Information processing apparatus, power supply device, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, a power supply device, and a program that execute charging according to a remaining charge amount of a device.SOLUTION: An information processing device includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a first calculation unit, a second calculation unit, and an output unit. The first acquisition unit acquires one or more pieces of peripheral information in which first identification information for specifying a device mounted on a cart and second identification information for specifying a device within a specified range from the device are associated with each other. The second acquisition unit acquires remaining charge amount information in which the first identification information and a remaining charge amount of the device identified by the first identification information are associated with each other. The first calculation unit calculates an arrangement order of a plurality of carts based on one or more pieces of the peripheral information. The second calculator calculates a priority level of charging in accordance with the arrangement order based on the remaining charge amount information. The output unit outputs the priority.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, a power supply device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, shopping carts equipped with devices such as tablet terminals and smartphones are used in retail stores such as supermarkets. Such devices equipped on the shopping carts are charged in the cart storage area.

[0003] However, the devices mounted on the shopping cart each have different remaining charge levels, so there is a need for technology that can charge devices according to their remaining charge levels. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an information processing device, a power supply device, and a program that perform charging according to the remaining charge of a device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An information processing device according to an embodiment includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, a first calculation unit, a second calculation unit, and an output unit. The first acquisition unit acquires one or more pieces of peripheral information in which first identification information for identifying a device mounted on a cart and second identification information for identifying a device within a specified range of the device are associated. The second acquisition unit acquires remaining charge information in which the first identification information is associated with the remaining charge of the device identified by the first identification information. The first calculation unit calculates the order of arrangement of multiple carts based on the one or more pieces of peripheral information. The second calculation unit calculates the priority of charging according to the order based on the remaining charge information. The output unit outputs the priority. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cart charging system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the cart terminal. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data configuration of the charging environment table. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the power supply device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the cart terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device in the cart charging system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a notification process executed by the cart terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a priority calculation process executed by the management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device in the cart charging system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of an information processing device, a power supply device, and a program will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is an embodiment of an information processing device, a power supply device, and a program, and does not limit the configuration, specifications, etc. thereof.

[0008] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a cart charging system 1 according to a first embodiment. The cart charging system 1 includes a management server 10, one or more power supply devices 20, and multiple cart terminals 30. The cart charging system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a management server 10, one power supply device 20, and three cart terminals 30. However, the number of each device may be changed as desired.

[0009] Here, the cart terminals 30 are arranged in a row in a cart parking area as shown in Fig. 1. The cart terminals 30 arranged in a row each have a different remaining charge. The cart charging system 1 is required to prioritize charging the cart terminal 30 with the least remaining charge among the multiple cart terminals 30.

[0010] Furthermore, when the cart terminals 30 are arranged side by side as shown in FIG. 1, customers tend to use the cart terminal 30 at the end, farthest from the power supply device 20, more frequently than the cart terminal 30 at the front, which is closer to the power supply device 20.

[0011] Therefore, the cart charging system 1 is required to charge the cart terminals 30 starting from the last one among the lined up cart terminals 30. Therefore, the cart charging system 1 charges each of the lined up cart terminals 30 according to the remaining charge of each of the lined up cart terminals 30 and the lined up order of the cart terminals 30.

[0012] The management server 10 is a server device that manages the cart charging system 1. The management server 10 determines the arrangement order of the cart terminals 30 based on information received from the cart terminals 30. The management server 10 also acquires the remaining charge of each of the multiple cart terminals 30 based on the information received from the cart terminals 30. The management server 10 then controls charging according to the arrangement order based on the remaining charge of each of the multiple cart terminals 30 arranged in the cart parking area.

[0013] The power supply device 20 supplies power to the cart terminal 30. More specifically, when the power supply device 20 is connected to the front connection portion 36 (see FIG. 2 ) of the cart terminal 30, it supplies power to the cart terminal 30 via the front connection portion 36. When another cart terminal 30 is connected to the rear connection portion 37, the cart terminal 30 supplies the power supplied from the power supply device 20 to the other cart terminal 30 connected to the rear connection portion 37. In this way, the power supply device 20 supplies power to multiple cart terminals 30 that are lined up.

