Edible oil sales system, edible oil sales method, and edible oil price calculation device

Abstract

To provide an edible oil sales system and a method thereof, and an edible oil price calculation device that can sell edible oil always in a fresh state at a reasonable price while reusing a container filled with the edible oil.SOLUTION: An oil server system 100, which automatically supplies edible oil into a bottle X and sells it: calculates, when current purchase is first purchase, or when the current purchase is second or subsequent purchase and a used bottle X is not collected, a selling price of an edible oil as a sum of the edible oil charge and the bottle charge; calculates, when the current purchase is the second purchase and the used bottle X is collected, the selling price of the edible oil by subtracting the bottle charge from the edible charge; and calculates, when the current purchase is the third or subsequent purchase and the used bottle X is collected, the edible oil charge as the selling price of the edible oil.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an edible oil sales system and an edible oil sales method for automatically supplying and selling an amount of edible oil required by a purchaser into a container, and an edible oil price calculation device for calculating the price of edible oil sold in a state where the amount required by the purchaser is filled in the container.

Background Art

[0002] Edible oils such as rapeseed oil, sesame oil, and olive oil are generally sold in small retail stores that handle food products such as supermarkets, individually packed in bottles of a specified volume determined by the manufacturer. Therefore, when the volume of the bottle is large, the purchaser may not be able to use up the edible oil and may end up throwing it away.

[0003] In recent years, efforts have been made to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the United Nations Summit on September 25, 2015 (hereinafter referred to as "SDGs"). Along with this, in order to ensure a sustainable production and consumption pattern, etc., aiming to prevent the generation of waste, reduce waste, and significantly reduce the generation of waste through the recycling and reuse of products, etc., small retail stores that sell small portions of edible oil in the amount required by the purchaser have emerged.

[0004] In such small retail stores, the edible oil sold in small portions is stored in a large-capacity storage container (oil server). As an example of the storage container, Patent Document 1 discloses a bottomed cylindrical container body in which an edible oil such as olive oil is stored, a lid for closing and sealing the upper opening of the cylindrical container body, and an outlet for the edible oil provided at the lower part of the cylindrical container body, and an air cutoff mechanism for blocking the inflow of air into the inside of the cylindrical container body is provided in the cylindrical container body or the lid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-226431 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0006] When selling cooking oil in small portions from the storage container described in Patent Document 1, the purchaser can reuse the small bottle for the second and subsequent purchases of cooking oil. At this time, the purchaser needs to wash the inside of the small bottle and disinfect it to a hygienically acceptable level. However, since it is difficult to perform these operations in ordinary households, ultimately, a new small bottle has to be purchased every time cooking oil is bought.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking oil sales system, a cooking oil sales method, and a cooking oil price calculation device that can sell cooking oil in a fresh state and at a reasonable price while reusing the container filled with cooking oil. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0008] [1]To achieve the above object, the present invention is an edible oil sales system that automatically supplies and sells edible oil into a container, comprising an oil tank for storing the edible oil, a mounting table on which the container is placed, a container control device for controlling the placement of the unused container on the mounting table, an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows out into the container placed on the mounting table by the container control device, an oil outlet pipe connecting the oil tank and the oil outlet for guiding the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet, an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet, a container sensor for detecting that the container is placed on the mounting table, an input / output terminal into which the purchase history of the edible oil by the purchaser and the collection information of the used container are input and which notifies the selling price of the edible oil, and a controller for calculating the selling price of the edible oil and controlling the container control device and the oil flow control valve respectively. When the controller acquires the purchase history and the collection information input to the input / output terminal respectively, it determines, based on the acquired purchase history, which purchase this purchase of the edible oil is, and determines, based on the acquired collection information, whether the used container has been collected. If it is determined that this purchase of the edible oil is the first purchase, or if it is determined that this purchase of the edible oil is a purchase after the second purchase and the used container has not been collected, it calculates the price obtained by adding the price of the edible oil and the price of the container as the selling price of the edible oil. If it is determined that this purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and the used container has been collected, it calculates the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from the price of the edible oil as the selling price of the edible oil. If it is determined that this purchase of the edible oil is a purchase after the third purchase and the used container has been collected, it calculates the price of the edible oil as the selling price of the edible oil, outputs a notification signal notifying the calculated selling price to the input / output terminal, commands the container control device to place the unused container on the mounting table, and when it acquires the placement detection signal output from the container sensor,It is characterized by generating an oil quantity control signal according to the obtained required oil quantity and outputting the signal to the flow control valve for oil.

[0009] [2] Preferably, in the edible oil sales system according to [1], the container includes a plurality of types set at the same price. In the input / output terminal, information related to one container selected by the purchaser from among the plurality of types of containers is input as selected container information. The controller instructs the container control device to place the unused container related to the selected container information input to the input / output terminal on the placement table.

[0010] [3] Preferably, in the edible oil sales system according to [1], the container includes a plurality of types set at the same price. The controller selects the optimal container from among the plurality of types of containers based on the purchase history input to the input / output terminal, outputs information related to the selected optimal container as proposed container information to the input / output terminal, and the input / output terminal notifies the purchaser of the proposed container information output from the controller.

