Information processing device, system, and computer program

Abstract

To provide a more effective mechanism for preventing certain customers from purchasing large quantities of products.SOLUTION: An information processing device transmits first biological information of a first customer to a server, receives, from the server, first customer information of the first customer identified based on second biological information searched for using the first biological information from biological information held by the server, obtains product identification information for identifying a product the first customer wishes to purchase, and when the product identified by the product identification information is a prescribed product, determines whether a cumulative purchase number based on a planned purchase number of the prescribed product and the first customer's past purchase number based on the first customer information exceeds a predetermined upper limit number, and transmits purchase information regarding the purchased product of the first customer based on a result of the determination to the server.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In the past, there have been cases where products were manufactured in limited quantities and sold to a limited number of people who wanted to buy them, but in recent years, there have been cases where such limited products have been purchased in large quantities by specific customers.

[0003] In response to this, it is possible to prevent large-scale purchases by specific customers by adopting a registration system in which in-store sales are limited to customers who have registered in advance (see Patent Document 1). However, in this case, there is a problem that bona fide visitors such as tourists from overseas who are unable to register in advance will not be able to make a purchase even if they stop by the store. In addition, the problem of large-scale purchases by specific customers may still occur if the same specific customer fraudulently registers in advance multiple times. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-187596 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Therefore, there is a need to provide a more effective mechanism for preventing a particular customer from purchasing a large amount of a product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is, for example, an information processing device comprising a biometric information acquisition means for acquiring biometric information of a customer, an information acquisition means for acquiring information identifying a product, a communication means for communicating with an external server, and a processing means, wherein the communication means transmits the first biometric information of a first customer acquired by the biometric information acquisition means to the server, the communication means receives from the server first customer information of the first customer identified based on second biometric information searched for from the biometric information held by the server using the first biometric information, the information acquisition means acquires product identification information for identifying a product that the first customer wishes to purchase, and when the product identified by the product identification information is a specified product, the processing means determines whether a cumulative purchase count based on the planned purchase count of the specified product and the past purchase count of the first customer based on the first customer information exceeds a predetermined upper limit, and the communication means transmits purchase information regarding the purchased products of the first customer based on a result of the determination by the processing means to the server.

[0007] The present invention is, for example, a server that communicates with the above-mentioned information processing device, and includes a storage means for registering a customer's biometric information in association with customer information including a purchase history regarding products purchased by the customer, a processing means for, when first biometric information acquired about a first customer is received from the information processing device, searching in the storage means for second biometric information associated with the first biometric information and identifying the first customer information associated with the second biometric information in the storage means, and a communication means for transmitting the first customer information identified by the processing means to the information processing device, and when the communication means receives purchase information regarding products purchased by the first customer, the customer information in the storage means is updated based on the received purchase information. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a more effective mechanism for preventing a particular customer from purchasing a large amount of a product. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system 100. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of each device. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 shows an example of the data configuration of each data table held in a database 326. [Figure 5A] 3 is a flow chart illustrating an example of an exemplary process performed in the system 100. [Figure 5B] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a purchase screen update process. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a biometric information acquisition screen. [Figure 7A] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a purchase screen. [Figure 7B] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a purchase screen. [Figure 7C] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing yet another example of the purchase screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a history display screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0011] <System configuration> 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a system 100 according to this embodiment. The system 100 is configured by interconnecting an authentication terminal 110, a barcode reader 120, a cash register terminal 130, and a server 140 via a network 150.

[0012] In this embodiment, the authentication terminal 110, the barcode reader 120, and the cash register terminal are installed in a store that sells products, and are connected to an externally installed server 140 via a network. In the store, the authentication terminal 110, the barcode reader 120, and the cash register terminal 130 are installed near the cash register counter (cash register). In addition, the store has a plurality of products that customers can purchase. There are at least two types of products, one of which is a product that customers can purchase without limit, and the other is a product for which a maximum number of products that can be purchased by one customer is set (hereinafter, such products are referred to as "specific products"). In this embodiment, a system that enables approval / rejection of the sale of such specific products for which a maximum number of purchases is set will be described.

[0013] The flow of processing in the system 100 will be briefly described below. A customer who visits a store selects a product from the shelves and lines up at the cash register. At that time, if the customer has registered as a member in advance and carries a membership card, the membership number on the membership card is read by the barcode reader 120, and the authentication terminal 110 acquires biometric information. On the other hand, if the customer has not registered as a member in advance and does not have a membership card, only the biometric information is acquired. When the biometric information is acquired, the authentication terminal 110 transmits it to the server 140, and the server 140 identifies the biometric information that matches the most among the registered biometric information, and transmits the customer information associated with the biometric information to the authentication terminal 110. The authentication terminal can check the past purchase history of the customer according to the customer information and determine whether or not to approve the sale of the specific product that the customer wishes to purchase this time. The components of the system 100 will be specifically described below.

