Commodity registration device

Abstract

To provide a commodity registration device capable of easily registering a purchased commodity while a customer is doing shopping in a shop.SOLUTION: A commodity registration device includes a housing, a display unit, and a reading unit. The housing can be mounted to extend along an edge of a shopping basket. The display unit is on a top surface of the housing. The reading unit is on a side surface of the housing toward an inside of the shopping basket, for reading a purchased commodity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a product registration device for allowing a shopper to register purchased products, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, self-service point-of-sale (POS) systems, where shoppers register their purchases, have become increasingly popular. Self-service POS systems include those equipped with a tablet and scanner attached to a shopping cart, and those that use smartphones. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-87366 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Self-service POS systems that use smartphones require the camera on the back of the smartphone to read the product's barcode, making it difficult to point the camera lens at the barcode.

[0005] Furthermore, when using a device such as a tablet or smartphone attached to a shopping cart, the device may cast a shadow that makes it difficult to see inside the shopping cart, or it may get in the way when putting items in and taking them out of the shopping cart.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a product registration device that allows a shopper to easily register purchased products while shopping around the store. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The product registration device of the embodiment includes a housing, a display unit, and a reading unit. The housing can be extended along the edge of a shopping cart. The display unit is located on the top surface of the housing. The reading unit is located on the side surface of the housing facing the inside of the shopping cart to read the purchased products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a stick terminal according to an embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the stick terminal of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state before the stick terminal of FIG. 1 is attached to a dedicated shopping cart. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the stick terminal of FIG. 1 attached to a dedicated shopping cart. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the stick terminal of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a POS system including the stick terminal of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a product record in the product database of the POS system of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a recommendation record in the recommendation database of the POS system of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a method for registering and canceling product registration using the stick terminal of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a stick terminal according to a modified example equipped with a plurality of cameras. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the reading range when the stick terminal of FIG. 1 is used in handy mode. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of use in which the stick terminal of FIG. 1 is attached to a picking cart. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a registration terminal according to a first modified example is attached to a shopping cart. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a side view of the registration terminal of FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing variations in the mounting position of the registration terminal of FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a state in which a registration terminal according to a second modified example is attached to a handle hole of a shopping basket. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the registration terminal of FIG. 13 attached to a shopping cart in the normal orientation. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an image captured by the reading unit of the registration terminal of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment and its modifications will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment and its modifications, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a stick terminal 10 according to one embodiment has a long, rod-shaped housing 1. The stick terminal 10 has a display unit 3 on a flat top surface 2 of the housing 1. The display unit 3 includes a first display unit 4 and a second display unit 5. The stick terminal 10 has a reading unit 7 on one side surface 6 of the housing 1. The side surface 6 is a surface of the housing 1 that is approximately perpendicular to the top surface 2. The stick terminal 10 functions as a product registration device that allows shoppers to register purchased products.

[0011] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the stick terminal 10 can be detachably attached to a dedicated shopping basket 20 in a store. The shopping basket 20 has a roughly rectangular opening 21 at its top end for putting in and taking out purchased items. The shopping basket 20 has four edges 22, 23, 24, and 25 surrounding the opening 21. The stick terminal 10 can be attached to any of the four edges 22, 23, 24, and 25.

[0012] By attaching the stick terminal 10 to one of the edges 22 to 25 of the shopping basket 20, the stick terminal 10 can be placed on the path of movement of products to be placed in the shopping basket 20. Furthermore, by extending the stick terminal 10 along one of the edges 22 to 25, the area where the stick terminal 10 overlaps with the shopping basket 20 can be reduced. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the stick terminal 10 is attached to the edge 22 on one of the short sides of the shopping basket 20.

[0013] The first display unit 4 on the top surface 2 of the housing 1 has a first display area 42 that is a long, strip-like area with one end 41 that is arc-shaped. The second display unit 5 has a second display area 51 that is substantially circular and continues to the other end 43 of the first display area 42 of the first display unit 4, and a third display area 52 that is substantially annular and located outside the second display area 51. The diameter of the second display area 51 of the second display unit 5 is greater than the width of the first display area 42 in the direction in which the first display area 42 and the second display area 51 are aligned, i.e., in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the top surface 2. The second display area 51 may be any area that is wider than the first display area 42, and is not limited to a circle, and may be an ellipse, an oval, a rounded rectangle, a regular polygon, or the like.

