Sales data processor and program

Abstract

To reduce damage caused by the replacement of media indicating that an article is subject to a discount and the details of the discount.SOLUTION: A sales data processor includes: an article information acquisition unit for acquiring article information including at least information identifying an article and attributes of the article; a discount information acquisition unit for acquiring, from a medium attached to the article, discount information indicating details of the discount and attributes of the article subject to the discount; and an alarming unit for issuing an inconsistent alarm when attributes included in the article information and attributes indicated by the discount information are inconsistent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a sales data processing device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, discount stickers are affixed to products to indicate that they are subject to a discount and the details of the discount, and products to which the stickers are affixed are discounted according to the displayed discount amount.

[0003] In stores where the above-mentioned operations are carried out, fraudulent acts may occur in which discount stickers attached to products are peeled off and replaced with other products. In this case, products that are not actually subject to discounts are discounted, which is inconvenient. For example, if discount stickers attached to fresh foods for the purpose of sales promotion due to an approaching expiration date are replaced with expensive products such as alcoholic beverages, products that do not need to be discounted are sold at a low price, causing great damage to the store. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to reduce damage caused by replacing media indicating discount items or discount details, and to provide a sales data processing device and program that make this possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The sales data processing device of the embodiment includes a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information including at least information identifying a product and attributes of the product, a discount information acquisition unit that acquires discount information indicating the discount details and the attributes of the product to be discounted from a medium attached to the product, and an alarm unit that issues an alarm of inconsistency when there is a discrepancy between the attributes included in the product information and the attributes indicated by the discount information. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a medium used in the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sales data processing system and the self-service POS terminal 1 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the store controller 3. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing examples of items included in the product master 401. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing examples of items included in the discount master 402. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing examples of items included in the registration information 403. As shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of functional units included in the control unit 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process performed by the control unit 10 of the self-service POS terminal 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a medium used in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] (First embodiment) An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a store that attaches a predetermined medium to a product to indicate to shoppers (customers) that the product is eligible for a discount will be described as an example.

[0008] First, Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a medium used in this embodiment. The medium is, for example, discount stickers A and B that are affixed to products that are subject to discounts. The discount stickers are affixed to products to inform shoppers (customers) that the discount details written on the discount stickers are applied to the products to which the discount stickers are affixed.

[0009] The medium includes discount information, which is information that indicates in an identifiable manner the details of the discount and attributes of the product that is the subject of the discount.

[0010] First, the medium visually indicates the discount details using, for example, text or images, which allows shoppers to understand the implementation and details of the discount by looking at the medium, and also allows the sales data processing system to read the discount details using image recognition.

[0011] Next, different types of media are assigned to each attribute of the product. Here, the attribute is a classification based on a predetermined criterion, such as the department to which the product belongs. The types of media are classified based on the external characteristics of the media, such as the color and shape of the media. In this case, the types of media can be increased by providing differences in appearance. In this case, the types of media can be identified by image recognition.

[0012] For example, the discount sticker A and discount sticker B shown in Figure 1 both have the same discount, "half price," but their shapes are different. When media that are classified by differences in appearance are used, a process is performed to distinguish the media using image recognition. Distinguishing media using image recognition can be done, for example, by comparing the feature values ​​with matching data.

[0013] In this embodiment, within the same store, different types of media are assigned for each attribute to which the product belongs. A product that is a discounted item is given the type of media assigned to the attribute of the product.

[0014] In this embodiment, if the type of medium attached to a product is assigned to the attribute of the product to which the medium is attached, the medium and the attribute of the product are deemed to be consistent (correct). Also, in this embodiment, if the type of medium attached to a product is not assigned to the attribute of the product to which the medium is attached, the medium and the attribute of the product are deemed to be inconsistent (inconsistent). If the medium and the attribute of the product are inconsistent, there is a possibility of fraud or operational error, and this is reported. This can prompt the user to deal with the problem.

[0015] 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the sales data processing system of this embodiment and the self-service POS terminal 1. The sales data processing system of this embodiment includes the self-service POS terminal 1, a store controller 3, and a LAN (Local Area Network) 5. The LAN 5 is an example of a network that connects each device so that they can communicate with each other.

[0016] The store controller 3 is a server device that manages information within the store and provides information to be used in the store, is also called a store computer, and is realized by, for example, a PC (Personal Computer).