[0014] The authentication terminal 110 is an information processing device that acquires biometric information of a customer who wishes to purchase a product, and provides information on whether or not to approve the purchase of the product through communication with the server 140. The authentication terminal 110 can be configured as, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The authentication terminal 110 also has a built-in camera, which can capture a facial image of the customer. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which a facial image is captured by the authentication terminal 110 as biometric information, but the biometric information is not limited to this and may be acquired by other methods. In that case, the authentication terminal 110 may be configured to include an acquisition device for acquiring biometric information other than a facial image, or may be attached externally.

[0015] Barcode reader 120 reads the barcode on a membership card held by a customer who wishes to make a purchase, obtains information on the membership number, and transmits it to authentication terminal 110. It also reads the barcode of a product and transmits product information to authentication terminal 110. The information may also be transmitted from barcode reader 120 to cash register terminal 130, or may be transmitted from authentication terminal 110 to cash register terminal 130. Barcode reader 120 may communicate with authentication terminal 110 and cash register terminal 130 via short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth connection), or may be connected by wire. In this embodiment, a case will be described as an example in which an operator such as a store clerk reads the membership number on a membership card using barcode reader 120, but a customer may also hold their membership card over a stationary barcode reader to read the membership number.

[0016] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a case where the barcode reader 120 is used will be described, but any other device that can obtain information for identifying a customer or a product can be used.

[0017] The cash register terminal 130 is a terminal device for carrying out a product purchasing process. It may be connected to the authentication terminal 110 via a network 150 or via short-range wireless communication. The authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 may also communicate with each other via a wired connection.

[0018] The server 140 is an information processing device that manages customer information acquired by the authentication terminal 110. The network 150 is a communication network for mutually connecting the above-mentioned nodes of the authentication terminal 110, the cash register terminal 130, and the server 140, and may include the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, a WAN, a mobile communication network (a mobile phone communication network), and the like.

[0019] In FIG. 1, the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 are described as separate entities, but they may be configured as an integrated unit.

[0020] <Configuration of information processing device> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device constituting a system corresponding to this embodiment will be described. The configuration shown in Fig. 2 shows a representative hardware configuration of each device of the authentication terminal 110 and the server 140 constituting the system 100 described as an information processing device, and some of the hardware configurations may not be essential depending on the type of device. The barcode reader 120 and the cash register terminal 130 may also be configured in the same way.

[0021] 2, a CPU 201 executes application programs, an operating system (OS), control programs, etc. stored in a ROM 203 or an internal storage device 204, which will be described later, and performs control to temporarily store information, files, etc. required for executing the programs in a RAM 202. Note that the processes described later are also realized by the CPU 201 functioning as a control unit or a processing unit by executing corresponding processing programs.

[0022] The RAM 202 temporarily stores various data and functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 201. The ROM 203 internally stores various programs such as basic I / O programs, font data used during processing, template data, and other various data. The internal storage device 204 uses a HD (hard disk) that functions as a large-capacity memory. The internal storage device 204 stores application programs, an OS, control programs, related programs, various control data, etc. Note that a non-volatile storage device such as a flash (registered trademark) memory may be used instead of the hard disk.

[0023] The input unit 205 corresponds to a keyboard, a pointing device (such as a mouse), a touch panel, etc. Using the input unit 205, a user can input commands and the like for controlling the information processing device. The output unit 206 is configured to include a display for outputting video, a speaker for outputting audio, and, in the case of the cash register terminal 130, a printing unit for printing out receipts, etc.

[0024] A communication interface (I / F) 207 performs data communication with external devices via the network 150 in accordance with various communication protocols. The authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 communicate with the barcode reader 120 via the communication interface 207, and receive barcode information from the barcode reader 120. An external storage device 208 is configured as a database, and holds data tables necessary for processing executed in the information processing device.

[0025] In the authentication terminal 110, the information acquisition unit 209 may be an image capturing device (camera) for capturing a facial image of the intended purchaser. Alternatively, the information acquisition unit 209 may be an acquisition device (an image capturing device such as a camera, a microphone, a sensor, etc.) for capturing any biometric information of the intended purchaser other than a facial image. Examples of biometric information that can be captured include fingerprints, palm vein patterns, irises, voice, and voiceprint information. The information acquisition unit 209 may be built into the information processing device or may be external. Also, in the barcode reader 120, the information acquisition unit 209 may be a line sensor for reading barcodes.

[0026] Furthermore, in the cash register terminal 130, the information acquisition unit 209 can function as a card reader for acquiring, for example, credit card information. The information acquisition unit 209 may be configured to acquire credit card information from an IC chip of a credit card by short-range wireless communication, or may be configured to acquire credit card information from a magnetic stripe of a credit card.

