Generation device and method

Abstract

To provide a generation device and a generation method for shelf allocation patterns capable of appropriately changing placement of each product.SOLUTION: A generation device 20 includes an acquisition unit 21 that acquires, for each product, unique constraint conditions related to shelf allocation, a determination unit 22 that determines a placement change mode of each product in a new shelf allocation based on the constraint conditions, a generation unit 23 that generates a shelf allocation pattern based on the placement change modes of the respective products, and an output unit 24 that outputs the shelf allocation pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a generating device and a generating method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for determining shelf layout patterns in consideration of product purchasing information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-278997 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, there has been a demand for generating a planogram that appropriately changes the arrangement of products when, for example, product overflow occurs.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and aims to provide a shelf layout pattern generation device and generation method that can appropriately change the arrangement of each product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A generation device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires unique constraint conditions related to shelf layout for each product, a determination unit that determines the arrangement change pattern for each product in a new shelf layout based on the constraint conditions, a generation unit that generates a shelf layout pattern based on the arrangement change pattern for each product, and an output unit that outputs the shelf layout pattern.

[0007] In the generation device of the present disclosure, a new planogram pattern is generated by determining a layout change mode in a new planogram according to the unique constraints of each product. With this configuration, for example, when product overflow occurs and product layout changes (such as moving) are necessary, the layout change mode for each product is determined taking into account the unique constraints of each product. Therefore, the layout change mode can be determined according to each individual situation, such as a product for which securing the number of faces is a top priority or a product for which little movement is desired. As described above, the generation device of the present disclosure can generate a planogram pattern that allows appropriate layout changes for each product. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a shelf planogram generation device and a generation method that appropriately moves each product when product overflow occurs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the device configuration of a shelving planogram generation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a change in the layout of existing C-rank products. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a change in the layout of existing B-rank products. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a change in the layout of new products. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a change in the layout of existing A-rank products. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the generating device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the procedure of the determination process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration of the generating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing the device configuration of a shelving planogram generation system 1 according to this embodiment. The shelving planogram generation system 1 includes a generation device 20, a shelving planogram performance database 30, and a sales performance database 40.

[0012] The generation device 20 is an information processing device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. A user of the generation device 20 is, for example, a sales representative working for a manufacturer that produces products sold in retail stores. The workplace of the user of the generation device 20 may be, for example, a beverage manufacturer that produces beverages such as soft drinks or alcoholic beverages. In this embodiment, an example in which the product is a beverage will be described, but the product is not limited to this, and may also be food, daily necessities, or the like.

[0013] An example of a sales activity by a user of the generation device 20 is the proposal of a shelf planogram for the company's products. The generation device 20 is a device for supporting users in proposing shelf planograms. A shelf planogram is the arrangement order of products displayed on each of multiple shelves arranged in a store such as a retail shop, and the ratio of the space allocated to each product. The generation device 20 generates a shelf planogram in response to instructions (input) from the user. In this embodiment, the generation device 20 is described as generating a new shelf planogram to change the arrangement of products when product overflow occurs. Product overflow refers to a state in which the display space on a certain shelf is full of products. Product overflow can occur, for example, when a new product that was not previously displayed on the shelf is added.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the generating device 20 includes an acquiring unit 21, a determining unit 22, a generating unit 23, and an output unit 24.

[0015] The acquisition unit 21 acquires unique constraint conditions related to shelf allocation for each product. The acquisition unit 21 starts acquiring constraint conditions for each product in response to a user instruction (input). The user issues an instruction for acquisition when it becomes necessary to generate a new shelf allocation pattern, in this case, when an overflow of products occurs due to the addition of a new product.

[0016] The acquisition unit 21 acquires information related to the priority order among each product as a constraint condition. The acquisition unit 21 acquires information related to the sales of each product as the information related to the priority order. The acquisition unit 21 acquires the information related to the sales of each product from the sales record database 40. The sales record database 40 stores information that allows the sales of each product to be calculated, and for example, stores the sales quantity of the product indicated by the product identification information during the period indicated by the institution identification information, in association with period identification information and product identification information. Once the sales quantity is known in this way, the sales can be calculated by multiplying the sales quantity by the unit price. The sales quantity of each product stored in the sales record database 40 may be the sales quantity at the store to which the shelf planogram is proposed, or may be the sales quantity at another store.

