Self-settlement system and system

Abstract

To provide a self-settlement system, etc. that can easily control unauthorized use of gift certificates.SOLUTION: A self-settlement system 1 includes: an input unit 211 that allows customers to input type information of gift certificates; an image acquisition unit 212 that acquires actual images which are images of gift certificates to be used for settlement; a storage unit 22 that stores at least the actual images; a customer information acquisition unit 213 that acquires customer information; a settlement processing unit 216 that performs settlement processing; and a storage processing unit 214 that causes the storage unit 22 to store the actual images, the type information, and the customer information in association with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-checkout system and a system. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the gift certificate processing machine described in Patent Document 1 includes an insertion unit for inserting gift certificates into the machine, a transport unit connected to the insertion unit and transporting the gift certificates inserted into the machine by the insertion unit one by one, a recognition unit provided in the transport unit and identifying the gift certificates inserted into the machine by the insertion unit, and a storage unit connected to the transport unit and storing the gift certificates identified by the recognition unit. The gift certificate processing machine described in Patent Document 1 also includes a dispensing unit connected to the transport unit and dispensing the gift certificates identified by the recognition unit out of the machine, and a control unit that performs one of a plurality of processing modes including a deposit processing mode and a confirmation processing mode, and when the deposit processing mode is performed, controls the transport unit to send gift certificates identified by the recognition unit that satisfy a predetermined condition to the storage unit and to send gift certificates that do not satisfy the predetermined condition to the dispensing unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-200938 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A gift certificate is identified by obtaining an image of the gift certificate by an image sensor provided in the recognition unit, and obtaining information related to the type, amount, voucher number, etc. of the gift certificate based on the image of the gift certificate. If the information related to the gift certificate identified by the recognition unit matches information related to gift certificates usable at the store that is pre-registered in a memory unit or the like, the gift certificate is stored in a storage unit within the body of the gift certificate processing machine, whereas if the information does not match the information related to gift certificates usable at the store, the gift certificate is ejected from the body of the gift certificate processing machine as a rejected gift certificate. However, to identify gift certificates, it is necessary to register in advance which gift certificates can be used at stores and to use high-precision OCR. On the other hand, there are many different designs of gift certificates, making it difficult to completely identify them using OCR. In addition, it is not easy to register all the regional promotion coupons issued every day. On the other hand, in the case of self-checkout or semi-self-checkout registers, if a store clerk in charge of customer service has to deal with a customer every time he or she uses a gift certificate in order to prevent fraudulent use of the gift certificate, this places a heavy burden on the store clerk. The present invention aims to provide a self-payment system that can easily prevent fraudulent use of gift certificates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention, which was completed with the above-mentioned objective in mind, is a self-checkout system comprising an input unit that enables customers to input gift certificate type information, an image acquisition unit that acquires an actual image of the gift certificate to be used for settlement, a memory unit that stores at least the actual image, a customer information acquisition unit that acquires customer information, a settlement processing unit that performs settlement processing, and a memory processing unit that links the actual image, the type information, and the customer information and stores them in the memory unit. Here, the system may further include a display unit that displays information to the customer, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the information. The display control unit may also cause the display unit to display a sample image of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information input to the input unit. The display control unit may cause the actual image and the sample image to be displayed on the display unit. The display control unit may also cause the customer information to be displayed on the display unit. The device may further include an image capturing unit that captures an image of a customer performing an input operation, and the display control unit may display an image of the customer performing the input operation on the display unit when the customer performs the input operation. In addition, the display control unit may cause at least one sample image of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information to be displayed on the display unit, and the input unit may input the type information corresponding to one sample image selected from the at least one sample image displayed on the display unit. The electronic device may further include a recognition unit for performing a recognition process for the gift certificate. In addition, it may be possible to switch between acquiring the type information by performing the identification process in the identification unit and acquiring the type information inputted to the input unit. The electronic device may further include a collation unit that compares the type information identified by the identification unit with the type information input to the input unit. The image processing device may further include a matching unit that performs a process of matching the actual image with a pre-registered image based on the type information input to the input unit. The input unit may also enable a customer to input information regarding the expiration date of the gift certificate. Also, from another perspective, the present invention is a system comprising an input unit that enables an operator to input type information of a gift certificate, an image acquisition unit that acquires an actual image which is an image of the gift certificate, a memory unit that stores at least the actual image, an operator information acquisition unit that acquires operator information, and a memory processing unit that links the actual image, the type information, and the operator information and stores them in the memory unit. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a self-payment system etc. that can easily prevent fraudulent use of gift certificates. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a settlement system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an external view of a gift certificate processing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a gift certificate processing device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an operation terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a settlement screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a request screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a sample image selection screen displayed on a display unit. [Figure 10] 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a storage process performed by a control unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a settlement system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a storage process performed by a control unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of a settlement system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 14] 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a storage process performed by a control unit. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a sales deposit machine. [Figure 17] 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a storage process performed by a control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a settlement system 1 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "system 1") according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a gift certificate. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the external appearance of the gift certificate processing device 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the gift certificate processing device 30. As shown in FIG. The system 1 includes a currency processing device 10, an operation terminal 20, a gift certificate processing device 30, a server 40, a customer information reading device 45, and a camera 50. The currency processing device 10, the operation terminal 20, the gift certificate processing device 30, the server 40, the customer information reading device 45, and the camera 50 can be used, for example, in a commercial facility such as a supermarket or a convenience store. However, the server 40 may be used outside the commercial facility, for example, in the headquarters of the commercial facility.

[0009] The currency processing device 10, operation terminal 20, gift certificate processing device 30, server 40, customer information reading device 45, and camera 50 are capable of communicating with each other via a network 55. There are no particular limitations on the network 55 as long as it is a communication network used for data communication between devices, and an example of the network 55 is a local area network (LAN). The communication line used for data communication may be either wired or wireless, and a combination of these may be used. An example of the wireless LAN is WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0010] When a customer purchases products at a commercial facility such as a supermarket, a settlement process is performed at a checkout counter. The settlement process includes a process of calculating the amount of the transaction between the commercial facility and the customer from the prices and quantities of each product purchased by the customer, and a process of the commercial facility receiving money or the like from the customer for the amount of the transaction. The settlement process also includes a process of, if the amount of money or the like received by the commercial facility from the customer exceeds the amount of the transaction, returning to the customer as change the amount of money equal to the difference obtained by subtracting the amount of the transaction from the amount of the received money or the like.

[0011] When a clerk at a commercial facility performs the process from reading product barcodes to processing the payment, the currency processing device 10 and the operation terminal 20 function as a manned register. On the other hand, when a customer performs the process from reading product barcodes to processing the payment, the currency processing device 10 and the operation terminal 20 function as a self-checkout register. When a clerk at a commercial facility reads product barcodes and the customer performs the payment, the currency processing device 10 and the operation terminal 20 function as a semi-self-checkout register.

[0012] During the settlement process, the currency handling device 10 functions as a change machine. Specifically, the currency handling device 10 executes a currency deposit process and stores within the device currency equal to or greater than the amount to be paid by the customer in currency. If the amount of the deposit exceeds the amount to be paid by the customer in currency, the currency handling device 10 executes a withdrawal process and dispenses as change the amount of currency equal to the difference between the amount of the deposit and the amount to be paid by the customer in currency.

