Information processing device and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of improving customer service experience, and a program.SOLUTION: An information processing device of an embodiment comprises: identification means for identifying a customer who has visited a store; acquisition means for acquiring information related to products previously purchased by the identified customer from a storage device which stores information related to the products purchased by each customer in the past; derivation means for deriving a product proposed to the customer from among the products sold at the store on the basis of information related to the purchased products acquired by the acquisition means; presentation means for presenting the proposed product derived by the derivation means to the customer in a selectable manner via a display device installed in the store; and output means for outputting information related to the selected product to a terminal carried by a store clerk when receiving a selection of a product from among the proposed products.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an information processing device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in retail stores that sell clothing, such as apparel stores, sales staff serve customers. In such retail stores, sales staff propose clothing combinations that suit customers in response to their requests (for example, Patent Document 1). In other words, a personalized customer service experience is provided to customers.

[0003] However, it is often difficult for store staff to ensure sufficient time for each customer, which can prevent stores from providing a personalized customer experience and lead to lost sales opportunities. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing device and a program that can improve the customer service experience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The information processing device of the embodiment includes an identification means for identifying a customer who visits a store, an acquisition means for acquiring information about the purchased products of the customer identified by the identification means from a storage device that stores information about purchased products that each customer has purchased in the past, a derivation means for deriving suggested products to be suggested to the customer from among products sold in the store based on the information about the purchased products acquired by the acquisition means, a presentation means for presenting the suggested products derived by the derivation means to the customer in a selectable state via a display device installed in the store, and an output means for outputting information about the selected product to a terminal carried by a store clerk when a product selection from among the suggested products is accepted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a customer service support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the mirror signage according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of a customer information DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the fitting room management DB according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data configuration of the product master according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the mirror signage according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the mirror signage according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the mirror signage according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the mirror signage according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the store server according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a control process of the customer service support system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the customer service support system 1 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment shown below, an example in which the system is applied to an apparel store (hereinafter also referred to as a store) that sells clothing and accessories will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and the components in the following embodiment include those that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the following embodiment.

[0008] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a general configuration of a customer service support system 1 according to an embodiment. The customer service support system 1 includes a mirror signage 2, a store server 3, a store clerk terminal 4, and a Web service server 5.

[0009] The mirror signage 2 and the store server 3 are installed, for example, in a store. The mirror signage 2 is installed, for example, in a fitting room or an aisle of the store. The store server 3 is installed, for example, in a data center inside or outside the store.

[0010] The mirror signage 2, store server 3, and store clerk terminal 4 are communicably connected to one another via a network Na such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The store server 3 is communicably connected to a web service server 5 via a network Nb such as the Internet. Note that the number of devices connected to the networks Na and Nb is not limited to the illustrated example.

[0011] The mirror signage 2 is an example of a display device. For example, the mirror signage 2 has a half mirror positioned opposite the display surface of the display provided in the mirror signage 2, so that the mirror signage 2 reflects the image of the customer and displays the display content so that the customer can see it. Note that the mirror signage 2 can also be used simply as a mirror.

[0012] The mirror signage 2 displays various screens. Specifically, the mirror signage 2 displays a screen related to customer service and a screen including controls that the customer can select via the operation unit 209 of the mirror signage 2. For example, the mirror signage 2 displays a screen informing the customer that service has begun. The mirror signage 2 also displays a screen including information about products that are recommended for purchase by the customer. The mirror signage 2 also displays a screen including information related to customer service support (for example, guidance to a fitting room where products can be tried on).

[0013] Furthermore, the mirror signage 2 cooperates with the store server 3, which will be described later, to perform authentication processing (hereinafter simply referred to as authentication processing) for customers to receive services from the store via the mirror signage 2. Specifically, the mirror signage 2 performs authentication processing by identifying the customer based on an image (hereinafter also referred to as customer image) relating to customer identification captured by the imaging unit 210 (see FIG. 2) included in the mirror signage 2. The customer image is, for example, an image of the customer's face.

[0014] More specifically, the mirror signage 2 transmits a customer image captured by the imaging unit 210 to the store server 3. The store server 3 then extracts features from the received customer image and compares them with feature data related to identifying the customer stored in the store server 3. If the features extracted from the customer image match any of the customer feature data stored in the store server 3, the store server 3 transmits a notification (hereinafter also referred to as an authentication processing completion notification) to the mirror signage 2 informing that authentication processing including customer information, which will be described later, has been successfully completed. Upon receiving the authentication processing completion notification from the store server 3, the mirror signage 2 displays customer information and a message informing the start of customer service on the display unit 208 of the mirror signage 2. Here, the method for extracting features from the customer image can be any known or commonly used method.

[0015] The authentication process can be performed using various methods. For example, the image capture unit 210 of the mirror signage 2 may read a code symbol such as a two-dimensional code on a store membership card, and perform authentication to identify the customer based on the membership ID included in the code symbol.

[0016] The store server 3 is an example of an information processing device. The store server 3 is, for example, a server device installed in a store. The store server 3 stores customer information, information related to the usage status of the fitting rooms, information such as product prices, and programs related to the creation of products to be proposed to customers. Here, products are, for example, clothing items (including tops, pants, shoes, accessories, etc.) sold in the store. Details of the customer information and the information related to the usage status of the fitting rooms will be described later.

