Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide a technique for appropriately performing accounting processing through a self register.SOLUTION: Provided is an information processing device including: a commodity image acquisition unit that acquires through a camera an image of a commodity a customer intends to purchase; a quality state inspection unit that inspects a quality state of the commodity based on the picked-up image; and a notification unit that when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifies the customer and / of a commodity provider of the fact that the commodity is in the inappropriate quality state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program. In particular, it relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program for accounting processing via self-checkout.

Background Art

[0002] In retail stores such as convenience stores, an automatic accounting system called so-called self-checkout has been introduced. And Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of shifting to an error state and prompting a store clerk to handle the replacement of a product when a product with an expired consumption or expiration date is detected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The following analysis is made from the perspective of the present invention. It should be noted that each disclosure of the above prior art documents is incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] Patent Document 1 determines whether or not the consumption or expiration date has expired based on the product information held in the database. Therefore, there is a problem that it cannot handle inappropriate quality states other than the expiration of the consumption or expiration date.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program for appropriately performing accounting processing via self-checkout.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, A product image acquisition unit that acquires an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera, A quality state inspection unit that inspects the quality state of the product based on the captured image, A notification unit that, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifies the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state, An information processing apparatus including the above is provided.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, A product image acquisition step of acquiring an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera, A quality state inspection step of inspecting the quality state of the product based on the captured image, A notification step of, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifying the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state, An information processing method including the above is provided.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present invention, A product image acquisition process of acquiring an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera, A quality state inspection process of inspecting the quality state of the product based on the captured image, A notification process of, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifying the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state, An information processing program for causing a computer to execute the above is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to each aspect of the present invention, an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program that contribute to appropriately performing accounting processing via self-checkout are provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the reference numerals attached to the following description are for convenience of each element as an example for assisting understanding, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the illustrated embodiments. Also, the connection lines between blocks in each figure include both bidirectional and unidirectional ones. Regarding the one-way arrow, it schematically shows the flow of the main signal (data) and does not exclude bidirectionality. Further, in the circuit diagrams, block diagrams, internal configuration diagrams, connection diagrams, etc. shown in the present application disclosure, although not explicitly shown, input ports and output ports exist at the input end and output end of each connection line, respectively. The same applies to the input / output interface.

[0013] First, an overview of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a product image acquisition unit 10, a quality state inspection unit 20, and a notification unit 30. The product image acquisition unit 10 acquires an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera. The quality state inspection unit 20 inspects the quality state of the product based on the captured image. The notification unit 30 notifies the customer and / or the product provider that the product has an inappropriate quality state when an inappropriate quality state is detected.

[0014] Here, an inappropriate quality state includes a state where the package is damaged or soiled. Also, when the product is a food item, it includes a state where excessive discoloration or dripping has occurred. In the present invention, such an inappropriate quality state is notified to the customer and / or the product provider, so the possibility that the customer will file a claim after the accounting for the purchased product is reduced. That is, according to the present invention, the accounting process via the self-checkout can be appropriately performed. As a result, the customer can purchase an appropriate product, and the product provider can reduce the labor for claim handling.

[0015] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, as Embodiment 1, a case where the information processing apparatus 100 of the present invention is introduced into a convenience store will be described as an example of a specific system. In particular, hereinafter, it is assumed that the customer puts the product intended for purchase into the shopping basket, performs accounting at the self-checkout, and then puts the product into the my bag and takes it home. Also, hereinafter, the "product provider" will be described by substituting the "store clerk" of the convenience store. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 100 is connected to the camera 200 and the self-checkout 300.

[0016] The camera 200 captures an image of the product that the customer intends to purchase. Here, the camera 200 only needs to be able to capture an image for quality state inspection as a result, and the installation location, imaging location, number of units, etc. are not limited. For example, the camera 200 may be integrated with the configuration for barcode reading in the self-checkout 300 so as to capture an image of the product presented to the self-checkout.

[0017] The self-checkout 300 can apply existing technologies. As an example of the self-checkout 300, a configuration that identifies a product by reading a barcode attached to the package and displays the amount of the identified product on a monitor can be mentioned.

[0018] The information processing apparatus 100 includes a product image acquisition unit 10, a quality state inspection unit 20, and a notification unit 30, as in the above outline.

[0019] The product image acquisition unit 10 acquires an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via the camera 200. Specifically, when the product that the customer intends to purchase is presented to the self-checkout by the customer, the product image acquisition unit 10 acquires an image of the product via the camera 200. Here, since the image that the product image acquisition unit 10 should acquire is an image of the product that the customer intends to purchase, it may be an image when the customer picks up the product from the product shelf or an image when the customer puts the product into the shopping basket. Of course, it may also be an image of the product taken out of the shopping basket by the customer for accounting at the self-checkout, or an image when the customer puts the purchased product into the my bag.