[0017] The acquisition unit 21 may acquire, as information related to priority, information indicating whether each product is a new product or not. The acquisition unit 21 may identify products that have recently been put on the market as new products and other products as existing products, for example, by referring to information in the sales performance database 40. The acquisition unit 21 may also acquire information indicating new products from another database (not shown).

[0018] The acquisition unit 21 may further acquire, as constraints, shelf allocation information including information indicating the state of each shelf in the current shelf allocation and the products displayed on each shelf. The state of each shelf may be, for example, information indicating the presence or absence of space (space available for displaying products) on each shelf and the size of the space. The information indicating the products displayed on each shelf may be, for example, product identification information and the number of faces (number of rows) of the products displayed on each shelf. The acquisition unit 21 acquires shelf allocation information from the shelf allocation history database 30. The shelf allocation history database 30 stores shelf allocation patterns that have been generated and output in the past. As described above, the shelf allocation pattern specifies the arrangement order of the products displayed on each of the multiple shelves, the ratio of the space sizes allocated to each product, etc., and specifies at least information equivalent to the shelf allocation information described above.

[0019] The determination unit 22 determines the arrangement change mode of each product in the new shelf planogram based on the constraint conditions acquired by the acquisition unit 21. The arrangement change mode is a specific mode of changing the arrangement of products to eliminate product overflow due to the addition of new products. The arrangement change mode may be, for example, any of moving, deleting, or face-down. Moving refers to moving a product to another shelf. Deleting refers to moving a product from a shelf to a temporary storage area and removing it from the display area. Face-down refers to reducing the number of faces.

[0020] The determination unit 22 may determine the arrangement change mode for each product so that products with lower priority are given priority in the arrangement change. As described above, the information related to the priority acquired by the acquisition unit 21 includes information related to the sales of each product and information indicating whether each product is a new product. The determination unit 22 first determines the priority of each product from this information. Assume that there are three types of existing products and one type of new product. In this case, assume that the existing products are classified into A rank, B rank, and C rank in descending order of sales. For example, the determination unit 22 may prioritize the A rank existing product with the highest sales, the new product, the B rank existing product with the next highest sales, and the C rank existing product with the lowest sales. An example in which the priorities are determined in this manner will be described below.

[0021] When an existing C-rank product with the lowest priority exists on a shelf where overflowing products are occurring, the determination unit 22 first considers changing the placement of the existing C-rank product. The determination unit 22 first considers whether the existing C-rank product with the lowest priority can be moved, and if this is difficult, considers deleting it. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating changing the placement of existing C-rank products. For an existing C-rank product determined to be moved based on priority, the determination unit 22 may determine a shelf that satisfies the following three conditions as the destination. That is, the determination unit 22 may determine a shelf that satisfies the following three conditions: I. a shelf above, below, left, or right of the source shelf; II. a shelf that has products in the same category as the product to be moved (existing C-rank product); and III. a shelf that has enough display space (blank space) to move the product. Here, the category may be, for example, a major category (e.g., a major category such as soft drinks, dairy products, alcohol, etc.) assuming that the product is a beverage, or preferably a more detailed subcategory (e.g., a subcategory such as mineral water, carbonated drinks, coffee drinks, etc., within the major category of soft drinks). In this way, by selecting the shelves to which the item is to be moved as being shelves above, below, left, or right, and which share the same category (subdivision), it is possible to avoid disrupting the zoning in the shelf layout.

[0022] If multiple shelves are found that meet the above three conditions (if there are multiple candidate shelves for the destination), the determination unit 22 may determine the shelf with the largest display space (margin) based on the shelf allocation information as the destination.

[0023] When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the existing C-rank product (when there is no shelf that satisfies the above three conditions), the determination unit 22 may delete the existing C-rank product (move it to a temporary storage area). In this way, by immediately deleting the existing C-rank product with low priority, it becomes easier to leave the high-priority product on the shelf.