[0013] The amount to be paid in cash by the customer is determined taking into consideration the gift certificate inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30. Examples of gift certificates include product exchange coupons which entitle you to the product printed on the face of the certificate, cash vouchers which are not cash currency such as currency but have a value equivalent to cash currency and entitle you to the product printed on the face of the certificate (see FIG. 2(a)), and regional promotion coupons and discount coupons which entitle you to a deduction based on the amount or discount rate printed on the face of the certificate (see FIG. 2(b)). Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between product exchange coupons, cash vouchers, regional promotion coupons and discount coupons, they may be collectively referred to as gift certificates.

[0014] Examples of the product exchange coupons include beer coupons and rice coupons. Examples of the voucher include vouchers issued by credit card companies such as VISA and JCB, and vouchers issued by supermarkets, etc. Examples of discount coupons include receipt coupons issued when predetermined conditions are met during a transaction at a store, and shareholder discount coupons.

[0015] When the currency processing device 10 and the operation terminal 20 are used as a self-checkout or semi-self-checkout, for example, the operation terminal 20 determines the amount to be paid in currency by the customer using the transaction amount calculated from the prices and quantities of each commodity purchased by the customer and the amount according to the type and number of gift certificates inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30. For example, the operation terminal 20 determines the amount to be paid in currency by the customer by subtracting from the transaction amount the amount obtained by adding the amount written on the face of the coupon or regional promotion coupon inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30 to the number of coupons inserted, from the transaction amount. Alternatively, the operation terminal 20 determines the amount to be paid in currency by the customer by subtracting from the transaction amount the amount obtained by adding the amount equivalent to the commodity written on the face of the product exchange coupon inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30 to the number of coupons inserted, from the transaction amount. Alternatively, the operating terminal 20 determines the amount to be paid in cash by the customer to be the amount of the transaction minus the amount obtained by adding the discount amount written on the face of the discount coupon inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30 to the number of coupons inserted. Then, the operation terminal 20 notifies the currency handling device 10 of the amount to be paid by the customer in currency.

[0016] The system 1 has a function to suppress fraudulent use of gift certificates. Fraudulent use of gift certificates can be exemplified by falsifying type information of the gift certificate. The type information of the gift certificate can be exemplified by the type of the gift certificate, such as a product exchange voucher, a gift certificate, a regional promotion voucher, a discount voucher, and the value of the gift certificate equivalent to cash currency. For example, a 1,000 yen gift certificate and a 1,000 yen regional promotion voucher have different types of type information even though they are both worth 1,000 yen. In addition, a 1,000 yen gift certificate and a 500 yen gift certificate have different type information even though they are the same type because their values ​​are different. For example, when a customer declares that a gift certificate is a 1,000 yen gift certificate despite the type information of the gift certificate being a 500 yen gift certificate, this corresponds to falsifying type information of the gift certificate and corresponds to fraudulent use.

[0017] As described later in detail, the system 1 has a function of linking the actual image of the gift certificate used for settlement, the type information of the gift certificate declared by the customer, and customer information, and storing them in the storage unit 22 or the server 40 described later. This makes it difficult for the customer to misuse the gift certificate, since the customer knows that the fraudulent use of the gift certificate is stored in association with the customer information. In addition, for example, a store clerk can know that a gift certificate has been misused by checking the usage history of the gift certificate stored in the storage unit 22 or the server 40, and can find out which customer has misused the gift certificate by using the customer information stored in association with the actual image and type information. Then, the store clerk can talk to the customer who has misused the gift certificate and visited the store at a later date. This prevents the customer who has misused the gift certificate from misusing it again.

[0018] Below, each device will be explained, and the function of preventing fraudulent use of gift certificates will be described in detail. (Currency processing device 10) The currency handling machine 10 includes a coin handling machine 100 which performs a coin deposit / withdrawal process, and a banknote handling machine 200 which performs a banknote deposit / withdrawal process. Coins and banknotes deposited by customers are deposited in the coin handling machine 100 and the banknote handling machine 200, respectively, and coins and banknotes are dispensed as change from the coin handling machine 100 and the banknote handling machine 200, respectively. As shown in Fig. 1, the coin handling machine 100 and the banknote handling machine 200 can be, for example, arranged side by side. However, the coin handling machine 100 and the banknote handling machine 200 may also be arranged side by side vertically.

[0019] Coin Processing Machine 100 The coin processing machine 100 has a coin receiving unit 101 that receives coins, and a coin dispensing unit 102 that dispenses coins. The coin receiving unit 101 and the coin dispensing unit 102 are provided in the front part of a housing 110. The coin processing machine 100 also has a deposit transport section (not shown) that transports coins taken into the housing 110 by the coin receiving section 101, and a coin identification section (not shown) that is provided midway through the deposit transport section and identifies the coins. The coin handling machine 100 also has a coin storage unit (not shown) that stores coins by denomination, and a dispensing transport unit (not shown) that transports coins dispensed from the coin storage unit to the coin dispensing unit 102.

[0020] The coin processing machine 100 also has a display unit 112 that displays information such as pictures and characters, at the upper front portion of the housing 110. The display unit 112 can be, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The coin processing machine 100 also has a coin control unit (not shown) that controls the coin receiving unit 101, the coin dispensing unit 102, the deposit transport unit, the coin storage unit, the withdrawal transport unit, etc. The coin control unit is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a ROM (Read Only Memory) (not shown), and a RAM (Random Access Memory) (not shown), and executes various processes such as deposit processing, withdrawal processing, etc.

[0021] Banknote processing machine 200 The banknote handling machine 200 has a banknote receiving unit 201 that receives banknotes, and a banknote dispensing unit 202 that dispenses banknotes. The banknote receiving unit 201 and the banknote dispensing unit 202 are provided in the front part of a housing 210. The banknote processing machine 200 also has a ring-shaped circulating transport unit (not shown) that is provided approximately in the center of the housing 210 and transports banknotes taken into the housing 210 by the banknote receiving unit 201. The banknote processing machine 200 also has a banknote recognition unit (not shown) that recognizes banknotes and three banknote storage units (not shown) that store banknotes by denomination, both of which are provided midway along the circulating transport unit. The banknote processing machine 200 also has a withdrawal rejection unit 207 and a banknote collection cassette 208.

[0022] The banknote handling machine 200 also has a banknote control unit (not shown) that controls the banknote receiving unit 201, the banknote dispensing unit 202, the circulating transport unit, the banknote storage unit, etc. The banknote control unit is composed of a CPU (not shown), a ROM (not shown), and a RAM (not shown), and executes various processes such as deposit processing, withdrawal processing, etc.

