Merchandise management system, information processing device control method, and program

Abstract

To provide a merchandise management system, an information processing device control method, and a program that are capable of providing appropriate merchandise information according to purchase situations of customers in a store that adopts a self register system.SOLUTION: A merchandise management system 100 includes: a customer situation acquisition unit 43 that obtains state information indicating a purchase state of a customer in a store 6 from a customer terminal 2 having a self-register function for reading merchandise displayed in the store 6 for purchase; and a merchandise information presentation unit 44 that performs processing for making the customer terminal 2 in the store 6 display related-merchandise information which is related to the state information, in preference to other merchandise information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product management system, a control method for an information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a self-checkout system in which a customer uses a reader to read an identification code such as a barcode attached to a product, registers the product to be purchased, and performs payment processing. For example, Patent Document 1 describes this type of technology.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a checkout device having an ID acquisition unit that acquires a user's ID, an interface that acquires character data corresponding to the user's ID acquired by the ID acquisition unit, a display unit that displays information indicating the character based on the character data, a reading unit that reads product identification information presented by the user, and a processor that registers product information identified by the product identification information read by the reading unit and executes a process to update the character's status based on experience points that accumulate an increase value in response to the registration of product information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-4930 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] At self-checkout registers, customers may use a payment application (hereinafter referred to as a "payment app") that can read identification codes using the image scanning function of the customer's device to register products and process payments. By using the customer's device, payment processing can be performed without having to wait at the register. In addition, payment apps offer points and coupons that are awarded for using the payment app, making it a payment method that is beneficial to customers.

[0006] In stores, customers select products while carrying items in a cart or similar, and have less time to carefully consider their purchases than when shopping online at home. Therefore, even if information about coupons or discounts is presented during the payment process at a self-checkout, customers may not notice it, or they may miss the information about the coupons or discounts they need because it is not related to the current purchase.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and aims to provide a product management system, a control method for an information processing device, and a program that can provide appropriate product information according to the purchasing status of customers in stores that use self-checkout systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, one aspect of the present invention is a product management system that includes a customer status acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating customer purchasing status within a store from a customer terminal that has a self-checkout function for reading products displayed in the store for purchase, and a product information presentation unit that performs processing to display related product information related to the status information on the customer terminal within the store in priority over other product information.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is a product management method including a customer status acquisition step of acquiring status information indicating customer purchasing status within the store from a customer terminal having a self-checkout function for reading products displayed in the store for purchase, and a product information presentation step of performing processing to display related product information relating to the status information on the customer terminal within the store in priority over other product information.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute a customer status acquisition step of acquiring status information indicating customer purchasing status within a store from a customer terminal having a self-checkout function for reading products displayed in the store for purchase, and a product information presentation step of performing processing to display related product information relating to the status information on the customer terminal within the store in priority over other product information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a product management system, a control method and a program for an information processing device that can provide appropriate product information according to the purchasing status of a customer in a store that employs a self-checkout system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a service provided by a product management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a customer terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a server configuration of the product management system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a product management unit of the information processing device. [Figure 6] 10 is a display example showing an example of a screen for performing product registration displayed on a customer terminal. [Figure 7] 10 is a display example showing a transition from a product registration screen displayed on a customer terminal to a detailed screen of related product information relating to a reserved product. [Figure 8] 10 is a display example showing a transition from a detailed screen of related product information displayed on a customer terminal to a store map screen. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by an information processing device to display related product information on a customer terminal. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process from an online order by an information processing device to delivery of a product. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a driver management unit of the information processing device. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a delivery process by an information processing device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Overall structure> First, a description will be given of the overall configuration of a product management system 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing services provided by a product management system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] 1, the product management system 100 is realized by an information processing device 1 that transmits and receives various information to and from a customer terminal 2, store staff terminals 3a-3c, a delivery orderer terminal 4, a driver terminal 5, a delivery manager terminal 7, etc. via a communication network such as the Internet. The product management system 100 manages products in multiple stores 6A-6C.

[0016] The multiple stores 6A to 6C employ a self-checkout system in which customers visiting the stores 6A to 6C register the products they wish to purchase using their own customer terminal 2. This self-checkout system allows customers to make payments smoothly without having to wait for the cash registers installed in the stores 6.

[0017] A self-checkout application is pre-installed on the customer terminal 2, and customers can register products by launching the self-checkout application and registering them in a cart on the self-checkout application, thereby making electronic payments within the stores 6A to 6C. Products are registered, for example, by using the camera function of the customer terminal 2 to read an identification code, such as a QR code (registered trademark) or barcode, attached to the product. Payment processing may be performed based on a payment function set up on the self-checkout application or information from a financial institution or credit card, or may be performed in conjunction with a payment application separately installed on the customer terminal 2. Customers can also use electronic coupons for discounts on products during payment processing on the application on the customer terminal 2.

[0018] Furthermore, the product management system 100 provides a service that accepts product purchases and delivery online, not just from customers who visit the stores 6A to 6C. When the product management system 100 accepts a product order from the delivery orderer terminal 4, it instructs the store staff terminals 3a to 3c carried by the store staff to pick and pack the product, and sends delivery instructions to the driver terminal 5 carried by the driver who will deliver the product. The delivery manager can keep track of the product delivery status through the delivery manager terminal 7.