[0014] The first display area 42 and the second display area 51 include, for example, liquid crystal display panels, and each display area 42, 51 has a touch sensor that allows touch input. The display panels of the first display area 42 and the second display area 51 are not limited to liquid crystal, and may also be organic EL, mini LED, electronic paper, etc. The third display area 52 has, for example, a light-emitting portion in which multiple LED light-emitting elements are arranged in a ring shape. Because the second display area 51 has a diameter larger than the width of the first display area 42, the top surface 2 of the housing 1 includes, at its other end, a circular portion 201 that is wider than the other portions. The circular portion 201 can have various shapes to match the shape of the second display area 51.

[0015] The bulging portion 11 of the housing 1 has a surface that gently slopes from the outer periphery of the top surface 2, including the circular portion 201, and bulges outward in a dome shape toward the rear surface. The surface of the bulging portion 11 corresponds to the rear surface 101 of the housing 1. The rear surface 101 of the housing 1 includes a first rear surface 102 that has an elongated, approximately semicylindrical surface shape and faces the portion of the top surface 2 where the first display area 42 is located, and a second rear surface 103 that has an approximately hemispherical surface and faces the circular portion 201. The shape of the second rear surface 103 can also be variously shaped to match the shape of the second display area 51 described above. The first rear surface 102 and the second rear surface 103 are gently connected.

[0016] The dedicated shopping basket 20 shown in Fig. 3 has two recesses 26, 27 on the upper surface side of its edge 22, which are shaped to match the shape of the back surface 101 of the housing 1 of the stick terminal 10. When looking at the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20 from the outside, the recess 26 on the left side has a bottom surface shaped to come into surface contact with the first back surface 102 of the housing 1 of the stick terminal 10. The recess 27 on the right side has a bottom surface shaped to come into surface contact with the second back surface 103 of the housing 1. The recesses 26, 27 may also be provided on the other edge portions 23 to 25.

[0017] Since the rear surface 101 of the housing 1 of the stick terminal 10 includes a first rear surface 102 and a second rear surface 103 that have different shapes, the shape of the bottom surface of the recess 26 that comes into surface contact with the first rear surface 102 is different from the shape of the bottom surface of the recess 27 that comes into surface contact with the second rear surface 103. For this reason, when the stick terminal 10 is attached to a dedicated shopping cart 20 as shown in Figure 4, the orientation of the stick terminal 10 is limited to a certain direction.

[0018] Two magnets 31, 32 are located inside the bulging portion 11 of the housing 1 of the stick terminal 10. Meanwhile, magnets 28, 29 (Fig. 5) are also located inside the bottom surfaces of two recesses 26, 27 on the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20, respectively. The magnets 31, 32 of the stick terminal 10 are positioned so that they face the magnets 28, 29 of the shopping basket 20 in a one-to-one relationship. The magnets 31, 32 of the stick terminal 10 are arranged so that their magnetic poles are aligned in the direction that magnetic forces act to attract each other to the opposing magnets 28, 29 of the shopping basket 20.

[0019] When the stick terminal 10 is oriented as shown in Figure 3 and brought close to the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20, the magnets embedded in both are attracted to each other, and the stick terminal 10 fits into two recesses 26, 27 in the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20 as shown in Figure 4. The recesses 26, 27, back surfaces 102, 103, and magnets 28, 29, 31, 32 function as attachment parts that detachably attach the housing 1 of the stick terminal 10 to the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20.

[0020] As described above, when the stick terminal 10 is attached to the shopping basket 20, the display unit 3 on the top surface 2 of the stick terminal 10 faces upward, and the reading unit 7 on the side surface 6 faces the inside of the shopping basket 20. In other words, by attaching the stick terminal 10 to the shopping basket 20, the reading unit 7 automatically faces the inside of the shopping basket 20. When the display unit 3 faces upward, it is easy for shoppers to see, and when the reading unit 7 faces the inside of the shopping basket 20, it can reliably read the purchased items to be placed in the shopping basket 20.