[0023] (Gift certificate processing device 30) The gift certificate processing device 30 comprises a housing 31 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, an insertion unit 32 for inserting a gift certificate into the housing 31, a transport unit 33 connected to the insertion unit 32 for transporting the gift certificate inserted into the housing 31, and a recognition unit 34 provided in the transport unit 33 for identifying the gift certificate inserted into the housing 31. The gift certificate processing device 30 also comprises a dispensing unit 35 for dispensing the gift certificate identified by the recognition unit 34 out of the housing 31, and a storage unit 36 ​​for storing the gift certificate identified by the recognition unit 34. The gift certificate processing device 30 also comprises a display unit 37 for displaying information relating to the recognition result of the gift certificate by the recognition unit 34, and a control unit 38 for controlling the operation of the entire device.

[0024] The insertion unit 32 has an insertion port 32a provided on the front surface of the housing 31, and a payout mechanism 32b that pays out the gift certificate inserted into the insertion port 32a to the transport unit 33. The dispensing unit 35 has a dispensing opening 35a provided on the front surface of the housing 31. The gift certificate sent to the dispensing unit 35 by the transport unit 33 is dispensed to the outside of the housing 31 through the dispensing opening 35a.

[0025] The recognition unit 34 has a pair of image sensors 34a, 34b provided corresponding to the front and back sides of the gift certificate transported by the transport unit 33, and these image sensors 34a, 34b capture images of the front and back sides of the gift certificate, respectively. The recognition unit 34 also reads characters printed on the gift certificate (e.g., characters indicating the issuer, amount, voucher number, expiration date, etc. of the gift certificate) based on the images captured by the image sensors 34a, 34b using optical character recognition (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "OCR") or the like. The image of the gift certificate captured by the recognition unit 34 and information related to the characters printed on the gift certificate are sent to the control unit 38.

[0026] The transport unit 33 is connected to the dispensing unit 35 and the storage unit 36, and transports the gift certificate recognized by the recognition unit 34 to the dispensing unit 35 or the storage unit 36. The transport unit 33 has a branching member 33a at the branching point between the dispensing unit 35 and the storage unit 36, which rotates about an axis between the solid line position and the dashed line position in Fig. 4. When the branching member 33a is located at the dashed line position, the transport unit 33 transports the gift certificate recognized by the recognition unit 34 to the dispensing unit 35, and when the branching member 33a is located at the solid line position, the transport unit 33 transports the gift certificate recognized by the recognition unit 34 to the storage unit 36.

[0027] The storage unit 36 ​​stores the gift certificates sent from the transport unit 33 in a stacked state. The storage unit 36 ​​can be pulled out from the housing 31 to the front side (left side in FIG. 4). More specifically, a lock mechanism 36a is provided on the front side of the storage unit 36, and a person with the prescribed authority can insert a key into the lock mechanism 36a and turn it to pull the storage unit 36 ​​out of the housing 31 to the front side and collect the gift certificates stored in the storage unit 36.

[0028] The display unit 37 is provided on the upper front surface of the housing 31. The display unit 37 has a counter 37a that indicates the number of gift certificates recognized by the recognition unit 34, and an LED lamp 37b that lights up in blue, yellow, red, or the like.

[0029] The control unit 38 is composed of a CPU (not shown), a ROM (not shown), and a RAM (not shown). The ROM stores a basic program (operation system) executed by the CPU, various settings, etc. The control unit 38 is connected to the payout mechanism 32b, the transport unit 33, the recognition unit 34, the display unit 37, etc.

[0030] The control unit 38 transmits to the operation terminal 20 the image of the gift certificate captured by the image sensors 34a, 34b of the recognition unit 34 and information related to the characters printed on the gift certificate that are read by the recognition unit 34. Furthermore, if the gift certificate is damaged, such as torn, the control unit 38 positions the branching member 33a at the dashed line position and transports the gift certificate to the dispensing unit 35. On the other hand, if the gift certificate is not damaged, the control unit 38 positions the branching member 33a at the solid line position and transports the gift certificate to the storage unit 36. In other words, the control unit 38 does not use the information on the gift certificate identified by the recognition unit 34 to check whether the gift certificate matches a gift certificate that can be used in the store. The gift certificate processing device 30 may have a deposit / withdrawal unit in which the deposit unit 32 and the dispensing unit 35 are integrated, instead of having the separate deposit unit 32 and dispensing unit 35. In this case, if a gift certificate inserted into the deposit / withdrawal unit is damaged, the damaged gift certificate may be transported to the deposit / withdrawal unit.

[0031] (Customer information reader 45) The customer information reading device 45 can be exemplified as a device that reads customer information (e.g., a membership number) stored in a membership card carried by a customer. Alternatively, the customer information reading device 45 may be a device that reads customer information displayed on a display unit of a mobile phone carried by a customer. The customer information reading device 45 outputs the read customer information to the operation terminal 20.

[0032] (Camera 50) The camera 50 may be, for example, a monochrome camera, a color camera, or an infrared camera. The camera 50 outputs the captured image to the operation terminal 20. An example of the camera 50 is that it is disposed in a position where it can capture a facial image of a customer operating the operation terminal 20 or the gift certificate processing device 30. The camera 50 may also be disposed in a position where it can capture an image of the hands of a customer operating the operation terminal 20. For example, it may be disposed in a position where it can capture an image of the hands of a customer touching the display screen together with the display screen of a display unit 23 (described later) of the operation terminal 20.

[0033] (Operation terminal 20) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the operation terminal 20. As shown in FIG. The operation terminal 20 includes a control unit 21 that controls the entire device, a storage unit 22 used to store data and the like, and a display unit 23 used to display an operation reception screen and images. The control unit 21, storage unit 22, display unit 23, etc. are connected by a bus (not shown) that is a common path for exchanging data. The control unit 21 can communicate with external devices via a communication interface (communication I / F). The operation terminal 20 may be, for example, a fixed terminal. In addition, the operation terminal 20 is not limited to a fixed terminal, and may be a portable terminal such as a tablet terminal, a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a notebook PC, or a multi-function mobile phone (a so-called "smartphone").

[0034] The storage unit 22 can be exemplified by a storage device such as a semiconductor memory. The storage unit 22 stores type information and images of gift certificates that are available in the market and can be handled at the commercial facility where the gift certificate processing device 30 is installed. The display unit 23 can be, for example, a touch panel display configured by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display with a pointing device such as a touch pad.

[0035] Control unit 21 The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU (not shown), a ROM (not shown), a RAM (not shown), etc. The ROM stores a basic program (operation system) executed by the CPU, application programs, various settings, etc. The CPU uses the RAM as a working area and executes application programs read from the ROM or the storage unit 22. Each unit of the operation terminal 20 is controlled by the CPU executing the program.

[0036] The control unit 21 includes an input unit 211 that allows a customer to input information such as the type of gift certificate, an image acquisition unit 212 that acquires an actual image of the gift certificate to be used for settlement, and a customer information acquisition unit 213 that acquires customer information. The control unit 21 also includes a storage processing unit 214 that stores the actual image acquired by the image acquisition unit 212 and the customer information acquired by the customer information acquisition unit 213 in the storage unit 22, a display control unit 215 that displays a screen on the display unit 23, and a settlement processing unit 216 that performs settlement processing.