[0017] The store server 3 also performs authentication processing in cooperation with the mirror signage 2. The store server 3 may be configured with multiple computers. In other words, the functions of the store server 3 may be distributed among multiple computers. The store server 3 may also be a cloud server installed on the cloud.

[0018] The store server 3 also performs a series of processes (hereinafter also referred to as clothing item proposal processing) related to generating and providing promotional text to be proposed to customers in a clothing item proposal LLM 309 (described later) stored in the store server 3. Details of the promotional text and clothing item proposal processing will be described later.

[0019] The clerk terminal 4 is a terminal device such as a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or a mobile terminal such as a smartphone carried by a store clerk. Specifically, the clerk terminal 4 receives a fitting room number and a suggested clothing item list from the store server 3. In response to an operation by the clerk, the clerk terminal 4 also transmits to the store server 3 a preparation completion notice (hereinafter also referred to as a preparation completion notice) including the fitting room number of the fitting room that has been prepared. The suggested clothing item list will be described in detail later.

[0020] The Web service server 5 is, for example, a server device installed on a cloud. The Web service server 5 provides various services (net services) via the network Nb. For example, the Web service server 5 provides a service that manages clothing items purchased by each user in conjunction with the actions of the user who uses the service.

[0021] Specifically, the Web service server 5 stores a closet database related to the above-mentioned services. The closet database is a database that stores, for example, user information of users who use the Web service server 5 and information on clothing items purchased by the users (hereinafter also referred to as DB item information) in association with each other.

[0022] The user information includes, for example, information such as a user ID that can identify each user on the service provided by the Web service server 5. The user information may also include identification information such as a membership ID that can identify a customer at a store. The DB item information includes information about the clothing item, such as the type, color, size, and brand of the clothing item. The DB item information may also include the purchase date of the clothing item and the date of registration in the closet database.

[0023] The DB item information stored in the closet database may be clothing items purchased at multiple stores. Furthermore, the DB item information may be clothing items purchased through an online shopping service such as an e-commerce site. The DB item information stored in the closet database is not limited to clothing items purchased by the user, but may also include clothing items in which the user is interested or clothing items that the user has considered purchasing.

[0024] Furthermore, in response to a request from the store server 3, the Web service server 5 provides the store server 3 with various information stored in the closet database of the Web service server 5 via the network Nb.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the above-mentioned mirror signage 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the mirror signage 2 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the mirror signage 2 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, which is an example of a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, a memory unit 204, and the like.

[0026] The CPU 201 comprehensively controls each unit of the mirror signage 2. The ROM 202 stores various programs. The RAM 203 is a workspace for developing programs and various data. The memory unit 204 stores various programs.

[0027] The CPU 201, ROM 202, RAM 203, and memory unit 204 are connected to one another via a bus 211. The CPU 201, ROM 202, and RAM 203 constitute a computer-configured control unit 200. That is, the control unit 200 executes control processing of the mirror signage 2, which will be described later, by the CPU 201 operating in accordance with a control program unit 205 stored in the ROM 202 and memory unit 204 and expanded in the RAM 203.

[0028] The memory unit 204 is a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 204 includes a control program unit 205.

[0029] The control unit 200 is connected to a communication unit 207, a display unit 208, an operation unit 209, and an imaging unit 210 via a controller 206 and a bus 211. Here, the communication unit 207 is a communication interface for communicating via a network Na.

[0030] The controller 206 is connected to a communication unit 207, a display unit 208, an operation unit 209, and an imaging unit 210. Based on instructions from the control unit 200, the controller 206 controls each of the connected units.

[0031] The display unit 208 is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The display unit 208 displays various types of information under the control of the CPU 201. The operation unit 209 is a touch panel provided on the display unit 208. The operation unit 209 outputs operation details input via an input device to the CPU 201. Note that the operation unit 209 may be an input device such as a keyboard or a pointing device. The imaging unit 210 is an imaging device having an imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the above-mentioned store server 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the store server 3 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the store server 3 includes a CPU 301, which is an example of a processor, a ROM 302, a RAM 303, a memory unit 304, etc.

[0033] The CPU 301 comprehensively controls each unit of the store server 3. The ROM 302 stores various programs. The RAM 303 is a workspace for developing programs and various data. The memory unit 304 stores various programs.

[0034] The CPU 301, ROM 302, RAM 303, and memory unit 304 are connected to one another via a bus 313. The CPU 301, ROM 302, and RAM 303 constitute a control unit 300 having a computer configuration. That is, the control unit 300 executes control processing of the store server 3, which will be described later, by the CPU 301 operating in accordance with a control program unit 305 stored in the ROM 302 and memory unit 304 and loaded into the RAM 303.

[0035] The memory unit 304 is a non-volatile memory such as a HDD or flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 304 includes a control program unit 305, a customer information DB 306, a fitting room management DB 307, a product master 308, and a clothing item suggestion LLM 309.

[0036] Customer information DB306 is a data table or database for the store to manage customer information. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of customer information DB306. As shown in Fig. 4, customer information DB306 stores customer information such as customer name, age, sex, characteristic data, purchase history, closet database link, and personal information usage permission flag.

