Register system, payment device, method, and program

Abstract

To perform purchase cancellation processing without intervention of an operation by a shop clerk when purchase of a commodity is to be cancelled after registration of the commodity.SOLUTION: A register system according to the present disclosure includes: a payment unit configured to perform payment processing based on registration data about a commodity registered per transaction in response to a customer's operation; an identification information acquisition unit provided for the payment unit and configured to acquire identification information about a purchase cancelled commodity, purchase of which is to be cancelled after registration of the commodity; a storage configured to store the purchase cancelled commodity; a specific information acquisition unit provided for the storage and configured to acquire specific information for specifying the stored purchase cancelled commodity; a determination unit configured to determine whether a commodity identified based on the identification information and a commodity specified based on the specific information are the same; and an update data generation unit configured to, when the commodity identified based on the identification information and the commodity specified based on the specific information are the same, generate update data obtained by deleting the purchase cancelled commodity from the registration data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a registration system, a settlement device, a method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a checkout system including a registration device that registers products sold in each transaction and a settlement device that processes settlements based on the data of the registered products. After the registration data has been transferred from the registration device to the settlement device, if a shopper adds a product to the purchase or cancels the purchase of a product, in the checkout system described in Patent Document 1, the registration device transmits update data for the registration data transferred to the settlement device to the settlement device to which the registration data was transferred.

[0003] The settlement device stores the registration data transferred from the registration device in a storage unit and waits for an instruction to start settlement of a transaction based on the registration data. When receiving update data from the registration device in the waiting state for the settlement start instruction, the settlement device updates the registration data stored in the storage unit with the update data. Thereby, the checkout system enables additional purchase of products or cancellation of product purchases without calling back the registration data transferred to the settlement device to the registration device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the system described in Patent Document 1, after transferring the registration data to the payment device, if a customer requests to cancel the purchase of a product, a store clerk needs to perform additional operations such as a button operation to transition to the purchase cancellation process for the product or an operation to register (scan) the product code of the product for which the purchase is to be canceled. If a store clerk who can perform the additional operation cannot be found, congestion may occur while waiting for the purchase cancellation of the product.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a cash register system, a payment device, a method, and a program capable of performing a purchase cancellation process without the intervention of a store clerk when canceling the purchase of a product after registering the product.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A cash register system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: settlement means for performing a settlement process based on registration data of products registered for each transaction in response to an operation of a customer; identification information acquisition means provided in the settlement means for acquiring identification information of a product to be canceled for purchase after registering the product; storage means for storing the product to be canceled for purchase; specific information acquisition means provided in the storage means for acquiring specific information for specifying the stored product to be canceled for purchase; determination means for determining whether or not the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information; and update data generation means for generating updated data obtained by deleting the product to be canceled for purchase from the registration data when the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information.

[0008] A payment device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a payment means for performing payment processing based on registration data of products registered for each transaction in response to customer operation, an identification information acquisition means for acquiring identification information of a canceled product whose purchase is canceled after the product is registered, a storage means for storing the canceled product, an identification information acquisition means for acquiring identification information for identifying the stored canceled product, a determination means for determining whether the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the identification information, and an update data generation means for generating update data in which the canceled product has been deleted from the registration data if the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the identification information.

[0009] A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A process of registering a product for each transaction and creating registration data, and then acquiring identification information of the product to be cancelled; a process of acquiring, in a storage means, identification information for identifying the canceled purchase product stored in the storage means; a process of determining whether or not a product identified based on the identification information matches a product identified based on the identification information; a process of generating updated data by deleting the canceled purchase item from the registered data when the item identified based on the identification information matches the item identified based on the specification information; a process of making a payment based on the updated data in response to a customer operation; Execute.

[0010] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A process of registering a product for each transaction and creating registration data, and then acquiring identification information of the product to be cancelled; a process of acquiring, in a storage means, identification information for identifying the canceled purchase product stored in the storage means; a process of determining whether or not a product identified based on the identification information matches a product identified based on the identification information; a process of generating updated data by deleting the canceled purchase item from the registered data when the item identified based on the identification information matches the item identified based on the specification information; a process of making a payment based on the updated data in response to a customer operation; to be executed by the computer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, when canceling a purchase of a product after the product has been registered, the purchase cancellation process can be performed without the intervention of a store clerk. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a cash register system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a cash register system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the store server of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in the database of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the payment terminal of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the return device of FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and for clarity of explanation, duplicate explanations will be omitted as necessary.

