Shopping assistance system and shopping assistance server

Abstract

To provide a recommendation with appropriate contents for each consumer at an appropriate timing.SOLUTION: A shopping assistance system includes a plurality of output devices, acquisition means, and providing means. The acquisition means acquires information that matches a store from a recording medium carried by a consumer, the recording medium recording, in advance, information that accompanies shopping of the consumer at each of a plurality of stores. The providing means determines, based on the information acquired by the acquisition means and the output devices in the store, the contents of recommendation to be provided to the consumer and an output device to output the recommendation, and provides the recommendation to the consumer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a shopping support system and a shopping support server. [Background technology]

[0002] The retail industry is beginning to try to create frictionless stores, from registration to payment. To achieve this, registration is being considered using devices that automatically recognize carts, baskets, or various sensors, and payment is being considered for processing at specific self-checkout machines or payment gates linked to specific payment methods.

[0003] On the other hand, in-store sales promotion has not yet been considered, and it is thought that even in frictionless stores, they will remain limited to uniform recommendations like in mass marketing, as in the past, and will mainly use flyers and advertisements that are beneficial to all consumers who visit the store. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-99869 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a shopping support system and a shopping support server that can provide appropriate recommendations to each individual consumer at the appropriate time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one embodiment, the shopping support system includes a plurality of output devices, an acquisition means, and a provision means. The acquisition means acquires information that matches a plurality of stores from a recording medium owned by the consumer that has pre-recorded therein information incidental to the consumer's shopping at each of the plurality of stores. The provision means determines the content of recommendations to be provided to the consumer and the output device that will output the recommendations based on the information acquired by the acquisition means and the plurality of output devices in the store, and provides the recommendations to the consumer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall system within a store including a shopping support system according to the first embodiment, which includes a shopping support server according to the first embodiment, and a store system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a main circuit configuration of the shopping support server. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of tag information recorded in a tag. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in the linkage item storage unit in the shopping support server of Supermarket A. As shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents stored in the linkage item storage unit in the shopping support server of Store B. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in a record of the visitor linkage information database in the shopping support server of Supermarket A. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in a record of the store visitor linkage information database in the shopping support server of Store B. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of storage items in the information terminal management information storage unit in the shopping support server. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows the first part of a series of sequence diagrams for explaining the shopping support operation in the shopping support system. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 shows the second part of a series of sequence diagrams illustrating the shopping support operation in the shopping support system. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main procedure of information processing executed by a processor of the shopping support server. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating a shopping support operation in the shopping support system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a main procedure of information processing executed by a processor of a shopping support server according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a shopping support system and a shopping support server will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall system within a store, including a shopping support system according to the first embodiment, including a shopping support server according to the first embodiment, and a store system. The store system includes a store server 1, a self-checkout machine 2, an access point 3, an information terminal 4, and a communication server 5. The store server 1, the self-checkout machine 2, the access point 3, and the communication server 5 are connected via a communication network 6, such as a local area network (LAN). While FIG. 1 shows only one self-checkout machine 2 and one access point 3, a store may have multiple of each. Regarding the information terminal 4, FIG. 1 shows a single information terminal 4 moving to the locations of the self-checkout machine 2, the access point 3, and the recommendation output device 9. The information terminal 4 moves with the consumer. A store may have multiple such information terminals 4. The shopping support system is configured by connecting a shopping support server 7, a declaration terminal 8, and a recommendation output device 9 to the communication network 6 in such a store system. A store may have multiple declaration terminals 8 and recommendation output devices 9. The store may also have other cash register terminals such as self-checkouts. The server group including the store server 1, communication server 5, and shopping support server 7 may be built in a cloud environment in addition to being installed in the store.

[0010] The store server 1 supports store operations. To support this, the store server 1 manages a product master database, sales database, membership database, etc. The product master database stores product records that describe product data for each product sold in the store. The product records include product codes, prices, product names, etc. The product codes are product identification codes. The sales database stores sales records that describe sales data for each item, such as product, department, time period, date, week, and month. The sales data includes sales units, sales amounts, etc. The membership database stores membership records that describe membership data for each member. The membership data includes the member ID, name, gender, email address, electronic money identification code, electronic money user ID, etc. of consumers who have become members of the store. The member ID is a code such as a unique membership number assigned to each member to individually identify each member. The electronic money identification code is an identification code for electronic money that has been registered in advance for use by the member identified by the member ID to pay for purchases. The electronic money user ID is an identification code that an electronic money center (electronic money management server) (not shown) uses to identify an electronic money user, and is assigned by the electronic money center. Members own a recording medium on which their member ID is recorded. The recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic card, a contact IC (Integrated Circuit) card, a contactless IC card, a smartphone, etc.

[0011] The communication server 5 supports data communication processing between the store server 1 and an electronic money center that supports payments using electronic money, via an external communication network such as the Internet or a network dedicated to electronic money.

[0012] The information terminal 4 can communicate with the store server 1 by performing a predetermined check-in operation at the store. The predetermined check-in operation includes inputting a member ID. The method of inputting the member ID is not particularly limited, and may include the consumer reading the member ID from a recording medium such as a member card using a scanner or reader provided on the information terminal 4. The recording medium may include a tag TG, which will be described later. The information terminal 4 is an information and communication terminal loaned to the consumer by the store. This information and communication terminal has a scanner for registering purchased items and a display with a width of several lines for confirming the registered contents, and may be, for example, a small, stick-shaped information and communication terminal that can be carried by the consumer. Alternatively, the information terminal 4 may be an information and communication terminal such as a tablet attached to a shopping cart provided as equipment in the store. An application for performing operations related to check-in and product registration is installed on the information terminal 4. The information terminal 4 may also be an information and communication terminal such as a smartphone owned by the consumer. The smartphone is typically owned by the consumer and brought to the store for use by the consumer. An application for performing operations related to check-in and product registration is installed on the smartphone. The information terminal 4 includes a wireless unit and can perform wireless communication with the access point 3. Furthermore, the information terminal 4 may include a short-range wireless communication unit such as NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0013] The access point 3 relays communication between the information terminal 4 and the store server 1 and the shopping support server 7. That is, the information terminal 4 is capable of communicating with the store server 1 and the shopping support server 7 via the access point 3 and the communication network 6.

[0014] The store server 1 acquires information entered by the consumer using the information terminal 4 as a user interface via the access point 3 and the communication network 6, and registers the purchased item. For example, the store server 1 receives a product code indicated by a code symbol such as a product barcode attached to the product read by a scanner equipped in the information terminal 4, acquires the unit price and product name of the product corresponding to the product code from the product master database, and registers the product as the purchased item of the consumer. The registered content may be stored in the store server 1, or may be stored on the information terminal 4 by transmitting it to the information terminal 4 via the communication network 6 and the access point 3.