[0014] The cart terminal 30 is a shopping cart equipped with an operation terminal 35 such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone. The cart terminal 30 transmits a device code identifying the own device, in other words, the operation terminal 35, via short-range wireless communication. The device code is identification information for identifying the device.

[0015] Furthermore, the cart terminal 30 receives a device code transmitted by short-range wireless communication from another cart terminal 30, or a device code transmitted by short-range wireless communication from the power supply device 20. In other words, the cart terminal 30 receives the device code of a cart terminal 30 located near the cart terminal 30. Here, "near the cart terminal 30" refers to a range within which communication is possible via short-range wireless communication. The "near the cart terminal" is arbitrary, but is, for example, 0.5 meters. For example, the cart terminal 30 receives a device code indicating the power supply device 20 or a device code indicating another cart terminal 30.

[0016] The cart terminal 30 associates a device code indicating its own device with the device code of another device received via short-range wireless communication and transmits the associated code to the management server 10. The cart terminal 30 also associates a device code indicating its own device with the remaining charge of its own device and transmits the associated code to the management server 10.

[0017] The management server 10 determines the arrangement order of the cart terminals 30 based on the device codes received from each of the multiple cart terminals 30. For example, the management server 10 determines that the cart terminal 30 that transmitted the device code indicating the power supply device 20 is the cart terminal 30 located at the top. The management server 10 also determines that the cart terminal 30 that transmitted the device code indicating the top cart terminal 30 is the cart terminal 30 located second from the top. The management server 10 also determines that the cart terminal 30 that transmitted the device code indicating the second cart terminal 30 is the cart terminal 30 located third from the top.

[0018] The management server 10 executes control to apply a voltage according to the remaining charge acquired from each cart terminal 30 based on the arrangement order of the cart terminals 30. In this way, the management server 10 controls charging of the cart terminals 30 according to the arrangement order of the cart terminals 30 and the remaining charge of the cart terminals 30.

[0019] Next, the external appearance of the cart terminal 30 will be described.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the cart terminal 30. The cart terminal 30 has a cart section 31 with four wheels. The cart section 31 is arranged approximately parallel to the floor surface and is formed in a U-shape that widens from the front to the rear. The cart section 31 also has casters arranged in two locations on the front side and two locations on the rear side. The cart terminal 30 also has columnar supports 32 that are erected approximately perpendicular to the cart section 31.

[0021] The support unit 32 supports a platform 33, a handle unit 34, and an operation terminal 35. The platform 33 is a base on which a shopping basket for placing products is placed. The handle unit 34 is a handle that is gripped by an operator such as a customer.

[0022] The operation terminal 35 is a device such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone. For example, the operation terminal 35 displays a product registration image related to a product registration process for registering products to be sold. The operation terminal 35 also accepts operations related to the product registration process on the product registration image. The operation terminal 35 may display any image and accept any operation.

[0023] The cart terminal 30 has a front connection part 36 on the front side of the cart section 31, and a rear connection part 37 on the rear side of the cart section 31. The front connection part 36 is a connector that is connected to the power supply device 20 or the rear connection part 37 of another cart terminal 30. The cart terminal 30 receives a supply of power via the front connection part 36.

[0024] The rear connection portion 37 is a connector that is connected to the front connection portion 36 of another cart terminal 30. The cart terminal 30 supplies power to the other cart terminal 30 via the rear connection portion 37.

[0025] The front connection portion 36 and the rear connection portion 37 each have a power terminal and a communication terminal. The power terminal is a terminal for inputting or outputting power supplied from the power supply device 20. The communication terminal is a terminal for inputting or outputting information notified from the power supply device 20.

[0026] Here, in the cart parking area, multiple cart terminals 30 are arranged in a vertical row. The cart section 31 is formed in a U-shape. Therefore, an operator connects the front connection section 36 of another cart terminal 30 to the rear connection section 37 of the cart terminal 30 by pushing the other cart terminal 30 into the U-shaped gap of the cart section 31. Then, the power supply device 20 supplies power and information to the multiple cart terminals 30 connected in a vertical row by the front connection sections 36 and rear connection sections 37.