[0037] The feature data stores feature amounts extracted from the customer image. Here, feature amounts are quantified features of the customer image calculated using publicly known and commonly used methods. If a membership card is used for authentication processing, the membership ID and other information stored on the membership card may be stored as feature data.

[0038] The purchase history is a record of the date and time when a customer purchased an item at a store that manages the customer information DB 306, as well as the purchase of the item. The closet database link is a link for accessing the Web service server 5 in which the closet database is stored. By accessing the closet database link, it is possible to refer to or obtain DB item information for a user who is a customer. Note that if the store's membership ID is included in the user information in the closet database of the Web service server 5, the member ID may be specified to access the Web service server 5, thereby referring to or obtaining DB item information for the corresponding customer.

[0039] The personal information use flag is flag information that specifies whether or not to enable the use of the customer's personal information in the clothing item suggestion process described below. The personal information use flag is binary flag information that is, for example, "1" when the flag is enabled (hereinafter also referred to as the on state) and "0" when the flag is disabled (hereinafter also referred to as the off state). Specifically, when the personal information use flag is enabled, the control unit 300 of the store server 3 accesses the server corresponding to the address stored in the closet database link in the clothing item suggestion process, that is, the Web service server 5. Then, the control unit 300 of the store server 3 obtains the corresponding customer's DB item information from the closet database stored in the Web service server 5.

[0040] Returning to Fig. 3, the fitting room management DB 307 is a data table or database used by the store to manage fitting rooms. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the fitting room management DB 307. As shown in Fig. 5, the fitting room management DB 307 stores fitting room information in which fitting room numbers are associated with fitting room usage statuses.

[0041] Here, the fitting room number is an identifier that can identify each fitting room installed in the store, such as a room number assigned to each fitting room. The status stored in the fitting room management DB 307 is information that indicates the usage status of each fitting room. The status stored in the fitting room management DB 307 is managed as a binary value, such as "1" if the fitting room is in use and "0" if the fitting room is not in use and vacant. The fitting room information in the fitting room management DB 307 also includes the location of the fitting room within the store.

[0042] Returning to Fig. 3, the product master 308 is a data table or database for managing the prices and other information of products sold in a store. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the product master 308. As shown in Fig. 6, the product master 308 associates the type of product sold in a store with an identifiable product code, and stores product information such as the product name, price, product image, product description, etc. of the product corresponding to the product code.

[0043] A product image is, for example, an image that represents a product. Furthermore, the product description stored in the product master 308 includes, for example, the brand name, size, color, etc. of the product, which is a clothing item, as well as information such as the storage location of the product in the store. Furthermore, the product description includes information indicating the season, environment, event, etc., that is suitable for wearing the product, and information that contributes to the determination of the product to be recommended to the customer.

[0044] Returning to Figure 3, the clothing item suggestion LLM309 is a generative AI that generates text and is a large language model (LLM). Here, the clothing item suggestion LLM309 is an example of a generative AI that can generate new content such as images, text, audio, and structured data by learning data patterns and relationships.

[0045] The clothing item suggestion LLM 309 is an LLM constructed using, for example, known deep learning technology, that receives text specifying conditions and outputs text related to products based on the conditions. Here, the conditions may be reference conditions that serve as references for deriving the output results or constraint conditions for narrowing down the output results.

[0046] The clothing item suggestion LLM 309 derives products to be sold in stores based on various input conditions and generates promotional text to promote the derived products. Here, the promotional text is text data that describes, for example, the product names of clothing items recommended for purchase by customers and product descriptions of the clothing items. Note that the promotional text may also be text data in a list format that includes the names and descriptions of multiple clothing items.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an LLM is used as the generation AI, but the generation AI is not limited to an LLM as long as it is capable of generating text. The clothing item proposal LLM 309 may be configured independently of the store server 3. In other words, the clothing item proposal LLM 309 may be installed outside the store or on the cloud and configured to be able to communicate in response to a request from the store server 3.

[0048] The clothing item proposal LLM 309 of this embodiment generates promotional text for the customer in response to an input sentence generated by the generation processing unit 3003, which will be described later. The input sentence includes information about the product purchased by the customer in the clothing item proposal process and instruction information that instructs the generation of the promotional text.

[0049] Here, the input sentence is generated in the form of a character string written in a natural language, for example. Specifically, the instruction information includes a character string (hereinafter also referred to as a prompt) containing the content, format, and information of the sentence desired to be generated by the clothing item suggestion LLM 309. More preferably, the sentence written in the prompt clearly indicates product information of the product purchased by the customer. Furthermore, it is preferable that the prompt includes the customer's tastes and preferences regarding clothing items (hereinafter also referred to as taste and preference information), or includes a sentence instructing the generation of promotional text based on the taste and preference information.

[0050] The method for generating the prompt is not particularly limited, but for example, the generation processing unit 3003 of the store server 3, which will be described later, may employ a method for generating a prompt based on a predetermined template. In this case, multiple templates may be prepared corresponding to the gender and age group of customers, and the generation processing unit 3003 may be configured to switch the template to be used depending on the customer information.

