Shopping cart and commodity registration device

Abstract

To reduce blocking of a customer's field of view by a tablet terminal installed in a shopping cart.SOLUTION: The shopping cart includes a loading unit, a display, and a control unit. The loading unit can load a product. The display is installed in the vicinity of the loading part, and at least a part of a screen can be made transparent. The control unit controls display of the display.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shopping cart and a product registration device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, when customers purchase products displayed in stores such as supermarkets and mass retailers, they often use shopping carts equipped with a tablet terminal and a reading device such as a scanner. Such shopping carts have a POS (Point of Sales) function, and when a customer places a product in the shopping basket, the scanner reads the product information and registers the product.

[0003] In such shopping carts with product registration functions, the tablet device with a display is generally positioned between the customer pushing the shopping cart and the shopping cart. Therefore, depending on the customer's height, the tablet device may block the customer's view, making it difficult for them to see what is inside the shopping cart. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a shopping cart and a product registration device that can reduce the obstruction of a customer's field of view by a tablet terminal installed in the shopping cart. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The shopping cart of the embodiment includes a loading section, a display, and a control section. The loading section is capable of loading products. The display is installed near the loading section, and at least a portion of the screen can be made transparent. The control section controls the display. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a shopping cart according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the tablet terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit in the "opaque" and "display" states according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit in the "transparent" and "display" states according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit in the "transparent" and "non-display" state according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for switching between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden states of the display unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for switching between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden states of the display unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a shopping cart according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a shopping cart according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for switching between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden states of the display unit according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of a display unit in the "opaque" and "display" states according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of a display unit in a "transparent" and "non-display" state according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of a display unit according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit when the number of registered products is increased from that in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of a shopping cart and a product registration device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[0008] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a shopping cart 1 according to the first embodiment. The shopping cart 1 is movable inside and outside a store and is equipped with a POS (Point of Sales) function. The shopping cart 1 is placed, for example, near the entrance of the store, and a customer who wishes to purchase an item receives one shopping cart 1 at the store entrance. The customer pushes the received shopping cart 1 around the store, picking up the items they wish to purchase from the store shelves and placing them in a shopping basket K placed on the shopping cart 1. Hereinafter, the shopping cart 1 may be simply referred to as a cart.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, a shopping cart 1 includes, for example, a handle 2, basket placement sections 31 and 32, casters 4, a tablet terminal 5, and a scanner 7.

[0010] The handle 2 is a part that a customer can grasp to move the shopping cart 1 .

[0011] The basket placement sections 31, 32 are platforms on which shopping baskets K for storing products are placed. When distinguishing between the basket placement sections 31, 32, they are referred to as, for example, the upper basket placement section 31 and the lower basket placement section 32. The upper basket placement section 31 is an example of a placement section capable of loading products. In this embodiment, it is sufficient for the shopping cart 1 to have at least the upper basket placement section 31, and the lower basket placement section 32 is not essential.

[0012] Generally, four casters 4 are provided on the shopping cart 1. Each caster 4 rotates independently, allowing the shopping cart 1 to be pushed by a customer and moved freely within the store.

[0013] The scanner 7 is a reading device that reads identification information corresponding to product information about a product. Product information includes, for example, the product name and price of the product. The identification information read by the scanner 7 is, for example, a product code that can identify the product. For example, the scanner 7 reads the product code from a symbol such as a barcode or two-dimensional code attached to the product that the customer wants to purchase. The customer uses the scanner 7 to read the symbol attached to the product to be purchased and places the product in the shopping cart K placed on the cart placement unit 31, 32.

[0014] Furthermore, the scanner 7 reads the symbol optically or by capturing an image of the symbol, and transmits the read symbol to the tablet terminal 5. The scanner 7 is an example of a reading means in this embodiment.

[0015] The tablet terminal 5 is an information processing device that can be detachably attached to the handle 2 or a support that constitutes the shopping cart 1. The tablet terminal 5 executes a registration process for products that have been read by the scanner 7 and then placed in the shopping cart K. The tablet terminal 5 has the appearance and functions of a so-called tablet computer, and includes a display unit 6 and an operation unit 61. The operation unit 61 is provided with physical buttons such as a send key 611. Note that the operation unit 61 may include multiple keys or buttons other than the send key 611. The tablet terminal 5 is an example of a product registration device.