[0014] For example, in a retail store with a semi-self checkout system, a store clerk performs a registration process for the purchased items at a registration terminal. After the registration is completed, the customer moves to a payment terminal to perform the payment process. The present disclosure relates to a technique that enables a customer to complete a purchase cancellation process solely by themselves without the operation of a store clerk when they want to cancel a purchase after registering an item at the cash register in such a cash register system.

[0015] Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, a configuration example of the cash register system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram of the cash register system 10 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the cash register system 10 includes a payment unit 2, an identification information acquisition unit 3, a storage unit 4, a specific information acquisition unit 5, a determination unit 6, and an update data generation unit 7. The payment unit 2 is a payment means that performs a payment process based on registration data of items registered for each transaction in response to an operation by a customer. The identification information acquisition unit 3 is provided in the payment unit 2. The identification information acquisition unit 3 is an identification information acquisition means that acquires identification information of a purchase cancellation item whose purchase is to be cancelled after registering the item.

[0016] The storage unit 4 is a storage means for storing purchase cancellation items. The specific information acquisition unit 5 is provided in the storage unit 4. The specific information acquisition unit 5 is a specific information acquisition means that acquires specific information for specifying the stored purchase cancellation item. The determination unit 6 is a determination means for determining whether the item identified based on the identification information matches the item specified based on the specific information. The update data generation unit 7 is an update data generation means for generating update data obtained by deleting the purchase cancellation item from the registration data when the item identified based on the identification information matches the item specified based on the specific information.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the method according to the present disclosure. In the method of the present disclosure, after registering an item for each transaction to create registration data, identification information of a purchase cancellation item whose purchase is to be cancelled is acquired (S1). The customer stores the purchase cancellation item in the storage unit 4. The specific information acquisition unit 5 acquires specific information for specifying the purchase cancellation item stored in the storage unit 4 (S2). The determination unit 6 determines whether the item identified based on the identification information matches the item specified based on the specific information (S3).

[0018] Then, if the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the specification information, the update data generation unit 7 generates update data in which the canceled purchase product is deleted from the registered data (S4). The customer can then operate the payment unit 2 to make a payment based on the generated update data. As described above, according to the embodiment, if a customer wishes to cancel a purchase of a product after it has been registered at the register, the customer can complete the purchase cancellation process by themselves, without the assistance of a store clerk.

[0019] The cash register system 10 includes a processor, memory, and storage device (not shown). The storage device stores a program that causes a computer to execute each process of the method disclosed herein. The processor loads the program from the storage device into the memory and executes the program. As a result, the processor realizes the functions of the settlement unit 2, the identification information acquisition unit 3, the specific information acquisition unit 5, the determination unit 6, and the update data generation unit 7.

[0020] Alternatively, each component of the cash register system 10 may be realized by dedicated hardware. Furthermore, some or all of the components of each device may be realized by general-purpose or wired circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and programs. Furthermore, processors that can be used include CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), quantum processors (quantum computer control chips), etc.

[0021] In addition, when some or all of the components of the cash register system 10 are implemented by a plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc., the plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally arranged or may be distributed. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be implemented in a form in which each is connected via a communication network, such as a client-server system or a cloud computing system. Further, the functions of the cash register system 10 may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service).

[0022] Embodiment 2 The configuration of the cash register system 10 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the cash register system 10 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the cash register system 10 includes a payment terminal 100, a return device 200, and a store server 300. The example shown in FIG. 3 is a semi-self-service type cash register system 10 installed in a store such as a retail store, where a clerk operates a registration terminal (not shown) and a shopper operates the payment terminal.

[0023] The cash register system 10 includes at least one registration terminal and at least one payment terminal 100. The number of registration terminals and payment terminals 100 provided in the cash register system 10 is arbitrary. The registration terminal and the payment terminal 100 are installed at the checkout corner of the store. The registration terminal, the payment terminal 100, the return device 200, and the store server 300 are each connected via a network N. Here, the network N is a wired or wireless communication line, for example, a LAN (local area network).