[0017] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the store controller 3. The store controller 3 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 31, a read only memory (ROM) 32, a random access memory (RAM) 33, a communication unit 34, a storage unit 40, and the like.

[0018] The CPU 31 is an example of a processor, and controls each part of the store controller 3. The ROM 32 stores various programs. The RAM 33 is a workspace in which programs and various data are expanded. The CPU 31, the ROM 32, and the RAM 33 are connected via a bus or the like, and constitute the control unit 30 of the computer configuration.

[0019] The communication unit 34 is a communication interface that connects the control unit 30 and an external device (for example, the self-service POS terminal 1) via a network such as a LAN 5 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0020] The storage unit 40 has a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory, and maintains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The storage unit 40 stores a product master 401, a discount master 402, registration information 403, programs executable by the CPU 31, and various setting information used when executing the programs.

[0021] The control unit 30 executes various processes by the CPU 31 operating in accordance with programs stored in the ROM 32 or the storage unit 40 and loaded into the RAM 33. In this way, the control unit 30 provides various functional units.

[0022] 4 is a diagram showing examples of items included in the product master 401. The product master 401 is information about products handled by a store (product information) compiled, for example, in the form of a table. Items in the product master 401 include, for example, "product code," "department," "product name," "unit price," "area," and "verification data." The product code and product name are examples of information that identifies a product. The department is an example of a product attribute.

[0023] The product code is, for example, a JAN code. Other information (department, product name, unit price, area, verification data, etc.) is stored in association with the product code.

[0024] A department is the name of a group of products that are classified according to common characteristics. Specific examples include "meat," "fruit and vegetables," and "grocery." Products in the meat department include beef and pork. Products in the fruit and vegetables department include cabbage and lettuce. Products in the grocery department include wine. The grocery department is a department that includes products that have a longer shelf life (longer expiry dates or best-before dates) than fresh foods, such as alcoholic beverages, canned goods, dried foods, and seasonings.

[0025] The item name is recorded in the "item name" field. The price for one item is recorded in the "unit price" field.

[0026] The area (an example of a product attribute) is the display location of the product. What is recorded in the "area" item may be, for example, a name, symbol, or number indicating the display shelf, such as shelf A or shelf B, or a floor number, such as the first floor or the second floor, or a direction, such as north or south.

[0027] The matching data of the product master 401 is a representative value of the feature information. The feature information is information that indicates the external characteristics of an item (product). The feature information is a value that is output (obtained) by performing a predetermined process on image data that captures the external appearance of the product, and is, for example, a quantity having a magnitude and direction such as a vector. The matching data is a standard value of the feature information that varies depending on the imaging conditions, etc.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing examples of items included in discount master 402. Discount master 402 is an example of information that associates attributes with discount details. Information about discounts implemented using media (discount stickers, etc.) used in stores is compiled, for example, in the form of a table. Items in discount master 402 include, for example, "discount code," "discount details," "department," and "verification data." In this table, discount details, department, verification data, etc. are stored as one record in association with a discount code.

[0029] The discount code is identification information that enables identification of a combination of the discount content stored in association with the discount code and the attribute of the discount target (department in the example of FIG. 5).

[0030] The discount content is a discount rate or a discount amount, such as "10% off" or "30 yen off." The department is the department that will be subject to the discount of the discount content of the record. The example in Figure 5 shows that the store uses a medium for a 10% discount on products in the meat department and a medium for a 5% discount on products in the produce department.

[0031] In the example of Fig. 5, the attribute is department, but in practice, the attribute may be, for example, area or price range. When using price range as an attribute, for example, a first price range is set for unit prices of 1000 yen or less, a second price range is set for unit prices of 1001 yen to 2000 yen, and so on, and discount notifications and discount processing are performed using different media for each price range to which the unit price of the product belongs.

[0032] The comparison data of the discount master 402 is a representative value of the characteristic information. The characteristic information is information that indicates the external characteristics of the medium (discount sticker). The characteristic information is a value that is output (obtained) by performing a predetermined process on image data in which the medium is reflected, and is, for example, a quantity having a magnitude and direction such as a vector. The comparison data is a standard value of the characteristic information that varies depending on the imaging conditions, etc.

[0033] 6 is a diagram showing examples of items included in the registered information 403. The registered information 403 is information on products registered for purchase by the customer (i.e., products to be traded) compiled, for example, in the form of a table. Items in the registered information 403 include, for example, "transaction ID," "product code," "unit price," "discount code," and "discounted price."