[0016] The display unit 6 is a display capable of making at least a portion of the screen transparent. For example, the display unit 6 is a transparent liquid crystal display including a transparent liquid crystal display and a polarizing filter superimposed on the transparent liquid crystal display. The transparent liquid crystal display can be switched between transparent and opaque states depending on whether or not the polarizing filter is energized. In this embodiment, the term "transparent" does not only refer to complete transparency (no color or polarization, the entire screen is transparent), but also includes a "transparent" state in which the opposite side of the display unit 6 is visible to a certain extent to the customer.

[0017] The display unit 6 of this embodiment is a touch screen that integrates a display screen and a touch pad that can detect user operations, and can accept operations from the customer (user). The touch pad can be made of, for example, a transparent conductive film, but is not limited to, this.

[0018] The touchpad may be superimposed only on a partial area of ​​the display unit 6, rather than on the entire surface of the display unit 6. In this case, the touchpad does not need to be transparent.

[0019] The installation position of the tablet terminal 5 is not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1, but it is generally installed near the upper basket placement section 31. More specifically, it is desirable that the tablet terminal 5 be located between the handle 2 and the upper basket placement section 31, and be within the field of view of a customer pushing the handle 2 when the customer faces forward. This is because the display section 6 of the tablet terminal 5 displays information about products registered as purchases, and so the tablet terminal 5 needs to be located in a position where it is easy for customers to check the display section 6 while shopping.

[0020] However, with this arrangement, depending on the height of the customer, the contents of the shopping cart K placed on the upper basket placement section 31 may be obstructed by the tablet terminal 5, making it difficult to see. However, if the tablet terminal 5 is placed in a position other than that shown in FIG. 1 , for example, in a position that extends beyond the width of the shopping cart 1 to the left and right, there is a concern that it may become difficult for the shopping cart 1 to pass through narrow passages, or that it may become difficult for the customer to check the display unit 6.

[0021] Therefore, in this embodiment, at least a portion of the display unit 6 of the tablet terminal 5 is made transparent, so that a customer pushing the shopping cart 1 can see through the display unit 6 to the upper basket placement unit 31 side.

[0022] Next, a description will be given of the hardware of the tablet terminal 5. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the tablet terminal 5 according to the first embodiment.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the tablet terminal 5 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, a memory unit 54, a bus 55, a controller 56, an operation unit 61, a display unit 6, a card reader 63, and communication I / Fs (Interfaces) 64, 65, etc.

[0024] The CPU 51 is the main controller. The ROM 52 stores various programs. The RAM 53 expands the programs and various data. The memory unit 54 stores various programs. The CPU 51, ROM 52, RAM 53, and memory unit 54 are connected to one another via a bus 55. The CPU 51, ROM 52, and RAM 53 constitute the control unit 500. In other words, the control unit 500 executes various control processes of the tablet terminal 5 by the CPU 51 operating in accordance with the control programs stored in the ROM 52 and memory unit 54 and expanded in the RAM 53.

[0025] The control unit 500 also controls the display of the display unit 6 via the controller 56. More specifically, the control unit 500 switches at least one of the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden. In this embodiment, the display unit 6 also has a function of accepting user operations, and therefore the control unit 500 accepts user operations from the display unit 6 via the controller 56. The control unit 500 also acquires information from the card reader 63 and the operation unit 61 via the controller 56.

[0026] The RAM 53 includes a product information section 531. The product information section 531 stores product information (product name, product price, etc.) of a product that has been registered as a purchase target. The registration process refers to a process of reading product information of the product from the product master 542 in the memory section 54 based on a product code that identifies the product and is acquired based on a symbol read by the scanner 7, displaying the read product information of the product on the display section 6, and storing the product information in the product information section 531.

[0027] The memory unit 54 is a non-volatile storage device that is configured with, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or flash memory, and maintains its stored contents even when power is cut off. The memory unit 54 includes a control program unit 541 and a product master 542. The control program unit 541 stores a control program for controlling the tablet terminal 5. The product master 542 stores product codes that identify each product sold in the store, and product information for each product in association with the product code.

[0028] Under the control of the control unit 500, the controller 56 controls the operation unit 61, the display unit 6, and the card reader 63, and transmits and receives information to and from these components.