[0019] In the following explanation, when there is no need to distinguish between the stores 6A to 6C and the explanation is common to all the stores 6A to 6C, the capital letters may be omitted and the store may be referred to as store 6. Similarly, when there is no need to distinguish between the store clerk terminals 3a to 3c and the explanation is common to all the store clerk terminals 3a to 3c, the lower case letters may be omitted and the store clerk terminal may be referred to as store clerk terminal 3.

[0020] <Hardware configuration> Next, a description will be given of an example of hardware of the information processing device 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1. The information processing device 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 as a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0021] The CPU 11 executes various processes in accordance with programs recorded in the ROM 12 or programs loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13. The RAM 13 also stores data and the like required for the CPU 11 to execute various processes. The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14.

[0022] An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15. The output unit 16 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 17 is composed of a touch panel display, buttons, a keyboard, a reading device capable of reading identification codes, etc., and accepts input of various information. The storage unit 18 is composed of a hard disk, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices via a network including the Internet.

[0023] Removable media 21, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 20. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. The removable media 21 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same way as the storage unit 18.

[0024] Next, we will explain the customer terminal 2. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the customer terminal 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the customer terminal 2 includes a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, a bus 114, an input / output interface 115, a display unit 116, an input unit 117, a storage unit 118, a communication unit 119, a drive 120, and an imaging unit 122.

[0025] The CPU 111 executes various processes in accordance with programs recorded in the ROM 112 or programs loaded from the storage unit 118 into the RAM 113. The RAM 113 also stores data and the like required for the CPU 111 to execute various processes. The CPU 111, ROM 112, and RAM 113 are interconnected via a bus 114. An input / output interface 115 is also connected to this bus 114.

[0026] The input / output interface 115 is connected to a display unit 116, an input unit 117, a storage unit 118, a communication unit 119, and a drive 120. The display unit 116 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 117 is composed of a touch panel display, buttons, a keyboard, etc., and accepts input of various information. The storage unit 118 is composed of a hard disk, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various data. The communication unit 119 communicates with other devices via a network including the Internet.

[0027] Removable media 121, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, is appropriately attached to the drive 120. Programs read from the removable media 121 by the drive 120 are installed in the storage unit 118 as needed. The removable media 121 can also store various data stored in the storage unit 118 in the same way as the storage unit 118.

[0028] The image capturing unit 122 is a camera that captures an image of an identification code attached to a product that is the subject of self-payment.

[0029] The hardware configuration described here is merely an example. The computers described in this embodiment, including the information processing device 1 and the customer terminal 2, may have the same configuration as those in Figures 2 and 3, or may have different configurations. For example, the store staff terminal 3, the delivery orderer terminal 4, and the driver terminal 5 are configured as smartphones or tablets having the same configuration as the customer terminal 2 in Figure 3. The delivery manager terminal 7 is configured as a personal computer or tablet having the same configuration as the information processing device 1 in Figure 2. Note that, for convenience of explanation, only one information processing device 1 is shown in Figure 1, but the information processing device 1 may be configured as multiple computers or as a virtual computer on the cloud.

[0030] <Functional configuration> 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the server configuration of the product management system 100 according to this embodiment. The information processing device 1 includes a product management unit 31, a delivery management unit 32, a picking / packing management unit 33, and a driver management unit 34 as functional units implemented on a processor (CPU 11) for product management.

[0031] The product management unit 31 manages product inventory management for the multiple stores 6A-6C and the presentation of coupon information to customers. The product management unit 31 manages products purchased using the self-checkout system at each store 6A-6C, and also manages the multiple stores 6A-6C as a single online area store (online store), known as LFS (Local Fulfillment Stores). The product management unit 31 aggregates product inventory information for the multiple stores 6A-6C participating in the area store via store staff terminals 3a-3c via a communications network. This allows orderers placing delivery orders to choose from a larger number of items and inventory than would normally be available at a single store.

[0032] The delivery management unit 32 manages the delivery service of products to the orderer's home via a communication network. Orderers who purchase products online can receive the product delivery service by accessing a local store via their own delivery orderer terminal 4, selecting a product, and specifying delivery to their home. Payment for the product may be made online or when the product arrives. Access to the local store may also be made via a website or via an online ordering application installed on the delivery orderer terminal 4. The delivery management unit 32 of this embodiment may also have a function that allows selection of time-scheduled delivery and immediate delivery on the same platform.

[0033] The picking and packing management unit 33 notifies the store clerk terminal 3 of the store clerk of the order for the product received by the delivery management unit 32. At each of the multiple stores 6A to 6C, store clerks who possess store clerk terminals 3a to 3c are assigned as employees who handle delivery orders.

[0034] The store clerk terminal 3 receives the order information from the picking and packing management unit 33 and notifies the order of the product by push notification. A picking and packing application is pre-installed on the store clerk terminal 3, and the store clerk picks up the ordered products from the store 6 based on the instructions of the picking and packing application. When picking and packing is completed, the store clerk notifies the picking and packing management unit 33 through the store clerk terminal 3 that picking and packing has been completed.