[0021] Furthermore, when the stick terminal 10 is attached to the shopping basket 20 with the magnets 28, 29, 31, and 32, the edge of the opening of the shopper's own bag can be fixed to the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20. In this case, first, the shopper opens the bag and attaches it to the edges 22-25 of the opening 21 of the shopping basket 20, and then fits the stick terminal 10 into the recesses 26 and 27 with part of the bag sandwiched between them. This allows the shopper to open the bag and attach it to the shopping basket 20 with the stick terminal 10 placed inside the bag, and the bag does not interfere with the registration of products.

[0022] The shopping cart 20 also includes light-emitting units 34 arranged in a U-shape on the remaining three edges 23, 24, and 25. The light-emitting units 34 mainly emit light upward toward the edges 23, 24, and 25. As shown in FIG. 5 , the light-emitting units 34 are connected to the battery 65 and the signal output unit 66 of the stick terminal 10 via connectors 67 and 68. The light-emitting units 34 are powered by the battery 65 of the stick terminal 10 attached to the shopping cart 20 and illuminate. Alternatively, the shopping cart 20 may include a battery for illuminating the light-emitting units 34. The light-emitting units 34 illuminate, for example, each time an item added to the shopping cart 20 is registered. This clearly notifies the shopper that the item has been registered. When canceling registration, the light-emitting units 34 may illuminate in a color different from that used when the item was registered, or may illuminate in a different way, such as flashing.

[0023] The shopping basket 20 also includes two handles 36 that are held by the shopper. The handles 36 are sized and shaped so as not to interfere with the stick terminal 10 attached to the shopping basket 20. For example, when the handles 36 are rotated to a position where they overlap the outside of the edges 22, 24 as shown in FIG. 4, the handles 36 and the stick terminal 10 are in a non-contact state. In this state, the top surface 2 of the stick terminal 10 and the top surface of the handles 36 are flush with each other. Note that the top surface 2 of the stick terminal 10 and the top surface of the handles 36 do not necessarily have to be flush with each other, and there may be a step between the top surface 2 of the stick terminal 10 and the top surface of the handles 36. For example, the top surface of the handles 36 can be made to protrude above the top surface 2 of the stick terminal 10, making it easier to hold the handles 36.

[0024] 5, the stick terminal 10 includes a control unit 60 including a processor, a memory 61, a wireless unit 62, a position detection unit 63, a distance sensor 64, a first display unit 4, a second display unit 5, a reading unit 7, and a signal output unit 66. The stick terminal 10 configures a computer by connecting the processor of the control unit 60 and the memory 61 via a system transmission path 69. The system transmission path 69 is a transmission path including an address bus, a data bus, and control signal lines. The stick terminal 10 configures a circuit by connecting the wireless unit 62, the position detection unit 63, the distance sensor 64, the first display unit 4, the second display unit 5, the reading unit 7, and the signal output unit 66 to the system transmission path 69.

[0025] The processor of the control unit 60 corresponds to the central part of the computer. The processor controls each unit to realize various functions of the stick terminal 10 in accordance with an operating system or application programs. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0026] The memory 61 corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer. The memory 61 includes a nonvolatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The nonvolatile memory area of ​​the memory 61 stores an operating system and application programs. The volatile memory area of ​​the memory 61 stores data and the like required for the processor to execute processes for controlling each part. For example, the nonvolatile memory area is ROM (Read Only Memory). The volatile memory area is RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0027] The wireless unit 62 is a circuit for wirelessly communicating with a POS server 70 (FIG. 6) of the product registration system 100 (described later) via a communication network 80. The wireless unit 62 functions as a transmitter that transmits data signals to the POS server 70 using a wireless communication method, and also functions as a receiver that receives data signals transmitted from the POS server 70 using the same method.

