Terminal device for shop, program, and information processor

Abstract

To provide a terminal device for a shop which can reduce damages on operations in an actual shop.SOLUTION: A terminal device 1 for a shop is a terminal device 1 for a shop used by a store employee of an actual shop, and includes: means for receiving an instruction to stop or resume reception of orders of items dealt with by an actual shop from a customer via a network N; and means for stopping reception of orders via the network N in a case where an instruction to stop the reception of orders is received, while resuming the reception of orders via the network N in a case where an instruction to resume the reception of orders is received.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a store terminal device, a program, and an information processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a product sales system using a virtual department store that uses a virtual reality space to give buyers the same visual and auditory satisfaction as if they had actually gone to a department store and purchased the product when selling products on a mail order site. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-30469 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, sales in the product sales system of Patent Document 1 are conducted independently of sales in actual department stores, and therefore the department stores do not need to manage whether sales are conducted in the product sales system on the network.

[0005] However, if store clerks in a physical store were to also handle orders placed over the network, this would mean that they would have to handle the orders over the network in addition to the work they already had to do in the physical store, which would increase the burden on the store clerk and could disrupt their work in the physical store.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objects is to provide a store terminal device, a program, and an information processing device that can reduce the adverse effects on work in physical stores. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A store terminal device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a store terminal device used by a sales clerk at a physical store, and is equipped with: means for receiving instructions to stop or resume accepting orders from customers via a network for products handled at the physical store; and means for stopping the acceptance of orders via the network when an instruction to stop is received, and for resuming the acceptance of orders via the network when an instruction to resume is received.

[0008] A program relating to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as a means for accepting instructions to stop or resume accepting orders from customers via a network for products sold in a physical store, and a means for stopping the acceptance of orders via the network when an instruction to stop is accepted, and for resuming the acceptance of orders via the network when an instruction to resume is accepted.

[0009] An information processing device according to another aspect of the present invention comprises means for receiving, from a store terminal device used by a salesperson at the physical store, an instruction to stop or resume accepting orders from customers via a network for products handled at the physical store, and means for stopping the acceptance of orders via the network when an instruction to stop is received, and for resuming the acceptance of orders via the network when an instruction to resume is received.

[0010] According to these aspects, when a store clerk at a physical store instructs the store to stop accepting orders over the network for products sold at the physical store, the acceptance of orders over the network can be temporarily stopped, whereas when a store clerk instructs the store to resume accepting orders, the acceptance of orders over the network can be resumed.

[0011] In the above aspect, the system may further comprise a means for allowing the user to specify any one of a date, a day of the week, and a time period, and reserving a process for stopping the acceptance of orders via the network.

[0012] According to this embodiment, a store clerk at a brick-and-mortar store can specify any date, time, day of the week, and time period to stop accepting orders over the network, depending on the busyness of the brick-and-mortar store, etc.

[0013] In the above aspect, the display device may further include a means for setting whether to display or hide products handled in the physical store to customers for each product.

[0014] According to this embodiment, a salesperson at a physical store can switch between displaying and not displaying products sold on the network for each product, depending on the stock status of products handled at the physical store.

[0015] In the above aspect, the device may further include a means for identifying a product for which the display or non-display setting is to be set by reading code information attached to the product handled in the physical store.

[0016] According to this embodiment, a store clerk at a physical store can easily switch whether or not a product is displayed on the network by reading the code information of the product at the physical store. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a store terminal device, a program, and an information processing device that can reduce the adverse effects on work in a physical store. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration including a store terminal device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a store terminal device. [Diagram 3] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 4] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Diagram 5] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 6] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 7] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 8] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 9] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 10] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. [Figure 11] 13 is an example of a screen displayed on a store terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same elements are given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0020] [Store terminal device overview] A system including a store terminal device 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which each convenience store is provided with one or more store terminal devices 1. As the store terminal device 1, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal can be used.

[0021] The store terminal device 1 is, for example, a terminal device used by a store clerk when performing work in a physical store from when a product handled in the physical store is ordered over the network (electronic commerce) to when it is delivered to a customer. Work performed in a physical store includes, for example, work related to products ordered over the network and work setting the provision status on the network. Work related to ordered products includes, for example, work of gathering and storing the ordered products, work of requesting delivery personnel to deliver the products, work of evaluating the delivery personnel, work of handling cancellations of products, and the like. Work of setting the provision status on the network includes, for example, work of setting whether or not to accept an order, work of setting whether or not to display a product, and the like.

[0022] The store terminal device 1 installs a work support application (hereinafter, also referred to as a "work support app") for supporting work in a brick-and-mortar store. The store terminal device 1 supports the work that a store clerk should do in the brick-and-mortar store while exchanging data with the server device 2 using various screens displayed by executing the work support app.