[0020] The quality status inspection unit 20 inspects the quality status of the product based on the captured image. Specifically, the quality status inspection unit 20 inspects the quality status of the product that the customer intends to purchase by comparing the image of the product in a state suitable for provision stored in a storage unit (not shown) in advance with the captured image. For example, when detecting damage to the package or excessive dirt on the package, the quality status inspection unit 20 determines that the product is in an inappropriate quality status. Also, when detecting a state where excessive discoloration or dripping has occurred in the food product, the quality status inspection unit 20 determines that the food product as a product is in an inappropriate quality status.

[0021] When an inappropriate quality status is detected, the notification unit 30 notifies the customer and / or the store clerk that the product is in an inappropriate quality status. The notification to the customer may be made via the monitor of the self-checkout 300 or may be a voice notification. Also, the notification to the store clerk may be made by in-store broadcasting or by the blinking of a lamp provided in the self-checkout 300.

[0022] An example of the processing flow by the information processing apparatus 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, when a customer presents a product to the self-checkout 300 (step S01, Yes), the product image acquisition unit 10 acquires an image of the product via the camera 200 (step S02). Subsequently, the quality state inspection unit 20 inspects the quality state of the product based on the captured image (step S03). Here, if an inappropriate quality state is detected (step S03, Yes), the notification unit 30 notifies the customer and / or the store clerk that the product is in an inappropriate quality state (step S04). Thereafter, since the response by the customer or the store clerk is required, the processing as the information processing apparatus 100 is temporarily terminated (that is, an error state is entered). On the other hand, if an inappropriate quality state is not detected (step S03, No), it waits for the customer to present the next product (returns to step S01). The flow of other processing is the same as that of a general self-checkout automatic accounting system, and a series of processing related to accounting is performed.

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, since an inappropriate quality state is notified to the customer and / or the store clerk, the possibility that the customer claims after the accounting for the purchased product is reduced. That is, according to the present invention, the accounting process via the self-checkout can be appropriately performed. As a result, for the customer, an appropriate product can be purchased, and for the store clerk, the labor for handling claims can be reduced.

[0024] [Embodiment 2] In the information processing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1, the price discount rate of the product may be determined according to the quality state of the product.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the information processing apparatus 100 further includes a consent request unit 40. The quality state inspection unit 20 determines the price discount rate of the product based on the quality state of the product, and the notification unit 30 notifies the determined price discount rate to the customer. Then, the consent request unit 40 presents to the customer an image indicating the inappropriateness of the quality state of the product and the price discount rate determined based on the inappropriateness, and requests the customer to consent to the purchase of the product at the determined price discount rate.

[0026] As an example, a case will be described where the damage to the package is small, and although the customer cannot accept the purchase at the list price, the customer can make a concession if the price is discounted. The information processing apparatus 100 presents on the monitor of the self-checkout 300 an image indicating the damaged part of the package and the price discount rate determined based on the size of the damage. Then, the information processing apparatus 100 asks the customer whether to consent to the purchase of the product at the price discount rate, such as by displaying an "OK button" on the monitor (touch panel) of the self-checkout 300.

[0027] When the consent of the customer is obtained, the information processing apparatus 100 proceeds with the settlement at the price discount rate. On the other hand, when the consent of the customer is not obtained, the information processing apparatus 100 notifies the customer and / or the store clerk that it is necessary to replace the product. Then, the information processing apparatus 100 stores the image presented to the customer, the price discount rate, and the consent result of the customer in a storage unit (not shown).

[0028] In the above example, since the consent of the customer has been obtained for the price discount rate corresponding to the size of the damage to the package, it can be said that it is an appropriate accounting process. Also, the image indicating the damage to the package, the price discount rate, and the consent result of the customer are stored as evidence of the corresponding record. The stored data can be used as a countermeasure when receiving a claim from the customer.

[0029] [Embodiment 3] Some types of self-checkout identify products by reading barcodes attached to the products. With such types of self-checkout, customers need to present the part of the product where the barcode is attached to the barcode reader of the self-checkout. In this case, some customers may not be able to find the part where the barcode is attached.

[0030] Therefore, it may be possible to identify products based on the captured images and guide customers to the parts of the products to be presented to the self-checkout (i.e., the parts where barcodes are attached). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the information processing apparatus 100 further includes a guiding unit 50 that identifies products based on the captured images and guides customers to the parts of the products to be presented to the self-checkout.

[0031] The guiding unit 50 can further appropriately perform the accounting process via the self-checkout. That is, even if a customer intends to register a product at the self-checkout, if it is not registered correctly, it will result in improper accounting. The occurrence of such unintended improper accounting is suppressed. In addition, the cases where customers request assistance from store clerks are reduced, and as a result, the labor required for customer support can be reduced for product providers.

[0032] [Embodiment 4] Since self-checkout is an accounting system based on the premise of customers' good-faith self-service, customers with malicious intent can easily commit improper acts such as shoplifting by intentionally omitting the presentation of products at the self-checkout. Therefore, it is conceivable to take measures to prevent improper acts by customers.