[0027] Next, the hardware configuration of each device included in the cart charging system 1 will be described.

[0028] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 10 according to the first embodiment. The management server 10 includes a processor 101, a RAM 102, a storage unit 103, a communication unit 104, a display unit 105, and an operation unit 106. These units are connected via an internal bus 107.

[0029] The processor 101 is a processing circuit such as a CPU that controls the operation of the management server 10. The RAM 102 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data. The processor 101 uses the RAM 102 as a work area to execute the control program 111 and the like stored in the storage unit 103.

[0030] The storage unit 103 is an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory. For example, the storage unit 103 stores a control program 111 and a charging environment table 112. Note that the charging environment table 112 may be stored in another device, not limited to the storage unit 103.

[0031] The control program 111 is a program for implementing the functions of the operating system and the management server 10. The control program 111 includes a program for implementing the characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0032] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of the charging environment table 112. The charging environment table 112 is an information table having charging environment information indicating the charging environment of each of the multiple cart terminals 30. In other words, the charging environment table 112 has multiple pieces of charging environment information. The charging environment information associates a provider device code, a first nearby device code, a second nearby device code, and a remaining charge.

[0033] The providing device code is a device code indicating the cart terminal 30 that provided the associated information. That is, the providing device code is a device code indicating the cart terminal 30 that provided the first nearby device code, the second nearby device code, and the remaining charge amount. Note that the providing device code may also be information indicating the operation terminal 35 of the cart terminal 30 that provided the associated information.

[0034] The first nearby device code is a device code received by the cart terminal 30 via short-range wireless communication. In other words, the first nearby device code is a device code indicating another cart terminal 30, a power supply device 20, or the like, located near the cart terminal 30. The second nearby device code is a device code received by the cart terminal 30 via short-range wireless communication. In other words, the second nearby device code is a device code indicating another cart terminal 30, a power supply device 20, or the like, located near the cart terminal 30. The first nearby device code and the second nearby device code are information indicating a device located in front of or behind the cart terminal 30 identified by the provider device code.

[0035] The remaining charge amount is information indicating the remaining charge amount of the cart terminal 30.

[0036] The communication unit 104 is a communication device such as a network interface card, etc. For example, the communication unit 104 executes communication with devices such as the power supply device 20 and the cart terminal 30.

[0037] The display unit 105 is a device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.

[0038] The operation unit 106 is an input device that accepts various operations, such as hardware buttons or a touch panel provided on the display unit 105.

[0039] 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the power supply device 20 according to the first embodiment. The power supply device 20 includes a processor 201, a RAM 202, a storage unit 203, a communication unit 204, a short-range wireless communication unit 205, and a power supply unit 206. These units are connected via an internal bus 207.

[0040] The processor 201 is a processing circuit such as a CPU that controls the operation of the power supply device 20. The RAM 202 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data. The processor 201 executes the control program 211 stored in the storage unit 203, using the RAM 202 as a work area.

[0041] The storage unit 203 is an auxiliary storage device such as a HDD, SSD, or flash memory. For example, the storage unit 203 stores a control program 211. The control program 211 is a program for implementing an operating system and functions of the power supply device 20. The control program 211 includes a program for implementing characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0042] The communication unit 204 is a communication device such as a network interface card, etc. For example, the communication unit 204 executes communication with devices such as the management server 10.

[0043] The short-range wireless communication unit 205 is a device that performs short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). For example, the short-range wireless communication unit 205 transmits a device code that indicates its own device.

[0044] The power supply unit 206 is a device that charges the cart terminal 30 connected to it. More specifically, when the power supply unit 206 is connected to a connection unit (not shown), it supplies power obtained from an external power source such as a commercial power source to the cart terminal 30 connected to the connection unit.

[0045] 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the cart terminal 30 according to the first embodiment. The cart terminal 30 includes a processor 301, a RAM 302, a storage unit 303, a communication unit 304, a short-range wireless communication unit 305, a display unit 306, an operation unit 307, a battery 308, and a power distribution unit 309. These units are connected via an internal bus 310.