[0034] The transaction ID is identification information capable of identifying one of the records contained in the table as the registration information 403, and is information for identifying a transaction. A transaction ID is issued each time a new transaction is started, and is used until the transaction is completed (the accounting process is completed).

[0035] The "product code", "unit price" and "discount code" are the same as those described above. The "discounted price" is the price after the unit price is discounted according to the discount details associated with the discount code in the discount master 402.

[0036] Such a store controller 3 is connected to one or more self-service POS terminals 1 via a network such as a LAN 5, and manages or controls them.

[0037] Returning to Fig. 2, the self-service POS terminal 1 will be described. Here, POS is an abbreviation for "Point Of Sale" and means "point of sale information management." The POS terminal is a device that performs point of sale information management.

[0038] The self-service POS terminal 1 is an example of a sales data processing device, and includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, a communication unit 14, a display unit 15, an operation unit 16, a scanner 17, a change dispenser 18, an I / O board 19, a memory unit 20, and the like.

[0039] The CPU 11 is an example of a processor and controls each part of the self-service POS terminal 1. The ROM 12 stores various programs. The RAM 13 is a workspace for developing programs and various data. The CPU 11, the ROM 12, and the RAM 13 are connected via a bus or the like to constitute the control unit 10 having a computer configuration.

[0040] The communication unit 14 is a communication interface that connects the control unit 10 and an external device (for example, the store controller 3) via a network such as a LAN 5 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0041] The display unit 15 has a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various types of information under the control of the CPU 11.

[0042] The operation unit 16 has input devices such as a touch panel and a keyboard that are provided over the surface of the display unit 15, and outputs the operation contents input via the input devices to the CPU 11.

[0043] The scanner 17 reads (acquires) various information related to the product from image data obtained by capturing an image of the product through image recognition, etc. The scanner 17 uses an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) for capturing an image.

[0044] If the image data includes a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code, the scanner 17 outputs a value obtained by decoding the code symbol. The value obtained by decoding the code symbol is, for example, a product code.

[0045] The scanner 17 also compares information indicating product characteristics (feature quantities) obtained by performing a predetermined process on the image data with the verification data in the product master 201, and outputs a product code associated with matching verification data. The information indicating product characteristics is, for example, a set of values ​​(feature quantities) that quantifies characteristics such as the shape, color, and surface condition of an article (product).

[0046] Furthermore, if a discount sticker (an example of a medium) appears in the image data, the scanner 17 performs a specified processing on the image data to obtain the features of the discount sticker, compares the features with the matching data in the discount master 202, and outputs a matching discount code.

[0047] In practice, the scanner 17 may output image data to another device, which may then perform a predetermined process on the received image data to obtain the features of the product or medium, and output this to the scanner 17. In this case, the scanner 17 compares the features input from the other device with the matching data in the product master 201 (or discount master 202), obtains a matching product code (or discount code), and outputs this.

[0048] The change machine 18 has built-in cash (coins and bills), accepts deposits in payments, and dispenses change. The self-service POS terminal 1 may also include a device for making payments other than cash, such as credit card payments or electronic money payments. The self-service POS terminal 1 may also include a printer for printing and issuing receipts that record transactions.

[0049] The I / O board 19 is an interface for connecting peripheral devices such as the display unit 15, the operation unit 16, and the scanner 17 to the control unit .

[0050] The storage unit 20 has a storage medium such as an HDD, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and maintains the stored contents even when the power is cut off. The storage unit 20 stores programs executable by the CPU 11 and various setting information. The storage unit 20 also stores a product master 201, a discount master 202, and registration information 203.

[0051] The product master 201 and discount master 202 are received from the store controller 3 at a predetermined timing, and basically have the same contents as the product master 401 and discount master 402. The predetermined timing is, for example, between after the store closes on the previous day and before the store opens on the current day.

[0052] The registration information 203 is information that is the source of the registration information 403. The self-service POS terminal 1 transmits the registration information 203 to the store controller 3 at an arbitrary timing, and the store controller 3 that receives the registration information 203 adds to or updates the registration information 403 based on the registration information 203. The arbitrary timing is, for example, each time one transaction is completed.