[0029] The operation unit 61 is a keyboard used to operate the tablet terminal 5. The operation unit 61 includes a send key 611. The send key 611 is operated by the customer to send product information about the product to be purchased, which is stored in the product information unit 531, to the checkout device. The checkout device to which the product information about the product to be purchased is sent is a device that executes checkout processing for the product purchased by the customer. The checkout device and tablet terminal 5 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other via a communication line, such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or short-range wireless communication.

[0030] In this embodiment, since the display unit 6 has a touch screen function that can accept user operations, the tablet terminal 5 does not need to include the operation unit 61. In addition, the send key 611 may be displayed on the screen of the display unit 6 as an image button that can accept user operations.

[0031] The card reader 63 is a device capable of reading a magnetic card or an IC (Integrated Circuit) card. The card reader 63 may read, for example, a customer code that identifies the customer from a customer card carried by the customer.

[0032] The communication I / F 64 receives information about symbols read by the scanner 7, for example, via a wired or wireless connection. The communication I / F 65 sends and receives information to and from the accounting device via a communication line, for example, wireless communication. The communication I / Fs 64 and 65 are connected to the control unit 500 via the bus 55.

[0033] Next, a detailed description will be given of the display mode of the display unit 6 in this embodiment. As described above, the control unit 500 switches the display unit 6 between at least one of transparency and opaqueness and display and non-display.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 in the "opaque" and "display" states according to the first embodiment. While a customer is shopping, various information is displayed on the display unit 6 of the tablet terminal 5. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, details such as the product name, quantity, and price of the products that the customer has had the scanner 7 read as purchases, as well as the total number of products and the total price, are displayed. Note that while FIG. 3 shows the product details displayed only in text, illustrations or photos of the target products may also be displayed on the display unit 6.

[0035] Also displayed on the display unit 6 are a "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and a "display / hide switching button" 660. The "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 is an image button that can accept a user's operation to switch the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque. As shown in FIG. 3, the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 may display text such as "make transparent" that allows the user to understand that pressing the button will switch the screen state. The "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 is an example of a first button.

[0036] The "display / hide switching button" 660 is an image button that can accept a user's operation to switch the display unit 6 between display and hide. When the display unit 6 is in a display state, it means that various characters or images are displayed on the display unit 6 as usual. When the display unit 6 is in a non-display state, it means that no characters or images are displayed on the display unit 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the "display / hide switching button" 660 may display text such as "Hide" that allows the user to understand that pressing the button will switch the screen state. The "display / hide switching button" 660 is an example of a second button.

[0037] The display unit 6 is initially in the "opaque" and "display" states as shown in Fig. 3. From this state, the display unit 6 can be switched between transparent and opaque, or between visible and hidden, by the user operating the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 or the "visible / hidden switching button" 660.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 in the "transparent" and "display" states according to the first embodiment. When the user presses the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 on the display unit 6 in the state shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 500 controls the display unit 6 to change to the transparent state as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the display unit 6 is transparent to the background, so that the product 90 and the customer's hand 91 located on the rear side of the display unit 6 can be seen from the front side of the display unit 6. Therefore, when putting the product 90 into the shopping cart K, the customer can perform an operation while viewing the product 90 through the tablet terminal 5.

[0039] In the example shown in Fig. 4, when the user presses the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650, the control unit 500 changes the text on the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 from "transparent" to "opaque." When the user presses the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 in the transparent state shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 500 switches the display unit 6 back to opaque.

[0040] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 in the "transparent" and "non-display" state according to the first embodiment. When the user presses the "display / non-display switching button" 660 on the display unit 6 in the state shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 500 controls the display unit 6 to hide the text and images that were displayed on the display unit 6. This makes the back side of the display unit 6 even more clearly visible than in the "transparent" and "display" state of FIG.

[0041] It should be noted that even when the display unit 6 is in a non-display state, the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "display / hide switching button" 660 are displayed. Alternatively, a partial area of ​​the display unit 6 may be always opaque regardless of the transparent / opaque or visible / hidden state of other areas of the display unit 6, and the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "display / hide switching button" 660 may be displayed in this partial area. For example, a touchpad may be superimposed on only a partial area of ​​the display unit 6 to function as a touch screen, and the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "display / hide switching button" 660 may be displayed in this partial area.

