whether the extracted first and second item information associated with a product identification information is consistent with the first and second item information associated with a product identification information stored in the storage unit; and a unit that, when a discrepancy is determined, notifies the situation and replaces the first and second item information associated with a product identification information stored in the storage unit with the extracted first and second item information associated with a product identification information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technology of commodity master database. Background Technology

[0002] The product master database is a database that registers basic information and attributes related to products. For example, by uniformly managing information such as product name, raw materials, shelf life, net content, storage method, reviews, ordering unit, and weight, it helps improve the efficiency of business operations such as inventory management and sales management.

[0003] Against this backdrop, there have been technical proposals regarding commodity master databases. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a commodity information provision system that improves convenience by making the system as a whole more universal while achieving confidentiality and freedom.

[0004] [Existing Technical Documents] [Patent Documents] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-004308 Summary of the Invention

[0005] [The technical problem that the invention aims to solve] However, in the aforementioned existing technologies, there are multiple product master databases, and it is unknown which database has the correct information. Moreover, the registration and management of data depend on people, so there is a problem that the accuracy of the data cannot be guaranteed.

[0006] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a product information management device for generating and updating a product master database with the latest information.

[0007] [The technical means used to solve technical problems] A disclosed product information management device is characterized by comprising: a product information storage unit, which, for each product, respectively associates and stores product identification information, first item identification information and its value, and second item identification information and its value; an image information extraction unit, which extracts a combination of product identification information and the first item identification information and its value from an image medium through image recognition processing; a database information extraction unit, which accesses a database stored in an external device and extracts the product identification information and the combination of the second item identification information and its value from the database; a first determination unit, which determines whether the combination of the first item identification information and its value associated with the product identification information obtained by the image information extraction unit is consistent with the combination of the first item identification information and its value associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit; and a second determination unit, which determines whether the combination of the first item identification information and its value obtained by the database information extraction unit is consistent with the combination of the first item identification information and its value associated with the product identification information. The first product information correction unit, when the first determination unit determines that the combination of the second item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information is inconsistent with the combination of the second item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit, notifies the first product information correction unit of this situation and replaces the item value of the first item identification information associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit with the item value of the first item identification information associated with the product identification information obtained by the image information extraction unit; and the second product information correction unit, when the second determination unit determines that the second product information correction unit is inconsistent, notifies the second product information correction unit of this situation and replaces the item value of the second item identification information associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit with the item value of the second item identification information associated with the product identification information obtained by the DB information extraction unit.

[0008] [Invention Effects] The commodity information management device disclosed herein generates and updates a master commodity database with the latest information. Attached Figure Description

[0009] 【 Figure 1 [Image 1] is a diagram illustrating the outline of the product information management device according to this embodiment.

[0010] 【 Figure 2 [Illustration 1] is a functional block diagram of the commodity information management device in this embodiment.

[0011] 【 Figure 3 The figure shown is an example of the hardware structure of the product information management device according to this embodiment.

[0012] 【 Figure 4 The diagram below is a flowchart illustrating the processing example of the product information management device in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The accompanying drawings illustrate a method for carrying out the invention.

[0014] (Working principle of the commodity information management device in this embodiment) use Figure 1 and Figure 2 The working principle of the commodity information management device (hereinafter referred to as "this device") 100 of this embodiment will be explained. Figure 1 This diagram shows the connection relationship between this device 100 and other devices. Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram of device 100.

[0015] like Figure 1 As shown, this device 100 is connected to one or more external devices 280 via a communication network 300. The communication network 300 can be a wired communication network or a wireless communication network. The external device 280 can be, for example, a device managed by the manufacturer of product 210, or a POS (Point of Sales) system. Each external device 280 has a database 290 for product 210. In addition, this device 100 has a product information storage unit 110 that serves as the main database for product 210.

[0016] like Figure 2 As shown, the device 100 includes a product information storage unit 110, an image information extraction unit 120, a DB information extraction unit 130, a first determination unit 140, a second determination unit 150, a first product information correction unit 160, and a second product information correction unit 170.

[0017] For each product 210, the product information storage unit 110 stores product identification information 220, first item identification information 230 and its item value 240, and second item identification information 250 and its item value 260. Product identification information 220 is, for example, a JAN code.

[0018] The first item identification information 230 and the second item identification information 250 are, for example, product name, raw materials, shelf life, net content, storage method, evaluation, ordering method, weight, shelf life, etc., but can also be information not listed here.

[0019] The image information extraction unit 120 extracts a product identification information 220 about a product 210, as well as a combination of first item identification information 230 and its item value 240, from the image medium 270 through image recognition processing. The image medium 270 is, for example, an advertising flyer. Furthermore, the image recognition processing method used by the image information extraction unit 120 is not particularly limited.