[0027] <Configuration of the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130> 3(A), an example of the functional configuration of the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 will be described. The authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 can be configured to include, for example, a control unit 301, a communication unit 302, a processing unit 303, an operation unit 304, and a display unit 305.

[0028] The control unit 301 controls the overall operation of each terminal. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the control unit 301 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like. The communication unit 302 communicates with each device via the network 150. The CPU 201 can function as the communication unit 302 by controlling the communication interface 207. The communication unit 302 includes a network communication unit for communicating via the network 150 and a short-range wireless communication unit for communicating with the barcode reader 120.

[0029] The processing unit 303 has a function of executing predetermined processes and the like implemented in each terminal. For example, in the authentication terminal 110, it executes a purchase screen update process, which will be described later. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the processing unit 303 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like.

[0030] The operation unit 304 is an operation unit that allows a user of the terminal (e.g., an operator of the authentication terminal 110 or the cash register terminal 130) to input operations to the terminal, and includes a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. When the authentication terminal 110 is configured as a tablet terminal, the touch panel serves as the operation unit. The input unit 205 in FIG. 2 can function as the operation unit 304. The display unit 305 is a display that displays specified data handled in the terminal device. The output unit 206 in FIG. 2 functions as the display unit 305.

[0031] <Configuration of Barcode Reader 120> 3B, a description will be given of an example of the functional configuration of the barcode reader 120. The barcode reader 120 can be configured to include a control unit 311, a communication unit 312, an operation unit 313, and a sensor 314, for example.

[0032] The control unit 311 controls the overall operation of the barcode reader 120. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the control unit 311 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like. Alternatively, the operation of the barcode reader 120 may be controlled by a dedicated processor for control. The communication unit 312 communicates with the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 according to a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth. In the example of Fig. 2, the CPU 201 or the dedicated processor (not shown) controls the communication interface 207 to function as the communication unit 312.

[0033] The operation unit 313 is an operation unit that allows a user of the barcode reader 120 (for example, an operator of the authentication terminal 110 or the cash register terminal 130) to read a barcode, and includes buttons, switches, etc. The configuration of the operation unit 313 may be omitted. The input unit 205 in FIG. 2 can function as the operation unit 313.

[0034] The sensor 314 is, for example, a sensor for reading a barcode (for example, a line sensor or an area sensor), and corresponds to the information acquisition unit 209 in Fig. 2. The barcode to be read may be a two-dimensional barcode or a three-dimensional barcode.

[0035] <Functional configuration of server 140> 3C, a description will be given of an example of the functional configuration of the server 140. The server 140 can be configured to include, for example, a control unit 321, a communication unit 322, a processing unit 323, an operation unit 324, a display unit 325, and a database 326.

[0036] The control unit 321 controls the overall operation of the server 140. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the control unit 321 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like. The communication unit 322 communicates with the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 via the network 150. The CPU 201 can function as the communication unit 322 by controlling the communication interface 207.

[0037] The processing unit 323 has a function of executing a predetermined determination process and the like performed in the server 140. The CPU 201 in Fig. 2 can function as the processing unit 323 by executing a program stored in the internal storage device 204 or the like.

[0038] The operation unit 324 is an operation unit through which a user of the server 140 (e.g., an operator of the server 140) performs operational input to the server 140, and includes a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, etc. The input unit 205 in FIG. 2 can function as the operation unit 324. The display unit 325 is a display that displays predetermined data handled in the server 140. The output unit 206 in FIG. 2 functions as the display unit 325. The database 326 is a database that stores and manages various data used by the processing unit 323 and biometric information of the purchaser, etc., and the external storage device 208 in FIG. 2 functions as the database 326.

[0039] <About Data Tables> Next, the configuration of the data table registered in the database 326 of the server 140 will be described.

[0040] 4A is a customer data table for managing customer information. In the customer data table 400, for example, a customer number 401, a number of times of use 402, a date and time of a previous use, a purchase history 404, and biometric information 405 are registered as customer information.

[0041] The customer number 401 is registered with a membership number read from a membership card held by the customer, or a temporary membership number. A temporary membership number is information assigned to customers who have not registered as members, such as Japanese customers visiting a store or foreign tourists visiting Japan, to identify the customer. It is desirable that the temporary membership number does not overlap with the regular membership number, and is in a form that can be distinguished from the regular membership number. For example, the last two or first two digits can be a specific code or value, or the number of digits can be different from the membership number.

[0042] Furthermore, the number of times the customer has used the store to purchase products is registered in the number of uses 402. In other words, the number of times products have been purchased at the store is registered. The date and time of last use 403 is the date and time of the last product purchase at the store. The purchase history is registered with historical information of the customer's past purchases of specific products, details of which are shown in FIG. 4(B). The biometric information 405 is registered with biometric information acquired about the customer. The biometric information 405 is registered with all biometric information acquired when the customer visits the store. For example, the facial image itself captured by the authentication terminal 110 may be registered in the biometric information 405, or features extracted from the facial image may be registered, or both may be registered.