[0033] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the information processing apparatus 100 includes a fraud determination unit 60 that determines the presence or absence of fraudulent accounting behavior by a customer based on the pre-registration weight of a product before being registered at the self-checkout and the post-registration weight of the product after being registered at the self-checkout. The fraud determination unit 60 acquires the pre-registration weight from a pre-registration weighing scale 400 on which a shopping basket containing products before being registered at the self-checkout is placed. Further, the fraud determination unit 60 acquires the post-registration weight from a post-registration weighing scale 500 on which a my-bag containing products after being registered at the self-checkout is placed.

[0034] If a difference occurs between the pre-registration weight and the post-registration weight, since a fraudulent act of putting products into the my-bag without registering them at the self-checkout is expected, the information processing apparatus 100 notifies the store clerk.

[0035] Note that fraudulent behavior by a customer may be detected in conjunction with information on products registered at the self-checkout and images captured by a camera. That is, it is considered that products after being registered are put into the my-bag. Therefore, if the post-registration weight increases even though the product has not been registered at the self-checkout, it can be determined that a shoplifting act of intentionally omitting the registration of the product at the self-checkout has been committed. Such a shoplifting act may be determined based on an image captured by a camera.

[0036] The present invention can also be implemented as a guidance program that causes a computer functioning as the information processing apparatus 100 to execute the above-described processing. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a computer functioning as the information processing apparatus 100 includes a memory, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and an interface. The CPU reads out and executes the guidance program of the present invention from the memory, thereby realizing processing modules corresponding to the product image acquisition unit 10, the quality state inspection unit 20, and the notification unit 30.

[0037] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as follows in the appended claims, but are not limited thereto.

[0038] (Appended Claim 1) A product image acquisition unit that acquires an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera, A quality state inspection unit that inspects the quality state of the product based on the captured image, A notification unit that, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifies the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state, An information processing apparatus comprising the above. (Appendix 2) The product image acquisition unit acquires an image of a product presented to a self-checkout, The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1. (Appendix 3) The quality state inspection unit determines a price discount rate for the product based on the quality state of the product, The notification unit notifies the determined price discount rate to the customer, The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) A consent request unit that presents to the customer an image indicating the inappropriateness of the quality state of the product and a price discount rate determined based on the inappropriateness, and requests the customer to reach an agreement regarding the purchase of the product at the determined price discount rate, The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 3, further comprising the above. (Appendix 5) A product image acquisition step of acquiring an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera, A quality state inspection step of inspecting the quality state of the product based on the captured image, A notification step of, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifying the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state, An information processing method including the above. (Appendix 6) A product image acquisition process of acquiring an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera, A quality state inspection process of inspecting the quality state of the product based on the captured image, When an inappropriate quality state is detected, a notification process for notifying the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state, An information processing program that causes a computer to execute.

[0039] In addition, each disclosure of the above-mentioned patent documents and the like cited is incorporated herein by reference, and can be used as the basis or part of the present invention as necessary. Within the framework of the entire disclosure of the present invention (including the claims), further changes and adjustments of the embodiments or examples can be made based on the basic technical idea. Also, within the framework of the entire disclosure of the present invention, various combinations or selections (including partial deletion) of various disclosure elements (including each element of each claim, each element of each embodiment or example, each element of each drawing, etc.) are possible. That is, the present invention naturally includes all various deformations and modifications that a person skilled in the art could make in accordance with the entire disclosure including the claims and the technical idea. In particular, regarding the numerical ranges described in this document, any numerical value or small range included within the range should be construed as specifically described even without separate description. Furthermore, each disclosure item of the above-cited documents is, as necessary, in accordance with the spirit of the present invention, and is also considered to be included in the disclosure items of the present application when a part or all of it is used in combination with the description items of this document as a part of the disclosure of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0040] 10 Product Image Acquisition Unit 20 Quality State Inspection Unit 30 Notification Unit 40 Consent Request Unit 50 Guidance Unit 60 Fraud Detection Unit 100 Information Processing Device 200 Camera 300 Self-checkout 400 Pre-registration Weighing Scale 500 Post-registration Weighing Scale

Claims

1. A product image acquisition unit that acquires an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera; A quality state inspection unit that inspects the quality state of the product based on the captured image; A notification unit that, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifies the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state; An information processing apparatus comprising the above.

2. The product image acquisition unit according to claim 1, which acquires an image of a product presented to a self-checkout. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The quality state inspection unit determines a price discount rate for the product based on the quality state of the product; The notification unit notifies the determined price discount rate to the customer. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A consent request unit that presents to the customer an image indicating the inappropriateness of the quality state of the product and a price discount rate determined based on the inappropriateness, and requests the customer to consent to the purchase of the product at the determined price discount rate; The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising the above.

5. A product image acquisition step of acquiring an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera; A quality state inspection step of inspecting the quality state of the product based on the captured image; A notification step of, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifying the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state; An information processing method including the above.

6. A product image acquisition process of acquiring an image of a product that a customer intends to purchase via a camera; A quality state inspection process of inspecting the quality state of the product based on the captured image; A notification process of, when an inappropriate quality state is detected, notifying the customer and / or the product provider that the product is in an inappropriate quality state; An information processing program that causes a computer to execute the above.

Images