[0053] 7 is a block diagram showing examples of functional units included in the control unit 10. The control unit 10 executes various processes by the CPU 11 operating in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 12 or the storage unit 20 and expanded in the RAM 13. By executing the program, the control unit 10 provides various functional units such as a product information acquisition unit 101, a discount information acquisition unit 102, a discount processing unit 103, a product registration unit 104, and an alarm unit 105.

[0054] The product information acquisition unit 101 acquires product information including at least information for identifying a product and attributes of the product. Specifically, the product information acquisition unit 101 acquires product information (department, product name, unit price, area, etc.) associated with the product code output by the scanner 17 from the product master 201.

[0055] The discount information acquisition unit 102 acquires discount information indicating the discount details and attributes of the product to be discounted from a medium (e.g., a discount sticker) attached to the product. Specifically, the discount information acquisition unit 102 queries the discount master 202 using the discount code output by the scanner 17, and acquires the matching discount details and department. If the medium is a discount sticker that displays the discount details in text, it is also possible to acquire the discount details by character recognition.

[0056] The discount processing unit 103 performs discount processing according to the discount information acquired by the discount information acquisition unit 102. Furthermore, the discount processing unit 103 does not perform discount processing when the attributes included in the product information and the attributes indicated by the discount information are not consistent (for example, when the department associated with the product code does not match the department associated with the discount code).

[0057] The alert unit 105 issues an alert of the inconsistency when the attribute included in the product information and the attribute indicated by the discount information do not match.

[0058] The product registration unit 104 performs a product registration process. That is, the product registration unit 104 registers product information acquired from the product master 201 as registration information 203 based on information read by the scanner 17 or information input by the operation unit 16.

[0059] 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the control unit 10 of the self-service POS terminal 1. The control unit 10 judges whether or not there is an input in the following order: reading a code symbol (step S1), reading a discount sticker (step S2), registering a product by key operation (step S3), and issuing a discount instruction by key operation (step S4).

[0060] When the scanner 17 reads the code symbol (Yes in step S1), the control unit 10 obtains product information that matches the product code obtained by decoding the code symbol from the product master 201, and performs product registration processing (step S5). Next, if the closing key is entered (Yes in step S6), the control unit 10 ends this processing and moves to the payment processing. If the closing key is not entered (No in step S6), the control unit 10 returns the processing to step S1. If the code symbol detected when returning to step S1 is the same as the previous time (i.e., if no new code symbol is detected (No in step S1), the control unit 10 advances the processing to step S2.

[0061] When the scanner 17 reads the discount sticker in step S2 (Yes in step S2), the control unit 10 judges whether the department is consistent (step S7). If the attributes indicated by the discount sticker in step S7 do not match the attributes of the product registered in step S5 (No in step S7), the control unit 10 issues an alert (step S8). The alert is sent to the store controller 3, for example, and is implemented by the store controller 3 displaying text information or image information or issuing audio information. The control unit 10 then advances the process to step S6.

[0062] If the attribute indicated by the discount sticker matches the attribute of the product in step S7 (Yes in step S7), the control unit 10 performs discount processing as the discount processing unit 103 (step S9), and the process proceeds to step S6.

[0063] If a discount sticker is not detected in step S2 (No in step S2), the control unit 10 advances the process to step S3. If product registration by key operation is detected in step S3 (Yes in step S3), the control unit 10 advances the process to step S5.

[0064] If product registration by key operation is not detected in step S3 (No in step S3), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S4. If a discount instruction by key operation is detected in step S4 (Yes in step S4), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S9. If a discount instruction by key operation is not detected in step S4 (No in step S4), the control unit 10 proceeds to step S6.

[0065] In this way, according to the first embodiment, when the attributes included in the product information and the attributes indicated by the discount information do not match, a notice of the inconsistency is issued and measures can be taken. This makes it possible to prevent unauthorized discounts from being given at least when the attributes are inconsistent. This makes it possible to reduce damage caused by the replacement of media indicating the discount target or the discount details.

[0066] The medium may be any medium that visually indicates to the shopper that the product to which the medium is attached is subject to a discount and that can present to the sales data processing system the attributes of the product to which the medium is to be attached, and does not have to be the one exemplified in Figure 1 etc. The medium described above using Figure 1 etc. is merely one example, and there is no intention to limit the medium to only the above example.