[0028] The position detection unit 63 is a circuit for detecting the position of the stick terminal 10. The position detection unit 63 includes various sensors required for position detection. The sensors are, for example, a gyro sensor, a digital compass, an acceleration sensor, etc. Based on the signals from the sensors, the position detection unit 63 appropriately detects the current position of the stick terminal 10 as it moves within the sales floor.

[0029] The distance sensor 64 is a sensor for detecting the distance between the stick terminal 10 and an object to be read, such as a purchased product, within the imaging range of the camera of the reading unit 7. The distance sensor 64 can be provided on the side surface 6 of the housing 1 of the stick terminal 10 where the reading unit 7 is located. The distance sensor 64 is, for example, a reflective optical sensor, and receives light that is emitted from the distance sensor 64 and reflected by the object to be read. The distance sensor 64 measures the distance to the object to be read from the time it takes for the emitted light to receive the light reflected by the object to be read. The distance sensor 64 functions when the stick terminal 10 is removed from the shopping cart 20 and used in handheld mode.

[0030] The first display unit 4 displays the prices and total amount of the purchased items read by the reading unit 7. The first display unit 4 also displays various text information to assist the shopper in their shopping. The first display area 42 of the first display unit 4 has a width that allows it to easily display, for example, one line of numbers or letters.

[0031] The second display area 51 of the second display unit 5 displays images of the purchased product read by the reading unit 7, images of various buttons serving as software keys (for example, a handy mode button), arrows for guiding the shopper, etc. The third display area 52 of the second display unit 5 can also emit light in multiple colors to indicate, for example, a change in the state of the stick terminal 10.

[0032] The reading unit 7 is equipped with a camera for taking pictures of the purchased items placed in the shopping cart 20. The camera is, for example, a CCD camera. The reading unit 7 can read images of the purchased items and can read barcodes included in the images. The reading unit 7 is located approximately in the center of the stick terminal 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0033] The signal output unit 66 outputs a control signal for lighting up the light-emitting unit 34 of the shopping cart 20. When the stick terminal 10 is attached to the shopping cart 20, a connector 67 of the stick terminal 10 and a connector 68 of the shopping cart 20 are connected. When the stick terminal 10 is attached to the shopping cart 20, a power supply line and a signal line are connected between the stick terminal 10 and the shopping cart 20, and the control unit 60 of the stick terminal 10 can supply power to the light-emitting unit 34 and control its lighting.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a product registration system 100. The product registration system 100 includes a plurality of stick terminals 10, a plurality of payment terminals 90, and a POS (Point Of Sales) server 70. The product registration system 100 connects the plurality of stick terminals 10, the plurality of payment terminals 90, and the POS server 70 via a communication network 80 so that they can communicate with each other in both directions. The communication network 80 is typically a wireless local area network (LAN). The communication network 80 may also be a mobile communication network, a mobile phone communication network, or the like. The POS server 70 and the plurality of payment terminals 90 may be connected via a communication network different from the communication network 80.

[0035] The stick terminal 10 is a portable wireless communication terminal powered by a battery 65. The stick terminal 10 is lent to a shopper who visits a store in which the product registration system 100 has been installed, along with a shopping basket 20. The shopper who is the user of the stick terminal 10 carries the shopping basket 20 by hand or places it in a shopping cart and goes around the sales floor where products are displayed. When the shopper finds a product they wish to purchase, they put the product into the shopping basket 20.

[0036] The stick terminal 10 uses the camera of the reader 7 to photograph the purchased items placed in the shopping cart 20. When the purchased items are photographed by the camera, the purchased items are identified from the image. The price and image of the purchased items are then displayed on the display 3 of the stick terminal 10. In this way, when using the stick terminal 10, purchased items can be registered simply by placing them in the shopping cart 20. In contrast, when scanning items using a smartphone camera or scanner as in the past, it was necessary to scan the barcodes of each item one by one, which can be a tedious task for shoppers unfamiliar with self-service POS systems.