[0020] DB information extraction unit 130 accesses database 290 stored in external device 280, and extracts from database 290 a combination of product identification information 220 and second item identification information 250 and item value 260 for a product 210. There is one or more external devices 280, each configured according to different management units and purposes.

[0021] The DB information extraction unit 130 is responsible for collecting information from various databases 290 and integrating this information with product identification information 220 as the key.

[0022] The first determination unit 140 determines whether the combination of a first item identification information 230 and its item value 240 obtained (extracted) by the image information extraction unit 120 is consistent with the combination stored in the product information storage unit 110. The first determination unit 140 verifies whether the combination of a first item identification information 230 and its item value 240 is the latest information, whether it is legitimate information, etc.

[0023] The second determination unit 150 determines whether the combination obtained (extracted) by the DB information extraction unit 130 is consistent with the combination stored in the product information storage unit 110 for a combination of a second item identification information 250 and its item value 260. The second determination unit 150 verifies whether the combination of a second item identification information 250 and its item value 260 is the latest information, whether it is legitimate information, etc.

[0024] If the first determination unit 140 determines that there is an inconsistency, the first product information correction unit 160 notifies the situation. Then, for the item value 240 of the first item identification information 230 associated with a product identification information 220, the first product information correction unit 160 replaces the value stored in the product information storage unit 110 with the value obtained (extracted) by the image information extraction unit 120. The first product information correction unit 160 updates the item value 240 of the first item identification information 230 to the latest information.

[0025] If the second determination unit 150 determines that there is a discrepancy, the second product information correction unit 170 notifies the relevant parties. Then, for the item value 260 of the second item identification information 250 associated with a product identification information 220, the second product information correction unit 170 replaces the value stored in the product information storage unit 110 with the value obtained (extracted) by the DB information extraction unit 130. The second product information correction unit 170 updates the item value 260 of the second item identification information 250 to the latest information.

[0026] Based on the working principle described above, this device 100 generates and updates the product master database 110 with the latest information.

[0027] (Hardware structure of the commodity information management device in this embodiment) use Figure 3 This section describes an example of the hardware structure of the device 100. Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware structure of this device 100. (See diagram below.) Figure 3 As shown, the device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 510, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) 520, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 530, an auxiliary storage device 540, a communication I / F 550, an input device 560, a display device 570, and a storage medium I / F 580.

[0028] CPU 510 is a device that executes programs stored in ROM 520, expands (loads) data into RAM 530, processes it according to program instructions, and controls the overall device 100. ROM 520 stores the programs and data executed by CPU 510. RAM 530 expands (loads) the programs and data to be executed when CPU 510 executes the programs stored in ROM 520, and temporarily holds the data during the operation.

[0029] The auxiliary storage device 540 is a device that stores the OS (Operating System), which is the basic software, the application programs of this embodiment, and related data together. For example, it may include the product information storage unit 110. The auxiliary storage device 540 may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory.

[0030] The Communication I / F550 is an interface for connecting to a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), the Internet, or other communication network 300, and for transmitting and receiving data with other devices (such as POS systems) 280 that provide communication functions.

[0031] Input device 560 is a device such as a keyboard used to input data into device 100. Display device (output device) 570 is a device composed of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, which functions as a user interface when the user uses the functions of device 100 or makes various settings. Storage medium I / F 580 is an interface for transmitting and receiving data with storage media 590 such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and USB memory.

[0032] Each unit of the device 100 can also be implemented by the CPU 510 executing the program corresponding to each unit stored in the ROM 520 or the auxiliary storage device 540. Alternatively, each unit of the device 100 can be implemented by performing processing related to each unit in hardware. Furthermore, the device 100 can execute the program by reading it from an external server device via communication I / F 550, or by reading it from storage medium 590 via storage medium I / F 580.

[0033] (Processing example of the product information management device in this embodiment) use Figure 4 This describes the processing flow of the device 100. Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the processing procedure of this device 100.

[0034] In S10, the image information extraction unit 120 extracts a combination of product identification information 220 and first item identification information 230 and its item value 240 from the image medium 270 through image recognition processing. The image medium 270 is, for example, an advertising flyer. Furthermore, the image recognition processing method used by the image information extraction unit 120 is not particularly limited.

[0035] Additionally, in S10, the DB information extraction unit 130 accesses the database 290 stored in the external device 280, and extracts from the database 290 a combination of product identification information 220 for a product 210, and second item identification information 250 and its item value 260. There is one or more external devices 280, each configured according to different management methods and purposes.

[0036] The DB information extraction unit 130 has the following functions: collecting information from various databases 290 and integrating this information using the product identification information 220 as the key.