[0011] [4] Preferably, in the edible oil sales system according to [1], the recovery information includes waste oil recovery information related to the recovery of waste oil in the used container. The controller determines whether the used container is recovered together with the waste oil based on the obtained recovery information. When it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and the used container is recovered together with the waste oil, the selling price of the edible oil is calculated as the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from a special price obtained by discounting a predetermined price from the price of the edible oil. When it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and the used container is recovered together with the waste oil, the special price is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil.

[0012] [5] Further, the present invention is a method for selling edible oil by automatically supplying the edible oil into a container for sale, comprising: an oil tank for storing the edible oil; a mounting table on which the container is placed; a container control device for controlling the mounting of the unused container onto the mounting table; an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows out into the container placed on the mounting table by the container control device; an oil outlet pipe connecting the oil tank and the oil outlet pipe to guide the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet; an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe to control the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet; a container sensor for detecting that the container is placed on the mounting table; an input / output terminal to which the purchase history of the edible oil by the purchaser and the collection information of the used container are input, and which notifies the selling price of the edible oil; and a controller for calculating the selling price of the edible oil and controlling the container control device and the oil flow control valve respectively. The controller includes: an information acquisition step of acquiring the purchase history and the collection information input to the input / output terminal; a determination step of determining, based on the purchase history acquired in the information acquisition step, how many times the current purchase of the edible oil is, and determining whether the used container has been collected based on the collection information acquired in the information acquisition step; a selling price calculation step of calculating the selling price of the edible oil based on the determination result in the determination step; a notification signal output step of outputting, to the input / output terminal, a notification signal for notifying the selling price calculated in the selling price calculation step; a mounting instruction step of instructing the container control device to mount the unused container onto the mounting table; a signal acquisition step of acquiring the mounting detection signal output from the container sensor; and an edible oil supply step of generating, when the mounting detection signal is acquired in the signal acquisition step, an oil quantity control signal for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet and outputting the oil quantity control signal to the oil flow control valve. In the selling price calculation step, if it is determined in the determination step that the current purchase of the edible oil is the first purchase,Alternatively, when it is determined that the purchase of the edible oil this time is a purchase after the second time and the used container has not been recycled, the controller calculates the price obtained by adding the price of the edible oil and the price of the container as the selling price of the edible oil. In the determination step, when it is determined that the purchase of the edible oil this time is the second purchase and the used container has been recycled, the controller calculates the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from the price of the edible oil as the selling price of the edible oil. In the determination step, when it is determined that the purchase of the edible oil this time is a purchase after the third time and the used container has been recycled, the controller calculates the price of the edible oil as the selling price of the edible oil, which is characterized by this.

[0013] [6] Preferably, in the edible oil selling method according to [5] above, the container includes a plurality of types set at the same price. In the input / output terminal, information related to one container selected by the purchaser from among the plurality of types of containers is input as selected container information. In the placement instruction step, the controller instructs the container control device to place the unused container related to the selected container information input to the input / output terminal on the placement table, which is characterized by this.

[0014] [7] Preferably, in the edible oil selling method according to [5] above, the container includes a plurality of types set at the same price. A container selection step in which the controller selects an optimal container from among the plurality of types of containers based on the purchase history input to the input / output terminal, a container proposal step in which the controller outputs information related to the optimal container selected in the container selection step to the input / output terminal as proposed container information, and a notification step in which the input / output terminal notifies the purchaser of the proposed container information output from the controller in the container proposal step, which are included and are characterized by this.

[0015] [8] Preferably, it is the edible oil sales method described in [5] above, wherein the recovery information includes waste oil recovery information related to the recovery of waste oil in the used container, and the controller further includes a waste oil recovery determination step of determining whether the used container is recovered together with the waste oil based on the recovery information obtained in the information acquisition step. In the sales price calculation step, in the determination step, if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and the used container is recovered together with the waste oil, the controller calculates the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from a special price obtained by discounting a predetermined price from the price of the edible oil as the sales price of the edible oil. In the determination step, if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a purchase after the third purchase and the used container is recovered together with the waste oil, the controller calculates the special price as the sales price of the edible oil.

[0016] [9] Further, the present invention is an edible oil price calculation device for calculating the sales price of edible oil sold in a state filled in a container, which respectively acquires the purchase history of the edible oil by the purchaser and the recovery information of the used container, determines whether the current purchase of the edible oil is the first purchase based on the acquired purchase history, and determines whether the used container is recovered based on the acquired recovery information. If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the first purchase, or if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a purchase after the second purchase and the used container is not recovered, the price obtained by adding the price of the edible oil and the price of the container is calculated as the sales price of the edible oil. If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and the used container is recovered, the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from the price of the edible oil is calculated as the sales price of the edible oil. If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a purchase after the third purchase and the used container is recovered, the price of the edible oil is calculated as the sales price of the edible oil.

[0017]

[10] Preferably, it is the edible oil price calculation device according to [9] above, further obtaining waste oil recovery information related to the recovery of waste oil in the used container as the recovery information, and determining whether the used container is recovered together with the waste oil based on the obtained recovery information. If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and the used container is recovered together with the waste oil, the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from a special price obtained by discounting a predetermined price from the price of the edible oil is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil. If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and the used container is recovered together with the waste oil, the special price is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil.

Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, while reusing the container filled with edible oil, the edible oil can always be sold in a fresh state and at a reasonable price. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, in each embodiment of the present invention, as an aspect of an edible oil sales system that automatically supplies and sells the amount of edible oil required by a purchaser into a container, for example, it is installed in each store of a retail store such as a supermarket, and an oil server that fills an empty bottle with the amount of edible oil required by a customer who is a purchaser and provides it to the customer A system (oil server system) using will be described.

[0021] <First Embodiment> The oil server system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0022] (Overall Configuration of Oil Server System 100) First, the overall configuration of the oil server system 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0023] FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration example of an oil server 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing a configuration example of the oil server system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0024] The oil server 1 includes an oil tank 11 for storing edible oil, a mounting table 12 on which the bottle X is placed, an oil outlet 13 through which the edible oil flows out into the bottle X placed on the mounting table 12, an oil outlet pipe 14 for guiding the edible oil in the oil tank 11 to the oil outlet 13, an oil flow control valve 15 for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet 13, a bottle control device (container control device) 16 for performing control to place an unused empty bottle X on the mounting table 12, a bottle sensor 12A as a container sensor for detecting that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 12, a touch panel 3 as an input / output terminal, a controller 4 for controlling the oil flow control valve 15 and the bottle control device 16 respectively, and a rectangular parallelepiped housing 17 for housing these components inside.

[0025] Inside the housing 17, temperature and humidity management is thoroughly carried out so that the edible oil is always supplied to the bottle X in a fresh state. Also, since the edible oil starts to oxidize when it comes into contact with air, measures are taken at various locations inside the housing 17 to prevent the edible oil from coming into contact with air as much as possible.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 17 is formed with a supply area 71 having an opening 70 in the front part. The mounting table 12 is installed at the bottom of this supply area 71. And an oil outlet 13 is provided at the ceiling part of the supply area 71.

[0027] In this embodiment, a transparent door 72 provided with a handle 72A is attached to the opening 70 of the supply area 71. Thereby, it is possible to prevent external dust and dirt from entering the supply area 71. Further, since the door 72 is transparent, the purchaser can confirm whether the bottle X exists in the supply area 71 without opening the door 72.

[0028] The edible oil supplied by the oil server 1 is an edible oil that can be used in ordinary households, such as rapeseed oil, sesame oil, olive oil, etc. This oil server 1 may be configured to supply a predetermined type of edible oil to bottle X, or may be configured to supply a plurality of types of edible oil to bottle X according to the purchaser's wishes. When the oil server 1 has the latter specification, the customer can freely select a desired type of edible oil from among a plurality of types of edible oil using the touch panel 3.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 4 is directly or indirectly communicably connected to each of the oil flow control valve 15, the bottle control device 16, the bottle sensor 12A, and the touch panel 3 via a communication network such as an Internet line.

[0030] The bottle sensor 12A is attached to the mounting table 12, and determines whether the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 12, for example, by measuring the load applied to the mounting table 12. When the bottle sensor 12A detects that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 12, it outputs a placement detection signal to the controller 4.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the touch panel 3 is provided on the front portion of the housing 17, and displays, for example, information related to the operation of the oil server 1, information related to the operating status of the oil server 1, the selling price (fee) of the edible oil supplied by the oil server 1, etc. on the display.

[0032] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the touch panel 3 is communicably connected to the customer's mobile terminal 5. Between the touch panel 3 and the mobile terminal 5, transmission and reception of information such as the purchase history of the edible oil, the collection information of the bottle X, and the specification information of the bottle X including information related to the size and shape of the bottle X are performed.

[0033] In addition, when the oil server 1 is configured to supply the amount of cooking oil required by the customer, the required oil amount is input to the touch panel 3 directly or via the mobile terminal 5. In the present embodiment, for the sake of easy understanding, the amount of cooking oil supplied by the oil server 1 is set to a fixed amount preset in advance. The touch panel 3 outputs various input information and data to the controller 4.

[0034] In FIG. 1, the touch panel 3 is disposed above the supply area 71 on the front portion of the housing 17. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As long as it is a location where the purchaser can easily operate, there is no particular limitation on the placement location, and it may be installed independently of the housing 17.

[0035] In the present embodiment, when the controller 4 detects that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 12 by the bottle sensor 12A, the controller 4 generates an oil amount control signal according to a preset fixed oil amount and outputs it to the oil flow control valve 15.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the oil outlet pipe 14 is a pipe connecting the oil tank 11 and the oil outlet 13. The oil flow control valve 15 is provided on the oil outlet pipe 14, and the valve opening degree is adjusted based on the oil amount control signal output from the controller 4. The flow rate of the cooking oil led from the oil tank 11 to the oil outlet 13 through the oil outlet pipe 14 is controlled according to the valve opening degree of the oil flow control valve 15.