[0051] As an example of a prompt, for example, a prompt may be input to the LLM instructing the creation of a sentence containing content related to the age of a customer included in the customer information.Also, for example, a prompt may be input to the LLM instructing the creation of a sentence containing content related to products recorded in the purchase history included in the customer information.

[0052] The control unit 300 is connected to a first communication unit 311 and a second communication unit 312 via a controller 310 and a bus 313. Here, the first communication unit 311 is a communication interface for communicating via a network Na. Also, the second communication unit 312 is a communication interface for communicating via a network Nb.

[0053] The controller 310 is connected to the first communication unit 311 and the second communication unit 312. Based on instructions from the control unit 300, the controller 310 controls each of the connected units.

[0054] Next, the functional configuration of the control unit 200 of the mirror signage 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the mirror signage 2 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 200 includes, as functional components, an authentication unit 2001 and a display control unit 2002. Note that the functional configuration of the mirror signage 2 is not limited to this.

[0055] Specifically, the control unit 200 (CPU 201) of the mirror signage 2 realizes the above-mentioned functional configuration by executing the control program unit 205 stored in the memory unit 204. Note that in this embodiment, the above-mentioned functional configuration is a software configuration realized by cooperation between the processor and program of the mirror signage 2, but is not limited to this, and a hardware configuration in which part or all of the functional configuration is realized by a dedicated circuit or the like may also be used.

[0056] The authentication unit 2001 authenticates customers using the imaging unit 210. Specifically, the authentication unit 2001 acquires a customer image of a customer who visits the store via the imaging unit 210. The authentication unit 2001 also transmits the acquired customer image to the store server 3. Upon receiving a notification of the completion of authentication processing from the store server 3, the authentication unit 2001 cooperates with the display control unit 2002 (described later) to cause the display unit 208 to display a message informing the customer that customer service has begun. When notifying the customer that customer service has begun, the authentication unit 2001 may also display customer information about the customer who has been successfully authenticated.

[0057] The display control unit 2002 displays various information on the display unit 208. Specifically, upon receiving a notification of the completion of the authentication process from the store server 3, the display control unit 2002 displays a message informing the start of customer service on the display unit 208, as shown in FIG.

[0058] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mirror signage 2. The display control unit 2002 displays a customer service start screen Ga as shown in Fig. 8 on the display unit 208 to notify the customer that customer service has begun. The customer service start screen Ga includes an area Gaa in which customer information and a message accompanying the start of customer service are displayed, an area Gab in which a message thanking the customer for visiting the store is displayed, and an area Gac in which an avatar modeled after a store clerk is displayed. Note that the display control unit 2002 may be configured not to display customer information.

[0059] If the authentication process is not completed successfully, for example, if the customer who has undergone the authentication process is a new customer and is not registered in the customer information DB 306, the display control unit 2002 may not display the customer service start screen Ga on the mirror signage 2, and may simply use the mirror signage 2 as a mirror. Furthermore, instead of displaying the customer service start screen Ga on the mirror signage 2, the display control unit 2002 may display a screen that prompts the customer to register as a member.

[0060] Once the authentication process is successfully completed, the store server 3 performs a clothing item suggestion process. Specifically, the store server 3 acquires the purchase history and DB item information of the customer identified in the authentication process. Next, the store server 3 generates promotional text based on the acquired information and instruction information instructing product suggestions. Next, the store server 3 derives a suggested clothing item list (described below) based on the generated promotional text. The store server 3 then presents the derived suggested clothing item list to the customer via the mirror signage 2, and outputs product information for the selected product to the sales clerk terminal 4 regarding the product selected by the customer from the presented suggested clothing item list.

[0061] Returning to FIG. 7, when the display control unit 2002 receives the suggested clothing item list from the store server 3, it causes the display unit 208 to display the suggested clothing item list in a format selectable from the operation unit 209 as shown in FIG.

[0062] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mirror signage 2. The display control unit 2002 displays a clothing item selection screen Gb as shown in Fig. 9 on the display unit 208 based on the suggested clothing item list to allow the customer to select clothing items in which the customer is interested. The clothing item selection screen Gb includes areas Gba, Gbb, Gbc, Gbd, Gbe, and Gbf.

[0063] Area Gba displays the customer's name. Area Gbb displays product information for products listed in the suggested clothing item list. Specifically, area Gbb has area Gbc, in which product images of products included in the suggested clothing item list are displayed, and area Gbd, in which the product names of products included in the suggested clothing item list are displayed. Area Gbb is displayed for each product included in the suggested clothing item list. Figure 9 shows an example of two products with the product names "jacket" and "jeans." Area Gbd also functions as an operator (operation button), and by operating within area Gbb, it is possible to select product information for the product in the operated area Gbb.

[0064] An avatar resembling a store clerk is displayed in the area Gbe. In the area Gbf, for example, a message prompting the customer to select a clothing item displayed on the display unit 208 is displayed.

[0065] The number of items of product information to be displayed on one screen is not limited to the illustrated example. If the number of items does not fit on one screen, the product information of items that were not displayed may be displayed sequentially in response to a left-right scroll operation. Furthermore, the clothing item selection screen Gb does not need to be displayed so as to occupy the entire display unit 208, but may be displayed on only a portion of the display unit 208, and the portion where the clothing item selection screen Gb is not displayed may be used as a mirror.