[0023] The store terminal device 1 obtains various information required for store staff to work in a physical store, such as the status of customers on the network, the status of product orders, the status of product delivery, whether orders can be accepted on the network, and whether products are displayed on the network, from a server device 2 connectable via a network N.

[0024] The present invention can also be applied to a case where a work support application is not installed in the store terminal device 1. In this case, it is preferable to support work performed by a store clerk in a physical store by exchanging data between the store terminal device 1 and the server device 2 using various screens displayed on the store terminal device 1 by connecting the store terminal device 1 to a specified site of the server device (information processing device) 2, for example.

[0025] Here, the store terminal device 1 is one of the devices that make up a store system established in each physical store. In addition to the store terminal device 1, the store system includes, for example, store devices such as personal computers and POS (Point Of Sales) registers. The devices included in the store system can be added or removed as appropriate according to the operation mode of the store. Each device that makes up the store system is connectable to a server device 2 via a network N and is configured to be able to communicate with each other.

[0026] The server device 2 is configured, for example, by a computer including a processor and memory with high computing power, and executes a predetermined server program on the computer to realize the server function. Here, the computer constituting the server device 2 does not necessarily have to be one, and may be configured by multiple computers provided in a distributed manner according to roles, etc.

[0027] The server device 2 provides, for example, a service (hereinafter also referred to as a "delivery service") of delivering products available at a physical store to customers who have accessed a specific site (website). Customers can use this delivery service, for example, as follows.

[0028] A customer operates a terminal device such as a smartphone to access a specific site of the server device 2 via the network, and for example, selects a desired physical store from among physical stores around the customer's current location as a virtual store on the network, thereby visiting (entering) the virtual store corresponding to the desired physical store. The customer selects a desired product from among the products handled at the selected physical store and places an order. The product ordered by the customer is secured at the selected physical store and delivered to the delivery address specified by the customer.

[0029] The network N includes a communication network capable of transmitting and receiving information between the server device 2 and each device of the store system. The network N may be, for example, the Internet, a LAN, a dedicated line, a telephone line, an in-house network, a mobile communication network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), other communication lines, or a combination thereof, and may be either wired or wireless.

[0030] [Configuration of store terminal device] As shown in FIG. 2, the store terminal device 1 includes, for example, a processor 11, a storage device 12, a communication unit 13, an image capture unit 14, and a display unit 15.

[0031] The processor 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc. The processor 11 functions as a control unit 111 that realizes various functions of the store terminal device 1 by executing a program 121 stored in the storage device 12.

[0032] The storage device 12 is, for example, a computer-readable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory or a disk drive. For example, a program 121 and various data are stored in the storage device 12. The program 121 includes a task assistance application.

[0033] The communication unit 13 is an interface that connects to the network N and communicates with other devices on the network N.

[0034] The photographing unit 14 is a camera that includes a lens and an image sensor (image pickup element), and converts the light of a subject received by the lens into an electrical signal (digital image data).

[0035] The display unit 15 is, for example, a display having a touch panel, and displays images, screens, etc., as well as images of a subject captured by the photographing unit 14. The display unit 15 also functions as an input unit that accepts inputs such as operational instructions from a store clerk.

[0036] [Store terminal functions] Of the functions realized by the store terminal device 1 executing the work support app, in this embodiment, (1) a function for setting whether or not to accept orders at a virtual store on the network, and (2) a function for setting whether or not to display products at a virtual store on the network will be described below in order.

[0037] (1) A function that allows users to set whether or not to accept orders at virtual stores on the network This function temporarily suspends the acceptance of orders at a virtual store corresponding to the actual store to which the salesperson belongs, and then resumes the suspended state.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows an example of an order reception setting screen 3a for setting whether or not orders can be received at a virtual store corresponding to a real store.

[0039] The order acceptance setting screen 3a is provided, by way of example, with a display field 3b for displaying the current setting contents, a “Stop for today” button 3c for stopping order acceptance for the day, a “Stop for 60 minutes” button 3d for stopping order acceptance for the next 60 minutes, a “Resume order” button 3e for resuming stopped order acceptance, and a stop reservation field 3f for reserving the suspension of order acceptance.

[0040] In the display field 3b, for example, "Order Accepting" or "Order Suspended" can be displayed as the current setting. In Fig. 3, for example, the current setting is set to "Order Accepting", and the "Resume Order" button 3e is displayed in gray so that it cannot be pressed (including tapped or touched).

[0041] The stop reservation field 3f includes a check field 3g that is selected when reserving a stop of order acceptance by specifying a date and time, and a check field 3h that is selected when reserving a stop of order acceptance by specifying a day of the week. The following describes in order (a) the case where the check field 3g for reserving a stop of order acceptance by specifying a date and time is selected, and (b) the case where the check field 3h for reserving a stop of order acceptance by specifying a day of the week is selected.