[0037] The bottle control device 16 places the unused empty bottle X accommodated in the housing 17 on the mounting table 12 according to the bottle placement command signal output from the controller 4. In the present embodiment, a plurality of types of bottles X having the same bottle price but different specifications such as size, shape, and color are accommodated in the housing 17, and the bottle control device 16 places one type of bottle X selected by the customer on the mounting table 12.

[0038] As a method of selecting one type of bottle X from among a plurality of types of bottles X, as described above, the customer himself / herself may select one type of bottle X that he / she desires, or the controller 4 may select one type of bottle X that is optimal for the customer based on the acquired purchase history of edible oil and propose it to the customer.

[0039] Further, the bottle control device 16 may not only place an unused empty bottle X on the mounting table 12, but also have a control function for attaching a lid to the inlet of the bottle X after the supply of edible oil to the empty bottle X is completed.

[0040] When purchasing edible oil at the oil server 1, the customer first holds the mobile terminal 5 over the touch panel 3. Thereby, the purchase history of edible oil and the collection information of the bottle X held by the mobile terminal 5 are input into the controller 4 via the touch panel 3. The selling price of the edible oil for this time (the fee that the customer should pay) calculated by the controller 4 is displayed on the touch panel 3.

[0041] Subsequently, in this embodiment, the customer operates the touch panel 3 or the mobile terminal 5 to select the type of bottle X desired. Thereby, one type of bottle X selected by the customer is placed on the mounting table 12.

[0042] The oil server 1 pours the edible oil stored in the oil tank 11 from the oil outlet 13 into the bottle X based on the oil quantity control signal output from the controller 4. Then, when the supply of edible oil into the bottle X is completed, the oil server 1 notifies the customer that the supply of edible oil into the bottle X is completed, for example, using voice or an alarm.

[0043] (Hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the controller 4) Next, the hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the controller 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0045] The computer that realizes the functions of the controller 4 includes, as a hardware configuration, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40A, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 40B, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 40C, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 40D, and an I / F (Interface) 40E. These components are respectively connected via a common bus 40F.

[0046] The CPU 40A is an arithmetic means and controls the overall operation of the controller 4.

[0047] The RAM 40B is a volatile storage medium that enables high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used, for example, as a work area when the CPU 40A processes management information.

[0048] The ROM 40C is a non-volatile storage medium for read-only, and stores programs such as firmware.

[0049] The HDD 40D is a non-volatile storage medium that enables reading and writing of information and has a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), control programs and application programs for executing various information processes described later.

[0050] Note that the HDD 40D can be substituted with, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or the like as long as it realizes the function of storing and managing information as a non-volatile storage medium, regardless of the type of device.

[0051] The I / F 40E is a connection interface with a communication network, to which the bottle sensor 12A, the touch panel 3, the bottle control device 16, and the oil flow control valve 15 are respectively connected.

[0052] The controller 4 having such a hardware configuration is an information processing device that realizes a processing function by the arithmetic function of the CPU 40A for a control program stored in the ROM 40C and control programs and application programs loaded from a storage medium such as the HDD 40D into the RAM 40B.

[0053] By executing these information processes, a software control unit including various function modules in the controller 4 is configured. A function block that realizes the functions of the controller 4 is configured by combining the software control unit configured in this way with the hardware resources including the above configuration.

[0054] (Functional Configuration of Controller 4) Next, the functional configuration of the controller 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0056] The controller 4 includes a data acquisition unit 41, a purchase count determination unit 42, a bottle collection determination unit 43, a selling price calculation unit 44, a control signal generation unit 45, and a signal output unit 46.

[0057] The data acquisition unit 41 acquires the purchase history of cooking oil (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "purchase history") output from the touch panel 3, the collection information of bottle X (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "bottle collection information"), and the specification information of bottle X (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "bottle specification information"), and the placement detection signal output from the bottle sensor 12A.

[0058] The purchase count determination unit 42 determines, based on the purchase history of cooking oil acquired by the data acquisition unit 41, which purchase of cooking oil this is.

[0059] Based on the recycling information of bottle X acquired by the data acquisition unit 41, the bottle recycling determination unit 43 determines whether the used bottle X has been recycled in this purchase of edible oil.

[0060] Note that there is no particular limitation on the method of recycling the used bottle X. For example, it may be a method in which the customer hands over the brought used bottle X to an employee of the store where the oil server 1 is installed, or it may be a method in which the customer places the brought used bottle X on the placement table 12 and the oil server 1 automatically recycles it on its side. However, regardless of the recycling method, the controller 4 is input with the fact that the bottle X has been recycled as recycling information.

[0061] Based on the determination result of the purchase frequency determination unit 42 and the determination result of the bottle recycling determination unit 43, the selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the selling price of the edible oil this time.

[0062] Specifically, when the purchase frequency determination unit 42 determines that this purchase of edible oil is the first purchase, or when the purchase frequency determination unit 42 determines that this purchase of edible oil is the second or subsequent purchase and the bottle recycling determination unit 43 determines that the used bottle X has not been recycled, the selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the price obtained by adding the price of the edible oil (hereinafter referred to as the "oil price") and the price of the bottle X (hereinafter referred to as the "bottle price") (oil price + bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil this time.