[0066] When the display control unit 2002 receives a selection of product information from the product information of products displayed on the display unit 208 (clothing item selection screen Gb) via the operation unit 209, it transmits the product information of the selected product to the store server 3. Furthermore, when the display control unit 2002 receives a fitting room number from the store server 3, it causes the display unit 208 to display a screen as shown in Fig. 10 that prompts the customer to enter the fitting room.

[0067] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on the mirror signage 2. When the display control unit 2002 receives the fitting room number from the store server 3, it causes the display unit 208 to display a fitting room guide screen Gc as shown in Fig. 10 in order to guide the customer to the fitting room. The fitting room guide screen Gc includes areas Gca, Gcb, Gcc, and Gcd.

[0068] Area Gca displays the customer's name. Area Gcb displays a screen showing the customer's current location (where the mirror signage 2 operated by the customer is installed), the location of the fitting room corresponding to the fitting room number received from the store server 3, and a guide route from the customer's current location to the fitting room. Area Gcc displays an avatar resembling a store clerk. Area Gcd displays, for example, a message urging the customer to enter the fitting room.

[0069] As will be described later, in the fitting room corresponding to the fitting room number, the product selected on the clothing item selection screen Gb is prepared by a store clerk. Therefore, the customer on the mirror signage 2 can try on the product selected on the clothing item selection screen Gb by moving to the indicated fitting room based on the guidance route displayed on the fitting room guidance screen Gc.

[0070] The fitting room guide screen Gc does not need to be displayed so as to occupy the entire display unit 208, but may be displayed on only a portion of the display unit 208, and the portion on which the fitting room guide screen Gc is not displayed may be usable as a mirror.

[0071] Next, the functional configuration of the control unit 300 of the store server 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the store server 3 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the control unit 300 includes, as functional components, an authentication processing unit 3001, a user-related information processing unit 3002, a generation processing unit 3003, and a customer guidance processing unit 3004. Note that the functional configuration of the store server 3 is not limited to this.

[0072] Specifically, the control unit 300 (CPU 301) of the store server 3 realizes the above-mentioned functional configuration by executing the control program unit 305 stored in the memory unit 304. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned functional configuration is a software configuration realized by cooperation between the processor and program of the store server 3, but is not limited to this, and a hardware configuration in which part or all of the functional configuration is realized by a dedicated circuit or the like may also be used.

[0073] The authentication processing unit 3001 is an example of an identification unit. The authentication processing unit 3001 identifies a customer who has visited the store. Specifically, the authentication processing unit 3001 extracts features from the customer image received from the authentication unit 2001 and compares the features with feature data stored in the customer information DB 306. If the features extracted from the customer image match any of the customer feature data stored in the customer information DB 306, the authentication processing unit 3001 identifies that the customer corresponding to the matching feature data has visited the store. Then, the authentication processing unit 3001 transmits an authentication processing completion notification to the mirror signage 2.

[0074] If the authentication process is not completed successfully, that is, if the features extracted from the customer image do not match any of the customer feature data stored in the customer information DB 306, the authentication processing unit 3001 sends a message to the mirror signage 2 informing that the authentication process was not completed successfully.

[0075] The user-related information processing unit 3002 is an example of an acquisition unit and an extraction unit. The user-related information processing unit 3002 acquires information about products purchased by the customer identified by the authentication processing unit 3001. Here, the information about the purchased products is the customer's purchase history and DB item information stored in the closet database.

[0076] Specifically, the user-related information processing unit 3002 accesses the closet database link for the customer stored in the customer information DB 306 and acquires DB item information for the customer and the corresponding user from the corresponding Web service server 5. The user-related information processing unit 3002 also references the customer information DB 306 to acquire the purchase history for the customer stored in the customer information DB 306. The DB item information and purchase history acquired by the user-related information processing unit 3002 may be limited to a period, such as the past year.

[0077] Furthermore, the user-related information processing unit 3002 extracts customer interest and preference information based on the DB item information acquired from the Web service server 5 and the purchase history acquired from the customer information DB 306 .

[0078] In addition, the user-related information processing unit 3002 accesses the Web service server 5 when the personal information usage flag for the customer stored in the customer information DB 306 is in the on state, and suppresses access to the Web service server 5 when the personal information usage flag is in the off state.

[0079] The generation processing unit 3003 is an example of a derivation means and a presentation means. The generation processing unit 3003 derives products to be recommended to the customer from the sales promotion text generated by the clothing item recommendation LLM 309, based on information about the products purchased by the customer obtained by the user-related information processing unit 3002.

[0080] Specifically, the generation processing unit 3003 generates an input text including the customer's hobby and preference information extracted based on information regarding clothing items purchased by the customer and clothing items in which the customer is interested, obtained by the user-related information processing unit 3002, the customer's purchasing history, and instruction information that instructs the generation of promotional text.