[0046] The processor 301 , RAM 302 , storage unit 303 , communication unit 304 , short-range wireless communication unit 305 , display unit 306 , and operation unit 307 may be part of the operation terminal 35 .

[0047] The processor 301 is a processing circuit such as a CPU that controls the operation of the power supply device 20. The RAM 302 is a storage medium that temporarily stores various programs and various data. The processor 301 uses the RAM 302 as a work area to execute a control program 311 and the like stored in the storage unit 303.

[0048] The storage unit 303 is an auxiliary storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, a flash memory, etc. For example, the storage unit 303 stores a control program 311 and a nearby device code 312.

[0049] The control program 311 is a program for implementing the operating system and functions of the cart terminal 30. The control program 311 includes a program for implementing the characteristic functions according to this embodiment.

[0050] The nearby device code 312 is a device code received through short-range wireless communication. For example, the nearby device code 312 includes a first nearby device code and a second nearby device code received through short-range wireless communication.

[0051] The communication unit 304 is a communication device such as a network interface card, etc. For example, the communication unit 304 executes communication with devices such as the management server 10.

[0052] The short-range wireless communication unit 305 is a device that performs short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). For example, the short-range wireless communication unit 305 transmits a device code that identifies the device itself. The short-range wireless communication unit 305 also receives device codes from other cart terminals 30 and power supply devices 20 that are located nearby.

[0053] The display unit 306 is a device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

[0054] The operation unit 307 is an input device that accepts various operations, such as hardware buttons or a touch panel provided on the display unit 306.

[0055] The battery 308 is a rechargeable battery. For example, the battery 308 charges with power supplied via the front connector 36. The battery 308 also supplies power used to drive the operation terminal 35.

[0056] The power distribution unit 309 distributes the supplied power based on the control of the processor 301. More specifically, the power distribution unit 309 distributes the power supplied from the front connection unit 36 ​​to the battery 308 and the rear connection unit 37 based on the control of the processor 301. The power distributed to the battery 308 is used for charging. The power distributed to the rear connection unit 37 is transmitted to the cart terminal 30 connected rearward via the rear connection unit 37.

[0057] Next, a description will be given of the functions of each device in the cart charging system 1. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device in the cart charging system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0058] The processor 101 included in the management server 10 loads the control program 111 stored in the storage unit 103 into the RAM 102, and operates in accordance with the control program 111 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 102. As a result, the processor 101 included in the management server 10 includes, as functional units, a communication control unit 1001, a placement identification unit 1002, and a priority calculation unit 1003.

[0059] The communication control unit 1001 controls the communication unit 104 to execute communication with the power supply device 20 and the cart terminal 30 .

[0060] For example, the communication control unit 1001 receives one or more pieces of peripheral information associated with a provider device code for identifying an operation terminal 35 mounted on a cart terminal 30, which is a shopping cart, and a nearby device code 312 for identifying an operation terminal 35 mounted on a shopping cart within a specified range from the operation terminal 35 or a power supply device 20 that supplies power.

[0061] The communication control unit 1001 receives remaining charge information that associates the providing source device code with the remaining charge amount charged to the operation terminal 35 using the providing source device code. Then, the communication control unit 1001 registers the charging environment information that associates the providing source device code, the nearby device code 312, and the remaining charge amount in the charging environment table 112.

[0062] The arrangement identification unit 1002 calculates the arrangement order of the multiple cart terminals 30 based on one or more pieces of charging environment information registered in the charging environment table 112. More specifically, the arrangement identification unit 1002 acquires charging environment information having a device code indicating the power supply device 20 from the charging environment table 112. The arrangement identification unit 1002 determines that the cart terminal 30 identified by the provider device code included in the acquired charging environment information is the first cart terminal 30. Then, the arrangement identification unit 1002 determines that the cart terminal 30 identified by a device code different from the device code indicating the power supply device 20, which is included in the acquired charging environment information, is the second cart terminal 30 from the top.

[0063] Furthermore, the arrangement identification unit 1002 acquires charging environment information having a provider device code indicating the second cart terminal 30 from the charging environment table 112. Then, the arrangement identification unit 1002 determines that the cart terminal 30 identified by a device code different from the device code indicating the first cart terminal 30, which is included in the acquired charging environment information, is the third cart terminal 30 from the top. Then, the arrangement identification unit 1002 calculates the arrangement order of the multiple cart terminals 30 by repeatedly executing the above-mentioned process.