[0015] The self-checkout machine 2 is installed at the checkout counter of a store and is a payment device through which a consumer using an information terminal 4 settles for purchased items. The consumer can enjoy the benefits of being a member by inputting a membership code into the self-checkout machine 2 from the information terminal 4 at any time before making payment, i.e., settlement, at the self-checkout machine 2. The method of inputting the membership code is not particularly limited; the consumer may read the membership code from the information terminal 4 using a scanner or reader provided in the self-checkout machine 2, or the self-checkout machine 2 may be equipped with a short-range wireless communication function and acquire the membership code via communication with the information terminal 4. The self-checkout machine 2 can also acquire the membership code by acquiring a tag ID for identifying the tag TG (described below) via communication and querying the shopping support server 7, which stores the correspondence between tag IDs and membership codes, via the communication network 6 using the tag ID. The self-checkout machine 2 transmits the membership code to the store server 1 via the communication network 6, receives the registered details of the purchased items from the store server 1, and accepts the consumer's payment. Furthermore, if the information terminal 4 itself holds registered details of the purchased items, the self-checkout machine 2 can communicate with the information terminal 4 to obtain the registered details. After the transaction is completed, the self-checkout machine 2 issues a receipt for the purchased items. This receipt can be printed on receipt paper using a printer, or electronic receipt information can be sent to an electronic receipt server (not shown) via the communication network 6 and communication server 5. After the transaction is completed, the self-checkout machine 2 also sends transaction details to the store server 1 via the communication network 6. The store server 1 can store these transaction details in a sales database. The self-checkout machine 2 can also be referred to as a payment device, settlement terminal, accounting device, accounting terminal, etc.

[0016] In addition, the store system may be equipped with a payment gate linked to a specific payment method, such as electronic money or credit card payment, in addition to or instead of the self-checkout machine 2.

[0017] In the shopping support system according to the first embodiment, a consumer owns a tag TG and carries it with them when visiting a store. The tag TG is an example of a recording medium commonly used by multiple stores managed by different parent companies. In FIG. 1 , similar to the information terminal 4, one tag TG is shown moving to the locations of the self-checkout machine 2, the declaration terminal 8, and the recommendation output device 9. A store may have multiple such tags TG. The tag TG is, for example, a wireless tag known as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag, and can wirelessly transmit its recorded contents. In this embodiment, the tag TG records information associated with purchases made at each of multiple stores registered by the consumer in advance, and can transmit this information together with a tag ID that identifies the tag TG. The tag TG is an example of a recording medium owned by the consumer, on which information associated with purchases made at each of multiple stores is pre-recorded. Details of the information associated with purchases recorded on the tag TG (hereinafter referred to as tag information) will be described later.

[0018] The declaration terminal 8 is placed near the entrance of the store, for example, in a vestibule, and is equipped with a communication unit that communicates with the tag TG to read tag information. The declaration terminal 8 is an example of a reader that reads all tag information from the tag TG, which is a wireless tag carried by a consumer who enters the store. The declaration terminal 8 transmits all of the read tag information to the shopping support server 7 via the communication network 6.

[0019] The recommendation output device 9 is placed at various locations within the store and outputs recommendations transmitted from the shopping support server 7 via the communication network 6. The recommendation output device 9 can be, for example, a display device such as a digital signage or an electronic shelf label (ESL). The recommendation output device 9 may also be a display provided in the self-checkout machine 2 or a display disposed around a bagging station for bagging purchased items. The recommendation output device 9 is an example of a display device disposed at various locations within the store. The recommendation output device 9 may also include a speaker that generates sound. The recommendation output device 9 is also equipped with a wireless unit and can acquire a tag ID transmitted from the tag TG together with tag information and transmit it to the shopping support server 7 via the communication network 6. The recommendation output device 9 can also communicate with the information terminal 4 to acquire an information terminal ID that identifies the information terminal 4 and transmit it to the shopping support server 7 via the communication network 6.

[0020] The shopping support server 7, an example of a shopping support server according to the first embodiment, extracts information matching the store from this tag information. The shopping support server 7 can transmit the extracted information to the store server 1 via the communication network 6. This enables the store server 1 to perform control based on this information. The shopping support server 7 also stores location information for each recommendation output device 9. The shopping support server 7 determines the content of the recommendation and the recommendation output device 9 to be the output destination based on the extracted information and the consumer's location determined from the known location within the store of the recommendation output device 9 that read the tag ID or information terminal ID. The output destination can also be the information terminal 4. The information terminal 4 and the recommendation output device 9 are examples of multiple output devices.

[0021] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the main circuit configuration of the shopping support server 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the shopping support server 7 includes a processor 71, a main memory 72, an auxiliary storage device 73, a communication interface 74, and a system transmission path 75. The system transmission path 75 includes an address bus, a data bus, control signal lines, etc. The system transmission path 75 connects the processor 71 to each of the other components directly or via a signal input / output circuit, and transmits data signals exchanged between them. The processor 71, the main memory 72, and the auxiliary storage device 73 connected via the system transmission path 75 constitute the computer of the shopping support server 7.

[0022] The processor 71 corresponds to the central part of the computer. The processor 71 controls each part to realize various functions of the shopping support server 7 in accordance with an operating system or an application program. The processor 71 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 71 may be, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an SoC (System on a Chip), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Alternatively, the processor 71 may be a combination of two or more of these.

[0023] The main memory 72 corresponds to the main storage portion of the computer. The main memory 72 includes a nonvolatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The main memory 72 stores an operating system or application programs in the nonvolatile memory area. The main memory 72 may store data required for the processor 71 to execute processes for controlling each part in either the nonvolatile or volatile memory area. The main memory 72 uses the volatile memory area as a work area where data is rewritten by the processor 71 as appropriate. The nonvolatile memory area is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory). The volatile memory area is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0024] The auxiliary storage device 73 corresponds to the auxiliary storage portion of the computer. For example, the auxiliary storage device 73 may be an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electric Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disc Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The auxiliary storage device 73 stores data used by the processor 71 when performing various processes, data created by the processes performed by the processor 71, and the like. The auxiliary storage device 73 includes, for example, a linkage item storage unit 731, a store visitor linkage information database 732, an information terminal management information storage unit 733, a history information storage unit 734, and a sales promotion information storage unit 735. The linkage item storage unit 731, the store visitor linkage information database 732, the information terminal management information storage unit 733, the history information storage unit 734, and the sales promotion information storage unit 735 will be described later. In FIG. 2, the database is abbreviated as "DB." The auxiliary storage device 73 may also store the application programs described above.

[0025] The communication interface 74 communicates data in accordance with a preset communication protocol with other devices connected via the communication network 6. The other devices include the store server 1, the self-checkout machine 2, the communication server 5, the declaration terminal 8, and the recommendation output device 9.

[0026] Before describing each unit of the auxiliary storage device 73, the tag information stored in the tag TG will be described. The tag information is registered in advance, that is, before shopping at a store. The tag TG is connected to a smartphone, personal computer, or the like by wire or wirelessly, and the consumer writes information for each store they use via an application or a registration web page (this registration is performed by linking).

[0027] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of tag information recorded in a tag TG. This example shows an example of the registered contents of one consumer. The number of information items included in the tag information is fixed, and the type of information registered in each information item is the same for all consumers. The information items are divided into eight information categories, A to H.