[0063] In addition, when the purchase frequency determination unit 42 determines that this purchase of edible oil is the second purchase and the bottle recycling determination unit 43 determines that the used bottle X has been recycled, the selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the price obtained by subtracting the bottle price from the oil price (oil price - bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil this time.

[0064] In addition, when the purchase times determination unit 42 determines that the current purchase of edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase, and the used bottle X is determined to have been collected by the bottle collection determination unit 43, the oil price calculation unit 44 calculates the oil price as the selling price of the current edible oil.

[0065] In this embodiment, since the oil server 1 supplies a predetermined amount of edible oil, the oil price calculated by the oil price calculation unit 44 is uniform. However, when the oil server 1 supplies the amount of edible oil required by the customer, the oil price calculated by the oil price calculation unit 44 varies according to the amount of oil required by the customer. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since all the plurality of types of bottles X have the same price, the bottle price calculated by the bottle price calculation unit 44 is always uniform.

[0066] The control signal generation unit 45 generates an oil amount control signal according to the amount of oil supplied to the bottle X (a predetermined amount of oil in this embodiment).

[0067] When the placement detection signal is acquired by the data acquisition unit 41, the signal output unit 46 outputs the oil amount control signal generated by the control signal generation unit 45 to the oil flow control valve 15. Note that when the oil amount control signal is output to the oil flow control valve 15 by the signal output unit 46, the controller 4 updates the purchase history of the customer's edible oil.

[0068] In addition, in this embodiment, the signal output unit 46 outputs a bottle placement command signal based on the specification information of the bottle X acquired by the data acquisition unit 41 to the bottle control device 16. The "specification information of the bottle X" corresponds to information related to a single bottle X selected by the customer from among a plurality of types of bottles (selected bottle information as selection container information), or information related to the optimal bottle X selected by the controller 4 from among a plurality of types of bottles based on the purchase history (proposed bottle information as proposed container information).

[0069] Note that the proposed bottle information is output from the controller 4 to the touch panel 3 or the mobile terminal 5 and notified to the customer. At this time, if the customer selects the bottle X proposed by the controller 4, the specification information of the bottle X becomes the proposed bottle information. On the other hand, if the customer selects a bottle X of a different type from the bottle X proposed by the controller 4, the specification information of the bottle X becomes the selected bottle information.

[0070] (Processing executed in the controller 4) Next, the flow of the process executed in the controller 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0071] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process executed by the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0072] In the controller 4, first, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the customer's purchase history and bottle collection information output from the touch panel 3, respectively (step S401; information acquisition step).

[0073] Next, the purchase count determination unit 42 determines whether the current purchase is the first purchase based on the purchase history acquired in step S401 (step S402; determination step).

[0074] If it is determined in step S402 that the current purchase is the first purchase (step S402 / YES), the process proceeds to step S403. The selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the price obtained by adding the oil price and the bottle price (oil price + bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil (selling price calculation step), and the signal output unit 46 outputs a price display signal for displaying the selling price to the touch panel 3 (notification signal output step).

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S402 that the current purchase is not the first purchase (step S402 / NO), then the purchase count determination unit 42 subsequently determines whether the current purchase is the second purchase (step S404; determination step).

[0076] If it is determined in step S404 that the current purchase is the second purchase (step S404 / YES), the bottle collection determination unit 43 determines whether the used bottle X has been collected (step S405; determination step).

[0077] If it is determined in step S405 that the used bottle X has been collected (step S405 / YES), the process proceeds to step S406. The selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the price obtained by subtracting the bottle price from the oil price (oil price - bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil (selling price calculation step), and the signal output unit 46 outputs a price display signal indicating the selling price to the touch panel 3 (notification signal output step).

[0078] If it is determined in step S405 that the used bottle X has not been collected (step S405 / NO), the process proceeds to step S403, and the selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the price obtained by adding the oil price and the bottle price (oil price + bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil.

[0079] If it is determined in step S404 that the current purchase is not the second purchase, that is, it is the third or subsequent purchase (step S404 / NO), similar to step S405, the bottle collection determination unit 43 determines whether the used bottle X has been collected (step S407; determination step).

[0080] If it is determined in step S407 that the used bottle X has been collected (step S407 / YES), the process proceeds to step S408. The selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the oil price as the selling price of the edible oil (selling price calculation step), and outputs a price display signal indicating the selling price to the touch panel 3 (notification signal output step).

[0081] If it is determined in step S407 that the used bottle X has not been collected (step S407 / NO), the process proceeds to step S403, and the selling price calculation unit 44 calculates the selling price of the edible oil as the sum of the oil price and the bottle price (oil price + bottle price).

[0082] After the selling price is calculated and displayed on the touch panel 3 in each of step S403, step S406, and step S408, in this embodiment, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the bottle specification information (selected bottle information) output from the touch panel 3 (step S409).

[0083] When the controller 4 proposes the optimal bottle X to the customer, before the process of step S409, the controller 4 selects the optimal one bottle X from among a plurality of types of bottles X based on the purchase history acquired in step S401 (bottle selection step), and outputs the information related to the selected optimal one bottle X as proposed bottle information to the touch panel 3 (bottle proposal step).