[0043] 4A shows an embodiment in which five items are registered as one data table, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, a biometric information data table may be prepared in addition to the customer data table 400, and each piece of biometric information may be registered in the biometric information data table in association with a customer number.

[0044] 4(B) shows an example of a purchase history data table 410 that manages information on product purchase history for each customer. In the purchase history data table 410, information such as a customer number 411, a product 412, and a purchase quantity 413 is registered as purchase history information. The purchase history information may also include information on the date and time of purchase.

[0045] Customer number 411 is registered with customer number information corresponding to customer number 401 in customer data table 400. Product information of specific products for which a purchase limit is set is registered with product 412. Here, product names such as product 1, product 2, etc. are registered. The purchase limit for each product is shown in FIG. 4(C). Purchase quantity 413 is registered with the total number of products that the customer has purchased in the past for each product.

[0046] 4C shows an example of a specific product data table 420 that manages information on specific products for which a purchase upper limit is set. In the specific product data table 420, for example, a product 421 and a purchase upper limit quantity 422 are registered.

[0047] Product information for a specific product for which a purchase limit is set is registered in product 421. To set a purchase limit, the purchase limit per person for the corresponding specific product is registered. In this example, only one unit of product 1 is permitted to be purchased, but up to three units of product 4 are permitted to be purchased.

[0048] <Processing flow in system 100> Next, the flow of processing in this system will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The flowchart in Fig. 5 is realized by each control unit of the authentication terminal 110, barcode reader 120, and server 140 controlling the operation of each block.

[0049] First, in S501, the operator of authentication terminal 110 uses barcode reader 120 to confirm the membership card of a customer who wishes to purchase a product and reads the barcode on the membership card. In this embodiment, the customer who is a member is requested to present their membership card, and member information is identified from the barcode on the membership card. In S502, barcode reader 120 transmits the read barcode information to authentication terminal 110 via communication unit 312.

[0050] When the authentication terminal 110 receives barcode information from the barcode reader 120 via the communication unit 302, the control unit 301 displays a biometric information acquisition screen as shown in Fig. 6(A) on the display unit 305 of the terminal 110, and acquires the biometric information of the customer. In this embodiment, the authentication terminal 110 may be a terminal that an operator can carry around, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and the operator may take a facial image of the customer.

[0051] FIG. 6A shows an example of a screen when a face image is acquired as biometric information. At this time, the biometric information acquisition screen 600 includes a marker 601 indicating the position of the face of the customer who is the subject, and a member number display area 602 that displays the member number acquired by the barcode reader 120 if the customer has registered as a member. In FIG. 3, the face of the customer 603 to be photographed is located within the range specified by the marker 601. Also, a photograph button 604 and a send button 605 are displayed on the biometric information acquisition screen 600, and the operator can photograph a face image by operating the photograph button 604. If biometric information can be acquired by photographing a face image in S504, the authentication terminal 110 associates the photographed face image with the member number in response to the operation of the send button 605 and transmits the image to the server 140 via the communication unit 302 in the following S505.

[0052] Here, as shown in FIG. 6(B), it is assumed that a plurality of subjects 611 and 612 may be captured in the image. In this case, it is possible to accept the selection of a customer to be registered after the image is captured. For example, a number or the like may be displayed on each subject, and a customer to be registered may be selected by accepting a tap on any of the numbers. In FIG. 6(B), the number "1" is displayed on subject 611, and the number "2" is displayed on subject 612. The operator can select a subject to be registered by tapping any of the numbers. When a subject is selected, only the selected subject can be cut out and used as biometric information.

[0053] When the server 140 receives the biometric information from the authentication terminal 110, the processing unit 323 compares the received biometric information with the biometric information registered in the database 326 in S506, and identifies the biometric information with the highest degree of match. The comparison of the biometric information may be performed not only by using the received biometric information itself such as an image or voice, but also by comparing feature amounts extracted from the received biometric information. The feature amount may be, for example, coordinate information, vector information, edge information, frequency information, etc., and known techniques related to biometric information may be used. The identification of the biometric information may be performed by searching for biometric information associated with the transmitted membership number, but is not limited to the membership number and may be performed only based on the similarity of the biometric information. In this embodiment, since the system design does not assume membership registration, the purchase history of a customer who does not have a membership number can be extracted based on the similarity of the biometric information.

[0054] If the biometric information with the highest degree of match is identified in S506, then in S507, the processing unit 323 acquires customer information associated with the biometric information from the customer data table 400 registered in the database 326. In S508, if the customer information includes a membership number, the processing unit 323 determines whether the membership number included in the biometric information transmitted in S505 matches the customer number 401 included in the customer information. If they match, then in S509, the server 140 transmits the customer information to the authentication terminal 110 via the communication unit 322. On the other hand, if the membership number included in the biometric information transmitted in S505 does not match the customer number 401 included in the customer information in S508, the processing unit 323 returns to S506 to identify the biometric information with the next highest degree of match, and repeats the above-mentioned process.