[0024] 3, when there are no existing C-rank products on a shelf where product overflow has occurred and there are existing B-rank products with the next lowest priority after the existing C-rank products, the determination unit 22 considers changing the placement of the existing B-rank products. For existing B-rank products, the determination unit 22 first considers placing them face down, and then considers moving or deleting them.

[0025] If the number of faces of a B-rank existing product is two or more, the decision unit 22 decides to perform face-down. By performing face-down in this manner, it is possible to eliminate overflow and maintain the number of SKUs. If the overflow of products is not eliminated even by face-down, the decision unit 22 considers moving the B-rank existing product. The process for moving is the same as the process for moving the C-rank existing product described above.

[0026] When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the B-rank existing product, it may determine a shelf on which C-rank existing products, which have a lower priority than the B-rank existing product, are displayed as an alternative destination. In particular, the determination unit 22 may determine a shelf on which there are products in the same category (subcategory) as the product to be moved (B-rank existing product) and on which C-rank existing products are displayed as an alternative destination. By determining an alternative destination in this way and moving the C-rank existing product in the direction of the C-rank existing product, it is possible to indirectly delete the C-rank existing product from another shelf. When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the B-rank existing product, it may delete the B-rank existing product (move it to a temporary storage area).

[0027] 4, when there are no existing C-rank products or B-rank products on a shelf where products are overflowing, and there is a new product with the next lowest priority after the existing B-rank products, the determination unit 22 considers changing the placement of the new product. For the new product, the determination unit 22 first considers placing it face down, and then considers moving or deleting it.

[0028] If the number of faces of the new product is two or more, the decision unit 22 decides to perform face-down. By performing face-down in this manner, it is possible to eliminate overflow and maintain the number of SKUs. If the overflow of products is not eliminated even by face-down, the decision unit 22 considers moving the new product. The process for moving is the same as the process for moving existing C-rank products and existing B-rank products described above.

[0029] When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the new product, it may determine, as an alternative destination, a shelf on which existing C-rank products or existing B-rank products, which have a lower priority than the new product, are displayed. In this case, the shelf on which existing C-rank products are displayed is determined as an alternative destination with priority over the shelf on which existing B-rank products are displayed. In detail, the determination unit 22 may determine, as an alternative destination, a shelf on which products of the same category (subcategory) as the product to be moved (new product) are displayed and on which existing C-rank products or existing B-rank products are displayed. By determining an alternative destination in this way and moving the product in the direction of the existing C-rank products or existing B-rank products, it is possible to indirectly delete the existing C-rank products or existing B-rank products from other shelves. When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the new product, it may delete the new product (move it to a temporary storage area).

[0030] As shown in Fig. 5, when only existing A-rank products, which have the highest priority, are present on a shelf where product overflow has occurred, the determination unit 22 considers changing the placement of the existing A-rank products. For existing A-rank products, the determination unit 22 first considers placing them face down, and then considers moving or deleting them.

[0031] The decision unit 22 decides to perform face-down if the number of faces of an existing A-rank product is two or more. By performing face-down in this manner, it is possible to eliminate overflow and maintain the number of SKUs. If the overflow of products is not eliminated even by face-down, the decision unit 22 considers moving the existing A-rank product. The process for moving is the same as the process for moving existing C-rank products, existing B-rank products, and new products described above.

[0032] When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the A-rank existing product, it may determine a shelf on which C-rank existing products, B-rank existing products, or new products, which have a lower priority than the A-rank existing product, are displayed as an alternative destination. In this case, the shelf on which the C-rank existing product is displayed is determined as the alternative destination with priority given to the shelf on which the B-rank existing product is displayed, followed by the shelf on which the new product is displayed. Specifically, the determination unit 22 may determine a shelf on which products of the same category (subcategory) as the product to be moved (the A-rank existing product) are displayed and on which the C-rank existing product, B-rank existing product, or new product is displayed as an alternative destination. By determining an alternative destination in this way and moving the product in the direction of the C-rank existing product, B-rank existing product, or new product, it is possible to indirectly delete the C-rank existing product, B-rank existing product, or new product from another shelf. When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for the A-rank existing product, it may delete the A-rank existing product (move it to a temporary storage area). When the overflow of products is resolved by deleting the existing A-rank products, the decision unit 22 may decide to cancel the face-down of the existing A-rank products that has already been implemented (returning them to the state before the face-down), or may decide to cancel the face-down of the new products that has already been implemented, taking into consideration the availability of display space. In this way, by ensuring that the number of faces and the number of SKUs are maintained while preventing overflow of products, it is possible to avoid large gaps (display space) on the shelves. Note that the existing A-rank products may be moved to other shelves so that they remain as display targets (are not deleted).