[0042] 5, when the user presses the "display / hide switching button" 660, the control unit 500 changes the text on the "display / hide switching button" 660 from "hide" to "display." Also, when the user presses the "display / hide switching button" 660 in the transparent state shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 500 switches the display unit 6 back to the display state.

[0043] Note that the case where the display unit 6 is in the "opaque" and "hidden" states is not illustrated. For example, when the user presses the "display / hide switching button" 660 in the display unit 6 in the state shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 500 may cause the display unit 6 to simply display the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "display / hide switching button" 660 on a pure white screen. Alternatively, since it is expected that there is little need for the "opaque" and "hidden" states by users, the display unit 6 may not be hidden when it is opaque. For example, the control unit 500 may cause the "display / hide switching button" 660 to be displayed only when the display unit 6 is in the transparent state.

[0044] Note that the text, screen layout, etc. displayed on the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "display / hide switching button" 660 shown in Figures 3 to 5 are merely examples and are not limited to these. For example, the text written on the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "display / hide switching button" 660 may be configured not to change regardless of whether the current state of the display unit 6 is transparent, opaque, visible, or hidden. Alternatively, text may be displayed on the image button that explains to the customer what will happen when the button is pressed, such as "Make the screen transparent," "Make the screen opaque," "Hide images and text on the screen," or "Show images and text on the screen."

[0045] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for switching between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden states of the display unit 6 according to the first embodiment. At the start of the process shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the display unit 6 is in the "opaque" and "visible" states as shown in FIG.

[0046] First, when the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 is pressed by the user (S1 "Yes"), the control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 switches the transparent / opaque state of the screen of the display unit 6 (S2). Since the display unit 6 is opaque in the initial state, when the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 is pressed by the user, the control unit 500 controls the display unit 6 to become transparent. On the other hand, when the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 is not pressed by the user (S1 "No"), the control unit 500 skips S2 and proceeds to the next process.

[0047] Next, if the "display / hide switching button" 660 is pressed by the user (S3 "Yes"), the control unit 500 switches the display / hide state of the screen of the display unit 6 (S4). For example, if text or an image is displayed on the display unit 6, the control unit 500 hides the text or image. If the "display / hide switching button" 660 is not pressed by the user (S3 "No"), the control unit 500 skips S4 and proceeds to the next process.

[0048] For example, if product registration is complete (S5 "Yes"), the customer user's shopping is complete, and the process of this flowchart ends. Product registration is complete when, for example, the user presses the send key 611 and product information for the product to be purchased is sent to the checkout device.

[0049] If product registration is not completed (S5 "No"), the processes of S1 to S5 are repeatedly executed.

[0050] As described above, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment includes a basket placement section 31 on which a shopping basket K containing products 90 can be placed, a display section 6 that is installed near the basket placement section 31 and that can make at least a portion of the screen transparent, and a control section 500 that controls the display on the display section 6. Therefore, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment can reduce obstruction of a customer's field of vision by a tablet terminal 5 installed in the shopping cart 1. As a result, for example, when a customer uses the shopping cart 1 to place products 90 into a shopping basket K placed on the upper basket placement section 31 while shopping, the customer can view the back side of the tablet terminal 5 through the transparent display section 6 without having to take a position that would allow the customer to look into the shopping basket K while avoiding the tablet terminal 5.

[0051] Furthermore, the control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 of the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment switches the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque, and between visible and hidden. Therefore, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment can accommodate both cases where priority is given to the visibility of characters and the like displayed on the display unit 6, and cases where priority is given to the visibility of the rear side of the display unit 6. For example, in the "transparent" state as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rear side of the display unit 6 is visible, but in some cases, visibility of the product information and total price of the product being purchased may be more important than visibility of the rear side. By being able to switch the display unit 6 between the "opaque" and "visible" states as shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to accommodate such needs for visibility of the product information and total price of the product being purchased.

[0052] Furthermore, the display unit 6 of the tablet terminal 5 of the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment includes a "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and a "visible / hidden switching button" 660. Therefore, according to the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment, the user can switch the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque, and between visible and hidden, at any time.

[0053] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, the user switches between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden by displaying an image button. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the display 6 switches between at least one of transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden depending on the result of reading by the scanner 7.

[0054] The appearance of the shopping cart 1 according to this embodiment and the hardware configuration of the tablet terminal 5 are the same as those of the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Also, the control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 controls the display on the display unit 6, as in the first embodiment. On the display unit 6, a "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and a "display / hide switching button" 660 that can accept user operations are displayed, as in the first embodiment.