[0028] For example, the information registered in information item "Axxx" of category A is information regarding points issued by stores, and it is predetermined that information item "A001" is points for supermarket A, information item "A002" is points for store B, etc. In the example of Figure 3, since this consumer is a member of supermarket A and store B, supermarket A's member ID "00012345" is registered for supermarket A's points in information item "A001," and store B's member ID "00067890" is registered for store B's points in information item "A002."

[0029] Furthermore, the information registered in information item "Bxxx" of category B is information regarding common points that can be used across multiple stores, and it is predetermined that information item "B001" is common point a, information item "B002" is common point b, information item "B003" is common point c, ... In the example of Figure 3, this consumer is a member of common point a and common point c, but is not a member of common point b, so the member ID "a111111111" for common point a is registered for common point a in information item "B001", and the member ID "c123456789" for common point c is registered for common point c in information item "B003". For common point b in information item "B002", "-" is displayed, indicating that no registration has been made.

[0030] The information registered in the information item "Cxxx" of category C is information related to electronic receipts, and the information item "C001" is predetermined as Electronic Receipt A, ... In the example of Figure 3, since this consumer is a member of Electronic Receipt A, the member ID of Electronic Receipt A, "9900000100060007", is registered as the member ID of Electronic Receipt A in information item "C001".

[0031] The information registered in the information item "Dxxx" of category D is information related to payment methods, and the information item "D001" is predetermined as payment priority, etc. In the example of Figure 3, the consumer wishes to use "XXPay, credit card, cash" in that order, so they are registered in that order in the information item "D001." Note that, although not shown in Figure 3 due to space limitations, a specific member ID is registered after "XXPay," and specific card information such as a card number and expiration date is registered after "credit."

[0032] The information registered in the information item "Exxx" of Category E is predetermined as follows: information item "E001" is customer attribute data, information item "E002" is SNS browsing data, information item "E003" is shared shopping history, information item "E004" is proposal acceptance status, etc. In the example of Figure 3, for the customer attribute data of information item "E001," the consumer's age is registered as "42 years old" and gender is registered as "male," etc., and for the SNS browsing data of information item "E002," "SNSb and SNSc" are registered as linked SNSs and "SNSa" is registered as an unlinked SNS. Although not shown in Figure 3 due to space limitations, account information for linked SNSs is registered. These accounts are basically the consumer's own personal accounts, but do not exclude accounts of others. Furthermore, for the shared shopping history of information item "E003," information indicating whether or not to allow linking of shopping history across stores is set, and the consumer has registered "linking." The shopping history for each store can be referenced using the store's member ID in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool on the store server 1 of each store. The proposal acceptance status of information item "E004" indicates whether or not a previously proposed in-store recommendation has been accepted, with consumers registering "no" acceptance. This information can be useful, for example, for analyzing recommendations in a CRM tool. Furthermore, the proposal acceptance status of information item "E004" can also be used as information on whether or not a recommendation has been accepted in-store.

[0033] The information registered in the information item "Fxxx" of category F is information related to matters for which additional charges are incurred at checkout, and it is predetermined that the information item "F001" is a paid plastic bag, etc. In the example of Figure 3, the consumer uses their own shopping bag, so the paid plastic bag in the information item "F0001" is registered as "not required."

[0034] The information registered in the information item "Gxxx" of category G is information used for payment, and it is predetermined that the information item "G001" is the use of gift certificates, etc. In the example of Figure 3, the consumer will only use the payment methods registered in the payment priority, so the use of gift certificates in the information item "G0001" is registered as "no."

[0035] The information registered in the information item "Hxxx" of category H is information about actions that require action from the consumer at the time of payment, and information item "H001" is predetermined, such as parking use, etc. In the example of Figure 3, the consumer does not use a parking lot, so "no parking" is registered for information item "H0001." If a parking lot is used, a store-specific response is required, such as issuing a parking discount ticket.

[0036] The information in categories A to C described above is an example of first information for obtaining a consumer's purchasing history linked to a member ID. The information in category A is information that differs for each store, while the information in categories B and C is information common to multiple stores. The information in category D is an example of second information related to the priority of payment methods used by consumers. The information in category E is an example of third information related to consumer preferences. The information in categories F to H is information related to labor-saving during checkout at the store, that is, an example of fourth information related to checkout at the store.

[0037] Next, each unit of the auxiliary storage device 73 of the shopping support server 7 will be described.

[0038] The linked item storage unit 731 stores in advance information that matches the store, i.e., information items that should be extracted to be used at the store, from among the tag information recorded in the tag TG as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the stored contents of the linked item storage unit 731 in the shopping support server 7 of Supermarket A, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the stored contents of the linked item storage unit 731 in the shopping support server 7 of Store B. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the linked item storage unit 731 of Supermarket A stores information items "A001," "B003," "C001," "D001," "E001," "E002," "E003," "E004," "F001," "G001," etc. as item numbers to be extracted. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the linked item storage unit 731 of Store B stores information items such as "A002," "B001," "C001," "D001," "E001," "E002," "E001," "E004," "F001," "G001," and "H001" as item numbers to be extracted. For "D001," the system also stores the payment methods available at the store. In other words, at Supermarket A, customers can use zz Wallet in addition to the aforementioned xxPay, credit cards, and cash, while at Store B, they can use credit cards, cash, and points.

[0039] The store visitor association information database 732 stores, for each store visitor who is a consumer who has visited the store, information extracted from the tag information read from the tag TG of the consumer by the declaration terminal 8. Hereinafter, this extracted information will be referred to as store visitor association information. The shopping support server 7 extracts store visitor association information, which is information matching the store, from the read tag information in accordance with the information stored in the association item storage unit 731 and stores the information in the store visitor association information database 732. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the stored contents of a record 7321 in the store visitor association information database 732 in the shopping support server 7 of supermarket A, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the stored contents of a record 7321 in the store visitor association information database 732 in the shopping support server 7 of store B. FIGS. 6 and 7 show what information is extracted from the tag information stored in the tag TG of the same consumer in accordance with the information stored in the association item storage unit 731 and stored in the store visitor association information database 732.

[0040] Specifically, the linked item memory unit 731 of Supermarket A stores information items such as "A001", "B003", "C001", "D001", "E001", "E002", "E003", "E004", "F001", "G001", etc. as item numbers to be extracted, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, the customer linkage information stored as record 7321 in the customer linkage information database 732 of Supermarket A is linked to the tag ID "xxxxxx" read by the declaration terminal 8 together with the tag information, as shown in FIG. 6 , and includes the member ID "00012345" of Supermarket A, which is the registered content of information item "A001", the member ID "c123456789" of common point c, which is the registered content of information item "B003", the member ID "9900000100060007" of the electronic receipt A, which is the registered content of information item "C001", and the member ID " The registered contents of information item "D001" are "XXPay, credit card, cash," the registered contents of information item "E001" are "Age: 42 years old," "Gender: Male," etc., the registered contents of information item "E002" are "Linked: SNSb, SNSc," and "Not Linked: SNSa," the registered contents of information item "E003" are common shopping history "Linked," the registered contents of information item "E004" are proposal acceptance status "None," the registered contents of information item "F0001" are paid plastic bags "Not required," and the registered contents of information item "G0001" are gift certificate usage "None." Note that for information items not stored in the linked item storage unit 731, "-" indicating no use is stored in the customer linked information of record 7321.