[0035] The driver management unit 34 manages, via the driver terminal 5, the drivers who deliver the products that have been picked and packed by the store staff. The driver management information of the driver management unit 34 is shared with the delivery manager terminal 7. The driver management unit 34 transmits information for delivering the products that have been picked and packed to the driver terminal 5. For example, an instruction is transmitted from the driver management unit 34 to the delivery orderer terminal 4 to receive a certain product at store 6A and deliver it to an address specified by the orderer who has the delivery orderer terminal 4.

[0036] A driver application is pre-installed on the driver terminal 5, and the driver receives notifications of the product's shipper and delivery destination through the driver application, and then receives the product and delivers it to the delivery destination. Note that the delivery destination is not limited to the orderer's location, and in the case of store pickup such as BOPIS (Buy Online Pick-up In Store), the delivery destination is the store.

[0037] Separate fee tables can be set for delivery fees and product prices for time-scheduled delivery and immediate delivery. Also, separate delivery areas can be set for time-scheduled delivery and immediate delivery, and separate products can be set for time-scheduled delivery and immediate delivery. The delivery management unit 32 may also have a function for making reservations outside of the time slots for the immediate delivery service. Furthermore, the picking and packing management unit 33 may have a reminder function that sends an automated phone call in addition to confirmation via the application for order confirmation. In the case of immediate delivery, orders can be confirmed immediately at the store 6, so products can be delivered to their destination within approximately 30 to 60 minutes.

[0038] As described above, the information processing device 1 may be configured by multiple servers working together. For example, the information processing device 1 and the product management system 100 may be realized by a product management server that implements the product management unit 31, a self-checkout management server that implements the self-checkout management function, a delivery management server that implements the delivery management unit 32, and a driver management server that implements the driver management unit 34 working together.

[0039] <Display related product information> The following describes the function of the product management unit 31 to present related product information to the customer terminal 2. Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the product management unit 31 of the information processing device 1. As shown in Fig. 5, the product management unit 31 of the information processing device 1 includes a self-checkout information acquisition unit 41, a customer position information acquisition unit 42, a customer status acquisition unit 43, a product information presentation unit 44, a priority setting unit 45, and a map display unit 46.

[0040] The self-checkout information acquisition unit 41 acquires self-checkout information including information on products registered by customers from the customer terminal 2. For example, the self-checkout information acquisition unit 41 acquires self-checkout information indicating information on products that a customer has added to a cart in the self-checkout application by reading the product identification code in the store 6.

[0041] The customer location information acquisition unit 42 acquires customer location information indicating the location of a customer in the store 6. The location of the customer terminal 2 is identified using, for example, the communication function and various sensors of the customer terminal 2, using known technologies such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) positioning, beacon positioning using Bluetooth (registered trademark) signals, pedestrian autonomous navigation positioning, and GPS positioning. Alternatively, a sales floor location may be set for each product, and the customer location information acquisition unit 42 may identify the location of the customer terminal 2 based on the sales floor location corresponding to the product registered in the cart of the self-checkout application. In this case, the location is preferably identified when the product is registered in the cart.

[0042] The customer situation acquisition unit 43 acquires situation information indicating the purchasing situation of the customer within the store 6. The situation information is information indicating the shopping situation of the customer within the store 6. In this embodiment, the customer situation acquisition unit 43 acquires, as situation information, the customer location information acquired by the customer location information acquisition unit 42, information on products registered in the cart, or both.

[0043] The product information presentation unit 44 performs processing to display product information such as product price information, product discount information, coupons, and pre-order products (e.g., gift catalogs) on the customer terminal 2. When the customer terminal 2 receives the product information notified from the product information presentation unit 44, it displays it on the self-checkout application. The self-checkout application can also select a mode in which product information is not displayed. This mode selection will be explained later in the section on display modes of the customer terminal 2.

[0044] The product information presentation unit 44 of this embodiment performs processing to display related product information corresponding to the situation information acquired by the customer situation acquisition unit 43 with priority over other product information. Displaying with priority may mean displaying only the related product information on the customer terminal 2, or may mean displaying the related product information in the center or displaying the related product information larger than normal product information. Alternatively, the related product information may be displayed with priority by adding color, text, or animation to highlight it.

[0045] The related product information corresponding to the situation information is, for example, price information, discount information, coupons, etc. of products displayed in a sales area or along a lead line close to the customer's location in the store 6 identified by the customer location information acquisition unit 42. The product information presentation unit 44 acquires sales area location information indicating the location of the product's sales area in the store 6, and can set information about products displayed in a sales area close to the situation information indicating the customer's location as related product information. The sales area location information is registered in advance in the storage unit 18 for each product.

[0046] The related product information includes coupons for the product registered by the customer, which are acquired by the self-checkout information acquisition unit 41, price information for products related to the registered product, discount information, coupons, and pre-order products (e.g., gift catalogs) related to the registered product. This information is similar to product information. The related product information can be considered to be product information suitable for the customer that corresponds to the customer's situation information. For example, a coupon for the product registered in the cart may be displayed as related product information, preventing the customer from overlooking the coupon. For example, if the registered product is an ingredient in a pre-set recipe (e.g., hot pot or pasta), the related product information may be ingredients or seasonings (hot pot soup base, seasonings such as ponzu sauce, pasta sauce, etc.) that correspond to the recipe. The product information presentation unit 44 may present related product information that is displayed preferentially based on the selected recipe and customer location information. Furthermore, if a high priority is set by the priority setting unit 45 (described later), the product information presentation unit 44 performs processing to display product information or related product information on the customer terminal 2 based on the set priority.