[0024] The registration terminal is operated by a store clerk. The registration terminal generates registration data in which the products to be purchased by the customer P are registered for each transaction according to the operation of the store clerk. Further, the registration terminal transfers the generated registration data to the payment terminal 100. Usually, product identification information using an identifier such as a barcode is attached to each product to be transacted. "Registration" refers to acquiring product information based on the product identification information attached to the product to be transacted that the customer P wishes to purchase and storing it in the storage unit.

[0025] <Store Server 300> FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the store server 300 in FIG. 3. The store server 300 includes a product database 301 and a communication unit 302. The communication unit 302 is a communication interface with the network N. The store server 300 has a product database 301 in which product information such as product names and unit prices is set in association with the product identification information of each product.

[0026] The registration terminal described above can access the product database of the store server 300 to obtain product information. For example, by scanning the barcode attached to the product with a scanner, the product identification information is read, and the product is registered as a product to be purchased. "Registration data" is data related to the product to be purchased, which is registered as one transaction. The registration data includes, in addition to product information such as product names and unit prices specified based on the product identification information of the product to be purchased, the quantity, total amount, etc.

[0027] In addition, the store server 300 manages specific information for identifying the purchased and cancelled products stored in the return device 200 described later. The specific information is, for example, a photographed image of the purchased and cancelled product. Also, the specific information may be information obtained from an image of the product. The information obtained from the photographed image may include shape information indicating the two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape of the product, size information including the width, height, and depth of the product, etc. Also, the specific information may be the weight information of the product. That is, the specific information stored in the product database 301 becomes template data for identifying the purchased and cancelled products.

[0028] The specific information is stored in the above-mentioned product database in association with the product identification information of each product, for example. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the information stored in the product database 301 in FIG. 4. In the example shown in FIG. 5, weight data and a product image are stored in the product database 301 in association with the product name. Note that the location where the product database is provided is not limited to the store server 300, and it may be an external server (such as the cloud).

[0029] <Payment terminal 100> The payment terminal 100 is a POS (Point of Sales) terminal operated by customer P who purchases products sold in the store. The payment terminal 100 receives registration data from a registration terminal. The payment terminal 100 performs a settlement process based on the registration data of the products registered for each transaction according to the operation of customer P. The settlement process refers to processing the settlement of a transaction, which is a buying and selling act of products, based on the registration data. This settlement may be a cash settlement or a non-cash settlement such as by credit card, debit card, electronic money, etc.

[0030] The payment terminal 100 is equipped with a cash insertion slot, an automatic change dispenser, a card reader, a receipt printer, etc. (not shown) to accept settlements by cash, card, etc. Further, the payment terminal 100 may be equipped with a display device such as a liquid crystal display for displaying information about the products to be purchased and settlement information used for the settlement process. Further, the payment terminal 100 may be equipped with an input device for accepting input operations such as the selection of the settlement method by customer P. The payment terminal 100 includes a display device (display unit) such as a screen and an input device (input unit), and may include, for example, a touch panel. Note that the registration terminal may also be operated by customer P. In this case, the registration terminal and the payment terminal 100 may be integrally configured.

[0031] After the registration terminal transfers the registration data to the payment terminal, when customer P wants to cancel the purchase of the product, the following functional configuration is provided so that only customer P can complete the purchase cancellation process. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the payment terminal 100 in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the payment terminal 100 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0032] The storage unit 12 is an example of a storage device including a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 12 stores programs in which each process for executing the purchase cancellation process and the settlement process described later is implemented. The communication unit 13 is a communication interface with the network N.

[0033] Control unit 11 is a processor that controls the hardware of payment terminal 100. Control unit 11 loads a program from storage unit 12 into a memory (not shown) such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and executes it. As a result, control unit 11 realizes the functions of identification information acquisition unit 101, transaction number management unit 102, determination unit 103, update data generation unit 104, and payment processing unit 105.