[0041] In addition, the linked item storage unit 731 of Store B stores information items such as "A002", "B001", "C001", "D001", "E001", "E002", "E001", "E004", "F001", "G001", and "H001" as item numbers to be extracted, as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, in the record 7321 of the customer cooperation information database 732 of the B store, the following information is linked to the tag ID "xxxxxx" read by the declaration terminal 8 together with the tag information: the member ID "00067890" of the B store, which is the registered content of the information item "A002", the member ID "a111111111" of the common point a, which is the registered content of the information item "B001", the member ID "9900000100060007" of the A electronic receipt, which is the registered content of the information item "C001", and the registered content of the information item "D001": "Credit card, cash on delivery", which is the registered content of the information item "D002". The following customer linkage information is stored: "Gift", "Age: 42 years old", "Gender: Male", etc., which are registered in information item "E001", "Linked: SNSb, SNSc," "Not linked: SNSa", which is registered in information item "E002", "Shared shopping history" which is registered in information item "E003", "Proposal acceptance status" which is registered in information item "E004", "Charged plastic bags" which is registered in information item "F0001", "Gift certificate use" which is registered in information item "G0001", and "Parking use" which is registered in information item "H0001".

[0042] The information terminal management information storage unit 733 stores, for each information terminal 4, information terminal management information indicating the association relationship between the information terminal 4 and the tag TG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of storage items in the information terminal management information storage unit 733 in the shopping support server 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the information terminal management information storage unit 733 stores the member ID and tag ID of the store linked to an information terminal ID, which is information for identifying the information terminal 4. The information terminal ID is identification information uniquely assigned to each information terminal 4. When the shopping support server 7 stores the visitor association information extracted from the tag information in the store visitor association information database 732, the shopping support server 7 stores the tag ID transmitted together with the tag information and the extracted member ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733. When a consumer performs a predetermined check-in operation on the information terminal 4 to register a purchased item, the information terminal 4 transmits its own information terminal ID, along with the tag ID or member ID read from the recording medium, to the shopping support server 7 as check-in information. Based on this check-in information, the shopping support server 7 stores the information terminal ID of the information terminal 4 in the information terminal management information storage unit 733, linking it to the corresponding member ID and tag ID. In other words, it links the information terminal 4 with the tag TG. When a consumer without a tag TG performs a predetermined check-in operation on the information terminal 4, the corresponding member ID is not stored in the information terminal management information storage unit 733. Therefore, the shopping support server 7 links the information terminal ID of the information terminal 4 included in the received check-in information with the member ID and stores them in the information terminal management information storage unit 733. In this case, since the check-in information does not include a tag ID, the corresponding tag ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733 becomes, for example, "Null." In this way, the shopping support server 7 can have the management function of the information terminal 4 in place of the store server 1. Of course, the information terminal management information storage unit 733 may be provided in the store server 1 instead of the shopping support server 7. In this case, the store server 1 can obtain the tag ID by inquiring of the shopping support server 7 for the tag ID corresponding to the member ID at the time of check-in.

[0043] The history information storage unit 734 stores the shopping history of consumers who visit a store. The shopping support server 7 can obtain the shopping history at that store by querying the store server 1 using the member ID. Furthermore, if "linked" is stored as the common shopping history, which is the registered content of information item "E003," in the store visitor linkage information of the consumer stored as record 7321 in the store visitor linkage information database 732, the shopping support server 7 can query the A electronic receipt server via the communication server 5 using, for example, the A electronic receipt member ID, which is the registered content of information item "C001," to obtain the shopping history, including that at other stores.

[0044] The sales promotion information storage unit 735 stores in advance various sales promotion information such as discounts, discounts, campaigns, point increases, etc. Some of the sales promotion information is unique to the store, while other information is provided by product manufacturers, etc.

[0045] The operation of the shopping support system and shopping support server 7 configured as above will be described below.

[0046] 9 and 10 are sequence diagrams illustrating a series of sequences for explaining the shopping support operation in the shopping support system. First, as shown in FIG. 9, when a consumer enters a store, at an entrance to the store such as a vestibule, the consumer operates the declaration terminal 8 to read pre-stored tag information from the personally owned tag TG. This causes the tag information to be transmitted from the tag TG to the declaration terminal 8 (step S1). The declaration terminal 8 transmits all of the received tag information together with the tag ID to the shopping support server 7 (step S2). The shopping support server 7 extracts information that matches its own store from the received tag information (step S3) and stores it as visitor association information in the visitor association information database 732 (step S4). At this time, the shopping support server 7 can store the tag ID transmitted together with the tag information and the extracted member ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733.

[0047] The consumer then checks in on an information terminal 4 used to perform operations related to product registration within the store, for example, on any information terminal 4 prepared for loan to consumers at the store entrance (step S5). This check-in operation can be, for example, an operation to have the information terminal 4 read a tag ID from a tag TG. A consumer who does not own a tag TG can check in by having the information terminal 4 read the store's member ID from a recording medium other than the tag TG, such as a member card. The information terminal 4 transmits its own information terminal ID, along with the read tag ID or member ID, to the shopping support server 7 as check-in information (step S6). Although not specifically shown, the information terminal 4 also transmits the information terminal ID to the store server 1 and transitions to a state in which it can perform operations to register known purchased products.

[0048] The shopping support server 7 associates the information terminal 4 with the tag TG by storing the member ID or tag ID linked to the information terminal ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733 based on the information terminal ID and the tag ID or member ID included in the received check-in information (step S7).The shopping support server 7 also obtains shopping history for its own store from the store server 1, and in some cases shopping history including other stores from an external electronic receipt server, and stores these in the history information storage unit 734 (step S8).

[0049] The shopping support server 7 then determines the recommendation content to be presented to the consumer who has visited the store (step S9). Specifically, the shopping support server 7 generates personalized recommendations for the consumer based on the information in the information items "Axxx" to "Exxx" of record 7321 in the store visitor association information stored for that consumer in the store visitor association information database 732. At this time, the shopping support server 7 can determine the recommendation content based on the shopping history stored in the history information storage unit 734 and the sales promotion information stored in the sales promotion information storage unit 735, and also by using information stored in the store server 1. The specific method for determining the recommendation content is not limited to this, but it can be determined, for example, by AI (Artificial Intelligence).

[0050] Possible recommendation contents include, for example, payment-related recommendations such as "Purchase XX to receive x times the points" or "Pay with xxPay for a 20 yen discount" based on the member rank and points obtainable from the member ID in information items "Axxx" and "Bxxx," the payment priority in information item "D001," sales promotion information, etc. Also possible recommendation contents include menu suggestions based on demographic data in "E001," video viewing history and shopping history related to food on social media in "E002," etc.