[0042] (a) If check box 3g is selected to schedule the suspension of order acceptance at a specified date and time: When the check box 3g for reserving the suspension of order acceptance by specifying a date and time is selected, a date and time specification area 4a for specifying the date and time for suspending order acceptance is displayed below the check box 3g, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0043] The date and time specification area 4a in FIG. 4 is provided, by way of example, with a “date selection” control 4b for selecting a date, a selected date display area 4c for displaying the selected date, a time zone specification area 4d for specifying the time zone to stop, and a “Confirm” button 4h.

[0044] When the "Date Selection" control 4b is selected (including by tapping or touching), a calendar for selecting a date is displayed.

[0045] The time period specification area 4d is provided with an option button 4e that is selected when specifying all days (e.g., 9:00 to 22:15), and an option button 4f that is selected when specifying an arbitrary time period by inputting it in a time period input field 4g.

[0046] When a date is selected using the "Date Selection" control 4b, a time period is specified in the time period specification area 4d, and then the "Confirm" button 4h is pressed, a registration content confirmation screen 5a shown in FIG. 5 is displayed as a pop-up.

[0047] The registration content confirmation screen 5a in FIG. 5 is provided, by way of example, with a display area 5b that displays the selected date and specified time period, a “Cancel” button 5c for canceling the registration, a “Register” button 5d for registering with the entered content, and a “Continue Registration” button 5e for registering with the entered content while specifying another date and time and continuing the registration process. (b) If the check box 3h is selected to schedule a day of the week for which orders will not be accepted: When a check box 3h for reserving the suspension of order acceptance by specifying a day of the week is selected on the order acceptance setting screen 3a in FIG. 3, a day of the week and time period specification area 6a for specifying the day of the week and time period for suspending order acceptance is displayed below the check box 3h as shown in FIG. 6.

[0048] The day of the week and time period designation area 6a in FIG. 6 is illustratively provided with a day of the week designation area 6b for designating a day of the week, a time period designation area 6c for designating a time period to stop, and a "Confirm" button 6g.

[0049] A day of the week is designated by selecting one or more icons for each day of the week in the day of the week designation area 6b.

[0050] The time period specification area 6c is provided with an option button 6d that is selected when specifying all days (for example, 9:00 to 22:15), and an option button 6e that is selected when specifying an arbitrary time period by inputting it in a time period input field 6f.

[0051] When a user designates a day of the week in the day of the week designation area 6b, and a time period in the time period designation area 6c, and then presses the "Confirm" button 6g, a registration content confirmation screen 7a shown in FIG. 7 pops up.

[0052] The registration content confirmation screen 7a in Figure 7 is provided, by way of example, with a display area 7b that displays the specified day of the week and time period, a ``Cancel'' button 7c for canceling the registration, a ``Register'' button 7d for registering the entered content, and a ``Continue Registration'' button 7e for registering the entered content while specifying another day of the week and time period and continuing the registration process.

[0053] (2) Ability to set whether or not to display products in virtual stores on the network This function allows a user to set, for each product, whether or not a product that can be exhibited in a virtual store corresponding to the actual store to which the salesperson belongs is to be displayed in the virtual store.

[0054] FIG. 8 shows an example of a product display search screen 8a for searching for products that can be displayed in a virtual store corresponding to a real store.

[0055] The product display search screen 8a is provided with, for example, a camera activation field 8b for searching for products by barcode, a condition setting field 8c for searching for products by product code, and a condition setting field 8d for searching for products by category.

[0056] A "Launch Camera" button 8ba is provided in the camera startup field 8b for searching for products by barcode. When the "Launch Camera" button 8ba is pressed, the camera is started and the barcode search screen 9a in Fig. 9 is displayed. When the barcode 9b attached to a product is read using the barcode search screen 9a, product information of the product corresponding to the code information of the barcode 9b is obtained as a search result.

[0057] 8, the condition setting field 8c for searching for a product by product code includes an input field 8ca for inputting a product code and a "Search" button 8cb. When a product code is input into the input field 8ca and the "Search" button 8cb is pressed, product information of the product corresponding to the input product code is obtained as a search result.

[0058] The condition setting field 8d for searching for products by category is provided with a selection field 8da for selecting a category, option buttons 8db, 8dc, 8dd for selecting the display state of the product to be searched for, and a "Search" button 8de.

[0059] When the "All" option button 8db is selected, all products in the category selected in the selection field 8da will be searched. When the "Displayed" option button 8dc is selected, products in the category selected in the selection field 8da that are set to be displayed in the virtual store will be searched. When the "Hidden" option button 8dd is selected, products in the category selected in the selection field 8da that are set not to be displayed in the virtual store will be searched.