[0055] The process of S508 may be optional, and when the biometric information determined to have the highest degree of match can be identified, the customer information corresponding to the biometric information may be transmitted. Also, when the membership number is not included in the biometric information transmitted in S505, the process of S508 may be skipped. Furthermore, in S506, even if the biometric information has the highest degree of match, if the calculated degree of match is below a predetermined threshold, the biometric information may not be identified. In this case, the customer is likely to be a new customer, and in this case, the customer information is not registered in the database 326, so in S509, a notice is issued that no matching customer information exists.

[0056] When the customer information is transmitted in S509, the customer information may include information such as customer number 401, number of uses 402, last use date and time 403, and purchase history 404. It is also assumed that a specific product data table 420 has been transmitted in advance to the authentication terminal 110. At this time, the control unit 321 updates the customer data table 400 by adding the biometric information transmitted in S505 to the biometric information 405.

[0057] When the customer information is transmitted in S509, the control unit 301 of the authentication terminal 110 displays a purchase screen for the product that the customer plans to purchase on the display unit 305 based on the customer information received in S510. An example of the purchase screen is shown in Figures 7A to 7C. Of these, Figure 7A shows the initial display state of the purchase screen.

[0058] The screen 700 in FIG. 7A includes, for example, the number of visits 701, the date of last visit 702, and the member number 703 as customer information. Other information such as the customer's name may also be included. The lower part of the screen 700 includes an area 704 showing how many of the products desired to be purchased are NG and how many are OK, a checkout button 705 to be selected when proceeding to checkout, and a cancel button 706 to cancel the purchase. The number of visits 701, the date of last visit 702, and the member number 703 can display the information of the customer number 401, the number of uses 402, and the date and time of last use 403 received as customer information. In this case, the customer number 401 may not be displayed in the case of a non-member, and may indicate that the customer is a non-member. In addition, a history button 707 is displayed on the upper part of the screen 700, and when this button is operated, the customer's past purchase history can be displayed on the screen.

[0059] Fig. 8 shows an example of the history display screen. The history screen displays biometric information 801 previously acquired about a customer identified by a membership number, and detailed information 802 about purchased items. By operating the back button 803, the user can return to the purchase screen in Fig. 7A or the like.

[0060] When the purchase screen 700 is displayed, in S511 the operator sequentially reads the barcodes of the products the customer wishes to purchase using the barcode reader 120. The barcode information (product identification information) read by the barcode reader 120 is sequentially transmitted to the authentication terminal 110 via the communication unit 312 in S512, and in the authentication terminal 110, the control unit 301 performs processing to update the purchase screen 700 in S513. The processing from S511 to S513 is executed as many times as the number of products desired to be purchased, and the purchase screen 700 is updated each time.

[0061] When the purchase screen is updated in S513, the authentication terminal 110 accepts an operation from the operator via the operation unit 304 in S514, and transmits purchase information in response to the accepted operation to the server 140 via the communication unit 302 in S515. On the server 140 side, the control unit 321 updates the database 326 with the received purchase information in S516. Specifically, the customer data table 400 and the purchase history data table 410 are updated.

[0062] The purchase information can also be sent to the cash register terminal 130 in S515. If the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 are a common terminal, the process can proceed directly to the transaction.

[0063] Next, the flow of the purchase screen update process will be described with reference to Fig. 5B. In Fig. 5B, first, in S531, the processing unit 303 identifies the product desired to be purchased based on the barcode information. The authentication terminal 110 holds a table of product information associated with barcode information in the internal storage device 204, and the processing unit 303 can identify the product by referring to this table.

[0064] In the next S532, the processing unit 303 judges whether the desired product is a specific product registered in the specific product data table 420. If it is not a specific product, the process proceeds to S535. Since there is no limit to the number of purchases of the product, the processing unit 303 judges "OK" in S535 regardless of the number of purchases desired. Note that if the product is not a specific product, it may be judged as ineligible.

[0065] On the other hand, if the product desired to be purchased is a specific product registered in the specific product data table 420, in S533, the processing unit 303 calculates the cumulative purchase number by adding the number of purchases of the product so far (past purchase number) and the planned purchase number this time based on the information of the purchase history 404 received as customer information. The planned purchase number this time may be updated as needed in accordance with the reception of the barcode information in S512. It is also updated when the planned purchase number is changed in response to an operation by the operator. After the cumulative purchase number is calculated, in S534, the processing unit 303 determines whether the cumulative purchase number exceeds the upper limit number of the product. If the cumulative purchase number exceeds the upper limit number, the process proceeds to S536 and a NG judgment is made. On the other hand, if the cumulative purchase number does not exceed the upper limit number, the process proceeds to S535 and a OK judgment is made. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S537 and the purchase screen is updated to include other information.