[0055] In the second embodiment, the control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 further switches the display unit 6 between at least one of transparency and opaqueness and display and non-display, depending on the result of reading by the scanner 7.

[0056] For example, if the display unit 6 is in the "transparent" or "hidden" state when the scanner 7 scans the product 90 to be purchased, the control unit 500 switches the display unit 6 to the "opaque" and "display" state. This is because, while a customer user wants the display unit 6 to be transparent when they are shopping while pushing the shopping cart 1 around the store, when the product 90 to be purchased is scanned by the scanner 7, it is considered that they often want the product information of the product 90 to be visibly displayed on the display unit 6.

[0057] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for switching between transparent / opaque and visible / hidden states of the display unit 6 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, for example, the initial state of the display unit 6 is set to the "transparent" and "hidden" state.

[0058] First, when the product 90 to be purchased is scanned by the scanner 7 (S10 "Yes"), if the current screen state of the display unit 6 is transparent (S11 "Yes"), the control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 switches the screen to an opaque state (S12).

[0059] Also, if the screen has previously become opaque due to a user operation or the like (S11 "No"), the process of S12 is not executed.

[0060] Then, the control unit 500 puts the display unit 6 into a display state and causes the display unit 6 to display, for example, product information (product name, price, etc.) of the product 90 scanned in S10, the total number of products registered by the user as purchase items in the transaction, the total price, etc. (S13).

[0061] Then, if a specified time has passed since the scan (S14 "Yes"), the control unit 500 returns the transparency / opacity and display / non-display of the screen to the state before the scan (S15). The specified time may be any length of time that allows the user to check the information displayed on the display unit 6, and may be, for example, about 5 seconds.

[0062] Furthermore, if the product 90 to be purchased has not been scanned by the scanner 7 (S10 "No"), the processes of S11 to S15 are not executed.

[0063] 6. The process from branching when the "transparent / opaque switch button" 650 in S1 of FIG. 7 is pressed by the user to the end of product registration in S5 is the same as that of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

[0064] In this way, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment switches at least one of transparency / opaqueness and display / non-display of the display unit 6 depending on the result of reading by the scanner 7. Therefore, according to the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment, in addition to having the effects of the first embodiment, when a customer scans a product 90 to be purchased with the scanner 7, product information etc. of the product 90 can be clearly displayed on the display unit 6.

[0065] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, a "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and a "display / hide switching button" 660 are provided as image buttons on the display unit 6, but physical buttons having these functions may be provided on the tablet terminal 5 instead of image buttons.

[0066] 8 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a shopping cart 1 according to a third embodiment. As in the first embodiment described in FIG. 1, the shopping cart 1 includes a handle 2, basket placement sections 31 and 32, casters 4, a tablet terminal 5, and a scanner 7.

[0067] The tablet terminal 5 of this embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment, and in addition, the operation unit 61 is provided with a "transparent / opaque switching button" 612 and a "display / hide switching button" 613. The "transparent / opaque switching button" 612 is an example of a first button in this embodiment. The "display / hide switching button" 613 is an example of a second button in this embodiment. The operation unit 61 of the tablet terminal 5 may include various keys or buttons other than the send key 611, the "transparent / opaque switching button" 612, and the "display / hide switching button" 613.

[0068] The function of the "transparent / opaque switching button" 612 is the same as that of the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 in the first embodiment. Also, the function of the "display / hide switching button" 613 is the same as that of the "display / hide switching button" 660 in the first embodiment.

[0069] The process flow for switching the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden in the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment is the same as the process flow of the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

[0070] As described above, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment includes, as physical buttons, a "transparent / opaque switching button" 612 that can accept a user's operation to switch the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque, and a "visible / hidden switching button" 613 that can accept a user's operation to switch the display unit 6 between visible and hidden. Therefore, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment not only has the effects of the first embodiment, but can also accept a user's operation to switch the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque or visible and hidden, even if the display unit 6 does not have a touch panel function. Furthermore, even if the display unit 6 has a touch panel function, the configuration of this embodiment is useful even in cases where adding an image button is not desirable due to screen layout or the like.