[0037] In S20, the first determination unit 140 determines whether the combination obtained (extracted) in S10 is consistent with the combination stored in the commodity information storage unit 110 for a combination of a first item identification information 230 and its item value 240. The first determination unit 140 verifies whether the combination of a first item identification information 230 and its item value 240 is the latest information, whether it is legitimate information, etc.

[0038] Furthermore, in S20, the second determination unit 150 determines whether the combination obtained (extracted) in S10 is consistent with the combination stored in the product information storage unit 110 for a combination of a second item identification information 250 and its item value 260. The second determination unit 150 verifies whether a combination of a second item identification information 250 and its item value 260 is the latest information, whether it is legitimate information, etc.

[0039] In S30, if the first determination unit 140 determines that there is an inconsistency in S20, the first product information correction unit 160 notifies the relevant parties. Furthermore, in S30, the first product information correction unit 160 replaces the value stored in the product information storage unit 110 with the value obtained (extracted) by the image information extraction unit 120 for the item value 240 of the first item identification information 230 associated with a product identification information 220. The first product information correction unit 160 updates the item value 240 of the first item identification information 230 to the latest information.

[0040] Furthermore, in S30, if the second determination unit 150 determines that there is an inconsistency in S20, the second product information correction unit 170 notifies the relevant parties. Also in S30, for the item value 260 of the second item identification information 250 associated with a product identification information 220, the second product information correction unit 170 replaces the value stored in the product information storage unit 110 with the value obtained (extracted) by the DB information extraction unit 130. The second product information correction unit 170 updates the item value 260 of the second item identification information 250 to the latest information.

[0041] By performing the above processing, the device 100 generates a product master database 110 updated with the latest information.

[0042] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments. Various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims.

[0043] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 100 Product Information Management Device 110 Product Information Storage Unit 120 Image Information Extraction Unit 130 DB Information Extraction Unit 140 First Judgment Unit 150 Second Judgment Unit 160 First Product Information Correction Unit 170 Second Product Information Correction Unit 210 products 220 Product Identification Information 230 First item identification information 240 The item value of the first item identification information 250 Second item identification information 260 Second item identification information item value 270 Image Medium 280 External Devices 290 Database stored on external devices 300 communication network 510 CPU 520 ROM 530 RAM 540 Auxiliary storage device 550 communication interface 560 Input Device 570 Output Device 580 Storage Media Interface 590 Storage Media

Claims

1. A commodity information management device, characterized in that, have: The product information storage unit stores, for each product, product identification information, first item identification information and its item value, and second item identification information and its item value respectively. An image information extraction unit extracts, through image recognition processing, product identification information about a product, as well as a combination of the first item identification information and its item value, from an image medium. The DB information extraction unit accesses a database stored in an external device and extracts the product identification information and the combination of the second item identification information and its item value from the database. The first determination unit determines whether the combination of the first item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information obtained by the image information extraction unit is consistent with the combination of the first item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit. The second determination unit determines whether the combination of the second item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information obtained by the DB information extraction unit is consistent with the combination of the second item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit. The first product information correction unit notifies the first determination unit of the situation when the first determination unit determines that there is an inconsistency, and replaces the item value of the first item identification information associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit with the item value of the first item identification information associated with the product identification information obtained by the image information extraction unit. as well as The second product information correction unit notifies the second determination unit of the situation when the second determination unit determines that there is an inconsistency, and replaces the item value of the second item identification information associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit with the item value of the second item identification information associated with the product identification information obtained by the DB information extraction unit.

2. A product information management method, executed by a computer equipped with a product information storage unit that associates and stores product identification information, first item identification information and its item value, and second item identification information and its item value for each product, comprising: The image information extraction unit extracts, through image recognition processing, a combination of product identification information and the first item identification information and its item value from the image medium. The DB information extraction unit accesses a database stored in an external device and extracts a combination of the product identification information and the second item identification information and its item value from the database. The first determination unit determines whether the combination of the first item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information obtained by the image information extraction unit is consistent with the combination of the first item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit. The second determination unit determines whether the combination of the second item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information obtained by the DB information extraction unit is consistent with the combination of the second item identification information and its item value associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit. The first product information correction unit, when the first determination unit determines that there is an inconsistency, notifies the situation and replaces the item value of the first item identification information associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit with the item value of the first item identification information associated with the product identification information obtained by the image information extraction unit. The second product information correction unit, when the second determination unit determines that there is an inconsistency, notifies the situation and replaces the item value of the second item identification information associated with the product identification information stored in the product information storage unit with the item value of the second item identification information associated with the product identification information obtained by the DB information extraction unit.

3. A commodity information management program for causing a computer to execute the method of claim 2.

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