[0034] The identification information acquisition unit 101 acquires identification information of a purchase cancellation product whose purchase is to be canceled after the product has been registered. The identification information acquisition unit 101 may be, for example, a scanner (barcode reader) capable of reading product identification information attached to the purchase cancellation product. For example, the product identification information of the purchase cancellation product is read by scanning the barcode attached to the purchase cancellation product with the scanner. The identification information acquisition unit 101 may also be an imaging device (not shown). The identification information acquisition unit 101 can also read a barcode or the like from an image of the product captured by the imaging device. The identification information acquisition unit 101 can access a product database stored in the store server 300 to acquire product information of the purchase cancellation product.

[0035] The transaction number management unit 102 issues a transaction number for the purchase cancellation process for the canceled product. The transaction number is used when storing the canceled product in the return device 200, which will be described later. Specifically, the return device 200 becomes able to store the canceled product in response to the input of the transaction number. The determination unit 103 determines whether the product identified based on the product identification information matches the product identified based on the identification information in the return device 200, which will be described later.

[0036] Specifically, the determination unit 103 can store the product identification information of the canceled purchase product acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 101 in association with the transaction number issued by the transaction number management unit 102. The return device 200, which will be described later, can transmit information about the canceled purchase product identified based on the identification information, in association with the transaction number, to the payment terminal 100. The determination unit 103 can determine whether the product identified based on the product identification information linked to the transaction number matches the product identified based on the identification information. The determination process by the determination unit 103 will be described in detail later.

[0037] If the product identified based on the product identification information matches the product identified based on the identification information, the update data generation unit 104 generates update data in which the canceled purchase product is deleted from the registered data. The payment processing unit 105 executes payment processing based on the update data in response to the operation of customer P. Note that if the canceled purchase product identified based on the identification information does not match the canceled purchase product identified based on the identification information, the update data generation unit 104 does not generate update data. In this case, the payment processing unit 105 executes payment processing based on the registered data in response to the operation of customer P.

[0038] <Return device 200> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the return device 200 of Fig. 3. The return device 200 may be installed, for example, adjacent to the payment terminal 100. As shown in Fig. 7, the return device 200 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an imaging unit 23, a weight measurement unit 24, an input unit 25, a memory unit 26, and a communication unit 27.

[0039] The storage unit 22 is a storage means for storing canceled products. The storage unit 22 may have an input port for inserting canceled products and a delivery storehouse that communicates with the input port. Products inserted through the input port may be moved to the delivery storehouse. The return device 200 may be formed integrally with the payment terminal 100. That is, the payment terminal 100 may be provided with the storage unit 22 for storing canceled products.

[0040] The imaging unit 23 is provided at a position where it can capture an image of the merchandise for purchase cancellation stored in the storage unit 22. When a merchandise for purchase cancellation is stored in the storage unit 22, the imaging unit 23 captures an image of the merchandise for purchase cancellation according to the control of the control unit 21 and generates a captured image. The weight measurement unit 24 measures the weight of the merchandise for purchase cancellation stored in the storage unit 22 and generates weight information. As described above, the captured image and the weight information are specific information for identifying the merchandise for purchase cancellation. That is, the imaging unit 23 and the weight measurement unit 24 correspond to specific means for acquiring specific information for identifying the merchandise for purchase cancellation stored in the storage unit 22. Note that the return device 200 may include both the imaging unit 23 and the weight measurement unit 24, or may include either one of them.

[0041] The input unit 25 receives an input of the transaction number issued by the transaction number management unit 102 when a customer stores the merchandise for purchase cancellation in the storage unit 22. The input unit 25 can be an input device such as a touch panel or a keyboard, for example. When the customer inputs the transaction number, the locking of the storage unit 22 is released, and the merchandise for purchase cancellation can be stored in the storage unit 22.

[0042] The storage unit 26 is an example of a storage device including a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 12 stores a program in which each process for executing the purchase cancellation process described later is implemented. For example, the storage unit 26 stores a program in which a process for identifying the merchandise for purchase cancellation and a process for controlling the locking of the storage unit 22 are implemented when executing the purchase cancellation process.