[0066] FIG. 7B is a diagram showing an example of the purchasing screen 700 after it has been updated, where purchasing screen 710 has added information about product 1 and product 2.

[0067] In area 711, information about product 1 has been added, and the desired quantity for the first purchase is 1, and the ratio of the maximum purchase quantity including this purchase is 1:1, so the purchase is possible. As a result of the purchase screen update process, an OK mark (approval decision mark) 712 indicating an OK decision is displayed.

[0068] In area 713, information about product 2 is added, and the desired number of items purchased for the first purchase is two, and the ratio of the number of items purchased, including the current purchase, to the upper limit purchase quantity is two to one, and since the number of items purchased exceeds the upper limit, the purchase is impossible. As a result of the purchase screen update process, an NG mark (rejection judgment indicator) 714 indicating an NG judgment is displayed. Here, a product cancellation mark 715 is also displayed. For example, this product cancellation mark 715 may be displayed for the number of items exceeding the upper limit, and by tapping one product cancellation mark 715, the purchase of one item can be canceled. In that case, since the ratio is one to one, an OK judgment is made, and the NG mark 714 is replaced with an OK mark 712.

[0069] Also, it may be possible for the operator to directly change the value of the desired purchase quantity, in which case by changing the desired purchase quantity from 2 to 1, the ratio becomes 1:1, and an OK judgment is made. In this case, the product cancellation mark 715 can be operated when accepting cancellation of the product purchase itself. Therefore, when the product cancellation mark 715 is operated, the desired purchase quantity of 2 is cancelled, and the area 713 is erased from the purchase screen 710.

[0070] In area 704 of purchase screen 710, one unit of product 2 that exceeds the upper limit is counted as NG and displayed as 1 item. In addition, one unit of product 1 and one unit of product 2 that matches the upper limit are counted as OK and displayed as 2 items.

[0071] FIG. 7C is a diagram showing another example of the purchasing screen 700 after it has been updated, where a purchasing screen 720 has been updated to include information about product A and product 3.

[0072] In area 721, information about product A has been added, and the desired number of units to be purchased for the first purchase is 5, but since there is no upper limit set for the number of units that can be purchased for product A, it is displayed as "Not applicable" and can be purchased. As a result of the purchase screen update process, an OK mark 712 is displayed, indicating an OK judgment.

[0073] Here, for products that do not have a purchase limit, the product details may be displayed simply as "Not applicable," or the display may be omitted altogether. Also, "Not applicable" may be displayed only when the customer wishes to purchase only "Not applicable" products, and if at least one specific product is included, all displays, including the "Not applicable" display, may be omitted.

[0074] In area 723, information about product 3 has been added, and the desired purchase quantity for the second purchase is 1, and the ratio of the purchase quantity including this purchase to the maximum purchase quantity is 2:2, so the purchase is possible since the purchase quantity matches the maximum quantity. As a result of the purchase screen update process, an OK mark 712 is displayed indicating an OK judgment. In area 704 of purchase screen 720, it is displayed that there are 0 NG products and 2 OK products.

[0075] In this embodiment, it is desirable to operate the checkout button 705 after setting the number of NG items to 0. In that case, for example, the checkout button 705 can be grayed out to stop accepting operations until the number of NG items is set to 0, and when the number of NG items becomes 0, the grayed-out checkout button 705 can be released to allow acceptance of operations. On the other hand, the checkout button 705 may be made operable without setting the number of NG items to 0. In that case, the operator at the cash register terminal 130 will process the checkout only for items within the upper limit number. When updating the database in S516, the purchase history is updated within the purchase limit of the specific item.

[0076] In this embodiment, the case where the customer's membership number and product information are read from the barcode and used has been described, but the embodiment is not limited to this and the information may be obtained by other methods. For example, if an RFID tag or IC chip is embedded, the information may be obtained from them.

[0077] According to the above embodiment, the biometric information of a customer is associated with the purchase history of the customer and managed in advance, so that it is possible to take into consideration the past purchase history based on the biometric information of a customer who wishes to purchase a specific product, and it is possible to immediately detect the purchase of a specific product that exceeds the upper limit at the store. Also, in this embodiment, the purchase history can be managed regardless of whether the customer has registered as a member in advance, so there is no need to refuse purchases from unregistered customers.

[0078] In the above embodiment, the authentication terminal 110 and the cash register terminal 130 are described as separate devices, but by integrating them, it becomes possible to refer to the purchase history when making a payment at the cash register, thereby reducing the burden on store staff and customers.

[0079] The above processes (for example, the processes according to Figures 5A and 5B) can be executed by a computer by storing the corresponding computer program in a predetermined storage medium and reading (installing or copying) the program stored in the storage medium into the computer. Such computer programs and storage media are naturally included in the scope of the invention.