[0037] The payment terminal 90 is a terminal for settling commercial transactions with shoppers who use the stick terminal 10. The payment terminal 90 is installed in a checkout area that is separate from the sales floor. After shoppers have finished shopping in the sales floor, they move to the checkout area. The shoppers then settle the commercial transaction by operating the payment terminal 90 themselves to make payment. Payment methods include cash, credit card, electronic money, code payment, etc. The payment terminal 90 may be compatible with any one of the payment methods described above. Furthermore, the payment terminal 90 may be operated by a store clerk rather than by the shopper themselves. Such a payment terminal 90 may also be called a checkout machine, POS terminal, settlement machine, etc.

[0038] The POS server 70 is a server computer installed in the back yard of a store, etc. The POS server 70 collects and aggregates data on commercial transactions settled at the settlement terminal 90, and provides a service for managing store sales, product inventory, etc.

[0039] The POS server 70 includes databases such as a product database 71 and a recommendation database 72. The product database 71 is a collection of product records 76 (FIG. 7) generated for each product sold in the sales floor. The recommendation database 72 is a collection of recommendation records 78 (FIG. 8) generated for each piece of recommendation information. The recommendation information is information recommending products that are likely to attract the interest of shoppers. The recommendation information is provided to shoppers, for example, by being displayed on a signage terminal installed in the sales floor.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the main data structure of a product record 76. As shown in the figure, the product record 76 includes data related to items such as a product code, product name, regular price, discount price, discount conditions, product image, bulk sale code, and the number of items sold. The product code is a unique code assigned to each product to identify each product individually. The product name is the item name of the product (hereinafter referred to as the product) identified by the product code in the same record. The regular price is the price of the product at the regular sale price. The discount price is the price of the product at the discount sale price. The discount conditions are the conditions under which the product is sold at a discount. For example, if the product is a limited-time sale product, the discount conditions are data indicating the time period during which the limited-time sale is available. The product image is an image representing the product. The product image may be an image of the entire product or an image showing only part of the product. The product image is sufficient as long as it allows a customer who views the image to identify the product.

[0041] A bulk sale code is a unique code assigned to each condition of a bulk sale where a discount is granted when two or more items are purchased. For example, a bulk sale condition is that if product A and product B are purchased together, a 10 yen discount will be given on the total price of the two items. Product records for products that are eligible for bulk sales contain a bulk sale code that is uniquely assigned to the condition of the bulk sale to which the product belongs. Product records for products that are not eligible for bulk sales do not contain a bulk sale code. Alternatively, a NULL value is entered as the bulk sale code.

[0042] The settlement score is the number of items of merchandise required to satisfy the conditions for a bulk sale. As mentioned above, if the condition is that if product A and product B are purchased together, a 10 yen discount will be applied to the total price of the two items, then the settlement score for the product records 76 for product A and product B will be entered as "2." Incidentally, the settlement score for the product records of products that are not subject to bulk sale is "0."

[0043] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the main data structure of a recommendation record 78. As shown in the figure, the recommendation record 78 includes data related to items such as a recommendation code, a signage terminal ID, product location data, and the main body of recommendation information. The recommendation code is a unique code assigned to each piece of recommendation information in order to individually identify each type of recommendation information. The signage terminal ID is identification information for the signage terminal that displays the recommendation information identified by the recommendation code of the same record (hereinafter referred to as the recommendation information). In this embodiment, one piece of recommendation information is displayed from one signage terminal.

[0044] The product position data is data that indicates the position of a product shelf or the like where the product recommended by the recommendation information is sold. For example, the product position data is data in which an arbitrary point on the floor of a sales floor is set as the origin (0,0,0) of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, and the numerical values ​​on the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis from the origin to the point where the product is displayed are expressed as three-dimensional coordinates (X,Y,Z).

[0045] The recommendation information body is the content of the recommendation information, which is created by appropriately combining, for example, still images, videos, text, audio, and the like.