[0081] The generation processing unit 3003 also inputs the generated input text into the clothing item proposal LLM 309, causing the clothing item proposal LLM 309 to generate promotional text presenting products recommended for purchase by the customer. Once the clothing item proposal LLM 309 generates the promotional text, the generation processing unit 3003 acquires the promotional text. The generation processing unit 3003 then calculates the similarity between the clothing items described in the promotional text and the products stored in the product master 308, and extracts multiple products from the product master 308 that have a similarity higher than a predetermined value.

[0082] Here, a publicly known technique may be used to calculate the similarity between the clothing item described in the promotional text and the product stored in the product master 308. For example, the similarity may be calculated based on the match rate between the words and phrases described in the clothing item described in the promotional text and the product description stored in the product master 308. Alternatively, for example, the product description stored in the product master 308 may be vectorized using a common natural language processing method and stored, and the similarity may be calculated based on the cosine similarity between the vectorized text and the text described in the promotional text.

[0083] The generation processing unit 3003 generates a suggested clothing item list that associates the products extracted from the product master 308 with the product information of the products. Next, the generation processing unit 3003 transmits the generated suggested clothing item list to the mirror signage 2.

[0084] Here, the suggested clothing item list is a list that includes each of a plurality of products extracted from the product master 308. Furthermore, the products listed in the suggested clothing item list are products related to the sales promotion text generated by the clothing item suggestion LLM 309 based on information about the products purchased by the customer, and therefore are products that reflect the customer's taste and preference information, even among the products stored in the product master 308.

[0085] The customer information processing unit 3004 is an example of an output unit and a management unit. The customer information processing unit 3004 outputs information about customer service support for a product selected by a customer from the products derived by the generation processing unit 3003 to the store clerk terminal 4.

[0086] Specifically, when the customer information processor 3004 receives product information for the product selected by the customer via the operation unit 209 of the mirror signage 2, it references the fitting room information in the fitting room management DB 307, selects one fitting room whose status is "0," i.e., vacant, and changes the status of the selected fitting room to "1," i.e., in use. The method for selecting a vacant fitting room is not particularly limited, and the selection may be based on predetermined rules. For example, the customer information processor 3004 may select the fitting room in ascending order of fitting room number. Alternatively, for example, the customer information processor 3004 may select the fitting room in descending order of fitting room number. Furthermore, for example, the customer information processor 3004 may select the fitting room in descending order of the length of time it has been vacant.

[0087] Next, the customer information processing unit 3004 obtains the fitting room number of the fitting room whose status has been changed from the fitting room management DB 307, and sends the received product information of the product and the obtained fitting room number to the salesperson terminal 4.

[0088] If the status of any of the fitting rooms stored in the fitting room management DB 307 is "1," i.e., if the fitting room is in use, the customer information processor 3004 performs the following process, for example. First, the customer information processor 3004 sends a message to the store clerk terminal 4 informing the customer that there is a customer wanting to try on clothes and that there are no vacant fitting rooms. At this time, the customer information processor 3004 may also notify the customer of information that identifies the mirror signage 2 currently serving the customer, the location of the mirror signage 2, etc. The customer information processor 3004 also sends a message to the mirror signage 2 informing the customer that a store clerk will be serving the customer or that the customer should wait until the store clerk arrives. Then, upon receiving the message, the display controller 2002 of the mirror signage 2 notifies the customer by displaying the message on the display unit 208.

[0089] When the clerk terminal 4 receives the fitting room number and product information, it displays the received fitting room number and product information on a display unit (not shown) of the clerk terminal 4. After checking the fitting room number and product information displayed on the display unit of the clerk terminal 4, the clerk prepares the product corresponding to the product information in the fitting room with the fitting room number, and then uses an operation unit (not shown) of the clerk terminal 4 to instruct the clerk terminal 4 that the fitting room is ready. Upon receiving the instruction, the clerk terminal 4 sends a preparation completion notification to the store server 3.

[0090] When the customer information processing unit 3004 of the store server 3 receives the preparation completion notification from the salesperson terminal 4, it transmits the fitting room number included in the preparation completion notification to the mirror signage 2.

[0091] Next, the control processing of the customer service support system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the control processing of the customer service support system 1 according to the embodiment. The sequence diagram shown in Fig. 12 shows a processing example in which a clothing item suggestion process is performed after a customer authentication process is performed.

[0092] First, the authentication unit 2001 of the mirror signage 2 acquires a customer image of a customer who visits the store via the imaging unit 210 (step S101). After acquiring the customer image, the authentication unit 2001 transmits the acquired customer image to the store server 3 (step S102).

[0093] The authentication processing unit 3001 of the store server 3 extracts features from the customer image received from the authentication unit 2001 and compares them with feature data stored in the customer information DB 306 (step S103). If the features extracted from the customer image match any of the customer feature data stored in the customer information DB 306, the authentication processing unit 3001 transmits an authentication processing completion notification to the mirror signage 2 (step S104).

[0094] When the display control unit 2002 of the mirror signage 2 receives the notification of completion of the authentication process from the authentication processing unit 3001, the display control unit 2002 of the mirror signage 2 causes the display unit 208 of the mirror signage 2 to display a message informing the customer that service has begun (step S105).