[0051] The shopping support server 7 transmits the determined recommendation content to a recommendation output device 9 located near the store entrance and / or to the information terminal 4 if the information terminal 4 has a display (step S10). The recommendation output device 9 and / or the information terminal 4 outputs, for example displays, the recommendation content (step S11).

[0052] The consumer then begins shopping around the store and registers the purchased items using the information terminal 4. During this shopping trip, as shown in FIG. 10 , the consumer causes a recommendation output device 9 located in a location within the store to read tag information from the tag TG, thereby causing the tag information to be transmitted from the tag TG to the recommendation output device 9 (step S12). Alternatively, the consumer causes the recommendation output device 9 to read an information terminal ID from the information terminal 4, thereby causing the information terminal ID to be transmitted from the information terminal 4 to the recommendation output device 9 (step S13). The recommendation output device 9, which has received this tag information or information terminal ID, transmits the tag ID transmitted together with the tag information or the received information terminal ID to the shopping support server 7 (step S14).

[0053] The shopping support server 7 obtains the corresponding consumer's member ID from the information terminal management information storage unit 733 using the received tag ID or information terminal ID, and determines the recommendation content to be presented to the consumer (step S15). When determining the recommendation content, the shopping support server 7 uses the store visitor association information of the record 7321 corresponding to the consumer in the store visitor association information database 732, the shopping history stored in the history information storage unit 734, the sales promotion information stored in the sales promotion information storage unit 735, and information stored in the store server 1, as in step S9 above, as well as the consumer's location information. Since the location of each recommendation output device 9 is known, the shopping support server 7 can identify the consumer's location by identifying the recommendation output device 9 that transmitted the tag ID or information terminal ID. Furthermore, if the information terminal 4 is, for example, a small, stick-shaped information communication terminal or a smartphone terminal owned by the consumer, or if the recommendation output device 9 is an electronic shelf label, the display area will be very limited. Conversely, if the information terminal 4 is an information communication terminal such as a tablet attached to a shopping cart, or if the recommendation output device 9 is a digital signage, the display area may be large and may also be capable of color display. Therefore, when determining the recommendation content, the shopping support server 7 also takes into consideration the display area size of the information terminal 4 or recommendation output device 9 to which the recommendation is to be output.

[0054] Possible recommendation contents include, for example, product recommendations based on the proposal acceptance status of information item "E004," the matching status between the registered information registered using the information terminal 4 and the menu proposal displayed in step S11 (whether the menu proposal was accepted or not), the consumer's current location, point information of information items "Axxx" and "Bxxx," demographic data of information item "E001," food-related video viewing history on social media, shopping history of information item "E002," etc. The recommended products may include products that offer points, discounts, or price cuts, products that are good value for impulse purchases, products that were included in the menu proposal but were forgotten to be purchased, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to suggest additional related products based on the registered information, taking into account the customer's reaction to the product proposal while shopping around the store, etc. The recommendation contents may also include not only the product proposal but also the route to the sales location of the suggested product.

[0055] The shopping support server 7 transmits the determined recommendation content to, for example, the recommendation output device 9 located closest to the location of the consumer who transmitted the tag ID or information terminal ID, and / or to the information terminal 4 used by the consumer, i.e., located closest to the consumer's location (step S16). The recommendation output device 9 and / or the information terminal 4 display the recommendation content (step S17).

[0056] When a consumer makes a transaction at the self-checkout machine 2, the consumer causes the self-checkout machine 2 to read the tag information from the tag TG, thereby causing the tag information to be transmitted from the tag TG to the self-checkout machine 2 (step S18). Alternatively, the consumer causes the self-checkout machine 2 to read the information terminal ID from the information terminal 4, thereby causing the information terminal ID to be transmitted from the information terminal 4 to the self-checkout machine 2 (step S19). Upon receiving this tag information or information terminal ID, the self-checkout machine 2 transmits the tag ID transmitted along with the tag information or the received information terminal ID to the shopping support server 7 (step S20).

[0057] The shopping support server 7 retrieves the corresponding consumer's member ID from the information terminal management information storage unit 733 using the received tag ID or information terminal ID, and retrieves the visitor association information of the record 7321 corresponding to the consumer in the visitor association information database 732—specifically, the information registered in the information items "Axxx," "Bxxx," "Cxxx," "Dxxx," "Fxxx," "Gxxx," and "Hxxx." The shopping support server 7 then transmits this information to the self-checkout machine 2, the sender of the tag ID or information terminal ID (step S21). Although not specifically illustrated, the self-checkout machine 2 processes the transaction based on this information and the registered contents. The self-checkout machine 2 can also notify a store attendant, if necessary.

[0058] The shopping support server 7 also uses the received tag ID or information terminal ID to obtain the corresponding consumer's member ID from the information terminal management information storage unit 733 and determines the recommendation content to present to the consumer (step S22). When determining the recommendation content, the shopping support server 7 can use the visitor association information in the record 7321 corresponding to the consumer in the visitor association information database 732, the shopping history stored in the history information storage unit 734, the sales promotion information stored in the sales promotion information storage unit 735, information stored in the store server 1, and the consumer's location information, as in step S15 above. Since each self-checkout machine 2 is installed at the checkout area, the shopping support server 7 can identify the consumer's location. In this case, the recommendation output device 9 is a display provided on the self-checkout machine 2 or a display placed around the bagging counter for the purchased items.

[0059] Recommendations may include, for example, suggestions for next purchases or forgotten items based on registered information indicating the current purchases and past shopping history, or directions to online supermarkets.

[0060] The shopping support server 7 transmits the determined recommendation content to the recommendation output device 9 located closest to the location of the consumer who transmitted the tag ID or information terminal ID (step S23). The recommendation output device 9 displays the recommendation content (step S24).

[0061] Although not shown, when leaving the store, the consumer performs a checkout operation on the information terminal 4, or the information terminal 4 automatically checks out when the transaction is completed. The consumer then returns the loaned information terminal 4 and leaves the store. In response to this return operation, the shopping support server 7 deletes the record 7321 that stores the store visitor association information of the consumer from the store visitor association information database 732. The tag TG is the consumer's property and is therefore managed by the consumer.

[0062] The operation of the shopping support server 7 to achieve this operation will be described below. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the main steps of information processing executed by the processor 71 of the shopping support server 7. Unless otherwise specified, the processing operation of the processor 71 shown in FIG. 11 transitions from ACTn (n is a natural number) to ACT(n+1). The steps shown in FIG. 11 are just an example. There are no particular limitations on the steps as long as similar results can be obtained.

[0063] In ACT11, the processor 71 determines whether tag information transmitted from the tag TG via the communication network 6 has been received through the communication interface 74. If tag information has been received, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT11 and proceeds to the processing of ACT 15. If tag information has not been received, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT11 and proceeds to the processing of ACT12.

[0064] In ACT12, the processor 71 determines whether check-in information transmitted from the information terminal 4 via the communication network 6 has been received through the communication interface 74. If check-in information has been received, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT12 and proceeds to processing of ACT 18. If check-in information has not been received, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT12 and proceeds to processing of ACT13.