[0043] The communication unit 27 is a communication interface with the network N. The return device 200 uses the merchandise database stored in the store server 300 connected via the network N. In addition to the merchandise information described above, specific information is stored in the merchandise database.

[0044] The control unit 21 is a processor that controls the hardware of the payment terminal 100. The control unit 11 realizes the functions of the specific information acquisition unit 201, the specific processing unit 202, and the locking control unit 203 by executing a program from the storage unit 26.

[0045] The specific information acquisition unit 201 acquires specific information. Specifically, the specific information acquisition unit 201 acquires a photographed image from the imaging unit 23 and weight information from the weighing unit 24 as specific information.

[0046] The specific processing unit 202 identifies the purchased cancelled items stored in the storage unit 22 based on the specific information. For example, the specific processing unit 202 performs known image recognition processing on the photographed image generated by the imaging unit 23 to detect the edges of the items in the image. Then, the specific processing unit 202 can identify the item with the highest similarity as the purchased cancelled item by matching the shape indicated by the detected edges with the shape information of the two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape stored in the product database 301 in advance.

[0047] In addition, the specific processing unit 202 can identify the purchased cancelled item by matching the weight information measured by the weighing unit 24 with the weight information stored in the product database 301 in advance. The specific processing unit 202 can also identify the purchased cancelled item by combining the information obtained from the photographed image and the weight information.

[0048] In addition, the specific processing unit 202 can calculate the actual size of the purchased cancelled item using, for example, the size of the area occupied by the purchased cancelled item in the photographed image. The specific processing unit 202 can also identify the purchased cancelled item based on the information regarding the size. The specific processing unit 202 can associate the information regarding the identified purchased cancelled item with the input transaction number and transmit it to the payment terminal 100 via the communication unit 27.

[0049] The locking control unit 203 controls the locking / unlocking of the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 can be locked. For example, after the customer P stores the cancelled purchase item, it is locked when the item specified based on the product identification information matches the item specified based on the specified information. For example, the insertion opening is locked so that the customer P can no longer take out the stored item again.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 shows the main procedures of the processes executed by the payment terminal 100 and the return device 200 included in the cash register system 10 according to the program. However, in FIG. 8, for the sake of explanation, the operations performed by the customer P are also shown. Note that the content of the process described below is an example, and various processes capable of obtaining the same result can be appropriately used.

[0051] First, a payment screen corresponding to the registration data registered by the registration device is displayed on the payment terminal 100 (S1). At this time, the storage unit 22 is in a locked state in advance. When the customer P selects an item for which the purchase is to be cancelled from among the items included in the registration data (S2), the payment terminal 100 enters a state of waiting to read product identification information such as a barcode (S3). The customer P reads the product identification information attached to the item with the scanner provided on the payment terminal 100 (S4). The payment terminal 100 issues a transaction number and stores it in association with the read product identification information (S5). Then, the payment terminal 100 displays the transaction number on the display device and also displays a message prompting the storage of the cancelled purchase item in the storage unit 22 of the return device 200 (S6).

[0052] Thereafter, the customer P inputs the transaction number displayed on the payment terminal 100 into the return device 200 (S7). The return device 200 unlocks the storage unit 22 in response to the input of the transaction number. As a result, the return device 200 enters a state of waiting to store the cancelled purchase item in the storage unit 22 (S8). The customer P can store the cancelled purchase item in the storage unit 22 (S9).

[0053] The return device 200 photographs the canceled purchase item stored in the storage unit 22 using the imaging unit 23 and measures the weight of the canceled purchase item to obtain identification information (S10). For example, the return device 200 photographs the canceled purchase item stored in the storage unit 22 using the imaging unit 23 to generate a photographed image as identification information. In addition to or instead of generating the photographed image, the return device 200 measures the weight of the canceled purchase item using the weight measurement unit 24 to generate weight information.

[0054] Then, the return device 200 uses the product database 301 of the store server 300 to identify the product stored in the storage unit 22 (S11). The return device 200 associates information about the identified product with the input transaction number and transmits the information to the payment terminal 100 (S12).