[0084] Then, the touch panel 3 displays the proposed bottle information output from the controller 4 to the customer (notification step). The customer selects whether the bottle X displayed on the touch panel 3, that is, the bottle X proposed by the controller 4, is acceptable.

[0085] If the customer determines that the bottle X proposed by the controller 4 is acceptable, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the specification information of the bottle X related to the proposed bottle information from the touch panel 3 in step S409. On the other hand, if the customer re-selects the bottle X by himself / herself instead of the bottle X proposed by the controller 4, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the specification information of the bottle X related to the selected bottle information from the touch panel 3 in step S409.

[0086] Next, the signal output unit 46 outputs a bottle placement command signal related to the bottle X based on the bottle specification information acquired in step S409 to the bottle control device 16 (step S410; placement command step).

[0087] Subsequently, when the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the placement detection signal output from the bottle sensor 12A (step S411 / YES; signal acquisition step), the control signal generation unit 45 generates an oil quantity control signal (step S412). On the other hand, when the data acquisition unit 41 has not acquired the placement detection signal from the bottle sensor 12A (step S411 / NO), it does not proceed to the next step until it is acquired.

[0088] Next, the signal output unit 46 outputs the oil quantity control signal generated in step S412 to the oil flow control valve 15 for oil (step S413; edible oil supply step).

[0089] Then, the controller 4 updates the purchase history of the customer's edible oil (step S414), and the processing in the controller 4 ends.

[0090] In this way, in the oil server system 100, when the used bottle X is recovered, a reasonable price setting is adopted where no bottle fee is charged. In particular, in the second purchase, not only is the bottle fee not collected, but also a discounted price is set by subtracting the bottle fee from the oil price, thereby promoting the sale of edible oil using the oil server 1.

[0091] Also, in the oil server system 100, instead of filling the recovered bottle X with new edible oil, new edible oil is filled into a new bottle X different from the recovered bottle X. Therefore, while reusing the bottle X, it is possible to always sell the edible oil in a fresh state.

[0092] In the oil server system 100 according to the present embodiment, since a plurality of types of bottles X are prepared with the same price set, customers can freely customize their preferred bottle X without any price change.

[0093] <Second Embodiment> Next, the oil server 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In the following, components common to those described for the oil server 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0094] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the controller 4A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the controller 4A according to the second embodiment.

[0095] In the oil server system 100 according to the present embodiment, the selling price of the edible oil is calculated in consideration of the information on whether the waste oil has been recovered.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 6, the controller 4A includes a waste oil recovery determination unit 47 in addition to a data acquisition unit 41A, a purchase frequency determination unit 42, a bottle recovery determination unit 43, a selling price calculation unit 44A, a control signal generation unit 45, and a signal output unit 46A.

[0097] The data acquisition unit 41A acquires waste oil recovery information related to the recovery of waste oil in the used bottle X, in addition to the purchase history and the bottle recovery information. The waste oil recovery information is input to the controller 4A when the customer holds the mobile terminal 5 over the touch panel 3, in the same manner as the purchase history and the bottle recovery information.

[0098] The waste oil recovery determination unit 47 determines whether the waste oil has been recovered together with the used bottle X based on the waste oil recovery information acquired by the data acquisition unit 41A.

[0099] When the purchase times determination unit 42 determines that the current purchase is the second purchase, the used bottle X is determined to have been recovered by the bottle recovery determination unit 43, and the waste oil recovery determination unit 47 determines that the waste oil has been recovered, the selling price calculation unit 44A calculates the price obtained by subtracting the bottle price from the special price obtained by subtracting a predetermined price from the oil price (special price - bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil.

[0100] Also, when the purchase times determination unit 42 determines that the current purchase is a purchase after the third time, the used bottle X is determined to have been recovered by the bottle recovery determination unit 43, and the waste oil recovery determination unit 47 determines that the waste oil has been recovered, the selling price calculation unit 44A calculates the special price as the selling price of the edible oil.

[0101] Note that the "predetermined price" is the discount amount associated with the recovery (recycling) of waste oil and can be set appropriately by the store side.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 7, in the controller 4A, when the current purchase is a purchase after the second time, a process different from the process in the controller 4 according to the first embodiment is executed.

[0103] Specifically, when it is determined in step S404 that the current purchase is the second purchase (step S404 / YES) and it is determined in step S405 that the used bottle X has been recovered (step S405 / YES), the waste oil recovery determination unit 47 determines whether waste oil has been recovered together with the recovery of the bottle X (step S420; waste oil recovery determination step).

[0104] When it is determined in step S420 that waste oil has been recovered (step S420 / YES), the selling price calculation unit 44A calculates the price obtained by subtracting the bottle price from the special price (special price - bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil, and the signal output unit 46A outputs a price display signal for displaying the selling price to the touch panel 3A (step S421).

[0105] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S420 that waste oil has not been collected (step S420 / NO), the process proceeds to step S406, and the selling price calculation unit 44A calculates the price obtained by subtracting the bottle price from the oil price (oil price - bottle price) as the selling price of the edible oil.