[0047] The priority setting unit 45 sets priorities for products, for example, as specified by an administrator of the product management system 100 or a store staff member. Product information or related product information for which a high priority is set is preferentially displayed by the product information presentation unit 44. Products for which a priority is set include, for example, products for which coupons or discounts are offered in cooperation with sponsors or manufacturer promotions, special sale products that fall under time sales, and seasonal products. The priority setting unit 45 may also set priorities based on the status of product inventory information. For example, the priority setting unit 45 may set a high display priority for products for which sufficient stock is available.

[0048] Fig. 6 is a display example showing an example of a screen for product registration displayed on the customer terminal 2. The screen in Fig. 6 shows a reading unit display 101 for capturing an image of an identification code using the imaging unit 122 of the customer terminal 2, a total display unit 102 showing the total price of the products currently in the cart, a search display 103 for searching for products, and a product information display 110 for displaying related product information. In this example, cabbage is displayed based on the customer's location in the store 6 or the products registered in the cart. Alternatively, product information or related product information regarding products for which a high priority has been set by the priority setting unit 45 is displayed on the product information display 110.

[0049] FIG. 7 is a display example showing the transition from a product registration screen displayed on the customer terminal 2 to a detailed screen of related product information related to a pre-ordered product. Similar to the example in FIG. 6, FIG. 7(a) shows a reading unit display 101, a total display unit 102, and a product information display 110, along with an operation display 105 for deciding whether to add the scanned product to the cart. The product information display 110 in FIG. 7(a) displays Company A's original jam as a catalog gift as related product information. When a customer selects the product information display 110 by touching or the like, the product registration screen in FIG. 7(a) transitions to a detailed screen of related product information related to the catalog gift as a pre-ordered product shown in FIG. 7(b). In FIG. 7(b), a detailed display 106 of related product information is popped up on the product registration screen including the total display unit 102. The detailed display 106 shows a registration operation display 107 for instructing the customer to add the product to the cart. By selecting the registration operation display 107 by touching, the customer can register the gift product corresponding to the related product information to the cart.

[0050] The map display unit 46 performs processing for displaying a map of the store 6 on the customer terminal 2. When an operation to confirm the sales floor location of product information or related product information displayed on the customer terminal 2 is performed, the map display unit 46 of this embodiment performs processing for displaying on the customer terminal 2 on a map the sales floor location of the product corresponding to the product information or related product information based on sales floor location information registered in advance.

[0051] FIG. 8 is a display example showing the transition from a detailed screen of related product information displayed on the customer terminal 2 to a map screen of the store 6. Similar to the example of FIG. 7(b), FIG. 8(a) shows a total display section 102, a detailed display 131, and a map operation display 132 for displaying a map. In this example, detailed information about tomatoes, a product of the store 6, is displayed in the detailed display 131 as related product information. The product details screen of FIG. 8(a) transitions to a map screen displaying a map of the store 6 shown in FIG. 8(b) by touching the map operation display 132. In FIG. 8(b), a store details display 135, which is a map showing the relative positions of the total display section 102 and the sales floors of the store 6, is displayed together with a product location display 136 and product display information 137 indicating the location of a product corresponding to the related product information. In this example, the product display information 137 includes information for identifying the location of the product on the display shelf, such as the product code, JAN code, product name, shelf number, row, column, and department.

[0052] Furthermore, when an operation to select a recipe is performed on the customer terminal 2, the map display unit 46 of this embodiment displays on the map the location of the sales floor for the product corresponding to the recipe. This allows the location of the product required for the recipe to be easily grasped, thereby reducing the time required to purchase the product.

[0053] <Customer device display mode> The customer can also select a mode that does not display product information or related product information in the self-checkout application running on the customer terminal 2. In this embodiment, the customer can select from three modes: "Standard," "Quick Cart-in," and "Simple."

[0054] Standard is a mode in which various recommended information about products, such as product information and related product information, is displayed on the product registration screen of the self-checkout application. In Standard, after registering a product to a cart, the final payment is completed by performing a separate payment process. Standard has a search function for searching for products on the product registration screen of the self-checkout application, and a recipe reference function for presenting products corresponding to pre-set recipes. The search function allows customers to search for products sold in store 6. The recipe reference function allows customers to identify raw materials or food ingredients corresponding to a recipe. The search function and recipe reference function of this embodiment can display the location of the product's sales floor in store 6 on a map from the search results and identification results.

[0055] Quick Cart In is a mode that omits the step of inserting products into the card after reading the product's identification code, and is a mode for customers who want to minimize shopping time. The basic functions of Quick Cart In (search function and recipe reference function) are the same as those of Standard mode, and product information and related product information are also displayed. The display examples in Figures 6 to 8 above are screens that are displayed when Quick Cart In is selected.

[0056] Simple is a simple mode that does not use the search function to display product information or related product information recommendations. Simple is a mode for customers who are concerned about communication charges and response times on the customer terminal 2 or who want to concentrate on shopping.