[0071] (Fourth embodiment) In the second embodiment described above, the tablet terminal 5 switches at least one of the transparent / opaque and visible / hidden states of the display unit 6 in accordance with the results of reading by the scanner 7, but the trigger for this switching does not have to be the scanning of the product 90. In this fourth embodiment, at least one of the transparent / opaque and visible / hidden states of the display unit 6 is switched depending on whether the shopping cart 1 is moving or not.

[0072] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a shopping cart 1 according to a fourth embodiment. As with the first embodiment described in FIG. 1, the shopping cart 1 includes a handle 2, basket placement sections 31 and 32, casters 4, a tablet terminal 5, and a scanner 7. The shopping cart 1 of this embodiment also includes weight sensors 81 and 82.

[0073] The weight sensors 81 and 82 are provided, for example, at the bottom of the upper basket placement section 31 and the lower basket placement section 32, respectively, on which the shopping basket K is placed. The weight sensors 81 and 82 measure the weight of the shopping basket K containing the products 90. When distinguishing between the weight sensors 81 and 82, they are referred to as, for example, the upper weight sensor 81 and the lower weight sensor 82.

[0074] In the shopping cart 1, the weight sensors 81 and 82 are generally used to detect a change in weight caused by placing an item 90 in the shopping basket K. The weight sensors 81 and 82 transmit the detection results to the control unit 500, for example, via the controller 56.

[0075] Furthermore, the weight values ​​measured by the weight sensors 81 and 82 fluctuate not only when products 90 are put in or taken out, but also when the shopping cart 1 is moving. Therefore, the control unit 500 determines whether the shopping cart 1 is moving based on the measurement results of the weight sensors 81 and 82. Note that this determination may be made using both weight sensors 81 and 82, or just one of them.

[0076] The control unit 500 of this embodiment may, for example, switch the display unit 6 to a transparent state when the shopping cart 1 is moving, and switch the display unit 6 to an opaque state when the shopping cart 1 is stopped. When the shopping cart 1 is moving, the display unit 6 may be in a "transparent" and "hidden" state, or in a "transparent" and "display" state. When the shopping cart 1 is stopped, the display unit 6 is in an "opaque" and "display" state.

[0077] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow for switching between transparent / opaque and visible / hidden states of the display unit 6 according to the fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, for example, the initial state of the display unit 6 is set to the "opaque" and "visible" states.

[0078] First, the control unit 500 acquires the measurement results from the weight sensors 81 and 82 (S21).

[0079] Then, when the control unit 500 determines based on the acquired measurement results that the shopping cart 1 is in motion (S22 "Yes"), it switches the screen of the display unit 6 to a transparent state (S23). At this time, the control unit 500 may set the screen of the display unit 6 to a display state as shown in Fig. 4, or to a non-display state as shown in Fig. 5. When the control unit 500 determines based on the acquired measurement results that the shopping cart 1 is not in motion (S22 "No"), the processing of S23 is not executed.

[0080] Although not shown in Fig. 10, measurement results are periodically and repeatedly acquired from the weight sensors 81 and 82 at least while the flowchart of Fig. 10 is being executed. Then, when the control unit 500 determines that the shopping cart 1 is stopped based on the newly acquired measurement results (S24 "Yes"), it switches the screen of the display unit 6 to an opaque state (S25). At this time, the control unit 500 also sets the display unit 6 to an "opaque" and "display" state.

[0081] Furthermore, if the control unit 500 does not determine that the shopping cart 1 is stopped (S24 "No"), the process of S24 is not executed.

[0082] 6. The process from the branch when the "transparent / opaque switch button" 650 in S1 of FIG. 10 is pressed by the user to the end of product registration in S5 is the same as that in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

[0083] In this way, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment switches at least one of transparency and opaqueness and display and non-display of the display unit 6 depending on whether the shopping cart 1 is moving or not. For example, a customer may want the display unit 6 to be transparent when pushing the shopping cart 1 around the store while shopping, but when stopping the shopping cart 1 and picking up an item 90, the customer may want to check the product information, total number of items, total price, etc. of the item 90 registered for purchase by looking at the display unit 6. Therefore, the shopping cart 1 of this embodiment has the effects of the first embodiment and can switch the state of the display unit 6 at an appropriate time depending on the customer's actions.

[0084] (Fifth embodiment) In each of the above-described embodiments, the button for switching the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque and the button for switching between visible and hidden are provided separately, but these may also be integrated into one button.