[0037] When an object (e.g., a button or an image) displayed on display unit 23 is pressed, input unit 211 regards the object or item displayed on the button as being selected, and accepts input of the object or item displayed on the button. For example, when selection button 72 displaying "Regional Promotion Coupon (1,000 yen)" described below is pressed, input unit 211 accepts input of Regional Promotion Coupon (1,000 yen). Also, when sample image 91 described below is pressed, input unit 211 accepts that sample image 91 has been selected.

[0038] The image acquisition unit 212 acquires from the gift certificate processing device 30 an image of the gift certificate captured by the image sensors 34a, 34b of the gift certificate processing device 30. The customer information acquisition unit 213 acquires the customer information read by the customer information reading device 45 from the customer information reading device 45. In addition, the customer information acquisition unit 213 acquires an image of the face of the customer and an image of the hands of the customer operating the operation terminal 20, both captured by the camera 50.

[0039] The storage processing unit 214 stores the actual image of the gift certificate acquired by the image acquisition unit 212, the customer information read by the customer information reading device 45, etc. in the storage unit 22. The storage processing unit 214 may also store the information in the server 40. The settlement processing unit 216 determines the amount to be paid in currency by the customer using the transaction amount calculated from the price and quantity of each item purchased by the customer and an amount corresponding to the type and number of gift certificates inserted into the gift certificate processing unit 30, and notifies the currency processing unit 10 of the determined amount to be paid in currency by the customer.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a settlement screen 60 displayed on the display unit 23. As shown in FIG. When the registration of the product purchased by the customer is completed and the amount to be paid by the customer is determined, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display a settlement screen 60 that displays the amount to be paid by the customer. The display control unit 215 causes the settlement screen 60 to display a use declaration button 61 for the customer to declare that he / she will use a gift certificate. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the use declaration button 61 displays the text "Use gift certificate". The display control unit 215 also causes the settlement screen 60 to display a non-use button 62 that displays the text "Do not use gift certificate" for the customer to declare that he / she will not use a gift certificate. The display control unit 215 also causes the settlement screen 60 to display a payment method button 63 that displays the text "Pay with cash" or "Pay with electronic money", which is a button for selecting a payment method.

[0041] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen 70 displayed on the display unit 23. As shown in FIG. When the use declaration button 61 is pressed, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display a selection screen 70 for allowing the customer to select the type information of the gift certificate to be used. For example, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display multiple selection buttons 72 displaying the type information of the gift certificate along with text information 71 prompting the selection, so that the customer can select the type information of the gift certificate to be used. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the text information 71 is "Please select the gift certificate to be used." The selection buttons 72 are buttons displaying "Gift certificate (1,000 yen)," "Gift certificate (500 yen)," "Regional promotion coupon (1,000 yen)," "Regional promotion coupon (500 yen)," and "Other," respectively.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a request screen 80 displayed on the display unit 23. As shown in FIG. When the selection button 72 on the selection screen 70 displaying type information such as "Gift certificate (1,000 yen)" is pressed, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display a request screen 80 for prompting the user to insert a gift certificate into the gift certificate processing device 30 (see FIG. 3). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the display control unit 215 causes the request screen 80 to display text prompting the user to insert the gift certificate, such as "Please allow us to read the gift certificate you are using," along with an illustration of the gift certificate processing device 30, and an arrow pointing to the insertion slot 32a (see FIG. 3) of the gift certificate processing device 30.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a sample image selection screen 90 displayed on the display unit 23. As shown in FIG. When a gift certificate is inserted into the insertion slot 32a of the gift certificate processing device 30, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display a sample image selection screen 90 for allowing the customer to select a sample image 91 corresponding to the gift certificate to be used by the customer. For example, the display control unit 215 causes an image corresponding to the type information of the gift certificate selected on the selection screen 70, which is stored in advance in the storage unit 22, to be displayed as the sample image 91 to be displayed on the sample image selection screen 90. When there are multiple images corresponding to the type information of the gift certificate selected on the selection screen 70, the display control unit 215 causes, for example, three sample images 91 to be displayed, as shown in FIG. 9, and also causes an arrow 92 for scrolling the other sample images 91 to be displayed.

[0044] The display control unit 215 also displays text information 93, which encourages the selection of the sample image 91, on the display unit 23 together with the sample image 91. The text information 93 can be, for example, "Please select the corresponding gift certificate sample" as shown in FIG. 9. The display control unit 215 also displays an additional insertion button 93a displaying "Insert additional selected gift certificate" on the sample image selection screen 90. This encourages the user to press the sample image 91 and the additional insertion button 93a when multiple gift certificates of the same type are used at the same time. The display control unit 215 also displays a next button 94 displaying "Next" on the sample image selection screen 90. Furthermore, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display guidance information 95 that guides the customer on the operation when there is no sample image 91 corresponding to the gift certificate that the customer wishes to use on the sample image selection screen 90. The guidance information 95 can be exemplified by a text display 96 saying "If there is no corresponding gift certificate sample, please try again" and a redo button 97 displaying "Redo."

[0045] Furthermore, the display control unit 215 causes the sample image selection screen 90 to display an actual image 98 of the gift certificate captured by the gift certificate processing device 30 and customer information 99 acquired by the customer information acquisition unit 213. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the display control unit 215 causes a face image of a customer to be displayed as the customer information 99. The display control unit 215 may also cause customer information (e.g., a membership number) read by the customer information reading device 45 to be displayed as the customer information 99 on the sample image selection screen 90. Furthermore, in case there is ultimately no corresponding sample image 91, the display control unit 215 may cause the sample image selection screen 90 to display a store clerk call button with text such as "Call a store clerk" for calling a store clerk.

[0046] 10 is an example of a flowchart showing the storage process performed by the control unit 21. The control unit 21 repeatedly executes the storage process at preset fixed time intervals (for example, 1 millisecond). The control unit 21 judges whether or not the customer has declared that the gift certificate will be used (S1001). The process of S1001 can be exemplified as a process in which the input unit 211 judges whether or not a declaration of use of the gift certificate has been accepted by pressing the use declaration button 61 displayed on the settlement screen 60. Then, when the declaration of use of the gift certificate has been made (YES in S1001), the control unit 21 causes the display unit 23 to display a screen for selecting type information of the gift certificate to be used by the customer (S1002). The process of S1001 is a process in which the display control unit 215 displays the selection screen 70 shown in FIG. 7.

[0047] Thereafter, the control unit 21 judges whether or not the type information of the gift certificate has been selected (S1003). The process of S1003 is, for example, a process in which the input unit 211 judges whether or not the type information of the gift certificate has been accepted by pressing the selection button 72 displayed on the selection screen 70. If the type information of the gift certificate has not been selected (NO in S1003), the control unit 21 waits until it is selected. On the other hand, if the type information of the gift certificate has been selected (YES in S1003), the control unit 21 displays a screen for prompting the insertion of the gift certificate into the gift certificate processing device 30 (S1004). The process of S1004 is a process in which the display control unit 215 displays, for example, the request screen 80 shown in FIG. 8.