[0057] <Related product information presentation process> This section describes the flow of the presentation process for displaying related product information on the customer terminal 2. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the process by the information processing device 1 for displaying related product information on the customer terminal 2. The flowchart in Fig. 9 starts when standard or quick cart-in is selected as the display mode of the customer terminal 2.

[0058] In step S11, the self-checkout information acquisition unit 41 acquires and stores information about products registered by the customer from the customer terminal 2 via a communication network such as the Internet.

[0059] In step S12, the customer location information acquisition unit 42 acquires and stores customer location information indicating the location of the customer in the store 6 from the customer terminal 2 via the communication network.

[0060] In step S13, the customer situation acquisition unit 43 acquires the stored self-checkout register information and customer position information as information indicating the situation of the customer in the store 6.

[0061] In step S14, the product information presentation unit 44 uses the self-checkout information and customer position information to identify products in the sales area closest to the customer's location or related products corresponding to the registered product, and transmits information to the customer terminal 2 to preferentially present related product information corresponding to the product. If there is no other product information, only the related product information may be displayed on the customer terminal 2. If there is a product for which a priority has been set by the priority setting unit 45, product information about the product or related product information is preferentially displayed.

[0062] In step S15, if the product information presentation unit 44 detects an operation to display detailed information about related product information as described in Figure 7(a), the process proceeds to step S16 (step S15; Yes), and if it does not detect an operation to display detailed information about the related product display, the process returns to step S11 (step S15; No).

[0063] In step S16, the product information presentation unit 44 performs a display process for displaying detailed information on related product information such as that shown in FIG. 7(b) or FIG. 8(a) on the screen of the customer terminal 2.

[0064] In step S17, if the map display unit 46 detects an operation to display a map as described in FIG. 8(a), the process proceeds to step S18 (step S17; Yes), and if the map display unit 46 does not detect an operation to display a map, the process returns to step S11 (step S17; No).

[0065] In step S18, the map display unit 46 displays information such as the location of the product in the related product information together with a map such as that described in Fig. 8(b) After the process of step S18, the process returns to step S11.

[0066] <Order online and have your driver deliver> Next, the overall flow of processing from online ordering to delivery by a driver will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the information processing device 1 from online ordering to delivery.

[0067] In step S21, the delivery management unit 32 performs a process of listing the product in the area store as an online store.

[0068] In step S22, the delivery management unit 32 receives order information regarding the posted product via the Internet from the delivery orderer terminal 4. The order information includes the product and its delivery address.

[0069] In step S23, the delivery management unit 32 allocates a store 6 from which the product will be collected based on the order information. The delivery management unit 32 allocates the order to the store 6, for example, at a timing when a preset cut-off time is reached. The picking and packing management unit 33 is notified that the delivery management unit 32 has made the allocation.

[0070] In step S24, the picking / packing management unit 33 instructs the store staff terminal 3 of the allocated store 6 to pick and pack the ordered products. As a result, product information to be picked and packed is displayed on the picking / packing application of the store staff terminal 3.

[0071] In step S25, when the picking / packing management unit 33 receives from the store staff terminal 3 that picking / packing has been completed, it notifies the driver management unit 34 that picking and packing of the products to be delivered has been completed.

[0072] In step S26, delivery is carried out based on the delivery instructions from the driver management unit 34.

[0073] <Shipping process> Next, the delivery process performed by the driver management unit 34 will be described. Fig. 11 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the driver management unit 34 of the information processing device 1. Fig. 11 also shows the driver terminals 5a to 5c that are managed by the driver management unit 34. In the following description, for explanations that are common to the driver terminals 5a to 5c and do not require distinction between the driver terminals 5a to 5c, lowercase letters will be omitted and the driver terminal will be described as 5.

[0074] The driver management unit 34 of the information processing device 1 includes a driver information management unit 51, a delivery plan creation unit 52, a delivery information management unit 53, and a delivery destination exchange reception unit 54.

[0075] The driver information management unit 51 manages the driver's scheduled work destination and scheduled work time. The driver's scheduled work destination and scheduled work time may be received collectively from the delivery manager terminal 7, for example, or individually from the driver terminal 5.

[0076] The driver information management unit 51 may also manage career information that indicates the career of the driver. The career information here is, for example, information indicating whether the driver is a veteran or a rookie, or information indicating the driver's level of proficiency.

[0077] The delivery plan creation unit 52 proposes a delivery plan for each driver, including a pickup route and a delivery route, based on information on the driver's scheduled work location, work time, and delivery destination. The pickup route is route information that specifies the pickup source where the product will be received. The delivery route is route information that specifies the delivery destination of the product. The pickup route and delivery route become circular routes if there are multiple delivery time slots and cut-off times for product orders at stores 6 in a day. If there are multiple delivery time slots and cut-off times for product orders at stores 6 in a day, a delivery plan is created that includes pickup routes and delivery routes so that collections from each store 6 are also performed multiple times a day. In this embodiment, the store 6 from which each driver starts on the pickup route is fixed.

[0078] The delivery plan creation unit 52 sets delivery routes and collection routes that can be realized within a predetermined time (for example, 2 to 3 hours) set for the circular route based on the delivery distance and travel time between two points. The delivery distance and travel time between two points refer to the delivery distance and travel time from the first collection source store 6A to the next collection source store 6B, and the delivery distance and travel time from each of the stores 6A to 6C to the delivery destination.