[0033] The generating unit 23 generates a new shelf planogram based on the arrangement change mode of each product (for example, existing products ranked A to C and new products) determined by the determining unit 22.

[0034] The output unit 24 outputs the new shelving planogram pattern generated by the generation unit 23. The shelving planogram pattern output by the output unit 24 is visually recognized by a user. In addition, the shelving planogram pattern output by the output unit 24 is stored in the shelving planogram record database 30.

[0035] Next, the processing executed by the generating device 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the generating device 20.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, first, the generation device 20 acquires unique constraint conditions related to shelf allocation for each product in response to a user instruction when products overflow (step S1, acquisition process).

[0037] Next, the generation device 20 determines how to change the arrangement of each product in the new planogram based on the acquired constraints (step S2, determination process).

[0038] Next, the generation device 20 generates a new planogram based on the determined arrangement change mode for each product (step S3, generation process).

[0039] Finally, the generating device 20 outputs the generated shelf planogram pattern (step S4, output processing).

[0040] Next, the detailed procedure of the above-mentioned determination process will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an example of the determination process. Now, assume that the order of priority is A-rank existing products, new products, B-rank existing products, and C-rank existing products.

[0041] First, if there is an existing C-rank product with the lowest priority on a shelf where overflowing products are occurring, the system first considers moving the existing C-rank product (step S11). If moving the existing C-rank product is difficult, the existing C-rank product is deleted (step S12).

[0042] If the overflow of products has not been resolved, there are no existing C-rank products, and there are existing B-rank products with the next lowest priority after the existing C-rank products, the existing B-rank products are first face-down (step S13).If the overflow of products has not been resolved, then new products are face-down (step S14).

[0043] If the overflow of products has not been resolved, existing B-rank products are moved (step S15) and deleted (step S16). If the overflow of products has not yet been resolved, new products are moved (step S17) and deleted (step S18).

[0044] If the overflow of products has not been resolved, the highest priority A-rank existing products are then face-down (step S19), moved (step S20), and deleted (step S21).If the overflow of products has been resolved by the processing up to this point, the face-down of the A-rank existing products is first canceled (step S22), and then the face-down of the new products is canceled (step S23).

[0045] Next, the effects of the generating device 20 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0046] The generation device 20 includes an acquisition unit 21 that acquires unique constraint conditions related to shelf layout for each product, a determination unit 22 that determines the arrangement change pattern for each product in the new shelf layout based on the constraint conditions, a generation unit 23 that generates a shelf layout pattern based on the arrangement change pattern for each product, and an output unit 24 that outputs the shelf layout pattern.

[0047] In the generation device 20 according to this embodiment, a new planogram pattern is generated by determining a layout change mode in a new planogram according to the constraint conditions specific to each product. With this configuration, for example, when a product overflow occurs and a change in product layout (such as moving) is required, the layout change mode for each product is determined taking into consideration the constraint conditions specific to each product. Therefore, the layout change mode can be determined according to each individual situation, such as a product for which securing the number of faces is a top priority or a product for which little movement is desired. As described above, the generation device 20 according to this embodiment can generate a planogram pattern that allows appropriate changes in the layout of each product.

[0048] The arrangement change may be any of the following: moving, deleting, or turning face down. With this configuration, the arrangement of the products can be changed appropriately depending on the situation.