[0046] Returning to the explanation of Figure 6. The POS server 70 stores multiple transaction files 73. The transaction file 73 is a data file that is created each time a shopper becomes a user of the stick terminal 10. The transaction file 73 is an area for temporarily storing sales data for each purchased item identified via the stick terminal 10 as data related to a commercial transaction with the shopper who is the user of that stick terminal 10. The data related to the commercial transaction includes the product code, product name, price, discount amount, etc. of each purchased item. The total amount of the commercial transaction, calculated based on the price, discount amount, etc. of each purchased item, is also included in the data related to the commercial transaction.

[0047] The POS server 70 is equipped with an image recognition engine 74. The image recognition engine 74 captures an image captured by the camera of the reader unit 7 of the stick terminal 10 and uses AI technology to recognize the product depicted in the image. Specifically, the image recognition engine 74 analyzes the color, shape, and other characteristics of the product depicted in the image and recognizes the product based on these characteristics. Furthermore, if the product's barcode is depicted in the image, the image recognition engine 74 recognizes the product by analyzing the barcode. In this case, if two or more products are depicted in the image, the image recognition engine 74 can recognize each of the products.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, the stick terminal 10 attached to the edge 22 of the shopping cart 20 can be used to register purchased items to be placed in the shopping cart 20. In this case, the shopper can register the purchased items simply by placing the items in the shopping cart 20, and there is no need to hold the barcode up to a camera.

[0049] 9, when the reading unit 7 reads an item S moving downward through the opening 21 from above the shopping cart 20 toward the inside of the shopping cart 20, the stick terminal 10 can register the item as a purchased item. Furthermore, when an item S in the shopping cart 20 moves upward through the opening 21 and leaves the shopping cart 20, the stick terminal 10 can cancel the registration of the item based on the fact that the reading unit 7 has read the item.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the stick terminal 10 can be attached along the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20, so that the products in the shopping basket 20 are rarely obscured from view by being shaded by the stick terminal 10, and the stick terminal 10 does not get in the way when putting products in or taking them out of the shopping basket 20.

[0051] 4, when attached to the shopping basket 20, the stick terminal 10 has an upper surface 2 that is positioned at approximately the same level as the upper surface of the handle 36 that is rotated outward from the edge 22 and the upper surfaces of the other edges 23, 24, and 25. Therefore, no part of the stick terminal 10 protrudes above the other edges 23, 24, and 25 of the shopping basket 20, the stick terminal 10 does not make it difficult to see the products in the shopping basket 20, and there is almost no risk of the stick terminal 10 hitting products being put in or taken out of the shopping basket 20.

[0052] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even if multiple items are placed in the shopping cart 20 at the same time, all of the items can be read by the reading unit 7. Therefore, the shopper does not need to have each item read one by one, and even if the shopper is unfamiliar with using a self-service POS, the shopper can easily register the items by simply placing them in the shopping cart 20.

[0053] To ensure more reliable product registration, for example, as shown in Fig. 10, the reading unit 7 of the stick terminal 10 may be provided with multiple cameras 701, 702, 703 spaced apart along the side surface 6 of the housing 1. According to this modification, products inserted through the opening 21 of the shopping cart 20 can be read from different angles, allowing for more reliable product identification. Furthermore, by arranging the cameras 701, 703 near the ends of the stick terminal 10, it is possible to reliably read a relatively small product such as a candy even when it is inserted near a corner of the opening 21 of the shopping cart 20.

[0054] The stick terminal 10 of this embodiment can also be used in handheld mode by removing it from the shopping cart 20. For example, when registering a product that is difficult to put in the shopping cart 20, such as a heavy product or a large product, the stick terminal 10 can be removed from the shopping cart 20 and used in handheld mode.

[0055] 11, the reading unit 7 of the stick terminal 10 can read all products Sin and Sout within a certain imaging range H. Ideally, the imaging range H of the reading unit 7 should be set to a size that allows the entire shopping basket 20 to fit within the imaging range when the stick terminal 10 is attached to the shopping basket 20. By setting the imaging range to match the size of the shopping basket 20 in this way, it is possible to prevent the shopper from accidentally reading products that are outside the shopping basket 20 and that the shopper does not intend to purchase, for example, when shopping around while holding the shopping basket 20 in their hand.