[0080] <Summary of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses at least the following information processing device and computer program.

[0081] (1) An information processing device, A biometric information acquisition means for acquiring biometric information of a customer; An information acquisition means for acquiring information identifying a product; A communication means for communicating with an external server; A processing means; Equipped with The communication means transmits the first biometric information of the first customer acquired by the biometric information acquisition means to a server; the communication means receives, from the server, first customer information of the first customer identified based on second biometric information searched for using the first biometric information from biometric information held by the server; The information acquisition means acquires product identification information for identifying a product that the first customer wishes to purchase, When the product specified by the product specification information is a predetermined product, the processing means determines whether or not a cumulative purchase number based on a planned purchase number of the predetermined product and a past purchase number of the first customer based on the first customer information exceeds a predetermined upper limit number; The communication means transmits purchase information regarding the purchased item of the first customer based on the determination result of the processing means to the server. (2) the server manages the biometric information of the customer in association with customer information including a purchase history of products purchased by the customer; The second biometric information is biometric information having a highest degree of association with the first biometric information, The information processing device according to (1), wherein the communication means receives customer information managed in association with the second biometric information as the first customer information. (3) The information processing device according to (2), wherein the second biometric information is biometric information whose similarity to the first biometric information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. (4) the information acquisition means is further configured to acquire identification information assigned to the customer; the communication means transmits to the server the first identification information assigned to the first customer acquired by the information acquisition means together with the first biometric information; The customer information includes identification information for identifying a corresponding customer, The information processing device according to (2) or (3), wherein the second biometric information is biometric information associated with customer information including identification information that matches the first identification information. (5) The information acquiring means is configured to be able to acquire barcode information read by a barcode reader, The identification information is a membership number read by the barcode reader from a barcode on a membership card held by the customer, The information processing device according to (4), wherein the product identification information is information about the product read by the barcode reader from a barcode attached to the product. (6) further comprising a display means for displaying a first screen related to a product that the first customer plans to purchase based on the first customer information received from the server and the determination result by the processing means; The processing means makes a rejection decision when it is determined that the cumulative purchase number exceeds the upper limit number, and makes an approval decision when it is determined that the cumulative purchase number does not exceed the upper limit number, The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the first screen displays, among the planned purchase quantities, a number that exceeds the upper limit as a rejection judgment number, and a number that does not exceed the upper limit as an approval judgment number. (7) The first screen, a rejection determination mark that is displayed in association with the corresponding product when the rejection determination is made; The information processing device according to (6) includes an approval decision mark that is displayed in association with a corresponding product when the approval decision is made. (8) further comprising an operation receiving means for receiving an operation, The information processing device according to (6) or (7), wherein the operation accepting means accepts an operation for making the cumulative purchase number equal to the upper limit number when the cumulative purchase number exceeds the upper limit number. (9) The transmission of the purchase information to the server is performed in response to an operation on the operation receiving means, When the rejected product is included in the first screen, the operation accepting means stops accepting an instruction to transmit the purchase information, The information processing device according to (8), wherein, when the rejected product is no longer included on the first screen, acceptance of an instruction to transmit the purchase information by the operation acceptance means is permitted. (10) The information processing device according to any one of (6) to (9), wherein the specified product is a product for which an upper limit is set for the cumulative purchase quantity, and the upper limit is set for each product. (11) The information processing device according to any one of (6) to (10), wherein the first screen does not include information about products that do not correspond to the specified product. (12) An information processing device according to any one of (6) to (10), wherein the first screen includes a display indicating that the products desired to be purchased by the customer are not eligible products when all of the products do not fall under the specified products. (13) An information processing device according to any one of (1) to (12), wherein the first biometric information is at least one of facial image information of the first customer, fingerprint information of the first customer, palm vein pattern information of the first customer, iris information of the first customer, and voiceprint information of the first customer. (14) The information processing device according to (13), wherein, when the facial image information includes a plurality of subjects, facial image information of any one selected subject is set as the first biometric information. (15) A server that communicates with the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (14), a storage means for registering biometric information of a customer in association with customer information including a purchase history of products purchased by the customer; a processing means for, when receiving first biometric information acquired about a first customer from the information processing device, searching the storage means for second biometric information associated with the first biometric information, and identifying first customer information associated with the second biometric information in the storage means; a communication means for transmitting the first customer information identified by the processing means to the information processing device; Equipped with When the communication means receives purchase information regarding the purchased item of the first customer, the customer information in the storage means is updated based on the received purchase information. (16) The server according to (15), wherein the purchase history of the customer information includes a purchase history of a product for which a maximum cumulative purchase number is set. (17) The server according to (15) or (16), wherein the second biometric information is biometric information whose similarity to the first biometric information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. (18) A server according to any one of (15) to (17), wherein when first identification information that identifies the first customer is received together with the first biometric information, the processing means treats the second biometric information as biometric information that includes identification information that matches the first identification information in associated customer information. (19) A computer program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of (1) to (14). (20) A computer program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the server described in any one of (15) to (18).