[0067] Also, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the attribute indicated by the discount information was department, but the attribute indicated by the discount information may be area (where the product is displayed) or price range. When the attribute is price range, the item "department" in the discount master 402, 202 is set to "price range", and the contents are, for example, 0 to 499 yen, 500 to 999 yen, 1000 yen or more, etc. Then, if the unit price of the product to which the medium is attached falls within the attribute (price range) indicated by the medium, it is considered to be consistent, and if it does not fall within the attribute, it is considered to be inconsistent.

[0068] The above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate by changing a part of the configuration or function of each of the above-described devices. Therefore, some modified examples of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. Note that the following mainly describes the differences from the above-described embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used for the common points with the contents already described, and detailed description is omitted. In addition, the modified examples described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0069] Second embodiment Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a medium used in this embodiment. The medium may display a code symbol (such as a barcode or two-dimensional code) that differs for each attribute together with the discount details, such as discount sticker C shown in Fig. 9. In this case, the type of medium is classified according to the difference in the code symbol displayed on the medium. Also, in this case, the attribute of the product to which the medium is to be attached is recognized by reading (decoding) the code symbol.

[0070] For example, if the medium is a discount sticker bearing a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code, the scanner 17 outputs a value obtained by decoding the code symbol. The value is, for example, a discount code.

[0071] Third embodiment The medium may include, for example, a wireless tag. In this case, information that can identify the attribute is stored in the wireless tag. In this case, the type of the medium is classified according to the difference in the information stored in the wireless tag included in the medium.

[0072] The wireless tag stores information that can be read by a predetermined reader device. The reader device reads the tag information using short-range wireless communication such as RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology.

[0073] For example, in a store where media including wireless tags are used, the discount information acquisition unit 102 acquires the discount code or discount information by using a predetermined reader device instead of the scanner 17 .

[0074] (Modifications of the embodiment) In each of the above embodiments, the consistency between the attributes of the medium and the discounted product is shown using not only information obtainable from the medium itself but also other information (such as the discount master and product master described below). However, in practice, the consistency between the attributes of the medium and the discounted product may be shown only by information obtainable from the medium itself.

[0075] The programs executed by each device of each of the above-described embodiments are provided by being pre-installed in a ROM, etc. The programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments may be provided by being recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a digital versatile disk (DVD) in the form of an installable or executable file.

[0076] Furthermore, the programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the programs executed by each device of the above-described embodiments may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0077] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 ... Self-service POS terminal, 10 ... control unit, 101... product information acquisition unit, 102... discount information acquisition unit, 103... discount processing unit, 104...Product registration unit, 105...Alert unit, 11...CPU, 12...ROM, 13...RAM, 14: communication unit, 15: display unit, 16: operation unit, 17...scanner, 18...change machine, 19...I / O board, 20: storage unit, 201: product master, 202: discount master, 203: registration information, 3…Store Controller, 30... control unit, 31... CPU, 32... ROM, 33... RAM, 34... communication unit, 40: storage unit; 401: product master; 402: discount master; 403: registration information; 5...LAN. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0079] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-178574 A

Claims

1. a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information including at least information identifying a product and attributes of the product; a discount information acquisition unit that acquires discount information indicating discount details and attributes of the product to be discounted from a medium attached to the product; a notification unit that issues a notification of a mismatch when an attribute included in the product information and an attribute indicated by the discount information do not match; A sales data processing device comprising:

2. A discount processing unit that performs discount processing according to the discount information, The discount processing unit does not perform the discount processing when the attribute included in the product information and the attribute indicated by the discount information do not match. The sales data processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The alert issuing unit issues an alert when the product information and the discount information are not consistent based on information relating the attribute and the discount content. The sales data processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The attribute is any one of a department to which the product to which the medium is attached belongs, a location where the product to which the medium is attached is displayed, and a price range of the product to which the medium is attached. The sales data processing device according to claim 1 .

5. The discount information acquisition unit acquires the discount information from the medium, which is a discount sticker attached to a product. The sales data processing device according to claim 1 .

6. The discount information acquisition unit acquires the discount information by reading the content displayed on the medium, which is a discount sticker attached to the product, by image recognition. The sales data processing device according to claim 1 .

7. A computer equipped with the sales data processing device, a product information acquisition unit that acquires product information including at least information identifying a product and attributes of the product; a discount information acquisition unit that acquires discount information indicating discount details and attributes of the product to be discounted from a medium attached to the product; a notification unit that issues a notification of a mismatch when an attribute included in the product information and an attribute indicated by the discount information do not match; A program to function as a

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