[0056] On the other hand, when the stick terminal 10 is removed from the shopping cart 20 and held by the shopper, if the imaging range remains the same size as when the stick terminal 10 is attached to the shopping cart 20, there is a high possibility that other products around the product desired to be purchased will be misread. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the stick terminal 10 is used in handy mode, the distance sensor 64 measures the distances to products Sin and Sout within the imaging range, and the reading of product Sout that is located farther from the stick terminal 10 than the threshold value Th is canceled. That is, in the example of handy mode shown in FIG. 11, only product Sin is registered.

[0057] Methods for switching the stick terminal 10 to handheld mode include automatically switching by removing the stick terminal 10 from the shopping cart 20, switching by pressing the handheld mode button displayed in the second display area 51 of the second display unit 5, switching only while the handheld mode button is pressed, and switching only while a button switch (not shown) provided on the stick terminal 10 is pressed.

[0058] When the method of switching to handheld mode by various button inputs is adopted, it is desirable to disable reading by the reading unit 7 until a button input is made in order to prevent misreading when the stick terminal 10 is removed from the shopping cart 20. The readable range Y in handheld mode can be changed by changing the threshold value Th of the distance sensor 64 in the control unit 60.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 12, the stick terminal 10 can also be attached to a picking cart 300 for use. The picking cart 300 is used in a warehouse where products are stored, and can carry multiple baskets for picking up and placing products in accordance with orders from an online supermarket or the like. In this modified example, a picking cart 300 that can carry four baskets 301, 302, 303, and 304 will be described. A stick terminal 10 is attached to each of the four baskets 301 to 304. The picking cart 300 is equipped with a tablet terminal 310 that can display a list of the product registration statuses of the four stick terminals 10.

[0060] For example, when the stick terminal 10 is attached to a basket 301-304, a list of ordered items is sent from the store server, and the stick terminal 10 displays the name and quantity of the first item on the list via the first display area 42, and displays an arrow pointing to the shelf where the item is stored via the second display area 51. Once the item is added to the basket and registered, the stick terminal 10 displays information about the next item on the list. Once all ordered items on the list have been added to the basket in this way, the stick terminal 10 displays a screen indicating completion of the process.

[0061] The tablet terminal 310 can display a list of information about products registered on the stick terminal 10 attached to each basket. By looking at this list, workers can grasp the progress of work and information about missing products.

[0062] Modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, a product registration terminal 410 according to the first modified example can be attached to any of the edges 22 to 25 of the shopping basket 20 using an adapter 415.

[0063] Product registration terminal 410 has a housing 411 in the shape of a substantially rectangular block, with a display unit 413 on a top surface 412 of housing 411, and a reading unit 7 on a side surface 414 of housing 411. Display unit 413 displays, for example, text information such as the purchase price and quantity of the purchased product read by the camera of reading unit 7, as well as an image of the purchased product. Product registration terminal 410 may be, for example, the stick terminal 10 of the above-described embodiment, and instead of providing recesses 26, 27 in shopping cart 20, an adapter with recesses 26, 27 may be attached to shopping cart 20.

[0064] Adapter 415 can be separated into, for example, two blocks 4151 and 4152. Adapter 415 can be fixed to edge 22 of shopping basket 20 by placing one block 4151 inside edge 22 of shopping basket 20 and placing the other block 4152 outside shopping basket 20 with edge 22 sandwiched between them, and fastening the two together with screws or the like.

[0065] The adapter 415 is provided with a magnet 416 near the top surface of the block 4152. The product registration terminal 410 is provided with a magnet 417 in a position closely facing the magnet 416 of the adapter 415. When the product registration terminal 410 is brought close to the top surface of the adapter 415 attached to the shopping basket 20, the magnets 416 and 417 are magnetically attracted, allowing the product registration terminal 410 to be attached to the top surface of the adapter 415. The adapter 415 and the magnets 416 and 417 function as an attachment part that detachably attaches the product registration terminal 410 to the edge 22 of the shopping basket 20.