[0048] Then, the control unit 21 judges whether or not the gift certificate is inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30 and an image of the gift certificate is captured (S1005). The process of S1005 is a process of judging whether or not the image acquisition unit 212 has acquired an image of the gift certificate captured by the image sensors 34a, 34b of the gift certificate processing device 30. If an image of the gift certificate has not been captured (NO in S1005), the control unit 21 waits until an image is captured. If an image of the gift certificate has been captured (YES in S1005), the control unit 21 causes the display unit 23 to display the actual image 98, which is the captured image, the sample image 91 of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information selected in S1003, and the customer information (S1006). The process of S1006 is a process of the display control unit 215 displaying, for example, the sample image selection screen 90 shown in FIG. 9.

[0049] Then, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the sample image 91 of the gift certificate has been selected (S1007). The process of S1007 is, for example, a process in which the input unit 211 determines that the sample image 91 has been selected when the sample image 91 displayed on the sample image selection screen 90 is pressed and the Next button 94 is pressed. When the sample image 91 is selected (YES in S1007), the control unit 21 associates the actual image 98, the type information corresponding to the sample image 91 selected in S1007, and the customer information, and stores them in the storage unit 22 (S1008). The process of S1008 is a process in which the storage processing unit 214 stores them in the storage unit 22. The storage processing unit 214 may store them in the server 40.

[0050] On the other hand, if the sample image 91 has not been selected (NO in S1007), the control unit 21 judges whether or not an instruction to start over from the previous process has been given (S1009). The process of S1009 is, for example, a process of judging whether or not the Start Over button 97 displayed on the sample image selection screen 90 has been pressed. If an instruction to start over has not been given (NO in S1009), the control unit 21 performs the process from S1006 onwards. On the other hand, if an instruction to start over has been given (YES in S1009), the control unit 21 ends this storage process. Also, if it has not been declared that the gift certificate will be used (NO in S1001), the control unit 21 ends this storage process.

[0051] As described above, system 1 is an example of a self-checkout system that includes an input unit 211 that enables a customer to input gift certificate type information, an image acquisition unit 212 that acquires an actual image 98, which is an image of the gift certificate to be used for settlement, a memory unit 22 that stores at least the actual image 98, a customer information acquisition unit 213 that acquires customer information, a settlement processing unit 216 that performs settlement processing, and a memory processing unit 214 that links the actual image 98, type information, and customer information and stores them in the memory unit 22.

[0052] In the system 1 configured as described above, the actual image 98 of the gift certificate used by the customer, the type information, and customer information are stored in the storage unit 22 in association with each other. If the customer misuses a gift certificate, for example, if the gift certificate used (in other words, the gift certificate inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30) differs from the type information of the selected gift certificate, the customer believes that the misuse will become apparent later because the actual image 98 and the selected type information are stored in association with the customer information. This makes it difficult for the customer to misuse the gift certificate. As a result, the system 1 can easily prevent the misuse of gift certificates without using an OCR function.

[0053] The system 1 further includes a display unit 23 that displays information to a customer, and a display control unit 215 that displays information on the display unit 23. The display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display a sample image 91 of a gift certificate corresponding to the type information input to the input unit 211. For example, when one of the multiple selection buttons 72 displayed on the selection screen 70 is pressed, the input unit 211 accepts the input of the type information of the gift certificate displayed on the one selection button 72, and causes the display unit 23 to display a sample image 91 of the gift certificate corresponding to the accepted type information. More specifically, when the selection button 72 displaying "Regional Promotion Certificate (1,000 yen)" is pressed, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display a sample image 91 of a preregistered regional promotion certificate (1,000 yen). This makes it easier for the customer to select a gift certificate that matches the gift certificate to be used.

[0054] Furthermore, the display control unit 215 causes the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 to be displayed on the display unit 23. This makes it easier for the customer to select the sample image 91. Furthermore, the display control unit 215 causes the display unit 23 to display the customer information. This allows the customer to understand that his or her information has been obtained, and this will encourage the customer not to misuse the gift certificate.

[0055] The system 1 further includes a camera 50 as an example of a photographing unit that photographs the state of the input operation by the customer, and the display control unit 215 displays the state of the input operation on the display unit 23 when the customer performs the input operation. This allows the customer to understand that the state of his / her input operation is being captured, and thus acts to prevent fraudulent use of the gift certificate.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 21 may cause the customer to declare that the gift certificate to be used is within its expiration date. For example, the display control unit 215 causes the sample image selection screen 90 to display an "Within Validity Period" button for declaring that the gift certificate to be used is within its expiration date, the "Within Validity Period" button being displayed. Then, the input unit 211 enables input that the gift certificate to be used is within its expiration date by pressing the "Within Validity Period" button. Then, for example, in the processing of S1007, when the sample image 91 displayed on the sample image selection screen 90 and the within expiration date button are pressed, and the next button 94 is pressed, the control unit 21 may link the actual image 98, the type information, and the customer information and store them in the memory unit 22. This can prevent fraudulent use of expired gift certificates. Alternatively, the control unit 38 of the gift certificate processing device 30 may check whether the current date is within the expiration date of the gift certificate read by the OCR of the recognition unit 34, and if the date is not within the expiration date, position the branching member 33a at the dashed line position and transport the gift certificate to the dispensing unit 35. This is because the OCR of the expiration date does not require relatively complex OCR dictionary data, and therefore can be easily checked.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the control unit 21 finally determines the type information of the gift certificate to be used by displaying the sample image 91 on the display unit 23 and selecting it, and stores it in the storage unit 22, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. The control unit 21 may determine the type information of the gift certificate without displaying the sample image 91 on the display unit 23. For example, the display control unit 215 may display the type information of the gift certificate selected by pressing the selection button 72 on the selection screen 70 in text together with the actual image 98 of the gift certificate and the customer information 99 on the sample image selection screen 90 without displaying the sample image 91. Then, when the next button 94 on the sample image selection screen 90 is pressed, the actual image 98, the type information, and the customer information may be associated with each other and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0058] Alternatively, the display control unit 215 may display a plurality of selection buttons 72 each showing type information of a gift certificate, instead of displaying the selection screen 70 and displaying the sample image 91 on the sample image selection screen 90 for selection. In other words, the control unit 21 may display the actual image 98, the plurality of selection buttons 72, and customer information on the display unit 23, and when any of the selection buttons 72 is pressed and the next button 94 is pressed, the actual image 98, the type information corresponding to the pressed selection button 72, and the customer information are associated with each other and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, after the "Next" button 94 is pressed, the control unit 21 may determine whether the selected gift certificate will give change or not, and if no change will be given, may further display a confirmation screen to confirm with the customer, "No change will be given for the selected gift certificate. Are you sure?" Then, when the customer confirms that the selected gift certificate will not give change (for example, when a button with text information "Yes" displayed on the confirmation screen is pressed), the control unit 21 may link the actual image 98, the type information, and the customer information and store them in the storage unit 22.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the operation of the control unit 21 may be performed by one CPU alone, or may be performed by multiple CPUs located at physically separate locations in cooperation with each other. For example, one of the multiple CPUs may operate as the input unit 211, image acquisition unit 212, customer information acquisition unit 213, storage processing unit 214, and display control unit 215, and another CPU may operate as the settlement processing unit 216.