[0085] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 in the "opaque" and "display" states according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, for example, a switching button 651 is displayed on the display unit 6 of this embodiment.

[0086] The switching button 651 is an image button that can accept a user's operation to switch between an "opaque" and "display" state and a "transparent" and "hidden" state of the display unit 6. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the switching button 651 displays "hidden" as text that allows the user to understand that pressing the button will switch the screen state.

[0087] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 in the "transparent" and "non-display" state according to the fifth embodiment. When the user presses the switching button 651 on the display unit 6 in the state shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 500 controls the display unit 6 to switch to the "transparent" and "non-display" state.

[0088] 11 and 12, when the user presses the switching button 651, the control unit 500 changes the text on the switching button 651 from "Hide" to "Display." Note that the content of the text on the switching button 651 is not limited to the examples in FIGS. 11 and 12, and may be "Transparent / Hide," "Opaque / Hide," etc.

[0089] In this way, by being able to switch the display unit 6 between transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden with one button, the user's operation becomes easier.

[0090] 11 and 12, the switching button 651 is provided as an image button, but the switching button 651 may be provided as a physical button on the operation unit 61 of the tablet terminal 5.

[0091] (Sixth embodiment) In each of the above-described embodiments, examples have been described in which the entire surface of the display unit 6 is switched between transparent and opaque, but other display modes that take advantage of the ability of the display unit 6 to be transparent may also be adopted.

[0092] For example, the control unit 500 may automatically make transparent an area of ​​the display unit 6 where no text or images are displayed, and automatically make opaque an area where text or images are displayed.

[0093] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 according to the sixth embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the part of the display unit 6 that displays the product information, total number of products, total price, etc. of the products 90 registered as purchase targets is an opaque area 621. The area other than the opaque area 621 is a transparent area 622 that is transparent.

[0094] As the customer's shopping progresses, the number of details of the products 90 to be purchased increases, and accordingly, the range of the opaque area 621 also expands.

[0095] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen image of the display unit 6 when the number of registered products has increased from that in Fig. 13. In Fig. 13, there was only one registered product 90, but in Fig. 14, this has increased to three. As a result, the number of lines of product information displayed on the display unit 6 also increases, and the opaque area 621 is larger than that in Fig. 13. Furthermore, as the opaque area 621 expands, the transparent area 622 is reduced.

[0096] 13 and 14, as an example, a "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and a "visible / hidden switching button" 660 are displayed on the display unit 6, as in the first embodiment. In addition to automatically opaqueing only the area where text or an image is displayed, the control unit 500 may also switch the entire display unit 6 between transparent and opaque and visible and hidden in accordance with a manual operation by the user, as in the first embodiment. In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the "transparent / opaque switching button" 650 and the "visible / hidden switching button" 660 are provided as image buttons, but physical buttons may be provided as in the third embodiment. Furthermore, the tablet terminal 5 may only perform automatic control based on the display area of ​​text or an image, without accepting manual operation by the user to switch between transparent and opaque and visible and hidden.

[0097] (Variation 1) In the above-described embodiments, the control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 of the shopping cart 1 switches at least one of the transparent / opaque and the visible / hidden state of the display unit 6. However, a configuration in which such switching is not performed is also possible. For example, at least a portion of the display unit 6 may be kept transparent at all times regardless of the customer's operation or behavior.

[0098] Alternatively, the control unit 500 may change the transmittance of the display unit 6 while maintaining the transmittance at a certain value or higher, rather than making the display unit 6 completely opaque. For example, the control unit 500 may change the visibility of the rear side of the display unit 6 by increasing or decreasing the transmittance of the display unit 6 in response to a user operation.

[0099] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiments, the display unit 6 can be switched between transparent and opaque, and also between visible and hidden states. However, the display unit 6 may be always in a visible state, and the display unit 6 may continue to display characters and images even when the display unit 6 is in a transparent state.

[0100] (Variation 3) In the second embodiment described above, the display unit 6 can be switched between both transparent and opaque and between visible and hidden when the scanner 7 scans the product 90 to be purchased, but the switching triggered by scanning may be limited to visible and hidden. For example, if the state before scanning is "transparent" and "hidden," the state may be switched to "transparent" and "hidden" when the product 90 is scanned.