[0066] As described above, according to the first modified example, the product registration terminal 410 can be attached to any of the edges 22 to 25 of the shopping basket 20 using the adapter 415, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved. Furthermore, according to the first modified example, the product registration terminal 410 can be attached not only to a dedicated shopping basket 20 having the recesses 26, 27, but also to a general-purpose shopping basket, and can also be attached to a general-purpose picking cart.

[0067] 16, a product registration terminal 420 according to the second modification has a structure that allows it to be attached to a handle hole 430 of the shopping basket 20, rather than to edges 22 to 25 of the shopping basket 20. The product registration terminal 420 has four engagement claws 421, 422, 423, and 424 that can engage with the periphery of the handle hole 430. The four engagement claws 421 to 424 may protrude from a housing 425 of the product registration terminal 420, or may protrude from an adapter that is separate from the product registration terminal 420, as in the first modification.

[0068] The second modified example can also achieve the same effects as the above-described embodiment and first modified example, and can simplify the structure for attaching the product registration terminal 420 to the shopping cart 20.

[0069] Unlike the stick terminal 10 of the above-described embodiment, the product registration terminals 410, 420 of the first and second modified examples do not have asymmetrical shapes at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and therefore there is a possibility that they may be attached to the shopping cart 20 in the wrong orientation. If the product registration terminals 410, 420 are attached in the wrong orientation, the imaging range H of the reading unit 7 will be outside the shopping cart 20, making it impossible to register purchased products. Therefore, when the product registration terminals 410, 420 of the first and second modified examples are attached to the shopping cart 20, the camera of the reading unit 7 takes a picture of the shopping cart 20 to determine whether the product registration terminals 410, 420 are attached in the correct orientation.

[0070] For example, when the product registration terminal 410 of the first modified example is attached to the shopping basket 20, if the imaging range H of the reading unit 7 is facing inward of the shopping basket 20 as shown in Fig. 17, the shopping basket 20 will appear in the captured image as shown in Fig. 18. On the other hand, if an image is captured with the product registration terminal 410 attached in the opposite direction, the shopping basket 20 will not appear in the image.

[0071] When the product registration terminal 410 is attached to the shopping cart 20, the control unit 60 of the product registration terminal 410 captures an image of the imaging range H via the reading unit 7, and if the shopping cart 20 does not appear in the image, displays a warning that the product registration terminal 410 is attached backwards via the display unit 413. This allows the shopper to recognize that the product registration terminal 410 is attached backwards and to correct the attachment direction of the product registration terminal 410.

[0072] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments and modifications may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and 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]

[0073] 1...housing, 2...top surface, 3...display unit, 4...first display unit, 42...first display area, 5...second display unit, 51...second display area, 52...third display area, 6...side, 7...reading unit, 10...stick terminal, 11...bulge portion, 102...first rear surface, 103...second rear surface, 20...shopping cart, 21...opening, 22, 23, 24, 25...edge portion, 26, 27...recess, 28, 29, 31, 32...magnet, 34...light-emitting unit, 60...control unit, 64...distance sensor, 70...POS server, 80...communication network, 90...payment terminal, 100...product registration system, 300...picking cart, 310...tablet terminal, 410, 420...product registration terminal, 413...display unit, 415...adapter, 416, 417...magnet, S, Sin, Sout...product.

Claims

1. a housing that can be extended along the edge of a shopping cart; a display unit provided on the top surface of the housing; a reading unit for reading purchased items, the reading unit being provided on a side surface of the housing facing inward of the shopping basket; A product registration device having the above.

2. a transmitting unit that transmits information about the purchased item read by the reading unit; a receiving unit that receives display information to be displayed on the display unit; The product registration device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. The display unit a first display portion that is elongated along an edge of the shopping basket; a second display unit having a second width greater than a first width in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the first display unit and provided adjacent to one end of the first display unit in the longitudinal direction; The product registration device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

4. a mounting portion for removably mounting the housing to the edge of the shopping basket; The product registration device according to claim 1 .

5. the shopping basket having a recess on the edge thereof that matches the shape of the rear surface of the housing; a magnet for detachably attaching the housing to the recess; The product registration device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

Images