[0095] Meanwhile, the user-related information processing unit 3002 of the store server 3 determines the value of the personal information use flag of the customer identified by the authentication processing unit 3001 from the customer information DB 306 (step S106). If the flag is on, the user-related information processing unit 3002 accesses the closet database link of the customer stored in the customer information DB 306 and acquires DB item information of the customer and the corresponding user from the corresponding Web service server 5. The user-related information processing unit 3002 also references the customer information DB 306 to acquire the customer's purchase history stored in the customer information DB 306 (step S107). Next, the user-related information processing unit 3002 extracts the customer's interest and preference information based on the DB item information acquired from the Web service server 5 and the purchase history acquired from the customer information DB 306 (step S108).

[0096] Next, the generation processing unit 3003 of the store server 3 generates an input sentence including the customer's taste and preference information extracted based on the information about clothing items purchased by the customer and clothing items in which the customer is interested, acquired by the user-related information processing unit 3002, the customer's purchase history, and instruction information for instructing the generation of promotional text (step S109). Next, the generation processing unit 3003 inputs the generated input sentence to the clothing item proposal LLM 309 (step S110), and causes the clothing item proposal LLM 309 to generate promotional text presenting products recommended for purchase by the customer (step S111).

[0097] When the clothing item suggestion LLM 309 generates promotional text, the generation processing unit 3003 of the store server 3 acquires the promotional text (step S112). Next, the generation processing unit 3003 calculates the similarity between the clothing items described in the promotional text and the products stored in the product master 308, and extracts multiple products from the product master 308 that have a predetermined similarity or higher (step S113). Next, the generation processing unit 3003 generates a suggested clothing item list that associates the products extracted from the product master 308 with the product information of the extracted products (step S114). Next, the generation processing unit 3003 transmits the generated suggested clothing item list to the mirror signage 2 (step S115).

[0098] When the display control unit 2002 of the mirror signage 2 receives the suggested clothing item list from the generation processing unit 3003, it causes the display unit 208 to display a screen representing the suggested clothing item list (step S116). Then, when the display control unit 2002 receives a selection operation from the suggested clothing item list via the operation unit 209, it transmits product information of the selected product to the store server 3 (step S117).

[0099] When the customer information processor 3004 of the store server 3 receives the product information of the item selected by the customer via the operation unit 209 of the mirror signage 2, it references the fitting room information in the fitting room management DB 307, selects one fitting room whose status is "0", i.e., vacant, according to a predetermined rule, such as determining the status of the fitting room in ascending order of the fitting room number, and changes the status of the selected fitting room to "1", i.e., in use (step S118). Next, the customer information processor 3004 obtains the fitting room number of the fitting room whose status has been changed from the fitting room management DB 307, and sends the received product information and the obtained fitting room number to the clerk terminal 4 (step S119).

[0100] When the clerk terminal 4 receives the fitting room number and product information, it displays the received fitting room number and product information on a display unit (not shown) of the clerk terminal 4 (step S120). Next, the clerk checks the fitting room number and product information displayed on the display unit of the clerk terminal 4, prepares the product corresponding to the product information in the fitting room with the fitting room number, and then uses an operation unit (not shown) of the clerk terminal 4 to instruct the clerk terminal 4 that the fitting room is ready. When the clerk terminal 4 receives the instruction (step S121), it sends a preparation completion notification to the store server 3 (step S122).

[0101] Next, upon receiving the preparation completion notification from the clerk terminal 4, the customer information processing unit 3004 of the store server 3 transmits the fitting room number included in the preparation completion notification to the mirror signage 2 (step S123). Then, upon receiving the fitting room number from the store server 3, the display control unit 2002 of the mirror signage 2 displays the fitting room information screen Gc on the display unit 208 (step S124).

[0102] As described above, through the processing described above, the customer service support system 1 can handle suggested products for customers on behalf of the store clerk, and can hand over customer service duties to the store clerk at the fitting stage. Therefore, even when it is difficult for the store clerk to allocate sufficient time to serve the customer, the customer service experience can be provided to the customer.

[0103] In step S104, if the features extracted from the customer image do not match any of the feature data of customers stored in the customer information DB 306, the authentication processing unit 3001 may send a message notifying that the authentication process has not been completed successfully to the mirror signage 2. Then, upon receiving the message notifying that the authentication process has not been completed successfully, the display control unit 2002 may display the message on the display unit 208 and return the process to step S101.

[0104] Furthermore, in step S106, if the personal information use permission flag of the customer identified by the authentication processing unit 3001 from the customer information DB 306 is in the OFF state, the user-related information processing unit 3002 may obtain product information of products recommended by the store to the customer during a sale or the like from the product master 308, instead of obtaining user-related information from the Web service server 5. The user-related information processing unit 3002 may also transmit a message to the mirror signage 2 prompting the customer to consent to the use of their personal information. In this case, upon receiving the message, the display control unit 2002 causes the display unit 208 to display the message in a format selectable from the operation unit 209. Then, if consent to the use of personal information is obtained from the customer via the operation unit 209, the display control unit 2002 transmits a message to the store server 3 indicating that consent to the use of personal information has been obtained from the customer. Upon receiving the message, the user-related information processing unit 3002 changes the personal information use permission flag to the ON state, and proceeds to step S107.