[0060] When a category is selected in the selection field 8da, one of the option buttons 8db, 8dc, 8dd is selected, and the "Search" button 8de is pressed, product information of products corresponding to the selected category and display state is obtained as a search result.

[0061] 10 and 11 show examples of product display search result screens 10a and 11a that display the results of a search on the product display search screen 8a. The product display search result screen 10a in FIG. 10 is a screen in a state where only products that are set to be displayed in the virtual store are displayed. The product display search result screen 11a in FIG. 11 is a screen in a state where products that are set not to be displayed in the virtual store are also displayed.

[0062] The product display search result screen 10a in Fig. 10 displays a list of product information corresponding to the searched products, and a check box 10d is provided for each product. When a check mark is entered in the check box 10d and the "Hide" button 10f is pressed, the display status of the product for which the check mark is entered is updated to "Hidden," indicating that the product will not be displayed in the virtual store. When a check mark is entered in the "Check all" check box 10b, a check mark is entered in the check boxes 10d corresponding to all products displayed in the list.

[0063] In the product display search result screen 10a, for example, a check mark is entered in the check box 10d corresponding to the product displayed in the top product display area 10c. In this state, when the "Hide" button 10f is pressed and the display state of "All" in the same category is selected and a search is performed again, the product display search result screen 11a in FIG. 11 is displayed.

[0064] In the product display area 10c at the top of the product display search result screen 11a in Figure 11, an icon 11e that says "not shown" is displayed, and the background color of the product display area 10c is displayed in a color (e.g., gray) that indicates that the product display area is not shown.

[0065] When a check mark is entered in the check box 10d corresponding to the product display area 10c at the top of the product display search result screen 11a and the "cancel display" button 10g is pressed, the display status of the product for which the check mark has been entered is updated to "displayed", indicating that the product will be displayed in the virtual store. In this state, if the display status of "all" in the same category is selected and searched again, the product display search result screen 10a in FIG. 10 will be displayed.

[0066] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, with the store terminal device 1 according to the embodiment, when a clerk at a physical store instructs the virtual store to stop accepting orders for products handled at the physical store, the acceptance of orders at the virtual store can be temporarily stopped, whereas when a clerk instructs the virtual store to resume accepting orders, the acceptance of orders at the virtual store can be resumed.

[0067] This allows staff at the physical store to flexibly stop or resume accepting orders at the virtual store, taking into account the physical store's workload and product inventory status.

[0068] Therefore, the store terminal device 1 according to the embodiment can reduce adverse effects on work in a physical store.

[0069] In addition, according to the store terminal device 1 of the embodiment, a store clerk at a physical store can specify any date, time, day of the week, and time period to stop accepting orders at the virtual store, depending on the busyness of the physical store, etc.

[0070] In addition, according to the store terminal device 1 of the embodiment, a salesperson at a physical store can switch whether or not to display products sold in the virtual store for each product, depending on the inventory status of products handled at the physical store.

[0071] Furthermore, with the store terminal device 1 according to the embodiment, a store clerk at a real store can easily switch between displaying and not displaying a product in the virtual store by reading the barcode of the product in the real store.

[0072] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1...store terminal device, 2...server device, 11...processor, 12...storage device, 13...communication section, 14...photographing section, 15...display section, 111...control section, 121...program, N...network

Claims

1. A store terminal device used by a store clerk in a physical store, A means for receiving an instruction to suspend or resume the acceptance of orders from customers via a network for products handled at a physical store; means for suspending the acceptance of orders via the network when the instruction to suspend is received, and for resuming the acceptance of orders via the network when the instruction to resume is received; A store terminal device comprising:

2. a means for allowing the user to specify any one of a date, a day of the week, and a time period, and for reserving a process for stopping the acceptance of orders via the network; 2. The store terminal device according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a means for setting whether to display or hide products handled in the physical store to customers for each product.

2. The store terminal device according to claim 1.

4. The method further includes a means for identifying a product for which display or non-display switching is to be set by reading code information attached to the product handled in the physical store.

4. The store terminal device according to claim 3.

5. Computer, a means for receiving an instruction to suspend or resume the acceptance of orders from customers via the network for products handled at the brick-and-mortar store; a means for suspending the acceptance of orders via the network when the instruction to suspend is received, and for resuming the acceptance of orders via the network when the instruction to resume is received; A program that functions as a

6. a means for receiving, from a store terminal device used by a salesperson at the physical store, an instruction to stop or resume accepting orders from customers via a network for products handled at the physical store; means for suspending the acceptance of orders via the network when the instruction to suspend is received, and for resuming the acceptance of orders via the network when the instruction to resume is received; An information processing device comprising:

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