[0079] In some cases, when an order is placed by the same customer, the product collection sources may be split between store 6A and store 6B. In such cases, if the product is delivered from store 6A and store 6B, the cost of delivery will be incurred twice. To avoid this situation, the delivery plan creation unit 52 creates a delivery plan so that, when the product is ordered by the same customer, the same driver is responsible for delivering the common product as much as possible. Furthermore, when the collection sources are spread across multiple stores 6A to 6C, the delivery plan creation unit 52 can also create a delivery plan so that the collection source store 6 gives priority to one customer when delivering.

[0080] Furthermore, the delivery plan creation unit 52 can also reflect the career information of the driver in the delivery plan when the career information of the driver is included in the management targets of the driver information management unit 51. The delivery plan creation unit 52 can also create a delivery plan such that, for example, the number of product deliveries made by veteran drivers or drivers with a high level of proficiency is greater than the number of deliveries made by new drivers or drivers with low levels of proficiency.

[0081] The delivery information management unit 53 performs processing to display pickup routes and delivery routes based on the delivery plan on the driver terminal 5. The delivery information management unit 53 transmits information to the driver terminal 5 to instruct the pickup route and delivery route at a predetermined timing or in response to a request from the driver terminal 5. In this embodiment, the delivery route is displayed to the driver through a driver application installed on the driver terminal 5. The driver can also modify the delivery route by operating the driver application on the driver terminal 5.

[0082] The delivery information management unit 53 also performs processing to share the pickup route and delivery route of each driver with the delivery manager terminal 7. The delivery manager can check the current location of the driver as well as the driver's planned route destinations using a current location acquisition function using GPS or the like of the driver terminal 5.

[0083] The delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 performs a process to accept an exchange between drivers of delivery destinations assigned to the drivers. For example, when a driver performs an operation to request an exchange of delivery destinations in the driver application on the driver terminal 5b, the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 presents exchange candidates. In the example of FIG. 11, an operation to approve the exchange of delivery destinations is performed in the driver application on the driver terminal 5c, so an exchange of delivery destinations is performed between the driver who owns the driver terminal 5b and the driver who owns the driver terminal 5c.

[0084] Next, the flow of the delivery process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0085] In step S31, the driver information management unit 51 accepts registration of the planned work destination and planned work time transmitted from the delivery manager terminal 7 or the driver terminal 5.

[0086] In step S32, the delivery plan creation unit 52 creates a tentative delivery plan as reference information for the driver and delivery manager before the cut-off time for online orders, and transmits it to the driver terminal 5 and the delivery manager terminal 7. This makes it possible to view the tentative delivery plan created as reference information on the driver terminal 5 and the delivery manager terminal 7.

[0087] In step S33, the delivery plan creation unit 52 finalizes the delivery plan after the cut-off time has elapsed (for example, after five minutes have elapsed since the cut-off time), and the delivery information management unit 53 transmits the delivery routes of the tentative delivery plan assigned to the driver to the driver terminal 5. In addition, the delivery information management unit 53 makes it possible to check the delivery plans including the delivery routes and collection routes of all drivers on the delivery manager terminal 7.

[0088] In step S34, if the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 has not exchanged delivery destinations between the drivers, it proceeds to step S36 (step S34; No). If the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 has exchanged delivery destinations between the drivers, it proceeds to step S35 (step S34; Yes). In step S35, the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 performs processing to reflect the changed delivery destination in the delivery plan. After processing in step S35, the processing proceeds to step S36.

[0089] In step S36, when the delivery information management unit 53 detects that the product has been picked up from the driver terminal 5, it changes the product status to "collection completed." The product pickup is detected, for example, by using the camera function of the driver terminal 5 to read the identification code attached to the product to be delivered using the driver application. In this embodiment, the delivery route is displayed after all products on the collection route have been collected. Note that the process of detecting the product pickup using the camera function may be omitted.

[0090] In step S37, if the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 has not exchanged delivery destinations between the drivers, it proceeds to step S39 (step S37; No). If the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 has exchanged delivery destinations between the drivers, it proceeds to step S38 (step S37; Yes). In step S38, the delivery destination exchange acceptance unit 54 performs processing to reflect the changed delivery destination in the delivery plan. After processing in step S38, the processing proceeds to step S39.

[0091] In step S39, when the delivery information management unit 53 detects that an operation to confirm receipt of the product has been performed from the delivery orderer terminal 4, it changes the status of the order information to "Delivery Completed." The change in status to "Delivery Completed" is shared with the product management unit 31 in real time. If the orderer is not present at the time of delivery, the driver can set the delivery to a hold status through the driver terminal 5. If the orderer is contacted by phone or other means, redelivery will be made. In this embodiment, a route back to the store 6 is displayed after all deliveries on the delivery route have been completed.

[0092] After completing delivery of the goods, if there is a delivery route that the driver needs to travel in the delivery plan, the driver moves to the collection point along that delivery route.