[0105] In step S116, when the clothing item selection screen Gb is displayed, the display control unit 2002 of the mirror signage 2 preferably causes the display unit 208 to display a message such as "You can try on the items in the suggested clothing item list." In step S117, after the product information of the selected item is sent to the store server 3, the display control unit 2002 preferably causes the display unit 208 to display a message such as "Please wait while we prepare the items and the fitting room."

[0106] As described above, in the customer service support system 1 of this embodiment, the mirror signage 2 works in cooperation with the store server 3 to identify customers who visit the store. The store server 3 acquires user-related information about the identified customers from the Web service server 5. The store server 3 then derives products to suggest to the customer based on the acquired information about products purchased by the customer and instruction information for product suggestions. The store server 3 then presents the derived products to the customer via the mirror signage 2 in a selectable state. When the customer selects an item from the presented items, the store server 3 outputs the fitting room number and product information about the selected item to the salesperson terminal 4.

[0107] As a result, customer service support system 1 of this embodiment can perform processing that reflects the characteristics of the customer by generating promotional text based on information about the products purchased by the customer. Furthermore, customer service support system 1 can request a store clerk to try on an item selected by the customer from the items displayed via mirror signage 2. Furthermore, customer service support system 1 of this embodiment can handle suggested products for the customer on behalf of the store clerk, and can hand over customer service duties to the store clerk at the try-on stage. Therefore, even if it is difficult for the store clerk to allocate sufficient time to serve the customer, it is possible to provide the customer with a personalized customer service experience. Therefore, customer service support system 1 of this embodiment can improve the customer service experience without human intervention.

[0108] The above-described embodiment can be modified as needed by partially changing the configuration or functions of each of the above-described devices. Therefore, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. The following mainly focuses on differences from the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions of commonalities with the content already described will be omitted. The modifications described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0109] (Variation 1) 12, the store clerk terminal 4 notifies the store server 3 that preparation is complete, but this is not limiting. Instead of the store clerk terminal 4 notifying the store server 3 that preparation is complete, a similar notification may be sent from a mirror signage 2 (not shown) installed in the fitting room. This configuration allows the store clerk to guide the customer to the fitting room only after the fitting room and the items selected by the customer have been secured.

[0110] (Variation 2) 12, the generation processing unit 3003 calculates the similarity between the clothing item described in the promotional text and the products stored in the product master 308, and extracts multiple products with a similarity higher than a predetermined level from the product master 308. However, this is not limiting, and multiple products with a similarity lower than a predetermined level may be extracted from the product master 308. This configuration makes it possible to recommend to the customer the purchase of products that are dissimilar to the products that the customer has purchased, i.e., products that the customer already owns, and thus can be expected to stimulate the customer's purchasing desire and further improve the customer service experience.

[0111] The programs executed by customer service support system 1 of the embodiment and the modified example may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the programs executed by customer service support system 1 of the embodiment and the modified example may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0112] The programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments are provided in a state where they are pre-installed in a ROM, a storage unit, etc. The programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a digital versatile disk (DVD).

[0113] Furthermore, the programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Also, the programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0114] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments and their modifications can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, changes, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1 Customer service support system 2. Mirror signage 3. Store server 4. Store clerk terminal 5. Web Service Server 306 Customer information DB 307 Fitting room management database 308 Product Master 309 Clothing Item Proposal LLM 2001 Certification Department 2002 Display control unit 3001 Authentication processing unit 3002 User-related information processing section 3003 Generation processing unit 3004 Customer Information Processing Department [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0116] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-182367

Claims

1. A means for identifying customers who visit the store; an acquisition means for acquiring information about the purchased products of the customer identified by the identification means from a storage device that stores information about the purchased products that each customer has previously purchased; a deriving means for deriving a suggested product to be suggested to the customer from among the products sold in the store based on the information about the purchased product acquired by the acquiring means; a presentation means for presenting the suggested products derived by the derivation means to the customer in a selectable state via a display device provided in the store; an output means for outputting information about the selected product to a terminal carried by a store clerk when a product selection is accepted from the suggested products; An information processing device comprising:

2. The store further comprises a management unit for managing the status of each fitting room provided in the store, When the output means receives a selection of a product from the suggested products, it outputs information about the selected product and information indicating an available fitting room to the terminal. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The management means changes the state of the fitting room instructed by the output means during use. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. When the terminal notifies the customer that the fitting room is ready, the presenting means presents the customer with information indicating the location of the fitting room. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

5. The system further comprises an extracting means for extracting preference information representing the preferences of the customer based on the information on the purchased products of the customer acquired by the acquiring means, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the deriving means derives a product to be proposed to the customer based on the preference information.

6. The computer of the information processing device, A means for identifying customers who visit the store; an acquisition means for acquiring information about the purchased products of the customer identified by the identification means from a storage device that stores information about the purchased products that each customer has previously purchased; a deriving means for deriving a suggested product to be suggested to the customer from among the products sold in the store based on the information about the purchased product acquired by the acquiring means; a presentation means for presenting the suggested products derived by the derivation means to the customer in a selectable state via a display device provided in the store; an output means for outputting information about the selected product to a terminal carried by a store clerk when a product selection is accepted from the suggested products; A program to function as a

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