[0064] The priority calculation unit 1003 calculates the priority of charging according to the arrangement order of the multiple cart terminals 30 calculated by the arrangement specification unit 1002 based on one or more pieces of charging environment information registered in the charging environment table 112.

[0065] Here, the cart terminal 30 will run out of power sooner if the remaining charge is low, so the priority calculation unit 1003 increases the charging priority of the cart terminal 30 as the remaining charge decreases.

[0066] Here, when multiple cart terminals 30 are lined up in a cart parking area, the cart terminals 30 at the end, which are farther from the power supply device 20, are used more frequently than the cart terminals at the front, which are closer to the power supply device 20. Therefore, the priority calculation unit 1003 assigns a higher charging priority to the cart terminal 30 at the end of the line of multiple cart terminals 30. The priority calculation unit 1003 then assigns lower charging priorities to the cart terminals 30 from the end to the front of the line of multiple cart terminals 30.

[0067] The priority calculation unit 1003 calculates the priority of charging based on a combination of the remaining charge amount and the arrangement order of the multiple cart terminals 30. In addition, the communication control unit 1001 transmits the priority of each of the multiple cart terminals 30 calculated by the priority calculation unit 1003 to the power supply device 20.

[0068] The processor 201 included in the power supply device 20 loads the control program 211 stored in the storage unit 203 into the RAM 202, and operates in accordance with the control program 211 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 202. As a result, the processor 201 included in the power supply device 20 includes a communication control unit 2001, a short-range wireless communication control unit 2002, and a power supply control unit 2003 as functional units.

[0069] The communication control unit 2001 controls the communication unit 204 to communicate with the management server 10. The communication control unit 2001 receives the priority of each of the cart terminals 30 in the queue.

[0070] The short-distance wireless communication control unit 2002 controls the short-distance wireless communication unit 205 to transmit a device code indicating the device itself by short-distance wireless communication. That is, the short-distance wireless communication control unit 2002 causes the device code indicating the power supply device 20 to be transmitted by short-distance wireless communication.

[0071] The power supply control unit 2003 controls the power supply unit 206 to supply power to the multiple cart terminals 30 according to the priority received from the management server 10. More specifically, the power supply control unit 2003 supplies power supplied from an external power source such as a commercial power source to the cart terminals 30. The power supply control unit 2003 also specifies the cart terminals 30 to be supplied with power based on the priority.

[0072] For example, the power supply control unit 2003 divides the specified time into multiple periods and allocates the divided periods according to priority to each cart terminal 30. Then, the power supply control unit 2003 supplies power to the cart terminal 30 for the allocated period.

[0073] For example, the power supply control unit 2003 divides 600 seconds into 300 seconds, 200 seconds, and 100 seconds. Then, the power supply control unit 2003 supplies power to the cart terminal 30 with the highest priority for 300 seconds, to the cart terminal 30 with the second highest priority for 200 seconds, and to the cart terminal 30 with the lowest priority for 100 seconds. Specifically, the power supply control unit 2003 outputs the supply of power and a device code indicating the assigned cart terminal 30 from the connector.

[0074] The power supply control unit 2003 repeatedly executes this process to supply power to the cart terminal 30. Furthermore, the power supply control unit 2003 may change the voltage of the power supply depending on the priority. Furthermore, the specified time is not limited to 600 seconds, but may be 60 seconds, 100 seconds, 6000 seconds, or another period.

[0075] The power supply control unit 2003 may also supply power to the cart terminals 30 in an order according to the priority received from the management server 10. For example, the power supply control unit 2003 specifies the cart terminal 30 with the highest priority and supplies power to it. That is, the power supply control unit 2003 outputs a device code indicating the cart terminal 30 with the highest priority and the power to be supplied from the connection unit. Furthermore, when the power supply control unit 2003 receives a notification indicating that charging is complete from the cart terminal 30, it outputs a device code indicating the cart terminal 30 with the next highest priority and the power to be supplied from the connection unit. The power supply control unit 2003 supplies power to the cart terminal 30 by repeatedly executing this process.