[0061] <Second embodiment> FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a settlement system 2 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "system 2") according to the second embodiment. The system 2 according to the second embodiment is different from the system 1 according to the first embodiment in that an operation terminal 220 corresponds to the operation terminal 20. In the first and second embodiments, components having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0062] The operation terminal 220 according to the second embodiment differs from the operation terminal 20 according to the first embodiment in that it has a control unit 221 that corresponds to the control unit 21. The control unit 221 according to the second embodiment differs from the control unit 21 according to the first embodiment in that it has a matching unit 217 that checks whether the gift certificate used by the customer is the same as the gift certificate selected by the customer.

[0063] The collation unit 217 verifies whether the actual image 98 captured by the image sensors 34a, 34b of the gift certificate processing device 30 is the same as the sample image 91 selected by the customer. If the number of matching points between the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the collation unit 217 determines that the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 are the same.

[0064] Fig. 12 is an example of a flowchart showing the storage process performed by the control unit 221. The control unit 221 repeatedly executes the storage process at preset fixed time intervals (for example, 1 millisecond). In the flowchart shown in Fig. 12, the same processes as those in the flowchart shown in Fig. 10 are given the same process numbers, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0065] In the process of S1007, when the sample image 91 is selected (YES in S1007), the control unit 221 judges whether the actual image 98 is identical to the sample image 91 selected by the customer (S1201). In the process of S1201, the matching unit 217 compares the actual image 98 with the sample image 91, and judges that they are identical if the number of matching points is equal to or greater than a threshold, and judges that they are not identical if the number of matching points is less than the threshold.

[0066] If the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 are the same (YES in S1201), the control unit 221 associates the actual image 98 with the type information corresponding to the sample image 91 selected in S1007 and the customer information and stores them in the storage unit 22 (S1008). On the other hand, if the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 are not the same (NO in S1201), the control unit 21 notifies the customer that the gift certificate that the customer is trying to use cannot be used (S1202) and ends this storage process. The manner of notifying is not particularly limited. For example, the display control unit 215 may display on the display unit 23 "This gift certificate cannot be used" or "This gift certificate cannot be used, so please start over from the beginning" to cancel the use of the gift certificate. Furthermore, when the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 are not the same (NO in S1201), the control unit 21 may, for example, blink a warning lamp installed near the operation terminal 20 and display "Please wait until a store clerk arrives" on the display unit 23. Furthermore, when the actual image 98 and the sample image 91 are not the same (NO in S1201), the control unit 21 may display a button on the operation terminal 20 indicating "Call a store clerk."

[0067] As described above, in the system 2, the control unit 221 performs a process of comparing the sample image 91 selected based on the type information input to the input unit 211 with the actual image 98 (S1201). As a result, the system 2 can highly reliably prevent fraudulent use of gift certificates.

[0068] The collation unit 217 may collate whether or not the type information of the gift certificate selected by the customer is the same as the information related to the characters printed on the gift certificate imaged by the image sensors 34a and 34b of the gift certificate processing device 30. For example, in the process of S1201, the collation unit 217 may determine whether or not the type and amount of the gift certificate selected by the customer are the same as the type and amount printed on the gift certificate imaged by the gift certificate processing device 30. If the type and amount of the gift certificate are the same (YES in S1201), the control unit 21 may associate the actual image 98, the type information corresponding to the sample image 91 selected in S1007, and the customer information and store them in the storage unit 22 (S1008), and if the type or amount of the gift certificate is not the same (NO in S1201), the control unit 21 may notify the customer that the gift certificate that the customer is trying to use cannot be used (S1202). The characters printed on the gift certificate imaged by the gift certificate processing device 30 may be read by the recognition unit 34 of the gift certificate processing device 30, or may be read using an OCR function provided in the operation terminal 220, or may be read using an OCR function provided in the currency processing device 10, or may be read using an OCR function provided in the server 40. Alternatively, the characters printed on the gift certificate imaged by the gift certificate processing device 30 may be read using an OCR function provided in a PC (e.g., a fixed PC, a notebook PC, or a tablet PC) connected to the gift certificate processing device 30.

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, the operation of the control unit 221 may be performed by one CPU alone, or may be performed by multiple CPUs located at physically separate locations in cooperation with each other. For example, one of the multiple CPUs may operate as the input unit 211, image acquisition unit 212, customer information acquisition unit 213, storage processing unit 214, display control unit 215, and collation unit 217, and another CPU may operate as the settlement processing unit 216.

[0070] <Third embodiment> FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a settlement system 3 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "system 3") according to the third embodiment. The system 3 according to the third embodiment is different from the system 2 according to the second embodiment in that an operation terminal 320 corresponds to the operation terminal 220. In the second and third embodiments, components having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0071] The operation terminal 320 according to the third embodiment differs from the operation terminal 220 according to the second embodiment in that it has a control unit 321 that corresponds to the control unit 221. The control unit 321 according to the third embodiment differs from the control unit 221 according to the second embodiment in that it has a recognition unit 318 that recognizes type information of a gift certificate, and a switching unit 319 that switches between acquiring type information by performing an identification process in the recognition unit 318, and acquiring type information input to the input unit 211.

[0072] The recognition unit 318 recognizes characters printed on the gift certificate from the image of the gift certificate captured by the gift certificate processing device 30. The recognition unit 318 may, for example, acquire characters printed on the gift certificate read by the recognition unit 34 of the gift certificate processing device 30, and use the acquired characters to identify the type information of the gift certificate. Alternatively, the recognition unit 318 may recognize the type information of the gift certificate by reading the image of the gift certificate captured by the gift certificate processing device 30 using an OCR function provided in the operation terminal 320.

[0073] When the recognition unit 318 is unable to recognize the type information of the gift certificate, for example, when the type or amount of the gift certificate cannot be recognized from the image of the gift certificate captured by the gift certificate processing device 30, the switching unit 319 switches to a mode in which the display control unit 215 displays, on the display unit 23, a screen for selecting the type information of the gift certificate to be used by the customer, when the recognition unit 318 is unable to recognize the type information of the gift certificate.

[0074] Fig. 14 is an example of a flowchart showing the storage process according to the third embodiment performed by the control unit 321. The control unit 321 repeatedly executes the storage process at preset fixed time intervals (for example, 1 millisecond). In the flowchart shown in Fig. 14, the same processes as those in the flowchart shown in Fig. 12 are denoted by the same process numbers, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0075] If it is declared that the gift certificate will be used (YES in S1001), the control unit 321 displays a screen for prompting the user to insert the gift certificate into the gift certificate processing device 30 (S1004). The process of S1004 is a process in which the display control unit 215 displays, for example, the request screen 80 shown in FIG. 8. Thereafter, it is determined whether the gift certificate has been inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30 and an image of the gift certificate has been captured (S1005). If an image of the gift certificate has not been captured (NO in S1005), the control unit 21 waits until an image is captured.

[0076] On the other hand, if an image of a gift certificate has been captured (YES in S1005), the control unit 321 identifies the type information of the gift certificate (S1401). This is a process performed by the recognition unit 318. Then, it is determined whether or not the type information of the gift certificate has been identified, in other words, whether or not the type and amount of the gift certificate have been identified (S1402). Then, if the type information of the gift certificate has been identified (YES in S1402), the control unit 321 causes the display unit 23 to display the actual image 98, which is the captured image, the sample image 91 of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information identified in S1401, and the customer information (S1006).