[0093] As described above, the product management system 100 of this embodiment includes a customer status acquisition unit 43 that acquires status information indicating the purchasing status of customers in the store 6 from the customer terminal 2 having a self-checkout function for scanning products displayed in the store 6 for purchase, and a product information presentation unit 44 that performs processing to display related product information related to the status information preferentially over other product information on the customer terminal 2 in the store 6. Furthermore, the control method of the information processing device 1 of this embodiment includes a customer status acquisition step that acquires status information indicating the purchasing status of customers in the store 6 from the customer terminal 2 having a self-checkout function for scanning products displayed in the store 6 for purchase, and a product information presentation step that performs processing to display related product information related to the status information preferentially over other product information on the customer terminal 2 in the store 6. Furthermore, the program of this embodiment causes a computer to execute steps similar to those of the control method of the information processing device 1.

[0094] In this way, by configuring the product management system 100, the control method and program for the information processing device 1, related product information including coupons and discounts can be presented to the customer terminal 2 according to the customer's purchasing status in a store 6 that employs a self-checkout system. By presenting the coupon as related product information to the customer before purchasing a product, the customer can remember to use the coupon when registering the product in their cart. The customer can efficiently purchase products by referring to the presented related product information.

[0095] In this embodiment, the customer situation acquisition unit 43 acquires customer location information indicating the customer's location in the store 6 as situation information, and the product information presentation unit 44 acquires sales floor location information indicating the location of the product sales floor in the store 6, and based on the sales floor location information and situation information, presents related product information regarding the product corresponding to the customer's location with priority.

[0096] As a result, related product information is presented according to the customer's location in the store 6, allowing the customer to know in advance on the customer terminal 2 which products are located near the customer, preventing the customer from forgetting to buy something and enabling the customer to shop more efficiently.

[0097] In this embodiment, the system further includes a map display unit 46 that, when a customer performs an operation on the customer terminal 2 to identify the location of related product information, displays on a map the location of the sales floor of the product related to the related product information based on the sales floor location information.

[0098] This allows the user to display a map from the related product information, move smoothly to the product location, and register the product, making shopping more efficient.

[0099] In addition, when the customer status acquisition unit 43 of this embodiment detects that a product has been registered using the self-checkout function, it acquires the detected product as status information, and the product information presentation unit 44 preferentially presents related product information regarding the product corresponding to the product included in the status information.

[0100] This allows related product information corresponding to the product purchased at store 6 to be presented, effectively motivating the customer to purchase the product corresponding to the presented related product information while shopping. On the customer side, the related product information can prevent forgetting to buy something, etc., and improve shopping efficiency.

[0101] In addition, the product management system 100 of this embodiment further includes a priority setting unit 45 that sets the priority when presenting related product information, and the product information presentation unit 44 presents related product information that has been set to a high priority by the priority setting unit 45 with higher priority.

[0102] As a result, when there is a product on sale for a limited time or a product from a sponsor that wants to be sold preferentially, the priority of the product can be set high and the product can be displayed preferentially on the customer terminal 2.

[0103] Furthermore, the product information presentation unit 44 of this embodiment presents related product information in accordance with inventory information of the product in the store 6.

[0104] This allows related product information to be displayed according to product inventory information, preventing the occurrence of a situation where an out-of-stock product is presented as related product information and the customer is unable to purchase it. Also, by preferentially displaying products that remain in stock on the customer terminal 2, excess inventory can be eliminated.

[0105] In addition, the product management system 100 of this embodiment further includes a delivery management unit 32 that accepts product delivery orders to area stores consisting of multiple stores 6A to 6C, and a driver management unit 34 that transmits information for delivering products to a driver terminal 5 used by a driver in charge of deliveries outside the stores 6A to 6C.

[0106] This will allow the company to offer an online store service on the Internet that uses inventory from multiple stores 6A to 6C in addition to selling products through self-checkouts.

[0107] In addition, the driver management unit 34 of this embodiment further includes a driver information management unit 51 that manages the driver's attendance information for the store 6, and a delivery plan creation unit 52 that proposes a delivery plan for each driver, including information that identifies the store 6 from which the goods will be collected based on the attendance information and information on the delivery destination of the goods.

[0108] In the case of an LFS in which area stores are made up of multiple actual stores 6A-6C, as in this embodiment, the collection source spans multiple stores 6A-6C, so the information on collection sources and delivery destinations instructed to each driver becomes complicated. In this regard, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the delivery plan creation unit 52 creates a delivery plan that takes into account multiple stores 6A-6C as collection sources, eliminating the need to create complex delivery plans. This makes it possible to achieve more efficient online delivery services using multiple stores and other drivers.

[0109] In addition, in this embodiment, the driver management unit 34 has a delivery destination exchange reception unit 54 that receives requests from the driver terminal 5b for an exchange between drivers of delivery destinations of products assigned to the drivers, and reflects the exchange of delivery destinations between drivers in the delivery plan when an exchange approval operation is performed through the driver terminal 5c.

[0110] This allows drivers to coordinate with each other to exchange delivery destinations without the need for a delivery manager to act as an intermediary.

[0111] The above describes embodiments and modifications of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and includes modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

[0112] For example, a self-checkout application installed on the customer terminal 2 may allow a customer to select a call button to call a staff member at the store 6. For example, if a customer cannot find the product they are looking for at the store 6, the customer may operate the call button displayed on the self-checkout application on the customer terminal 2, and the store staff member terminal 3 may be notified that a call is being made for the customer.