[0076] For example, if the cart terminal 30 has a shunt that shunts power at a rate according to priority, the power supply control unit 2003 may output the priority and the power supplied from the external power source. In this case, the cart terminal 30 shunts the power supplied from the external power source at a rate according to priority. As a result, the power supply control unit 2003 supplies the cart terminal 30 with power according to the priority.

[0077] The processor 301 of the cart terminal 30 loads the control program 311 stored in the storage unit 303 into the RAM 302 and operates in accordance with the control program 311 to generate each functional unit in the RAM 302. As a result, the processor 301 of the cart terminal 30 has, as functional units, a communication control unit 3001, a start determination unit 3002, a short-range wireless communication control unit 3003, and a charging control unit 3004.

[0078] The communication control unit 3001 controls the communication unit 304 to communicate with the management server 10. For example, the communication control unit 3001 transmits to the management server 10 a device code indicating its own device and a nearby device code 312 stored in the storage unit 303. That is, the communication control unit 3001 transmits peripheral information in which a provider device code for identifying the operation terminal 35 of the cart terminal 30 is associated with a device code for identifying the operation terminal 35 of the cart terminal 30 or a power supply device 20 that supplies power, which is within a specified range from the operation terminal 35.

[0079] Furthermore, the communication control unit 3001 transmits remaining charge information in which the providing source device code and the remaining charge amount charged to the operation terminal 35 based on the providing source device code are associated with each other.

[0080] The start determination unit 3002 determines whether or not to start charging the cart terminal 30 at the cart parking area. For example, the start determination unit 3002 determines to start charging when the cart terminal 30 enters the cart parking area. The start determination unit 3002 determines that the cart terminal 30 has entered the cart parking area when it receives a beacon from a beacon device placed on the way to the cart parking area. The beacon device transmits a beacon by infrared rays, radio waves, or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0081] Furthermore, the start determination unit 3002 may determine to start charging when detecting the supply of power from the front connection unit 36.

[0082] When the start determination unit 3002 determines that charging should be started, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 executes transmission and reception of a device code by controlling the short-range wireless communication unit 305. For example, when the start determination unit 3002 determines that charging should be started, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 controls the short-range wireless communication unit 305 to transmit a device code indicating its own device by short-range wireless communication.

[0083] Furthermore, when the start determination unit 3002 determines that charging should be started, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 receives a device code via short-range wireless communication from the operation terminal 35 of the cart terminal 30 that is within a specified range or from the power supply device 20 that supplies power. When the device code is received, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 stores the received device code as the nearby device code 312 in the storage unit 303.

[0084] More specifically, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 stores the received device code as the first nearby device code of the nearby device code 312. Furthermore, if the first nearby device code has already been registered and a device code is received, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 stores the received device code as the second nearby device code. Furthermore, if the device code was previously registered as the second nearby device code, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 stores it as the first nearby device code in the storage unit 303. That is, the short-range wireless communication control unit 3003 alternately stores the first nearby device code and the second nearby device code.

[0085] The charging control unit 3004 controls the power distribution unit 309 to control charging of the battery 308. For example, the charging control unit 3004 charges the battery 308 with power supplied from the front connection unit 36 ​​based on information notified from the front connection unit 36. More specifically, when the charging control unit 3004 receives a device code indicating its own device from the power supply device 20 via the front connection unit 36, the charging control unit 3004 charges the battery 308 with the power supplied from the front connection unit 36. On the other hand, when the charging control unit 3004 receives a device code of another device from the power supply device 20, the charging control unit 3004 causes the power supplied from the front connection unit 36 ​​to be output from the rear connection unit 37.

[0086] Next, the notification process executed by the cart terminal 30 will be described.

[0087] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a notification process executed by the cart terminal 30 according to the first embodiment.

[0088] The start determination unit 3002 determines whether or not a condition for starting charging is satisfied (step S1). For example, the start determination unit 3002 determines that the start condition is satisfied when the short-range wireless communication unit 305 receives information transmitted from a beacon device installed in a cart parking area where charging is performed.