[0049] The acquisition unit 21 may acquire information relating to the priority order among the products as a constraint condition, and the determination unit 22 may determine the arrangement change mode for each product so that products with lower priority are given priority in the arrangement change. With this configuration, products with lower priority are more likely to be moved or deleted, and as a result, it is possible to suppress the movement or deletion of products with higher priority.

[0050] The acquiring unit 21 may acquire information related to the sales of each product as the information related to the priority order. With this configuration, the priority order can be determined according to the sales (sales performance) of the product, and it is possible to prevent the moving or deletion of products with high sales.

[0051] The acquiring unit 21 may acquire, as the information relating to priority, information indicating whether each product is a new product. With this configuration, for example, the priority of new products can be increased, thereby suppressing the movement, deletion, etc. of new products.

[0052] The acquisition unit 21 may further acquire, as constraint conditions, shelf allocation information including information indicating the status of each shelf in the current shelf allocation and the products displayed on each shelf, and the determination unit 22 may determine, for a product determined to be moved based on priority, a shelf adjacent to the current shelf in the vertical and horizontal directions, which has products of the same category as the product and has space to display the product, as the destination. This configuration allows for zoning with products of the same category, allowing for rearrangement in a manner that makes shopping easier for users. Furthermore, by minimizing the distance the product must be moved, the store's operational costs can be reduced.

[0053] When there are multiple candidate shelves for the destination, the determination unit 22 may determine the shelf with the largest display space as the destination, thereby making it possible to effectively utilize available space and appropriately display products.

[0054] When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for a product that has been determined to be moved, the determination unit 22 may determine to delete the product. With this configuration, when it is difficult to move the product, the product is deleted, and the overflow of products can be appropriately resolved.

[0055] When the determination unit 22 cannot find a destination for a product that has been decided to be moved, it may determine a shelf on which products with lower priority than the product are displayed as an alternative destination, thereby making it possible to avoid deleting products with higher priority.

[0056] The generating device and generating method of the present disclosure have the following configuration.

[0057] [1] an acquisition unit that acquires unique constraints related to shelf allocation for each product; a determination unit that determines a change in the arrangement of each product in the new shelf plan based on the constraints; a generation unit that generates a shelf planogram based on the arrangement change mode of each product; an output unit that outputs the shelf planogram pattern.

[0058] [2] The generating device according to [1], wherein the arrangement change manner is one of movement, deletion, or face-down.

[0059] [3] the acquisition unit acquires, as the constraint condition, information relating to the priority order among the products; The generation device according to [1] or [2], wherein the determination unit determines the arrangement change manner for each product so that products with lower priority are given priority in the arrangement change.

[0060] [4] The generation device according to [3], wherein the acquisition unit acquires information relating to sales of each product as information relating to the priority order.

[0061] [5] The generation device according to [3] or [4], wherein the acquisition unit acquires information indicating whether each product is a new product as the information related to the priority order.

[0062] [6] the acquisition unit further acquires, as the constraint condition, shelf layout information including information indicating the state of each shelf in the current shelf layout and the products displayed on each shelf; The generation device according to any one of claims [3] to [5], wherein the determination unit determines, for a product determined to be moved based on the priority, the shelf adjacent to the shelf on which the product is currently displayed, above, below, left, or right, which has products of the same category as the product and has space to display the product, as the destination.

[0063] [7] The generation device according to [6], wherein when there are multiple candidate shelves for the destination, the determination unit determines the shelf with the largest display space as the destination.

[0064] [8] The generation device according to [6] or [7], wherein the decision unit decides to delete the product if the destination of the product decided to be moved cannot be found.

[0065] [9] The generation device described in any one of [6] to [8], wherein, when the destination of the product decided to be moved cannot be found, the determination unit determines a shelf displaying products with a lower priority than the product to be moved as an alternative destination.

[0066]

[10] A generation method performed by a generation device, Acquiring unique constraints related to shelf allocation for each product; determining a change in the arrangement of each product in the new planogram based on the constraints; generating a shelf planogram based on the arrangement change pattern of each of the products; and outputting the shelving pattern.