[0065] In ACT13, the processor 71 determines whether or not an information terminal ID transmitted from the information terminal 4 via the communication network 6 has been received through the communication interface 74. If the information terminal ID has been received, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT13 and proceeds to the processing of ACT24. If the information terminal ID has not been received, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT13 and proceeds to the processing of ACT14.

[0066] In ACT14, the processor 71 determines whether or not it has received a tag ID transmitted from the tag TG via the communication network 6 through the communication interface 74. If it has received a tag ID, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT14 and proceeds to processing in ACT24. If it has not received a tag ID, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT14 and proceeds to processing in ACT11.

[0067] In this manner, the processor 71 waits to receive any one of the tag information, check-in information, information terminal ID, and tag ID.

[0068] When the tag information is received, the processor 71 determines in ACT15 whether the store visitor association information database 732 has already stored store visitor association information, which is information incidental to a purchase by the corresponding consumer that matches the store. For example, the processor 71 can determine this by determining whether the information terminal management information storage unit 733 has already stored information terminal management information corresponding to the tag ID included in the received tag information. If the store visitor association information has already been received, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT15 and proceeds to the processing of ACT12. If the store visitor association information has not already been stored, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT15 and proceeds to the processing of ACT16.

[0069] In ACT 16, the processor 71 extracts, from the received tag information, information that matches the store as visitor association information, based on information about which information items should be extracted for use at the store, which information is pre-stored in the association item storage unit 731. Thus, the processor 71 is an example of an acquisition means in the shopping support system for acquiring information that matches the store from a recording medium that pre-records information incidental to the consumer's shopping at each of multiple stores, such as a tag TG, which is a recording medium owned by the consumer. The processor 71 is also an example of an extraction means for extracting information that matches the store from information read from a wireless tag. The processor 71 is also an example of an acquisition means in the shopping support server 7 for acquiring information that matches the store, read from a recording medium that pre-records information incidental to the consumer's shopping at each of multiple stores.

[0070] In ACT17, the processor 71 creates a new record 7321 in the store visitor association information database 732 and stores the extracted store visitor association information therein. At this time, the processor 71 stores the tag ID transmitted together with the tag information and the extracted member ID of the store in the information terminal management information storage unit 733. Thereafter, the processor 71 proceeds to the processing of ACT11.

[0071] Furthermore, upon receiving check-in information, the processor 71, as ACT 18, stores the information terminal management information in the information terminal management information storage unit 733. That is, based on the information terminal ID and the tag ID or member ID included in the received check-in information, the processor 71 stores the member ID or tag ID in association with the information terminal ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733.

[0072] In ACT 19, the processor 71 acquires shopping history information. Specifically, the processor 71 inquires about the shopping history from the store server 1 via the communication interface 74 and the communication network 6, specifying the member ID. Then, the processor 71 acquires the shopping history from its own store, which is returned from the store server 1 via the communication network 6, via the communication interface 74. Furthermore, if the common shopping history for the information item "E003" in the store visitor association information stored in the corresponding record 7321 of the store visitor association information database 732 is set to "associated," the processor 71 requests the communication server 5 via the communication interface 74 and the communication network 6 to inquire about the shopping history, specifying the member ID of the electronic receipt stored as the information item "Cxxx." The communication server 5 inquires about the shopping history from an external electronic receipt server using the member ID of the electronic receipt, acquires the shopping history including the shopping history from other stores, and transmits the acquired shopping history to the shopping support server 7 via the communication network 6. The processor 71 acquires, via the communication interface 74, the shopping history including the shopping history of other stores transmitted from the communication server 5 via the communication network 6.

[0073] In ACT 20, the processor 71 stores the acquired shopping history information in the history information storage unit 734.

[0074] In ACT21, the processor 71 determines the output destination of the recommendation. Normally, check-in information is transmitted from an information terminal 4 prepared near the store entrance. Therefore, the processor 71 determines the output destination to be the recommendation output device 9 arranged near the store entrance, and the information terminal 4 if the information terminal 4 has a display.

[0075] In ACT22, the processor 71 determines the content of recommendations to be presented to the consumer who visits the store.

[0076] In ACT 23, the processor 71 transmits the determined recommendation content to the determined output destination via the communication interface 74 and the communication network 6. At this time, depending on the type of the determined recommendation content, the determined output destination may be either the information terminal 4 or the recommendation output device 9. Alternatively, the determined recommendation content may be processed and transmitted according to the display area size of the determined output destination. Furthermore, since the information terminal 4 can transmit an information terminal ID to the recommendation output device 9 even if it is located at a certain distance compared to the tag TG, it is possible that one recommendation output device 9 receives multiple information terminal IDs and transmits them to the shopping support server 7. In such a case, the processor 71 may determine recommendation content for a consumer corresponding to each information terminal 4 and switch the recommendation content to be transmitted at regular intervals, or the transmission destination may be each information terminal 4 rather than the recommendation output device 9. Alternatively, the recommendation output device 9 that receives the information terminal ID may transmit only one information terminal ID from among multiple information terminal IDs based on a predetermined criterion such as radio wave strength. Also, if the recommendation output device 9 has a large screen such as digital signage, it is possible to display multiple recommended contents side by side, so in such cases, multiple recommended contents may be transmitted. After ACT23, the processor 71 proceeds to the processing of ACT11.

[0077] In addition, when an information terminal ID or a tag ID is received, the processor 71, as ACT24, determines the location of the consumer who has visited the store based on the location information of the self-checkout machine 2 or recommendation output device 9 that sent the ID.

[0078] In ACT25, the processor 71 determines whether the sender is a self-checkout machine 2 located at the checkout counter. If the sender is a self-checkout machine 2 located at the checkout counter, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT25 and proceeds to processing in ACT26. If the sender is not a self-checkout machine 2 located at the checkout counter, that is, if the sender is a recommendation output device 9, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT25 and proceeds to processing in ACT21. In this case, in ACT21, the processor 71 will output the recommendation to the recommendation output device 9 and / or information terminal 4 that is closest to the location of the consumer who sent the tag ID or information terminal ID.

[0079] In ACT26, based on the received tag ID or information terminal ID, the processor 71 transmits the customer association information registered in the information items "Axxx," "Bxxx," "Cxxx," "Dxxx," "Fxxx," "Gxxx," and "Hxxx" from the corresponding consumer's record 7321 in the information terminal management information storage unit 733 via the communication interface 74 and over the communication network 6 to the self-checkout machine 2 that sent the information. The processor 71 then proceeds to processing ACT21. In this case, in ACT21, the processor 71 selects a recommendation output device 9, such as a display provided on the self-checkout machine 2 or a display arranged around a bagging counter, as the output destination of the recommendation.

[0080] In this way, the processor 71 is an example of a provision means in the shopping support system that determines the content of recommendations to be provided to the consumer and the output device that will output the recommendations based on information that matches a store obtained from a recording medium owned by the consumer that has pre-recorded information incidental to the consumer's shopping at each of a plurality of stores and multiple output devices in the store, and provides the recommendations to the consumer.The processor 71 is also an example of a provision means in the shopping support server 7 that determines the content of recommendations to be provided to the consumer and the output device that will output the recommendations based on information that matches a store obtained from a recording medium owned by the consumer that has pre-recorded information incidental to the consumer's shopping at each of a plurality of stores, multiple output devices in the store, and the consumer's location, and provides the recommendations to the consumer.