[0106] Also, when it is determined in step S404 that the current purchase is not the second purchase, that is, it is a third or subsequent purchase (step S404 / NO), and it is determined in step S407 that the used bottle X has been collected (step S407 / YES), similar to step S420, the waste oil collection determination unit 47 determines whether waste oil has been collected together with the collection of bottle X (step S422; waste oil collection determination step).

[0107] When it is determined in step S422 that waste oil has been collected (step S422 / YES), the selling price calculation unit 44A calculates the special price as the selling price of the edible oil, and the signal output unit 46A outputs a price display signal for displaying the selling price to the touch panel 3A (step S423).

[0108] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S422 that waste oil has not been collected (step S422 / NO), the process proceeds to step S408, and the selling price calculation unit 44A calculates the oil price as the selling price of the edible oil.

[0109] After steps S421 and S423, similar to steps S403, S406, and S408, the process proceeds to step S409, and the subsequent processing is the same as that of the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0110] In the oil server system 100 according to the present embodiment, when waste oil is collected together with the used bottle X, it is possible to purchase the edible oil at a special price with a discount compared to the case where only the used bottle X is collected. Thereby, not only the bottle X but also the promotion of waste oil recycling is achieved.

[0111] The above describes each embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can also be added to the configuration of each embodiment. Furthermore, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

[0112] For example, in each of the above embodiments, Bottle X was cited as an example of one aspect of the container to which edible oil is supplied, but it is not necessarily Bottle X, and there are no particular restrictions on the form as long as it is a container capable of storing edible oil.

[0113] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the oil server system 100 using the oil server 1 installed in each store such as a supermarket as one aspect of the edible oil sales system was described, but it is not limited to this, and it is not necessary to be limited to a system using a device installed in the store as long as the environmental hygiene management is appropriate.

[0114] Also, in each of the above embodiments, various information held by the customer's mobile terminal 5 was input to the controllers 4, 4A via the touch panels 3, 3A, but it is not limited to this, and various information may be directly output from the mobile terminal 5 to the controllers 4, 4A. Also, the selling price of edible oil is not limited to being displayed on the touch panels 3, 3A, and may be displayed on the mobile terminal 5. That is, the mobile terminal 5 is also one aspect of the input / output terminal.

[0115] Also, in each of the above embodiments, the controllers 4, 4A calculate the selling price of edible oil and also control the supply of edible oil in the oil server 1, but it is not limited to this, and it may only have the function as an edible oil price calculation device that calculates the selling price of edible oil, and a different control device may perform the supply control of edible oil.

Explanation of Symbols

[0116] 3, 3A: Touch panel (input / output terminal) 4, 4A: Controller 5: Mobile terminal (input / output terminal) 11: Oil tank 12: Mounting table 12A: Bottle sensor (container sensor) 13: Oil outlet 14: Oil outlet pipe 15: Flow control valve for oil 16: Bottle control device (container control device) 100: Oil server system (edible oil sales system) X: Bottle (container)

Claims

1. A edible oil vending system that automatically supplies edible oil into a container and sells it, An oil tank for storing the edible oil; A mounting table on which the container is placed; a container control device that controls the placement of an unused container on the placement table; an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows into the container placed on the table by the container control device; an oil outlet pipe that connects the oil tank and the oil outlet and guides the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet; an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet; a container sensor for detecting that the container is placed on the table; an input / output terminal for inputting a purchase history of the edible oil by a purchaser and collection information of the used container and for notifying a sales price of the edible oil; a controller that calculates the selling price of the edible oil and controls the container control device and the oil flow control valve; Equipped with The controller: when the purchase history and the collection information inputted to the input / output terminal are respectively acquired, a determination is made as to how many times the current purchase of the edible oil has occurred based on the acquired purchase history, and a determination is made as to whether or not the used container has been collected based on the acquired collection information; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a first purchase, or if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a second or subsequent purchase and the used container has not been collected, the selling price of the edible oil is calculated as the sum of the price of the edible oil and the price of the container; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and that the used container has been collected, the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from the price of the edible oil is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and that the used container has been collected, the price of the edible oil is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil; outputting a notification signal for notifying the calculated selling price to the input / output terminal; instructing the container control device to place an unused container on the placement table; When the container detection signal output from the container sensor is acquired, an oil amount control signal for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet is generated and output to the oil flow control valve. The edible oil sales system is characterized by the above.

2. The edible oil sales system according to claim 1, The container includes a plurality of types priced at the same price, The input / output terminal includes: Information relating to one of the containers selected by the purchaser from among a plurality of types of the containers is input as selected container information; The controller: A command is given to the container control device to place the unused container related to the selected container information inputted to the input / output terminal on the placement table. The edible oil sales system is characterized by the above.

3. The edible oil sales system according to claim 1, The container includes a plurality of types priced at the same price, The controller: selecting an optimal container from among a plurality of types of containers based on the purchase history input to the input / output terminal; outputting information related to the selected optimum container to the input / output terminal as suggested container information; The input / output terminal includes: The suggested container information output from the controller is notified to the purchaser. The edible oil sales system is characterized by the above.