[0113] Furthermore, the driver is not limited to a person who works at the store 6, but may be a person who is in charge of deliveries via another internet platform, such as a gig worker. The driver management unit 34 may provide a service of dispatching vehicles to pick up and drop off customers who visit the store 6, in addition to delivering products. For example, when the driver management unit 34 receives vehicle dispatch request information including information such as a pickup location and a destination store 6 through the customer terminal 2, it may select a driver corresponding to the vehicle dispatch request information and transmit vehicle dispatch information such as the customer's pickup location and destination store 6 to the driver terminal 5 of the driver.

[0114] Furthermore, the above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware or software. In other words, the above-described functional configuration is merely an example and is not particularly limited. That is, it is sufficient for the information processing device 1 to have the function of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the above example. Furthermore, the location of the functional block is not particularly limited and may be arbitrary. For example, the functional block of the information processing device 1 may be transferred to another device, etc. Conversely, the functional block of another device may be transferred to a server, etc. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination thereof.

[0115] When a series of processes is executed by software, the programs constituting the software are installed onto a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer incorporated into dedicated hardware. The computer may also be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0116] The recording medium containing such a program may be configured as not only a removable medium (not shown) that is distributed separately from the device main body in order to provide the program, but also a recording medium that is provided in a state that it is pre-installed in the device main body, etc. Since the program can be distributed via a network, the recording medium may be installed in or accessible to a computer that is connected or connectable to the network.

[0117] In this specification, the steps describing the program recorded on the recording medium include not only processes that are performed in chronological order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed in chronological order but are performed in parallel or individually. Also, in this specification, the term "system" means an overall device composed of multiple devices or multiple means, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1. Information processing equipment 2. Customer terminal 3, 3a~3c Store staff terminal 4. Delivery order terminal 5, 5a~5c Driver terminal 31 Product Management Department 32 Delivery Management Department 33 Picking and Packing Management Department 34 Driver Management Department 41 Self-checkout information acquisition department 42 Customer location information acquisition department 43 Customer Status Acquisition Department 44 Product information presentation department 45 Priority setting section 46 Map display section 51 Driver Information Management Department 52 Delivery Planning Department 53 Delivery Information Management Department 54 Delivery Address Exchange Reception Department 100 Product Management System

Claims

1. a customer status acquisition unit that acquires status information indicating a customer's purchase status in the store from a customer terminal having a self-checkout function for reading products displayed in the store for purchase; a product information presentation unit that performs processing to display, on the customer terminal in the store, related product information that is related to the situation information in priority over other product information; A product management system comprising:

2. the customer situation acquisition unit acquires customer position information indicating a position of the customer in the store as the situation information; the product information presentation unit acquires sales floor location information indicating a location of a sales floor of the product in the store, and presents the related product information on a priority basis regarding the product corresponding to the customer's location based on the sales floor location information and the situation information; The merchandise management system according to claim 1 .

3. a map display unit that displays, on a map, a location of a sales floor of the product related to the related product information based on the sales floor location information when the customer performs an operation on the customer terminal to identify the location of the related product information; The merchandise management system according to claim 2 .

4. When the customer status acquisition unit detects that the product has been registered by the self-checkout function, the customer status acquisition unit acquires the detected product as the status information, the product information presentation unit preferentially presents the related product information regarding the product corresponding to the product included in the situation information. The merchandise management system according to claim 1 .

5. a priority setting unit that sets a priority when presenting the related product information; the product information presentation unit presents the related product information, the priority of which has been set to a high level by the priority setting unit, with higher priority. The merchandise management system according to claim 1 .

6. the product information presentation unit presents the related product information in accordance with inventory information of the product in the store; The merchandise management system according to claim 1 .

7. a delivery management unit that receives an order for delivery of the product to area stores that are made up of a plurality of the stores; a driver management unit that transmits information for delivering the merchandise to a driver terminal used by a driver in charge of delivering the merchandise outside the store; Further comprising:

7. The merchandise management system according to claim 1.

8. The driver management unit a driver information management unit that manages attendance information of the driver at the store; and a delivery plan creation unit that proposes a delivery plan for each driver, the delivery plan including information that identifies the store from which the product is to be collected based on the attendance information and the information on the delivery destination of the product. The merchandise management system according to claim 7 .

9. The driver management unit has a delivery destination exchange reception unit that receives a request from the driver terminal to exchange the delivery destinations of the products assigned to the drivers between the drivers, and reflects the exchange of the delivery destinations between the drivers in the delivery plan when an approval operation for the exchange is performed through the driver terminal. The merchandise management system according to claim 8 .

10. a customer status acquisition step of acquiring status information indicating a purchasing status of a customer in the store from a customer terminal having a self-checkout function for reading products displayed in the store for purchase; a product information presentation step of performing processing for displaying, on the customer terminal in the store, related product information relating to the situation information in priority to other product information; A control method for an information processing device including:

11. a customer status acquisition step of acquiring status information indicating a purchasing status of a customer in the store from a customer terminal having a self-checkout function for reading products displayed in the store for purchase; a product information presentation step of performing processing for displaying, on the customer terminal in the store, related product information relating to the situation information in priority to other product information; A program that causes a computer to execute the following.

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