[0081] As described above, the shopping support system of the first embodiment acquires information that matches a store from a recording medium owned by the consumer, such as a tag TG, which has pre-recorded information related to the consumer's purchases at each of multiple stores, and determines the content of the recommendation to be provided to the consumer and the output device that will output the recommendation based on this acquired information and multiple output devices in the store, such as the information terminal 4 and recommendation output device 9, and provides the recommendation to the consumer. In this way, the shopping support system according to the first embodiment can output appropriate recommendations to consumers at the appropriate time to the appropriate output device in the store by using information that matches the store among the tag information that unifies information incidental to shopping at each of multiple stores and is recorded on a recording medium. In other words, the shopping support system according to the first embodiment can provide appropriate recommendations to each individual consumer at the appropriate time.

[0082] Here, the information accompanying the purchase includes first information for obtaining the consumer's purchasing history, second information regarding the priority of the payment method used by the consumer, third information regarding the consumer's preferences, and fourth information accompanying the transaction at the store. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to provide appropriate recommendations to consumers by utilizing various information.

[0083] The first information includes information that is common to a plurality of stores and information that differs for each store. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, by making an inquiry to an appropriate contact based on information common to multiple stores, it becomes possible to obtain information that the store does not possess, and to make more appropriate recommendations to consumers. Also, by using the first information, second information, and fourth information that differ for each store, consumers can make payments without having to take the time to select any particular operation.

[0084] In addition, the shopping support system according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of output devices, such as display devices arranged in various locations within the store, and the shopping support server 7 determines the content of the recommendation based on the consumer's location, and determines the display device located closest to the consumer's location based on the consumer's location and the known location of the display device within the store as the output device that outputs the recommendation. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to display recommendations on a display device that is most convenient for the consumer to view, that is, it is possible to provide recommendations on a display device that is appropriate for the consumer.

[0085] Alternatively, the shopping support system according to the first embodiment includes a display device, such as an information terminal 4, that moves with the consumer as one of a plurality of output devices, and the shopping support server 7 determines the content of the recommendation based on the location of the consumer and determines the display device that moves with the consumer as the output device that outputs the recommendation. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to display recommendations on a display device that is most convenient for the consumer to view, that is, it is possible to provide recommendations on a display device that is appropriate for the consumer.

[0086] In addition, the shopping support system of the first embodiment includes, as a recording medium, a tag TG, which is a wireless tag carried by a consumer and records tag information, and a reader, such as a declaration terminal 8, that reads all of the tag information from the wireless tag carried by a consumer who enters a store, and the shopping support server 7 extracts information that matches the store from the tag information read by the reader. Therefore, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to acquire information matching the store by using an inexpensive wireless tag.

[0087] In addition, the shopping support server of the first embodiment acquires information that matches the store from a recording medium owned by the consumer, such as a tag TG, which has pre-recorded information related to the consumer's purchases at each of multiple stores, and determines the content of the recommendation to be provided to the consumer and the output device that will output the recommendation based on this acquired information, the locations of multiple output devices within the store, such as the information terminal 4 and recommendation output device 9, and the consumer's location, and provides the recommendation to the consumer. In this way, the shopping support server according to the first embodiment can output appropriate recommendations to consumers at the appropriate time to the appropriate output device in the store by using information that matches the store among the tag information that unifies information incidental to shopping at each of multiple stores and is recorded on a recording medium. In other words, the shopping support server according to the first embodiment can provide appropriate recommendations to each individual consumer at the appropriate time.

[0088] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, the shopping support server 7 extracts customer linkage information, which is information associated with purchases that match the store, from all tag information sent from the tag TG. However, the tag TG may also be equipped with a function to select requested information from the tag information and send it as customer linkage information.

[0089] Hereinafter, a case where such a tag TG is used will be described as a second embodiment. Note that the same configurations and operations as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] In this embodiment, the tag TG is not a wireless tag such as an RFID tag that has only a transmission function, but is configured as an information communication terminal that has a short-range wireless communication unit such as NFC, a control unit that controls the transmission content, and a power source. In this embodiment, the tag TG may be a smartphone carried by a consumer. In this way, the tag TG is an example of an information communication terminal that can record tag information and selectively transmit information from the tag information.

[0091] Fig. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating the shopping support operation in the shopping support system according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 9 in the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, when a consumer enters a store, at an entrance to the store such as a vestibule, the consumer operates the declaration terminal 8 to read pre-stored tag information from the personally owned tag TG. As a result, in this embodiment, the tag TG transmits only the tag ID, not the tag information, to the declaration terminal 8 (step S31). The declaration terminal 8 transmits the received tag ID to the shopping support server 7 (step S32).

[0092] The shopping support server 7 transmits a request to acquire store visitor association information, including information on which information items should be extracted for use in the store, which information items are stored in advance in the association item storage unit 731, to the declaration terminal 8 that transmitted the tag ID (step S33). At this time, the shopping support server 7 can store the received tag ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733.

[0093] The declaration terminal 8 transmits the store visitor association information acquisition request transmitted from the shopping support server 7 to the tag TG that transmitted the tag ID (step S34). The tag TG extracts the requested information from pre-registered tag information according to information contained in the store visitor association information acquisition request, which information item should be extracted for use in the store (step S35). The tag TG then transmits the extracted information to the declaration terminal 8 as store visitor association information (step S36). The declaration terminal 8 transmits the store visitor association information transmitted from the tag TG to the shopping support server 7 (step S37).

[0094] The shopping support server 7 stores the visitor association information extracted from the tag TG transmitted from the declaration terminal 8 in the visitor association information database 732 (step S38). At this time, the shopping support server 7 can store the member ID of the store included in the visitor association information in the information terminal management information storage unit 733 in association with the tag ID already stored.

[0095] The subsequent operation of the check-in operation on the information terminal 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that what is transmitted from the tag TG is not tag information but only the tag ID.

[0096] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the main steps of information processing executed by the processor 71 of the shopping support server 7 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, there is no process ACT11, which determines whether tag information has been received as in the first embodiment. That is, in ACT12, ACT13, and ACT14, the processor 71 waits via the communication interface 74 to receive any of check-in information, an information terminal ID, or a tag ID transmitted from the information terminal 4 via the communication network 6.

[0097] This embodiment does not include the process of determining whether the customer association information has been stored in ACT 15 in the first embodiment. Instead, in this embodiment, if YES is determined in ACT 14, the process proceeds to ACT 31.