[0089] The short-distance wireless communication control unit 3003 executes short-distance wireless communication (step S2). That is, the short-distance wireless communication control unit 3003 transmits a device code indicating its own device. The short-distance wireless communication control unit 3003 also receives device codes from devices within a specified range of its own device.

[0090] The communication control unit 3001 transmits charging environment information that associates a device code indicating the own device, device codes received from devices within a specified range of the own device, and the remaining charge of the own device (step S3).

[0091] With the above, the cart terminal 30 ends the notification process.

[0092] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a priority calculation process executed by the management server 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0093] The communication control unit 1001 receives charging environment information from each of the cart terminals 30 (step S21).

[0094] The arrangement specification unit 1002 calculates the arrangement order of the multiple cart terminals 30 based on the charging environment table 112 (step S22).

[0095] The priority calculation unit 1003 calculates the priority of charging according to the arrangement order of the cart terminals 30 based on the remaining charge amount of each cart terminal 30 registered in the charging environment table 112 (step S23).

[0096] The communication control unit 1001 transmits the calculated priority to the power supply device 20 (step S24). Then, the power supply device 20 causes the cart terminal 30 to charge based on the priority.

[0097] With the above, the cart terminal 30 ends the priority calculation process.

[0098] As described above, the management server 10 according to the first embodiment receives, from one or more cart terminals 30, surrounding information in which a source device code for identifying the cart terminal 30 is associated with the device codes of devices installed within a specified range from the cart terminal 30. The management server 10 also receives the remaining charge of the cart terminal 30 identified by the source device code. The management server 10 also calculates the order of the cart terminals 30 that transmitted the surrounding information, based on the one or more pieces of surrounding information. The management server 10 then transmits a charging priority according to the order to the power supply device 20. This allows the power supply device 20 to charge the cart terminals 30 in a line based on their order and remaining charge. Therefore, the management server 10 can charge the cart terminals 30 according to their remaining charge.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the arrangement identification unit 1002 may calculate the arrangement order of multiple cart terminals 30 for a row of multiple cart terminals 30 based on one or more pieces of charging environment information registered in the charging environment table 112. In this case, the arrangement identification unit 1002 identifies the distance to the device that transmitted the device code based on the radio wave strength of the received device code. If the device codes are in the same row, the distance to the device is less than a threshold, but if the device codes are in different rows, the distance to the device is equal to or greater than the threshold. Therefore, the arrangement identification unit 1002 extracts device codes in the same row based on the radio wave strength of the received device codes. Then, the arrangement identification unit 1002 calculates the arrangement order of the multiple cart terminals 30 based on one or more pieces of charging environment information having the extracted device codes.

[0100] (Second embodiment) The management server 10a according to the second embodiment transmits the priority to each of the cart terminals 30a, and the cart terminals 30a then charge the battery 308 with a current value based on the priority.

[0101] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of each device in the cart charging system 1a according to the second embodiment.

[0102] As in the first embodiment, the management server 10a includes a communication control unit 1001a, a placement identification unit 1002, and a priority calculation unit 1003. The communication control unit 1001a has the same functions as the communication control unit 1001 according to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the communication control unit 1001a transmits the priorities calculated by the priority calculation unit 1003 to each cart terminal 30a.

[0103] As in the first embodiment, the power supply device 20a includes a communication control unit 2001, a short-range wireless communication control unit 2002, and a power supply control unit 2003a. When power is supplied from an external power source, the power supply control unit 2003a supplies power to the cart terminal 30a connected to the connection unit.

[0104] As in the first embodiment, the cart terminal 30a includes a communication control unit 3001a, a start determination unit 3002, a short-range wireless communication control unit 3003, and a charging control unit 3004a. The communication control unit 3001a receives, from the management server 10a, the priority of the cart terminal 30a among the plurality of cart terminals 30 including the cart terminal 30a.

[0105] The charging control unit 3004a charges the battery 308 with a current value based on the priority received from the management server 10a. More specifically, the charging control unit 3004a controls the power distribution unit 309 to charge the battery 308 with a current value according to the priority, out of the current supplied from the forward connection unit 36. The charging control unit 3004a then outputs, from the backward connection unit 37, the current that is not used to charge the battery 308, out of the current supplied from the forward connection unit 36. In other words, the charging control unit 3004a outputs, from the backward connection unit 37, a current value according to the priority.