[0067] The block diagrams used to explain the above embodiments show functional blocks. These functional blocks (components) are realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are connected directly or indirectly (for example, by wire, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. The functional block may also be realized by combining the single device or multiple devices with software.

[0068] Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, determination, judgment, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, resolution, selection, election, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, consideration, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocation, mapping, and assignment. For example, a functional block (component) that performs transmission is called a transmitting unit or transmitter. As mentioned above, there are no particular limitations on how these functions are implemented.

[0069] For example, the generating device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may function as a computer that performs processing of the control method of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the generating device 20 according to this embodiment. The generating device 20 described above may be physically configured as a computer including a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication device 1004, an input device 1005, an output device 1006, a bus 1007, and the like. Note that the generating device 20 may be configured as a computer including at least one processor such as a CPU or a GPU, or may be configured as a computer including multiple processors, or may be configured to include multiple computer devices.

[0070] In the following description, the term "apparatus" can be interpreted as a circuit, a device, a unit, etc. The hardware configuration of the generation apparatus 20 may be configured to include one or more of the apparatuses shown in the drawings, or may be configured to exclude some of the apparatuses.

[0071] Each function in the generating device 20 is realized by loading predetermined software (programs) onto hardware such as the processor 1001 and memory 1002, causing the processor 1001 to perform calculations, control communication via the communication device 1004, and control at least one of reading and writing data in the memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0072] The processor 1001 controls the entire computer by running, for example, an operating system. The processor 1001 may be configured by a central processing unit (CPU) including an interface with peripheral devices, a control device, an arithmetic unit, a register, etc. For example, the above-mentioned acquisition unit 21, determination unit 22, generation unit 23, output unit 24, etc. may be realized by the processor 1001.

[0073] The processor 1001 also loads programs (program codes), software modules, data, etc. from at least one of the storage 1003 and the communication device 1004 into the memory 1002 and executes various processes in accordance with the programs. The programs used are those that cause a computer to execute at least some of the operations described in the above-described embodiments. For example, the acquisition unit 21, the determination unit 22, the generation unit 23, and the output unit 24 may be implemented by a control program stored in the memory 1002 and running on the processor 1001, and similar implementations may be made for other functional blocks. While the above-described various processes have been described as being executed by one processor 1001, they may also be executed simultaneously or sequentially by two or more processors 1001. The processor 1001 may be implemented by one or more chips. The programs may also be transmitted from a network via a telecommunications line.

[0074] The memory 1002 is a computer-readable recording medium and may be configured, for example, by at least one of a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc. The memory 1002 may also be called a register, a cache, a main memory (primary storage device), etc. The memory 1002 can store executable programs (program codes), software modules, etc. for implementing a control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] Storage 1003 is a computer-readable recording medium, and may be, for example, at least one of an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc ROM), a hard disk drive, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray disc), a smart card, a flash memory (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a floppy disk, a magnetic strip, etc. Storage 1003 may also be referred to as an auxiliary storage device. The above-mentioned storage medium may be, for example, a database, a server, or other appropriate medium including at least one of memory 1002 and storage 1003.

[0076] The communication device 1004 is hardware (transmission / reception device) for communicating between computers via at least one of a wired network and a wireless network, and is also referred to as, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 1004 may be configured to include a high-frequency switch, a duplexer, a filter, a frequency synthesizer, etc. to realize at least one of frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). For example, the above-mentioned acquisition unit 21, output unit 24, etc. may be realized by the communication device 1004.

[0077] The input device 1005 is an input device (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, a sensor, etc.) that receives input from the outside. The output device 1006 is an output device (for example, a display, a speaker, an LED lamp, etc.) that outputs to the outside. The input device 1005 and the output device 1006 may be integrated into one device (for example, a touch panel).

[0078] Furthermore, each device, such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, is connected by a bus 1007 for communicating information. The bus 1007 may be configured using a single bus, or may be configured using different buses between each device.

[0079] Furthermore, the generating device 20 may be configured to include hardware such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and some or all of the functional blocks may be realized by the hardware. For example, the processor 1001 may be implemented using at least one of these pieces of hardware.