[0098] In ACT31, the processor 71 determines whether the received tag ID was from the declaration terminal 8. If the tag ID was received from the declaration terminal 8, the processor 71 determines YES in ACT31 and proceeds to processing in ACT32. If the tag ID was not from the declaration terminal 8, that is, if the tag ID was sent from the self-checkout machine 2 or the recommendation output device 9, the processor 71 determines NO in ACT31 and proceeds to processing in ACT24. Note that, even in the first embodiment, the processing in ACT15 may be changed from determining whether customer association information has been stored to determining whether the received tag information was from the declaration terminal 8.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the process of ACT16 for extracting customer association information from tag information is not performed, and instead, the process of ACT32 and ACT33 is performed.

[0100] As ACT32, the processor 71 transmits a customer association information acquisition request, including information on which information items should be extracted for use in the store, which information items are pre-stored in the association item storage unit 731, to the declaration terminal 8, which is the sender of the tag ID, via the communication interface 74 and over the communication network 6. At this time, the shopping support server 7 stores the received tag ID in the information terminal management information storage unit 733.

[0101] As ACT33, the processor 71 receives the customer association information extracted by the tag TG, which is transmitted from the declaration terminal 8 via the communication network 6 through the communication interface 74. Therefore, the declaration terminal 8 is an example of a communication means for communicating with an information communication terminal carried by a consumer who enters a store, and the processor 71 is an example of an information acquisition means for requesting the information communication terminal to transmit information matching the store via the communication means, and acquiring the matching information from the information communication terminal.

[0102] Thereafter, in ACT 17, the processor 71 creates a new record 7321 in the store visitor association information database 732 and stores the received store visitor association information therein. At this time, the processor 71 stores the member ID of the store included in the store visitor association information in the information terminal management information storage unit 733 in association with the tag ID already stored therein.

[0103] The other processes are as described in the first embodiment.

[0104] As described above, the shopping support system and shopping support server according to the second embodiment can also use information that matches a store among the tag information that unifies information associated with shopping at each of multiple stores and is recorded on a recording medium, to output appropriate recommendations to consumers at the appropriate time on the appropriate output device in the store. In other words, like the first embodiment, the shopping support system and shopping support server according to the second embodiment can provide appropriate recommendations to each individual consumer at the appropriate time.

[0105] In addition, the shopping support system of the second embodiment includes a recording medium that records tag information and an information communication terminal that can selectively transmit information, such as a tag TG, and a communication means that communicates with an information communication terminal carried by a consumer who enters a store, such as a declaration terminal 8, and the shopping support server 7 requests the information communication terminal to transmit information that matches the store via the communication means and obtains the matching information from the information communication terminal. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, even if the tag information recorded on the recording medium is large, only the information necessary for the store can be obtained with a small amount of communication traffic, thereby shortening communication time. This makes it possible to alleviate congestion at the store entrance where the declaration terminal 8 is located, even when a large number of consumers visit the store at the same time, such as when the store opens or at the start of business every day.

[0106] [Other embodiments] Although the embodiments of the shopping support system and the shopping support server 7 have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to these.

[0107] For example, the shopping support server 7 may be provided on the cloud.

[0108] In addition, the consumer's location is determined based on the location of the device that reads the tag ID or information terminal ID, but the consumer's location may also be detected by equipping the tag TG or information terminal 4 that moves with the consumer with a beacon transmission or reception function using Bluetooth (registered trademark), for example.

[0109] Furthermore, although the store visitor linkage information database 732 is configured to store information read from the tag TG of each consumer who visits the store, the read information may be transferred to and stored in an information terminal 4 that travels with the consumer, and the relevant information may be sent from the information terminal 4 to the store server 1 or the shopping support server 7 in response to a request from the store server 1 or the shopping support server 7.

[0110] Furthermore, although the tag TG is configured to record tag information that unifies information pertaining to shopping at each of multiple stores, it is also possible to use tag TGs that record only information pertaining to shopping at one store.

[0111] In addition, instead of using tags TG, tag information that centralizes information associated with shopping at multiple stores can be recorded on the cloud, linked to biometric information such as a consumer's facial image, and the tag information can be obtained from the cloud using facial images captured by a camera installed in the store.

[0112] Furthermore, the flow of the information processing performed by the processor 71 described with reference to the flowchart is an example, and is not limited to this order. For example, the order of ACT21 and ACT22 in the flowchart of Figure 11 may be reversed, or they may be performed in parallel. In this way, the order of the processing may be changed, or multiple processing may be performed in parallel, as long as there is no discrepancy with the preceding or subsequent processing.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the application program executed by the shopping support server may be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Alternatively, the application program may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.

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

[0115] 1...store server, 2...self-checkout machine, 3...access point, 4...information terminal, 5...communication server, 6...communication network, 7...shopping support server, 8...declaration terminal, 9...recommendation output device, 71...processor, 72...main memory, 73...auxiliary storage device, 74...communication interface, 75...system transmission path, 731...linked item storage unit, 732...customer linkage information database, 7321...record, 733...information terminal management information storage unit, 734...history information storage unit, 735...sales promotion information storage unit.

Claims

1. Multiple output devices, an acquisition means for acquiring information corresponding to a store from a recording medium owned by the consumer, the recording medium having information associated with the consumer's purchases at each of the stores recorded in advance; a providing means for determining the content of a recommendation to be provided to the consumer and the output device for outputting the recommendation based on the information acquired by the acquiring means and the plurality of output devices in the store, and providing the recommendation to the consumer; A shopping support system that includes:

2. 2. The shopping support system of claim 1, wherein the information accompanying the purchase includes first information for obtaining the consumer's purchasing history, second information regarding the priority of the payment method used by the consumer, third information regarding the consumer's preferences, and fourth information accompanying the transaction at the store.

3. The shopping support system according to claim 2 , wherein the first information includes information common to the plurality of stores and information different for each store.

4. the plurality of output devices include display devices arranged at various locations within the store; A shopping support system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the providing means determines the content of the recommendation based on the location of the consumer, and determines the display device located closest to the consumer's location based on the location of the consumer and the known location of the display device within the store as the output device that outputs the recommendation.

5. one of the plurality of output devices includes a display device that moves with the consumer; A shopping support system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the providing means determines the content of the recommendation based on the location of the consumer and determines the display device moving with the consumer as the output device that outputs the recommendation.

6. The shopping support system further includes, as the recording medium, a wireless tag that stores the information and is carried by the consumer; The acquisition means a reader that reads all of the information from the wireless tag carried by the consumer who enters the store; an extraction means for extracting information that matches the store from the read information; 4. The shopping support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

7. the shopping support system further includes an information communication terminal as the recording medium, which is capable of recording the information and selectively transmitting the information; The acquisition means a communication means for communicating with the information communication terminal carried by the consumer who enters the store; an information acquisition means for requesting the information communication terminal to transmit information matching the store via the communication means and acquiring the matching information from the information communication terminal; 4. The shopping support system according to claim 1, further comprising:

8. an acquisition means for acquiring information by reading information corresponding to a store from a recording medium owned by the consumer, the recording medium having information associated with the consumer's purchases at each of the multiple stores recorded in advance; a providing means for determining the content of a recommendation to be provided to the consumer and the output device that outputs the recommendation based on the information acquired by the acquiring means, a plurality of output devices in the store, and the location of the consumer, and providing the recommendation to the consumer; A shopping support server comprising:

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