[0055] The payment terminal 100 determines whether the product identified based on the product identification information matches the product identified based on the identification information (S13). If the product identified based on the product identification information does not match the product identified based on the identification information (NO in S13), the return device 200 displays a message on the display device urging the customer to remove the product, and transmits a request to lock the storage unit 22 to the return device 200 (S14). After the product is removed from the storage unit 22, the return device 200 locks the storage unit 22 in response to the lock request (S15).

[0056] After that, the process from S1 described above can be performed again. In this way, if the product identified based on the product identification information does not match the product identified based on the identification information, the purchase cancellation process is invalidated, thereby preventing the canceled product from being replaced with a different product or the product from being taken away.

[0057] When the product identified based on the product identification information matches the product identified based on the specific information (S13, YES), the payment terminal 100 considers that the purchase cancellation of the product is established and transmits a lock request for the storage unit 22 to the return device 200 (S16). The return device 200 locks the storage unit 22 in a state where the purchase-canceled product is stored in the storage unit 22 (S17). In this way, by locking the storage unit 22 simultaneously with the establishment of the purchase cancellation by the return device 200, it is possible to prevent the product from being taken away without paying the product price.

[0058] After that, the payment terminal 100 generates updated data excluding the purchase-canceled product. The payment terminal 100 can, for example, calculate the amount obtained by subtracting the amount of the purchase-canceled product from the total amount of the registered data and display it on the display device. Then, the payment terminal 100 can execute a payment process based on the updated data (S19).

[0059] As described above, according to the embodiment, it becomes possible for the customer P to perform a process of canceling the purchase of a product without going through a store clerk. Thereby, it is possible to eliminate the congestion caused by rearranging the cash registers. Also, it becomes possible to reduce the workload of the store clerk. Also, when the purchase cancellation process is established, by locking the storage unit 22, it is possible to prevent the purchase-canceled product from being taken away. Also, after the updated data is generated, the customer can operate the payment terminal 100 to make a payment with the amount excluding the purchase-canceled product.

[0060] Other Embodiments The storage unit 22 may be, for example, a locker having one or more delivery lockers. The storage unit 22 corresponds to, for example, one delivery locker of the locker. A lockable door may be provided in the above-described delivery locker of the locker. When a plurality of storage units 22 are formed in the return device 200, storage unit identification information for identifying each storage unit 22 may be respectively assigned.

[0061] The transaction number management unit 102 may use the storage unit identification number instead of the above-described transaction number. In S6 of FIG. 8, the settlement terminal 100 may prompt to store the purchase cancellation goods in the storage bin designated by the storage unit identification number among the plurality of storage bins of the locker. Further, the settlement terminal 100 may shift to S8 by transmitting a request to release the lock of the designated storage bin of the return device 200 to the return device 200. Thereafter, in S12, the return device 200 can transmit the information regarding the specified goods and the storage unit identification number to the settlement terminal 100 in association with each other. Thereby, it becomes possible to omit the operation in which the customer P inputs the transaction number, that is, the operation in S7 of FIG. 8.

[0062] Note that the registration device usually issues a transaction number when registering goods. Transaction information for each customer (transaction number, purchased goods list, settlement amount, etc.) is transmitted from the registration terminal to the store server 300 and recorded. The settlement terminal 100 can refer to the transaction information recorded in the store server 300 and display it on a display device (not shown). The transaction number management unit 102 can also use the transaction number issued when registering goods by the registration device as the transaction number for the purchase cancellation process for the purchase cancellation goods. That is, one transaction number issued by the registration device when registering goods can be commonly used in the settlement terminal 100 and the return device 200. Thereby, it is not necessary to issue a new transaction number when canceling the purchase of goods.

[0063] In the above embodiment, a semi-self-service type cash register system in which a registration device for registering goods and a settlement device for paying the price are provided separately has been described, but it is also applicable to a self-service type cash register system. In the self-service type, the operations from the registration of purchased goods to the payment of the price are performed by a device operated by the customer. The device operated by the customer can be provided with the functions of the above-described settlement terminal 100 and return device 200.