[0080] The notification of information is not limited to the aspects / embodiments described in the present disclosure and may be performed using other methods. For example, the notification of information may be performed by physical layer signaling (e.g., Downlink Control Information (DCI), Uplink Control Information (UCI)), higher layer signaling (e.g., Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling, broadcast information (Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB))), other signals, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, and may be, for example, an RRC Connection Setup message, an RRC Connection Reconfiguration message, or the like.

[0081] The order of the procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. of each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be changed unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0082] Input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be sent to another device.

[0083] The determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a numerical comparison (e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0084] Each aspect / embodiment described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Furthermore, notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to being done explicitly, but may be done implicitly (e.g., by not notifying the predetermined information).

[0085] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0086] Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0087] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0088] The information, signals, etc. described in this disclosure may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0089] Note that terms explained in this disclosure and terms necessary for understanding this disclosure may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings. For example, at least one of a channel and a symbol may be a signal (signaling). Furthermore, a signal may be a message. Furthermore, a component carrier (CC) may be called a carrier frequency, a cell, a frequency carrier, etc.

[0090] Furthermore, the information, parameters, etc. described in the present disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or other corresponding information. For example, a radio resource may be indicated by an index.

[0091] The names used for the above-described parameters are not intended to be limiting in any way. Furthermore, the mathematical expressions using these parameters may differ from those explicitly disclosed in this disclosure. The various channels (e.g., PUCCH, PDCCH, etc.) and information elements may be identified by any suitable names, and therefore the various names assigned to these various channels and information elements are not intended to be limiting in any way.

[0092] In this disclosure, the terms "Mobile Station (MS)," "user terminal," "User Equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0093] A mobile station may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0094] As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0095] The terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using one or more wires, cables, and / or printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0096] As used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly stated otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0097] Any reference to an element using a designation such as "first," "second," etc., used in this disclosure does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. These designations may be used in this disclosure as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be employed or that the first element must in some way precede the second element.

[0098] When used in this disclosure, the terms "include," "including," and variations thereof are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, when used in this disclosure, the term "or" is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0099] In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are in the plural form.

[0100] In the present disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "coupled" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different." [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 20...Generation device, 21...Acquisition unit, 22...Determination unit, 23...Generation unit, 24...Output unit.

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires unique constraints related to shelf allocation for each product; a determination unit that determines a change in the arrangement of each product in the new shelf plan based on the constraints; a generation unit that generates a shelf planogram based on the arrangement change mode of each product; an output unit that outputs the shelf planogram pattern.

2. The generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the arrangement change manner is any one of movement, deletion, and face-down.

3. the acquisition unit acquires, as the constraint condition, information relating to the priority order among the products; The generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the determining unit determines the arrangement change mode for each product such that a product with a lower priority is given priority in being the target of the arrangement change.

4. The generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the acquiring unit acquires information relating to sales of each product as the information relating to the priority order.

5. The generating device according to claim 3 , wherein the acquiring unit acquires, as the information relating to the priority order, information indicating whether each product is a new product.

6. the acquisition unit further acquires, as the constraint condition, shelf layout information including information indicating the state of each shelf in the current shelf layout and the products displayed on each shelf; A generation device described in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the determination unit determines, for a product determined to be moved based on the priority, the shelf adjacent to the shelf on which the product is currently displayed, above, below, left, or right, which has products of the same category as the product and has space to display the product, as the destination.

7. The generating device according to claim 6 , wherein when there are a plurality of shelves that are candidates for the destination, the determining unit determines the shelf with the largest display space as the destination.

8. The generating device according to claim 6 , wherein the determining unit determines to delete the product when the destination of the product determined to be moved cannot be found.

9. The generation device according to claim 6, wherein when the destination of the product decided to be moved cannot be found, the determination unit determines a shelf on which a product having a lower priority than the product is displayed as an alternative destination.

10. A generation method performed by a generation device, Acquiring unique constraints related to shelf allocation for each product; determining a change in the arrangement of each product in the new planogram based on the constraints; generating a shelf planogram based on the arrangement change pattern of each of the products; and outputting the shelf planogram.

Images