[0077] On the other hand, if the type information of the gift certificate cannot be identified (NO in S1402), the control unit 321 causes the display unit 23 to display a screen for selecting the type information of the gift certificate to be used by the customer (S1002). Thereafter, the control unit 321 determines whether or not the type information of the gift certificate has been selected (S1003). If the type information of the gift certificate has not been selected (NO in S1003), the control unit 321 waits until it is selected. On the other hand, if the type information of the gift certificate has been selected (YES in S1003), the control unit 321 causes the display unit 23 to display the actual image 98, which is the captured image, the sample image 91 of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information selected in S1003, and the customer information (S1006).

[0078] After the process of S1006, the control unit 321 judges whether or not the sample image 91 of the gift certificate has been selected (S1007). If the sample image 91 has been selected (YES in S1007), the control unit 321 judges whether or not the real image 98 is identical to the sample image 91 selected by the customer (S1201). If the real image 98 is identical to the sample image 91 (YES in S1201), the control unit 321 associates the real image 98 with the type information corresponding to the sample image 91 selected in S1007 and the customer information and stores them in the storage unit 22 (S1008). On the other hand, if the real image 98 is not identical to the sample image 91 (NO in S1201), the control unit 321 notifies the customer that the gift certificate that the customer is trying to use cannot be used (S1202), and ends this storage process.

[0079] On the other hand, if the sample image 91 has not been selected (NO in S1007), the control unit 321 determines whether or not an instruction to start over from the previous process has been given (S1009). If an instruction to start over has not been given (NO in S1009), the control unit 321 performs the process from S1006 onwards. On the other hand, if an instruction to start over has been given (YES in S1009), the control unit 321 ends this storage process.

[0080] As described above, the system 3 includes the recognition unit 318 that performs a gift certificate recognition process. The system 3 switches between acquiring type information by performing recognition process in the recognition unit 318 and acquiring type information input to the input unit 211. For example, if the control unit 321 cannot recognize the type information of the gift certificate (NO in S1402), it causes the display unit 23 to display a screen for selecting type information of the gift certificate to be used by the customer (S1002), and prompts the customer to select type information of the gift certificate. This makes it possible to prevent the customer from selecting type information by mistake.

[0081] Furthermore, in the system 3, when the type information of the gift certificate can be identified (YES in S1402), the display control unit 215 causes at least one sample image 91 of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information to be displayed on the display unit 23 (S1006), and the input unit 211 assumes that type information corresponding to one sample image 91 selected from the at least one sample image 91 displayed on the display unit 23 has been input (S1008). This reduces the burden on the customer of selecting the type information of the gift certificate.

[0082] <Fourth embodiment> FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a system 4 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the sales deposit machine 400. As shown in FIG. The system 4 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it includes a sales deposit machine 400 instead of the currency handling device 10, the operation terminal 20, the customer information reader 45, and the camera 50. In the first and fourth embodiments, components having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0083] The sales deposit machine 400 is a device capable of storing paper sheets such as banknotes and gift certificates, as well as coins, and is a device for receiving banknotes and coins collected from the currency processing device 10 and gift certificates collected from the gift certificate processing device 30. While the currency processing device 10, the operation terminal 20, etc. of the system 1 are provided at a checkout counter of a commercial facility, the sales deposit machine 400 is installed in a cashier's room separated from the sales floor and checkout counter of the commercial facility. The banknotes, coins, gift certificates, and other valuable media stored in the sales deposit machine 400 are collected, for example, by a security company.

[0084] The sales deposit machine 400 has a housing 410. The sales deposit machine 400 also has a paper sheet processing unit 420 for processing paper sheets such as banknotes and gift certificates on the right side of the housing 410 when viewed from the front, and a coin processing unit 430 for processing coins on the left side of the housing 410 when viewed from the front. The sales deposit machine 400 also has a storage unit 440 for storing paper sheets and coins at the bottom of the housing 410. The sales deposit machine 400 also has a display unit 450 made of a touch panel or the like at the top of the front side, and a card reader 460 provided to the side of the display unit 450 and reading an ID card such as an operator's magnetic card or IC card.

[0085] The sales deposit machine 400 also has a storage unit 470 used to store data and the like, and a control unit 480 that controls the entire machine. The memory unit 470 corresponds to the memory unit 22 of the operation terminal 20, and stores type information and images of gift certificates that are in circulation on the market and can be handled at the commercial facility where the gift certificate processing device 30 is installed.

[0086] The control unit 480 is a part corresponding to the control unit 21 of the operation terminal 20, and includes an input unit 481 that enables the operator to input type information of the gift certificate, an image acquisition unit 482 that acquires an actual image which is an image of the gift certificate, and an operator information acquisition unit 483 that acquires operator information. The control unit 480 also includes a storage processing unit 484 that stores the actual image acquired by the image acquisition unit 482 and the operator information acquired by the operator information acquisition unit 483 in the storage unit 470, and a display control unit 485 that displays a screen on the display unit 450.

[0087] Input unit 481 is a part corresponding to input unit 211 of control unit 21, and when an object (e.g., a button or an image) displayed on display unit 450 is pressed, the object or item displayed on the button is selected, and input of the object or item displayed on the button is accepted. The image acquiring unit 482 corresponds to the image acquiring unit 212 of the control unit 21, and acquires from the gift certificate processing device 30 the image of the gift certificate captured by the image sensors 34a, 34b of the gift certificate processing device 30.

[0088] The operator information acquisition unit 483 is a part corresponding to the customer information acquisition unit 213 of the control unit 21, and acquires, for example, information on the operator read by the card reader 460 from the card reader 460. The operator information acquisition unit 483 may also acquire an image of the operator's face or an image of the operator's hands operating the display unit 450, captured by a camera installed in the teller room in which the sales deposit machine 400 is installed.

[0089] The storage processing unit 484 is a part corresponding to the storage processing unit 214 of the control unit 21, and stores the actual image of the gift certificate acquired by the image acquisition unit 482, the operator information acquired by the operator information acquisition unit 483, etc. in the storage unit 470. Note that the storage processing unit 484 may be stored in the server 40.

[0090] The display control unit 485 is a part corresponding to the display control unit 215 of the control unit 21. Then, the display control unit 485 causes the display unit 450 to display a declaration button (not shown) for the operator to declare that he / she will store the gift certificate. The declaration button can be exemplified by, for example, displaying the words "Store the gift certificate."

[0091] In addition, when a declaration button is pressed to declare that a gift certificate will be stored, the display control unit 485 causes the display unit 450 to display a selection screen (not shown, for example, equivalent to the selection screen 70 shown in FIG. 7) for the operator to select the type information of the gift certificate to be stored. In addition, when a selection button (not shown, e.g., equivalent to selection button 72 shown in FIG. 7) displaying type information displayed on a selection screen for selecting type information of a gift certificate is pressed, the display control unit 485 causes the display unit 450 to display a request screen (not shown, e.g., equivalent to request screen 80 shown in FIG. 8) to prompt the user to insert the gift certificate into the gift certificate processing device 30 (see FIG. 3).