[0064] In the above example, when the program is loaded into a computer, it includes a set of instructions (or software code) for causing the computer to perform one or more functions described in the embodiments. The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium or a tangible storage medium. By way of example and not limitation, the computer-readable medium or tangible storage medium includes RAM, ROM (read-only memory), flash memory, SSD or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) disc or other optical disc storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The program may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or a communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, the transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium includes electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0065] The present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments above, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various changes that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. And each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0066] Each drawing is merely an illustration for explaining one or more embodiments. Each drawing is not associated with only one specific embodiment, but may be associated with one or more other embodiments. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, embodiments not explicitly illustrated or described. Not all of the features or steps shown in any one drawing for explaining exemplary embodiments are necessarily essential, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of the steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0067] Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows in the appended claims, but are not limited thereto. (Appendix A1) Settlement means for performing settlement processing based on registration data of products registered for each transaction according to a customer's operation; Identification information acquisition means provided in the settlement means for acquiring identification information of a purchased product cancellation product that cancels a purchase after registering a product; Accommodation means for accommodating the purchased product cancellation product; Specific information acquisition means provided in the accommodation means for acquiring specific information for specifying the accommodated purchased product cancellation product; Judgment means for judging whether or not the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information; Update data generation means for generating update data obtained by deleting the purchased product cancellation product from the registration data when the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information; Including Cash register system. (Appendix A2) The accommodation means includes locking means for locking so that the accommodated product is not taken out when the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information; The cash register system according to Appendix A1. (Appendix A3) Further comprising a transaction number management unit for issuing a transaction number for a purchase cancellation process for the purchased product cancellation product, The judgment means judges whether or not the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information using the transaction number; The cash register system according to Appendix A1 or A2. (Appendix A4) The accommodation unit can accommodate the purchased product cancellation product in response to an input of the transaction number; The cash register system according to Appendix A3. (Appendix A5) The specific information acquisition means includes at least one of imaging means for acquiring an image of the returned merchandise and measurement means for measuring the weight of the returned merchandise. The cash register system according to any one of appended claims A1 to A4. (Appended claim A6) The payment means performs a payment process based on the updated data according to a customer's operation. The cash register system according to any one of appended claims A1 to A5. (Appended claim A7) It further includes storage means for associating and storing the specific information with the merchandise. The determination means performs the determination using the storage means. The cash register system according to any one of appended claims A1 to A7. (Appended claim A8) When the merchandise identified based on the identification information does not match the merchandise specified based on the specific information, the payment means performs a payment process based on the registration data. The cash register system according to any one of appended claims A1 to A7. (Appended claim A9) It further includes registration means for registering the merchandise to be purchased by the customer according to an operation by a store clerk and generating the registration data. The cash register system according to any one of appended claims A1 to A8. (Appended claim B1) Payment means for performing a payment process based on the registration data of the merchandise registered for each transaction according to a customer's operation; Identification information acquisition means for acquiring identification information of the returned merchandise after canceling the purchase after registering the merchandise; Storage means for storing the returned merchandise; Specific information acquisition means for acquiring specific information for specifying the stored returned merchandise; Determination means for determining whether the merchandise identified based on the identification information matches the merchandise specified based on the specific information; When the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the specific information, update data generation means for generating updated data by deleting the purchase cancellation product from the registration data; including a settlement device. (Appendix C1) A computer After registering products for each transaction and creating registration data, a process of obtaining identification information of a purchase cancellation product to cancel the purchase; In the storage means, a process of obtaining specific information for specifying the purchase cancellation product stored in the storage means; A process of determining whether the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the specific information; When the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the specific information, a process of generating updated data by deleting the purchase cancellation product from the registration data; A process of performing settlement based on the updated data in response to a customer's operation; A method of executing. (Appendix D1) After registering products for each transaction and creating registration data, a process of obtaining identification information of a purchase cancellation product to cancel the purchase; In the storage means, a process of obtaining specific information for specifying the purchase cancellation product stored in the storage means; A process of determining whether the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the specific information; When the product identified based on the identification information matches the product identified based on the specific information, a process of generating updated data by deleting the purchase cancellation product from the registration data; A process of performing settlement based on the updated data in response to a customer's operation; A program for causing a computer to execute.