[0101] (Variation 4) In the second and third embodiments, the tablet terminal 5 not only automatically switches when the product 90 is scanned by the scanner 7 or when the shopping cart 1 is moving, but also has the function of manually switching between transparent / opaque and visible / hidden by the user, but such a manual switching function does not have to be provided.

[0102] For example, the tablet terminal 5 may be configured to automatically switch the display unit 6 from the initial state of "transparent" and "hidden" to the "opaque" and "display" state when the scan is triggered, and not accept switching by the user. Also, the tablet terminal 5 may be configured to automatically switch the display unit 6 from the initial state of "opaque" and "display" to the "transparent" and "hidden" state when the shopping cart 1 is moving, and not accept switching by the user.

[0103] In the second embodiment, for example, the initial state of the display unit 6 is set to a "transparent" and "non-display" state, but as in the first embodiment, the initial state may also be an "opaque" and "display" state.

[0104] (Variation 5) In the above-described embodiments, the scanner 7 is used as an example of the reading means, but the reading means is not limited to this. For example, the shopping cart 1 may be equipped with a camera that captures the appearance of a product, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader / writer, or the like as the reading means.

[0105] (Variation 6) The control unit 500 of the tablet terminal 5 may change the colors of images and text displayed when the display unit 6 is in a transparent state and an opaque state in response to switching between transparent and opaque states. For example, when the display unit 6 is in a transparent state, the visibility of images and text decreases compared to when the display unit 6 is in an opaque state. For this reason, when the display unit 6 is in a transparent state, the control unit 500 may display images and text in darker colors than the colors of images and text displayed when the display unit 6 is in an opaque state.

[0106] (Variation 7) In the above-described embodiments, the upper basket placement section 31 on which the shopping basket K for storing products is placed is an example of a loading section, but the products 90 may be loaded directly without using a shopping basket K. In this case, the part of the shopping cart 1 on which the products 90 are loaded (for example, a basket provided in advance) serves as the loading section.

[0107] (Variation 8) In the above-described fourth embodiment, the measurement results from the weight sensors 81 and 82 are used to determine whether the shopping cart 1 is moving, but the method for determining whether the shopping cart 1 is moving is not limited to this. For example, the tablet terminal 5 may determine whether the shopping cart 1 is moving based on the measurement results from an acceleration sensor provided in the shopping cart 1, or on changes in the position information of the shopping cart 1, etc.

[0108] (Variation 9) In the above-described embodiments, the display unit 6 is a transparent liquid crystal display, but other transparent displays that can be switched between transparent and opaque states can also be used as appropriate. For example, the display unit 6 may be a transmissive organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display or a transmissive inorganic EL display.

[0109] As described above, according to the first to sixth embodiments, it is possible to reduce the obstruction of the customer's field of view by the tablet terminal 5 placed in the shopping cart 1.

[0110] 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 and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1. Shopping Cart 2 handles 4 Casters 5. Tablet devices 6 Display section 7. Scanner 31, 32 Basket placement section 54 Memory section 55 Bus 56 Controller 61 Operation section 63 Card Reader 64 Communication I / F 65 Communication I / F 81,82 Weight sensor 90 items 91 moves 500 control section 531 Product Information Department 541 Control Program Section 542 Product Master 611 Send Key 621 Opaque area 622 Transparent area 612,650 Transparent / Opaque toggle button 613,660 Show / hide toggle button 651 Switch Button K Shopping Cart [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0112] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-40645

Claims

1. a loading section capable of loading products; a display that is installed near the loading section and that can make at least a portion of the screen transparent; a control unit that controls the display of the display; Equipped with a shopping cart.

2. the control unit switches at least one of transparency / opaqueness and display / non-display of the display, The shopping cart of claim 1 .

3. The display device includes at least one of a first button that can accept a user's operation to switch between transparent and opaque states of the display, and a second button that can accept a user's operation to switch between visible and hidden states of the display. The shopping cart of claim 1 .

4. Further, the product information storing unit includes a reading unit for reading identification information corresponding to the product information relating to the product, the control unit switches at least one of transparency / opaqueness and display / non-display of the display according to the reading result by the reading means. The shopping cart of claim 1 .

5. A product registration device that can be attached to a cart that can be moved inside and outside a store, A display that can make at least a portion of the screen transparent; a control unit that controls the display of the display; A product registration device comprising:

Images