[0092] Furthermore, when a gift certificate is inserted into the insertion slot 32a of the gift certificate processing device 30, the display control unit 485 displays a sample image selection screen (not shown; for example, equivalent to the sample image selection screen 90 shown in FIG. 9) for allowing the operator to select a sample image 91 (see FIG. 9) corresponding to the gift certificate to be stored by the operator. Furthermore, the display control unit 485 displays an actual image 98 (see FIG. 9) of the gift certificate captured by the gift certificate processing device 30 and the operator information acquired by the operator information acquisition unit 483 on the sample image selection screen.

[0093] Fig. 17 is an example of a flowchart showing the storage process performed by the control unit 480. The control unit 480 repeatedly executes the storage process at preset fixed time intervals (for example, 1 millisecond). The storage process shown in Fig. 17 is similar to the storage process performed by the control unit 21 of the operation terminal 20 described using Fig. 10, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0094] The control unit 480 determines whether or not the operator has declared that the gift certificate will be stored (S1701). If the operator has declared that the gift certificate will be stored (YES in S1701), the control unit 480 causes the display unit 450 to display a screen for prompting the operator to select type information of the gift certificate to be stored (S1702). Thereafter, the control unit 480 determines whether or not the type of gift certificate has been selected (S1703). If the type of gift certificate has not been selected (NO in S1703), the control unit 480 waits until it is selected. On the other hand, if the type of gift certificate has been selected (YES in S1703), the control unit 480 displays a screen for prompting the user to insert the gift certificate into the gift certificate processing device 30 (S1704).

[0095] Then, the control unit 480 determines whether or not a gift certificate has been inserted into the gift certificate processing device 30 and an image of the gift certificate has been captured (S1705). If an image of the gift certificate has not been captured (NO in S1705), the control unit 480 waits until an image is captured. If an image of the gift certificate has been captured (YES in S1705), the control unit 480 causes the display unit 450 to display the captured image, that is, the actual image 98, the sample image 91 of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information selected in S1703, and the operator information (S1706).

[0096] Then, the control unit 480 determines whether or not the sample image 91 of the gift certificate has been selected (S1707). If the sample image 91 has been selected (YES in S1707), the control unit 480 associates the actual image 98 with the type information corresponding to the sample image 91 selected in S1707 and the operator information, and stores them in the storage unit 470 (S1708). Note that the control unit 480 may store them in the server 40.

[0097] On the other hand, if sample image 91 has not been selected (NO in S1707), control unit 480 determines whether or not an instruction to start over from the previous process has been given (S1709). If an instruction to start over has not been given (NO in S1709), control unit 480 performs the processes from S1706 onwards. On the other hand, if an instruction to start over has been given (YES in S1709), control unit 480 ends this storage process. Also, if it has not been declared that the gift certificate will be stored (NO in S1701), control unit 480 ends this storage process.

[0098] As described above, system 4 comprises an input unit 481 that enables an operator to input gift certificate type information, an image acquisition unit 482 that acquires an actual image 98 which is an image of the gift certificate, a memory unit 470 that stores at least the actual image 98, an operator information acquisition unit 483 that acquires operator information, and a memory processing unit 484 that links the actual image 98, the type information, and the operator information and stores them in the memory unit 470.

[0099] In the system 4 configured as above, the actual image 98 of the gift certificate stored by the operator, the type information, and customer information are stored in association with each other in the storage unit 470. If the operator mistakenly stores a gift certificate, for example, if the stored gift certificate and the type information of the selected gift certificate are different, the actual image 98 and the selected type information are stored in association with the operator information, so the operator believes that the mistaken storage will become clear later. Therefore, the operator is less likely to mistakenly store a gift certificate. As a result, the system 4 can easily prevent the mistaken storage of a gift certificate without using an OCR function. In addition to the actual image 98, type information, and customer information, the storage unit 470 may store the date and time when the operator stored the gift certificate (transaction date and time), the store source information register number, and the gift certificate processing device number.

[0100] In the system 4, the gift certificate processing device 30 is illustrated as being separate from the sales deposit machine 400, but may be provided integrally with the sales deposit machine 400. In addition, system 4 has a sales deposit machine 400, but instead of the sales deposit machine 400, it may have a sales deposit / withdrawal machine that further includes a withdrawal section that dispenses banknotes, coins, etc., and can not only perform deposit processing of banknotes, coins, etc. collected from the currency processing device 10 but also perform withdrawal processing. In the system 4, the control unit 480 of the sales deposit machine 400 may include the collation unit 217, the recognition unit 318, and the switching unit 319. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1, 2, 3... settlement system, 4... system, 10... currency processing device, 20... operation terminal, 21, 221, 321, 480... control unit, 23, 450... display unit, 30... gift certificate processing device, 40... server, 45... customer information reading device, 211... input unit, 212... image acquisition unit, 213... customer information acquisition unit, 214... storage processing unit, 215... display control unit, 216... settlement processing unit, 50... camera, 400... sales deposit machine

Claims

1. an input unit that allows a customer to input gift certificate type information; an image acquisition unit for acquiring an actual image of a gift certificate to be used for payment; A storage unit that stores at least the actual image; A customer information acquisition unit that acquires customer information; a settlement processing unit that performs settlement processing; a storage processing unit that associates the actual image, the type information, and the customer information with each other and stores them in the storage unit; Equipped with a self-payment system.

2. A display unit that displays information to a customer; a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the information; Further comprising: The self-checkout system according to claim 1 .

3. the display control unit causes the display unit to display a sample image of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information inputted to the input unit. The self-checkout system according to claim 2.

4. The display control unit causes the actual image and the sample image to be displayed on the display unit. The self-checkout system according to claim 3.

5. The display control unit causes the customer information to be displayed on the display unit. The self-checkout system according to claim 2.

6. Further, a photographing unit is provided for photographing the input operation by the customer, The display control unit causes the display unit to display a state of the input operation when the customer performs the input operation. The self-checkout system according to claim 2.

7. the display control unit causes the display unit to display at least one sample image of the gift certificate corresponding to the type information; The input unit inputs the type information corresponding to one sample image selected from at least one of the sample images displayed on the display unit. The self-checkout system according to claim 2.

8. The present invention further includes a recognition unit that performs a recognition process for the gift certificate. The self-checkout system according to claim 1 .

9. switching between acquiring the type information by performing the identification process in the identification unit and acquiring the type information inputted to the input unit; The self-checkout system according to claim 8.

10. The method further includes a collation unit that compares the type information identified by the identification unit with the type information input to the input unit. The self-checkout system according to claim 8.

11. a matching unit that performs a matching process between the actual image and a pre-registered image based on the type information input to the input unit, The self-checkout system according to claim 8.

12. The input unit enables a customer to input an expiration date of the gift certificate. The self-checkout system according to claim 1 .

13. an input unit that enables an operator to input type information of a gift certificate; an image acquisition unit for acquiring an actual image of a gift certificate; A storage unit that stores at least the actual image; an operator information acquisition unit for acquiring operator information; a storage processing unit that associates the actual image, the type information, and the operator information with each other and stores them in the storage unit; A system comprising:

Images