[0068] Some or all of the elements (e.g., configuration and functions) described in Appendices A2 to A9, which are subordinate to Appendix A1 (cash register system), may be subordinate to Appendix B1 (payment device), Appendix C1 (method), and Appendix D1 (program) in the same subordinate relationship as Appendices A2 to A9. Some or all of the elements described in any appendix may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means for recording software, systems, and methods.

Explanation of Signs

[0069] 1 Cash register system 2 Payment section 3 Identification information acquisition section 4 Storage section 5 Specific information acquisition section 6 Judgment section 7 Update data generation section 10 Cash register system 11 Control section 12 Memory section 13 Communication section 21 Control section 22 Storage section 23 Imaging section 24 Weighing section 25 Input section 26 Memory section 27 Communication section 100 Payment terminal 101 Identification information acquisition section 102 Transaction number management section 103 Judgment section 104 Update data generation section 105 Payment processing section 200 Return device 201 Specific information acquisition section 202 Specific processing section 203 Lock control section 300 Store server 301 Product database 302 Communication section P Customer

Claims

1. Settlement means for performing settlement processing based on registration data of products registered for each transaction in response to a customer's operation; Identification information acquisition means provided in the settlement means for acquiring identification information of a purchased product cancellation product that cancels a purchase after registering a product; Accommodation means for accommodating the purchased product cancellation product; Specific information acquisition means provided in the accommodation means for acquiring specific information for specifying the accommodated purchased product cancellation product; Determination means for determining whether or not the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information; Update data generation means for generating updated data obtained by deleting the purchased product cancellation product from the registration data when the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information; Including Cash register system.

2. The accommodation means includes locking means for locking the accommodated product so that it cannot be taken out when the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information. The cash register system according to Claim 1.

3. Further comprising a transaction number management unit for issuing a transaction number for the purchase cancellation process for the purchased product cancellation product, The determination means determines whether or not the product identified based on the identification information matches the product specified based on the specific information using the transaction number. The cash register system according to Claim 1.

4. The specific information acquisition means includes at least one of imaging means for acquiring an image of the accommodated purchased product cancellation product and measuring means for measuring the weight of the purchased product cancellation product. The cash register system according to Claim 1.

5. The settlement means performs settlement processing based on the updated data in response to a customer's operation. The cash register system according to Claim 1.

6. Further including storage means for associating and storing the specific information and the product, The determination means performs the determination using the storage means. The cash register system according to Claim 1.

7. When the product identified based on the identification information does not match the product specified based on the specific information, the settlement means performs settlement processing based on the registration data. The cash register system according to Claim 1.

8. Settlement means for performing settlement processing based on registration data of products registered for each transaction in response to a customer's operation; Identification information acquisition means for acquiring identification information of a purchased product cancellation product that cancels a purchase after registering a product; accommodating means for accommodating the cancelled purchase goods; specific information acquisition means for acquiring specific information for identifying the accommodated cancelled purchase goods; determination means for determining whether the goods identified based on the identification information match the goods identified based on the specific information; update data generation means for generating updated data obtained by deleting the cancelled purchase goods from the registration data when the goods identified based on the identification information match the goods identified based on the specific information; including a settlement device.

9. A computer after registering goods for each transaction to create registration data, a process of acquiring identification information of cancelled purchase goods for which the purchase is cancelled; a process of acquiring, within the accommodating means, specific information for identifying the cancelled purchase goods accommodated in the accommodating means; a process of determining whether the goods identified based on the identification information match the goods identified based on the specific information; a process of generating updated data obtained by deleting the cancelled purchase goods from the registration data when the goods identified based on the identification information match the goods identified based on the specific information; a process of performing settlement based on the updated data in response to a customer's operation; A method of executing.

10. after registering goods for each transaction to create registration data, a process of acquiring identification information of cancelled purchase goods for which the purchase is cancelled; a process of acquiring, within the accommodating means, specific information for identifying the cancelled purchase goods accommodated in the accommodating means; a process of determining whether the goods identified based on the identification information match the goods identified based on the specific information; a process of generating updated data obtained by deleting the cancelled purchase goods from the registration data when the goods identified based on the identification information match the goods identified based on the specific information; a process of performing settlement based on the updated data in response to a customer's operation; A program for causing a computer to execute.

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