4. The edible oil sales system according to claim 1, The collection information includes waste oil collection information related to collection of waste oil in the used container, The controller: determining whether the used container has been collected together with the waste oil based on the collected collection information; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and that the used container has been collected together with the waste oil, the selling price of the edible oil is calculated by subtracting the price of the container from a special price obtained by subtracting a predetermined price from the price of the edible oil; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and that the used container has been collected together with the waste oil, the special price is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil. The edible oil sales system is characterized by the above.

5. A method for selling edible oil, which automatically supplies edible oil into a container and sells the oil, comprising: An oil tank for storing the edible oil; A mounting table on which the container is placed; a container control device that controls the placement of an unused container on the placement table; an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows into the container placed on the table by the container control device; an oil outlet pipe that connects the oil tank and the oil outlet and guides the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet; an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet; a container sensor for detecting that the container is placed on the table; an input / output terminal for inputting a purchase history of the edible oil by a purchaser and collection information of the used container and for notifying a sales price of the edible oil; a controller that calculates the selling price of the edible oil and controls the container control device and the oil flow control valve; Using an information acquisition step in which the controller acquires the purchase history and the recycling information inputted to the input / output terminal; a determination step in which the controller determines how many times the current purchase of the edible oil has been made based on the purchase history acquired in the information acquisition step, and determines whether or not the used container has been collected based on the collection information acquired in the information acquisition step; a selling price calculation step in which the controller calculates the selling price of the edible oil based on a result of the determination step; a notification signal output step in which the controller outputs a notification signal notifying the selling price calculated in the selling price calculation step to the input / output terminal; a placement command step in which the controller commands the container control device to place the unused container on the placement stand; a signal acquiring step in which the controller acquires the placement detection signal output from the container sensor; an edible oil supply step in which, when the above-mentioned installation detection signal is acquired in the signal acquisition step, the controller generates an oil amount control signal for controlling a flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet, and outputs the oil amount control signal to the oil flow control valve; Including, In the selling price calculation step, In the determination step, if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a first purchase, or if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a second or subsequent purchase and the used container has not been collected, the controller calculates the sum of the price of the edible oil and the price of the container as the selling price of the edible oil, In the determination step, when it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and that the used container has been collected, the controller calculates the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from the price of the edible oil as the selling price of the edible oil, In the determination step, if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and that the used container has been collected, the controller calculates the price of the edible oil as the selling price of the edible oil. A method for selling edible oil comprising the steps of:

6. The edible oil sales method according to claim 5, The container includes a plurality of types priced at the same price, The input / output terminal includes: Information relating to one of the containers selected by the purchaser from among a plurality of types of the containers is input as selected container information; In the placing command step, The controller instructs the container control device to place the unused container related to the selected container information input to the input / output terminal on the placement table. A method for selling edible oil comprising the steps of:

7. The edible oil sales system according to claim 5, The container includes a plurality of types priced at the same price, a container selection step in which the controller selects an optimal container from among a plurality of types of containers based on the purchase history input to the input / output terminal; a container suggesting step in which the controller outputs information related to the optimum container selected in the container selecting step to the input / output terminal as suggested container information; a notification step in which the input / output terminal notifies the purchaser of the suggested container information output from the controller in the container suggestion step; Includes A method for selling edible oil comprising the steps of:

8. The edible oil sales system according to claim 5, The collection information includes waste oil collection information related to collection of waste oil in the used container, The controller further includes a waste oil recovery determination step of determining whether or not the used container is recovered together with waste oil based on the recovery information acquired in the information acquisition step, In the selling price calculation step, In the determination step, if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and that the used container has been collected together with the waste oil, the controller calculates the selling price of the edible oil by subtracting the price of the container from a special price obtained by subtracting a predetermined price from the price of the edible oil, In the determination step, if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and that the used container has been collected together with the waste oil, the controller calculates the special price as the selling price of the edible oil. A method for selling edible oil comprising the steps of:

9. An edible oil price calculation device for calculating a selling price of edible oil sold in a filled state in a container, comprising: Acquire a purchase history of the edible oil by a purchaser and collection information of the used container, determining, based on the acquired purchase history, how many times the current purchase of the edible oil has been made, and determining, based on the acquired collection information, whether or not the used container has been collected; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a first purchase, or if it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is a second or subsequent purchase and the used container has not been collected, the selling price of the edible oil is calculated as the sum of the price of the edible oil and the price of the container; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and that the used container has been collected, the price obtained by subtracting the price of the container from the price of the edible oil is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and that the used container has been collected, the price of the edible oil is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil. The edible oil price calculation device is characterized by the above.

10. The edible oil price calculation device according to claim 9, waste oil recovery information relating to recovery of the waste oil in the used container is further acquired as the recovery information; determining whether the used container has been collected together with the waste oil based on the collected collection information; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the second purchase and that the used container has been collected together with the waste oil, the selling price of the edible oil is calculated by subtracting the price of the container from a special price obtained by subtracting a predetermined price from the price of the edible oil; If it is determined that the current purchase of the edible oil is the third or subsequent purchase and that the used container has been collected together with the waste oil, the special price is calculated as the selling price of the edible oil. The edible oil price calculation device is characterized by the above.

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