[0106] As described above, the management server 10a according to the second embodiment receives, from one or more cart terminals 30a, surrounding information in which a source device code for identifying the cart terminal 30a is associated with the device codes of devices installed within a specified range from the cart terminal 30a. The management server 10a also receives the remaining charge of the cart terminal 30a identified by the source device code. The management server 10a also calculates the order of the cart terminals 30a that transmitted the surrounding information, based on the one or more pieces of surrounding information. The management server 10a then transmits a charging priority to each cart terminal 30a according to the order of the cart terminals.

[0107] As a result, the cart terminal 30a charges the battery 308 in a row of multiple cart terminals 30a with a current value based on the priority.The cart terminal 30a then outputs the remaining current value based on the priority from the rear connection unit 37.As a result, the management server 10a can charge the cart terminal 30a according to the remaining charge amount.

[0108] 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.

[0109] The programs executed by each device in the above-described embodiments and modifications are provided by being pre-installed in a storage medium (ROM or storage unit) included in each device, but this is not limited to this. For example, the programs may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to a medium independent of the computer or embedded system, but also includes a storage medium that stores or temporarily stores a program downloaded via a LAN, the Internet, or the like.

[0110] In addition, the programs executed by each device in the above embodiments and variants may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network, or may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1 Cart Charging System 10 Management Server 20 Power supply 30 cart terminals 35 Operation terminal 36 Front connection 37 Rear connection 112 Charging Environment Table 308 Battery 309 Power Distribution Department 312 Nearby Device Code 1001 Communication control unit 1002 Placement specific part 1003 Priority calculation unit 2001 Communication Control Unit 2002 Short-range wireless communication control unit 2003 Power supply control unit 3001 Communication control unit 3002 Start determination section 3003 Short-range wireless communication control unit 3004 Charging control unit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0112] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-057086

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires one or more pieces of peripheral information associated with first identification information for identifying a device mounted on the cart and second identification information for identifying a device within a specified range from the device; a second acquisition unit that acquires remaining charge information in which the first identification information and a remaining charge amount charged in the device identified by the first identification information are associated with each other; a first calculation unit that calculates an arrangement order of a plurality of carts based on one or more pieces of peripheral information; a second calculation unit that calculates a priority of charging according to the arrangement order based on the remaining charge information; an output unit that outputs the priority; An information processing device comprising:

2. the first acquisition unit acquires one or more pieces of the peripheral information associated with the first identification information, and the second identification information for identifying a power supply device arranged at the head of a line of multiple carts or a device mounted on a cart arranged within a specified range from the device identified by the first identification information; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. the second calculation unit increases the priority toward the end of a queue of multiple carts; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the output unit outputs the priority to a power supply device arranged at the head of a line of multiple carts. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. a first acquisition unit that acquires one or more pieces of peripheral information associated with first identification information for identifying a device mounted on the cart and second identification information for identifying a device within a specified range from the device; a second acquisition unit that acquires remaining charge information in which the first identification information and a remaining charge amount charged in the device identified by the first identification information are associated with each other; a first calculation unit that calculates an arrangement order of a plurality of carts based on one or more pieces of peripheral information; a second calculation unit that calculates a priority of charging according to the arrangement order based on the remaining charge information; a power supply unit that supplies power to devices mounted on each of the plurality of carts according to the priority; A power supply device comprising:

6. Computer, a first acquisition unit that acquires one or more pieces of peripheral information associated with first identification information for identifying a device mounted on the cart and second identification information for identifying a device within a specified range from the device; a second acquisition unit that acquires remaining charge information in which the first identification information and a remaining charge amount charged in the device identified by the first identification information are associated with each other; a first calculation unit that calculates an arrangement order of a plurality of carts based on one or more pieces of peripheral information; a second calculation unit that calculates a priority of charging according to the arrangement order based on the remaining charge information; an output unit that outputs the priority; A program to make it function as such.

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