[0082] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. An information processing device, A biometric information acquisition means for acquiring biometric information of a customer; An information acquisition means for acquiring information identifying a product; A communication means for communicating with an external server; A processing means; Equipped with The communication means transmits the first biometric information of the first customer acquired by the biometric information acquisition means to a server; the communication means receives, from the server, first customer information of the first customer identified based on second biometric information searched for using the first biometric information from biometric information held by the server; The information acquisition means acquires product identification information for identifying a product that the first customer wishes to purchase, When the product specified by the product specification information is a predetermined product, the processing means determines whether or not a cumulative purchase number based on a planned purchase number of the predetermined product and a past purchase number of the first customer based on the first customer information exceeds a predetermined upper limit number; The communication means transmits purchase information regarding the purchased product of the first customer based on the determination result of the processing means to the server.

2. The server manages the biometric information of the customer in association with customer information including a purchase history of products purchased by the customer; The second biometric information is biometric information having a highest degree of association with the first biometric information, 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication means receives, as said first customer information, customer information managed in association with said second biometric information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second biometric information is biometric information having a similarity to the first biometric information equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

4. The information acquiring means is further configured to acquire identification information assigned to a customer; the communication means transmits to the server first identification information assigned to the first customer acquired by the information acquisition means together with the first biometric information; The customer information includes identification information for identifying a corresponding customer, The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second biometric information is biometric information associated with customer information including identification information that matches the first identification information.

5. The information acquiring means is configured to be able to acquire barcode information read by a barcode reader, The identification information is a membership number read by the barcode reader from a barcode on a membership card held by the customer, The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the product identification information is information about the product read by the barcode reader from a barcode attached to the product.

6. a display means for displaying a first screen related to a product that the first customer plans to purchase based on the first customer information received from the server and the determination result by the processing means, The processing means makes a rejection decision when it is determined that the cumulative purchase number exceeds the upper limit number, and makes an approval decision when it is determined that the cumulative purchase number does not exceed the upper limit number, The information processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first screen displays, of the intended purchase quantities, a quantity exceeding the upper limit as a rejection judgment quantity, and displays a quantity not exceeding the upper limit as an approval judgment quantity.

7. The first screen includes: a rejection determination mark that is displayed in association with the corresponding product when the rejection determination is made; The information processing device according to claim 6 , further comprising an approval decision mark that is displayed in association with a corresponding product when the approval decision is made.

8. The device further includes an operation receiving means for receiving an operation, The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the operation accepting means accepts an operation for making the total purchase number equal to the upper limit number when the total purchase number exceeds the upper limit number.

9. the transmission of the purchase information to the server is performed in response to an operation on the operation receiving means; When the rejected product is included in the first screen, the operation accepting means stops accepting an instruction to transmit the purchase information, The information processing device according to claim 8 , wherein, when the rejected product is no longer included on the first screen, acceptance of an instruction to transmit the purchase information by the operation acceptance means is permitted.

10. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined product is a product for which an upper limit number is set for the cumulative purchase quantity, and the upper limit number is set for each product.

11. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the first screen does not include information about products that do not correspond to the predetermined product.

12. The information processing device according to claim 6 , wherein the first screen includes a display indicating that the products desired to be purchased by the customer are not eligible products when all of the products do not fall under the predetermined products.

13. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the first biometric information is at least one of facial image information of the first customer, fingerprint information of the first customer, palm vein pattern information of the first customer, iris information of the first customer, and voiceprint information of the first customer.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein, when the face image information includes a plurality of subjects, face image information of any one selected subject is set as the first biometric information.

15. A server that communicates with the information processing device according to claim 1, a storage means for registering biometric information of a customer in association with customer information including a purchase history of products purchased by the customer; a processing means for, when receiving first biometric information acquired about a first customer from the information processing device, searching the storage means for second biometric information associated with the first biometric information, and specifying first customer information associated with the second biometric information in the storage means; a communication means for transmitting the first customer information identified by the processing means to the information processing device; Equipped with When the communication means receives purchase information regarding a purchased item of the first customer, the customer information in the storage means is updated based on the received purchase information.

16. The server according to claim 15 , wherein the purchase history of the customer information includes a purchase history of a product for which an upper limit is set for the cumulative number of purchases.

17. The server according to claim 15 , wherein the second biometric information is biometric information whose similarity to the first biometric information is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

18. The server according to claim 15, wherein when first identification information that identifies the first customer is received together with the first biometric information, the processing means treats the second biometric information as biometric information that includes identification information matching the first identification information in associated customer information.

19. A computer program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

20. A computer program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the server according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

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